Category: MLB

The Brewers started their series against the Dodgers last night with a big comeback win. After being swept in San Diego, it was not looking good as they were down two in the ninth inning last night. However, a three-run inning capped a comeback for them as they took the series opener. The Brewers will try to build off that tonight in game two against the Dodgers.

Robert Gasser makes the start tonight for the Brewers. He’s coming off of a shorter start against the Twins, where he allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings. This is Gasser’s second start this season against the Dodgers. In his first start against them, he allowed four runs on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings, striking out four. So far this season, he has a 4.57 ERA and 4.51 FIP. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since the All-Star Break, and has allowed three or fewer runs in 10 of his 13 starts.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers will turn to their top starter, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Over 21 starts this season, he has a 2.65 ERA, 3.43 FIP, and 127 strikeouts compared to 32 walks. Yamamoto is coming off of a shorter start, pitching just 5 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks. He did not allow any runs, but allowed three hits and three walks while striking out six. The Brewers faced him back in March, and scored just one run off of him in seven innings. He allowed seven hits and one walk in that start while striking out three.

There’s good news and bad news on the injury front tonight. The bad news is that the bullpen took another hit, with Abner Uribe being placed on the IL with a right forearm flexor strain. It’s not a serious injury, as the images on it came back clean. It will be a few days of rest for him before he returns to throwing. Grant Anderson was recalled to fill his roster spot.

Meanwhile, there are other positive injury updates. Brice Turang remains day-to-day and can hit, but tomorrow will be a critical day to decide if an IL stint is needed. Meanwhile, Sal Frelick is making progress on his rehab assignment and could return soon if play in the field goes well. Frelick is playing in right field for Nashville tonight and hit a home run in the game. Finally, Cooper Pratt is also recovering well and will only need a near minimum IL stint, but will need a rehab assignment.

Most of the same players are in the lineup, but it has been shifted around a bit. Garrett Mitchell is leading off with Jackson Chourio behind him. Jake Bauers is back at first base and batting first, while Andrew Vaughn remains at third base and bats fourth. Christian Yelich and William Contreras move up to fifth and sixth in the lineup, and Luis Lara is back in the lineup batting seventh. David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz fill out the lineup.

First pitch is at 9:10 p.m. It will be on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

Tyler Glasnow made his third minor league rehab start on Friday night for Triple-A Oklahoma City, and this was his best yet. Glasnow struck out eight batters in 3 2/3 innings against the Albuquerque Isotopes, a Colorado Rockies affiliate.

Glasnow only allowed three balls in play among his 13 batters faced, and didn’t allow a ball hit into the outfield until a harmless flyout in the fourth inning. He walked two and ran a few other deep counts, getting him pulled at 67 pitches, one out shy of the planned four innings.

Isotopes hitters had trouble with Glasnow’s secondary pitches. He threw his slider, knuckle curve, and curveball a total of 23 times, and induced seven of his 11 total swinging strikes on those pitches.

Despite the relatively short outing, Glasnow tied an Oklahoma City season high with eight strikeouts, last done by Emmet Sheehan on Wednesday.

This was the third rehab start for Glasnow, who has been out since May 8 with back spasms. The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings on August 4 with Class-A Ontario, then went 2 2/3 innings last Sunday with Oklahoma City. Thus far Glasnow has allowed only a run on two hits and three walks, with three strikeouts.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday at Dodger Stadium that Glasnow is expected to make one more minor league rehab start after this one, during which he will stretch out to roughly five innings and 75 pitches, before potentially returning to the Dodgers.

Much like when activating Blake Snell earlier this week, the Dodgers will need a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, because Glasnow is on the 60-day injured list. But that return looks much more tangible now than it did two weeks ago.

Colorado enters Friday night at 48-73, two games behind the 50-71 Giants for fourth place in the NL West. The Rockies went 1-2 in St. Louis, then took two of three from Arizona before Thursday’s off day, leaving them 3-3 through the first six games of the trip.

