Kodai Senga hasn't yet taken the mound for the last time this season, but the Mets already know the right-hander's next appearance won't occur in a big league uniform.
Prior to their home series opener with the Nationals on Friday afternoon, manager Carlos Mendoza revealed the upcoming plan for Senga, which will include him pitching either live batting practice or a simulated game sometime next week.
"The plan is for him to face hitters again. The question now is, where's that going to be?" Mendoza explained. "The minor league season ends on Sunday. Now we're in the process of trying to figure things out, to where we're going to give him those live looks."
If the Mets still envision Senga contributing at the major league level again in 2025, time is obviously running out for him to prove he's ready and worthy of the task. He's not a lock to make the potential postseason roster, and his latest outing in the minors was underwhelming.
Senga struggled in his second and final start with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday night, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts across 3.2 innings. Call it several steps backward, as he logged six frames of one-run ball with eight punchouts on Sept. 12.
"Stuff-wise was down. Whether it was the velo, execution, the secondary pitches weren't sharp," Mendoza said. "That's the report I got, and watching film, you could see it. That's probably one of the reasons why he's asking for one more time to face hitters, to continue to work through those issues."
It's been a confounding season for Senga, who undisputedly resembled the Mets' ace before injuring his hamstring in mid-June. But mechanical issues and a patent lack of consistency have plagued him since mid-July -- he owns a bloated 6.56 ERA across his last eight starts (35.2 innings).
When asked what the Mets would need to see from Senga moving forward in order to promote him, Mendoza didn't offer a concrete answer. He called the situation "a tough spot" for proper evaluation, and justifiably so. It's a role undefined. The clock is ticking for him to regain trust.
Earlier this week, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Senga needs to demonstrate he can "consistently get major league hitters out," while also emphasizing "results always matter."
One last Waiver Wire for the 2025 season. Thanks to all who have stuck around for the good (Jo Adell, Tyler Soderstrom, Cade Horton) and the not so good (Jordan Walker, Christopher Morel, Jonathan India). Here are some last-minute options for the final seven days of the season.
FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
Zach Cole (OF Astros): Rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues
Even though they had recently gotten Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers back from the injured list, the Astros thought it was worth trying to catch lightning in a bottle by promoting Cole to make his major league debut a week ago. It couldn’t have worked out any better, either; Cole has started five of six games since joining the team and gone 6-for-18 with two homers and seven RBI. And now that Alvarez, unfortunately, has been shelved again, there’s every reason to think he’ll be a lineup fixture the rest of the way.
The 24-year-old Cole has never been viewed as much of a prospect -- Fangraphs ranked him No. 30 on a weak Astros list a couple of months ago -- but he’s excelled in spite of a scary strikeout rate this year, hitting .267/.363/505 in 82 games in Double-A and .353/.459/.745 in 15 games after an August promotion to Triple-A. He totaled 19 homers, 18 steals and a rather incredible 146 strikeouts in 97 minor league games this season. His 35% strikeout rate in the minors was three percentage points higher than any qualified major league hitter has recorded this season.
So, there’s still good reason to be skeptical about Cole going forward. Next week, though, he’s looking at series in Sacramento and Anaheim against a gaggle of below average starters. He figures to start all five games against righties and maybe the one against lefty Mitch Ferris as well. It should be a terrific week for Astros hitters, so Jesús Sánchez and the returning Isaac Paredes are well worth considering, too.
José Caballero (INF Yankees): Rostered in 26% of Yahoo leagues
Things are set up quite well for MLB’s steal leader in the final week of the season. Caballero has been seeing a lot of time over Anthony Volpe at shortstop of late, and one imagines he’ll start at least four of the Yankees’ final six games against the White Sox and Orioles. He’ll certainly be in there against the two lefties the team is due to face. The Yankees will also probably want him in the lineup when Edgar Quero is catching for the White Sox; the Orioles just went 7-for-7 stealing bases against Quero in his last start Wednesday.
Caballero enters the weekend with 48 steals, and only Chandler Sampson, with 42, has any shot of catching him. One imagines he’ll want to at least make it to 50 before season’s end, and he doesn’t necessarily need to stop there. If the Yankees clinch early, that’d probably be good news for Caballero, as he could get an extra start or two away from shortstop while regulars rest.
Kai-Wei Teng (SP Giants): Rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues
There isn’t much out there for two-start starters next week, what with teams playing only six games and several already using six-man rotations. Even some of the pitchers who look like they might start twice will be scratched or wind up pitching limited innings during the final weekend. So, the lone SP recommendation here comes from the Giants, who are slated to finish their season at home against the Rockies. Teng will almost certainly pitch Friday in the series opener, with Carson Whisenhunt to follow unless the Giants are still in contention (they could move up Justin Verlander and Logan Webb for the final two games in that case).
