LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers get their guy back just ahead of October.
Shohei Ohtani was activated from the injured list and will bat second in the lineup against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, Sept. 23, the team announced. He'll have five games to find his footing again after lingering issues with his left knee and right bicep led him to miss the last 13 games.
Ohtani will have the added luxury of doing so in relatively low-stakes games ahead of the postseason, as the Dodgers clinched the NL West while he was out and are one game away from securing a first-round bye.
"It's go time for all of us," manager Dave Roberts said. "I can't really speak to if he's going to hit a homer tonight, but I do think that there's going to be a heightened sense of focus. I think he's in a good spot."
Josue De Paula was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in the corresponding move, which Roberts explained was the original thought all along within the organization. The breakout rookie is still in serious consideration to make the playoff roster.
"He's a part of the conversation. He's earned that," Roberts said. "And that's what I told him last night. We have some other guys that need to play that we got to put eyes on and, to be quite frank, there's just not a lot of (at-)bats to go around now that Shohei's back."
The back-to-back National League MVP is back, but Roberts doesn't expect fireworks right away. Padres starter Robbie Ray is a tough matchup for lefties, which is part of the reason Mookie Betts stayed put in the leadoff spot. Roberts just wants Ohtani to take at-bats, especially considering he didn't face live pitching in his hitting progression.
Both Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman are confident in Ohtani's health and acknowledged that while nobody is 100% in October, the six-time All-Star is feeling and looking much better than he did when he slashed .122/.295/.184 with 21 strikeouts and zero homers in the 13 games before he hit the IL on Sept. 8.
According to Friedman, Ohtani may have underplayed how much his ailments were bothering him because they never rose to the level of needing to see a doctor. He was focused on pushing through so that he could help the team win, which isn't uncommon among high-level competitors and has happened before with numerous other players in the Dodgers clubhouse.
Friedman added that the first step is Ohtani feeling better now, but next they have to see how he feels once he gets back into his normal workload and intensity. Whether Ohtani plays in all five remaining games, or four of five, depends on how feels, but the goal is just to get him as many at-bats as possible.
"What he's doing, it was unprecedented. And it takes a real toll," Friedman said. "As we get over, I think us just being very dialed is going to be really important. We certainly had a lot of communication with him throughout the year and worked together really well in terms of how to go about this."
Ohtani doesn't need to be a world-beater for these last five games. He might not even need to be one in the postseason with how hot the bats have been in his absence. But just his presence alone in the lineup positions the Dodgers that much more as they chase World Series history.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 23: Casey Legumina #67 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Watching your favorite team lose to one of your least favorite teams is never truly enjoyable, but it goes down a bit easier when the regular season prize is already in the bag. The only downside to this loss is the Rays must now win out to get to 100 wins on the season, but that was always a stretch goal. They have already exceeded their projected win quota by plenty and were granted the bonus of home field advantage in the playoffs while sitting out the wildcard round, so the priority the rest of this week is keeping the roster healthy. The Yankees, meanwhile, were able to pad their precious run differential a bit more in this meaningless contest, so they have got that going for them, which is nice.
To that point, organizational solider Mason Englert was asked to out there and soak up some innings before handing the ball off to whomever was in the best shape in the pen after last night’s celebration. Englert labored into the 4th inning allowing 8 earned runs which included a grand slam to Ryan McMahon and three solo homers, two from Ben Rice before giving way to the pen to record the final 12 outs.
Kevin Cash got creative with the lineup putting Victor Mesa Jr in the leadoff spot to provide Yandy Diaz with a much-needed game off as the two 2-RBI hits in the division-winning victory Tuesday evening were his first two in quite some time. Chandler Simpson and Taylor Walls were also granted the evening off. Simpson still hold a three-steal lead on Bobby Witt Jr for the American League stolen base title, but came into today one steal behind Nasim Nunez for the overall lead. It is doubtful the Rays want Simpson risking anything these final few games, so he and the fans may just have to be happy with the AL title. It would not be surprising to see both Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero to get a day or two off over these final four games unless Caminero has a goal to match the 162-game totals posted by Aubrey Huff in 2003, Delmon Young in 2007, and Evan Longoria in 2014. It was nice to see Cedric Mullins break out of a slump and hit a home run as he had not homered since August 28th and had hit just .159/.284/.222 in his previous 75 plate appearances coming into this contest.