This is also the final series between Colorado and San Francisco in 2026. The season series is tied 5-5, and the Giants have outscored the Rockies by only four runs across those 10 games.

San Francisco spent June and July hovering around .500, going 24-27 with a minus-3 run differential. August has looked different. The Giants are 3-8 this month, their injured list is crowded and the roster has thinned since the trade deadline.

Rafael Devers provides the most obvious threat with 24 home runs. His .467 slugging percentage ranks among the top 40 hitters in baseball, so there is real thump in the bat, but it comes with a less imposing .788 OPS. Beyond Devers, there is not much power in the lineup.

But there is still enough competence to turn mistakes and free baserunners into runs, which makes Kyle Freeland’s command especially important tonight.

Freeland enters at 3-10 with a 6.63 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 96 strikeouts across 112.2 innings.

In his last start against St. Louis, he allowed three runs across 4.1 innings, but only one was earned after a two-out passed ball extended the bottom of the first inning and led to a two-run double. From there, the contact was mostly manageable — five hits, three hard-hit balls and an 83.7 mph average exit velocity on 16 balls in play — but he also walked three hitters.

Freeland’s command has generally remained one of his strengths. His 5.1% walk rate ranks among the best in baseball, while his cutter and sweeper have been the strongest parts of his six-pitch arsenal.

While it would be great for Freeland to continue avoiding the hard contact that has so often plagued him, he must return to keeping walks off the board against a potentially pesky Giants offense tonight.

Taking the ball opposite Freeland is 27-year-old righty Landen Roupp.

Roupp enters at 7-11 with a 4.22 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 123 strikeouts across 123.2 innings.

Roupp allowed only one earned run across 5.1 innings in his last start despite walking five and striking out only three. Even with all that traffic, hitters produced just two hard-hit balls on 15 balls in play with a 79.6 mph average exit velocity.

That is, in part, how Roupp has survived the walks.

Roupp can absolutely strike hitters out, but he is not an overpowering strikeout pitcher. His 23.6% strikeout rate is only a little above league average, while his 25.3% whiff rate is almost exactly league average. He has still recorded 123 strikeouts across 123.2 innings.

His real separator comes when hitters do make contact. Roupp has allowed an 86.1 mph average exit velocity with a 29.0% hard-hit rate and 4.2% barrel rate, all comfortably better than league average, while generating ground balls at a 51.8% clip.

He works from a low arm slot and relies on movement. His sinker has strong arm-side run and drop, and he pairs it heavily with a changeup against left-handed hitters. Against righties, the curveball becomes a bigger part of the plan. It has generated a 34.9% whiff rate this season and gives Roupp a legitimate put-away pitch. He is also comfortable repeating pitches rather than falling into an obvious hard-soft pattern.

Recently recalled Zac Veen starts in right field after going 1-for-3 with a strikeout in his return to the major league lineup on Wednesday. His lone hit was not a quiet one: Veen drove a 104.7 mph home run 407 feet to right-center field.

Connor Norby makes his third straight start at second base and is still looking for his first hit with the Rockies. He is 0-for-5 with two walks and two strikeouts through seven plate appearances, but the contact has been better than the line, including balls hit at 99.4 and 101.6 mph.

Jake McCarthy leads the Rockies on Fridays with a .328 average, .949 OPS and .597 slugging percentage through 18 Friday games. His seven doubles and five stolen bases also lead the team on Fridays.

In a late-night tilt at Oracle Park, tonight’s game may come down not to who creates the most chances, but to who makes the most of them.

The details…

First Pitch: 8:15 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Giants SB Nation Site: McCovey Chronicles

Lineups:

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Before the 2025 season even came to a close, there were a few things people around baseball knew.

• The Royals needed outfield help.
• The Royals coveted Taylor Ward
• The Angels were finally willing to part with him at a price the Royals could pay.
• The Royals “had depth” at starting pitching

Quickly, the rumored trade became Kris Bubic for Taylor Ward. It was only a matter of time. But then something weird happened. On November 19th, Taylor Ward was traded to a 2024 Wild Card team that had missed in 2025 for a pitcher who had shown flashes of brilliance but had been hurt far too often. Except it was to the Orioles for Grayson Rodriguez instead of to the Royals for Kris Bubic.

