The Opener

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

1. O’Hoppe exits:

The Angels were dealt a tough blow during their win over the Athletics last night when catcher Logan O’Hoppe was struck by a warmup backswing off the bat of A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson. Wilson’s warmup swing hit O’Hoppe under the face mask, and he immediately fell to the ground in pain before exiting the game shortly thereafter. After the game, interim manager Ray Montgomery told reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com) that O’Hoppe was “doing OK” but added that the club was putting him through testing and the concussion protocol. It’s certainly possible that O’Hoppe will require a trip to the 7-day injured list for concussion-related symptoms, and if he does Travis d’Arnaud will take over regular duties behind the plate. Sebastian Rivero, Zach Humphreys, and Chad Wallach are all in Triple-A as potential depth options, though none of them are on the 40-man roster.

2. Dodgers roster moves incoming:

Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said yesterday that the team expects to welcome both third baseman Max Muncy and southpaw Alex Vesia back from the injured list today (via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya). Both have been on the mend from oblique strains. Their returns come at an opportune time for the Dodgers, as the team has been scuffling in recent weeks and currently sits just one game up on the Padres in the NL West. Muncy has only appeared in 89 games this year but has been quite productive when healthy, evidenced by a .258/.389/.491 slash line. Vesia, meanwhile, has been one of the team’s more reliable bullpen arms with a 2.75 ERA and a 33% strikeout rate across 59 appearances.

3. Series Preview: Reds @ Padres

The Reds kept their faint postseason hopes alive over the weekend when they took the final two games of a three-game set against the Mets. Cincinnati still sits four games behind New York and six games back of a San Diego club currently in possession of the second NL Wild Card spot. The Reds head to Petco Park for a three-game set that’ll prove pivotal. A Reds sweep could thrust them right back into the mix, whereas a sweep in the other direction would be close to the end of the road for Cincinnati.

As already mentioned, the Padres are just one game back of the Dodgers in the NL West, making every game critical for manager Mike Shildt’s squad. The Reds will send lefty Nick Lodolo (3.22 ERA) to the mound opposite 39-year-old Padres vet Yu Darvish, who owns a 5.75 ERA in 11 starts this year (but a 4.11 over his past seven). Tuesday will pit an as-of-yet unannounced Padres starter against Reds righty Zack Littell (3.81 ERA), while the series finale on Wednesday will see Nick Pivetta (2.85 ERA) take on Andrew Abbott (2.88 ERA) in a duel between two of the NL’s more impressive pitchers.

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

1. Sproat to debut:

The Mets are expected to bring right-hander Brandon Sproat to the big leagues this Sunday. He’s ticketed to start Sunday afternoon’s game against the Reds in Cincinnati. A second-rounder in the 2023 draft, Sproat made it all the way to Triple-A during his first pro season last year and this year has spent the entire season at the level. In 26 appearances (25 starts) with Syracuse this year, he’s posted a 4.24 ERA with a 22.1% strikeout rate across 121 innings of work. Sproat joins Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong as pitching prospects who have come up to help impact the club down the stretch. The Mets already have six pitchers in their rotation, but it appears that the club may be considering asking veteran righty Kodai Senga to accept being optioned to Triple-A. That would open up a spot in the rotation for Sproat, but it’s also possible that Senga refuses to be optioned. Regardless of what happens regarding Senga, a 40-man roster move will be needed to accommodate Sproat’s promotion.

2. Brewers IL move coming?

The Brewers are set to place one of their relief pitchers on the injured list, according to a report from MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. Manager Pat Murphy declined to say who that was they’d be placing on the shelf, but he did describe him as a “significant” reliever. McCalvy went on to note that both Abner Uribe and Jared Koenig warmed up during yesterday’s loss to the Phillies, which would suggest that neither of them is currently injured. That would seem to indicate that the injured player is Nick Mears, who has a 3.42 ERA in 59 appearances with Milwaukee this year. The specifics of the situation will become more clear later today when the club makes a roster move prior to today’s game against the Pirates. Robert Gasser and Chad Patrick are among the more interesting names who could join the club’s pitching staff to fill the vacated roster spot.

