Aug 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubon (14) runs to third against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mauricio Dubón’s versatile positional weekend in Philadelphia continues with Sunday afternoon’s third game of a four-game set between the Braves and Phillies.
After starting in center field Friday and left on Saturday, Dubón will play shortstop and hit fifth for this 1:10 p.m. ET game on NBC.
That’s one of only a small handful of changes from Saturday’s Atlanta lineup, with the top six hitters remaining the same. Sean Murphy is back behind the plate and hitting seventh, and Mike Yastrzemski takes Dubón’s vacated outfield spot in left and rounds out the lineup.
The Phillies also made only a few changes from their most recent lineup. JT Realmuto gets a somewhat rare day off behind the plate, replaced by Garrett Stubbs, who will hit ninth. Left-handed bats Brandon Marsh (left) Justin Crawford (center) are also both back in the lineup, hitting seventh and eighth, respectively, with the Braves starting right-hander Tyler Mahle on the mound.
Considering the Braves are facing a career Phillies pitcher in right-hander Aaron Nola, it’s no big surprise that collectively they have a lot of career at-bats against him.
Overall, Atlanta’s current hitters are 113-for-388 (.291) against Nola with 22 homers, 56 RBIs, 31 walks and 103 strikeouts.
Ronald Acuña Jr. (21-for-60, four homers, six doubles) and Austin Riley (23-for-66, six homers, five doubles) have had particular success against Nola, each hitting .348 or better against him. There’s no Braves hitter with a glaring weakness against the veteran, with everyone on the roster who has at least 10 at-bats against him hitting .235 or better
The current Phillies hitters are a combined 26-for-101 (.257) against Mahle, having already faced him twice this season back in April when he was with the San Francisco Giants.
Kyle Schwarber (6-for-20, two homers), Trea Turner (8-for-19) and Bryce Harper (4-for-12) have all had good success against the right-hander, but 22 of the 26 hits he’s allowed against them have been singles, with only two homers and two doubles surrendered.
The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies have split the first two games of their four-game weekend series in Philadelphia, and things are starting to get chippy.
Philadelphia took issue with Ronald Acuna Jr.’s home run trot on Saturday as the September divisional race gets hot.
My Braves vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks believe the home side will get their revenge this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. ET on Sept. 6.
Who will win Braves vs Phillies today: Phillies (49%)
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
Philadelphia Phillies starter Aaron Nola has turned around a rough first half of the season and is showing signs of the Cy Young candidate of previous seasons.
He’s won three of his four starts with a 1.96 ERA, 1.130 WHIP and 11 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .209 with a 72 OPS+ against him over that span.
The Atlanta Braves have hit 13% below league average over the past month and averaged less than a homer a game, after hitting 1.4 per game before then.
Look for Nola to keep Atlanta slumping and take Philly down to 54%.
COVERS INTEL: Nola has been leaning hard on his knuckle curve as he turns around his season, throwing it 33% of the time, nearly 10 percentage points more often than his four-seamer. Batters are hitting .178 against the knuckle curve with a whiff rate of 42.8%.
Braves vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (54%)
The Braves are also starting a pitcher who is turning his season around. Tyler Mahle was 3-9 with a 5.13 ERA with the Giants before being dealt before the August deadline.
Since then, he’s 2-1 and sports a 1.48 ERA with the Braves, with a WHIP below 1.000. He’s cut his walk rate in half, is giving up fewer home runs, and opponents have a .581 OPS against him.
The Phillies have played to the Under seven times in the last 10 games and scored fewer than five in the last three games. Atlanta has also not been Over in the last three, and the two teams have combined for 13 runs in the first two games of the series.
Play this to 58%.
Braves vs Phillies home run prediction: Ronald Acuna Jr. (20%)
Ronald Acuna Jr. stirred up trouble on Saturday by stopping to admire his 450-foot home run before running the bases.
Zack Wheeler pointed out that his teammate Kyle Schwarber, who also went deep in the game, has hit more homers than Acuna without showboating. Look for Acuna to respond at the plate.
