MacKenzie Gore struggles early in Cleveland

The Yankees will take a cautious approach with the return of their slugger, as he grabs a seat after playing two games against the Rockies on Tuesday and Wednesday. There’s no cause for concern here as the Yankees were always expected to take it easy with Judge’s return.

He could miss the remainder of the season. The Braves will turn to Brewer Hicklen as their lead fourth outfielder for the time being.

The Braves managed five straight hits against the Rays bullpen in a 0-0 game in the eighth to take a 3-0 lead. Riley’s single scored the first run, and he himself scored on a single by Ha-Seong Kim after Mike Yastrzemski got him to third base on a ground-rule double. It was Riley’s only hit of the game, and he remains mired in a deep slump, hitting .228/.275/.347 over his last 30 games with two homers and two stolen bases.

He golfed a Raisel Iglesias change up just over the right field wall in Truist Park. Mesa didn’t start against lefty Martín Pérez but has been something of a revelation for the Rays against right-handers this year, as he’s hitting .238/.303/.455 with 11 homers and eight stolen bases.

He walked Chandler Simpson after letting Victor Mesa Jr. take him deep, but was able to strike out Liam Hicks and get Jonathan Aranda to ground out (both as pinch-hitters) to hold on for the save. It was the first run Iglesias has allowed since August 16.

Unfortunately for those streaming him, Nick Martinez matched Pérez scoreless inning for scoreless inning, leaving him with a no-decision. The Braves eventually scored in the eighth after the left-hander left. Pérez has a 2.62 ERA despite a 1.46 WHIP over his last seven starts spanning 34 1/3 innings. He’ll likely pitch in Wrigley next week in what looks to be a reasonable stream despite a good offense on the other side.

He allowed just two hits and walked none while striking out three. Martinez was chased in the top of the seventh, with Cam Booser coming on to keep one of Martinez’s two base runners allowed all game off the board against Matt Olsen. Martinez will likely continue to be managed a bit (he threw just 68 pitches) down the stretch and the Rays are using a six-man rotation. Still, the chance to take on the A’s next week at home looks to be a golden matchup on paper.

It’s possible the 25-year-old is able to return for the end of the 2027 season, but the 2028 season seems like a more likely target for his return.

There are plenty of ifs here, especially given that there still appears to be a real chance there will be a salary cap. Passan also mentions that last time the MLB went into a lockout, there was a flurry of activity before the CBA expired. “A deal of that magnitude would presumably be for at least a decade -- the sort of commitment teams might balk at because of his age. But someone is going to pay an exorbitant amount for his services,” Passan writes.

He calls it the “trickiest decision in the free agent class.” Bichette has hit .298/.346/.464 with 11 homers in 85 games since June even if his seasonal stats look a little rough. Passan ultimately guesses he will opt out, but it sounds like staying is still on the table for Bichette.