3. Series Preview: Blue Jays @ Yankees

A series with major consequences for the AL East is set to start later today as the Blue Jays head to the Bronx for a three-game set against the Yankees. Toronto currently has a three-game lead over New York, meaning that a sweep by the Yanks would bring them into a tie for control of the AL East. Veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman (3.75 ERA) will take on rookie Cam Schlittler (2.61 ERA in nine starts) in game one later today, followed by a match-up between Luis Gil (3.68 ERA in six starts) and Max Scherzer (4.11 ERA in 13 starts) on Saturday. The series will wrap up Sunday with Chris Bassitt (4.10 ERA) on the mound opposite southpaw Max Fried (2.98 ERA). It’s a series that could also have big implications for the Red Sox, who will be in Arizona facing the Diamondbacks this weekend and could gain ground in the standings if they manage to pull off a sweep while their two divisional opponents split the series.

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

1. Dodgers roster move incoming?

The Dodgers had an injury scare yesterday when star catcher Will Smith took a foul ball off of his throwing hand and exited the game. MLB.com’s Sonja Chen writes that x-rays on Smith’s hand came back negative, but given the importance of having multiple catchers available at all times, it wouldn’t be a shock if Los Angeles made a roster move to shore up their catching depth in the event that Smith is even day-to-day. Ben Rortvedt seems like the most likely choice to join the Dodgers’ roster in the event a third catcher is needed, but Chuckie Robinson and Chris Okey are also available at Triple-A. None of those players are on the 40-man roster, meaning they would need their contract to be selected before being brought up to the majors.

2. Pitchers’ duel in Pittsburgh:

Speaking of the Dodgers, they’re in Pittsburgh for a series against the Pirates. Today’s game will feature a particularly exciting pitching matchup, as the Dodgers will send two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell (2.41 ERA) to the mound for his eighth start of the season opposite likely NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, who has a 2.05 ERA across 28 starts and has struck out 28.6% of his opponents. While Snell has missed most of the 2025 campaign due to injury, the lefty sports a 31.7% strikeout rate with a 2.78 ERA since the start of the 2022 season. The two aces will face off at 6:40pm local time in Pittsburgh this evening.

3. Series Preview: Guardians @ Rays

Despite both clubs entering deadline season as sellers, the Guardians and Rays have managed to hang around the periphery of the AL Wild Card race into September. Cleveland is just three games back of the Mariners as they head to Tampa for a four-game set this weekend. The Rays are even closer at just 2.5 games back. That makes this upcoming series one that could have massive implications on the outlooks of both franchises. Things will kick off later today with Logan Allen (4.42 ERA) on the mound for Cleveland opposite Ryan Pepiot (3.70 ERA). On Friday, Guardians righty Gavin Williams (3.26 ERA) will take on Rays rookie Ian Seymour, who has a 2.97 ERA in 33 1/3 innings. Tanner Bibee (4.77 ERA) and Shane Baz (4.98 ERA) will face off on Saturday as they both try to finish strong amid disappointing seasons. The series will wrap on Sunday with Guardians rookie Parker Messick (2.08 ERA in three starts) taking on Rays righty Drew Rasmussen (2.74 ERA).

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

1. Anthony exits with injury:

The Red Sox mounted an impressive comeback win in their game against the Guardians yesterday, but the mood was dampened by the fact that budding star Roman Anthony exited the game due to an oblique injury. After the game, Anthony spoke to reporters (including Tim Healey of the Boston Globe) and noted that this oblique injury is “definitely worse” than the day-to-day back injury he dealt with a few weeks ago. It’s unclear what sort of timeline for return to action Anthony might be facing. With a .292/.396/.463 batting line (138 wRC+) since being called up to the majors, Anthony has been the team’s most consistent hitter of the second half. Losing Anthony for any amount of time when the Sox are trying to erase a 2.5-game deficit to chase down the division-leading Blue Jays could be backbreaking for the team.

2. Judge pushes into Yankees history:

Aaron Judge rounded out the month of August in a big way by crushing his 43rd homer of the season on Sunday. That blast, as noted by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, pushed Judge into a tie with Yogi Berra for fifth place in Yankees history. Judge’s next blast will not only give him sole possession of fifth place in franchise history — it’ll leave him just three homers shy of surpassing the great Joe DiMaggio, who sits fourth with 361 round-trippers. Though that fourth-place spot is within reach for Judge this season, he still has a long way to go before he can even think of cracking the top three. Lou Gehrig, currently third all-time in Yankee homers, finished his career with 493. For now, Judge will continue hunting for No. 359 against Astros righty Jason Alexander and his 4.61 ERA later today.

