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Despite surrendering a walk-off home run to Tristan Peters, Kodai Senga’s transition to a single-inning reliever has been far more fruitful than this season’s work out of the rotation. Since making the switch on August 4, Senga has featured eight times, thrown 7.1 innings, and posted a 2.45 ERA. It’s a small sample, but it stands in stark contrast to the 8.66 ERA he managed over his prior 44.2 innings of work. Now, with Devin Williams on the injured list due to a shoulder strain, Senga is the New York Mets' de facto closer, and his relative success has piqued fans' interest. Could Senga be the Mets’ answer at closer in 2027? Perhaps he’s this generation’s Koji Uehara? Or is this stellar run a small sample blip? Oh, and as for Devin Williams, cue the Simple Minds. The biggest obstacle to Senga closing in 2027 is himself. It wasn’t that long ago that he was a legitimate starting pitcher. In 2023, his rookie season, he ghost-forked his way to a 2.98 ERA over 166.1 innings, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in the NL Cy Young. His follow-up campaign was derailed by injury, but in 2025, he posted a 3.02 ERA over 113.1 innings. At that point, over 285 innings, Senga owned a career 3.00 ERA as a starter. All of this is to say, if he gets right in the bullpen, it makes all the sense in the world to see if he can start again, and if he doesn’t get right in the bullpen, it makes no sense to hand him the closer role. Then there’s the question of whether he has gotten right. Obviously, a 2.45 ERA is far better than 8.66, but that doesn’t mean he’s suddenly fixed. First and foremost, Senga’s biggest problem this season has been a sky-high walk rate. Prior to Aug. 4, his 15.2% walk rate was the highest among any pitcher with over 40 innings pitched, and since moving to a single-inning reliever role, he has cut it to 12.9%. That’s a significant improvement, but it’s still an abysmal walk rate. The highest qualified walk rate among starting pitchers is 11.7%, and that 12.9% mark would still be the 20th-worst among all qualified relievers. On top of that, his underlying strike-zone data doesn’t suggest much, if any, improvement. Two of the best predictors for walk rate are first-pitch strike percentage and in-zone percentage. So, it might surprise you to learn that Senga’s first-pitch strike rate and zone rate have both been worse since the trade deadline. Pre August 4th Post August 4th BB% 15.20% 12.90% F-Strike% 55.2% 51.6% Zone% 47.9% 46.9% O-Swing% 25.9% 25.0% Z-Swing% 66.2% 60.0% Swing% 45.2% 41.4% O-Conact% 43.8% 41.2% Z-Contact% 85.6% 88.9% Contact% 73.1% 73.6% SwStrk% 12.2% 10.9% Based on the strike-zone data, it appears that Senga’s control has gotten even worse, but that’s not completely fair to him. While he isn’t pounding the zone at an increased frequency, he is throwing the ball in better places. Contrary to what your Little League coach might have said, throwing the ball right down the middle is bad advice, and before Aug. 4, that’s where 11.6% of Senga’s pitches went. It was by far his most frequented zone, and it’s part of why he allowed 2.42 home runs per nine innings. However, since moving into a single-inning role, he has cut that figure to 3.7%, and his most frequented zone has been the center-bottom of the strike zone at 14.3%. Despite not throwing more strikes, he is throwing better strikes, which has helped him limit damage on contact, rack up more strikeouts, and limit walks. But that still doesn’t mean he should be the Mets closer in 2027. Senga has legitimately pitched better since his role shift, but we’re talking about 7.1 innings with a moderate improvement in command. On top of that, while his 2.45 ERA is excellent, all of the ERA estimators think he is riding his luck. His xERA is 3.33, his FIP is 4.45, and his xFIP is 3.91. Those are all far better than what he managed earlier in the season, but they’re not anywhere near closer level. Among qualified relievers, a 3.33 xERA would rank 51st, a 4.45 FIP would rank 130th, and a 3.91 xFIP would tie for 65th. There’s also the little issue, if you want to call it that, of Devin Williams. This might be grating for some to hear, but Williams is still an excellent reliever, despite two seasons of rotten luck. From 2020 to 2024, he was arguably the best reliever in baseball. He racked up the second-most fWAR (7.6), had the second-best ERA (1.70), and the third-best FIP (2.24). He struck guys out, limited damage on contact, and while he issued a few more walks than you’d like, clearly it was worth it. Then he was traded to the Yankees, and everything and nothing changed. In his lone season in the Bronx, Williams posted a career-high 4.79 ERA, despite a 3.05 xERA, 2.68 FIP, and 2.95 xFIP, and it wasn’t hard to spot the culprit. After sporting a left-on-base percentage (LOB%) of 82.8% from 2020 to 2024, Williams saw it plummet to 55.2%. That is the 30th-lowest LOB% among all relievers since 1945. His luck went beyond bad, and it’s why the Mets offered him a three-year, $51 million deal in the offseason. Unfortunately, 2026 has also been another snake-bitten year for Williams, but in a different way. His 4.66 ERA looks bad, and it is, but his 3.29 xERA, 3.09 FIP, and 3.60 xFIP all suggest he is still a strong reliever. The problem is that this season his BABIP is an astronomical .388. While some pitchers earn their elevated BABIP, Williams does not. This season, among pitchers who have thrown 40 innings or more, the linear correlation between hard-hit balls (balls hit harder than 95 MPH) and hits allowed is 0.975. Basically, if you know how many hard-hit balls a pitcher has given up, you know how many hits they should have given up. And since the league average hard-hit ball to hit rate is 0.815, you’d assume that Williams, who has allowed 31 hard-hit balls, would have allowed 25 hits, not the 43 he has actually allowed. While it is true that Williams has not been as good since leaving Milwaukee, he has also had awful, nearly incomprehensible misfortune. And his series of unfortunate batted-ball events has only compounded the issue. Pitchers, almost universally, pitch better with the bases empty. Given a pseudo-normal season, he’ll look largely like the pitcher the Mets thought they were signing. Kodai Senga’s mini-resurgence is a nice little story and offers more hope of him contributing meaningfully to the 2027 squad, but it would be patently insane to suggest he deserves the inside track on the closer job. Even while pitching better, he hasn’t pitched that well. On top of that, Devin Williams is undoubtedly better than his results. Heading into next year, the Mets will hope that Senga can regain a starting spot, and Williams will stop being cursed. If Senga actually ends up the closer in 2027, then that’s a worst-case scenario for everyone. View the full article

This website is getting a little long in the tooth. The basic design dates back to 2021, when our only site was Twins Daily. Since that redesign, we've added nine (!!!!) sites and crammed in more new features than we can count. It's time for a ground-up rethink of everything about this website, and we need your help to do it right. A lot has changed over the past half-decade, especially for independent publishers like us: social media has throttled our reach to near-zero, Google is replacing search results with AI summaries, and economic uncertainties continue to loom over us all. As a result, we're focusing inward and doubling down on community. We offer more interactivity than ever before; we want to offer the best comments, forums, and user blogs you'll find anywhere. Features like the You're The GM! offseason tool will gain more prominence, and new features are coming that expand upon that idea. At the center of everything we do is you, the user. We only know how we use the website; your experience could differ in very important ways. That's why it's important to let us know how you use the site and how we can do things better. We can't improve without input, and yours is vital to the next generation of DiamondCentric sites. As always, thank you for being such an important part of our community! Create your own user feedback survey View the full article

This website is getting a little long in the tooth. The basic design dates back to 2021, when our only site was Twins Daily. Since that redesign, we've added nine (!!!!) sites and crammed in more new features than we can count. It's time for a ground-up rethink of everything about this website, and we need your help to do it right. A lot has changed over the past half-decade, especially for independent publishers like us: social media has throttled our reach to near-zero, Google is replacing search results with AI summaries, and economic uncertainties continue to loom over us all. As a result, we're focusing inward and doubling down on community. We offer more interactivity than ever before; we want to offer the best comments, forums, and user blogs you'll find anywhere. Features like the You're The GM! offseason tool will gain more prominence, and new features are coming that expand upon that idea. At the center of everything we do is you, the user. We only know how we use the website; your experience could differ in very important ways. That's why it's important to let us know how you use the site and how we can do things better. We can't improve without input, and yours is vital to the next generation of DiamondCentric sites. As always, thank you for being such an important part of our community! Create your own user feedback survey View the full article

This website is getting a little long in the tooth. The basic design dates back to 2021, when our only site was Twins Daily. Since that redesign, we've added nine (!!!!) sites and crammed in more new features than we can count. It's time for a ground-up rethink of everything about this website, and we need your help to do it right. A lot has changed over the past half-decade, especially for independent publishers like us: social media has throttled our reach to near-zero, Google is replacing search results with AI summaries, and economic uncertainties continue to loom over us all. As a result, we're focusing inward and doubling down on community. We offer more interactivity than ever before; we want to offer the best comments, forums, and user blogs you'll find anywhere. Features like the You're The GM! offseason tool will gain more prominence, and new features are coming that expand upon that idea. At the center of everything we do is you, the user. We only know how we use the website; your experience could differ in very important ways. That's why it's important to let us know how you use the site and how we can do things better. We can't improve without input, and yours is vital to the next generation of DiamondCentric sites. As always, thank you for being such an important part of our community! Create your own user feedback survey View the full article

This website is getting a little long in the tooth. The basic design dates back to 2021, when our only site was Twins Daily. Since that redesign, we've added nine (!!!!) sites and crammed in more new features than we can count. It's time for a ground-up rethink of everything about this website, and we need your help to do it right. A lot has changed over the past half-decade, especially for independent publishers like us: social media has throttled our reach to near-zero, Google is replacing search results with AI summaries, and economic uncertainties continue to loom over us all. As a result, we're focusing inward and doubling down on community. We offer more interactivity than ever before; we want to offer the best comments, forums, and user blogs you'll find anywhere. Features like the You're The GM! offseason tool will gain more prominence, and new features are coming that expand upon that idea. At the center of everything we do is you, the user. We only know how we use the website; your experience could differ in very important ways. That's why it's important to let us know how you use the site and how we can do things better. We can't improve without input, and yours is vital to the next generation of DiamondCentric sites. As always, thank you for being such an important part of our community! Create your own user feedback survey View the full article

