Baseball in September is the perfect time to get healthy, return to action and get some swings in before the October playoff push. On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned multiple players to the active roster who have been battling lingering injuries.
Catchers Will Smith and Dalton Rushing were activated, the team announced. Smith missed nearly the previous three months with an inflamed disc in his neck. He was batting .249/.338/.382 before the injury.
Rushing returns after missing practically the last month of baseball with a slight ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in his right elbow.
In addition to their catcher tandem, the Dodgers also saw LHP Justin Wrobleski jump back into the fold after inflammation in his left forearm. He's 11-5 through 21 games played (20 starts) and has a 3.56 ERA and a 1.1 WHIP in 126.1 innings pitched. He's struck out 100 batters this season and given up 19 homers and 28 walks.
Infielder Alex Freeland was also added to the active roster in his third stint with the team, where he's put up slash stats of .231/.309/.313 with three homers and 19 RBI in 72 games with the Dodgers.
In order to make room for their returns, the Dodgers opted outfielder Alek Thomas to Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated catcher Ben Rortvedt to assignment.
The Dodgers have a home game on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch begins at 7:10 p.m. PT on Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles has the best record in the National League West division at 82-55.
Compelling arguments can be made in favor of John Fisher of the Athletics, or Bruce Sherman of the Miami Marlins or Bob Nutting of the Pittsburgh Pirates for being the worst owners in Major League Baseball.
The club had Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the roster for six seasons. During that stretch from 2018 through 2023, they failed to post a winning record.
In brief defense of Moreno, injuries limited Trout to 36 games during the 2021 season and to 82 games during the 2023 season. Now here’s the indictment:
In 2018, Ohtani was the AL Rookie of the Year, Trout was runner-up for AL MVP and the Angels went 80-82.
In 2019, Trout was the AL MVP, Ohtani was one of the Angels' top producers and the team went 72-90
A season shortened in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic resembled seasons past, with the Angels going 26-34.
In 2021, Ohtani was the AL MVP, Trout was an All-Star and the Angels went 77-85.
In 2022, Ohtani was the runner-up for AL MVP, Trout finished 8th in the MVP voting and the Angels went 73-89.
In 2023, Ohtani was the AL MVP, Trout was an All-Star and the Angels went 73-89.
The Angels, who at 53-85 through Sunday were tied for the second-worst record in the majors, will finish with their 11th consecutive losing straight season.
Being the worst is expensive
Not all of the failures under Moreno should be measured simply by wins and losses. Buying a team from the Walt Disney Company and gradually turning it into a Mickey Mouse club involves front office bungles.
For example, the Angels overpaid Albert Pujols, the slugger-turned-slug, when in 2012 they signed him to a 10-year, $240 million contract, posting a 1.4 WAR or lower from 2016 until his final year with the Angels in 2021. He would go on to play the next season and a half with the Dodgers than Cardinals.
Then the Angels overpaid Anthony Rendon before the 2020 season by signing him to a seven-year, $245 million. Over the past seven seasons, he's spent more time sidelined with injuries than in the lineup.
But the club's biggest failure was not trading Trout when he still could command young talent the Angels needed to rebuild their roster. Instead he's become novelty, a chance for fans a chance to cheer one of the best future Hall of Famer to play for a consistent loser.
Again, if you’re inclined to blame general managers or the manager, the common denominator is Moreno.
A winner and a loser?
Among long-suffering Angels fans, Moreno might rank as the worst owner in the MLB. There's no denying that after buying the the team from the Walt Disney Company in 2003, he gradually turned the club into a Mickey Mouse outfit of a different kind.
Yet it’s unlikely MLB owners will mock him.
Moreno paid $184 million for the Angels. Now he’s expected to get $4 billion, the most ever paid for an MLB team.
That’s more than 20 times Moreno’s original investment, and it makes him a financial winner even though his team is an on-field loser.
Angels owner Arte Moreno attends a 2017 news conference at Angel Stadium. (Josh Lefkowitz / Getty Images)
Texts lit up my phone this morning from friends who had wasted most of their lives rooting for the Angels: Arte Moreno finally was selling the team.
“First order of business: it’s the Anacrime Angels,” Nelson Rodriguez cracked before sending a meme of Stringer Bell in “The Wire” wearing an old-school California Angels cap and saying, “I want you to put the word out there that we back up.”