Teng, a 26-year-old rookie, has a 6.41 ERA through seven outings, but that comes with a fine 3.30 FIP; he’s allowed just one homer and posted a 33/15 K/BB in 26 2/3 innings. He’s already beaten the Rockies once in Coors, where he allowed two runs and struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings on Sept. 1. He’s gone from throwing his slider about 27% of the time in his first three outings to 46% of the time in his last three, and the league is batting just .214 against the pitch. Given the matchup, he’s well worth a try.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
- James Schiano just featured Bryce Eldridge (7% rostered) in his column this week, so I wouldn’t feel right doing the same. It should be noted that the Giants have arguably the game’s easiest pitching schedule in the final week, with series against the Cardinals and Rockies, and they’re due to face a left-hander just once. That’s ideal for Eldridge, and it also makes Jung Hoo Lee (37% rostered) worth considering.
- Austin Martin (4% rostered) is batting second regularly for the Twins. He’s hitting .327/.431/.418 this month, and he just stole three bases in three games against the Yankees. He seems like a reasonable play in road series against Rangers and Phillies teams that might not have much to play for.
- Alex Vesia (16% rostered) has been in fine form since returning from a strained oblique, and he picked up a save Thursday. He’s probably the best play among Dodgers relievers for the final week.
MILWAUKEE — Christian Yelich always believed he could get back to hitting the way he had earlier in his career, even as he encountered skepticism about his chances of making a successful comeback from back surgery.
The Milwaukee Brewers slugger has responded by putting together his first 100-RBI season since making his National League MVP run in 2018.
Yelich went 2 for 4 and drove in his 100th run of the year in the Brewers’ 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The milestone reflected how far Yelich has come since back issues ended his 2024 season prematurely.
“There were a lot of questions obviously that I had to answer,” Yelich said. “People doubting whether or not I could play. I felt like I was still going to be able to play at a high level after dealing with what I had to deal with, all the back stuff.”
Yelich was leading the NL in on-base percentage and batting average last year before his season ended. He underwent a diskectomy last August to remove the damaged part of a disk in the spine.
Then he began the long road back.
Now he’s tied for third in the NL in RBIs, behind only Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber and the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso. He also has 29 homers, putting him in a tie for eighth in the NL.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy believes those numbers could be even better if Yelich just had a little more luck.
“You’d be astounded how many balls he’s hit at a 100 (mph)-plus rate that were caught,” Murphy said.
Yelich also had to bounce back from a rough start. He was hitting below .200 as late as May 23, at a time when the Brewers owned a losing record.
Once he started heating up, so did the Brewers. Milwaukee (94-59) is 35 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.
“That’s our guy,” rookie third baseman Caleb Durbin said. “We’ve kind of relied on him all year. He’s the backbone of this team. It’s a team effort, but we go where Yeli goes.”
Murphy has spoken on numerous occasions about how much of an impact the 33-year-old Yelich has made in the clubhouse while helping lead a young team. Yelich and pitchers Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff are the only players remaining from 2018, when the Brewers began a run of seven playoff berths in eight seasons.
“I’m just proud of the guys on the team, especially our young players, because the demand is high here to come in as a rookie on a team that’s winning games,” said Yelich, who is batting .268 with an .813 OPS. “There’s not like that grace period for you to get your feet wet in the big leagues and make mistakes and go through the growing pains.”
Yelich won the MVP his debut season in Milwaukee and was just as productive in 2019 before a broken kneecap knocked him out for the remainder of that year. Yelich wasn’t nearly as effective from 2020-22 while dealing with back issues, but he got his OPS back over .800 in 2023 and made the All-Star Game last year before dealing with another season-ending injury.
Now he’s healthy again as the Brewers get ready for another postseason.
“Just being available for most of the games this year and being able to play is kind of refreshing,” Yelich said. “I knew I’m still capable of playing at a high level if I just do it, if I just play.”
BALTIMORE — There’s nothing like watching Max Fried pitch to alleviate some of the angst and pressure associated with managing the New York Yankees in the midst of a pennant race.
Aaron Boone had a blast watching Fried mow down the Baltimore Orioles in a 7-0 rout. The left-hander struck out 13 and allowed only three singles over seven sparkling innings.
“Fun,” Boone said afterward. “I just love watching him pitch. He’s such a good athlete, and you see the athleticism on the mound — the different ways he can get you out.”
The swing-and-a-miss was the fashion in which Fried (18-5) got most of his outs against the last-place Orioles. Mixing his fastball with a nasty changeups and a drop-down curveball, the lefty struck out everyone in the starting lineup at least once except for Gunnar Henderson.
“I was able both sides of the plate and had a real good feel for my changeup,” Fried said. “I’m feeling really good physically.”
The 13 strikeouts tied a career high and the 18 wins marked a career best for the former Atlanta standout, who signed an eight-year, $218 million contract with New York as a free agent in December.
So far, Fried is looking like a very good investment.
“I feel like he’s in a real good spot. He’s throwing the ball well,” Boone said. “He’s an ace, and he pitches like that. He’s had a phenomenal year to this point.”
And not just on the mound, either.
“The type of person and teammate he is, he’s everything you’d want in bringing someone in to be a featured guy in your rotation,” Boone noted.
The Orioles had no chance. Fried retired 12 straight after allowing a second-inning single to Coby Mayo, and struck out Tyler O’Neill with two on and two outs in the sixth.
“It was so tough. He just hammered down and away with that sinker,” Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “And he painted. That catcher’s setting up on the black and he’s hitting the glove most of the night. The changeup was really good. That is an ace right there without a doubt.”
