The Opener

As the march towards the postseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Castillo to undergo MRI:

Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo is scheduled to undergo an MRI after suffering a left hamstring strain in yesterday’s game against the Cardinals. It’s been a relative down season for Castillo by his lofty standards, as the 31-year-old has pitched to a 3.64 ERA (102 ERA+) with a 3.93 FIP in 175 1/3 innings of work through 30 starts. Castillo has still been a key part of Seattle’s playoff hopes as he forms a rotation (alongside Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller) that is arguably the finest in the entire sport.

That excellent rotation will be key to the club keeping the last vestiges of its playoff hopes alive. At 73-71, Seattle has just a 7.7% chance (per FanGraphs) of making it into the postseason with about three weeks to go in the regular season. That precarious positioning makes even a single missed start potentially devastating for the Mariners, but a longer absence could put a dent in their chances of success in the playoffs even in the improbable event that they manage to squeak into the postseason. Righty Emerson Hancock (4.76 ERA, 5.43 FIP in nine big league starts), would likely take over Castillo’s rotation spot were the veteran to go on the injured list.

2. Graterol to return:

As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, the Dodgers are expected to activate right-hander Brusdar Graterol from the injured list before today’s game against the Cubs. Graterol suffered a hamstring strain just over a month ago in his first appearance of the 2024 season after a season-long battle with shoulder inflammation. The club will need to make an activate roster move in order to activate Graterol.

The 26-year-old was dominant for L.A. last year with a 1.20 ERA and 3.03 FIP in 67 1/3 innings of work, and the Dodgers are surely hoping he can bring that kind of elite production to the back of their bullpen down the stretch and into the playoffs. After all, the club’s 4.35 ERA and 4.47 FIP out of the bullpen since the start of July are both below average, with the latter figure landing in the bottom six among all big league clubs. The club’s struggles to close out games have been largely solved by the deadline addition of Michael Kopech, but the return of Graterol should give the club another late-inning option alongside Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, and Daniel Hudson.

3. Will the Braves bring up Biggio?

The Braves acted quickly on the heels of news that their injury replacement for Ozzie Albies, veteran Whit Merrifield, had himself suffered a notable injury when he fouled a ball off his foot, resulting in a small fracture. While a visit with a specialist determined that Merrifield wouldn’t further aggravate the issue by finishing out the season and would be able to return to the field as soon as the pain in his foot allowed, that didn’t stop Atlanta brass from acquiring second baseman Cavan Biggio over the weekend. Though Biggio wouldn’t be eligible for the postseason, will the Braves nonetheless look to select his contract to the big league roster? Such a move would require the club to not only clear a spot on the active roster, but also make a 40-man roster move in order to accommodate Biggio.

As the final month of the regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1, Marte nearing return:

The Diamondbacks have been without one of their stars since Ketel Marte went down with an ankle sprain around three weeks ago. Fortunately for fans in Arizona, it seems that absence will come to an end soon. MLB.com’s Injury Tracker indicates that Marte could return to action as soon as this weekend. It’s possible that Marte’s return will start with reps at DH rather than second base as the club eases their star back into regular duty.

Arizona has a firm grasp on a playoff spot at this point with a 79-62 record, but the club nonetheless figures to get a big boost from the return of Marte, who is slashing an incredible .298/.370/.560 with a wRC+ of 150 in 116 games this year. In his absence, the Snakes have relied on a platoon of Luis Guillorme and Kevin Newman at the keystone, though that partnership will continue for as long as Marte is used at DH — potentially pushing Joc Pederson and Josh Bell to spend more time on the bench.

2. Series Preview: Guardians @ Dodgers

Two of baseball’s best teams this year are set to square off in a three-game set over the weekend that could be a possible preview of the 2024 World Series. The Dodgers entered the season as the presumptive favorite not only in the NL West, but in baseball as a whole after an offseason spending spree that brought Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Teoscar Hernandez into the fold. By contrast, few expected the Guardians to be serious contenders after the club posted a 76-86 record last year and made almost no changes to their roster over the offseason. Even so, Cleveland’s 80-60 record gives them a four-game lead in the AL Central and the fifth-best record in MLB overall.