Wednesday saw the San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates go 1-4 with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas splitting a doubleheader with Oklahoma City, winning 5-4 in eight innings and losing 6-0, the Double-A San Antonio Missions getting crushed by Springfield 14-4, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps falling 2-1 to Dayton and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were scorched by the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 14-1. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres placed RHP Jeremiah Estrada on the 15-day injured list retroactive to August 25, 2026. Right shoulder impingement. San Diego Padres recalled RHP David Morgan from El Paso Chihuahuas. Samad Taylor Comes Through Late As Chihuahuas Settle For Split Rehabbing Padres left fielder Samad Taylor went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including a go-ahead double in the top of the eighth inning as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas won the first game of a doubleheader against the host Oklahoma City Comets 5-4. The second game did not need an extra inning as the Comets blanked the Chihuahuas 6-0. The doubleheader was the makeup of a July 11 rainout. The Chihuahuas trailed the opener 2-0 entering the top of the sixth, when Taylor, Carlos Rodriguez and Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, each had run-scoring singles, with Salas' coming with two outs. The Comets tied it in the bottom of the sixth. Taylor opened the eighth with a double off the wall in right-center to bring in zombie runner Bryce Johnson. Salas also stole a base and has reached base in 19 of 21 games at Triple-A with hits in 15 of those. Taylor didn't play in the nightcap and has a .304/.407/.478 slash line in seven rehab games. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Jhony Brito gave up two runs in five innings, while right-hander Ethan Routzahn pitched the final two hitless innings, allowing an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth. The Chihuahuas were held to six hits in the second game, with Rodriguez getting two. He was 4-for-7 in the two games. Right-handed starter Evan Fitterer allowed four runs (one earned) in 2⅓ innings, while right-hander Logan Gillaspie surrendered two runs in 2⅔ innings. Right-hander Jose Leclerc pitched a scoreless sixth. Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove is scheduled to make what should be his final rehab start Thursday. First pitch is 4:35 p.m. PT. EP1_0826.mp4 EP2_0826.mp4 FIRST GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Samad Taylor, CF 4 2 2 2 0 2 Gage Workman, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 0 Carlos Rodríguez, LF 4 1 2 1 0 1 Marcos Castañon, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ethan Salas, C 3 0 1 1 0 0 Mason McCoy, SS 3 0 0 0 0 1 Nick Pratto, 1B 2 0 0 0 0 1 Clay Dungan, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 3 Bryce Johnson, RF 2 2 0 0 1 1 Totals 28 5 6 4 1 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jhony Brito 5 7 2 2 0 2 0 Hunter Stratton 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Ethan Routzahn 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 SECOND GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Will Wagner, 3B 3 0 1 0 0 0 Carlos Rodríguez, RF 3 0 2 0 0 0 Nick Solak, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Gage Workman, SS 3 0 1 0 0 2 Marcos Castañon, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 0 Mason McCoy, CF 2 0 1 0 0 0 Nick Pratto, 1B 2 0 0 0 1 1 Blake Hunt, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 Rodolfo Durán, DH 2 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 24 0 6 0 1 6 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 2 1/3 3 4 1 2 2 0 Logan Gillaspie 2 2/3 5 2 2 0 2 1 José Leclerc 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Missions Can't Handle Cardinals' Power Tirso Ornelas homered and Alex McCoy had two hits and an RBI, but the Double-A San Antonio Missions were hammered by the host Springfield Cardinals 14-4. The Cardinals hit four homers. Missions left-handed starter Luis Gutierrez only made it through 1⅔ innings, giving up two runs on 52 pitches. The Missions were down 6-1 after four innings, with the Cardinals adding three in the six, three in the seventh and two in the eighth. McCoy, Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect, had an RBI single in the fifth to pull the Missions within 6-2, while Ornelas hit a solo homer in the eighth, his 14th of the season. SA_0826.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Albert Fabian, LF 3 0 1 0 0 1 Alex McCoy, RF 4 0 2 1 0 0 Tirso Ornelas, DH 4 1 1 1 0 0 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 4 1 1 0 0 0 Ryan Jackson, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 1 Justin DeCriscio, SS 3 0 1 0 1 0 Luis Verdugo, 3B 2 1 0 0 1 1 Oswaldo Linares, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brendan Durfee, C 3 0 0 1 0 1 Kai Roberts, CF 3 1 0 0 1 2 Totals 31 4 7 3 3 6 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Luis Gutierrez 1 2/3 4 2 2 2 2 0 Igor Gil 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Jamie Hitt 2 1/3 5 6 6 3 1 2 Clay Edmondson 1 2/3 2 4 4 2 0 2 Wyatt Hoffman 1 2 2 2 2 1 0 Carson Montgomery Fans 6, But TinCaps Edged By Dragons Right-handed starter Carson Montgomery struck out six over four innings, but only got one run of support as the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to the Dayton Dragons 2-1. Yoiber Ocopio and Conner Westenburg each had two hits as the TinCaps outhit the Dragons 9-5. Westenburg accounted for the TinCaps' lone run in the third inning when he tripled to the gap in left-center and scored when the shortstop's relay throw skipped past the third baseman. Westenburg has four extra-base hits, including two triples, in 15 games since being promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore. Montgomery allowed single runs in the second and third innings, giving up three hits and two walks to go along with the six strikeouts. Right-handers Isaiah Lowe (two innings), Bernard Jose (two innings) and Jefferson Villabona (one inning) combined to allow two hits and no runs while each striking out a pair. FW_0826.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells, LF 3 0 1 0 1 1 Bradley Frye, SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 Robbie Lavey, C 4 0 0 0 0 1 Kerrington Cross, 3B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Carlos Rodriguez, DH 4 0 0 0 0 4 Yoiber Ocopio, 1B 4 0 2 0 0 1 Yimy Tovar, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 2 Dylan Grego, RF 4 0 1 0 0 2 Conner Westenburg, CF 4 1 2 0 0 1 Totals 34 1 8 0 2 14 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 4 3 2 2 2 6 1 Isaiah Lowe 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Bernard Jose 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 Jeferson Villabona 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Early Homers Knock Out Storm The Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were held to just two hits as the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes cruised to a 14-1 victory. Ty Harvey had a one-out single in the second inning and 10th-round draft pick Augie Lopez hit his first pro homer, a solo shot in the eighth. Storm right-handed starter Cameron Nohos had his second rough start in a row, giving up three homers while allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and no walks with a strikeout in 1⅓ innings. LE_0826.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Elliot Lascelles, SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Conover, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Joe Tiroly, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Chris McHugh, RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nu'u Contrades, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 2 Ty Harvey, DH 4 0 1 0 0 0 Augie Lopez, 1B 3 1 1 1 0 0 Truitt Madonna, C 2 0 0 0 1 1 Dawson Willis, CF 1 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 29 1 2 1 2 7 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cameron Nohos 1 1/3 8 8 7 0 1 3 Yoesmerli Beltre 1 2/3 2 0 0 0 2 0 Michael Salina 2 3 1 1 0 1 0 Ryan Reed 1 4 4 4 2 1 0 Miguel Alvarez 2 3 1 1 1 2 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas, C: 1-for-3, RBI (Game 1), DNP (Game 2) Ryan Wideman, CF: DNP Coleman Borthwick, RHP: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP: DNP Ty Harvey, C: 1-for-4 Kale Fountain, OF: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana, SS: DNP Alex McCoy, LF: 2-for-4, RBI Braedon Karpathios, RF: DNP Lamar King Jr., C: DNP Elliot Lascelles, SS: 0-for-4 Tucker Musgrove, RHP: On injured list Jagger Haynes, LHP: DNP Jake Cunningham, OF: DNP Truitt Madonna, C: 0-for-2, BB Eric Yost, RHP: DNP Winyer Chourio, RHP: DNP Jesus Castro, RHP: DNP Michael Salina, RHP: two innings, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Rosman Verdugo, SS: DNP View the full article

Box Score SP: Connor Prielipp - 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K (78 pitches, 52 strikes (67% strikes)) Home Runs: Brooks Lee, Trevor Larnach, Kaelen Culpepper Bottom 3 WPA: Andrew Morris (-0.50), Luke Keaschall (-0.15), Kody Funderburk (-0.05) Win Probability Chart The Twins entered Wednesday night's series finale against the A's looking to secure a series victory after taking Monday night's opener. For most of the night, Minnesota looked in position to do exactly that, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead behind a trio of solo home runs and a strong performance from Connor Prielipp on the mound. Unfortunately, things unraveled in the sixth inning. The A's scored four runs to turn a two-run deficit into a 6-4 lead, then added another run in the seventh to put the game out of reach. The Twins had one final chance to make things interesting in the ninth, but they couldn't deliver the big hit they needed. Instead, Minnesota dropped a frustrating 7-4 decision and lost the series to the A's. Kaelen Culpepper Stays Red-Hot, and His Power is Burgeoning After struggling to generate much offense in Tuesday night's loss, the Twins wasted no time getting the bats going Wednesday. Brooks Lee opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo homer, jumping on a fastball at the top of the zone and sending it 105 MPH off the bat for his 21st homer of the season. Minnesota added two more runs in the second, and both also came on solo shots. Trevor Larnach absolutely crushed a 3-1 sinker from J.T. Ginn, sending a 110-MPH line drive over the wall in right field for his 11th homer of the season. Kaelen Culpepper then followed with a homer of his own, launching a two-strike sinker 428 feet to left field to make it 3-0. Culpepper has been swinging a hot bat throughout this series, and indeed, he's been exactly what the team must have hoped he would be since they called him up early this month. The offense wouldn't do much after that early outburst, though. Minnesota managed just one hit over the next three innings before finally putting together another rally in the sixth. Josh Bell, Ryan Jeffers and Kody Clemens opened the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases with one out. Royce Lewis then lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Bell and extend the lead to 4-2. That would be the final run the Twins scored. A Much-Needed Strong Start for Connor Prielipp While the Twins' offense came out hot, Prielipp did his part to keep the A's lineup quiet early. The left-hander needed just eight pitches to get through the first inning, then worked around a pair of singles in the second without allowing a run. He settled in from there, retiring the side in order in the third. The A's finally got to him in the fourth, when an unfortunate bounce turned what looked like a potential double play into a two-run inning. Prielipp walked Lawrence Butler to start the frame, before Tommy White hit a hard ground ball that took a crazy hop in front of Clemens at second. It was a hard one-hopper, and when that one hop is unreliable, the play becomes almost impossible. Clemens couldn't keep it on the infield, and instead of an out (or two), the result was runners at the corners with one out. Michael Stefanic followed with an RBI double into the left-field corner, and the A's got another run on a groundout by Brian Serven; the Twins played their infield back and traded the run for an out. Prielipp stopped the bleeding there and got through the fifth unscathed, though. He came back out for the sixth and retired Butler to start the inning, but a single from Jonah Heim ended his night. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn't preserve that lead. The Same Sad Story: Andrew Morris Can't Miss Bats, Luke Keaschall Can't Catch Balls Andrew Morris entered to replace Prielipp and immediately allowed a fly-ball single to center by White, putting the tying run on base. Pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil then doubled down the left-field line, bringing White home and cutting the Twins' lead to one. Morris got a huge second out when Carlos Cortes swung through a sinker that would've been ball four, but the A's weren't finished. Alika Williams pounced on Morris's first pitch and hit a long fly ball to left-center field. Luke Keaschall neither read it well off the bat nor accelerated especially smoothly once he got moving. He came up just short, on a ball that absolutely has to be caught. Both runners scored, and suddenly, the A's had a 5-4 lead. Darell Hernaiz followed with another two-out RBI single to make it 6-4. Just like that, the Twins had gone from being in complete control to trailing by two. The bullpen collapse continued in the seventh. Kody Funderburk was brought in with one out to face Lawrence Butler, creating a left-on-left matchup. In a 1-2 count, though, Funderburk left a sweeper up and over the plate. Butler hammered it to left-center for a solo homer, extending the A's lead to 7-4. It was another frustrating sequence for a Twins team that has had far too many leads disappear late in games this season. Minnesota had one final opportunity to make things interesting in the ninth against Elvis Alvarado, who had recorded a save against the Twins the previous night. Lewis led off with a swinging bunt that was handled by Heim for an out—a frustrating result, considering he was ahead 2-0 in the count. Larnach followed with a single up the middle, and Culpepper then won an eight-pitch battle to draw a walk and bring the tying run to the plate. Alan Roden nearly delivered, but his fly ball to the warning track in center wasn't deep enough to score either runner. Both Larnach and Culpepper tagged and moved into scoring position, giving Keaschall a chance to extend the game. Instead, he couldn't hold up on a slider out of the zone, ending the game. Now, Minnesota will have to regroup after dropping two straight to the A's. And once again, the biggest question coming out of the game will be how the Twins can stop these late-inning collapses. What’s Next? The Twins are off tomorrow before returning home to kick off a 14-game stretch against divisional opponents. That stretch will start this weekend against the White Sox. Dean Kremer is lined up to throw for Minnesota, and he’ll face off against fellow trade deadline acquisition Luis Castillo. First pitch is set for 7:10 PM Friday. Postgame Interviews Coming soon! Bullpen Availability Chart View the full article

