SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Griffin Canning #17 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the fifth inning of a game against the New York Yankees at Petco Park on September 05, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Yankees (81-61) at San Diego Padres (74-68), September 6, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
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WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 07: DJ Herz #74 of the Washington Nationals catches the ball from the catcher while pitching to the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Nationals Park on July 07, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As Nats fans evaulate arms currently within the system who could contribute to their next competitive team, one intriguing name has largely faded from the conversation. DJ Herz has not pitched in the major leagues since 2024, but his successful rehabilitation should remind fans why he was once considered an important part of the Nats future.
Herz underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2025, costing him that entire season and most of 2026. His initial rehabilitation assignment this summer was interrupted by a flexor strain, adding another obstacle to an already lengthy recovery. Since restarting the process, however, the 25-year-old left-hander has steadily worked his way from Single-A Fredericksburg to Double-A Harrisburg and now Triple-A Rochester.
Across his first eight minor league rehabilitation appearances this season, Herz has posted a 3.71 ERA and recorded 21 strikeouts in 17 innings. He has not yet been fully stretched out, but reaching Triple-A represents a significant step forward. If he continues responding well physically, the Nationals could give him an opportunity to pitch in the major leagues before the season ends.
Herz’s last taste of the big leagues was in 2024, where he made 19 starts for the Nats, posting a 4.16 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 88 ⅔ innings. His inconsistency and occasional command problems were understandable for a 23-year-old rookie, but his ability to miss bats immediately stood out. Herz averaged nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings, showing the kind of swing-and-miss ability that remains difficult to find among starting pitchers.
His best performance came against the Miami Marlins in just his third major league start. Herz struck out 13 batters, walked none, and allowed only one hit over six scoreless innings. He became only the second pitcher since 1901 to produce at least 13 strikeouts without issuing a walk within his first three career appearances. It was one of the most dominant starts by any Nationals pitcher in recent years and a glimpse of his potential when his fastball and changeup were working together.
Herz will still have plenty to prove. Returning from Tommy John surgery is rarely a smooth process, and the Nationals should prioritize his long-term health over squeezing a few extra innings out of him this season. Even if he returns, he may initially work in a limited role rather than immediately joining the rotation.
Still, Herz deserves to be included in Washington’s pitching plans. At his best, he has shown more strikeout upside than many of the organization’s other young starters. Whether his future is in the rotation or as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen, his stuff gives him a legitimate chance to become an important major league contributor.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Gage Jump #61 of the Athletics throws a pitch during a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on August 31, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics have played spoiler all weekend, winning the first three games of the series against the Seattle Mariners to deal another blow to their division rivals’ playoff hopes.
The A’s need one more win to complete a four-game sweep in what has been one of their best-played series during an otherwise forgettable second half of the season. Despite sitting in last place, the A’s have a winning record against their American League West opponents. That is as much a reflection of the division’s mediocrity as it is of the A’s success against their divisional rivals this season.
This afternoon, rookie left-hander Gage Jump will start for the A’s. The 23-year-old enters his 19th start of the season with a 6-9 record, a 5.15 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings.
Fatigue seems to be setting in for Jump, who has pitched a career-high number of innings this season between Triple-A and the majors. Over his past seven starts, the southpaw went 3-3 with a 6.31 ERA. In his previous outing against the Texas Rangers, Jump took the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Today, the left-hander will face Seattle for the second time in his career. He made his MLB debut against the Mariners in May, allowing four runs over five innings in a losing effort. Jump will look to earn his first win against Seattle and help the A’s win a fifth straight game.
The Athletics also have to be mindful of the rookie’s workload, as he is a big part of their future and the team has nothing left to play for this season .
Here’s how the Athletics will line up for the series finale in Seattle:
Designated hitter Max Muncy has been one of the series’ standout performers. He will look to hit a home run in his third consecutive game. Right fielder Lawrence Butler, another player swinging a hot bat, will look to extend his hitting streak to 15 games in the team’s final contest before returning to Sacramento.
