Category: Baseball

The gathering on the Truist Park mound kept growing. At first, Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki was visited by pitching coach Mark Prior and catcher Hunter Feduccia, with the help of interpreter Will Ireton. Then, Prior summoned head athletic trainer Thomas Albert. Then, they called out manager Dave Roberts, who eventually made the pitching change.

The group had been examining the middle finger on Sasaki’s right hand. And the Dodgers later announced Sasaki had exited their 6-5 loss to the Braves in the fourth inning with a blister on that finger.

That might explain why Sasaki, who was charged with four runs and six hits in 3 ⅓ innings, didn’t look as sharp Wednesday against the Braves as he had been in the rest of his impressive second-half stretch. Sasaki entered the day with a 2.19 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break.

His efficiency Wednesday wavered, and he exited after 66 pitches. After Sasaki gave up a solo home run to Matt Olson in the first inning, the outing began to devolve in the fourth.

Read more:Mark Walter's company TWG Global defends Dodgers financing and Lakers sale

Sasaki walked Ozzie Albies to open the inning. Then he surrendered a single to Mike Yastrzemski, a sacrifice fly to Austin Riley and a double to Sean Murphy. Then Prior came out to check on him.

Right-handed reliever Edgardo Henriquez replaced Sasaki, inheriting two baserunners. Both scored when Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández overran Drake Baldwin’s deep fly ball down the line, for a go-ahead double.

The Dodgers (80-53) never led again. Though they tied the score in the seventh, they squandered a bases-loaded opportunity the next inning. And in the ninth, closer Tanner Scott, the fifth Dodgers reliever to take the mound, surrendered a walk-off single to pinch-hitter Ha-Seong Kim.

Regardless of whether the blister will affect Sasaki’s next start, the 24-year-old right-hander is in an interesting position about a month away from the playoffs.

Barring an unexpected extended absence, Sasaki will remain an important part of the Dodgers’ rotation in the final month of the season. But as things stand in that starting group, there doesn’t appear to be room for him in the postseason rotation.

While the Dodgers have carried a six-man rotation for much of the regular season, it’s down to five since the Dodgers put left-hander Justin Wrobleski on the IL a week and a half ago and later moved lefty Eric Lauer to the bullpen in a multi-inning role. But in the playoffs, they only need four starters.

The next four days will provide a preview, with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Thursday in the series finale against the Braves), left-hander Tarik Skubal (making his Detroit return Friday), lefty Blake Snell (Saturday), and likely some combination of two-way star Shohei Ohtani and/or Tyler Glasnow (Sunday) all lined up.

That fourth and final playoff rotation spot will be the one to follow as the season winds down.

Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday in Detroit, Roberts said, after which the Dodgers will finalize his schedule for the rest of the weekend.

“Right now, I don’t think anyone knows how any day looks until he throws that bullpen on Friday,” Roberts said before the game Wednesday.

Ohtani returning to pitching Sunday is still in play, Roberts confirmed. And Glasnow is also lined up for Sunday.

When Ohtani returns to the mound, it will be in a super-opener role, as he continues to build up. And if he and Glasnow piggyback on Sunday, it’ll be a preview of a possible postseason setup.

If Ohtani is able to build up to a full starter’s load — pitching Sunday rather than Tuesday would give him the chance to make up to five starts before the end of the regular season — the Dodgers could have a more difficult decision at the back end of their rotation.

Read more:How two decades of friendship have shaped Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward

So, with five pitchers already penciled in for four postseason rotation spots, Sasaki is in line to pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason, along with Wrobleski, a 2026 All-Star who is expected to take on a relief role as soon as he returns from the injured list.

Exactly what that will look like for Sasaki is unclear. And because the Dodgers need him in the rotation down the stretch, even late-September games aren’t guaranteed to provide hints.

Last postseason, Sasaki served as the Dodgers’ closer, a role he could thrive in again. But this year, as Edwin Díaz has struggled in the 16 appearances he’s made between IL stints, Scott has stayed healthy, unlike last year, and earned Roberts’ trust in save situations.

Before sorting out all of that, Sasaki has to get through this blister issue.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

A remarkable 24 hours for Michael Fulmer culminated with a clean eighth inning in Wednesday’s 9-3 win over the Astros in The Bronx.