The surging Yankees have won 17 of 24 to get within three games of first-place Toronto in the AL East. Come playoff time, Boone knows who he can turn to in a big game.
“He’s had a number of pretty impressive games this year,” Boone said. “This was really good, really efficient.”
And a total blast to watch from the Yankees dugout.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Boone said, “watching him when he’s in a rhythm like that.”
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium last month. Kershaw is poised to make his final home regular-season start on Friday. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers fans pay up, in significant numbers and in significant amounts, to watch their team on SportsNet LA: Home team, home channel.
The exclusive broadcast rights for the game belong to Apple TV+, as part of a package of Friday night games bought from Major League Baseball. Apple is guaranteed a minimum of four exclusive broadcasts for whatever teams it chooses to air, according to a league official. Friday’s game will be the Dodgers’ fourth on Apple TV+ this season, so it remains exclusive to Apple.
The alternate Apple game Friday involves the Toronto Blue Jays. As it became apparent the Blue Jays might clinch a playoff spot on Friday, Apple and MLB agreed that Sportsnet — the Blue Jays’ equivalent of SportsNet LA – could air a simulcast of that Apple TV+ broadcast. (That change was announced Thursday morning, before a Jays loss and Cleveland Guardians win made it impossible for Toronto to clinch on Friday.)
Kershaw, the 11-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young award winner, said Thursday he would retire at season’s end. After the weekend series against the San Francisco Giants, in which Kershaw is scheduled to start Friday’s game, the Dodgers finish the regular season on the road. The Dodgers have not said what role, if any, Kershaw might fill on their playoff roster.
Fans can sign up for a free seven-day trial of Apple TV+ here. (If you're signing up just to watch Kershaw, you'll need to cancel within the seven-day window, or you'll be billed $12.99 each month.)
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Juan Soto is hitting .301/.425/.664 with 16 home runs, 37 RBI, 38 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases in 181 plate appearances over his last 39 games dating back to Aug. 6
Brandon Sproat was tremendous in his last start, firing 6.0 shutout innings against the Rangers while allowing six hits, walking none, and striking out three
NATIONALS
METS
James Wood, LF
Francisco Lindor, SS
CJ Abrams, SS
Juan Soto, RF
Josh Bell, 1B
Pete Alonso, 1B
Daylen Lile, DH
Mark Vientos, 3B
Luis García Jr., 2B
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Dylan Crews, RF
Starling Marte, DH
Paul DeJong, 3B
Francisco Alvarez, C
Jorge Alfaro, C
Brett Baty, 2B
Jacob Young, CF
Jose Siri, CF
What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
LOS ANGELES – Rob Thomson isn’t one to look to far into the future. Or if he does, he keeps very quiet within himself. His mindset is the game at hand, and when that is over, it’s on to the very next game and that’s it.
However, when his Phillies clinched the National League East on Monday with a thrilling 10-inning win at Dodger Stadium, the clouds of the future seemed to part a little and Thomson did allow himself to look to the future a bit when it comes to the playoffs.
So let’s do the same and forecast what I believe we will see come playoff time, and let’s start with the pitching. I am also going with the assumption that the Phillies will get a first-round bye.
This much is set in stone: Cristopher Sanchez will be the Game 1 starter, no matter the series, no matter the date. Thomson has said as much. After that, I think it’s a great bet to say Ranger Suarez will be on the mound to start Game 2 and Jesus Luzardo gets the call for Game 3.
After that is where it gets a little dicey. So the first game of the best-of-five division series would be Saturday, Oct. 4. We know that’s going to be Sanchez. Game 4, if necessary, will not be until Thursday, Oct. 9. That means Sanchez would be on four days’ rest, which is normal time for him to be back out on the mound. That’s one scenario.
Another has to do with the confidence and admiration that Thomson has for Aaron Nola. He has repeatedly talked glowingly about Nola’s ability to pitch well in big games, “when the lights are brightest.” He also stated the other day, without hesitation, that Nola has never come out of the bullpen. So that isn’t going to happen. I also don’t think that Thomson, should he decide not to go with Sanchez in Game 4, would pitch Walker Buehler or Taijuan Walker.
However, Nola will pitch Saturday against Arizona and will get another start before the season ends on Sept. 28. He very well could be auditioning for that No. 4 spot in the playoff rotation. Should he pitch well, I could see Thomson sticking to his loyalty and throwing Nola out there for an important Game 4, knowing that he will have Buehler ready to go should there be early-game struggles for Nola.
If Nola doesn’t look quite right in these final two starts, then Sanchez would be the obvious choice. But the big question is, what is “quite right” in the manager’s mind?
Thomson is loyal to his players, as we all know, and in the past it hasn’t always worked out for the team. This season, however, Thomson has shown that he is more willing to change on the fly, to put loyalties aside a little bit for the betterment of the team (see: rotating outfield. More on that later).
If there is an area where this year’s playoff Phillies team looks a lot stronger than in years past, it’s the bullpen. The acquisition of Jhoan Duran at the trade deadline presented a whole new feeling for the relievers and defined roles even more under Thomson.
Situationally, if Thomson needs a left-hander for outs, his first choice is going to be Matt Strahm, with Tanner Banks slightly behind him. Both have been very good this season and should one falter a bit come playoff time, Thomson has the utmost belief in the other to come through.