The Dodgers have mostly met their preseason expectations to this point despite lengthy absences from Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Mookie Betts while the Guardians have greatly exceeded expectations by establishing themselves as one of the best teams in the AL. As both clubs attempt to beat back a pair of divisions rivals nipping at their heels down the stretch and secure a bye through the first round of the postseason, the Guardians will send left-hander Matthew Boyd (2.38 ERA in four starts), veteran right-hander Alex Cobb (2.76 ERA in three starts), and youn righty Gavin Williams (4.55 ERA) to the mound at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers haven’t formally announced their rotation for the series, but rookie Landon Knack (2.72 ERA in eight starts) is expected to start today’s game against Boyd, while right-handers Gavin Stone (3.53 ERA) and Jack Flaherty (3.01 ERA) would be on turn for the final two games.

3. Pitchers’ Duel in California:

Elsewhere in the NL West, two of the NL’s best hurlers face off. In Saturday’s game between the Giants and Padres at Petco Park, groundball specialist Logan Webb is set to take on strikeout artist Dylan Cease. Webb, a Giant for the entirety of his career to this point, has excelled this year with a 3.43 ERA and a 2.97 FIP in an NL-best 183 2/3 innings of work. This season has been more of the same for Webb, who has been among the league’s most consistent pitchers in recent years with a 3.16 ERA and 2.99 FIP in 740 1/3 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season.

Cease gets to his front-of-the-rotation production in an entirely different way. His groundball rate since 2021 is more than 20 points lower than that of Webb, but his strikeout rate (30.3%) is nearly ten points higher. Cease’s 3.62 ERA and 3.18 FIP in 164 innings of work this year aren’t far off from Webb, but his career has had far more ups and downs; Cease posted lackluster numbers in his final season with the White Sox last year that inflate his 3.56 ERA and 3.35 FIP in 690 2/3 innings of work since 2021. The two hurlers are set to face off tomorrow at 5:40pm local time.

On the heels of some big news out of San Francisco, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Will any other deals come together this September?

While the general rule of thumb is that in-season extensions are rare, they’ve become a bit more common in recent seasons, particularly near the end of the year. Chapman’s deal last night was the 13th extension signed in September or October going back to 2022, a year that saw major deals between Luis Castillo and the Mariners as well as Spencer Strider and the Braves come together in the season’s final months. Blockbuster extensions are hardly the only type that can occur just before the offseason begins: veterans Charlie Morton and Charlie Blackmon, for example, have both signed one-year extensions just before they were scheduled to hit free agency in recent years.

In Chapman’s case, the deal was surely spurred on in part by the impending opt-out in his contract, which he was all but certain to exercise. Chapman wasn’t the only player on that track this year, however. Lefty Sean Manaea is expected to opt out of his deal with the Mets and return to free agency this winter, and Chapman’s own teammate Blake Snell appears very likely to do the same on the heels of a dominant second half with the Giants.

2. Robert exits with injury:

It’s been a brutal season for center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and the White Sox. Things went from bad to worse yesterday when the club’s 8-1 win over the Orioles, just their 32nd victory of the season, was soured by Robert exiting the game due to tightness in his right hamstring. Per MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, interim manager Grady Sizemore told reporters following the game that the hamstring issue first started on Tuesday and that he made the decision to pull Robert when he saw the outfielder running the bases more gingerly than usual.

Given Robert’s importance to the club as one of their few potential impact pieces and the team’s dismal 32-109 record, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Sox prioritize Robert’s long-term health and place him on the injured list to ensure his hamstring heals fully. It’s been a tough year at the plate for Robert, who has slashed just .219/.274/.398 (86 wRC+) with defensive metrics in center field that are closer to league average than the elite numbers he posted in previous seasons. The club figures to turn to Dominic Fletcher in center field in the event that Robert misses time nursing his ailing hamstring.

