Category: MLB

I’m going to get something off my chest. Any level of baseball where the player gets paid a salary is “professional.” (Name, Image and Likeness money in college doesn’t count.) The Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League are professional leagues. There’s some guy on Twitter that keeps saying a player’s first hit in Myrtle Beach is their “first professional hit!” when they have dozens of professional hits in lower leagues.

I’m not correcting that guy because I don’t post on that site anymore unless I’m asked a direct question. But that guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were capsized by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 6-2.

Justin Steele made his first official appearance in over a year on a rehab start. Steele did well in the first inning but struggled in the second, giving up three runs, but his defense was partly to blame. The final line on Steele was three runs, one earned, on four hits over 1.2 innings. Steele struck out two and walked no one. He threw 36 pitches and 26 were strikes. His fastball averaged only 90.3 miles per hour.

Center fielder Chas McCormick was 2 for 4 with a double, a stolen base and one run scored.

DH Owen Ayers went 2 for 4 with a double.

Hearn did not get an RBI on this double, but it scored a run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were spotted by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 5-1.

Brody McCullough turned in a great start, giving the Smokies five scoreless innings and striking out ten. He allowed just two hits and did not walk anyone.

Marino Santy pitched the seventh inning, gave up three runs and got the loss. Santy allowed just one hit in his one inning, but it was a three-run home run. Santy walked one, hit one and struck out one.

Center fielder Kane Kepley tripled to lead off the bottom of the first inning and scored on an single by right fielder Alex Ramirez. Kepley went 2 for 4 and Ramirez was 1 for 4.

The Smokies had just four hits tonight.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs popped the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 4-3.

Brayden Spears started and threw four scoreless innings. He allowed three hits, waled one and struck out five.

Braylon Myers picked up after that, allowed one run on three hit over the next 3.2 innings, and got the win. He struck out five and walked two.

JP Wheat gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but South Bend had a three-run lead so he got the save. Wheat’s line was two runs on one hit and three walks over 1.1 innings. Wheat also had two wild pitches. But Wheat also struck out three, including the final two batters of the game with the tying run on second.

Catcher Justin Stransky hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning, his sixth on the season. Stransky was 1 for 4.

Third baseman Matt Hallbach was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Hallbach scored on Stransky’s blast.

Right fielder Michael Gupton got his first professional hit (really!) and it was a triple. He was 1 for 3 with a walk, a steal and a run scored.

Stransky’s three-run blast.

Michael Gupton’s first pro hit was a triple.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans turned off the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 6-2.

Hayden Frank started and took the win after giving up two runs on five hits over five innings. One of those hits was a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Frank walked four and struck out four.

The bullpen did not give up a hit or a walk the rest of the way. Ashton Pocol was responsible for the first three innings of that and Jordan Henriquez pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.

Left fielder Caden Sorrell smashed a three-run home run in the third inning, his fourth as a professional. (And yes, that’s true.) Sorrell went 3 for 5 with five overall RBI.

DH Juan Thomas got his first two hits in Low-A, going 2 for 4 with a double. He scored on Sorrell’s home run.

Sorrell’s home run.

Two-run single for Sorrell.

Full highlights.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nick Morabito got the first one out of the way and decided not to stop there.

The rookie waited until his 13th major league at-bat — hardly an eternity, but long enough for a player who debuted with the Mets over three months ago — to finally collect his initial hit. Two innings later Wednesday, he had a multihit game.

Morabito’s seventh-inning double that cleared the previously loaded bases highlighted the Mets’ 10-4 romp over the Rays in the series rubber game at Tropicana Field.

How much had the hitless streak weighed on Morabito?

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t at all,” he said. “It was, so I am glad I got it out of the way.”

Morabito capped his night with a single in the ninth after his diving catch in left field ended the eighth. He began the night on the bench before entering the game as a pinch runner in the sixth.

“Coming off the bench, too — something he hasn’t done a lot in his career,” interim manager Andy Green said. “You don’t do that a ton in the minor leagues, so watching him get a huge hit, driving in three runs, make a diving play and then get another hit for good measure — it’s a special day he won’t forget.”

A going-nowhere team in search of a late-season morale boost has this: a series victory over a first-place opponent.

After failing to attain that baseline of success in their previous three series, all against division leaders, the Mets finally delivered. This one consisted of a strong bullpen performance and an offensive attack that included at least one hit from every starter except Luis Torrens.

