The Opener

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

1. Raleigh goes for 50:

Yesterday, star catcher and AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh enjoyed a multi-homer game where he crushed his 48th and 49th homers of the season. That pair of dingers saw him tie and then claim sole possession of the record for most home runs hit by a catcher in a single season, eclipsing the efforts of Salvador Perez back in 2021. With that record now claimed, the wait begins for Raleigh to establish himself as the first 50-homer catcher in MLB history. Seattle’s superstar is slashing .247/.353/.593 with a wRC+ of 160 so far this year, and his 7.3 fWAR leaves him tied with reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge for the MLB lead. Raleigh will look to reach the 50 homer plateau—and continue strengthening his MVP case—against the Padres and left-hander JP Sears this evening. The switch-hitting Raleigh has excelled from both sides of the plate in 2025 but has been better when swinging right-handed, with a .281/.337/.693 slash and 19 big flies in just 166 plate appearances.

2. Winn to undergo MRI:

Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his knee today, as relayed by MLB.com’s John Denton. Denton adds that Winn already underwent an MRI on that same knee back in July that showed “a little something,” but that Winn nonetheless hopes to play through what’s ailing him this season and save the possibility of an arthroscopic procedure on his knee for the offseason. The Cardinals are more or less buried in the NL Wild Card race at this point, and Winn has hit just .200/.259/.320 in August while playing through this knee issue. Despite that lackluster offense, Winn has remained one of the sport’s very best defenders at shortstop and could well be a finalist for an NL Gold Glove Award at the position if he can push through to the end of the season without heading to the injured list.

3. Series Preview: Phillies @ Mets

The Mets have fallen seven games back of the Phillies in the standings with just over a month left to play, which will make capturing the NL East title a tall order. Virtually any path to a division title runs through this coming series, when the Phillies will head to Queens for a three-game set. Cristopher Sanchez (2.46 ERA) will be on the mound for Philadelphia in tonight’s series opener, while the Mets will counter with Kodai Senga (2.58 ERA). That pitchers’ duel will be followed by a pair of lefties Tuesday, with Sean Manaea (5.15 ERA in eight appearances) on the bump for New York opposite Jesus Luzardo (4.10 ERA). The series will wrap with veteran righty Taijuan Walker (3.44 ERA) on the mound for Philadelphia against Mets rookie Nolan McLean, who has allowed just two runs over 12 1/3 innings pitched in his first two MLB starts (1.46 ERA).

As the Orioles make a major splash by locking up one of their young hitters long-term, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Sandberg memorial today at Wrigley:

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg passed away last month at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer, and Cubs fans will have the opportunity to mourn and remember the 1984 NL MVP today. As noted by Selena Kuznikov of the Chicago Sun Times, there will be a free-to-attend memorial for Sandberg at Gallagher Way outside of Wrigley Field from 9:30am until noon local time. That memorial will feature Sandberg’s funeral service streamed to the jumbo screen overlooking Gallagher Way. Attendees may leave tributes to Sandberg at his statue on Gallagher Way, and those who want to participate but won’t be able to make it to Wrigley this morning can watch the service on WGN and stream it online via the Marquee Sports Network app.

2. Celebration of Mr. Baseball’s life:

Bob Uecker was a catcher in parts of six MLB seasons who went on to have a legendary broadcasting career where he spent 54 years as the voice of the Brewers. The Hall of Famer passed back in January at the age of 90 following a battle with cancer, but the Brewers’ series finale against the Giants on Sunday will serve as an opportunity for fans in Milwaukee to mourn their longtime broadcaster and celebrate his storied life and career. As discussed by MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy back in April, Bob Costas will host a pregame program honoring Uecker, and there will be features during breaks in the game on the stadium scoreboard highlighting Uecker’s history. First pitch of Sunday’s game is scheduled for 1:10pm local time, and the pregame program celebrating Uecker will occur before that.