3. Tucker nearing return:

Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker has been on the shelf since early June, and it recently came to light that despite the fact that Houston brass consistently referred to his injury as a bone bruise throughout his lengthy rehab process, Tucker had actually suffered a fractured shin. Regardless of the unusual messaging from club officials regarding Tucker’s injury, it appears that a return is on the horizon. Manager Joe Espada told reporters (including those at MLB.com) yesterday that Tucker is “really, really close” to being activated from the injured list and could return to the club’s lineup as soon as today, although Espada did caution that a return to action tomorrow was the more likely outcome.

Tucker got out to a scorching start this year with a .266/.395/.584 slash line (175 wRC+) in 60 games prior to his placement on the IL. Ben Gamel and Jason Heyward have been handling right field in the star’s absence, and it’s possible that Tucker’s return could create a roster crunch that impacts one of those veterans. Corresponding moves will need to be made to make room for Tucker on both the 40-man and active rosters before he can be activated.

As the stretch run of the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Darvish returns to the mound:

Veteran right-hander Yu Darvish is scheduled to make his first start for the Padres since May tonight against the Tigers. The 38-year-old missed time due to hamstring and elbow issues earlier this summer before being placed on the restricted list due to an undisclosed family matter back in July.

Prior to his lengthy absence, the veteran looked to be rebounding from a fairly pedestrian 2023 season. After posting a lackluster 4.56 ERA last year, Darvish impressed with a 3.20 ERA and 3.54 FIP in 11 starts this year before hitting the shelf. Since being traded to the Padres after a second-place finish in NL Cy Young award voting with the Cubs in 2020, Darvish has put together a 3.80 ERA with a 3.69 FIP and a 26.2% strikeout rate. With the Padres firmly in the playoff picture, both Darvish and fellow veteran Joe Musgrove figure to factor into the club’s postseason rotation alongside Dylan Cease and Michael King.

2. Yankees weighing late-inning options?

As noted by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner overnight, Yankees manager Aaron Boone refused to answer a question regarding right-hander Clay Holmes’ status as the club’s closer following yesterday’s heartbreaking loss where Holmes surrendered a walk-off grand slam to Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford. Boone said during his postgame presser the club plans to “talk through it and do what we think is the best thing” but didn’t want to say more while the team was still “raw and emotional” following the loss.

Holmes, who earned his second career All-Star nod this season, sports a 3.27 ERA and an excellent 2.91 FIP in 55 innings of work. Despite those strong rate numbers, however, he hasn’t exactly been a shutdown ninth-inning option in his third year as the club’s closer. He’s converted just 29 of his 40 save opportunities. Those 11 blown saves lead the majors, well ahead of even other struggling closers like Craig Kimbrel and David Bednar, both of whom have blown six saves in 29 chances.

3. Twins roster move incoming:

As noted by Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune yesterday, the Twins are expected to recall right-hander Louie Varland before today’s game against the Rays. Varland is poised to pitch in a multi-inning relief role after scheduled starter Ronny Henriquez, who hasn’t thrown more than two innings in an outing with the big league club this year. After today’s scheduled outing, it’s not clear if Varland will pitch for the club in a bullpen role down the stretch or remain stretched out as a starting option, but Nightengale suggests that the 26-year-old figures to remain with the club going forward rather than return to the minor leagues.

Varland entered the year as a rotation candidate in Minnesota, with a career 4.40 ERA (96 ERA+) in 94 innings as a swing option at the big league level. Unfortunately for the righty, he surrendered a disastrous 9.18 ERA in four starts back in April and was quickly demoted to the minors. He’s looked much better since, with a 3.60 ERA and 4.33 FIP in 20 innings of work at the big league level while shuttling between the majors and minors, but he’s been leapfrogged by Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa and Zebby Matthews on the Twins’ rotation depth chart. Minnesota will need to make a corresponding active roster move prior to today’s game to accommodate the addition of Varland.

As MLB’s stretch run gets under way, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Steele scratched from scheduled start:

Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including ESPN’s Jesse Rogers) last night that ace southpaw Justin Steele had been scratched from his scheduled start today due to elbow soreness. No information is currently available regarding the severity of the issue or how much time the lefty is expected to miss. Rogers indicated that the club expects to know more about Steele’s situation today, while Steele’s teammate Jameson Taillon told reporters (including Rogers) after yesterday’s game that “From everything [he] heard, we’re hoping it’s just a quick thing.”

