Category: MLB

The Braves’ headlong dash through a sea of contenders is nearly over. They enjoyed an off day on Thursday, they have three against the Astros in Houston, and then a couple of series against non-contenders and that’s it, the regular season is done.

While the Braves’ position is almost assured (they’ve nearly clinched a playoff berth and they could theoretically fall out of the division lead but aren’t very likely to), the same cannot be said for the Astros.

At 77-76, the Astros are a game ahead of the Rangers in the division race. The Rangers are also two games back of last Wild Card spot (where the AL Central leaders are currently tied), so it is possible that the AL playoff field involves just the AL West winner, as the final spot goes to the AL Central runner-up.

The Braves have three with the Astros. They are only favored (and even then, barely so) in the first game of the series.

The Astros then end the season on a road trip, with two in Seattle and four in Sacramento. By game-by-game odds, they’ll win 4-6 of their remaining nine games.

The Rangers have a weekend set at home with the Blue Jays, continue the homestand against the Mets, and then end the season in Minnesota. By game-by-game odds, they’re also in 4-6 of nine territory, but their odds are slightly better.

So, what the Braves do against the Astros can really tip the scales one way or another. If the Braves sweep, that could really mess up the Astros. If the Braves get swept, that could put the Rangers in the drivers seat. A non-sweep probably won’t have as much of an impact, but could still matter.

The Astros have a lot more to play for at this point, but the Braves can hopefully extract at least a win in three games.

Happy Friday, everyone. The Tigers will be doing their best to topple their division rivals this weekend as we head towards the final week of the season (what? How did that happen??) We have a few little tidbits to get you started for your Friday, including a look at our former ace Tarik Skubal, and our other former ace Justin Verlander who is making headway towards coming back for one final start next weekend.

We also check in on some injured Tigers, some injured superstars, and see which MLB managers might want to freshen up their resumes.

So let’s just get right into it.

Detroit Tigers News

• If you want to hurt your own feelings, you can read this Tom Verducci spotlight article on Tarik Skubal and how he’s going to help the Dodgers in the postseason.
• If you’d like further pain, you can read this story about the tweaks the Dodgers have made to Skubal’s approach on the mound.
• A little roster update.

And a more general medical update on what’s going on with injured Tigers. Looks like Justin Verlander did a bullpen session this week, making it more and more likely we’ll see him pitch over Verlander weekend next week.

MLB News

• A’s prospect Ryan Lasko who was paralyzed in an outfield collision, has been released from his rehab facility.
• If you’re a fan of the show Reacher you’ll get a real kick out of this article that aims to help Reacher find better baseball aliases.
• Mets fans at Citi Field seem to be turning against their own team as they remember how much they miss Pete Alonso.
• Will we ever see a pitcher hit 120mph? Maybe, but it’s not likely to be this year.
• Making sense of Fernando Tatis Jr.’s baffling season statistics.
• Keeping up with the WPBL postseason.
• It’s not time to get worried about Jesus Luzardo’s arm… yet.
• Six numbers that have defined a tremendous season for the Rays.
• The Dodgers have clinched their 13th NL West victory in 14 years.
• The personal connection behind George Springer’s Clemente Award nomination.
• The Nationals are in contract extension talks with Cade Cavalli.
• Which MLB managerial jobs are most at risk? ($)
• Seven terrible offseason moves the Mets made that might be hurting their future.
• The 10 biggest breakout stars of 2026, and no Kevin McGonigle is not on the list.
• The literal elevator pitch that Tommy Pham used to get activated by the White Sox, and how he made it worth their while.
• Judge Watch: The Yankees pulled Judge in the sixth inning on Thursday due to lower leg tightness.
• Mets’ Jared Young was carted off the field last night following a collision with one of his teammates.
• Shohei Ohtani is feeling “normal…ish.” ($)
• Keith Law admits which prospects he was wrong about. ($)
• What would the divisions look like if they were grouped by payroll?

• Cutest first pitch of all time.

• It’s not Miggy stealing nachos, but this is pretty delightful.

• A question for the dads: do you go for the catch?

Last week Matt Blood, the Orioles’ vice president of player development and domestic scouting, was let go after seven years with the organization. It’s too early to say definitively why, but one narrative that’s seeped into the mainstream is that the front office is unhappy with how the Orioles’ draft picks have panned out. Recall that the Orioles were rewarded for years of tanking by picking in the top five of the draft four years running from 2019 to 2022, landing No. 1 overall twice (Adley Rutschman in 2019, Jackson Holliday in 2022), alongside star college outfielders Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser. Well, so far, the returns are underwhelming. Kjerstad still hasn’t stuck as an everyday big leaguer. The jury’s out on Cowser and Holliday. And Rutschman, the centerpiece of the whole rebuild, is now wearing Red Sox red after Baltimore traded him to Boston at the deadline. Mike Elias’s front office gets credit for stockpiling prospects, especially athletic left-handed college hitters who play up the middle, but that’s a pretty thin return out of the draft.