The Rays (83-56) began the night with a 4 ½-game lead on the Yankees for the American League East lead, so the Mets provided neighborly assistance for their interborough rival by winning the series. Of course, the Mets will look to undo it when they play at Yankee Stadium next weekend.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

Justin Hagenman, in his season debut, gave the Mets three innings and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk. The right-hander, who spent most of this season rehabbing a rib fracture, was on a low pitch count after only three minor league rehab appearances.

Jared Young’s two-run single in the first inning accounted for the game’s initial scoring. Young, who began the day with an .824 OPS since July 5, had his first career three RBI game last Saturday against the Astros.

Marcus Semien delivered an RBI double behind Young that extended the Mets lead to 3-0 against Griffin Jax.

Brett Baty knocked out Jax in the third inning with a bases-loaded double for three runs. Bo Bichette and A.J. Ewing each had singles in the inning, sandwiched around a walk to Semien.

Jonathan Aranda’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning gave the Rays their run against Hagenman and sliced the Rays deficit to 6-1.

Chris Devenski allowed three earned runs on four hits in the fourth inning. Cedric Mullins delivered an RBI single before Richie Palacios smacked a two-run homer. Devenski was removed after getting only two outs.

In the seventh, Morabito hit a line drive just over third base to clear the bases and extend the Mets lead to 9-4.

“I just have to stay committed to my plan,” Morabito said of his mindset after falling behind 0-2 in the count, “which is to be on time for the heater to see everything else. As long as I do that, I feel I am in a good spot.”

Juan Soto homered in the eighth. The blast was his second since rejoining the team Saturday and 23rd this season.

Purple Row is a fan blog. It’s also a fan blog privileged enough to have access to cover games in person from time to time. Usually when this happens, we talk as a staff about which players the person going to the game should talk to, and what they should ask. This process works, but it’s also limited to the interests of a few people.

Another characteristic about Purple Row is that it’s a community of readers who are every bit as knowledgeable about the Rockies as the staff. So why not turn to the Purple Row hive mind for ideas?

Renee Dechert will be covering the Rockies’ weekend series in Denver. So, who should she talk to? What should she ask? And what’s the story you ultimately want to read? What are you curious about?

Leave your question, questions, or story ideas in the comments. We’ll comb through all of them and pick 3-5 of the most compelling questions and will certainly take note of ideas with a lot of reader recommendations (turn your favorites purple!). Renee will do her best to get the questions to the right people and we’ll write about them over the next few weeks.

Here are some general parameters to think about before you offer your pitch:

• Think about questions that will get interesting answers — while I, too, would really like to know about playing time distribution, asking Warren Schaeffer “Why do you play Jordan Beck so much?” isn’t going to return anything interesting.
• Think about ideas that can be accomplished with one or two interviews that last 3-5 minutes at most — so something about one player’s mechanics, but not the Rockies philosophical and practical approach to mechanical adjustments.
• Ideas don’t have to be about the latest news (see: the story about Jordan Romano’s closer entrance)
• Ideas don’t necessarily have to be about baseball (see: the story about Kyle Karros’ and Cole Carrigg’s friendship)
• Remember the source of information: Difficult questions are welcome, but questions that amount to “Why are you a disappointment?” won’t get very far.

And there’s one other caveat: Sometimes, we can’t talk to players we hope to ask questions of, such as starting pitchers on the day they start. (Baseball players are very busy people who keep to a fairly rigid routine and schedule!) Still, well done our best to find out.

So turn to your friends, your family, your neighbors, and your fellow Rockies fans and brainstorm anything you’ve always wanted to know about your favorite team. Be thoughtful, be creative, and most importantly: Have fun!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Dodgers will try to not fall behind 7-0 in this one.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

It’s game 2 in Los Angeles as the Cardinals take on the billionaires Dodgers Wednesday night. LA will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto while the St. Louis starter is Brycen Mautz. First pitch is scheduled for 9:10pm central time with the game broadcast available via Cardinals.tv.

