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Aaron Judge returns to right field tonight

Good news in the Bronx.

Tonight, on the heels of the first duel of a three-game series between the Blue Jays and Yankees in the Bronx, captain Aaron Judge will be able to return to right field for the first time since July. He won’t be playing defensively every day, though.

When you look at the Yankees’ roster, it’s clear that manager Aaron Boone isn’t here to fool around. He understands the importance of the series against the Blue Jays, obviously. #WithRaison

Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe are on the bench. Giancarlo Stanton is back at DH, which is a lot better than seeing him in the outfield. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is able to play. Ben Rice is in the lineup, as is Jose Caballero.

It’s an optimized lineup… and in a potential playoff lineup, that could be excellent. Obviously, in a #1 game, it would be another starting pitcher, but hey.

As for the Blue Jays, they’ve announced that reliever Braydon Fisher is back in town. He takes the place of Dillon Tate, who will return to Buffalo for the remainder of the season.

Kevin Gausman will pitch tonight. Chris Bassitt has been moved up to Saturday so that Max Scherzer, who has a sore back, can pitch on Sunday with an extra day’s rest.

But otherwise, offensively speaking, the Blue Jays also chose to optimize their lineup. Yes, the series is… important.

  • Kyle Finnegan is injured.

  • Shohei Ohtani will pitch tonight after all.

  • Kodai Senga has said yes to a stint in AAA.

  • Willson Contreras’ suspension reduced.

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Race to the playoffs: the Rays are on fire and enter the discussion

Did you know that if the Rays make the playoffs, they’ll play their home games at Steinbrenner Field, where they’re playing this year?

The subject was the talk of the town a few months ago, because to see playoff games in such a stadium would be… special. After all, it’s a pretty small venue for playoff games.

In recent weeks, however, the subject has been less of a buzzword. Why was that? Because the Rays were slipping in the standings.

But now, with only a few weeks left in the season, the Tampa Bay Rays are back in the race. They’ve won their last seven games, a little in the shadows.

Looking at the American standings, we see that four teams can realistically and/or mathematically aspire to dislodge one of the teams currently in the playoff picture.

The Rangers (1.5 playoff games), Royals (2.0), Rays (2.0) and Guardians (3.5) are the clubs in question. Anything below that, starting with the Angels, nobody really believes in.

The Rangers have a chance of qualifying, but they have so many injuries that it will be difficult. Same thing for the Guardians… if you replace the word “injured” with “important pitchers who are under investigation in a huge sports betting case” in my sentence.

The Royals? Don’t rule them out too quickly.

But right now, the Rays are fine. Junior Caminero continues to break things down, and I’ll be curious to see if the Rays, who have never stopped coming out of nowhere to win for the past 7-8 years, pull off a minor miracle.

Given that the Mariners have lost the North, I think a club like Tampa Bay can sneak into the playoffs.

Note that this weekend, the Rays will face the Guardians, which could shatter the playoff race. The Rangers, for their part, will have a good challenge on their hands: the Houston Astros.

And while we’re on the subject of America, let’s not forget the duel between the Yankees and the Blue Jays. If the Bombardiers are to win their division, it’s got to be by winning the series this weekend.

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The Giants are the team of the hour in Major League Baseball

Just over a week ago, the San Francisco Giants were thought to have thrown in the towel for the 2025 campaign, as their forward was running out of steam and injuries were affecting their pitching staff.

After dropping four spots in the race for the National League’s best runner-up, it looked like it was all over in the Bay Area. Rafael Devers, acquired from the Boston Red Sox before the trade deadline, was going through the worst period of his career, and the club continued to find strange ways to lose.

However, with long balls and empty benches, the Giants had an excellent series of games in which the team played with passion, something we hadn’t seen in a long time.

With a record of ten wins against just one loss in their last eleven games, San Francisco now boasts a 71-69 record. The Giants have overtaken the Cincinnati Reds in the standings. The California team is now just four games behind the New York Mets, with 22 games remaining.

Certainly, time is on the Giants’ side, but if they continue to play with fire in their eyes as they have of late, nothing is impossible, especially as the Mets can collapse at any time.

Elsewhere in the National League, the other race to watch is for the West Division title, with the Los Angeles Dodgers just two games ahead of the San Diego Padres.

The team that doesn’t finish first in its section should end up as the second team drafted behind the Chicago Cubs, and will probably have to face them in the Wild Card round.

An excellent end to the season in sight.