But while the merits of the Orioles’ drafting strategy may require further assessment, one thing the regime seems to have quietly done quite well at is turning up players nobody else wants anymore. I’m referring to the waiver wire pickups, the “for cash” trades, the minor-league deals not even the biggest Orioles sicko paid attention to when they were announced. Despite all the sour feelings around this season, we might ask, is this front office actually good at finding value where the market says there isn’t any? There are a couple names that give cause to think this.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand is one. A fourth-round Twins pick in 2021, he came to Cincinnati in 2022, mashed as a rookie in 2023 (.270, 13 homers in just 63 games), then lost most of two seasons to a wrist fracture. After a lousy, injury-shortened 2025 (.208, -0.6 bWAR in just 36 games), the Reds designated him for assignment and shipped him to Baltimore on April 13, 2026 for cash considerations, after Ryan Mountcastle got hurt. In 51 games since, CES has delivered a .277/.326/.520 with an .846 OPS and 35 RBIs in 51 games. He’s been one of the Birds’ best clutch hitters, and is hitting close to .300 over his last month. He’s also playing a good third base, too, allowing the Orioles to replace the injured Jordan Westburg’s production without relying too much on the dangerous “Coby Mayo at 3B” experiment. Seriously impressive value.

The Orioles bullpen is full of random guys like this. Granted, some arms are random and not-great, but some are pretty exciting. The gold standard here remains Yennier Cano, one of four arms (along with Cade Povich) that Baltimore got from Minnesota in July 2022 for Jorge López, an emotionally tough trade at the time that has aged pretty well, in fact. From a terrible 9.22 ERA in Minnesota that year, Cano became an All-Star in 2023, posting a sterling 2.11 ERA in 72 2/3 innings with 65 strikeouts, and though he hasn’t returned to that form, with periods of up and down efficacy, he’s posted 1.3 WAR across three seasons since, and has looked good this season, with a 3.06 ERA and a new two-year extension.

Another is Rico Garcia, a fellow journeyman and a waiver wire pickup last August after he did stints with both New York teams in 2025. Garcia competently appeared in 20 games for the O’s last season and has been a revelation this year, with career bests in ERA (2.94) and innings (64 1/3). The right-handed Garcia, with his wicked changeup, is the guy Orioles manager Craig Albernaz turns to to clean up bad bases-loaded situations.

And let’s not forget the run of waiver claims that built the 2022-23 roster’s supporting cast. Ramón Urías is a huge one. Claimed off waivers from the Cardinals in 2020, he went on to win a Gold Glove and post 10.5 WAR in six seasons before Baltimore flipped him to Houston at the 2025 deadline for pitching prospect Twine Palmer. Jorge Mateo, acquired off waivers from San Diego in August 2021, led all of MLB in stolen bases in 2022 and won a Fielding Bible Award as the league’s best defensive shortstop before injuries eroded his value and the Orioles finally let his option lapse this past November. Cionel Pérez, plucked off waivers from Cincinnati in November 2021 right after he’d posted a 6.38 ERA there, immediately ran a 1.40 ERA in his first Baltimore season. The lefty was great until he wasn’t. And Danny Coulombe, acquired from Minnesota in March 2023 for pure cash, gave the Orioles a 2.81 ERA and then a 2.12 ERA over two years before elbow surgery.

Even before that, there was Tyler Wells. Baltimore took the big righty in the Rule 5 draft from the Twins in December 2020 and not only did he stick with the team, he became a valuable swingman for them between 2021-26, with 5.3 WAR in that stretch. Wells had real high points—he was arguably the O’s best starter in the first half of 2023 (3.18 ERA, 103 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings), although he continued to battle injuries and inconsistency. Tommy John surgery cost him basically all of 2024 and 2025 but he came back in September 2025 and was throwing well enough by mid-2026 (2.67 ERA in 54 innings) that Baltimore actually got something for him: they traded Wells to Tampa Bay at the deadline for pitching prospect Michael Forret.

I should also mention the grandaddy of this whole approach, Anthony Santander, even though he predates Elias. Baltimore grabbed the talented but oft-injured switch-hitting outfielder in the December 2016 Rule 5 draft, and though he struggled to justify the pick for a couple of years, by his mid-to-late twenties he turned into a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat, racking up 11.0 bWAR across eight seasons in Baltimore before cashing in on a five-year, $92.5 million deal with Toronto. Tony Taters is the platonic ideal of the genre: a player another team was essentially happy to lose, acquired for nothing, who became an All-Star.

