The Yankees are getting closer and closer to receiving their captain back.
Aaron Judge traveled with the team for their West Coast trip against the Angels and Padres so that he can continue ramping up his baseball activities.
Manager Aaron Boone said prior to Monday’s opener that the team feels good about where he’s at, and a potential return for New York’s next homestand appears to be on the table.
“It’s possible,” the skipper said. “I’m not gonna put a date on it, but those things are in play, it’s just getting the durability and workload build up on him is the biggest thing now.”
Judge has been sidelined since late-May due to a stress fracture in his rib.
The slugger has been progressing steadily in his recovery over the past few weeks, and he recently told reporters that he hoped to not require a minor league rehab assignment.
He also skipped the assignment when he missed 42 games to a toe injury two years ago, but did briefly appear in Triple-A coming back from an oblique strain in 2019.
Judge had 17 homers, a .375 OBP, and a .907 OPS over 59 games before going down.
The Yankees' offense has been up-and-down with him sidelined, but they enter play on Monday coming off a strong series in which they broke through for 26 runs to take three out of four from the rival Red Sox.
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 27: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles fields a ground ball during a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 27, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Folks, Orioles baseball is getting quite interesting of late. The Birds have been playing capable, credible baseball, and now they’re within one game of the last Wild Card. The offense is, maybe not humming, but it’s providing thump and interest. And lots of power: the Orioles have 31 home runs in their last 18 games.
That shouldn’t change as they head to Coors Field in Denver, notorious for its thin air and propensity for dingers. Also because the Rockies are the worst team in the league, to include their pitching.
Colorado’s starter today looks to fit this mold. Tanner Gordon is a 28-year-old righty who’s been in the league since 2024 and has just 42 games under his belt (30 starts). He’s posted an ERA of 8.65, 6.33 and 5.38 in parts of three seasons thus far, this year being his best. Gordon is considered to have a nice changeup, and not a ton else. His four-seamer has a run value of -4; his slider -5, his curveball -6, and his sinker -3. I know which one I’d want to hit. He doesn’t walk too many batters, though, so that’s nice.
To face this right-handed behemoth, the Orioles are sending up a lot of lefties, as you’d guess: six, in fact, in Holliday, Henderson, Beavers, Basallo, Cowser, and Taveras. Holliday bats leadoff, followed by Iron Man Pete Alonso, who refuses to miss time with his sore calf. Coby Mayo, hitting .308 with 8 RBI in his last week, is batting cleanup. It’s also good to see Basallo getting the start at catcher, since he’d just recently taken a foul ball to his throwing hand.
For Baltimore, and giving a tired-looking starting rotation something of a breather, is Cade Povich, called up today for this start. (To make room for Povich, the Orioles optioned right-hander Anthony Nunez, who’s 3-2 with a 4.29 ERA in 44 games.) In six games (five starts) with the big-league club this year, Povich is 2-1 with a 4.45 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His walks, usually a problem, are slightly down from last season (3.45 per game to 3.18).
Will the balls be flying out of Coors Field tonight?
Another successful week saw the Guardians go 4-2 including a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, and they find themselves back in second place.
DeLauter Has Near Cycle
In Cleveland’s 11-1 blowout win of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, Chase DeLauter was the star of the show. He went 4-4 with three hits, a single, a double, and a triple. Just a home run shy of the cycle, he earned his 60th RBI of the season with a double in the bottom of the fourth inning. Because of his big night, he is now hitting .293/.365/.454 with 125 hits and 50 walks. He has the chance to show what he can do in the postseason this year since his “debut” came in the Wild Card series in 2025.
José Finally Homers
For the first time since June 6th, José Ramírez did what he’s expected to do nearly every time he’s at bat. He hit a home run. What was shocking was that it had been almost two months since the last time he did that. It marked his 296th home run as the countdown to 300 inches ever closer to its end. He is currently second on the franchise home run leaders list, just behind Jim Thome who has 337.