Gerrit Cole was not exactly sharp as the Rays still forced him to use over 90 pitches to get through five innings. Despite the six-run lead, Aaron Boone allowed Cole to come back out in the 6th inning. The Yankees bullpen was rather well-rested coming into this game, so it was a bit suprising to see Cole put in the unnecessary work. Boone did finally take the ball from Cole at 105 pitches after a two-out four pitch walk to Liam Hicks, who was left stranded on second. Boone would end up using the entirety of his A-bullpen in this blowout, which could lead to Cam Schlitter putting a bow onto his AL Cy Young Award in tomorrow’s contest.
The highlight for the Rays, aside from the Mullins homer, was the inning by Brody Hopkins. He led off the inning getting the impatient Ali Sanchez to line out to center and then chose to walk Ben Rice after watching how he treated Englert in this context. That brought George Lombard Jr to the plate who was late on a 102-mph heater, fouled off a 101-mph fastball, and then swung over an 89-mph breaking ball for a three-pitch strikeout. Hopkins then proceeded to dispose of Luis Garcia Jr, but needed seven pitches to do so. Hopkins generated four whiffs on seven swingsHopkins is going to be a weapon in the postseason when Cash is looking for someone to come in and get the strikeout as long as Hopkins can get ahead with the heat and put hitters on the defensive with the breaking stuff.
Fans can expect more maintenance efforts such as this game with the club simply trying to stay healthy and sharp before a long layoff watching the wildcard round play itself out. The Rays could play spoiler to the Phillies to exact some revenge for 2008 this weekned if Philadelphia drops their series to Milwaukee and Arizona sweeps the Rockies before heading to San Diego. Just enjoy watching these games for what they are and save your stress levels for Troptober.
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 05: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the game between the Athletics and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Saturday, September 5, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mariners play the Astros on Wedne- ah who cares.
Lineup
How To Watch
First pitch: 7:10 p.m TV: ESPN Radio: Ol’ Reliable
The Yankees smashed four home runs, including a Ryan McMahon grand slam, to bludgeon the Rays, 9-2, on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Here are the takeaways...
-Gerrit Cole pitched his second consecutive quality start, limiting the Rays to two runs.
One run came in the fourth when Jonny Deluca hit a two-out double that dropped between Heliot Ramos and Jazz Chisholm Jr. in right field. The ball bounced away from Ramos, allowing the runner to score all the way from first.
Cole then gave up a solo shot to Cedric Mullins in the fifth, the fourth consecutive start the right-hander has allowed at least one long ball.
The right-hander pitched into the sixth, but after walking a batter with two outs, he was pulled.
Cole allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out eight across 5.2 innings. He threw 105 pitches, the most he's thrown since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
-Ben Rice got the offense started with a moonshot on the first pitch he saw to lead off the first. Rice now has 40 home runs, just the second Yankees draft pick to reach that mark (Aaron Judge, who did it four times) (H/T Sarah Langs).
Rice wasn't done, though. He led off the fourth with a solo shot to give him 41 on the season. It's the fifth multi-homer game of his career, and the second this season (7/9 against Rays). He finished 3-for-4.
-A Spencer Jones leadoff double was cashed in by McMahon's two-out single in the second. George Lombard Jr. added on in the third with a leadoff solo shot, and McMahon capped the inning with a grand slam, the third of his career.
Ramos' sac fly in the eighth accounted for the Yankees' ninth and final run. The right fielder went 2-for-4 with the lone RBI.
-With the Yankees locked into the first Wild Card spot, manager Aaron Boone gave Austin Wells and Cody Bellinger the night off. Jose Caballero started in left and finished 0-for-3 with a walk while Ali Sanchez went 1-for-4.
-Before the game, Boone said he wanted to give his high-leverage relievers work Wednesday to set them up for the Wild Card series early next week. Brent Headrick allowed a hit in his 0.1 innings pitched, while Paul Blackburn allowed a hit in a scoreless inning.
David Bednar came on to wrap up the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
-Lombard Jr. was moved up in the lineup to the two spot. The infielder went 1-for-5 with four strikeouts. He also committed his ninth error of the season when he couldn't handle a grounder.
Game MVP: Ryan McMahon
McMahon drove in five runs and made a case to be on the Wild Card roster.
