Category: Baseball

MLB Trade Rumors published their estimates for 2027 raises for arbitration eligible players on Friday. Their system is based on a model created by Matt Swartz that inputs all the relevant historical data on arbitration salaries both agreed and arbitrated to generate an estimate for each player. MLBTR has been using it for over a decade and generally has a strong reputation for general accuracy.

The Detroit Tigers have 11 players due a raise in 2027. The Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays all have more than 11 players due an arbitration raise. Four other teams have 11 players exactly in line for a raise.

A good place to start getting a grasp on the offseason is through these estimates, a list of impending free agents, and an understanding of each club’s payroll and 40-man roster situation. For example, the Brewers and Rays are both generally small payroll clubs. The fact that they’re in the top seven teams in terms of players due a significant raise says that they may have some payroll issues this offseason, and could be pretty active in trading players away as they get more expensive. Of course we have to get into their projected 2027 payroll to really know if they’re facing a problem as most of these raises are very small, and they may have money coming off the books elsewhere.

The new CBA negotiations are going to weigh heavily on teams’ calculations as well. Other than in his first months on the job back in 2022, Scott Harris has shown absolutely no interest in the trade market, dealing away or acquiring talent only when he has to around the trade deadline, so who knows if he’ll even be thinking about trades this offseason, but there will probably be plenty of opportunities once the CBA is settled.

As noted by MLBTR (read the full 30 team breakdown here), service time data isn’t finalized by the league yet, and there may be some minor adjustments to come. We also don’t have the Super Two cutoff date that can alter the equation for a few specific players. For now, this is the best estimate we’re going to get. We’ll list the player, their age and service time, and then their 2026 salary followed by MLBTR’s arbitration estimate for 2027.

Will Vest-31 (5.100 years): $3.950MM —>$4.4MM

Zach McKinstry-31 (5.099): $4.2MM —> $5MM

Matt Vierling-30 (5.026): $3.255MM —>$3.7MM

Riley Greene-26 (4.110): $5.0MM —>$9.3MM

Spencer Torkelson-27 (4.076): $4.075MM —>$7.7M

Kerry Carpenter-29 (4.057): $3.275MM —>$4.1MM

Tyler Holton-30 (4.047): $1.575MM —>$2.4MM

Beau Brieske-28 (4.007): $1.157MM —>$1.5MM

Reese Olson-27 (3.123): $818,100 —>$1.5MM

Wenceel Pérez-26 (3.000): $803,400 —>$1.4 MM

Parker Meadows-26 (2.169): $805,300 —>$1MM

Using FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, the Tigers final estimated payroll for 2026 was $205M, whereas in 2025 that number was $155M. The Tigers spent right up to the luxury tax threshold back in the spring, but by dealing away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize’s remaining salary, they ended up well under the limit. That was important as to not affect their draft position in a year in which they’re due a Competitive Balance Round A selection as a revenue sharing club. That’s the round where they drafted Kevin McGonigle in 2023, as well another really exciting young hitting prospect in Michael Oliveto in 2025. With a few sizable free agent contracts coming off the books, Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg should also have plenty of payroll flexibility.

Looking through the arbitration eligible list, the only players that are locks to return are Riley Greene and Reese Olson. Greene remains a real bargain, and the larger question in his case is whether the Tigers front office is even interested in an extension. If not, perhaps Greene could even end up traded in 2027. Meanwhile, Olson is still super cheap and the Tigers need starting pitching, so that’s a guaranteed keeper as well.

Most of the rest are seeing only small increases in their arb years. I added their ages to the list, because that’s often instructive. Are the Tigers going to pay 30-year-old Matt Vierling an extra half a million after two seasons where he was barely on the field? It’s not impossible but it seems pretty likely he’s gone with only one position in the outfield not spoken for and Ben Malgeri a younger, more well rounded version of Vierling. Wenceel Pérez isn’t getting a big enough increase to worry about, but again the Tigers need some roster spots open, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Pérez was released either. His eyesight is the more pressing concern at the moment and we wish him the best. Parker Meadows’ defensive ability is such an outlier that the Tigers might decide to keep him and see if he can finally get right, but with Max Clark in center field and Ben Malgeri, Brett Callahan, as well as Zach McKinstry and to some extent Javier Báez all able to play the position, perhaps they’ll finally just move on from Meadows as well. More likely they bring him to camp and see how it goes.

The Tigers will see if Will Vest can get back from the stress fracture in his elbow as he’s still inexpensive and the needs in the bullpen are so glaring. For similar reasons and lack of expensive, the Tigers will probably hang onto Holton and Brieske. They are starting to develop enough left-handed relief pitching that maybe they’ll shop Holton for something else, but that’s going to be a very small scale deal if it were to happen. It’s not easy to have too many lefties, generally.

The two biggest questions on the current roster are whether the Tigers will keep Kerry Carpenter and Spencer Torkelson. The latter continues to produce to a modestly above average degree at the plate, but by the standards of a first baseman that’s not terribly compelling production. Torkelson’s struggles on ground balls and the fact that the Tigers have some other candidates to play first base all say that Torkelson is far from certain to return. He’s actually a decent little trade chip if the Tigers do decide to move on, as his power and plate discipline all say he should be a better hitter than he is. Probably there’s a team out there that believes they can get more production out of him.

On the other hand, the Tigers have just Dillon Dingler, Hao-Yu Lee, and Eduardo Valencia holding things down as the right-handed bats should the Tigers part ways with Torkelson. Of the young players they can look to for help, it’s basically down to Ben Malgeri and John Peck. Torkelson for $7.7M doesn’t sound so bad in that light. The Tigers should just stop considering him their full-time first baseman, and they took some steps toward that posture in September.

Kerry Carpenter is another whose time in the organization could be coming to an end. The Tigers can certainly keep him into whatever kind of spring camp we have next year and then decide, but the injuries and one-dimensional nature of his game all say he’s going to be of limited utility. He’s also 29 and dealing with a case of plantar fascitis that didn’t resolve after months of rest and rehab. That’s sometimes a hard injury to fully resolve as players get older. The Tigers could certainly use him in a limited role as a part-time DH, considering the number of inexperienced outfielders they have available, but all of those outfielders are major upgrades defensively as compared to putting Carpenter back in right field very often.

