The Opener

With one team now on the verge of a trip to the World Series, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Dodgers one away:

A 10-2 drubbing of the Mets in New York last night in Game 4 of the NLCS leaves the Dodgers just one win away from the World Series. They’ll attempt to wrap the series up in New York at 5:08pm local time this evening with right-hander Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA in 28 starts) on the mound. Flaherty was roughed up by the Padres in his first start of the postseason but bounced back in a big way during his start against the Mets earlier in this series when he threw seven scoreless frames and struck out six. The Mets will attempt to counter Flaherty with lefty David Peterson, who enjoyed something of a breakout season this year with a 2.90 ERA in 21 starts. He’s worked out of the bullpen to this point in the postseason but has mostly done well for himself with a 2.08 ERA in 8 2/3 frames, though four walks against just five strikeouts is somewhat concerning.

2. Guardians fighting back in ALCS:

The Guardians headed back to Cleveland down 2-0 in the ALCS yesterday but did not disappoint in front of their home crowd, prevailing in a back-and-forth extra innings affair 7-5 on the back of a home run by David Fry that followed a homer by Jhonkensy Noel that tied the game in the bottom of the ninth to keep the club alive. Now, the Guardians will have the opportunity to even the series against their home crowd when they face right-hander Luis Gil (3.50 ERA in 29 starts) in what will be the first postseason outing of Gil’s career at 8:08pm local time this evening. Cleveland will counter with right-hander Gavin Williams, who followed up a strong rookie campaign in 2023 with a lackluster 4.86 ERA in 16 starts this year in what will also be the first postseason appearance of his young career.

3. Hamilton to undergo MRI:

Before tonight’s game in Cleveland, the Yankees will have a decision to make regarding right-hander Ian Hamilton. Hamilton exited last night’s game against the Guardians due to what the team described as tightness in his left calf and is now headed for imaging. Hamilton posted a solid 3.82 ERA with a 3.03 FIP in 37 2/3 innings of work in the regular season but hasn’t seen much action in the postseason. The righty threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings during the ALDS against the Royals, but his lone appearance in the ALCS was last night’s injury-shortened outing where he surrendered a run and recorded just one out. Right-handers Mark Leiter Jr. and Clayton Beeter are among the hurlers who have been floated as possible injury replacements for Hamilton should he go on the IL, which would bar him from participating in the World Series in the event that the Yankees advance.

As the playoffs continue, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. ALCS heads to Cleveland:

The Guardians are headed back home to Cleveland today having dropped the first two games of the ALCS to the Yankees in the Bronx. As they look to stop the bleeding in front of their home crowd, the club will turn to lefty Matthew Boyd (2.72 ERA in 8 starts). The veteran southpaw has not yet appeared in the ALCS but drew two starts during the ALDS against Detroit. Those two starts went quite well, as Boyd struck out ten Tigers in 6 2/3 scoreless frames. Now, Boyd figures to square off against Yankees youngster Clarke Schmidt (2.85 ERA in 16 starts) this evening. Schmidt’s lone ALDS start saw him surrender two runs in 4 2/3 innings of work with four strikeouts. Today’s game is scheduled to begin at 5:08pm local time.

2. Mets facing deficit in NLCS:

The Mets suffered an ugly 8-0 loss at the hands of the Dodgers last night as the L.A. pitching staff stymied their offense, allowing just four hits. While Luis Severino managed to handle the Dodgers’ offense decently in 4 2/3 innings of work that saw only two unearned runs cross the plate, the L.A. bats came to life late in the game against the bullpen and torched Mets relievers Reed Garrett and Tylor Megill for six runs.

As the Mets try to avoid dropping back-to-back games, they’ll turn to veteran southpaw Jose Quintana (3.75 ERA in 31 starts). Quintana has been excellent for the Mets so far this postseason, pitching 11 scoreless frames and striking out 11 across two starts split between the NLDS and the NL Wild Card series. His opponent tonight will be Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3.00 ERA in 16 starts), who arrived in the majors to much fanfare earlier this year. Yamamoto’s first taste of postseason action in the big leagues has been a mixed bag so far, as he was rocked for five runs over three innings by the Padres in his first postseason start but settled in to post five scoreless frames in a decisive Game 5 against San Diego later in the series. Tonight’s game is slated to start at 8:08pm local time in Queens.