Martínez Web Gem
In the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game, the Guardians were tied 6-6 with the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels had a runner on first with two outs, and Mike Trout was at the plate. It looked like a recipe for disaster as he launched a ball into center field. That was until Angel Martínez locked eyes on it. He tracked the ball to the warning track, leaped into the air, and caught the ball to end the inning and save the game. The Guardians went on to win that game 8-6 in what would eventually be a sweep of the Halos.
Social Media Spotlight
I hate to use my own Tweet here, but I have to show it off. The Guardians offered a special ticket package on Sunday that included a bobblehead of Big Bird wearing a Guards jersey and hat while waving a Guards flag. Bird is my absolute favorite Muppet/Henson character, so I knew I needed this item.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Freddy Peralta can’t pinpoint the root of his failed Mets tenure, but he’s willing to discount the idea the pressure of pitching in New York buried him.
“I don’t see pressure,” the Rays right-hander said Monday at Tropicana Field. “It’s a way bigger market and there’s a lot more fans, people there, and everybody is paid to win for every day. I enjoyed those kinds of moments when I was in New York, but I don’t see it as pressure.”
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After an initial ugly start for his new team, Peralta — whom the Mets traded Aug. 3 for prospects Aidan Smith, Gary Gill Hill and Émilien Pitre — has brought value to the Rays. Over his last four starts, he’s pitched to a 3.80 ERA, which included six scoreless innings against the Tigers in his last outing.
He is Tuesday’s scheduled starter for the Rays in yet another appearance against a team that traded him during the last year; Peralta, with the Mets, faced the Brewers on July 20 and allowed seven earned runs over 5 ²/₃ innings.
In his 22 starts for the Mets, he pitched to a 4.99 ERA and too often failed to complete even five innings.
“It was the first time I struggled like that, but I never gave up,” Peralta said. “I was always trying to find a way to feel better, to pitch better and I knew what I can do and I was feeling good physically too and healthy, but I couldn’t make the adjustment. But the good thing is now that I feel different, I am ready to keep going to the World Series, hopefully.”
Peralta said he’s again getting extension during his delivery and that has helped add life to his fastball.
Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“[The Mets staff] was really good and they tried to help me all the time,” Peralta said. “But for some reason when I got here, for some reason it was probably the time that everything just changed like that.”
The Rays began the day with a 4 ½-game lead in the AL East, allowing Peralta to at least dream of such October moments. It’s a chance he wasn’t going to receive with the Mets, whose many shortcomings beyond Peralta’s struggles buried the team before the All-Star break.
Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) gives up a 2-run home run to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Peralta arrived to the Mets last winter in a deal that sent prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to the Brewers. The Mets viewed the deal as one that had brought an ace — albeit one entering his last season before free agency — to the rotation.
What was Peralta’s reaction when he was told he had been traded to the Rays?
“I felt good because I was going to a team that was playing really well, in first place, competing all the time,” Peralta said. “I love the stadium here, too. When the season started, I wasn’t expecting to be traded because I was going to a whole new team. I thought I would be there the whole year, at least. But in time it wasn’t a secret I was going to be traded, and I was just hoping to go to a team like this one.”
Peralta, after a light throwing session Monday, ventured to the visitors dugout, where he caught up with several former teammates and Mets staff members. Peralta cited his friendship with Juan Soto as one of his strongest during his Mets tenure.
“Most of the guys, we were really close,” he said. “The American guys, too, we were very close and we created a good relationship.”
Anthony Kay takes the bump against the Astros. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The White Sox continue their road trip with a stop in Houston to see the Astros, before they come back home to see another division rival. With the Guardians trying to steal first, a series win is needed as we enter September.
First, a few White Sox announcements:
Prior to tonight’s series opener at Houston, the Chicago White Sox reinstated left-handed pitcher Tyler Schweitzer from the Paternity Leave List and optioned lefthander Tyler Gilbert to Triple-A Charlotte.
