The Opener

As the regular season winds down, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day:

1. Magic Numbers down to one:

It’s “Magic Number” season in baseball, as several clubs around the league look to clinch postseason berths and/or division crowns in the waning days of the 2024 season. Heading into play Wednesday, each of the Brewers, Phillies and Yankees have a magic number of 1. Two of those clubs, the Brewers and Phillies, square off against each other. Milwaukee sends Freddy Peralta (3.75 ERA) to the mound opposite longtime Phillies star Aaron Nola (3.52 ERA) in what should be a well-pitched matchup. Even though the two teams are facing one another, they can still both clinch playoff appearances tonight. The Brewers would clinch their division either by topping the Phillies or if the Cubs lose to the visiting A’s in today’s early game. Meanwhile, the Phils would clinch a postseason berth if they best the Brewers or if the Braves drop their road game against the Reds. As for the Yankees, they’ll send lefty Nestor Cortes (3.90 ERA) to the mound opposite Mariners righty Bryce Miller (3.12 ERA) as they look to punch their own ticket to October baseball.

2. Steele to return to the mound:

Cubs left-hander Justin Steele went on the injured list earlier this month with an injury scare that was eventually diagnosed as elbow flexor tendonitis. At the time, it was unclear if Steele would be healthy enough to return to action this year. Since then, he’s been symptom-free and even threw a 40-pitch bullpen session over the weekend, opening the door to a potential return. That possibility will become a reality today, as the lefty figures to take the mound in Chicago opposite A’s rookie Brady Basso (1.23 ERA in two starts) at 1:20pm local time.

Steele has been limited to just 22 starts between his most recent trip to the IL and a hamstring strain that occurred on Opening Day, but when healthy enough to take the mound he’s turned in his third consecutive excellent campaign with a 3.09 ERA (130 ERA+) and 3.13 FIP in 128 innings. The Cubs will need to clear a spot on the active roster before today’s game.

3. Marlins 40-man move incoming:

Steele isn’t the only left-handed starter returning from the injured list today. Marlins southpaw Ryan Weathers is scheduled to start today’s game against the Dodgers, facing L.A. rookie Landon Knack (3.70 ERA in ten starts) at 6:40pm local time this evening. Weathers, 24, posted a solid 3.55 ERA and 3.93 FIP in 13 starts with the Marlins earlier this year but has been on the injured list since June due to a finger strain.

The seventh overall pick of the 2018 draft was transferred to the 60-day IL in July, meaning the Marlins will need to clear both active and 40-man roster space prior to this evening’s game. With less than two weeks to go in the regular season, it’s possible the club could simply transfer an injured player who won’t return this year to the 60-day IL in Weathers’ place. Vidal Brujan, Derek Hill, Max Meyer, Calvin Faucher and John McMillon are all on the 10-day or 15-day injured list at the moment.

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

1. Albies to begin rehab assignment:

The Braves have dealt with plenty of injuries throughout the season, ranging from the early losses of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. to the more recent absence of Austin Riley. They’re finally on the cusp of getting a key player back, however, as manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) that second baseman Ozzie Albies is nearing a return to action after two months on the shelf due to a wrist fracture. The 27-year-old is set to begin a short rehab assignment today and will be activated Friday against the Marlins if all goes well.

Albies, a switch-hitter, still feels discomfort when swinging left-handed and will have to exclusively swing right-handed upon returning. Fortunately, Albies has always hit much better when batting righty throughout his career, and Snitker confirmed that he’ll be able to play second base during his rehab assignment. Whit Merrifield, who was signed shortly after Albies’ injury and has performed well as the club’s second baseman in his absence, will now be an option in left field and at third base, where fellow in-season acquisitions Ramon Laureano and Gio Urshela currently reside.

2. Series Preview: Yankees @ Mariners

The Yankees are headed out west today to take on the Mariners in a three-game set that will have significant implications on the AL playoff picture. The Yankees currently hold a three-game lead over the Orioles in the AL East, and while the loser of that duel will also make the postseason as a Wild Card team, the division crown is still noteworthy as it will likely be tied to a bye through the Wild Card round. Meanwhile, the Mariners are not currently in playoff position but are just two games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. FanGraphs still gives them a shot at the postseason with 10.7% odds.

