Mets activate Juan Soto from IL, send down Eric Wagaman
Five-time All-Star Juan Soto is back in the Mets lineup, the club announced Saturday.
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.
Mauricio Dubon returns to the cleanup spot, playing shortstop
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.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, August 29, 4:10 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: BravesVision
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Game Discussion Saturday
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.
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Tottenham v Newcastle: Premier League – as it happened
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.
Continue reading...Game Thread: White Sox (71-63) at Twins (64-71)
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.
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Kolisi fires up ferocious Springboks to hit back against All Blacks and level series
Second Test: South Africa 33-26 New Zealand
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.
Continue reading...South Africa 33-26 New Zealand: rugby union second Test – as it happened.
Springboks respond to adversity and withstand All Blacks fight back to level the series 1-1 after a hard fought victory in Cape Town.
Pieter-Steph du Toit walks out with his wife and children on the occasion of his 100th Test.
I got to chat with him back in 2021. He has quite the story:
Continue reading...Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals: Lake Bachar vs. Kyle Leahy
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.
Shohei Ohtani still 'not 100%' and remains uncertain to pitch Sunday against Tigers
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.”
Read more:Tarik Skubal shines in emotional return to Detroit as Dodgers end three-game slide
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.
Read more:Shohei Ohtani completes bullpen session; unclear if he'll pitch Sunday
“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.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Game 136: White Sox at Twins
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.
GO TWINS GO!
GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
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)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montero | 27 | 133.2 | 16.6 | 5.6 | 42.2 | 3.90 | 2.3 |
| Snell | 4 | 21.0 | 29.9 | 10.3 | 51.0 | 2.04 | 0.8 |
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Dodgers at Tigers game chat
Blake Snell faces Keider Montero as the Dodgers look to make it two straight wins against the Detroit Tigers.
SATURDAY GAME INFO
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Tigers
- Stadium: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
- Time: 10:10 a.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)
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New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox: Carlos Rodón vs. Jake Bennett
A 1-0 win is as nailbiting as it gets, but it’s still a win. The Yankees took the first round of this big four-game series last night, setting them up well for a good weekend. Hopefully they can do it in a less-stressful way, with two games against the Red Sox today and sending lefties to the hill in both of them.
Carlos Rodón does get the ball for the day half of today’s doubleheader, signaling a grumpy day for me. He’s on a three-win pace if he had been healthy all year, which is more than enough given he’s the fourth option in the rotation, but the aesthetic experience of him is far worse than the analytical. He’s only gone four innings his last two starts, despite allowing a single earned run in both, because his control has been rather spotty since coming off the IL (and he’s had a pitch count to consider). On a day where we’ll play two, let’s hope he figures out a bit of length and saves a bullpen that may be needed with Max Fried coming off the injured list himself. Rodón threw 76 pitches in his last outing, so that’s the baseline.
Before opening FanGraphs, I could have sworn Jake Bennett was an MLB: The Show create-a-player, but the 6-foot-6 lefty does seem to be a real person. Boston seems to run this pattern of large lefties who don’t strike many people out but somehow never give up home runs, and Bennett follows this archetype. I regret to inform Yankee fans we may see some repeats of last night given Bennett’s talents and the apparent inability of the Yankees to elevate contact against southpaws, but I also reserve the right to be surprised.
There are a couple changes to the lineup from last night, with Spencer Jones taking over in center field, Ali Sánchez behind the plate, and Amed Rosario starting at third and also batting third. I’m not sure any of those moves are necessarily upgrades from what the team had on Friday, but if they score more than one run it’s all gravy.
Rejoice for this game is back on normal channels.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
First pitch: 1:05 pm ET
TV/Streaming: YES, NESN, MLB Network
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 – NYY | WEEI 93.7, WCCM 1490 AM (SP), WESX 1230 AM (SP) – BOS
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Sabres Competition For Hellebuyck – New Jersey Devils
If there was any doubt about Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's intentions heading into next season, the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner made it clear late last week when he confirmed through his agent that he has requested a trade. The 33-year-old had knee surgery, and a career-worst .895 save % with the Jets last season, but still played 57 games (23-23-11) and was the key to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
The Buffalo Sabres were connected to Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in late June, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal. The conventional wisdom is that now that Hellebuyck has made his trade request public, that Cheveldayoff is not in as strong a negotiating position to get the best deal for the netminder, but he reportedly is open to going to a wide swath of teams.
Unless Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out, Winnipeg could wait into the season for the right return for such a valuable commodity.
The Sabres could be in the mix for Hellebuyck, but deals that had previously been offered that included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be off the table, since he has a five-team no-trade clause that could block a trade to Winnipeg. It is expected that any deal involving Buffalo would include one of their young centers (Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius), one of their top prospect defenseman (Daxon Rudolph or Radim Mrtka) and/or an established NHL forward (Jack Quinn or Ryan McLeod).
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Other teams could be in the mix for the veteran netminder, either to get them into the playoff mix, or to elevate them from a consistent postseason entrant to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
New Jersey Devils
Team Status: The Devils let go of Lindy Ruff in 2024 in favor of Sheldon Keefe, and the former Leafs coach succeeded in making the postseason in 2025, but last season missed the playoffs again with a 42-37-3 record (87 points), due in part to center Jack Hughes missing over 20 games with a hand injury and getting subpar goaltending from veteran Jacob Markstrom.
Current Goalie Situation: Markstrom was traded to Florida in June, leaving the Devils with a three-headed monster between the pipes (similar to the Sabres) of veterans Jake Allen, David Rittich, and youngster Nico Daws, who had subpar numbers with AHL Utica the last three seasons.
Assets To Trade: Reportedly, Cheveldayoff is looking for a young goaltender as part of any trade, but the main focus would be getting help up the middle. GM Sunny Mehta could put Daws as part of a Hellebuyck trade, and 24-year-old pivot Dawson Mercer would be an attractive get, but there is some indicators that Mehta is keeping his powder dry in case Quinn Hughes does not agree to an extension with Minnesota.
If the Hughes contract situation is resolved with a deal with the Wild, the possibility of the Devils engaging on Hellebuyck increases exponentially.
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