Los Angeles, - September 04: Shohei Ohtani, left, with Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as they look on from the bench against the Washington Nationals in the eighth inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Yoshinobu Yamamoto faces Robbie Ray and Shohei Ohtani returns from the injured list on Wednesday.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 23: Garrett Mitchell #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers and Christian Yelich #22 celebrate after the Brewers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
There’s no slowing down for the Brewers this season. With the first 100-win season in franchise history on the horizon, and the Dodgers close behind them in the race for the best record, the Brewers still have work to do. They kept up the pace tonight, earning their 99th win of the season in a 4-1 victory over the Phillies.
The Brewers didn’t take long to get on the board. With two outs in the first inning, Brice Turang hit his 20th home run of the season, 108.4 mph and 406 feet out to right-center field. It’s his first 20-homer season, and he’s one stolen base away from a 20-20 season.
Meanwhile, Logan Henderson had to work a bit to get through his first inning. He got Kyle Schwarber to a full count before striking him out, then got Trea Turner to ground out. Bryce Harper worked a full count before drawing a walk, but Luis Arraez popped out to end the inning. He needed 21 pitches to get through the first.
Nola came out strong in the second with strikeouts of Jake Bauers and Joey Ortiz. Up next was Christian Yelich, and he hit what was hopefully a slump buster. He hit an inside cutter out to right field, with a 106.1-mph exit velocity. It traveled 378 feet for Yelich’s 12th home run of the season.
Meanwhile, the Phillies threatened to take the lead in the second inning. The first three batters — Alec Bohm, Bryston Stott, and Brandon Marsh — all reached base thanks to a single, double, and walk. With the bases loaded and no outs, Henderson had his work cut out for him. On the next pitch, J.T. Realmuto hit a ground ball hard, but right to Turang. It was a bit too slow to turn a double play, but Turang got the out at first. Bohm scored, and the lead was cut to 2-1.
Henderson recovered from there. He kept the ball on the edge of the strike zone and got Justin Crawford to fly out to shallow right, not deep enough for Scott to try to score (though it might have been a close play at the plate). Schwarber was up next, and Henderson didn’t throw a pitch in the strike zone, but fooled Schwarber well enough. On a 1-2 count, he grounded out to Turang to end the inning and preserve a 2-1 lead.
With the lead down to one, the Brewers got some insurance the next inning. David Hamilton drew a walk to start the inning, but Mitchell replaced him after he grounded out. After Chourio struck out, Turang doubled to put runners at second and third. That brought up William Contreras, who hit a ground ball through the gap between second and third for a two-run RBI single. That extended the lead to 4-1.
From there, both pitchers locked in for the next two innings. Henderson got his pitch count back in control with a 1-2-3 third inning. Nola followed that with a 1-2-3 inning of his own for the first time in the game. In the bottom of the fourth, Stott doubled to give the Phillies another scoring opportunity, but he was stranded there.
After the Brewers went down in order again in the top of the fifth, Henderson had to work his way through another jam. Crawford singled, and Schwarber walked to put two runners on base with no outs. Turner moved Crawford up to third with a flyout. Next up was Harper, who hit a fly ball into foul territory, and Hamilton ran it down near the tarp, keeping Crawford at third. Arraez then flew out to Chourio for the third out, holding the lead at 4-1.
It wasn’t Henderson’s best day, but he held the Phillies to just one run. Over five innings, he allowed four hits and three walks, striking out three. It was his 23rd game allowing three or fewer runs in a start, tying an MLB record held by Zac Gallen.
Nola was sharp with his strikeouts tonight, recording eight strikeouts in his six innings. However, the Brewers got to him early and scored four runs in his first three innings. Nola did retire the last 10 Brewers he faced in order, but the damage was done. In six innings, he allowed four runs on four hits and one walk. The Brewers only had one at-bat with runners in scoring position, which was Contreras’ two-RBI single.
DL Hall was first out of the bullpen for the Brewers. In the sixth, he allowed a one-out walk to Stott, but nothing else. Two excellent plays — a leaping catch from Hamilton and a diving stop and throw from Ortiz — aided him that inning. He got into some trouble in the seventh, hitting Schwarber with a pitch before allowing a single to Turner. That was it, as he stranded both runners with two ground balls to get out of the inning.
Tanner Banks took the seventh for the Phillies and allowed a single to Ortiz to start. Yelich tried to bunt him over but failed, with an easy throw to second to get the lead runner. Frelick then grounded into a double play to end the inning. Banks followed that up with a scoreless eighth, working around a two-out single from Jackson Chourio.