Per Jeff Passan, the White Sox are acquiring outfielder Tommy Pham from the Philadelphia Phillies, with Pham expected to join the team when rosters expand on September. 1. The 38-year-old veteran of the 121-loss debacle rejoins the Sox after spending parts of 2026 with the Mets, O’s, and Phils. Watch out, Michael Kopech, you’re next!
Anthony Kay will be on the mound tonight, with Jake Rogers behind the plate. Otherwise, the lineup is what we’re used to, with Sam Antonacci leading off.
Peter Lambert (8-7) will be on the mound tonight for Houston, bringing a 3.66 ERA and 125 strikeouts.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. CT. The game is available on CHSN or ESPN Chicago 1000.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 26: Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park on August 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After losing four games in a row, the Colorado Rockies (52-85) return to Coors Field for a six-game homestand starting with a showdown vs. the Baltimore Orioles (68-69) tonight.
The Rockies will then play the Cardinals to complete the homestand, which will be the second-to-last one in the 2026 season.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.38 ERA) will be on the mound for Colorado. Gordon has gone back and forth from the bullpen and the starting rotation in 19 appearances this season since being called up on April 14. In seven starts, Gordon has a 1-3 record and 5.60 ERA.
His last two appearances have been starts, filling the rotation spot when the Rockies released Michael Lorenzen. After getting beat up by Cleveland on Aug. 21, when he gave up five runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 5.1 innings, Gordon bounced back with a quality start against the Guardians when he held Washington to one run on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.
LHP Cade Povich (2-1, 4.45 ERA) will get the start for Baltimore. The 26-year-old third-round pick from the 2021 MLB Draft made his big league debut in June of 2024 and has yo-yoed between the Orioles and the farm system, along with juggling injuries, since. He’s made six appearances this season for the Orioles and was just recalled earlier on Monday to make the start.
He had mixed results in August so far, throwing a six-inning shutout with seven strikeouts, one walk and seven hits against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 4 before Texas scored three runs on him in three innings with two walks and two strikeouts on Aug. 9. Monday will mark Povich’s first appearance at Coors Field.
The Rockies have fared well in interleague play so far this season, going 16-17. However, the Orioles are coming off a three-game sweep of the A’s.
It will be worth watching the weather as it’s been cloudy in Denver and there’s a chance of rain this evening.
⛈️ After some AM sun, a good chance for evening storms in Denver today and a high in the low 80s. Best chance 5-10p, with about 70-80% coverage in the metro. Heavy rain, gusty winds main threats.
Aug 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly (15) celebrates with Chicago Cubs left fielder Tyrone Taylor (55) after they score on his three run home run during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Jeremy Pena #3 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (69-68), who will be wearing their City Connect uniforms, will open a crucial week-long homestand tonight as they welcome in the Chicago White Sox (72-64) for the first game of four-game series in Houston, TX.
RHP Peter Lambert (8-7, 3.66 ERA) will open the homestand for the Astros starting opposite LHP Anthony Kay (9-6, 4.09 ERA) and the White Sox.
SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 49-37 (.570) in their last 86 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind only the Red Sox (52-36).
MEASURING UP: The Astros are beginning a streak tonight of playing four straight teams with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). The Astros are a Major League-best 25-14 (.641) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. Some clubs that they have winning records against include BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (2-1), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), and TB (2-1).
VS. THE WHITE SOX: The Astros are 2-1 against the White Sox on the season, winning two of three in Chicago from July 24-26. The Astros are 22-14 vs. CWS over the past six seasons (2021-26), posting winning records in each of those years. Houston is 55-47 all-time vs. the White Sox.
BAGGY IN THE BOOTH: Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell will be on the Space City Home Network telecast for the first three games of this series, alongside play-by-play man Todd Kalas and sideline reporter Julia Morales. Geoff Blum will return to the telecast for Thursday’s day game.