1. Bryan Torres (L) LF
2. Iván Herrera (R) C
3. Alec Burleson (L) 1B
4. Jordan Walker (R) RF
5. Leo Bernal (S) DH
6. Nolan Gorman (L) 3B
7. José Fermín (R) 2B
8. Nathan Church (L) CF
9. Thomas Saggese (R) SS

LOS ANGELES — One day after allowing seven runs in three innings in his worst start with the Dodgers, Eric Lauer was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation. That opened an active roster spot for Blake Treinen to be activated from the 60-day injured list.

Treinen pitched in seven games on a minor league rehab assignment over two and a half weeks, with one appearance with Class-A Ontario and six games in Triple-A Oklahoma City, after missing two and a half months with right elbow inflammation. He totaled 6 1/3 scoreless inning, with two singles, two walks, and two hit batters with eight strikeouts, culminating with a four-out appearance on Sunday.

“He had a good up-and-down the other day. For us it’s more of he’s here. We’ll see when we activate him,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “I assume we will activate him very soon.”

Because Treinen was on the 60-day injured list, the Dodgers needed to make room on the 40-man roster as well. Will Klein was moved to the 60-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. Klein last pitched on July 31 and was placed on the IL on August 1. This means his regular season has concluded, as Klein isn’t eligible to return until September 30, which is in the middle of the wild card round.

For now on the active roster the Dodgers have four starting pitchers active in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers were already planning to insert a sixth starter this weekend against the Washington Nationals. That will almost certainly be Emmet Sheehan, who has allowed only one run over his last 17 1/3 innings with 24 strikeouts in Triple-A.

If Sheehan slots in Sunday, the Dodgers would still need to fill innings on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds in what would have been Lauer’s next turn in the rotation. They have Justin Wrobleski on the active roster as well and he’s been pitching in relief. Even if he’s not fully stretched out, Wrobleski could conceivably pitch bulk innings of a bullpen game if needed, especially with 14 active pitchers on the roster.

I asked about Gavin Stone as a potential option for the Dodgers, as the right-hander has pitched very well in his rehab assignment to date, with 18 strikeouts against only one walk with two runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings in his four starts. But it sounds like the Dodgers are being cautious with Stone, who has not otherwise pitched since right shoulder surgery in October 2024.

“Gavin’s been good. I think right now — this is not talking to guys in player development — but just getting him to stay upright and stay healthy is a win for 2026,” Roberts said Wednesday. “Is there a chance he could impact us at some point in time in September? Possibly. I just don’t know that answer.”

Stone has not pitched since August 26, when he struck out five in four scoreless innings, and he’s not listed among the starting pitchers this week for Oklahoma City.

The Mets entered Wednesday night’s game with a hope to win an away series against the Rays. They had Justin Hagenman making his return to the major league roster after missing months on the 60-day injured list with a fractured rib. They would be facing Griffin Jax, also making his return from the injured list.

The Mets got off to a blazing start. They had runners on first and second with two outs, and Jared Young hit a single to right field that scored Bo Bichette as the game’s first run. Liam Hicks missed the throw at the plate and the ball bounced away, allowing Carson Benge to score and Young to make it to second. Marcus Semien then hit a double to drive in Young as the Mets third run. A.J. Ewing grounded out to end the inning, but the Mets had taken a nice, roomy early lead.

After a quiet inning and a half, the Mets ignited again in the top of the third. Bichette led off with a single, then stole second after two consecutive outs. Semien walked and Ewing got an infield single to load the bases. Brett Baty hit a monster double off the wall in left field, missing a grand slam by a few feet but driving in three runs to double the Mets lead. He also drove Rays starter Griffin Jax from the game in less than three full innings, with Steven Matz coming in to get the final out and stop the bleeding for the Rays.

The Rays began trying to comeback in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, they got a walk and a single to put two runners on, and Jonathan Aranda hit an RBI single to drive in Taylor Walls as the Rays first run. Hagenman got the final out to end the inning, which was also the end of his night. He went three innings, giving up a run on two hits and a walk while collecting a pair of strikeouts.

Chris Devenski came in for the bottom of the fourth, and he had a rough go of it. A Chandler Simpson single was bookended by the first and second outs of the inning, and a pickoff attempt was unsuccessful after Simpson was deemed to not have run out of the basepath on his way back to first, and a balk was called on Devenski to allow Simpson to advance anyway. Cedric Mullins then hit a single that drove in Simpson as the Rays second run, and Benge committed a throwing error that allowed Mullins to reach second. Richie Palacios then hit a two run home run to bring the Rays within two runs. A Taylor Walls double was the end of the line for Devenski, who ended his night with three runs allowed in 0.2 innings. Dedniel Núñez came in and got the final out of the inning to allow the Mets to escape the nightmarish fourth.

