BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 22: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins chases the puck down during a preseason game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 22, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to preseason game 3 of 4, folks!
The Bruins and Flyers will renew acquaintances tonight in Philadelphia, just a couple of days after the B’s beat the Flyers at TD Garden by a score of 5-1.
Per the NHL website, this game will be broadcast on NESN+ locally, so you should be able to watch if you have a subscription/cable.
Per the Bruins yesterday, here’s who you’ll see tonight:
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Zac Thornton #49 of the New York Mets pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field on September 24, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After taking the first two games of their three-game series, the Mets’ bats couldn’t shake off the (presumed) Texas BBQ coma they were in, dropping the series finale to the Rangers 3-1.
The Mets got off to a good start today, with Francisco Lindor leading off the game with a ground-rule double. Lindor would come around to score on a Carson Benge RBI single three batters later, putting the Mets up 1-0. However, the Mets would reach base just four more times over the subsequent eight innings, twice on hits (a single from Brett Baty and a double from Nick Morabito), and twice via the base on balls (Juan Soto and Marcus Semien).
Former Mets’ first round track pick Kumar Rocker started for the Rangers and, aside from the first inning run, was solid over five for Texas. He walked two, struck out four, and lowered his ERA to 4.38 on the season. Relievers Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, Chase Silseth, and Jordan Montgomery all blanked the Mets, allowing just one base runner over the game’s final four innings.
Aside from allowing a two-run home run to Josh Jung in the bottom of the first, Zach Thornton was solid in his final start of the year. He pitched five innings, allowing just those two runs, striking out four and walking one. With 83 pitches on the afternoon, they could’ve pushed him to potentially pitch one more inning, but why?
Thornton was relieved by Jefrey Yan, who on his second pitch of the afternoon, allowed a home run to Corey Seager to extend the Rangers’ lead to two runs. Yan would last two-thirds of an inning before he was relieved by Austin Warren, who was perfect in his inning and a third of work. Jack Weisenberger gave up one hit and one walk in his inning, but stranded both runners.
With this win, the Rangers keep their playoff hopes alive, as they are currently a half game up on the Rangers before Houston plays the Athletics this evening.
The Mets travel to Washington D.C. to face the Nationals in the final series of the season. The Mets have not announced a starter after Christian Scott went on the IL, but Andrew Alvarez will start for the Nats.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 24: Randy Dobnak #62 of Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on September 24, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Randy Dobnak failed to get out of the second inning while the offense managed just a single run against the White Sox Thursday afternoon as the Royals appropriately lost their 91st game of the season, 9-1.
Chicago came out attacking Dobnak in the first inning. Through only 14 pitches, he’d already faced six batters and allowed three runs. His last outing of the season was ugly as he recorded only four outs while allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out one. He also committed two throwing errors, one after fielding a bunt and one on a botched pick-off attempt.
In the first, leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci singled up the middle. Catcher Kyle Teel followed with a perfect bunt that Dobnak cleanly fielded, but his throw to first pulled Vinnie Pasqauntino off the bag. Miguel Vargas followed with an RBI single to left. After striking out Munetaka Murakami for the first out, Dobnak got Andrew Benintendi to fly out to center, which scored Teel from third. Vargas then stole second before scoring on Tristan Peters’ single through the infield. Chase Meidroth then singled before Dobnak retired Colson Montgomery on a fly ball to center.
An unencouraging top half of the first inning, and yet things continued to get worse. Braden Montgomery led off the second with a single before Antonacci walked. Montgomery then scored on Dobnak’s second error of the game when miscommunication ensued and the pitcher, unbeknownst to the first baseman, attempted a pickoff. Dobnak then hit Teel before Vargas added his second RBI single in two innings. After Murakami grounded out to second, which scored Teel, the Royals finally pulled Dobnak.
Good riddance.
The Royals offense collected seven hits with John Rave and Kyle Isbel both going 2-for-4. Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 32nd double in the bottom of the first while Nick Loftin recorded his 27th and Rave his 8th. The Royals now have 285 doubles on the year, which leads the Majors.
Salvador Perez scored the Royals only run of the day when he uncorked his 20th home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the score to 8-1. The White Sox grabbed that run right back in the top of the fifth. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
It’s the 10th time Salvy has hit at least 20 home runs in a season, extending his Royals record.
For the White Sox, former Royals farmhand David Sandlin had a strong start: six innings, five hits, one walk, seven strikeouts, one earned run. He improves to 3-2 on the year with a 5.58 ERA. Chicago’s bullpen finished the game with three unexciting innings in which the Royals mustered two hits and one walk.
