[Checkerboard]

Robby Ray Cy Young and Vladdy MVP!!!!

+ Jays WC, pennant and WS for the sweep!

[Stallion]

The Umpire in the Jays game last night was just awful, like Angel Hernandez awful. The Cards have won 9 or 10 In a row!!!

[stevenash]

The Umpire in the Jays game last night was just awful, like Angel Hernandez awful. The Cards have won 9 or 10 In a row!!!

Umpiring has been putrid for the past five seasons now.

[jrgum3]

Lamont Wade continues to be one of my favorite Giants. Probably their most underrated pickup and he's the man you want up there in the 9th when your team needs a big hit and he delivered again against the Padres.

[EmpireMaker]

The Padres announced they’ve designated Jake Arrieta for assignment. The move clears active and 40-man roster space for reliever Javy Guerra, who has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
It proved to be a very brief run in San Diego for Arrieta. Released by the Cubs in mid-August, the former Cy Young award winner hooked on with San Diego a few days later. The 35-year-old had struggled mightily in his return to Chicago, working 86 1/3 innings of 6.88 ERA ball with the Cubs. The Friars, thin on starting pitching depth and with a few key hurlers dealing with injury, gave Arrieta a few turns through their rotation in hopes he could find more success in a new environment.
That ultimately proved not to be the case, as Arrieta posted even worse results in his brief look as a Padre. He tossed 12 1/3 innings over four starts, interrupted by a brief injured list stint due to a hamstring strain. He was tagged for sixteen runs (fifteen earned) in that time, while his already lackluster strikeout and swinging strike rates dipped even further relative to his time with the Cubs.
It’s now been three seasons of subpar performance for Arrieta, who was one of the sport’s best handful of pitchers at his peak. The righty reeled off consecutive seasons of sub-4.00 ERA ball from 2014-18, including a 2.53 in 2014 and a sterling 1.77 mark in his Cy Young winning 2015 campaign. That’s climbed successively from 4.64 to 5.08 to 7.39 over the past three years, though, as Arrieta has become one of the game’s least effective pitchers at missing bats while his velocity has fallen.
Arrieta will almost certainly reach free agency in the next few days, either via release or rejection of an outright assignment. In all likelihood, today’s designation will bring his 2021 campaign to a close. Given his significant recent struggles, it’s possible he’ll need to settle for a minor league deal to work his way back onto a big league roster this winter.
The injury woes that inspired the Padres to sign Arrieta have only intensified in the weeks since. They’re down to Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and the recently-signed Vince Velasquez as traditional rotation options, with Chris Paddack and Blake Snell currently on the 10-day injured list. It seems they’ll conduct a handful of bullpen games in the season’s final couple weeks as they try to claw back from a four-game deficit in the race for the National League’s final Wild Card spot.
Guerra hasn’t pitched all season on account of a UCL issue. A former infielder, the hard-throwing righty was converted to mound work in 2019. Over 22 MLB innings, he owns an 8.18 ERA with a below-average 17.5% strikeout rate but a solid 50% ground-ball percentage.
While Guerra hasn’t yet found much big league success, the Padres clearly remain intrigued by his arsenal. The 25-year-old averaged 98 MPH on his sinker last season, making it easy to envision him as a grounder specialist out of the bullpen. Because of his early career as a position player, Guerra has exhausted all three of his minor league option years. That leaves the Padres with no choice but to carry him on the active roster or risk losing him on waivers. They’ve evidently determined to keep him with the major league team for now, and he figures to see some action as part of the aforementioned bullpen-heavy pitcher usage the Padres will need to deploy down the stretch.

[stevenash]

Sal Perez.

Your all time single season home run hitter as a primary catcher.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

The Cubs can now sign Arrieta

[BigSpoon]

Yankees have a really tough remaining schedule starting Friday.

[jrgum3]

Sal Perez.

Your all time single season home run hitter as a primary catcher.

Very impressive season by Salvie. I am glad he's on my fantasy team in my 2 catcher league. Such a huge advantage to have him in that league when the Catcher position in fantasy is such a thin position.

[Stallion]

Sal Perez is on fire!! I wonder what the futures were on him to have the most HR's before the season started??

