Category: Baseball

Though Shohei Ohtani was out of the Dodgers’ lineup for the fourth straight game Sunday, manager Dave Roberts gave a promising update.

“[Saturday] was a good day,” Roberts said. “Came out of it feeling well. So if nothing else changes, or continues to trend, I see him in there [Monday against the Reds].”

Ohtani hit in the batting cage Saturday, and Roberts received positive reports from his hitting coaches, training staff and Ohtani about the work and his recovery. Both his right biceps problem, which flared Wednesday, and his left knee injury, have “calmed down” with the time off, Roberts said.

Read more:Tommy Edman delivers for Ohtani-less Dodgers in victory over Nationals

“Just a handful of days ago, where he was at, talking to him the day after, it just felt that a few days could potentially be of benefit,” Roberts said. “Fortunately that’s how it’s played out.”

The Dodgers have not yet officially taken Ohtani’s return to pitching off the table for the season, but it seems unlikely.

“Not officially,” Roberts said, “but obviously, if you’re looking at the calendar, how much he’s thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math.”

The calendar is also working against catcher Dalton Rushing’s initial hopes of returning behind the plate.

Rushing returned to the injured list (sprained right elbow) Sunday, after catch play went poorly the day before. In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled catcher Eliezer Alfonzo.

An MRI scan showed “more of the same,” according to Roberts. The Dodgers activated Rushing last Tuesday after just shy of a month on the IL.

Read more:Before Mark Walter's companies faced inquiries, he kept a low profile and built loyalty

Rushing had been serving as a left-handed bat off the bench and a designated hitter option with Ohtani out, while also building up on the throwing side.

The plan is for Rushing to shut down swinging for a few days, Roberts said, and then restart a hitting progression that, this time, will include a rehab assignment.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Diamondbacks have gone 5-5 in their last ten as of writing, but still find themselves in an effective tie for the final Wild Card with the Padres. Are wins or just checking games off the schedule more important right now?

Justin 27: I think wins are most important, regardless of whether or not they are an NL team. I would rather win than go into the final series having played, “At least the Marlins/Padres/Cardinals lost today, too.”

Makakilo: It’s easier to play downhill; early wins are better than needing wins in the last few games of the season. Therefore, wins now are very valuable.

However, later wins are more likely because the Diamondbacks could get better in the last few weeks of the season. First, Marte’s .944 OPS since his return is encouraging. Second, Burnes will likely return on 8 September. Third, in the latest four games (thru 4 September), Carroll and Arenado slumped, and I’m confident that their excellent batting will soon return.

Spencer: Wins. Every win gets the team closer to the playoffs.

C. Wesley Baier: I think if the team can just get hot and win more than six in a row down the stretch, they don’t have to worry about much. To answer the question it’s both.

James Attwood: With three against the Padres to end the season, more wins are the key. Ideally, the Diamondbacks find a way to make sure that if they drop two of three at the end of the season, they still make it to October. In order to do that though, they are going to need to start stringing together some wins.

Ben: Every win is crucial right now. The team is not in a position where they can simply sit back and check games off and hope that the Padres or others lose. We’ve seen over the last two years how a single victory can make the difference between making and missing the playoffs and this year looks no different. It would not shock me if the race comes down to that final series of the season against the Padres in San Diego.

It sure seems like several of the players are playing hurt. Do you think its better for them to continue to tough it out, or to get healthy players in so they can rest in event of playoffs?

Justin27: I think it would be better to rest some of them, but the paradox is that you would be resting some of our better players that are capable of turning the game around (even though they are struggling). I’m not sure we have the depth to do that.

Makakilo: When Marte returned, his OPS increased from .765 (August) to .944 (games thru 4 September), albeit zero RBIs in 12 PAs makes it uncertain whether he made an impact . But with only weeks remaining in the season, and with the Wild Card race so close, there could be a very negative impact of Carroll or Arenado going on the 10-day injured list.

Spencer: I’ll defer to the teams expertise here. No one should play hurt, but the drop off from Marte to Fernandez/Vargas is so steep I understand the inclination.

C. Wesley Baier: Get healthy players and rest the players that are injured. There’s always a chance those players get hurt worse too, see Ohtani on the Dodgers. Him continuing to DH while he’s unable to pitch has just made him hit even worse. Playing through the injuries while you’re hurt is admirable, but not if you play badly it cost your team wins.

James Attwood: Depends on the knock. I really thought that Corbin Carroll might get that final game before the off day to rest so that he would get back-to-back recovery days. Apparently Carroll and Lovullo though otherwise though. With all the youth on the roster and the number of players who have returned from injury, it seems like this would be a good time to get them some reps while resting the key contributors for playoff ball.

Ben: It probably depends a little on the player. I love Ketel Marte (his latest shenanigans notwithstanding), but giving him some additional time off his feet and allowing his knee to heal more might be a good idea. But someone like Corbin Carroll is such a unique talent that even if he’s playing through some injuries – as seemingly everyone is at this point in the season – then there’s not much the team can do without harming their chances at victory. They could give some of these players a DH day or a day off here or there, but they don’t have the depth or place in the standings to allow all of them time to properly heal.

As of writing, the Diamondbacks haven’t scored more than two runs in their last six games. Is there a path forward to kickstart the offense?