Aside from Dobnak, Anthony Gose pitched 1-and-2/3 innings while giving up one run and striking out three. Spencer Bivens and Nolan Hoffman combined for three innings of shutout ball while allowing two hits and zero walks while striking out five. Alex Lange and Juan Cuas, not so much—they combined for three innings pitched, three earned runs, five walks, and three strikeouts. Lange allowed the only White Sox home run, to Teel (5) in the fourth.
For the Royals, Cleveland comes to town tomorrow night to start the season’s final series. The White Sox head to Colorado to face one of the few teams worse than the Royals in 2026.
The Mets dropped the final game of their three-game set against the Rangers, 3-1, on Thursday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Rookie Carson Benge kicked off the scoring for the Mets early, cracking a single out to right field and sending Francisco Lindor, who doubled in the Mets' first at-bat of the afternoon, home for his 63rd RBI of the season. Overall, the rookie went 1-for-4, grounding out in the fourth, flying out in the seventh, and striking out swinging in the ninth.
Heading into the game, Benge led the team in runs (83), batting average (.275), OBP (.338) and SLG (.420). With one more home run in any of the final three games of the season, he would become the first Met with both 20 homers and 20 steals in his rookie season.
-- The Rangers quickly retaliated, taking a one-run lead in the bottom of the first. Leadoff Justin Foscue singled to left field to start before Josh Jung slammed the ball into the left field stands at 104 mph, sending himself and Foscue around the bases for the 2-1 edge.
After several deadlocked innings, Corey Seager added to the Rangers' lead with a fly ball out to right field to open the bottom of the sixth. With the win, the Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak.
-- In the 15th start of his rookie season, Zac Thornton nearly replicated his performance from his last start Sept. 18, allowing two runs on four hits, walking just one batter, and striking out four across five innings. Jung was the only Rangers batter to make serious contact with a ball tossed by Thornton, accounting for two of the four hits, both of which left the bat at over 95mph (his second hit, a line-drive double in the bottom of the fourth, clocked 96.5mph).
Jeffrey Yan took over for the southpaw for just two-thirds of the sixth inning, allowing two hits and walking Jung before being replaced by Austin Warren, who struck out two across 1.1 innings. Jack Weisenburger closed the game for the Mets with one allowed hit, one walk, and one strikeout in his one inning.
-- Rangers starter Kumar Rocker posted a similar game, owning the mound for five innings. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four. The Mets draftedRocker in 2021 before ultimately deciding not to sign him due to concerns about the health of his right arm. He was then redrafted by the Rangers in 2022 and has been with the organization since.
Robert Gracia, Tyler Alexander, Chase Silseth, and Jordan Montgomery pitched one inning each to round out the game for Texas. Only Alexander allowed a hit, and Silseth struck out two. Montgomery struck out one. -- Much of the excitement for the Mets came in the field rather than at the plate. In the bottom of the second, Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford took off from first in an attempt to steal second but was caught by Mets catcher Luis Torrens, who calmly caught Thornton's pitch and fired it down the field to Marcus Semien forthe out. Later, when Jake Burger tried to steal third in the bottom of the sixth, Torrens quickly tossed the ball back to Semien to trap Burger between the bases. After Burger slipped on his way back to second, Semien tagged him out as he scrambled to get safely to third.
The Mets connected for a double play to shut the Rangers down in the bottom of the eighth. After Seager struck out swinging, Burger grounded to Lindor at short, who tossed to Semien at second for the second out. Semien then turned to Brett Baty at first to close the half inning.
-- Brandon Nimmo was stifled at the plate in his final appearance against his former team, walking and striking out once apiece.
Game MVP: Josh Jung
In three at-bats, Jung notched three hits, including his first-inning two-RBI home run.
Highlights
Carson Benge gets the Mets on the board first with his 63rd RBI of the season! pic.twitter.com/Hn9ToL8Dzc
"Like a Fuddrucker!" Gary was cooking as Jack Weisenburger gets the double play to end the 8th inning in the Weisenburger vs. Burger matchup pic.twitter.com/3wh8NtUcqX
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 17: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after giving up a run scoring single against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field on August 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We received injury news from the Braves ahead of Walt Weiss’s usual pregame press conference this afternoon. Ronnie’s fine, but Martín Pérez is not.
Martin Perez (lower back inflammation) is going on the IL.
Perez only threw 79 pitches in his last start. There didn’t appear to be any signs of struggle, so perhaps this has been an issue for some time. Hey, at least it’s not the elbow. Martin Perez has thrown 142 innings of 3.04/4.31/4.52 ball this season, but his postseason appears in doubt and perhaps JR Ritchie may make the postseason roster after all.
We got another bit of a stunner to start off the Walt Weiss’s pregame presser, as the team announced straight away that Martín Pérez would be heading to the IL with what was described as lower back inflammation. As ABsinceWayBack mentioned above, there wasn’t really too much of an indication that something was wrong with Pérez during his recent start. Unfortunately, it appears to be one of those things that just suddenly started acting up on the veteran hurler.
