Category: MLB

TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (72-69), who hold a slim 2.0-game lead in the AL West over the Texas Rangers, will welcome in the Arizona Diamondbacks (74-67) tonight for the first of a three-game weekend series at Daikin Park.

RHP Cristian Javier (1-5, 6.45 ERA) will get the start for the Astros tonight opposite RHP Merrill Kelly (9-12, 5.08 ERA) and the Snakes.

EL REPTÍL: RHP Cristian Javier is making his ninth start of the season and his sixth since returning from the IL in early July. He’s split time between being a starter and reliever since his return, making five relief appearances and five starts. Since returning from the IL, he has a 4.84 ERA (19ER/35.1IP) with 38 strikeouts in 35.1 IP.

SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 52-38 (.578) in their last 90 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (54-38).

ABOUT THE RECORD: At 72-69 and three games over .500, the Astros have matched their high-water mark for the season, also reached with 63-60, 60-57, 59-56, 58-55, 6-3, and 5-2 records. The Astros have got there with an American League-best 7-3 record over their last 10 games.

STARTING BLOCKS: Astros starters have a 1.66 ERA (4ER/21.2IP) with 21 strikeouts, a .169 opponent average (13×77) and a 1.15 WHIP in the first four games of this homestand. Stretching back over the Astros last 10 games, in which they’ve gone 7-3, Astros starters own a 2.94 ERA (16ER/49IP).

MEASURING UP: The Astros are within a streak of playing four straight teams with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). The Astros are a Major League-best 28-15 (.651) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. Some clubs that the Astros have winning records against include BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (5-2), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), and TB (2-1).

VS. THE D-BACKS: In their last series against each other, the Astros swept the Diamondbacks in a three-game set in Arizona from July 21-23, 2025. The Astros are 8-1 in their last nine games against the D-backs, which dates back to the 2023 season.

MINOR LEAGUE HONORS: Astros prospect RHP Antonio Morales has been named the Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Month for August. Morales, 19, went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA (0ER/14IP), while allowing a .067 (3×45) opponent average in three apps. for the DSL Astros Orange in August.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have placed LHP Steven Okert on the 15-day IL with a right hamstring strain (retro to Sept. 1). In a corresponding move, the Astros recalled LHP Bryan King from Triple A Sugar Land.

RELIEVER OF THE MONTH: Announced yesterday, LHP Josh Hader was named the American League Reliever of the Month for August. It is Hader’s ninth career Reliever of the Month Award and his third as an Astro. In the month, Hader converted all seven of his save opportunities, while going scoreless in his 13 total appearances and 14.1 innings pitched.

STREAKING: LHP Josh Hader has worked 19 consecutive scoreless appearances, spanning 20.0 innings (since July 21). This is the longest streak by an Astros hurler this season and the second-longest active streak in the Majors. Opponents are just 5×65 (.077) vs. Hader during the streak.

THE CLOSER: LHP Josh Hader has 249 career saves, needing just one more save to become the 41st player in modern MLB history to reach 250 career saves. Hader has 22 of those saves this season, in 22 save chances.

YOU’RE MY BOY BLU!: RHP A.J. Blubaugh, who’s tossed 14.0 consecutive scoreless innings, has taken a huge Major League lead in innings pitched as a reliever with 86.1, far ahead of second-place RHP Paul Blackburn (75IP). The Astros have not had a reliever lead the Majors in innings since RHP Doug Jones (111.2IP) in 1992.

TRIPLE THREAT: DH Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently owns at least a share of the lead in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters tonight leading the AL in batting avg. (.316), while ranking tied for first in HR (37) and RBI (94).

Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).

FEELS INTENTIONAL: DH Yordan Alvarez has been issued 30 intentional walks on the year, which is a franchise record, besting the 27 intentional walks for 1B Jeff Bagwell in 1997. Alvarez leads the Majors in intentional walks, topping second-place DH Shohei Ohtani (16) by a whopping 14 IBB. Lastly, the AL record for intentional walks in a season is in play for Alvarez, a record that’s currently held by RF Aaron Judge (36 IBB in 2025).

THE HIT MAN: 2B Jose Altuve has 2,495 career hits, needing just five hits to reach 2,500 for his career. Among active players, Altuve ranks second in hits, trailing only 1B Freddie Freeman (2,586).