He’s homered in two of the last three games and is 8-for-14 with five RBI over that span. Acuna has a 224 OPS+ over the last week with a .440/.481/.720 slash line. He’s also hit .333 with 1.068 OPS against Nola in his career with four long balls.
Play this to 25%.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 32-38, -1.94 units
Over/Under bets: 43-22, +8.80 units
Braves vs Phillies weather
It will be in the high 70s in Philadelphia, partly cloudy with no chance of rain.
Braves vs Phillies odds
Moneyline: Braves 50% | Phillies 49%
Run line: Braves -1.5 (38%) | Phillies +1.5 (63%)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (47%) | Under 8.5 (53%)
Braves vs Phillies trend
The Atlanta Braves have hit the game total Under in 22 of their last 30 away games (+14.65 Units / 45% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Phillies.
How to watch Braves vs Phillies and game info
Location
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Braves starting pitcher
Tyler Mahle (5-10, 4.25 ERA)
Phillies starting pitcher
Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.93 ERA)
Braves vs Phillies latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Sunday Funday has arrived, and we’re looking to attack some MLB player propsthis afternoon.
There is plenty to dive into across the player props market, and I’ve found a few spots worth targeting.
Join me as I break down three of my favorite MLB picksfor Sunday, Sept. 6, including why Elly De La Cruz is going to light up Kyle Harrison.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Kyle Harrison
Over 2.5 earned runs
+125
Spencer Arrighetti
Over 2.5 earned runs
-104
Elly De La Cruz
Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI
-109
Kyle Harrison Over 2.5 earned runs (+125)
Backing the Cincinnati Reds to do anything positive offensively is typically not the most enjoyable activity. However, they draw Milwaukee Brewers southpaw Kyle Harrison, who has been struggling in his last five outings, owning a 6.94 ERA and 1.63 WHIP while allowing a barrel rate over 13%.
Harrison draws four elite-rated hitters and one with a strong rating over on Batters-Box’s current-season dataset. In that dataset, the left-hander owns poorly rated matchup marks in ISO, hard contact, and ground-ball rate.
The reason the Reds are never fun to back is that they strike out at a high rate while being overly inconsistent. However, over their last 12 games, they have a 116 wRC+, .343 wOBA, and .783 OPS. During that stretch, they still have a strikeout rate above 26%, but the bats are hot while Harrison has not been.
If you want to get a lower number, take the Reds' first-five team total at 1.5. The price is around -130.
Time: 12:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CIN, BREW
Spencer Arrighetti Over 2.5 earned runs (-104)
With how putrid Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Spencer Arrighetti has been, he's an auto-fade at this point. The 26-year-old owns the worst pitcher rating in Batters-Box's current-season dataset, where he has poorly rated matchup wOBA, ISO, hard contact, strikeout, and ground-ball percentages.
He draws a Kansas City Royals lineup with two elite-rated hitters and another with a strong rating. The Royals offense has been pretty solid as of late, generating a ton of hard contact as a whole. Over their last 12 games, they have posted a 120 wRC+, .775 OPS, and .342 wOBA.
Arrighetti owns an ERA above 6.00 no matter how you look at it, whether it's his last three starts, last five starts, or road games this season. He's struggled with a very high walk rate this season, while the Royals do a great job limiting strikeouts and drawing walks.
Do not take this down much further, probably -110 at the most. Search for plus money, even if it's the Royals' first-five team total over 2.5.
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ROYL, Sportsnet
Elly De La Cruz Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-109)
One of those elite-rated Reds this afternoon happens to be their star shortstop, Elly De La Cruz, who's been seeing the ball extremely well over his last 10 games. During that span, he has a .615 SLG while producing a 62.1% hard-hit rate and 17.2% barrel rate. He is absolutely tearing the cover off the ball.
Brewers southpaw Kyle Harrison has been getting torn up by right-handed hitters lately. Over the last 60 he has faced, he is allowing a 19.5% barrel rate, 7.59 HR/9 and just a 31.7% ground-ball rate. Those hitters have a .352 xBA, .670 xSLG, and .519 ISO.
