With the Yankees set to host a best-of-three AL Wild Card series next Tuesday, it's time to take a detailed look at their most likely opponent - who also happens to be their most hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox.
With this in mind, the most recent news coming out of Boston certainly shakes up the outlook for their potential playoff series in New York.
All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras, who was hit on the right hand against the Texas Rangers on Sep. 17, is still unable to swing a bat due to the pain.
"I tried to swing the bat yesterday, and couldn't swing, I tried to swing the bat today, and couldn't swing," Contreras lamented. "It's really concerning... I couldn't hit because my hand hurts, my right hand just feels weaker. It's not a good sign."
"I know Tuesday's [Wild Card opener] is going to be a really important game, the start of a really important series," the slugger continued. "I'm an honest guy, so if [on Tuesday], the game comes around and I don't feel confident in my hand to play, if I'm not feeling good, I'm not taking [a teammate's] spot."
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy commented that the team is "still working through" Contreras' injury, but has "the goal of getting him to the postseason."
Following the team's 1-0 loss to the Guardians on Thursday, Contreras leads all qualified Red Sox batters in home runs (27), RBI (81), on-base percentage (.387), and OPS (.905).
The Red Sox will conclude their season with a three-game home stand against the Chicago Cubs, with Friday being a doubleheader due to Sunday's game being postponed due to inclement weather.
Unless the Boston Red Sox (85-74), Cleveland Guardians (83-76), and Chicago White Sox (82-77) all finish the regular season with identical 85-77 records, the Yankees will face the Red Sox in that playoff series.
For anyone interested in that extremely unlikely scenario where all three teams finish 85-77, here's the breakdown: the White Sox would win the AL Central on a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Guardians, and the Guardians would earn the higher AL Wild Card seed due to their superior interdivisional record compared to that of the Red Sox.
In that (and only that) scenario, the Yankees would host the Guardians rather than the Red Sox in that series.
Cam Schlittler made the final start of his Cy Young-worthy regular season Thursday night and would be lined up to start Game 1 of the wild-card series Tuesday in The Bronx on regular rest.
But it’s not that simple, according to the Yankees, who are considering holding Schlittler for Game 2, with Max Fried potentially pitching the opener.
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“Who wouldn’t want to start the first game?” Schlittler said after his tune-up start in a comeback, 6-4 win over the Rays. “I feel like the whole pitching staff deserves it. We’re all competitors. I’ll let [Aaron Boone] decide.”
The Yankees haven’t settled on their postseason rotation with less than a week to go before the playoffs start.
Pitching coach Matt Blake said Fried is in “heavy consideration” to pitch Game 1, while Schlittler — who threw 70 pitches in an intentionally abbreviated outing against Tampa Bay — was also in the mix.
“He’s the guy we want with the ball,’’ Boone said of Schlittler. “Whether it’s Game 1 or Game 2. You try to play out the whole [postseason]. You want to win the whole thing and want to have him have the most opportunities he can.”
If Schlittler is held for Game 2, he would be lined up for Games 2 and 5 of the ALDS against the Rays. Both games would be on the road, where he has pitched better than at home.
Cam Schlittler throws a pitch during the first inning of the Yankees’ 6-4 win over the Rays on Sept. 24, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Gerrit Cole, according to Blake, isn’t guaranteed a start in the wild-card series, as Game 3 would go to Cole or Carlos Rodón.
“Both guys have pitched well down the stretch,’’ Blake said of Cole and Rodón. “All four guys are good options. It’s just a matter of making sure we check in, see where they’re at and finding the best fit for whoever we play.”
Their opponent is still undetermined, as Boston was unable to clinch the fifth spot in the American League after losing to Cleveland on Thursday.
Gerrit Cole is greeted by teammates in the dugout after being pulled from the game during the sixth inning in the Yankees’ blowout win over the Rays on Sept. 23, 2026 in The Bronx. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Regardless of who the Yankees end up facing, part of the equation with the rotation will be rest, since Schlittler would be pitching on his fifth day if he went in Game 1.
