Category: MLB

There are only six games left in a truly miserable San Francisco Giants season, but there’s finally some good news: those six games just got a lot more interesting. On Monday afternoon, before kicking off their penultimate series of the season, the Giants announced that two thrilling youngsters are headed to the team: infielder Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Bo Davidson.

Both players are also jumping straight into the lineup. Mayer, who was activated off of the 10-Day Injured List, will serve as the designated hitter, while Davidson, who had his contract purchased from AAA Sacramento, will be in right field.

For Mayer, it will be his organizational debut. The 23-year old lefty, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, joined the Giants at this year’s trade deadline, in exchange for lefty reliever Erik Miller and outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez. Widely considered a top-20 prospect in all of baseball a year ago, Mayer struggled during two stints in the Majors with the Boston Red Sox, hitting .223/.278/.346 (71 wRC+) in 70 games. But he has all the potential in the world, was a successful hitter at every level of the Minor Leagues, is still extremely young, and is a very talented defensive player.

Mayer was on the Injured List when the Giants acquired him, and shortly after began a rehab assignment. Unfortunately he had a setback fairly quickly, and was shut down. He now returns to the Giants without having made a second rehab appearance, and hasn’t played in a game since August 18. Hopefully we get to see him play some second base before the season ends, as he’ll likely be playing there a lot next season.

As for Davidson, he gets to cap a brilliant year with an MLB debut. The 24-year old lefty slugger has been one of the best stories in the Giants organization in recent history, as he rose from an undrafted free agent out of a junior college, to one of the top prospects in the system (and on top 100 lists), and now to a Major Leaguer.

Davidson, who plays quality defense, has good speed, and displays strong contact skills, but whose real calling card is his power, split the season between AA Richmond and AAA Sacramento, and dominated each level. He was an All-Star in the AA Eastern League, where he posted an .861 OPS and a 122 wRC+, and then took it to a whole new level in the AAA Pacific Coast League, where he finished the year with a .923 OPS and a 138 wRC+. Across the two levels, Davidson hit an organization-leading 29 home runs in 125 games.

While players like Victor Bericoto, Turner Hill, Drew Gilbert, and Jonah Cox have put forth impressive auditions this year, it’s very possible that the Giants traded Heliot Ramos in large part because they were confident that Davidson could be an everyday player next year.

Since Davidson was going to need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft in the offseason, it made sense for the Giants to roster him and give him a little taste of the Majors before 2027.

For as exciting as the additions of Mayer and Davidson are, they come with a cost: they are replacing first baseman Bryce Eldridge and outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, whose seasons are presumably over. Eldridge is being placed on the 7-Day Concussion List, retroactive to September 18, though Tony Vitello said it’s unlikely that he’ll play again this year. Lee is headed to the 10-Day Injured List with a groin contusion, which officially ends his season.

With Lee’s injury, only Christian Koss and Landen Roupp remain from the Opening Day roster. Pretty wild!

To make space on the 40-man roster for Davidson, the Giants designated reliever Philip Abner for assignment.

The Athletics, currently 61-95, are just a week away from completing their fifth consecutive season with a losing record, but their biggest problem currently is addressing the vacancy at general manager.

The A's have been searching for a permanent replacement in the front office for over a month since parting ways with longtime general manager David Forst, who spent 27 seasons with the franchise, on Aug. 7.

The team would like to fulfill the vacancy before the season ends next week.

Assistant general manager Dan Feinstein was put in place in the interim while the search prolongs. It's not going to happen in the blink of an eye, but it is reflective of the state of the team overall - there are major holes that need to be filled.

"David has been an integral part of the A's and our success for nearly three decades," team owner John Fisher said in a statement. "His leadership, dedication, and commitment to this team have helped shape our baseball operations department and position us for the future. We are grateful for everything David has done for our organization."

Welcome to the last off day of the 2026 regular season.

I very much enjoyed putting a little Braves logo emoji status at work today as a nod to yesterday’s division-clinching win. Any similar displays? Let’s hear ‘em.