Brian Serven is behind the plate, with starting catcher Jonah Heim getting the day off. Center fielder Denzel Clarke, who grounded out weekly in each of his at-bats yesterday, joins Heim on the bench.
Will the Athletics get more unexpected production from Serven and shortstop Alika Williams at the bottom of the order, or will the top of the lineup have to carry the offense?
Meanwhile the M’s will have righty Bryan Woo on the mound for them. The 26-year-old Bay Area native enters his 27th start of the season with a 10-9 record, a 4.25 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 148 1/3 innings.
While Woo has remained healthy, his performance has regressed from last season, when he was named an American League All-Star and finished with a 2.94 ERA. His decline is emblematic of a Mariners team, that as a whole, has failed to replicate the magic that carried it to within reach of last fall’s World Series.
In his last start against the Boston Red Sox, Woo earned the win after allowing one run over six innings. He will make his first start of the season against the A’s today. Woo has dominated the Athletics over his career, going 7–1 with a 2.22 ERA in his first 10 appearances against the Green and Gold. Since Woo does not issue many walks, A’s hitters will need to work deep counts and capitalize on mistake pitches, or it could be a long afternoon for the visitors.
The reeling Mariners continue to tap into their deep farm system for reinforcements, with highly touted infielder Michael Arroyo the latest player called up from Triple-A. Arroyo will bat near the bottom of Seattle’s lineup, which loses much of its production after the first six hitters.
With no off day tomorrow, the Athletics would greatly appreciate a quality start from Jump. To deliver one, he must limit the free passes and avoid leaving pitches over the middle of the plate against the likes of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena.
Time to send the Mariners out to sea. Let’s go, A’s!
The Mets are promoting pitching prospect Gary Gill Hill from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse, the team announced on Sunday.
Gill Hill joined the Mets organization as part of the trade that sent Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays at this year's trade deadline and had pitched well with the Rumble Ponies. In five starts, the right-hander went 2-0 with a 3.76 ERA (1.22 WHIP) and struck out 28 batters over 26.1 innings.
Overall, the 21-year-old has a 4.34 ERA in 25 starts between High-A, where he began the season, and Double-A.
New York's No. 19 overall prospect, according to SNY, Gill Hill's last start in Binghamton came on Sept. 1, which puts him on schedule to make his debut for Syracuse soon.
The promotion comes after the Mets recalled Jonah Tong from Triple-A to the big leagues, leaving a spot open in the starting rotation.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 23: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 23, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their Colorado vacation against the Rockies Sunday afternoon at Coors Field. Kyle Leahy will pitch at least the first couple of innings for the Cardinals while the Rockies give the ball to RHP Tanner Gordon. First pitch set for 2:10pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
Fermín, Raphinha and Pedri also score in 5-0 La Liga win
Goalkeeper Koeman Jr scores two penalties in Eredivisie
Lamine Yamal struck twice for Barcelona as they demolished Valencia 5-0 on Sunday to maintain their 100% start in La Liga.
The reigning champions moved three points clear at the top of La Liga after Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid lost 1-0 at Real Betis on Friday. Fermín López, Raphinha and Pedri were also on target for Hansi Flick’s swaggering visitors on a hot afternoon on Spain’s east coast.
The Boston Red Sox are losing All-Star outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela to the injured list, but have the luxury of making sure he's 100% for the greater stakes to come.
Rafaela was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, Sept. 6, due to a quadriceps strain. Along with fellow outfielder Wilyer Abreu, Rafaela has been the club's most valuable position player this season, posting 5.5 WAR, 16 homers, 17 steals, a .760 OPS and elite defense in center field.
Outfielder Nate Eaton was summoned from Class AAA Worcester (Mass.) to replace Rafaela.