“He felt it during that last outing on Houston. He gutted through it,” explained Weiss when mark Bowman asked him about how it all happened. “You can imagine how frustrated he is. In his mind, he’s wanting to try to hurry up and get better and get back and he wants to be a part of it but we’re just running out of time here.”
“It’s tough for Martín. He’s obviously re-established himself after last year missing most of the year. He’s re-established himself with the year he’s had this year and we wouldn’t be where we are without him.”
Obviously, this has a pretty big effect on Atlanta’s plans for the Postseason as far as deploying their pitching staff. Pérez very likely would’ve been in line to make a start (or at least a bulk appearance out of the bullpen) if the Braves get past the Wild Card series. Pérez has had a bounce-back season as he’s made 30 appearances (26 starts) and produced an ERA of 3.04 (73 ERA-) and a FIP of 4.31 (104 FIP-), which is some of the best work that he’s done in years. It’s been a long road back to the big time for Pérez and it’s a bummer that this is how his regular season had to end.
As far as the pitching plans go, there aren’t any immediate changes to the rotation as they finish off this Cincinnati series and go dust off the regular season in Miami. However, you’d have to imagine that this could lead to a potential bullpen game if the Braves get into the Divisional Series since they’d have to roll right into the NLDS from the Wild Card Series if the opening round ends up going three games. At this point, a sweep would be huge for Atlanta’s chances at making a deep run in the Postseason — much easier said than done!
“For the remaining games, we have things mapped out,” explained Weiss when he was further asked about the plans. “Things can change. If we end up having to use more pitchers (for instance, tonight), then it’ll change what we do tomorrow. That’s always the case, really.”
Similarly to how they’ve had to sort of roll with the punches during the regular season, Weiss continued to explain how the Braves were going to “cross that road when we get there” when it comes to their starting situation. The Braves do have their fair share of options to start games, like Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver (who is currently in the plans to make a piggyback appearance once Tyler Mahle is done tonight) and JR Ritchie. They also have a deep and formidable bullpen as well, so it’s a situation that is still very much manageable at the moment.
With all of that being said, it’s certainly frustrating for the Braves to have lost Reynaldo López, Bryce Elder and now Martín Pérez right before the Postseason is set to kick off. Again, the Braves have options but you’d much rather prefer for those options to expand rather than constrict as the Postseason gets closer and closer. It’s also a nasty reminder of how things have gone for Atlanta’s pitching staff in so many Postseason appearances in recent memory — even in 2021 when Dylan Lee was called upon to make a “start” in the World Series.
Simply put, the Braves have just got to navigate things and it’s on Walt Weiss to figure out a way to do so in a tactically-effective way. Hopefully they’ll get deep enough in the Postseason in order to get those pitching options back and then they’ll have good problems to have in order to figure out who’s going to be on their pitching staff for each respective round. We’ll see what happens.
UPDATE [6:50 p.m. ET]: The Braves have made Pérez’s move to the IL official and have called up Elieser Hernández as the corresponding move.
The #Braves today selected RHP Elieser Hernández to the major league roster and placed LHP Martín Pérez on the 15-day injured list, backdated to September 21, due to low back inflammation. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club recalled RHP Hurston Waldrep to Atlanta and…
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammate Justin Foscue #14 after hitting a two run home run against the New York Mets during the first inning at Globe Life Field on September 24, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs while the New York Mets scored one run.
After a couple of elsewise embarrassing defeats to the National League’s New York squad to begin this crucial series, and with the threat of a crippling sweep, the Rangers decided to buckle down and give the hometown fans one last victory for the road in the final scheduled game at The Shed during this long, weird season.
To accomplish their victory, the Rangers turned to two of their biggest, most necessary catalysts at the plate and a cobbled together pitching staff working through things one pitch at a time.
Things started on an inauspicious note with today’s starter Kumar Rocker allowing a first inning run that had to have had the faithful thinking, “the Rangers are really going to bookend the home slate with series sweeps at the hands of NL squads?”
Indeed, the first home series of the season for Texas was a sweep by the Cincinnati Reds and down 1-0 immediately, it was looking like the Mets had claimed favorable odds for pulling off a final ignominious sweep of Texas in their building even with the division still hanging in the balance.
Leave it to the guy who has been carrying the load since he returned to action to dissuade that notion as Josh Jung followed New York’s first inning run with a two-run dinger in the bottom of the inning to put the Rangers up early. And, as we’ve learned over a whole summer and 80 home games, the Rangers having an early lead is perhaps the predominant key to their success.
To Rocker’s credit, with the Rangers using the entire supply of duct tape in the state of Texas to try to hold their pitching staff together at the moment, the young right-hander stepped up and pitched five innings with the first inning run being his only blemish.