Rumor has it that the Angels had actually agreed to the latter deal but backed out of it when the Orioles offered Rodriguez. As a Royals fan, it’s easy to assume the Angels ended up making the better deal. But Bubic has actually been worth far more than Rodriguez this season as both have continued to deal with injuries; at least Bubic had a handful of high-quality starts before his problems began. Rodriguez has a 7.20 ERA thanks to a lack of command or control this season, leading to walks and home runs aplenty.

It’s difficult to say whether Taylor Ward would have been enough to keep the Royals afloat this year. It seems unlikely given that injuries overwhelmed the team after the rough start. But he wouldn’t have hurt the team. So, yeah, I’m hoping for a little revenge in Anaheim of Los Angeles tonight.

There’s very little in the way of positive results for Rodriguez so far this season. He throws a four-seamer that averages 96 MPH, a changeup, a slider, and a curveball. His changeup gets above-average whiffs, and that’s about it. All of his pitches get hit hard. He throws the fastball, which grades well even if the results aren’t there, more than half the time. The changeup mostly gets thrown to lefties, the slider mostly to righties, and the curveball barely gets used either way.

Seth Lugo, the Royals starter for tonight, couldn’t be more different if he tried. We all know what he’s about, but let’s check out the pitching summary page for him as a refresher anyway.

His summary includes more pitches than I’ve ever seen listed before. It’s just too bad there’s so much dang blue. He throws every single breaking pitch I’ve ever heard of, minus the screwball and knuckle-curve. And for all I know, the knuckle-curve gets folded into the normal curveball there. He also throws every variety of fastball. He doesn’t throw a splitter, a palmball, a vulcan-change, a kick-change, a knuckleball, or a forkball. And you almost have to wonder why he hasn’t folded variations on all of those pitches into his repertoire as well. Or, well, maybe he has, and he just doesn’t throw them often enough for them to be included on this already number-littered image.

Lineups

Facing a right-hander for the first time in nearly a week, the Royals have put Carter Jensen and his .299 OBP back in the leadoff spot. For what it’s worth, he leads the team with 4.12 pitches per plate appearance, 20th in MLB. He’s also in the 75th percentile for chase and 61st percentile in walk rate. The problem is that he’s only in the 19th percentile in whiff rate and 10th percentile in strikeout rate. So, basically, there are arguments on both sides of him batting leadoff. Since he enjoys it, the at-bats can only help his development, and wins and losses don’t matter at this point, I’m all for letting him do it.

With Salvador Perez out of the lineup after Wednesday’s injury, Carter Jensen is back behind the dish, and Josh Rojas will be the Designated Hitter. You all know I love me some Josh Rojas: Designated Hitter. Nick Loftin, who might have the least raw power on the team (it’s between him, Tyler Tolbert, and Luke Maile; the other two aren’t in the lineup), will bat cleanup.

The battle between the Dodgers and Brewers shifts to national television on Saturday afternoon, with a pair of All-Star starting pitchers on the mound on Fox.

Jacob Misiorowski is the National League Cy Young Award favorite, leading the majors in ERA (1.76), xERA (1.93), strikeouts (204), strikeout rate (40.6 percent) and strikeout-minus-walk rate (34.6 percent).

Justin Wrobleski is trying to turn around a rough three start stretch during which he has allowed nine home runs, leading to 16 runs allowed (15 earned) in 13 2/3 innings.

Joe Davis will call Saturday’s game for Fox, in the booth with John Smoltz and with reporter Ken Rosenthal also on the broadcast.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Brewers
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 4:15 p.m.
• TV: Fox
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

TORONTO — Heliot Ramos knows why the Yankees acquired him at the trade deadline: to help lift up a scuffling offense. 

The outfielder has been eager to do just that. Except in his first handful of games with his new team, despite hitting the ball hard, he has not gotten much in the way of results, which is where human nature starts to kick in and perhaps work against him to an extent. 