[JMobile]

The Cubs can now sign Arrieta

Padres wasted a pickup of him. Thought they were bringing back gold.

[Checkerboard]

Yankees have a really tough remaining schedule starting Friday.

With Kluber pitching and Judge back as DH, they should get the sweep over Texas tonight.

[Otters27]

Reds had bases loaded twice with o outs and got onevrun

[jrgum3]

Huge game tonight by the Giants who look like they're going to gain a game on the Dodgers who lost in Colorado tonight. It is very important to win the division now because the Cards are just a team that I don't want to face in a one game playoff. The Dodgers will throw Max in that game but its hard to go against a team riding so much momentum into October and that will be definitely be on the Cards side as they just don't seem like they'll lose anytime soon.

[Cross]

Time for the robot umps, just terrible out there these days.

[EmpireMaker]

The Cardinals, surging toward a playoff berth with a prodigious September winning streak, will get another boost to their postseason hopes this weekend. Opening Day starter Jack Flaherty is expected to be activated from the injured list to start the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, manager Mike Shildt told reporters tonight (Twitter links via Katie Woo of The Athletic). Flaherty isn’t fully stretched and will be more of an opener than a traditional starter, but his return is a notable development for a Cardinals club that now finds itself with a commanding lead on the second Wild Card spot in the National League.
Flaherty missed more than two months this summer with a severe oblique strain, and his return to the club lasted just three games before he went back on the shelf with a shoulder strain on Aug. 25. He’ll be returning without a minor league rehab assignment, though Flaherty has been throwing bullpen sessions as he works back toward the big league roster. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat tweeted this past weekend that Flaherty had thrown around 30 fastballs in a recent session, and Shildt said just yesterday that Flaherty had warmed up in the ’pen before throwing 15 or so pitches to live hitters on the field (video link via Bally Sports Midwest).
It’d be a surprise to see Flaherty go more than a couple of innings, but Friday’s outing could help to build him up a bit more for a lengthier outing sometime next week. He may not be fully stretched out by the time a theoretical postseason series would start, but Flaherty would presumably be a multi-inning option in some capacity early on — with a chance to build up further should the Cardinals make a deep run on the heels of their recent momentum.
It’s been another strong year for Flaherty when he’s been healthy enough to take the mound. The 25-year-old owns a 3.08 ERA with sharp strikeout and walk rates — 26.1 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively — through 76 innings so far on the season.
In similarly encouraging news for Cards fans, Shildt revealed in tonight’s media session that Dakota Hudson was scratched from a scheduled rehab start in Triple-A Memphis in case the club needs to activate him from the injured list over the next 48 hours (link via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Hudson, who owns a 3.17 ERA in 241 big league innings dating back to his 2018 debut, hasn’t pitched this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery late in the 2020 campaign. He was viewed as a long shot to make it back this year, but he’s now pitched 18 2/3 innings of 0.96 ERA ball across three minor league levels. Hudson pitched five innings in each of his two most recent outings and tossed 68 pitches on Sept. 17 in his lone appearance at the Triple-A level so far. Given that workload, he’d seemingly be an option to make a more conventional spot start and work on a pitch count, if needed, although he could certainly work as a multi-inning relief option as well.

[Otters27]

Umpiring has been putrid for the past five seasons now.

Got to believe. Automated strike zone is a not a matter of if but when

[stevenash]

Got to believe. Automated strike zone is a not a matter of if but when

Minor leagues are already experimenting with it.

[Checkerboard]

Rays' hard slide at home plate causes Jays' catcher's intel card to pop out, Rays keep card, Jays hit batter with pitch, Rays claim retaliation, Jays claim accident. Fuel for their rivalry.

[Stallion]

Kiermaier is a dick, he deserved to get beaned.

[stevenash]

Kiermaier is a dick, he deserved to get beaned.

He's crashed his head one too many times into a CF wall.

[JMobile]

Cardinals are hot. I fear for the Dodgers right now

[stevenash]

Cardinals are hot. I fear for the Dodgers right now

I'd be very afraid.

