Doctor details how Bryce Eldridge's left wrist injury could impact his batting

Doctor details how Bryce Eldridge's left wrist injury could impact his batting originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bryce Eldridge‘s road to recovery officially is underway after undergoing surgery Thursday on his left wrist to remove a bone spur.

His recovery is estimated to take eight weeks, and the Giants’ No. 1 prospect should be good to go come 2026 spring training.

Stanford Medicine’s Amy Ladd, M.D., spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Tristi Rodriguez more in-depth about Eldridge’s injury and further broke down the different ways in which a bone spur can develop.

“So, a bone spur is an extra piece of bone, and it can either come from a bone because you were born with it –sometimes you can have little ‘pebbles’ as you might call them, which are extra bones adjacent to a normal bone you’d expect, and sometimes they exist because of traction,” Dr. Ladd said. “Traction is pulling, so if there’s a tendon or a ligament that’s been pulling on it from a chronic tendinitis, for example, or there’s been an injury where there’s kind of a pull-off of a bit of a bone and it creates in its wake a little spur, a little extra bone.”

Dr. Ladd also explained the stages Eldridge will go through after the surgery that will lead up to him eventually being cleared to return to the field.

“Probably what will happen is the bone spur will be removed, and he will be immobilized,” Dr. Ladd said. “He’ll be in some sort of a splint for a few weeks with progressive range of motion, but not strengthening, not resistance training. And that [strength training] usually happens in month two, so somewhere between four and eight weeks is strengthening and return to play.

“And that latter part is reproducing motion, throwing, catching, fielding, etc. would be in that rehab leading up to the eighth week.”

Eldridge missed the first month of the 2025 season in the minors with a left wrist injury that occurred during spring training. But he was lights out upon his return, playing 34 games at Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A, where he finished with 18 home runs in 66 games.

After much anticipation, the former No. 16 overall draft pick finally joined the big-league roster in mid-September in an effort to help San Francisco make a late postseason push. But the 6-foot-7 first baseman struggled with his bat during his short-lived majors debut campaign as he finished the season with a .107 average in just 10 games played.

Dr. Ladd also discussed the possibility of Eldridge, who bats left and throws right-handed, potentially reinjuring or reaggravating his left wrist.

“So, it may be somehow that the batting is the most aggravating,” Dr. Ladd said. “I don’t know the details, but any time you put a wrist or a finger or something in an extreme position, then you’re more likely to, what we call ‘impingement,’ to impinge, to kind of catch. So, if there were a crowding from a bone spur, that’s where you’d probably see it.

“So, batting may be more of an issue. So, he bats left-handed, which would mean he puts extreme wrist motion on the left hand. And he throws right-handed, so he catches with his left hand. So, same kind of impact in catching.”

The Giants will hold their breath during Eldridge’s recovery, and keep their fingers crossed for two months.

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Texas Rangers hire Skip Schumaker as manager, signing former Marlins skipper to four-year deal

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers hired Skip Schumaker as their manager Friday night, agreeing on a four-year contract with the former NL Manager of the Year, who had been in their organization for the past year.

Schumaker’s deal was announced after Chris Young, the president of baseball operations, acknowledged earlier in the day that the Rangers were focused on an internal candidate in their search to replace Bruce Bochy. Schumaker had been in a senior advisory role with the team since last November.

The 45-year-old Schumaker was the 2023 NL Manager of the Year when Miami went 84-78 and made the fourth postseason appearance in club history. That was the same year Texas, with Bochy in his debut there, won its only World Series championship.

“While I attained a good understanding of the organization through my front office role this past season, the conversations with Chris Young, (general manager) Ross Fenstermaker, and others this week have only intensified my interest in this opportunity,” Schumaker said in a statement. “I can’t wait to begin the work for 2026.”

The Rangers and the 70-year-old Bochy, a four-time World Series champion who was baseball’s winningest active manager, agreed Monday to end his managerial stint. That was the day after Texas finished 81-81 for its second non-winning record since its championship. Bochy was at the end of his three-year contract.