I don’t want to overstate things. Whether this list is probative of anything depends on your baseline (are others teams also succeeding by scavenging?). But it’s at least persuasive. This front office seems to be very good at scouting random, unappreciated talent, acquiring it, and in some cases, flipping it for something. You can’t build a playoff team this way. But as a low-cost pipeline for finding two, three, four wins a year out of players other organizations had already discarded, the record over the last five-plus years is hard to disagree with, and Encarnacion-Strand and Rico Garcia suggest that the pipeline isn’t slowing down.

Just a few short weeks ago, there was legitimate reason to doubt Zack Wheeler. He was in the midst of easily his worst stretch of starts as a Phillie and arguably the worst of his career, as he had an 8.51 ERA across six starts dating from the end of July to the end of August. It was only natural for alarm bells to start ringing louder and louder, as for all his success in the past, the fact is that Wheeler is still a 36-year-old pitcher coming off of major surgery. 

The most unusual part of Wheeler’s struggles was his lack of command, as his walk rate during the month of August peaked at 14.1%. His velocity was still good, but Wheeler could not locate his pitches and was getting hit hard. 

Fast forward to now in the middle of September, and it looks like Wheeler has regained his form. Over his last four starts dating back to August 30th, Wheeler is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA. His walk rate has dropped back down to 8.0%, as he’s issued only 8 free passes while striking out 29. Wheeler has been able to go back to limiting hard contact as well, as he’s allowed just 4 extra base hits (three doubles and a HR) over that span. It’s a welcome sight to see as the Phillies fight to clinch a postseason spot, especially now in the absence of Jesús Luzardo. 

It’s strange to consider that Wheeler was a problem for so long, as he’s been one of the few things the Phillies could absolutely count on since he arrived in Philadelphia. It was the first time where there was serious and legitimate doubt about whether he could still perform at the level expected. After all, this is a fanbase that witnessed injury rob Roy Halladay of a graceful decline period. It’s completely understandable for there to still be some scars to consider when discussing an aging ace like Wheeler. But if these last few starts are any indication, the Zack Wheeler that has been one of the best pitchers in the sport for over five years is very much still in there. 

So, has Zack Wheeler regained your confidence? Do you feel comfortable in thinking his struggles are now firmly in the rear-view mirror?

• Well, dangit.
• No sweep.
• Winning streak is over.
• No longer in first place.
• And with the Astros and the White Sox winning, the Rangers are one out in the division and two out in the Wild Card race, and are tied with Toronto.
• And things seemed to be going so well for a while.
• Tyler Alexander did his opening thing. Cody Bradford struck out the side in his first inning of work and cruised along until being lifted in the sixth after allowing a one out hit. The Rangers caught a break when Adley Rutschman’s blast to left center off of Chase Silseth, who reliever Bradford, bounded into the seats for a ground rule double, meaning that Wilyer Abreu, whose single had chased Bradford, had to stop at third rather than scoring.
• Top of the seventh inning, the Rangers had a 3-0 lead, and things seemed under control.
• Robby Ahlstrom, asked to handle the seventh, walked the first two batters he faced, then gave up a scarily-deep fly ball to Nick Sogard. After a Roman Anthony RBI groundout, Jakob Junis came in to get the final batter and, we figured, take care of the eighth inning.
• I will note that Ahlstrom was a curious choice to pitch the seventh. I assumed that the Rangers didn’t want to use Junis, and so were saving Robert Garcia for the eighth, and that’s why Ahlstrom pitched the seventh. That turned out not to be the case, given that Junis was brought in when Ahlstrom got into trouble.
• Ahlstrom hadn’t pitched in a week, and had a 5.94 ERA and 4.97 FIP coming into the game. In his first nine major league games, Ahlstrom allowed one run. Since then, prior to yesterday’s game, Ahlstrom had a 7.67 ERA and 5.73 FIP in 27 innings.
• He’s not someone you’d think a playoff contender would be wanting to rely upon in the late innings of a close game.
• Kind of makes you think maybe the Rangers should have gone out and gotten another reliever or two at the deadline, no?
• Meanewhile, a walk and a hit by pitch from Junis to start the eighth meant an early end to his night, with Jacob Latz summoned for a six out save.
• Latz has done the six out save before this year. He had seven of them coming into this game. An eighth wasn’t too much to ask for, was it?
• Apparently it was. Trevor Story parked a 2-2 pitch into the bleachers, flipping a 3-1 Rangers lead into a 4-3 deficit. And that, as things shook out, was that.
• The bats seemed poised to do good things early on. A Josh Jung home run put the Rangers up in the first, and a pair of walks by Wyatt Langford and Jake Burger in the second, followed by a pair of bunts sandwiched around a Danny Jansen single, made it a 3-0 game. Could the Rangers knock Sonny Gray out early, make this a blowout, or at least a nice comfy game?
• No, dear reader, they could not. In fact, after the Ezequiel Duran pop out with Jansen on second that ended the second inning, the Rangers didn’t get another runner in scoring position all game.
• Texas only had five hits all game — two of them from the much-maligned Danny Jansen. The other two were Jung’s first inning homer and a one out Corey Seager single in the eighth that was prompted erased by a Jung GIDP.
• Just to make it extra hurty, Jake Burger came up as the winning run in the bottom of the ninth after Wyatt Langford drew a one out walk, only to hit into a game ending double play.
• Oh loss, where is your sting? Oh defeat, where is your victory?
• Oh, wait, here it is. Loss’s sting and defeat’s victory are right here. Don’t know how I missed seeing them.
• Tyler Alexander’s fastball hit 92.2 mph. Cody Bradford touched 90.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 88.6 mph. Chase Silseth’s fastball maxed out at 96.8 mph. Robby Ahlstrom reached 96.3 mph with his sinker. Jakob Junis topped ouat at 93.3 mph with his sinker. Jacob Latz’s fastball hit 95.9 mph. Jordan Montgomery’s sinker touched 91.7 mph.
• Jake Burger had a 107.9 mph groundout. Wyatt Langford had a 104.8 mph fly out. Josh Jung had a 104.8 mph fly out and a 102.3 mph GIDP. Corey Seager had a 100.1 mph single.
• Shake it off, and handle Toronto.