His situation probably depends on his medicals in the spring, and he’s another one that certain teams might look to as a minor trade acquisition if they need some low cost power from the left side. Carpenter does still have three options available and a decent highlight reel, but right now he’s a part-time DH with a bit of a difficult medical history.

The Tigers ended the season with nine players on the 60-day injured list. Space will have to be opened back up on the 40-man roster for each of them. Expect at least a few to be released or possibly moved in trade.

LHP Bailey Horn

RHP Reese Olson

RHP Burch Smith

RHP Will Vest

INF Trey Sweeney

OF Kerry Carpenter

OF Parker Meadows

OF Wenceel Pérez

OF Matt Vierling

This offseason, Gleyber Torres, Jack Flaherty, and Kenley Jansen are headed to free agency, so they’ll come off the 40-man to open three spots, but they’ll still need to clear six spots to keep all their 60-day guys, and they’ll also need to protect Josue Briceño and Max Anderson from the Rule 5 draft in December, or whenever the draft happens this offseason. The 40-man certainly has plenty of players who could be lost with negligible impact.

We saw a new look Tigers team over the final 6-8 weeks of the regular season as many of the names we’ve mentioned here were on the injured list. It’s time to move on from some of them, let the new breed take over, and use available roster spots to add some supporting cast, most particularly serious relief help, this offseason.

It looks like a pretty quiet offseason is in store for the club in free agency. Acquiring one of the top relievers available should be a priority, and every team wants more starting pitching depth, but don’t expect much until the new CBA is in place. Even then the free agent market doesn’t have many interesting fits for the Tigers. Their focus should be to sort out their roster, especially in regard to the bullpen, right field, and first base, add some pitching help, and then be ready to pounce if the new CBA causes payroll and roster issues for other teams that the Tigers can exploit. They have payroll space and plenty of prospect depth should the front office decide to get active in a market for trades and free agents that should be fairly frenzied if the expected lockout goes as long or longer than last time around, and comes with significant changes to payroll structure around the league.

The best baseball happens in October. It's time for the best teams to make their mark and etch their name into history.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the second-best team in the National League this season and, after a first-round bye, are ready to get their best-of-five NL Division Series with the Atlanta Braves going.

The Braves are coming off a three-game NL wild card series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves were one of the few teams that LA struggled with throughout the regular season. Through six meetings, the Dodgers have beaten the Braves just once. Atlanta has outscored Los Angeles 26-15 and the Braves swept the Dodgers in their last three-game series at Truist Park in August.

However, luckily for LA, the Dodgers have home field advantage in this round.

The first two games will be played at Dodger Stadium. The series will switch to Atlanta for Game 3. If a Game 4 is necessary, the teams will remain in Atlanta. If there is a deciding Game 5, it will be held in Los Angeles.

Here's a look at the NLDS schedule between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves:

NLDS Game 1: Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers

• Date: Oct. 3
• Game Site: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
• Start time: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
• TV/Stream: Fox

NLDS Game 2: Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers

• Date: Oct. 4
• Game Site: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles
• Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

NLDS Game 3: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves

• Date: Oct. 6
• Game Site: Truist Park in Atlanta
• Start time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

*NLDS Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves

*= if necessary

• Date: Oct. 7
• Game Site: Truist Park in Atlanta
• Start time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT (subject to change)
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

*NLDS Game 5: Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers

*= if necessary

• Date: Oct. 9
• Game Site: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles
• Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET (subject to change)
• TV/Stream: Fox

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers vs Braves schedule and game times for NLDS showdown

There's no time like October in baseball. It's the race for the coveted World Series pennant in the MLB postseason.

The San Diego Padres advanced to the National League Division Series to face-off against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-five game series beginning Saturday, Oct. 3.

The Padres found their way to the NLDS by defeating the Chicago Cubs in the National League wild card series in a 2-0 sweep. The Brewers were resting as they were awarded a first-round bye with the top record in the NL.

San Diego should feel confident going into the series with the Brewers. Each hosted a three-game series at their home ballpark. The Padres when 3-0 at Petco Park during the regular season, however on the road at American Family Field in Milwaukee, they lost the series 2-1. Overall they won the season series 4-2.

The five-game series begins with back-to-back games at American Family Field, then the series shifts to the West Coast at Petco Park in San Diego for Game 3 and Game 4, if necessary. A deciding Game 5 would be played back in Milwaukee.

Here's a look at the NLDS schedule between the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers:

NLDS Game 1: San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers

All times Eastern, unless otherwise noted; *= if necessary

• Date: October 3
• Game Site: American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Start time: 8:30 p.m.
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

NLDS Game 2: San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers

All times Eastern, unless otherwise noted; *= if necessary

• Date: October 4
• Game Site: American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Start time: 4 p.m.
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

NLDS Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres

All times Eastern, unless otherwise noted; *= if necessary

• Date: October 6
• Game Site: Petco Park in San Diego, California
• Start time: 6:30 p.m. (PST)
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

NLDS Game 4: Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres

All times Eastern, unless otherwise noted; *= if necessary

• Date: October 7
• Game Site: Petco Park in San Diego, California
• Start time: TBD
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

NLDS Game 5: San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers

All times Eastern, unless otherwise noted; *= if necessary

• Date: October 9
• Game Site: American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Start time: TBD
• TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers vs Padres schedule and game times for NLDS showdown

After a thorough dismantling of the Red Sox in a Wild Card sweep, the Yankees are riding high. Their offense torched Boston’s pitchers, scoring 18 runs on 26 hits and swatting four homers in the two-game set. Next up is another division rival, the 98-win Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa’s starting rotation finished second in the AL to the Yankees in ERA, though they did so in 56 fewer innings and with 176 fewer strikeouts. They’re expected to hand the ball to the perennially-underrated Drew Rasmussen in Game 1. The 31-year-old has posted a sub-3.00 ERA in each of his six seasons with Tampa, though a couple of those have been severely shortened by injury. He made 30 starts this year and tossed a career-high 172 innings, going 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA while leading the league in WHIP (0.913) and K:BB ratio (5.44). He finished the season particularly strong, allowing six runs over his last six starts. Of note, he threw a career-high 114 pitches in his last outing of the season, hinting that Kevin Cash, the notoriously short-leashed Rays skipper, may be looking for his ace to shoulder a larger burden than usual.