Just numbers we cannot pass up on. On top of that, this price at -109 is a great HRR price for a guy who's always on base and can fly around the basepaths. I’d take this down to -120.
Time: 12:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CIN, BREW
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 465-926, -6.9 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Toronto Blue Jays enter Sunday in a wild-card spot and above .500 for the first time since April as they aim to sweep their three-game set against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
My Blue Jays vs. Royals prediction breaks down why Toronto (-120 favorite) should soar to victory in a game that will feature weak pitching and plenty of scoring.
Dive into my free MLB picks for 2:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 6.
Blue Jays vs Royals predictions
Blue Jays vs Royals best bet: Blue Jays moneyline (-120)
Randy Dobnak’s stats look fine on paper (2.65 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), but the Kansas City Royals starter has benefited from a lot of good fortune according to the underlying numbers. Dobnak’s xERA ranks in the 21st percentile (4.79), while his xBA is in the second percentile (.290).
He’ll face a Toronto Blue Jays offense that has been on fire since Aug. 28. Toronto is 7-1 over that span with a .283 team batting average (second) and a .347 wOBA (4th).
Dobnak surrendered three earned runs over six innings to the Jays on Aug. 26, and he’s given up a total of nine earned runs over his last two starts.
COVERS INTEL: Blue Jays starter Spencer Arrighetti throws his curveball more than 33% of the time — a pitch type the Royals struggle against. Kansas City ranks 24th in OPS (.587) and wOBA (.261) vs. the curveball.
Blue Jays vs Royals same-game parlay (SGP)
Spencer Arrighetti may find some success with his curveball, but the underlying numbers are not kind to him, either. He sports a 5.16 xERA while ranking in the 26th percentile in pitching run value.
Dobnak will also be followed by the second-worst bullpen in baseball (5.05 ERA), so there should be weak pitching and plenty of scoring for both teams today.
Brett Bateman continues to swing a hot bat with six hits over his last four games — all singles. Bateman leads the Blue Jays with 27 singles since his MLB debut on Aug. 7.
Blue Jays vs Royals SGP
Blue Jays moneyline
Over 9.5
Brett Bateman Over 0.5 singles
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Blue Jays vs Royals home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+450)
Kazuma Okamoto is Toronto’s only legit home run threat this season, and I like his matchup against Dobnak.
Okamoto has hit seven of his 28 dingers against the sinker, which is Dobnak’s most common pitch (39.4%). Kauffman Stadium is also a very hitter-friendly ballpark, tied for fifth in Park Factor according to Statcast (102).
I'd play Okamoto up to +440.
2026 Transparency Record
Best bets: 9-9, -1.47 units
Blue Jays vs Royals odds
Moneyline: Toronto -120 | Kansas City +100
Run line: Toronto -1.5 (+135) | Kansas City +1.5 (-155)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-105) | Under 9.5 (-115)
Blue Jays vs Royals trend
It’ll be a warm day at Kauffman Stadium with temperatures in the mid-90s and light winds blowing in from right field. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Royals.
How to watch Blue Jays vs Royals and game info
Location
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Date
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
Royals.TV, SN
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Spencer Arreghetti (7-8, 4.82 ERA)
Royals starting pitcher
Randy Dobnak (2-3, 2.65 ERA)
Blue Jays vs Royals latest injuries
Blue Jays vs Royals weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Griffin & Jeff Conine for MIA are the 10th father/son duo with 20+ career HR each for same franchise, joining:
Bobby/Barry Bonds SF Cecil/Prince Fielder DET Dave/Shelley Duncan CLE Felipe/Moises Alou SF Gus/Buddy Bell CIN Hal/Brian McRae KC Ken Griffey Sr./Jr. CIN Randy/Todd… https://t.co/Y49eJ2rTyp
This is because it is chemically inert. This means that it does not react to the oxygen found in the atmosphere.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
Most planets rotate on their axis in an anti-clockwise motion. However, Venus rotates clockwise in retrograde once every 243 Earth days.
It’s believed that roughly 97% of history has been lost over time. Written accounts of history only started roughly 6,000 years ago. Modern humans first appeared around 200,000 years ago.