Overall Rocker went his five frames allowing the run on three hits and two walks while striking out four Mets. After Rocker left, the beleaguered bullpen was tasked with needing to wade through four innings in a one-run game. Texas got those four innings out of Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, Chase Silseth, and Jordan Montgomery with only Alexander allowing a base runner. Kudos to the ‘pen. They stepped up today.
It didn’t remain a one-run game either as Corey Seager finally came through after a rough series and gave the arms a bit of insurance with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. Eventually that allowed Montgomery to pick up the save with Jacob Latz unavailable. It was just the second save of Montgomery’s career but it was a nice time to get it as Texas held on for the win.
With any luck, today’s game won’t actually be the final game played at The Shed this season but as far as the regular season goes, the Rangers are finished in Arlington. At 79-80, 14th best in baseball, the Rangers hold a half game lead over Houston for the American League West crown.
Player of the Game: We’ve taken to dubbing Jung “the straw” of late for being the straw that stirs the drink for what is a complicated offense that has been prone to disappear without him.
Today, without him, the Rangers and Met would presumably still be playing as his two-run home run in the bottom of the first to erase a 1-0 Mets lead proved the difference for a player who is proving to be a difference maker down the stretch.
Overall Jung went 3-for-3 with a walk to reach in each of his PAs today. Josh Jung wants some of that postseason action.
Up Next: The final series of the regular season begins for Texas as they travel up to Minnesota to take on a Twins squad that they have not beaten this year, as they were swept by them in Arlington back in June.
As the Rangers don’t really have any starters left a starter has not been named for the opener. Meanwhile, Minnesota will opt for RHP Joe Ryan in the opener.
The Friday evening first pitch from Target Field is scheduled for 7:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
It took Adam Fantilliholding out for the first week of Blue Jackets training camp, but the team's top young center has agreed to a six-year contract worth $82.5 million ($13.75 million AAV) to finally put negotiations behind him and join his team at Nationwide Arena.
“Adam Fantilli has all of the tools you look for in a player ... speed, size, skill along with a competitive drive to succeed,” Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "He is one of the most exciting young players in the NHL and a big part of what we are building in Columbus, so this is a very exciting day for our organization and our fans."
Fantilli, 21, became a restricted free agent without arbitration rights July 1. Had he signed a big offer sheet, like Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson did with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Jackets would’ve been forced to match it or let Fantilli leave for a package of compensatory draft picks.
That didn't happen, allowing Waddell to seek a more team friendly cap hit than what Fantilli and agent Pat Brisson initially wanted. Getting their price, however, wound up costing Fantilli valuable preparation time with his teammates prior to opening the season against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 1 at Nationwide Arena.
The Ducks weren't as fortunate from a cap perspective, swallowing hard before matching the Flyers’ offer sheet that now pays Carlsson at $18 million a season for the next five years. Carlsson was selected second overall in 2023, one pick ahead of where the Blue Jackets got Fantilli, a comparable top young center who’s similar in size, age and stats through their first three seasons.
According to PuckPedia, the Blue Jackets had just under $12.7 million in cap space prior to signing Fantilli, so they're about $1.2 million over the cap ceiling of $104 million for this season. That number, however, counts salaries for 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies — including injured center Isac Lundestrom (Achilles surgery) and goalie Elvis Merzlikins (shoulder).
Merzlikins, who underwent shoulder surgery Aug. 17, and Lundestrom will almost certainly start the season on IR, and both could be placed on long-term injured reserve to gain flexibility against the cap. Utilizing LTIR allows teams to exceed the cap ceiling by the amount that injured players placed on it puts them over. So, adding Merzlikins' $5.4 million and Lundestrom's $1.3 million salaries would provide plenty of cushion.
Teams are allowed to exceed the cap in the offseason by up to 10% of the ceiling, but must be cap compliant before 5 p.m. on Sept. 28.
Fantilli is now the Blue Jackets’ highest-paid player by a wide margin, exceeding the salary of reigning Norris Trophy winning defenseman Zach Werenski ($9.58 AAV) by roughly $4.1 million this season and next.
Though it doesn't come close to matching Carlsson's annual cap hit, Fantilli's salary now sits between Ducks power forward Cutter Gauthier's new deal for $13.5 million over the next six years and Connor Bedard's $15 million AAV for the next five with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Gauthier was selected fourth overall by the Flyers in 2022 and traded to the Ducks, while Bedard was the 2023 draft's first overall pick. Carlsson went second that year and Fantilli, whose numbers stack up comparably, went third. Fantilli has totaled 140 points on 67 goals and 73 assists through 213 games with the Blue Jackets, while Carlsson has give the Ducks 141 points on 61 goals and 80 assists and in 201 games.
