10/15/2026:

Patrick Bailey is starting behind the dish and batting seventh in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Rays on Thursday.

Bailey was not in the starting lineup for Game 2, but he drew a walk as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. The 27-year-old has reached a new offensive height with a more pull-centric approach in Cleveland. He has gone 7-for-20 with two home runs, five RBI, and a 5/2 K/BB ratio so far this postseason.

10/15/2026:

Bryan Baker needed just eight pitches to work a scoreless ninth against the Guardians for a save in Game 2 of the ALCS on Tuesday.

Baker has yet to allow a hit while pitching four scoreless innings and earning for saves this postseason. That his velocity is down about two mph just hasn’t mattered yet.

10/16/2026:

Jake Bauers went 1-for-2 with a double and three RBI on Thursday night as the Brewers triumphed over the Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the NLCS to complete their four-game sweep and advance to the World Series.

The Brewers fell behind early in this one as the Dodgers scored four times in the home half of the second inning. They never quit though. Bauers got the comeback started with a two-run double off of Tyler Glasnow in the fourth inning. He then worked a bases-loaded walk to bring in the tying run during a two-run uprising in the fifth inning. He has been an absolute menace in the batter’s box this postseason and a big reason why the Brewers will have a chance to bring home their first World Series Title.

10/15/2026:

Jake Bauers was named as the Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series.

He was certainly deserving of the honor. Bauers had a legendary at-bat to wear down Yoshinobu Yamamoto and spark the Brewers’ comeback in Game 2. He then swatted a go-ahead homer after a long battle against Blake Snell in Game 3 and chipped in three RBI during the series-clinching victory in Game 4. He hit .412 with a homer and six RBI during the four-game sweep. It’s an outstanding accomplishment for the 31-year-old journeyman who pondered retirement last offseason.

10/15/2026:

Jake Bauers hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Brewers topped the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 3 of the NLCS on Wednesday.

Bauers had another long at-bat that saw him foul off several middle-middle pitches before pulverizing a 3-2 cookie from Blake Snell to give the Brewers the 3-2 lead. The 31-year-old veteran has his first homer of the postseason, but he’s been excellent in the playoffs thus far while driving in three runs. Bauers and the Brewers are now one win away from their first trip to the World Series as a National League team, and can reach that accomplishment with a win Thursday in Game 4.

10/15/2026:

White Sox INF/OF prospect Caleb Bonemer went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Arizona Fall League action on Tuesday.

Bonemer, who had started playing the outfield this fall, started in left field in this one. The 43rd overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft hit .251/.380/.550 with 37 home runs, 92 RBI, and 17 steals across two levels this season, ending the year with 71 games at Double-A. He will likely begin the season at Double-A, but the White Sox have shown a willingness to be aggressive with their prospects, so there is a chance that we could see Bonemer up in Triple-A early in the season, which would open up the possibility for him to make his MLB debut at some point in 2027.

10/15/2026:

Jackson Chourio hit a leadoff homer as the Brewers topped the Dodgers on Wednesday in Game 3 of the NLCS.

Chourio blistered a solo homer the opposite way to give the Brew Crew an early 1-0 lead. The 22-year-old has his second homer of the postseason, and he’s driven in seven runs even while hitting at the top of the lineup for the entirety of the playoffs.

10/15/2026:

Orioles signed RHP Connor Cooke to a minor league contract.

Cooke, a former Blue Jays prospect, seemed potentially interesting in relief in 2023, when he posted an 80/19 K/BB in 44 1/3 innings between three levels in the minors. That earned him an invite to big-league camp the following spring. However, he struggled that year, underwent Tommy John in Jan. 2025 and was released prior to this season. He made his comeback in indy ball, posting a 2.66 ERA in 23 2/3 innings for Lexington in the Atlantic League. Now he’ll get a look from a rival AL East team.

10/15/2026:

Liam Hicks had two hits and two RBI from the eighth spot in the order in Tuesday’s win over the Guardians.

Hicks made it a 3-0 game with his two-run single off Parker Messick in the fourth. Hicks usually sits against lefties and didn’t start Game 1 against Foster Griffin, but he delivered in a rare opportunity tonight. He was 4-for-24 with one extra-base hit versus southpaws over the final two months of the regular season after being acquired from the Marlins.

10/15/2026:

Colin Holderman underwent surgery Wednesday to address his right wrist tendinitis.

Holderman has managed the issue for most of the last four years. He’s expected to be ready for the beginning of spring training.

10/15/2026:

Orioles 1B/OF prospect Ike Irish went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Arizona Fall League action on Tuesday.

Irish had knee surgery back in July that ended his minor league season after hitting .286/.388/.528 with 16 homers and 20 steals in 343 plate appearances for High-A Frederick. The Orioles want him to make up for those lost at-bats in the fall league, and Irish has been crushing the ball, leading the AFL in hits and home runs. He’s now 11-for-26 (.423) with two home runs, five RBI, and two steals.