Cole would be on his sixth day, while Fried — as well as Rodón — would be on his seventh day.
Asked if they could be “overthinking” the situation by not just naming Schlittler the Game 1 starter after his Cy Young-worthy season, Blake said, “Certainly.”
Max Fried throws a pitch during the first inning of the Yankees’ Game 2 loss to the Rays in a split doubleheader on Sept. 22, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Schlittler finished his first full year in the majors with an AL-best 1.95 ERA, as well as 239 strikeouts.
The ERA is third-best in franchise history, trailing only Spud Chandler (1.64 in 1943) and Ron Guidry (1.74 in 1978).
“He’s been the best pitcher in the league, hands down,” Boone said.
“He’s earned the right to pitch Game 1,’’ Blake said prior to Schlittler allowing two runs, one earned, in a meaningless game. “We’re taking inventory of all our starters and giving us the best chance to advance in the three-game series.”
And that could leave Cole out and ready for a potential ALDS matchup against the Rays.
“If we don’t have him as one of our three starters or out of the pen, he’d be available for [ALDS],’’ Blake said. “I don’t know where we’d go.”
Blake said they could go with all four starters on the wild-card roster, understanding the challenges of putting those pitchers in unfamiliar roles.
Rodón, despite pitching to a 1.89 ERA over his last seven starts since returning from the IL, said he would be fine if he was put in the pen.
“Whatever way we can win a game, I’ll do,’’ Rodón said. “I’m confident in my ability whatever role I have.”
“Any of those guys that haven’t pitched out of the pen in a while, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got a clear plan for them and they understand what role they’ll be in because you probably get one shot if we use one of these starters out of the pen,’’ Blake said. “They’re not gonna pitch two games [in the series].”
With a nor’easter expected to hit the area this weekend, the Yankees wiped out Saturday’s game and will play a doubleheader Friday in The Bronx against the Orioles.
The first game of the single-admission twin bill will begin at 4:05 p.m. CC Sabathia’s number retirement ceremony and Monument Park plaque unveiling will take place before that game.
The Yankees Orioles will have a doubleheader on Friday because of the impending nor’easter. Getty Images
Only tickets dated for Friday will be accepted. Tickets for Saturday’s originally scheduled game can be exchanged.
It is possible that Game 162, on Sunday, also could be affected by the storms.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees doubles in the seventh inning during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Another day, another George Lombard Jr. home run. The big one tonight was a pivotal go-ahead two-run shot to lead the way on a Yankees comeback win over the Rays by a score of 6-4. And it was no cheapie, going all the way out to the second deck in left field, 400 feet away.
After sleepwalking through the first five innings, the Yankees’ offense turned it on in the second half of this game, scoring six unanswered runs, led by an impressive display of athleticism and power from their shortstop—Lombard doubled, homered, secured three RBI, and performed the slide of the season to score a run in the seventh.
Before the exciting comeback, though, this game revolved around Cam Schlittler, who came into it leaning even more heavily on the four-seamer than usual. The first four pitches that Rays leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz saw were all four-seamers and in line with what we’d get in this game; he fouled off the first three. A flurry of foul balls led the Yankees to ultimately pull Schlittler after just three innings—three stressful innings with a surprising 70 pitches, more than enough for Aaron Boone to exercise caution.
Pitching, among other things, to keep his ERA under 2.00, quite literally the achievement of a lifetime, Schlittler ran into his first problem in the second. With two on and one out after a bloop single, the future AL Cy Young Award winner threw his own caution to the wind and threw three consecutive heaters all down the pipe to Ryan Vilade, who swung through a pair after letting the first one go by. Even poorly located Schlittler heaters can easily bully some hitters, and that’s precisely what was on display.