3. Tucker exits with injury:

After a lengthy slump that led to a brief benching, Kyle Tucker appears to be back to his usual self. Since returning to the Cubs’ lineup on Aug. 21, he’s batting .364/.462/.727 (227 wRC+) in 52 plate appearances, capping that stretch off by crushing a three-run homer against Atlanta last night. Unfortunately, he’s hit a bit of a speed bump in that turnaround. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian notes that Tucker was pulled from yesterday’s game due to soreness in his calf.

Manager Craig Counsell said after the game that Tucker would be out of Wednesday’s lineup ahead of a Thursday off-day, thus giving him two full days to rest before he’s reevaluated Friday. The Cubs are virtual playoff locks — they’re five games back of the Brewers in the NL Central but ten games up on the Reds in the Wild Card scene — so they can afford to be a little more cautious than other contenders who are fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive.

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

1. Farris to make MLB debut:

The Angels selected the contract of left-hander Mitch Farris yesterday when rosters expanded to 28 players. Farris will make his MLB debut when he takes the ball today against the Royals and veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen (4.62 ERA). Farris has spent the entire 2025 campaign at Double-A after being acquired from Atlanta in the Davis Daniel trade during the offseason. He has a 4.27 ERA in 116 innings of work at that level to go with an impressive 28.0% strikeout rate. Anaheim has long been aggressive when promoting its prospects, and the 24-year-old Farris will now get the opportunity to impact the big league level before ever setting foot at Triple-A.

2. Orioles 40-man move incoming:

The Orioles are set to welcome Tyler Wells back from the injured list today as they move towards a six-man rotation. With Wells set to start today’s game against Yu Darvish (5.66 ERA in ten starts) in San Diego, Baltimore will need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate the 31-year-old right-hander’s return from the injured list. That could mean moving an injured player like right-hander Colin Selby to the 60-day injured list. If they’re confident all of their players on the 10- or 15-day IL can make it back before season’s end, the O’s could designate someone from the back end of their 40-man roster for assignment.

3. Series Preview: Yankees @ Astros

A potential postseason preview is set to begin today when the Yankees kick off a three-game set against the Astros in Houston. The series starts with an exciting pitching matchup: southpaw Framber Valdez (3.18 ERA) takes the mound for the Astros as the Yankees counter with fellow lefty Max Fried (3.06 ERA). Fried has struggled for much of the second half but will look to keep the good times rolling after back-to-back quality starts against the Red Sox and Nationals. Tomorrow’s game will feature rookie Will Warren (4.30 ERA) against swingman Jason Alexander (4.61 ERA in 54 1/3 innings), while the series finale will pit Carlos Rodon (3.18 ERA) against Cristian Javier (3.38 ERA in four starts) in the latter’s fifth start back from Tommy John surgery.

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

1. Roster Expansion:

It’s September 1, which means MLB rosters are expanding from 26 players to 28 players. Each team in the league will be able to add one position player and one pitcher to their roster today. Various organizations will take different routes to filling those roster spots. Some will use the opportunity to promote a prospect, as the Nationals are with today’s starter Andrew Alvarez. Other clubs will dedicate those roster spots to a veteran who was available on waivers or in free agency, as the Cubs have opted to do by picking up Aaron Civale and signing Carlos Santana. While active rosters are expanding, 40-man rosters do not get extra spots in September. That means any players not already on the 40-man roster will need to be given a spot to be called up as part of today’s roster expansion.

2. Alvarez to debut:

As mentioned above, the Nationals are promoting lefty Andrew Alvarez to the big leagues for a start today. It will be the former 12th-round pick’s big league debut, coming against an as-of-yet unannounced Marlins starter. Alvarez, 26, has 25 starts at the Triple-A level this year with a 4.10 ERA and a 21.5% strikeout rate in 123 innings. The southpaw isn’t ranked within the Nationals organization’s top 30 prospects by either MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, but if Alvarez can maintain something close to his Triple-A numbers in the majors, he could join a number of young potential back-of-the-rotation arms like Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker, and Brad Lord that the Nationals will have competing for starts next year. The Nats will need to select Alvarez’s contract to the 40-man roster before he can make this afternoon’s start.

3. Heaney to sign in NL?

The other aforementioned way many clubs will use their expanded roster spots—bringing veteran players from outside the organization into the fold—stands to potentially benefit left-hander Andrew Heaney. Heaney was designated for assignment by the Pirates last week and released after he cleared waivers, making him eligible to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs. Heaney’s 5.39 ERA in 120 1/3 innings of work this year isn’t exactly inspiring, but clubs in need of innings could still look to the southpaw as a legitimate option.

