Category: MLB

Good morning A’s fans. Happy Friday!

The Athletics entered their final road trip of the season riding high after scoring 25 runs and securing both series victories during a six-game homestand last week. The American League-best Tampa Bay Rays halted the Athletics’ momentum by sweeping them in three games for the second time in as many months.

The A’s used to be the embodiment of small-market success, but that baton has now been passed to the Rays, who have a legitimate shot at reaching the World Series this fall. If the A’s want to reclaim their crown, the team must upgrade its pitching and defense, two major weak spots that heavily contributed to the Rays’ blowout victory yesterday.

That will be an offseason focus, as it is too late in the season to expect changes. At 92 losses with nine games left, the A’s need to win at least two games to avoid a dreaded 100-loss campaign.

This weekend, the team wraps up its road slate with three games against the 78-75 Cleveland Guardians, who are in a fierce battle with the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central title. After failing to play spoiler in Tampa Bay, the Athletics will look to lower the Guardians’ hopes of a third straight playoff appearance under manager Stephen Vogt—an A’s fan-favorite during his playing days.

Right-hander Mason Barnett will return from Triple-A Las Vegas to start tonight, while Cleveland will counter with opener Daniel Espino. Left-hander Jacob Lopez and right-hander Jack Perkins will make the Athletics final two road starts of 2026, while the team’s offense will look to scratch runs across against Guardians right-handers Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams.

What are you hoping to see from the Athletics in Cleveland? Which players should the A’s further evaluate and who should sit on the bench over these final nine games?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Swept By Rays, Drop Finale 10-1
• Paralyzed A’s prospect Lasko released from rehab facility to ovation from staff
• Rays Walk-off A’s, 2-1, in Series Opener
• Injuries Out Of Control, But Why?
• No. 2 prospect in baseball De Vries undergoes successful shoulder surgery
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• A’s Win Series, Beat Mariners 8-7
• A’s Walk Off Blue Jays 6-5
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Billy Beane comments on the job Mark Kotsay has done this season.
• What the A’s Hiring Mike Rizzo would Signal and the Questions it Would Raise
• Bi-Polar Performance Arcs Make Evaluation Difficult
• A’s Designate José Suarez For Assignment
• Q&A: Clarke determined to finish strong with A’s after long IL stint
• It’s Been a Bummer Summer in Sacramento
• The A’s valuation rises with sales of 2 MLB clubs as Las Vegas move looms
• A’s, Circa ink 1st Las Vegas founding partnership deal
• Your 2026 Hacktastic A’s
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Daejon Love case brings back Eric Byrnes’ bizarre story of an A’s bat boy impersonation
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News and Interest:

• MLB teams with potential 2026 managerial, front office changes
• Nats in extension talks with ace Cavalli (source)
• The next Shohei Ohtani? Why we haven’t seen more two-way stars
• Why Arte Moreno’s Angels sale may be unlike anything we ever see again
• Yankees activate Schmidt from 60-day IL, DFA Cabrera
• MLB Farm System Grades For Every Team In 2026
• Phillies place Jesús Luzardo on IL with shoulder inflammation
• Jameson Taillon Seeking Additional Opinions On Elbow, Won’t Return This Season
• Twins’ shortstop Kaelen Culpepper to injured list with hamstring strain
• Phils claim veteran pitcher Urquidy off waivers from White Sox
• Cardinals activate rookie 2B JJ Wetherholt from injured list
• D-backs To Activate Ryne Nelson, Designate Derek Law For Assignment
• Will these 5 teams take the next step in 2027?
• Picking the best player at eac h position who wasn’t a 2026 All-Star
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Not good optics. Will the team turn things around before moving to Las Vegas, or will the losing stretch follow them to “Sin City”?

Yesterday’s game was not the first time sloppy defense and walks have resulted in an A’s loss this season. Both are areas that can be coached. The fact that these problems continue to happen suggests that manager Mark Kotsay and his coaching staff are struggling to teach these players how to play error-free baseball.