As for the right-handers, this is quite interesting. David Robertson has seemed to jumped ahead of Orion Kerkering as the first right-hander out of the bullpen in a close game, so I think he would get the first nod. Kerkering has struggled at times this year with control and giving up long balls, but when he is on his sweeper and fastball are downright nasty. Also, it can’t be forgotten how good Buehler was out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in their World Series-winning run last season. He’s another that not only isn’t afraid of the big lights but thrives under them.
And then when it comes to closing things out, Duran may be the best in the game at it right now. Thomson said the other day that the big right-hander may even be called on to get four or five outs to finish off a game.
As for the lineup, injuries and the outfield are really the only slight questions, and even they seem to be mostly answered.
Shortstop Trea Turner has progressed impressively since suffering his Grade 1 hamstring strain and may be back in the lineup for a few games to end the regular season. If not, barring a setback, there seems to be little doubt that he’ll be ready for the playoffs. Third baseman Alec Bohm could be back from his shoulder injury as early as Friday against the Diamondbacks.
As for the outfield, we now know that Nick Castellanos is the odd man out and that Thomson would like to stick with Brandon Marsh in left, Harrison Bader in center and Max Kepler in right. But, should there be a left-handed starter that Castellanos has had success against in the past, I think the manager would give him the start. Marsh has been hitting so well after the first month of the season that I think he deserves to be in the left whether the team is facing a lefty or righty starter.
Edmundo Sosa will come off the injured list when the team returns home for their final two series of the regular season. Should his groin strain be healed, he may rotate with Bryson Stott at second against left-handers. Both are outstanding fielders and are nice bats to have at the end of the order.
Still, plenty must shake out before the playoffs begin. But there’s an early look at how things may play out.
With nine games remaining in the regular season, the Mets are looking to hold off a handful of teams for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of play on Sept. 19...
Mets: 79-74, 2.0 games up on Diamondbacks and Reds for third Wild Card
Next up: vs. Nationals, Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY (Brandon Sproat vs. Andrew Alvarez) Latest result: 6-1 win over Padres on Thursday Remaining schedule: 3 vs. WSH, 3 @ CHC, 3 @ MIA Odds to make playoffs: 86.6 percent *Mets hold tiebreaker over Giants by virtue of winning the season series, while Reds hold tiebreaker over Mets. The tiebreaker between the Mets and Diamondbacks is TBD, and will likely be based on intradivision record since the two clubs split the season series
Diamondbacks: 77-76, 2.0 games back of Mets
Next up: vs. Phillies, Friday at 9:40 p.m. (Ryne Nelson vs. Taijuan Walker) Latest result: 5-1 loss to Giants on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 3 vs. PHI, 3 vs. LAD, 3 @ SD Odds to make playoffs: 4.7 percent
Reds: 77-76, 2.0 games back of Mets
Next up: vs. Cubs, Friday at 6:40 p.m. (Nick Lodolo vs. Shota Imanaga) Latest result: 1-0 win over Cubs on Thursday Remaining schedule: 3 vs. CHC, 3 vs. PIT, 3 @ MIL Odds to make playoffs: 7.6 percent
Giants: 76-77, 3.0 games back of Mets
Next up: @ Dodgers, Friday at 10:10 p.m.(Robbie Ray vs. Clayton Kershaw) Latest result: 2-1 loss to Dodgers on Thursday Remaining schedule: 3 @ LAD, 3 vs. STL, 3 vs. COL Odds to make playoffs: 1.2 percent
LOS ANGELES — Bruce Bochy called it the “Bomb Squad.”
Years before the Giants embraced platoon life, Bochy would walk into the visiting manager’s office at Dodger Stadium, see Clayton Kershaw on the other side of his lineup card, and lean as far to the right as he could. He would load up with the likes of Brett Pill, Kelby Tomlinson and Joaquin Arias, hoping that one of his bench players could find a way to pop one over the wall against one of the greatest ever to do it. Occasionally, it worked, and occasional success has really been all the Giants could hope for against Kershaw for the past 18 years.
The left-hander announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season, which officially starts the clock on his entrance to Cooperstown. He would have landed in the Hall of Fame no matter which jersey he pitched in, but his performance in rivalry games certainly helped clear the path.
Entering Friday’s game, which will be his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw has 62 career appearances against the Giants. Over 407 1/3 innings, he has a 2.08 ERA and 0.93 WHIP, with 415 strikeouts and a 27-16 record.
Kershaw has started more games against the Giants than anyone else, which makes sense. There were years when it seemed the Dodgers went out of their way to inflict pain on their rival. Kershaw has six different seasons in which he faced the Giants at least five times; in four of those seasons, he posted an ERA under 1.70.
Kershaw arrived in the big leagues shortly after Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum and once shared an ESPN The Magazine cover with the latter, but it was two other stars from the championship years who played a bigger part in his career.
There’s only one player Kershaw faced more than 100 times: Buster Posey. While Posey finished with a .221 average, .594 OPS and three homers over 120 plate appearances, Kershaw never felt it was one-sided. A couple of seasons ago, as he stood in the dugout at Dodger Stadium and talked about years of rivalry games, he marveled at how Posey nearly took Walker Buehler into McCovey Cove during their only postseason meeting.