TRANSACTIONS RHP Luis Quiñones sent to A Fort Myers on MiLB Rehab Saints Sentinel St. Paul 2, Toledo 4 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: Walker Jenkins (12) Multi-hit games: Walker Jenkins (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI), Gabriel Gonzalez (3-for-4, RBI) The Saints couldn’t find enough offense on Wednesday. Don’t blame Walker Jenkins. For anything, really. The 21-year-old remained a hitting leviathan, a one-man force in the batter’s box capable of blending power and contact in artistic harmony. He blasted an opposite field homer off a lefty, singled, and stole his 17th base of the season. He’s slashing .411/.488/.795 in August. A fourth inning Gabriel Gonzalez single drove in the other run for the Saints. Gonzalez ended with three singles, his third three-hit game of the month. C.J. Culpepper, Matt Bowman, Garrett Acton, and Woo-Suk Go combined for five innings of relief with one earned run. They struck out eight. Toledo second baseman Max Anderson is the 11th overall prospect in the Tigers’ system. He collected two hits, including a homer, and walked. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, Arkansas 4 Box Score Adrian Bohorquez: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K HR: Brandon Winokur (8) Multi-hit games: Khadim Diaw (2-for-4, RBI), Caden Kendle (2-for-3, R, RBI) The Wind Surge flirted with a comeback on Wednesday. It was an impressive first impression for Adrian Bohorquez. The righty donned a AA jersey for the first time Wednesday and pitched with the wit and acumen of a hurler years his senior, punching out seven while allowing no earned runs. He threw 79 pitches. The only trouble he encountered was in the fifth, when a ball Marek Houston will tell you he should have, ate up the shortstop, causing his throw to first to be a hair late. In return, the Travelers swarmed for four runs, none of them earned. A run-scoring wild pitch got the Wind Surge on the board in the sixth, and Brandon Winokur lasered a homer in the eighth to cut the deficit. Khadim Diaw lifted a sacrifice fly in the ninth, yet Winokur popped out into foul territory to end the game. The tying run was on third. Caden Kendle is slashing .382/.453/.676 in 36 games with the Wind Surge. The 24-year-old 2024 5th-rounder out of UC-Irvine has eight home runs in August, the same amount he totaled in 97 games with the Kernels in 2025. Like how the Yardbirds collected legendary guitar players, the Travelers have been a gathering space for incredible prospect talent in 2026. Kade Anderson is in the majors, yet they still enjoy two top 100 prospects in Felnin Celesten and Jonny Farmelo (plus overall top 10-er Ryan Sloan though he didn’t pitch Wednesday). Celesten went 1-4, while Farmelo went 1-for-3 with a walk. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 8 Box Score Reed Moring: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K HR: Vahn Lackey (2), Danny De Andrade (13) Multi-hit games: Vahn Lackey (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Danny De Andrade (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB), Irvin Nunez (2-for-4, R, RBI) The Kernels nearly mounted an improbable comeback on Wednesday. Vahn Lackey homered in the first. Then the trouble started. Reed Moring navigated two nondescript frames before surrendering a run in the third. After netting two outs to start the fourth, he—and Lake County, for that matter—could not have imagined the carnage that was soon to greet him. A double, a single, a walk, a double, and another double knocked Moring from the game, yet his ERA was still not safe; the incoming Ivran Romero allowed a two-run homer to fully actualize the brutal rally. And the Captains scored once more the following frame. Down 8-1, the grimness of the situation was overwhelming. The game, in practice, was over. In reality? Cedar Rapids proved to be more a nuisance than one could have expected. Three arrived in the seventh thanks to solo homers by Danny De Andrade and Jose Salas; Lackey later drove in Irvin Nunez with a single. The Kernels returned to score two in the eighth, leveraging a hit by pitch and two walks with a run-scoring groundout and an RBI knock by Nunez. The fight continued. The vigor never waned. Cedar Rapids loaded the bases in the ninth and pushed across a run on a Yasser Mercedes walk. Primed with an opportunity to at least tie, if not win the game, the Kernels… fell short. The sweltering rally squashed. De Andrade struck out, Jayson Bass flew out, and Salas’ liner found an outfield glove to wrap things up. The splendidly named Juneiker Caceres ranks as the 82nd-best prospect in MLB. The Cleveland youngster went 1-for-5 with a strikeout. Mussel Matters Game One: Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 10 (7 Innings) Box Score Jui-Chieh Lin: 0 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 0 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Colby Turner (2-for-4, RBI), Ramiro Dominguez (2-for-3, RBI) The Mighty Mussels were thoroughly bested on Wednesday. Jui-Chieh Lin? A mysterious character, indeed. The Twins signed the Taiwan product some six weeks ago, and earmarked Wednesday as his debut in the system. The righty had 22 innings of stateside ball this year with the Aberdeen Ironbirds (Maryland, not Cobain’s hometown) yet has otherwise only pitched in his home nation. BR Bullpen claims he went undrafted thrice there. Lin experienced one of the worst debuts a pitcher could suffer. He plunked the leadoff batter with his inaugural pitch—and it only got worse from there. Two singles—one aided by a throwing error from Lin—and four consecutive uncompetitive walks ended his day out-less. Eight of his 28 pitches went for strikes. If he wants some comfort, he can know that Yennier Cano debuted for the FCL Twins in 2019 with a four-walk no-out stinker before eventually becoming an every day MLB reliever. There’s only up from here. The start smothered this game in the cradle for the Mighty Mussels, as a small three-run fifth inning scramble was the only lipstick they could apply to this swine. Colby Turner and Ramiro Dominguez both earned RBI singles; the third run scored via a wild pitch. Bradenton third baseman Tre Phelps ranks as the 23rd-best prospect in the Pirates system, and he went 1-for-4 in four at-bats. Game Two: Fort Myers 1, Bradenton 0 (7 Innings) Box Score Luis Quiñones: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Mighty Mussels breezed to a shutout win in game two. Melvin Rodriguez allowed a double in the second, starting, and ending the hitting evening for the Marauders. They collected four walks and only twice reached second base. Rodriguez was the bulk arm, collecting 3 2/3 innings while whiffing seven. Sandwiched around him was Luis Quiñones—the starter who threw a lone shutout inning—and Brian Strange, and who totaled 2 1/3 innings to end the game. A fifth inning wild pitch scored Quentin Young for the only run of the game. No member of Pittsburgh’s top 30 prospects played in the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Adrian Bohorquez Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Vahn Lackey PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 2-4, HR, R, RBI, K #2 – Vahn Lackey (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Twins) - 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB #4 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 1-5, K #6 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-3, R, BB #8 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 BB #9 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 3-4, RBI #11 – Carson Tinney (Fort Myers) - 0-2, R, 2 BB #12 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 1-5, HR, R, RBI #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-4, RBI #18 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-2, K #19 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, RBI, BB, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM) - RHP Ricky Castro Arkansas @ Wichita (6:35 PM) - RHP Ty Langenberg Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - RHP Merit Jones Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM) - TBD View the full article

MIAMI, FL - On a night where five of the Marlins eight relievers were out after being heavily used the previous night, the Marlins needed the most out of the available guys: starter Ryan Gusto (5.2 IP), Victor Vodnik (1.1), Janson Junk (1.0 IP) and Dax Fulton (1.0 IP) to close it out. The lone trade that the Miami Marlins swung on deadline day in 2025 was sending Jesus Sanchez to the Houston Astros in exchange for three players, one of those being pitcher Ryan Gusto. Just over a year after the trade, he describes himself as a "different pitcher than the one I was traded for originally." "I think that development isn't linear and it's a good time to look back on that and acknowledge that," Gusto said postgame. "The coaching staff believed in me the whole way and kept working with me on the things that we needed to work on, and I'm really happy with the trend that we've been seeing." On Wednesday night against the Boston Red Sox, Gusto threw 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits, three walks and struck out two. He lowered his ERA to 1.85 in the month of August and on the season, he now has a 3.98 ERA. His 77.8% ground ball rate on the night was the highest of his season. During this August stretch, he's only had one outing where he's allowed more than three runs, which came in a win against the Philadelphia Phillies. One of the biggest year-to-year improvements for Gusto has been his fastball velocity. His fastball previously averaged 94.1 mph, and on Wednesday, he averaged 95.3 mph and topped out at 97.4 mph. He threw 12 pitches of 95 mph or more in his start. "Ryan deserves a lot of credit," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "The velocity being where it's at so consistently certainly helped, but he's put a lot of work in the weight room as well. He comes over last year and is acclimating to new organization, we're asking a lot of him, and it's taken Ryan some time to really buy in, but I think Ryan has seen how a lot of these adjustments and the hard work he's putting in is paying off. Ryan has taken some real steps professionally, personally, that I think now we're seeing the fruits of." After Gusto was unable to complete the sixth inning, McCullough deployed Victor Vodnik out of the bullpen. He struck out Anthony Seigler to complete the sixth and in the seventh inning, he induced three straight groundouts. After a shaky first two outings with the organization, he has settled in, not allowing an earned run in six straight appearances. While Vodnik was pitching, Janson Junk started to warmup in the Marlins bullpen. Expected to throw his pitch design on Wednesday, the Marlins asked him the night before how he felt about pitching an inning out of the bullpen knowing how many relievers wouldn't be able to pitch. After going through a pregame routine, Junk felt good enough to pitch. For Junk, this marked the first time since June 14th of last season that he entered a game as a relief pitcher. In his lone inning of work, Wilyer Abreu flew out, Caleb Durbin grounded out and Mickey Gasper lined out to end the inning. "The biggest thing for me was just the routine," Junk said. "It's been a while since I came out of the pen, so just figuring out what my role was for the day. Luckily enough, they were very clear on what that was, so that eased some of the nerves. They told me the little pocket that I was going to be in and from there, it was understood what it was when I was getting warmed up in the bullpen." With the Marlins leading 2-0, Dax Fulton, who was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville one day before the game, was warming up to pitch in the ninth inning for what would be his first career save. For the Marlins, they tacked on two runs in the ninth inning, so Fulton entered the game with a 4-0 lead. After allowing a lead-off base hit, Fulton struck one out and induced two groundouts to end the game. The Marlins 4-0 win marked the 13th shutout win of the 2026 season, which is also the most since 2014, when they had 16 shutouts. With the win, the Marlins are now 68-66, which puts them four games out of the third National League Wild Card spot. The Marlins will spend an off day in Washington before kicking off a four-game wrap around series with Eury Pérez taking the mound in the first game. View the full article

Ben Brown’s season came to a halt with a neck injury, but his return is finally on the horizon. His ability to thrive in multiple roles could make him a fascinating weapon for Craig Counsell in October. View the full article

