Gold Glove finalist Mookie Betts' fielding (and hitting) has Dodgers in position for sweep

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts throws out Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio at first base.
Mookie Betts throws out Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio during the Dodgers' 3-1 win in Game 3. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The debate over whether Mookie Betts can play shortstop was settled long ago.

The debate now is whether Mookie Betts can play shortstop better than anyone in baseball. That discussion may soon be drawing to a close too.

Because a day after being named a finalist for a Gold Glove, Betts put a huge exclamation point on Thursday’s 3-1 playoff win over the Milwaukee Brewers with a spectacular play to start the ninth inning.

The victory leaves the Dodgers a win away from advancing to their second straight World Series, a journey they could complete Friday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. And a big reason they’re there is the steady defense of Betts, a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield who has made the difficult move to the middle of the infield seem easy.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“I think the only person on this planet that believed that Mookie Betts would be in this conversation was Mookie Betts,” Dodger manager Dave Roberts said. “It's just something that has never been done. I can't even — it's incredible. Obviously I'm at a loss for words.”

Betts tried the position last year but Roberts said the confidence wasn’t there, so he moved Betts back to the outfield. There was no chance that would happen this fall.

Few understand the difficulty of what Betts has done more than those who have played the position. Yet Miguel Rojas, the man Betts replaced at shortstop — and a Gold Glove finalist himself this season as a utility player — said he’s not surprised because he has seen how hard Betts works.

“He doesn’t take days off,” Rojas said of Betts, who is frequently among the first players on the field for pregame drills and among the last to leave. “Even when we have an off day, he’ll still go out there and is asking ways to get better. I think it’s a product of being a relentless worker every single day. He’s never satisfied. He’s always trying to get better.

“For me to be there every single day to watch him perform and watch his work ethic, it’s been impressive.”

Part of that work, Betts said, involves watching video of every fielding play he makes. That includes the brilliant ones, like the ninth-inning play Thursday in which he ranged in the hole to backhand Andrew Vaughn’s grounder, then rose up and delivered a strong one-hop jump throw across his body to first baseman Freddie Freeman to get Vaughn easily.

“I go back and watch all my plays, even the routine ones, just to learn what I can do better,” he said.

Asked if he’s ever surprised by what he sees, Betts, who has yet to make an error in the playoffs, shrugged.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts makes a leaping, cross-body throw to throw out Andrew Vaughn.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts makes a leaping, cross-body throw to retire Andrew Vaughn at first base during the ninth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“I'm just doing my job. I'm just doing my job going out there and playing short, that's all.

“Once I get to the ball, I believe and trust in my athletic ability to make a play.”

Rojas, who has played six positions in the majors, said shortstop is such a hard place to play because of the mental focus it demands. An outfielder might be able to think about his hitting for a few pitches, but the shortstop, who quarterbacks the infield, doesn’t have that luxury.

“In the middle of the year he was in a slump offensively. But he never let the defense down. And that’s really impressive,” Rojas said. “He always said it to me, ‘Even though I’m sucking right now at hitting, I’m never going to be bad at defense. And I’m going to catch every single ball.’

“That’s the mentality that you have to have to be a really good shortstop.”

In the postseason, he’s become a really good offensive shortstop as well. After slumping to a career-low .258 average in the regular season, Betts is slashing .297/.381/.459 and shares the team lead with 11 hits and five extra-base hits in the postseason.

However, the numbers and the awards mean little to him, he said; Betts cares far more about winning. And as for proving himself at shortstop? Others, including his manager, may be surprised, but he isn’t.

“I know I could do it. I believed in myself. I always have belief in myself,” he said. “It was a goal to be the best I could be. If it came with a Gold Glove, cool. If it didn’t come with a Gold Glove, cool.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

“I can go to bed at night knowing that I did everything I could. That’s all I care about.”

Just a season ago there were mornings when he’d get out of that bed wishing he could go back to right field. That doesn’t happen anymore.

“I would say the best athletes are the guys in the dirt,” he said. “It was fun while it lasted. I enjoy being in the dirt now.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Dodgers near repeat World Series trip, beat Brewers 3-1 behind Glasnow, Edman for 3-0 NLCS lead

National League Championship Series - Milwaukee Brewers v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game Three

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 16: Enrique Hernández #8, Justin Dean #75, and Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers react in the outfield after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 in game three of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Getty Images

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy Edman hit a tiebreaking single off hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski in a two-run sixth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Thursday to take a 3-0 lead in their NL Championship Series.

Los Angeles moved within one win of becoming the first defending champion to reach the World Series since the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies. No team has won consecutive titles since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees took three in a row.

Game 4 is Friday. Only one Major League Baseball team has overcame a 3-0 postseason deficit, the 2004 Boston Red Sox against the Yankees.

Shohei Ohtani tripled off Andy Ashby to start the bottom of the first and scored on Mookie Betts’ double to put the Dodgers ahead, but Jake Bauers tied the score with an RBI single in the second.

That was the only run allowed by Tyler Glasnow, who has combined with Ohtani, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to give Dodgers starters a 1.54 postseason ERA during an 8-1 postseason spurt.

Misiorowski replaced Ashby with two on and one out in the first, and struck out Edman and Teoscar Hernández. The 23-year-old right-hander topped 100 mph with 17 pitches and struck out a Brewers postseason rookie record nine, but his fastball velocity dropped to 98-99 mph slightly in the sixth.

Will Smith singled with one out on an slider in the middle of the strike zone and Freddie Freeman walked after falling behind 1-2 in the count. Edman, who had struck out twice against Misiorowski, lined a low slider into center, and Smith scored for a 2-1 lead as Sal Frelick made a week throw.