BEHIND THE DISH: C Christian Vázquez has played in 999 career games as a catcher and is looking to become just the third active catcher to reach 1,000 career games behind the dish. He would join C Salvador Perez (1,427) and C J.T. Realmuto (1,382) in that exclusive group.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2023 – Trailing 3-0 through the 4th, the Astros offense exploded in a Labor Day matinee in Arlington, scoring 13 runs over the game’s last 5.0 innings en route to a 13-6 win. The offense connected for five homers on the day, including multi-homer games by 2B Jose Altuve (4×6) and CF Mauricio Dubón (2×5), who went back-to-back on two different occasions. According to STATS, the Astros became the first team in MLB history to have their No. 9 (Dubón) and No. 1 (Altuve) hitters hit back-to-back homers twice in the same game.

Game Info

Game Date/Time:  Friday, September 4, 7:10 p.m. CT

Location:  Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Ready for the weekend.

⚾️: 7:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 & 740 AM | Spanish: 102.9 HD2#ChaseTheFight x @reliantenergypic.twitter.com/xhBYA8wukv

— Houston Astros (@astros) September 4, 2026

Snakes & Stros pic.twitter.com/hd1cmVXLQD

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 4, 2026

This game was just about a perfect microcosm of the season. The bullpen can’t hold up to pull out a tight game very often, an early lead crumbled in one terrible inning from Keider Montero, and after a nice burst from the offense early they went to sleep when it mattered most, doing nothing in the final five innings to fight back. Brayan Rocchio tied the game with a grand slam in the fourth, and he walked it off with a solo shot against Drew Sommers to win 7-6 over the Tigers in Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader in Progressive Field.

After a rain delay of about a half hour to start the day, the game got underway around 3:15 p.m. ET. Gleyber Torres led off with a single off lefty Logan Allen, and Kevin McGonigle drew a walk. Hao-Yu Lee struck out and Dillon Dingler flew out sharply to Steven Kwan in center field. Riley Greene drew a walk to load the bases, and Ben Malgeri broke through with a two-run single back through the box. Spencer Torkelson singled through the left side, and again it was the kids coming through as Max Clark ripped a line drive single to right field to plate Greene and Malgeri. Javy Báez pulled a ground out to end the top half, but it was 4-0 Tigers.

Keider Montero took the mound and gave up a one-out double to Chase DeLauter. Jose Ramirez moved him to third with a single, and a Jo Adell sacrifice fly made it a 4-1 game. Montero locked up Nathaniel Lowe with fastball in the corner down and away. It was called a ball but Dingler correctly challenged, ending the inning.

The top of the Tigers order was up again in the top of the second, and again they made something happen. Singles from Torres and McGonigle started the inning. Lee grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, but Torres scored to make it 5-1. Montero gave up a one-out double to Travis Bazzana, but stranded him with a pair of flyouts to Clark in center field.

Slade Cecconi took over for Allen in the third with one out and struck out Malgeri. Spencer Torkelson got on the board, driving a 2-0 sinker out to right field.

Max Clark followed with another single and then swiped second base. We’re loving us some Max Clark. Báez flew out to left to strand him. 6-1 Tigers.

Montero was cruising along pretty well until the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Lowe singled and rookie Angel Genao doubled him to third. A single from Bazzana plated Lowe, and Montero walked light hitting Patrick Bailey to load the bases. Not good. Rocchio paid it off, getting a 1-1 knuckle curve right at the bottom of the zone and launching a grand slam to right field. Tie ballgame. That gut punch took the wind out of the Tigers and they never got it back.

Tyler Holton handled the bottom of the fifth, getting a double play ball after an Adell lead off single and escaping the inning unscathed. Craig Yoyo had the ball after replacing Cecconi in the top of the sixth. Max Clark recorded his third single of the game, but that went nowhere. Holton took care of the sixth as well, while lefty Erik Sabrowski entered for a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

Holton walked DeLauter in the bottom of the seventh, and gave way to right-hander Tyler Kinley. He got Ramirez to fly out. DeLauter swiped second, but Adell grounded into a force out, and Lowe lined out to Clark in center. After making a sliding catch, the ball came loose from Clark’s glove, but they ruled he had control long enough and we were on to the eighth.

Still, other than Clark, the Tigers had just folded up shop, and now luck deserted them as Greene and Malgeri both hammered the ball to corner outfielders, and Torkelson struck out swinging.

Drew Sommers spun a good bottom half to keep this thing deadlocked, but the Tigers had to score. It will not surprise you dear reader, to learn that they did not score.

Cade Smith gave up a one out single to Colt Keith, and he took second on a passed ball. But Torres took a called strike three, and McGonigle foul tipped a high heater into the glove.

John Peck entered the game at shortstop for defensive purposes, but there was no defense possible for this. A first pitch heater from Sommers was launched deep to left center and over the big wall for a walkoff home run. Cool, cool.

The Tigers had 11 hits and two walks, so we can’t say the offense did nothing. But the Tigers knack for giving up homers in the worst possible times is unmatched this year.