It’s no secret that pitching wins games in the postseason. The Twins got two sharp performances from Pablo López and Sonny Gray during the 2023 Wild Card Series, helping them secure their first playoff series victory in more than two decades. While what a team gets from its starting rotation obviously matters, the late-game pitching can be just as important once October rolls around, and clearly, the Twins realize that, too. Minnesota added a trio of relievers at the trade deadline, bringing in a pair of former Blue Jays in Tommy Nance and Jeff Hoffman, as well as A.J. Minter from the Mets. Outside of a rough performance in San Diego this past weekend, the bullpen has been pretty sharp since those additions were made, but that can’t be said for everyone individually. Right-hander Travis Adams, in particular, has really struggled. Since making his major-league debut last season, Adams owns a 6.54 ERA across 75 2/3 innings, with 79 strikeouts and 37 walks. Those numbers paint a pretty clear picture of a pitcher who simply hasn’t been able to find consistent success at the major league level, and at this point, it’s starting to feel like do-or-die for Adams. Across his last 10 appearances, which have totaled 11 1/3 innings, Adams has allowed 10 earned runs. He’s also given up 15 hits and six walks while recording 12 strikeouts, making it difficult for the Twins to justify continuing to give him opportunities simply in the hopes that something eventually clicks. That’s especially true given where Minnesota is in the season. The Twins are still within striking distance of the American League Wild Card race, meaning every game carries significantly more weight than it did earlier in the year. If Minnesota is going to make a legitimate run at October baseball, they need to know which pitchers they can trust when games get tight, and right now, Adams hasn’t given them much reason to believe that he’s one of those pitchers. They’ve largely used him in lower-pressure spots, which makes sense considering his struggles. But even in those situations, the results haven’t been there. That creates a difficult situation for Minnesota, because there’s only so much patience a team can afford to have at this point in the season. It also just so happens that September callups are right around the corner. The Twins will soon have another opportunity to add an arm to their pitching staff, and there’s more than one name who could potentially emerge as an option down the stretch. There are already a pair of right-handed options at Triple-A in Jack Anderson and Garrett Acton, who have shown flashes of success with the Twins this season, albeit in relatively small samples. Acton brings a fastball-slider combination that can generate plenty of whiffs and keep hitters off balance, while Anderson uses his fastball to set up the rest of his pitch mix. Neither has established himself as a major-league staple yet, but both were significantly more effective during their brief stints with Minnesota than Adams has been recently. That’s the part that makes Adams’s situation particularly interesting. The Twins don’t need to find some mystery pitcher who doesn’t exist, as they already have options in the organization who have shown they can get major league hitters out. They just have to decide when it’s time to give one of them another opportunity. That doesn’t mean the Twins need to completely give up on Adams. He has shown enough at times to suggest there is a major-league pitcher in there somewhere, and his strikeout numbers indicate that his stuff isn’t completely inadequate at this level. His slider misses bats against righties; his changeup misses bats against lefties. But at some point, results matter more than a promising stuff profile, especially for a team that is trying to make a postseason push. Adams cannot continue struggling this badly at this point in the season and expect to maintain his spot on a team trying to fight its way into the postseason. The Twins have spent much of the year trying to piece together a reliable pitching staff, and they’ve now added reinforcements to make the bullpen deeper for the stretch run. That leaves less room for pitchers who aren’t getting outs. The margin for error is shrinking by the day, and Adams is running out of opportunities to prove he belongs in the Twins’ plans for October. With September around the corner and multiple potential replacements waiting in the wings, Minnesota has every reason to keep its options open. If Adams can turn things around, great. The Twins would certainly rather have another reliable arm than have to find one elsewhere, but if these struggles continue, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how Adams remains in the majors for much longer. At this point, his leash is only getting shorter. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): Storm Chasers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 52–72-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Smokies lead, 1-0 Season Record: 65–55 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Timber Rattlers lead, 1-0 Season Record: 69–48 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Pelicans lead, 1-0 Season Record: 46–72 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 52–72-1 Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (58-66) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 25: The Iowa Cubs dropped their series opener to the Omaha Storm Chasers, 9-6, on Tuesday night at Principal Park. BJ Murray (3-for-5) got the Cubs on the board in the first with an RBI-triple but the Storm Chasers would eventually make it a 3-1 game after evening the score in the second and going ahead with two in the third. Omaha then made it an 8-1 game by scoring once in the seventh and four more in the eighth. In the home half of the eighth, Murray doubled home a pair of runs to make it 8-3 but the Storm Chasers would get one of those runs back in the ninth to push their lead back to six. Iowa would score three times in its final trip to the plate, on a run-scoring single from Murray and a two-run single from Chas McCormick (1-for-3), but could not rally any further. Javier Assad got the start on the mound for the I-Cubs and took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the season. Assad allowed three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings of work, walked two and struck out two. Hoby Milner made his 10th appearance on his rehab assignment with the Cubs and worked a perfect sixth inning. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 65–55 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (56–61) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Aug. 25: The Knoxville Smokies opened their series at the Biloxi Shuckers with a 9-4 victory on Tuesday night at Keesler Federal Park. Carter Trice (2-for-4) gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI-single and Andy Garriola (3-for-6) doubled the lead with an RBI-single in the second. The Shuckers pulled one back in the second but Knoxville made it 4-1 with a pair of runs in the third, scoring one on an error and another on a sacrifice fly from Alex Madera (3-for-3). Biloxi would eventually make it a 4-4 game after scoring one run in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The Smokies re-took the lead with a three-spot in the sixth thanks to a run scoring on a passed ball, an RBI-single from Miguel Useche (3-for-6) and a sacrifice fly from Ariel Armas (1-for-5). Kane Kepley (1-for-3) put the game away with a two-run homer in the ninth, his third at Double-A, to make it 9-4. Kevin Valdez got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Valdez allowed three runs on five hits over four innings of work, walked three and struck out one. Tyler Ras tossed two scoreless frames in relief, retiring all six batters he faced, including two via strikeout. The Smokies offense amassed 14 hits on the night, with three batters turning in three-hit performances. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 69–48 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (63–53) Series Standing: Trail, 1-0 Aug. 25: The South Bend Cubs opened their series at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a 4-3 defeat on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. The Timber Rattlers took a 2-0 lead in their first trip to the plate but the Cubs were able to answer back with two in the third thanks to a solo shot from Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-4) and a sacrifice fly from Angel Cepeda (0-for-3). Wisconsin would make it 4-2 after scoring one run in each of the fifth and seventh innings. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-4) blasted a solo home run in the ninth to cut the lead to one but the late South Bend rally would be halted. Jostin Florentino got the start on the mound for the Cubs and was handed the loss, dropping his record to 1-4 on the season. Florentino allowed three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings of work, walked one and struck out six. Edwardo Melendez turned in 1 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen and allowed one hit to go along with two walks and two strikeouts. Hartshorn’s solo shot was his 16th at High-A and his 21st across all levels. The Cubs’ No. 1 prospect (North Side Baseball) also reached the 100 RBI mark on the season, reaching that total in 111 games (39 with Myrtle Beach, 72 South Bend). Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 46–72 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (64–56) Series Standing: Lead, 1-0 Aug. 25: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans snapped their six-game losing skid with a 5-4 series-opening victory at the Augusta GreenJackets on Tuesday night at SRP Park. The Green Jackets scored a run in the first before the Pelicans evened the contest with a run in the third thanks to a solo blast from Darlyn De Leon (3-for-4), his second of the season. Myrtle Beach then took a 3-1 lead in the fourth through RBI-singles from Corey Nunez (1-for-2) and De Leon. Augusta would eventually make it a 3-3 contest after pushing runs across in the fifth and sixth innings. Juan Luis Reyes (1-for-4) came up with the biggest swing in the ballgame when he singled home a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to give the Pelicans the lead. The Green Jackets would score once in their final trip to the plate but Jordan Henriquez was able to end the rally and earn the win to improve to 3-4 on the season. Henriquez tossed 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball to end the game, allowed four hits and struck out four. Jubrayker Salaya got the start on the mound for Myrtle Beach and took no decision. Salaya turned in four innings of one-run ball, gave up two hits, walked three and whiffed four. View the full article

With a month left in the season, the American League Wild Card is a jumbled race to secure the third and final spot. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox sit comfortably in the top two spots, with at least a 6.5-game lead over the third spot. However, a losing skid could change their comfort level. The Cleveland Guardians sit in third, with six teams nipping at their heels within five games. The Toronto Blue Jays are three games back, but they have the advantage of playing most of these teams over the next month. With so many teams vying for one spot, there’s a good chance a tiebreaker will come into effect. Here are the tiebreaker scenarios, which can also be found on MLB.com. Tiebreaker Scenarios If Two Teams Are Tied Head-to-head record determines who advances. Intradivision record determines who advances. If both teams are tied in the head-to-head matchup, their records against their divisional opponents decide who moves on. This gives some teams an advantage over the Blue Jays, who are 23-23 in the AL East, as the Central and West are weaker than the East. With a 64-69 record, the Jays would still have a chance at a division title if they weren’t in the East. Record against AL teams determines who advances. Record against AL teams after the All-Star break determines who advances. Outcome of last game versus an AL team before the All-Star break determines who advances. If both teams won or lost the last game against an AL opponent, then the tiebreaker moves to the previous game. Repeat until a winner is determined. If Three Teams Are Tied If all three teams have identical records against one another, tiebreakers are determined in this order. Highest winning percentage among three tied clubs in intradivision games. Highest winning percentage among three tied clubs in intraleague games. Highest winning percentage in the second half of intraleague games. Highest winning percentage in the second half against AL teams plus the last intraleague game of the first half of the season. The “plus one” games can’t be against teams in the tiebreaker. This step backtracks until a winner is determined. If the three teams don’t have identical records against one another, these steps determine the tiebreaker. If one team has a better record against each of the other two, it advances. If no team has a better record against each of the other two: a. The teams will be ranked by their overall winning percentage against the other two teams combined. The team with the highest overall winning percentage in that group qualifies. b. If two of the teams have identical winning percentages against the other two, then they would follow the two-team tiebreak rules to break their tie to determine the qualifier. c. If all three teams have identical winning percentages against the other two, then the tiebreak rules above for three clubs having identical records against one another should be followed. If Four Teams Are Tied If one team has a better record against each of the other three, it advances. Highest winning percentage in games among the tied teams.* Highest winning percentage in intradivision games.* Highest winning percentage in intraleague games.* Highest winning percentage in the second half of AL games.* Highest winning percentage in the second half plus the last first-half AL game. The “plus one” games can’t be against teams in the tiebreaker. This step backtracks until a winner is determined. * If two teams have identical winning percentages, then the two-team tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team qualifies. If three teams have identical winning percentages, then the three-team tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team(s) qualify. How the Blue Jays Can Avoid Tiebreakers Here’s how many games in each upcoming series against teams fighting for the third Wild Card spot the Blue Jays need to win to avoid a tiebreaker. Seattle Mariners - August 28-30 The Blue Jays will need to sweep the Mariners if they want to win the season series. The Mariners won two of three games when Toronto struggled offensively in the middle of the season. The Blue Jays were outscored 14-2 and shut out in two games. Seattle also holds the advantage against intradivisional teams with a 20-13 record in the AL West. This means if the Blue Jays don’t get a sweep, they would be eliminated if they end the season tied with Seattle. Looking at the projected pitching matchups, Toronto has the edge. The matchups are: Game 1: Dylan Cease vs. Emerson Hancock Game 2: José Soriano vs. Kade Anderson Game 3: Max Scherzer vs. Bryce Miller Game three is the coin flip, but the Blue Jays will be favored in the first two matchups. If they win the first two, I prefer Mad Max in a very important game for both teams, but the questionable part is which version of him we see. Cleveland Guardians - September 1-3 The Blue Jays have won two of three games against the Guardians. However, Cleveland has a slight lead in intradivisional record (19-17). To win the head-to-head, the Blue Jays need to win two of the three games. Since this series follows the Mariners series, the projected pitching matchups aren’t as ideal for Toronto right now. Game 1: Bullpen game/Jameson Taillon vs. Gavin Williams Game 2: Spencer Arrighetti vs. Joey Cantillo Game 3: Cease vs. Tanner Bibee With Cease pitching game three, the pressure on fans eases slightly, but facing Gavin Williams in game one will be a tough task. He’s second in strikeouts among AL pitchers (204), five behind Cease. Although, the Blue Jays are a tough team to strike out. Baltimore Orioles - September 11-13 and 21-23 As AL East rivals, the Blue Jays will face the Orioles more than any of their other Wild Card opponents. Toronto holds a 4-3 record against Baltimore this season, so they need to win three games over the two series. They also have the better record in the AL East, as the Orioles are 15-20. Baltimore still has a three-game series against both the Red Sox and Yankees. That divisional record is unlikely to improve by much with strong opponents waiting. Detroit Tigers - September 14-16 The Blue Jays have won two of three games against the Tigers this season. The Blue Jays also hold the intradivisional edge, as the Tigers are 13-25 in the AL Central. Detroit is skidding with only two wins in its last 10 games. The pitching staff is not as impressive after Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize were traded away. This gives Toronto an advantage, as the Jays need to win two of three games to clinch the season series. Texas Rangers - September 18-20 The Blue Jays enter this series having already lost the head-to-head matchup. They were swept in a four-game series at the end of June. However, the Rangers' remaining schedule is much tougher than Toronto’s, with series against four teams with winning records: the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks. The Blue Jays currently trail the Rangers by two games, so they’d need to gain some ground, but the remaining strength of schedules is in their favor. Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins The Blue Jays won’t play the Astros or Twins anymore this season. Toronto tied the Astros in their head-to-head matchup and leads the intradivisional matchup by one game. However, the Astros have a two-game series against the Mariners and a highly favorable four-game series against the Athletics coming up. These will be their last two series of the season, giving the Blue Jays an idea of how many games the Astros will need to lose if both teams are close in the standings. The Twins have won the season series 4-3 and have a 19-18 record against AL Central teams. They have two series against both the White Sox and Tigers remaining, so there’s an opportunity for their intradivisional record to worsen and for the Blue Jays to advance if the season record is tied. View the full article