The Marlins slipped to 62-100 in 2024 after changes in the front office and with a roster decimated by trades and injuries. Schumaker and the team agreed that he wouldn’t return for this season.

Texas then hired Schumaker for the advisory position, a move viewed by many as making him the heir apparent to Bochy.

“We are thrilled to announce this promotion and have Skip leading this club in the dugout,” Young said in a statement. “Over his past year as a senior advisor to our baseball operations group, Skip has proven to be driven, passionate and thorough in everything he does. He has a winning spirit and energy, and we are fortunate that someone so highly regarded in the industry has agreed to become our manager.”

The Rangers became the first of eight major league teams to fill a managerial vacancy. Young wouldn’t say earlier in the day if any other teams had requested permission to speak with Shumaker.

Before going to Miami, Schumaker was on San Diego’s staff from 2018-21 and then was the bench coach for St. Louis, where he played for the Cardinals during their 2011 World Series win over Texas. He played 11 big league seasons with St. Louis (2005-12), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013) and Cincinnati (2014-15).

Schumaker will take over a Rangers team that for the first time in franchise history this year led the majors in ERA (3.47), and will bring back starting pitchers Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter. Texas also set a single-season MLB record with its .99112 fielding percentage, bettering the 2013 Baltimore Orioles’ mark of .99104.

But the Rangers ranked 26th in the majors with a .234 batting average and 22nd with 684 runs scored.

“It was a little bit bittersweet. It was painful to really see some of the things that we did so well, and then also there was optimism to know that we did so many things so well and came up short,” Young said earlier Friday. “But there’s a lot to look forward to moving forward, and I think there’s a lot of optimism I have that this is going to get corrected quickly. I mean, we’re not talking about a 20-game jump here to make the playoffs.”

Fenstermaker said while Schumaker lives on the West Coast, he had been very involved with the team in his advisory role.

“He’d spend time with us and many different folks in the front office, add his perspective, his wisdom. He was around and available a lot,” Fenstermaker said. “We probably talked to him every few days, if not daily, throughout the course of the year and bounce ideas off him and get his perspective.”

Bochy has been offered an advisory role in the Rangers’ front office. He also could be in line for such a position with the San Francisco Giants, though he isn’t a candidate for the managerial opening of the team he led to World Series titles in 2010, ’12 and ’14.

With 2,252 wins, Bochy is sixth among major league managers, with the five ahead of him all in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was 249-237 with the Rangers.

Minnesota Wild Release Defenseman Jack Johnson From His Professional Tryout

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild made a few roster moves on Friday. The Wild first claimed defenseman Daemon Hunt off of waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets and recalled defenseman Matt Kiersted from the Iowa Wild.

In addition to these moves, the Wild released defenseman Jack Johnson from his professional tryout (PTO).

Johnson, 38, has played in 1,228 NHL games in his career across 19 seasons. He was set to play in his 20th NHL season if the Wild would have signed him but they just released him from his PTO which makes him a free agent now.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Minnesota Wild Sign Kirill Kaprizov To An 8-Year Contract ExtensionMinnesota Wild Sign Kirill Kaprizov To An 8-Year Contract ExtensionST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced on Tuesday an eight-year contract extension worth $136 million ($17 million AAV) for its superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov.

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Yankees at Blue Jays – ALDS Game 1 prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends, and stats

Saturday afternoon, the New York Yankees (94-68) and the Toronto Blue Jays (94-68) take the field at Rogers Centre for Game 1 of their Divisional Round playoff series. The Jays won the American League East and secured the top seed in the American League playoffs thanks to an 8-5 record in 13 games against the Yankees.

The Yankees defeated the Red Sox in the Wild Card round, two games to one. Rookie Cam Schlittler was outstanding for New York allowing just five singles over eight shutout innings while striking out 12. Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe each hit .364 in the series to pace the attack.