“This news honestly made my year,” texted Anaheim City Councilmember Natalie Rubalcava, who graduated a year ahead of me from Anaheim High and whose daughter works at my wife’s restaurant. “Excited to leave the controversy and negativity behind and look forward to a new era of Anaheim baseball.”
“Shame this didn’t happen when [Shohei] Ohtani was an Angel,” the Mountain shared on a group text thread of childhood friends who call each other by long-standing nicknames — I’m the Consigliere.
“I get invited to the games but hell no,” replied the Butcher, who’s been a fan since the days of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan in the 1970s.
“I’ll finally go back” to a game in person, my cousin Plas added. “A Trumper [Latino] what could’ve gone wrong …” he wrote, referencing Moreno, before asking if Kurt Suzuki was still manager because “that’s how little I’ve kept up with the team.”
Those are the texts I can print in a family newspaper.
Moreno is selling to Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, whose company also owns perennial contenders in the NBA (Denver Nuggets), NHL (Colorado Avalanche) and England’s Premier League (Arsenal). Sources told my colleagues that the price was $4 billion, which would be a baseball record and speaks to the Halos’ untapped potential.
Major League Baseball still needs to approve the deal, but I guarantee that Commissioner Rob Manfred and the 29 other team owners are reacting with the silly swaying dance that Dodgers players do every time they get on base.
“The Moreno Family has been honored to steward the Angels for 23 years,” the soon-to-be-ex-Angels owner said in a statement.
You stewarded nada, Arte: You destroyed.
You started with so much hope and ended up with fans like my friends shooting venom at you like pissed-off cobras. There’s a reason why you’ll leave as one of the most loathed owners in baseball history. Your underperforming reign makes the McCourts of Dodgers infamy seem as amazing and beloved as the O’Malleys.
Not even Shohei Ohtani, at spring training when he played for the Angels in 2023, could change the team's fortunes under Moreno. (Morry Gash/Associated Press)
The Tucson native, who made his billions in the billboard industry, bought the Angels from Disney in 2003, the year after they won their sole World Series championship. At a festive press conference, Moreno handed a sombrero to then-skipper Mike Scioscia to wear, then announced that the first order of business was to cut beer prices.
The new owner quickly signed the best players in baseball — slugger Vladimir Guerrero and pitcher Bartolo Colón. Moreno walked Angel Stadium during games to ask fans what they wanted, what they needed, what they dreamed of. That first decade, he made the Angels what they never had been for a prolonged period: winners.
Fans packed the stands — more than 3 million each year from 2003 to 2019, the third-longest streak in baseball. Anaheimers donned Halos jerseys and hats like never before. More incredibly, Moreno was at the cusp of the impossible: convincing a generation of Latino baseball fans in Orange County to side with the Halos instead of the Dodgers.
But there were always signs that something was off.
Moreno renamed the team the Los Angeles Angels two years after he bought them, a ridiculous moniker that made them a national punchline. The renaming also cost Anaheim millions of dollars in legal fees after the city unsuccessfully sued to force Moreno to keep my hometown in the team’s name.
Moreno openly talked about moving the Angels to a city that would build him a new stadium. He also fell into the terrible habit of signing conservative-leaning, past-their-prime ballplayers like Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols and Anthony Rendon to massive contracts that weighed down the team for years, like one of Angel Stadium’s legendary cinnamon rolls.
Die-hards like my pals trudged on, buoyed by generational talent Mike Trout and the occasional flash-in-the-pan prospect. But even they were turned off by the last three years.
That same year, the Halos let Ohtani — who was on his way to a second most valuable player award and already had established himself as one of the most talented baseball players ever — walk away as a free agent while gaining nothing in return.
This season kicked off with Moreno telling the Orange County Register about a survey supposedly revealing that winning wasn’t “a top priority” for Angels fans. The Angels hadn’t made the playoffs in 11 years, hadn’t finished with a winning record since 2015, had landed in last place in their division for the last two years — and that’s what he offered as a speck of hope? No wonder the team is on pace to lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history. No wonder disgusted fans have protested both inside and outside Angel Stadium all summer.
At the only game I went to this year — a sparsely attended afternoon snoozer against the Chicago White Sox — I found the stadium more beat-up than ever: peeling paint, beat-up seats, tinny PA system. For about $25 each, my friends and I bought tickets behind the first-base dugout that would have cost hundreds of dollars at Dodger Stadium.