Núñez ended up going 1.1 hitless innings with a strikeout, helping the Mets reach the seventh inning, where the offense exploded once again. Bichette led off with a double, and Benge followed that up with a single to move Bichette to third. Young hit into fielder’s choice with Bichette being thrown out at the plate, driving Rays reliever Cam Booser from the game in favor of Manuel Rodríguez. Semien was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Ewing struck out in what looked to be the makings of a missed opportunity for the Mets offense. But Nick Morabito, brought in to be the defensive replacement in left field, came up to the plate for the first time in the game. He ended up getting his first major league hit, a double to drive in three runs and put the Mets ahead by five runs. Rodríguez struck out Torrens to end the inning but the Mets had opened up another wide lead with little time left for the Rays to mount another comeback.

The Mets had one last run in them, coming in the top of the eighth courtesy of a Juan Soto solo home run. And the Mets bullpen, thanks to Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, and Jonathan Pintaro, held the Rays scoreless for the final frames. They get a day off tomorrow before returning to New York to face the San Francisco Giants in a series that starts Friday night.

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Box scores

MLB.com
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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Nick Morabito, +14% WPA
Big Mets loser: Chris Devenski, -20% WPA
Mets pitchers: +10% WPA
Mets hitters: +40% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Jared Young’s two-run single in the first inning, +18.1% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Richie Palacios’ fourth inning two-run home run, -13.4% WPA

Shohei Ohtani is expected to have an impact on the postseason as the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their quest for a World Series three-peat.

What opportunities Ohtani might have to make an impact remain uncertain.

Ohtani appeared to be trending in the right direction with his pitching progression, but that was put to a halt on Aug. 29. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that the team's two-way star would not be making a return as it was anticipated. The pitcher had thrown a 20-pitch bullpen just the day before.

In a Sept. 2 conversation with reporters, Roberts said the team is still considering shutting down Ohtani, but the Dodgers aren't ready to make that decision.

“I know he is in lockstep with (Mark Prior), the pitching guys, the training staff, but I think for me he has to throw a bullpen, then we will see the next progression,” Roberts said.

Ohtani is expected to remain available as a designated hitter, but hasn't taken the mound as a pitcher in a game since July 3 due to knee inflammation and biceps discomfort.

Ohtani did not pitch during his first season with the Dodgers, after needing a full year to recover from right elbow surgery.

Roberts was also asked about the possibility of Ohtani playing in the outfield, but the manager declared that’s "not on the table.”

The Mets (63-77) took the rubber match of their three-game road series against the Tampa Bay Rays (83-56), 10-4, the final score.

Here are the takeaways...

-- The Amazins wasted no time taking an early lead over Rays right-handed starter Griffin Jax. Juan Soto reached base on a single up the middle, but was retired on a fielder's choice by Bo Bichette. Carson Benge walked to put runners on first and second with two outs, and Jared Young capitalized with an RBI single. Tampa catcher Liam Hicks couldn't hold onto the ball when applying the late tag on Bichette, and the ball skittered away. The error allowed Benge to score and Young to move up to second base on the play. Marcus Semien added to the damage with a double down the left field line to bring Young across home plate, and the Mets were up 3-0.

-- The Mets engineered another two-out rally in the third inning. They loaded the bases after A.J. Ewing hustled out an infield single, and Brett Baty capitalized with a big opposite-field swing which ricocheted off the very top of the wall in left-center field, clearing the bases and knocking Jax out of the game. 

-- 29-year-old righty Justin Hagenman was called on to make the start for the Mets on Wednesday, marking his first MLB appearance of the season. He threw 46 pitches, allowed two hits, walked one batter, and allowed one earned run while striking out two over three full innings. 

-- Right-handed reliever Chris Devenski came in for Hagenman, and had a nightmare outing. After recording two outs in the fourth inning, Devenski unraveled, allowing three earned runs on three hits, including a two-run homer off the bat of Richie Palacios. Taylor Walls extended the inning with a double to force Mets interim skipper Andy Green to call on Dedniel Núñez to strand the runner in scoring position and hold the Mets' 6-4 lead.