Athletics’ Las Vegas stadium feature update: The organization is fully embracing the casino culture synonymous with the city.

Do you think it’s fair to compare A’s players to legends of the game’s past? If so, share your best comparisons for the current members of the Green and Gold in the comments.

Thursday was an off day for the Yankees, but as we progress into the final weeks of the 2026 regular season, every game matters for many teams around the Junior Circuit. Between the mediocre races in the Central and West, or the fight for the final wild card spot, there is plenty of moving that could take place before the end of the season.

Let’s take a look at what went down on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Rays (93-59) 10, Athletics (61-92) 1

On a night where they had a free half-game to take in the East, the Rays took full advantage on Thursday. Despite a quiet start on both sides, a big fourth inning fueled an easy Tampa Bay win against the A’s.

Starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen kept the game scoreless through three innings of play, before the Rays’ bats turned the corner in the fourth. In that inning, Chandler Simpson’s single score a pair, before a double from Richie Palacios cleared the the bases to plate three more. After the dust settled in the fourth, the Rays were up 6-0 and cruising into the middle innings.

Rasmussen turned in a good day at the office, tossing five scoreless for the Rays, while the offense continued to plug away, led by Simpson, Palacios, Liam Hicks, and Taylor Walls, who all tallied a pair of RBIs each. They made the most of their opportunities, as they needed just seven hits to reach their double-digit run total.

The only noise the A’s made in this one came from a long Lawrence Butler home run in the sixth, though it was a only a blip in the blowout the Rays dished out. With the win, they jump to a daunting five game lead in the East.

Other Games:

Texas Rangers (76-77) 3, Boston Red Sox (83-70) 4:

In the race in the West, the Rangers dropped a crucial one, as the Red Sox came back to win on Thursday. The Rangers went up 3-0 early on, with help from Josh Jung’s 10th homer of the season, and held that lead through six innings. After scratching a run across in the seventh, the big blow came off the bat of Trevor Story, who belted a three-run bomb to suddenly give the Sox the lead. They’d hold on to it, as they inch closer to clinching a postseason berth.

AL Rock Fight:

Houston Astros (77-76) 6, Kansas City Royals (67-86) 2: The Astros popped back above .500 with a win over the Royals on Thursday. Of their six runs, five of them came on a quintet of solo homers, including Jeremy Peña’s 20th of the season that tied things up in the first, as well as Yordan Alvarez’s 40th bomb of the season. Meanwhile, five different Houston pitchers helped to keep this one calm, as the Royals were only able to plate a pair with just three hits

The race in the West may very well come down to the final days of the season.

Chicago White Sox (78-75) 3, Detroit Tigers (72-81) 1: The White Sox rode the wave of a three-run bomb in the first inning, as Munetaka Murakami’s 32nd long ball of the season gave them a lead they’d never give up. The win gets them into a dead heat atop the Central alongside the Guardians, who had Thursday off.

Good morning friends and happy Friday!

The M’s kick off their three-game set against the Rockies tonight with first pitch scheduled for 5:10pm PT. Let’s check out what else is happening around baseball.

In Mariners news…

• Brooks has unveiled a new Mariners-themed set of sneakers.
• For yesterday’s off-day prompt, Kate Preusser asked you folks what the origin of your SBN/LL username is.

Around the league…

• Things haven’t been going great for Luis Castillo in Chicago, and now the White Sox are moving him to the bullpen.
• The Nationals are reportedly closing in on a contract extension with right-hander Cade Cavalli.
• Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic previewed the winter’s coming managerial carousel by discussing the six most vulnerable skippers around the league. ($)
• Jarrett Seidler at Baseball Prospectus continued his ranking of the sport’s front offices by revealing Nos. 20-11. ($)
• Despite the fierce odds against a playoff appearance for the Marlins, right-hander Sandy Alcantara still believes. Matthew Trueblood at Baseball Prospectus has more. ($)
• This post reads like a Mad Lib.