3. A’s ballpark agreements in Las Vegas moving forward:

The A’s no longer hail from Oakland after playing their last game at the Coliseum last month, and with the Oakland chapter of the club’s history now officially closed, things are moving along toward the construction of the club’s planned ballpark in Las Vegas. As detailed by Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority is scheduled to meet today with a review of updated agreements regarding development and leasing of the stadium as well as relocation stipulations between the city and the A’s among the items on the agenda.

The agreements lay out a framework for a number of subjects, including how many out-of-market home games the Athletics are allowed to play each year and what situations could allow the A’s to relocate out of Las Vegas in the future should they so desire. Per Akers, those agreements will then be put to a vote on December 5, with approval of each of the agreements standing as a necessary step in order for the A’s to unlock public funding for their new stadium. In addition to getting approval on these agreements, the Athletics will also need to present a plan for financing their own portion of the stadium expenses before that aforementioned public funding becomes available.

As the Yankees and Guardians head to Cleveland with New York up 2-0, here are a few things to watch for today:

1. NLCS Game 3:

The Dodgers and Mets left L.A. with the NLCS all tied up, and tonight they’ll take the field in Queens to continue the series. The Dodgers will send right-hander Walker Buehler (5.38 ERA in 16 starts) to the mound in hopes of stronger results after the righty was lit up for six runs in five innings while striking out just one against the Padres in his most recent postseason start. The Mets will counter with right-hander Luis Severino (3.91 ERA in 31 starts) on the heels of a quality start by the righty in the NLDS where he struck out seven Phillies over six innings while surrendering three runs. The matchup between the two hurlers is scheduled to start at 8:08pm local time this evening.

2. Lux day-to-day?

Headed into tonight’s game, one question facing the Dodgers is the availability of second baseman Gavin Lux. As noted by MLB.com, Lux was out of the starting lineup in Game 2, replaced by Enrique Hernandez at second base. The move to not start Lux came on the heels of the 26-year-old being removed from Game 1 due to hip tightness. While manager Dave Roberts indicated prior to the game that Lux would be available off the bench, he ultimately did not make an appearance in Game 2. Following a day off and with a right-handed starter on the mound, will Lux be healthy enough to take the field? While the infielder’s 100 wRC+ during the regular season doesn’t stand out, Lux had a huge finish to the year, hitting .304/.390/.508 in 210 plate appearances after the All-Star break, and he went 5-for-18 with a homer and a walk during the NLDS against San Diego.

3. Rizzo day-to-day:

Coming off a second consecutive win against the Guardians in the ALCS, one focus for the Yankees on their day off will be monitoring the status of veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo was unavailable for the ALDS but returned to the roster for the championship series to play through two fractured fingers on his right hand. The 35-year-old has done quite well for himself on the field so far, going 3-for-7 with a walk and a double, but Brendan Kuty of The Athletic noted before yesterday’s game that Rizzo’s availability is truly day-to-day after he was pulled from Game 1 of the series early and entered the day of Game 2 with his availability uncertain. Rizzo managed to play the full game yesterday, however, and with a day off today there’s certainly reason for optimism that he’ll be able to remain in the club’s lineup as the series heads to Cleveland tomorrow.

4. MLBTR Chat today:

MLBTR’s Steve Adams wasn’t able to host his usual Tuesday chat with readers this week, so it’ll take place this afternoon instead. If you have a question about free agency, your favorite team’s offseason direction, potential winter trades, the ongoing postseason, etc. — you can click here to submit a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to participate live at 3pm CT or read the transcript after the chat has been completed.

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

1: ALCS Game 2:

The Yankees took Game 1 of the ALCS last night thanks to a gem from left-hander Carlos Rodon that saw him strike out nine Guardians across six innings of one-run ball. Now, Cleveland will look to rebound with right-hander Tanner Bibee (3.47 ERA in 31 starts) on the mound. It’ll be the third start of the postseason for Bibee, who already posted 8 2/3 innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts and three walks against the Tigers in the ALDS. The Yankees will turn to ace Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA in 17 starts) as they look to keep their momentum rolling. Cole has a lengthy and accomplished postseason resume with a 2.94 ERA across 19 playoff starts, and his performance in the ALDS against the Royals mostly matched his reputation: he surrendered five runs (four earned) in 12 innings of work while striking out eight batters.