Regardless of if Steele only misses a start or two or is ticketed for a much longer absence, the news is a devastating blow to the Cubs as they struggle to remain relevant in the playoff picture. They currently sit 3.5 games back with just 3.7% odds at the playoffs per Fangraphs, and the loss of their ace could snuff out any remote hopes the club has of putting together a September surge. Steele missed time with a hamstring injury earlier this year, but in 22 starts, the 29-year-old has posted a 3.09 ERA with a 3.14 FIP in 128 innings. Those results are right in line with what Steele has done for three years running now, and his 3.10 ERA since the start of the 2022 season is fourth-lowest among pitchers with at least 400 innings, bested only by Justin Verlander, Max Fried, and Zack Wheeler.

2. Cole exits start due to cramping:

Steele wasn’t the only ace to have an injury scare yesterday, as Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole exited his start last night with what the club termed (as noted by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) a right calf cramp. The right-hander, who will celebrate his 34th birthday later this week, is set to be evaluated further today but told reporters (including MLB.com’s Drew Davison) that he isn’t “super concerned” about the issue. Cole likened the issue to one he previously encountered against the Dodgers last season, when he avoided the injured list and simply made his next start on an extra day of rest before returning to his routine without further issues.

After missing almost the entire first half with injury, Cole returned in June but hasn’t looked quite like himself over his 69 innings of work this year. His 4.12 FIP is the worst figure of his career, and his 3.65 ERA is the highest its been since the 2017 season during his time with the Pirates. Still, even that diminished level of production is quite valuable, particularly for a Yankees club that has seen its other starters put up a lackluster 4.65 ERA since the start of July.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

With the calendar now flipped to September, all eyes are on the push to the postseason, where the Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, and Mariners lurk on the periphery of the playoff bubble. Much of the intrigue is focused on the race to the top two seeds in each league, which earn byes through the playoffs and have little certainty headed into the seasons final month. If you’re wondering about your team’s hopes of a World Series championship this fall or how your club could approach the coming offseason, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Happy Labor Day to those who celebrate! While fans around America enjoy a day of rest and relaxation, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Leiter to be recalled:

The Rangers are set to recall the second overall pick of the 2021 draft, right-hander Jack Leiter, to the big league club today. While the 24-year-old was optioned back down to the minors after pitching in a doubleheader against the White Sox last week as the club’s 27th man, reporting indicated at the time that the Rangers were planning to give Leiter a more extended look in the rotation down the stretch. That look figures to start today, and Leiter will get a tough first assignment with Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and the Yankees coming to town for a game that’s scheduled to start at 7:05pm local time.

Leiter struggled badly early in his professional career despite posting sensational numbers during his time in the SEC, but this year has managed to turn things around at Triple-A. He’s posted a solid 3.51 ERA with a 33.3% strikeout rate for the Rangers’ affiliate in Round Rock, a feat made more impressive by the inflated offensive environment in the Pacific Coast League. He’s made just four spot starts in the big leagues to this point in his career to terrible results, but given his stellar minor league numbers it’s easy to see why Texas wants to see how he looks in a more consistent major league role.

2. Gurriel to undergo MRI:

The Diamondbacks were dealt a frustrating blow yesterday afternoon when outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was pulled from yesterday’s game due to a calf injury that occurred while he attempted to beat out a double play ball. Manager Torey Lovullo described Gurriel as day-to-day after the game but also noted that the outfielder is set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue. Gurriel’s second season in a Diamondbacks uniform has been more or less identical to his first, as he’s posted a 104 wRC+ with 1.9 fWAR after posting a 105 wRC+ with 2.0 fWAR for last year’s NL pennant-winning squad.

If Gurriel were to miss significant time due to the injury, it’s possible that the club’s current DH tandem of Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk could see expanded roles down the stretch, though recently recalled youngster Jorge Barrosa would be another option worth considering in Gurriel’s absence. The switch-hitting rookie has just 11 plate appearances in the majors under his belt but owns a solid .272/.383/.444 career slash line in 181 games at the Triple-A level to this point in his career. If the club prefers to keep Pederson and Grichuk in their current roles but does not want to turn their regular left field job over to a 23-year-old rookie, they could also turn to Pavin Smith to cover for Gurriel. The outfielder has struggled at the big league level in years past but this season has hit a solid .250/.314/.434 in a part-time role.