With the bullpen rested, Abner Uribe got the call in the bottom of the eighth. He got two quick groundouts, but Bryan De La Cruz hit a ground-rule double to give the Phillies another runner in scoring position. Uribe struck out Realmuto to strand him there, keeping it a 4-1 game.
Max Lazar pitched the top of the ninth for the Phillies. Contreras gave the Brewers a lead runner when he reached first after Bohm threw wide and completely missed Lazar. That was all the Brewers could muster, as Bauers struck out and Ortiz grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Going for his 30th save, Trevor Megill took the ninth. He didn’t face any trouble, pitching a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout of Turner to end it. He secured the save and the Brewers’ 99th win.
The Phillies had their scoring chances, but the Brewers did not break. The Phillies had six hits — three of them doubles — along with four walks and a hit batter. However, the Brewers’ pitching staff stranded almost all of them. The Phillies went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
Meanwhile, the Brewers had six hits and one walk, but made their chances count. Solo home runs from Turang and Yelich put them on the board, and Contreras gave them some insurance with his two-run single. Turang was the lone batter on base twice tonight, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
With the win, the Brewers are now one win away from their first 100-win season in franchise history. They also lower their magic number for the top seed in the National League and best record in baseball to three, pending tonight’s Padres-Dodgers game.
They will go for the series win tomorrow night. The Phillies will send out Andrew Painter. Meanwhile, the Brewers have yet to announce a starter, but Bryse Wilson is reportedly a possibility. First pitch is a little earlier at 5:05 p.m.
Sep 23, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) gets a new baseball after allowing a home run during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The offense was already in post-season form as the Philadelphia Phillies (87-71) were stifled by the Milwaukee Brewers (99-59) on Wednesday night in the middle stanza of their penultimate series of the regular season.
Aaron Nola was responsible for all four of the Brewers’ runs, surrendering solo home runs to Brice Turang and Christian Yelich in the first and second innings and a two-run single to William Contreras in the third.
The Phillies loaded the bases with no outs against Brewers’ starter, Logan Henderson, in the bottom of the second but came away with just one run on a ground out by JT Realmuto.
11 Phillies reached base on six hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch against Kyle Schwarber but were 0-12 with runners in scoring position, their worst mark of the season.
Though he accounted for the lone RBI, Realmuto is mired in the worst hitless streak of his career, which reached 26 at-bats.
The magic number remains at two but could be down to one tomorrow pending tonight’s results in Colorado and Los Angeles.
Milwaukee is slated to throw a bullpen game tomorrow in pursuit of their first ever 100 win season as the Phils turn to Andrew Painter to win the series and potentially punch their ticket to the playoffs.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals scores during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a damp, cool and cloudy night in Pittsburgh as the Pirates and Cardinals clashed at PNC Park again. Fortunately, the Cardinals decided to bring their bats with them this time giving Matthew Liberatore some badly needed run support.
After a relatively quiet 1st inning for both teams, the Pirates were the first to score in the bottom of the 2nd inning and they did it in a very loud way when Matthew Liberatore threw a 93 mph four-seam fastball down the middle of the plate and the Pirates Brandon Lowe did not miss it. The ball soared 434 feet nearly leaving PNC Park in right field giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals more than answered in the top of the 3rd inning when JJ Wetherholt smacked a one-out single. After Iván Herrera walked, MLB RBI leader Alec Burleson added to his total with a single that scored JJ tying the game at 1-1. Herrera advanced to third on Burleson’s single which would prove important as he’d score soon after on a wild pitch from Pirates reliever Curtis giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Leo Bernal decided that wasn’t good enough as he singled to right scoring Burleson making it 3-1 St. Louis.
The Cardinals bats would continue to pile on in the top of the 4th inning when José Fermín reached on an infield hit. Two batters later, Masyn Winn lined a double into the right-centerfield gap scoring Fermin upping the St. Louis advantage to 4-1.
JJ Wetherholt seems to be finding his swing again as he followed Masyn’s double with a single of his own which scored Winn giving the Cardinals an impressive 5-1 lead.