“Probably just trying to do too much,” Ramos said Friday at Rogers Centre. “Because I see the ones that I hit not landing. I feel like you’re going to get out — things happen, baseball happens, you’re going to get out. So whenever that happens, I’ve tried to do too much and that’s when the strikeouts happen.” 

Entering Friday’s game against the Blue Jays, Ramos was batting 2-for-25 with two doubles, 10 strikeouts and three walks in his first eight games as a Yankee. That included being 0-for-6 with two walks against lefties, whom the right-handed hitter had been brought in to mash. 

In the extremely small sample size, Ramos has struck out at a higher rate (33.3 percent) than he did with the Giants (26.8 percent), which he was quick to point out. 

“That kind of sucks for me,” he said. “But when I hit it, I hit it. So I’ve been feeling pretty good. I just have to stay within myself. I haven’t been chasing a lot, so that’s something I like. I just want to stay positive, stay consistent with it.” 

The underlying numbers have been more encouraging. 

On the 15 balls he has put in play as a member of the Yankees, Ramos’ average exit velocity was 93.8 mph, a tick up from his season average (92 mph) that ranks in the 88th percentile. Of the seven balls he had hit at 95 mph or higher — registering as hard-hit balls — six had gone for outs. 

“OK, for not having any results, really,” manager Aaron Boone said of Ramos’ at-bats. “He’s squaring the ball up a fair amount. He’s just got to get some to fall and get him going, get him settled a little bit more. I haven’t felt like, ‘Oh man, he’s struggling,’ even though he obviously hasn’t gotten results. Because there’s been a number of balls he’s hit on the screws, lined out to right, lined out to center some. 

“He’s having competitive at-bats. He’s had some tough matchups in there along the way as well. He doesn’t feel like a guy that’s scuffling to me.” 

On the day he acquired Ramos, Brian Cashman indicated the outfielder was going to get everyday at-bats in August while the Yankees tried to get healthy. Cody Bellinger appears to be the closest (of himself, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge) to coming back, potentially going out on a rehab assignment by next week before a return, at which point Ramos could slide into a platoon role in right field. 

The Yankees have been playing Ramos in left field so far to help him get settled after the trade — since that is where he had predominantly played with the Giants this season — though he is expected to make the move to right field once Bellinger gets back. 

In the meantime, the 26-year-old Ramos is just trying to get his feet underneath him, 11 days removed from the trade that upended his baseball journey and threw him squarely into a playoff race. 

“It’s definitely strange,” Ramos said. “A lot going on, for sure. I feel like I haven’t had the time to sit back and just enjoy where I’m at right now. I have been trying to work and produce. I just want to bring the help. So everything has kind of been quick for me. But I’m getting there.”

Texas Rangers @ West Sacramento Athletics

Friday, August 14, 2026, 8:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / CW33)

Sutter Health Park

RHP Kumar Rocker vs. LHP Gage Jump

Go Rangers!

After getting the day off yesterday, the Athletics are back in action tonight, opening a three-game weekend series against the Texas Rangers. The A’s enter the series with the worst record in baseball, a record highlighted by their dreadful 21-39 home mark—the second straight season in which the Green and Gold have failed to win games at Sutter Health Park.

A’s left-hander Gage Jump will face the Rangers for the first time in his young career, seeking to end his team’s losing streak for the second straight start. The 23-year-old enters his 15th major league appearance with a 5-7 record, a 4.46 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP and 84 strikeouts over 72 2/3 innings.

Over his last four starts, Jump has alternated between good and bad performances. In his most recent outing against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, the southpaw earned the win after allowing two runs on six hits over six innings while striking out 11. His previous start, which was his most recent home performance, did not go as well. Facing the Detroit Tigers, Jump allowed six runs on four hits and six walks in 3 2/3 innings.

That pattern could point toward another difficult outing from Jump tonight, which would put the Athletics in a tough spot. Following two consecutive poor starts from other members of the rotation, the Green and Gold need Jump to deliver a second straight quality start. The less the team has to rely on its league-worst bullpen, the better its chances of winning.

Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup stacks up for the series opener against their divisional foe:

The A’s lineup has been decimated by injuries, with sluggers Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz and Brent Rooker all on the injured list. That said, this lineup gives the A’s their best chance to score some runs and win tonight.

Third baseman Zack Gelof returned from injury like he never left, hitting home runs in two of his first three games back. Right fielder Lawrence Butler is also heating up, looking to make it three straight games with a home run.

If the A’s want to win today, they must get contributions up and down the order. Shortstop Jacob Wilson, batting second, needs to show more patience by waiting for pitches he can drive rather than swinging at everything. His aggressive approach is limiting his ability to make an impact, contributing to a batting average well below what he posted during his impressive rookie season last year.

Meanwhile, Kumar Rocker will make the start for Texas. The 26-year-old right-hander enters his 23rd appearance and 21st start of the season with a 4-9 record, a 4.46 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and 103 strikeouts over 111 innings. Rocker struggled in his last start against the Baltimore Orioles, taking the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits in just three innings.

This will be Rocker’s third start against the Athletics this season. He faced the Green and Gold twice in April, going 0-1 and allowing two runs in each outing. The current Athletics roster has hit .378 against Rocker in a limited 43 plate appearances, reaching base 19 times on 14 hits and 5 walks. Will that success continue this evening, or will Rocker find a way to neutralize the Athletics’ offense?

And Texas’ lineup:

Having been shut out last night in Anaheim, the Rangers will look to push runs across against the A’s struggling pitching staff. Veterans Brandon Nimmo and Corey Seager are threats from the left side of the plate, while first baseman Jake Burger, who hit three home runs when the Rangers came to Sacramento earlier this season, will look to do more damage at this hitter-friendly ballpark.

Let’s get back to our winning ways and send the Rangers to their fourth straight defeat. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics -Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

Juan Soto played at least 150 games in every full major league season he had appeared in before this season. 

Now deep into his second IL stint because of a calf strain this season — this one to his left calf — Soto said again Friday he expects to be back this year. 

He added that dealing with these calf issues actually will pay dividends down the road. 

“It sucks,’’ Soto said before the Mets’ Friday’s series opener against the Nationals at Citi Field. “It’s tough for me, tough to lose so many games [to injury]. I’ve never been on this side of it.” 

But he noted the potential silver lining: “It’s good for me, for my career, for the long [term]. It will teach me a lot of things to adjust in training [and] conditioning, to keep moving forward in a positive way.’’ 

Still just 27, Soto was productive while healthy with the Mets this season, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in contention. 

Soto did some pregame agility work at Citi Field and said that as he gets older, he will have to treat his body differently. 

And even with the Mets opening Friday 11 ½ games back of the final NL wild-card spot and with the third-worst record in the National League, Soto and another veteran on the IL, Devin Williams, expressed a strong desire to get back on the field before the end of the season. 

“We’re playing really good baseball right now,” Soto said of a Mets team that won six of seven after the trade deadline before dropping their last two in Atlanta. “Why not join this team? I think it’s going to be really fun. It’s going to be really great for me and the team.” 

A playoff run is out of the question, but Soto said the goal is to “finish strong and keep the momentum for next year.” 

It remains to be seen what kind of momentum the Mets are able to maintain over the final month-plus of the regular season, especially without Soto and a bullpen that was decimated at the deadline and then lost Williams. 

Williams said his shoulder strain was “something that had been nagging [and] needed to be addressed.” 

Still, the closer also said he intended to return in 2026, though he has yet to begin throwing. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

“It would be nice to come back and go into the offseason with some positivity,’’ Williams said. “And have some good outings before the inevitable.” 

The right-hander’s first season in Queens has looked more like his lone season with the Yankees, which was marred by inconsistency, than his dominance in Milwaukee. 

Williams would like to close the first season of a three-year, $51 million deal on a high note. 