3. Series Preview: Red Sox @ Mets

An interleague series between the two clubs closest to capturing a playoff spot in each league is scheduled to begin today when the Red Sox head to Queens for a three-game set. Of the two clubs, the Mets are much more firmly in playoff contention at this point, sitting just one game back of the Braves for the final NL Wild Card spot. The Red Sox, by contrast, are 4.5 games back of the Royals and Twins in the AL Wild Card race entering the stretch run. Per the playoff odds over at Fangraphs, Boston has a 15.5% chance of making the postseason while the Mets have 29.2% odds.

With the season entering its final stretch, the series could prove pivotal for both clubs as they seek postseason berths. Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 7:10pm local time this evening, when Red Sox youngster Brayan Bello (4.66 ERA) takes the mound opposite veteran hurler Luis Severino (3.96 ERA). Tomorrow will see righty Kutter Crawford (4.12 ERA) square off against southpaw David Peterson (2.83 ERA), and Boston’s staff ace Tanner Houck (3.12 ERA) face Mets righty Tylor Megill (4.82 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday.

As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Lowder to debut:

The Reds are poised to promote their first-round pick from last year’s draft, right-hander Rhett Lowder, to the majors today for a start against the Brewers this evening. Lowder, 22, was a consensus top-60 prospect entering the 2024 campaign and has made good on that ranking with his performance this year.  In 108 2/3 innings of work spread across 22 starts and three levels of the minors this season, he’s struck out a strong 25.3% of opponents while walking just 5.4% and posting a solid 3.64 ERA. Since Lowder will be called up to the majors to start the second game of today’s doubleheader (scheduled for 6:40pm local time), the club won’t need to make room for the righty on the active roster as he can simply be appointed as their 27th man for today’s game. Even so, a corresponding move will be necessary to create space on the 40-man roster for Lowder.

2. Angels roster moves incoming:

Lowder isn’t the only prospect set to debut this weekend, as a pair of Angels pitchers are set to be promoted to the big league roster as well: left-hander Samuel Aldegheri and right-hander Caden Dana. Aldegheri, 23 next month, is a native of Verona, Italy who was shipped to Anaheim as part of the return in the deal that brought right-hander Carlos Estevez to Philadelphia at the trade deadline. The lefty has struggled in four starts since joining the Angels organization but now figures to get a taste of big league action opposite Mariners hurler George Kirby (3.48 ERA). Dana, meanwhile, is set to debut on Sunday opposite Mariners youngster Bryce Miller (3.23 ERA). The club’s 11th-round pick in the 2022 draft, Dana has impressed in 135 2/3 innings of work at Double-A this year with a 2.52 ERA and a 27.4% strikeout rate. Both Aldegheri and Dana will require the Halos to make corresponding moves on the 40-man and active rosters prior to their respective starts.

3. Mize returning:

Former first overall pick Casey Mize was off to a solid start with the Tigers this year in his first big league action since 2022 before a hamstring strain sidelined him back in June. Today is the first day he’s eligible to return from the 60-day injured list, however, and while Detroit manager A.J. Hinch would not explicitly confirm their plans regarding the righty’s return to action he told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) that “There’s no way to activate him sooner than Friday. Friday, we don’t have a starter.”

In the seemingly likely event that Mize takes the available start today against the Red Sox, the Tigers will need to clear spots on the 40-man and active rosters in order to accommodate the right-hander’s return. Mize was pitching fairly solidly prior to his injury and should provide a boost to the Tigers rotation upon his return. While his 4.26 ERA was relatively pedestrian (99 ERA+), it’s worth noting that his 3.69 FIP and 4.04 xFIP both suggest that he was pitching better than those results at the time of his injury, although a strikeout rate of just 16.8% is somewhat concerning.