The Mets made an intriguing roster move on Sunday morning, calling up right-hander Tobias Myers and optioning lefty Jefry Yan to Triple-A Syracuse.
Myers, acquired along with Freddy Peralta in a trade with Milwaukee this past offseason, came into the season as a versatile piece for the Mets pitching staff, given his ability to start or come out of the bullpen. But the right-hander struggled for most of the season, pitching to a 6.26 ERA in 26 appearances and only three starts.
He was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on July 12, still working in a hybrid long-relief, spot-starter role. Overall, Myers has pitched to a 3.72 ERA in 15 minor league appearances this season.
"We want to see him kind of in shorter bursts and see how he responds to being back here," said interim manager Andy Green. "He clearly has enough stuff. He’s been successful at this level before, prior to being a Met and then also while being a Met. So, [would] love to see him return to kind of the beginning of the season form and continue to take some strides forward."
Yan, meanwhile, instantly caught the eye of fans with his passionate celebrations while on the mount, but the 30-year-old lefty struggled to find consistency, posting a 5.68 ERA. While he struck out 17 batters in 12.2 innings, he also walked 11, with command being his biggest issue.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 04: Joey Ortiz #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after the final out of the 10-7 win against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 04, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not including the four-game series with the Cubs, which they split, the Brewers will go for their sixth straight series victory this afternoon in Cincinnati. However, the Brewers have struggled to close out series over the last couple of weeks, losing the final game three times.
To end the bad luck of not winning the final game, the left-hander Kyle Harrison will pitch, making his 23rd start of the season. He’s aiming to get the bad taste out of his mouth after what the Cubs did to him last Monday, when he allowed nine runs on 10 hits while giving up five home runs. Though his history against the Reds has not been kind to him, while pitching for the San Francisco Giants, he faced the Reds three times, and they weren’t the greatest. Outside of his first start against them, where he struck out 11, he proceeded to give up three runs in the next start and six in the following.
The home team will be sending Brady Singer to toe the slab this afternoon. This will be his first start in September after a month in which he allowed at least three runs in each one of his starts. Singer carved up Milwaukee back in June, when he threw seven scoreless innings, striking out seven batters.
Bo Naylor will make his first appearance since being called up this afternoon, as he relieves Gary Sánchez and William Contreras from catching duties this afternoon. Another notable addition to the top of the lineup today is Christian Yelich, who finds his way back into the two-spot, looking to carry his hotter-than-usual bat into some early-inning magic.
You can find this morning’s ballgame live on Brewers.TV or listen on WTMJ 620. First pitch is at 12:10 p.m.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 3: The glove and ball of David Peralta #6 of the Los Angeles Dodgers lay on the grass as he warms up for the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium on July 3, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Great Lakes Loons are the third Dodgers affiliate to clinch a postseason spot in 2026, along with Double-A Tulsa and Class-A Ontario.
Player of the day
Three starts into his Midwest League experience, and Cam Leiter has yet to allow an earned run. The right-hander pitched five scoreless innings on Saturday night to help Great Lakes clinch a postseason berth, with three strikeouts, no walks, and only three singles allowed.
Leiter, drafted in the second round in 2025 out of Florida State, has allowed only one unearned run 11 1/3 innings, with 14 strikeouts. Between Class-A and High-A this season, Leiter has a 2.45 ERA and 30.9-percent strikeout rate in 55 innings in his professional debut.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets won a low-scoring game in extra innings for a second straight day, this time besting the Round Rock Express (Rangers) in 11 innings. Ryan Fitzgerald’s sacrifice fly drove home the game-winner.
Charlie Barnes pitched five scoreless innings in his start. Rehabber Jake Cousins allowed the only Round Rock run in his inning of work.
Paul Gervase pitched the final two innings in scoreless fashion, stranding the free runner in both frames to close out the win.