While the St. Louis offense was enjoying a productive night, Matthew Liberatore settled down and didn’t allow a run after the stratospheric home run he allowed in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Through 5 innings, he held the Pittsburgh Pirates to just 1 run keeping the Cardinals 5-1 advantage. I was not the only Cardinals fan who started watching Matthew begin the bottom of the 6th inning with trepidation as that’s been the inning most synonymous with his downfall this season. To Liberatore’s credit, he did not implode this time. Manager Oli Marmol removed him with two outs after Brandon Lowe singled up the middle. Luis Gastelum was the Cardinals bullpen solution chosen to take over for Matthew who threw a decent game minus the earlier meatball that ended up being a home run. Gastelum finished off the final out of the Pirates in the 6th with no damage done.
Iván Herrera built upon his MLB hit-by-pitch lead in the top of the 7th inning when he was plunked by Pirates reliever Kelly. That was his 31st HBP of the season which is now tied for the all-time Cardinals record, the one title you never daydream about when you’re a kid.
Ivan Herrera is now tied for the #stlcards single-season record of being hit by pitches.
With 31 HBPs, Herrera matches Steve Evans' total in 1910.
St. Louis looked like it was prepared to put the game out of reach in the top of the 8th inning when Nolan Gorman walked followed by a single from Fermin. However, when Nathan Church lined out to left field, Gorman ventured too far off of second base and got doubled off. This is why we can’t have nice things. Pinch-runner Victor Scott II did manage to steal second base, though, to get into scoring position with two outs. The problem is it didn’t end up mattering when Masyn Winn struck out. All I could think was “please don’t let our bullpen make us regret this missed opportunity”.
Ryne Stanek was brought in to take care of the Pirates in the bottom of the 8th inning. He handled Pittsburgh with no problems shutting them down 1-2-3, but there was still the 9th inning to deal with. George Soriano was crowned closer for a night as manager Oli Marmol chose him to close out Pittsburgh after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 9th despite JJ Wetherholt collecting his 3rd hit of the game. Soriano walked Bryan Reynolds to start the Pirates bottom of the 9th which rarely leads to good things. Fortunately, JJ Wetherholt made a nice play that got by Alec Burleson at first throwing out Brandon Lowe as Soriano got to first base in time. George then struck out Gonzales for the second out of the 9th. The Pirates final hope was Ronny Simon. He struck out to end the game and give the Cardinals a victory.
Final score: Cardinals 5, Pirates 1
The St. Louis Cardinals will face the Pittsburgh Pirates for the final time this season Thursday when they’ll face Paul Skenes. The Cardinals will counter with Kyle Leahy who will pitch at least the first few innings depending on his pitch count limitation. First pitch scheduled for 11:35am at PNC Park and the game broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 22: Isaac Paredes #15 of the Houston Astros celebrates his solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park on September 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (78-79) will continue their final road trip of the regular season with the second game of two-game series against the Seattle Mariners (73-84) at T-Mobile Park.
RHP Ethan Pecko (1-0, 3.77 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP George Kirby (9-11, 4.24 ERA).
TONIGHT’S BROADCASTS: Tonight’s game will be televised by ESPN with Mike Ferrin and Eduardo Perez on the call. The Astros English radio broadcast can be heard on SportsTalk 790 with Robert Ford and Steve Sparks behind the mic. Francisco Romero and Alex Treviño will call the Astros Spanish broadcast on TUDN 102.9 FM.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams having the same record with five games left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
VS. THE M’S: This is the final series between the Astros and Mariners this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 14-16 at Daikin Park. The Astros have gone 3-9 vs. Seattle this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 135-106 against the Mariners, including a 65-48 record at T-Mobile Park.
ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the second game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 38-28 (.576) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span.
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: The Astros shutout the Mariners, 7-0 at T-Mobile Park last night. RHP Cristian Javier made the start for the Astros and tossed 2.0 scoreless innings before leaving due to an injury. 1B Christian Walker (1×5, HR, 3 RBI), DH Yordan Alvarez (2×4, HR, 3 RBI) and 3B Isaac Paredes (2×4, HR, RBI) each homered for the Astros leading the way offensively. The Astros bullpen combined to toss 7.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 212 homers as a team this year and have hit 200-plus homers in a single season for the 10th time in franchise history (last, 222 HR in 2023). The Astros rank second in the AL in home runs this season behind only the Yankees (217).
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 308 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (329) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes leads this effort, as he holds the Major League lead with 45 two-out RBI, directly ahead of CHC OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (44 RBI).