They’ll get the second game going at

Here’s the Tigers lineup:

Game 2

⚾️ 7:15 PM ET
📺 @AppleTV
📻 @971theticketxyt
🏟️ Progessive Field pic.twitter.com/0moT3dKkTR

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 4, 2026

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Back like we never left because we didn't.#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/d6gdyjlgjx

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 4, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!

Well, the AL Central race has not exactly been much of a race, and this past week it’s looked like two hurt tortoises limping towards the finish line. For as poor as the Chicago White Sox have been lately, the Cleveland Guardians have been just as bad, and honestly, that’s been good enough.

No, you are not seeing things, the White Sox are in fact facing off against the Minnesota Twins for the second straight weekend. This time the series is at home, and hopefully the White Sox can harness some of their home success as the season draws to a close. With just 23 games left for the South Siders, each win takes them that much closer to a division title that no one expected them to even be near in July, let alone September.

For the White Sox, Erick Fedde takes the mound. While you would’ve been laughed at at the beginning of the season, Fedde has turned out to be one of Chicago’s most reliable pitchers in a season that has seen many starters fail to impress (looking at you, Luis Castillo).

Fedde sports a 3.77 ERA over his last 15 starts, and secured the win last Saturday against the Twins with an outing of just three hits and two runs over five innings of work. While the White Sox offense of late has been about as lively as a retirement home past 8 p.m., it should be more than capable of securing a win if Fedde has a similar performance tonight.

As for the Twins, they roll out Zebby Matthews with their playoff chances on life support. While they are still technically in the division race and only three games out of the final wild-card slot, they are running out of time to make a move.

To his credit, Matthews has more than done his part to try to help the Twins limp into the postseason (where they will likely just lose in the first round like they always do). Matthews has won each of his last five starts, and hasn’t tasted defeat since July 24. In fact, in his last start, he dominated the White Sox and fell just a couple of outs short of a complete game. With a 2.90 ERA over the month of August, he’s been one of the best starting pitchers in the entire major leagues lately, not just the American League.

Munetaka Murakami needs to start looking like a baseball player again, and the White Sox need to be careful they don’t let a perfectly good postseason opportunity go to waste. Cleveland has already won the opener of their doubleheader against Detroit to narrow its division deficit to 2 ½ games, so it’s time to win some ball games.

Here is the starting lineup for the Chicago White Sox, featuring the return of Kyle Teel from yet another injury rehab in Charlotte:

Here is the starting lineup for the Minnesota Twins:

First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on CHSN and can be heard on ESPN Chicago 1000. Drop your predictions and thoughts down below!

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers

Friday, September 4, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / CW33)

The Shed

RHP Nick Martinez vs. RHP Kumar Rocker

Go Rangers!

An insurance company affiliated with Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s Guggenheim Partners loaned $350 million to a Walter-controlled LLC that owned SportsNet Los Angeles in 2014, one of several instances of apparent self-dealing detailed in an episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast.

The podcast reported that several figures involved in the purchase of the Dodgers – including basketball legend and minority Dodgers owner Magic Johnson – and the engineering of their massive cable rights deal later landed influential and potentially lucrative positions at Guggenheim or with its affiliated holdings.

USA TODAY Sports has reached out to Guggenheim for comment.

EquiTrust, which was a Guggenheim Partners-owned insurance company, did not disclose that the $350 million loan was made to an affiliated partner, according to Hunterbrook Media, which shared its findings with Torre. Walter, the longtime CEO of Guggenheim Partners, is already the subject of multiple federal investigations into more than $21 billion in loans not disclosed to state insurance regulators that were made by two Delaware insurers Walter owns.

The 2014 loan, to Walter’s American Media Productions, LLC, came at a time the Dodgers’ $8.35 billion local TV contract with Time Warner was taking effect, a deal that guaranteed the Dodgers more than $330 million in annual revenue for their media rights. At the time, the Dodgers’ burgeoning SportsNet LA was blacked out on multiple cable and satellite providers in the Los Angeles area due to the high carriage fee for the station.

It was by far the largest deal for a sports franchise's local TV rights and gained greater value when the club was granted the ability to shield a larger portion of it than is typical from revenue-sharing pools when Major League Baseball approved Walter’s $2.15 billion purchase of the franchise in 2012.

A lucrative TV deal, a position at Guggenheim

While the TV deal has served as a crucial piece in funding the Dodgers' aggressive spending the past six years – including the heavily-deferred, $700 million contract given Shohei Ohtani before the 2024 season – it is facing renewed scrutiny due to Walter's more recent dealings.