Bedard tops both with 203 points on 75 goals and 128 assists in 219 games for the Blackhawks, but he's done it while posting a -98 plus/minus for a team that has lagged near the bottom of the NHL's overall standings.
Carlsson, who has a -1 plus/minus, helped the Ducks get back into the playoffs last season while Fantilli (-30) has narrowly missed the postseason the past two years with the Blue Jackets, a team that most analysts didn't consider a playoff contender.
Now, Fantilli is locked in with the Blue Jackets for six more years as an elite young center they'll need to continue improving over the course of this contract. Those type of gems are almost always drafted, rarely traded and almost never signed as free agents, which boosts their value immensely.
The NHL’s best teams typically follow the same roster construct, starting with goaltending and defense before shifting to center ice. The Blue Jackets are doing well in those areas, especially after locking up Fantilli for a forward group that lost center Boone Jenner in free agency but has Sean Monahan, Charlie Coyle, Lundestrom and Cole Sillinger as additional center options.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery tied the MLB single-season strikeout record on Thursday, Sept. 24, whiffing for the 223rd time this season to equal Mark Reynolds' mark set in 2009.
Montgomery struck out in his first at-bat of the game then flew out twice to avoid breaking the record in the White Sox's postseason clincher, but there are three games remaining with Chicago hosting the Colorado Rockies for the final weekend.
The Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber has also had his eye on the dubious record, and entered Thursday's game on 218 strikeouts. Both players had 216 through Sunday but Montgomery struck out three times on Tuesday and three again on Wednesday in Kansas City to pull ahead in the "race."
Montgomery is hitting .200 in 150 games with 31 home runs and 87 RBIs this season, his second year in the majors.
Others have come close to the 223 mark in recent years and the top 15 seasons have all occurred since 2009. The Washington Nationals' James Wood came close in 2025, finishing with 221 strikeouts.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chicago White Sox became the first team to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons by reaching the playoffs on Thursday, throttling the Kansas City Royals 9-1 to ensure no worse than one of the three AL wild-card spots for the postseason.
They could still win the AL Central, too. The White Sox began the day one game behind the Cleveland Guardians.
Chicago has three games left at home against the last-place Colorado Rockies, while the Guardians wrap up their series in Boston on Thursday night before flying to Kansas City, where they coincidentally have three left against the Royals. The White Sox win mathematically eliminated Baltimore from postseason contention.
Kyle Teel homered and reached base five times, and five different White Sox drove in runs. David Sandlin (3-2) allowed one run on five hits over six innings against the club that drafted him out of Oklahoma four years ago.
Randy Dobnak (3-5) allowed six runs — four earned — for Kansas City. He also made two errors while retiring just four batters.
Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, reaching 20 in a season for a club-record 10th time.
The first couple of innings summed up what the White Sox have done so masterfully this season: They capitalized on mistakes.
Sam Antonacci opened the game with a single, Teel reached on a bunt when Dobnak’s throw was wide of first base, and Miguel Vargas followed with an RBI single. Andrew Benintendi added a sacrifice fly and, after Vargas stole second to get into scoring position, Tristan Peters brought him home with another single to make it 3-0.
More hijinks ensued in the second: Braden Montgomery singled leading off, Dobnak walked Antonacci, then the right-hander threw to nobody covering first base for his second error. That allowed Montgomery to easily score from second.
By the time Dobnak plunked Teel and Vargas added another RBI single, the champagne was probably on ice in the clubhouse.
The White Sox improved to 82-77, a record number of wins for a club coming off three straight 100-loss years. They head home having won four of their last five with their first playoff appearance since 2021 in their pocket and a division title still in their sights.
For the second straight season, the Chicago Cubs are going to the playoffs.
Chicago locked up a spot in the National League field with a 2-1 over the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Sept. 24, locking up a National League wild card spot after fumbling clinching opportunities by losing the first two games of the series.
Chicago's calling card all year was the lineup. The pitching staff was something the Cubs had to survive. The Cubs led the majors in runs scored, powered by an MVP-caliber season from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. He paired 40-plus home runs and speed on the bases with elite defense, and by Seiya Suzuki's steady production in the middle of the order. Alex Bregman gave the lineup another middle-of-the-order threat, but that was before he suffered multiple facial fractures after being hit in the face with a foul ball.
The pitching staff was the bigger question mark, and the front office spent the summer trying to answer it. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins added Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes at the trade deadline to bolster a rotation and bullpen that had leaked home runs but in Holmes' case, that plan had blown up in September after a hot start. Manager Craig Counsell spent the stretch run mixing and matching to cover for it, leaning on the lineup to outscore Chicago's mistakes.
Chicago's last trip to October ended at Milwaukee's hands, a five-game NL Division Series loss to the Brewers last season, and that series hangs over this Cubs team every time the two clubs meet.