The San Diego Padres' vaunted bullpen has taken a hit. Right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada was placed on the 15- day injured list by the Padres on Wednesday due to a right shoulder impingement. Right-handed reliever David Morgan was called up from the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. Estrada last pitched in Monday's 3-2 loss in 12 innings to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He handled the 12th inning and gave up the go-ahead run on a leadoff single. For the season, Estrada has a 3.02 FIP (3.48 ERA) with a 12.7% walk rate and 30.2% strikeout rate over 31 innings and 33 games. This is Estrada's third trip to the IL this year. In April, he had right elbow tendinitis that kept him out three weeks, then Estrada missed nearly two months (June 5-July 29) due to right knee inflammation. Morgan is back with the Padres for the third time this season. He was optioned to Triple-A on April 30 following early struggles, then came back up June 5, replacing Estrada at that time, too. But he then landed on the 15-day IL on June 29 with inflammation in his left knee. Once healthy, he came off the IL and optioned to El Paso. He has a 4.08 FIP (4.50 ERA) and a walk rate of 12.4% and a strikeout rate of 24.8%. View the full article

Johan Santana. Bert Blyleven. Brad Radke. Jim Kaat. The Minnesota Twins have had legendary pitchers throughout their history. From dominant strikeout artists to workhorse starters, the franchise has produced plenty of memorable performances on the mound. Yet, somehow, there were still a few boxes left unchecked. Taj Bradley checked one of them Tuesday night. In the Twins' 4-2 loss to the Athletics, Bradley became the first pitcher in franchise history to throw an immaculate inning. It was an odd distinction to achieve in a losing effort, but it was also a moment that deserves to be noted, in the context of what has been a breakout season for Bradley. An immaculate inning requires a pitcher to strike out three consecutive hitters on nine pitches, with every pitch resulting in a strike. Bradley did exactly that in the bottom of the fifth inning. And he did it in style. Facing the bottom of Oakland's lineup, Bradley opened the inning against Carlos Cortes. After getting ahead 0-2 on a pair of fastballs, he dropped a 92.3-MPH splitter below the zone. Cortes chased, giving Bradley his seventh strikeout of the night. Brian Serven was next. Bradley quickly got ahead 0-2 with two swinging strikes on a cutter and a 98-MPH fastball. Ahead in the count, Bradley got Serven to chase a curveball in the dirt. Six pitches into the inning, Bradley had two strikeouts and was one plate appearance away from making Twins history. Henry Bolte stepped into the box. That's when catcher Victor Caratini recognized what was happening. There was no reason to get cute. “On the last pitch, that's why I called a fastball, because I was like, '[Forget] it, best pitch,'” Caratini said. “He threw, like, 100 [MPH] and the batter was frozen. That's pretty nice.” Pretty nice might be underselling it. Bradley painted a 99.8-MPH four-seam fastball at the very bottom of the strike zone. Bolte didn't swing. The umpire called strike three. Nine pitches. Nine strikes. Three strikeouts. Immaculate. For a franchise that has existed in Minnesota since 1961, it's remarkable that nobody had done it before—at least, as far as we know. Santana never did it. Radke never did it. Blyleven, Kaat, Frank Viola and many others pitched parts or all of their careers before official pitch-by-pitch data, which stretches back only to 1988. Just to take one obvious example, Viola struck out the first six batters he faced in his first start of 1987. The official play-by-play data does not include pitch-by-pitch breakdowns. One of those innings might well have been immaculate. An inning thrown by Dean Chance or Luis Tiant, somewhere in the dim annals of the club, might have been immaculate, but unremarked-upon. This wasn't a well-tracked phenomenon until much too late for anyone to be rule out immaculate frames for years before the late 1980s. Still, officially, no other hurler in Twins history accomplished the feat. Bradley did. And considering how rare an immaculate inning is, it's fitting that the sequence showcased one of the biggest strengths of Bradley's game: his ability to overpower hitters with a varied arsenal. An Immaculate Inning, but a Very Maculate Night The immaculate inning wasn't the only impressive part of Bradley's performance. He finished with 11 strikeouts, matching his career high. Entering Tuesday, the 25-year-old had already established himself as one of Minnesota's most dependable starters. For the season, he has a 3.97 ERA, 169 strikeouts in 147 1/3 innings and 3.3 WAR, leading the Twins' rotation in that category. His overall line against Oakland wasn't nearly as clean as the fifth inning. That's what made the loss so frustrating. Bradley was dominant for most of the evening, but two brief stretches ultimately decided the game. In the second inning, he surrendered a two-out double followed by a home run. Then, in the sixth, another two-out rally produced two more runs. The Twins have been playing baseball in Minnesota for more than six decades. Generations of pitchers have taken the mound wearing a Twins uniform. Some became franchise icons. Others put together seasons worthy of the Hall of Fame. None can say definitively that they mowed down the opposition without even a blip of resistance in an inning, though, except Bradley. Now, he can turn his attention to producing more scoreless innings—less impressive each time they're accomplished, but far more important when strung and clumped together. What stood out about Bradley’s immaculate inning? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

While there is a lot to determine about his future, Yu Darvish is giving himself a chance to make a decision about returning to the San Diego Padres. Darvish threw a second bullpen session before Wednesday's Padres-Pittsburgh Pirates game at Petco Park, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Darvish, who turned 40 on Aug. 16, had internal brace surgery on his right elbow in October. He is currently on the Padres' restricted list (an agreed-upon move), which means he is not receiving his $16 million salary for 2026. Darvish is under contract for $15 million for each of the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Regardless of the business side of things, the popular Padres pitcher being back on a mound even in a light bullpen session is a positive step in his recovery from elbow surgery. Darvish indicated to MLB.com that he doesn't know if he intends to be part of the Padres in 2027, but this does allow him the opportunity to keep that a possibility. Darvish made 15 starts in 2025 with a 4.82 FIP (5.38 ERA). View the full article

With September approaching and Mason Miller having logged 56⅓ innings, less than 10 frames of his career high (65) including the playoffs, there are several questions facing the San Diego Padres. Should they manage Miller’s workload a little more carefully? Or is it worth taking the necessary risks to win games? Miller is second in the National League with 32 saves, a 0.896 ERA, a 0.87 FIP and 3.2 fWAR. His imposing fastball is averaging 101.4 mph, and he has an absurd strikeout rate of 16.31 batters per nine innings. Miller is also the reliever with the most games finished (47) in the National League, another indication of his heavy workload. If the Padres’ plan is to give him rest whenever possible, lightening his workload could keep the right-hander much more prepared to face October. However, it is inevitable to think about the risk the bullpen would face when he is unavailable. At a postgame press conference earlier this month after Bradgley Rodriguez handled a save opportunity, manager Craig Stammen said that “there is absolutely nothing wrong with Mason. This was simply a matter of rest.” He also praised Rodriguez’s ability: “He’s going to get some opportunities here when Mason can’t pitch. We also have other guys in the bullpen: Adrián [Morejon], Jeremiah [Estrada], Jason [Adam] and all of them are capable of pitching the ninth inning." The Padres’ bullpen depth has been decisive throughout the season. They have the second-most innings pitched (565) in the National League and lead all of MLB with 7.5 fWAR. Miller and Morejón (2.3) have been the main pillars, combining for 5.5, followed by Rodriguez with 1.3. If we add Wandy Peralta to the equation, this is the result of the heavy workload each of them has carried: -Miller: 56 ⅓ innings (65 in 2024); six games below last season’s career high. -Morejón: 72 innings (73 2/3 last year); 14 fewer games than last year. -Peralta: 64 innings (71 ⅔ last year); 16 fewer games. -Rodriguez: 58 innings (45 ⅓ between the minor leagues and the Padres); 14 more games. That summary leads us to think about a bigger problem, since this is not just about Miller’s workload. Morejón, Peralta and Rodriguez have also accumulated a large number of innings and appearances, so they are also very likely to receive some rest. From there, the big question is how much risk the Padres will take when Miller is unavailable. And not all the answers are in the bullpen. The pitching analysis should begin with the starters. Throughout the season, the team has leaned on the bullpen because of the inconsistency of its rotation. The Padres still have the third-worst average innings per start, at 4⅓ per game. At the same time, they have the third-highest percentage of starters (41%) who do not reach 80 pitches. In other words, literally, the bullpen has carried the bulk of the outs every day. My colleagues @Steve Drumwright and @Randy Holt have insisted on the Padres Mission podcast about the need for the Padres’ starters to be able to deliver deep outings. Since Aug. 3, when Casey Mize and Robbie Ray arrived following the trade deadline, San Diego starters have covered 110 innings over 21 games, good for about 5.2 per start. Although Mize and Ray have had their lumps with the Friars, there is already a slight improvement in the rotation’s durability. We also shouldn’t rule out the offense becoming a turning point; since the deadline, the Padres are fifth in team wRC+ (110). That said, I see no reason to think that Miller’s rest, along with that of some of the other top relievers, is going to cause chaos. Between the seventh and ninth innings, the Padres have allowed the lowest slugging percentage (.334) in the entire league, tied with the Milwaukee Brewers’ pitchers. The bullpen’s only vulnerable point has come when relievers face the opposing lineup for a second time, allowing a .319/.391/.566 offensive line, with the fourth-highest OPS+ (145) in the entire league. So, even with Miller receiving more rest and likely taking turns with Morejón and Rodriguez to close out games, the most concerning point I see here remains the starting pitching. If they can go deeper and the offense continues to produce in clutch situations, the Padres will remain a strong contender heading into October. View the full article

The 2026 trade deadline for the Chicago Cubs was headlined by the additions they made to their pitching staff. The front office added a trio of starters (Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and Braxton Garrett) just before the deadline, while David Peterson joined the rotation earlier this summer. They also added reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, but one other addition flew somewhat under the radar amid all the pitching reinforcements: outfielder Tyrone Taylor. Taylor came over from the New York Mets alongside Holmes, in the deal that sent shortstop prospect Jefferson Rojas to Queens. At the time, it was difficult to envision Taylor getting much playing time in Chicago. The Cubs already had a crowded outfield, and he seemed destined to serve primarily as a short-side platoon bat against left-handed pitching and a fourth outfielder off the bench. That has been more or less the case since his arrival. But there’s one important wrinkle: Taylor has been really good—maybe good enough to force the issue a bit. It’s obviously still a tiny sample, but Taylor has made the most of his opportunities. Through 28 at-bats with the Cubs, he’s slashing .321/.412/.393. He hasn’t hit a home run yet, but he’s consistently getting on base and putting the ball in play. That’s exactly what the Cubs were hoping to get when they acquired him. Taylor gives Counsell another right-handed option who can handle left-handed pitching, and that creates a pretty interesting question for Chicago’s outfield. There are currently six outfielders on the major-league roster: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Taylor, Kevin Alcántara and Michael Conforto. That’s already a lot of bodies for three positions, but it becomes an even bigger problem when Matt Shaw makes his return. Shaw has been out since late June with a sprained left hand, but he’s currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa. He’s gone 4-10 at the plate over three games, and his return is clearly getting closer. Like Taylor, Shaw gives the Cubs a right-handed bat who can provide some value against left-handed pitching. And because he made the transition to right field this past offseason, there’s a pretty clear path for him to remain part of the outfield mix when he returns. Of course, the Cubs almost have too many options at this point. Six outfielders is already overkill for a three-man starting group, let alone seven. So something is going to have to give. Just to get it out of the way, that probably means Alcántara is once again the odd man out. The Cubs have already optioned Alcántara to Triple-A multiple times this season, so there is precedent for him being the casualty of a crowded position-player group. More importantly, his major-league production simply hasn’t stacked up with what Shaw can provide. Alcántara is also one of several right-handed bats already occupying the roster, which makes it even more difficult to justify keeping him around if the Cubs need to clear a spot. Taylor’s situation is different. The Cubs just acquired him, he fills a specific need, and he’s already shown that he can produce in the role they envisioned for him. It would be pretty surprising to see Chicago move on from him after acquiring him specifically to give the lineup another right-handed option. Conforto should remain a strong-side platoon option against right-handed pitching, too. But because his defensive profile is different from the rest of Chicago’s outfielders, he can also take on more of the DH workload, which helps alleviate some of the roster crunch. That leaves Shaw and Taylor as the really interesting pieces. Because of Shaw’s limited exposure to left and center field, it seems pretty likely that right field remains his primary home. Suzuki, of course, will continue to receive the bulk of the work there, but against left-handed pitching, either player could slide into the DH spot, depending on how Counsell wants to construct the lineup. There’s also the possibility of Shaw getting some work at third base. With the Cubs dealing with limited infield depth, his versatility could be just as valuable on the dirt as it is in the outfield. Taylor, meanwhile, has primarily worked in left field this season, which happens to fit pretty nicely into the Cubs’ current configuration. Happ’s struggles against left-handed pitching have created an opportunity for him to take some of those at-bats, while Crow-Armstrong has center field locked down. The Cubs didn’t acquire him because they needed another everyday outfielder. They acquired him because they needed another weapon, particularly against left-handed pitching, and he’s already shown that he can be useful in that role. The Cubs now have (almost) too many outfield options, which is a great problem to have with the postseason approaching. Still, it’s a problem they’re going to have to solve. When Shaw returns, Chicago will have to figure out how to distribute playing time among a group that includes several legitimate options. Alcántara appears to be the most likely odd man out, while Taylor has done enough in limited opportunities to make his role considerably more interesting than it looked when he arrived. The Cubs may have a roster configuration headache coming their way, but when the most meaningful stretch of the season arrives, having too many capable outfielders is exactly the kind of problem every contender would love to have. View the full article