Abner Uribe relieved and struck out Hernández, then made a wild pickoff throw past first as Freeman scored, the second straight game with an error by the Brewers closer.

Glasnow allowed three hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings while striking out eight, leaving to a standing ovation from the crowd of 51,251.

Alex Vesia followed Glasnow and got two outs for his second win of the playoffs.

Roki Sasaki pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the postseason, finishing a four-hitter. Dodgers relievers allowed one hit of 3 1/3 innings.

Milwaukee, which swept the Dodgers 6-0 during the regular season, has lost its last 10 postseason road games dating to 2018.

Up next

Ohtani, 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in the postseason, makes his second postseason start after the right-hander struck out nine over six innings against Philadelphia in the NL Division Series. The two-way star was 1 for 4 with two strikeouts and is hitting .158 (6 for 38) with one homer and six RBIs in nine postseason game. Milwaukee has not announced a starter.

Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

Los Angeles, CA October 16, 2025 - Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen celebrates as Dodgers.
The Dodgers dugout erupts along with Dodger Stadium fans as Will Smith scores on a single by Tommy Edman in the sixth inning of Game 3 of the NCLS. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Milwaukee Brewers have no chance.

Neither will the Seattle Mariners or the Toronto Blue Jays.

The clear truth emerged from the Dodger Stadium shadows late Thursday amid a downtown-shaking roar of delight and disbelief.

This is ridiculous. This is simply ridiculous, how well the Dodgers are playing, how close the history books are beckoning, and how an ordinary summer has been followed with unbelievable days of the extraordinary.

The Dodgers are not going to lose another game this October. Write it down, bet it up, no major league baseball team has ever played this well in the postseason, ever, ever, ever.

With their 3-1 victory over the Brewers on Thursday in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers take a three-games-to-none lead with a sweep likely in the next 24 hours and coronation coming in the next two weeks.

The Dodgers are going to win this NLCS and follow it with a four-game whitewash of the World Series because, well, you tell me.

How is anybody going to beat them?

Match their aces-flush rotation? Nope. Equal their hot closer and revived bullpen? Sorry. Better than their deep lineup? Nobody is even close.

The Dodgers are more than halfway to finishing the most dominant postseason in baseball history. It’s all there in the numbers.

The only team to go undefeated through the playoffs since the divisional era began was the 1976 Cincinnati Reds. But the Big Red Machine had to win only seven games. Since the playoffs were expanded and the test became tougher, the greatest October streaks have belonged to the 2005 Chicago White Sox and the 1999 New York Yankees, both of whom went 11-1.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

These Dodgers were forced into that early wild-card series, so if they end this postseason without another loss, they will finish 13-1.

The last team in this town to have such a dominating postseason was the champion 2001 Lakers, who went 15-1 in the postseason with only one stumble against Philadelphia on the night Allen Iverson famously stepped over Tyronn Lue.

Fittingly, the mamba mentality of that group was referenced Thursday by Mookie Betts.

“Honestly, I have zero emotions,” he said. “We're up but, you know, like Kobe said, the job’s not done, so we’ve got to keep going and just keep applying pressure.”

Those Lakers were legendary. These Dodgers will be soon.

“That team is pretty good,” acknowledged Brewers manager Pat Murphy.

You think? They are currently 8-1 in the playoffs and have won 23 of their previous 29 games and again, who’s going to beat them?

Start with that rotation. Tyler Glasnow followed gems by Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Thursday by twirling 5 ⅔ innings of swing and miss, holding the Brewers to one run with eight strikeouts. In three games, the Brewers have scored two runs in 22 ⅔ innings against Dodgers starters.

And perhaps their best pitcher hasn’t even taken the mound yet, that being Friday’s starter, Shohei Ohtani.

Now for their deep lineup. Ohtani is still mired in a career-worst slump, but his one hit Thursday was a leadoff triple that led to him scoring the first run, and seemingly everybody else chipped in. Betts had the first RBI, Tommy Edman knocked in Will Smith with the go-ahead run in the sixth, a hustling Freddie Freeman scored on a wild pickoff attempt, and on and on ...

Finish with their bullpen, which is actually finishing. Taking over for Glasnow with a runner on first and two out in the sixth Thursday, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda and Roki Sasaki shut the Brewers down the rest of the way, and their regular-season weakness has become their strength.

“I think the thing about our guys is, they're battle-tested, and they know that I've never lost faith in them,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Incidentally, Sasaki’s ninth-inning shutdown was aided by a brilliant in-the-hole putout by shortstop Betts, seven innings after Max Muncy threw out a runner at home, and that golden defense is just one more way the Dodgers can beat you.

All this, and as Thursday confirmed, they have arguably the best home-field advantage in baseball.

No place is bigger. No place draws more fans. And no place is louder, from the bleacher-rattling roar to the cover-your-ears sound system.

“This place has an aura about it,” Muncy said of Dodger Stadium. “It's the biggest capacity in baseball. Everybody talks about it when you come here. The lights seem a little brighter. The music seems a little louder — that might actually be because it is a little louder.”

Yeah, fans, you might hate the otherworldly stadium volume, but the players like it.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Brewers to move to the verge of returning to the World Series

“That's part of the perks of being at Dodger Stadium, we have that sound system,” Muncy said. “It sounds silly to say something like a sound system could be an advantage. But it really is. When the speakers in the center field are cranking and the crowd is going absolutely nuts and you feel the field shaking beneath your feet, it's a really big advantage. And that's something we've always had here.”

The stadium rose to the occasion Thursday as it always does this time of year, filling up despite the weird midafternoon starting time, constantly standing and screaming by the game’s end.

“When we've had those big moments, there's arguably no place that can get louder than Dodger Stadium, especially in the postseason,” Muncy said. “When you have 56, 57,000 people screaming all at the same time in a big moment, it's pretty wild. That's an advantage that we've always had here, and the guys love it.”