NO. 200: 1B Christian Walker recorded his 200th home run of his career last night with a three-run home run in the third inning. He became the 34th active player in the Majors to record 200 career HR.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have placed RHP Cristian Javier on the 15-day IL (right groin strain). To take his place on the active roster, the Astros have selected LHP Josh Hendrickson (#61) from Triple A Sugar Land. To make room for Hendrickson on the 40-man roster, Houston recalled OF Jake Meyers (left knee fracture) and placed him on the 60-day IL.
THE CASE FOR THE MVP:DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.033), slugging percentage (.601), OBP (.431), batting average (.314), total bases (329), walks (106), IBB (33), wRC+ (180), OPS+ (.190) and extra-base hits (74). He also ranks tied for first in home runs (41), second in RBI (102), third in hits (172), fifth in runs (99), and tied for fourth in doubles (32).
TRIPLE THREAT: DH Yordan Alvarez currently ranks first or second in the AL in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters tonight leading the AL in batting avg. (.314), while ranking tied for first in HR (41) and second in RBI (102). 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)
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 527 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only two strikeouts to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a 1.004 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 18 RBI, which ranks tied for second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .361 (22×61) with three homers, seven RBI and a .948 OPS in 18 games (15 starts) this month.
STARTING STRONG: In the Astros 19 games in September, their starters have combined for a 2.83 ERA (28ER/89IP), which is the third-lowest ERA in the American League for the month behind
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY:1986 – In a 4-0 win over the Dodgers in the Dome, LHP Jim Deshaies strikes out the first 8 batters that he faces to set a MLB record. The string of punchouts ends when Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda pinch-hits for his starting pitcher Dennis Powell with Larry See, who pops up to end the top of the 3rd inning. Deshaies ends up with a 2-hit, shutout, tallying 10 K’s overall.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, September 23, 9:10 p.m. CT
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
TV: ESPN
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Lucas Spence is here and starting, with a roster move to come but Brice Matthews not in lineup card. pic.twitter.com/ysepv9mjet
Sep 23, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Bo Davidson (94) loses his footing trying to make a catch during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Baseball, on a Wednesday afternoon, played between two teams no one cares about anymore. Some young players were out there with something to prove, most were going through the motions. The fans stood up and sat down. The seagulls pulled apart nachos. First pitch was thrown. The final out recorded. A game came and went, but out there, in the distance, passing quietly by like a sailboat on the other side of the bay.
The Giants ended their penultimate series of the 2026 season with a whimper. No built tension, no twists, or revelations here, just some light bookkeeping. Dotted-i’s and crossed-t’s. The 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins ensured what many anticipated. The Giants will end the 2026 with a losing record at Oracle Park. Their 16-32 record against American League teams is the worst in the Majors. With three games left, the four-game win streak — that season-long white whale — is now an impossibility, a franchise first.
Though officially “new” information at the completion of today’s game, it’s not news. This team has Benjamin Buttoned in a sense. A completely different, much younger face sits on top of their shoulders, but despite the fresh look, this is still the same being with the same flaws and weaknesses that have caused it problems all year.
Against Minnesota starter Connor Prielipp, and a trio of bullpen arms, the offense managed just five hits. They went cold all at once, with 16 consecutive San Francisco hitters retired in order from the 4th inning to the 9th. Often good for one surge offense a game, today’s iteration was a Shay Whitcomb 2-RBI single in the 4th. A bloop that blopped. The hit, more like a hail Mary pass, praying to avoid the onrushing fielders and reach of limbs and find a patch of grass…
It did. Two runs scored, the Giants took the lead, but the lead was brief. Minnesota tied it with a triple and a sac fly the next frame, and the bats had no response.
Cesar Perdomo pitched well over 5.1 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits. Velocity on offerings averaged 89 MPH. Only seven pitches missed swings. He struck out two. His stuff wasn’t electric, nor necessarily graceful. Luke Keaschall broke up two ties but Perdomo kept Minnesota from running away it. He latched onto their legs and hung off their shoulders and held them close. Opposing hitters didn’t enjoy themselves at the plate — which, I suppose, is the goal of pitching as the end of the day.
But play, as it often has, got sloppy when it needed to keep tight. Perdomo left after 76 pitches because why make him throw more? Dylan Smith took over and put the go ahead runner on base to lead off the 7th. A ground ball to first that should’ve erased that mistake with a double play compounded the walk when Christian Koss airmailed the return throw, sending the baseball into the camera well and Kody Clemens into scoring position. Next pitch, Clemens scored on Walker Jenkins’s RBI single.