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Astros: Taylor Trammell’s bat confiscated

A series between the New York Yankees and Astros is never banal. And this week’s was no exception.

In fact, after the antics of official Brian Walsh in game two, who did it again in the final game, we were treated to another situation worthy of these two teams.

With the Bombardiers leading 8-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Victor Caratini hit a single that was followed by a Taylor Trammell double. But with Jeremy Pena at bat and runners on second and third, Yankees manager Aaron Boone asked head umpire Adrian Johnson to examine the bat Trammell had just used.

After a lengthy discussion involving the other three officials on the field and a conversation with the central office in New York, Johnson finally handed the bat over to an authenticator for further evaluation by MLB.

Keep in mind that Trammell played five games with the Yankees last year after being claimed in the Los Angeles Dodgers waivers.

To add insult to injury, representatives from the Big Apple were looking at Trammell’s bat long before he appeared at the plate in the ninth inning last night (Thursday), as Boone had already been in communication with the league office on the matter. The Yankees reportedly noticed discoloration on the bat’s label, so they alerted Major League Baseball, who reportedly responded that it looked like an illegal bat.

For his part, Trammell was puzzled by the whole story and adamant that he had not intentionally altered his bat.

My biggest problem is that I’m feeling a bit defensive at the moment. I’m a bit lost on this thing. I think if anyone knows me, knows that I’m never going to cheat or anything like that. It’s disconcerting to me that it’s even been verified.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of this whole situation.

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Paul Skenes and the Pirates swept aside the Dodgers

The Pittsburgh Pirates won’t be making the playoffs. But in recent weeks, the club has been winning more often than not.

Just yesterday, with Paul Skenes on the mound, the Pirates found a way to win against Major League Baseball’s most loaded club. It ended 5-3 for the home team.

Paul Skenes pitched six scoreless innings. He picked up his 10th win of the season, now with a 10-9 record.

He gave up just two hits and one walk to the Dodgers, while striking out eight. He lowered his earned run average to 1.98 this season and 1.97 for his career. #Wow

Getting beat by Paul Skenes is one thing. But to get swept by the Pirates is quite another.

After all, the Dodgers aren’t playing up to their immense talent right now. They have 23 losses in 43 games since the All-Star break, and they’re scoring less, in the same period, than any other club in their division.

The good news for the Dodgers? The Padres (2-8 in their last 10 duels) don’t want to win any more than the Dodgers do these days. But the Padres are still two games away from L.A….

The bad news? The Dodgers are three games behind the Phillies and second place in the Nationals. If the trend continues, Dave Roberts’ men won’t be able to avoid the Wild Card games.

  • American League standings.
  • 29 consecutive innings without giving up a run? Incredible.

  • Jazz Chisholm Jr. has sore knees. In a Yankees win over the Astros, Trent Grisham hit his 30th home run of the year.

  • Francisco Alvarez is back.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has “so much potential” to develop, says Max Scherzer

Earlier this year, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed a $500 million contract. That says a lot about his importance to Toronto, but also about his enormous talent.

At this point, after signing such a contract, is it possible to believe that he can still develop?

According to Max Scherzer, who has played with quite a few talented players in his career, it would seem that Vladdy still has “so much potential” to develop, despite his years of experience in the show.

That’s what the pitcher, who will one day open the doors to the Hall of Fame and has been playing with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for a few months now, told the Foul Territory podcast.

The pitcher even dares to draw comparisons with Miguel Cabrera. We’re talking about the way both players are able to hit a baseball with power.

On the other hand, Scherzer is of the opinion that in terms of baseball IQ, Cabrera still has, due to his experience, an edge. But that’s what Scherzer means when he says that Vladdy can continue to develop…

Of course, you might think that the pitcher wasn’t going to plant his teammate publicly. He wouldn’t.

That said, MadMax, who has played with a lot of quality guys, was under no obligation to sing the praises of Vladimir Guerrero’s son to that extent and compare him to a legend like Miggy.

But hey. Now that his future is clear and secure, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will have to take the Blue Jays further in the playoffs. He has yet to win a single playoff game, and that has to change this year.

Can Vladdy do it?

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Kyle Tucker: the Phillies could use him to replace Nick Castellanos

Nick Castellanos is becoming a problem in Philly.

Earlier this year, the outfielder didn’t like being pulled late in the game to have a defensive lineup. It happened again in recent days in Philly.

And the more time passes, the more we realize that Castellanos isn’t playing regularly. These days, his manager plays him very infrequently and he seems to be part of a platoon (playing a guy depending on whether he’s hitting from left or right) in right field.