Billboards along Southern California freeways have broadcast the Angels’ desperate attempts to draw in fans via pathetic promotions. Fireworks every Saturday. A bobblehead giveaway of light-hitting shortstop Zach Neto, who never has made an All-Star team. A “yard sale” that sounds like a giant casting off of crappy memorabilia a week away from the trash can.
Angels fans wave signs and urge owner Arte Moreno to sell the team to an ownership group willing to invest more in winning during a pregame protest at Angel Stadium. (Joaquin Ruiz / For The Times)
I never cared for the Angels, but I always wanted them to do well. Any success they achieved rubbed off on my hometown, as it did during that magical 2002 run.
I also wanted Moreno, the first Latino to own a major professional sports team, to succeed, so his fellow Trump supporters might know that our kind can excel at the highest echelons of American society, if only we get the chance.
But for the last few years, I cheered each time the Angels lost. I wanted them to tank, to forever seal Moreno’s legacy as a loser. To serve as a warning to all professional sports owners that they can abuse a host city and its fan base for only so long before people revolt by just not caring.
Good luck to Kroenke as he tries to resuscitate a franchise deader than a stump in the Petrified Forest.
Feb 19, 2026; Lee County, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Andrew Morris (78) poses during photo day at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com
Andrew Morris gets the start, presumably in an opener role, so expect just a couple innings from him tonight if all goes to plan. He’s looking to turn the page after an August where he posted a 6.94 ERA. His mound opponent will be 2nd year righty Troy Melton whose 1.86 ERA would be the best mark in MLB, if he had the innings to qualify.
The lineup will need more of that spark they found last night the rest of the way if they want to get that last wild card spot.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 29: Cleveland Guardians pitcher Erik Sabrowski (62) leaves the game during the sixth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians on August 29, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 04: A view of the scoreboard showing the MLB America 250 graphic prior to a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 04, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
I hate teams who start their weekday games early. Oh well, I guess it means we will win earlier too.
Anyway, game one of three with the Guardians. Wins are important. Not that we should throw in the towel if we lose tonight. We aren’t going to run the table from here, so don’t get too upset if there is a loss. Yeah, I know, the thread will be a terrible thing if we lose. You would think that if you were a baseball fan, you’d be used to losses by now. They have 162 games. Teams are going to lose some of them.
We have a bullpen day with Spencer Myles opening. Arrighetti will likely be the bulk guy. Beyond that, expect to see every pitcher we have.
Sean Keys doesn’t make the roster on his first day back. Neither does Josh Smith.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - MAY 21: Lazaro Montes #33 of the Arkansas Travelers looks on from the dugout during the game between the Springfield Cardinals and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Thursday, May 21, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Caton Marsh/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Mariners lost another crushing game last night but today is a new month and roster expansions have given us a shiny new toy: hulking outfielder Lazaro Montes, he of the light tower power and megawatt smile and infectious happy personality. They’re calling it the biggest vibes transfusion since Geo Suárez stepped onto that plane last season.
A note: today the SB Nation app officially launched! As a personal favor to me, please download it – even if you don’t want to keep it – and try out the game chat feature. I think it will make everything move more smoothly here on the site (and I want bragging rights over the other baseball site managers that we have the highest number of downloads).
Lineups:
Laz batting seventh at at DH in his MLB debut at Fenway Park. No matter how this game goes, what a fun day for him and I’m excited for him.
No real news but it is important to me you have seen both of these clips which reveal not so much about Laz but about the people around him. First the clubhouse callup news, where you can see how genuinely happy everyone is for him and especially the special bond he has with Michael Arroyo, who hopefully we’ll get a chance to see here soon as well.
Brendan Donovan going through another on-field workout with the Mariners medical staff here at Fenway Park. He still has to pass specific concussion protocols before he can be activated. No timeline for that.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 26: Freddy Peralta #51 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on August 26, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The image was indelible: Los Angeles Dodgersowner Mark Walter draping a No. 17 jersey around Shohei Ohtani's shoulders, welcoming the biggest baseball star on the globe to blue heaven with a $700 million contract that stipulated Ohtani will stay so long as Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, controlled the team.
The future seemed limitless.
