Here are three things MLBTR readers should keep an eye out for today:
1. AL West injury updates:
Astros closer Josh Hader was unavailable to pitch last night, and manager Joe Espada revealed after the game that the left-hander was nursing some “discomfort” in his shoulder. Houston is now awaiting imaging results and will presumably provide an update later today. Needless to say, losing Hader for any amount of time would be difficult for the team to survive. Hader, who leads all relievers in Win Probability Added, is a huge reason why the Astros have been able to cling to their lead over the Mariners in the AL West – a lead that has fallen to just one game.
On a more positive note, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told Jessica Kleinschmidt that injured starter Luis Severino was recently evaluated, and the results were more promising than expected. The A’s will provide more information when it is available, likely later today. Severino landed on the IL on Saturday (retroactive to August 6) with a left oblique strain, but the A’s were still waiting to determine the severity of the strain. While the A’s are not fighting for a postseason spot, they would certainly like to have their highest-paid player back in a stretched-thin rotation as soon as possible. Severino might not be having the 2025 season he hoped for when he signed his three-year, $67MM contract, but he still leads the A’s in starts, innings pitched, and FanGraphs WAR.
2. Can the Padres catch the Dodgers?
The Dodgers have now lost two straight, while the Padres have won three in a row, putting San Diego just one game back of the top spot in the NL West. If the Padres win tonight against the Giants, and if the Dodgers lose a sixth consecutive game against the Angels (dating back to last season), the Padres will pull into a tie with the Dodgers for first place in the division. The Dodgers have held sole possession of first place since June 14 and have been ahead of the Padres in the standings since April 27. According to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, San Diego has not been this close to catching L.A. post-All-Star break in 15 years. The Dodgers remain the heavy favorites to win the NL West for the 12th time in the last 13 years, but after an active trade deadline, the Padres are making things interesting.
3. MLBTR chat today:
The trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, and the stretch run has officially begun. There is no shortage of close postseason races, and it’s never too early to look ahead to the offseason and what free agency and the winter trade market might bring. MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting a live chat this afternoon at 1pm CT to discuss it all. 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.
It’s a grind for all 162, but LA seems to lack a sense of urgency, under performance, and poor handling of pen. We shall see. Dodger haters may get their wish.
The Dodgers’ pen has handled itself poorly….
well, it’s up to Roberts to play the game in front of him. And not put guys guys coming back from injury like Treinen in high leverage situations until they can shake the rust. seems obvious.
Seems obvious until you’re in the situation you’re trying to manage through. When you have a severely overused bullpen missing multiple late-game arms, Roberts has no real choice but to line them up so he doesn’t send any more to the IL. On Sunday, Treinen AND Vesia both failed. Starters who spend 2/3 or more of the season on the IL put downstream pressure on the bullpen arms. You’re watching the result. This isn’t on Roberts. It’s failure to execute.
Every team deals with injuries.
The good ones address the issue like shortening games so pen can cover 6th 7th 8th and 9th if need be meaning your starter only needs to go 5.
The bad ones don’t address their dumpster fire issues and say this is fine.
69
“When you have a severely overused bullpen missing multiple late-game arms, ”
“The good ones address the issue like shortening games so pen can cover 6th 7th 8th and 9th if need be meaning your starter only needs to go 5.”
🤔🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Dave Roberts has been failing for the last decade.
Which is why he’s the longest-tenured manager in MLB today. Everybody else would kill for that kind of failure.
@DarrenDreifortsContract
You should hope to fail that well…
“ Every team deals with injuries.
The good ones address the issue”
Sure, because he has great players not because he’s a great manager.
Dodgers chose to go after injury history pitchers…that is what happened they got injured – no surprise – BP had to be overworked.
@69 Management for LAD – went after injury history riddled starters for the high risk, high reward category instead of workhorses
Part of the problem. Why not stretch out a few of your starters. Seems LA is bent on starters pitching about 5 innings. Sacrificing games by pitching only pen arms will also burn out a pen, which LA did earlier in the year. And you can also make a trade. LA has a deep farm and there is a bottle neck at some positions. Why not trade make a trade even if it’s overpaying once in a while.
The Dodgers needed a closer. Friedman didn’t get one, as every team that had the same need did. This is not the manager’s fault. Lots of fans will rain on the guy with the number on his back, but he has to play the cards he was dealt by the front office.
Blue-Ummm..he got Scott and Yates. That’s two closers.
Andy Friedman, is that you?
Both on them on IL, and neither were performing well when they were available. These are exactly the kinds of roster problems that need to be fixed in July, because after then, they can’t fixed at all.
@blueskys_la
It seems almost every relief pitcher was or is a closer
Um, what?
two ineffective closers.
These losses should go on the back of Andy Friedman’s baseball card.
I’m a Giants fan rooting for the Padres. Not the current series, but after that.
Thanks Pete!