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. Multiple national outlets have six Marlins on their updated MLB Top 100 prospects lists, but as usual, we also shine the light on lesser-known players in the organization who could eventually have significant roles with the big league club. This report covers the games played from August 18-24. Triple-A Jacksonville It was a 4-2 week for the Jumbo Shrimp against the Memphis Red Birds (St. Louis Cardinals affiliate). In the series finale against the Red Birds, Jonathon Long hit his first home run since being acquired by the Marlins. The ball left the bat at 109.4 mph and went 447 feet to left field. It was his 13th home run of the season overall. He is now slashing .244/.452/.378/.830 as a member of the org. It has been a strong year for Kemp Alderman, who hit his 18th home run last week. However, his development is not quite finished as he continues to have issues making contact. In August, Alderman has been striking out nearly 40% of the time. He could still be a potential September call-up option, but the elevated K rate combined with the effects of the impending MLB lockout complicate the decision. Keeping him off the 40-man roster would keep the line of communication with Marlins coaches open during the lockout and ensure he is eligible to participate in a full spring training and minor league season in 2027. Brandan Bidois, acquired in the Lake Bachar trade, made his organizational debut this past week. Bidois couldn't get out of the seventh inning, though he struck out three of the five batters he faced. Bidois' fastball averaged 95.5 mph and topped out at 96.5 mph. He also threw his slider and changeup. A pleasant surprise during the first half of the season, infielder Gage Miller is coming back down to earth. He has only two hits in his last 28 at-bats. Even so, he's been performing nicely overall with a .272/.391/.465/.856 slash line and 131 wRC+ through 69 games. Double-A Pensacola The Wahoos put a throw-away game at the start of their series against Knoxville behind them, responding with four straight victories. With contributions from all over their lineup, the team looks primed for the Southern League playoffs. They are currently five and a half games ahead of the Columbus Clingstones for the second-half division SOU South title. What more can we say about Brandon Compton? The guy just hits. In this series, the lefty went 7-for-19 with two more home runs. He is the first Marlins prospect to hit 30+ home runs in a minor league season since 2021. Compton is riding a 14-game hit streak and putting together one of the more impressive MiLB seasons we’ve been privileged to witness in quite some time. If there’s been one downside at all to Compton’s season, it has been the fact that virtually all of his damage has been done against opposite-handed pitching. During an exclusive Fish Unfiltered interview, Compton explained how he is working to solve for that behind the scenes, including hitting BP off Mason Sherrill, a former left-handed pitching prospect. Compton made his pro debut as a first baseman on Sunday. He stated in our interview that he is open to becoming more versatile despite not having played the position since his days in wood bat summer leagues. If things go well for Compton at first base, MLB opportunities could come in pretty short order, with that being a position where they've lacked stability. At the very least, Compton has already earned himself an MLB camp invite in 2027. Fish On First has learned that right-hander Holt Jones is being promoted from Pensacola to Jacksonville. A 27-year-old reliever, Jones' season was not noteworthy until about a month ago. He's been nearly flawless since then, particularly dominant against right-handed batters. Drafted by the Fish way back in 2021 out of the University of Kentucky, Jones' arsenal is comprised of a four-seam fastball, slider and cutter. He uses his extra-large 6'7" frame to get good extension down the mound. His mid-90s heater plays up as a result. Expect Jones to continue to be used in a multi-inning relief role with the Shrimp. High-A Beloit Beloit inched closer to a playoff spot this week, winning five very meaningful games against the Cedar Rapids Kernals. Pitching was the star of the show: the Carp staff limited their opponents to just 16 runs total over 54 innings. Beloit now sits in a tie with Quad Cities atop the Midwest League West division in the second half. To say Cody Schrier has had an up-and-down season would be putting it lightly. After struggling with offensive consistency in the first half, the 23-year-old first baseman was placed on the development list. Since returning, Schrier has found a new side and improved version of himself. In the first half, he slashed just .198/.338/.371. In the second half, .318/.370/.618. That includes a 9-for-23 performance in this week’s series. Schrier was one of the most advanced high school bats in his class, ranking as the second-best prep shortstop in California. He played in parts of three collegiate seasons at UCLA and showed flashes, but missed most of 2023 due to injury and his production cratered in 2024. The Marlins challenged him quickly in his pro career, sending Schrier to Beloit last year despite spending just 47 games at Low-A in which he slashed .237/.295/.335. Underlying stats overall this year for Schrier are solid; he’s right around league average in terms of walks and just above league average in limiting strikeouts. The swing isn’t bad at all, either. With a good pedigree and solid tools, it could be that Schrier just needed proper time to develop while under less stress. Schrier could turn into a steal as a 13th-round pick who has defensive versatility at multiple positions, though we will need to see a bit more of a sample size to make that determination. Nate Payne had been on a good trajectory in each of his previous two outings, limiting damage and showing swing-and-miss stuff. The only thing not there for Payne was the innings as he lasted just a combined 8 ⅔ frames. Payne solved for that by being more economical with his pitches and limiting walks as he completed six innings for the first time since June 26. He allowed one run and struck out eight. Payne’s overall numbers are above average on the year. He has a 3.58 ERA in 100.2 IP. His recent limitation had been in working too deep into counts and elevating his pitch count early in games. Having to come further into the zone in longer at-bats had also allowed opposing hitters to get the better of him. His BAA in July was .265. In these last three starts, though, Payne has been able to work ahead earlier in at-bats and mix more to his liking, leading to a much more efficient .224 BAA in his last 14.2 IP. Payne doesn’t have blow-it-by-you velocity; when he's at his best, he’s a strike-thrower who is able to limit contact early in counts, induce ground balls and utilize two very good breakers to get whiffs. The command is still the biggest question mark for Payne, but when it is on, he has the potential of a mid-rotation starter. At the very least, he could be a viable multiple-inning reliever at the next level. Low-A Jupiter It was a 2-3 week for the Hammerheads against the Bradenton Marauders. Eric Guevera recently made his pro debut and in eight games, he has slashed .292/.414/.542/.955 with two home runs, six RBI and a 151 wRC+. The Marlins selected Guevera in the seventh round of the 2026 MLB Draft. Struggles for PJ Morlando continue. In 82 games, he is slashing .199/.325/.318/.643 with eight home runs, 33 RBI and a 79 wRC+. After a month of July where he had a .779 OPS, the best mark for him in the minors, August has seen his numbers dip back down to the season norm, a .660 OPS. It's tough to deny at this point that the Marlins regret making him a first-round pick. After struggling in July, Luis Arana is back to looking like himself. In 15 games this month, he is slashing .283/.377/.415/.792 with one home run and three RBI. On the season, he also has 37 stolen bases with a 109 wRC+ between the FCL and Low-A levels. Jacob Lombard is slashing .241/.382/.407/.790 with three home runs, 12 RBI and a 116 wRC+. The only concern is the 36.8% strikeout rate, but is walking 14.7% of the time. Lombard continues to look comfortable at the plate and defensively, he looks like a serious candidate to stick at shortstop. This week's schedule Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Nashville Double-A Pensacola at Montgomery High-A Beloit at Quad Cities Low-A Jupiter vs. Tampa View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers have spent much of the season making it look easy, but with August nearly in the rearview mirror, the real work is about to begin. Milwaukee hasn’t punched its ticket to October just yet, but it has built enough separation to turn the final weeks of the regular season into a race for position, rather than a fight for survival. With September approaching, the Brewers are looking to make sure the road to the World Series runs through Milwaukee. Here’s a quick look at what’s left for the Brewers, schedule-wise. Remaining Brewers Schedule, at a Glance Games Remaining: 31 Home / Road: 12 / 19 Games vs .500+ Teams: 16 Remaining Strength of Schedule: 11th-hardest Key Storylines in the Final 5 Weeks Lots of NL Central Action The Brewers face all four of their divisional foes in at least one series before the end of the season. They play five straight series against NL Central teams, starting on August 31 against the Cubs and ending September 17 in Pittsburgh, against the Pirates. Chicago is the rival they face twice, with four of those games coming at Wrigley Field. Milwaukee has fared well against the division so far this year, going 22-11. Hopefully, the good times keep rolling en route to yet another NL Central title for the Brew Crew. Two Interleague Series Remaining The American League hasn’t been as great as the National League this year, and the Brewers have shown that, going 27-15 against the junior circuit so far. Two series remain: one against the Rangers in Milwaukee during the last weekend in August, and one in Baltimore. The Rangers are currently atop the AL West and are competing for a playoff spot, so that series should be competitive. As for the Orioles, they sold at the deadline but are only 2.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot. By the time that series rolls around, who knows where the O’s will be in the standings? But they still have some good bats, headlined by Pete Alonso. Those two series should give Milwaukee one last chance to test itself against the American League before the postseason arrives. If the Brewers can continue their success against AL opponents, they could head into October with plenty of confidence. A Race for the 1st Seed The Dodgers, Braves, and Rays all trail the Brewers by fewer than five games in the race for home-field advantage throughout the postseason, keeping the pressure on Milwaukee down the stretch. The Dodgers have the easiest remaining strength of schedule among the four teams, while the Rays and Braves face tougher schedules than the Brewers based on opponents’ winning percentages. That gives Milwaukee a favorable path over the final weeks, but with three teams still within striking distance, there isn’t much room for the Brewers to let up. The Brewers have put themselves in a great position heading into the final five weeks, but there’s still plenty left to play for. Between the NL Central race, a challenging group of remaining opponents, and the fight for the No. 1 seed, every game down the stretch will matter. If Milwaukee can keep doing what it has done all season, the Brewers should have a great chance to enter October as one of the favorites in the National League. What are your thoughts on the rest of the schedule? Do any games/series stick out to you? View the full article

