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Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting pitcher Paul Skenes has come out and revealed that he believes his involvement in the World Baseball Classic is one reason to blame for his inconsistency and alarming drop in velocity in 2026.

Skenes spoke to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Monday and discussed his mechanics throughout the year, and the challenges that came with playing in the WBC before of the regular season.

“There are a lot of other factors, so I don’t want to put everything on [the WBC],” Skenes said. “But I feel like that was kind of the root of it a little bit.”

Of course the most glaring disparity in Skenes’ game in 2026 was his drop in velocity. His fastball velocity averaged 96.8 mph in 2026, a big tick down from 98.1 mph in 2025 and 98.8 mph in 2024. As the season has gone on it has gotten worse as in his most recent start against the Kansas City Royals saw his fastball average 96.1 mph, and just 95.7 mph in his last start against Miami, which was the lowest in his career.

Although he does not regret his participation in the WBC for Team USA, Skenes did acknowledge that it did completely change his process in the offseason and how he did not have ample time to prepare his body for live innings so early in the year.

“Usually, that time of year, you’re kind of ramping up and it’s a little bit slow,” Skenes said. “You can kind of get onto the slope and find your body. One live [batting practice], you’re topping at 97, and then the next you’re 98, 99. And that wasn’t the case this year. … Looking back, I don’t think that really helped.”

Skenes went on to say that even in the early months of April and May where he looked like his usual dominant self, he wasn’t satisfied with his mechanics and knew that something was off. The former National League Cy Young Award winner had a 1.09 ERA through eight starts in April and May.

“Even then, I didn’t feel like I had my delivery,” Skenes said. “It’s just weird. It’s easier to kind of put your finger on it after the fact than it is in the moment. It definitely affected the year. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the only one. … Yeah, I don’t know. [The WBC] definitely didn’t make things easier.”

Skenes has a 10-11 record this season with the Pirates and with a 3.91 ERA was often all over the place with pitch delivery, location, mechanics and the aforementioned velocity. He’s hopeful to get back to his dominant self next season with a full and healthy offseason ahead of him, with regaining his mechanics being a top priority for the Pirates’ ace.

MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: The Yankees do not expect Aaron Judge to be ready for the Wild Card round, manager Aaron Boone announced Tuesday. While not surprising given his exit from a game last week with a calf strain, Judge’s absence deals a blow to a squad that’s been without its captain for most of the season. With Judge back on the shelf, the Yankees’ outfield consists of Cody Bellinger, Spencer Jones, and Heliot Ramos. Trent Grisham, who’s on the IL, could return in time for the postseason, and Jasson Domínguez lurks as a dark horse as well.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: ($) With their victory in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rays, the Yankees clinched home field advantage for the Wild Card round. After dropping the second game, and with it the AL East, that means they’ll host the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium for a best-two-out-of-three set for consecutive seasons. “You gotta give them credit,” Boone said of the Rays. “They’ve won a ton of games this year, games that have been probably up in the air late and they’ve come out on top. So they’ve had a great year, and they’re always a challenge to play.”

The Ringer | Ben Lindbergh: As the season winds to a close, Lindbergh uses the test cases of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jacob Misiorowski to explore the chasm between pitcher and position player value. Despite being utterly dominant — posting a 1.86 ERA and recording 247 strikeouts — the Miz’s 6.5 fWAR is dwarfed by PCA’s 10.4. This disparity has become the norm in recent years as starting pitchers have seen their workloads rapidly diminish, a phenomenon that will continue to impact their stature in the game (and at the negotiating table).

The Cleveland Guardians [any common phrases for when a group of people travels east of Worcester?] yesterday and in the process picked up a big win.

Pitching for the Guardians was Parker Messick. Pitching for Boston was Payton Tolle. Fun matchup of two very good rookies.

Messick allowed just 1 run. Tolle allowed 2, but it should have been like 7. The Guardians were allergic to the big hit in this one. David Fry especially. But he’s also allergic to the little hit and frankly, any kind of hit.