WALL OF HONOR NOMINEES: Earlier today, the Astros announced the three 2026 nominees for induction into the Houston Baseball Media Wall of Honor, which are all longtime Houston-area radio personalities: Ralph Cooper, David Dalati, and Matt Thomas.
SUNDAY FUNDAY: The Astros won the rubber game of their three-game series in New York yesterday, downing the Mets by a score of 6-3. RHP Ethan Pecko (3ER/5IP) earned his first Major League win after being backed by a stellar bullpen group that tossed 4.0 scoreless innings of relief. SS Jeremy Peña hit a leadoff homer, but the biggest swing came from PH LaMonte Wade Jr., who hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-run homer in the 6th to put the Astros ahead for good.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are coming off a 4-2 road trip to New York, in which they went 2-1 against both the Yankees and Mets. Since posting a 1-9 record on the first road trip of the 2026 season, they have gone 35-24 (.593) on the road since April 14, which is third-best in the Majors in that span. More recently, they are 19-12 (.613) on their last five road trips combined.
ON THE MEND: The Astros have four players on the Major League Injured List. Here are updates on three:
• RHP Mike Burrows (rt. elbow neuritis) has made three minor league rehab start at Triple A Sugar Land, last pitching on Wednesday at Las Vegas, tossing 4.1 innings and 77 pitches.
• IF Carlos Correa (lt. ankle tendon injury) is participating in baseball activity, including a hitting and a running progression. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated by doctors in Houston this week.
• OF Brice Matthews (lt. knee sprain) is participating in on-field baseball activity and a running progression.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Among AL teams, the Astros rank first in total bases (1,888), first in slugging (.410), second in HR (182), fourth in runs scored (624), and fourth in OPS (.726).
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. (.317) and RBI (93), while ranking tied for first in HR (37).
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).
MATCHING HIS BEST: DH Yordan Alvarez has matched his career high by smacking 37 home runs on the season, reaching his total from 2022. His career-high in RBI is 104, set in 2021 (currently has an AL-best 93 RBI).
THE LAMBO: RHP Peter Lambert has been the most consistent starter for the Astros this season, as he leads the club in wins (8), starts (23), innings pitched (128) and strikeouts (125). He’s allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in 17 of his 23 starts on the year and has done so in nine of his last 10 starts.
HADER’S HEART: LHP Josh Hader will host a group from BEAR (Be A Resource) at tonight’s game as a part of his Hader’s Heart program. The group will also get to experience BP and talk with Hader on the field prior to the game.
THE CLOSER: With yesterday’s scoreless 9th inning, LHP Josh Hader extended his scoreless innings streak to 19.0 innings (18 apps.). His is the longest streak by an Astros hurler this season and the third-longest active streak in the Majors. Opponents are just 5×62 (.081) during the streak. Hader is also now 21-for-21 in save opportunities in 2026. Hader in August: 1-0, 13 G, 0.00 ERA, 14.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 SO.
CONGRATS WOODPECKERS!: Class A Fayetteville swept a doubleheader yesterday to extend their winning streak to a franchise record 13 games. With just one regular season series remaining, the Woodpeckers (71-53, 39-20 2nd Half) have already clinched the second-half title in their division, which earns them a place in the best-of-three North Division Championship Series, which will begin in Fayetteville on Sept. 8 vs. Fredericksburg.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2017 – The Astros acquire Tigers ace and future Hall of Famer RHP Justin Verlander with minutes to spare ahead of the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline. Verlander went on to go 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five regular season starts with Houston, before winning ALCS MVP honors and leading the club to its first World Series title.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, August 31, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Aug 30, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) singles against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (63-72) vs. Minnesota Twins (65-72)
Time/Place: 7:40 p.m., Target Field SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 3.93 ERA) vs. RHP Taj Bradley (9-6, 3.97 ER)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 19: Peyton Gray #75 of the Texas Rangers delivers against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field on August 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have placed relief pitchers Peyton Gray and Cole Winn on the 15 day injured list, the team announced today. To replace them on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled righthanded relief pitcher Ben Peoples and lefthanded relief pitcher Robby Ahlstrom.