The Blue Jays calling card has been their offense this season. They led baseball with a .265 average scoring an average of 4.9 runs per game (fourth best in baseball). Toronto strikes out just 6.8 times per game (second best in baseball). Vlad Guerrero Jr. paced the Jays’ attack. The slugger hit .292 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs. Bo Bichette has been another key part of Toronto’s success. He has been hampered by an issue with his knee. If he is unable to play, that is a massive blow to the Jays’ chances in this series.

Luis Gil is slated to take the mound for New York against Kevin Gausman for Toronto in the series opener.
 
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Yankees at Blue Jays

  • Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
  • Time: 4:08PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: FOX

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Yankees at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Saturday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Yankees (+105), Blue Jays (-125)
  • Spread:  Blue Jays -1.5 (+167)
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Yankees at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for October 4, 2025: Luis Gil vs. Kevin Gausman
    • Yankees: Luis Gil (4-1, 3.32 ERA)
    • Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA)

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Yankees at Blue Jays

  • Aaron Judge is 17-48 (.354) with 12 HRs against Kevin Gausman in his career
  • Paul Goldschmidt is 10-22 (.455) in his career against Kevin Gausman
  • Toronto won 8 of 13 games against the Yankees during the regular season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Game 1 between the Yankees and the Blue Jays

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday's game between the Yankees and the Blue Jays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Yankees at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

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Dennis Hildeby Set to Start For Maple Leafs in Final Pre-Season Game Against Red Wings, Where To Watch

The Toronto Maple Leafs will take another look at Dennis Hildeby in their final pre-season game on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

In a 1-on-1 interview conducted by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Coach Berube revealed that the plan for the game at Little Caesars Arena will see Hildeby start with James Reimer slated to back him up.

“Hildeby has made a lot of good steps this year, for me, coming into camp from last year. I love the size, the passion he has for the game. He’s a good character kid,” Berube said on Friday.

The response came after Dreger asked about Toronto’s goaltending situation.

'I Haven't Had That Much Fun In A Long Time': James Reimer Reflects On First Maple Leafs Practice in 9 Years And When He May Play'I Haven't Had That Much Fun In A Long Time': James Reimer Reflects On First Maple Leafs Practice in 9 Years And When He May PlayJames Reimer stepped onto the ice in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey for the first time in over nine years on Saturday and the veteran NHL goaltender couldn't stop smiling from ear-to-ear.

With Joseph Woll sidelined, the long-term goaltending picture beyond Stolarz remains unclear. Woll departed the in training camp to tend to a personal matter with no timeline for a return. Given that Anthony Stolarz’s career high in games played is 34, it’s understandable that Berube didn’t sound 100 percent confident of the current situation.

“We’re going to have to see on that but this is what we’ve got,” Berube said.

Stolarz has been reliable in his pre-season performance, most recently making 40 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Red Wings on Thursday. The goaltender signed a four-year, $15 million contract earlier this week.

How Anthony Stolarz Got Security From The Maple Leafs Beyond The PaycheckHow Anthony Stolarz Got Security From The Maple Leafs Beyond The PaycheckThe Toronto Maple Leafs finalized a tidy piece of business on Sunday when they put pen to paper on a new four-year, $15 million contract extension for goaltender Anthony Stolarz. The Maple Leafs had expressed optimism that they would get a deal done, as the goaltender wanted everything squared away before the end of the regular season.

The Leafs brought veteran Reimer in on a professional tryout, but the team's plan for the 37-year-old veteran is becoming increasingly opaque as they give Hildeby the chance to prove he’s ready for regular reps as a backup at the NHL level. Berube said Reimer will back up, suggesting Reimer may not see any pucks against one of the teams he’s played for in his career.

