TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 12: Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez sits with Daulton Varsho #25 of the Toronto Blue Jays as he warms up ahead of their MLB game against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre on September 12, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It is Buck Martinez Day. He’ll join the ‘Hall of Excellence’, which just opened
Game two against the Mariners. I hope it goes much the same as yesterday. And it is game #137.
The Jays plan to have Spencer Arrighetti start Tuesday, Dylan Cease Wednesday and Jose Soriano Thurday against the Guardians.
Jameson Taillon threw 48 pitchers for the Bisons last night, he should slide into the rotation next week. Joe Mantiply threw an inning and will throw one tomorrow. And Josh Smith will play again for the Bisons today and join the Jays Monday when the rosters expand.
Bo Bichette might not be a Met next year. He might be as important to them next season as anyone. Early this year, he looked like he would never again be the hitter the Mets signed for $42 million annually. Lately, he looks like a guy who can hit .300. Things can change quickly.
So assessing Bichette’s hectic Mets tenure remains complicated, if not premature. Maybe after the regular season, when the numbers are all in, it will be easier to process – just in time for Bichette to decide whether he will stay next year or go.
But for all the versions of Bichette that have appeared at Citi Field this year, the 28-year-old has passed what might be the most difficult task baseball can offer a decorated All-Star: After hitting terribly during his first month in New York playing on a massive free agent contract, being booed regularly as the Mets’ season fell apart before anyone could stop it, and getting labeled by some as a free agent bust… he emerged.
Bichette’s .298 average since June 1 is 13th best in baseball, sandwiched between Pete Alonso and Fernando Tatis Jr. His .794 OPS in that span is just four points lower than his career norm.
“I think just one day I kind of let it all go and started playing better,” Bichette said. “I don’t necessarily think I found me for a long time after that. But I was still able to come here and compete and put up numbers, which I was not able to do at the beginning.”
For much of the first two months of the season, as the team he was supposed to lift over the top plummeted out of contention, Bichette looked lost. His magic with runners in scoring position was gone. He was swinging early and often and sometimes too hard. Just when he was getting comfortable at third base, he moved to shortstop because Francisco Lindor got hurt. Only 17 qualified hitters had a lower OPS in April and May.
“You spend a good part of the season wondering why we’re not playing as well, wondering why I’m not playing as well, having a lot of different things in your head. On top of that, you’re feeling you want to show your new teammates how good you are and live up to the contract and all that,” Bichette said. “In the simplest way I can put it, I think in a lot of ways I just kind of let go.”
Not playing well, Bichette admitted, made it harder to find his place in the Mets clubhouse. He hardly felt like a rookie – his resume and reputation meant his voice would have clout in the clubhouse by default – but “people are more hesitant to speak up when they’re not doing as well.”
Jun 21, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (19) reacts after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
But he nevertheless had an immediate impact on the Mets’ youngest players, as first Carson Benge, then A.J. Ewing, soon became his shadows – so much so that the coaching staff noticed the rookies started dressing like the veteran.
“Bo is one of the guys who took me under his wing a little bit and made me feel unbelievably comfortable,” Ewing said. “He’s been a great resource for me, even now [as he is slumping]; he’s been helping me, talking me through things, trying to keep my head on straight.”
Little by little, Bichette started settling in – even before he started hitting. He was the one who started the Mets’ myriad Spider-Man celebrations after an early teamwide identity crisis involving a sledgehammer. He was one of the first veterans to speak publicly after Carlos Mendoza’s firing, when he and his teammates were to blame.
“I’ve never been someone that is super open right away,” Bichette said. “But it has definitely been different. In Toronto, for the most part, for six years it was kind of my clubhouse along with [Vladimir Guerrero Jr.]. And so coming here and figuring out where I belong and whose word is the last word and all of that kind of stuff – I was trying to figure it out. But as the season’s gone along, I feel like I fit in where I need to fit in.”
Some people who were around the Blue Jays during Bichette’s tenure were surprised to see him choose New York because he never seemed comfortable with the public-facing parts of being a key star in Toronto. Choosing New York, particularly with a massive contract, meant choosing more questions, more interviews, and more off-field responsibilities.