Chris Newell, who was promoted from Tulsa on Friday, played in his first Triple-A game on Saturday, and made an immediate impact with this game-ending gem.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
IN HIS FIRST GAME WITH OKC, CHRIS NEWELL MAKES ONE OF THE BEST PLAYS OF THE YEAR TO END THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/XxoqHuxhtH
The Drillers had big innings in the sixth and seventh, then held on to beat the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins). With 814 runs scored on the season, Tulsa set a record for the 50-year-old franchise, surpassing the 2000 team, a Texas Rangers affiliate that scored 806 runs in 140 games.
Jake Gelof already homered three times in this series, and on Saturday drove in three more runs with a double and single, giving him nine RBI through the first five games against Wichita. What a way to make a living.
Patrick Copen allowed three runs in his six innings, all three runs coming in the final frame. That briefly had Tulsa behind, but they rallied for three runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh to put the game to bed.
High-A Great Lakes
Great pitching and patience allowed the Loons to beat the Lake County Captains (Guardians), and clinch the second half of the Midwest League East Division. Great Lakes is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Charles Davalan singled then stolen second base, and took third on a flyball single by Nico Perez. Then four Loons walked in the frame, with free passes to Eduardo Guerrero, Mairo Martinus, and Victor Rodrigues all bringing home runs.
After Leiter’s five frames, Great Lakes got scoreless innings from Maddux Bruns and Matt Lanzendorfer before Dilan Figueredo entered with two runners on with nobody out in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings to close out the clincher.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers scored seven runs in the fourth inning, allowed six runs in the seventh and two in the eighth, but then rallied for three runs with two outs in the ninth inning to stun the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels).
Down two runs and down to their last out, Ontario had two runners on base in the ninth. Francisco Espinoza singled to pull the Tower Buzzers within a run, the a hit by pitch and walk tied things up. Ching-Hsien Ko delivered the walk-off single, his second hit of the game.
Easton Shelton hit his California League-leading 37th home run in that fourth inning, a grand slam.
#Dodgers 1B prospect Easton Shelton his a 503-foot grand slam for his 37th homer of the year
Kellon Lindsey and Oswaldo Osorio homered for Ontario on Saturday. Osorio also walked twice and doubled, reaching base four times.
Charlie West, seventh-round draft pick this year out of UConn, struck out six and walked none in his four-inning start with two runs allowed.
Transactions
Triple-A: Bobby Miller ended his rehab and was activated by the Dodgers. Reliever Kyle Hurt was optioned to Oklahoma City. Outfielder Alek Thomas was designated for assignment.
Double-A: Right-hander Angel Cruz was added to Tulsa’s roster from the Arizona Complex League as an extra arm.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - SEPTEMBER 02: Bryan Baker #47 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the game between the New York Mets and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As we turn the page to September, we must take a moment to acknowledge the performance of these AL East leading Rays, and to do so we asked in this week’s poll who the top performer was in August.
The choice was a difficult one! Among the five players suggested, only reliever Kevin Kelly did not accumulate any votes.
Baker held a 1.54 ERA across 12 appearances and 11⅔ innings in August, converting all nine of his save opportunities, allowed just eight hits and two walks while striking out 15, and kept the damage limited even on the rare nights things got interesting. Those nine saves helped push his season total to an MLB-leading 39 by the end of the month, and they extended a franchise-record consecutive saves streak that had already blown past Fernando Rodney’s mark earlier in August. He also, notably, pitched three nights in a row toward the end of the month, a remarkable feat of availability.
Can Baker and the Rays hold their own down the stretch? Baker was pulled from his most recent pitching performance due to illness, and Shane McClanahan and Garrett Cleavinger both hit the injured list, but the Rays have promoted Ty Johnson, adding a fresh face and new look.
If you believe in the Rays bullpen, you can put some wagers down on that belief through our friends at FanDuel who sponsors these polls.
Sep 5, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Mrs. Met is honored before the game at Citi Field between the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants for being elected to the Mascot Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
The Mets fell to the Giants 9-5, as San Francisco gave the Mets a taste of their own medicine that they issued the night before by socking six home runs against Mets pitching. Four of them were surrendered by Zac Thornton, who had his worst start as a big leaguer thus far in his young career, but the one bright spot was that A.J. Ewing went deep for the Mets for the first time since July.