And let’s just say that the subject is the talk of Pennsylvania.

Castellanos doesn’t exactly look happy with his situation, and you have to wonder how keen he is to play elsewhere next year. He still has another year left on his contract, though.

But in any case, this winter, the Phillies will no doubt want to pick up an outfielder who can solve problems in the field with a view to the 2026 season. Because right now, it’s just not working.

What if that solution was Kyle Tucker?

We don’t know if the Cubs can afford to keep him. But if he does leave, there will undoubtedly be a bidding war for his services… and the Phillies could be at the heart of it.

Jeff Passan, in a piece on upcoming free agents, mentioned the Phillies’ name in the section reserved for Tucker. The journalist says the club could “desperately” use a big stick in the corners of the infield.

And that’s a big deal, Philly….

In my opinion, clubs like the Mets and Dodgers won’t necessarily put a lot of money on Tucker this winter. Is he THE star who will want to go to San Francisco? Will the Red Sox put money on an outfielder when they have plenty?

In my eyes, the Phillies, Yankees and Blue Jays are the teams most likely to move Tucker from Chicago. Because to see him stay, let’s just say it’s not a done deal…

  • Alexis Diaz DFA’d by the Dodgers.

  • Seth Lugo is injured.

  • Shohei Ohtani will pitch Monday.

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MLB in brief: Jordan Hicks on the injured list | Things are bad in Seattle

Jordan Hicks on the injured list

Boston fans celebrate.

Another youngster in New York

Brandon Sproat will make his debut on Sunday. He’s a starting pitcher.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa wanted to come back to Toronto

He’ll do anything to help the club win.

Things are bad in Seattle

The club needs to get back on its feet.

More Yadier Molina

He’ll be back in the Cards dugout this weekend.

Alex Bregman should be a free agent

Makes sense: he should get out of his contract.

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Anthony Santander could play a game as early as next Tuesday

Recently, Anthony Santander has started to gain momentum again. This has meant that the power hitter, who is having a very bad season under his belt due to injury, could soon be back.

And you know as well as I do that a good end to the season and an explosive playoff run can be a game-changer.

We know that the Blue Jays are aiming for a return for Santander in mid-September, but it was unclear exactly when he’d be able to start playing in the minors again.

And Arden Zwelling reports that right now, if all goes well, the plan is for him to play in AAA, for the Buffalo Bisons, starting on Tuesday.

Santander will travel with the Blue Jays this weekend to New York. He’ll continue to hit, which will come in handy. After all, when he hits right-handed, it’s difficult for him. He’s actually more comfortable hitting from the left.

The plan, then, is for him to be comfortable on both sides on Tuesday.

But ultimately, the question will also be who Santander will replace in the line-up if he’s ready to return next week. Because that, too, is an important factor.

Obviously, he won’t be replacing a pitcher. And by then, a position player could be injured, which would solve the problem.

But if there’s no injury, what then? Will David Schneider be forced to return to Buffalo to make room for the veteran?

We’ll have to wait and see, but…

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Passion MLB’s state of the forces: the Padres are losing momentum

We’re already in the final month of the regular season, and the best baseball of the year is just around the corner.

So, without further ado, here’s the latest version of Passion MLB’s power rankings. You’ll find last week’s rankings in brackets.

1 – Milwaukee Brewers (1)
2 – Philadelphia Phillies (3)
3 – Detroit Tigers (2)
4 – Toronto Blue Jays (4)
5 – Los Angeles Dodgers (6)
6 – Chicago Cubs (5)
7 – Boston Red Sox (8)
8 – New York Yankees (10)
9 – San Diego Padres (7)
10 – Houston Astros (9)

11 – Seattle Mariners (11)
12 – New York Mets (12)
13 – Kansas City Royals (14)
14 – Texas Rangers (15)
15 – Cincinnati Reds (13)
16 – Cleveland Guardians (16)
17 – San Francisco Giants (20)
18 – Arizona Diamondbacks (19)
19 – St. Louis Cardinals (18)
20 – Tampa Bay Rays (17)
21 – Miami Marlins (23)
22 – Los Angeles Angels (24)
23 – Sacramento Athletics (25)
24 – Atlanta Braves (21)

25 – Baltimore Orioles (22)
26 – Minnesota Twins (26)
27 – Pittsburgh Pirates (27)
28 – Washington Nationals (28)
29 – Chicago White Sox (29)
30 – Colorado Rockies (30)

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