2: Phillies end-of-season presser:

After a frustrating defeat at the hands of the Mets in the NLDS, the Phillies have entered the offseason earlier than they were hoping. The club will formally kick off its offseason later today with an end-of-season press conference where both president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson are expected to be available to field questions from the media. The Phillies could be in for a relatively quiet offseason by their standards with their entire starting rotation and lineup under team control for 2025, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club looked to upgrade in the outfield or address a bullpen that could lose Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to free agency next month.

3. Managerial searches underway

While winning teams spend October focused primarily on the playoff push, teams that missed the postseason often spend the month focusing on personnel changes in the dugout and front office. This winter, the two most high-profile jobs up for grabs are managerial gigs in Miami and on the south side of Chicago. The rumor mill as been relatively quiet regarding both the Marlins’ and White Sox’ plans so far, though a handful of candidates have seen their names floated already including Angels manager Phil Nevin for the job in Chicago and current bench coach Luis Urueta for the Marlins gig. Whoever is ultimately hired to fill those vacancies will have their work cut out for them as the White Sox look to bounce back from the worst season in modern MLB history and the Marlins plan to rebuild their entire coaching staff from the ground up.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. NLCS Game 2:

The NLCS kicked off yesterday as the Dodgers completed a 9-0 rout of the Mets following a tough start from right-hander Kodai Senga where he allowed three runs in 1 1/3 frames without recording a strikeout. L.A. countered with a brilliant performance from righty Jack Flaherty, who notched six strikeouts across seven scoreless innings. The Mets will hope to turn things around today with lefty Sean Manaea (3.47 ERA) on the mound. Manaea has been perhaps the club’s most reliable starter to this point in the postseason, with a 2.25 ERA and ten strikeouts in 12 innings of work between the Wild Card and Division Series. The Dodgers, on the other hand, will look to extend their record-tying streak of 33 scoreless postseason innings with Ryan Brasier on the mound to start a bullpen game. Brasier struggled a bit in the NLDS, surrendering two runs on three hits (including a homer) and striking out two across 3 2/3 innings of work.

2. ALCS Game 1:

While the Mets look to make up their deficit in the NL, the ALCS will get underway in New York as the Yankees welcome the Guardians to the Bronx. Lefty Carlos Rodon (3.96 ERA) will take the mound for the Yankees on the heels of a tough outing against Kansas City during the ALDS where he surrendered four runs in 3 2/3 innings of work despite striking out seven Royals and walking none. The Guardians will counter with Alex Cobb. The 37-year-old veteran made just three regular season starts due to injury (2.76 ERA). In his lone postseason start against the Tigers last week, Cobb struck out two while surrendering two runs in three innings of work.

3. Yankees facing roster decisions:

With ALCS rosters due later today, the Yankees spent yesterday working out at Yankee Stadium while club brass worked toward finalizing their roster plans. Two injured players in particular appear to be on the bubble of the playoffs roster: first baseman Anthony Rizzo and lefty Nestor Cortes. Rizzo did some fielding work during yesterday’s workout, though Dan Martin of the New York Post writes that the club has yet to make a decision on his availability and could once again turn to Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti at the position, as they did against the Royals.

Meanwhile, Greg Joyce of the New York Post was among those to note yesterday that the Yankees are “considering” activating Cortes for the ALCS. Cortes has been sidelined since late September due to a flexor strain in his left elbow, but imaging revealed an undamaged UCL so the lefty received a platelet-rich plasma injection and returned to rehabbing. The southpaw posted a 3.77 ERA across 174 1/3 innings of work for the Yankees this year but would surely be relegated to a relief role if activated, adding another lefty to the club’s bullpen alongside Tim Hill and Tim Mayza.