And it absolutely was: Ohtani led the Dodgers to consecutive World Series titles, generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the ballclub and made L.A. a destination for every major free agent, international or otherwise. Walter, meanwhile, parlayed his riches into a 2025 purchase of the Lakers, making him the bona fide king of Southland sports.
The Los Angeles Angels? On the day Ohtani joined forces with Walter, Ohtani's old team was merely an afterthought. They had little interest, Ohtani confirmed, in retaining him on the same deal he presented the Dodgers. The teams' stations in life seemed to only grow further apart, the distance on I-5 hardly symbolizing the gulf between Arte Moreno's flailing franchise and Walter's jewel.
Yet part of the beauty of sports is its impermanence.
Nothing lasts forever, an unfortunate concept when pondering an aging superstar or a championship core deteriorating. It can also work the other way, and stunned, giddy, relieved Angels fans found this out Tuesday, Sept. 1 when Moreno agreed to sell the club for $4 billion.
To the most successful and prosperous and solidly entrenched owner in Los Angeles. And that's no longer Mark Walter.
No, that guy, now, is Stan Kroenke, who brought football back to L.A., engineered a world-class stadium and then delivered a Lombardi Trophy to the Los Angeles Rams for the first time in their bifurcated history. It is no longer Walter, whose hurried sale of the Lakers 11 months after he bought them was a Tiger Woods-crashes-into-the-fire-hydrant moment that portended more trouble.
It has come in the form of a federal investigation into over $21 billion in loans not disclosed to state insurance regulators that were made by two Delaware insurers Walter owns. Don't fret for him too much: Walter made $2.5 billion on his $10 billion purchase of the Lakers in less than a year.
But suddenly, the man whose reserves seemed bottomless, his reach limitless, faced major questions about liquidity, legality and the very future of his sports holdings. No, club president Stan Kasten has insisted, the Dodgers are not for sale.
Yet that bright blue sky no longer seems a shade of Dodger blue, does it?
Meanwhile, Moreno moved in the stealth fashion that defined his surprise takeover of the Angels for a mere $184 million 23 years ago. Sure, he had the team on the market four years ago but pulled it off in 2023. The prices weren't right.
But with the San Diego Padres having sold down the freeway for $3.9 billion, a bar was set. A lockout was looming - and perhaps Moreno's selling now is a tell that owners aren't totally bullish on getting a salary cap from the rubble of baseball's looming nuclear winter.
Enter Kroenke, whose franchises have won championships in the NFL, NHL (the Colorado Avalanche, twice) and NBA (the Nuggets' first title in their 60-year history, in 2023.). And he's never had to liquidate.
As if to twist the knife, Kroenke's Arsenal won its first Premier League championship in 22 years. Meanwhile, Walter and Dodgers partner Todd Boehly are reportedly looking to sell their shares in Chelsea - to investment firm Clearlake Capital, whose managing partner, Jose E. Feliciano, just bought the Padres.
(If you subscribe to the theory that sports are just proxy wars for the obscenely wealthy, the previous paragraph could be your mission statement).
One former Angels player, told of the sale, did not hesitate to note how positive this will be for the club. Athletes win, but it's also about systemic structures, and executive function, all of which lacked badly under Moreno.
That's never been a problem for Walter, either, as baseball ops chief Andrew Friedman has built a monster with his money. They're both the betting and pragmatic choice to win a third consecutive World Series this autumn.
Around that time, the Rams - behind their Myles Garret-Aaron Donald-backed defensive line - could be taking control of the NFC West. The Angels should be hiring a new general manager. Kroenke's blueprint will be taking shape in Anaheim.
That still makes them light years away from another parade down Disneyland's Main Street. But such a notion seemed impossible a day earlier.
The same could be said for Walter standing on shaky ground, until the day he sold the Lakers. Now, there is doubt where once there was invincibility. There are no such worries with Kroenke, who for now, looks like the angel of SoCal sports.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 23: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a win after a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first game thread of the SB Nation app era, we cheered! But whether you’re on it or tuning in on the website, we’re just glad you’re here. <3
A Feed prompt for you while we await the 6:45 pm ET first pitch in DC:
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 31: Erik Tolman #73 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Keibert Ruiz #20 after the game against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on August 31, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After winning three out of four against the Marlins, the Nats homestand continues with another NL East matchup. The boys have a quick two game series against the Braves before a much needed off day. As we enter September, the Nats will have to dig deep and finish strong here.