On Tuesday night, Fulmer was at LaGuardia Airport, waiting through a layover and ready to travel to Worcester to meet up with the Yankees’ Triple-A team.

He had just signed with the Yankees, who all of a sudden had holes to fill in their injury-riddled bullpen.

And before he got on his connecting flight, the Yankees called him and told him to leave the airport and come join the big league team in New York, rather than head to the minors.

It’s the latest stop on what seems like a never-ending tour around the league for Fulmer — one that he’d like to now result in a more permanent home.

“Just trying to figure out what teams want,” Fulmer said. “This will be my seventh organization in the last two years, unfortunately. I’ve been around the whole country just trying to find a place to stick.”

Fulmer, the 2016 Rookie of the Year and 2017 All-Star with the Tigers, has already been released by the Giants and Angels this season.

Mets fans will remember him as a former top prospect whom the team memorably traded to the Tigers in exchange for Yoenis Céspedes at the 2015 deadline.

Céspedes helped carry the Mets to the World Series that year, while Fulmer turned into a solid starter for the Tigers.

“Being a visiting player, you’re playing the Yankees — everybody dreams of it, everybody dreams to play in Yankee Stadium,” Fulmer said. “It’s good to be on this side of it.”

But after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2024 season, he has been unable to stick anywhere the past two years.

He made three appearances with the Angels this year, tossing 3 ²/₃ scoreless innings. He’s recorded a 2.93 ERA across 43 innings in Triple-A this year.

“I’m excited to get him here,” Boone said. “Obviously, it’s a guy that’s got a lot of experience, had a lot of success in the big leagues, has been through a lot on the injury front. … He’s a guy that’s had a good season and is throwing the ball well and hopefully he can come here and grab a role. There’s opportunity there.”

That opportunity, and some promising results this year despite being released, has Fulmer staving off retirement thoughts.

“I told [my wife] I couldn’t live with myself feeling this healthy and throwing the ball this well, to give up quite yet,” Fulmer said. “Hope it’s an opportunity for something in the long run.”

Michael Fulmer was at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday night, waiting through a layover and ready to travel to Worcester to meet up with the Yankees’ Triple-A team. 

Before he got on his connecting flight, the Yankees called him and told him to leave the airport and come join the big league team in New York, rather than head to the minors. 

It’s the latest stop on what seems like a never-ending tour around the league for Fulmer — one that he’d like to now result in a more permanent home. 

“Just trying to figure out what teams want,” Fulmer said before the game against the Astros on Wednesday night in The Bronx. “This will be my seventh organization in the last two years, unfortunately. I’ve been around the whole country just trying to find a place to stick.” 

The Yankees placed Fernando Cruz on the injured list Wednesday with right elbow discomfort amid a few rough outings for their previously reliable reliever. It created an opening for Fulmer to immediately be activated and have a bullpen role in which he can potentially make this more than a short-term destination. 

Fulmer, the 2016 Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 2017 with the Tigers, has already been released by the Giants and Angels this season. Mets fans will remember him as a former top prospect whom the team memorably dealt to the Tigers in exchange for Yoenis Cespedes at the 2015 trade deadline. Cespedes helped carry the Mets to the World Series that year, while Fulmer turned into a solid starter for the Tigers. 

“Being a visiting player, you’re playing the Yankees — everybody dreams of it, everybody dreams to play in Yankee Stadium,” Fulmer said. “It’s good to be on this side of it.”

But after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2024 season, he has been unable to stick anywhere the past two years. He made three appearances with the Angels this year, tossing 3 ²/₃ scoreless innings. He’s recorded a 2.93 ERA across 43 innings in Triple-A this year. 

“I’m excited to get him here,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, it’s a guy that’s got a lot of experience, had a lot of success in the big leagues, has been through a lot on the injury front. … He’s a guy that’s had a good season and is throwing the ball well and hopefully he can come here and grab a role. There’s opportunity there.”

That opportunity, and some promising results this year despite being released, have Fulmer staving off retirement thoughts. 

“I told [my wife] I couldn’t live with myself feeling this healthy and throwing the ball this well to give up quite yet,” Fulmer said. “Hope it’s an opportunity for something in the long run.” 

Roki Sasaki was forced to exit Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves in the bottom of the fourth inning due to a blister to his right middle finger, the Dodgers announced.