“Buster was always a really hard at-bat,” Kershaw said. “You don’t see many of those guys anymore with the ability to hit homers that still don’t strike out and put good at-bats together and can hit a lot of different types of pitches. You feel like you make good pitches and Buster finds a way to shoot one through the hole or do something. Over the years, I had a game plan and then I had to switch it. It was just that cat-and-mouse game when you face someone so many times.
“Back in the day, my strengths matched up with his weaknesses a little bit. Fastballs in and sliders down and in were good places to go with him, and then over time, he made the adjustment that he was going to look in and not miss. He got me a few times when I was doing that, so I had to start throwing more pitches away, more arm-side.”
While Kershaw took bragging rights overall in those matchups, another Giant found a way to get an edge when they went head-to-head.
Madison Bumgarner twice homered off Kershaw, but over the years, the two became good friends. They would have long conversations on the outfield grass hours before Giants-Dodgers games, and when Bumgarner made his final appearance for the Giants in 2019, it happened to be Kershaw on the mound. Kershaw showed his respect by firing seven straight fastballs, including one down the middle that Bumgarner lined to third.
“I tried to throw it as hard as I could,” he said a few years later. “I was like, ‘You know what, screw it. If he hits a homer, good for him.’ It was a cool moment.”
Bumgarner always enjoyed their matchups. Most Giants from that era, though, came away empty-handed.
Hunter Pence had the second-most at-bats against Kershaw and went 18-for-91 with just one homer. Pablo Sandoval hit .234 with no homers in 64 at-bats. Nobody had a worse time than Brandon Belt, though; he was 4-for-62 with 30 strikeouts.
Belt, true to form, always found a way to have a sense of humor about it.
“What are you going to do when a guy gets lucky 55 times?” he cracked in 2019.
In one of their final matchups, Belt got a small measure of revenge, drawing a walk that helped hand Kershaw his first loss in San Francisco in three seasons. That wasn’t the only time he felt he got bragging rights, though.
For years, Belt insisted he was a better high school pitching prospect than his fellow Texan. It turns out that was one outlandish claim from Belt that actually held a lot of truth.
“He’s claiming it for himself, huh?” Kershaw said in The Franchise. “He really was, though. We played on a couple of Team USA teams, and he really was. I think he was the best left-handed pitcher in our state.”
Injuries kept Belt from following that path, but he turned into a pretty good big league first baseman. Kershaw, years later, became the game’s best pitcher.
A three-time Cy Young Award winner and the 2014 NL MVP, Kershaw takes 222 wins and a 2.54 ERA into Friday’s start. He’s a much different pitcher these days, relying heavily on his slider as his fastball has dropped to 89 mph, but he is still effective. In 20 starts as a 37-year-old, Kershaw has a 3.53 ERA. He is in the second percentile in fastball velocity, but 96th percentile in missing barrels.
“It feels like he’s had three careers,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “After taking some time off, having some stuff going on earlier this year, and then to pitch like he has this year, it really is remarkable that he’s pitching at his age and the quality that he’s giving them every game out. It’s a testament to hard work and obviously he’s quite the competitor. A lot of similarities to (Justin) Verlander, really.”
Kershaw held a press conference on Thursday and said the decision is something he has discussed with his wife, Ellen, all year. There has been plenty of speculation, and in recent weeks, there were signs that this was coming. At Oracle Park last weekend, Kershaw spent a bit more time than usual shagging fly balls with one of his sons, seemingly soaking it all in one last time.
“I think it’s the right time,” he said Thursday.
Kershaw is unlikely to be in the Dodgers’ playoff rotation, and it’s unclear if he’ll get a chance to pitch at Dodger Stadium out of the bullpen in October. This could be his last time taking the mound in Los Angeles, and he shed some tears Thursday as he talked about his decision.
He also noted, however, that it’s a big game for both teams. The Dodgers are trying to wrap up the NL West, while the Giants are clinging to life in the Wild Card race. Kershaw said he will try to treat them as he always has.
Rangers' tie with Hibs in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final on Saturday evening has been described as "a horrific fixture" for the struggling Ibrox club.
Russell Martin is under huge pressure with Rangers languishing 10th after no wins in his first five Premiership games, while Hibs sit third and are seeking to edge closer to a first major trophy since 2016.
"For Rangers, it's a horrific fixture for them to be going into," football journalist Moira Gordon told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
"Hibs are a decent side. They have proven they're not intimidated by either of the Old Firm when they play them.
"It doesn't always mean they win it, but they're not intimidated. They'll go and give it a go.
"When Rangers are teetering the way they are at the moment, it's not a game they would fancy and Hibs are one of the last teams they would want to be coming to Ibrox for this game.
"Hibs have a huge chance of silverware this season."
Former goalkeeper Cammy Bell believes Hibs are well capable of beating Rangers as the hosts have been "so poor defensively".
"When you look at last weekend's defeat to Hearts, the high press, making the players uncomfortable, when Russell Martin has his players playing up from the back, you can clearly see Rangers are not comfortable doing that," he said.
"So I think that's the way Hibs will approach it. They've got the players to do it as well and the players have a lot of energy and quality about them.