Tonight’s Action

With the NL East champs resting after sweeping and celebrating, there’s only three other games you can tune into tonight if you’re craving baseball. It is mostly eliminated teams playing each other for some exercise and for a strong regular season finish: Nationals at Tigers and Twins at Giants. But storms are derailing an important matchup for the AL wild card picture: the Orioles and Blue Jays are 5 and 3 games back of the last WC spot, respectively. But they’re set to start shortly at Camden Yards.

ICYMI

Some good reads and fun Feed prompts for your evening, courtesy of the BP staff, including Demetrius with some optimism on how this resilient team could fare in the weeks to come (Braves’ division-clinching resiliency could pay off in Postseason), Ivan’s deep numbers-based dive on a truly bizarre team and season (This is the weirdest Braves team I’ve seen), and the imminent return of Robert Suarez per AA.

Six games left! This year has flown by. The floor is yours for reminiscing, predictions, questions, and anything else on your mind. I leave you with one of the best videos coming out of yesterday’s clubhouse shenanigans (outside of everything Brent Suter).

I don’t know about you, but I already miss baseball even though there are still two series to go. For the St. Louis Cardinals, those final 6 games of the 2026 campaign will be completed on the road with the first stop being in Pittsburgh starting Tuesday night. There’s little at stake other than pride, but there are some individual player achievements that are possible for St. Louis.

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Tuesday night – Andre Pallante (RHP 12-7, 3.70 ERA, 104 SO) vs Jared Jones (RHP 4-6, 4.17 ERA, 109 SO)

Wednesday night – Matthew Liberatore (LHP 5-14, 5.36 ERA, 148 SO) vs TBD

Thursday – Kyle Leahy (RHP 10-5, 3.65 ERA, 129 SO) vs Paul Skenes (RHP 10-11, 3.91 ERA, 192 SO)

Pittsburgh Pirates Jared Jones has won 2 of his last 3 starts, but his most recent outing on September 16 was a no-decision against the Brewers as he threw 5 innings allowing 7 hits and 3 earned runs. Paul Skenes has only won 1 of his last 3 starts and his most recent was not memorable as he allowed 6 hits and 5 earned runs on September 18 as he threw 6 innings and got no decision.

Players to Watch According to MLB.com

Second baseman Brandon Lowe leads the Pirates with 33 home runs and 93 RBI’s.

Centerfielder Oneil Cruz has 20 homers and 67 RBI’s with a .280 batting average.

First baseman Ryan O’Hearn has 18 homers, 73 RBI’s and a .264 average.

Left fielder Bryan Reynolds has 17 home runs, 71 RBI’s and a .262 average.

Right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez has 17 homers, 47 RBI’s and a .247 average.

It’s not breaking news that the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals will not be bothered with playoff baseball in October, but there are individual achievements still within reach. As of this writing, Alec Burleson leads the National League in RBI’s with 111, but Sal Stewart is right on his heels with 110. Pete Crow-Armstrong trails both of them with 105. Jordan Walker has been stuck at 28 home runs and hasn’t launched a long ball since September 1 against the Dodgers. I would love to see him get a couple more to make the 30 home run plateau, but even more would like to see him return to the swing decisions of early 2026 Jordan Walker and not 2025 Jordan Walker. JJ Wetherholt has 17 home runs, but Pittsburgh is his hometown area and he loves hitting at PNC Park. It’s not crazy to think he could reach the 20 home run mark before this season is over next weekend.

As we enter the final 6 games of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals are 3 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates and have the same record as the Miami Marlins. The Washington Nationals only trail St. Louis by 3 games. The Cardinals need to win 5 of the final 6 games to end the season with a .500 record. That seems unlikely with a weekend trip to Milwaukee waiting for the Cardinals, but dominating the Pittsburgh Pirates in their own park would at least give them a fighting chance. We’ll see how that goes starting Tuesday night.

