One team had just conquered the AL East, another had reached the 100-win mark, and the Dodgers were preparing for October. Yet Saturday night had a way of reminding everyone that, in baseball, everything can change in a single moment.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The Tampa Bay Rays had every reason to celebrate after clinching the division, but Griffin Jax’s injury suddenly turned the party into a postseason concern. In Milwaukee, history was being made for an entirely different reason, as the Brewers named the first captain in franchise history during a record-setting 100-plus-win season.
And then there was Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers may finally get their superstar back for the regular-season finale, a development that should excite their fans—but could also raise a bigger question heading into October. Dylan Hernandez certainly has his doubts.
From a division celebration taking an unexpected turn to a historic captaincy and a potentially risky Ohtani return, Saturday delivered another dose of MLB drama. Let’s get into another episode of MLB Recap.
The Rays just faced an injury scare
The Rays had a dominating 12-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. But Griffin Jax’s injury in the third inning turned celebration into concern.
“Status alert: Griffin Jax left Saturday’s game after being hit by a comebacker,” Underdog MLB shared via X.
During the final play of the third inning, Jax was struck directly in the lower back by a 104 mph line drive comebacker off the bat of Trea Turner. While the ball ricocheted to shortstop Taylor Walls to successfully secure the final out, Jax walked off the mound gingerly and in visible pain. Manager Kevin Cash later noted that the ball appeared to hit Jax right on the spine.
“It’s going to hurt a little bit,” Cash said.
Fortunately for the AL East champion Rays, the injury is not expected to be serious. He was removed as a precautionary measure. “I’ll be fine,” Jax said afterward. “I have no concerns or issues about how I’m going to feel tomorrow waking up.”
“We weren’t going to let him push through it and get tightened up, but I think he’s going to be fine,” Cash added.
He is projected to be fully ready to serve as a key starter in the rotation when the American League Division Series begins on October 3.
However, even after Jax left in the third inning, the Rays kept the Phillies within one run. Steven Matz, William Hopkins, Cam Booser, and Ty Johnson, all were dominant on Saturday. And Jax (3.52 ERA) getting back by the postseason could offer a sigh of relief for the Rays fans.
The Brewers’ historic decision
The Brewers are the best example of how a small-market team should operate in MLB. Just when the debates are all around teams like the Dodgers and Mets and their financial flexing, the Brewers, with a 2026 payroll of $145 million, secured their playoff berth again in 2026. Since 2018, they have never missed a playoff berth except 2022. And in 2026, they named their first captain in franchise history.
The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez were the only active captains in MLB till Saturday. Yelich now joined the list. Just before their 3-2 win over the Cardinals, the 34-year-old was honored in his ninth season with the club.
However, there was a unique condition set by Yelich before donning the “C” on his sleeve. According to Pat Murphy, Christian Yelich had one request when he learned the Brewers wanted to name him captain. He wanted the blessing of Robin Yount, “because in Yeli’s mind, Robin is the first captain.” “Robin agreed wholeheartedly,” Murphy said.
“I really wanted to run it by Robin first because I felt like with what he means here, what his career was, I see him as the captain of the Brewers, so without his blessing, I wouldn’t have wanted to accept it,” Yelich said.
Yount spent his entire 20-year Hall of Fame career with Milwaukee and was the leader of the 1982 team, the only Brewers squad to reach the World Series. Even though Yount never officially wore the “C” on his jersey, Yelich viewed him as the definitive leader of the franchise.
With Yount’s blessing, the Brewers are starting a new journey. Let’s now see if that makes any changes in their postseason run.
The Dodgers are risking Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is all in for playing Shohei Ohtani. “We need him to be full strength and also do what he does, take good at-bats, take what they give you, if they’re going to pitch around you to pitch to Mookie [Betts], so be it,” Roberts said. “And if they make mistakes, then hit it hard. We need him to be healthy and strong. It certainly helps our offense.”
However, the reality says otherwise. Since returning from his 15-day IL, his 1-for-9 performance with five strikeouts in the last two games raises questions about his readiness. “Shohei Ohtani will play in the Dodgers’ regular-season finale, but why?” Dylan Hernandez questioned.
The Dodgers are already in the postseason, and Hernandez wonders why the team is not keeping Ohtani reserved after they go deep through October. “I think that’ll be great,” said Roberts, noting he is happy with the slugger’s return so far. “He looked the way I would have hoped. I was hoping he would look like this. I said it yesterday; it’s been very encouraging to see his at-bats and the swings.”
Back in 2023, Ohtani began dealing with frequent full-body cramps, finger cramps, blisters, and a cracked fingernail. On August 13, 2023, he officially asked out of a pitching start due to what the team labeled “regular arm fatigue.”
However, he returned to the mound on August 23, 2023, against the Cincinnati Reds. His fastball velocity dropped drastically by nearly 4 mph. He was pulled in the second inning. Imaging later that day revealed a UCL tear in his right elbow, which required his second major elbow surgery and ended his pitching for over a year.
The Dodgers would surely not like to see Ohtani injured deep into the postseason.
The Mets-Cardinals’ game timing moved up
The game was originally scheduled to start at 2:10 PM CT. However, it has been moved up to 1:05 p.m. due to inclement weather in the forecast. National Weather Service forecasts damp, cool, and breezy conditions with a persistent 70% chance of showers and gusty northwest winds reaching up to 32 mph in Washington, D.C.
The inclement weather stems from an offshore nor’easter impacting the region through the weekend. The timing shift won’t alter the Mets’ playoff fate, already sealed by their 74-87 record.
The Mets are currently ranked bottom in the division with a 74-87 record. The Nationals are just above them with a 76-85 record. Hence, if only the Mets sweep the Cardinals, they could finish fourth. Otherwise, the Mets will record their worst finish since 2003.