Hildeby, who was slotted as Toronto’s third goaltender, signed a new three-year deal worth $2.525 million. Through 99:29 of work in the pre-season, he has posted a 1-0-0 record with a .944 save percentage and 1.21 goals-against average. Making his NHL debut in 2024-25, Hildeby posted a 3-3-0 record with a 0.878 save percentage and 3.16 goals-against average. Toronto drafted the 6-foot-7 Swedish netminder in the fourth round (122nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

'I Got Notice And Liked It Instantly': Why Dennis Hildeby Signed Unique Three-Year Contract With Maple Leafs'I Got Notice And Liked It Instantly': Why Dennis Hildeby Signed Unique Three-Year Contract With Maple LeafsDennis Hildeby is excited for the upcoming season after signing a rather unique three-year, $2.53 million extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Rest of the lineup?

The Leafs are expected to reveal their game lineup when they take part in a morning skate at Ford Performance Centre on Saturday before traveling to Detroit.

Where to watch?

Maple Leafs fans will be able to stream the game on TSN4 in Canada.

Latest stories:

Making Sense Of The Timing Behind Maple Leafs' Decision To Place David Kampf On Waivers

What David Kampf Can Bring To Maple Leafs While Scott Laughton Misses Time With Lower Body Injury

Maple Leafs' Scott Laughton Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury

Flyers Won't Guarantee Rodrigo Abols an NHL Roster Spot

(Photo: Eric Bolte, Imagn Images)

Despite some strong individual moments in the preseason, the Philadelphia Flyers aren't handing an NHL roster spot to forward Rodrigo Abols just yet.

The Flyers are still deliberating on whether to keep 14 forwards and seven defensemen, or 13 forwards and eight defensemen.

If the Flyers opt for the former, Abols can count himself in. If it's the latter, it's down to the Latvian or 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko, but not both.

Theoretically, the Flyers wouldn't keep Luchanko, 19, around if he wasn't going to play. Luchanko made it through four NHL games with the Flyers last year, but ultimately didn't get a full nine-game audition and sat out for some contests, too.

The two pressing issues working against each other are the Flyers' aversion to sending Luchanko back to the lowly OHL Guelph Storm, and head coach Rick Tocchet preferring to have an eight-defenseman roster.

NHL Waiver Wire: Flyers Should Take a Chance on Recently Cut 11th Overall PickNHL Waiver Wire: Flyers Should Take a Chance on Recently Cut 11th Overall PickWith perpetuated struggles on defense, the Philadelphia Flyers must keep an open mind towards their options, internally and externally, at the position.

The latter is particularly prudent, too, because the battle for a roster spot on defense has been markedly poor, and even the incumbent Egor Zamula has already been challenged for his poor play.

Until someone stands out and takes the reins, the Flyers might be better off carrying eight defenders. That tips the scales in Abols's favor.

However, Tocchet himself still wants to see more from the 29-year-old.

"He's got to pay the mortgage, right? He wants to be an NHL player. It's my job to to give feedback to him on how to be an NHL player. For him, he's 6-foot-4, pretty good skater, got a hell of a shot, and there's some things there, but there's more for him to be an NHL player," Tocchet said Wednesday.

"There is something there, and now he's got to find it, right? When you're on the bubble, you've got to do something consistently every day. That's the rules of the NHL. You've got to see it from him every day."

Tocchet went as far as to say Abols was "trending" towards becoming an NHL player, but wouldn't make that declaration yet.

Abols did not play against the New York Islanders on Thursday night, whereas Luchanko took warmups and also did not play.

The fate of the two players could be decided Saturday when the Flyers host the New Jersey Devils at Xfinity Mobile Arena at 12:30 p.m., though it's unclear if either player will play at the time of this writing.

What is clear is that Abols has at least forced the Flyers to make a hard decision heading into the final days of the preseason and training camp, and that's progress from this time last year.

Time will tell if the former seventh-round pick has enough juice to finish the job and get himself over the line.