Sasaki had completed three innings of one-run ball against Atlanta before allowing three baserunners and a sacrifice fly to cut the Dodgers lead down to one run. The final hitter Sasaki faced was catcher Sean Murphy, who doubled to right field before Mark Prior and Will Ireton paid Sasaki a mound visit. Thomas Albert was called out of the Dodger dugout to examine Sasaki, and the right-hander was pulled after 66 pitches over 3 1/3 innings. He was later charged for four earned runs after a double from Drake Baldwin.

Wednesday was the shortest outing for Sasaski since the All-Star break, and the four runs charged to him were the most of any of his seven second half starts. Sasaki now has a 3.05 ERA since his start against the New York Yankees on July 17, while his season ERA now sits at 4.60 over 23 starts.

ATLANTA –– Roki Sasaki’s second-half resurgence came to a screeching halt Wednesday night.

In the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ eventual 6-5 walk-off loss against the Atlanta Braves, Sasaki made an early exit from his start after developing a blister on his right middle finger.

Afterward, manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki was expected to be placed on the injured list.

“It was a pretty good blister. It just came out of nowhere,” he said. “I think that there’s just no way we can avoid it given the severity of the blister. So we’ll give him some time.”

Sasaki hadn’t shown any signs of distress over the first three innings of Wednesday’s game, when he allowed a run in the first before retiring seven of his next nine batters. But in the fourth, he issued a leadoff walk, then a single, a run-scoring sacrifice fly and a double, prompting a visit from pitching coach Mark Prior and interpreter Will Ireton.

Unbeknownst in the dugout, a blister had formed on Sasaki’s pitching hand during the first batter of the inning.

“My skin just ripped off,” he said through an interpreter. “And after that, it kinda [got] worse.”

Indeed, after a few moments, Prior motioned to the dugout for head athletic trainer Thomas Albert. Roberts also made his way to the mound, where another brief discussion ensued, before the 24-year-old phenom ultimately departed from the game.

“I don’t think he’s dealt with any blister issues [previously this year],” Roberts said. “So for it to kind of come out of nowhere was a surprise to all of us.”

The good news: Roberts said the Dodgers can cover Sasaki’s blister while he’s on the IL, in order to keep his arm moving and allow for an immediate return once it is healed.

The bad news: It derails what had been a standout second half from Sasaki, who entered Wednesday with a 2.31 ERA over six starts since the All-Star break, and will force some shuffling among the Dodgers’ pitching staff.

For now, Eric Lauer (who had been pushed to the bullpen recently, and pitched a couple innings after Sasaki’s exit in Wednesday’s loss) is expected to replace Sasaki in the rotation the next turn through.

“It’s more disappointing with Roki because he has been so consistently good,” Roberts said. “So now, unfortunately, it’s going to be minimum two weeks.”

Dustin May exited Wednesday night's game against the New York Mets after just one pitch.

A.J. Ewing led off for the Mets and rocketed a line drive right back at May, 106 miles an hour off the shoulder. The Brewers' righthander tried to stay in. He threw a few warmups and it was clear he had nothing. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy pulled him before the second batter got to the plate.

The Brewers later said that May suffered a "right scapula contusion."

Dustin May took a 106 mph line drive off the bat of A.J Ewing on the first pitch of the game to the shoulder. He seemed to be in severe discomfort and was removed from the game after throwing warmup pitches.

We wish him a speedy recovery 🙏 pic.twitter.com/AsuQouSzUb

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 26, 2026

The Brewers gave up prospects for May at the deadline and they have not gotten much back yet. He came into Wednesday with a 6.00 ERA in three starts and 15 innings in Milwaukee. He has more walks per nine innings (4.20) than he had given up all year and fewer strikeouts per nine (7.20).

May is 6-8 with a 4.57 ERA over 24 starts between St. Louis and Milwaukee, and a 3.36 FIP that says he has pitched better than the ERA looks. He was worth 2.6 wins above replacement, essentially all of that earned in a Cardinals uniform.

Milwaukee went into Wednesday night's game with the best record in baseball and a division lead it has been protecting from the Cubs for weeks. The rotation has been the least of its problems. The Brewers traded for May to have a fourth arm in October who could take the ball in a game that mattered.