Winn, who last pitched on the 25th, was put on the i.l. retroactive to August 28 (you can only make an i.l. move retroactive up to three days). The Rangers say he has a rotator cuff strain, which is the type of thing that could keep him out the rest of the season. Winn has a 5.63 ERA in 48 innings over 51 games, with a 4.00 FIP.
Gray last pitched on the 29th, and was put on the i.l. retroactive to the 30th, with elbow inflammation. That, again, is a worrisome diagnosis, and one that could keep him out the rest of the way, potentially. Gray has a 3.93 ERA and 4.14 FIP over 55 innings covering 48 games this season. However, he has had a rough go of it of late, allowing 8 runs over 7 innings in his last 7 appearances, including 4 home runs allowed.
Peoples has a 2.51 ERA and 6.15 FIP in 14.1 IP over 14 appearances in the majors for the Rangers this season. Acquired at the end of June from the Chicago White Sox for minor league catcher Ben Hartl, Peoples was in the Rangers’ pen from that point until early August, when he was sent down, only to be recalled two days later, then sent down again four days after that.
Ahlstrom had just been sent down a few days ago after allowing five runs in an inning of work, part of a 6 game stretch that saw him allow 10 runs in 5.1 innings. Prior to that stretch, he had a 3.81 ERA and 3.31 FIP on the year, but those last six games saw those numbers blow up to 6.03 and 4.42, respectively.
Rosters expand tomorrow, and the Rangers will be able to add another pitcher and another position player to the active roster, though the pitching options aren’t that exciting. The only healthy pitchers on the 40 man roster currently, who are not already in the majors, are Gavin Collyer, David Davalillo, Leandro Lopez, Winston Santos and Emiliano Teodo. The Rangers have two open 40 man roster spots currently, though, and so could opt to add someone not currently on the 40 man roster, either from Round Rock or from another organization.
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 20: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers pitches in the game he records his 2000th career strikeout against the Washington Nationals at Globe Life Field on August 20, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 28: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts while walking to the dugout after finishing the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals begin a long West Coast road trip in Los Angeles Tuesday night to faceoff with the Dodgers. While the Cardinals have some question marks about who they’ll start in Los Angeles, the Dodgers starters are known and include Tarik Skubal. The Cardinals, however, will be adding some promising prospects to the MLB roster as they arrive in LA.
Here are the scheduled starters according to MLB.com:
Tuesday night, September 1: Eric Lauer (LHP 8-6, 4.78 ERA, 70 SO) vs Michael McGreevy (RHP 5-9, 3.86 ERA, 98 SO)
Note that MLB.com has Michael McGreevy as the likely probable starter for Tuesday night’s game, so I’m penciling him in. For the Dodgers, Eric Lauer has won 2 of his last 3 decisions although his most recent outing on August 26 against the Dodgers saw him pitch for just 2 innings in a no-decision. His 2 starts previous to that against Colorado and Kansas City were victories where he tossed 5 innings against the Rockies and 6 1/3 versus the Royals allowing just 1 earned run against Kansas City. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is 1-1 over his last 3 appearances with his most recent game on August 27 vs the Braves being a loss, but he got no run support and threw 6 1/3 innings allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run. Tarik Skubal is also 1-1 over his last 3 starts with the most recent being a memorable return to Detroit where he got a no-decision after throwing 6 innings allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run.
Who are the Los Angeles Dodgers players to watch?
Shohei Ohtani – He leads the Dodgers with 30 home runs, 80 RBI’s with a .280 average, but it’s not known when or if he’ll return to the mound this season because of ongoing knee issues.