With two of the four teams headed to the LCS already decided, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on headed into the weekend:

1. NLDS Game 5:

Baseball fans get to enjoy three games from three different series this weekend, starting with a winner-take-all rubber match between the Dodgers and Padres at Dodger Stadium at 5:08pm local time this evening. In the first instance of a pitching match-up featuring two Japanese-born pitchers in MLB playoff history, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3.00 ERA in 18 starts) will take the ball for the Dodgers in Game 5 opposite Padres veteran Yu Darvish (3.31 ERA in 16 starts). Yamamoto pitched for the Dodgers in Game 1 but was torched for five runs in three innings of work amid whispers that the star hurler was tipping his pitches. Meanwhile, Darvish hurled seven innings of one-run ball in his start against the Dodgers earlier in this series.

2. ALDS Game 5:

Tomorrow, another set of division rivals will prepare for a winner-take-all Game 5 when the Tigers and Guardians head back to Cleveland for a game scheduled at 8:08pm local time tomorrow evening. Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (2.39 ERA) will be back on the mound for the Guardians after previously striking out 14 across 13 scoreless frames this postseason between dominant starts against the Astros and Guardians. The Guardians have not announced their starter as they try to hand Skubal the first loss of his postseason career, though injuries to the Detroit lineup could help their own pitching staff keep pace with the dominant lefty.

Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter departed last night’s game with an apparent hamstring injury, and manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive) that the club will need to get Carpenter looked at by team doctors before determining his availability for Game 5. Meanwhile, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reported last night that catcher Jake Rogers also underwent imaging after having his wrist and forearm wrapped in the aftermath of Game 4, though specifics of the backstop’s potential injury aren’t known. With two key pieces of the club’s starting lineup potentially unavailable headed into Game 5, the Tigers could need to rely on backup catcher Dillon Dingler and Carpenter’s platoon partner Justyn-Henry Malloy to take the club to the ALCS.

3. NLCS Game 1:

On Sunday, the winner of tonight’s game 5 will move on to face the Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS, which will take place at either Dodger Stadium or San Diego’s Petco Park at 5:15 local time that evening. With the club’s entire rotation set to be fully rested entering the series, the Mets appear likely to turn to either Luis Severino (3.91 ERA) or Sean Manaea (3.47 ERA) in Sunday’s game, while the Dodgers would likely turn to Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA) should they advance. The Padres have less certainty in their rotation situation than the other remaining NL clubs after losing Joe Musgrove to Tommy John surgery earlier this postseason, but could start right-hander Michael King (2.95 ERA) on short rest or simply lean on their dominant bullpen in the first game of the seven game set.

As the Mets move on to the NLCS for the first time since 2015, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. ALDS Game 4:

The Royals and Guardians are facing elimination today as both sides of the ALDS move on to Game 4. In Kansas City, the club’s hopes rest on flipping the script in a Game 1 rematch: Michael Wacha (3.35 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals, and the Yankees will counter with Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA in 17 starts). Game 1 eventually turned out in the Yankees’ favor, as Wacha surrendered three runs over four innings and struck out three while Cole surrendered the same number of runs over five innings and struck out four.

Meanwhile, the Guardians will send right-hander Tanner Bibee (3.47 ERA) to the mound opposite Detroit’s pitching staff, which has operated with all hands on deck in games where likely AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal isn’t on the mound. With his team’s season on the line, Bibee will hope to put up a similar or better performance to his outing in Game 1, where he struck out six Tigers in 4 2/3 scoreless frames before passing the torch to the club’s dominant bullpen in an eventual 7-0 shutout victory.

2. Brewers end-of-season presser:

As teams that made the postseason but have since been eliminated lick their wounds and look ahead to the coming offseason, part of the process is often a end-of-season press conference held by the club. The Brewers have scheduled their end-of-season press conference for 11am local time (h/t Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). The biggest question facing the Brewers this winter is how they’ll replace star shortstop Willy Adames, who is scheduled to hit free agency next month and figures to be out of the small-market club’s price range. Aside from Adames, the club will also see both Joe Ross and Frankie Montas head into free agency and could face questions regarding the future of closer Devin Williams has he enters his final season of team control. General manager Matt Arnold will tackle all that and more as he meets with the media this morning.