Dustin May injury update

May told reporters that the line drive took his breath away, and while he "probably could have finished that inning, but better safe than sorry not trying to push through it."

"Right now I feel OK, it's just a bruise," May said. "No damage or anything structurally, so that's good. Just got to come in tomorrow and see how I feel."

A relieved Dustin May. pic.twitter.com/pPVpsWr4Wx

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 27, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers' Dustin May exits start after 1 pitch after getting hit by line drive

We’re going streaking! We’re going thru Colorado and into Los Angeles! Come on everybody! Come on! Hammy? Hamm-a-lammy?

UGH! Don’t you just hate when you have an article about a frustrating loss done, then your favorite team mounts a multi-inning comeback to secure their 2nd straight sweep, 7th straight Win and perfect road trip!? Don’t you just hate it?!?!

(Thanks Jerry, I was being ironical)

Well, if you can guess where this is going, the Cleveland Guardians woke up Wednesday Winners of 6 straight. Heading into the series Finale in Anaheim, they would have a chance at sweeping their second straight series and matching their season-long win streak at 7 games. They last did this May 16th-22nd, finishing with that Gavin/Chris Sanchez 1-0 classic in Philly, which was the high-water mark for our winning % on the year. Going into an OFF day before a homestand, could Cleveland carry the momentum and finish this road trip strong?

Oh you betcha! But it wouldn’t come easy.

Joey Cantillo was looking for a bounce-back outing, as he struggled in Colorado last Friday to start the road trip, getting knocked out before finishing the 5th inning. Opposing Him would be Grayson Rodriguez, the former Top prospect for Baltimore who is still looking to get going for the Angels. Rodriguez was coming off 7 shutout innings at Houston, his first scoreless start of the season, capping off far-and-away his best month pitching for LAA.

So, how would the Guardians replicate the magic of the night before?

Well, early on it was quite the same as yesterday. Aloha Joe (thank you for the suggestions, trusted comment section!) struggled mightily with control, a problem we’ve gotten far too used to, walking 5 and hitting another thru three innings. He had only given up two hits, including an infield single, but you walk that many batters it’s hard to live long enough to tell the tale. And on the offensive side, the Cleveland bats did also what we saw early last night. Guys were getting on, but we couldn’t find the big hit to bring anyone in.

Cantillo would throw one of the most obvious Pitchergami’s ever: 6IP, 3R/2ER, 2H, 7BB 1K. Also add a HBP, something the Guardians have done far too much of this month. That line is absurd. On the one hand, 7 walks and a hit by pitch is just the easiest way to lose a baseball game. On the other hand, Cantillo didn’t give up a hit after the 3rd batter, got the final 6 outs in the last 5 he faced, induced 2 GIDP and didn’t allow a base runner past 1B after the 2nd inning.

But self-inflicted wounds would get the best of Joey on the scoreboard, as an infield single turned into a Pitcher throw away- accounting for one run, and a disastrous 3 BB, HBP, Sac Fly inning would lead to two more in the second.

Buzz, your starting pitcher, WOOF.

Fortunately for the Guardians, later on was a lot like last night as well!

Trailing 3-0 thru 4, the Guards would chip away with 1 in the 5th (thanks to some good ole fashioned small ball- double, productive ground out and a Sac Fly), another in the 8th (thanks to MORE small ball- bunt single, walk, rbi single) and then finally 1 to tie and another to win in the 9th thanks to 3 straight hits and a game winning Sac Fly (Bazz’s 2nd SF of the game)! Truly an incredible way to never say die and sweep the Road Trip!

What we are seeing from this team is something we haven’t seen since this time last year. Some can point to the schedule, some can say it’s just a reversal of luck. It would also be easy to just say it’s a hot streak. Well, clearly it’s a bit of all 3, but that’s why they play 162!

The Guardians head into an Off day before 3 at home vs KC this weekend (followed by another Off day).

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz wasn’t a fan of follow-up questions on Pete Alonso’s mysterious calf issue. 

After Tuesday night’s 13-1 blowout over the Cardinals, in which Alonso went 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs before exiting early, Albernaz said the decision to remove the slugger was “precautionary.”