In order to keep those hopes alive, the Mariners will have to take down the Yankees in this series, which begins at 6:40pm local time tonight. Righty Luis Gil (3.18 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Yankees opposite 24-year-old Bryan Woo (2.38 ERA). The next day, lefty Nestor Cortes (3.90 ERA) is scheduled to take on right-hander Bryce Miller (3.18 ERA). The series wraps up with right-hander Clarke Schmidt (2.41 ERA in 13 starts) taking on Logan Gilbert (3.24 ERA) on Thursday.

3. Eovaldi option watch:

As laid out by MLBTR’s Steve Adams yesterday, Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is just four innings shy of triggering a vesting player option valued at $20MM. He’s pitched four or more innings in 24 of his 26 starts this season, so it’s extremely likely that Eovaldi will see that option vest today. The 34-year-old (35 in February) will still have the right to turn down that player option and once again test free agency, but it provides some insurance in the event that Eovaldi suffers an injury in the season’s final weeks — or perhaps simply an easy means of resolving his offseason status early if the Texas native is happy with the Rangers and does not wish to go through free agency again. Eovaldi should have no problem topping that $20MM guarantee on the market, however. He’s pitched to a 3.67 ERA in 152 frames this season and touts a combined 3.65 ERA, 23.7% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 49.8% grounder rate in 296 frames over his two seasons as a Ranger.

4. MLBTR Chat:

The postseason is almost upon us, and clubs have begun to get eliminated as the remaining contenders make their final pushes towards the playoffs. In the AL, the Tigers and Mariners are nipping at the heels of the Twins for the final AL Wild Card spot. In the NL, the Diamondbacks, Mets, and Braves are in locked in a close race to take the final two Wild Card spots behind San Diego. 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.

With less than two weeks to go in the regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. AL Central showdowns:

The races for the American League Central and the American League Wild Card slots are heavily intertwined, and the first portion of this week will be pivotal in both. The Twins, who’ve been reeling of late and played at disappointing 7-13 pace over their past 20 games, will head to Cleveland for a four-game set against the division-leading Guardians. Cleveland is up four games on the Royals and 6.5 games on the Twins, so barring a sweep by Minnesota, the series isn’t likely to wildly alter the complexion of the division race.

That said, the Twins hold the third Wild Card spot in the AL at present. Minnesota is 2.5 games behind the Royals for the second Wild Card position, with the surging Tigers (13-7 in their past 20) suddenly just 2.5 games out of the final postseason spot. As fate would have it, the Tigers are in Kansas City for a three-game set that kicks off tonight. The top four teams in the AL Central are all either in possession of a playoff spot (Cleveland, K.C., Minnesota) or within 2.5 games of claiming one (Detroit). This pair of series should have massive playoff implications, both in terms of who qualifies and how the seeding plays out.

The Twins are set to send Pablo Lopez, Zebby Matthews, Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound in Cleveland, where they’ll be respectively countered by Matthew Boyd, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Joey Cantillo. In Kansas City, the three games will feature matchups of a TBD Tigers starter versus Seth Lugo; Casey Mize versus Cole Ragans; and Tarik Skubal versus Alec Marsh.

2. Series Preview: Phillies @ Brewers

A preview of a potential postseason series is set to begin today when the Phillies head to Milwaukee for a three-game set against the Brewers. The two clubs lead their respective divisions by all but insurmountable margins at this point, with the Phillies seeming poised to cruise into the playoffs with a bye through the Wild Card series and the Brewers currently sitting two games back of the Dodgers for the opportunity to do the same.