10/15/2026:

Robert Gasser didn’t give up a run in his five innings of work during Game 3 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Gasser allowed just three hits and a walk, and he struck out three. He threw 47-of-72 pitches for strikes, and it was a little surprising that the Brewers pulled the southpaw only to see Abner Uribe allow two runs while getting just one out after Gasser left. Milwaukee still was able to get the win, however, and has a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The 27-year-old could get a start in Game 6 or 7 if necessary, or could be a bullpen option in the coming days.

10/16/2026:

Phillies re-signed LHP Tim Mayza to a one-year contract.

Sources tell The Athletic the deal is worth $2.75 million. Mayza, who would have become a free agent after the World Series, pitched to a 3.48 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 64/18 K/BB ratio in 67 1/3 innings this season. He will remain a key piece in the bridge to Jhoan Duran in 2027.

10/15/2026:

Phillies re-signed LHP Tim Mayza to a one-year deal.

The lefty reliever pitched to a 3.48 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 64/18 K/BB ratio in 67 1/3 innings this season. He will remain a key piece in the bridge to Jhoan Duran in 2027.

10/15/2026:

Trevor Megill went the final 1 1/3 innings and earned a save Wednesday in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Dodgers.

Megill came in and got Will Smith to fly out with a runner on to end the eighth. He was able to retire the side in order in the ninth, and even with a four-run lead, thanks to a run in the ninth, he’s credited with his fourth save of the postseason.

10/15/2026:

Troy Melton (arm fatigue) is “beginning a normal offseason workout routine.”

Melton was placed on the injured list on September 21st with right arm fatigue and had reportedly been dealing with an “achy” arm for a few weeks. Unsurprisingly, that coincided with a major dip in production from the 25-year-old. The Tigers said that “Melton’s medical evaluation found no issues,” and he will head into the offseason as a fully healthy pitcher with a normal routine. This was Melton’s largest MLB sample yet, but he did throw 120 innings split between the minors and majors last season, so it’s at least a little concerning that his arm didn’t feel right at the end of the year. He will be a name to monitor in spring training.

10/15/2026:

Parker Messick was charged with three unearned runs in five innings in Tuesday’s loss to the Rays.

All of the runs came after a José Ramírez error in the fourth. Even before the error, Messick barely missed out on a double play ball from the second batter of the inning — Victor Mesa Jr. was originally called out at first but it was overturned on replay — and then got another chopper that would have resulted in an out if it wasn’t Chandler Simpson running. The error scored one run and then a single from Liam Hicks plated two. It’s Messick’s second loss in three postseason starts, though this was his best performance of the three.

10/16/2026:

Shohei Ohtani clobbered a three-run homer on Thursday night, but it wasn’t enough to power the Dodgers past the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLCS.

The Dodgers took an early lead in the second inning as Andy Pages smacked a one-out RBI single into center off of Brewers’ right-hander Dustin May. Two batters later, Ohtani really broke the game open with a 428-foot (113.1-mph EV) three-run blast to right-center that made it a 4-0 ballgame. That would be the extent of their offense in the game though, and they wound up being a run short when all was said and done. Ohtani had a chance with a runner at third base and one out in the seventh inning and couldn’t plate the tying run. Kyle Tucker then failed in the same situation in the eighth inning. It’s a stunning collapse for the Dodgers as they’re swept by the Brewers in the NLCS, scoring a grand total of 11 runs in the four-game set.

10/15/2026:

Shohei Ohtani has returned to the leadoff spot in the Dodgers’ lineup for a must-win Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers on Thursday evening.

The slumping slugger battled cleanup in each of the first two games of the series and was dropped down to sixth against a southpaw in Game 3 on Wednesday. Perhaps the move back to the top of the lineup will provide the offensive jolt that the Dodgers need to stave off elimination and keep their dreams of a three-peat alive. Here’s the full lineup that they will trot out against Brewers’ southpaw Shane Drohan on Thursday: Ohtani (DH), Mookie Betts (SS), Freddie Freeman (1B), Will Smith (C), Kyle Tucker (RF), Teoscar Hernandez (LF), Miguel Rojas (2B), Andy Pages (CF) and Enrique Hernandez (3B).

10/15/2026:

Richie Palacios is starting at second base and batting eighth for Game 3 of the ALCS against the Guardians.

Palacios sat the first two games with Cleveland throwing left-handed pitchers in both. Ben Williamson will not shift back to the bench, but the rest of the Rays’ lineup remains the same.

10/15/2026:

Cooper Pratt went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in a win over the Dodgers on Wednesday in Game 3 of the NLCS.

Pratt singled all three times. The steal was the first of the postseason for the 22-year-old, who has hit .360 with a .400 slugging percentage in his first postseason. He’ll assuredly be in the lineup Thursday with a chance for the Brewers to clinch a trip to the World Series versus the Rays or Guardians.

10/15/2026:

Randy Rodríguez (elbow) threw a scoreless inning in the Arizona Fall League on Tuesday.

