SI:AM | Latest on Injured MLB Stars as Playoffs Loom

The health of Alex Bregman, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Garrett Crochet will be worth keeping an eye on as the postseason gets underway.

Aaron Judge is hoping to play in the Yankees’ first playoff series, but the health of his injured calf remains a question mark. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I can’t believe the Mariners are clinging to hope in the AL West. 

In today’s SI:AM: 
🏆 USC’s Heisman contender
✅ Week 3 NFL picks
⚾ Vlad Jr.’s controversial comments

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Players who could swing a playoff series

The final weekend of the MLB regular season is shaping up to be pretty anticlimactic. As it stands, the two most compelling races are the pillowfights in the AL Central and AL West, as we wait to see which mediocre team will win those divisions. I’ll break down what’s at stake this weekend tomorrow, but for now, let’s focus on the playoff-bound teams and some key injuries that could impact their chances in October. 

Alex Bregman itching to get back in the lineup

Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman suffered a freak injury on Sunday when he was struck in the face by a foul ball while waiting in the on-deck circle. Well, actually, the problem was that he had strayed from the on-deck circle, which put him in the path of a foul ball off the bat of teammate Michael Busch. 

Bregman was diagnosed with multiple facial fractures but was not placed on the injured list. (He posted a photo on Instagram showing the immediate aftermath of the injury. It was gnarly.) 

Bregman’s absence is a significant loss for the Cubs, who are virtually guaranteed a spot in the postseason but are still fighting for the top wild-card spot in the NL. He’s been one of the best hitters in the majors over the past two months, one of only five players with at least 15 homers since the start of August. 

But Bregman is nearing a return as the Cubs prepare for a critical season-ending series against the Red Sox in Boston. He spoke with reporters yesterday for the first time since the injury and said he planned on taking the field this weekend. In fact, he said he hoped to get a pinch-hitting appearance in last night’s game, although he didn’t end up playing. 

Between Bregman’s injury and the nor’easter bearing down on Boston this weekend, the Cubs are set for a dramatic end to the season. 

Shohei Ohtani is back

The Dodgers just got a big boost in their quest to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

Shohei Ohtani, who missed the past two weeks with right biceps inflammation, was activated off the injured list yesterday and slotted into his usual spot at DH. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts in a 5–1 loss to the Padres. 

Ohtani is back in the lineup, but can he get back to playing like his usual self? He’s been slumping for the past several months—at least relative to expectations. He has an .821 OPS since the beginning of July, compared to .954 through the end of June and 1.025 in his first two seasons with the Dodgers. It probably isn’t a coincidence that his dropoff at the plate began when he was shut down from pitching due to that right biceps injury and a left knee issue. 

It’s great to see Ohtani back on the field, but don’t expect a repeat of last year’s postseason dominance. 

Aaron Judge wants to play

The Yankees have already clinched the top wild-card spot in the AL, so all that’s left to do over the final few days of the season is wonder when Aaron Judge will come back. 

Judge missed more than three months earlier this season with a stress fracture in one of his ribs, and his return was short-lived. He strained a muscle in his calf on Sept. 16 and went back on the IL. 

The Yankees have been somewhat cagey about Judge’s latest injury. Manager Aaron Boone wouldn’t tell reporters what grade of strain the slugger had been diagnosed with, but he did say on Monday that the team wasn’t expecting him to play in the wild-card round. 

But not so fast! Judge said yesterday that he plans on playing in the opening series, which begins Tuesday in the Bronx. Boone did not rule out the possibility that Judge might be cleared to play. We’ll see what happens when the roster is released next week. 

Garrett Crochet nears dramatic return

The Red Sox have been without 2025 Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet since late April, but he could be on the mound in the postseason. 

Crochet has been slowly working his way back from a shoulder injury and threw live batting practice for the first time on Tuesday. He’s expected to do so again this weekend. 

If he’s able to return, Crochet won’t be part of the starting rotation, but the Red Sox hope he can at least function as an extra bullpen weapon.

The Red Sox are almost certainly going to face the Yankees in the opening round, so having the lefty Crochet available in the bullpen to neutralize the Yankees’ many left-handed bats would be huge. 

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The top five…

Josh Naylor’s walk-off hit kept the Mariners’ slim playoff hopes alive. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

… things I saw last night:
5. The young Orioles fan who made an impressive catch on a home run. 
4. Brett Baty’s pinch-hit grand slam for the Mets to put the game out of reach against the Rangers.
3. Josh Naylor’s walk-off single for the Mariners against the Astros. Seattle is still barely alive in the AL West, four games behind Houston and Texas. 
2. Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana’s diving hustle play to get the out at first. 
1. Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman’s diving effort to tag out a runner on his way to third. (Gausman had to leave the game with a shoulder injury.)

📺 What we’re watching today …

NFL

Falcons at Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video  

Michael Penix Jr. is set to make his season debut for a Falcons team that averaged eight points in the first two games of the season with Cooper Rush as the starting quarterback. The Packers, meanwhile, will look to get on the right track after a sloppy start and win their home opener.

NCAA

Liberty at Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell, who spent six seasons on Coastal Carolina’s staff, will return to Brooks Stadium in the first matchup between these two teams since 2020.

WNBA

Fever at Lynx, 8 p.m. ET,  USA Network

While Minnesota has already clinched the No. 1 seed, Indiana can lock up a first-round battle against Atlanta with a win. With a loss, the Fever could face defending champion Las Vegas to open the postseason.