The move comes with Boston (78-65) virtually locked into the No. 2 wild card slot, with a six-game lead over No. 3 Toronto. The Red Sox's playoff odds are 99.5%, according to FanGraphs. The club can backdate Rafaela's IL stint by five days and not risk aggravating the quad injury.
"You do the math and see he’ll need the next series to get back on his feet. So go grab another player for the next five days or so," says interim manager Chad Tracy. "It gets Nate here, gives us another player, maybe allows us to be more aggressive with pinch hits.
"I like the outfielder. With Rafa not here, you have a very good defender in Nate Eaton going out there on defense. And he can run. It allows to be more aggressive in spots, even with a lead, if we want to."
One player remaining in Worcester, likely for the remainder of the season: Kristian Campbell. Signed to an eight-year, $60 million contract just days after his major league debut in March 2025, Campbell bottomed out, first with the Red Sox (a .176 average with one homer in his last 104 plate appearances) and then at Worcester, where he batting just .211 with two homers and a .282 slugging percentage through July 1.
But Campbell has reverted to his original mechanics after the Red Sox made significant changes in his set-up the previous two seasons and has posted a .921 OPS in his past 49 games.
"I’m paying attention," says Tracy, who noted there likely wasn't a logical role for Campbell right now if the club were inclined to promote him. "Based on the beginning of the season, the first half, you break down post-All-Star break and what he’s done, it’s encouraging. It’s encouraging and now he’s carried it for a month in a row.
"He's back to a more traditional set-up with his hands. A lot of stuff driving him back to where he was a couple years ago, and his set-ups and comfort and letting him turn it loose. Right now it seems to be working, which is great."
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 31: Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Coors Field on August 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Gavin Liddell/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a couple of crazy games — one loss and one win — the Rockies will look to take their final game against the St. Louis Cardinals in this afternoon’s rubber match. If they win, they will tie the season series 3-3.
The Rockies have played 19 rubber matches so far this season and are 6-13, the second-worst rubber match winning percentage (.316) behind the Boston Red Sox (5-14, .263). Seven of their rubber match losses have come by two or fewer runs, and they are 3-5 in home rubber matches (3-8 on the road). Wednesday’s rubber match against the Orioles marked the first time the Rockies have won three-straight rubber matches since winning five-straight May 7-June 25, 2023.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.18 ERA) will take the mound for the Rockies. Gordon was on a roll in his last outing before being stymied by a one-hour and 38-minute rain delay. Gordon managed to toss five innings before the delay, only allowing three hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts. But he only threw 60 pitches, so hopefully that means he’ll be fresh this afternoon. He has faced the Cardinals twice (one start) and is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 9.1 innings.
Gordon will face Colorado Mesa product, and Boulder native, Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA). Leahy is in his fourth MLB season, but first where all of his appearances have been starts. He made 98 appearances from 2023-2025, but only one start — the Cardinals’ final game against the Chicago Cubs last September where he pitched three perfect innings with a strikeout. In his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Leahy pitched three innings and allowed one run (a solo homer) on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He has faced the Rockies six times in his career, and started against them this year on August 7th in St. Louis. He is 2-0 against them with a 4.05 ERA in 13.1 innings.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 02: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 02, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! The Yankees have spent the last seven days in the West Coast, hanging in Anaheim as Arte Moreno sold the Los Angeles Angels, then heading on down to San Diego after an offday to take on a bunch of old friends, the Padres. With so much in store, we’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get started!
Down Goes Boston
Last Sunday afternoon, the Yankees gave the Red Sox a 16-1 bearsown, winning the season rubber match to give them the tiebreaker in case both squads finish the season with identical records (as we saw last year, when the Yankees lost the tiebreaker to Toronto, that can be significant come playoff time). Key to that win was Heliot Ramos, whose big three-run home run marked his first significant Yankees moment. Not surprisingly, he took to Instagram to celebrate after the game.
