The Opener

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.

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. Mariners under new management:

After struggling badly on offense throughout the season and a 1-8 road trip that allowed the Astros to overtake them in the AL West race, the Mariners took action yesterday by firing manager Scott Servais and installing Dan Wilson as the club’s new skipper. It’s the second midseason managerial change of the month, as it was just two weeks ago that the White Sox overhauled their coaching staff while replacing Pedro Grifol with Grady Sizemore in the manager’s chair.

The question for Wilson and the Mariners now is whether or not the changes in the dugout will help inject some life into a team that has seen its playoff odds sink to just 11.1% according to Fangraphs, or if the club will continue to flounder while the Astros pull further away in the AL West race. Chicago has gone just 3-8 since their swap was made, although given the 1-22 stretch the club had prior to Grifol’s firing, even that meager .272 winning percentage is arguably an improvement. Wilson’s first task will be winning tonight’s game against the Giants, which takes place in Seattle at 7:10pm local time with Luis Castillo (3.51 ERA) on the mound opposite Hayden Birdsong (5.01 ERA).

2. Buxton nearing return?

Uber-talented but oft-injured outfielder Byron Buxton has somewhat quietly put together a strong, healthy season with the Twins this year. His 90 games played this year are the third most of his MLB career to this point, and he’s made the most of them by slashing an excellent .275/.334/.528 (140 wRC+) while posting strong numbers in center field. It’s a huge step forward from a 2023 campaign that saw Buxton offer just 85 games worth of below-average offense while being limited to a DH-only role in a bid to keep the now 30-year-old former All-Star healthy.

Of course, Buxton is currently on the injured list with inflammation in his right hip. That’s surely a worrisome diagnosis for Twins fans given Buxton’s long injury history, but MLB.com’s Injury Tracker provides plenty of reason for optimism by noting that the outfielder has done hitting, fielding, and running in recent days and could be activated from the shelf as soon as today, the first game where he’s eligible to return to action. Minnesota has relied on youngster Austin Martin in center field while Buxton has been out of commission.

3. Yankees getting healthier:

Yankees fans got exciting news yesterday when it was reported that infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is set to be activated from the injured list today. The news ought to provide a facelift for the club’s struggling infield mix, and more reinforcements are on the way with both Jon Berti and Anthony Rizzo set to begin rehab assignments amid lengthy stays on the injured list this year. Both Berti (87 wRC+ in 17 games this year) and Rizzo (80 wRC+ in 70 games) have struggled to produce at the plate this year, but those issues are par for the course in a Yankees infield that has seen Gleyber Torres, Oswaldo Cabrera, Ben Rice, and DJ LeMahieu all post lackluster numbers with Torres’s 90 wRC+ leading the pack. With New York clinging to a 1.5-game lead in the AL East over the Orioles, the impending returns of Chisholm, Rizzo, and Berti could help the club’s beleaguered infield to show signs of life down the stretch.

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. Cole chasing #150 amid struggles:

When veteran right-hander Gerrit Cole takes at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, he’ll do so in search of the 150th win of his career. Should he earn the win for tonight’s game, he’ll become just the fourth active big leaguer to reach the milestone, joining Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer. He’s scheduled to take on the Guardians and youngster Gavin Williams (5.02 ERA) at 1:05pm local time this afternoon in his next bid to make that trio a quartet.

It would be a welcome source of positivity in the midst of what has been a very difficult season for Cole. The 33-year-old missed the first ten weeks of the season due to an elbow injury and hasn’t looked like the dominant ace who won the AL Cy Young award last season in ten starts since returning. Over 52 innings of work, Cole has a pedestrian 4.15 ERA with a 4.20 FIP to match. While his 26.8% remains excellent, the righty’s 7.1% walk rate is a tick higher than normal and he’s struggled badly in terms of keeping the ball in the park, with nine home runs allowed already this season.

