Category: MLB

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers

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

The Shed

RHP Nick Martinez vs. RHP Kumar Rocker

Go Rangers!

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

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

USA TODAY Sports has reached out to Guggenheim for comment.

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

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

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

A lucrative TV deal, a position at Guggenheim

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then there's Johnson.

Magic Johnson: Former EquiTrust controlling shareholder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dodgers future: Team not for sale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy the game, everyone!

Lineups

Giants

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

LHP. Matt Wilkinson

Mets

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

RHP. Nolan McLean

Game #142

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

Where: Citi Field, Queens, New York

When: 4:10 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

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

Time: 6:40 Central

Weather: Ever-increasing chance of thunderstorms, 85°

Opponent’s SB site: South Side Sox

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You KNOW who.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Garrett Crochet stats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orioles lineup

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

Red Sox lineup

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

Let’s go O’s!

Mets lineup

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

Nolan McLean – RHP

Giants lineup

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

Matt Wilkinson – LHP

Broadcast info

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

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

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

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

Friday plans! pic.twitter.com/yObWkS7Cn8

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 4, 2026

Tonight's starters at The Yard.

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

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 4, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

Polanco's defensive future

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

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

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

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

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

Young's production 'is real'

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

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

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

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

Mets want more from Semien offensively

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

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

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

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

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

Senga's uncertain future in the 'pen

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

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

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

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

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

Relying on Manaea next season

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was a dismal road trip for the San Diego Padres. The club dropped five of six games and now returns home to Petco Park on the outside of the playoff picture. They aren’t outside it by much (half a game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks), but it hurts. San Diego was viewed as one of the hottest teams in baseball. The Friars have cooled off significantly since then.

Now they’ll turn to the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals at home. The two teams own some of the most potent offenses in all of MLB. San Diego’s pitching staff will need to lock it down if they hope to win either series. Not only that, but the Friars will need to rediscover some slug. They’ve lost it somewhat lately, but could rediscover it against two of the worst bullpens in baseball.

Taking the mound

Max Fried (NYY) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Fried has spent a major part of his sophomore season in New York on the injured list. The lefty has pitched just 90 innings, though Fried has been remarkably effective during that time. The Yankees’ pitcher owns a 2.80 ERA through 16 starts. His strikeout numbers are down a little, but he’s still pitched quite well when he is on the mound.

The left-hander is coming off of an electric month of August. Fried posted a minuscule 1.33 ERA across four starts in the month. That said, his final start was just 3 2/3 innings after missing some more time on the injured list. The Yanks have planned to use Fried alongside Will Warren in a piggyback system for the series opener.

Despite his subpar stat line, Buehler has been one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball. The veteran right-hander has stabilized San Diego’s rotation alongside Michael King. Buehler had some tough stretches, hence his overblown 4.66 ERA, but he’s been fantastic down the stretch. Across his last seven starts, Buehler owns a 3.19 ERA (36.2 IP).

Apart from Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon, the Bronx Bombers don’t have much experience against the righty. The majority of that trio’s experience against Buehler comes due to their tenures in the NL West (Goldschmidt, Dbacks; Grisham, Padres; McMahon, Rockies). The three have a combined batting average of .235 against Buehler.

Batter up!

Despite their tough stretch, the Friars have hit quite well, scoring four or more runs in four of their last six games. They scored three in the other two games. They’ll need to turn it up against New York if they hope to reverse their recent misfortunes.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Dustin Harris, LF
8. Freddy Fermin, C
9. Ethan Salas, DH

With Salas making his MLB debut behind the dish on Wednesday in the series finale, it’s uncertain if he’ll play in the home opener. It seems likely that, if he does, it will be as the designated hitter with Fermin behind the plate, though that remains to be seen.

Relief corps

With starter Casey Mize working through just four innings, the bullpen was taxed a bit on Wednesday. Mize departed having surrendered four runs before Wandy Peralta, David Morgan, Kyle Hart and Jhony Brito covered the rest of the game. All but Morgan surrendered a run.