Justin27: Sacrificing a live chicken after some of Jobu’s rum?

Makakilo: In April and May, the Diamondbacks had 4 game streaks with 2 or less runs scored. Each time, the streak was broken one game before the Diamondbacks went on a road trip. In September, they just started a road trip, which seems to be how they break this kind of streak. The next road trip is the last six games of the season.

Spencer: See the ball, Hit the ball.

C. Wesley Baier: No idea other than shaking up the lineup and resting those who are hurt and struggling.

James Attwood: It might be time for the team to start leaning into small ball. Start bunting for hits. Start stealing bases. Start manufacturing runs in general. If the players are simply putting the ball in play, they aren’t swinging for the fences. If they start letting the game come to them again, maybe they can finally get the timing down and get things rolling again.

Ben: I’m always a fan of trying new things out. So if that means more bunt attempts, more runners in motion, etc, I’m absolutely on board.

Why do you love baseball?

Justin27: It is slow enough that I can just have the game on in the back ground while doing something and watch bits and pieces. You can listen on the radio. For games in person, the atmosphere of the ballpark. I am not really sure I can quantify an answer.

Makakilo: Baseball is the perfect combination of emotional cheering at gametime, intellectual challenge to find relevant statistics, and discovering the marvelous & mysterious insights that competition reveals.

Spencer: Because my mom loves it. And because it’s so nuanced. And because the game itself is constantly changing, pitch to pitch. It’s a finesse sport with myriad outcomes at any given moment whereas most American sports are clunky and predictable. It’s so true that any team can win any game.

C. Wesley Baier: I love baseball because of the history and amount of detailed record keeping over the last 130 years. No other sport has this level of detailed history. It’s also not a sport necessarily built on pure athleticism, there’s all kinds of strategy involved. Most importantly, I love baseball because it has helped me forge lifelong friendships with other fans of the sport.

James Attwood: I was raised on baseball as a religion. This is what my grandmother and I spent our time watching when I was growing up. Add to that all the nostalgia and the long history of the sport, and it is right up my alley. Also, it was a game I could actually watch with regularity. Footy was rarely televised in Arizona when I was growing up. Take out Telemundo’s coverage and footy coverage was essentially non-existent.

Ben: What a lovely question. I love baseball for so very many reasons – from the place it holds for our family to the time of year it takes place. But I think more than anything, I love that baseball truly is a game of failure and redemption. How many times have we seen a player fail either at the plate or in the field and then immediately have a chance at redemption on the opposite side? I love that failing 70% of the time at the plate means you’re one of the best hitters in the league. I love that there isn’t a clock (for the most part) and that attending a game in-person means you can have a genuine conversation with your family and friends. None of this is unique or hasn’t been said by others more eloquently, but these are just some of the reasons I love this silly, stupid, wonderful game.

Catcher Dalton Rushing was placed on the 10-day injured list because of what the Dodgers described as “discomfort” in his right elbow — the same elbow in which he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament last month.

Limited to playing as a designated hitter since returning from his original injury on Tuesday, Rushing was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup on Saturday after playing catch.

But manager Dave Roberts sounded as if there was a chance Rushing could play again this season.

Rushing underwent an MRI examination on his elbow.

“I think it was just more of just pissing it off, to be honest,” Roberts said. 

As for Rushing’s plan moving forward, Roberts said, “He’s not going to swing for a few days and then get him back up building to the swinging progression. At that point in time, he can take some at-bats, get on a rehab assignment, and then we’ll see where we’re at in 11 days.”

Asked if the injury could require Tommy John surgery, Roberts said, “I don’t think so. I think for us and for Dalton, it’s just more of we’ll get through this year, building up the hitting and kind of see where the offseason takes us.”

Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace Rushing on the active roster.

With Will Smith and Hunter Feduccia also on the roster, the Dodgers now have three catchers on their active roster.

“It’s just more of having the ability to use Feddy when he’s not starting to be a left-handed bat, to be able to use Will off the bench as a bat,” Roberts said.

Roberts said Alfonzo’s presence could also spare Smith from catching on days he doesn’t start. A three-time All-Star, Smith was activated from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday after missing three months with an inflamed disk in his neck.

Shohei Ohtani is out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for the fourth consecutive game in Sunday's series finale against the Washington Nationals, but manager Dave Roberts expressed hope that his return is imminent.

The NL's back-to-back reigning MVP has been battling multiple lingering injuries throughout the summer, including pain in his left knee and right bicep that have kept him off the mound since July 3. Neck soreness prompted Roberts to rest Ohtani after an 0-for-4 night on Wednesday in which he struck out four times.

He took swings in the batting cage during Saturday's 6-5 win and according to Roberts, came out of that session just fine. The Dodgers had been weighing whether to put Ohtani on the injured list, where he would have to miss 15 games instead of the standard 10 because of his two-way designation.

But barring any unforeseen setbacks, Roberts told reporters that he's optimistic Ohtani can be back in his usual DH spot for Monday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

"Yesterday was a good day," Roberts said. "Came out of it feeling well, so if nothing else changes or continues to trend, I see him in there tomorrow."