3. Rangers to unveil Beltre statue:

Longtime Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre was part of last year’s Hall of Fame class, and (as noted by NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, among other outlets) he’ll be celebrated by the club with a statue outside of Globe Life Field prior to today’s game against the Guardians. The dedication is open to the public, and fans interested in attending will be able to access the stadium’s parking lots starting at 2pm local time later today. A two-time Silver Slugger, three-time All-Star, and four-time Gold Glover across his eight years with Texas, Beltre hit .304/.357/.509 with 199 homers in 1,098 games as a Ranger. First pitch for tonight’s game is at 7:05pm ET, and the first 20,000 ticketed fans in attendance for the game will receive a miniature replica of the Beltre statue.

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

1. Players on Waivers:

The trade deadline has come and gone, and the most significant way for clubs to improve their roster or add depth has come off the table. There are still some ways to acquire players after the trade deadline, however, and one in particular appears to be in full swing at this point: the waiver wire. Players must be part of an organization prior to September 1 in order to be eligible to play in the postseason, and in recent years that’s led non-contending clubs to place a number of their players on waivers during the final weeks of August in order to make them available to contenders in exchange for salary relief.

Currently, Rockies southpaw Austin Gomber and Marlins righty Cal Quantrill are both known to be on waivers. Perhaps a contender in need of starting depth will take on the remainder of one of those salaries in order to bring either Gomber or Quantrill into their organization, though it’s also possible they go through waivers unclaimed and simply remain with their current clubs. Over the coming days, it’s likely that teams will put a number of other veterans on expiring contracts through the waiver process. In an original piece for Front Office subscribers yesterday, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco discussed 17 players across seven different organizations who could be placed on waivers before the end of the month.

2. Series Preview: Red Sox @ Yankees

One of baseball’s oldest rivalries is gearing up for a four-game set this weekend as the Red Sox head to the Bronx. The Yankees have been on a roll lately with five consecutive wins, while Boston’s scuffled lately with three straight losses and and a 3-7 record in their last ten games. The Red Sox have plenty of motivation to try and turn things around while they’re at Yankee Stadium, however, as the two clubs are rivals not only in the AL East (where both teams trail the Blue Jays by a significant margin) but also in terms of Wild Card positioning. While the Yankees are currently in the top Wild Card spot, the Red Sox are in a more precarious situation with just a half-game lead over the Mariners for the second of three Wild Card spots and just a three-game buffer between themselves and the Royals.

Game 1 of the set will begin tonight with Lucas Giolito (3.63 ERA in 19 starts) on the mound for Boston opposite reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil (5.14 ERA in three starts). Game 2 of the series pits Yankees ace Max Fried (3.26 ERA) against Boston youngster Brayan Bello (3.23 ERA), while Game 3 will see Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet (2.43 ERA) square off against Yankees rookie Will Warren (4.25 ERA). Boston has not announced their starter for Sunday’s series finale, but that pitcher will face veteran lefty Carlos Rodon (3.25 ERA).

3. Kim day-to-day:

As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Rays shortstop Ha-Seong Kim was scratched from yesterday’s game due to low back tightness. Kim made a name for himself with the Padres thanks to Gold Glove caliber defense all over the infield that he combined with average to slightly above average offense and impressive stolen base totals. That led the infielder to sign a two-year, $29MM deal with the Rays this past offseason that affords him the opportunity to opt out following the 2025 campaign, but he’s made it into just 23 games due to rehab from offseason shoulder surgery and back issues.

It’s unclear if Kim will require a stint on the injured list due to this latest ailment, but with no additional infielders on the 40-man roster besides those already on the active roster the club will likely need to select someone from the minors if Kim does head to the injured list. Topkin suggests that utility infielder Coco Montes is perhaps the most likely replacement for Kim in that case, though top prospect Carson Williams would be a far more exciting possibility.