“I just want to get back and contribute a little bit, at least, and have a better taste in my mouth going into next year,’’ Williams said. 

And Williams continues to lament how poorly this season has gone for a team that entered with high expectations. 

“We’ve had the pieces to be a really good team,” Williams said. “We just haven’t put it all together.” 

As for the future, Williams says there’s cause for optimism. 

“Obviously, there’s going to be some moves made this offseason,” Williams said. “I think we go into next year with the same goal: to be competing to win the division, hopefully make the playoffs and have a chance to win the World Series.”

Shohei Ohtani has taken the biggest step yet (or, at least, as of late) in his process to return to the mound from an ongoing left knee injury.

Before Friday’s game at Dodger Stadium, the two-way star threw his first bullpen session in more than three weeks, using his full mix over 35 pitches a couple hours before the Dodgers’ 3-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“He felt encouraged,” manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani afterward.

For the first time in a while, it was a tangible step in his progress.

Ohtani hasn’t made a pitching start since July 3 because of a knee injury that first began affecting him in mid-June. During the All-Star break, he received a lubricant injection in his knee that the team hoped would allow him to quickly return to its rotation. However, he suffered “regression” with his knee following a July 22 bullpen session in Philadelphia, prompting the Dodgers to shut him down from all on-field throwing activities for the following two weeks.

Ohtani resumed pregame catch play in the outfield last week, throwing three such sessions in recent days.

Earlier this week, Roberts also indicated that Ohtani was getting closer to a bullpen session, bolstering the team’s hopes of having the four-time MVP return to pitching before the end of the season.

Now that Ohtani has checked off that important box, his road map to returning to the Dodgers’ rotation should be clearer.

According to Roberts, the right-hander’s next step will involved “a few” more bullpen sessions. Then, he will need to face hitters in at least two rounds of live batting practice. After that, he could be ready to return to game-action, where he will be built up one inning at a time –– similar to his midseason ramp-up last year when he was returning from a second career Tommy John surgery.

“Any inning is additive,” Roberts said, especially at a time the Dodgers are a man short in the bullpen because of their six-man rotation. “And it was a formula that worked [last year].”

The only real question now is whether Ohtani’s knee will flare up again. But even by Friday night, Roberts was optimistic there wouldn’t be a setback again.

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“I’m pretty confident that if we stay the course, he’ll throw a pen in a couple … days,” Roberts said. “And then if we get out of that, I think we’ll be out of the woods.”

Six weeks removed from his last time atop the mound, Ohtani is finally making progress in his long-awaited return.

The Nationals are shaking up their infield.

Washington manager Blake Butera announced the team is planning to move All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to second base in the near future in hopes of improving the team defensively.

Abrams, who was still at shortstop for Friday’s game against the Mets, appeared mum about the move when speaking to reporters.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Abrams said, according to The Athletic.

Butera, however, insisted that Abrams took the decision well and was a “total pro.”

“But he kept saying, like, ‘If this is what’s best for the Nationals, I’m all for it,’” Butera said. “And that was what really made me and made us feel really good, when he said that a few times.”

Despite being one of the best offensive players in MLB — posting a slash line of .284/.357/.541 with 29 home runs and a league-leading 91 RBIs headed into Friday’s contest — Abrams, 25, has struggled defensively, ranking last in baseball among all position players in outs above average and runs prevented, according to Baseball Savant.

Abrams will remain at shortstop roughly once a week, with defensive specialist Nasim Nuñez shifting over from second base.

Although the switch has not happened yet, the two-time All-Star was seen taking reps at second base at Citi Field on Friday.

“I play shortstop today, so I’ll be ready to go,” Abrams said ahead of Friday’s game. “That’s where I’ve been. Can take charge of the infield when I can, and play my game.”

With under two months left in the regular season, the timing of the position change comes as a surprise, but Butera said that decision was to help the Nationals win more games down the stretch.

“There is no perfect time to do this,” Butera said. “I think you can make an argument like, ‘Why didn’t we do it coming out of spring training?’ It’s like, well, then we’re not giving him a chance to show if he can do it or not. Then why not do it now or next year?