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is out of the Dodgers lineup on Sunday for a fourth straight day, but has progressed enough that he could start again at designated hitter as early as Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds. But it’s becoming increasingly likely that Ohtani does not pitch again this season.

Ohtani has dealt with left knee and right biceps issued for months, which has kept him off of the mound in game action since July 3. Recently he was also dealing with a neck injury that affected him while batting. Since his last home run — on August 18 at Coors Field in Denver — Ohtani has six hits in 49 at-bats, with 19 strikeouts. His last game was Wednesday, when he walked once and was hit by a pitch, but also struck out four times.

On Saturday, Ohtani hit in the batting cage throughout the game against the Washington Nationals, and continued to feel better. He also hasn’t thrown in the last week, not even plyo balls that had been part of his between-bullpen work.

“The no throwing I think is beneficial, the four days has been beneficial,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. “Then at some point in time, we’ll just kind of monitor day to day and make sure we don’t get to that point where it was at four or five days ago.”

Prior to this weekend, Ohtani missed more than one game in a row only once — in April 2025 with two games on the paternity list for the birth of his first child. Ohtani this season has faced 340 batters while pitching and has batted 592 times, his 932 total plate appearances involved in 15 percent more than the next-most in MLB, the 808 batters faced by Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara.

There was an outside chance Ohtani might have pitched an inning in the series finale against the Tigers in Detroit on August 30, but he reported discomfort in his knee and biceps and wasn’t yet cleared to pitch. Now, with three weeks left in the regular season, and the Dodgers wanting to make sure their best hitter is available and highly-functioning at the plate, pitching might not be in the picture for the remainder of this season.

Roberts was asked if Ohtani has been ruled out from pitching.

“Not officially, but obviously if you’re looking at the calendar and how much he’s thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math,” he said.

When asked to clarify if Ohtani might even be used as an opener in the postseason, even if only for an inning or two, Roberts said, “I think that’s unlikely.”

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Sunday placed catcher Dalton Rushing on the 10-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. The irony here is Rushing wasn’t expected to catch while active this month, but aggravated his partially torn UCL during pregame workouts on Saturday.

“He’s not going to swing for a few days, and then will build up to the swinging progression,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. “Then at that point and time he could take some at-bats on a rehab assignment, and we’ll see where we’re at.”

The move was backdated to Saturday, so the earliest Rushing could be activated is September 15.

It was always a long shot that Rushing would catch again this season, but now that’s been officially ruled out. He also won’t do any sort of throwing progression.

“For us, for Dalton, it’s more we’ll get through this year, building up the hitting, then kind of see where the offseason takes us,” Roberts said.

Eliezer Alfonzo was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, so the Dodgers will carry three catchers for the time being. Roberts said this will allow Hunter Feduccia to be used at times as a left-handed pinch-hitter when he’s not catching.

It will also free up Will Smith to be used solely as a pinch-hitter in days he doesn’t start behind the plate. Since getting activated from the injured list, Smith will have started four of the six games including Sunday night. In the two other games — Wednesday and Saturday — Smith was used as a pinch-hitter and remained in the game to catch the final inning both times.

Though Shohei Ohtani could return to the lineup as early as Monday, Smith could be considered for some starts at designated hitter down the stretch, though Roberts cautioned the Dodgers want to be mindful of Smith’s ramp up after missing three and a half months on the injured list.

It is likely the Jefry Yan experience is finished, at least for this season. 

The Mets optioned the entertaining but wild left-hander, needing another arm (Tobias Myers) and needing to see more strikes from Yan. 

One of the more fun stories to come out of garbage time for the Mets, Yan — a 30-year-old who was out of baseball from 2016-20, when he worked in part as a roofer, then returned with appreciation and a signature leap following strikeouts — finally celebrated his way to the majors in early August, when he demonstrated strong stuff and a fastball that can touch triple digits. 

But Yan had allowed at least a run in four straight appearances and had walked 11 in 12 ²/₃ innings, an aspect of his game he will attempt to hone with Triple-A Syracuse. 

“It’s really tough to succeed at this level with around a 20 percent walk rate,” interim manager Andy Green said. “It just isn’t a recipe for success.” 

Under team control, Yan could remain a factor for the Mets next season and beyond. 

“We love who he is,” Green said of Yan, whose stint in the majors ended with a 5.68 ERA. “Love his enthusiasm, love having him in the clubhouse, love what he can do when he’s the best version of himself.” 

Christian Scott (who pitched better than his 4 ²/₃-inning, two-run line) struck out seven and was only dinged in the fourth, when Jung Hoo Lee blooped in a two-run single just out of the reach of Marcus Semien. 

“I thought he was awesome today,” Green said of Scott, who was pitching on eight days of rest as the club manages him carefully in his first season off of Tommy John surgery. 

Particularly encouraging were strides with his cutter, which he used to strike out a red-hot Rafael Devers twice. 

“It’s a good pitch,” Scott said. “When I’m able to execute that, I feel like I can get anybody out in the league.” 

Scott was lifted before facing Devers a third time at 80 pitches and with runners on second and third in the fifth inning, when Nate Lavender came in and used his sneaky fastball to punch out Devers one more time. 

“His fastball is proving to be relatively difficult to hit the first time you see it,” Green said of Lavender, who now has begun his major league career with 13 consecutive scoreless innings. 