After recording the second out, Tony Vitello chose to bring in Sam Hentges for some reason. At this point, it should be expected that a Giants reliever can’t just come into a game and get an out. It has to be a whole rigamarole. It has to be made into a thing. A short walk made long. Hentges took the mound and threw four pitches that bore no measurable spatial relation to the strike zone.
Another walk, another runner gifted scoring position, and soon after, another run scored for the Twins.
Down to their final out, Drew Gilbert finally broke San Francisco’s baserunner drought with a pinch-hit single. A walk worked by Marcelo Mayer brought the winning run to the plate in Whitcomb. Comebacks happen. We’ve seen some wild reversals on sunny afternoons. Eldridge’s walk-off grand slam — a Wednesday. The 6-run 8th against the Cardinals — a Wednesday. Coincidence, though. Correlation, not causation. Joyful hiccups, definitely not the dominant theme.
Sep 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) throws against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers and San Diego Padres finish off their season series on Thursday, which is the Dodgers’ final home game of the 2026 regular season.
Tyler Glasnow takes the ball for Los Angeles, with Nick Pivetta starting for San Diego. Both have battled injuries this season, with Thursday the 13th start for Glasnow and just the eighth for Pivetta. You might remember these two pitchers from such Class-A rehab outings as August 4 in Lake Elsinore, with Glasnow pitching for Ontario and both Pivetta and Jose Musgrove rehabbing for the home team that day.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Luis Campusano #12 of the San Diego Padres jogs after hitting a single during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (87-70) at Los Angeles Dodgers (97-60), September 23, 2026, 7:10 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
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Sep 23, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher CJ Van Eyk (58) throws during the first inning in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Blue Jays 2 Orioles 4
Well, that was about right. Couldn’t hit at all.
Well, not at all, Davis Schneider hit a home run in the ninth.
We did load the bases in the seventh in perhaps the weirdest way ever:
It started in a normal way, Alejandro Kirk singled and Kazuma Okamoto hit into a double play.
Then, a play I’ve never seen. Ground ball to short. But the Jays asked for a review on the shortstop lining up with his heels on the outfield grass. Yes, there is a rule saying infielders have to set up on the dirt and since his heels were on the grass, Sean Keys was awarded first on “an error on Jeremiah Jackson”. Totally weird.
Davis Schneider walked.
Charles McAdoo walked.
Myles Straw watched strike three go right over the plate (his second AB in a row that ended like that) to end the inning.
We had 5 hits. Lukes had 2 of them. We also had 9 strikeouts. Davis had two walks to go with the home run.
CJ Van Eyk started, after being called up today. His first MLB start. It wasn’t great. 5 innings, 4 hits, 4 earned, 1 home run, 1 hit batter and 2 strikeouts. He didn’t miss a lot of bats. Judging a guy on 5 innings isn’t of much value, but he was hit pretty hard. As always Pete Alonso hit a home run.
Brendan Cellucci (because every Jays’ game needs a Brendan, Brayden…..) got 4 outs, with a walk.
Chase Lee pitched 1.2 clean innings. with 3 strikeouts.
Jays of the Day: Let’s give one to each of us who watched those two games. No one had the number, but lets give Davis an Honourable mention.
Other Award: Eyk (-0.22 WPA), Olamoto (-0.09) and Clement (-0.10).
Even with his bat a mess for most of the season and his glove not being as solid as it has been in years past, Boone said he was still confident in McMahon.
“Defensively, I have tremendous faith in him moving forward,” Boone said. “I understand he’s had a couple misplays here along the way, but I view it as, ‘I want him in the game with the ball hit to him in a big spot.’”
And even as Boone noted, “Offensively, it’s been a struggle, especially in the second half,” he added, “We’ll try to get more out of him offensively. Last year, he went into the postseason and right away had some big hits for us. You never know how that can switch, especially when a guy has the ability like [McMahon] does.”
The Yankees hope it switched Wednesday, as McMahon powered the offense, first with a run-scoring, two-out single in the second and then a grand slam with two outs an inning later in a 9-2 win over Tampa Bay in The Bronx.
New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) rounds the bases on his grand slam during the third inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The home run was McMahon’s first since Aug. 3 and just his second since July 11.
“I’ve been grinding in the cage, working to get ready for the playoffs,’’ McMahon said. “This game is tough. You try to figure it out. To get results is good. We’ve got four more days to get locked in.”
Even McMahon’s homer didn’t come easy on a windy night at the Stadium, as it nearly blew it foul.