In the third, though, the Rays broke through, with a little help from the Yankees’ defense, a recurring theme in tonight’s game. Taylor Walls worked a long walk against Schlittler to begin the inning and would have gone to third on a Díaz single, but an errant throw from Heliot Ramos allowed him to score. Junior Caminero, who has been held in check by Yankee pitching all year long, got a rare win, making it 2-0 with an RBI knock as Díaz also moved into scoring position following the error.
Ordinarily, the two runs and a hook after three would’ve meant that Schlittler’s ERA would end the year above 2.00. But because Schlittler got the next two outs after Caminero’s single, the second run turned into an unearned one, leaving his ERA at 1.95 — one of just four starter seasons in Yankees history below 2.00 and the first since the incredible Ron Guidry in 1978.
Michael Fulmer was the first man out of the Yankees bullpen and ran into the same problem that Schlittler did, as Caminero upped the Rays’ lead to 3-0 with an RBI double off the wall. It’s better to have him get this out of his system here before the playoffs than have it burst through then. Tim Hill replaced Fulmer in the middle of the fourth and proceeded to load the bases and work around that, retiring Jonny DeLuca with a force play at the plate and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson.
With just three from Schlittler, the Yankees would need someone to provide length, and the choice was Luis Gil, who played a negative role in yet another defensive misplay that allowed the Rays to make it 4-0. A potential double-play ball with one out fell through as Lombard couldn’t hit Gil in stride—Gil got the error, but the whole play could’ve been executed better from Rice to Lombard. Vilade, who was going from second to third, took advantage of this misplay and crossed the plate.
Through the first half of the game, there was nothing to say about the Yankees’ offense, dead silent against Ian Seymour without even an overpowering angle to address. Attacking the zone, the southpaw Seymour kept inducing quick outs, needing fewer than 60 pitches to complete five scoreless innings with just one hit allowed.
When the Rays pulled him, the Yankees were glad to face anyone else, and that first showed with an Austin Wells solo shot in the sixth off Jake Woodford. They could’ve added one more to up the pressure on the Rays, but Cody Bellinger and Ramos stranded a runner in scoring position. The second run against Woodford would come an inning later on a ringing double from Lombard to drive in Rice, whose most impressive feats were yet to come.
Back-to-back wild pitches by Brody Hopkins allowed Lombard to come to the plate. The second of those went straight back to the Rays’ catcher, and Lombard was dead to rights, but a Houdini slide kept him safe, eluding the tag by halting his slide and jumping over it. Any written description does not do it justice.
Applying the pressure against a clearly rattled Hopkins, the Yankees performed a double steal to put two in scoring position with one out. Following a force-out at the plate, Paul Goldschmidt tied the game with an RBI knock to complete the three-run seventh.
An inning later, the comeback was completed thanks to Lombard’s two-run shot off Steven Matz, and although that’ll steal the highlights, we mustn’t forget the bullpen’s work to keep the Rays at four. Gil allowed only one unearned run despite four walks in two innings, and Bradley Hanner was terrific covering the final two.
Tune in tomorrow for a twin bill against the Orioles, as the Yankees have bumped Saturday’s game up to avoid a storm. They have not yet announced who will be starting, but lefty Trevor Rogers has the ball for Baltimore in Game 1 at 4:05pm ETand Brandon Young gets the nightcap. Also make sure to check out CC Sabathia’s number retirement! It’ll be a great day for the big guy.
First, Boone saying Tuesday he did not expect Judge to return in time for the wild-card series before Judge said Wednesday his goal is to be ready for Game 1 of that series; and second, the manager publicly conceding Judge’s calf strain is “moderate,” while the notoriously private — at least on the subject of injuries — Judge said he didn’t “know why [Boone] used those words.”
“I don’t want to get too much into that [conversation with Judge],” Boone said Thursday when asked about the two seemingly not being on the same page. “At the end of the day, we’re all in this together. And in his case, trying to get him right and get him healthy so he can be an option for us here at some point.
Aaron Judge is all smiles as he looks on from the dugout during the Yankees’ win over the Rays on Sept. 23, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post
What others might interpret as annoyance or anger from Judge, Boone said was “passion.”