But all the missed opportunities didn’t matter because Parker and Erik Sabrowski and Cade Smith were so darn dominant. W, 3 to 2.

Around baseball

• The ChiSox continued to show that they don’t really have the pitching, but they did win anyways, 14-11 over KC.

• EDLC has reached the famous 29/29 plateau.

• Justin Verlander is ready to return from the IL on Saturday—just in time for the playoffs that he and his team WON’T BE A PART OF.

• The Mets made Andy Green permanent.

• CBA update: https://bsky.app/profile/jon-becker.com/post/3mw4m36mxuk26

The Mariners were pushed to the brink of elimination Tuesday night, losing to the Astros 7-0.

Logan Gilbert never found a rhythm in this one, allowing baserunners to lead off each of the first three innings. Over only four innings of work, Gilbert allowed 10 hits, walked two batters and struck out only three. He avoided disaster in both the first and second, but couldn’t perform the escape act a third time, giving up a three-run homer to Christian Walker in the top of the third to open up a larger Astros lead, one that would never be threatened.

“Should have been a little more outside,” Gilbert said on the home run pitch to Walker. “It was kind of middle low. Not a great spot. It was 1-0 but still you gotta get it to the spot that we’re trying to go to.”

Keeping the current rotation, Gilbert would be slated to start in the final game of the season Sunday. When asked about his feelings on making that start, he said, “I mean, that’s my job. I love pitching. Like, it’s going to be taken away one day. So if I can have the ball, I want it. There’s fans showing up that pay their hard-earned money to watch up play, regardless of the situation. So, you know, I owe it to them, to the organization, everybody. But honestly I just love pitching.”

The Astros jumped out in front quickly in the top of the first. Jeremy Peña reached with an infield single on a ball that forced J.P. Crawford to dive to his right. After Peña stole second on the first pitch of the next at bat, Yordan Álvarez grounded an RBI single through the right side to drive him in. The next two hitters singled as well to load the bases with nobody out. Despite a rough beginning to his start, Gilbert wiggled his way out of trouble and stopped the bleeding right there. In the process, he struck out Yainer Díaz to pass Mark Langston for fourth on the Mariners’ all-time strikeout leaderboard. The Mariners managed a couple of baserunners in the bottom half of the inning and made Cristian Javier labor a bit, but Julio Rodríguez flew out to the warning track to leave the runners stranded. After an inning, the M’s trailed only 1-0.

The vibes of this game were gross from the get-go and one of the few moments that commanded my complete attention came on a bungled appeal call in the top of the fourth. Cam Smith never touched first base while avoiding a collision with Josh Naylor, who was attempting to field an errant throw from Brock Rodden. Cal Raleigh, who was backing up on the play, applied a tag to Smith before he could return to the base, and first base umpire Marvin Hudson signaled the runner safe. The Mariners then formally appealed with Gilbert stepping off the rubber and throwing to first, and when Hudson again signaled Smith safe — objectively the wrong call, mind you — Dan Wilson attempted to challenge the call and was denied for taking too long. He came out of the dugout to mount a protest, which convinced the umpires to huddle and discuss it, but they ultimately decided to leave their decision the way it was.

The play didn’t end up having consequences — the Mariners did get through the inning unscathed despite an additional base hit by the following hitter — but it is going to allow me to beat the drum about my hatred for the modern appeal play. Hudson gets it wrong on the field twice, though his interpretation of the first tag by Raleigh seems ambiguous; Wilson said Raleigh’s first tag during the play was because he thought the runner had made an attempt at second, a separate issue altogether. Either way, the rules allow for challenging a fact-based appeal, and Wilson was denied this opportunity for taking too long to challenge despite making said challenge immediately after attempting the formal appeal. Wilson apparently would’ve had to submit the challenge after Raleigh’s first tag, even though Raleigh was appealing something entirely different with it.

These days, in a fashion that’s emblematic of the sport as a whole grappling with its past, the line between archaic appeal play rules and instant replay challenges creates controversy more often than it doesn’t. In this case, it resulted in the wrong call being made. If formal appeals are to be encouraged, then teams shouldn’t be timed out of challenging incorrect appeal decisions immediately after they are made. MLB should probably find a way to sort out this weird gray area before it rears its ugly head in a more consequential moment.