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

1. Messick to make MLB debut:

The Guardians are bringing southpaw Parker Messick up to the majors for his MLB debut today. The club’s second-rounder back in 2022 has climbed the minor league ladder fairly quickly to emerge at Triple-A this year, where he’s posted a solid 3.47 ERA and 29.1% strikeout rate across 98 2/3 innings of work. Those are impressive numbers for the 24-year-old, and now he’ll get the opportunity to see if his high strikeout rate can translate into the majors. The Guardians have managed to hang around the AL Wild Card picture despite soft selling this summer, but with Shane Bieber in Toronto and Tanner Bibee in the midst of a tough season they’ll need contributions from young arms like Messick if they’re going to stay relevant down the stretch.

2. Harper, Castellanos race towards milestone:

Phillies veterans Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos are both a considerable way into their respective careers at this point. While Harper’s status as a two-time MVP far eclipses Castellanos’s resume as a two-time All-Star, both have had impressive careers where they’ve generally served as above-average hitters across their combined 27 years in the major leagues. Now the two teammates are chasing the same milestone: 400 career doubles. They’ll likely become the 199th and 200th players in MLB history to reach that benchmark in the coming weeks, as Harper currently sits at 397 career doubles while Castellanos sits just one behind him at 396 two-baggers for his career. The pair will look to tee off of Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (3.48 ERA) as the Phillies go for the sweep against Seattle this afternoon.

3. Royals pushing for Wild Card spot:

Kansas City made the somewhat surprising decision to buy at the trade deadline despite being slightly below .500 at that point and on the periphery of the AL Wild Card race, but that decision is paying off to this point. An 11-6 record in the month of August has put them just 2.5 games back of the Red Sox and Mariners in the race for a playoff spot with a 65-61 record. Deadline additions have improved the club considerably, with Randal Grichuk, Adam Frazier, and Mike Yastrzemski all injecting life into a previously weak offense while Ryan Bergert has settled in as a quality rotation arm with a 2.70 ERA in three starts for the club. Today they’ll go for their second consecutive series sweep when they face the Rangers and an as-of-yet unannounced starting pitcher. Whoever starts for Texas will have to contend with rookie Noah Cameron, who has a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts.

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to watch out for throughout the day:

1. Alvarado to return:

Phillies southpaw Jose Alvarado served the 80th game of his PED suspension yesterday, meaning he’s set to be activated for today’s game against the Mariners. While Alvarado won’t be eligible to participate in the postseason, if he can continue to produce anything close to the 2.70 ERA with a 29.8% strikeout rate and 1.84 FIP that he posted in 20 innings of work prior to his suspension back in May, he’ll be a major asset to the Phillies’ bullpen down the stretch. Alvarado will join what’s become a fearsome back of the Phillies bullpen after the club picked up Jhoan Duran and David Robertson to complement Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm. That deep bullpen mix should serve the Phillies well as they look to wrap up the NL East and angle for a bye through the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Corresponding moves to accommodate Alvarado’s addition to both the active and 40-man rosters will be necessary before he can be activated.

2. Guerrero to undergo MRI:

The AL-leading Blue Jays suffered a major scare yesterday when star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exited the team’s loss against the Pirates due to a hamstring injury. As noted by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Guerrero is set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue. Matheson adds that the MRI seems to be viewed as “precautionary” at this point.

With just six weeks left in the regular season, it would be understandable if Toronto exercised an abundance of caution with the face of their franchise and sent him for a brief stint on the injured list rather than risk letting him play through the issue and further aggravating the hamstring. Ty France and Joey Loperfido are among the club’s potential first base options to fill in for Guerrero in the event that he misses time.

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.

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

1. Red Sox roster moves incoming:

The Red Sox are nearing a deal with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who was designated for assignment by the Nationals last week. Once that deal is finalized, the Red Sox will need to make corresponding moves in order to accommodate the addition of Lowe to both the club’s 40-man and active rosters. That 40-man move could simply come by way of transferring infielder Marcelo Mayer to the 60-day injured list after yesterday’s announcement that he’ll miss the remainder of the season due to wrist surgery, but it’s also worth noting that bench bats like Abraham Toro and Ali Sanchez, whose roster spots could be at risk with Lowe set to join the club, do not have options remaining and would need to be designated for assignment if removed from the roster.