The Mets continue a four-game series against the Phillies at Citi Field on Friday night at 7:15.

Mets Notes

• Francisco Lindor enters play on Friday with 299 career home runs
• A.J. Ewing is hitting .362/.424/.569 with three homers and three doubles in 66 plate appearances over his last 16 games
• Zac Thornton was terrific in his last start, allowing two runs in seven innings against the Yankees in the Bronx while giving up five hits, walking one, and striking out four

Today's Lineups

The Yankees squandered a chance to sweep the Twins Wednesday, dropping a 13-inning gut punch that diminished their chances of catching up to the Rays in the AL East. They’ll head to Phoenix this weekend for a three-game set against the Diamondbacks, who’ve dropped consecutive series and are hanging by a thread in the NL Wild Card race. With a four-game set against the Rays looming next week, this series against Arizona will be crucial in determining if the Yankees control their own destiny heading into the season’s final week. Let’s take a look at the likely starting pitching matchups.

Friday: Gerrit Cole vs. Eduardo Rodriguez(9:40 pm ET)

Tonight at Chase Field, all eyes will be on Gerrit Cole. Aside from the importance of the game on its own merits, it will be a crucial opportunity for the longtime Yankees ace to show whether he can still be counted upon as a frontline starter this postseason. After posting an exemplary 3.11 ERA in his first 16 starts back from Tommy John surgery, he’s stumbled in his last four, allowing 15 runs in 22.2 innings. Most concerning has been his battle with the long ball, having allowed seven in his last two starts. With Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón firing on all cylinders, a strong outing tonight will help reassure the Yankees that Cole’s recent struggles are just a blip and that he belongs squarely in their playoff rotation.

Cole will face a fellow veteran hurler who’s in the midst of a career year. At the age of 33, Eduardo Rodríguez made his first All-Star team this year and has been a rock for the D-Backs, going 15-6 with a 2.62 ERA that quietly ranks fourth in the NL. Opponents are hitting below the Mendoza line against his heater and are slugging just .335 against his changeup, his top complementary pitch. The latter weapon has been particularly effective against righties, against whom the southpaw has fared batter this year than his fellow lefties. Rodríguez labored his last time out, allowing six runs in 5.1 innings, though only three were earned as the D-Backs committed two costly errors in the fifth.

Saturday: Cam Schlittlervs. Brandon Pfaadt (8:10 pm ET)

When the conversation turns from Cy Young to MVP, you’ve entered rarified air. If the season ended today, Cam Schlittler’s 2026 would rank second in Yankees history in WHIP (0.904) and eighth in ERA (1.95). He’s already seventh in strikeouts (228) and could easily crack the top three with two more representative outings. The last time Schlittler allowed more than a run in one of his starts was on August 3rd. He allowed no runs and one hit in his last outing as he ran roughshod over the Mets. At this point in the season, Schlittler is as close to a sure thing as it gets.