Anyway, the last three paragraphs were a testament to how uneventful this game was from the Mariners’ side of things. I spent multiple innings writing that out and nothing of note happened in the meantime.

In the sixth inning, the Astros tacked on an additional run with a solo homer to left by Isaac Paredes. It was around this time I switched over to the radio to take one of my last opportunities to hear Rick Rizzs, who is finishing up his final year in the booth calling Mariners baseball. I cherished every moment, even as he choked out a dejected call of an Álvarez two-run homer in the eighth to extend the Astros’ lead and set the eventual final score. It’s been talked about ad nauseam at this point, but one of the true calamities of the 2026 season is Rizzs getting stuck with one of, if not the most disappointing season in franchise history for his swan song. A true injustice.

Tuesday night marked the fall equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and while the Mariners still need another loss or Rangers win to be officially eliminated from playoff contention, their loss to the Astros might as well have marked an end to summer in the baseball sense as well. The Mariners will not be playing meaningful fall baseball in 2026. For the 44th time in 50 seasons, the Mariners will head inside for the long winter as another team from their division keeps playing.

In a perfect world, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, the team would like to have one set closer entering the playoffs.

And by the end of Tuesday’s 7-0 win over the San Diego Padres, one unexpected name might have thrown their hat back into the ring.

A week ago, the Dodgers were not certain Edwin Díaz would even be on their playoff roster, after the $69 million offseason signing lost his closer job amid an injury-plagued season marred by an ERA of nearly 12.00.

In three outings since returning from the injured list, however, the three-time All-Star has suddenly looked like his old dominant self again.

So much so, Roberts said it remains “certainly possible” that he could factor into the Dodgers’ ninth-inning October plans.

Roberts made that claim after Díaz’s best performance yet, when he retired the top of the Padres’ batting order in order in a dominant fifth-inning sequence. 

That marked the right-hander’s third scoreless appearance in a row –– a stretch that has included only one hit, one walk and six strikeouts –– and continued an unforeseen return to form triggered by a recent mechanical adjustment he made during a minor-league rehab stint.

“His last three have been fantastic with us,” Roberts said. “I wanted to see him against their better hitters, and he did a really nice job.”

Indeed, Díaz began his inning by ringing up Fernando Tatis Jr. on a front-door slider. He then fanned Dustin Harris at the end of a nine-pitch at-bat with a swing-and-miss slider. Had he used an ABS challenge, he could have punched out Manny Machado too. But he retired him all the same with a soft tapper back to the mound.

“Given all that he’s had to go through this year,” Roberts said, “to right the ship is a big credit to him.”

But will it be enough to put him back in consideration for closing duties?

Roberts made sure not to shut that door yet.

“The way he’s throwing, the ninth is possible, yes,” the manager said.

At the very least, it adds one more subplot to the final week of the Dodgers’ regular season.

The team, of course, has other closer options to consider. Tanner Scott has converted 23 of 27 save opportunities with a 2.77 ERA as Díaz’s replacement this year. Roki Sasaki has also returned to relief duties as he did at the end of last season, when he emerged as an emergency closing option during the Dodgers’ run to a second-straight World Series.

And as Roberts noted Tuesday, a closer-by-committee plan remains in play, as well.

But as the Dodgers set out for a three-peat this year, they always envisioned Díaz –– and his trademark trumpet bullpen entrance –– being a staple at the end of games.

Though he suffered a career-worst campaign, converting just seven of 11 save opportunities while missing three months with an elbow injury and another with neck inflammation, there might be time for him to reclaim his original role yet.

Shohei Ohtani is expected to be activated from the injured list on Wednesday, Sept. 23, manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Tuesday, Sept. 22. If that holds true, it would mean the Los Angeles Dodgers' franchise cornerstone would have five games to ramp up before the start of the postseason.