Boone — who all along has said he is not ruling out Judge returning in time for the postseason (even if it seemed and seems unlikely) — also said the roster decisions for a round that will begin Tuesday may not be made until Tuesday morning.
Thus, the Yankees will give Judge as much time as possible to recover from a calf strain suffered Sept. 16 — which was just seven games after he returned from a rib fracture that cost him more than three months — before declaring him in or out.
Aaron Boone looks on from the dugout during the first inning of the Yankees’ 6-4 win over the Rays on Sept. 24, 2026 at the Stadium. John Angelillo/Upi/Shutterstock
“The bottom line is Aaron and I have always had an amazing relationship and still do and will,” Boone said before finishing the series against the Rays in The Bronx. “This is about a player that, again, is pouring everything he possibly can into being ready, and we’re going to support that.
“And when he’s ready, we’ll make a call of when that is based on how he’s doing.”
Both superstar and manager have emphasized this week that Judge is doing everything in his power to build up quickly and be ready for a three-game series that almost certainly will be against the Red Sox, but Judge — who received a platelet-poor plasma injection Monday — is still limited barely a week after suffering the injury.
Notably, he is not swinging yet.
“He’s doing all the things in the training room, all the modalities, that you can take advantage of,” Boone said of Judge, who plans to return as a right fielder and not a DH. “He’s moving on the treadmill, things like that, doing the different exercises to get the calf healed.
“Doing everything he can to make that as speedy as possible.”
Apr 23, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates with first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) after the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers have one more regular season series to go, battling the San Francisco Giants for three games beginning Friday night at Oracle Park up north.
Tarik Skubal will make his final regular season start in the series opener, and his 10th since the Dodgers acquired him on August 2 from the Detroit Tigers. Skubal allowed four runs in five innings last Saturday against the Giants.
Rookie right-hander Yunior Marté starts for the Giants, making his fifth major league appearance and third start. Marté allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings last Friday at Dodger Stadium, including at least one run scoring in all five innings in which he appeared.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have earned themselves a much-needed first-round bye in the MLB postseason, conveyed when the NL East champion Atlanta Braves lost 7-6 to the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
It could not have worked out better for the Dodgers, who continue to get key players back as they turn their attention to the postseason and a run at a third consecutive World Series championship.
Shohei Ohtani was cleared to play against the Padres on Wednesday after previously being on the 15-day injured list with pain in his left knee and right bicep. Dalton Rushing is close to coming back as well.
The Dodgers close their season with a series against the rival San Francisco Giants. It's a good opportunity to get their guys some conditioning as they face a Giants team that's playing out the string.
More importantly, the Dodgers can look forward to rest before the start of the playoffs as they attempt to become the first MLB team to three-peat since the New York Yankees (1998-2000). Here's who could stand in the Dodgers' way:
MLB Playoff Bracketology
The Dodgers have claimed the last bye spot in the NL playoffs. Their place in the MLB playoff picture is locked in as well: they will be the No. 2 seed. Los Angeles now gets to sit back, wait and see who its NL Divisional Round opponent is going to be.
The playoff picture as of Sept. 24:
National League
#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot
Los Angeles has a first-round bye and will be the No. 2 seed. The Dodgers will face the winner of the wild card series between the Atlanta Braves (NL East champions) and No. 6 seed (currently the Philadelphia Phillies).
The Braves have had the Dodgers' number all season long, having won five of their six regular-season meetings, including a walk-off to clinch the season series and tiebreaker.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 02: Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with teammates on the field after hitting a walk-off two-run single to win the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With just three games remaining, the 2026 Colorado Rockies season is all but over.
Given that we have pretty much all the data on this squad, it’s time to begin the autopsy of what happened. But before we get to that, let’s take a moment to celebrate what went well — because this was an improved Rockies baseball team, despite a less-than-stellar record.