But Bichette seems to understand exactly what playing for the Mets requires of him on that front. From the worst moments of his slump to the last few weeks of questions about whether he will opt-out at season’s end, Bichette has been patient and polite. He is regularly at his locker before games even when he knows a reporter or two would probably ask for his time.
As for that opt-out, Bichette remains non-committal, though he has said multiple times that he is enjoying his time with the Mets and is comfortable here now.
“Obviously, we all want him to stay. At the end of the day, it’s his choice, his career,” Benge said. “Whatever he chooses, I’ll wish him the best. But we obviously want him to stay.”
The Mets front office would likely prefer Bichette stick around, too. Bichette is a more proven offensive weapon than anyone who will be available at third base in free agency next year. Should he depart, they will need to replace not only his production, but his presence.
Plus, Bichette has proven something Steve Cohen and others have said is harder to find than they thought these days. Despite his slow start – and maybe because of it – the Mets now have reason to believe he can handle the rigors of New York. The question now is how long he wants to stay.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 17: Juan Soto of the New York Mets looks on from the dugout in the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field on August 17, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eric Wagaman was sent down to Triple-A in the corresponding move, with Soto’s activation coming without a rehab stint. Soto has been sidelined with a calf injury since July 24. The Mets have been holding their own in Soto’s absence, posting a 17-14 record without the slugger in the lineup. Unsurprisingly, interim manager Andy Green has Soto slated for the DH spot as he works back from the calf strain.
Soto has had an uncharacteristic injury-filled season, hitting the IL with leg injuries multiple times. He’s missed 51 games so far this season, almost double the amount of games he’s missed in the last five seasons combined (27). When healthy, Soto has been his usual dominant self, posting 2.7 WAR in his 84 games played.
The Mets get Soto back in the middle of a three-game losing streak. Inserting Soto into the lineup could help the team get back on track after having its most respectable stretch of the season following the August 3 trade deadline.
The Mets star duo of Soto and Francisco Lindor have rarely been healthy at the same time this season, but both will hopefully be able to stay on the field for the team’s final month of games.
New York hosts the Astros today at 4:10 PM EDT, with rookie of the year contender Nolan McLean taking the mound.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 28: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves takes batting practice prior to the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Friday, August 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn May/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a good night from Ronald Acuna on Friday, he slots back in batting second behind Baldwin, as Mauricio Dubon returns to batting cleanup. The Braves have a fairly soft pitching matchup tonight, so hopefully they can get some more offensive momentum going.
Meanwhile, the Rockies lineup can be viewed below. As you can see, they made a last minute pitching change, scratching Feltner and starting bulk reliever Zach Agnos. Agnos is not very good at all, with a 4.97 xFIP over 76.0 innings this year, an improvement on his numbers from last season. This will likely be a bullpen game though and the Rockies do not have a very good bullpen, so hopefully the Braves can hit them hard.
ST. LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 12: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates will convene again Saturday afternoon for game 2 of their weekend series. Kyle Leahy is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals while the Pirates will send RHP Lake Bachar to the mound. First pitch is 1:15pm central time with the game broadcast available via Cardinals.tv.
Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa got the goals as Newcastle survived a first-half onslaught before consigning Tottenham to back-to-back top flight defeats
Fun fact: Tottenham and Newcastle have met 61 times in the Premier League era without ever playing out a scoreless draw. Today could be the day for a dreary stalemate but it seems unlikely – fingers crossed for a glut of goals.
Premier League: Hull City have made it back-to-back wins upon their return to the top flight, with Liam Millar scoring the only goal of their game at Coventry City to deposit another three precious points in the bank. James Tarkowski left it until added time to cancel out Alex Scott’s opener as Bournemouth were held by Everton at the Vitality Stadium. In today’s early game, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest served up an entertaining 2-2 draw at Anfield, where the hosts had to come from behind twice to rescue a point.
We get to avoid this guy, Byron Buxton, again. | Getty Images
One of Ken Harrelson’s favorite sayings was, “It’s not who you play, it’s when you play ’em.” Like many a Hawkism, that’s partially true — both matter, after all — and the White Sox are again in good position when it comes to timing.