3. Dodgers facing questions ahead of Game 5:

Though the Phillies were sent home by the Mets in Game 4 of the NLDS last night, the Division Series still continues in California after the Dodgers forced a Game 5 against the Padres last night. The clubs are off today as they head back to Dodger Stadium, and the workout day figures to hold plenty of questions for L.A. as they figure out how best to line up their pitching staff and who is available from their positional corps ahead of a winner-take-all finale against their division rival.

As noted by Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post, Roberts told reporters last night that not only has he not decided between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty for who will start opposite Yu Darvish in Game 5, but that he’s even considering using neither and opting for another bullpen game after L.A. relievers shut out the Padres in Game 4 last night. Meanwhile, the health status of both first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Miguel Rojas remains up in the air. Freeman was a late scratch from yesterday’s lineup due to the sprained ankle that has plagued him throughout the series, while Rojas is known to have aggravated an adductor injury that has bothered him in recent weeks.

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

1. Phillies, Dodgers facing elimination:

Both NLDS series are on the verge of ending in an upset after the Phillies and Dodgers each fell to their divisional rivals last night, leaving them just one loss from elimination. The Phillies will send lefty Ranger Suarez (3.46 ERA) to the mound in Queens with their season on the line, while the Mets will hope to knock their rival out of the race with veteran southpaw Jose Quintana (3.75 ERA).

Meanwhile, a tense Dodgers-Padres series continues tonight with right-hander Dylan Cease (3.47 ERA) on the mound for San Diego on just three days of rest. Cease started Game 1 for the Padres but was pulled after struggling through 3 1/3 innings where he surrendered five runs on six hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts. The Dodgers have not yet announced who they’ll counter Cease with, but all hands will be on deck in a potential elimination game.

2. ALDS kicks back into gear:

After an off-day yesterday, both ALDS series — each tied at 1-1 — are back in action today. Guardians right-hander Alex Cobb will take the mound in Detroit after making just three starts this season due to hip, shoulder and finger injuries. The Tigers have not yet announced a starter for today’s game. Thus far, they’ve operated with ace Tarik Skubal as their only true starter as the rest of the pitching staff takes on more flexible roles as directed by manager A.J. Hinch in what the skipper has termed “pitching chaos.”

Later in the evening, the Yankees will send right-hander Clarke Schmidt (2.85 ERA in 16 starts) to the mound in Kansas City opposite veteran righty Seth Lugo (3.00 ERA in 33 starts). Schmidt’s only postseason experience is an 11.57 ERA in three appearances out of the bullpen back in 2022 while Lugo is coming off a solid performance against the Baltimore in the Wild Card Series, where he pitched 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball and struck out six Orioles against just one walk.

3. Rojas day-to-day headed into Game 3:

Turning back to the NLDS, the Dodgers may face elimination with their lineup at less than full strength. Veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas has been playing through an adductor injury this postseason, and he was forced to leave last night’s game in the third inning after aggravating the injury. The shortstop told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) after the game that he’ll need to see how he feels today before he’ll know if he can play in what could be the final game of L.A.’s season. Rojas noted that in the past the next day is “more painful” than the initial problem when it comes to aggravating his adductor injury. In the event that Rojas isn’t available, the club seems likely to turn to Tommy Edman at shortstop, moving him in from center field where he would then be replaced by Andy Pages. First baseman Freddie Freeman has also been playing through an ankle injury that has left him visibly hobbled on the field, as seen last night when he limped to the dugout after hitting a single and being lifted for a pinch-runner.

With all four Division Series tied at two, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. NLDS Game 3 today:

Both sets of NLDS matchups will have their third games today. The Phillies and Mets are set to suit up at Citi Field in New York at 5:08pm local time. The Dodgers and Padres will take the field at Petco Park in San Diego at 6:08pm local time. In Queens, lefty Sean Manaea (3.47 ERA) will take the mound after a strong rebound campaign opposite right-hander Aaron Nola (3.57 ERA). The Dodgers will send former ace Walker Buehler (5.38 ERA in 16 starts) to the mound amid a season where he’s struggled to return to form after nearly two calendar years on the shelf following his second career Tommy John surgery. The Padres will counter with offseason addition Michael King (2.95 ERA), who has excelled in his first year with the club.