Like Cam Schlittler, Rasmussen’s top three pitches are all fastballs: a cutter, a four-seamer, and a sinker. All three have been lights-out; opponents hit .205 and slugged .326 against the cutter this season, the best they fared against any of the three. He mixes in a changeup that he threw 354 times without allowing an extra-base hit and, less frequently, a curveball and a sweeper. The only item missing from the two-time All-Star’s portfolio is postseason excellence — he’s made just one playoff start, back in 2021, in which he allowed three runs in two innings before getting the hook.

Cash has remained noncommittal on how he’ll deploy the rest of his pitching staff. Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax, and Ian Seymour were Rasmussen’s rotation-mates and all are expected to feature in some capacity. After a nightmare first half with the Mets, Peralta rebounded nicely with the Rays. The right-hander went 5-0 with a microscopic 0.79 ERA over his last six starts of the year, earning AL Pitcher of the Month honors for September while regaining the form that saw him finish fifth in NL Cy Young voting last year and firmly entrenching himself in the playoff picture.

Martinez was one of the best value signings of the offseason, winning 15 games along with a 3.10 ERA on a one-year, $9 million deal. The 36-year-old faded a bit down the stretch, allowing 20 runs in 42 innings across his last eight starts, and it’s fair to wonder if his career-high 180 innings have caught up with him. The Rays converted Jax from a reliever to a starter midseason and the results were strong. He had a lower ERA in the rotation (3.14) than in the bullpen (8.00) but threw 75 pitches or more in just six of his 23 starts. None of those came in his five September appearances, meaning he’d likely be used more as a bulk arm than a true starter if he does get an October start. Seymour also began the year in the bullpen, though he topped 90 pitches six times after moving to the rotation. He’s the only southpaw of the bunch, a fact which could either make him an attracting starting option or a valuable multi-inning reliever against a Yankees lineup featuring a bevy of lefties. So, too, does the fact that he faced the Bombers in his final start of the season and shoved, holding them to one baserunner in five scoreless innings.

With the addition of a superfluous starter or two, the Rays’ bullpen will be a deep, veteran group. Bryan Baker is the team’s shutdown closer, posting a 1.44 ERA that trailed only Toronto’s Louis Varland among qualified relievers while tying for the MLB lead with 41 saves. His .203 BABIP is an outlier, though, suggesting some confluence of good luck and playing into a defense that graded out as the best in the AL by DRS. The last time Baker blew a save was back on May 13th. He relies primarily on a four-seamer against which opponents hit .125 with no home runs this season and a changeup that sits more than 10 mph lower.

Cash’s top setup option is Kevin Kelly, who appeared in a club-high 71 games. Kelly pitched to a 2.44 ERA on the season but struggled down the stretch, allowing seven runs in his last eight innings of work. Behind those two, the pecking order is less clear. Cam Booser has been the most effective lefty in the ‘pen, recording a sub-2.00 ERA in 41 innings. Fellow southpaws Garrett Cleavinger and Steven Matz had down years after strong 2025s, as did right-hander Cole Sulser. Casey Legumina is another righty option, as is Tyler Wells, who allowed three earned runs in 18 innings after coming over from Baltimore at the trade deadline.

Wells and Cleavinger ended the season on the IL with forearm tightness but each pitched an inning in a scrimmage Tuesday and could be in play. Tampa’s bullpen ERA of 3.99 is more middle-of-the-pack than the performance of its starters, but they still have clear lanes to get through the late innings.

In looking at the Rays’ pitching corps as a whole, Rasmussen looms large as their greatest differentiator. He’s a tough matchup for any team, but if the Yankees can get to him tonight with their third starter on the hill, they’ll do a great deal to puncture the Rays’ confidence and derail their winning formula. After Game 1, the Yankees will likely need to contend with a kitchen sink approach from Cash, who can be expected to make aggressive, matchup-based moves to put his pitchers in positions to succeed.

Today begins the Division Series around the game and the Phillies are home. Should we be shocked by this? Maybe not, but Wednesday’s game sure made the reality a bit harder to swallow.

Oh well, go Padres/Rays/White Sox.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• You’re going to see a lot of articles from The Athletic today. Here is one where Ken Rosenthal calls for dramatic change ($).
• Matt Gelb wonders: is this truly the end of an era for this roster that has given the area so much postseason baseball ($)?
• Charlotte Varnes talks about the offense, its stagnation during the playoffs and how it can be fixed ($).

MLB news:

• The Yankees play today down in Tampa Bay. They would like to have a certain MVP playing with them when the game begins.
• Breaking down all the series that are beginning today. My predicted winners: New York, Cleveland, San Diego, Los Angeles.
• If the Dodgers do prevail and win a third World Series in a row, what does that mean for the impending labor battle?

Los Angeles has been the centre of the baseball world over the past few years.

The LA Dodgers have built a star-studded roster in Major League Baseball, winning back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025.

Celebrities and royalty have flocked to Dodger Stadium, which will also host the Olympic tournament as baseball returns to the Games for Los Angeles 2028.

And you can get a glimpse of the Hollywood vibe as the Dodgers continue their quest for a World Series three-peat in the MLB play-offs this weekend.

After earning a bye for the first round last week, it is time for the Dodgers to join the post-season party and they will be part of an MLB double-header live on the BBC.

Saturday's coverage begins with the Chicago White Sox visiting the Cleveland Guardians for the start of their American League Division Series (18:00 BST).