Now, the bullpen is rested and will hopefully be reset after their off day on Thursday. The readily available options for the Padres are Griffin Canning, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez. Those final three represent San Diego’s highest-leverage options.

Update: The broadcast says the game is now scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch.

---

First things first: there’s rain in Cincinnati, so first pitch will not be at the scheduled 5:10 p.m. start time. It sounds like the rain should move out fairly quickly, though, so hopefully it’ll start by about 6 p.m. We’ll keep you updated.

The Brewers are coming off one of the biggest series of the year, a four-gamer which they split with the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Before facing off with Chicago for a final time during this regular season, Milwaukee makes a quick jaunt to Cincinnati for three games with the Reds.

For the Brewers, they’ll turn to Shane Drohan, who last pitched on Saturday when he beat the Rangers with five innings of one-run ball. Drohan made a pair of starts against the Reds in late June and early July. He worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts in the first of those (Milwaukee would win 6-5), and went 5 2/3 innings while allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in the second game, another Milwaukee win at 4-2.

The Reds are a little bit hot, having won two series in a row and four of their last six games against likely NL playoff teams, the Cubs and the Padres. Still, they’re the caboose in the NL Central, 1.5 games behind the Pirates. Cincinnati’s starting pitcher tonight is the righty Rhett Lowder. Just 24 years old, Lowder was a first-round pick in 2023 and debuted at 22 the following season. He had an impressive cup of coffee with a 1.17 ERA in 30 2/3 innings but missed most of the 2025 season (and all of the major league season) with elbow and oblique injuries. This season, he’s been healthy, but has struggled a bit: in 24 games (21 of which were starts), Lowder has a 5.14 ERA and 4.64 FIP in 112 innings.

In roster news, reliever Joel Kuhnel — who was designated for assignment after the 30-day limit on his rehab assignment expired earlier this week — was claimed by the Giants. Kuhnel made 10 appearances for the Brewers this season, in which he allowed nine runs (seven earned) in 9 2/3 innings. Cheers, Joel, it was fun when you could suddenly throw 99 in Las Vegas.

The calls to move Brice Turang down in the lineup have been heard. Turang is playing tonight, but the struggling second baseman will bat sixth, while the Brewers will try a new lefty at the top of the lineup: Sal Frelick. Jake Bauers bats second, while Christian Yelich is fourth, so the Brewers are cramming lefties at the top of the lineup. Jackson Chourio hits third with William Contreras fifth; Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, and David Hamilton round out the lineup.

As mentioned, first pitch was scheduled for 5:10 p.m. but with rain in Cincinnati, it won’t start then. Right now, they’re saying they’ll meet and talk about it around 4:45, but the rain may be done by 6:00. The game is on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

More NL Central baseball

📺: https://t.co/vfk4xUdTIA
📻: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/FnLoOy0wvX

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 4, 2026

Friday night baseball with the Brewers

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/9H5qryYIsn

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 4, 2026

Coming off a good series in Los Angeles (any winning series there is good), the Cardinals make their only 2026 trip into Denver this weekend for a three-game set. Grandkids will be in tow as I take in these games in person. The Rockies appear to be playing out the string, prepping more for next year than competing this year. But those pesky Cardinals won’t quite go away. If nothing else, this team has shown admiring resilience in the face of adversity. If playing meaningful games in September is instructive, this team should learn a lot about itself. 21 games left. If they can torch the Dodgers the way they did at their place, anything can happen.

The venue

Can’t have a series in Denver without noting the unique park factors that influence the games played. Overall, Coors field adds about 12% more offense than the “average” park. For reference, the next most prolific offensive environment is Fenway Park, which adds 3%. Quite a jump to Coors. An interesting feature of the outfield is that it more the doubles the incidence of … triples, at 207 (100 is average).