Let’s start with this question: Who was the 2026 Colorado Rockies Most Valuable player?
Was it steady-Eddy TJ Rumfield, who was solid on both sides of the plate? Was it two-time All-Star Hunter Goodman in pursuit of 40 home runs? Was it “Look-I’m-on-base-again” Jake McCarthy, who also stole 32 bases? Was it Brennan “Everyday Bernie” Bernardino, one of MLB’s most-overlooked relievers?
Maybe you see someone as the Rockies MVP who wasn’t on top of the stats: Brett Sullivan, the Rockies answer to Shohei Ohtani; Cole Carrigg, Mr. Versatility; or Adael Amador who’s making the most of his time with the Rockies?
In the final game of their four-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays (96-63), the Yankees (92-67) came back from 4-0 down to win 6-4.
Here are the takeaways...
-- In the second inning, after allowing a walk to Jonny DeLuca and a single to Richie Palacios with two outs away, Yankees starter Cam Schlittler struck out Ryan Vilade to strand Rays baserunners on first and third and preserve a scoreless tie.
-- The following inning, Taylor Walls drew a leadoff walk. Walls came around to score on the very next at-bat, a single by Yandy Diaz, which became an unearned RBI double when right fielder Heliot Ramos' throw to third base intended to tag out Walls skittered away. Then, Rays star third baseman Junior Caminero laced an RBI single to double the damage in the inning.
-- With the Rays having clinched the AL East division title, Yankees manager Aaron Boone made it clear that he would be limiting the number of pitches his starters throw during the team's remaining regular season games to ensure their arms are fresh for the postseason. Accordingly, with the Yanks still trailing 2-0, he pulled Schlittler for right-handed reliever Michael Fulmer, who opened the fourth inning with a clean frame to work with. Caminero knocked Fulmer out of the game with one out away in the fifth, mashing an RBI double off the left field wall, which scored Diaz. Tim Hill relieved Fulmer and worked into - and more importantly, out of - a bases-loaded jam to hold the Rays to their 3-0 lead.
-- With Luis Gil on the mound for the sixth inning, the Yankees couldn't complete a double play when Gil dropped George Lombard Jr.'s on-target throw to first base. A run scored as a result. In the bottom half of the frame, Austin Wells clubbed a solo homer to cut Tampa's lead to 4-1. Gil pushed onward to record a scoreless seventh inning.
-- Lombard singled home Ben Rice in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out double, before the shortstop added another run thanks to a wild pitch with an acrobatic slide-turned-hop-turned tag of home plate, beating out Rays catcher Liam Hicks. With two outs and Yankees baserunners on second and third, Paul Goldschmidt completed the comeback and tied the game, 4-4, with a single to center field. Cody Bellinger grounded out with runners on the corners to end the inning.
-- Rookie reliever Bradley Hanner handled the eighth for the Yankees. After allowing a leadoff double, he battled back to record a scoreless inning.
-- With the score still tied, one runner on base, and two outs in the inning, Lombard cranked a pitch down the left field line, a moonshot that stayed fair and gave New York a 6-4 lead.
-- Hanner closed the door in the ninth inning, earning his first career win as well as his first career save, sealing the series win for the Yankees, 6-4 the final on Thursday night.
-- Following his brief start on Thursday night, Schlittler's final stats for the 2026 regular season were set in stone. Across 33 starts, Schlittler pitched to the tune of a 1.95 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. He tallied 239 strikeouts and just 47 walks in 193.2 IP. Time will tell whether his sensational season is rewarded with the AL Cy Young Award.
Game MVP: George Lombard Jr.
The rookie shortstop was the hero on Thursday night. He tallied three RBI on two hits - a double and a two-run homer, his seventh in just 41 career games thus far - and showcased his athleticism on his improvisational slide, which allowed him to score from third on a wild pitch.