Ohtani, who has been on the 15-day IL retroactively since Sept. 8 due to lingering issues with his right bicep and left knee, took coach pitch batting practice and went through his normal workout routine on Tuesday ahead of a 7-0 win over the San Diego Padres and according to the Dodgers skipper, he continues to check all the boxes necessary for a return.

"The thought is tomorrow," Roberts told reporters. "Unless I hear otherwise, he'll be in the lineup tomorrow."

Victor Bericoto was awaiting a 3-2 pitch with two runners on in the 9th inning, down by a run, when a man seated behind the plate with a physique reminiscent of Rod “Shooter” Beck decided that this was the time to go “Tarps Off.” As viewers at home flinched at the sudden flash of unexpected man boobery, Bericoto whiffed on a slider from struggling Minnesota Twins closer Jeff Hoffman, as if he could somehow sense the visual assault behind him. Hey Hoffman, where was that slider when you were blowing the World Series to the Dodgers?

It was an exciting 9th inning that featured a hit-by-pitch, a walk on a 3-2 pitch to Osleivis Basabe that ABS determined was 0.2 inches off the plate, and a scorching line drive from Jonah Cox that first looked like a game-tying single, then a game-ending double play, and eventually turned into an RBI fielder’s choice at third base.

Because this is the 2026 San Francisco Giants, the play also featured an ugly-looking injury to Basabe, who had to leave the game for pinch-runner Marcelo Mayer after what manager Tony Vitello said was a recurrence of a lingering hamstring injury. Don’t be surprised if that’s the last we see Basabe on the field this season.

After the game, the team also announced that Blade Tidwell would undergo surgery for the strained UCL that took him out of Monday’s game. He will miss the entire 2027 season, along with Carson Whisenhunt and Trevor McDonald. Tidwell will be the 4th Giants pitcher of the season to get Tommy John surgery, an awful trend that started with Hayden Birdsong during spring training.

The Giants’ 158th game of the season saw the team play with a lot of heart and not a lot of brains. In a hard-fought, one-run game, the Giants made unforced outs on the basepaths in three separate innings. Giants hitters were picked off, doubled off, and thrown out on the bases in the loss, with the most inexplicable play happening when Andrew Knizner seemed to forget how many outs there were in the 7th inning.

After Knizner singled and Christian Koss beat out a sacrifice bunt, Twins right fielder Luke Keaschall made a sliding catch of pinch-hitter Basabe’s low liner. He threw to first and nearly doubled off Koss, but first baseman Royce Lewis was able to pick up one of the easiest assists of his career in doubling off Knizner, who wasn’t even in the camera frame as the inning ended.

In the first inning, Jonah Cox walked, stole second, and reached third on the catcher’s error. It was Cox’s 15th steal in 58 games this season, a total that would have easily led the team last season (Willy Adames stole 12 bags). But Cox’s speed didn’t help him when he went on contact and got thrown out at the plate on Bericoto’s grounder to short.

That didn’t stop the Giants from bunting home a run in the second inning, when Shay Whitcome dashed home on Drew Cavanaugh’s sacrifice bunt, a play that didn’t appear to be a squeeze but a good old-fashioned sacrifice bunt.

Look, if this were 1906 instead of 2026, the Giants’ bunting prowess would make them an incredible offensive powerhouse, though prevailing medicine of the time would have meant that their injured pitchers would probably have been put down like hobbled racehorses. Unfortunately, modern baseball values hitting the ball out of the infield a little too much for the team’s current strengths.

Whitcomb followed up his single with a walk in the 4th, and was immediately picked out. You whit some, you lose some.

Starter Anthony Molina (3-2) was an extremely hard-luck loser in this game. He retired the first 10 Twins he faced, then erased his first baserunner when Wayne Jenkins lined into a 4-3 double play. Through five innings, Molina had faced only one batter over the minimum and thrown just 64 pitches.

Then came the 6th. After a one-out single, Molina left on 0-2 fastball right over the middle of the plate and Keaschall hit a 404-foot triple to tie the game. Three pitches later, Brooks Lee delivered an RBI single between first and second.