Puck Media reported last month that Walter recently approached Charter Communications – which merged with Time Warner – offering to let the cable network out of the deal in exchange for a lump-sum payment. When Charter refused, Puck reported, Walter then executed the $12.5 billion sale of the Los Angeles Lakers, 11 months after purchasing the storied basketball franchise for $10 billion.

The notion that Walter's 2012 purchase of the Dodgers might have been propped up by Walter's use of funds generated through life insurance policies from his affiliated companies prompted The Walter Group to issue an Aug. 26 statement refuting that notion.

"The allegation that the Los Angeles Dodgers were acquired or have been funded improperly is false and not supported by facts," TWG said in a statement. "The Dodgers transaction was subject to significant scrutiny and complied with all rules and regulations that govern the purchase of Major League Baseball teams."

While it's been nearly 15 years since Walter purchased the team, and more than a decade since the $8.35 billion cable deal with Time Warner was struck, threads between the Dodgers, Time Warner and Guggenheim endure.

The architect of the TV deal, David Rone, the former president of Time Warner Cable Networks and Time Warner Cable Sports, left Time Warner in 2015. In 2016, Rone was named senior managing director and company head of strategy for Guggenheim. Rone was eventually named co-president of Guggenheim Investments and remains a senior executive at Guggenheim Partners.

And then there's Johnson.

Magic Johnson: Former EquiTrust controlling shareholder

The Dodgers-Guggenheim marriage also brought Johnson, the five-time NBA champion and Lakers legend, into the fold. Johnson was an early addition to the group headed by Walter aiming to buy the Dodgers, bidding in a group of finalists that included current Rams and future Angels owner Stan Kroenke.

Johnson’s L.A. bona fides likely added more value to the bid than his vanity stake in the franchise. Less than two years after Walter won control of the Dodgers, Pablo Torre Finds out reported, Johnson became controlling shareholder of EquiTrust in January 2014.

Johnson eventually hired Eric Holoman, his longtime friend and business partner with Magic Johnson Enterprises, as managing partner of EquiTrust. Hunterbrook Media, citing SEC documents, reported that EquiTrust eventually invested more than $100 million in Johnson and Holoman’s JLC Infrastructure Fund.

Like the loan to Walter’s media LLC, the filings indicate the investment between the two entities is listed as "unaffiliated." Federal laws include disclosure regulations for affiliated persons and entities.

I am proud that I have such a talented executive team across Magic Johnson Enterprises and some of my portfolio companies including - SodexoMAGIC, Equitrust, Atlanta Life Insurance, JLC Infrastructure, and Unchartered Power! pic.twitter.com/ehcGerKOuw

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 15, 2024

In 2025, EquiTrust was sold to Amistad Financial Group – which is also currently under investigation by the Department of Justice. Holoman, the former head of Magic Johnson Enterprises, is the managing founder of Amistad. USA TODAY Sports has reached out to Johnson’s company for comment.

Dodgers future: Team not for sale

Predictably, what all this means for the Dodgers, Walter and Johnson remains very unclear. Dodgers president Stan Kasten has reiterated the ballclub – which is in first place in the NL West as it seeks a third consecutive World Series title – will not be for sale.

The federal investigation into Walter – concurrent probes by the Department of Justice and SEC – has only recently begun, in relative terms. The FBI seized Walter’s cellphone and computer one year ago.

For now, Walter has sold the Lakers and he and Dodgers minority owner Todd Boehly remain in talks to sell their shares in the Chelsea football club. The attendance, revenue and performance behemoth that is the Dodgers remains untouched.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark Walter's Dodgers purchase under new scrutiny after Pablo Torre report

A new series is about to kick off, and it’s unclear if that’s the good news or the bad news. Either way, the San Francisco Giants are visiting the New York Mets, in a battle of the “wow, we really didn’t think we’d be this bad” teams.

Taking the mound for the Giants is left-hander Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, a 23-year old making his fourth career appearance. Despite having an 0-2 record, Tugboat has impressed so far, with a 4.63 ERA, a 3.70 FIP, and six strikeouts to just two walks in 11.2 innings. He was fantastic in his last outing, which came against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as he took a shutout into the seventh inning … though, unfortunately, he allowed the first two batters to reach base, was removed, and watched as both of his runners scored against the Giants bullpen.

For the Mets, it’s right-hander Nolan McLean, who makes his 28th start of the year. The 25-year old has been mighty impressive this season, with a 10-8 record, a 3.06 ERA, a 3.60 FIP, and 172 strikeouts to 62 walks in 155.2 innings. He’s on an absolute heater at the moment, as in his last four starts he’s given up just two earned runs and 10 hits in 25 innings.

Enjoy the game, everyone!