“We think now is probably the best time because, one, we wanted CJ to be able to play shortstop, and especially with new coaches here and have some run to do that. But then also I think doing it now allows him a chance to, like, get some real feedback before the offseason to know what this looks like and what he’s going to have to really hone in on during the offseason to make 2027 better.”

Entering Friday’s game, the Nationals held a 60-63 record and sit five games out of the final National League wild-card spot.

Juan Soto, the Mets' biggest bat and their biggest star, has been out with a calf injury since late July, but wants to return to the team before the end of the 2026 season.

With New York's playoff chances dwindling after being sellers at the trade deadline, it would be understandable if Soto was shut down for the rest of the year as he recovers, but the Mets' lone All-Star this season vows to be back with this team.

“We are playing really good baseball right now,” Soto told MLB.com ahead of Friday's series opener with the Nationals. “Why not try to rejoin this team? It would be really fun. It would be great for me and the team. [I want to] finish the season strong and keep the momentum for next year, too.”

Entering play Friday, the Mets are 5-3 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline and are getting major contributions from the young kids and some recent call-ups. 

But New York could use an infusion of Soto. Before this latest injury, Soto was having a Soto-like season. However, being available has been a challenge for Soto. The slugger has missed 38 games entering Friday between his first stint on the IL with a right calf strain and this current injury to his left leg. 

Soto called his 2026 injuries "tough" and hopes to learn from this experience and stay healthy for his team moving forward.

“It’s tough for me to lose so many games. I’ve never been on this side of it,” Soto said. “I think it’s good for me -- for my career -- because it will teach me a lot of things. I have to adjust in my training [and] conditioning to keep moving forward in a positive way. I have to learn about my body a little bit more, learning how it works and go from there.”

In 84 games this season, Soto has slashed .283/.408/.539 with 21 home runs and 52 RBI en route to another All-Star Game selection. 

And while the Mets have yet to give a timeline for Soto's return, the outfielder was doing pregame workouts at Citi Field, in good spirits.

Juan Soto does some work pregame and runs at Citi Field pic.twitter.com/UFxUYw1D0z

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 14, 2026

TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (62-60) will open a huge nine-game homestand tonight as they welcome in their division rival, the Seattle Mariners (57-65), for a three-game weekend series at Daikin Park.

RHP Peter Lambert (8-6, 3.09 ERA), the Astros most consistent starter this season, will start the series opener for Houston opposite Astros nemesis RHP George Kirby (8-9, 3.68 ERA) and the Mariners.

HALL OF FAME WEEKEND: The Astros are celebrating Hall of Fame Weekend beginning tonight at Daikin Park. Astros legends Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner will be inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony tomorrow, scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Ashby and members of the Garner family will be available to the media in the press conference room at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.

THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 42-29 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

THE LAMBO: Today’s Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert leads the club in wins (8), starts (20), innings (113.2) and strikeouts (111)…among AL pitchers with at least 110 IP, Lambert ranks seventh in opponent average (.208) and 10th in ERA. A minor league signing by Houston this offseason, Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 starts.

FAMILIAR FOE: RHP George Kirby has been at his best against the Astros in his career, going 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA (15ER/63IP) in 11 regular season starts opposite Houston, numbers that do not include his 7.0 shutout innings in the 2022 NLDS. The Astros with the most career success vs. Kirby: 3B Isaac Paredes (.438, 7×16, 3RBI), SS Jeremy Peña (.300, 6×20, 4RBI) and C Yainer Diaz (.273, 6×22, RBI).

VS. THE MARINERS: It’s been three months since the Astros last played the Mariners, as they last saw them in a four-game series in Houston from May 11-14. The Astros have gone 1-7 against the Mariners this season with five games left to play.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros closed out their six-game road trip on Wednesday with a win, giving them a 3-3 trip thru San Diego (1-2) and San Francisco (2-1). Houston has gone 25-16 (.610) on their last five road trips and are 31-22 (.585) on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season. Houston is 32-31 overall on the road in 2026.