The Twins wanted Framber Valdez this offseason. It was one of the biggest free-agent pursuits of the winter, and for a minute there, it looked like Minnesota might actually land the left-handed ace. Ultimately, Valdez signed a three-year, $115-million contract with the Detroit Tigers, leaving the Twins without the big pitching addition many fans were hoping for. It was a late lunge after an unexpected pair of major leadership changes during the winter; there just wasn't enough runway to land the plane. According to Bobby Nightingale of the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Twins made a late pursuit of Valdez and put a multi-year offer on the table for the left-handed All-Star. Valdez was the last marquee free agent available, and signed on Feb. 10. Tom Pohlad later confirmed the pursuit and made it clear the Twins were willing to go well beyond their typical spending comfort zone if Zoll believed the move was right for the organization. At the time, the Twins missing out on Valdez became another piece of evidence for those who believed Pohlad had talked a bigger game than he was actually willing to play. The team had reportedly made a serious offer for one of the best starting pitchers available, but Valdez ultimately chose Detroit, and later reporting made it clear that the team was never especially close to wooing the southpaw. The more we see from Valdez this season, however, the more it looks like the Twins may dodged a bullet. There's no way around it: Valdez has been bad this season. Through 26 starts, the 32-year-old lefty has a 4.35 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His 1.5 fWAR is hardly what the Tigers envisioned when they handed him a huge annual average value (AAV). His expected ERA sits at 4.50, suggesting his results are a fairly accurate representation of how he has pitched. Even more concerning is what has happened to his ability to miss bats. Valdez has struck out just 17.4% of opposing hitters, the lowest rate of his career and a significant drop from last season. His whiff percentage has also fallen to a career-low 19.8%, down 6.8 percentage points from last year. Those numbers are particularly concerning for the Tigers, because Valdez's success has always been built around generating weak contact while still having enough swing-and-miss ability to get out of trouble. His velocity has taken a step backward across his pitch mix, providing another potential warning sign. The Tigers have been one of the most disappointing teams in all of baseball this season, and the performance of Framber Valdez is certainly part of what has ailed the team. Perhaps most concerning is that there isn't an obvious injury explanation for the dip in stuff. Valdez has remained in Detroit's rotation and hasn't missed time because of an injury. The only games he missed came because of the six-game suspension he served after intentionally throwing a ball at Boston's Trevor Story in May. Valdez will turn 33 after the season, making it possible the Twins were looking at an aging pitcher whose best days are behind him. That doesn't mean he can't bounce back, but it makes committing more than $100 million to him considerably more frightening. The Tigers can probably survive the Valdez contract if it turns into a bad one. Detroit typically operates with a payroll that gives the organization more room to absorb a mistake of this magnitude. The Twins have very little margin for error. We've already seen what happens when Minnesota gets locked into an expensive contract that doesn't work out. Carlos Correa's deal has become a perfect example, as the Twins eventually agreed to pay him $10 million per season for three years not to play for them. Imagine making a similar decision with Valdez while he's earning roughly $38 million per season. There's also another reason the Twins may have been better off avoiding Valdez: they don't necessarily need to buy a starting rotation. Their pitching situation is actually set up fairly well for next season. Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley are a locked-in trio to lead the starting rotation next season. They also have Mick Abel, Zebby Matthews, Connor Prielipp and Kendrys Rojas, while newly-added Dean Kremer provides another experienced option with another year of arbitration remaining. Had Minnesota signed Valdez, one of those young pitchers would almost certainly have been pushed out of the rotation picture. Instead, the Twins have flexibility to see what their young arms can do and determine where they actually need help. There's certainly a fair argument that the Twins should have been more aggressive this offseason. Pohlad said he was willing to make a splash, and the organization ultimately didn't make the kind of major investment that would have demonstrated a dramatic change in philosophy. Valdez, however, is a different conversation. He comes with makeup concerns, which the team might have factored into its reluctance to go as far as Detroit did. He also comes with major performance red flags, and the smaller-payroll Twins were wise not to let him become a drag on their operation. What do you think? Were the Twins lucky to miss out on Framber Valdez, or would you still rather have the veteran lefty locked into the rotation despite his struggles this season? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View the full article

Sometimes, the injury bug just hits one team harder than others. This year, it's the Toronto Blue Jays. Shane Bieber is the latest player to hit the injured list, as he has been placed on the 15-day IL with right teres major inflammation, retroactive to August 21. Chad Dallas was recalled to replace him. According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, Bieber felt the issue in his bullpen session on Sunday, and John Schneider described the injury as mild to moderate. He will not throw for two weeks, with no timetable beyond that. Even though his season is not officially over, the Blue Jays only have 30 games remaining, and two weeks without throwing leaves Bieber with very little time to build back up before the end of the regular season. For Bieber and the team, this comes at an inopportune time; Bieber had been pitching his best baseball lately. After struggling during his first few starts off the IL, Bieber looked much better in his last seven games, pitching to a 3.08 ERA with a FIP that supported it. The highlight was his most recent start against the Rays, in which he went seven innings, threw over 100 pitches, and struck out a season-high seven batters. Bieber originally returned to Toronto after picking up his $16 million player option in the offseason, but after he began the season on the IL with elbow inflammation, injuries found him again. He’ll end up with only 11 starts for the Jays in 2026, barring a late-season comeback. The timing is also unfortunate for Bieber, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. After missing the majority of the 2024 campaign and a large portion of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery, he’s now battled both shoulder and elbow injuries in 2026. That will add another layer of uncertainty for teams interested in signing Bieber for 2027. Bieber's injury further muddles an already complicated pitching puzzle. Like Bieber, Trey Yesavage began the season on the IL, then returned to the Jays, and now he's back on the list. Patrick Corbin, who had made 15 starts for the team, is also out with a shoulder injury. Yimi García, Cody Ponce, and José Berríos, who were all supposed to play an important role in the pitching puzzle, have combined to throw less than three innings all season. Spencer Arrighetti is stretching out after returning from the IL last week, while Jameson Taillon and Joe Mantiply are still working their way back. The extent of the Blue Jays' pitching problems becomes even clearer when looking at Baseball Prospectus’s injury data. From a WARP perspective (Baseball Prospectus’s version of WAR), no team in baseball has lost more projected value due to injuries than the Toronto Blue Jays. Kevin Gausman and Eric Lauer have both been traded, and even some of the Blue Jays' pitching depth lower down the chart has taken a hit. Jake Bloss, who came from the Astros at the 2024 deadline, was eventually supposed to be a key part of this rotation, as was Bowden Francis, who would have had a very real opportunity to show what he could do in 2026. Instead, injuries have kept both pitchers off a major league mound all season. For now, the Blue Jays will start a bullpen game today against the Royals to fill Bieber's initial turn in the rotation, and as long as Arrighetti and Taillon return without setbacks, they’ll rejoin the starting five. That will leave the team with a rotation of: Dylan Cease José Soriano Max Scherzer Spencer Arrighetti Jameson Taillon Surprisingly, Scherzer is now the longest-tenured Blue Jay of the group. The injury comes at a rough time, as the Blue Jays find themselves thick in the AL Wild Card race, and any chance they have at making the playoffs relies on them playing competitive baseball down the stretch. Their remaining schedule is full of teams they are directly competing with in the standings, and the rest of their opponents are below .500, meaning if the Blue Jays can keep winning games, they have a chance to get into the playoffs. FanGraphs has their playoff odds at 10.4%. For Shane Bieber, it's back to the rest-and-rehab process, something he’s been getting all too familiar with. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, they’ll have to find a new way to piece together their pitching puzzle, which is no new challenge for them either. It's been a season of trying and making rapid adjustments on the fly, and with Bieber's latest injury, the Blue Jays will be forced to make another one of those adjustments, this time with their playoff chances hanging in the balance. View the full article