Lineups

Giants

1. Drew Gilbert — CF
2. Bryce Eldridge — 1B
3. Rafael Devers — DH
4. Turner Hill — LF
5. Jung Hoo Lee — RF
6. Drew Cavanaugh — C
7. Osleivis Basabe — 3B
8. Nate Furman — 2B
9. Christian Koss — SS

LHP. Matt Wilkinson

Mets

1. Francisco Lindor — SS
2. Juan Soto — LF
3. Bo Bichette — 3B
4. Mark Vientos — DH
5. Carson Benge — RF
6. Marcus Semien — 2B
7. Christopher Morel — 1B
8. Francisco Alvarez — C
9. Nick Morabito — CF

RHP. Nolan McLean

Game #142

Who: San Francisco Giants (58-83) vs. New York Mets (63-77)

Where: Citi Field, Queens, New York

When: 4:10 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

Time: 6:40 Central

Weather: Ever-increasing chance of thunderstorms, 85°

Opponent’s SB site: South Side Sox

TV: Twins TV. Radio: I’ll bet you can pick up games for three teams in Kenosha

ChiSox starter Erick Fedde won Player of the Year in 2023, when he pitched for the NC Dinos in Changwon, Korea. Here are their rather adorable mascots:

In MLB, though, Fedde is strictly a #4/#5 starter. He throws a sinker and a slider/sweeper (stop fighting, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant) plus a cutter and change. The fast stuff tops out at 94; the “swider”‘s his best pitch. If the Twins want to get the series off to a good start, this is the guy to do it against.

One of the innumerable awful sides about AI taking over everything is that we’ll probably get fewer typos. Like in the following 2024 vaportecture of a proposed new ChiSox stadium. “Vaportecture” is a term coined by stadium shenanigans reporter Neil deMause, referring to the shiny, glowy artwork about what new stadiums will look like. They NEVER look the way they do in vaportecture artwork, and sometimes the artwork has sunlight coming from the wrong angles or skyways to nowhere, etc. I’m sure AI could come up with this:

I’m sure AI would be just as capable of depicting those terraced porches on the left which have no guardrails — heck, most Silicon Valley oligarchs hate humans and want them plummeting to their deaths. But, I think it takes a human to make a typo like this one, from the big Sox logo in the center:

Notice the spelling of Chicago. Typo time! Although maybe not; “ca-ca” is a silly term for poop. Maybe the artist really has a beef with Chicago or the Sox. Anyways, AI doesn’t have beefs. Except, again, with all humans who don’t own tech companies.

Anyhoo, expect very different vaportecture of a proposed ChiSox stadium to pop up anytime, now. Their lease in Corporate Name Here Stadium ends in 2029 and they don’t even have a brand new building yet! What if the old one collapses and everyone dies? That won’t happen, so what if a new one would have swankier luxury boxes and far fewer general seats, driving ticket prices up, up, up! (The proposed/likely new Royals/A’s/Rays stadiums would have 34,000/33,000/31,000 seats.) Yeah, that sounds good! But who’s gonna pay for it?

You KNOW who.

Because “how the sausage gets made” baseball stuff is so much fun, I’ll share a video a frustrated fan clued me into recently. It’s only 12 minutes long and it’s well-done.

It’s about how revenue sharing works and what the goals of the offseason CBA negotiations are likely to be, including some form of a salary cap. And how the idea of a salary cap will be presented as “competitive balance” but is actually all about increasing team resale values across the board.

I don’t have much to add here, except that historically, when there’s been CBA / salary cap discussions, inevitably you hear some version of “how come these dumb guys who are only good and running and jumping want so much money for a game I’d play for free?” Notably, you will not hear too many people complaining about owners wanting so much money. Even though many of them are dumb guys who inherited the teams / inherited their wealth. Or sociopaths who made their money in private equity by having no consciences or souls. Or dumb sociopaths who inherited their team / money.

I suppose people complain about the greedy players more than the greedy owners because they know cries of “sell the team!” mean nothing. You can’t force an owner to leave. Whereas a player with a bad contract will eventually be gone.

Ultimately, I can’t get too wound up by the salary cap discussion because I don’t really care how it works out. If I were commissioner, I’d DEFINITELY have ideas how I WANT it to work out, but I’m not commissioner. A guy who hates baseball is. The way it will work out will benefit owners most and fans last, with players/sports agents in the middle. That’s the way it’s always worked out and always will. As a player said to Jim Bouton in his book Foul Ball, “baseball is like religion — a great game with sh***y owners.”