[EmpireMaker]

Shane Bieber will return to the Indians to start Friday night’s game against the White Sox, interim manager DeMarlo Hale told reporters (including Mandy Bell of MLB.com). It’ll be his first appearance since June 13. He’s on the 60-day injured list, so a corresponding 40-man move will need to be made, although that can be accomplished by simply transferring Wilson Ramos from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL in the wake of his season-ending knee injury.
The 26-year-old Bieber was placed on the 10-day injured list back on June 14 due to a right shoulder subscapularis muscle strain. The reigning American League Cy Young winner hadn’t been quite as dominant as he was during 2020’s 60-game sprint, but he’d still impressed with 90 2/3 frames of 3.28 ERA ball prior to landing on the injured list. Bieber’s 33.9 percent strikeout rate, while still among the best in the league, was down from last year’s remarkable 41.1 percent showing. His 8.6 percent walk rate marked a slight increase over last year’s 7.1 percent clip.
Bieber’s injury was a major factor in Cleveland’s downfall in the American League Central standings this season, although had he been the lone member of the rotation to fall to an injury, perhaps the club could’ve withstood the loss. Instead, he was joined by both Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac for lengthy stays on the injured list, forcing the Indians to lean heavily on a group of rookie starters who spent much of the season looking overmatched.
At this point, any postseason hopes for Cleveland have been dashed, but there’s still some value in getting Bieber a few innings to close out the year on a high note. Pitching in a game setting without experiencing any lingering or recurring symptoms will allow both Bieber and the team to head into the offseason with greater confidence that the right-hander’s injury won’t carry over into the 2022 season. As a first-time arbitration-eligible player, Bieber surely appreciates the opportunity to pick up a few more innings to help offset the missed time.
Looking to 2022, Bieber will return to front a rotation that again looks to be stocked with quality young arms. The aforementioned Civale gives the club a strong No. 2 option behind Bieber, and while young Triston McKenzie was clobbered for seven runs in his most recent appearance, he’s shown some extended flashes of brilliance this year and looks well on his way to settling into the rotation as well. Plesac’s 2020 numbers look increasingly like an outlier, but even if that’s the case, he presents a solid fourth option. Cal Quantrill, meanwhile, has a 3.05 ERA (albeit with a 4.18 FIP) in 115 innings out of the rotation. Right-hander Eli Morgan hasn’t fared particularly well in his debut campaign but does have sound numbers in Triple-A. He’ll be a fine depth option moving forward, and the Indians have also at least gotten some big league exposure for depth options like Sam Hentges, J.C. Mejia and Logan Allen this year as well.

[jrgum3]

Cardinals are hot. I fear for the Dodgers right now

No kidding they're playing like a team that will not lose another game this year. Certainly a team I'd not want to face in a one game scenario where its winner take all. That is why I'm praying my Giants clinch the division but its tough because the Dodgers are right on their tail.

[Cross]

Cardinals are about to sweep the cubs next.

[Otters27]

Phillies come back from down 5-0

[stevenash]

Phillies come back from down 5-0

Another team Thomorino mushed.

[Checkerboard]

Phillies come back from down 5-0

That Torreyes homer was a nice piece of work.

[BarkingToad]

Cardinals are hot. I fear for the Dodgers right now

This run has been done without their best starting pitcher, who comes back today.

[Stallion]

Cardinals are hot!!! Seattle has won 5 in a row. Fade Milwaukee & White Sox. Boston and New York pivotal series for the AL wild card starts tonight. Jays need to pick it up!!

[JMobile]

Are Padres finishing up a game they had suspended with the Braves?

[jrgum3]

Are Padres finishing up a game they had suspended with the Braves?

Yeah they had a game stopped earlier in the season that they finished up tonight. Then they play a regularly scheduled 9 inning game in a couple hours at the normal 7:10 pm PST start time.

[Otters27]

Like the Phillies again.

Cubs can't beat the Cardinals

[jrgum3]

The Giants have got to sweep the Rockies it looks like because I doubt the Dodgers lose to the Diamondbacks. I think its a good thing though because it will force the Giants to stay sharp heading into the playoffs with it starting to look like nothing will be decided for the division until the final weekend of the season.