ON THE MEND: The Astros have four players on the Major League Injured List. Here are updates on three:

RHP Mike Burrows (rt. elbow neuritis) is scheduled to pitch for Triple A Sugar Land tonight in what will be his first affiliate rehab start since the injury.

IF Carlos Correa (lt. ankle tendon injury) has began a hitting progression while also participating in light on-field baseball activity and a running progression.

OF Brice Matthews (lt. knee sprain) is participating in on-field baseball activity and a running progression.

THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in SLG (.411), while ranking second in OPS (.730 and home runs (162). In the Majors, the Astros rank fourth in homers, trailing only the Nationals (177), Yankees (169), and Braves (164).

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez holds at least a share of the lead in all AL Triple Crown categories, ranking first in average (.322), first in RBI (87) and tied for first in HR (35). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.057), OBP (.436), SLG (.621), and TB (270). In the AL, he ranks first in hits (140), XBH (60) and runs (80), and is second in BB (84).

CHIPPING IN: A couple Astros are on mini hot streaks, including OF Taylor Trammell, who’s posted a .991 OPS (.400 OBP/.591 SLG) with 11 runs, one double, one triple, four home runs, eight RBI and nine walks in his last 14 games (since July 26). RF Cam Smith is batting .386 (17×44) with three home runs, eight RBI and a 1.095 OPS in his last 12 games dating back to July 29.

PEÑA’S PALS: SS Jeremy Peña will host kids from Hidalgo Little League tonight for August’s Peña’s Pals…in its fourth year, Peña’s Pals is a program developed by Peña in partnership with the Astros Foundation. The program celebrates kids and their development in academics, character building and making healthy choices.

HADERADE: LHP Josh Hader has been stellar since returning from injury in early June, going 4-1 with a 0.96 ERA (3ER/28IP), 38 strikeouts, a .106 opponent batting average (10×94) and a 0.71 WHIP, while also converting all 17 of his save opportunities, through 29 appearances.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2020 – The Astros explode for nine runs in the 1st in an 11-1 win over the Mariners in Houston. In his first at-bat of the 2020 season, DH Yordan Alvarez hits a three- run homer in the opening frame, which ended up as his only homer on the season. 1B Yuli Gurriel also homers in the inning, going back-to-back with Alvarez.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, August 14, 7:10 p.m. CT

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: KTRH 740AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Texas Rangers lineup for August 14, 2026 against the A’s: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Gage Jump for the A’s.

Texas will try to get the Angels funk off of them and break their three game losing streak. There’s a lefty going so the Rangers have the righty-heavy lineup out. Kumar Rocker will hopefully cover first base tonight if the occasion demands it.

The lineup:

Langford — LF

Nimmo — RF

Seager — SS

Duran — 3B

Burger — 1B

Foscue — DH

Freeman — 2B

Diaz — C

Carter — CF

8:40 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.

The Texas Rangers have recalled infielder Cody Freeman and purchased the contract of Marco Gonzales from AAA Round Rock. To make room on the active roster for the pair, the team has optioned infielder Cam Cauley and pitcher Ben Peoples to AAA Round Rock. To make room for Gonzales on the 40 man roster, the Rangers designated pitcher Luis Curvelo for assignment.

After Jacob deGrom went just two innings yesterday, the Rangers need someone in the pen who can give them length. Peoples has options so he goes down, and Gonzales returns to the Rangers for his second stint with the club this season.

The motivation behind the decision to swap out Cody Freeman for Cam Cauley isn’t quite as clear. Freeman was in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot, but has missed much of the year do to back and neck issues. The Rangers reportedly like the energy that Freeman brings, however, and with the lineup currently feeling very flat, it may be that he’s viewed as being able to provide a shot in the arm.

Curvelo, meanwhile, will end up on the waiver wire, and I’m guessing he’ll clear waivers. He has regressed from last year, with a 9.58 major league ERA and 8.42 AAA ERA, and has been both wild and homer prone.