What's next for the Cubs?
Because Chicago finished as a wild card team rather than a division winner, it opens the postseason in a best-of-three Wild Card Series. It could potentially host that series if it finishes as the top wild card team.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 16: Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Injuries continue to plague the Yankees as they head into the final few games of the regular season, and this time the bullpen takes a hit.
The Yankees announced that reliever Clarke Schmidt was sent to the 15-day injured list with bicep neuritis, which means he will likely be left out of the postseason roster and unavailable for the upcoming Wild Card Series. They called up righty reliever Bradley Hanner from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his place for the time being.
This situation puts the bullpen in a tighter spot and raises more questions about who will be shuffled around to take on a relief role in the postseason. Will Warren is expected to be a healthy weapon who can make an impact, and Carlos Rodón has a lot of potential if he doesn’t end up in a starting role, so the outlook isn’t as bad as it seems. Ryan Weathers is still up in the air as an option; it would’ve been nice to see him get some reps before the postseason officially begins.
After recovering from Tommy John surgery that kept him on the IL for most of the regular season, Schmidt made his return against the Twins, striking out two batters and allowing two hits. He was initially poised to make his second appearance on Sunday against the Diamondbacks, but halted his warmup from the bullpen due to bicep soreness. It seems that his injury is lingering longer than both Schmidt and the Yankees anticipated.
The Yankees postseason begins next week with the Wild Card Series, and hopefully, despite missing Schmidt, the bullpen will provide enough assurance to shut down Boston.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: The hot dog race in the fourth inning of game two of a double header between the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s finally over. The chance of the Orioles reaching the postseason for the 2026 campaign is officially zero. They were done in not through any last failure of their own that occurred today, instead getting eliminated on an off day because their miracle path involved the White Sox losing their final four games against the Royals and then Rockies.
The Chicago club put that to bed on Thursday, blowing out the Royals in Kansas City to win their 82nd game. The Orioles cannot possibly win 82. That’s it. The party ended when some guy named John Rave grounded out, second base to the pitcher covering first. The White Sox are guaranteed at least a wild card spot. They might even win the Central division. That’s to be settled over the season’s final weekend.
There is no way to view this season as anything other than a disappointment. After the team flopped to a 75-87 record last season, largely resulting from a horrible April and May that got then-manager Brandon Hyde fired, we got a lot of noise from Mike Elias on down about how it would be different this year. The players who did not live up to expectations last year would be stronger for the adversity, they were going to do everything in their power to assess what went wrong and what they can do to fix it, and other such platitudes.
The front office did try to fix one of last year’s weaknesses – the lack of home run power – by trading for Taylor Ward and eventually signing Pete Alonso to a big contract. Alonso delivered many dingers here. Ward did not. They tried to stabilize the rotation in a way that wasn’t done last year with one-year signings of Zach Eflin and Chris Bassitt. Eflin went down with a torn elbow ligament in the middle of his first start. Bassitt was not very good, got back surgery, came back, and was fine enough.
Still, we did not get a lot of evidence as the season went along that much had been done to fix some of the other issues. The core players who were supposed to be fueling the multi-year period of great Orioles baseball spent substantial parts of the season riding the struggle bus. Elias’s big trade for Shane Baz brought back a pitcher who has been exactly league average; he gave up at least one prospect who seems like a huge loss and others who may yet hurt. A bullpen that was only lightly reinforced went through difficult patches as guys who are unproven tried to go from that to “proven to be good” rather than “proven to be bad.”
All of this built up to the developments ahead of the trade deadline, when a variety of players, some we were invested in more than others, were moved at a time when it seemed clear the team was not going to be in the race. Indeed, two of the trades they made, Ward to the Mariners and Dean Kremer to the Twins, reinforced teams against whom, at that point, the Orioles were notionally competing in the wild card race. As things have turned out, the Orioles will finish ahead of those teams.
There was, of course, the ultimate indignity of a recognizable Orioles star being traded to the Red Sox. Adley Rutschman getting dealt to Boston still hurts. More than one of the players who came back in that trade went on to make a nice first impression in the organization, but still: It’s the Red Sox, and the Orioles gave up on a season where they weren’t that far out of the picture by sending a player who was the face of the rebuild off when he still had this year and next year left with team control.
Despite all of the season’s problems, and despite that trade deadline decision seeming like the front office was giving up on the season, the Orioles played their way through August to finish the month in a wild card position. Colton Cowser’s walkoff home run robbery in Colorado did it. They finally reached .500 again and with a good September, they could sneak in to the playoffs.
Instead, the Orioles lost the next six games, including four in a row at home to those same Red Sox. That made the eventual elimination start to feel inevitable; later being swept by the Brewers at home made it extra inevitable. They kept their chances alive a lot longer than I expected in April, in July, or even on Labor Day. At last, it’s over. Maybe next year.