Max Muncy – He’s second on the Dodgers with 26 home runs, 68 RBI’s and a .280 average.
Andy Pages – The Dodgers centerfielder is having a great season with 21 home runs, 80 RBI’s and a .272 average
Mookie Betts – Mookie now has his home run total up to 16 with 47 RBI’s, but a batting average of just .247.
Freddie Freeman – Freddie Freeman leads the Dodgers with a .304 batting average along with 15 home runs and 63 RBI’s.
Teoscar Hernández – Teoscar currently has 12 home runs, 46 RBI’s and a .249 average.
Kyle Tucker – By his normal standards, Kyle Tucker is having a woeful year with just 11 home runs, 57 RBI’s and an average of only .228.
As far as the big picture goes, the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the NL West by 9 1/2 games and have won 6 of their last 10. The St. Louis Cardinals have only won 3 of their last 10, but remarkably still are only 5 back in the NL Wild Card race for the final spot currently occupied by Arizona, but the Padres and Marlins are also ahead of St. Louis, too. It’s possible the Cardinals could get a boost to the rotation if Andre Pallante is able to appear in the series against the Dodgers, but the St. Louis rotation has a lot of question marks for this West Coast swing. There’s also talk that Masyn Winn could return to the lineup sooner rather than later, but that remains to be seen.
The big story for the Cardinals in Los Angeles is the arrival of Leo Bernal who reportedly will be joining the team Tuesday. Right-handed pitcher Hancel Rincon will also be a part of the September roster expansion.
Sources: The St. Louis Cardinals plan to call up 22-year-old Panamanian catcher Leo Bernal, the organization’s No. 7 prospect, according to @MLBPipeline.
Bernal is expected to make his MLB debut when the Cardinals face the Dodgers in Los Angeles beginning Tuesday.
The motivation for the Dodgers would be to catch the Brewers for the #1 seed in the NL as they’re currently 3 games behind Milwaukee. It feels unlikely the St. Louis Cardinals will get hot and seriously challenge for a playoff position, but stranger things have happened. With only 24 games remaining in the regular season, the math is not in the Cardinals favor.
Jul 11, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (61) pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s the last day of August and the A’s are back on the road, this time heading to Texas to take on the Rangers for three games. The division rival is fighting for a the division lead with their Texas rivals over in Houston, just two games behind them for the AL West lead. The A’s won’t lie down and let the Rangers get easy wins though. Time to secure win #54 for the Green & Gold.
Taking the ball for the A’s will be left-hander Gage Jump. The rookie has had his ups and downs in his first taste of the big leagues but he’s more than held his own and there’s high expectations for him going forward. He’ll be facing the Rangers for the second time this month; he pitched into the sixth and allowed just three runs first time out against these guys.
Here’s how the A’s lineup looks for the series opener:
The usual starting lineup tonight, or as close as a usual as the A’s can muster right now. Jonah Heim is back in there after a full day off yesterday and he’ll be catching Jump tonight. And Darell Hernaiz takes over at shortstop for Alika Williams, who gets the night off.
As for Texas, they’ll counter the rookie Jump with the grizzled veteran in Jacob deGrom. The future Hall of Famer has had an overall solid year but has his a rough patch since the All-Star Break. He got absolutely clobbered last time out, allowing eight runs against the White Sox. Hopefully for the A’s that’s the deGrom that shows up this evening. This’ll be the A’s first time seeing him this year as well.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Second baseman Marcus Semien #10 of the New York Mets, left to right, first baseman Jared Young #29 of the New York Mets and right fielder Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets all go for a ground ball while playing the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at Citi Field on August 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Benjamin B. Braun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets’ little post-trade deadline dead cat bounce has come to an end over the past couple of weeks. They have lost three straight series and outside of one double-digit run total against the White Sox, have struggled to score runs during this two-week stretch. Just on its face, having two fireballs and no poop emojis on the previous meter and having no fireballs and two poop emojis on this meter is not a good trend. But the good news is that Juan Soto has returned from the injured list and we at least have gotten a taste of Soto and Francisco Lindor in the same lineup.