“Game state, get him off his feet,” Albernaz said. “Obviously, he was dealing with his calf, so there’s no point to push him there…”

Alonso dealt with a calf cramp during a game against the Rays earlier this month, with Albernaz himself telling MLB.com’s Jake Rill that was, in fact, the case, which opened up Albernaz to a natural next question from a reporter at the post-game presser: “Is this the same calf that was bothering him in Tampa?”

Albernaz didn’t take kindly to the follow-up.

“I didn’t say anything was bothering him,” Albernaz said. “Just said, ‘Took him off his feet because of the Tampa outing.’”

“So nothing’s bothering him?” the reporter asked.

“Please don’t put words in my mouth,” Albernaz replied. “Thank you.”

Alonso has yet to miss an Orioles game since the initial Aug. 15 scare, but it appears Baltimore is staying cautious with him.

Calf issue or not, Alonso has been red-hot for the Orioles after a slow start to his tenure with the franchise. 

Since the All-Star break, Alonso is hitting .341/.415/.615 with 10 home runs heading into Wednesday’s play. 

The ex-Mets slugger signed a five-year, $155 million contract to head to Baltimore last winter. 

The Orioles entered Wednesday with a 64-68, three games back of the third and final American League wild-card spot.

PHOENIX — Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a plane to catch, an off-day in Chicago to enjoy, but long after the Cubs’ 2-0 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the dude was still seething.

He was livid at the umpiring crew for not calling a balk that would have led to a go-ahead run.

He was angry at himself for his struggles in the three-game series, going 1-for-12 and striking out three times, twice against Diamondbacks ace Eduardo Rodriguez.

And he was frustrated knowing that time is running out if they’re going to have any chance to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

The San Francisco Giants had a six-run lead against the Cincinnati Reds, 9-3, going into the ninth inning and it looked like they would secure their first three-game sweep this season. You can pretty much guess what happened next.

The Giants, despite being three outs away from a win, lost the game, 10-9, after the Reds shifted the momentum and put together a seven-run inning to close it out in San Francisco. It was the first time in Giants history they blew a six-run lead in the ninth inning.

It was their 11th loss overall when leading in the ninth, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.

How it happened was demoralizing for San Francisco – and the fans that showed up to Oracle Park.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Drew Gilbert nearly hit a grand slam but it hit the brick wall in the outfield near Levi's Landing. Gilbert doubled, but still cleared the bases. Then the ninth happened.

Hector Rodriguez, who already hit a home run in the third inning, added another solo homer to get the ball rolling. It seemed the Reds got hit after hit; batters walked; advanced on wild pitches and a throwing error. Eugenio Suarez hit a grand slam to bring Cincinnati within a score, 9-8.

Jose Trevino tied it on a sac fly as Dane Myers scored. The winning run was scored by Matt McLain after Tyler Stephenson singled to left.

"Don't really have a word for it. It's more than unfortunate, but you know what led up to that was a pretty good effort out of some guys," Giants first-year skipper Tony Vitello told reporters after the game. "You know, with the bat in particular, (we're) playing hard, but we kind of finished how we started the game there on the first pitch of the game, adding more stress to our life than we needed."

It was a tough game and it summarizes what's been a tough season.

Tony Vitello ejected at beginning of the game

Vitello saw the comeback but not from the dugout after he was ejected from the game in the top of the first inning after arguing a ball call he thought should've been a strike.

"The guys next to me were surprised. I mean, I was just kind of in it," Vitello said about his ejection. "Yeah, I mean, thought he swung. So I said I thought he swung."

Vitello had a back-and-forth with umpire Ryan Blakney, arguing a check swing from Suárez.

The Giants manager could be heard on the broadcast repeatedly telling Blakney to "just get it right" before Blakney ejected him from the game, saying "get out of here then."

Vitello then responded with some not-suitable-for-work words for the umpire as he defended his players. Fans could be heard agreeing with Vitello before letting the ump know about it. A transcript from the encounter was provided by social media account Foul Territory.

"The attitude we play with is a reflection of us and need to be hooked up no matter who's pitching. But like I said, we added more stress to that inning than we needed to, so maybe that was a factor. But thought the guy swung," Vitello told reporters after the game. "It's part of my role, to say if that's what I thought, and then you can get into escalation versus de-escalation. But yeah, it was. It's up to you guys. ... I didn't throw two baseballs at anybody. I can tell you that."