Letters to Sports: Dodgers are suddenly a formidable facsimile of themselves

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 1, 2025: Dodgers congratulate Roki Sasaki after defeating the Cincinnati Reds during Game 2 of the National League wild-card series at Dodger Stadium on October 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers reliever Roki Sasaki, right, is congratulated by teammates after closing the win over the Reds during Game 2 of their playoff series. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After two months, the Dodgers have found a closer, in the rookie from Japan. Roki Sasaki mowed down the Reds in order in the ninth inning. Now, the Dodgers have a facsimile of a bullpen as they play the Phillies.

Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos


Dylan Hernández commented on the Dodgers' unreliable bullpen. The Dodgers have their closer right in front of their big Blue nose: Kiké Hernández. No one can throw a 45-mph fastball like Kiké.

Brent Montgomery
Long Beach


All bullpen issues aside, after brushing aside the Reds, the Dodgers are looking mighty formidable. So my big L.A. fan brother-in-law asks me, "Would YOU want to have to play the Dodgers ?" Me: "With a minimum MLB salary of $760,000, of course I would!'

Joe Kevany
Mount Washington

Tears of joy

The greatest pitcher of our generation, Clayton Kershaw, throws 5 1/3 scoreless innings. One last strikeout. One last win. One class act taking the ball from another class act one last time. Witnessing that, if your eyes didn't well up just a bit you're not a Dodgers baseball fan. Thanks for the memories, Clayton.

John Tsutsui
Hurricane, Utah

Boiling point

My blood pressure can’t take watching Trojan football as it is today. In my lifetime of watching we’ve had some truly great teams and great head coaches such as John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll. Currently, and for the last 16 years (since Carroll), we’ve had misfire after misfire as head coach. It’s unfortunate our current $10-million-a-year head coach is too expensive to fire.

Robert J. Gagliano
Palos Verdes


You guys are being too tough on Lincoln Riley. I mean, he's probably already established
an NCAA record — for blowing fourth quarter leads!

Jack Wolf
Westwood

Super blunders

Talk about a lack of will — the Rams came out like lambs against the 49ers. The defensive game plan was poorly conceived and stubbornly inflexible. No push from the defensive front. No press coverage against the Niners' dink-and-dunk game. The offense was thin and predictable. Not one screen. Not one jet sweep. Fourth and one with a predictable call.  The kicking game was once again woeful. Fumbles. Critical mistakes. Senseless penalties. Being sloppy and ill-prepared is not how you get to the Super Bowl.

David Griffin
Westwood


While watching the Rams-49ers game Thursday they showed Rams owner Stan Kroenke. I guess as the owner you’ll just keep counting your money while looking at all the 49er fans in the building. I realize you gotta pay your athletes and all the teams you own, but I find it disgusting that all home games end up being a road games for the Rams. How about lowering ticket prices so the average fan can maybe afford season tickets or even a few games?

Phillip Trujillo
Ontario

Trading places

Regarding last Sunday's loss to the Giants: It's official, the Charges are the Clippers of the NFL.

Jesse Guevara
Pico Rivera

Low standards

Bill Shaikin’s analysis of the Angels could not have been more accurate.

There is no way this organization can succeed under Arte Moreno and his incompetent sycophants (we’re looking at you, John Carpino). You had your opportunity as owner, Arte, for many years, but your batting average says it all.

Jim Fredrick
Manhattan Beach


I read where Angels manager Ron Washington was told he was being let go for “performance-related reasons.”

By that standard, how is it that GM Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno are still employed?

Bob Kargenian
Yorba Linda

Was that a typo?

When I saw UCLA’s game against Penn State was being designated a “Blue Out,” I figured it had to be a typo. Surely, you meant blowout, right?

Steve Ross
Carmel

Bigger than Sports

Bill Plaschke has now written two marvelous columns related to Parkinson’s Disease and his experience with it. These articles should be in a more general section, not just Sports. There are readers of the paper who may not read the Sports section. Everyone should read these articles.