2. MLB investigating dispute between Machado, Roberts:

Tonight’s NLDS game between the Dodgers and Padres comes with an additional layer of intrigue as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted that the Dodgers have asked the league to review an alleged incident between club manager Dave Roberts and third baseman Manny Machado, wherein Roberts believes Machado threw a baseball at him between innings during Game 2 of the series on Sunday. Per Roberts, the ball ultimately didn’t come close to hitting him thanks to netting around the dugout but was thrown with “intent behind it.”

Machado, meanwhile, told Rosenthal that his throw was no different from the way he’d throw a ball toward any dugout, but not before questioning whether Game 2 starter Jack Flaherty intentionally threw at Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. While it’s unclear if anything more will come of the situation following the league’s review of footage, the discourse following an already tense Game 2 that saw fans throw trash at Tatis and Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar seems likely to leave tensions high entering a pivotal Game 3 of a series currently tied at one game apiece.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

With the postseason now in full swing, 22 of MLB’s 30 teams have focused their attention on the coming winter while the rest of us have our eyes glued on playoff baseball. If you’re wondering about how the remaining contenders stack up with all four LDS tied 1 to 1 or how your club could approach the coming offseason, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 3pm 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.

On the heels of a wild day of NLDS games that saw both series head into a travel day tied up, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. ALDS Game 2:

Both ALDS series are scheduled to have their second games this evening, with the Royals and Tigers playing catch-up after falling to the Yankees and Guardians respectively in Game 1. Fortunately for the underdogs, each club will send an ace lefty to the mound after leaning on them to win Game 1 of the Wild Card series. In the case of the Royals, that means they’ll be trotting out Cole Ragans, who posted a 3.14 ERA (135 ERA+) with a 3.00 FIP in 32 starts during the regular season before throwing six scoreless frames against the Orioles with eight strikeouts in his first career postseason appearance. He’ll be tasked with taking on Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodon, who bounced back after a brutal 2023 season to posted a 3.96 ERA (104 ERA+) in 175 innings of work this season.

Meanwhile, the Tigers will lean on lefty Tarik Skubal in today’s game against the division-rival Guardians. The winner of the pitching Triple Crown in the AL and the likely favorite for the AL Cy Young Award, Skubal turned in an utterly dominant season with a 2.39 ERA (170 ERA+) and a 2.50 FIP in in 192 frames this year before throwing six scoreless innings of his own against the Astros during the first postseason appearance of his career. Skubal will face former teammate Matthew Boyd, who spent eight of his ten career seasons in Detroit, in this evening’s game. Boyd, a midseason signing who sat out the first half while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, has looked great since his return, with a 2.72 ERA (151 ERA+) and a 27.7% strikeout rate in eight regular season starts.

2. Freeman day-to-day:

In addition to a brutal 10-2 rout at the hands of the Padres last night, the Dodgers were dealt another blow when star first baseman Freddie Freeman had to be removed after aggravating his injured right ankle. Freeman is considered day-to-day for now, but as noted by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, manager Dave Roberts did not seem optimistic about his first baseman’s availability going forward in the series, calling the injury “not ideal” and “of concern.” That said, the Dodgers also expressed pessimism about Freeman’s availability for Game 1 of the series before he went on to not only start the game but go 2-for-5 with a stolen base. If Freeman is unable to take the field, Max Muncy figures to slide from first base to third base. Enrique Hernandez or Tommy Edman could handle third base, with the other slotting into center field.

3. Bogaerts exits due to cramping:

Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts also exited San Diego’s win in the bottom of the eighth inning last night due to what he described to reporters (including those at MLB.com) last night as hamstring cramps. The club will already be without primary shortstop Ha-Seong Kim for the remainder of the postseason, a reality that forced Bogaerts back to his old position in the first place. It’s not expected to be an issue that leaves Bogaerts unavailable, but it’ll still be worth keeping a watchful eye on how he comes out of today’s off-day workout. The Friars aren’t lacking players with shortstop experience if Bogaerts does need to miss a game. Light-hitting utilityman Tyler Wade is on the bench, and the lineup features former shortstops Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill all playing other positions. First baseman/second baseman Jake Cronenworth has also played more than 400 big league innings at short.