Vitello told reporters that the team would put this behind it and get to the next game on Thursday, Aug. 27 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park.

"Come back tomorrow and win," Vitello said about coming back from the loss. "Compete against a team that we haven't been very good against all year long. ... If you don't like something or you're frustrated, then turn it into determination."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Vitello ejected early, Giants have historic collapse in 9th to lose to Reds

First Pitch: 8:05 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe:Athletics Nation

How to do it?
Pushing through it,
August plummeting.
A little wet in the feet
In the Cali heat
Instead of steady summiting.

Though down, not out
— but it’s getting dire —
So light a fire in their bottom.
There are twenty-eight games
To improve their play:
Hit a groove, and they’ll make it to autumn.

Tonight in Sacramento,
Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow!

Yes, a pair have been split,
But don’t chuck it and quit:
The Twins may just pick up the series
And they can get out of Sutter
As rather astuter:
How to execute game-winning theories.

They’re sending Prielipp to start;
Has he fallen apart?
His stats have been quickly ballooning.
(Right.)
Could he return to form,
Or the offense get warm?
How else will the fanbase be swooning?

And in the standings, you’ll find
They’re just behind
A trio of contenders.
Better race up the pace
Or get egg on the face,
The ultimate non-spenders offenders.

But here in Sacramento,
Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow!

So when they’re playing tonight (-night),
Please be a delight (-light)
And get back to playoff contention.
It’s more fun when the Twins
Are out stacking up wins
In remarkably steady ascension.

Yes, here in Sacramento,
Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow!
(Hit it, hit it!)
Tonight in Sacramento,
Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow!

So, come up to the plate—
We none of us can wait
And watch aquiver
In antici

pation.
Just start up the game,
And get wilder, not tame:
We long for thrilled applause
And jubilation!

The A’s won the middle game of their three-game set against the Twins last night. Now they have a chance at a series win, which would be their fourth series win this month after not winning one in July. And with a win and some help tonight the A’s can break their tie with the LA Angels for the worst record in the American League. That should be plenty of motivation for the guys tonight in front of the hometown Sacramento crowd.

Taking the ball and looking to get that series dub tonight is J.T. Ginn. The right-hander has been consistently solid for the club but we’re in uncharted territory for him the rest of the way. Every pitch, every out, and every inning is a new career-high for the 26-year-old, who is in his first full season as a big league starter. He’ll carry a 3.60 ERA into tonight’s contest against the Twins, who he’ll be facing off against for the first time this season.

Here’s the lineup Mark Kotsay is going with this evening in the series finale:

With a lefty on the mound for the Twins the A’s are stacking up on right-handed hitters in tonight’s starting lineup, with the lone exception being right fielder Lawrence Butler, whose batting third tonight.

Minnesota meanwhile is sending left-hander Connor Prielipp in this one. The southpaw is in his rookie campaign after making his big league debut earlier this season. Considered one of their better pithing prospects, Prielipp has mostly held his own facing big league hitters for the first time, though he’s run into a rough spot of late. He’s allowed eight and six runs over his past two starts, respectively, so the A’s are getting him at the right time.

And the Twins’ starting nine tonight:

Series win! Say it with me! Series win! Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

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

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

It has been a season of opportunity for some of the players on the San Diego Padres roster. Some of those players have taken full advantage of their opportunity and that could result in more playing time, higher expectations or in some cases more money.

Ty France

France signed with the Padres in the offseason on a minor league deal. He was promised nothing but an opportunity to make the team and the Gold Glove Award winner did that out of Spring Training. There was a time where he and Gavin Sheets and Nick Castellanos were all expected to share time at first base and France was thought to possibly be the odd man out. His play turned not only allowed him to outlast Castellanos on the San Diego roster, but it also cemented him into the No. 4 hole in the lineup. France has performed on defense and has provided production at the plate. He has 344 at-bats with 99 hits, 18 of which were home runs, for a .288 average. France also has 56 RBI, 44 runs scored and has even stolen a base.

Luis Campusano

Campusano finally got some regular playing time under new Padres manager Craig Stammen. The catcher finally had a manager who was going to allow him to play free and play often without the fear of being sent back to the minors the first time he hit a slump or failed to block a ball in the dirt. Campusano has responded with a solid season in which he has amassed 143 at-bats with 41 hits, five home runs, 23 RBI and 18 runs scored. He holds a .287 average on the season and has been able to catch and serve as the designated hitter throughout the season.