2. Series Preview: Brewers @ Cubs

The Brewers just saw their incredible 14-game winning streak come to an end, but they still hold an eight-game NL Central lead thanks to excellent pitching and timely hitting — not only from regulars like William Contreras and Christian Yelich but also surprise heroes like Andruw Monasterio. Their win streak has coincided with some weak play from the Cubs, who have scuffled to a 6-8 record so far in August and a 12-14 record since the All-Star break. Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong aren’t hitting like the superstars they were in the first half, and the bullpen has begun to show cracks after being carried by unexpected contributors like Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz earlier this summer.

That leads into what could be the biggest series of the regular season for both clubs, with the Brewers headed to Wrigley Field for five games in four days — starting with a doubleheader today. Cade Horton (3.07 ERA in 16 outings) will face off against Freddy Peralta (2.90 ERA in 25 starts) in Game 1, followed by a second game with two as-of-yet unannounced starters. Tuesday’s game will feature southpaw Matthew Boyd (2.46 ERA in 24 starts) against longtime Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff (2.06 ERA in seven starts). The Brewers are slated to start rookie Jacob Misiorowski (3.89 ERA in eight starts) and righty Quinn Priester (3.48 ERA in 23 outings) for Games 4 and 5. Chicago has not yet announced its starters for those games. Former Brewer Colin Rea and ace Shota Imanaga would be on schedule, but the impending return of Jameson Taillon from the injured list could impact the club’s rotation at some point this week.

3. Pitchers’ Duel in Philadelphia:

The Mariners are in Philadelphia, and the their series against the Phillies will kick off with a particularly exciting pitching matchup. Seattle ace Logan Gilbert is scheduled to take the mound today amid a season where he’s posted a 3.31 ERA with a career-best 2.99 FIP across 17 starts. The Phillies counter with southpaw Ranger Suarez, who’s having a strong year himself ahead of reaching free agency this winter. Suarez sports a 3.28 ERA and 3.27 FIP across 18 starts, though he’s had a rough patch of late (6.59 ERA over his past five starts). With the Mariners just 1.5 games back of the Astros in the AL West and the Phillies tied with the Dodgers for the second playoff bye in the NL, it’s a high-stakes game — and series — for both clubs.

Here are three things we’ll be watching for around baseball over the weekend:

1. Braves to activate Ronald Acuña Jr. tonight:

The Braves might not be playing for much except their pride anymore, but it will still be nice for them to have their superstar back in the lineup. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit the injured list at the end of July with a Grade 1 calf strain. Yesterday, the Braves told reporters (including David O’Brien of The Athletic) that Acuña will rejoin the club tonight in Cleveland. Acuña won the NL MVP unanimously in 2023, the only season in the last five in which he has stayed completely healthy. He looked a lot like the MVP version of himself this year in between two stints on the IL, slashing .306/.429/.577 with 14 home runs and a 178 wRC+ in 55 games from May to July. Atlanta will hope he can pick up where he left off.

2. Nolan McLean to debut Saturday:

The Mets are looking to snap out of a downward spiral, and perhaps one of their top prospects is the answer. Right-hander Nolan McLean is widely considered one of the top prospects in the organization and one of the top pitching prospects in the sport. On Saturday, he’ll take the ball for his MLB debut, as he takes over from struggling veteran Frankie Montas in New York’s rotation. The 24-year-old will be in for a challenge in his first taste of MLB action, as he takes on the red-hot Mariners (8-2 in their last 10) and 2025 All-Star Bryan Woo. However, if his performance at Triple-A Syracuse is any indication, he should be up for the task. McLean has a 2.78 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) since his promotion to the Syracuse Mets, with 97 strikeouts in 87 1/3 innings and a groundball rate over 50%. While walks have given him trouble at times, his strikeout rate has only continued to climb; he’s struck out one-third of all batters he’s faced in his last seven games.