We are getting a new name in the Nats lineup. Yohandy Morales will DH and hit 5th in what is his MLB debut. Morales had a big year in AAA and is getting rewarded with a September call up. CJ Abrams is also back in the lineup playing shortstop. Despite being benched for poor effort, Jorbit Vivas is also back in the lineup. Harry Ford replaces Keibert Ruiz behind the plate. Jake Irvin will be on the bump.
This Braves lineup is nothing new to Nats fans. Acuna, Albies, Olson, Harris and Baldwin all feature. Albies will be at DH over his usual second base though. The versatile Mauricio Dubon will be at second. Young AJ Smith-Shawver missed a lot of this season due to injury but he is back on the mound now and will face the Nats tonight.
We are officially in the home stretch here. It is time for September baseball. The Nats are only a win away from exceeding last year’s win total. It has been an up and down year but positive progression has been made. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 26: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on August 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this road trip today as they begin a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters today’s game with a 3.72 ERA, 3.37 FIP, with 118 strikeouts to 36 walks in 147.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 10-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds last Wednesday, in which he allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk in six innings.
He’ll be facing off against Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, who enters today’s game with a 3.79 ERA, 2.96 FIP, with 175 strikeouts to 41 walks in 145 innings pitched. His last start was in the Pirates’ 1-0 win over the San Diego Padres last Tuesday, in which he allowed just three hits with four strikeouts in six innings.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Sean Keys #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays runs to the dugout during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on July 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Jays made many roster moves today:
Simeon Woods Richardson is a free agent.
Daz Cameron has been DFAed.
Joe Mantiply has been activated.
Josh Smith has been activated.
Sean Keys has been called up.
Ricky Tiedemann has been called up.
Cameron only got 25 PA to show what he could do, but then that the way things work. He hit just .208/.200/.375 with the one home run, but no walk with 7 strikeouts. He’s 29 and may be running out of teams who want to take a look at him.
SWR…..well you saw what happened the other day. We are short of arms who can pitch multiple innings in the pen, but then you have to get guys out.
Mantiply last pitched for us in mid-May. He had surgery on his left knee in May and has been working his way back since. He pitched 6.2 innings in Buffalo, allowing 8 hits, 2 earned, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Smith went on the IL August 20th. He was hitting .250/.323/464with 2 home runs for the Jays in 14 games. He had a hamstring issue.
Keys had a great August in Buffalo, hitting .358/.470/.684 with 7 home runs in 95 at bats. They had been playing him in left field figuring he could get at bats there in the majors. I hope his bat continues at that pace.
Tiedeman was called up mid-August, pitched 1.2 innings in one outing and was sent back to Buffalo. Hopefully he’ll be up longer this time.
The Jays also say that Trey Yesavage has been throwing on flat ground and will do a bullpen on Friday. He had knee surgery three weeks ago. Maybe he could be back for the end of the season?
DENVER, CO - MAY 30: A detail shot of a San Francisco Giants hat and glove during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ray Bahner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today is the September 1st roster expansion where teams can go from a 26-man active roster to 28. The San Francisco Giants have added a third catcher to their roster by bringing back Zach Morgan, who’d just been added to the 40-man roster on August 10th; and, a left-handed reliever in 24-year old Cesar Perdomo, who will be making his MLB debut when or if he gets into a game.
Let’s put a pin in the specific player talk just for a moment, though, to examine the Giants roster. Here’s Andrew Baggarly’s commentary about the callups:
If you want to impress your friends or win a bet later today, memorize this list of current 60-day ILers:
Hayden Birdsong JT Brubaker Jose Butto Matt Gage Adrian Houser Trevor McDonald Joel Peguero Randy Rodriguez Carson Whisenhunt Rowan Wick Daniel Susac Matt Chapman Harrison Bader Casey Schmitt
Willy Adames is plausibly bound for this list as well, and the Giants injury tracker is a real whopper.
One thing to keep in mind about the 60-day IL players is that they can’t be there in the offseason. JT Brubaker is the only free agent in the bunch so, absent any DFAs/cuts (ahem, Harrison Bader), that’s 13 roster spots to be mindful of when thinking about who else the Giants might call up. That could be why we’re not seeing Bo Davidson right now… or they’re just waiting for Willy Adames to hit the 60-day.