It's a new dawn for the Tampa Bay Rays.

On Monday, Sept. 21, the Rays revealed new road uniforms that bridge the past with the present.

The Rays are bringing back their road grays after shelving them in 2022 and are putting "Tampa Bay" and the ray logo back on the front of a primary jersey for the first time since 2007. That year was when the franchise rebranded and dropped "Devil" from their team name. There's a blue to yellow ombré that brings a sunshine feel to the uniform and pays further tribute to their history.

Team representatives said they want to be intentional about representing the Florida city they've called home since joining the MLB in 1998. The Rays came under new ownership last summer when a group led by Patrick Zalupski bought the team from Stuart Sternberg for a reported $1.7 billion. There has been an emphasis on commitment to Tampa Bay, including plans for a new stadium in the city.

"These uniforms celebrate our long-term commitment to Tampa Bay," Ken Babby, Rays Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement. "As our team travels the country, we do so with tremendous admiration for our home. Tampa Bay is always in our hearts and that's why we will wear it across our chest."

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Elsewhere in the league, the Athletics received criticism for leaving Oakland and are in the process of moving to Las Vegas.

In March, the Rays asked fans for input on what they hope for in new uniforms and they listened to the feedback.

"We are particularly proud that our fans helped choose this design, and we love the fact they want the baseball world to see 'Tampa Bay' when we play on the road," Babby continued.

The road grays replace the Rays' current road uniforms, which are a navy jersey with "Rays" on the front.

Besides on the jerseys, the ombré, which harkens back to the Devil Rays days, also appears on "TB," which originated in 1998, on the team's hats and batting helmets. The original black backdrop is swapped for the team's current navy base.

The Rays will debut the uniform on Tuesday, Sept. 22 during the second game of a double header against the New York Yankees.

The news comes weeks after Tampa Bay became the first team in the MLB to clinch a playoff spot this year. They did so with a walk-off home run from Junior Caminero to beat the Houston Astros. The Rays currently lead the American League with a 95-60 record.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tampa Bay Rays bring back city name, gray jerseys for road uniforms

Shohei Ohtani’s swing is among the most dangerous in baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers will have only five games to get it ready for the playoffs, barring any setbacks.

There have been many of them for Ohtani, who’s missed the past 12 games while dealing with issues to his left knee and right biceps. He’s expected to be back in the Dodgers' lineup in the team's upcoming series against the San Diego Padres. There will be only five games left in the regular season.

Because of Ohtani’s lingering knee issues, the Dodgers have shut him down from pitching. But they’d still like him to bat – and a swing that has generated a team-leading 30 home runs this season and 263 over the last six seasons.

In his last 24 games before going on the injured reserve list, however, Ohtani hit .198 (19-for-96) with 34 strikeouts.

It raises a premature, although not outrageous, question involving the four-time MVP: At some point, in some cases, might the Dodgers be better off with Ohtani out of the lineup?

Howie Rose’s final broadcast wasn’t just an emotional one for the beloved Mets voice, it was for his family too. 

His daughter Alyssa took to social media on Monday to thank “everyone who made yesterday the most special day of the Rose family’s life,” while also sharing the surprise significance of Francisco Lindor being the final Mets player to bat in Rose’s broadcast career.

“One thing about the Mets that is indisputable is that they’re a family organization. If you love the Mets, it’s because of a connection to someone special in your family. That came so full circle for me yesterday,” Alyssa wrote on X. “I was born in July, obviously, during baseball season. At some point on the day I was born, my dad called into the station to tell them his daughter was born. During the game, they played ‘My Girl’ on the air.

“Of all of the final At Bats my dad could have called, for it to be Lindor, whose walk up song is, as well know, ‘My Girl’, it was clear that wasn’t a coincidence. That was the universe’s way of reminding me that for my dad and me, it all starts and ends with me being his girl and it all starts and ends with the New York Mets.”

She ended the post by saying, “See you in 2027, Citi Field,” alluding to the planned ceremony to honor her father that will take place next season after inclement weather on Sunday forced it to be postponed. 