You can then experience all the sights and sounds from Dodger Stadium, one of MLB's most iconic venues, as the defending champions begin their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves (21:00 BST).

Who has been watching the Dodgers?

Opened in 1962, Dodger Stadium is the biggest MLB arena with a capacity of 56,000, and this year 'Dodger baseball' has been one of the hottest tickets in town.

For the past two years the team's total home attendance has passed four million. This year they set a franchise record of 4,034,219 - an average of 49,805 fans per game.

The signings of two-way star Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2024 helped boost the team's Asian fanbase, increasing Japanese tourism to LA and supplementing the loyal local support.

Actors Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Bryan Cranston, Jason Bateman and Rob Lowe are all regulars at Dodger Stadium, while Justin and Hailey Bieber have been spotted at multiple games.

NBA star LeBron James and NFL quarterback Justin Herbert both attended last year's World Series, along with Sydney Sweeney, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Who will show up this weekend as LA hosts games one and two of the best-of-five series against Atlanta?

Having briefly been based in LA, Pierre Ducrey - sports director for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - has also watched numerous games at Dodger Stadium and is "quite familiar with the atmosphere it can deliver".

"There's so many Dodger fans and they're very passionate about the team," he told BBC Sport. "They have an incredible venue and one thing I do know about baseball is this is the perfect home for a baseball tournament."

• Ohtani rewrites history to send Dodgers to World Series
• Why 'face of baseball' is on cusp of global stardom

Who are the World Series favourites?

The Dodgers aren't the only show in town. The LA Lakers are one of the biggest franchises in basketball's NBA, as are the LA Rams in American football's NFL.

The Rams won the Super Bowl in their own stadium in 2022 and are favourites to win the NFL's championship game when it returns to SoFi Stadium next February.

The stadium hosted eight World Cup games last summer and anticipation is growing that LA is set for a third straight World Series later this month.

"This is a city that lives and breathes sport and the Dodgers are a perfect example of that," said Ducrey. "The popularity of the franchise in LA cannot be underestimated."

The Dodgers secured the second seed in the National League after finishing the regular season with 100 wins and 62 losses.

The Milwaukee Brewers were the only MLB team with a better record (103-59) yet the Dodgers are favourites to win the World Series, ahead of the Brewers and New York Yankees.

The Dodgers have continued to make big-name signings, with pitcher Tarik Skubal the latest in a mid-season trade, and their recent success has got fans dreaming of the franchise's first-ever three-peat.

"The Dodgers are in a very good period," Ducrey added. "There is a big momentum for them, but the team would still be immensely followed whether they're successful or not.

"There's a very long history behind it, and a very big tradition for baseball in Los Angeles."

How do the MLB play-offs work?

Although Ohtani is a rare two-way player, the Dodgers' leading home-run hitter will not pitch again this year because of injuries.

Skubal is expected to start on Saturday and face Matt Olson, who led Atlanta with 41 home runs in the regular season and added another in Thursday's series-clinching win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Either the Dodgers or the Braves will face Milwaukee or the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) - one step from the World Series.

Sixth seed Chicago have already upset the Houston Astros in the other half of the play-offs and either the White Sox or Cleveland will face the Tampa Bay Rays or Yankees in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).

The winners of the ALCS and NLCS will meet in the World Series, which is scheduled to begin on Friday, 23 October.

• The 'greatest in the world' with an Olympic dream for Team GB

The Cleveland Guardians host the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 3, the opener in the best-of-five showdown between the AL Central rivals.

"It really has been crazy kind of the back and forth that we've had all year," White Sox manager Will Venable said of the Guardians. "So we're excited about the opportunity to play these guys, but we know full well how challenging it is to beat them."

Cleveland won the division, finally chasing down Chicago in the final weeks of the season after the White Sox had led most of the way. The White Sox won the season series 7-6 but wound up finishing one game behind the Guardians and had to settle for a wild card spot, sweeping the Houston Astros to get to the ALDS.

Prior to the wild card series, the White Sox received a letter from noted fan Pope Leo XIV that invoked the "Almighty’s abundant blessings" upon the club that last won the World Series in 2005.

Where to watch White Sox vs Guardians: TV channel, live stream

• Time: 1 p.m. ET
• TV channel: TBS
• Live stream: Sling, HBO Max

Watch MLB playoffs on Sling

Guardians vs White Sox predictions

• Bob Nightengale: Guardians in 5
• Gabe Lacques: Guardians in 4
• Kristie Ackert: White Sox in 5
• Jesse Yomtov: Guardians in 3

White Sox vs Guardians pitchers

• White Sox: LHP Hagen Smith – 18 G, 3–3 W-L, 1.29 ERA, 28.0 IP, 41 SO, 0.96 WHIP.
• Guardians: LHP Parker Messick – 32 G, 12–9 W-L, 2.56 ERA, 186.1 IP, 193 SO, 1.06 WHIP

White Sox vs Guardians ALDS schedule

• Game 1 (Saturday, Oct. 3): At Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET
• Game 2 (Monday, Oct. 5): At Cleveland, 5 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (Wednesday, Oct. 7): At Chicago, 4 p.m. ET
• Game 4 (Thursday, Oct. 8)*: At Chicago, 5 p.m. ET
• Game 5 (Saturday, Oct. 10)*: At Cleveland, 5 p.m. ET

White Sox vs Guardians tickets

Get Guardians-White Sox playoff tickets

White Sox roster for ALDS

10:28 AM ET, October 3 2026, Jesse Yomtov

set for the series pic.twitter.com/QVisXmsBCx

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 3, 2026

Guardians lineup for Game 1

10:19 AM ET, October 3 2026, Jesse Yomtov

1. Steven Kwan (L) CF
2. José Ramírez (S) 3B
3. Chase DeLauter (L) RF
4. Jo Adell (R) DH
5. Angel Martínez (S) LF
6. David Fry (R) 1B
7. Travis Bazzana (L) 2B
8. Austin Hedges (R) C
9. Brayan Rocchio (S) SS

White Sox lineup today

09:56 AM ET, October 3 2026, Jesse Yomtov

1. Chase Meidroth (R) 2B
2. Randal Grichuk (R) LF
3. Miguel Vargas (R) 3B
4. Munetaka Murakami (L) 1B
5. Tommy Pham (R) DH
6. Brenton Doyle (R) CF
7. Kyle Teel (L) C
8. Braden Montgomery (S) RF
9. Colson Montgomery (L) SS

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White Sox vs Guardians LIVE updates: Game time, pitchers and predictions

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LOS ANGELES — The two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are rolling out their new toy Saturday afternoon in two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Their opponent, Atlanta, has no idea who it will even start Saturday (4 p.m. ET) at Dodger Stadium with a fatigued pitching staff.