Hard hit percentages, xwOBAcon and stuff are just above league average, so it’s not like anyone the ball harder, just that it travels farther (9% more homers) and bounces around a lot larger outfield (all those tripes and 24% more doubles).

The opponent

The Rockies stand at 54-86, second worst record in baseball (1 game better than the hapless Angels), hoping for another high, high draft pick. Not like many of the others have helped much. They need a different strategy. Run prevention is this team’s biggest flaw. Their main focus right now appears to be trying to avoid a fifth straight 100-loss season. In comparison, I feel spoiled being disappointed in a fourth straight non-playoff season.

They are coming off a series win against … the Orioles, who were coming off a good series against…the Cardinals.

Their offense is surprisingly middling given the 12% goose when they get play half their games at Coors. Goodman, Rumfeld and McCarthy are their main offensive threats. Their rotation has been surprisingly stable, but not great as the lowest ERA is 5.38. Lorenzen, Sugano, Freeland and Feltner are their main starters.

The pitching probables

Friday 9.3 – 740pm CDT – Pallante vs. RHP Ryan Feltner (5.84 ERA)

Saturday 9.4 – 710pm CDT – Liberatore vs. RHP Mason Adams (3.00 ERA, a newcomer from the White Sox org)

Sunday 9.5 – 210pm CDT – Leahy (or McGreevy) vs. RHP Tanner Gordon (5.18 ERA)

First things first: there’s rain in Cincinnati, so first pitch will not be at the scheduled 5:10 p.m. start time. It sounds like the rain should move out fairly quickly, though, so hopefully it’ll start by about 6. We’ll keep you updated.

The Brewers are coming off one of the biggest series of the year, a four-gamer which they split with the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Before facing off with Chicago for a final time during this regular season, Milwaukee makes a quick jaunt to Cincinnati for three games with the Reds.

For the Brewers, they’ll turn to Shane Drohan, who last pitched on Saturday when he beat the Rangers with five innings of one-run ball. Drohan started against the Reds once this year, on July 1, and went 5 2/3 innings while allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. Milwaukee won that game 4-2.

The Reds are a little bit hot, having won two series in a row and four of their last six games against likely NL playoff teams, the Cubs and the Padres. Still, they’re the caboose in the NL Central, a game and a half behind the Pirates. Cincinnati’s starting pitcher tonight is the righty Rhett Lowder. Just 24 years old, Lowder was a first-round pick in 2023 and debuted at 22 the following season. He had an impressive cup of coffee with a 1.17 ERA in 30 2/3 innings, but missed most of the 2025 season (and all of the major-league season) with elbow and oblique injuries. This season, he’s been healthy, but has struggled a bit: in 24 games (21 of which were starts), Lowder has a 5.14 ERA and 4.64 FIP in 112 innings.

In roster news, reliever Joel Kuhnel—who was designated for assignment after the 30-day limit on his rehab assignment expired earlier this week—was claimed by the Giants. Kuhnel made 10 appearances for the Brewers this season, in which he allowed nine runs (seven earned) in 9 2/3 innings. Cheers, Joel, it was fun when you could suddenly throw 99 in Las Vegas.

The calls to move Brice Turang down in the lineup have been heard. Turang is playing tonight, but the struggling second baseman will bat sixth, while the Brewers will try a new lefty at the top of the lineup: Sal Frelick. Jake Bauers bats second, while Christian Yelich is fourth, so the Brewers are cramming lefties at the top of the lineup. Jackson Chourio hits third with William Contreras fifth; Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, and David Hamilton round out the lineup.

As mentioned, first pitch was scheduled for 5:10 p.m. but with rain in Cincinnati, it won’t start then. Right now, they’re saying they’ll meet and talk about it around 4:45, but the rain may be done by 6:00. The game is on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

More NL Central baseball

📺: https://t.co/vfk4xUdTIA
📻: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/FnLoOy0wvX

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 4, 2026

Friday night baseball with the Brewers

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/9H5qryYIsn

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 4, 2026