Though the 2026 season is lost, September is not a lost month for the Mets as they look ahead to 2027, writes David Lennon of Newsday.
Will Sammon interviewed Mets VP Eric Jagers on Jonah Tong’s development this season. Tong will start tomorrow’s game against the Marlins.
The 2026 season has been defined in part by underachieving teams, as the Mets duke it out with the Mariners and Tigers for the unfortunate distinction of being the biggest disappointment this year.
Yesterday Juan Soto received his 2025 National League LatinoMVP award from Latino Sports, a publication that created the honor and has administered it since 1989. It is his third time winning the award in the past five years and only Albert Pujols has won it more times in total than Soto.
Joe McDonald, who was the general manager of the Mets from 1975–1979, passed away at the age of 97, announced Jay Horwitz yesterday.
Around the National League East
Zack Wheeler pitched six innings of one-run ball, striking out nine in the Phillies’ 4-2 victory over the first place Braves at Citizens Bank Park.
The Nationals fell to the Dodgers 6-5, despite the absence of Shohei Ohtani from LA’s lineup for the third straight day. Tommy Edman’s go-ahead three-run bomb off Clayton Beeter in the seventh was the decisive blow in the game.
The Marlins lost to the Cubs by the same 6-5 score, as former Met Michael Conforto had a good day at the plate for Chicago.
The Marlins released veteran infielder Leo Jimenez after designating him for assignment on Thursday.
Around Major League Baseball
Trent Grisham re-injured his hamstring in the Yankees’ 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Padres on Friday and is heading back to the IL. The Yankees called up outfielder Jasson Domínguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his place on the roster.
Speaking of repeat injured list stints, Jameson Taillon, who left Friday night’s start after just two innings in his first start back from injury, was placed on the 15-day injured list again on Saturday by the Blue Jays with right elbow inflammation. To take his place on the roster, righty Ricky Tiedemann was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com explores what is next for the Blue Jays, who have had a disappointing follow-up season to their AL Championship in 2025, but still sit just one game back in the AL Wild Card standings.
2026 has been the year of the rookie hitter in baseball; this year’s class has put up the best offensive numbers for debut hitters by multiple measures.
Hat Gate has entered its second day. If you know, you know.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
On a new episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane talk about the loss of Luis Robert Jr. to the Orioles, A.J. Ewing’s recent struggles, the potential return of Jonah Tong, and other September Mets story lines.
This Date in Mets History
Oliver Perez pitched a complete game shutout against the Braves on this date in 2006.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 4: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the dugout in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Stadium on September 4, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani has been absent from the Dodgers lineup for three consecutive games. So far the team has had no problem picking up the pieces, as the team is currently on a three-game winning streak with a chance to sweep the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Ohtani hasn’t been his usual self over his last 12 games, slashing a putrid .130/.298/.196 with a double, a triple and four RBI. The straw that broke the camel’s back was placed on Wednesday with a four-strikeout performance at the plate, and the Dodgers have contemplated moving him to the injured list.
Ohtani was able to hit in the cage during Saturday’s 6-5 win over Washington, notes Sonja Chen of MLB.com, and the Dodgers will soon decide whether an IL stint is required. Dave Roberts views the time off as a chance for the two-way superstar to get a reset mentally and physically.
“If it doesn’t feel good today,” Roberts said, “then [the IL] certainly should be on the table.”
“There’s a chance … that we could almost just be in bed with the idea that whether it’s six, seven, eight days — [it’s] better than [15] days,” Roberts said, “if he’s trending in the right direction.”
With Ohtani not spearheading the starting lineup, Tommy Edman has done a tremendous job both filling in at center field for the injured Andy Pages and occupying the leadoff spot for the time being. Edman was the hero in Saturday’s win by making a highlight reel play in center field before hitting a go-ahead three run home run to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning.
For the defensively versatile switch-hitter, his pride comes in his ability to be plugged in any role or position, stressing the importance of filling in the gaps, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.