It’s therefore unsurprising that, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, one NL club is poised to bring him into the fold. While it’s unclear which team will be rostering the lefty, it’s not hard to imagine either a contending club in need of innings picking him up or even a non-contending club that wants to ease the burden on some of its young arms down the stretch. Heaney has spent the majority of his career in the AL, but has pitched for the Marlins and Dodgers previously in addition to his stint with the Pirates earlier this year.

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

1. Sale to return:

The Braves are expected to activate ace lefty Chris Sale from the 60-day IL this weekend. The veteran southpaw has been sidelined since June due to a fracture in his ribcage, but prior to that he had been firmly in the conversation to win a second consecutive NL Cy Young award with a 2.52 ERA, a 2.69 FIP, and a 30.8% strikeout rate. While Atlanta has no hope of making the postseason at this point, Sale’s return to action is important for the lefty on an individual level, given his lost seasons from 2020 to 2022, when he made just 11 total starts due to a variety of injuries. If he can take the ball five times down the stretch, he’ll have reached 20 starts in three consecutive seasons since his days as the workhorse ace of the Red Sox back in 2017. The Braves have available space on their 40-man roster to accommodate Sale, so only an active roster move will be needed to activate him.

2. Tolle to debut:

While the former lefty ace of the Red Sox is set to return from the IL in Atlanta this weekend, fans in Boston are hoping they’ll witness the start of another lefty ace’s career at the same time. That’s because left-hander Payton Tolle is expected to be called up for his MLB debut today. The club’s second-round pick in last year’s draft, Tolle has sprinted through the minors, posting a 3.04 ERA in 20 appearances across three levels. He’s been even better since graduating from High-A, with a 2.36 ERA and a 34.2% strikeout rate in 42 innings of work at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Tolle’s rapid ascent will now culminate in a chance to impact a playoff race in the majors as the Red Sox jockey with the Yankees and Mariners for Wild Card positioning down the stretch. The lefty’s first assignment will be a tough one. He’ll be tasked with taking on Pirates ace Paul Skenes (2.07 ERA) at Fenway Park in a game scheduled for 7:10pm local time.

3. Tong to debut:

Tolle isn’t the only top pitching prospect set to make his MLB debut today. Over in the National League, the Mets are set to welcome right-hander Jonah Tong to the majors when he makes his big league debut against the Marlins this evening. The game is scheduled for 7:10pm local time and will see Tong take on another of the sport’s top young arms in righty Eury Perez (3.44 ERA). In 22 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this year, Tong has a dazzling 1.43 ERA to go along with an absurd 40.5% strikeout rate. With the Mets holding onto the NL’s final Wild Card spot at the moment, they’ll be banking on the 2022 seventh-rounder continuing his success in the majors.

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

1. Slaten to return:

The Red Sox are set to welcome right-hander Justin Slaten back from the injured list today. Slaten went down with shoulder inflammation back in May and has been sidelined ever since. Slaten made his big league debut with Boston in 2024 after being plucked from the Rangers in the 2023 Rule 5 draft and has been excellent. The 27-year-old touts a 3.09 ERA and 2.78 FIP in 78 2/3 big league innings. This year, Slaten pitched in 24 games with a 3.47 ERA and 3.09 FIP. While those numbers are a bit higher than last year, he should still be an asset to the Red Sox bullpen down the stretch. Slaten is on the 60-day injured list, but no 40-man roster move will need to be made to accommodate him after Abraham Toro’s recent DFA opened up a 40-man spot.

2. Chapman’s no-hit streak:

Sticking with the Boston bullpen, closer Aroldis Chapman is arguably having the best season of his 16-year MLB career — despite this being his age-37 campaign. He’s striking out 38.7% of his opponents with a sensational 1.04 ERA and 1.83 FIP across 52 innings of work and has picked up 26 saves. His 7.3% walk rate is considerably better than average for a reliever, and that’s the only way opposing hitters have been able to get on base of late. As noted by Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, Chapman has recorded 35 consecutive outs without allowing a hit. It’s an incredible stretch that dates all the way back to July 26. The Red Sox face the Orioles in the final game of a four-game series today. Chapman has already faced Baltimore three times during this no-hit stretch, including twice during this series.