It should be noted that Saturday, the day McLean is set to debut, is the earliest date that a team can call up a prospect without the chance that he could accrue enough service to exhaust his rookie eligibility. This means McLean will most likely still be eligible for the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) program in 2026. With this in mind, there’s a good chance he won’t be the only top prospect promoted in the coming days.

3. Phillies moving to six-man rotation:

Aaron Nola, injured since mid-May, will make his long-awaited return to the Phillies on Sunday, the club revealed to reporters (including The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes). Upon his return, the team will move to a six-man rotation, at least temporarily. Manager Rob Thomson said he will cycle through the six of Nola, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Zack Wheeler, and Taijuan Walker “once for sure.” After that, he has “some other ideas how to attack this thing going forward” (per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber).

Lauber notes that those ideas for the future could include pairing up two starters in a piggyback situation or skipping each starter entirely once through the cycle. For now, however, the Phillies will take the simplest approach. No one in the current starting five deserves a demotion, but they could all use a little extra rest amid a stretch of 24 games in 25 days. The Phillies have enough optionable bullpen arms that they can afford to roster six starters – and therefore only seven relievers. Philadelphia can cycle through arms like Max Lazar, Seth Johnson, Alan Rangel, Michael Mercado, Josh Walker, and the recently-acquired Matt Manning to help keep the bullpen fresh.

Here are three things to keep an eye on around MLB today…

1. Goldschmidt injury watch:

Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was unavailable for yesterday’s game after suffering a knee injury in Tuesday’s rout of the Twins. The team announced yesterday that Goldschmidt has a low-grade sprain with some inflammation. Goldschmidt told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com that he’s hoping for a “short-term” absence and thinks there’s a chance he could avoid the injured list entirely. The Yankees are off today, though it’s hardly uncommon for clubs to provide medical updates even on off-days. Goldschmidt, who’ll turn 38 next month, has cooled considerably since a blistering start to the season. He’s still hitting .276/.331/.422 overall (108 wRC+), but nearly all of his production came in April and May. Since June 1, he’s hitting just .207/.259/.340 (63 wRC+) in 203 trips to the plate.

2. Muncy being evaluated for potential injury:

Max Muncy was scratched from yesterday’s game after feeling discomfort in his right side, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. He’ll be further evaluated today. Muncy’s season has been the opposite of Goldschmidt. The 34-year-old slugger got out to a brutal start but caught fire in late April and has been in vintage form ever since. Muncy drew the ire of Dodgers fans when he opened the season with a woeful .167/.283/.231 performance through his first 25 games (92 plate appearances). Since then? Things look a little different. Muncy has turned in a mammoth .294/.427/.592 batting line with 17 home runs and more walks (18.8%) than strikeouts (15.7%) in his past 255 plate appearances. He’s averaging 91.6 mph off the bat in that time and sporting an enormous 53.3% hard-hit rate. By measure of wRC+, he’s been 80% better than average at the plate since late April.

Obviously, an absence of any note would sting terribly for Los Angeles, particularly in light of the team’s recent slide in the standings. The Dodgers have dropped four games in a row and are just 12-21 over their past 33 games. Making matters worse for L.A. is that the red-hot Padres have won five straight games, leapfrogging the Dodgers for sole possession of first place in the National League West.

3. Top Cubs prospect set for debut in home country:

Cubs fans should get their first look at top outfield prospect Owen Caissie today, as he’s reportedly set to be recalled from Triple-A as catcher Miguel Amaya heads to the injured list. As if his first call to the majors isn’t sweet enough, the Canadian-born Caissie will get the opportunity to make his debut in his home country, as the Cubs wrap up a road series against the Jays in Toronto.

Caissie’s name has kicked up in trade rumors both in the offseason and at the recent trade deadline, but the Cubs held onto him — and all of their other most highly regarded prospects — amid a surprisingly quiet deadline. Caissie, a 2020 second-round pick, has slashed .289/.389/.566 (143 wRC+) with 22 homers, 26 doubles and two triples in 404 plate appearances during his second run through the Triple-A level. While his production has improved in his second stint at the level, Caissie’s problematic strikeout rate remains largely unchanged. He fanned in 28.4% of his plate appearances in 127 Triple-A games last year and is at 28.2% through 93 games in 2025.

