It is late September, and as playoff baseball appears, battles in the wild card are still happening on both sides. Massive games are coming up this week; here are the 10 best stories in baseball this week.
Star shortstop injured amid playoff push
The New York Mets are in the midst of doing the unthinkable. In the season, playoffs were not in the conversation for the Mets. That has changed with a strong August and September. A big reason has been Francisco Lindor. The 30-year-old MVP candidate suffered a back injury on September 13 and is expected to return on Tuesday for a big series against the Atlanta Braves. Lindor has been an MVP candidate for the Mets this season.
NL West pitcher to miss playoffs with elbow sprain
Tyler Glasnow has suffered years of tough injury luck, and it will continue this season. Glasnow is expected to miss the rest of the season with an elbow sprain. Glasnow went on the injured list on August 16 because of elbow tendinitis, hoping to return to the team before the playoffs. With the Dodgers dealing with a flurry of injuries, the frustration for Glasnow missing the rest of the season is evident. "It's extremely frustrating," Glasnow said. "I wanted to come here to win a World Series and pitch in the postseason."
White Sox tie the record with a week to go
Move over, expansion Mets; the 2024 Chicago White Sox are here. Chicago is expected to break the record for the most losses by a team in MLB modern history. The White Sox now own the record for most losses by an American League team, passing the 2003 Detroit Tigers' 119 defeats. While we knew it was coming, it is still crazy to see. This is the worst baseball team of all time.
All-Star outfielder placed on IL
With the Cleveland Guardians poised to make the playoffs, an injury to Steven Kwan will sideline him for the next 10 days. Kwan was put on the 10 day injured list with back inflammation. After a stellar first half of the season, Kwan has cooled off tremendously the past few months, only hitting .201 since the all-star break. While Kwan's struggles at the plate continue, he is still a big part of the Guardian's success. He is expected to return sometime this week and will be back in time for the playoffs.
Relief pitcher DFA just before playoffs
Craig Kimbrel's time in Baltimore has officially come to an end. The Orioles finally called it quits this past Wednesday, DFA the future hall of famer right before the playoffs. Kimbrel signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Orioles this offseason. Kimbrel has been one of the best relievers in the league for the past 10 years, but this year has been a different story. Kimbrel has a 5.33 ERA with six blown saves on the season. Bullpen pitching has been a big issue for the Orioles, as they head into October being thin at the position.
AL wild card coming down to the wire as Detroit is on a winning streak
The Detroit Tigers have been the hottest team in baseball for the past couple of weeks. From playing .500 baseball most of the year, an impressive August and September have put them back in the race and into a wild card spot in the AL. The Tigers were one of the biggest sellers during the trade deadline this season, having a 52-57 record and injuries throughout the roster. The Tigers got better. With young stars emerging on the offensive side of the ball like Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, with a CY Young candidate in Tarik Skubal, the Tigers are now poised to make the postseason barring a late season collapse.
Shortstop is out for the season with a broken finger
The season for Bo Bichette is officially over. The Blue Jays announced this week that Bo Bichette will be out for the season with a fractured finger. This comes to a disappointing season for Bichette and the Blue Jays, as he was dealing with a calf injury for most of the season. Bichette only played in 81 games this season and hit .225 with a .598 OPS. Next year will be the final year of club control for Bichette and the Toronto Blue Jays, and with the trade rumors we saw this year from the team, It wouldn't surprise me to see next season being his last for the Blue Jays.
Shortstop demoted after an all-nighter
The season for CJ Abrams for the Washington Nationals is over. Abrams was demoted to the minor leagues after staying at a casino in the Chicago Area all night. With the demotion happening so late in the season, his time for the Nationals is over for the season. While expressing disappointment on the matter, manager Dave Martinez emphasized his support for Abrams. "For me, it's about taking care of the person first, and not the player, and I'm going to do everything I can to help him," Martinez said after the Nationals' 5-1 victory over the Cubs. "I love the kid. He's a good kid. He's going to be back."
Ohtani goes 50-50 as wild season continues
It is crazy to think that this will be the first season in his MLB career that Shohei Ohtani will be playing in the playoffs. Shohei Ohtani opted to have Tommy John surgery and put pitching to the side for 2024. He followed that up with a 50 home run and 50 stolen bases season. No player in MLB history has had more than 42 home runs and 42 stolen bases. Just to top it all off, Ohtani then proceeded to go for 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases in the same game. In the game on Thursday, Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three homers, two doubles, two steals, four runs scored, and 10 RBI in a 20-4 win against the Miami Marlins. We must cherish our time watching Shohei Ohtani; it is a treat for all sports fans.
Pivotal series opens up to determine the NL wild card
Both teams have circled this series for the last month. The three-game set will begin this Tuesday for the Braves and the Mets to determine the wild card in the NL. Currently, the Braves are two games back of the third wild card spot held by the Mets. The Braves' best path to try and play in the playoffs is straightforward. Sweep the Mets, and they control their own destiny. With the Braves backs against the wall and playoff chances on the line, expect the Braves to use all their resources to try and win these games and treat this three-game set like a playoff series. It is due or die for both these teams. If the Mets take two out of three, consider the race over. If the Braves sweep, the NL wild card race will likely come down to the final couple of games of the season.
Team of the Week
NL: New York Mets
Speaking of the Mets, they might be one of the hottest teams in the league right now. Going 6-1 this week and in sole possession of the third wild-card spot, the Mets control their own destiny to try and make the playoffs in a crowded NL wild-card race.
AL: Detroit Tigers
The team in the AL has been on fire the past couple of months and has put themselves in an excellent spot to try and make the playoffs. Going 5-1 this week, the Tigers have completely turned their season around in August and September and now control their own destiny for the playoffs.
Player of the Week
NL: Shohei Ohtani
How can it not be Shohei? I could have only given him the award for his Thursday performance against the Miami Marlins: 6-for-6 with three home runs and 10 RBIs, Ohtani just keeps getting better. He must watch TV at this point.
AL: Kyle Tucker
Tucker has been on fire the last week. Through 18 at bats, he hit .556 with two home runs and a 1.611 OPS. Tucker has been one of the more consistent hitters in the AL this season.
HN’s NFL Power Rankings: Week 12