Because this is an important evaluation period for the players who are left. I’ll admit to getting a little excited by Jonah Cox’s performance of late. Reiver Sanmartin had a 2.24 FIP in 13 IP in August. Turner Hill is showing his utility. Grant McCray is playing himself out of the organization.
So, it’s less that there are spots up for grabs, and more that it’s time for these fringe roster guys to earn their keep. Who’s going to be sticking around in 40-man slots 27-40 next season?
Morgan was in the majors for, like, 5 minutes after being added to the 40-man on August 10th and then optioned on August 11th. He’s yet to play a major league inning. In the minors, he’s done more than just catch, with a game in left field for Richmond, but also innings at first, third, and even the occasional DH. And, yes, he pitched 1.2 innings; so, the position player pitcher group has been shored up a bit after Christian Koss.
He has a career .334 OBP in the minors but just a .679 OPS.
Meanwhile, Perdomo could make the lefty reliever situation heading into next year interesting. With Gage and Hentges injured an older and a bit more expensive, maybe the Giants are trying to find similarly talented and slightly cheaper options in Sanmartin, Perdomo, Phil Abner, and… Carson Whisenhunt?
Or maybe Perdomo is just there to be a long man behind, say, Landen Roupp or Blade Tidwell, the other two starters in this Pittsburgh Series? He’s struck out 125 in 120 IP this season and has a 4.43 ERA in 24 games (22 starts) across Double-A and Triple-A. Back in June, FanGraphs had this to say about him:
Perdomo is a smoke-and-mirrors lefty with above-average control and a nice changeup, a spot starter’s skill set.
He’d strike out 13 just 4 days later, but outside of that, he has basically been that all year. Anyway, welcome to The Show, Cesar Perdomo! Go get ‘em.
1905: Christy Mathewson pitched a four-hit shutout as the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0 in the World Series opener, beginning a record-setting Series in which he threw three shutouts.
1919: Cincinnati defeated the Chicago White Sox 10-5 in Game 8 of the best-of-nine World Series to capture the first championship in Reds history.
1928: Babe Ruth hit three home runs as the New York Yankees defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 to complete a World Series sweep and win their second consecutive championship.
1934: Dizzy Dean pitched a six-hit shutout on one day’s rest as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Detroit Tigers 11-0 in Game 7 of the World Series.
1943: No. 1 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Michigan 35-12 in the first college football game matching the teams ranked first and second in the national media poll.
1944: The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the St. Louis Browns 3-1 in Game 6 to win the only World Series contested entirely in St. Louis.
1949: The New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-6 in Game 5 to win the World Series, beginning a major league-record run of five consecutive championships.
1958: The New York Yankees defeated the Milwaukee Braves 6-2 in Game 7, completing a comeback from a 3-1 Series deficit to win their 18th World Series championship.
1961: The New York Yankees scored five runs in the first inning and defeated the Cincinnati Reds 13-5 in Game 5 to win their 19th World Series championship.
1966: Dave McNally pitched a four-hit shutout as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 to complete a World Series sweep and win the first championship in franchise history.
1974: The expansion Washington Capitals played their first regular-season game, losing 6-3 to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
1982: Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scored twice against Vancouver to reach 200 NHL goals in 242 games, becoming the fastest player in league history to reach the milestone.
1996: Derek Jeter’s disputed home run, assisted by 12-year-old fan Jeffrey Maier’s reach over the right-field wall, tied Game 1 of the AL Championship Series before Bernie Williams gave the Yankees a 5-4 victory over Baltimore with an 11th-inning homer.
2005: Chris Burke hit a walk-off home run in the 18th inning as the Houston Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-6 and clinched their National League Division Series in what was then the longest postseason game in major league history.
2011: Sebastian Vettel finished third in the Japanese Grand Prix and clinched his second consecutive Formula One world championship, becoming the youngest two-time champion in series history at age 24.
2016: The Western New York Flash defeated the Washington Spirit on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw to win the NWSL Championship in the first shootout in league history.
2020: Mike Brosseau hit an eighth-inning home run off Aroldis Chapman as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 2-1 in Game 5 to win their American League Division Series.
2022: Max Verstappen won a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix and clinched his second consecutive Formula One world championship, becoming the second-youngest two-time champion in series history.
— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
