The 2026 MLB postseason is almost here, but before October baseball takes over, there’s still plenty happening around the league. From names like Dodgers’ Edwin Diaz making a starry return from the IL to teams fighting tooth and nail for their postseason lives, this week had no shortage of action.

Teams like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have already secured their playoff berth, while the Pirates and Marlins have seen their October dreams officially come to an end. And with the clock ticking, every injury update suddenly feels bigger, especially with stars like Aaron Judge still making fans hold their breath. So, before the regular season gives way to October madness, let’s take a look at the biggest MLB updates from a week packed with twists, returns, and postseason stakes.

Aaron Boone shared heartbreaking news for the fans

2026 went low-key for Judge, he has played only 66 games so far. In late April, he sustained a right rib stress fracture while diving for a ball. He was sidelined on June 5 and missed around three months (84 games) before returning on September 8. The Yankees’ fans just hoped to get their veteran in his prime in the postseason, but their hope was short-lived.

“Aaron Boone, when asked if the Yankees expect Aaron Judge back for the postseason: ‘I don’t know,'” Just Baseball shared via X.

Those three words from Boone are enough to break the hearts of the Yankees’ fans.

Last week, he exited a game against the Minnesota Twins in the 6th inning due to tightness that first developed in the 1st inning. While the team initially labeled it as right leg soreness, it took just two more days to place Aaron Judge on a 10-day IL.

The 10-day IL means Judge should be back before the postseason kicks off. However, Boone is not certain.

“I don’t have a timeline on it; I can’t predict anything. … I mean, we have no idea; we’re in the early stages. We’ll just obviously treat it and see what transpires,” he added. “The reality is that we’ve had to play a lot of the season this year without him.”

Although the Yankees had a winning stretch during their captain’s absence, recording 45-39 during the 84-game stretch missed by Judge, missing him when the lights get brighter in October means a lot. For reference, Aaron Judge batted .500 with 13 hits, 1 homer, and 7 RBIs in 7 games last postseason. The worst part was that Aaron Judge was suffering from a calf strain.

Giancarlo Stanton has not returned to the team since April 24 after suffering multiple calf strains. Francisco Lindor has also missed games with a left calf strain this season, while Juan Soto also missed games. So, Boone would be the best person here to forecast Aaron Judge’s return. His response just made things worse.

The Pirates failed to secure a postseason berth for the 11th straight year

The Pirates may have improved a few areas this season, but they are ending the year in a familiar spot. With the Padres beating the Marlins 8-2 on Friday, the Pirates (77-77) could no longer catch San Diego (85-69). That suggests that the Pirates are not entering the October action for the 11th straight year despite their team president Travis Williams’ promise.

“Pushing it all in to make sure we’re able to make the playoffs in 2026,” Williams said earlier.

The Los Angeles Angels have missed a playoff berth for the 12th straight season, the longest in MLB. The Pirates are now second to them. Still, the Pirates could keep their heads high considering how they are ending their 2026 campaign. They last had a .500+ winning season back in 2018. After finishing the last few seasons around .450, they are back to .500 in 2026.

“This is the best record this team’s had in a long time, and I think that shows growth in not just the team but the organization,” Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz said. 

Surprisingly, Paul Skenes, who was expected to be their standout playeronce again, had a disastrous campaign. With a 3.91 ERA so far this year, he is far from his sub-2.00 ERA seasons in 2024 and 2025. Furthermore, his average four-seam fastball velocity dropped from 98.2 mph in 2025 to approximately 96.8–96.9 mph in 2026.

Skenes may not contend for the Cy Young every year, but he is adding another losing season to his record.

Edwin Diaz with a dominant return

Edwin Diaz’s 1.63 ERA with 28 saves and 98 strikeouts with the Mets made the Dodgers believe in him as their closer. They splashed $69 million for 3 years, but reality was different.

While he started the season with four save opportunities, he was blown upin April, allowing six runs in back-to-back outings. He was diagnosed with loose bodies in his right elbow, causing him to miss around 100 days to undergo arthroscopic surgery. He returned in late July, but nothing improved. Over a nine-game stretch, he posted a 12.91 ERA and blew three out of six save opportunities.

On August 18, he was sent back to the IL with neck inflammation. As a result, he fell to the lowest arm slot of his career (14.9 degrees), which completely sapped his command and velocity. Finally, he was back again on Friday against the Giants, and what he showcased was what the Dodgers expected from the start.

Diaz entered the game in the ninth and recorded two strikeouts without any runs. The best part was when he ended the game by getting Brett Harris with a nasty slider. The game ended with the Dodgers winning 8-2 over the Giants. His four-seamer averaged 97.6 mph (up 1.3 mph from his season average), maxing out at 98.7 mph.

“The fastball had that life,” Dave Roberts said. “Ninety-six [mph] is a lot different than 99. And it just seemed like his delivery was through the catcher, and it had that life to the fastball. And then the slider — once you have that fastball, the slider is pretty lethal.”

Even though Diaz is currently standing at a 11.05 ERA, returning with such dominance just when the Dodgers are ready for the playoffs should offer enough of a smile to the fans.

The Dodgers’ bullpen ERA currently stands around ERA 3.60 and Roki Sasaki’s return from his blister injury is still unknown. Hence, Diaz’s availability and return to prime form should offer enough optimism for the Dodgers.

The Marlins faced the same fate as the Pirates

The Padres’ win over the Marlins on Friday eliminated both the Pirates and Marlins from the postseason race. After reaching the wild card series in 2023, the Marlins have now failed to secure a playoff berth for the third straight year.

While the Pirates improved a lot despite their elimination, nothing similar happened with the Marlins. They finished last season with a .488 winning percentage. This year, they are currently standing at .494.

“That’s a lot to process here right now,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Certainly, hearing that, knowing what we were up against here these last 10 days or so, we’re disappointed. We came into this season wanting to, expecting to be one of the six National League teams that would play beyond the regular season, and we’re not going to be able to do that.”

Entering Friday against the Padres, they faced an elimination number of 2 to remain mathematically alive in the playoff race. However, the 8-2 loss ended any chance for the Marlins.

Starter Tyler Phillips started the game on a positive note, pitching 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Marlins led the game 1-0 until the fifth when the Padres’ 6-run rally altered the momentum. Lefty Cade Gibson and righty Tyler Zuber gave up 2 ERs and 4 ERs, respectively. The injuries to Pete Fairbanks and Anthony Bender forced the Marlins into the same situation

“Overall, it’s just some tough luck. I think it’s some experience. I think it’s some injury,” Phillips said after the game.

However, more than their pitching deficiencies, it’s their offense that went downhill after the All-Star break. For reference, the Marlins have scored three or fewer runs in 27 games (47%) following the All-Star break. They averaged 4.53 runs per game before the break, which came down to 4.28 in the second half.

Hence, this week has determined the fate of a few teams. The rest will be determined in the next few days.