The Dodgers are tanned, fresh and rested, home since Sunday evening. They haven't left California for the past 2½ weeks.

Atlanta, on the other hand, just came off a grueling three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies where ace Chris Sale not only started Game 1, but came on in relief for a four-out save in the deciding game.

The Dodgers will have a well-rested Skubal, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell in Game 2 and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3.

Atlanta may not have Sale or even No. 2 starter Tyler Mahle available until the series returns to Atlanta.

The Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series championships, and three in the last six years.

Atlanta has won just two World Series titles in 60 years since it moved from Milwaukee.

So, yes, you can certainly understand why Atlanta manager Walt Weiss wasted no time pulling out the David versus Goliath narrative before boarding a five-hour flight to Los Angeles.

“You call David and Goliath and all that stuff,’’ Weiss said, “but you've got to go through the Dodgers if you want to get to the top of the mountain. You've got to go through them at some point. So it's going to be a great challenge for us. …

“Everyone knows the Dodgers have a juggernaut, but we played well against them this year. I know that doesn't carry a whole lot of stock. Once the playoffs begin, like I say, everybody starts at zero.’’

It starts, of course, with the task of trying to beat Skubal, one of the nastiest pitchers on the planet. He got the starting nod over World Series hero Yamamoto, and will make his first postseason start in front of hometown fans in his career. He has made six postseason starts the past two years for the Detroit Tigers, but all on the road.

“It's an honor and a privilege to start Game 1,’’ Skubal said, “and have the trust in the coaching staff and my teammates and the organization to take the ball and go out there and do what I can do to put our team in a position to win. I'm excited for the opportunity to throw in front of the fans. Usually when I walk out onto the field in a playoff game, it's usually received with a lot of boos.

“So, I'm excited to get some cheers in there for us.’’

Skubal, who will be the most coveted free-agent pitcher since Yamamoto, is so tenacious in his work ethic to win a World Series title that not once has he even mentioned free agency to his teammates. He doesn’t want to hear pitch limits. He doesn’t want to hear load management. The dude just wants to pitch, and win.

“The guy’s awesome, you know?’’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “He wants the ball. He wants to be out there. He wants to compete. He wants to be fiery.

“Every single person that plays Major League Baseball wants to be out there, but there’s certain guys where you can see it a little bit differently, where they don’t want to come out. That’s been him every single time he’s pitched for us. I know every time (Dodgers manager Dave Roberts) has taken him out, it’s been an argument to get him out of the game, and that’s pretty special to me.’’

And, considering he’s in line to receive the largest contract for a pitcher in history, it’s even more impressive − he needs to finish the season completely healthy if he wants to be paid.

“I haven’t heard him mention one thing about free agency,’’ Muncy said. “All he’s talked about is just pitching here, competing with us, making it through this playoff run. That’s rare, and it’s pretty special to see that out of a guy who’s looking at a big payday coming up. He’s so focused on what’s going on right now, it’s really cool to see.’’

This may be the deepest and most talented Dodgers team taking the field during their 14-year postseason run, but still, there are blemishes. Instead of using Edwin Diaz, their $69 million free-agent pitching prize over the winter, as their closer, they plan to turn to Tanner Scott, who lost the closer job a year ago. First baseman Freddie Freeman, managing knee tendinitis the last two months, has hit just one home run in his last 66 games.

More: Freddie Freeman vs. Atlanta? Dodgers star not buying into playoff narrative

And then there’s four-time MVP DH Shohei Ohtani, who has not homered since Aug. 18. He is unable to pitch in the series with left knee soreness and strained biceps and is still compromised physically. Ohtani hit .198 and struck out 34 times in 109 plate appearances in 24 games before he went on the 15-day injured list in September. When he returned, he hit .238 with one extra-base hit, eight strikeouts and one walk in five games.

“Shohei’s not 100%,’’ Roberts said, “but he’s going to be in the lineup. I think that most players that are performing now are not 100%. Obviously with Shohei, it's a bigger deal because of the player, but there's a lot of players that are not 100%, and they've just got to manage it.’’

Yet, as confident as Roberts is that Freeman will bounce back after watching him during their intrasquad game, he doesn’t share the same optimism with Ohtani.

“I'm not so sure,’’ Roberts said. “I know that once the lights turn on, the postseason starts, the focus will be heightened. I expect good things. I really do. We just haven't seen it enough for me to forecast it.’’

Ohtani took late batting practice past 10 p.m. ET Friday, trying to assure that he’ll be in a good place once he steps into the batter’s box Saturday with a forecast of 103 degrees during the day.

“It feels really good overall,’’ he said. “I do feel like my swing is in a better place, feels smooth, and just little tweaks here and there, and I'll be ready for (Saturday).’’

And no matter how much he’s aching, or his knee bothers him, he refuses to come out of the lineup until the Dodgers’ season comes to an end.

“I do pride myself on playing every day,’’ Ohtani said. “I do see it as an obligation as a professional to be on the field every single day. Just being on the IL has taught me a lot. … I haven't been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this. I think that process is going to happen during the offseason when I'm going to have a little bit more time to be able to address it.

“But as of now, it's something I'm just going to have to manage.’’