2. Series Preview: Astros @ Orioles

In what could prove to be a preview of a playoff series, the Astros are set to visit the Orioles for a three-game set that starts today. The set begins amid what has been a difficult month of August in Baltimore, as the club has won just one series so far this month with a 9-10 record over that time. Those struggles have allowed the Yankees to reclaim a half-game lead in the AL East race, leaving the Orioles to enter the upcoming series with an eye toward regaining the momentum that previously propelled them to run down New York earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Astros are on the upswing in recent weeks with a 12-6 record since the calendar flipped to August and a solid five-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West. A series win against Baltimore could not only help Houston pad its division lead but help them as they look to move further up the overall standings to secure a top-2 record in the AL and the accompanying bye through the Wild Card Series. The Astros will send right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (5.20 ERA) to the mound tonight opposite Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes (3.10 ERA), though the club has not yet announced who will take the ball opposite youngster Cade Povich (5.77 ERA) tomorrow or journeyman Albert Suarez (3.18 ERA) on Saturday.

3. deGrom to begin rehab assignment:

Jacob deGrom hasn’t pitched in an official game since last May, but that’s expected to change tonight with the start of his rehab assignment at Double-A. While Rangers manager Bruce Bochy didn’t commit to a specific day for deGrom’s rehab to begin, deGrom himself indicated that he expected to take the ball today. Whether he ultimately begins his rehab today or tomorrow, it’s surely a huge relief for the 36-year-old to be returning to the mound over a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Rangers’ postseason hopes are all but snuffed out at this late point in the schedule, but even so it will surely provide a huge boost to the club heading into 2025 if deGrom can return healthy and effective before season’s end. Often considered to be perhaps the best pitcher in the sport when healthy, the right-hander sports an incredible 2.08 ERA and 2.11 FIP dating all the way back to the 2018 season, when he won the first of two back-to-back NL Cy Young awards with the Mets. deGrom has struggled to stay on the field in recent years, with just 186 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season, but he’s been as dominant as ever in those limited innings with a 2.03 ERA and a mind-boggling 1.59 FIP in 32 starts.

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. World Baseball Classic first-round reveal:

Per a report from ESPN’s Enrique Rojas, organizers for the 2026 World Baseball Classic will announce the brackets for the first round of the tournament today. Sixteen of the 20 participants have already been determined, as the United States, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Australia, Canada, Panama, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic all qualified automatically thanks to their performance in last year’s tournament. The final four spots in the tournament won’t be determined until next year’s qualifiers. The 2026 WBC will play out across four venues: Houston’s Minute Maid Park, Miami’s loanDepot Park, Japan’s Tokyo Dome, and Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

2. Verlander to return to action:

One of the league’s most decorated pitchers is returning from the injured list today, as the Astros are poised to hand the ball to Justin Verlander for his first start since June. The future Hall of Famer is on the 15-day IL, meaning the club will only need to make a corresponding move that clears space on the active roster to accommodate his return. He’ll square off against Red Sox righty Cooper Criswell (4.56 ERA) in Houston.

In ten starts prior to the injury, Verlander had been solid but didn’t look quite like himself, with a 3.95 ERA and 4.99 FIP. The 41-year-old’s return to the Astros rotation should supply the club with some much-needed reinforcement, given each of J.P. France, Cristian Javier, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, and Lance McCullers Jr. have all been lost for the season to injury.

3. Robles injured:

For all of their offensive struggles this year, the Mariners have been extremely pleased with the performance of midseason acquisition Victor Robles. The center fielder signed with Seattle back in June after being released by the Nationals, the only club he had previously known. The change of scenery has served the 27-year-old extremely well. In 50 games with the M’s, he has slashed .280/.340/.413 (120 wRC+) while delivering quality defense in the outfield. The former top prospect’s success impressed Mariners brass enough to earn him a two-year extension that runs through the end of the 2026 season with a club option for 2027.

Unfortunately, the struggling Mariners will be losing that spark at the top of their lineup — for at least the time being. As noted by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Robles suffered a hip injury when he crashed into a wall during last night’s loss to the Dodgers and is expected to miss at least tonight’s game. The loss of Robles leaves Seattle in a bit of a pickle regarding center field, as almost all of the club’s innings in center have gone to Robles or Julio Rodriguez this season. Rodriguez only recently came off the injured list and has not played the field at all since his return. If Rodriguez is unable to return to center field duties, the club could turn to Luke Raley or Dominic Canzone in center, though neither has much experience there. Raley has just 341 career innings there to Canzone’s 231 (big leagues and minors combined).