One thing that, I suspect, is already slowing payroll growth is the idiotic playoff structure, which probably Manfred wants to include even MORE teams in the future. It’s September, and depending how you define “have a chance,” 20 of 30 MLB teams have a chance at the postseason. Six of those have losing records. The more that teams can field mediocre rosters and have a chance at the postseason, the less incentive teams have to try and be better than mediocre. Certainly the Twins’ owners would see no reason to change how they do anything next year (assuming there is baseball next year).

I would note that wherever you stand on CBA negotiations, a lot of fans are feeling pretty angry/frustrated about how baseball is operated these days. You can see it in the clips of angry/frustrated fans in the video, or read it in online comments. People do not like that ticket prices keep going up, more games are being broadcast on more streaming services, and a lot of teams do not seem to care if they put out a genuinely thrilling product on the field or not. (Supposedly, TV ratings are up — but some of that might be because of the growing gambling addiction crisis.)

None of these things bode well for the future of the sport… but team sale prices keep going up, so Manfred is happy. Stadiums are getting more and more expensive, and teams are paying less and less of the costs, so Manfred is happy. I’m not happy, and neither are many fans, but the offseason will be what it will be. I know personally I have a LOT more to worry about than sports, and maybe you do, too.

BALTIMORE — Garrett Crochet's latest attempt to salvage his 2026 season reached another milestone Friday, Sept. 4, as he threw 16 pitches off the mound in his first bullpen session in nearly three months.

Crochet, the 2025 AL Cy Young Award runner-up, has not pitched since April 25, when he threw six scoreless innings at Baltimore, then was shelved with shoulder soreness. In his first attempt to return, Crochet progressed to throwing a mound session in May, then was shut down again shortly thereafter.

Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy acknowledged the window is tight for Crochet to return in any form this season, with barely three weeks left in the regular season. But he is not ruling it out.

"The fact he got on the mound today and threw is a really good sign," says Tracy Friday at Camden Yards. "How he comes in tomorrow will be an important piece of it. Does he feel any lingering effects that will slow him down or will he feel really good and can proceed?

"But I think the fact that, with all the work he put in, the fact he got off the mound and threw a bullpen today is a really good sign. The goal is to get him, by the end of the season, out there, if he can."

The Red Sox entered Friday holding a 5 1/2-game lead for the No. 2 wild card and are a virtual lock to reach the postseason. That would certainly extend Crochet's window to return, even if as a short reliever.

Tracy also said Tanner Houck, who'd likely return this year as a reliever, successfully threw a simulated game and is slated for a rehab outing at Class-AA Portland on Tuesday. Houck is returning from 2025 Tommy John surgery. Johan Oviedo, out since April with a flexor tendon strain, also may soon begin a rehab assignment.

The reinforcements, or at least the option of turning to them, would be welcome.

"As you get beat up and you need help" says Tracy, "having guys of that caliber of big league talent, if you can get them there it would be important down the stretch.

Garrett Crochet stats

Crochet, 27, posted a 3-3 record and 6.30 ERA in six starts this season, showing signs of shaking off a poor early start before the shoulder inflammation shut him down. He was runner-up to Tarik Skubal in 2025 Cy Young balloting after striking out a major league-best 255 in 205 1/3 innings, with a 2.59 ERA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Garrett Crochet throws off mound in hopes of 2026 Red Sox return

The Orioles could have won last night, but they didn’t. A night where Adley Rutschman returned and hit two home runs, but the Orioles still won, would have been a pretty decent outcome in my book. Brandon Young did his part. Pete Alonso, Luis Robert, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered. But the bullpen blew it.

It wasn’t ideal for Yennier Cano to give up a run, but he’s pitched well enough that it made sense to bring him into a close game. But what the heck is Craig Albernaz doing with Luis De León? I am happy to see the rookie on the team, but he struggled in Triple-A Norfolk before his call-up, and now Albernaz has thrown him into back-to-back high-leverage situations. He has not delivered, and now the poor guy has two Major League appearances and two Major League losses.

I know this bullpen is kind of a shambles. But it’s not such a shambles that there is no better choice than Luis De León.

But enough about yesterday. Nothing to do but more forward and hope better decisions are made. But speaking of bad decisions, Samuel Basallo is not starting for the second straight night. I guess he doesn’t start against lefties? Why do you give a guy a huge contract, trade away the other guy who plays the position, and then refuse to play him against both lefties and righties? It makes no sense!

Basallo has struggled since his return from the IL. An if the Orioles had another catcher, one who could hit at all (*coughAdley*), then ok. But you do not. You have Carlos Carlos Narváez! Carlos Narváez, whose OPS+ as an Oriole is NEGATIVE TEN. What is even happening here?