Alice King
Sacramento


The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Amanda Anisimova surges to China Open final after outclassing Coco Gauff

  • American trounces compatriot 6-1, 6-2 in semi-final

  • Zverev: organisers are favouring Alcaraz and Sinner

Amanda Anisimova continued a stellar season in which she has finished as runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open by advancing to her second WTA 1000 final of the year, outclassing Coco Gauff, the defending champion, 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the China Open.

Seeded third in Beijing, the 24-year-old American now has a 2-1 edge in her head-to-head record against her compatriot Gauff.

Continue reading...

Bledisloe Cup live: Australia Wallabies 14-28 New Zealand All Blacks – as it happened

  • All Blacks secure 11th straight win over Wallabies

  • New Zealand run in four tries in wet conditions in Perth

Conditions in Perth are damp. It’s been raining on and off throughout the day so it will be slick under lights. Temperatures are mild and there’s little wind to speak of.

“As a South African following while doing a short stint in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, I am salivating ahead of this pivotal match,” emails Craig Sayers. “Indeed, my medulla oblongata has worked overtime this entire Rugby Championship, considering the effect on my heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.

Continue reading...

Red October revival: Phillies, Dodgers NLDS preview

Red October revival: Phillies, Dodgers NLDS preview originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Red October has touched down once again at Citizens Bank Park.

The Los Angeles Dodgers face the Phillies in the National League Division Series tonight at 6:38 p.m. ET. Grab your popcorn.

Game 1

Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.50 ERA, 32 GS) takes the ball in Game 1, making his third career postseason start. The left-hander put together a masterful 2025, becoming just the third southpaw in Phillies history to post a sub-2.50 ERA with 200-plus innings and 200 strikeouts.

At home, he was even sharper: a 1.94 ERA across 15 starts with 115 punchouts in 97 ⅔ innings.

He’ll be opposed by Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA, 14 GS), making his long-awaited postseason pitching debut in his eighth big league season. After starting his season in an opener role, Ohtani has recently stretched out — three of his last four starts went five innings or more.

This best-of-five series marks the first Phillies-Dodgers playoff meeting since 2009. The defending champions arrive looking to extend Philadelphia’s 16-year title drought.

Who are the Dodgers, anyway?

Los Angeles finished 93-69, capturing its 12th straight NL West crown. Their offense led the league in runs per game (5.09), homers (244), RBIs (791) and OPS (.768).

At the center of it all: Ohtani, who crushed a career-high and franchise-record 55 homers. He’s all but assured of his fourth MVP in five years.

Around him are two more MVPs — Freddie Freeman, who at 36 still slashed .295/.367/.502, and Mookie Betts, who turned around a sluggish first half (.657 OPS through August 4th) to hit .317 with an .892 OPS during the final stretch.

Will Smith (.901 OPS), Andy Pages (27 HR), Teoscar Hernández (25 HR) and Max Muncy (.846 OPS) round out one of baseball’s deepest lineups.

Their pitching was not as fabulous. The Dodgers sat middle-of-the-pack in ERA and WHIP, but their arms led the MLB in strikeouts per nine (9.40).

On Wednesday, they swept the Reds in the Wild Card Series — their 13th straight Division Series appearance.

The numbers game: How do the Phils beat L.A.?

Obviously, limiting the damage when Ohtani steps in gives the Phillies a great shot, but it’s more complicated than that — and the stats back it up.

Don’t lengthen L.A.’s lineup.

Last October, the Dodgers’ top four hitters carried the load, producing a combined .878 OPS and 16 homers in 16 playoff games. Their 5-9 hitters, meanwhile, hit just .211 with a .653 OPS.

But in this year’s Wild Card round, Cincinnati couldn’t buy an out at the bottom of the order. Dodgers hitters 5-9 combined to hit .400 with three homers and a 1.130 OPS, as Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernández and Miguel Rojas all did damage.

If the Phillies do pitch around the stars, they’ll need to attack the rest of the order or risk the same fate as the Reds.

Limit the free passes.

The Dodgers’ patience is elite: they led the NL with a 9.4% walk rate.