"With everything that's been going on, Hibs is probably one of the teams you wouldn't want to face because they're an improving side and have added quality to their squad.
"They're young and hungry, with a manager who's nailed it for me on and off the pitch.
"It's a real difficult fixture for Rangers and there's not been enough showing me this season that Rangers can beat Hibs."
Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia reacts after the final out of a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Which meant, even though he pitched 5⅓ scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants, he left the fate of the game to the Dodgers’ shaky bullpen.
So often on nights like these recently, such a scenario would be a recipe for disaster. Given the way things have been going for the Dodgers’ unreliable relief corps — which entered the night with a 5.65 ERA in September — anything more than a few innings has felt like a big ask.
This time, however, the Dodgers’ relievers found a way to grind things out.
But when they needed to most, the Dodgers' relievers executed pitches. In a 2-1 win at Dodger Stadium, they did enough to stretch the team’s National League West division lead to three games.
Yamamoto did not make their life easy.
Though he yielded only one hit, the recently streaking right-hander fell back into a bad habit with his command. He set a career-high with six walks. He found the zone on only 60 of 108 pitches. And though manager Dave Roberts tried to push him through the sixth inning, his pitch count got too high.
On a night the Dodgers managed only two runs off Giants ace Logan Webb — both of which came in a sixth-inning rally keyed by a Shohei Ohtani double and Freddie Freddie RBI single — the bullpen was forced to pick up the slack.
Things started well with Jack Dreyer, who inherited a runner from Yamamoto with one out in the sixth and stranded it in the span of 11 pitches.
The seventh inning, however, quickly became an adventure, with two of the Dodgers most veteran relief arms putting themselves in a world of danger.
It started with Kopech, and his continued struggles to locate the ball since returning from a midseason knee injury. The hard-throwing right-hander walked his first two batters, with a (very, very) wild pitch in between. He bounced back to strike out Drew Gilbert for the inning’s first out. But by that point, he had issued eight total walks over his last four outings, recording only eight outs in that span while throwing 50 balls to 45 strikes.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the third inning against the Giants on Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Thus, Roberts went back to the mound, bringing Treinen in to try and put out the fire.
Like Kopech, Treinen has battled uncharacteristic inconsistencies lately. He was the culprit when the Dodgers squandered Yamamoto’s near no-hitter in Baltimore earlier this month. He gave up a game-ending, three-run homer to the Philadelphia Phillies’ backup catcher two nights prior.
At first, the right-hander seemed poised to blow another lead.
He also walked his first two batters, loading the bases on the first and forcing home a run with the next (when home plate umpire Ryan Wills squeezed him on a full-count cutter at the top of the zone). The count went full against Willy Adames in the following at-bat, leaving Treinen one ball away from another disaster.
Treinen dotted a sinker on the outside corner to Adames to strike him out looking. He snapped off his trademark sweeper to fan Matt Chapman and retire the side.
In recent days, Roberts has emphasized the need for his bullpen to cling to whatever moments of confidence they can find. Given that the team’s 2-1 lead was preserved in the seventh, the otherwise ugly inning still qualified.
After that, the Dodgers recorded the final six outs with ease.
Anthony Banda went 1-2-3 in the eighth inning. Alex Vesia picked up the save with a clean frame in the ninth.
Dodgers baserunner Ben Rortvedt slides safely into home plate after Giants catcher Patrick Bailey loses the ball. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 miles up the Pacific Coast, the team saw positive signs from another potential bullpen option, with Roki Sasaki pitching a scoreless inning of relief in triple-A Oklahoma City’s game in Tacoma, Wash., retiring three of the four batters he faced with two strikeouts, one walk and a fastball that topped out at 100.1 mph.
That was a reminder that, between now and the end of the regular season, the Dodgers could have relief reinforcements on the way. Sasaki, the rookie phenom who struggled in a starting role before going down with a shoulder injury at the start of the year, could be primed for a big league call-up. Trade deadline acquisition Brock Stewart is also on his way back from a shoulder injury; although he followed Sasaki in OKC’s game on Thursday by giving up four unearned runs on a single, walk and hit-by-pitch in ⅔ of an inning.
At this stage, the relief unit remains the Dodgers’ biggest unanswered question. Their lineup is finally manufacturing runs. Their rotation has continued its late-season surge since getting healthy. And for one night at Chavez Ravine, the bullpen overcame some shaky moments to preserve a win that strengthened the team’s place in the standings.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw sits on the field at Dodger Stadium with his son Charlie before Thursday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Kershaw is retiring at the end of the season. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Clayton Kershaw took a deep breath, grasped the microphone with his left hand, then chuckled as he scanned the room around him.
“This,” he said, “is weird.”
Over his 18 seasons with the Dodgers, Kershaw was always wary of putting the spotlight on himself. Now, dozens of teammates, coaches, executives, staffers and media members, as well as his wife, Ellen, and their four kids, all sat before him — witness to his official announcement that he was ending his illustrious playing career.
"I'm going to call it,” Kershaw said. “I'm going to retire.”
After years of grappling with the decision, and ultimately returning to play for the Dodgers into his age-37 season, the future Hall of Fame left-hander made his decision to finally walk away sound simple.