He’s lined up to face Brandon Pfaadt. A hero of the D-Backs’ run to the World Series in 2023, Pfaadt has struggled to establish himself in the intervening years. After spending some time in the bullpen and in the minors this year, he rejoined the rotation on June 30 and has been lights out ever since, going 7-2 with a 2.83 ERA over 12 starts. That ERA was as low as 2.38 before his last outing, a six-run implosion in which he allowed 10 hits to the Rangers in 6.1 innings. Pfaadt doesn’t get many strikeouts but also walks few, relying on soft contact generated by his six-pitch mix to work through lineups.

Thursday: Will Warren vs. Corbin Burnes (4:10 pm ET)

Will Warren may have nine lives. In mid-August, it looked like his days in the rotation were numbered with Rodón scheduled to return from injury. Instead, with Fried and Ryan Weathers landing on the shelf, the 27-year-old got a reprieve. He’s made the most of it, going 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last five outings (four starts) while allowing just two home runs. While he’s unlikely to crack the playoff rotation barring injury, Warren has helped reassert himself as a valuable asset in the bullpen this postseason and in the rotation going forward.

The D-Backs are scheduled to hand the ball to Corbin Burnes. After signing a six-year megadeal with Arizona before the 2025 season, he made only 11 starts before missing a year-plus to Tommy John surgery. Burnes has made just two outings since his return and has looked rusty. His last time out, the former Cy Young Award winner allowed five runs in 4.2 innings to the Marlins. He threw just 75 pitches in that start as he continues to ramp up, and it’s unclear if he’ll be permitted to shoulder a full starter’s workload this time out.

Meet the Mets

The Mets were shut out by Aaron Nola and the Phillies 3-0 at Citi Field, spoiling a strong outing by Nolan McLean. Nola took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Mets threatened in the later innings, but could not score against the Phillies’ bullpen. But of greater concern than the score of the game was a horrific collision in the sixth inning between Nolan McLean and Jared Young that resulted in Young being carted off the field.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic

Jared Young was taken to the hospital after last night’s scary collision, but the Mets noted that he had feeling in his extremities. Thankfully, his CT scan came back negative. Though he was exhibiting concussion symptoms, manager Andy Green said the Mets are optimistic that the worst outcomes were avoided.

Ironically, before the harrowing events of last night, Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote a piece about how Jared Young is making a bit for the everyday first base job with his strong play this season.

Cameron Weston, a right-handed reliever whom the Mets claimed off waivers from the Orioles earlier this month, was called up from Triple-A yesterday. Xzavion Curry, who started on Wednesday night, was optioned to Triple-A.

With Robert Stock’s injury, the Mets will now go with a five-man rotation the rest of the way.

“He’s just been doing it for such a long time where people don’t know him as anything else but the voice of the Mets,” Pete Alonso said of Howie Rose in his return to Citi Field. On Sunday, Rose will call the last game of his storied career as his broadcasting accomplishments are celebrated at Citi Field.

Howie Rose spoke to Ian O’Connor of The Athletic about his childhood, inspiration to become a broadcaster, battle with cancer, his favorite calls, and more in an extensive interview well worth a read. “I never dreamed of being Curt Gowdy or Pat Summerall or any of the national guys,” he said. He only wanted to call games for New York.

The Mets chose to keep their catchers at the trading deadline this year. It will be interesting to see what they do this offseason, writes Will Sammon of The Athletic.

“It was his 300th. I gotta give him props,” said Mets owner Steve Cohen in response to a video that’s been going around of him applauding Pete Alonso’s home run the other night.

“On Tuesday night at Citi Field, the 2026 Mets season reached either a rather humiliating new low or a moment of catharsis, depending upon your point of view,” writes Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs about Pete Alonso’s 300th home run, calling the response from the crowd “unorthodox,” but “understandable.”

Jonathan Santucci struck out six over 5 1/3 innings in his final start for Syracuse this year and is primed to become the second consecutive Mets pitcher to lead the minor leagues in strikeouts.

Around the National League East

The Phillies claimed right-handed pitcher José Urquidy off waivers from the Chicago White Sox yesterday.

Around Major League Baseball

With their win over the Reds last night, the Dodgers clinched their fifth straight NL West title.

The Astros moved into first place in the AL West, as Yordan Alvarez blasted his 40th home run of the season.

The White Sox are also back in first place, thanks to a strong night from Munetaka Murakami in their 3-1 victory over the Tigers.

Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com built his 2026 All-Debut Team, made up exclusively of not just rookies, but rookies who made their debuts this season. Carson Benge is his starting right fielder.

Speaking of rookies, Jeffrey Paternostro of Baseball Prospectus continued his series taking a look at matriculated prospects from BP’s top 101 list.