The series begins at 6:40pm local time this evening with lefty Ranger Suarez (3.05 ERA) on the mound for Philly against Brewers hurler Aaron Civale, who has pitched to a 4.57 ERA overall this year but boasts a tidy 3.84 figure in 11 starts since joining the club in July. Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (2.60 ERA) will be on the mound for Game 2 opposite fellow mid-season acquisition Frankie Montas, who sports a 4.49 ERA over all this year but has posted a 3.40 ERA in eight starts with the Brewers. The series wraps up on Monday with righty Aaron Nola (3.62 ERA) squaring off against Brewers staff ace Freddy Peralta (3.75 ERA).

3. Refsnyder nursing wrist injury:

The Red Sox have been without outfielder Rob Refsnyder since he was scratched from the lineup on Friday, and as noted by Chris Cotillo of MassLive there remains a distinct possibility that he could wind up requiring a trip to the injured list due to the issue. Manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Cotillo) that while they hope that today’s day off will help to alleviate the soreness, the 33-year-old could go on the injured list if he isn’t feeling up to playing during the series against the Rays that starts tomorrow.

An injury to Refsnyder could be something of a final blow to a Red Sox club that, with a 75-75 record and playoff odds of just 2.6% per Fangraphs need things to go just about perfectly in order to squeeze into the playoffs. Looking ahead to 2025, Boston holds a $2MM club option of Refsnyder’s services for next year. His injury won’t impact what should be an easy decision to exercise that option, given the fact that the journeyman has slashed an excellent .284/.361/.472 with 11 homers in 306 trips to the plate this year.

With just over two weeks left to go in the regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. deGrom returns:

Jacob deGrom will pitch in the big leagues for the first time in more than a year when the Rangers activate him from the 60-day IL to face the Mariners in Seattle at 7:10pm local time. The 36-year-old is on the shortlist for the most dominant pitchers of the 21st century when healthy, but he’s struggled to stay on the mound in recent years. Dating back to 2018, deGrom sports a 2.08 ERA (191 ERA+) and 2.11 FIP with an eye-popping 35.6% strikeout rate. That dominance has come across just 108 starts, however, and things have gotten more drastic in recent years; while deGrom boasts a 2.03 ERA (198 ERA+) and 1.59 FIP with a comical 43.2% strikeout rate since the start of the 2021 season, that encompasses just 32 starts and 186 2/3 innings of work.

The right-hander will only get a few opportunities to pitch in the majors before the season comes to a close, but it’ll still be exciting for not only Rangers fans but baseball fans as a whole to have arguably the league’s best pitching talent on the mound again. The Rangers will need to make corresponding 40-man and active roster moves prior to deGrom’s start, although the former can be achieved by moving Corey Seager to the 60-day IL ahead of his impending sports hernia surgery.

2. Fitzgerald to undergo MRI:

In what has largely been another disappointing season for the Giants, the emergence of Tyler Fitzgerald as their regular shortstop has been a bright spot. The club’s fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft, Fitzgerald made his MLB debut last year and opened the season as a utility option. The versatile hitter, who will celebrate his 27th birthday over the weekend, has taken on a larger role in recent months and pulled it off with aplomb. In 49 games since being installed as the club’s regular shortstop, Fitzgerald boasts a huge .304/.356/.571 slash line 12 homers, 13 doubles, and ten stolen bases in 13 attempts.

Given Fitzgerald’s emergence as a top contributor, it was a worrying sign for fans in San Francisco when he was removed from yesterday’s game after just three innings. As noted by Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle, Fitzgerald told reporters that his back locked up on him before the game began and worsened through the early innings. The shortstop added that he wasn’t particularly concerned about the situation given that he deals with similar back issues “every year,” but nonetheless noted that he’s set to undergo an MRI today.

3. NL Wild Card race heats up:

The race for the third NL Wild Card spot figures to get very interesting this weekend as the two most likely clubs to grab that spot, the Braves and Mets, are both staring down tough matchups. Atlanta is welcoming the 87-59 Dodgers to Truist Park for a four-game set that begins tonight, while the Mets are ticketed for a three-game set in Philadelphia against the 88-58 Phillies. With the Braves (79-67) just one game back of the Mets (80-66), both series against the NL’s top dogs are particularly pivotal.