Kodai Senga pitched a clean ninth inning and is now 6-for-6 in save opportunities. 

Myers — who in April seemed to be such a big piece of the club before diminished stuff and results brought him to Syracuse before the end of May — returned after a strong run in Triple-A and struck out a pair in a scoreless eighth inning. 

Pitching for a few innings at a time out of the bullpen with Syracuse, Myers had allowed two earned runs in 14 ²/₃ innings in his previous six games. 

“I think we’ve seen a little bit of uptick in velo the last couple of times out,” Green said, “and so want to see him kind of in shorter bursts, kind of two-inning-type bursts, and see how he responds to being back here. He clearly has enough stuff.” 

Jared Young was out of the lineup partly because there was a lefty (Perdomo) on the mound and partly because he was still “feeling it” after fouling a ball off his foot Saturday. 

“He’s a tough guy,” Green said of Young, who pinch hit for Mark Vientos in the seventh and grounded out. 

Gary Gill Hill, a righty the Mets acquired from the Rays in the Freddy Peralta trade, was promoted from Double-A Binghamton to Syracuse. 

Gill Hill had pitched to a 3.76 ERA with 28 strikeouts and five walks in 26 ¹/₃ innings over five starts with Binghamton. 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers (66%) will look to complete a sweep over the Washington Nationals tonight when these teams face off at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.

With their offense heating up against left-handed pitchers in particular, I'm backing the home team to finish the job with my Nationals vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, Sept. 6.

Who will win Nationals vs Dodgers today: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (48%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Andrew Alvarez is not pitching as well as the surface stats indicate. His 2.36 ERA over the last month comes attached with a 4.02 xFIP and 4.28 SIERA, red flags that suggest regression is coming.

The Los Angeles Dodgers sit fifth in xBA and seventh in xwOBA vs. lefties during that span. They are in good form and can bring Alvarez back to earth.

Justin Wrobleski has pitched to a 3.41 ERA at home. He should be adequate against a Washington Nationals lineup ranking 26th in xwOBA against southpaws the past 30 days.

Play to 49%.

COVERS INTEL:The Dodgers own the league's best winning percentage against below .500 teams. They're also 38-13 vs. teams under .500 who allow more runs per game than the MLB average.

Nationals vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (49%)

Alvarez has posted a 4.41 xERA over 10 starts in hitter-friendly conditions this season, and favorable weather is projected tonight.

The Dodgers have hit lefties better than righties of late, and can look forward to facing a poor Nationals bullpen when Alvarez departs. Only Seattle’s bullpen owns a worse ERA than Washington's (5.53) the last month.

Wrobleski pitches well in stretches but is vulnerable to power. He has allowed 1.45 HR/9 this year, and the Nationals have more pop with the recent return of James Wood.

Target the Over to 52%.

Nationals vs Dodgers home run prediction: James Wood (22%)

Wood hits for a ton of power against pitchers of both handedness. While he’s more productive facing righties,the power numbers vs. southpaws (17.3% barrel rate, 53.8% hard-hit rate) are still outstanding.

He has faced Wrobleski three times in his young career. He walked in one of them, and homered in the two at-bats.

Wood has four hits in three games since rejoining the lineup but is yet to leave the park. This is a good spot to change that.

Nationals vs Dodgers weather

Temperatures are expected to hover around 80 with slight winds blowing out. Boost to the bats.

Nationals vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Nationals 35% | Dodgers 66%
• Run line: Nationals +1.5 (53%) | Dodgers -1.5 (48%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (49%) | Under 8.5 (52%)

Nationals vs Dodgers trend

The Over is 4-0-1 in Washington's last five games against a left-handed starting pitcher. Find more MLB betting trends for Nationals vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Nationals vs Dodgers and game info

Nationals vs Dodgers latest injuries

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The San Diego Padres powered their way past the New York Yankees 4-3 with a big first inning at Petco Park on Sunday, Sept. 6.

Fernando Tatís Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to produce an early lead against pitcher Gerrit Cole and the Yankees. All three homers came before the Yankees recorded an out.

Cole managed to weather the storm and stay in the game for seven innings. He allowed six hits and four earned runs, while striking out three.

San Diego's Luis Campusano hit a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that proved to be the difference. The Yankees attempted to rally in the top of the eighth inning, scoring three runs.

When Bryan Woo had his 13-strikeout performance against the Angels on September 13, 2025, the Mariners’ social team anointed him “Leonardo de Wooski” with tiny art emoji, a nickname that his teammates (okay, Bryce Miller) have enjoyed poking fun at ever since. But today’s performance might have surpassed even that baker’s dozen of strikeouts, where Woo went six innings and gave up two runs. Today, trying to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Athletics, Woo went eight innings, the first time a Mariners starter has gotten to that mark since George Kirby did it on June 29th, shutting out the A’s en route to a 2-0 win.

Today A’s starter Gage Jump pitched half as many innings as Woo and had one more whiff, but Woo effectively throttled the A’s over eight innings, allowing just one hit while striking out nine. He mixed his secondaries heavily, getting the A’s hitters to pound the ball into the ground – nine of his outs came via groundout, and the furthest any A’s hitter got a ball to travel was Jeff McNeil, who threw his bat at a changeup and was rewarded with a 310-foot soft flyout.