But Phillies pitching may have the answer. Philadelphia ranked second in the league in walks per nine (2.72), and their bullpen issued the fewest free passes (189).

The difference shows in the splits. In hitter’s counts (1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1), L.A. slugged a league-best 75 homers and posted a 1.164 OPS.

Stay ahead, and the Phillies can keep this lineup in check.

Turn the page, sorta.

The Phillies went 4-2 against the Dodgers this season, including a series win in Los Angeles three weeks ago. 

But Dodgers starters dominated that set: Emmet Sheehan (followed the opener), Ohtani and Blake Snell combined for 17 ⅔ innings of one-run ball with 24 strikeouts.

Ohtani’s five no-hit frames stood out, but the Phillies still managed to crack LA’s bullpen to take the series.

And that could be key again. Since Sept. 5, Dodgers relievers own the fourth-worst ERA in baseball (5.08) with the most walks allowed (54).

Who are the X-factors?

In many playoff series, there is a player that sticks out more than the rest and oftentimes, it’s someone who flies under the radar.

Dodgers: Roki Sasaki

After missing five months with a shoulder impingement, the 23-year-old flamethrower has been lights out in relief.

In three appearances since returning — including his postseason debut Wednesday — he’s thrown three scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

Whether Dave Roberts keeps him in one-inning bursts or expands his role, Sasaki could be LA’s stopper.

Phillies: Nick Castellanos

Amid outfield rotation questions after the trade deadline, Castellanos looms as a potential difference-maker. He hit .333 with RISP in September and capped the season with a walk-off sac fly.

Since the start of the 2023 postseason, he’s hit six homers with a .594 slugging percentage in 17 games.

Entering what could be his final October in Philadelphia, Castellanos has the chance to add to his legacy.

Final thoughts

Utley, Rollins, Ruiz and Victorino.

What do they all have in common?

They wore Phillies red before donning Dodger blue — and in 2008, they helped take down Los Angeles on the way to the franchise’s second World Series title.

Now it’s 2025, and Philadelphia is still searching for its first championship since.

Many believe the Phillies’ window is closing. With a veteran-heavy roster, they might be right.

Of all the Phillies teams since Rob Thomson took over, this might be the strongest. They’ll miss Zack Wheeler, but the bullpen is deeper than at any point in recent memory.

The Phillies and Dodgers stand as the two heavyweights in The Show, and whoever emerges from this series will be favored to win it all.

Thomson is likely to lean on his trio of lefties — Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo — to challenge L.A.’s lineup. Each has shown poise under the lights before, and they’ll need to do it again in the NLDS.

Garland and Lekkerimäki Lift Canucks Past Oilers in OT Of Preseason Finale

In the last preseason game of the 2025-26 season, the Edmonton Oilers headed to Vancouver with a mostly full lineup to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Stuart Skinner was out due to illness, Jake Walman still wasn't ready, and Mattias Janmark was injured, out another week. Of course, there was still no Zach Hyman. Meanwhile, the Canucks also ice most of their starters, so this was as close to a real game as preseason would offer. 

The question for the Canucks would be if they could contain the top line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Trent Frederic, who combined for seven points in the previous preseason game between these two teams. 

The Canucks allowed Draisaitl to get one on the power play, but they did a much better job limiting the top line's chances. The Oilers went up 2-1, but the Canucks scored two, including an overtime winner from Conor Garland to give the Canucks the 3-2 win. 

EDM lineup vs. VAN:

Draisaitl - McDavid - Frederic

Podkolzin - RNH - Mangiapane

Henrique - Philp - Savoie

Howard - Tomasek - Kapanen

Ekholm - Bouchard

Nurse - Stecher

Kulak - Emberson

Pickard

Tomkins

Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Goalies

Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Forwards

Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Defense

First Period:

The opening period was fairly evenly played, with Vancouver holding a slight edge in shots. It was the last shot of the period that was the best of the first 20 minutes, and it gave Vancouver a lead going into the intermission. 