Late in the game, Boston announcer Will Flemming earned the ire of Yankees fans everywhere, criticizing Jazz Chisholm Jr. with language that has historically been used to criticize Hispanic and Black players, then wishing that the Red Sox drilled Austin Wells and started a fight with Chisholm. Naturally Yankees players and fans took to social media to criticize him — including on his own ““apology.”
For this week’s QOTD, we get to see just how good (or bad) the Yankees are at writing in cursive — I can confirm that it’s more rarely taught to students these days, so if you think these may be hard to read at times … yeah, I’m not surprised.
Mar 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of the field prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Game three of the series with the Royals. This is game 144. It would be nice to stay above .500.
Let’s get a sweep.
Sean Keys gets into the lineup and Josh Smith plays.
Joe Morgan, who spent 18 years in the Boston Red Sox organization as a manager, coach and scout and guided them to the 1988 American League East championship, died Saturday, Sept. 5, the club announced Sunday.
He was 95.
Morgan, a Walpole, Massachusetts native who played at Boston College, managed the Red Sox from 1988-1991, taking over for the fired John McNamara at midseason. The Red Sox were 43-42 at the All-Star break and nine games out of first place when Morgan took over.
He guided them to a 46-31 record and an improbable East title behind pitchers Roger Clemens and Bruce Hurst, who each won 18 games; Clemens led the majors with 291 strikeouts. The Red Sox were swept 4-0 in the AL Championship Series by the Oakland Athletics.
"Joe Morgan holds a special place in Red Sox history," said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry in a statement released by the team. "When he took over in 1988, he changed the course of a season and created one of the most memorable chapters in the history of this club. The two division titles that followed only strengthened a bond with Red Sox fans that endured for the rest of his life. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and all who loved him."
Added chairman Tom Werner: "'Morgan Magic’ is forever part of Red Sox lore. Joe took over in 1988 and gave New England a summer it would never forget. How fitting that, in his final season watching the Red Sox, he saw another team respond to adversity with a remarkable run of its own."
Morgan won 83, 88 and 84 games in his three full seasons managing the club, guiding them to the East title in 1990 before another postseason elimination by Oakland. He was fired shortly after the 1991 season and replaced by Butch Hobson.
Morgan, an infielder, played in 88 major league games with the Milwaukee Braves (1959), Kansas City Athletics (1959), Philadelphia Phillies (1960), Cleveland Indians (1960-61), and St. Louis Cardinals (1964) and began his minor league maangerial career in 1966. He is a member of the Red Sox hall of fame.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 05: John Rave #16 of the Kansas City Royals hits a home run during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals have struggled in the month of September and to open this homestand, sitting at 1-4. For the second straight series they will look to avoid being swept. The Royals are 63-80 on the season.
Today, it was announced that Jac Caglianone, who left the game last night, has a grade 1 flexor strain.
Jac Caglianone has a Grade 1 flexor strain, manager Matt Quatraro said. He’ll get a few days off and then progress back to baseball activity. With the low grade, the #Royals don’t expect an IL stint as of now.
The Blue Jays are streaking currently, winning 8 of their last 10 after it looked like they were dead in the water, after the Royals dominated them in Canada. Them and the Guardians are tied for the last wild card spot right now, both sitting at 72-71, but the Blue Jays own the tiebreaker. Also, after last night’s win, they are above .500 for the first time in a very long time.
Spencer Arrighetti starts for them today. Here is the Jays lineup against Dobnak.
Vincent Janssen scores Timbers’ first MLS hat-trick
Embolo scores, Messi assists in charged match
Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player in MLS history to record a five-match goal contribution streak on Saturday.
At 16 years and 342 days old, Sullivan scored in his third consecutive MLS match on Saturday when he tallied in the 75th minute of the Union’s 2-0 victory over CF Montreal. He has three goals and three assists during his past five league matches.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 01: Brandon Nimmo #24 of the Texas Rangers reacts to a double against the Athletics during the first inning at Globe Life Field on September 01, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