• The nations of Bagladesh and Malaysia have launched women’s baseball programs as the sport continues its international surge.

Breathe a sigh of relief. For now, anyway.

Willson Contreras was forced to leave last night’s game after getting hit by a pitch in the right hand. It looked pretty bad in the moment and he later said his hand went numb for about five minutes. Thankfully, post-game x-rays were negative. But, given how the Red Sox medical staff has diagnosed injuries this year, well, you know:

It was the 24th(!) time that Contreras has been hit this year and he’s had more than enough of it. “I feel like … ” Contreras said, pausing for seven seconds, “I want to say something I can’t say. Let’s leave it at that… If nobody does anything about it, I’m going to keep getting hit. That’s the way I see it. That’s it.”

Regardless of the x-rays, don’t expect to see Willson in the lineup any time soon in light of the fact that the Sox don’t really have anything to play for. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Contreras wasn’t the only injury scare we had during last night’s game. Even though the Sox found themselves in a save situation, closer Aroldis Chapman did not make it into the game. Is this something to worry about?
“He’s just dealing with some lat tightness we’re going to be conservative with,” Chad Tracy said. “It’s getting better, but we’ve got to make sure it gets there. That’s why he wasn’t available tonight.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

If Chapman does go down for an extended time, the Sox don’t have another all-time great closer to replace him with. But they are pretty good in the giant Cuban fireballer department in general. That’s because Johan Oviedo made his first rehab appearance last night, hitting 98.5 on the gun and striking out 4 over 2.1 innings. (Katie Morrison-O’day, MassLive)

Meanwhile, there’s another injury to keep on eye on in the lineup. “Nearly three months after Caleb Durbin first dislocated his left pinkie and more than a month after he reinjured it, the third baseman’s digit remains locked nearly at a right angle.” Durbin is unable to fully straighten the finger and it could require offseason surgery, but he’s staying on the field for now. “There really is kind of a joint understanding that we’ll get it looked at at the end of the season if we have to, because [whatever the diagnosis is], it’s not going to impact my decision to play at all,” he said. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

October is starting to come into focus.

Several MLB teams have already locked up postseason berths, but many of baseball's biggest races remain unsettled. The American League Central and AL West are still up for grabs, the final AL wild-card spot remains hotly contested and jockeying for National League wild-card positioning could continue until the season's final days.

Here's every team that has clinched a playoff berth, along with the clubs that could be next and what the postseason bracket would look like if the season ended right now.

MORE: Dodgers have won the NL West again. Now what? 4 biggest questions entering playoffs

Major League Baseball's 2026 regular season has two weekends to go, with contenders still jockeying for position and some postseason spots still very much up for grabs.

The Cleveland Guardians managed to run down the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and it looks like the race will go down to the final days of the season. Just two years after setting an MLB record with 121 losses, Chicago has the chance to get back to the postseason for the first time in five seasons.

The big race to watch in the National League is the wild card, with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres all in contention to secure the top wild card spot – and host the best-of-three wild card series.

The NL Central (Milwaukee Brewers) and NL West (Los Angeles Dodgers) titles have already been clinched, leaving four of baseball's six divisions still not secured. The AL West race also features the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers within one game – and the team who comes in second likely missing out on the playoffs.

Here's the latest look at the MLB postseason picture:

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers lost a crusher last night, 4-3 to the Red Sox.

Shawn McFarland writes that Texas no longer has any margin for error with these kinds of losses.

Kennedi Landry says the team remains optimistic with 9 games left.

She also says they better get over it, because in come the Blue Jays for another massive series.

Elsewhere Nathan Eovaldi says he’s good to start after his clutch bullpen appearance.

Justin Foscue has had a nice surprise run as the Rangers leadoff hitter vs. lefties.

McFarland also has an injury update, including on MacKenzie Gore after his Wednesday start.