Go Pads 😎🤙🏽
Concur- me to neither.
Common belief – The Giants & whoever is playing the Doggers is our favorite team.
A decent article from ESPN (I’m as shocked as anyone) on the “Hader Rules” situation
share.google/TJeb4pVp6HlAkTpOa
In short: The Brewers didn’t want to pay him, he wanted to be paid.
Working out fine for both parties.
cwsO
“Working out fine for both parties.”
Sure, if you ignore the $10 millionish dollars Hader didn’t get and the last production the Brewers didn’t get
You’re ignoring the production Milwaukee has received from the trade return. One of them was flipped for William Contreras. The Brewers did very well in that trade.
CF
“You’re ignoring the production Milwaukee has received from the trade return.”
No I’m not
It’s irrelevant to the discussion
Harder lost out on arb money and the Brewers lost out on him pitching more innings.
You just made the claim that trade returns are irrelevant. Why don’t teams just release players instead of trading them?
CF
“You just made the claim that trade returns are irrelevant”
🤦♂️
No. I didn’t. I said it was irrelevant TO THIS DISCUSSION.
You’re also deliberately glossing over the Hader trade itself. None of the players the Brewers received are on the 26 man roster. Maybe Robert Gasser changes things next year but the move also killed their momentum down the stretch.
dy
“You’re also deliberately glossing over the Hader trade itself.”
Yes. Yes I am
Because it is irrelevant to this discussion
My reply was directed at Cardsfan57, to show Milwaukee lost in a couple ways from the Hader trade. Also, it was widely understood in 2023 that the Brewers traded him because they wouldn’t be resigning him.
Good article. Good for Hader too. He lost out on arb money so he dictated how they could use him. This probably led to better arb money in the following seasons and less wear on his arm. He was lucky to have that level of leverage.
Article is actually really good. Ashby is being used in a similar way this year. I’ve been wondering a lot why teams don’t use a reliever who can go 2-3 innings twice a week more often. This makes sense of it.
cp
“I’ve been wondering a lot why teams don’t use a reliever who can go 2-3 innings twice a week more often. ”
Pay them. Then you can.
Absolutely. Especially now that college is being used more and more for development. Guys like Kevin Kopps with Arkansas a couple years ago are used frequently as long relievers. And innings pitched should 100% be used in reliever arbitration hearings. If the greatest baseball minds trust them out there more than other guys, that speaks more to their ability than saves, wins, or ERA.
I would be interested in knowing what MLB offered up as an alternative to the arbitration process.
Aaron Judge is the Team Captain for a team in its second consecutive second half backslide. The 2025 one could keep the Yankees out of the playoffs entirely. Anything short of a Triple Crown, and Cal Raleigh is my MVP
*ducks*
They actually had a winning record over the second half last year and made the World Series. If they do what they did last year, that would actually be pretty good. World Series is good.
That would help his case if they voted for awards after the conclusion of the postseason, which they should, but they don’t
TPiP
Raleigh is MVP over Judge because Goldschmidt and Chisholm have wRC+’s in the 70s and Goldschmidt in the 40s…
Makes no sense to me
Judge is team captain and the entire team is underperforming, and in the ugliest possible way. Goldschmidt/Chisolm should be performing at a much higher level, yet they are not. Losing baseball with stupid base running, bad bullpen, awful bullpen management that everyone is accustomed to under Aaron Boone yet Judge defends Boone….
TPiP
Okay?
You’ve heard of New York sports media, right?
Let’s all say things to completely disrupt the rest of the season. Makes sense.
The umpire in the Dodgers/Angels game last night needs to be suspended.
The Padres will catch and pass the Dodgers.
Good, maybe people like CC Ryder/oldguy58 and “This one belongs to the Reds” and all the other reactionaries can finally shut up about their supposed big-market boogeyman…
The whole shpiel about the Dodgers killing baseball and going “162-0 with a country as a farm team! Grrrr! Baseball is dead grrrrrrr!” can finally be put to rest.
Looks like those posters struck a nerve with you as a NYY fan whose team hasn’t been under .500 in nearly 35 years. It’s okay to say you like the status quo where geography/financial advantages result in playoff baseball almost every season in perpetuity for your favorite team.
The NY and LA club FO’s have to earn their way to success reaching playoffs (or failure in many cases) in other pro sports.
Hader is not a big game pitcher. Dude has a special arm, but in the playoffs, with the lights on, he wilts. Not a playoff closer.
This is absolutely true as long as you don’t look at any of his stats or listen to anyone else. 13.5 k/9, 1.63 ERA, 5/6 saves. All the while playing against the best of the best. He needs to be better.
He has one job. He needs to get it together. Just not acceptable the way he keeps folding when it really counts.
Put what together exactly? Hader has a career saves percentage of 89% – the same % as the GOAT Mariano Rivera. No pitcher is infallible and injury-free.