It’s also worth noting that the Diamondbacks (82-64) and Padres (82-65) hold the top two Wild Card spots by margins that are hardly insurmountable, and a free-fall by either club could shake up the race in a big way. The only other club with even a 1% chance of winning a Wild Card spot per FanGraphs is the Cubs, who took two of three from the Dodgers earlier this week to stay alive but face a five-game deficit that leaves them needing a miracle to get back into the race.

With just 17 days until the regular season comes to a close, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1: Altuve day-to-day:

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was pulled from yesterday’s game due to what the club described as right side tightness. Manager Joe Espada told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that he wasn’t worried about the issue at the moment and that Altuve was day-to-day, but it’s nonetheless a worrisome development for the Astros as they look to lock down the AL West and return to the postseason for a ninth consecutive season.

Altuve, 34, hasn’t hit at quite the elite level that he did the past two seasons but has nevertheless enjoyed an excellent campaign with a .304/.359/.452 slash line, 19 homers, and 20 steals in 622 trips to the plate. If the veteran were to hit one more home run before the year comes to a close, it would be his first 20/20 campaign since his MVP-winning 2017 season. Those aspirations may be put on hold for the time being if the injury proves to be more serious than the club initially believed, however.

2. Rocker to make MLB debut:

One of the league’s most interesting top prospects is set to make his big league debut, as the Rangers have scheduled right-hander Kumar Rocker to start today’s game against the Mariners in Seattle. The 24-year-old was a top ten pick in back-to-back draft classes in 2021-22 when the Mets selected him tenth overall before declining to sign him due to injury concerns in his physical. That led Rocker to take the unusual path of pitching in the independent Frontier League ahead of the 2022 draft, where the Rangers surprising selected the righty third overall despite many believing his stock had dipped.

Rocker ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery but has been brilliant since returning to action. In seven starts between the Double- and Triple-A levels this year, the right-hander boasts a 0.91 ERA with a 34.9% strikeout rate in 29 2/3 innings of work. He’ll now get the opportunity to show off his stuff at the big league level tonight, when he faces Bryce Miller (3.18 ERA) at 6:40pm local time.

3. Series Preview: Red Sox @ Yankees

The Red Sox did what they needed to do in order to keep their remote playoff odds alive against one division rival this week when they took two games in their three-game set against the Orioles. They’ll now travel to the Bronx for a four-game set against their archrival Yankees in another critical series. For Boston, a strong performance in this series is imperative to stay alive in the race for the third AL Wild Card spot, where they trail the Twins by four games. Meanwhile, the series provides the Yankees not only an opportunity to bury their oldest rival but also to hold onto their lead over the Orioles for the AL East title and the bye through the Wild Card Series that likely comes with it.

The series kicks off this evening at 7:15pm local time with a match-up between righty Cooper Criswell (4.11 ERA) and lefty Nestor Cortes (3.97 ERA). Righties Tanner Houck (3.24 ERA) and Clarke Schmidt (2.34 ERA in 12 starts) are scheduled to face off tomorrow. Saturday will see youngster Brayan Bello (4.70 ERA) take on Gerrit Cole (3.36 ERA in 14 starts). The series wraps on Sunday with right-hander Kutter Crawford (4.09 ERA) facing southpaw Carlos Rodon (4.21 ERA).

With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Lopez to undergo MRI:

Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was pulled from his start against the Nationals yesterday due to what the club referred to as shoulder tightness. As noted by The Athletic’s David O’Brien, the right-hander’s velocity was down more than 3 mph from his season average during the abbreviated outing. Manager Brian Snitker told reporters following the game that Lopez is set to undergo an MRI.

A converted reliever who surprisingly was signed with the intent of joining Atlanta’s rotation, Lopez has been dominant since joining the Braves. He sports a 2.03 ERA and 3.08 FIP in 128 2/3 innings of work with a 26.3% strikeout rate. The thought of losing a player who has produced results that strong is always worrisome, but it’s especially so for a Braves club that’s currently tied with the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot and will need to pull away from them to even get the chance to make a deep run this October. Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Ian Anderson are among the arms at Triple-A who could be called upon in Lopez’s stead down the stretch.