Good things happened this year! Pete Alonso will finish with no fewer than 41 home runs and 110 RBI in the first year of his five-year contract. He should win a Gold Glove. That signing has gone better than anybody could have imagined, and after seeing it in action, all of the stuff about Alonso being a great person and a good leader does seem to actually have something to it.
Alonso’s season combined with the unexpected rotation emergence of Brandon Young is probably what kept this Orioles campaign from being a truly irredeemable slog. You can certainly find other fun stories, like Blaze Alexander blossoming into an intriguingly good player, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand coming off the reclamation project scrap heap to look like he deserves to be a part of next year’s Opening Day roster picture.
It sure was a slog at times. Inexplicably bad defense, weird lineup decisions, bizarre pinch hitting decisions, reliever choices that seemed to be based more on hope than on reality, all of these things contributed to a variety of stupid losses for the season. New manager Craig Albernaz threw players under the bus in postgame pressers on more than one occasion. For long parts of the season, the vibes around this team were not far off from the 100+ loss disasters of the early Elias years. In the end, they will lose no more than 84.
That’s not good. It’s not terrible either. Fix the defense and shore up a few spots on the roster in the offseason instead of July or August and this Orioles team could be right back in it. Maybe. Its chief architect and its disappointing dugout leader are both coming back, so it’s fair to wonder how much things will really change. Those are problems for next year. For this year, it’s over.
This will be remembered as the Chicago White Sox team that made history for all the right reasons.
Two years after losing a Major League Baseball-record 121 games and one year after their third consecutive 100-loss season, the White Sox are going to the playoffs. Their startling resurgence was completed Thursday, Sept. 24 when they defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-1 at Kauffman Stadium to clinch at least an American League wild-card berth.
The South Siders are still playing for a bigger prize. They pulled within a half-game of the Cleveland Guardiansin the AL Central with the victory. The Guardians were scheduled to play at Boston later Thursday and close the season with three games against the Royals. The White Sox finish with three games against the Colorado Rockies, who were set to lose their 102nd game Thursday. The White Sox hold the tiebreaker against the Guardians.
Chicago has held first place for 82 games this year and most of the second half, until the Guardians took over Sept. 17. But the White Sox erased no doubt Thursday that they'd nail down a playoff spot.
They scored six runs in the first two innings, thanks to a pair of hits and two RBIs from Miguel Vargas, and after Kyle Teel's fourth-inning homer the rout was on, as right-hander David Sandlin held the Royals to one run over six innings.
Chicago's 82 wins are the most for a team coming off three 100-loss seasons, and second-most after just one 100-loss season. The White Sox also clinched a winning record for the first time since 2021, when they won 93 games and qualified most recently for the playoffs.
Those White Sox were beat in four games by the Houston Astros in the AL division series. These White Sox have a chance to win the division and receive a bye into the ALDS, where they'd face the winner of the AL West champion and No. 3 wild card.
They got here on the strength of several breakout performances and one MVP-caliber level-up from Vargas. Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team deal that also included the St. Louis Cardinals and sent Tommy Edman to the eventual World Series champions, Vargas put it all together this season, hitting 33 home runs, driving in 92 and posting an .842 OPS. He's also stolen 21 bases and needs just two walks to reach 100.
Rookies Tristan Peters and Sam Antonacci are hitting well above league average, with Peters providing 3.9 WAR thanks to excellent defense in center field. And with Teel returning from injuries, the return haul in the trade of Garrett Crochet to Boston is popping, with second baseman Chase Meidroth posting a .763 OPS and 4.3 WAR and Braden Montgomery part of a platoon in right field.
HARRISBURG, PA - JULY 19: Devin Fitz-Gerald #3 of the Harrisburg Senators looks on during the game between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Harrisburg Senators at FNB Field on Sunday, July 19, 2026 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kyle Mace/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Devin Fitz-Gerald is one of the more fascinating prospects in the Nationals system. The switch hitting infielder is the 5th ranked prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline and 4th according to Baseball America. Out of the 5 prospects the Nats received in the MacKenzie Gore trade, Fitz-Gerald looks like the best one at the moment.
However, there is more to Devin Fitz-Gerald than just the baseball player. This has been a difficult year for the Fitz-Gerald family. Devin’s mother, Colleen was diagnosed with a brain tumor and told she has about 18 months to live. This layer of personal tragedy has hung over the 21 year old’s season.
As Devin Fitz-Gerald became a top-100 prospect, his mom was diagnosed with brain cancer and told she had ~18 months to live.
Dad is searching for a way to pay for treatment. Mom is stuck at home. And Devin?