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Rose announced prior to the start of the 2026 MLB season that he would be stepping away from the microphone in September, ending a Mets tenure that started in 1996 when he began calling the team’s games on television. 

During the course of his broadcast career, he had also served as a Rangers radio broadcaster and the TV voice of the Islanders. 

Detroit Tigers (73-83) vs. Washington Nationals (73-83)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Federal Baseball
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP River Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP DJ Herz (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Bo Davidson's huge first inning in MLB debut shows what Giants prospect made of originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Before his MLB debut, Bo Davidson put his own twist on Bo Knows. 

While sitting in the dugout after the Giants took batting practice, Davidson said he was just eager to show everyone “who Bo is.” A reporter followed up with an obvious question: “What is Bo?”

“You’ll see,” Davidson said.

He seemed to know what was coming, and he wasn’t wrong. 

Davidson had a hit, stolen base and run in his first inning in the big leagues, showing off the skills that have made him a top 100 prospect. He is a fascinating blend of power and speed, and that first at-bat showed off an approach at the plate that should allow him to tap into his natural gifts. 

Oh, and there’s also quite a bit of confidence. That will help at this level. 

Davidson said after the 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins that it felt “just like another day in the office” and was “what I expected.” He looked right at home, and it was that way from the start. 

Davidson didn’t look to be feeling any nerves before the game, but if they were there, it didn’t take long to knock them loose. The first two balls in the top of the first were hit his way, and he got to settle in with two routine catches. 

In the bottom of the first, he got an early opportunity to show why he’s such an exciting prospect at the plate. Davidson hit 29 homers in 125 games in Double-A and Triple-A this year, and he took some huge cuts in his first taste of big league life. 

Zebby Matthews threw the kitchen sink at Davidson in his first at-bat, and he fouled off three two-strike pitches — a slider, cutter and fastball — before roping a cutter into right for a single. The first hit came on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, making Davidson just the fourth player since 2000 to see that many pitches before getting a hit his first time up in the big leagues. 

“Someone pointed that out in the dugout, that he was adjusting to different pitches,” manager Tony Vitello said. “He does adjust a bit with two (strikes) but it’s always going to be an aggressive hack. It’s one of the reasons he hits the ball hard. I mean, it’s a different version of Rafi (Devers).

“I just thought the way he walked into the box, the way he stood in there, the way he acted today … (with) some guys, it takes a minute to adjust to whatever situation or you need reps in the ninth inning with the game on the line. I think he’s dying for that.” 

Davidson put it more succinctly.

“Just in there competing,” he said. “Just competing.”

The Giants promoted Davidson on Monday when they put Bryce Eldridge and Jung Hoo Lee on the IL. For Eldridge, there’s no doubt about his stature heading into 2027. He’ll be in the heart of the lineup every night, either at first base or DH.

Lee, though, might all of a sudden find himself in a crowd. Drew Gilbert had three more hits Monday and crushed his 11th homer, and Jonah Cox played a nice second base, continuing to show off the versatility that should easily put him on the 2027 roster. 

Vitello wants to see more of Turner Hill this last week, and Victor Bericoto is coming off a strong weekend and has had some real highs this year. Scott Bandura and Grant McCray have gotten reps, and Marcelo Mayer’s return was a reminder that Casey Schmitt might end up back in left field next season.

It’s a puzzle, but it’s a good one for the organization. After decades of failing to develop outfielders, they all of a sudden have a pretty big collection, and this group at the big leagues doesn’t even include Dakota Jordan, who finished his season in Double-A and will participate in the Fall League, or the possibility that one of the young middle infielders might have to move to the outfield in the next year or two. 

Davidson is as physically gifted as any of them, and if he hits his ceiling, he should emerge from the pack at some point next year. That’s far from his mind at the end of 2026, though. 

“It’s amazing just to be in the clubhouse with some of the guys that I’ve been with all year, and we’ve all touched the final stage together,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty cool and very special here soon.”