All these concerns, Roberts says, is why it’s foolish for anyone to believe this will be a cakewalk, like a year ago when the Dodgers swept the Cincinnati Reds, won 3-1 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies and then swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS before winning the World Series in seven games over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Momentum can be a dangerous thing, and Atlanta has plenty of it after knocking off the Phillies and their abundance of star power.

“What makes a team like that dangerous,’’ Roberts said, “is they've already been in the fight. They've already got their intensity up. They can manage emotions. They've come out of the series with some momentum, coming out of winning a series.

“The advantage for us is we have an opportunity to not let their pitching staff come up for air, and how do you do that? You have to exhaust the starter tomorrow. You have to get in their pen, and you have to have them deploy arms as soon as possible and get that carousel going and continue to beat starters.

“Then you can suffocate them.’’

It’s what the Dodgers do, year after year, October after October, making sure they’re the last ones standing.

And this time, it would be history.

“We are the team to beat,” Dodgers utilityman Kiké Hernández said. “We are the team that you have to go through.

“I feel great about my team.”

Once again.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NLDS is not David vs. Goliath: Shohei Ohtani injuries among Dodgers' problems

Here we go again. After besting the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, the Yankees begin a Division Series matchup against the AL East champions for the second straight year in a row, this time drawing the Rays as opposed to last year’s Blue Jays. The tale of the tape is close between these two teams, the Rays narrowly winning the season series 7-6 after winning the second game of a doubleheader in their four-game series last week. The difference has been where the games have been played, as the Yankees were 2-5 in the Trop but 4-2 against them at Yankee Stadium. Overall the Rays have been the best home team in the league with a 55-26 record, but the Yankees are sending them a challenge as they get to start Gerrit Cole in Game 1 tonight despite having to run out two other aces in the Wild Card, and Cam Schlittler will start Game 2 having pitched to a sterling 1.16 ERA on the road this year. This could easily become a five-game heavyweight bout if the Yankees manage to steal one of these first two games before shifting back to the Bronx, and there’s some revenge on the line for Cole as well after the Rays spoiled his debut season in New York beating them in the 2020 ALDS.

We’ve got a lot to get through before gametime, starting with previews abound. Nick and Peter will both dive into the pitchers and hitters respectively that the Yankees have to worry about from Tampa Bay, and Estevao will preview Game 1 specifically as Cole lines up against Drew Rasmussen. The Arizona Fall League gets underway over the weekend as well, and Michael is on hand to go over the Yankees prospects participating. Kento looks back on the saga of Dave Winfield’s career as we celebrate his 75th birthday, and then we’ll be looking ahead to first pitch.

Today’s Matchup:

American League Division Series Game 1

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

Time: 6:30 p.m. EST

TV: TBS/HBO Max, TruTV, Univision

Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

Questions/Prompts:

1. What are you expecting from Gerrit Cole tonight, and will we see Carlos Rodon used in relief of him?

2. Get your picks in for the other Division Series matchups: who wins between the White Sox/Guardians, Braves/Dodgers, and Padres/Brewers?

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After much deliberation, the Yankees are going with Gerrit Cole to start Game 1 of the ALDS. It’s a reasonable choice, even with how great Carlos Rodón was down the stretch, and a meaningful one to the erstwhile ace of the Yankees. It wasn’t long ago that Cole couldn’t even grip a baseball, in the midst of the long road to recovery from Tommy John surgery. To come back full circle, back to pitching for the Yankees to lead off a playoff series, is special for the right-hander. “It’s incredibly special,” Cole said. “Considering coming back from surgery, there’s not much more I could ask for. I feel tremendously blessed.”

CBS Sports: Speaking of Rodón, Aaron Boone did note that the left-hander would factor in more heavily in the ALDS than the quick Wild Card sweep of the Red Sox, telling reporters the plan was for Rodon to start Game 3 or Game 4 of this series. That Rodón could be held back until Game 4 very much keeps alive the possibility of Rodón also pitching out of the bullpen in the beginning of the ALDS. Rodón is more than fully rested now, and would have four days rest before Game 4 if he pitched in relief in Game 1.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Just as crucial a decision as who starts Game 1 against the Rays is whether Aaron Judge appears at all in the ALDS. Judge has made his stance clear, stating his willingness and desire to play as soon as possible. Boone said Judge has progressed from running on an anti-gravity treadmill to running in the outfield, but has yet to run the bases. Ultimately, it’s a complicated, high-stakes matrix. It’s impossible to know if Judge is at grave risk of re-injury if he plays, and how effective he’ll be if he takes the field. Whether he’s on the roster also impacts how many pitchers the Yankees can carry, affects their decision-making regarding Giancarlo Stanton’s inclusion on the roster, and on down.

ESPN: ESPN’s team of MLB writers runs down the League Division Series, forecasting how each one could play out. They actually tab the Yankees as slight favorites over the Rays, regardless of whether Aaron Judge is able to suit up. However you splice it though, one thing is clear: this is the premier matchup on the American League side of the bracket. Bradford Doolittle goes as far as to call this the “Real ALCS,” a designation I will not quibble with one bit.

The Seattle Mariners have made use of the waiver wire to start October, claiming 1B/OF Michael Toglia from the Cincinnati Reds. The 28 year old switch-hitter missed much of the 2026 season with a dislocated right shoulder suffered while making a diving catch. The preparation for the surgery revealed a torn labrum as well, which led to season-ending surgery after just 10 games in Ohio.

Toglia was well-regarded by many (this author included) out of Gig Harbor High School in 2016 and particularly again after a strong career at UCLA. The Colorado Rockies made Toglia their first round pick in 2019, selecting him 23rd overall on the heels of a .307/.410/.573 line and top-notch glovework at the cold corner. A standout, 6’5 athlete, Toglia received some of the descriptors Evan White received as a prospect, noting his excellent athleticism was almost wasted at first base, anticipating at least nominal utilization in the outfield to expand his utility.