3. Pitchers’ duel in San Francisco:

The Cubs and Giants are wrapping up a three-game set at Oracle Park later today, and it’ll end with an impressive pitching matchup. Right-hander Logan Webb is set to take the mound for the home team in the midst of an excellent season where he’s pitched to a 3.13 ERA with a spectacular 2.60 FIP. His 166 2/3 innings pitched lead the majors, and he’s striking out a strong 26% of batters faced while issuing walks at just a 5.4% clip. Webb’s opponent will be southpaw Shota Imanaga, who has a sterling 3.03 ERA in 19 starts this season. His 4.33 FIP leaves much to be desired, but he’s looked more like himself in August: 2.33 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 28.1% strikeout rate in his past four starts. This afternoon’s game is scheduled to begin at 12:45pm local time.

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day:

1. Waiver activity incoming:

It’s become common in recent years for teams that have fallen out of the playoff race to place veteran players (especially impending free agents) on outright waivers late in the year, offering them up to possible contenders who would like to claim them. That process is typically done before September 1 to allow players claimed off waivers to participate in the postseason with their new club. With the start of September just a few days away, activity has already started to pick up. The Pirates designated veteran lefty Andrew Heaney for assignment yesterday, and Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana is on outright waivers at the moment. There’s a number of other players who could feasibly be offered up on waivers as soon as today if their club decides they’re too far out of the race and/or if they simply want to shed some payroll with an eye toward the offseason. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at a handful of players who could fit this bill last week in a piece for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers.

2. Can Quinn Priester and the Brewers extend their streak?

Milwaukee’s April acquisition of right-hander Quinn Priester from the Red Sox has been pivotal to their 2025 success. The right-hander’s 3.44 ERA and 4.37 FIP are both solid enough figures, but what really jumps off the page is the team’s success when he takes the ball. The Brewers haven’t lost a game where Priester took the mound since May 24. Since then, the twice-traded former top prospect has gone 10-0 in 15 starts. All five of his no-decisions in that span have ended in victory for the team. It’s a remarkable three-month stretch, even though his 3.01 ERA and 4.20 FIP don’t suggest quite that level of dominance. Today, the Brewers will go for a 16th consecutive win with Priester on the mound against Ryne Nelson (3.63 ERA) and the Diamondbacks.

3. Ben Cherington joins the MLBTR Podcast:

The latest episode of the MLBTR Podcast is available today, and it features Pirates GM Ben Cherington as a special guest. In the episode, MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald chats with Cherington about some of the challenges of being a small-market GM, the team’s conversations over Paul Skenes with the first pick of the 2023 draft, and the fact that Pittsburgh has not signed any free agents to multi-year deals during Cherington’s time at the helm. Today’s podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and it will also be published here on MLBTR later this morning.

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day today:

1. Bradish to return:

Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish is set to make his first MLB start in more than a year today when Baltimore activates him from the 60-day injured list. The club will need to make a corresponding move to create space for Bradish on the 40-man roster before tonight’s game against Lucas Giolito (3.72 ERA in 20 starts) and the Red Sox. Bradish hasn’t impressed in six rehab starts this year in the minor leagues, but he looked electric in eight starts last year when he posted a 2.75 ERA (2.50 FIP) and a 32.5% strikeout rate before requiring Tommy John surgery. If he can log anything close to those numbers down the stretch this year, it would go a long way toward stabilizing the Orioles’ rotation ahead of the 2026 campaign.

2. Kikuchi goes for 1000 strikeouts:

Angels southpaw Yusei Kikuchi is in his first year with Anaheim, and the two-time All-Star is having a solid season. In 27 starts, he’s pitched to a 3.42 ERA with a 23.6% strikeout rate in 150 innings of work. He’s set to make his 28th start today against the Rangers and veteran lefty Patrick Corbin. Notably, Kikuchi is just 10 strikeouts shy of becoming only the fourth Japanese-born pitcher to reach 1000 career strikeouts in MLB, joining Yu Darvish, Hideo Nomo, and Kenta Maeda. While punching out ten hitters in a game is a tall order, it’s hardly impossible; Kikuchi has two ten-strikeout games this year, and nine total across his MLB career. The Rangers, meanwhile, have MLB’s tenth-highest strikeout rate against southpaws (23.6%).

3. MLBTR Chat today:

The trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, and the stretch run has officially begun. There’s 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 12:45pm 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.