Tonight’s starter is Shane Baz, who managed to get some run support and get a win in his last start. It was his first win since June 12th. His teammates still owe him a few more. Maybe tonight will be the night.

For the Red Sox, it’s Ranger Suarez. A lot of fans, including me, wanted the Orioles to sign Suarez. He is in the midst of a pretty good season, with a 3.64 ERA in 24 starts.

Orioles lineup

Blaze Alexander (R) RF
Coby Mayo (R) DH
Luis Robert Jr. (R) CF
Pete Alonso (R) 1B
Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R) 3B
Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
Carlos Narváez (R) C
Leody Taveras (S) LF

Red Sox lineup

Roman Anthony (L) DH
Mickey Gasper (S) 1B
Adley Rutschman (S) C
Wilyer Abreu (L) RF
Nick Sogard (S) 2B
Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
Jarren Duran (L) LF
Trevor Story (R) SS
Eli White (R) CF

Let’s go O’s!

Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Mark Vientos – DH
5. Carson Benge – RF
6. Marcus Semien – 2B
7. Christopher Morel – 1B
8. Francisco Alvarez – C
9. Nick Morabito – CF

Nolan McLean – RHP

Giants lineup

1. Drew Gilbert – CF
2. Rafael Devers – 1B
3. Bryce Eldridge – DH
4. Turner Hill – LF
5. Jung Hoo Lee – RF
6. Drew Cavanaugh – C
7. Osleivis Basabe – 3B
8. Nate Furman – 2B
9. Christian Koss – SS

Matt Wilkinson – LHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:10pm EDT
TV: WPIX
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

Can Ranger Suarez go more past the 4th inning without blowing up for the first time in what feels like a month? Find out!

⚾️ First Pitch: 7:05pm — Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

Friday plans! pic.twitter.com/yObWkS7Cn8

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 4, 2026

Tonight's starters at The Yard.

🕖 7:05 PM
📺 @masnOrioles & MASN+
📻 98 Rock 97.9 FM & WBAL 1090 AM pic.twitter.com/V5ICQRBLQg

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 4, 2026

During his regular homestand media availability on Friday ahead of the Mets' game against the San Francisco Giants, president of baseball operations David Stearnsdiscussed a number of topics, including the possibility of hiring a general manager this offseason and the upcoming managerial search.

Since Stearns was hired as POBO at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, New York has operated without a GM. Owner Steve Cohen has discussed the idea of hiring a GM under Stearns over the past three years, but has not filled that position since Billy Eppler resigned.

When asked about the potential front office move, Stearns said it's something that has been considered in previous years and will again this winter.

"We're always going to look to see if there are ways we can improve our organization in any way, that's inclusive of the front office," Stearns said. "That's been the case every offseason since I've been here and it'll be the case this offseason as well."

While it remains to be seen if New York will try to fill that vacancy this year, they do need to hire a new manager to replace the fired Carlos Mendoza and interim manager Andy Green, who is expected to return to the front office. Stearns confirmed that plan is still in place with Green, but it's not clear if he will return to his former Senior Vice President for Player Development position or something different. 

It's possible Green could be the right fit for the vacant GM job, as people familiar with the Mets’ internal deliberations told SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes that the idea has been floated around.

Additionally, Green has been open about his reluctance to become the full-time manager next year, trying to prioritize his family. He has gone 29-30 as the interim manager and brought some life to the clubhouse since taking over in late June. Stearns was asked if Green's success has changed his view of what to look for in the next manager, praising the job he's done this season, but declined to comment on his full vision.

"I think Andy's done a very good job in the dugout," Stearns said. "Again, I think we will get to the point where I'll more fully describe what we're seeking in our next manager. Today's probably not the day to do that."

That time may come sooner rather than later, however, as the Mets have only 22 games remaining in the regular season and need to get a head start on their offseason plans in order to make real improvements in 2027 and beyond.

We’ve been treated to Chris Sale going up against some of the best pitchers in baseball lately.

August alone saw him battle against Gerrit Cole of the Yankees, Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers.

That run continues Friday night as the Braves ace faces off against Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez in the opener of a four-game series in Philadelphia which is set for a 6:40 p.m. ET start time.

The Braves won five of six games against the Phillies back in April, including the final game before manager Rob Thomson was fired in a moment that turned around Philadelphia’s season.

A similar showing the next two weekends would effectively lock up the NL East, but it won’t come as easy against a opposing team which has won 15 of its last 18 games.

Tune in on BravesVision or the radio, ride the emotional roller coaster and follow along in this game thread as the Braves face rival Philadelphia for the first time in over four months.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke prior to Friday's series opener against the Giants and touched on what he's learned from a few new players and the expectations from others going into next season...