Mario Delgado Genzor of Baseball Prospectus did a deep dive into the AL MVP race, which will be won by someone not named Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge for the first time in a decade.

It has been the tale of two seasons for Fernando Tatis Jr., due at least in part to a change in his batting stance. But there is a lesson about statistics to be learned here too, writes Ben Clemens of FanGraphs.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Vasilis Drimalitis previewed the final home series of the season between the Mets and Phillies.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1963, the Mets played the final professional baseball game at the Polo Grounds, losing to the Phillies—who they are also playing today—5-1.

The Atlanta Braves enjoyed an off day Thursday before heading to the Lone Star State for a weekend series with the Houston Astros. The Braves enter play with a four-game lead in the NL East and are coming off a series loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Astros also lead their division and enter play with a 77-76 record. 

Tyler Mahle, Grant Holmes, and Martín Pérez are each penciled in to start. They will face off against Peter Lambert, Hayden Wesneski, and Hunter Brown. The series gets underway tonight at 8:10 ET.

MLB News:

Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers reportedly suffered a season-ending injury after fouling a ball off his left knee cap. He was placed on the minor league injured list. 

The Washington Nationals reinstated right-hander Josiah Gray from the 60-day injured list. Once he makes it into a game, it will be his first MLB appearance since April 2024. 

From the Feed:

Here is the current state of the playoff chase. 

The Guardians were off yesterday and the White Sox beat the Tigers on one swing to take the division lead back.

They did pitch Grant Taylor for like 35 pitches, so, hopefully that helps the Tigers in future games.

The Rangers lost to the Red Sox, so the Guardians are two games up on both the Blue Jays and Rangers for the third wildcard spot.

The NL West continues to run through Los Angeles, as the Dodgers clinched their 13th division title over the last 14 seasons with an 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

The Dodgers secured their 93rd win— matching their regular season total from last year— thanks in large part to a huge game from Kyle Tucker. Tucker launched his second home run of the four-game set in Cincinnati and collected four hits in five at-bats, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle. For what has undoubtedly been a disappointing first year with his new team, Tucker gave fans a prelude for what they can potentially see from him in October.

Tucker spoke with David Vassegh of SportsNet LA while celebrating their division-clinching win about settling for a double in his final at-bat, noting he wouldn’t have made it safely to third base in his cycle pursuit.

“I tried my best. I don’t think I was going to get there. I probably would’ve been thrown out halfway, but it’s all good.”

Tucker also spoke about the challenges and hurdles he faced repeatedly this season, expressing gratitude for his teammates continuing to stick with him throughout the highs and lows.

“This group is awesome. Everyone supports each other through the ups and downs. We all know where we want to be at the end of the year, and we all just try to help each other out to get there. This is a great group to play with, to play behind, so everyone is super supportive. Everyone knows what we gotta get done.”

With only nine games left for the Dodgers in the regular season, team president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman gave an optimistic update on Shohei Ohtani, noting that they expect him to return from the injured list before their season finale, per Jack Harris of the California Post.

“He’s doing well,” Friedman said, as the team celebrated another National League West title around him at Great American Ball Park. “He’s progressing well.”

“I expect him back in the regular season,” Friedman declared.

Two months ago, Tarik Skubal was still the ace of a Detroit Tigers team on a downward trajectory. On Thursday, Skubal was celebrating the opportunity to pitch in the postseason for a third consecutive season, this time for the reigning two-time World Series champions.

Skubal hopes that the celebrations from Thursday were the first of many more to come as the march for the three-peat is officially in motion, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.

“First of many,” he said. “… This is checking a box, and once we get to postseason baseball and doing all that stuff, I think it’s going to be a ton of fun.”

Skubal also reflected on the resiliency of this year’s Dodgers, noting their ability to bounce back after a rough month of August with a current record of 11-5 in the month of September, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“I think there was no panic from this group,” Skubal said. “I think that’s why in big moments, pressure doesn’t really get to these guys.”

The Red Sox have just nine games left in the regular season before an all-but-inevitable trip to battle the Yankees in New York for the Wild Card game. 

Boston’s magic number sits at three entering play on Friday, so the ballclub still has business to take care of to ensure a return to the postseason. With that said, literally everyone has spent a month preparing for a playoff rematch after the series loss in New York in August (and last October). 

We’ve gone in depth about the lineup and what the rotation should be for the best-of-three clash. OverTheMonster’s Bob Osgood provided a well-detailed outlook of the bullpen you should also read. 

Now is a great time to emphasize how each bullpen could decide the fate of the series, though let’s focus on why the Red Sox should LOVE their depth of relievers heading into The Bronx. 

