MLB Weekly Digest: Playoff Races Heating Up, Red Sox Star On IL

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This week in MLB featured a star rookie being placed on the IL and the playoff races heating up.

Red Sox rookie placed on IL –

Alex Cora says Roman Anthony is going on the IL with an oblique strain and could miss 4-6 weeks

(via @WEEI) pic.twitter.com/CuvhQ1sJ0K

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) September 3, 2025

The Boston Red Sox will be without star rookie OF Roman Anthony for 4-6 weeks with an oblique strain.

This means Anthony’s rookie regular season will come to an end. His status for the Wild Card series and beyond remains TBD.

Anthony finishes the year slashing .292/.396/.463 with an OPS of .859 and an OPS+ OF 137.

The Red Sox are currently 3.5 games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and currently own a 3.5 game lead on the Seattle Mariners for the second American League Wild Card spot.

Wild Card race heating up –

Just when it looked as if the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets would have the final Wild Card spots locked up, teams behind them have caught fire.

In the American League, the Mariners have won just four of their last ten games, but they have won their first two consecutive road games in over a month. Even with this slide, they remain in a playoff position going into Sep 8.

This Seattle slide has allowed Texas, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay to crawl their way back into contention. Seattle currently holds a 1.5-game lead over Texas, a game lead over Kansas City, 2.5 over Cleveland, and four over Tampa Bay.

The division races aren’t over yet either, as even with the Seattle skid, the Houston Astros were unable to pull away in the AL West, and still only hold a 2.5 game lead.

The Toronto Blue Jays have played .500 ball (5-5) in their last ten games, still clinging to a two-game lead over the Yankees, and a 3.5-game lead over Boston.

This week will feature many big series for these teams, as Cleveland will host Kansas City for four games, Texas will host MLB’s best team, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Mariners will host the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals.

The New York Yankees will host the Detroit Tigers, and the Blue Jays will host the Astros, both series having implications on the AL East race.

The Rangers and Royals will have a make-or-break week, as the Royals will travel to Cleveland and Philadelphia, whereas the Rangers host the Brewers and then travel to Queens to play the Mets.

The biggest headliner for next weekend will come in Boston as the Red Sox will host the Yankees for a three-game series at Fenway with huge playoff implications.

As for the National League, the New York Mets hold a four-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals are now 4.5 games back, both winning seven of their last ten.

The Cardinals will travel to the Bay this week for a huge potential series vs the Giants.

Divisionally, the Dodgers hold a one-game lead over the Padres in the NL West. Both teams have been scuffling as of late, winning three of their last ten.

Potentially one of the most exciting division races we will have down the stretch, the Padres will host the Reds this week and travel to Colorado this weekend.

The Dodgers will host the Rockies for three this week, then travel to San Francisco for three vs the Giants.

About Post Author

Michael Bodzenta

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I fell in love with sports from a young age. Whether I was playing them throughout high school or in the yard with my friends, I knew I had found something I loved. Watching them was also a main part of my childhood, as I could name almost every player on all three Cleveland sports teams. Talking about sports is something I can do for hours, so as I got older, I quickly realized that I knew what I wanted to do. I started writing about sports and talking about sports in high school. It was fun and easy for me. My dream goal would be to become baseball analyst, covering breaking news and other stories in the sport. I've written numerous articles about sports including the Browns and the Guardians. I currently write for Kent Wired, where I expanded my knowledge to cover Health and Fitness. I have experience with Adobe Photoshop, Premier, and Audition. I work as the social media manager/representative for the Kent State Club Baseball team creating graphics mostly on Instagram and some on Twitter (X) . The goal of this is to get more engagement for the team, create awareness, and raise money. I also currently coach for a 17u travel baseball organization (Midwest Stars) out of Hudson, Ohio. Through this I have been able to continue my love for the game, give back to the community, and strengthen my leadership qualities. My passion for sports especially baseball remains unquestioned and I strive to continue to report on something I love.

mbodzent@kent.edu

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