Woo’s changeup featured heavily today against the A’s lefty-stacked lineup; he threw it 14% of the time, over double his usual usage, using the pitch to generate many of those groundball outs or foul balls to put hitters in bad counts. Once he had them on the ropes in those counts, Woo was able to effectively mix his fastballs and sweeper for the putaway shot.

“I’d say it’s a feel thing, most of the time,” said Woo. “It’s what’s working that day, what feels good. Keep the line of communication open, and mix and match from there. But today, everything felt good, so it just made things a lot easier for us.”

Woo was aided in his big day by batterymate Jhonny Pereda, who not only called a good game for Woo but also made some instrumental ABS challenges. One came early in the game in the third inning, on a low-stakes challenge with two outs that nonetheless represented the difference between a 1-0 and an 0-1 count (it would end up an inning-ending strikeout) – and was risky, given that the Mariners were already down to one challenge after Weston Wilson had challenged and lost in the previous inning.

“It’s gotta be close, for a walk or a strikeout. If it’s early, I gotta be 100% sure. If we’ve got two strikes, I go even when I’m like, 80% sure,” said Pereda. “But it’s pretty hard because the ABS changes every time, for every batter. So you gotta know who’s hitting and find the top [of the zone]. Early, it’s pretty tough to to call a challenge at the top or the bottom of the zone, because you don’t know.” So on that 0-0 pitch he was? “100% sure, yes.”

Pereda’s other challenge deserves just as much attention as any of Woo’s strikeouts. Pereda put the Mariners’ final challenge of the day on the line in the seventh after Woo got into a long battle with Lawrence Butler, whose 14-game hit streak was snapped today by Woo. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Woo spotted a slider on the outer edge that home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn ruled a ball; Pereda challenged and won, and Woo went on to get Carlos Cortes to ground out softly on a changeup for a clean seventh.

“The challenges today were huge,” said Woo. “[Pereda’s] been awesome. He’s just very open to, how do I get better? How do I help you? What do you like for setups? What do you like for sequencing locations? He’s just a sponge, and that’s all you can ask for from your teammates, that they want to be the best they can.”

“There was also one I wanted to challenge,” said Woo. “It was a ball, so that was also great by him.”

Meanwhile, the Mariners scuffled to get anything going against A’s starter, lefty Gage Jump, the first time through the order, with the only damage a leadoff single from Randy Arozarena. They did start to make some noise the second time through, though: Dominic Canzone led off the inning with a nice left-on-left single and Julio Rodríguez followed that up with a single of his own, breaking an 0-for-13 stretch. That brought up up Cal Raleigh, who had narrowly missed a home run in his first at-bat. Cal kept it fair this time but settled for a single, bringing home Canzone, trucking around the bases as fast as a pair of Easter hams on legs can. It was a nice piece of hitting from Cal on a curveball down as Raleigh continues to rebuild what’s been his worst season as a big-leaguer.

“I feel like [Cal’s] very balanced and a little bit more of a pure hitter right now,” said Dan Wilson postgame. “Still getting a chance to hit the ball out of the ballpark at times, but I feel like he’s in a really good spot as far as what he’s looking for. His plan is good. He’s swinging the bat and doing the things you need to do offensively in the batter’s box, and it’s really showing, and that’s a tribute to the work he’s put in and the work the hitting guys have put in with him.”

J.P. Crawford kept the line moving with a single to bring home Julio, and then Naylor singled to re-load the bases. Unfortunately, Weston Wilson, despite having the handedness advantage, struck out on three pitches, putting some pressure on rookie Michael Arroyo. Arroyo, in swing mode on his debut day, struck out on a 99 mph fastball from Jump, and Jhonny Pereda couldn’t come up with a big two-out hit, capping the damage at just two runs for Woo to work with – and all the offense the Mariners lineup would be able to scrape up against an A’s bullpen that looked steady as it has all season, combining to cover the rest of Gage’s outing with four innings of shutout, one-hit, six-strikeout ball.

But two runs would be all Woo would need, even despite a pair of walks to former Mariner Donovan Walton (we believe in being nice to former teammates, Bryan, but not that nice). A well-timed mound visit from Pereda in the eighth—after Woo had issued the second walk to Walton but rebounded to strike out Alika Williams on three pitches, all straight heat—helped push Woo over the finish line for his best start of the season, and Andrés Muñoz came in to put down the top of the A’s lineup in the ninth, getting two groundouts and a strikeout on that nasty changeup.

But today’s game belongs to Woo, painting a vintage masterpiece in a month where the rotation has been disappointing. Maybe by strikeouts alone it’s not Leonardo da Wooski; personally, I prefer the modernists anyway (Woossily Kandinksy, PabWoo PicassWoo, Francis WOOBAcon).

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country.

As we celebrate Labor Day Weekend, the final big milestone of the regular season, Yankees fans have focused on just one question: when will Aaron Judge return to the field? After all, the Yankees Captain has not taken the field since May 31st due to a stress fracture in his ribs, and his absence single-handedly turned the lineup from arguably the best in baseball into arguably the worst. Their 12.2 fWAR and 116 wRC+ through May 31st ranked first and second in baseball, respectively, while their 6.7 fWAR and 90 wRC+ rank 25th and 29th (yes, that’s right — the Yankees lineup put up almost twice as much fWAR in two months with Judge as they did in the three-plus months since!).