There’s a lot to love.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Roberts said.

Getting shorter by the roar.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

Los Angeles, CA October 16, 2025 - Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts makes a leaping, cross-body throw from just beyond the diamond to force out Andrew Vaughn at first base in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 3-1 win in Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

For five innings on Thursday afternoon, the Dodgers waited.

For impossible shadows to vacate the playing surface after a 3:08 p.m. start at Dodger Stadium.

For Milwaukee Brewers rookie star Jacob Misiorowski to lose steam after an electric start to his bulk-relief outing.

For a door to open that their veteran club, seeking a 3-0 lead in the National League Championship Series, could finally exploit.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, it arrived.

With a two-run rally fueled by professional hitting, aggressive baserunning and a little cat-and-mouse game with the pitch clock, the Dodgers broke an early tie and took a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, moving to the doorstep of the World Series with a 3-1 defeat of the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS.

The decisive rally followed five innings of frustration.

Tyler Glasnow carved up Brewers hitters on one side, giving up just one run over 5 ⅔ innings. Misiorowski did the same to the Dodgers, following opener Aaron Ashby, who gave up a run two batters into his outing, with five innings of almost perfect relief.

In the sixth, however, the Dodgers flipped the script — finally getting more favorable circumstances, and immediately manufacturing a couple of runs.

First and foremost, Misiorowski’s velocity, which was previously 100 mph or more with his fastball and up to 96 mph with his slider, started dipping. The shadows that had tortured hitters all day, leaving home plate covered in shade while the outfield batter’s eye was drenched in sun, also suddenly subsided.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

With one out, Will Smith took advantage by hitting a hanging 95-mph slider to left for a single. Then, Freddie Freeman drew a walk in a strategic battle with the 23-year-old pitcher, whose plan to hold the ball against Freeman as the pitch clock wound down was thrown back in his face by Freeman standing outside the batter’s box as long as possible.

With two runners aboard, and Misiorowski facing his first real stress since inheriting two runners back in the first, Tommy Edman hit a first-pitch slider (this one at just 94 mph) to center to break a 1-1 tie.

As the relay throw came into the Brewers' infield, Freeman made an aggressive — and ultimately rewarding — decision to go all the way to third from first.

The move paid off two batters later. While heavily used Brewers closer Abner Uribe (who was making his fourth outing in the last six days) set Teoscar Hernández down swinging for a key second out, he then made a back-breaking mistake: Firing an errant pickoff throw to first that got past Andrew Vaughn and trickled up the right-field line.

Tommy Edman hits an RBI single in the sixth inning during the Dodgers' 3-1 win over the Brewers.
Tommy Edman hits an RBI single in the sixth inning of the Dodgers' 3-1 win over the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Freeman trotted the 90 feet home with ease. The Dodgers had a 3-1 lead that their bullpen — which used Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda and Roki Sasaki for the final 10 outs — protected. And now, entering Game 4 on Friday night, the Dodgers are in position for a sweep.

Unlike Games 1 and 2 of this series, which the Dodgers dominated outside of a brief ninth-inning scare in the opener, Thursday’s contest was much of a jump ball.

The Dodgers scored first, thanks to a questionable tactical move from the Brewers — who used the left-handed Ashby as an opener, forcing him to face the top of the Dodgers’ order for the third time in this series.

The familiarity backfired. Shohei Ohtani hooked a leadoff triple into the right-field corner, snapping his season-long seven-game drought without an extra-base hit. Mookie Betts drove him in on the next pitch, belting a double into the right-center field gap.

Read more:Shaikin: It's not easy to repeat as World Series champs, but Dodgers don't seem to mind

Only once Misiorowski entered did the Brewers settle down.

Four months after dismantling the Dodgers in a six-inning, one-run, 12-strikeout gem, one that helped him earn a surprise (and controversial) All-Star selection just five starts into his MLB career, the long-limbed, flame-throwing right-hander was similarly stout for most of his bulk-relief outing Thursday.

He stranded the two runners he inherited in the first with back-to-back strikeouts. He worked around an infield single from Andy Pages in the second. Then, he didn’t let another runner reach base until the sixth, racking up nine strikeouts along the way.

Glasnow, however, found equal success.

In a three-hit, three-walk, eight-strikeout start, he gave up his only damage in the second inning, when Caleb Durbin tripled (with the help of an over-aggressive dive from Kiké Hernández in left field) and scored on Jake Bauers’ RBI single.

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers in the first inning Thursday against the Brewers.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers in the first inning Thursday against the Brewers. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

But later in the inning, Glasnow got some help from his defense, with third baseman Max Muncy making a diving stop and a spinning throw from a drawn-in position to get Bauers (who had advanced to third on a steal and errant pickoff throw from Glasnow) at the plate.

And from there, Glasnow was untouchable, retiring 14 of his next 15 batters before his day ended on a two-out walk in the sixth.

Glasnow’s start kept the Dodgers’ rotation ERA in this postseason at an immaculate 1.54. The group also now has 71 strikeouts in 58 ⅓ innings over its nine combined starts.

That strength has been enough to give the Dodgers control of this series.

But the usually pesky Brewers haven’t helped their cause, either.

The clearly fading Misiorowski wasn’t removed until the Dodgers had already gone in front in the sixth. Uribe’s pickoff throw later in the inning was also puzzling, given that he hadn’t allowed a steal since 2023 and had successfully picked off a runner only once in that time. And during their one opportunity to rally in the seventh, when Durbin hit a leadoff double, manager Pat Murphy left Jake Bauers in the game for a left-on-left matchup against Vesia — leading to a harmless fly ball and the first of nine consecutive Brewers outs that would end the game.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Report: Rangers Prospect Generating Trade Interest

Brennan Othmann (© Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images)

The New York Rangers are once again being discussed the rumor mill. 