Molina only gave up four hits and a walk, while striking out six, but Minnesota’s Taj Bradley was just as good. Bradley also struck out six, becoming the 10th Twin in history to hit 200Ks in a season, yielding three runs and walking three.

Duncan Davitt, a player that I had no idea was on the Giants, relieved Molina in the 7th inning. Jenkins hit Davitt’s first pitch in a Giants uniform over the right field fence. Honestly, it feels like Davitt’s been in the bullpen all year. He fits right in.

He settled down and pitched two more innings, giving up just one more hit, a runner Carson Seymour erased by inducing a double play.

Rookie Bo Davidson drew a walk and got his second major-league hit in his second major-league game Tuesday. Grant McCray pinch-ran for Davidson in the 8th and stole his 8th base of the season (in 41 games), putting him fifth on the team this season. Still, the Giants stranded runners at second and third when Whitcomb struck out, on another 3-2 pitch.

While the injuries to players didn’t stop, it was heart-warming to see Duane Kuiper return to the broadcast booth to pair with the retiring Mike Krukow, despite being in the middle of treatment for throat cancer. If you hadn’t seen the visual effects on Kuiper, you wouldn’t have noticed anything was wrong from the audio.

And honestly, while the team of Kruk & Kuip got to broadcast three world championships and some exciting playoff teams, a night of exciting, highly stupid baseball is exactly in the wheelhouse of the legendary duo. The Giants have four more games to let Krukow take a shot at another home run call — though perhaps Kruk & Kuip should start brainstorming catchphrases for RBI bunts, just in case.

After falling behind 6-0, the A’s stormed back with nine unanswered runs from the sixth through the eighth innings before holding on for a 9-7 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the first game of the two-game series. With the win, the Green and Gold remain out of the division cellar and now need just one more victory to avoid a 100-loss season.

Angels Strike First

The Angels got on the scoreboard in the top of the first against A’s opener Brady Basso. Third baseman Denzer Guzman hit an RBI groundout with runners on second and third and one out. Basso did a nice job limiting the damage to one run, as the inning could have gone much worse.

The A’s southpaw rebounded with a scoreless second inning. Meanwhile, Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi began his outing with two scoreless innings. In the bottom of the second, Angels left fielder Bryce Teodosio made a nice catch to takeaway A’s shortstop Alika Williams’ potential game-tying RBI double.

Basso Miscast as Starter

The Angels opened the third inning with three straight singles against Basso, bringing home their second run of the game. Then Guzman delivered the big blow with his eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot that extended the Angels’ lead to 5-0. That marked his fourth straight game with a home run at Sutter Health Park this season.

Basso pitched to five batters and did not retire a single one that inning. Right-hander Scott Blewett replaced him and overcame getting hit in the shin by a comebacker to record three outs and keep the deficit at five runs.

Double Play Bonanza: Angels In Control

Seeking to start the A’s comeback, left fielder Henry Bolte hit a one-out double in the bottom of the third. He advanced to third on Shea Langeliers’ infield single. Kikuchi escaped the jam by getting Lawrence Butler to ground into an inning-ending double play, the Athletics’ American League-leading 125th twin-killer of the season. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer hit No. 126 the next inning as the A’s scoreless streak continued.

Mike Trout recorded his third hit in three at-bats in the fourth inning against A’s right-hander Seth Johnson. The Green and Gold’s trade deadline acquisition got Guzman to ground into an inning-ending double play, preventing the visitors from scoring for a second straight inning. Johnson induced another inning-ending double play in the fifth, completing two scoreless innings of relief.

Johnson tried to complete the top of the sixth, his third inning of work. However, with two outs and a runner on third, Vaughn Grissom hit an RBI single to left, putting the Angels ahead 6-0.

A’s Comeback Begins

The Athletics scoreless streak ended in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Langeliers doubled and then scored on Butler’s RBI triple off the top of the center field wall.

Right-hander Luke Murphy replaced Kikuchi with runners on the corners and one out. The first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil, reached on a fielder’s choice in which everyone was safe because of Grissom’s throwing error. The hosts’ rally fizzled out from there, keeping the Angels ahead by four runs through six innings.