We had some major news about Judge’s return over the past two weeks. It was first reported that No. 99 could skip a rehab assignment and return straight to the Bronx; then, on Friday night in San Diego, James Smyth reported that Judge took live batting practice on the field for the first time since the injury.

With these updates in tow, we opted to poll the fanbase on whether or not they think it’s a good idea to let the Captain forego rehab games. And, while not exactly unanimous, the results were conclusive: Yankees fans want Judge back in the lineup ASAP.

From my vantage point, I understand both options. On the one hand, this offense has looked downright pitiable without arguably history’s greatest right-handed hitter, and it’s clear to me that his presence in the lineup has warped our perception of some of the team’s other hitters (as his presence drastically elevates the performance of literally everyone else in the lineup). At the same time, though, the Yankees are 8.5 games up in the Wild Card race and 4.0 games behind in the division. Would it be nice to go on a run and challenge the Rays for the top spot in the American League? Absolutely. Would having Judge in the lineup for as many games as possible help that cause? Certainly. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Well….uh…maybe, maybe not.

That said, even if he does skip a rehab assignment, it’s not like the Yankees will be throwing him into full action without any preparation. Even beyond the fact that he’ll be hitting in the batting cage, running down fly balls in the outfield, and generally just doing normal baseball activities in preparation, the organization will carefully monitor his activity, and it’s not unlikely that you’ll see the team give him plenty of rest and DH days until he’s fully ramped back up. It doesn’t matter how he looks on September 15th at the end of the day, but on September 28th — and, hopefully, long beyond.

This week’s SB Nation Reacts poll results are brought to you by FanDuel.

Labor Day is the traditional end of the Minor League season, but that’s gone a bit by the wayside with the reorganization of the minors in 2021. However, Labor Day is late enough this year that the regular season ends today for South Bend and Myrtle Beach. However, South Bend’s season will continue next week in the playoffs.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were tariffed by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 6-3.

In his second rehab start with Iowa, Justin Steele pitched two innings and allowed one run on two hits. He struck out one and walked no one. Steele threw 27 pitches and 18 were strikes, so he was finding the strike zone. Steele’s velocity on his four-seam fastball was 90-to-92 miles per hour.

Kohl Franklin then pitched the next two innings and got the loss after giving up a three-run home run to Kahlil Watson. Franklin’s final line was three runs on two hits and walk. He struck out one.

Jaxon Wiggins pitched the ninth inning and coughed up a run on one hit and one walk. It was the first run Wiggins has allowed over nine relief appearances stretching over nine innings. He struck out one.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu cranked a solo home run in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the eighth for two total RBI. He was 1 for 3.

Right fielder Justin Dean doubled twice in a 2 for 4 game. He drove in one.

Third baseman James Triantos was 2 for 4.

As a Michigan Wolverine, Nwogu loves terrorizing Columbus.

Dean with an RBI double after the Guardians messed up a rundown.

For the first time in his career, Kevin Alcántara played first base. He was 0 for 4 at the plate though.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies got in the eyes of the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 6-5. The Smokies now have a two-game lead over both Rocket City and Birmingham with six games to play. Of course, it doesn’t make any difference as the Smokies won the first half already, but it would be nice to win both halves.

Connor Schultz started and held the Lookouts to just one unearned run on four hits over four innings. Schultz struck out three and walked one.

Yenrri Rojas came on to pitch the seventh inning and retired the next nine batters in order and picked up the win because Schultz didn’t go five. Rojas struck out one over those three innings.

First baseman Miguel Useche hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. It was his 13th of the season and sixth with Knoxville. Useche went 1 for 4.

Right fielder Alex Ramírez doubled the Smokies lead to 4-0 with a two-run home run in the second inning. Ramírez was 2 for 5. It was his 15th home run this year.

DH Andy Garriola homered with the bases empty in the third inning, his 22nd on the season. Garriola went 2 for 4.

Shortstop Alex Madera was 2 for 4 with an RBI double in the third inning.

Catcher Ariel Armas was 2 for 4.

Usche’s home run went far.

Ramírez’s home run looked like it touched the clouds.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs finished their regular season with a 10-5 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins).

Anhuar Garcia started and gave the Cubs three innings. He was touched for three runs on eight hits. Garcia struck out three and walked no one.

Luke Alwood took the loss after he gave up three unearned runs in the sixth inning, all coming after two were out. Right fielder Kade Snell dropped a shallow fly that would have ended the inning. I think Snell may have lost it in the sun, but he got his glove on it and it bounced right out. Alwood’s final line was three unearned runs on one hit and three walks over 1.2 innings. He struck out two.

First baseman Josiah Hartshorn hit two doubles and walked once in a 2 for 4 game. Hartshorn drove in three runs and scored once. He finished the season with a South Bend Cubs record 85 RBI after his promotion and he had 110 total in 122 games.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda was 2 for 5 with an RBI double.

Second baseman Jose Escobar went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI single.

Escobar’s RBI single.

Cepeda’s RBI double.

Josiah Hartshorn just keeps driving in runs.