Personally, I believe the Red Sox have been at their best in the postseason when there’s a true closer to turn to in the ninth along with depth starters to jump into the Swiss army knife, multi-inning role to battleize the group. Well, Aroldis Chapman remains as good as any closer in baseball and if he’s ready to go by the end of his rehab stint, getting Tanner Houck for multiple innings (as they did in the 2021 postseason) is fairly massive for Boston. 

Not to mention the steady work of elite setup man Garrett Whitlock and the ever-awaited return of Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox, however, will have to be very mindful of when to deploy him. There’s a real chance given the pace of his ramp-up that Crochet may only throw once – two innings at absolute most – for the entire series. Chad Tracy will have a real decision to make when to fire off his “secret” weapon. 

Like every facet of the roster, the Red Sox should feel worlds better about the state of the roster heading into this postseason compared to last year. Especially if the bullpen looks something like this:

LHP: Aroldis Chapman
RHP: Garrett Whitlock
RHP: Tyron Guerrero
LHP: Erik Miller
RHP Greg Weissert
RHP Brayan Bello
LHP Garrett Crochet
RHP Tanner Houck

Given the rotation and bullpen firepower for Boston and New York, scoring really could be at a legitimate premium in the series. That’s pretty cliche when discussing playoff baseball, but the elite pitching on both sides cements that notion entering the likely seventh all-time playoff meeting between the Red Sox and Yankees. 

Will the Red Sox bullpen ultimately decide the series? You tell us.

Triple-A: Charlotte Knights (White Sox) 5, Norfolk Tides 1

Norfolk and Charlotte entered the eighth inning with the game tied at one, but Alex Pham allowed four runs in the top of the eighth. Pham allowed a leadoff single, walked a batter, and allowed a go-ahead single to Korey Lee. Pham allowed another run-scoring base hit and walked another batter before recording the first out of the inning. Charlotte scored its fourth run on a fielder’s choice and capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Norfolk starter Jake Dykhoff limited the Knights to one run on two hits over five innings of work. Dykhoff, a former minor-league free agent, walked two and struck out three. Christian Herberholz tossed a pair of scoreless innings before Pham let the game slip away.

Yaramil Hiraldo struck out the side during a clean ninth inning.

Norfolk’s only offense came from another home run from Ethan Anderson. The switch hitter launched his first Triple-A home run on Wednesday night from the left side of the plate. Yesterday he went deep while batting right-handed. The Orioles selected Anderson in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Box score

Friday’s schedule

Norfolk: vs. Charlotte, 6:35. Starter: Trey Gibson

Happy Friday, everyone! Lots of little news bites to keep you busy this morning while you’re pretending to do work, or just enjoying your coffee. We look at some of the Mets’ woes, from terrible offseason choices, to their fanbase missing Pete Alonso, to a new and rough-looking injury. We also check in on some injured superstars, as Shohei Ohtani is feeling a little closer to normal, while Aaron Judge was pulled from a game. Uh oh.

We’ll also see which MLB managers might want to start refreshing their resumes, update you on the WPBL postseason, and share the cutest first pitch ever.

Let’s just get right into it.

• Davy Andrews has a fun article that aims to help the TV action character Reacher find better baseball aliases to use at shady motels. Fans of the show will get a kick out of this.
• Tom Verducci spotlights Tarik Skubal and how he’s going to be a difference-maker for the Dodgers this postseason.
• Verducci also looks at a change the Dodgers made to Skubal’s approach on the mound.
• It’s not time to start worrying about Jesus Luzardo’s arm… yet. Story by Michael Baumann.
• The Dodgers have clinched their 13th NL West title in 14 years. Story by Sonja Chen.
• Jessica Camerato reports that the Nationals are in extension talks with Cade Cavalli.
• Fabian Ardaya shares that Shohei Ohtani is feeling “normal…ish”. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Karl Rasmussen breaks down seven terrible offseason moves the Mets made that could ruin their future.
• Food for thought, what if divisions were arranged by payroll?

• The return of Pete Alonso to Citi Field has Mets fans turning against their own team. Story by Jay Jaffe.
• Kiri Oler keeps us up to date on the advancing WPBL postseason.
• Keith Law admits which prospects he was wrong about. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• The Phillies have claimed Jose Urquidy off waivers from the White Sox. (MLB)
• Brian Murphy looks at six numbers that have defined the Rays’ tremendous season.
• Karl Rasmussen looks at the 10 biggest breakout stars of the 2026 season.
• The Yankees pulled Aaron Judge in the sixth inning of Thursday’s game against the Twins due to lower leg tightness. (ESPN)
• Ken Rosenthal thinks these six managerial positions are the ones most at risk right now. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Most adorable first pitch EVER.

