MLB

Jace Jung pinch hit for Carpenter in the seventh inning. It’s unclear how severe the injury might be, but Detroit’s offense can’t afford to lose Carpenter for any amount of time at this point in the playoffs.

Rojas left Game 3 of the series after aggravating his groin injury. He sat out Game 4 and at best he’ll be available for a pinch hit at-bat in Game 5. Tommy Edman will play shortstop for Los Angeles in Game 5.

Freeman was scratched from the lineup before Game 4. He’s been dealing with an ankle injury he originally suffered in the last week of the regular season. Freeman seemed to aggravate the ankle injury during Game 3 of the series and appeared hobbled despite finishing the game. With the Dodgers season on the line again in Game 5, Freeman appears set to give it a go.

While a pitching plan hasn’t been finalized yet, Roberts said Yamamoto will be a part of it. Yamamoto allowed five runs in three innings and took the loss in Game 1 of the series. It remains unclear if Yamamoto will start the game or if Los Angeles will use an opener.

The Mariners still have a decision to make on Polanco for next year. The club can keep him on a $12 million option or buy him out for $750,000. Seattle has until five days after the World Series to make the call. Polanco hit .213/.296/.355 in 469 plate appearances this year.

Gelb points out that Soto “has maintained a close relationship with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long” and that the Phillies will certainly not let payroll get in the way of any improvements that could be made to the team this offseason. While Nick Castellanos is likely returning with two years left on his contract, Gelb suggests the team could move on from one or both of Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas in order to free up space for Soto. “The Phillies, at least, could raise the price for a rival to sign Soto” which means we should see the Phillies involved in the Soto sweepstakes for a while this offseason. If his primary objective is to win a World Series, he won’t find many teams with a better chance in 2025.

Berti didn’t start Game 1 against Michael Wacha, but he’ll be in there on Thursday against Wacha in Game 4. Berti went 1-for-4 in Game 2 when the Royals started Cole Ragans and hasn’t appeared in the other two games in the series. Oswaldo Cabrera started at first base in Game 3 and went 0-for-1 with three walks. The rest of the Yankees lineup is unchanged: 2B Gleyber Torres, RF Juan Soto, CF Aaron Judge, C Austin Wells, DH Giancarlo Stanton, 3B Jazz Chisholm, SS Anthony Volpe, LF Alex Verdugo, and 1B Jon Berti.

Emerson also had five hits on Tuesday, so he’s off to a scorching hot start in the Arizona Fall League. He has ten batted balls in the AFL with an average exit velocity of 97 mph, topping out at 110.4 mph on Wednesday. He hits the ball on the ground or on a line often, which will cap his power upside, but the batted ball quality is elite.

Olson operated as a bulk reliever in Game 1, allowing one run over five innings. He will now serve as a traditional starter, and the Tigers will hope that Olson can give them length a day after throwing a bullpen game to earn a victory in Game 3.

Robinson was once a top prospect in Arizona’s farm system but missed the first three seasons of his career due to legal issues. He returned to Double-A this year and slashed just .214/.337/.350 with 11 home runs and 10 RBI in 110 games. On Wednesday, he showed off his plus exit velocities, hitting the ball 103.3, 95.9, and 95.3 mph. He doesn’t yet make enough contact to make good on these exit velocities, but he’s just 23 years old, so there’s still time for him to put it together.