Fitz-Gerald, also known as DFG, has said he is playing for his mother this year and forever. To have this going on while also going through a professional baseball season is a major challenge for anyone, let alone a player in a new organization. For those curious, the Fitz-Gerald family has set up a Go Fund Me.
Now that we have discussed this very important context, I wanted to dive into Fitz-Gerald’s season on the field. It was an up and down year for DFG, who had a great start and great finish to the season. However, he faced some bumps along the way in the middle.
Fitz-Gerald is a second baseman who can do a little bit of everything. He is not the biggest, strongest or fastest, but DFG gets the most out of his tools. A big reason for that is because of his baseball IQ. That high level of on field intelligence comes from being the son of a high level high school baseball coach. His dad coaches at Stoneman Douglas High School, which has produced several big leaguers such as Roman Anthony, Coby Mayo and Jesus Luzardo.
Now the son of the coach is looking to be next in line. Despite not having jaw dropping raw power, Fitz-Gerald still found a way to put up 20 home runs this season between High-A and Double-A. He does a great job consistently elevating the ball and that allows him to outslug his average raw power.
THIRD-straight game with a homer for devin fitz-gerald 🙂↕️
DFG also has a very solid hit tool to go with that power. On the season, he struck out just under 22% of the time. He struggled with strikeouts early in his AA stint, but he gradually improved, as did his overall play.
In the beginning of the season, DFG took the prospect world by storm. In April and May, he was lighting it up with Wilmington. There was a stretch where Fitz-Gerald homered on a near daily basis. In that insane May, DFG homered 9 times.
However, when the calendar turned to June and the youngster got promoted to Harrisburg, he went ice cold. Fitz-Gerald struggled on the baseball field in a way I doubt he ever had before in his life. He went 10 for 88 in 22 games that month. Between the off field tragedy and struggling on the field, that must have been a very difficult time for him.
That tough month made him show resilience though. The turnaround did not happen overnight. In July, Fitz-Gerald was better, but still only hit .250 with a .639 OPS. By the time August and September rolled around, Fitz-Gerald had figured out his new level and was rolling. Seeing that growth after being dominated early on in AA was very encouraging to see.
Devin Fitz-Gerald’s month by month progression at Double A has been a joy to witness. Outside shot of making his debut in late 2027 at this rate, and a good chance at becoming a regular by 2028 pic.twitter.com/bzKnm08eJ7
By September, DFG was back in his flow state. He homered 4 times in 9 games to end his season. Even while going through an extended slump, Fitz-Gerald still put up solid numbers in his first year in the Nationals organization. He hit .251 with a .780 OPS and hit 20 homers while stealing 15 bases.
I still think the best is yet to come for Fitz-Gerald. The 21 year old will likely start next season in AA, but if he gets off to a fast start, I could see him getting promoted to AAA quite quickly. We will see if he can reach the big leagues in 2027, but I do not think it is impossible.
However, I think the most likely outcome is an early 2028 debut. Once Fitz-Gerald arrives, I think he has a good chance of making second base his long term home. I do not see super star potential, but he can be one of those players who quietly hits 15-20 homers, hits about .260 and plays solid defense. That is not a flashy profile, but it can get you to 3 WAR pretty easily.
Chase Meidroth of the White Sox is a player who I think profiles pretty similarly and he has 4.4 fWAR this season. Overall, Fitz-Gerald is a quality ball player and seems like a quality young man as well. Given his story, I will always be rooting for DFG.
Apr 12, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) looks to pass as Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic (47) trails the play during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Russell LaBounty/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed center Adam Fantilli to a six-year, $82.5-million contract.
Fantilli was a restricted free agent and missed the first week of training camp as the two sides worked on a deal. He becomes the Blue Jackets’ highest-paid player with a contract that averages $13.75 million per year.
The 21-year-old Canadian was the third overall pick by Columbus in the 2023 NHL draft after winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey at the University of Michigan.
Fantilli was second on the team with 24 goals and was third in scoring with 59 points last season. He is the third player in franchise history with multiple 20-goal campaigns before turning 22.
“Adam Fantilli has all of the tools you look for in a player — speed, size, skill — along with a competitive drive to succeed,” general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “He is one of the most exciting young players in the NHL and a big part of what we are building in Columbus, so this is a very exciting day for our organization and our fans.”
Chicago’s Connor Bedard and Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson — the top two picks in the 2023 draft — both signed five-year contracts. Bedard’s averages $15 million while the Ducks matched an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers that had an $18 million per season average.
San Jose’s Will Smith was picked fourth overall but remains on the final year of his entry-level contract.
Fantilli is expected to center Columbus’ top line with Kirill Marchenko and Valeri Nichushkin. Marchenko led the Blue Jackets with 27 goals while Nichushkin was acquired from Colorado during the offseason.
Defenseman and reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski has two years remaining on his contract as the Blue Jackets look to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