South Bend finished the second half in third place with a 38-28 record after winning the first half. Their overall record was 77-51, which was the best record in the Midwest League.

South Bend will start the best-of-three playoffs on Tuesday in the Quad Cities against the River Bandits. Games 2 and 3, if necessary, will be in South Bend on Thursday and Friday.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Pelicans season finale was rained out.

The Pelicans finished the second half with a record of 23-40, which puts them in last place in the Carolina League South Division. Their overall record was 50-77 which was again last in their division, but at least it was better than Delmarva, who finished in last in the North Division.

SAN DIEGO — Back-to-back-to-back turned out not to be the ultimate backbreaker. 

But the fourth home run that Gerrit Cole allowed on Sunday was. 

Cole gave up three straight homers to begin his outing, and while the Yankees staged a late rally to account for those three runs, it still was not enough as they fell to the Padres 4-3 in the series finale at Petco Park. 

The four solo shots off Cole, on a day when the lineup was stymied by former teammate Michael King, sank the Yankees and cost them a chance to pick up a game on the Rays with time running out to do so. 

After wrapping up a 3-3 West Coast trip — including potentially their last series without Aaron Judge — the Yankees (81-62) flew home trailing the Rays by four games for the division with 19 games left, while the Red Sox crept within 2 ¹/₂ games of them for the top AL wild card. 

“I think we got some work to do,” Cole said. “We’re within striking distance of our goals.” 

King, in his second career start against the Yankees after he was the centerpiece of the trade return for Juan Soto, tossed six shutout innings. He gave the Yankees a chance to get back in it late, as he lost his command in the fifth inning and loaded the bases with two outs, but they were unable to take advantage as Cody Bellinger flew out to end the threat. 

Then, after Cole gave up his fourth home run of the day to Luis Campusano to put the Padres (75-68) ahead 4-0 in the seventh inning, the Yankees mounted a comeback in the top of the eighth against lefty Adrian Morejon. It included an RBI double from Spencer Jones, his latest left-on-left success, and an infield single from pinch hitter Amed Rosario that turned into two more runs with an assist from Morejon’s throwing error, pulling the Yankees within 4-3. 

But after José Caballero, pinch running for Rosario, was thrown out trying to steal second by Campusano — who threw out all four runners that tried to steal on him in the series — Jasson Domínguez flew out to squash the rally. 

“They made a play on us, but we’re not going to stand over there,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We got to try to get into scoring position there.” 

Mason Miller then slammed the door shut on the Yankees in the ninth. 

In between the home runs that bookended his seven-inning outing, Cole settled in, though the damage was done. 

“It obviously happened quick in the first inning, but I didn’t think we were out of it for a second, because Gerrit went out there and did his job for the rest of the game and pitched really well and gave us a chance,” Jones said. “We just didn’t come through.” 

Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the bottom of the first by taking an outside curveball the other way, belting it into the right field seats for the 1-0 lead. Jake Cronenworth followed by going to the opposite field as well, slicing a 97 mph, middle-in fastball down the left field line and keeping it just fair and high enough to hit off the first story of the Western Metal Supply Co. Manny Machado then crushed a 97 mph fastball to dead center field, a 416-foot blast that put the Padres ahead 3-0 in the blink of an eye. 

“They put really good swings on the ball,” said Cole, who came within a few feet of giving up a fourth straight homer to Ty France. “The curveball kind of squirted out to Tatis. Thought Machado took a great pitch out, unbelievable swing. And I thought Cronenworth took a pretty good 2-1 fastball and put a good swing on it.” 

It was not the first time Cole had given up back-to-back-to-back home runs to lead off the first inning of a start. He also did it June 9, 2022, against the Twins, a game the Yankees ended up coming back to win. 

They nearly pulled off the same feat Sunday before coming up short, in part because Cole gave up another home run to Campusano in the seventh — on a 95 mph fastball down the middle that the catcher crushed 433 feet — and because King pitched his way out of jams. 

“Disappointing we couldn’t get to him,” Boone said. “We couldn’t get that big hit today to get back in the game in the middle of the game. I thought we had the right at-bats against him, we just couldn’t break through.”

Christopher Morel was facing the other direction, which did not stop Jonah Tong from coming up behind him and hugging him. Continuing his way around the room, Tong tapped Juan Soto on the shoulder, and Soto grinned as the two embraced. Sean Manaea got his own big hug and then left the clubhouse chatting with the outgoing pupil he grew close to last year.

Tong is back in the major leagues, his arrival in Queens on Sunday providing some life and plenty of smiles to a team that is as fond of the young right-hander as the team’s fanbase.

In terms of staying in the major leagues, Tong’s audition begins — and will not end — Monday in Miami.

The Mets will give a prolonged chance to a top prospect who has followed a rocket-ship 2025 with a roller-coaster 2026.

“There’s so many things that we have control over in our career, and sometimes there’s just lessons that need to be learned,” Tong said Sunday morning before the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Giants, “and I’m just really excited to see the person that I’ve become out of it.”

As a person, the now 23-year-old has not withered under various unflattering spotlights. He soared his way to the majors last season before he probably was ready and then struggled (7.71 ERA) in five games for a club that finished a win shy of the postseason. He returned this spring juggling pitching projects that also were not ready, as evidenced by a 6.00 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse as late as July 9.