Player
Last week
This week
Francisco Alvarez, C
Brett Baty, UTIL
Carson Benge, OF
Bo Bichette, 3B
A.J. Ewing, OF
Francisco Lindor, SS
Christopher Morel, 1B/DH
—
Cristian Pache, OF
Jorge Polanco, DH
Luis Robert Jr., OF
Marcus Semien, 2B
Juan Soto, OF
Luis Torrens, C
Eric Wagaman, 1B/DH
Jared Young, 1B/DH
We’ll start with a brief discussion of Juan Soto, who only has 8 plate appearances since returning from the IL. In a lost season, he will be eased back in with copious off days (such as tonight’s game) built into his schedule and lots of DHing. But the good news is that he doesn’t seem to have lost a step at the plate, despite not doing a rehab assignment. He has two hits, including a home run, in his eight plate appearances. When the Mets activated Soto, they optioned Eric Wagaman to Triple-A. Wagaman had one hit, a run scored, and an RBI in five plate appearances.
That home run came back-to-back with a home run by Francisco Lindor—a moment illustrating how nice it is to have them both in the same lineup, which has unfortunately been a rare occurrence in 2026. Overall though, Lindor has been struggling of late. He holds a 59 wRC+ over 51 plate appearances in the past 12 games. He does lead the team in runs scored with seven and he has gone deep twice, representing two of his eight hits. He has also walked four times and driven in two runs, but he has struck out ten times.
Lindor does not lead the team in strikeouts though. That unfortunate distinction belongs to A.J. Ewing, who is mired in a horrific slump. Ewing hit a double in yesterday’s game, which was notable because it was his only extra base hit over this entire two-week stretch. Even more shocking than his 7 wRC+ over his past 50 plate appearances, Ewing hasn’t driven in a run in the entire month of August. There are two things Ewing is doing even when he isn’t hitting much: stealing bases and playing good defense. He has swiped six bags in the past two weeks—far more than anyone else on the team.
Francisco Alvarez is the other player to be slapped with a poop emoji for this meter. Like Ewing, he has racked up 15 strikeouts over the past two weeks, but they have come in fewer plate appearances such that he is running a K rate of almost 50% in the past two weeks. Not good! Alvarez has just three hits—a double and two singles—in 33 plate appearances, good for a putrid -21 wRC+. Prior to this two-week stretch, he was at least drawing a lot of walks. That seems to have gone away as well; he has walked just twice in his past 10 games. He has driven in three runs and not scored any.
Tales will surely be told of the Month of Luis Torrens, though. After a torrid first half of the month, Torrens has evened out to a more reasonable but still quite solid 128 wRC+ in his past 19 plate appearances. Of his five hits, two were home runs, as his power surge continues. Those two long balls represent both of his runs scored.
As Juan Soto returned from the injured list, Jorge Polanco went back on the injured list, this time for good. Polanco had surgery to address his chronic ankle bursitis, ending his season. This paved the way for more playing time for Christopher Morel, who has put up a 52 wRC+ in his first 13 plate appearances. He has notched two hits (both singles), two walks, and a run batted in.
Jared Young has seen the lion’s share of the first base at-bats and deservedly so, but his production has fallen off a bit to the tune of a 74 wRC+ in his past 42 plate appearances. He is one of only three Mets with a double-digit hit total over the past two weeks, though. He has driven in six runs, which is tied for the team lead, and scored five runs.
Marcus Semien is another Met with a double-digit hit total in the past 12 games. But all 12 of his hits are singles—good for a so-so 95 wRC+. Despite 12 hits and five walks—a .370 on-base percentage—he hasn’t done much in the way of run production, scoring only one run and driving in two.