I was just continuing the “He needs to be better” joke from cartography. He has been good at a historic level so anyone calling him anything but historically good is either making a funny or just a bit slow like the pmollan thing.
Gotcha! ✌️
Parse out playoff stats for games closing vs. setting-up
Yes, Padres will catch the Dodgers and win the NL West.
The Friars will make it interesting, but I think the Dodgers will ultimately win the West.
First time I’ve ever wanted to boo you, Fins! Haha, LFGSD! 🤙🏽😎🤙🏽
I’m just trying to brace myself for potential disappointment. It’s residual PTSD from the Chargers haha
Who?!?!? 🤪
If the Padres and Dodgers can stay within 3 games in the NL West until the last two weeks, it will be a really good drive to the finish line. Which team is going to stand up to the pressure. Which player will crack come down the stretch, make the big play or error, who will pitch in the clutch 8th and 9th innings or will they blow the save. Who is going to be the clutch hitter when it counts, or will they go into a slump the final two weeks of games. This is going to be fun to watch for these two teams, home field for them in the playoffs is at stake just for the first round. Going to be a good finish if these teams are within three games going into the last two weeks of each other for the NL West.
Good stuff dawg. Even with the 6 games against each other the Pads and LADS have the easiest schedules in MLB going forward, so how they play against non playoff teams will largely decide their fates.
I’m all for it being a right race to the end. I think it really helped the Dodgers to have to overcome some adversity.
I would definitely like to see them win the West. But the ultimate thing is to be healthy and playing as well as possible in the playoffs. And part of that is being tested down the stretch.
Here to a fun last part of the season.
I think it’s a toss up. The Dodgers and Pads are both, very good, very deep teams. I think Preller set up the Pads better for the coming stretch, than Gomes has the Dodgers. Between them, injuries and depth are probably just as important as individuals rising the occasion.
Honestly, the playing philosophy of the guys PLAYING for the Dodgers and Padres, seems very similar. Similar quotes, goals, and respect. I think the Dodgers are built a bit more for power, and Shildts is totally a “Cardinals way” small ball guy, but the Dodgers execute well, too.
So, as a Padres fan, hoping for a good finish and maybe W.S. for the Pads. As a Padres fan, I also know that in the end, quoting Cronie and many of the other Padres, “that’s baseball”, as in, totally random. I’d never bet on anything related to it, lol.
I don’t care about the West Crown so much as we finally get the Big Crown! Go Pads 😃
Nope. Get ’em both, NL West and W.S.. Think of all the wasted “Madres” comments from .. uh .. certain fans that’ll end immediately. I don’t care if the Dodgers win the next 12 NL West crowns, I want the 2025 one, and the W.S.. If Preller’s “all in”, we’d better be, too, ’cause no matter how good the front office scouts are, the Farm system ain’t a bottomless pit. There’s coming a day when the cupboard down there will be bare for a few years, and I’d like to see the Pads win one W.S. before I pass from this earth. (Well, not essential to life, I suppose, but it’d sure be nice.)
I will say this. Conforto isn’t good enough defensively to justify being a black hole rally killer offensively.
I know they are giving him every single chance, but every chance he has to be clutch is disappointing. One out of ten in clutch at bats isn’t good enough for this team. We can’t get kike back soon enough.
Agreed. I am beyond fed up with Conforto. They gave him way too long of a leash.
Padres have a very good chance to knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs if they meet in the 2025 playoffs. Padres knocked LAD out in the 2022 playoffs.
However, the Brewers are white hot and the hottest team in baseball right now. If they can stay hot, then the Brewers will be a formidable team in the NL playoffs.
The Phillies are very tough also.
Whichever team represents the NL in the 2025 World Series, whether it be the Padres, Brewers, Phillies, Dodgers or ??? That team will have run the gauntlet of some very deserving, excellent baseball teams any of which could be in the World Series in 2025.
The Cubs need more starters and have a few more “fixable holes’s in their teams than the Padres, Brewers, Phillies and Dodgers.
Those “holes/gaps” in the Cubs are probably better fixed in the off season rather than totally gut their farm system for rental players.
It works for the Padres, but the Padres Front Office Teams, Scouting and Player development have mastered the art of loading up their farm system very quickly with competitive players that other teams always want and ask for in trades no matter if the MLB Media knows those players and/or does not do any “deep dives” into the consistent quality that is UNDERRATED, in the Padres farm system by some on a yearly basis.
Jed Hoyer and the Cubs already gave up prospects and young players in the Kyle Tucker and other deals.
I took the Cubs a long time to rebuild their farm.
Tucker may be leaving to take the highest free agency bid which won’t be the Cubs.
Smart move by Hoyer and the Cubs to hang onto some of their top, young OF prosects to step into Tucker’s shoes when he signs with another team.
Hoyer gutting the Cubs system for rental players would have been a bad move for the Cubs long-term contention.
Looking forward to this weekend’s battle.