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We know where the regular season will end. In front of roughly 10,000 at sleepy Sutter Health Park, home to the Sacramento River Cats and their joint tenants, the A’s. The question is whether or not the Astros will be playing beyond this Sunday. Many (myself included) thought the divisional crown would come down to the final week but never in a million years did anyone foresee only 77 wins this late in the season.  

Perhaps the warning signs were there all along. On April 1st, Houston was riding high, winners of five straight, a sweep of the Red Sox in which they outscored Boston by a margin of 23-7. One week later, that very same squad was swept out of Coors Field to the lowly Rockies. That wouldn’t be the only club to accomplish that feat. Sadly, the Cardinals, O’s, Rays and Braves also took out the brooms at various stages.

I can remember expressing concern to fellow colleagues at The Crawfish Boxes how the health of Josh Hader would be the key determining factor. Hader has been the most consistent player on the entire roster. Turns out, no one could’ve seen the Astros future rotation woes. Tatsuya Imai was as pleasant to watch at times as a canker-sore. Mike Burrows is on a milk carton. Peter Lambert last won a game when LeBron was still debating where he wanted to play, and remember Spencer Arrighetti?    That guy just beat the Rangers, one of multiple games he’s won this month for the Blue Jays.    

As great as Altuve’s 2,500 hits feat and Yordan’s flirtation with the Triple Crown have been, it comes down to six games.

As the Real Slim Shady once encouraged, “Please Stand Up, Please Stand Up.” Let’s open a series next week and play meaningful baseball in October once again.  

Tonight’s game is already listed as delayed even though it isn’t to start for another 45 minutes (as I type this). I like how they say it: “Tonight’s game will start in delay”. They will wait as long as they can before calling the game.

When it does start, it will be Trey Yesavage will be starting.

Spencer Arrighetti was optioned to make room for Yesavage. Also Joe Mantiply was optioned to Buffalo and Chad Dallas makes his return to Dallas (well Arlington).

And the team has said that Dylan Cease doesn’t need surgery. He says the shoulder is ‘heavy and achy’. I think someone should take that as their screen name. I would bet that he won’t be pitching again this year, but I guess, until they are officially eliminated, they won’t say that out loud.

Baseball America has name Sean Keys as the Jays minor league player of the year. 28 home runs and 1.019 OPS. He’s in tonight’s lineup. Or tomorrow morning’s lineup, depending on when they the game going.

Here’s the lineups in case they do start.

Go Jays Go (if you play).

Detroit’s Comerica Park is now going to be Fifth Third Park (the dumbest sounding name in baseball).

We are in the last week of the season. The Nats only have six more games until the 2026 season is over. This road series in Detroit will be the last one of the season. It is crazy that it is almost over. Spring Training still feels like yesterday but here we are.

With a righty on the mound, the Nats have a lot of lefties at the top of the lineup. Abimelec Ortiz will be hitting third at first base. Daylen Lile will be the DH today which means James Wood is in left, Jacob Young is in center and Dylan Crews is in right. Jorbit Vivas plays second which moves CJ Abrams to short. DJ Herz will be on the mound for the first time since 2024 in this contest. Welcome back DJ!

The Tigers are loading up on right handed bats tonight. Riley Greene will be the only lefty in the lineup for AJ Hinch. Javier Baez will actually be playing center field in this one. The long time infielder has been playing more outfield the past couple of years. River Ryan was a major piece in the Tarik Skubal trade at the deadline. The 28 year old prospect has nasty stuff but has struggled to stay healthy. He is on the mound in this one.

Game Info:

Stadium: Comerica Park

Time: 6:40 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

This pitching matchup should be an exciting one. Both of these guys have good stuff but have not been available much. They are on the mound tonight though. Each of them are making their season debut. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

On June 25, the Red Sox were 32-46. The season looked over. Most people had stopped paying attention, and that was a reasonable call.