-- Bichette led off the seventh inning with a double off the foot of the wall in right-center field. With the bases loaded and nobody out, rookie left fielder Nick Morabito stepped into the box for his first turn at the plate. He cleared the bases with a looping line drive into the left-field corner, his first career hit.

-- The Mets wouldn't relinquish their lead, and closed out the final three frames of the ballgame without surrendering a run thanks to strong relief pitching from Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, and Jonathan Pintaro. Along the way, Soto mashed a solo shot, his 23rd round-tripper on the season, to extend New York's lead to 10-4.

Game MVP: Whoever was batting eighth!

Baty began the game as the eighth batter in the Mets' order, and his three-run double padded the team's early cushion. Mark Vientos pinch-hit for Baty to face left-handed reliever Cam Booser and stroked a single. Morabito pinch-ran for Vientos and, in his first time at the plate, faced right-handed reliever Manuel Rodriguez, and he replicated Baty's earlier feat with yet another two-out three-run double, a moment he'll cherish for a lifetime. Morabito kept his momentum rolling in the ninth inning with a line drive single. 

Collectively, the eighth man in the Mets lineup batted 4-for-5 with six RBI on the night. 

Highlights

Jared Young opens the scoring for the Mets!

Carson Benge comes home with the second run as the ball gets away at the plate! pic.twitter.com/KmbXC2KW7v

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

Marcus Semien doubles home the third Mets run of the first inning 💪 pic.twitter.com/PHwmSTul5d

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

Brett Baty runs down the fly ball and runs into the netting along the left field line 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qxxTNXr3kJ

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

BRETT BATY CLEARS THE BASES!

6-0 METS! pic.twitter.com/Vd6dBkEAs6

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

Brett Baty makes the leaping catch in front of the left field wall! pic.twitter.com/t6o3jvdVDY

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

NICK MORABITO'S FIRST BIG LEAGUE HIT IS A THREE-RUN DOUBLE! pic.twitter.com/w8yoL21Zat

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

23 FOR 22.

Juan Soto's 23rd home run of the season! 💣 pic.twitter.com/m240rN6yYG

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

NICK MORABITO LAYS OUT FOR THE CATCH! pic.twitter.com/mhx6jodtfv

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

What's next

The Mets travel to San Francisco to take on the Giants in a three-game series, with first pitch for Friday's game set for 7:10 p.m. EST.

New York will send out Nolan McLean (3.06 ERA, 1.12 WHIP in 155.2 IP).

The Giants have not yet announced their starter.

The Yankees rebounded from their ugly loss in the opener to level the series against the Angels with a 7-3 victory. Spencer Jones and Jazz Chisholm Jr. continued to power the offense, their bats heating up at just the right time. New York has just the man they want on the mound to go for the series win as Cam Schlittler looks to stick another pin in his AL Cy Young case.

Schlittler is coming off one of his most important starts of the year. It was a bit of a weird one — he allowed just two hits in 5.2 scoreless innings while also becoming the fourth-youngest Yankee to record 200 strikeouts in a season, but also tied a career high with five walks. Nonetheless, it spearheaded a big win over the Red Sox to keep the rivals at arm’s length in the division. Keep an eye out for Schlittler to keep upping the usage of his curveball, an offering that he has turned into a true unicorn pitch in baseball. In 28 starts, Schlittler is 12-6 with a 2.09 ERA (202 ERA+), 2.63 FIP, and 201 strikeouts in 163.2 innings pitched.

Reid Detmers was widely expected to be traded at the deadline alongside since dealt rotation mate José Soriano, but he ended up staying put. He has yo-yoed between the rotation and bullpen the last three seasons but really nailed down a starting role this year. He’s got one of the best sliders in baseball from a run value standpoint, the pitch inducing a 35.3-percent whiff rate and 38-percent strikeout rate. The southpaw faced the Yankees on April 14th, holding them to a run on four hits while striking out nine in seven innings. In 27 starts, Detmers is 4-8 with a 3.54 ERA (116 ERA+), 3.20 FIP, and 174 strikeouts in 155 innings.