Highlights
A solo homer for Austin Wells to lead off the bottom of the 6th and the Yankees are on the board pic.twitter.com/woyBnJ9Bqq
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 24: Starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch in the first inning of the Thursday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds on September 24, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Braves appeared to be on their way to a victory in the home regular season finale, but a shaky start from Tyler Mahle and a lineup that went quiet after the early innings led to a 7-6 lost at Truist Park on Thursday night.
Mahle, making his final start before the postseason, had his worst outing since joining the Braves nearly two months ago. Mahle surrendered a leadoff homer and allowed a total of five runs over five innings, although he did settle in nicely during the fourth and fifth and looked much more like himself. Most importantly, he got through the evening healthy and ready to rock in October.
It was encouraging to see the Braves bats finally show some life early after back-to-back lackluster (hungover?) showings. They scored four runs in the first inning after scoring three runs combined between the first two games of the series, and Drake Baldwin just missed a grand slam that would’ve made it eight.
Austin Riley launched a no-doubt 421 foot homer in the fourth, his second night in a row with a homer. Maybe a sign he is heating up before the playoffs? We’ll see. Mike Yastrzemski also continued his recent run of strong hitting with an RBI single in the fifth to give Atlanta a momentary 6-5 lead before Cincinnati promptly regained the lead at 7-6. But that was all the offense the Braves could muster.
AJ Smith-Shawver replaced Mahle in the sixth and promptly gave up a two-run homer that nearly landed atop the Chop House. He pitched well otherwise. Dylan Dodd was impressive during two perfect innings, registering three strikeouts in the eighth and ninth.
The Braves will now head to Miami to wrap up the regular season against the Marlins. Friday night’s first pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
The rookie shortstop dazzled with an inventive and effective slide home in the seventh inning, then in the eighth he drilled a two-run, go-ahead home run in what became a 6-4 victory over the Rays in The Bronx.
In a game that did not matter because the Rays already had clinched the division, so the Yankees only pitched Cam Schlittler for three innings before testing a series of bullpen arms, Lombard found a way to entertain the announced crowd of 44,136 nonetheless.
In the seventh, Lombard was on third base when Tampa Bay’s Brody Hopkins unleashed a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop but right back to catcher Liam Hicks.
“My first thought was the ricochet,” manager Aaron Boone said, “Oh, no.”
George Lombard Jr. avoids Liam Hicks tag attempt on an inventive slide to score a run in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 6-4 win over the Rays on Sept. 24, 2026 in The Bronx. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Hicks took a few steps for the ball, spun around and dove to the plate, beating Lombard easily.
“Oh, I’m out,” went through Lombard’s mind. “So I’ve got to make something up.”
He quickly abandoned a feet-first slide because he saw Hicks, too, was on the ground. In one motion, Lombard scrambled to his feet, took a step and tumbled over the plate and Hicks, dragging his right hand on the plate before the tag to cut the deficit to 4-3.
George Lombard Jr. avoids Liam Hicks tag attempt on an inventive slide to score a run in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ win over the Rays. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“I think that’s my first time doing that one in a game,” Lombard said with a smile. “I was in trouble, had to figure something out. Kind of happened.”
He then jogged into a Yankees dugout that was filled with smiling faces who had just witnessed a slide and tumble that few had seen before.
The Yankees tied the game later in the inning when Paul Goldschmidt singled home Austin Wells.
George Lombard Jr. avoids Liam Hicks tag attempt on an inventive slide to score a run in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ win over the Rays. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Then Lombard untied it in the eighth, when he demolished a Steven Matz sinker to the second deck in left to complete the comeback in game the Yankees trailed, 4-0 entering the bottom of the sixth.
That was before Lombard’s mind, legs and bat — now with four home runs in his past seven games — took over.
“Just a really good athletic play by the old soccer player,” Boone said of the slide.
With the Guardians beating the Red Sox, Boston was unable to clinch the fifth seed and a first-round date with the Yankees. With three games remaining, the Red Sox are three games ahead of the sixth-seed White Sox.