The Mets’ leader in hits over the past two weeks is Carson Benge as he makes his NL Rookie of the Year push. Of Benge’s 15 hits, four went for extra bases, including two home runs. He put up a 128 wRC+ in his past 49 plate appearances. In addition to scoring six runs and driving in five runs, Benge continues to play excellent outfield defense (particularly when it comes to gunning down runners on the base paths) alongside his fellow rookie psychopath.
However, one could make an argument that the Mets’ best hitter over the past 12 games has been Luis Robert Jr., who had been playing in left field most days with Juan Soto doing DH duty and Ewing getting most of the reps in center. Robert’s six RBIs match Young for the team lead and he also leads the team in home runs (4) and walks (6). He has posted a 157 wRC+ in 43 plate appearances over the past two weeks. Robert got hot at the right time because after trying to trade him at the deadline and not finding a suitor, the Mets placed him on waivers and the Orioles—desperate for an outfield bat for their stretch run—have claimed him.
Reduced to a part-time role, Brett Baty has quietly had a solid two-week stretch, putting up a 158 wRC+ in 24 plate appearances. Of his eight hits, three went for extra bases (all doubles). He scored a run, drove in two runs, and walked twice.
Bo Bichette posted a 95 wRC+ in 46 plate appearances, which identical to the mark of Semien, but Bichette got to it by logging fewer hits, but more extra-base hits. In fact, more than half of Bichette’s nine hits went for extra bases, including two home runs. He has scored four runs, driven in four runs. He has walked three times and struck out eight times in his past 11 games. He missed one game because he fouled a ball off his ankle, but luckily X-rays were negative and he did not end up needing an IL stint.
Cristian Pache has been serving as the last man off the bench, mostly as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. He has appeared in four games in the past two weeks, but has just one plate appearance in which he did not reach base.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 28: Taj Bradley #26 of the Minnesota Twins signs autographs prior to the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Friday, August 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Ritter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):6:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe:Bless You Boys
The Twins’ postseason hopes aren’t dead yet, but a disastrous 8-17 August has put them firmly as a long shot. They are only four games out of a playoff spot, but teams like the Guardians, Blue Jays, and Orioles are trending in the right direction while the Twins and Mariners fade out of the picture.
At this point, the Twins need to pivot to 2027 evaluation mode and if a few bonus wins come, all the better. Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper should be in the lineup nearly every day from here on out, Gabriel Gonzalez should see every possible PA against lefties, and Emmanuel Rodriguez and Alan Roden likely need to start taking playing time away from Trevor Larnach and Josh Bell when rosters expand tomorrow.
Part of the issue recent Twins teams have run into is simply not knowing whether certain young players are truly ready to take on a bigger role, and they can’t afford that heading into 2027 on a team in need of upgrades in both the lineup and pitching staff.
Speaking of pitching, after 2027, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Dean Kremer, and Bailey Ober are all free agents. Connor Prielipp and Zebby Matthews have shown flashes of brilliance this season, while Mick Abel and Kendry Rojas will be back from injury with nothing left to prove in AAA, to say nothing of pitching prospects like Riley Quick, Ryan Gallagher, and Adrian Bohorquez who will likely be ready at different points next season. Jeremy Zoll and Co. will need to sort through who of that group is worth keeping, who should be traded, who could thrive in the bullpen, and who (looking at you, Ober) maybe shouldn’t be tendered a contract at all.
Especially with Buxton hurt and likely not coming back in time to make a difference this season, roll with the kids and see what you have for 2027. Rodriguez in particular needs experience and PAs, and I would love to see those come on the Twins so we can glimpse what a potential outfield of Rodriguez, Jenkins, and Keaschall looks like heading into next year.
The bad August really put a damper on what was shaping up to be a very promising building year. But there’s still a ton to get excited about here and it’s a blast to watch highly-touted prospects like Culpepper and Jenkins make a difference.