Left-hander Drew Rom kept the momentum on the A’s side by pitching a scoreless seventh inning. Facing Angels reliever José Fermin, Williams opened the bottom of the seventh with a single. He scored the Athletics’ third run on pinch-hitter Carlos Cortes’ RBI triple, which Los Angeles right fielder Wade Meckler misplayed.

Langeliers’ third hit of the night, an RBI single off the third baseman’s glove, brought home Cortes to make it a 6-4 game. After failing to record an out, Fermin exited in favor of left-hander Tayler Saucedo. The Angels southpaw hit Zack Gelof to load the bases and then walked Jeff McNeil to make it a one-run game.

Right-hander Sam Bachman, the visitors third reliever of the inning, stranded the bases loaded. Pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic hit it to the outfield, but not deep enough to send the bubble-wrapped Langeliers home and then slumping catcher Jonah Heim failed to get a two-out hit.

Clutch Cortes!

In the top of the eighth inning, Cortes made a nice catch in left field to rob Angels shortstop Zach Neto of a potential RBI double. Right-hander Luis Medina stranded two runners, keeping it a one-run contest. He earned his sixth win of the season, as he was the pitcher of record when the A’s took the lead in this crazy game.

The Athletics completed their comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cortes put the Green and Gold up 7-6 with his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot to right-center field against Bachman.

With two outs, the A’s got valuable insurance runs courtesy of Gelof’s 20th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field against Angels left-hander Blake Weiman. Gelof has reached the 20 home run mark for the first time, while showcasing his defensive versatility. Additionally, he earned the team’s nomination for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.

Left-hander Hogan Harris entered for the save opportunity. With two outs, the Angels hit two singles, bringing the tying run to the plate. Christian Moore’s RBI infield single off Harris’ glove cut the A’s lead to two. With Neto and Mike Trout up next, Harris struck out pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza to secure his 16th save of the season.

The Athletics will look to sweep the quick two-game series tomorrow evening. Left-hander Jeffrey Springs will likely make his final start with the A’s at the ballpark that has haunted him this year. The Angels will counter with talented rookie right-hander Walbert Urena.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. returned to what looks like a Yankees infield competition with a hit, a walk and a defensive mistake. 

The second baseman was activated from the injured list for the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader and got the nod at second base after Anthony Volpe — who has played well at the spot in his absence — started the first game. 

Chisholm’s most memorable moment, though, was failing to cover first base on a safety squeeze in the 6-1 loss in The Bronx that helped the Rays clinch the division. 

With one out and runners on the corners in the seventh inning and Taylor Walls at the plate, manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees were aware that a bunt would be coming “more often than not.” 

And sure enough, Walls pushed a bunt toward first base, and Luis García Jr. charged, as he was supposed to, Boone said. 

Chisholm started to run over but stopped, believing García would halt his charge and return to the base. Chisholm instead hovered by second base. 

“He’s just gotta go [to first base] every time, and he knows that,” Boone said of Chisholm, who acknowledged the mistake. 

“Next time, I’ll just keep going through,” said Chisholm, who was sidelined for two weeks after spraining his right thumb Sept. 8 and has returned to a team sorting out its infield with five games to go before the postseason. 

Asked before the doubleheader if Volpe would continue to get time at second with Chisholm back, Boone said, “We’ll see.” 

Chisholm went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk, while Volpe went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in the 2-0 doubleheader opener. Entering play, Volpe had hit .286 with a .753 OPS in 10 games with Chisholm on the IL. 

The Yankees also have to figure out third base, as Ryan McMahon is a mess on both sides of the ball. 

José Caballero got the start there in the opener against Martinez and went 1-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases, with lefty-swinging McMahon in the lineup for the nightcap against Drew Rasmussen. McMahon went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and could not make a difficult play on a Nick Fortes chopper that reached McMahon on an in-between hop and went for an infield single. 

Boone said he wanted to get “regular reps” for both Caballero and McMahon, who entered Tuesday just 6-for-40 with an OPS of .402 since returning from a sprained thumb Sept. 1. 