“It’s definitely something that makes me valuable to the team,” he said of his versatility, “especially late in the year when guys get banged up. Losing [Pages] is a huge loss. I take pride in being able to fill that role a little. I’m not completely filling what he left behind, but I’m trying my best. That’s important to any championship team.”
Even with Shohei Ohtani’s chances of returning to the mound becoming an afterthought with each passing day, the Dodgers are preparing to assemble another formidable postseason rotation.
Usually, spring training is when a team tries to prepare for the season to come, but, as has been the case the last two years, the Dodgers aren’t like most teams. That means September is essentially another form of spring training to get their pitching staff ready for another grueling postseason run, writes Dylan Hernandez of the California Post.
The starters who will comprise the Dodgers’ postseason rotation know that when the playoffs start, they will have to pitch better than they have. Their team’s inconsistent offense will once again give them little margin for error, perhaps even less than last year with Shohei Ohtani dealing with multiple injuries.
If October marks the start of the baseball season in Los Angeles, September is spring training. The pitchers have three weeks to prepare for the starts that will define their seasons, or perhaps even careers
SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 15: Patrick Reilly #44 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Saturday, March 15, 2025 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Tides jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Jeremiah Jackson and an RBI triple by Luis Vázquez. But they fell behind immediately after that and never recovered. Starting pitcher Cade Povich had a very rough time. He allowed eight runs in five innings. He allowed seven hits, two of which were home runs, and walked four.
The rehabbing Félix Bautista pitched one inning with a walk and a strikeout. He threw 22 pitches, 13 strikes.
The Tides scored four more runs, all in the fourth inning. Sam Huff hit a three-run homer and Creed Willems reached on a single and later scored on an error.
Patrick Reilly started for the Baysox and pitched a heck of a game. Through seven innings, Reilly faced just 21 batters despite allowing three hits. In the first inning, Reilly allowed a single and then picked the runner off. In the third, he induced a double play after a single. Ditto in the fourth. Through seven innings, his pitching line was 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K.
Reilly came back out for the eighth inning with the Baysox winning 4-0. He walked his first batter, then allowed a home run. He was replaced by Bradley Brehmer, who gave up four more runs and only recorded one out. That allowed the Sea Dogs to come back and take a lead they did not relinquish.
The Baysox scored all four of their runs in the first two innings. Wehiwa Aloy homered in the first inning. In the second, one run scored on an error and Frederick Bencosme drove in two with a double.
High-A: Frederick Keys 7, Brooklyn Cyclones (NYM) 4
The Keys won their 82nd game last night, and in doing so clinched the second-half crown for the South Atlantic League North Division. They also won the first-half. They’re good. What a great way for affiliated baseball to return to Frederick. On to the playoffs!
Christian Rodriguez started and allowed three runs in 4.2 innings. All three runs came in on two homers. in the fourth inning. Carson Dorsey followed with 3.1 shutout innings. He gave up just one hit and walked two.
Leadoff batter DJ Layton was the offensive star of the game. Layton went had five hits, including two doubles. He knocked in two runs and scored two runs. Enddy Azocar knocked in Layton once as the pair hit back-to-back doubles. Azocar also walked. Jaiden Lo Re drove in two with a double, his only hit. The recently promoted Ty Head added a pinch-hit RBI single.
Stiven Martinez had just one hit in the game, but it was a big one. His 14th home run of the year was a grand slam that ended up being the difference in the game. The Shorebirds were kept off the board until the sixth inning. In the sixth, Carlos Sanchez and Jhomnardo Reyes pulled off a double steal of home and second. Reyes later scored on a ground out. In the seventh, Sanchez and Jimmy Anderson each knocked in a run with a single.
Eric Booth, Jr. reached base four times with three singles and a walk. Anderson and Adriander Mejía both had two hits.
Collin McKinney started on the mound and pitched two shutout innings despite allowing two hits and three walks. Javier González earned the save with 1.1 hitless innings.
Shōta Imanaga = Don’t pitch in Wrigley? Or get a haircut before the rest of his starts?