Here are three things to watch for around the baseball world Wednesday…

1. Can anyone stop the Brewers or Mariners?

The Brewers haven’t lost a game since before the trade deadline. Their last defeat was a 10-3 loss to the archrival Cubs on July 30. Milwaukee has won 11 straight games and 14 of their past 15, catapulting them into a commanding 7.5-game lead in the NL Central. The Brewers bludgeoned the Pirates with 14 runs last night in a game started by arguably the best pitcher in the league, Paul Skenes (though “only” four of the runs came against Skenes). They’ll go for 12 in a row today when resurgent ace Brandon Woodruff (2.29 ERA in 35 1/3 innings) takes on Pirates righty Mitch Keller (3.86 ERA in 137 2/3 innings) in a day game being broadcast on MLB Network.

The Mariners are on their own blistering win streak, having picked up their eighth straight win in a 1-0 victory over the Orioles last night. Deadline pickup Josh Naylor singled home a run in the top of the first inning, and that proved to be the lone run scored on either side of the box score in a brilliantly pitched duel between Seattle’s George Kirby and Baltimore’s Dean Kremer. Logan Gilbert heads to the mound Wednesday to try to secure Seattle’s ninth consecutive victory, but he’ll have a tough opponent in lefty Trevor Rogers, whose miserable partial season with the O’s last year feels like a distant memory. Rogers (1.44 ERA in 62 1/3 innings) hasn’t looked this good since finishing runner-up in 2021 NL Rookie of the Year voting. Can he quell Seattle’s momentum? A win today for the M’s and a loss for the Astros would give the Mariners sole possession of the AL West lead.

2. Health updates on star closers?

The Orioles declared closer Felix Bautista out for the season yesterday, with manager Tony Mansolino citing a “significant” shoulder injury as the cause. Just a couple hours later, the Astros placed Josh Hader on the 15-day IL with a shoulder strain — the first arm injury of his outstanding career. Both pitchers were slated to continue undergoing testing as their teams gathered additional information on their respective injuries.

With regard to Bautista, there’s obviously greater cause for concern. He missed all of the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery and returned with good bottom-line results but diminished velocity and a walk rate near 16%. He was placed on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation late last month and has now been ruled out entirely with more than six weeks of the season yet to play out.

There’s no indication Hader’s season is in jeopardy, and until the Astros gather additional opinions, they’ll be tight-lipped on the left-hander’s outlook. It’s possible that we could get updates on one or both pitchers today, and we should certainly know more about at least one of them by the end of the week.

3. Kelly faces his old team:

The D-backs traded right-hander Merrill Kelly to the Rangers back on July 31, parting ways with a right-hander who’s spent the past six-plus seasons as a fixture in the rotation. A 2010 Rays draftee, Kelly never made it to the majors with Tampa Bay before heading to the Korea Baseball Organization and reinventing himself overseas. He’s become not just a stable big league arm but a high-end, playoff-caliber starter who’s enjoying one of his best seasons at age 36. Kelly was sharp in his first Rangers start but struggled in his second. He’ll now face Arizona for the first time since the deal and square off against longtime rotation-mate Zac Gallen.

Gallen, like Kelly, is an impending free agent whose name was heavily discussed prior to the trade deadline. The D-backs ultimately held onto Gallen, whose 5.31 ERA and huge spike in home runs allowed this season combined to tamp down his trade value. Gallen has put together two strong starts since the deadline (12 innings, three runs, 13 hits, three walks, nine strikeouts) and will look to keep building momentum against a Texas club whose offense has continued to struggle. Even with the rough season, he’s still a qualifying offer candidate — particularly if he can string together a series of strong starts to close out the year.

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.