He felt it was time, and could do so pitching well.
“Going into the season, we kind of knew that this was going to be it, so didn’t want to say anything in case I changed my mind,” he said. “But over the course of the season, just how grateful I am to have been healthy and be out on the mound and be able to pitch, I think it just made it obvious that this was a good sending-off point. And it is. I’ve had the best time this year. It’s been a blast.”
Indeed, while Kershaw acknowledged that going out on his “own terms is a weird thing to say,” that’s exactly what this season has offered to the three-time Cy Young Award and former MVP winner.
“Not a lot of people get this opportunity,” he said. “Being able to pitch, and not pitch terribly ... has been super special.”
Kershaw, of course, has been much more than “not terrible” in what will be his final big-league campaign.
Entering what was suddenly the final regular-season home start of his career Friday, the left-hander was 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA, ranking second on the team in victories and third in innings pitched.
It didn’t matter that he missed the opening month and a half recovering from offseason foot and knee surgeries. Or that his diminished fastball has failed to average even 90 mph.
In Year 18, Kershaw has found success “just on guile and heart,” as manager Dave Roberts described it. He has used every bit of his veteran wisdom to navigate opposing lineups with his trademark combination of fastballs, curveballs and sliders (as well as a newly incorporated splitter to change speeds).
“Guys that get to first base still go, ‘I cannot see the slider,’ and then he throws a 71-, 72-mph curveball,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “I know he’s not throwing 94, 95, like when I was facing him [in the prime of his career] anymore. But he still knows how to pitch. He’s the best to ever do it.”
It’s been a year of milestones for Kershaw, none bigger than when he became the 20th member of MLB’s 3,000 career strikeout club in July. But it’s also been a campaign of fulfillment, giving the 11-time All-Star one last chance to help lead a World Series chase.
“I’m telling you, this guy — you can never count him out,” Roberts said. “We certainly wouldn’t be in this position in the standings if it weren’t for him. I’m certain of that.”
That’s why, on Thursday, Kershaw kept referencing this season as the best ending he could have imagined. He isn’t injured, instead feeling as good as he has in years thanks to changes in his training routine. He isn’t struggling like last season when he posted a 4.50 ERA over just seven starts between shoulder and foot/knee surgeries.
While his postseason status remains to be determined — Roberts said Kershaw likely will have a role in the playoffs, perhaps as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen, but is still not a roster certainty given the team’s starting rotation depth — his impact on the club’s championship aspirations has already been profound.
“We still have a lot to accomplish, obviously, this month, and the last thing I want to do is be a distraction to anybody for accomplishing our ultimate goal, to win in the last game of the season,” Kershaw said. “So we're going to get through this today and then we're going to win the rest of the games and be good.”
But first, however, he had a few thank-yous to give.
Kershaw referenced Dodgers owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly, a front office staff led by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes, team president Stan Kasten and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen, and of course Roberts with the rest of his coaching and training staff.
“I know I'm a pain sometimes, so thank you for putting up with me,” Kershaw joked. “Thank you for helping me get this carcass out on the field every fifth day.”
From beneath his sweat-stained L.A. cap, his easy smile disappeared once he began to address his teammates. His voice cracked. Tears welled in his eyes.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw gets emotional as he points toward his teammates during his retirement announcement news conference Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“The hardest one is the teammates, so I'm not even going to look at you guys,” Kershaw said. “Just you guys sitting in this room, you mean so much to me. We have so much fun. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss working out Day 1 in the weight room, listening to crazy music with you guys. Shirtless Sundays, I'm going to miss all of that.
“The game in and of itself, I'm going to miss a lot, but I'll be OK without that,” he added. “I think the hard part is the feeling after a win, celebrating with you guys. That's pretty special.
“All right,” he continued while trying to gather himself. “I'm done with that.”
Next, Kershaw turned toward his four children, and his wife who is currently pregnant with their fifth. He shared a message from Ellen, and how she experienced Kershaw’s 18 years from her so-called perch in the stands.
“She's cried over some really hard losses and some really incredible milestones,” he said. “She's watched our kids fall in love with the game, with the players and watching me pitch.”
Moments later, as Kershaw was reading a Bible verse about working “with all your heart,” his voice began to quiver again.
“I’m really not sad, I’m really not,” he insisted. “I’m really at peace with this. It’s just emotional. I tried to hold it together.”
Kershaw was his more witty self as he opened the floor to field reporters’ questions.
He thanked the assembled media for “putting up with me” and his often (though less so recently) terse answers in postgame availabilities.
He reiterated that retirement now was the "right call" because, as he bluntly put it, “you don’t ever wanna pitch bad.”
When asked what he expected from his final regular-season home start on Friday, he deadpanned, “I anticipate pitching good” — noting that the first-place Dodgers (and their Friday opponent, the wild-card-chasing San Francisco Giants) are still playing meaningful games.
“[The atmosphere will] be heightened, I’m sure, but I’ve got a job to do, so I need to go out there and do my job,” he said.
Clayton Kershaw's family and Dodgers players listen to Kershaw speak during his retirement announcement news conference Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
When asked once more what has made this season so special, however, Kershaw let himself get sentimental again.