While that is what occurred in his progression through Colorado’s system, some of the similar issues White encountered arose as well. Toglia’s strikeout rates ballooned in pro ball, averaging around a 30% punchout rate despite clubbing prodigious home run totals before his big league debut in 2022. That debut was difficult for the then-23 year old, and he’s found little consistency subsequently. A .198/.275/.384 career line with 42 home runs in 1095 plate appearances is good for a .286 wOBA, troubling enough on its own. But Toglia’s home park his entire career has been Coors Field, save the 10 games mostly at home in Great American Ballpark with Cincinnati, meaning the most hitter-friendly parks in MLB have not been enough to foster quality numbers for him. The difficult nature of it is that Toglia’s 69 wRC+, combined with the challenging task of roaming the outfield of Coors and some poor ratings at first base to boot has meant Toglia’s fWAR of -3.5 ranks as worst in MLB since 2020.

So why the claim?

Toglia has a profile somewhat similar to fellow former Rockies OF/1B Nolan Jones, whom the M’s took on in the Luis Castillo trade with the White Sox. In a sense, both players have overlapping talents to Luke Raley and Lazaro Montes, both of whom have demonstrated more potent big league success thus far in their careers. Moreover, Toglia’s tools and adjustments after a midseason demotion in 2024 popped significantly, a season where his Baseball Savant profile looked exceptionally promising.

Toglia has immense raw power, and has shortened his swing in the past couple seasons to attempt to reflect that he does not need massive hacks to deliver ample damage. His swing length in the past two seasons has been in line with league average, while his bat speed and hard hit rates have been near the top of the league. Add that Toglia doesn’t chase excessively, and most of his strikeouts stem from that overswinging and a patient approach that boosts his strikeout rate in kind naturally, and there is a ton of Luke Raley to be seen from the left hand side, while a great deal of Mitch Garver from the right.

And yet, Toglia has been incapable of compiling all these characteristics into a capable big leaguer thus far. His best year, that alteration-including 2024, still topped out at a 99 wRC+ with 25 homers and 10 steals in 116 games and 458 plate appearances. Seattle can likely see the outline of a big leaguer still with Toglia, and few love to give a former top 100 prospect a look as much as Jerry Dipoto, but for the local kid to make good he’ll need to find a way to make much more in-zone contact in the bigs, no longer with the benefit of the sport’s best ballparks to bash.

The California Post’s experts make their predictions on the Dodgers-Braves and Padres-Brewers NLDS matchups, which are scheduled to begin Saturday:

DODGERS-BRAVES

Rich Barak

Dodgers rotation (and restocked bullpen) will prove to be the difference.

Dodgers in 5

Kendall Capps

Starting pitching. Starting pitching. Starting pitching.

Dodgers in 4

Michael J. Duarte

Atlanta spent six regular-season games proving it can bloody the two-time champs, but October has handed the Dodgers a rested four-headed rotation while the Braves arrive at Dodger Stadium with their pitching staff held together by tape, adrenaline and Chris Sale’s overworked left arm. I think Atlanta steals a game at home, but the Dodgers’ pursuit of a three-peat will survive its first series punch, facing either a rematch with Milwaukee or a heated rivalry with their neighbors to the South.

Dodgers in 4

Jack Harris

The Braves can be dangerous, but their pitching (Chris Sale, especially) has already been worn down. If the Dodgers look anything like they did in September, they’ll be on to the NLCS.

Dodgers in 4

Dylan Hernandez

The Braves are spent after surviving the Phillies in the wild-card round.

Dodgers in 3

Christian Orozco

The Dodgers will look to make a statement in their opening round on the road to their three-peat. Even if their bats struggle, I trust their starting rotation.

Dodgers in 4

PADRES-BREWERS

Rich Barak

The Mizard of Oz will propel Brew Crew on path to NLCS.

Brewers in 5

Kendall Capps

Compelling series pitting the hottest team against the best team. I always prefer momentum and the Padres have something special going on.

Padres in 5

Michael J. Duarte

The Padres have enough star power and late-inning gasoline to make this series a five-game fistfight, but Milwaukee earned home-field advantage for precisely this kind of October moment. If it comes down to one night in Wisconsin with Jacob Misiorowski holding the baseball and American Family Field shaking around him, I’ll take the Brewers to survive.

Brewers in 5

Jack Harris

The Padres’ biggest strength is their bullpen. Never is that more important than in a shorter five-game series. Once they take a lead, they don’t give it up.

Padres in 4

Dylan Hernandez

Padres are dangerous whenever they’re riding an emotional high.

Padres in 5

Christian Orozco

Jacob Misiorowski will bring the Padres back down to earth after their hot wild-card round. The Brewers find a way to finish the series through their bullpen.

Brewers in 4

The past seven days have been highly successful for the San Diego Padres organization.

After giving starter Casey Mize a chance to show he was healthy enough to participate in the postseason, the Padres placed the right-hander on the injured list after he surrendered seven hits and seven runs in four innings in the 11-4 loss on Sept. 25, to the Diamondbacks.

Walker Buehler started Game 2, which the Padres won 10-7 to clinch home-field advantage for the Wild Card round of the NL playoffs. Buehler was not particularly sharp, but the Padres eeked out the win despite a rare hiccup by Mason Miller, pitching in a non-save situation to finish the game.

In a game that meant nothing in the playoff picture, Rándy Vásquez went six strong innings to lead the Friars to another win. He combined with Griffin Canning to finish off the D-backs and give the bullpen two full days of rest before their homestand against the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card series.

A fairytale series

It couldn’t have gone any better for the Padres against the Cubs. Rookie manager Craig Stammen had the least stress-inducing playoff series any manager could have. 

After naming a playoff roster that surprised many by including both Joe Musgrove and Gavin Sheets, Stammen used both of those Padres in two dominant performances versus Chicago. 

Musgrove, who had spent almost two years on the IL, pitched in the ninth inning of the first game, finishing off the Cubs for the first win.

Stammen was given the softest landing ever imaginable for both himself and Musgrove. 

Sheets, who spent most of the past month in a boot for a plantar fascia tear in his left foot, was activated at the end of the season and played in two games versus the D-backs. After showing he was able to perform in those games, Sheets provided the pitching staff with some breathing room in the second game, blasting a 101 mph fastball 394 feet into the right-field stands. 