The MLB Pipeline guys name a breakout prospect from each team this season.

And Ruben Sierra is the latest guest on Evan Grant’s podcast.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers start up a crucial wildcard series with the Blue Jays tonight at 7:05 with Kumar Rocker on the mound for Texas.

Happy Friday and Go Rangers!

Every series looms large at this point, so the Guardians find a three-game set against one of the worst teams in MLB playing a big part in their pursuit of a playoff spot.

The Athletics are 61-92 with a -214 run differential, since 8/4 they are 23rd in team wRC+ at 91, ninth in baserunning runs above average at 1.4, 27th in Defense at -15, 28th in starting pitcher ERA at 6.17 (5.16 FIP), and 23rd in bullpen ERA at 4.53 (3.75 FIP).

The Guardians are 78-75 with a -7 run differential, since 8/4 they are 11th in team wRC+ at 101, 18th in baserunning runs above average at -0.9, sixth in Defense at 0.9, 21st in starting pitcher ERA at 4.57 (4.12 FIP), and fourth in bullpen ERA at 3.11 (3.39 FIP).

Put the ball in play, get to the starters, and play solid, fundamental baseball with good plate discipline and good things will happen vs. The A’s.

Matchups:

Game One, Friday, 7:10PM, Barnett, RHP 7.08 ERA (6.98 FIP) vs Espino, RHP/Cantillo, LHP

Game Two, Saturday, 6:10PM, Lopez, LHP 5.02 ERA (5.07 FIP) vs. Bibee, RHP

Game Three, Sunday, 1:40PM, Perkins, RHP 6.14 ERA (4.73 FIP) vs. Williams, RHP

Let’s get it done, Guardians!

Xander Bogaerts has not been the most productive player at the plate for the San Diego Padres this season, but that was not the case against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday. Bogaerts fell a single short of the cycle while leading the Padres to a 9-2 win over the Rockies to give them a 3-1 series win.

Bogaerts led off the second inning with a solo home run that tied the game at 1-1. He followed that with an RBI-triple later in the second inning. Bogaerts returned to the plate in the top of the fourth inning and hit a ground rule double, leaving him five innings to get a single to complete the cycle. His first opportunity came in the top of the sixth inning, but he was called out on an ABS strike-three. Bogaerts got his last chance for a single leading off the top of the ninth inning, but he struck out swinging to end his night at the plate.

Michael King started on the mound for San Diego, and he got into trouble with the first batter of the game. Jake McCarthy connected on a leadoff triple and scored one batter later when Connor Norby hit an RBI-single to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. King settled in after the first and completed six innings allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The most impressive part of his start considering where he was pitching, was that the right-hander did not allow a home run.

Bogaerts was not the only Padres player to have a successful day at the plate. Dustin Harris turned in a 3-for-5 day with a run scored and three RBI. Ty France finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Jake Cronenworth and Samad Taylor each had two hits in the game. The only two San Diego starters not to record a hit in the game were Manny Machado and Luis Campusano. However, Machado did record an RBI.

The start from King combined with the nine-run, 15-hit performance from the offense allowed Padres manager Craig Stammen to give his high leverage bullpen arms their third day off in a row. Yuki Matsui and Griffin Canning combined the final three innings of the game for San Diego.

The Padres return to Petco Park to open a three-game series with the Miami Marlins tonight at 6:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• Lake Elsinore wins California League Championship for the first time since 2021 with solid start from 2026 first round pick Coleman Borthwick.

• The Padres are trying to stay loose in the clubhouse as the regular season winds down and the players took time to answer a question that not many would have asked.

Baseball News:

• The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the NL West with a win over the Cincinnati Reds.

• The Houston Astros hit five home runs to beat the Kansas City Royals.

• Aaron Nola pitched the Philadelphia Phillies past the New York Mets.

• The Washington Nationals are working to extend pitcher Cade Cavalli.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers to win the season series.

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?

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?

• 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