In a recent article for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Rangers have had talks with other NHL clubs about forward Brennan Othmann since he did not make the NHL roster out of training camp. 

With Othmann being a former first-round pick, it is understandable that he is generating some trade interest. He could be a solid low-risk, high-reward prospect for another club to take a chance on if the Rangers are willing to move him. 

Othmann played in 22 games this past season with the Rangers, where he recorded two assists, seven penalty minutes, and 43 hits. He also posted 12 goals and 20 points in 27 AHL games with the Hartford Wold Pack in 2024-25. 

With Othmann being only 22 years old, the Rangers do not need to rush any potential trade involving him. However, if they do not view the 2021 first-round pick as a long-term fit on their roster, he could be a very solid trade chip for the Rangers to use to upgrade their roster now. 

Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what happens with Othmann and the Rangers from here. 

Can Bryce Harper ever be elite again? Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has concerns

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper turned 33 on Thursday, and the celebration for the new father of four just might not stretch very far inside the Philadelphia Phillies' front office.

After a season in which Harper's .844 OPS was his lowest since 2016 and his .261 average was his worst since 2019, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski analyzed whether Harper - a two-time NL MVP - can return to form as one of baseball's best players with six years left on his 13-year, $330 million deal.

“He's still a quality player. He's still an All-Star caliber player,” Dombrowski said Thursday as he broke down the season. “He didn't have an elite season like he's had in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good.”

Just good?

That has to sting for a player such as Harper who helped carry the Phillies out of baseball irrelevancy and into the playoffs for the first time in 11 years in 2022. Yes, Harper missed a month of the season as he recovered from a wrist injury, but the numbers did show an overall dip in production.

Against the Dodgers in the NL Division Series, Harper was just 3-for-15 batting with no RBIs in the four-game loss.

“Can he rise to the next level again? I don't really know that answer,” Dombrowski said. “He's the one that will dictate that more than anything else. I don't think he's content with the year that he had. Again, it wasn't a bad year. But when I think of Bryce Harper, you think elite, you think of one of the top-10 players in baseball and I don't think it fit into that category.”

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Harper - who made a Gold Glove-caliber move from right field to first base and made the fastest return to the majors following Tommy John surgery of any player in big league history - may not have had the kind of success he was accustomed to over his 14-year career.

It just didn't mean Harper's best years were behind him.

“I think he’s highly motivated to have the best season of his career next year,” Thomson said.

Harper will certainly return next season as the Phillies try and figure out how to snap out of a four-year postseason malaise that has yet to win them a World Series. While Dombrowski has heavy decisions to make about a roster with several key free agents, he's not necessarily feeling the heat to shake-up the team.

“Need to be more change? We won 96 games,” Dombrowski said.

The Phillies' hitting woes each October could be settled if Harper can rediscover that sweet left-handed stroke that once made him one of baseball's most feared hitters.

“What I'd like to see is just him be himself, try not to do too much," Thomson said. “Really focus on hitting the ball the other way. When he stays on the ball, he is such a great hitter. I think he just gets in the mindset that he tries to do a little too much because he knows that he's Bryce Harper.”

Thomson will return for his fifth season and Dombrowski said the Phillies would likely work on a one-year extension beyond the 2026 season. Thomson has one year left on his deal.

The entire coaching staff - including embattled hitting coach Kevin Long - will return, though the Phillies are looking for a new bench coach. Mike Calitri will become a major league field coordinator, and the Phillies would like to add someone with managerial experience to take his place.

The Phillies have increased their win total each of the last four years (87-90-95-96) while their postseason runs have gotten worse: losing in the 2022 World Series, the 2023 NLCS and consecutive series losses in the NLDS.

Dombrowski said the organization needed to “keep it in perspective” that the Phillies lost to a Dodgers team that could be steamrolling toward a second straight World Series title.

“I don't think you just break up clubs,” because they lose again in the playoffs, Dombrowski said.

NL home run and RBI champion Kyle Schwarber, veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto and rotation stalwart Ranger Suárez are all free agents. Outfielder Harrison Bader, who raised his value with a dynamite two months with the Phillies, has a mutual option he is sure to decline.

“We love to have them all,” Dombrowski said. “It's probably impractical we're going to have all four of them back.”

The Phillies hold a $9 million club option or a $500,000 buyout on left-handed reliver José Alvarado, whose season was interrupted by an 80-game suspension for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. Dombrowski said the Phillies could decline the option and work out a new deal with Alvarado.

“I'd be surprised, without making any announcements, that Alvarado's not back with us,” Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski said Zack Wheeler could be ready to return to the major leagues after May following surgery and complications from a blood clot. The Phillies' ace, Wheeler is set to begin his rehabilitation next week. The 35-year-old Wheeler went 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA and led the majors with 195 strikeouts when he was sidelined in August.

No matter how the roster looks in 2026, how do the Phillies - with owner John Middleton supporting a $291.7 million payroll - snap out of the same October pattern of frigid bats from their highest-priced players that doomed them again against the Dodgers?

“We have a very substantial big league payroll and I don’t see that that’s going to change,” Dombrowski said. “John is very supportive of that. We have a good club with a lot of good players. But you don’t have unlimited (funds). I read some places where how they get better is they sign this guy, they sign that guy. I don’t think we’re going to have a $400 million payroll. I just don’t think that’s a practicality.”

What will they do with right fielder Nick Castellanos - who has one year left on the five-year, $100 million deal signed ahead of the 2022 season - who seemed unhappy and cited personal issues with Thomson after losing his starting job late in the season?