• Jared Greenspan shares that A’s prospect Ryan Lasko, who was paralyzed in an outfield collision, has been released from his rehab facility, receiving a standing ovation from the clinic’s staff.
• Davy Andrews explains why we won’t be seeing a pitcher join the 120 club this season.
• Ben Clemens tries to make sense of Fernando Tatis Jr’s up and down season.
• Keegan Matheson looks at the personal connection behind George Springer’s Clemente Award nomination.
• How Tommy Pham made a literal elevator pitch to get activated by the White Sox and then immediately made it worth their while. Story by Karl Rasmussen.
• Mets’ Jared Young was carted off the field last night following a collision with one of his teammates. (ESPN)
• Brittany Ghiroli and Sam Blum explain why the sale of the Angels will be unlike anything else we ever see again. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• This is tremendous.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

The The Star, Jaylon Thompson writes about Maikel Garcia’s goal for next season:

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia has one specific goal in mind heading into the 2027 campaign: Stay healthy.

…In total, Garcia missed 67 games due to injuries…

Garcia added more weight this offseason. However, the added strength caused unforeseen problems in his lower half. It caused the hamstring issues to persist as Garcia never really felt quite like himself.

At MLB.com, Anne Rogers… wait, a second:

Scratch that. At MLB.com, Steve Schaeffer wrote that the Royals still have things to play for:

Jensen makes himself known in ROY race

Jensen is finishing his first full season in the Majors so strongly that he might be included on some Rookie of the Year ballots. After going 2-for-3 with a walk on Thursday, he has reached base in 20 consecutive games and has produced an RBI in his last seven contests. 

With 24 homers, Jensen is tied with Bob Hamelin (1994) for the Royals’ rookie home run record. Eighteen of Jensen’s home runs have come from the leadoff spot, matching the club record shared by Johnny Damon (1998) and Alex Gordon (2011)…

Top thief?

Bobby Witt Jr. has led the American League in batting average, hits, doubles and triples all at some point during his five-year Major League career, and this season, he has a chance to add a stolen base crown. Witt has 42 steals and was tied for the AL lead before Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson passed him with a pair (44) on Thursday.

Blog Time?

At Royals Keep, Mike Gillespie names “3 Big Royals Names Who Should Not Be In Club’s 2027 Plans”:

Isaac Collins Should Not Return To The Royals

Picollo’s offseason quest to add pop to KC’s outfield corps produced Collins and Lane Thomas. Thomas is gone, dealt to Atlanta at the midsummer trade deadline, and Collins hasn’t produced enough to warrant a 2027 return. After going 0-for-2 against Houston Tuesday, he’s slashing .220/.326/.335 with six homers and 40 RBI in 135 games, and is hitting .133 this month, hardly the kind of numbers that inspire hopes of a big 2027. Yes, he walks a bit over 12% of the time, but that’s not enough for a club so lacking in big bats.

And although he’s under team control through the 2030 season, the Royals need the roster spot he’d occupy if they bring him back. Triple-A outfielders Carson Roccaforte and Gavin Cross are enjoying good seasons — through Tuesday in a campaign split between the Storm Chasers and Double-A Northwest Arkansas, Roccaforte had 35 homers, 94 RBI, 30 steals, and was slashing .259/.341/.527 with an .868 OPS, and Cross had homered 17 times, driven in 52 runs, stolen 25 bases, and was slashing .248/.307/.437 with a .744 OPS in 114 games for Omaha. KC will have to find room for Roccaforte, Cross, or both, on next season’s 26-man roster — it’s time for each to get major league shots.

Blog Roundup:

• Darin Watson at U.L.’s Toothpick: This Date In Royals History–1976 Edition: September 17 – Once again, it’s not easy, but the Royals eke out a win over Chicago
• Matthew Swigonski at KOK: Carter Jensen’s record-breaking Royals rookie season is flying under the radar
• Jeff Wayman at The Diamond Chronicles: Royals Eliminated from Postseason

This is probably be a record for the shortest Friday Rumblings ever. I could put in an MLB section, but then I’d have to write about the Dodgers winning yet another NL West crown with their infinity payroll.

My last couple of weeks have included everything from replacing a hot water heater to a work mess to pink eye. And I know I’m missing items there, but if I spent time listing even more, well, no one wants to hear that. Suffice to say, it’s been a week. Or a couple of weeks.

Today’s OT will get finished up and moved to next week and we’ll have fun with it there.

We haven’t revisited Just Shapes and Beats yet this year. We’ve done all the boss levels, but there are still some fun ones to listen to. This is probably the most chill song in the game: “The Art of War” by Chipzel.