2. Schwarber dealing with elbow issue:

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber broke the single-season MLB record for leadoff home runs with his 14th such dinger last night, but the celebratory air surrounding his accomplishment didn’t last long as he left the game during the fourth inning after suffering what manager Rob Thomson referred to (per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) as a bruised elbow that suffered from “a little bit” of hyperextension from diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt earlier in the game.

While Thomson said he plans to pencil Schwarber into the club’s lineup against the Rays today, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb notes that they won’t make a final decision on his availability until they see how the slugger is feeling today. The loss of Schwarber’s presence would be a tough blow for the Phillies, as he’s in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career with a .251/.372/.496 slash line with 35 homers and an NL-best 98 walks in 134 games.

3. Breakout arms square off in the Bronx:

The Yankees and Royals are scheduled to wrap up a three-game set, and they’ll do so with a pair of exciting young hurlers on the mound. Kansas City will deploy left-hander Cole Ragans, who enjoyed a breakout with the Royals down the stretch last year after being acquired from the Rangers and has continued that production over a full season in 2024. In 167 1/3 innings of work this year, the 26-year-old has pitched to a 3.33 ERA (128 ERA+) with a 2.94 FIP and an eye-popping 29.6% strikeout rate that’s second to only Tarik Skubal among AL starters.

Fellow 26-year-old Luis Gil missed the entire 2023 season due to injury and entered 2024 with just 33 1/3 big league innings on his resume. He got an opportunity in the rotation due to an injury that sidelined reigning AL Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole, however, and Gil has made the most of it with a 3.24 ERA (128 ERA+) and a 3.78 FIP in 130 2/3 innings. The only starters who are 26 or younger with a lower ERA in at least 130 innings are Hunter Greene of the Reds, Javier Assad of the Cubs, and Bryce Miller of the Mariners.

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

1. Yamamoto to return:

Prized right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto last pitched for the Dodgers back in June. A rotator cuff strain sidelined the $325MM rookie 14 starts into his big league career, but he’ll return to the roster to take on the Cubs in L.A. at 7:10pm local time with another former NPB ace, left-hander Shota Imanaga (2.99 ERA), on the mound for Chicago. Prior to his injury, Yamamoto had pitched to a sterling 2.94 ERA with a 2.62 FIP in 74 innings of work while striking out 27.9% of opponents.

The 26-year-old hurler’s return to action is a welcome development for a Dodgers rotation that has recently lost Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Gavin Stone to the injured list. Yamamoto will spend the next couple weeks preparing for his first stateside playoff run as the Dodgers look to fend off the Padres and Diamondbacks in the NL West. Corresponding moves will be necessary on both the active and 40-man rosters to accommodate Yamamoto, who is returning from the 60-day injured list.

2. Series Preview: Padres @ Mariners

After dominating the AL West for the first half of the season, the Mariners have stumbled to a 21-25 record in the second half that’s allowed the Astros to run them down and take possession of the division crown. With less than three weeks to go until the regular season concludes, Seattle’s playoff hopes are looking unlikely but not impossible, as FanGraphs gives the club a 7.7% chance to make the postseason, highest of all AL clubs not currently in playoff position.

In order to make it to October for just the second time since 2001, the Mariners will have to take down a Padres club that’s firmly in playoff contention itself. San Diego is 5.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West but has a firm grasp on the top NL Wild Card spot with an 81-64 record that leaves them just a half game in front of Arizona but well ahead of the Braves and Mets as the two clubs battle for the third spot. The two-game set kicks off at 6:40pm local time this evening and will feature a pair of exciting pitching matchups, with veteran righty Yu Darvish (3.51 ERA) facing Mariners righty George Kirby (3.61 ERA) tonight. Tomorrow’s matchup will pit Michael King (3.10 ERA) against breakout youngster Bryan Woo (2.36 ERA).

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

With the calendar now flipped to September, all eyes are on the push to the postseason, where the Mets have recently pushed their way into the race with a torrid stretch and now sit just one game ahead of the Braves in the NL Wild Card standings. 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.

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.