Dombrowski said he became involved and settled the issue. There was no firm commitment Castellanos would return.

Outfielder Max Kepler will not return after he hit just .216 in his lone season on a one-year, $10 million deal. Reliever Dave Robertson also will not return.

Kerkering made a wild throw past home instead of tossing to first that cost the Phillies Game 4 and the series. The only highlight replayed as much in Philadelphia than Kerkering's brain cramp of a throw was the sight of Thomson and many of his teammates consoling him in the dugout.

“He will get whatever assistance, and we will offer him whatever assistance that he needs,” Dombrowski said. “We'll continue to work with him to try and get him through that. I think he can do that, but I also know it's a challenge for him and we'll keep in contact with him on a continued basis.”

Reliever Matt Strahm raised some eyebrows after the Phillies were eliminated on Kerkering's error when he said there wasn't routine pitchers' fielding practice.

“The only thing I can think of is, if you don't routinely practice it, how do you expect to make it happen every time? As an older guy in the bullpen, I guess I should have taken it upon myself to make sure we're doing our (pitchers' fielding practice),” Strahm told The Athletic.

Let Dombrowski have the last word.

“We did plenty. Actually, as it turns out, we did do PFPs in the postseason. (Strahm) didn't do them. But we did them,” he said.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Phillies reup coaching staff with one vacancy, new role

Phillies reup coaching staff with one vacancy, new role originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies’ coaching staff will look largely familiar in 2026 — except for one key addition. With Mike Calitri transitioning into a new Major League field coordinator role, the club plans to hire an experienced bench coach from outside the organization to work alongside Rob Thomson.

“Managers use bench coaches in different fashions during a game,” Dave Dombrowski said at Thursday’s end-of-season press conference.  “I think it would be ideal to have somebody that maybe has had some managerial experience or that-type of role. But we think Cal is perfect for that [field-coordinator] role. He’s done such a good job in so many ways.”

Thomson agreed: “It was Dave’s idea,” he said. “But I thought it was a good one — another set of eyes, a different perspective.” 

He emphasized that chemistry will drive the hire: “Absolutely. Not only with myself but with the rest of the staff. The staff is so good — we’re just trying to add one more guy to make it even a little bit better.”

Thomson’s postseason regrets help explain the motivation. He pointed to a pair of decisions in Game 1 of the NLDS — having David Robertson come in after a long “up-down” and using Matt Strahm mid-inning rather than with a clean frame — as moments he’d reconsider. “We didn’t check that box,” he said. “Would it have made a difference? I don’t know. But if we’d checked that box, I could sleep a little bit better.”

Those small margins express the value of another experienced voice in the dugout — not because Calitri fell short, but because the Phillies want to keep evolving.

The rest of the staff is expected to return. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham and hitting coach Kevin Long remain cornerstones, and both — like Thomson — trace part of their baseball DNA to the Yankees. Thomson spent 27 years in New York’s organization and coached under Joe Girardi, who later managed the Phillies. Cotham was drafted by the Yankees in 2009 and made his big-league debut with them six years later. Long served as the Yankees’ hitting coach from 2007-14.

That shared lineage doesn’t make this a Yankees reunion — but it hints at the kind of profile Philadelphia could target: someone who’s been in the fire and can serve as Thomson’s trusted in-game partner.

Possible fits who check those boxes — managerial experience and familiarity with Thomson’s era of the Yankees, as well as playing days — include Tony Peña, Willie Randolph, DeMarlo Hale, Al Pedrique, and Bobby Meacham. Each has managed or coached at the Major or Minor League level and carries a strong reputation

Why the rest of the staff isn’t changing

There’s bound to be noise about why the Phillies didn’t make broader coaching changes after another NLDS exit. But both Dombrowski and Thomson made it clear — the organization remains confident in the group’s track record.

For Long, the body of work speaks loudly. Since he joined the Phillies before the 2022 season, the team ranks second in the Majors in batting average (.256), third in OPS (.753), fifth in runs per game (4.79), and fifth in batting average with runners in scoring position (.263).

The October numbers tell a different story — the Phillies are just 12-for-61 (.197) with runners in scoring position over their past two postseasons — but Long’s regular-season results and reputation across the league still carry weight inside the organization.

Dombrowski voiced confidence in Long entering his fifth season in the role, “Kevin Long is an exceptionally good hitting coach…I think we have a good hitting program.”

Cotham’s case is even clearer. Under his watch, the Phillies’ pitching staff has evolved into one of baseball’s best units. Over the last two seasons, Philadelphia starters own a 3.69 ERA, the lowest in the National League.

Extending Topper’s stay?

Ultimately, the Phillies view this winter’s adjustments as refinement, not reinvention — further evidence of Dombrowski’s trust in his skipper.

“We believe in Rob and his staff,” Dombrowski said. “They’ve helped establish a winning culture here.”

For Thomson, who returns to manage in the final year of his contract, the feeling is mutual. He made clear he’d welcome a longer stay in Philadelphia.

“Oh, absolutely,” Thomson said. “The last four years have been the most fun of my career. It has to do with the people in the organization — players, staff, front office, the fan base, how I’m treated by [the media]. I feel like I’m treated very fairly. As long as I’m happy, my family’s happy, I’m having fun, and they want me, I’ll manage.”

Brian Cashman says top prospect Spencer Jones could make Yankees' 2026 Opening Day roster

Yankees GMBrian Cashman didn't delve deep into what the club might do this offseason when it comes to reshaping the roster.

But he was open about a number of the players who are already there.

Cashman, speaking at Yankee Stadium during the team's end-of-season news conference, said he's comfortable with Ryan McMahon as the everyday third baseman, but noted that could change.

Regarding Jasson Dominguez, he said he views him as the potential regular left fielder.