The Canucks generated the more dangerous looks.

The Oilers earned the first power play when Kiefer Sherwood was called for tripping. David Tomasek took the net-front role and nearly converted on a slick feed from McDavid, but Thatcher Demko turned him aside. Edmonton’s second unit struggled to sustain momentum, with Ike Howard fanning on a pass that stalled the sequence.

Out of the box, Sherwood nearly created a chance the other way, but Calvin Pickard came out aggressively to deny him.

At 17:48, Kasperi Kapanen was whistled for interference, sending Vancouver to its first man advantage. Former Oiler Evander Kane forced Pickard into a solid save, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins generated a shorthanded look. But with 9.3 seconds left in the frame, Jonathan Lekkerimäki wired a high shot over Pickard’s glove to break the deadlock. Braeden Cootes picked up the assist, giving the Canucks a 1–0 lead. 

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Second Period: 

Leon Draisaitl opened the second period with a substantial shift, showcasing his puck protection skills. He felt he should have drawn a penalty when he was taken down, but he didn’t get the call. The first whistle didn’t come until 3:12, and through the opening five minutes, neither side generated much offense as the play remained scrambly.

Edmonton finally pushed back with some extended zone time, highlighted by a pair of chances, the best by Andrew Mangiapane. Vancouver managed to survive the pressure. Another four minutes ticked away before the next stoppage, during which Teddy Blueger forced Calvin Pickard into a solid save.

The Canucks began to build momentum, but it was quickly halted when David Tomasek sprung Kasperi Kapanen on the rush. Kapanen hammered a one-timer past Demko and shifted play back in Edmonton’s favor.

Moments later, pressure from Noah Philp, Matthew Savoie, and Adam Henrique drew a holding penalty, sending the Oilers to the power play. Edmonton wasted little time converting—Evan Bouchard’s point shot produced a rebound that landed on Draisaitl’s stick, which he buried to give the Oilers a 2–1 lead.

Draisaitl scored on the power play for the Oilers; Photo by 

© Bob Frid Imagn Images

Third Period:

Defenseman Elias Pettersson didn’t return to start the third period after taking a shot to the chin from teammate Vasily Podkolzin, but he rejoined the play around the 2:30 mark, indicating he was fine to continue.

The Oilers opened the frame with an early chance from Andrew Mangiapane, who couldn’t quite pull the puck from his backhand to forehand in tight on Thatcher Demko. Vancouver responded with a strong shift around the three-minute mark, hemming Edmonton in, before the Oilers pushed back with a few dangerous looks—again led by Mangiapane.

Mattias Ekholm took the first penalty of the period, and the Canucks made him pay. Jonathan Lekkerimäki blasted home his second goal of the night, wiring a one-timer past Calvin Pickard to make it 2–2.

The game opened up at the midway point, with chances at both ends. Edmonton ran into penalty trouble soon after, as Mangiapane was called for roughing and Leon Draisaitl for removing Pettersson’s helmet, putting the Oilers down two men. Evander Kane then tripped Ty Emberson, leading to a brief 4-on-3 situation after a Canucks timeout. Remarkably, the Oilers killed off all three penalties.

As time wound down, several Edmonton rushes were broken up before they could develop. Connor McDavid tried to generate speed through the neutral zone a few times but was denied each time by the Vancouver defense.

In the final minute, the Oilers loaded up their top line in search of the winner, but couldn’t break through. Regulation ended with the teams deadlocked at 2–2, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime: 

The Canucks controlled play for the first 90 seconds of overtime, pulling the puck in and out of the zone. Conor Garland eventually danced around a tired trio of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard. He potted it past Pickard, and the Canucks took the win. 

There were some bright spots for the Oilers, including Tomasek, who got plenty of opportunity to be a difference-maker. There was some solid hustle from Mangiapane and noticeable speed from Savoie.

Edmonton will now finalize its roster cuts and prepare for the opening game of the season on Wednesday, October 8. 

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