That’s because Sox killer Byron Buxton — .916 career OPS, 24 homers, a gazillion Defensive Runs Saved — is again out due to a hip injury, sustained Tuesday. That turned out to be huge last night, when Buxton’s spot in the lineup came up with two on with the game on the line and instead of him sending one into Canada, the batter hit into a double play. It may well come in handy today, too.
The Sox timing is also really good when it comes to Twins pitching, because they avoid both Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley this series and are facing only a very weak remainder of the rotation. Today’s starter, Bailey Ober, is the best of the rest, but the huge (6´9´´, 260 pounds) righty carries a 4.49 ERA and only has 74 strikeouts in 108 innings. Ober will face a White Sox lineup that has scored 28 runs in its last three games.
The White Sox counter with Erick Fedde, who hasn’t started a game since July 31, instead operating very successfully as the Ex-Lax (Note the excellent opportunity for product placement and income instead of just using the generic “bulk reliever.” Surprising Jerry hasn’t thought of it yet, but I’ll be happy to get a percentage of the take for coming up with it.) Why no opener today? Only The Shadow knows. Well, The Shadow and Will Venable. Fedde faces a Twins team that’s on a three-game losing streak, but is celebrating SpongeBob SquarePants Day, so may be especially inspired.
Should be a great day for baseball and SpongeBob, with temps in the 70s and moderate wind out of the from right to left. Usual broadcast suspects.
Kolisi and Marx inspire world champions to victory
The Boks are back. Level at one apiece in the series and back to what they do best. Blending power and directness, blood and thunder to edge out far enough ahead of New Zealand and withstand a gutsy comeback from the All Blacks. Throw in some brazen mischief from Rassie Erasmus, who swapped his entire front-row just an hour before kick-off, and this was much closer to a trademark Springboks performance after they were unrecognisable a week ago.
They were far from flawless but constantly ferocious and while All Blacks – particularly given how they finished the match – will head back for the third Test still confident they remain in the series because this was not a knockout blow by the Springboks. It was, however, some counterpunch after last week’s humbling. The third Test is scheduled for Johannesburg but they may consider relocating to Manila.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 26: Lake Bachar #71 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on from the dugout before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals, August 29, 2026, 2:15 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping to bounce back after dropping the opener in their three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The Pirates are turning to the bullpen for this game, as Lake Bachar (1-3, 3.70 ERA) opens the matchup. He last pitched on August 26 against the San Diego Padres, going 1.1 innings and giving up no hits and no runs. He was an opener twice before with the Pirates, on August 16 and August 23, but he never went longer than three innings. The Pirates will have to dig into their depth today, but with Braxton Ashcraft going on Sunday, they have the opportunity to do so.
The Cardinals are handing the ball to Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA), who is enjoying the best year of his career. Leahy is making his 26th start of the season, and he hopes to get his fourth win in the month of August.
He went four innings, giving up two hits but did not give up a run in the team’s 6-4 loss at Citizens Bank Park in his last start. Leahy pitched against the Pirates back on April 28 at PNC Park, going 5.1 innings, giving up nine hits in an 11-7 victory.
Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Lake Bachar (1-3, 3.70 ERA) vs. Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Chime off in the comments section below.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani during Friday night's game against the Detroit Tigers. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani is not feeling “100%,” manager Dave Roberts revealed before the Dodgers game against the Tigers on Saturday. And that will be at the center of the team’s conversation about whether to start him Sunday.
It would be Ohtani’s first pitching start since July 3. He’s been just serving as the designated hitter in the meantime, while managing lingering inflammation and soreness in his left knee, primarily aggravated by pitching. But it’s not just his knee that’s ailing him, Roberts said after talking to the Dodgers training staff. His biceps issue from earlier in the year is part of the concern as well.
Ohtani threw a 20-pitch bullpen — shorter than his customary between-starts session — on Friday to tentatively set him up to throw the first inning Sunday.
“The knee, the body, just throwing, pitching, not 100%,” Roberts said. “What percent it is, I don’t know the answer.”
Roberts said he wanted to have clarity after the game Saturday, so he could notify Tigers manager A.J. Hinch and right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who is set to pitch Sunday either way. If Ohtani pitches Sunday, it would be opening for Glasnow.