Walker Buehler

Buehler, like France, was only promised an opportunity. He got more of a chance than he thought when Joe Musgrove was unable to be ready to return to the mound following Tommy John surgery and Nick PIvetta went down with arm issues early in the season. Randy Vasquez started the season strong but quickly faded. Buehler has had some duds this season, but overall, he has been a consistent starter for a team that was limited to Michael King in terms of pitchers who could take the mound and instill confidence in the team and the fanbase. Buehler has appeared in and started 26 games in 2026. He has a record of 8-6 with a 4.63 ERA. He has thrown 126.1 innings and has 108 strikeouts over that span. He is 3-1 in his last seven games with a 2.89 ERA and has only gotten better as the regular season winds down.

Bradgley Rodriguez

Rodriguez is a rookie reliever who flashed at the end of the 2025 season. He started this season with the big-league club and was even sent to the minors for a short period to give him a break due to his level off usage early in the season. Rodriguez has slowly climbed his way toward the top end of the bullpen arms and after finding himself involved in more high-leverage innings, an argument could be made he is the best arm in the ‘pen behind Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon. Rodriguez has appeared in 55 games, throwing 60.0 innings. He has started four games as an opener and saved two as a closer. He has a record of 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 65 strikeouts.

All four of these players have been impressive and each is deserving of recognition for their respective contributions to the success of the Padres to this point in the 2026 season. Gaslamp Ball would like to know who the Friar Faithful thinks has been the most impressive this season. Results will be posted later in the week.

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The Mariners haven’t yet committed to whether or not they’ll stick with the six-man rotation, go back to the piggyback, or move a starter either to the bullpen or the IL, but there was a glimmer of a clue during Wednesday’s 6-0 loss to the Phillies.

Sharp-eyed viewers might have noticed a quick shot of Miller walking out to the ‘pen with Muñoz late in Wednesday’s game. The explanation that was given is that the Mariners were thin on bullpen coverage, and today is Miller’s day to throw a side session, so instead of having him throw pregame and be unavailable, they pushed his bullpen to postgame so he would be available as an emergency option if needed. That decision was made pregame, per Miller, before Woo struggled through his first two innings and wound up having a shortened outing.

“They just said that Woo is coming off injury and the bullpen’s thin,” said Miller postgame, who didn’t appear in the game but instead threw his regularly-scheduled bullpen postgame before the team departed for Toronto. “So if Woo comes out of the game early, it’d be better to throw the bullpen afterwards, and that way I’m available rather than to throw a bullpen before the game and then be for sure unavailable.”

Miller said he was initially somewhat confused by the directive, because Woo had told Miller he was feeling fine – a statement Woo doubled down on postgame after allowing six runs over four innings to the Phillies, blaming his struggles on “too much throwing, not enough pitching.”

“But I think it’s more of a precautionary thing in case something happens,” said Miller.

Woo did manage to reverse course over his next two inning, giving the team four innings and limiting the damage to the initial six runs, with five left to be covered by the bullpen. With Philly stacking lefties in their lineup, the leverage side of the Mariners bullpen – Eduard Bazardo and the two lefties, Jose Ferrer and Gabe Speier – were able to cover the next three innings without incident, and Carlos Vargas, still getting in work after missing all season with a lat injury, pitched a solid scoreless two final innings, rendering the need for Miller’s assistance moot – and delaying any widespread speculation about a potential move to the bullpen.

“If something would have happened and I would have needed to get us through today, then that’s fine. I do what I need to. I feel good today, so yeah.”

But that doesn’t mean Miller is happy about it. He does have a background in relieving in college, but notes that it’s been five or six years since he did it regularly, aside from the postseason last year.

“You always think ahead and try to figure out what’s going on. But as far as I know, as far as it’s been communicated to me, we’re just bullpen low, and the uncertainty with how Woo was going to feel was the main thing. And if something had happened in warmups with him, or if something happened in the first inning and we have to cover eight or nine innings, the bullpen’s not in a great spot for that. So I think, as far as I was told, that’s what today was.”

He also deflected a question about how his stuff might play in a bullpen role.