Both Jones and Jazz are sporting a wRC+ of at least 150 over the last month or so, the pair a big part of the offense’s turnaround in August. Otherwise, the Yankees make four changes to last night’s lineup with the lefty on the mound. Paul Goldschmidt plays first and leads off giving Luis García Jr. the night off. Heliot Ramos comes in to play right sliding Jones to center and Trent Grisham to the bench. Amed Rosario replaces Ryan McMahon at third and Ali Sánchez subs in for Austin Wells behind the plate.

The Angels meanwhile make just one change to their lineup, Travis D’Arnaud getting the start at catcher over Tyler Heineman. Zach Neto and Wade Meckler have had big series for the Angels so far. They form the top of the batting order sandwiched around the ever-dangerous Mike Trout which, if silenced, makes the job a whole lot easier for Schlittler.

How to watch

Location: Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA

First pitch: 9:38 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, ABTV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | KLAA 830, KWKW 1330 (LAA)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

The Dodgers made an expected roster move on Wednesday, activating reliever Blake Treinen from the injured list.

In an unexpected twist, however, the Dodgers announced that starting pitcher Eric Lauer was going on the injured list in a corresponding move, leaving a Dodgers rotation once blessed with ample depth suddenly short on arms for the stretch run of the season.

Lauer’s IL stint came a day after he was knocked around for seven runs in three innings during a 13-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

According to the team, the veteran left-hander is dealing with elbow inflammation, making him the third Dodgers starter to land on the IL in recent weeks.

Last month, Justin Wrobleski went down with forearm inflammation. And though he made a quick return to rejoin the club on Tuesday, he has been shifted to the bullpen for the rest of the season as he works to rectify his recent problems with giving up long balls.

Last week, Roki Sasaki was sidelined with a blister on his right middle finger. And while he could be ready to return as soon as next weekend’s trip to Miami, the Dodgers are still deciding whether he will also shift to the bullpen –– where, like Wrobleski, he is most likely to have a role in the playoffs.

Over this past weekend, Shohei Ohtani was forced into a change of plans to his pitching progression, too, having his expected return to the mound on Sunday scuttled because of ongoing discomfort with his knee and biceps injuries.

Those losses had left the Dodgers operating with only a five-man rotation, rather than the six-man group they’ve used all season. Because of that, they were already planning to call up a pitcher –– likely Emmet Sheehan, who was demoted to triple-A a month ago amid season-long problems with his mechanics –– to make a spot start this weekend.

Now, they will need to find a more permanent replacement to complement their current starting core of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, especially as they battle for a top-two National League playoff seed over the rest of the regular season.

In the meantime, Treinen’s return will at least give the club’s bullpen another experienced option; albeit, one who has struggled to find much consistency over two injury-plagued campaigns the past two years.

Treinen has been out since mid-June with elbow inflammation, marking the second straight season he has dealt with issues in his elbow or forearm.

Prior to getting hurt, he had a 3.52 ERA in 29 appearances this year. That represented an improvement from the career-worst 5.40 ERA he suffered in 2025, but was still far off the elite form he has displayed for much of his Dodgers career.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Treinen’s return from the 60-day IL, the Dodgers had to make another roster maneuver, transferring injured reliever Will Klein onto the 60-day as he continues to recover from his own elbow problem.

That move will rule Klein out for the rest of the regular season (he originally went on the IL on Aug. 1). He will still be eligible for the team’s postseason roster, but his availability remains uncertain and dependent upon his health.

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It’s not much, but it’s a start, for Bryce Miller and the Mariners.

The Mariners took a series in Boston on Wednesday with a solid 8-3 win. Bryce Miller got the start for the first time since his no-good, very-bad week, and did all that was asked of him, handing the ball to the bullpen with a lead. The Mariners offense did something we haven’t seen much in 2026, stringing together 12 hits and five walks and applying constant pressure to Red Sox pitchers, who simply couldn’t handle it. The Mariners somehow, someway salvaged their road trip, and return home with a shiny 2-0 record in September.

It was Miller’s first start since being demoted to the bullpen last week. He never actually appeared in a game as a reliever because Emerson Hancock got hurt shortly after the decision, which allowed Miller to slot back into the rotation after nine days of rest. If anybody on the team needed a break, it was probably Miller, whose last two starts ended 22-0 and 19-2.

I was interested to see how the Mariners would manage Miller after acknowledging he wasn’t holding up as a true starter. We kind of got the answer: Dan Wilson pulled Miller at just 65 pitches in the middle of the fifth inning while holding a 4-1 lead. The start looked more like his abbreviated outings from May, albeit without the bullpen-saving piglet on his shoulders.