As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Last call for waiver activity:

Last night news broke that the Giants had placed infielder Thairo Estrada as well as lefties Taylor Rogers and Tyler Matzek on outright waivers, allowing any of the league’s other 29 clubs to claim any of them for no cost beyond the remainder of the player’s contract. The waiver process lasts for two days, meaning players put on waivers today figure to be claimed on August 31. That makes today the last day to waive players and have them still be eligible for the postseason with their new club, since players who join a new organization after the calendar flips to September are not eligible to participate in the postseason with their new club.

One year ago today, the Angels drew attention to the waiver process by putting a number of pending free agents on waivers, including key pieces like Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez they had just added at the trade deadline. Teams have put plenty of players through outright waivers so far this year in an attempt to offload their salary, with Drew Smyly of the Cubs, and Michael A. Taylor of the Pirates among the most recent examples. Will any other veterans on clubs unlikely to make the postseason hit the waiver wire today?

2. Astros 40-man move incoming:

The Astros recently signed veteran outfielder Jason Heyward to a big league deal following the Dodgers’ decision to part ways with the 35-year-old last week. Heyward, who has hit .208/.289/.393 with a wRC+ of 90 in 197 trips to the plate with L.A. this year, was squeezed off the roster by Mookie Betts’s return to right field after spending the first half on the infield and the club’s acquisition of Kevin Kiermaier just before the trade deadline last month. Now Heyward figures to join the Houston bench mix as a left-handed complement to Mauricio Dubon in left and Jake Meyers in right field.

Heyward reportedly took his physical with the club yesterday, and given the fact that the Astros have already announced that outfielder Chas McCormick was optioned to Triple-A last night it seems likely that the veteran will be active before today’s game against the Royals. The club will need to make room for Heyward on the 40-man roster before he can join the club, and without any clear candidates for the 60-day IL available that will likely mean designating a player for assignment.

3. Series Preview: Braves @ Phillies

With just over a month to go before the regular season comes to a close, the top two teams in the NL East are set to meet for a four-game set in Philadelphia that will be their last head-to-head matchup of the year barring a clash in the playoffs. The Braves took two of three from the Phillies in their meeting last week and have posted a 6-1 record since then, allowing them to gain significant ground in the division. They now sit just five games back in the NL East, meaning that a sweep of their top rival would put them just one game back from claiming their seventh consecutive division crown.

Meanwhile, a poor showing from Atlanta could put them on the back foot in the Wild Card race, with the Mets and Cubs both still lurking on the periphery of the postseason picture. A strong performance from the Phillies, on the other hand, could put them in the drivers’ seat for a bye through the Wild Card series in a tight race for the top two NL seeds between themselves, the Dodgers, and the Brewers. The series will kick off at 6:40pm local time this evening with veteran righty Charlie Morton (4.24 ERA) taking on young southpaw Cristopher Sanchez (3.51 ERA), and later games in the series will pit Reynaldo Lopez (2.02 ERA) against Ranger Suarez (2.82 ERA), Max Fried (3.50 ERA) versus Zack Wheeler (2.74 ERA), and Spencer Schwellenbach (3.72 ERA) against Aaron Nola (3.30 ERA).

With just over a month to go in the 2024 regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Rubber match for the AL Central:

The Guardians held a comfortable lead in the AL Central for much of the season, but they’ve seen that lead evaporate in recent weeks. Since the calendar has flipped to August, Cleveland has posted a record of just 10-16. Meanwhile, the Royals have surged ahead in the standings with a 15-9 record while their rival has been in free fall, culminating in Kansas City taking the first three games of their current four game set with the Guardians. That’s left them tied with Cleveland for the AL Central crown, leaving today’s fourth game to decide which club will walk away with a lead in the division with the September stretch run just around the corner. Cleveland will send right-hander Tanner Bibee (3.46 ERA) to the mound opposite veteran righty Michael Wacha (3.32 ERA) in a game scheduled for 1:10pm local time.