The GM also spoke at length about Anthony Volpe, whose season will be delayed after he underwent left shoulder surgery. And Cashman attributed some of Volpe's struggles this past season to the fact that he played through the injury, adding the the Yanks still "believe in the player."

At the end of Thursday's news conference, Cashman weighed in on top outfield prospect Spencer Jones, who split the 2025 season between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

"I think he's put himself in the conversation," Cashman said when asked if Jones could be on the Opening Day roster in 2026. 

"I think how it plays out depends on how our winter plays out," Cashman added. "He'll certainly come to spring training, and he's earned -- without a doubt -- the look, and the competition. 

"But again, it all depends on how many opportunities exist based on the decisions that come our way this winter. But he's put himself in the position to be considered a potential everyday major leaguer in 2026, but we'll see."

Jones, 24, has massive power. But his strikeout rate in four minor league seasons has been alarming.

In 116 games this past season, Jones slashed .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs and 179 strikeouts. Jones was red hot for about a month after getting promoted to Triple-A on June 27. But he cooled off as the summer went on, slashing just .209/.295/.368 with six homers over his last 48 games.

In 2024 for Somerset, he hit .259/.336/.452 with 17 home runs over 124 games, striking out 200 times. 

If Jones is on New York's Opening Day roster in 2026, it's fair to believe he'll be in center field, flanked by Aaron Judge in right and Dominguez in left.

Yankees’ Aaron Judge doesn’t need surgery; Anthony Volpe, Carlos Rodón had operations, could miss opening day

NEW YORK — Yankees star Aaron Judge won’t need surgery on his elbow but shortstop Anthony Volpe and left-hander Carlos Rodón had operations and could miss opening day.

Judge’s throwing was limited after he hurt the flexor tendon in his right elbow in July. Manager Aaron Boone said an MRI after the team was eliminated showed “no surgery is going to be needed.”

Volpe had surgery with Dr. Christopher Ahmad to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. Boone said he can start hitting in four months but can’t dive on it for six months.

Rodón was operated on by Dr. Neal ElAttrache to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur. He has eight weeks of no throwing and the start of his season could be delayed by a couple of weeks, Boone said.

Boone said Giancarlo Stanton does not need surgery on his elbows and Gerrit Cole, returning from Tommy John surgery in March, will throw lightly off a mound and could be available not far after opening day.

He also said bullpen coach Mike Harkey and first base/infield coach Travis Chapman won’t return for 2026 and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler won’t return in that role.

Judge hurt his elbow making a throw at Toronto on July 22. The 33-year-old came back on Aug. 5 from a 10-day stint on the injured list caused by the strained flexor tendon in his right elbow and gingerly threw upon his outfield return on Sept. 5. He built up arm strength and made a 90.2 mph throw from right field in the Division Series opener.

Judge led the major leagues with a .331 average and 1.145 OPS, hitting 53 homers with 114 RBIs and 124 walks. He hit .500 with one homer, seven RBIs and four walks in the postseason as the Yankees were eliminated by Toronto in an AL Division Series.

Volpe hurt the shoulder on May 3 in an unsuccessful attempt for a backhand stab on Christopher Morel’s eighth-inning single, which sparked a two-run rally in Tampa Bay’s 3-2 win. He returned to the lineup two days later but struggled for much of the season.

Volpe, 24, had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break and a second one on Sept. 10, three days after aggravating the shoulder while making a diving stop on Isiah Kiner-Falefa in a 4-3 win over Toronto. Volpe hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs and then .192 with one homer, two RBIs and 16 strikeouts in seven postseason games. He went 1 for 15 with 11 strikeouts in the AL Division Series, making out in his last 13 at-bats.

In the field, Volpe made a career-high 19 errors, tied for third-most among major league shortstops.

Rodón, who turns 33 in December, was 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman says shoulder injury impacted struggling Anthony Volpe: 'We believe in the player'

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe had a difficult 2025 season, but how much of the 24-year-old’s struggles can be connected to the torn labrum injury suffered in May seems to be up for interpretation. 

Both manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman spoke to members of the media on Thursday, and Volpe’s shoulder injury, which he initially suffered in May when diving for a groundball, was a hot topic. 

Thanks in part to multiple cortisone shots, Volpe was able to play through the injury while only missing a handful of games (he played in 153 of the Yankees’ 162 regular-season contests). But he posted an OPS of just .663 at the plate, while committing 19 errors, the second most in the American League.

Boone on Thursday downplayed the impact of Volpe’s torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, saying that while Volpe would aggravate the injury here and there by fielding his position, “for the overwhelming majority of the year, it was not affecting his play.”

But now that Volpe has had surgery on that left shoulder, Cashman sees things a little differently.

“I personally think now, starting to lean more into, that yes, it was affecting him, because ultimately he had to have surgery,” said the Yankees GM, noting that “the clean-up was more severe" than the MRI had shown. “None of that was ever on the table in season, but I think all things can be true. Was it bothering him to a level that was getting to a height of concern for us? In season, the answer is no. Why is that? The player says it wasn’t bothering him at that point. His physical testing was coming back strong. We did an MRI that showed some old stuff in there.“

Cashman later added: “I think the injury probably contributed to the performance season that he would up having more than we would have thought based on our intimate involvement with him and our medical staff and how that played out. The facts are the facts; he had to have a surgery that’s going to take him down.”

Where Boone and Cashman are on the same page is Volpe’s timeline for recovery. According to Boone, Volpe will go four months without swinging, and six months without being able to dive and land on that left shoulder. 

So when the Yankees take the field against San Francisco for Opening Night on March 25, Volpe will not be at shortstop.