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Polanco's defensive future

Stearns signed Jorge Polanco this past offseason to be the team's everyday first baseman, but that hasn't gone according to plan.

Injuries have marred Polanco's first season in Queens. Polanco appeared in just 37 games, slashing .148/.201/.230 with an OPS of .431 to go along with his two home runs and six RBI. A combination of a right wrist contusion and left ankle bursitis took Polanco out for the rest of the season.

After Polanco underwent surgery to address his ankle, Stearns was asked about what he believes the veteran slugger's defensive future looks like.

"It’s a little TBD, unfortunately," Stearns said. "Clearly, it did not work out the way we anticipated this year. If there’s one thing I learned about Jorge, he’s going to work incredibly hard to do everything in his power to be a good player for us next year. I think he will be. We’re not going to know exactly where he is physically until he gets on the field for us."

Of the 36 games he's appeared in this season, he's played first base three times and started just twice at the position.

Young's production 'is real'

With Polanco absent, Jared Young has taken advantage of the playing time.

This season has given the 31-year-old his most playing time in the bigs and he's provided the Mets with ample production. In 91 games, Young has slashed .265/.324/.434 with an OPS of .758, to go with his eight homers and 35 RBI. 

Stearns was asked about Young and how he assesses him and the POBO believes what he's seen out of Young.

"This is a good hitter. It’s someone who we thought of as a good hitter going back to last year, we just couldn’t give him the consistent runway at the big league level," Stearns explained. "He’s done it for a prolonged stretch now. We think it’s real. He controls the strike zone well, he gives you consistently good at-bats. He understands game situations. He’s a good player and he’s demonstrated that."

Mets want more from Semien offensively

Marcus Semien was another high-profile acquisition by Stearns, as the POBO traded for the veteran second baseman, dealing Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers.

And while Stearns has publicly expressed that the move was for defensive purposes, the offensive production from Semien has been stark. The 35-year-old's offense has continued to dip year-over-year, and in 2026, it's arguably at its lowest.

Stearns recognizes it, but believes Semien can still provide offensive production next season and that the veteran infielder offers more to the clubhouse than what we see on the field.

"Marcus remains someone who can be one of those steadying forces on a team. He posts every day, he takes his craft incredibly seriously he works very hard," Stearns said. "He’s still a very good defender. We’ve seen that. The offensive performance in its totality hasn’t been what he wants or what we want. We’ve seen flashes, but the totality, he would want more, we would want more. In terms of who he is as a person, how he’s contributed to the team from a work ethic standpoint, has been outstanding."

Entering Friday, Semien is batting a career-low .218 with career lows in OBP (.283), slugging (.348) and OPS (.631) across 120 games.

Senga's uncertain future in the 'pen

The Mets transitioning Kodai Senga to the bullpen has been successful so far.

Since Aug. 4, when Senga first came out of the bullpen regularly, Senga has pitched to a 1.74 ERA, allowing just two runs across 10.1 innings pitched. He's been 5-for-5 in save opportunities since Devin Williams went down to injury, and has stabilized the bullpen. 

However, Williams will be back soon and with two more years left on Williams' deal, where Senga fits next season and beyond is anyone's guess. Stearns is also unsure of Senga's future but credited the right-hander for handling the move like a professional.

"It’s fun to see," Stearns said of Senga coming out of the bullpen. "I think his investment in that role, even though he views himself as a starter. I think he prefers to start, but his investment in that role, the way he’s embraced that role, is a great example for his teammates, for the organization as a whole. And he’s done a great job.

"Where that is moving forward to next year, is still to be determined. It’s great to see and he has shown some really good stuff at times out of the pen."

Relying on Manaea next season

Opposite of Senga, Sean Manaea began the year in the bullpen before working his way back into the rotation.

While 2026 continues to be a rollercoaster for the southpaw, Stearns believes Manaea can attack the offseason and help anchor the rotation next year. 

"Clearly didn’t get off to the start he wanted to," Stearns said. "Worked really hard and saw sustained success in the middle and the last couple, especially toward the end in outings; the outings have gotten away from him."

Manaea had a stretch of four straight starts of allowing two or fewer runs (Jul. 9-Aug. 9), before he faltered. Over his last four starts, he's allowed 19 runs across 23.2 innings. 

Next season, the Mets will likely go into the year with a rotation that includes Manaea, Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, with youngster Zac Thornton being in the mix. If the Mets hope to compete, they'll need Manaea's veteran presence and effectiveness.

"In general, we need Sean to have a very good offseason, come back and he’s going to be a part of this team next season," Stearns continued. "We’re going to count on him. He’s demonstrated that he can perform at a high level and contribute to the team and that’s what we’ll need him to do."