Imanaga pitched into the seventh inning Friday night, allowing only three hits without a walk while striking out four in the Cubs’ 6-1 win. Imanaga allowed a single in the bottom of the seventh, which Aaron Civale allowed to come around to score in the starter’s only blemish on his box score. It was only the second time this season that Imanaga had a start without a home run and a walk. He looked like the Imanaga we keep seeing glimpses of, and need to finish off the year.
Civale did otherwise pitch scoreless ball over three innings for the save.
Offensively, it was a fantastic mixed bag of ways of scoring runs. Only the final run, off the bat of Michael Busch, came by way of the home run. For example, Pedro Ramirez was 0-for-3, but had RBI’s off a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly. After three walks and a pitching change in the sixth, Ian Happ walked to drive in a run, followed by a Nico Hoerner RBI single.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had earlier in the game stolen his 33rd base on the season. PCA later doubled to start the seventh, aggressively advanced to third on a medium fly-ball to right off the bat of Seiya Suzuki, and scored on a wild pitch.
PCA also added, probably, his best catch of the season in the sixth. After travelling around 100 feet, PCA positioned himself parallel along the center-field wall. He did something he couldn’t do at Wrigley — he launched himself up into the soft wall and snared the flyball at the peak of his jump.
Let’s hope that the rest of the road trip continues with this success.
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Perla Paredes (MLB.com): New do, no HRs? Shota’s haircut helps him get back on track in Miami. ““Building trust is like Dominos or Jenga, where it takes time and it’s hard to build up,” Imanaga said. “But in an instant it can disappear. So I slowly built that trust back up [to] be that pitcher that everyone can trust on.”“
One of the great blues singers of the post-World War II period, Jimmy Witherspoon was also versatile enough to fit comfortably into the jazz world. Witherspoon was born on August 8, 1920 in Gurdon, Arizona. As a child, he sang in a church choir, and he made his debut recordings with Jay McShann for Philo and Mercury in 1945 and 1946. His own first recordings, using McShann’s band, resulted in a number one R&B hit in 1949 with “Ain’t Nobody’s Business, Pts. 1 & 2” on Supreme Records. Live performances of “No Rollin’ Blues” and “Big Fine Girl” provided ‘Spoon with two more hits in 1950.
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READING, PA - AUGUST 25: Corey Collins #37 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and the Reading Fightin Phils at FirstEnergy Stadium on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in Reading, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cade Burdette/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Emilien Pitre’s first Triple-A home run – along with homers from Ronny Mauricio and MJ Melendez – were not enough to overcome a truly dreadful pitching performance from nearly every arm who got in the game tonight. Truly a waste of a lineup performance when all but one starter had at least one hit.
Two runs in the first on a Corey Collins double were enough to support R.J. Gordon and the rest of the Binghamton staff. Collins isn’t a top-end prospect, but he’s had a nice season with a .910 OPS in Double-A. He’s also old for the level and is benefitting from an overly passive approach that will likely not play at the higher levels (probably). Marco Vargas also continued his solid post injury reply and how has his OPS at .750 in Double-A.
Two more homers wasted by a poor pitching performance. This time it was Ryan Dollar who was the primary culprit, coughing up four runs in an inning of work. Elian Peña also had a bad night, going 0-for-5 and making an error that led to two unearned runs.
Jun 21, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jonathan Bowlan (52) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jonathan Bowlan gave up another home run last night, leading to some discussion about his effectiveness. For me at least, I think he’s simply getting tired after a long season of being depended on as much as he has been this year. With Kansas City, he wasn’t used to being put into higher leverage spots all year, thus hasn’t been subjected to the type of stress he is under each time he toes the rubber with the Phillies. So now, having done it for months, he might be wearing down a bit. Hopefully they can clinch a spot in the playoffs soon in order to give him and other bullpen arms some rest.
COVERS INTEL: Nola has been leaning hard on his knuckle curve as he turns around his season, throwing it 33% of the time, nearly 10 percentage points more often than his four-seamer. 
Kyle Harrison 
Spencer Arrighetti 
Elly De La Cruz