“He’s not going to be ready for spring training, which therefore will put him out to start the season. He’ll be on the IL and be ready sometime in April, and maybe worst-case scenario, May. But he’s going to get a late start just because of that,” Cashman said.

Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023, when he won the starting job out of spring training. But with a career OPS of .662 and 52 errors over his first three seasons, it’s fair to wonder what the future holds for Volpe and the Yankees.

“I believe in the player, still. I think we believe in the player,” Cashman said. “It doesn’t mean that we don’t play with, on any level, all aspects of roster assessments. He’s 24 years old. I don’t think New York’s stage is too big for him, I just think he’s still finding his way. The age is something that there’s a lot of value to reminding yourself about.”

“This is something that you can play with and play though,” said Boone, “but the finality of getting it fixed now hopefully frees him up to hopefully go dive on it the way he’s going to dive on it, and go make those next level of plays that Anthony Volpe makes. And then hopefully, because you are fixing something that is hurt on the body, that hopefully it does help performance, too, go to another level.” 

'Let's call ICE': Dodgers fan, a U.S. citizen, subjected to racial taunt during playoff game

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 14: Fans cheer before game two of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 14, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Fans cheer before Game 2 of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Tuesday. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)

What began as banter between fans during a contentious playoff game took a darker turn when a woman threatened to call ICE on a Southern California man during Tuesday’s National League Championship game between the Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.

The exchange began when Dodgers fan Ricardo Fosado trash-talked nearby Brewers fans moments after third baseman Max Muncy clobbered a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to give visiting Los Angeles a 3-1 lead.

Fosado repeatedly asked, “Why is everybody quiet?” to distraught Milwaukee fans in a social media clip that has since gone viral.

One fan, identified by Milwaukee media as an attorney named Shannon Kobylarczyk, responded by threatening to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Fosado.

“You know what?” she asked a nearby fan. “Let’s call ICE.”

Fosado, a former Bellflower City Council candidate, told Kobylarczyk to “call ICE.”

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“ICE is not going to do anything to me,” said Fosado, who noted he was a war veteran and a U.S. citizen. “Good luck.”

On the video, the woman then uses a derogatory term to question Fosado's masculinity, remarking, “real men drink beer.” Fosado was instead enjoying a fruity alcoholic beverage.

Fosado then told Kobylarczyk one last time to call ICE before calling her an idiot, punctuating the remark with an expletive.

An email to Fosado was not immediately returned Thursday.

Fosado told Milwaukee television station WISN 12 News that the incident “just shows the level where a person's heart is and how she really feels as a human being.”

Read more:Russell Westbrook decries fan harassment of family, 'Westbrick' after Lakers loss

The station also confirmed that Kobylarczyk’s employment with the Milwaukee-based staffing firm Manpower had ended.

Kobylarczyk also reportedly stepped down from the board of Wisconsin’s Make-a-Wish chapter.

Fosado did not escape unscathed, however. He said he and a friend were ejected from the game shortly after the exchange.

The Dodgers ended up winning the game 5-1 and led the best-of-seven series, 2-0. The series now shifts to Dodger Stadium, with the first pitch of Game 3 is scheduled for 3:08 p.m. Thursday.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Dodgers’ starters dominate Brewers. Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani will try to continue the trend in NLCS

LOS ANGELES — Dave Roberts has found a way around the Los Angeles Dodgers’ struggling relievers. Barely use ‘em.

The defending World Series champions have relied on their starting pitching to take a commanding 2-0 lead against the Milwaukee Brewers in their best-of-seven NL Championship Series.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell tossed eight scoreless innings to go with 10 strikeouts before rookie Roki Sasaki and Blake Treinen tamped down a late Brewers rally in closing out Game 1.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed a three-hitter in the first postseason complete game by a Dodgers pitcher since Jose Lima threw a five-hit shutout in the 2004 NL Division Series against St. Louis in Game 2.

“I’ll take as many as we can get,” Roberts said, laughing when asked how many complete games his staff can deliver. “They’re doing their part by attacking, being efficient and putting themselves in a position to do that.”

Snell and Yamamoto combined to allow one run on four hits over 17 of 18 innings in Milwaukee.

Now, here come Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani.

Glasnow starts Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani is set to go in Game 4.

The Dodgers’ rotation struggled earlier in the season with injuries and slumps, but it’s clicking now.

“It’s perfect timing,” Glasnow said. “The vibe is really good in the clubhouse. Everyone is feeling great. It’s just a good time to get hot, for sure.”

Glasnow allowed two hits over six scoreless innings in Game 4 of the NLDS against Philadelphia, when the Dodgers finished off the best-of-five series.

The Dodgers have carefully managed Ohtani’s innings this season — his first pitching since he had a second elbow surgery in December 2023 when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander twice pitched into the seventh in the regular season.

“The century mark isn’t like a ceiling on pitches. Yeah, I think it’s just kind of contingent on how he’s throwing,” Roberts said. “He’s waited for this moment, and I think with the rest that he’s got going into that game, he’s going to be ready to go.”

Ohtani was impressed with Snell and Yamamoto pitching deep into their starts and he’s eager to do the same.

“That would be great,” he said through a translator. “But my number one priority is making sure I’m putting up zeros no matter what and making sure we’re the team that scores first.”

The Brewers have lost their last nine road playoff games since 2018, and will need to win at least two of the next three games in Los Angeles to force the series back to Wisconsin. They swept a three-game series at Dodger Stadium in July.

Milwaukee had not yet announced its Game 3 starter. Manager Pat Murphy said the pitching plans were “under construction.” Left-hander José Quintana expects to see action, whether he starts or an opener is used ahead of him.

“I think we pitched better than we played, our defense,” Quintana said. “We stay positive for the game tomorrow. We need to show really good baseball and win one ballgame at a time. Tomorrow we expect to get the first win.”