But Miller didn’t exactly recapture the dominance from his former piggyback role. He was in trouble from the jump, putting runners on with back-to-back singles in the first. It looked like the Red Sox would score on a third single, but Randy Arozarena came up firing and just caught Mickey Gasper at the plate (with a nice tag from Jhonny Pereda):

Miller set down the side in order in the second inning, and easily worked around a single in the third. The fourth wasn’t so simple. Wilyer Abreu doubled off the Monster to lead off the inning. Miller got an out, then walked a batter, then got an out, then gave up a dinky ground rule double to score a run. This was kind of a make-or-break moment, and Miller completely broke Connor Wong’s brain with a sweeper way out of the zone for a swinging strike three.

Miller returned for the fifth inning to face the top of the order a third time. Roman Anthony singled to lead off. Gasper hit a little flare that nearly landed for hit, if not for Arozarena’s second Gasper-thwarting gem of the day — a diving-ish effort that left him breathless for a few beats.

Miller got the second out in the fifth inning with a grounder, then Wilson came out to get him. The decision made some sense. Miller has really struggled in the middle innings and later. For whatever reason, whether that be health or stuff or God, he entered Wednesday with a 10.57 ERA and 7.07 FIP on the third pass through the lineup in 2026. It’s been an issue dating back to last year, and really calls into question his long-term status as a starter. That’s why he was such a great candidate for the piggyback setup. With Abreu already two-for-two against Miller, and José Ferrer presenting a favorable platoon matchup out of the bullpen, Wilson decided to call it before things could sour. Miller finished at 4 2/3 innings, seven hits, one run, one walk, three strikeouts, and five whiffs. That’s not great, but it’s nice to see him get through a game without making any national headlines.

Of course, we also saw why it’s not ideal to pull a starter early. Wilson turned to Ferrer to face Abreu, and Ferrer immediately gave up a double to put runners on second and third. Ferrer eventually escaped, but Wilson still found himself with four innings to cover with one of the worst bullpens in the majors. He turned to Michael Rucker, arguably one of his best options (I know, I know), to try and hold an 8-1 lead. Rucker cruised through the sixth inning, but gave up a pair of runs in the seventh on a solo homer and back-to-back doubles.

This looked like the makings of a classic “no lead is safe at Fenway” kind of game, but Seranthony Dominguez pitched a clean eighth, and Cooper Criswell pitched a clean ninth to seal a relatively comfortable 8-3 win. The game was managed better than it was pitched, but ultimately everyone did their job.

The lineup did their job, too. Patrick Sandoval got the start for the Red Sox, as the sort of crafty lefty that seems to give the Mariners fits. They put up a four spot and chased him midway through the fifth inning, then put up a four-spot against his replacement Brayan Bello (who’s having a season not dissimilar to Miller’s).

The Mariners didn’t homer in this one. In fact, their only extra base hit was a double from Dominic Canzone. Instead, they strung together 11 singles and five walks and always seemed to have someone on base. It’s the type of performance that doesn’t summarize well in text, because it was just single after single after single. The hardest single was a 107 mph line drive from Julio in the third that scored a run to make it 2-0. The softest single came on the next batter, a 68 mph flare from Josh Naylor that scored two more runs (thanks in part to a throwing error from Jarren Duran). 

The Mariners now return to Seattle after a 2-4 road trip. I wrote after Sunday’s brutal — and I mean brutal — loss to Old Man Scherzer that I wasn’t sure if Wilson would make it back home as manager. That seemed about right following another hard-feelings, extra-innings loss on Monday, which punctuated one of the worst months in team history. 

But the Mariners have pulled off commanding, back-to-back wins to steal a series in Boston. They’re now 2-0 in September, and face the easiest strength of schedule in the majors the rest of the way. It’s going to take something close to perfection to win the division, or even finish above .500. Nevertheless, everything remains in front of them. The 2026 Mariners aren’t dead yet.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jonah Tong appears set for his next chance with the Mets.

The rookie is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse next week and pitch for the Mets during their series in Miami, according to an organizational source.

Tong, 23, has dominated in his past four starts for Syracuse, pitching to a 0.84 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks over 21 ¹/₃ innings in that stretch. Tong carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his Aug. 29 start. He finished with one hit and two walks allowed over seven innings.