Yovanny Rodriguez has been scuffling at the plate since his promotion to Single-A St. Lucie in late July. His performance Tuesday was a welcome change. The 19-year-old catcher from Venezuela had two home runs, a single and three RBIs in the Mets’ 12-5 victory at Daytona. He’s up to four homers in 17 games for St. Lucie, and that has helped push his slugging percentage with the club to .426. His first homer, a leadoff blast in the third, broke a 5-5 tie. It ended up being the game-winning hit as the Mets’ bullpen held Daytona scoreless over the final seven innings. His second homer, a solo shot in the eighth, closed the scoring. Rodriguez has found his power stroke in his third professional season. He had seven homers in 180 plate appearances for the FCL Mets prior to his promotion this summer. In his first two seasons, he had just four homers in 329 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League. His other key numbers with St. Lucie are lacking: a .279 on-base percentage, a 38.2 percent strikeout rate and an 8.8 walk rate in 68 PAs. The home runs help ease the pain. Elsewhere in the organization: Syracuse lost 2-1 at Lehigh Valley. The IronPigs’ offense consisted of a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning off starter Jonathan Santucci. Ronny Mauricio homered for the Mets’ run. Binghamton lost 8-6 at Reading, blowing leads of 4-0 and 6-3. They were up 6-4 in the eighth when Saul Garcia gave up two home runs and four runs in all. Five home runs accounted for all of Binghamton’s runs. Brooklyn was held to six hits in a 4-1 loss at Hudson Valley. Yonatan Henriquez had three of them, a home run and two doubles. New York Mets Transactions New York Mets sent 1B Mark Vientos on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. Santucci Recovers From Early Homer In Syracuse Loss Santucci has struggled since moving up to Triple-A, so it was encouraging to see him move past the gopher ball and finish his start with four scoreless innings. He struck out seven and walked one while allowing two runs on five hits. The one walk was his fewest with Syracuse --- he issued at least three free passes in each of his first four starts for the club. Mauricio cut the deficit in half in the fourth with his 16th home run of the season. The Mets had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth. They loaded the bases after two were out on a double by Zack Short, a walk to Nick Morabito and a hit by pitch for Emilien Pitre, but Billy Amick struck out to end the threat. Mark Vientos (hand fracture) had his rehab assignment moved to Syracuse this week. He played seven innings at first base Tuesday and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Syracuse Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 3 0 1 0 1 0 Émilien Pitre 2 0 1 0 1 0 Mark Vientos 3 0 0 0 0 2 Billy Amick 1 0 0 0 0 1 Ronny Mauricio 4 1 1 1 0 0 MJ Melendez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Nick Lorusso 4 0 0 0 0 2 D'Andre Smith 3 0 0 0 0 0 Hayden Senger 3 0 0 0 0 1 Zack Short 3 0 2 0 0 0 Syracuse Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Santucci 5 5 2 2 1 7 1 Matt Seelinger 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Dan Hammer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Brian Metoyer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Binghamton’s Long Balls Go To Waste The Rumble Ponies got solo homers from Eli Serrano, Jefferson Rojas, John Bay and Corey Collins, and a two-run shot by Chris Suero. Serrano homered in the second for a 1-0 Binghamton lead. Rojas went deep in the fourth to make it 2-0. It was his fifth homer since joining the Rumble Ponies and his 20th overall this season. Suero’s homer pushed the lead to 4-0 in the sixth. Bay and Collins went back-to-back to lead off the seventh for a 6-3 lead after Reading scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Binghamton starter Gary Gill Hill was charged with those three runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. The third run was inherited by Cristofer Gomez. Hill walked none and struck out seven. Reading got a run back in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-4 and then jumped on Garcia in the eighth. A leadoff home run, a walk, a single and a run-scoring wild pitch tied the game 6-6. A two-out, two-run homer put the Fightin’ Phils up for good. Kevin Parada had two of the Ponies’ three non-homer hits. Collins had the other. Binghamton Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 0 0 0 1 Marco Vargas 5 0 0 0 0 1 Jefferson Rojas 4 1 1 1 0 3 Jacob Reimer 3 1 0 0 1 0 Chris Suero 4 1 1 2 0 1 Eli Serrano III 3 1 1 1 1 1 John Bay 4 1 1 1 0 3 Corey Collins 3 1 2 1 1 1 Kevin Parada 4 0 2 0 0 1 Binghamton Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Gary Gill Hill 5 1/3 7 3 3 0 7 0 Cristofer Gomez 0 2/3 1 0 0 1 0 0 Carlos Guzman 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 Saul Garcia 1 3 4 4 1 0 2 Henriquez A Bright Spot In Brooklyn Loss Henriquez put the Cyclones in front 1-0 in the fourth with his 10th homer of the season. He doubled in the second and the ninth. Hudson Valley tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fourth and took the lead on a two-run homer in the fifth. All three runs came off starter Nicolas Carreno, who went 5 2/3 innings. Carreno allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked two. The Renegades’ final run came home in the seventh when catcher Daiverson Gutierrez committed a throwing error on a steal of third base. Trey Snyder chipped in two hits for the Cyclones, who were coming off a huge offensive series against Asheville. They scored 64 runs in winning four of the six games. Brooklyn Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Sammy Stafura 4 0 0 0 0 0 Elian Peña 3 0 1 0 1 0 Aidan Smith 2 0 0 0 1 0 Eddinson Paulino 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Trey Snyder 4 0 2 0 0 1 Yonatan Henriquez 4 1 3 1 0 0 John Smith III 0 0 0 0 1 0 John Spikerman 2 0 0 0 1 2 Daiverson Gutierrez 2 0 0 0 1 0 Antonio Jimenez 3 0 0 0 0 0 Brooklyn Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nicolas Carreno 5 2/3 4 3 3 2 7 1 Gregori Louis 1 1/3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Ryan Dollar 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 St. Lucie Rides Early Offense To Win The Mets scored twice in the first and three times in the second for a 5-0 lead. Kuhio Aloy drove in the game’s first run with a double, and Rodriguez plated the second with a fielder’s choice grounder. Aiden Robbins smashed a three-run homer in the second, his third homer since joining the Mets. Daytona erased the lead in the bottom of the second with lots of help from Mets pitchers. Cesar Rivera, who was making his first mound appearance in three years, walked all five batters he faced, forcing home two runs. Christian Rodriguez came on and issued two more bases-loaded walks to make the score 5-4. The fifth run of the inning scored on a fielder’s choice grounder. Yovanny Rodriguez restored the Mets’ lead in the third with his first homer. Boston Baro made it 8-5 later in the inning with a two-run double. St Lucie pulled away with a run on a wild pitch in the fifth, a two-run single by Jake Ogden in the sixth and Rodriguez’s second homer in the eighth. Christian Rodriguez worked 3 2/3 innings in bulk relief. Officially, he was charged with no runs. He allowed two hits, walked three and struck out four. Brett Banks earned the win with 1 1/3 hitless innings in relief. He struck out three. Rivera, 21, was activated from the injured list Tuesday after missing the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons and the first five months of the 2026 season. The left-hander signed with the Mets as a 16-year-old out of Panama in 2022. He appeared in nine games in the Dominican Summer League that year, and in 16 games in the DSL in 2023. St. Lucie Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Boston Baro 5 1 2 2 0 0 Dylan Carey 1 0 0 0 0 1 Aiden Robbins 5 2 2 3 1 2 Ryan Tayman 4 1 0 0 2 1 Kuhio Aloy 6 1 2 1 0 0 Yovanny Rodriguez 5 2 3 3 0 1 Jeremy Rodriguez 4 1 0 0 1 2 Wyatt Vincent 5 2 2 0 0 1 Reed Stallman 4 0 2 0 1 1 Jake Ogden 4 2 3 2 0 0 St. Lucie Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan Lambert 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Cesar Rivera 0 0 5 5 5 0 0 Christian Rodriguez 3 2/3 2 0 0 3 4 0 Brett Banks 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Ernesto Mercedes 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 Zack Mack 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jonah Tong: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Peña: 1-for-3, BB Mitch Voit: 0-for-4, K Ryan Clifford: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-3, BB Jonathan Santucci: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Carson Wiggins: DNP Jacob Reimer: 0-for-3, BB Aiden Robbins: 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K Randy Guzman: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Chris Suero: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, K Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, 3 K Will Watson: DNP Shane Sdao: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB, K Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-3 Émilien Pitre: 1-for-2, BB Dylan Ross: DNP View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 64-58 With Worcester fans and their dogs in attendance on a “Tail-Waggin” Tuesday, the Sox defeated the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) 8-5. Starting his rehab assignment in Portland, Roman Anthony made his way to Worcester, joining his fellow rehabbing teammates Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The 22-year-old drew a four-pitch bases-loaded walk with Story following up with one as well, giving their squad a 2-0 lead in the second. Roman collected two hits in his first WooSox rehab game; a single in the first inning gave him his first hit, then a two-run blast in the seventh put Worcester on top 5-4. The homer was destroyed, getting clocked at a 106.5 MPH exit velocity. Franklin Arias was the only other teammate with multiple hits, and they were very productive. The shortstop hammered a groundball into left field to bring Eaton home in the third, then brought in another to continue Worcester’s five-run seventh, doubling in Romy Gonzalez. Kristian Campbell and newly promoted Nate Baez capped off the inning with a pair of RBI singles, extending their lead to 8-4. After what seemed to be an unlucky start in his last appearance, Jedixson Paez dominated the RailRiders through five innings, striking out eight batters. The right-hander pounded the strike zone; 74% of his 54 pitches were strikes. He had a no-hitter through four innings, but the bid ended in the fifth when he gave up a solo homer, the only hit given up. Standout Performances: Jedixson Paez: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 8 K Roman Anthony: 2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB Franklin Arias: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 60-60 The Sea Dogs fought back but ultimately took an 8-7 defeat at the hands of the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants). Portland’s bats had many chances to put runs on the board, but at the same time, you cannot expect to lose many games when you put up seven runs. Sadly, the pitching staff was disappointing. Every hitter for the Sea Dogs tallied a hit, 12 combined, three coming from Johanfran Garcia, one of which was an RBI single in the eighth. Justin Gonzales collected two hits that brought in runs, a two-run bomb in the fifth, his second homer in Double-A, and an RBI single in the sixth. The 20-year-old is now batting .350 and continues to show great plate discipline through five games, drawing three walks to five strikeouts in 20 at-bats. Portland’s late push in the sixth came on a Max Ferguson RBI double that brought in Will Turner, and a two-run single from Henry Godbout tied it up 6-6; unfortunately, the Sea Dogs lost the lead in the bottom half and never came back. Dalton Rogers was very wild in his 4 ⅔ inning start, giving up five walks, six hits, six runs (one unearned), while also committing two wild pitches. Tyler Davis came out of the bullpen afterward and had trouble missing bats, giving up two runs on three hits in 1 ⅓ innings. Erik Rivera was outstanding in his two innings of work, tossing two perfect frames with four strikeouts, giving Portland’s bats a chance to come back but the damage was already done. Standout Performances: Justin Gonzales: 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB Johanfran Garcia: 3-for-4, RBI, BB Erik Rivera: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 53-65 In the first game of the Drive's final homestand, a walk-off ended it 6-5 against the Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves). After a shaky start from Jacob Mayers put Greenville in a 3-0 hole in the second, the bats put a run on the board in the fourth inning on a Maximus Martin sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. Owen Hull’s first hit came in the fifth after cracking an RBI single to bring in Antonio Anderson (3-2). Another run for Rome was brought in (4-2) during the seventh, but Jake Schaffner responded fast in the bottom half to make it a one-run game, pulling a line drive RBI single to right field, bringing in Nazzan Zanatello. A solo blast from the Emperors made it a two-run game in the ninth; it seemed over for Greenville, especially noting that they have not had a single lead all game. Starting off the bottom of the ninth, Yophery Rodriguez lined a double to left field, immediately bringing up the tying run to the plate. Anderson worked a walk on a 3-2 count, putting two runners aboard with no outs. Zanetello was fanned to record the first out of the inning, then came Schaffner in the clutch, hitting a ball up the middle to center field, bringing in Rodriguez (5-4). Up next was his college teammate Owen Hull, who then became the hero, smoking a deep fly ball to the center field wall, bringing in the tying and winning runs across the plate to walk it off. Behind Mayer's struggling start, Brady Tygart backed him up with six outstanding frames. Despite him allowing two runs (one unearned), the righty punched out nine batters while also keeping Greenville in the game as much as possible. Standout Performances: Brady Tygart: 6 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K Owen Hull: 2-for-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI Jake Schaffner: 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, SB Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 52-67 Salem’s lineup could not get anything done, still coming up just short 3-2 to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros). The RidgeYaks recorded just five hits, while going 0-for-5 with RISP, absolutely not a recipe for success. However, Josue Brito still looks fantastic since his promotion to Salem. The outfielder from Venezuela tallied two hits and two of his team's only RBIs; his first Low-A homer was a first-pitch two-run bomb in the first inning. Salem’s three other hits came from Kleyver Salazar and Starlyn Nunez, who each had singles, while Adonys Guzman collected a double, the only other Salem batter with an extra-base hit. Cole Tolbert has had a rough month of August, but he ended it off strong with 3 ⅔ shutout innings with four strikeouts. Cam Padgett got hit around, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks while giving up two runs. Yermain Ruiz finished off the next 2 ⅓ innings, giving up one run, but with the way Salem’s offense had looked, the run he gave up did not seem to matter. Standout Performance: Josue Brito: 2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI View the full article

It’s extremely rare to see 20-year-olds in the major leagues. But the San Diego Padres’ top prospect, catcher Ethan Salas, has a chance to accomplish that feat in 2026. After a tough 2024 campaign at High-A Fort Wayne and a 2025 season that lasted all of 10 games due to a back injury, Salas has bounced back in a major way this year. And after putting together a strong stretch at Double-A San Antonio in mid-to-late July, the Padres decided it was time to give their top prospect a promotion to Triple-A. So far, a kid who can’t even buy a beer yet has looked like a man amongst boys. Across 19 games with El Paso, Salas is slashing .319/.393/.556 good for an outstanding 123 wRC+. He’s also collected 10 extra-base hits during that span, while walking 10 times compared to just eight strikeouts. Obviously, Salas isn’t going to sustain those numbers over an extended period of time; there will inevitably be stretches where he looks like a young player still figuring things out. But that doesn’t change how impressive this stretch has been. The fact of the matter is it’s not normal for a player this young to be doing the things Salas is doing at the highest level of the minor leagues. And when you combine his production with some of the underlying numbers, it becomes even easier to understand why the Padres have been so high on him for so long. Salas’ average exit velocity at Triple-A is above 90 MPH, with 25 of the first 55 balls he put in play coming off his bat at 95 MPH or harder. That’s a pretty impressive combination of quality contact and production for a player who is still just 20, and that doesn’t even mention what he can do behind the plate. He has a 70-grade fielding tool and a 60-grade arm, giving him the defensive ability to potentially be an impact catcher at the major-league level. This isn’t simply a prospect who is raking at Triple-A and hoping his bat can carry him to San Diego. This dude can play, and with September quickly closing in, Salas might be getting hot at exactly the right time. Come September 1, teams can expand their active rosters from 26 players to 28. One of those spots will likely go to another pitcher, but the other one would have to be a position player. With as hot of a bat as Salas is swinging right now, it’s at least possible he gets an opportunity as the Padres look to make a run to the postseason. Of course, a couple of things would have to happen first. For one, Salas would need to be added to the 40-man roster, and that’s where the biggest issue lies. Since he doesn’t have to be added to the 40-man roster until after next season, the Padres might not want to make that move right now. They would have to remove someone else from the roster, barring someone landing on the 60-day injured list, just to create room for him. That’s a decision San Diego would have to weigh carefully. The uncertainty surrounding what the 2027 season will look like could also play a role. With the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire in December, a new agreement will have to be reached before the 2027 season can begin. Given the uncertainty surrounding what spending will or won’t look like under a new agreement, there’s at least a possibility that the season could be delayed. And in a worst-case scenario, it could potentially not happen at all. If the Padres call Salas up and the 2027 season gets delayed, there’s a chance he could lose out on valuable development time while owners and players work toward a new agreement. If he remains in the minors, that particular issue wouldn’t exist. There’s also the fact that the Padres already have two other catchers playing well in San Diego right now in Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin. Campusano missed a good amount of time with a fractured toe, while Fermin has struggled offensively for most of the season. But both are currently healthy, and both are swinging the bat well. Campusano has posted an .790 OPS since the All-Star break, while Fermin is up to a 122 wRC+ in August. Fermin is also a very strong defensive catcher, just like Salas, and if both veterans continue hitting the ball well, there might simply not be enough room for the 19-year-old. There is a legitimate argument for letting Salas continue developing in the minor leagues, especially when you consider how much time he missed last season and the fact that he doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster yet. The Padres have no reason to rush one of the most important prospects in their organization. At the same time, opportunities like this don’t come around very often. It may be a bit of a long shot, but there’s a world where we see a 20-year-old phenom make his Padres debut this season. View the full article