“The fastball is always good, so if I had a shorter outing, then that would probably be the main focus, to let it rip. But I’m not really thinking about that right now. As far as I know, I’m scheduled to start coming up.“

The Mariners have not yet announced their starters for the Toronto series.

The Atlanta Braves have claimed right-handed pitcher Ricky Vanasco off waivers from the Detroit Tigers and have optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. The Tigers designated him for assignment when they signed former Braves reliever Tyler Kinley.

Vanasco, 27, made his MLB debut in 2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The former Texas Rangers draft pick in 2017 made two appearances each with the Dodgers and Tigers in 2024 and pitched in five games for the Tigers this season, which is the extent of his MLB career to-date.

Although his big league appearances this season were less then inspiring, he’s shown a propensity for striking out matters this season at Triple-A with 59 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.

He is a no-risk addition for the organization that adds depth with the Stripers with roster set to expand, slightly, on September 1.

Going into Wednesday afternoon, the Mariners were hoping to really turn the screws on the Astros and Rangers atop the division by sweeping a formidable National League opponent. As it turned out, this wasn’t to be; the Mariners dropped the series finale to the Phillies.

The Phillies jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Kyle Schwarber laced a ground-rule double to the gap in the left center to lead off the game. Even though Bryan Woo was able to strike out a couple of hitters in the frame, he left an elevated fastball over the plate to Bryce Harper, which was deposited over the wall in left-center, just out of the reach of Julio Rodríguez’s glove, to put the Phillies up 2-0.

Unfortunately for Woo and the Mariners, the first inning was only the precursor for things to come. The Phils came out firing again in the top of the second, putting the first two hitters on base to begin the inning. A single on a ground ball through the right side by Justin Crawford tacked on another run, and Kyle Schwarber broke the game wide open by punishing a fastball over the heart of the plate for his league-leading 40th homer of the year. Before even coming up to bat a second time, the Mariners trailed 6-0.

Woo’s stuff could’ve been worse, which is a positive with all eyes on his health after missing his last start with shoulder discomfort. Despite the damage dealt, he still struck out five and generated 10 whiffs while topping out at 99 mph in four innings of work. He said that the fastball almost felt too good that he became predictable.

“I think just second inning was just got a little too fastball heavy,” Woo said. “I think on days like this, where the fastball does have life and feels good, obviously you want to keep going back to it, but you got to pitch as well, especially with a lineup like that, with veteran hitters that are, you know, they’re smart. They’re not just going up there with without a plan. Like they know what they’re trying to do, and yeah, I just feel like it was too much throwing, not enough pitching. I actually feel physically like as the game wore on, you know, pitch counts builds, I felt better.”

As I sort of alluded to in the preview, the Mariners didn’t roll out their best lineup. Several regular starters (Cole Young, Josh Naylor and Dominic Canzone) all got days off. This isn’t a knock on the management — with a series win already banked and a lefty on the mound, Wednesday was probably as good a time as any to give some days off and load up the lineup with righties. However, the offensive output went about how you might expect. The M’s went without a hit for the first four innings, with Jhonny Pereda notching the team’s first of only two for the entire day with a two-out single in the fifth.

Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo was on his game, striking out nine and allowing only the one hit over seven innings. Even when the Mariners made decent contact off of him, the Phillies infield was there to flash the leather. Multiple “should-be” hits with expected batting averages above .500 were turned into groundouts. Rodríguez also put a charge into a ball in the first inning for one of the Mariners’ hardest-hit balls of the day, but Harper was there to put it away up against the wall in right field.

The remainder of the game was rather uneventful, to be completely honest. One of the more notable things to happen wasn’t within the run of play. Prior to the fifth inning, Bryce Miller joined Andrés Muñoz as he made his way out to the bullpen. Dan Wilson was quick to downplay this development postgame, saying that it was specific to today in case they didn’t have enough coverage in the bullpen.

“It might have been something that would have worked out, but you know obviously didn’t need to do that today,” Wilson said. The Mariners have lost each of Miller’s last eight starts.

Ugly loss aside, the Mariners took back-to-back series on the homestand over a couple of difficult opponents. They’ll get a day off Thursday as they head to Toronto for a three-game set starting Friday. Here’s to hoping they can continue to isolate bad baseball to as few individual days as possible.