Rodríguez last pitched on August 19th 2025, before experiencing soreness in his elbow and ultimately undergoing Tommy John surgery. He spent this entire year rehabbing and is now back on the mound in the Arizona Fall League. His four-seamer touched 96 mph and sat 95 mph in this outing, which is down from the 97.4 mph that he averaged in 2025, but it’s just nice to see him healthy and pitching. He’ll likely get a few more AFL outings, but there is a chance he could work himself into the 9th inning conversation for the Giants in 2027 with a good spring training.

10/15/2026:

Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Thursday that he’s very unlikely to use Tarik Skubal or Yoshinobu Yamamoto out of the bullpen in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers.

Even with their backs against the wall, Roberts maintained confidence when asked if his star hurlers would be available out of the bullpen on Thursday, saying, “No. ... Our bullpen is rested, very, very capable. You’ve still got to win four, but obviously you’ve got to win one first, and I completely understand that. But the short answer, no.” It’s possible that the calculus could change if the Dodgers get down early in Game 4, but for now he appears to have full faith in Tyler Glasnow and his rested bullpen.

10/15/2026:

Will Smith hit a two-run double on Wednesday in the Dodgers’ Game 3 loss to the Brewers in the NLCS.

Smith gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead with a bases-loaded double in the sixth inning off Abner Uribe. It’d be the last run of the night for Los Angeles, and the defending champions are now a loss away from their season coming to a close. Smith has been awful in this postseason, and even with the two-run double he’s hitting just .074 over the first seven games.

10/15/2026:

Will Smith hit a two-run double in a Game 3 of the NLCS loss to the Brewers on Wednesday.

Smith gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead with a bases-loaded double in the sixth inning off Abner Uribe. It’d be the last run of the night for Los Angeles, and the defending champions are now a loss away from their season coming to a close. Smith has been awful in this postseason, and even with the two-run double he’s hitting just .074 over the first seven games.

10/15/2026:

Blake Snell allowed four runs in six-plus innings with nine strikeouts in a loss to the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS for the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Snell allowed a leadoff homer to Jackson Chourio, and after that, the left-hander was dominant for the next five innings. And then, the seventh happened. He walked Andrew Vaughn, allowed a two-run homer to Jake Bauers and a solo homer to Garrett Mitchell without recording an out to turn what was an outstanding effort into a middling one. Justice for Kevin Cash? Snell would likely get the start in Game 7 if the Dodgers can force one, but there’s a pretty good chance his season is over.

10/15/2026:

Blake Snell allowed four runs in six-plus innings with nine strikeouts in a loss to the Brewers in Game 5 of the NLCS for the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Snell allowed a leadoff homer to Jackson Chourio, and after that, the left-hander was dominant for the next five innings. And then, the seventh happened. He walked Andrew Vaughn, allowed a two-run homer to Jake Bauers and a solo homer to Garrett Mitchell without recording an out to turn what was an outstanding effort into a middling one. Justice for Kevin Cash? Snell would likely get the start in Game 7 if the Dodgers can force one, but there’s a pretty good chance his season is over.

10/15/2026:

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he told Trea Turner that he will start at shortstop in 2027, but “he must play well there to stay there.”

By many metrics, Turner was one of the worst defensive shortstops in baseball in 2026. While 2026 was easily the worst defensive season of his career and could be an outlier, Turner has had one positive Defensive Runs Saved season since 2021 and no positive seasons by Outs Above Average since 2019. The Phillies could move Bryson Stott to shortstop and try Turner at second base if they were eventually looking to make a defensive change.

10/15/2026:

The Athletic’s Jayson Stark reports that the Phillies “reached out to Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez...to gauge their interest in the [manager] job.”

Both players “politely declined,” and the Phillies went on to hire Don Mattingly to a two-year deal. According to Stark’s sources, “the Phillies’ interest was serious enough that the team’s president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, formally requested permission from the Los Angeles Dodgers to contact Utley and Ibanez, both of whom work for the team.” That makes three known candidates, along with Alex Cora, who turned down the opportunity before the team went back to Mattingly.

10/15/2026:

Brandon Woodruff threw 31 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday and could face hitters next time out.

Woodruff, who is trying to make his way back from another round of shoulder issues, said his stuff today was “pretty good.” He’s aiming to contribute if the Brewers advance to the World Series.

10/15/2026:

Christian Yelich returned to the Brewers’ starting lineup for Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Thursday evening in Los Angeles.

Yelich took a seat against left-hander Blake Snell in Game 3 on Wednesday but he’s right back in there as the Brewers’ designated hitter as they look to complete their four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Champions. Here’s the full lineup that the Brewers will deploy against Dodgers’ right-hander Tyler Glasnow on Thursday: Jackson Chourio (LF), Brice Turang (2B), William Contreras (C), Jake Bauers (1B), Yelich (DH), Garrett Mitchell (CF), Cooper Pratt (SS), Sal Frelick (RF) and David Hamilton (3B).