2. Royals undergoing testing:

While Kansas City duels Cleveland for the AL Central lead, they’ll also be anxiously awaiting the results of testing on a couple of key pieces. The most consequential of those is superstar shortstop and AL MVP contender Bobby Witt Jr., who was hit in the hand by a pitch during yesterday’s game in a moment that sparked concern for Royals fans despite their star remaining in the game. As noted by MLB.com’s Anne Rogers, preliminary strength tests were encouraging, but the Royals were nonetheless sending Witt for an x-ray to make certain he hadn’t sustained a more serious injury. While it seems likely that Witt, who has slashed .346/.399/.614 while swiping 27 bases and playing elite defense at shortstop, will be able to avoid a stint on the IL, the same may not be true for right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

Lorenzen came to the Royals in a trade with the Rangers and has been excellent, posting a 1.80 ERA through five starts on his new team. Unfortunately, Lorenzen’s start yesterday lasted just 1 2/3 innings after he strained his right hamstring on a play at first base. As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Lorenzen is headed back to Kansas City today to undergo an MRI that will determine the severity of the issue, but manager Matt Quatraro expressed skepticism that Lorenzen would be ready to make his next start.

3. Yamamoto to begin rehab assignment:

Dodgers phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto is slated to take a big step forward as he works toward a return from the rotator cuff strain that sidelined him back in June. Yamamoto, who was among the biggest names on the offseason free agent market despite having never thrown a pitch in the big leagues before, impressed with a 2.92 ERA and 2.68 FIP in 14 starts before his season was derailed by injury. Today, he’s set to take the mound for his first official game in more than two months when he joins the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City for a rehab start against the Rangers’ Round Rock affiliate. Yamamoto will be pitching opposite two-time top-10 draft pick Kumar Rocker in what will be his Triple-A debut, giving tonight’s minor league match up some star power on both sides of the field.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Crews to debut:

Just a few months after Pirates right-hander and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes made his big league debut, he’s now set to be joined in the major leagues by his former LSU teammate and No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft: Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews. The 22-year-old Crews was a consensus top-10 prospect in the sport entering the year and has slashed .270/.342/.451 in 100 games between Double-A and Triple-A. Crews has swatted 13 home runs, posted an impressive 25-for-30 record on the basepaths, walked at an 8% rate and fanned in 20.5% of his plate appearances.

With regular right fielder Alex Call hitting the 10-day IL over the weekend, it seems likely that Crews will take the lion’s share of starts there alongside fellow top prospect James Wood in left and glove-first speedster Jacob Young in center. That will likely leave struggling veteran Joey Gallo relegated to a part time role as a first baseman and DH alongside Juan Yepez and Andres Chaparro. Crews’ first big league appearance is set to come at home in D.C. against the Yankees, who will be starting southpaw Nestor Cortes (4.00 ERA) in tonight’s game.

2. Moore being evaluated for elbow issue:

Veteran southpaw Matt Moore is dealing with an injury scare after exiting yesterday’s loss to the Blue Jays in the middle of an at-bat against infielder Ernie Clement. Moore’s departure was preceded by a two-run homer served up to Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk, but Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to note after the game that the lefty’s exit was due to an elbow issue rather than his performance. Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters after the game that the club’s current plan is to re-evaluate Moore today after they travel to Detroit for tomorrow’s game, so it’s possible an update on the 35-year-old’s status won’t be available until then. It’s been a tough season for Moore, who was one of the best lefty relievers in baseball from 2022-23 but has seen his ERA balloon to 5.03 in 48 1/3 innings this year. His strikeout rate has dipped below 20% while his walk rate has crept up to a hefty 12.4%.

3. Taylor on waivers—with more to come?

Yesterday saw the Pirates place center fielder Michael A. Taylor on waivers, offering any of the league’s other 29 clubs the opportunity to claim the veteran for nothing other than the remainder of his contract. Taylor figures to be the first of several veterans waived in the coming days, as out-of-contention clubs hoping to shed a bit of salary while presenting veterans an opportunity to join a postseason push for the season’s final month.

Given the fact that players acquired after the calendar flips to September are not eligible for postseason rosters, players placed on waivers over the next few days are likely to have the best odds of being claimed. Just under a year ago, the Angels were the most proactive team in parting ways with players via the waiver wire when they allowed a handful of veterans headlined by Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to hit the waiver wire.