Interim manager Andy Green, before the Mets beat the Rays 10-4 on Wednesday, indicated that if Tong joins the team it will likely be as part of an extended rotation.

“We have been paying attention to Jonah’s outings and we think positively about what he’s done,” Green said.

Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton and Christian Scott are aligned to face the Giants the next three games, beginning Friday at Citi Field.

Justin Hagenman was added to the rotation Wednesday, allowing extra rest for Scott.

Tong, the organization’s second-rated pitching prospect by MLB Pipeline, was briefly with the Mets earlier this season, pitching to a 3.60 ERA in three appearances in a bulk relief role.

Tong debuted for the Mets last season, pitching to a 7.71 ERA in five starts.

“When Jonah is in the strike zone and he’s on the attack and he’s letting his best stuff play, he usually has a lot of success,” Green said.

Devin Williams has begun playing catch — his first throwing since he was placed on the injured list Aug. 8 with a shoulder strain.

Green said he didn’t have a timetable for a rehab schedule for Williams, whose closer’s spot has been filled by Kodai Senga.

Green indicated it’s possible Juan Soto will return to playing left field when the Mets return home this weekend. Soto on Wednesday started his fourth game as the DH since returning from the injured list and went 2-for-5 with a solo home run.

Dylan Ross was optioned to Syracuse — clearing roster space for Hagenman — a day after pitching a scoreless inning in relief in his major league debut.

Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt completed his second rehab start on Wednesday, as he makes his way back to the big league club.

While it was an overall success, Schmidt pitched into trouble in the first inning. After getting the first two outs, Lehigh Valley picked up back-to-back hits, the second being a double, to score the game's first run. Schmidt bounced back by getting Alex Binelas to fly out and strand a runner on second. 

But that's all Schmidt would allow. In his second inning of work, Schmidt struck out two in a 1-2-3 frame to end his night.

Schmidt tossed 23 pitches (20 strikes), allowing one run on two hits and no walks across his two innings of work while striking out three batters. 

Wednesday was an improvement on Schmidt's first rehab start. Pitching with Double-A Somerset on Aug. 29, Schmidt tossed just 20 pitches, allowing two runs on two hits in 0.2 innings while striking out two. 

It's unclear if this will be Schmidt's final rehab start as the right-hander makes his way back from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old said he felt good after his first rehab start and expects to be stretched out enough to pitch out of the bullpen when he's activated. 

"Today was a lot sharper, I felt like,"  Schmidt said after the game. "Obviously in the first inning I gave up a couple of hits on the sinker. There’s different things I’m working on. The sinker I’m continuing to work on. The cutter was sharp and a lot of swing-and-miss on the four-seam."

Schmidt said Wednesday that he's just trying to get the rust off after 400-plus days on the shelf, and execute his pitches, but is also mindful of the transition to the bullpen and is trying to make those adjustments in these rehab starts. 

“There’s a lot of different factors when you’re relieving," Schmidt said. "You go straight from the bullpen to jog in, lot less throws in the bullpen. Not as long of a sit-down period. Just getting used to those adjustments, just trying to make the transition as easy as possible." 

With the injury to Fernando Cruz, the Yankees are looking to piece together a bullpen of former starters, which includes Schmidt and Luis Gil, who was activated this week. 

🎙️ #Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt discusses his rehab outing with SWB after more than 400 days since he’s been on the mound.

Schmidt’s Final Line:
2.0 IP | 3 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 0 BB | 3 K pic.twitter.com/qwM4ICGvsw

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) September 3, 2026

The Dodgers finish off their home series against the St. Louis Cardinals with Tarik Skubal on the mound on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

Skubal in his first month with the Dodgers had a 3.00 ERA in five starts and 30 innings, with 37 strikeouts (a 30.6-percent strikeout rate) against only seven walks, and two home runs allowed. This will also be Skubal’s first Dodgers start with Will Smith behind the plate, but not his first time pitching to Smith. On March 7 at Daikin Park in Houston, Skubal allowed a solo home run in three innings and struck out five against Great Britain.

Left-hander Quinn Mathews is expected to be on the mound for the Cardinals, making his fifth major league start. Expect Tommy Edman to be back at second base after a few games in center field to begin the series.

Thursday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)