“I’m not going to ambush those guys, and I’m not going to ambush Glas,” Roberts said. “So I think I would say that after the game, we’ll know definitively.”
If Ohtani doesn’t pitch Sunday, Tuesday, likely before left-hander Eric Lauer, could in theory be an option. But if Ohtani doesn’t feel good enough to start Sunday, two extra days of rest probably aren’t to resolve the issue, making a longer leadup more likely.
“We’re still thinking about potentially the buildup and what that would mean, which is fair,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for Shohei, what’s best for us, what makes the most sense. That’s kind of where we’re at.”
The longer it takes for Ohtani to return to the mound, the fewer starts he’ll have to build up before the postseason.
“I wouldn’t bet against Shohei,” Roberts said. “But I still think that five innings to the end of the season is aggressive for anyone.”
Though Roberts said the question is more “when,” rather than “if,” Ohtani will return to the mound, the fact that Ohtani’s knee issue (and apparently biceps as well) has not yet resolved calls into question whether it makes sense for him to resume two-way duties this late in the year.
“To be quite frank, I just don’t see everything getting to 100% by the end of the season,” Roberts said. “But there’s a lot of pitchers that are not 100% and still viable. So again, it’s just not an exact science.”
If that holds true, the concern is twofold: both how Ohtani’s health could affect his performance on the mound and at the plate.
“Obviously, where we’re at right now with the pitching, the starting pitching certainly being a strength, his value offensively is hugely important, and so we can’t compromise that in any fashion,” Roberts said. “So, if throwing potentially cuts into that, that’s not worth the squeeze. So that’s something, for me, I’m very bullish on making sure we don’t compromise the hitting.”
Ohtani entered Saturday with a .218 batting average since Aug. 8, when he resumed playing catch. But Roberts pushed back on the impulse to draw a line between Ohtani’s recent offensive dip and his side work on the pitching side.
“It just hasn’t been a whole body of work on the throwing side,” Roberts said. “Honestly, for me, I think the pitch selection hasn’t been good.”
Regardless of Ohtani’s status for Sunday, the superstar’s feedback will continue to play a large role in the Dodgers’ decision-making.
“I think that as the competitor, he wants to do both, and I respect it,” Roberts said. “But nothing I’m saying changes his identity as a two-way player.
“I think in the moment, he still feels that there’s still an opportunity, and I’m not trying to say there isn’t. But I do think that at the end of the day, he’s very aware of our roster, strengths, weaknesses, and his value to the ball club, and whatever that means.”
ST. PAUL, MN - AUGUST 2026: St. Paul Saints outfielder Walker Jenkins (23) heads to first base after a walk in the first inning at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
First Pitch: 1:10 pm CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
In the hugely anticipated sequel to last night’s game, the Twins will be facing the Chicago White Sox again this afternoon. That’s right — the Minnesota faithful were left begging for more, and you know what? The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Here we go again.
As one door closes, another door opens. It’s not lost on me in the last few weeks of the 2026 season that Bailey Ober’s high-wire, 88-mph act, while impressive, might prelude an offseason exit from the roster. We’ve been on Joe Ryan Watch for what feels like three seasons now, but I’m a little more keyed into Bailey’s starts than I might otherwise be if he was throwing, say, 92.
He gets the start today as highly-anticipated — and quite well-received — Walker Jenkins spends his first afternoon in the major leagues. He might not have the raw headcount to rival Chicago’s slew of rookies, but he’ll probably be okay.
Trading block legend Erick Fedde is on the bump for the White Sox. this is his second stint with the White Sox, after joining them in 2024 out of Korea, then spending time with three different clubs at the big-league level last year. I bet he has some stories. But today, we’re not gonna hear them. Instead, he’s gonna pitch.
Aug 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A young Detroit Tigers' fan tries to get autographs outside their dugout after their game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (62-72) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (81-54)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:True Blue LA Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.30 ERA) vs. LHP Blake Snell (2-1, 2.57 ERA)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 28: Enrique Hernández #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates scoring a run in the sixth inning with Shohei Ohtani #17 while playing the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Blake Snell faces Keider Montero as the Dodgers look to make it two straight wins against the Detroit Tigers.