“It’s just a great group of guys — look, everybody’s here today, that means a lot — and I think we all have each other’s back,” he said. “It’s not always gonna go great for everybody all the time, and the only people that understand that are the people in the clubhouse. Baseball’s a hard game. It’s not easy to play. So I think to have a group of guys in it together, and kind of understanding that and being together, being able to have a ton of fun all the time, is really important. The older I’ve gotten, the more important it is.”
Kershaw then tried to shift his focus back to the remainder of the season, saying he’s “thankful we’re gonna have another month or so to play.”
After that, his future plans will be straightforward, his days set to be occupied by Little League practices and dance recitals and all of his kids’ other activities back home in Texas.
“I’m gonna do that for a while, for sure,” he said.
But first, he wants his storybook final season to have a storybook final chapter; hoping to not only go out on his own terms, but do so with one more championship ring.
“I don’t know if we need any more inspiration,” third baseman and longtime teammate Max Muncy said. “But obviously, it would be really nice to get another one on his way out.”
The Yankees have won six of their past seven series, and they started this weekend's four-game set at the Baltimore Orioles with a 7-0 win in which Max Fried lived up to his ace billing.
He tied a career-high 13 strikeouts and showed what type of pitcher the team has as New York (86-67) trails the Toronto Blue Jays by three games in the AL East and owns the first wild card.
Fried's MLB-leading 18th win saw him throw 59 strikes on 87 pitches while allowing three hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings as the Yankees began the first of their final three series on a dominant note.
"Feel like he's in a really good spot, throwing the ball well," said New York manager Aaron Boone. "Went through a little lull there in the middle of the season or whenever that was and kind of dug himself out of that and, hopefully, going through stuff like that, you learn things and it allows you to make adjustments that you need to make and he's done that and I feel like he's obviously going out there with a lot of confidence right now."
Fried (18-5, 2.92 ERA) appears to be all the way back from struggling in parts of July and August, rounding into October form with a September where he is 4-0 in all four of his starts this month with a 2.05 ERA and 28 strikeouts to seven walks in 26.1 IP.
"We're playing some pretty good baseball right now, and that's when you want to really hit your stride," Fried said. "So, going into the last week or so, we're excited and want to go out there and finish strong -- go into the playoffs strong. And for me, personally, wins are a team stat. So, I can't give my teammates enough credit for putting me in a position to be able to get there."
If the playoffs started today, the Yankees would face the Houston Astros (second in the wild card) for a best-of-three series with the winner advancing to the ALDS against the Blue Jays.
New York has a chance to catch Toronto (89-64) with three regular-season games remaining, but feels good about its situation regardless of where it ends up.
"We know how important pitching is in October and the whole year," said Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. "It's going to take a team effort, but to be able to do something like that, it's tough. All of these opponents are tough. They're going to be preparing for our pitchers, just like we're going to be preparing for them if we get that opportunity, and we'll be ready to go."
Max Fried, the Yankees' first-year ace, struck out a career-high-tying 13 batters in what was arguably his best start of the 2025 season -- Thursday's 7-0 win at the Baltimore Orioles.
Takeaways
Wherever the Yankees (86-67) end up in the playoffs, they should feel good about their chances with an ace like Fried (18-5, 2.92 ERA) on the mound. The southpaw found a way in this past Saturday's 5-3 win at the Boston Red Sox, and he made a statement against Baltimore (72-81) for his MLB-leading 18th victory.
Fried, who surpassed his season-high 11 strikeouts from April 9 at the Detroit Tigers, allowed only three hits and walked just one batter in Thursday's seven-inning start. He threw 59 strikes on 87 pitches, retiring 12 straight at one point.
With October coming, the Yankees need Fried at his best. He gave a glimpse of what to expect Thursday.
While the Yankees only led 3-0 into the seventh inning, where a three-run frame nearly doubled the lead, the bats certainly stayed alive after back-to-back games of 10 runs in the previous days' series-closing wins at the Minnesota Twins. Among them, leadoff batter Paul Goldschmidt's 2-for-5 night -- including an RBI single to start the seventh-inning spurt -- was a welcome sight for the Yankees as he increased his slash line to .280/.331/.415 through 137 games.
Aaron Judge followed Goldschmidt's Jose Caballero-scoring knock with a sacrifice fly to bring Austin Wells home and pad the Yankees' 5-0 lead. Judge was hitless but worked two walks and, as mentioned, added his 104th RBI.
He is slashing .328/.453/.676 with 48 home runs and making a strong case for the AL MVP while battling Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
The Yankees are three games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays with nine contests left to stack wins and see what happens. Six more games against the Orioles -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Baltimore before next weekend at Yankee Stadium -- are among them.
Between those, the Yankees have a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox (which begins the six-game homestand, leading into the Orioles set). The Yankees, who hold the first wild card, have won six of their past eight games and have a golden opportunity to gain ground.
Who's the MVP?
Fried, who is up to a single-season career-high 182 strikeouts this year. He is proving to be worth every cent of his offseason deal, especially for a Gerrit Cole-less starting rotation.
The Yankees seek their fourth straight win Thursday at 7:05 p.m. when they continue the four-game series in Baltimore with New York RHP Will Warren (8-7, 4.44 ERA) and Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers (8-2, 1.43 ERA) set to start.