The Padres pitching staff held the best offense in the National League to one run on eight hits in the two games. The two best hitters on their roster, NL MVP-to-be Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman, went 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts against the Padres dominant pitching staff.

Meanwhile, Fernando Tatis Jr. put on a show in the first game with a leadoff home run while also scoring from first on a stolen base and a throwing error in his last at-bat.

Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts turned their worst professional seasons around by going 7-for-15 with two homers, two doubles and four RBI combined in the two games.

Second-half momentum carries on

The Friars had a 50-53 record before their second-half surge. After struggling offensively for much of May, June, and July, the Padres went on a 43-18 tear to end the season. They carried that over into the series against the Cubs.

With home-field attendance that topped 47,000 for both games, the Padres had a vocal and raucous crowd behind them that served as their 10th man in snuffing out the Cubs.

The stars were stars

The Padres’ top four earners are Machado, Tatis Jr., Bogaerts and Musgrove. For the first time in two years, all four played for the Friars during the Cubs series. Although limited to one inning of work, Musgrove was able to contribute to a win. All the others played the way we would expect them to play in the postseason.

NBC scores a win

Including Musgrove in their plans for the postseason gave the team and their fans a huge emotional lift. Even the decision-makers at NBC acknowledged the importance of Musgrove’s inclusion. 

Rather than cut away at the end of the eighth inning, NBC bypassed its lucrative commercial break and showed Musgrove’s entrance from the bullpen. As the left-field crowd rose and began cheering, Musgrove stepped through the bullpen gate and set foot on the Petco Park field for the first time since October 2, 2024.

The ensuing spread of cheers through the park and Musgrove’s entrance was covered live for the TV audience. It was a brilliant moment for San Diego.

Padres fans go NUTS as Joe Musgrove enters a game for the first time since October 2, 2024. pic.twitter.com/9Kb65HA9tD

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 30, 2026

Postseason ambition

After reaching the postseason for a record third consecutive season, the Padres have also reached at least 90 wins for the third straight season. In an unprecedented era of success for the organization, new Padres owner Jose E. Feliciano paid tribute to late owner Peter Seidler with his attire for the second game versus the Cubs.

With their official ownership of the team now almost two months in, Feliciano and Kwanza Jones are enjoying the first fruits of their investment in the Padres. Attending the season-ending games in San Diego and the playoff games versus the Cubs, Jones and Feliciano have shown their support, and Jones’ dancing skills, on the field and in the locker room.

Why yes, Fernando Tatís danced with Kwanza Jones pic.twitter.com/E993DYRC78

— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) October 1, 2026

On to Milwaukee to play the Division Series against the team with the best record in baseball. In a best-of-five series, the Friars take on hard-throwing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1. After two in Milwaukee, the Padres return home for Tuesday and Wednesday games at Petco Park. 

There is little doubt that home-field advantage will be in full force at Petco. The magic of the Cubs series could carry over into a series win at home against the Brewers.

The baseball gods could be shining on San Diego.

Why not the Padres? Why not us?

The Post’s staff makes their predictions for the Yankees-Rays ALDS.

Jon Heyman: The Yankees rotation couldn’t be in better shape, and the extra days off don’t hurt, either. They’re also looking better with the bats lately too. YANKEES IN 4. 

Greg Joyce: It won’t be nearly as easy as the wild-card series was, but the Yankees rotation shoulders the load again, allowing them to survive the Rays’ dominance at Tropicana Field. YANKEES IN 5. 

Dan Martin: The Rays have home-field advantage and the Yankees are almost certain to be without Aaron Judge, but the Rays are built for a long season, not a short playoff series. YANKEES IN 5. 

Mark W. Sanchez: The Rays offense will put constant pressure on the Yankees defense, which has not been a great strength of the team. RAYS IN 5. 

Joel Sherman: The Yankees must limit mistakes, especially at The Trop. But their rotation strength and some iffiness with the Rays getting the ball from their starters to terrific closer Bryan Baker opens enough of an offensive avenue for the Yankees to advance. YANKEES IN 5. 

Mike Vaccaro: Unlike the pillow fight they just enjoyed with the Red Sox, the Yankees know well just how good the Rays are. I expect both teams to hold serve. And that bodes well for the team that will host do-or-die Game 5. RAYS IN 5.

There’s an elephant in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, and it’s sitting in Tarik Skubal’s locker.

While the Dodgers are on a quest to capture their third consecutive World Series title in October, everyone knows that starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is set for a massive payday this offseason.

Well, except for maybe Skubal.

According to teammate Max Muncy, Skubal has not peeped a word about his impending free agency to his teammates.

“I’ve never heard him mention one thing about free agency,” Muncy said after the Dodgers’ Tuesday team practice. “All he’s talked about is pitching here or competing with us, making it through this playoff run.”

Muncy said Skubal’s clubhouse demeanor is rare and called it “pretty special.”

“He’s looking at a big payday coming up, for sure,” Muncy said. “For him to not even mention it once. We’ve had a lot of guys come over here, and they’re free agents the next year, and they talk about it, and it’s not a bad thing; you’re supposed to talk about it.”

As Muncy mentioned, Skubal has been focused on what the Dodgers have been building since he was traded to them ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Skubal has started 10 games with the Dodgers this season and has been as good as advertised, going 5-2 with a 2.36 ERA and punching out 70 batters.

On Friday, the Dodgers tabbed Skubal as their Game 1 starting pitcher of the NLDS against the Braves on Saturday.

Aside from making an impact on the field, he’s also made an impact in the clubhouse.

On Thursday, teammate Tyler Glasnow appeared on “Dodgers Territory” and spoke about how Skubal and Blake Snell have developed a close friendship, calling it “love at first sight.”

“He’s been focused on what we’ve got going on this year. I think that speaks to him, but that also speaks to the culture we’ve got in here,” Muncy said. “…Whatever happens in the future is going to happen. But we can control what we’re doing right now.”