Amed Rosario, signed in the offseason with the idea of playing third against lefties, has not produced in those situations this year, and the Yankees have mostly gone with Caballero and McMahon over the last three weeks. 

To make room on the roster for Chisholm, Max Schuemann was optioned to the FCL Yankees. 

Clarke Schmidt played catch Tuesday after experiencing cramping in his biceps while warming up during Sunday’s game against Arizona. 

Boone said the team was awaiting word from doctors regarding the right-hander’s availability, but a source told The Post’s Joel Sherman that Schmidt still felt something in the area. 

Another source said an IL stint isn’t out of the question as Schmidt is trying to earn a spot on the postseason roster after missing over a year following Tommy John surgery. 

Ryan Weathers threw a bullpen session between games as he works to return from a left forearm strain, and Fernando Cruz (UCL) played catch. 

The Yankees haven’t announced their playoff rotation, but Gerrit Cole has started the team’s first postseason game in every season in which he’s been healthy since he joined the organization in 2020. 

The right-hander will start Wednesday and was asked by The Post how he would feel if Cam Schlittler got the start in the first game of a wild-card series this season. 

“Fine by me,’’ said Cole, who had a similar reaction when there was discussion of having Nestor Cortes open the playoffs in 2022. “What matters is me trying to be my best. Whatever [Boone] thinks is good.” 

Giancarlo Stanton jogged in the outfield between games Tuesday. Stanton suffered his third calf strain of the season, and first in his left leg, over four weeks ago, and there remains no guarantee he returns this season… The Yankees have won at least 90 games eight times in the last nine years in which there’s been a full season. … The Yankees lost both ABS challenges early in Game 1 on Tuesday, as Ali Sánchez had a poor challenge catching in the top of the first and Heliot Ramos followed with an even worse challenge at the plate in the bottom of the inning.

The Yankees chased the Rays for most of the season. 

On Tuesday, that chase finally came to an end, as Tampa Bay clinched the AL East with a 6-1 win over the Yankees in Tuesday’s nightcap in The Bronx. 

“Everybody asks the same question,” Junior Caminero said just outside the celebratory visiting clubhouse at the Stadium. “Nobody cared if it was at Yankee Stadium or not. What matters is just winning. We won today and we’ve got to continue.” 

With the victory, the Rays clinched a spot in the ALDS, where they could face the Yankees, who are officially headed to the wild-card series after their longshot chances of overcoming the Rays fell short. 

But both sides know they could meet again if the Yankees advance past the first round of the playoffs. 

“This four-game series was circled on both schedules for quite some time,’’ Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “That’s because of the respect you have [for them]. It’s a very talented team that we know we could be seeing in 10-12 days.’’ 

It’s another astonishing finish for the small-market Rays, who are trying to build a new home in Tampa and in the meantime, continue to put up among the smallest payrolls in the sport. 

Though the Rays missed the postseason the last two years, they reached the playoffs each of the previous five seasons. 

Heading into this season, expectations outside of Tampa Bay were not great for the Rays in a loaded division. 

“I don’t know if we took it personally,’’ Cash said of the preseason predictions that had his team in last place. “We do a good job of keeping our head down and doing what we believe.” 

Aaron Boone was not among those who underestimated the Rays. 

“I always respect the Rays and what they’re capable of doing,’’ Boone said before Tuesday’s doubleheader split. 

“It’s a different makeup than they’ve had in years past,’’ Boone said. “They’ve taken advantage of their athleticism. … They’ve had a great year and are always a challenge to play.” 

And one the Yankees hope to meet again in October. 

Cash, freshly soaked in champagne, knows his team has gone 7-4 against the Yankees with two games to go in this series and may go up against them soon in the postseason. 

He noted the key to beating the Yankees was “keeping them in the ballpark.” 

That’s an easier task if Aaron Judge isn’t around and there’s no guarantee he will be back for the ALDS, even if the Yankees get that far. 

But for now, the Rays are set as the top team in the American League with everyone — including the Yankees — looking up at them.