Luis Gil was optioned, and thus will not be on the playoff roster for the wild-card round, after pitching two innings without allowing an earned run but letting up one unearned while walking four.
The just-called-up Bradley Hanner also was optioned.
Anthony Volpe got the start at second base (and went 0-for-3 with a walk), with Amed Rosario (1-for-4) at third and José Caballero (0-for-3) in center against Tampa Bay left-hander Ian Seymour.
Volpe, who has taken grounders at third, still hasn’t started a game there in the majors and the Yankees have to determine what they want to do at the spot, especially if they end up facing the Red Sox and their lefty-heavy pitching staff in the wild-card series.
Thanks to the Braves’ loss to the Reds on Thursday night, the Dodgers were assured of finishing the season with a top-two record in the National League, clinching a first-round bye that ensures they will not be subjected to a best-of-three wild-card series next week.
Instead, the Dodgers will begin their postseason quest in the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3, holding home-field advantage for that best-of-five series as they go for the first three-peat by an NL team in MLB history.
Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers congratulate each other after they defeated the San Diego Padres in a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillMax Muncy, left, and Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. Getty Images
First-round byes have not always been kind to the Dodgers.
After MLB expanded its postseason field five years ago — creating a five-day layoff for the top-two seeds in each league between the end of the regular season and the start of their playoff schedules — the Dodgers were knocked out in the NLDS as a bye team in 2022 and 2023. Both years, questions about the negative side effects of the weeklong break loomed large in the wake of their elimination.
Thus, after receiving a bye again in 2024, the team altered its off-week schedule, incorporating more simulated game activities and making a concerted effort to spend more time at the ballpark together on workout days.
It paid off in that year’s division series, when the Dodgers overcame a two-games-to-one deficit to the Padres en route to the first of their back-to-back titles.
Last year, the team failed to earn a top-two seed but swept the Reds in two games in the wild-card series to begin their World Series defense.
“It’s always helpful in the sense of giving your guys a break to reset,” manager Dave Roberts said earlier this month. “But given all the tax and where our guys are healthwise, to get that week would be huge.”
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts watches from the dugout during a game with the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA PostLos Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández, left, celebrates with manager Dave Roberts after hitting a walk off double during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
The Dodgers, who entered Thursday with a 97-61 record, still have an outside shot at the NL’s No. 1 seed, as well, but would need to run the table over the season’s final weekend and have the Brewers — who currently hold MLB’s best record at 100-59 — get swept in their final series against the already-eliminated Cardinals.
“I think it’s more about just playing good baseball,” Roberts said this week when asked how much of a priority the top seed would be. “The last couple weeks, we’ve just played good baseball, and the fallout is this or that. We want to get the bye, and then if it happens that we keep playing well and we gain a couple games on the Brewers, great.”
Indeed, the club’s primary postseason seeding objectives have already been met. They’ve won their 13th NL West division title in the last 14 years. They’ve given themselves the shortest possible route through the playoffs. And now, they’ll have ample time next week to prepare for an unprecedented three-peat bid.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 09: A view of the Los Angeles Dodgers logo and postseason banners before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies in game four of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers will open the 2026 postseason at home at Dodger Stadium. The Atlanta Braves’ loss on Thursday coupled with the Dodgers’ home loss to San Diego clinched the No. 2 seed for the Dodgers in the National League playoffs, ensuring a bye past the wild card round. The Dodgers will begin their postseason on Saturday, October 3 in the National League Division Series in Los Angeles.
“I know [getting the bye] is a priority for us. With kind of smelling the finish line, the postseason, the focus is heightened,” manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday.
The Dodgers (97-62) are ensured of finishing with a better record than the NL East champion Braves (93-66), ensuring the Dodgers will be the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs. The NL Central-champion Milwaukee Brewers (100-59) have a three-game lead over the Dodgers for the No. 1 seed., and own the tiebreaker. Milwaukee is the No. 1 seed.