Mixed in there were a couple shots with the big league Mets in late May and early June, which ended with a 3 ¹/₃-inning, five-run dud in Seattle that underscored that he would not be the player who saved the 2026 Mets.

If he demonstrated last year that he can handle success, Tong — who said he now is a “better person” — is now attempting to demonstrate he can handle failure.

“I’m the same kid I was last year as I am this year,” said Tong, who will be formally added to the roster Monday. “I think the only difference is I just have a boatload of experience I didn’t have last year. And honestly, the support system I have outside of baseball and in baseball, they’re my family. So, I appreciate them and lean on them a lot.”

As a pitcher, though, there is no doubt he has changed.

Last year he bulldozed his way through the minors primarily with a four-seamer that dropped from the sky, hitters unable to get their bat on a pitch thrown from such an extreme, over-the-top angle, along with a changeup that looked like the four-seamer before it dived to the bottom of or below the strike zone. He mixed in a curveball, but essentially he was a two-pitch pitcher — which mattered when he was promoted to Queens and major league hitters only had to plan for two pitches.

So this spring Tong worked further on his curveball and developed a cutter to make himself a more complete pitcher. Along the way, his arm angle dropped: He threw from an almost impossibly high 64-degree angle in the majors last year, while he used a less-extreme 51-degree angle during his brief stint this year.

The change might help his breaking stuff and may hurt his fastball effectiveness, but the best angle probably remains a work in progress.

“I think I’m pretty happy with how I am,” Tong said of his arm angle. “I’m not really too focused on that.”

He is happy, too, with the results of late, and perhaps he is figuring out what works. Seven of his past eight outings with Triple-A Syracuse have been strong, a stretch in which he owns a 2.20 ERA and opposing hitters are batting .185 against him. He still is walking too many (20 in 41 innings), but the stuff has begun to tick up.

Interim manager (and former/future player development exec) Andy Green said he lost and then refound his changeup, which Tong said he has done simply by throwing it more.

“It’s just more getting comfortable with it again,” Tong added. “Like everything, pitching is based on feel, and I felt like I’ve been in a really good spot with that and other pitches and happy with how things have been going.”

He has found more comfort, too, with the cutter, which has held opposing batters to a .174 average and .530 OPS in the span.

He has shown enough that he has earned another chance, which will comprise more than one start. Tong is now in the rotation.

“He’s going to continue to post when it’s his turn to pitch, and he hasn’t really had that knowledge at any point in time in his short big league career — it’s always been: You come up here and you throw a few innings and then you’re probably going back,” Green said of Tong, who has an opportunity to demonstrate to the Mets that he belongs in a 2027 rotation conversation that includes Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton and Manaea.

Not that Tong is looking toward 2027 just yet.

“I’m starting Monday,” he said, “and I just can’t wait for that.”

The Yankees lost the rubber-game to the San Diego Padres on Sunday, falling by a score of 4-3.

Here are the key takeaways...

-- It was an inauspicious start by Gerrit Cole in this one after he allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs to the first three batters of the game in Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado which gave the Padres a 3-0 lead in the blink of an eye and brought Petco Park to a frenzy.

Cole settled down after that and gave up just two singles until the seventh inning when the long ball reared its ugly head once again. Leading off, Luis Campusano rocketed one to left-center field for San Diego's fourth homer off Cole which extended its lead to 4-0. The right-hander ended his outing by retiring the next three hitters and going seven innings for just the third time this season.

Three of the four home runs allowed by Cole came on his four-seam fastball and he's now given up 17 home runs in 111 innings across 19 starts this season.

-- Campusano's home run proved to be pivotal as New York's offense, which had been shut out for the first seven innings against former Yankee Michael King (six innings) and Bradgley Rodriguez (one inning, 2 Ks), scored three times in the eighth inning to draw closer.

Spencer Jones got the Yanks on the board with an RBI double as he continues to impress and then pinch-hitter Amed Rosario drove in two with a single to the pitcher Adrian Morejon who threw the ball away on his throw to first base that allowed both runners to score and cut New York's deficit to 4-3.

The Yankees ran themselves out of the inning, though, when pinch-runner Jose Caballero was thrown out at second trying to swipe the bag. New York challenged the call but it was upheld. Jasson Dominguez ended the inning with a lineout.

-- Facing closer Mason Miller in the ninth, the Yanks got the tying-run on base after Austin Wells walked, but Miller struck out Ben Rice to end the game -- one of three strikeouts the closer had in the frame -- and earn him his 33rd save of the year.

Game MVP: Luis Campusano

Highlights

Gerrit Cole allows back-to-back-to-back home runs to open the game pic.twitter.com/zoGXEuYJT6

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 6, 2026

Spencer Jones gets the Yankees on the board! pic.twitter.com/aGXHULcvy9

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 6, 2026

Two runs score for the Yankees and it's 4-3! pic.twitter.com/smjlGwt2dx

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 6, 2026

What's next

After a day off on Monday the Yankees are back in action on Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies as the start of a six-game homestand. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

RHP Cam Schlittler (12-6, 2.04 ERA) takes on RHP Gabriel Hughes (0-6, 6.19 ERA).