Jumpstarting Ohtani

A relatively quiet Dodger Stadium got jolted with a blast of Ohtani’s walk-up song, “Feeling Good.”

The three-time MVP walked to the batting cage as Clayton Kershaw and other teammates hooted and hollered at him. Ohtani went through five rounds of hitting in an attempt to regain his stroke amidst a postseason offensive skid. He hit the metal roof of the right-field pavilion on one left-handed cut.

The two-way superstar is 2 for 25 with no extra-base hits in the NL Division Series and NLCS. He hit a career-high 55 home runs during the regular season.

Still, the Dodgers have won seven of eight postseason games with Ohtani contributing very little offensively.

“The contribution is not just by batting average,” Roberts said. “Certainly him being in the lineup, posting, I think getting the walks, allowing for Mookie (Betts) to have opportunities to drive runs in, that’s contribution. The first two games in Milwaukee his at-bats have been fantastic. That’s what I’ve been looking for. That’s what I’m counting on.”

Murphy dismissed any suggestion that Ohtani is struggling at the plate.

“He’s dangerous,” he said, “and we pitch him as tough and as careful as we can pitch him, and we bring a matchup in anytime we can.”

Murphy’s Dodger connection

Murphy brought along his 10-year-old son, Austin, when he spoke to the media.

He said the boy’s middle name, Lynn, is a tribute to Bob Welch, the retired Dodgers pitcher born Robert Lynn Welch who was a friend of Murphy’s until his death in 2014 at age 57.

Austin sat quietly and yawned once until he was asked what the Brewers need to do to get back in the series. “Just stick with it and keep battling through it,” he said, sounding a lot like his dad.

The kid was just getting warmed up.

Leaning into the microphone like an old pro, he said, “The guys respond back really good. Started the season 0-4. Those games were not good. But then they responded with the best record in baseball, so I believe they can do it.”

Max Scherzer looking to match moment, lean on postseason experience in Game 4 of ALCS for Blue Jays

SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be himself when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against Seattle.

His excitable, feisty self.

“I love it. This is what you play for,” Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation, you want to be pitching in the postseason.”

The 41-year-old Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Toronto’s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during a10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,” Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.”

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a one-year, $15.5 million contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I don’t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,” Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) I’m going to win no matter what.”

The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 13-4 in Game 3 after dropping the first two games of the ALCS at home. They need to win at least two of three in Seattle to send the best-of-seven series back to Toronto.

“We’re a great team,” Scherzer said before the Blue Jays’ win in Game 3. “I’ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. We’ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand what’s at stake.”

Mariners give up 18 hits, including 5 homers, as Blue Jays swing early in count to close in ALCS

SEATTLE — George Kirby was in the strike zone — perhaps too much.

The Toronto Blue Jays had 18 hits, including five home runs, all within the first three pitches of an at-bat in a 13-4 rout of the Seattle Mariners that pulled them to 2-1 in the AL Championship Series.

Eight of those hits came off Kirby, who hadn’t yielded that many hits in a start since Sept. 3.

“I’m never going to stray away from what I do well, and that’s get ahead and be in the zone,” Kirby said. “And they had a lot of comfortable at-bats tonight.”

Kirby gave up a tying, two-run homer to Andrés Giménez in a five-run third on an inside fastball and two-run double to Daulton Varsho on an up fastball.

George Springer homered on a sinker in the fourth and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a slider in the fifth.

Alejandro Kirk added an opposite-field, three-run homer to right off a fastball from left-hander Caleb Ferguson in the sixth as the Blue Jays joined Tampa Bay in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series as the only teams to homer in four straight postseason innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Addison Barger connected in the ninth on a Luke Jackson fastball.

“When a lineup starts combining hits together like they were, it gets contagious,” Ferguson said. “Guys go up there and just get the best swings off. So, a lot of times it goes your way, and tonight it went theirs.”

Toronto had four runs and eight hits as Seattle swept the first two games in Canada.

“I wasn’t really executing when they got the guys on base,” Kirby said. “They’re really aggressive when that happens.”

Seattle’s pitchers were sixth in the AL with a 3.87 ERA and had a 3.29 ERA in the Division Series against Detroit. Ferguson expressed confidence they quickly will return to form.

“If there’s one thing we’ve done since I’ve been here,” Ferguson said, “we bounce back together well as a team and we respond well when we kind of get smacked in the face a little bit.”

Yankees Injury Notes: No surgery for Aaron Judge; Carlos Rodon's 2026 debut likely delayed

Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided key injury updates on Thursday at Yankee Stadium during the club's end-of-season news conference...


Aaron Judge

Judge had a follow-up MRI on his right elbow after the season, and it was determined that he does not need surgery to repair the flexor strain he dealt with this past season.

The injury kept Judge out for a brief period spanning the end of July and beginning of August, and it hampered him in the field for the last two months of the season.

Judge initially returned as a DH before again manning right field. But while he was able to play his regular outfield position, Judge was unable to throw with the kind of authority he's accustomed to. This led opposing teams to challenge his arm more than usual.

With Judge not in need of surgery, the expectation is that he will be without restrictions next season when it comes to throwing from the outfield.

Carlos Rodon

Rodon had surgery on his left elbow after the season to address loose bodies and a bone spur.

He will be shut down from throwing for eight weeks, which will result in his offseason program being delayed.

Because of that, Boone said Rodon could possibly miss the first few weeks of the regular season while getting up to speed. 

Anthony Volpe

Volpe recently had labrum surgery after playing through a left shoulder injury during the season.

Boone said the expectation is that Volpe will resume hitting in four months, and that he will be a little behind to start spring training.

However, Volpe will not be able to dive on the shoulder for six months, which means he will likely not be cleared by Opening Day.