The No. 1 seed Brewers in the NLDS would play the winner of the wild card series between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, while the No. 2 seed Dodgers would play the winner of the matchup between the No.3 Braves and No. 6 seed.
Winning 15 of their first 20 games in September helped finalize the postseason berth.
“I think it’s more about playing good baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday. “We want to get the bye, and if it happens that we keep well and gain a couple games on the Brewers, great. For me, I really believe, and our players believe we just want to play good baseball. We’re pitching, we’re taking much better at-bats, the defense has tightened up, the baserunning, so all that stuff is lined up. I’d bet on us against anyone.”
The Dodgers welcome the five days off between the regular season and the start of the postseason. They just activated Andy Pages (broken left hand), Shohei Ohtani (left biceps inflammation), and Roki Sasaki (blister on right middle finger) off the injured list this week, and also are nursing injuries with Blake Snell (left groin discomfort), Freddie Freeman (right knee), and Edgardo Henriquez (on the injured list with low back discomfort), among others.
“I think we all know why it’s important,” Freeman said with a laugh on Tuesday. “There’s a lot of guys limping toward the end, a lot of aches and pains this year. It’s good to get those guys back on the field, get some ABs in them, and then rest up and get some more ABs during the lives [simulated games], whatever we do to get us ready for Saturday [October 3].”
Both National League Division Series will be televised by Fox Sports. The exact breakdown of which games will be on Fox and which will be on FS1 have not yet been announced. Start times will be unveiled at a later date, once the entire MLB postseason picture becomes clearer. Given that the Dodgers will be the only west coast team among the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds — Tampa Bay Rays and likely either Cleveland Guardians or Chicago White Sox in the American League, plus Milwaukee in the NL — it’s fair to assume they’ll have the latest start times for their home games in the NLDS.
PHILADELPHIA — The Milwaukee Brewers reached 100 wins for the first time, and Jackson Chourio hit his 25th homer to lift them to a 5-1 victory over Philadelphia on Thursday night that slowed the Phillies’ playoff push.
The Phillies needed a win to at least have a shot at clinching their fifth straight trip to the playoffs. They instead can try again to clinch for the third straight game on Friday against Tampa Bay.
Philadelphia surely play without NL batting leader Luis Arraez after he came off with a sprained left ankle after he tried to avoid a tag at first base.
Milwaukee reached one more milestone to go with its National League Central title and a first-round postseason bye. The Brewers are the first team this year to 100 wins and are trying to hold off the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 1 seed in the NL playoffs. Their previous high was 97 wins last year.
Brewers fans crowded the seats behind the dugout and held “100” signs as players left the field.
Bryce Harper tied the game 1-1 with an RBI single in the third.
Jake Bauers hit the tiebreaking single off José Alvarado (5-4) in the eighth inning, and Cooper Pratt and Joey Ortiz added run-scoring singles in the inning for a 4-1 lead. Chourio hit a solo shot in the ninth.
JoJo Romero (3-3) got the win and Antonio Senzatela earned his fourth save.
Phillies starter Andrew Painter had another terrific outing in a second half rebound that should see him play a role in the postseason in the rotation or out of the bullpen. He allowed Sam Frelick’s RBI double in the second and finished with eight strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
The rookie right-hander was demoted to the minors in June after a 12-4 loss to Miami left him with eight losses in nine decisions and a 7.06 ERA. Since his July 31 recalled has a 3.65 ERA in 11 starts with 62 strikeouts to 23 walks.
Philadelphia got more good pitching news earlier in the day when All-Star lefty Jesús Luzardo said he has recovered enough from left shoulder inflammation that he should be able to pitch next week in the playoffs.
Up next
Milwaukee tunes up for the playoffs with a three-game homestand against St. Louis.
Philadelphia sends LHP Cristopher Sánchez (18-6, 2.93 ERA) to the mound Friday when the Phillies open a three-game series against AL East champion Tampa Bay.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on September 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tyler Glasnow faces Nick Pivetta as the Dodgers play their final regular season home game.