Boone said he was impressed with the at-bat, as McMahon worked the count full against right-hander Mason Englert.
“He put a charge into it,’’ Boone said. “It was good to see him get into one there.”
The questions surrounding how the Yankees will handle third base in the playoffs added another wrinkle Wednesday, when Anthony Volpe took grounders at third base.
New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) throws the ball to first base for an out during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
José Caballero had started at third in two of the Yankees’ previous three games.
But McMahon was back there again Wednesday as the Yankees try to get him right before the playoffs.
And Boone insisted it’s still possible, despite what’s been a rough year.
According to Fangraphs, McMahon’s defensive runs saved have dropped from 10 last season to -2 this year.
And scouts who have watched McMahon have noted a drop-off in his range, glove and overall fielding throughout the season.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone speaks to the media in the team dugout prior to a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Phoenix. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
“I get why they’re still trying to make it work,’’ one American League scout said. “The other options [at third] aren’t great, especially as you’re staring at the playoffs. But if he’s not going to be not just reliable, but stellar, then the issues with his bat are even worse.”
Complicating matters is the lefty-swinging McMahon’s issues against left-handed pitching, which could open the door for Caballero or Amed Rosario, especially if they face a Red Sox team that’s filled with southpaws.
Caballero has done well at third, but is valued for his ability to come off the bench, while the Yankees have continued to believe that Rosario, who has hit lefties well in recent years, will get back to that after having a hard time against them this season.
McMahon entered Wednesday with a .614 OPS, which was 224th of 232 players with at least 350 plate appearances.
And versus lefties, McMahon has an OPS of .518, also among the lowest in the majors.
That doesn’t figure to lead to too many good matchups for McMahon.
Boone, though, said McMahon has “gotten a lot of big hits for us along the way. Defensively, not much has changed, in that I view him as top-shelf over there.”
San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ty France (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres are on the verge of clinching a postseason berth for the third consecutive season. However, the club has been through plenty of ups and downs in 2026.
With three-fifths of the starting rotation out for nearly three months, the Padres stumbled into the All-Star break with a 48-49 record. Their playoff hopes seemed lost, as they sit 13.5 games back in the National League West standings.
However, with the blink of an eye, the Friars went on a 39-12 run since July 17. It has tied them with the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record since the start of the second half. The hot streak has allowed the Padres to separate themselves from the Arizona Diamondbacks over the last 10 games.
But more work remains in the final week of the regular season. The Friars are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card berth. The Cubs hold the advantage, as they took the season series. To claim home field advantage in the Wild Card round, San Diego will have to finish one game ahead of them in the standings at season’s end.
Home field advantage is important
The Padres have been dominant at home this season, carrying a 49-29 record that vastly outshines their 38-40 mark on the road. Yes, the playoffs are a different story, but the team has an all-time playoff reccord of 8-6 at Petco Park.
You want home-field advantage in the Wild Card round because all three games are played at the higher-seeded team’s stadium. If the Friars meet the Cubs again, it is better to host them at Petco Park.
The Padres dynamic duo
What an incredible turnaround for the bats, as they have been sizzling since the All-Star break. The lineup has maintained an impressive .348 team OBP, 373 hits, and 153 walks during this stretch.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has fueled the surge, batting .290 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs. Tatis Jr. is poised to have a better postseason than 2025. He was silent, going 1-for-12 with zero RBIs vs. the Cubs in the Wild Card round.
Another contributor is Ty France (.324, 9 HRs, 30 RBIs, and a .924 OPS), who has exceeded all expectations at the plate. It seemed like every game-tying or game-winning hit came off his bat during the second-half comeback. No question, France can raise his free-agent value with a productive October.
Naturally, the Friars will rely heavily on their production to advance in the postseason.
King has been dominant from start to finish
Michael King struggled to find consistency in the first half, posting a 7-7 mark in 19 starts. But he has found himself and is finishing the season strong. Disregard his hiccup in Los Angeles last night; King allowed just five earned runs in his previous five starts.
Over that span, he went 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA and struck out 24 batters across 32.0 innings pitched. King set the tone for a starting rotation determined to lead the team into the postseason.
The next step for him is to pitch better in October and become a fearless performer who quiets strong playoff lineups. That was why the Padres brought King back to San Diego.
The 2026 season has not been easy, but the Friars have met every challenge put in front of them. Now, the club is on the cusp of playing October baseball.