They ended up becoming the first team in MLB history to lose 46 of their first 78 games and still finish above .500. The 15-game win streak in July—which tied the all-time franchise record—was the moment that flipped it, but it wasn’t just that. Then came August. Then came September. Even with all the ups and downs. They went from 14 games under .500 to 14 games above .500 in 62 days. The only team in MLB history to do it faster was the 1914 Miracle Boston Braves, who got there in 60 days and then swept the World Series.

That’s the company this team is keeping. That’s the thing you just watched.

They clinched it Sunday despite losing 5-1 to Tampa, thanks to the Astros losing to Atlanta. The magic number hit zero in a visiting clubhouse, against a team that seemingly has the division all wrapped up. Back-to-back postseason berths for the first time since the 2016-2018 run. 85-72. Wild card.

How vindicated must Craig Breslow feel? After firing Alex Cora and crew in late April, NO ONE had any hope this team could do anything. They changed the entire ethos around this ballclub in one fell swoop and are actually starting to accomplish the mission Breslow came to Boston to achieve: sustained success.

The October questions are coming—lineup depth, roster decisions, whether this group can actually win a series when it matters. All of it. But that’s not what today is. This week is for the people who were still watching in June when this looked done.

Red Sox are in. That’s all they need.

Update: The Orioles announced that tonight’s game willstart in a delay. The team said it would announce updates as they become available.

The Orioles postseason hopes have all but vanished, but they’ll still play the remainder of their schedule. Nobody can blame you if you’ve checked out on this disappointing season. But if you’re reading this now, you’re probably down to watch a few more baseball games while you still can.

Shane Baz will take the mound hoping for some late season run support. He’ll need to get it from a lineup that features Rece Hinds in right field and José Barrero at second base. Barrero is a career .182 hitter over five seasons (161 games). Tonight will mark his Orioles debut.

Dylan Beavers will leadoff and play left field. Pete Alonso (first base) and Gunnar Henderson (shortstop) will follow. Coby Mayo will bat fourth and DH against Toronto starter Trey Yesavage.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand will hit fifth and play third base. Samuel Basallo will catch Baz, and center fielder Colton Cowser will round out the lineup with Hinds and Barrero.

The Orioles (75-81) can only finish .500 this year. They would clinch a second-consecutive losing season with a loss today.

Orioles lineup:

1. D Beavers (L) LF
2. P Alonso (R) 1B
3. G Henderson (L) SS
4. C Mayo (R) DH
5. C Encarnacion-Strand (R) 3B
6. S Basallo (L) C
7. R Hinds (R) RF
8. C Cowser (L) CF
9. J Barrero (R) 2B

Starter: Shane Baz

BALTIMORE – Dylan Cease will not require surgery on his balky right shoulder, leaving the Toronto starting pitcher free to build back up over the off-season and follow up his Cy Young-caliber campaign with another good season in 2027.

The bad news is that Cease likely won’t have a reason to return in 2026.

Cease said Monday, Sept. 21 that an MRI and other examinations determined inflammation in his shoulder, a relief to pitcher and club after he left his last start in the third inning with shoulder discomfort amid diminished velocity.

Cease, in the first season of a seven-year, $210 million contract, said his shoulder first felt funny as he warmed up for a July 25 start against Boston. He threw a one-hit shutout, striking out 12 that night, part of a 10-start run in which he posted a 1.89 ERA, struck out 89 in 62 innings and posted a 5-0 record.

But all the while, his velocity was diminishing. During his Friday start at Texas, the discomfort proved untenable. He walked six in 2 2/3 innings and gave up four runs, one earned, in an 11-6 loss at Texas.

“The velocity being down has been a little concerning but at the same time, I was getting outs,” says Cease. “It wasn’t anything too scary. Nothing about it feels like I need surgery. I was never really panicked or worried. Just more of an inconvenience that I couldn’t maximize my best self.

“The last couple starts, velo kept going down and down and then command – that last one, it almost felt like I was hurting the team.”