MLB Weekly Digest: Former Cy-Young Winner Retiring, Guardians Pushing For AL Central

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This week in MLB featured a Cy-Young winner announcing his retirement, multiple injury updates, and the playoff races coming to a boil.

Clayton Kershaw announces his retirement –

A message to the fans from Clayton. ???? pic.twitter.com/x17lKZi9sD

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 21, 2025

The long and accomplished career of Clayton Kershaw is coming to an end after the 2025 season.

Kershaw, 37, is a 3-time Cy-Young award winner, 11-time All-Star, 2014 NL MVP, and 2-time World Champion.

This season, Kershaw became the 20th overall and 4th left-handed pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts. He has a career 2.54 ERA across 2849.0 innings to go with 3045 K and 222 wins.

This season, Kershaw has still been highly effective, posting a 3.55 ERA with 77 K in 106.1 IP.

In what will be his final MLB appearances this October, Kershaw will surely find his way to Cooperstown in 2030.

Brewers lose key arm –

Milwaukee Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff was placed on the IL retroactive to Sep. 18 with a right lat strain.

The righthander has been a huge part of the Brewers’ success this season, pitching to a 3.20 ERA in 12 starts and 64.2 IP.

Woodruff will be eligible to be activated before the start of the NLDS, but his availability remains a question mark, in what would be a huge loss for Milwaukee.

Multiple Cardinals players undergo surgery –

Both SS Masyn Winn and C Ivan Herrera‘s seasons will conclude early, as each will undergo surgery to repair injuries.

Herrera will undergo a procedure in his elbow that will help to fix his throwing issues behind the plate. These issues are what caused St. Louis to move him into a DH-only role in July.

The backstop is expected to be a full go come spring training in February.

Winn is expected to undergo an arthroscopic knee surgery this week after playing through a meniscus tear in the second half of the season.

Winn was shut down a couple of weeks ago and is expected to be ready for spring training.

Charlie Morton dfa’d, claimed by the Braves –

The Detroit Tigers waived the white flag on their deadline acquisition of RHP Charlie Morton, as they designated him for assignment.

Morton ended up clearing waivers and became a free agent, but according to Braves manager Brian Snitker, they will be signing him to a major league deal.

Morton, 41, has struggled tremendously to a 5.89 ERA in 140.2 IP this season, and looks to fill out a decimated Atlanta rotation to finish the season.

Boston activates outfielder –

The Boston Red Sox activated OF Wilyer Abreu from the IL on Sunday.

This comes at a huge time for the Red Sox, as they are fighting for a Wild Card spot, and are 4-6 over their last ten.

Abreu has missed about a month with a calf strain, and without star OF Roman Anthony, Abreu’s return to the lineup will be huge for Boston.

The young outfielder has slashed .253/.325/.486 with 22 homers to go along with good defense, a big-time addition as the Sox continue their push to October.

Dodgers catcher availability in jeopardy –

The Dodgers are fearing the worst as All-Star catcher Will Smith was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his injured hand.

Smith was placed on the injured list last week, and his availability for the playoffs is now in question.

Smith, 30, is slashing .296/.404/.497 with an OPS of .901 with 17 homers in 110 games, as losing him would be a huge loss for the pitching staff and for the Dodgers’ offense.

Chris Bassitt and Yordan Alvarez were placed on IL –

The Blue Jays will be without RHP Chris Bassitt for the remainder of the regular season as he was placed on the IL with low back inflammation. He will be eligible to be activated before the ALDS, but his availability remains in question.

Bassitt has given the Jays another solid season, posting a 3.96 ERA with 166 K in 31 starts and 170.1 IP.

The Jays will likely give RHP Kevin Gausman and RHP Shane Bieber the ball in the first two playoff games. Bassitt would likely slide in for game 3, but can turn to RHP Jose Berrios or LHP Eric Lauer if needed.

Astros DH Yordan Alvarez suffered a sprained left ankle and will be out for “a while,” according to Astros manager Joe Espada. Alvarez has just recently been activated from the IL, slashing .369/.462/.569 in 78 plate appearances.

With a big injury to Alvarez right before October, his status for the Astros’ potential playoff run is in doubt.

Brayan Woo/Bo Bichette updates –

Mariners RHP Bryan Woo left his start early Friday with what is now deemed to be minor inflammation in his pectoral.

Woo, 25, has broken out this season, pitching to a 2.94 ERA in 186.2 IP with 198 K.

The Mariners will be extra careful with their young right-hander as they enter the postseason, but it is yet to be determined whether or not this will require an IL stint. Woo is day-to-day.

As for SS Bo Bichette, his regular season is over. He has started light hitting and will hopefully begin to run the bases and resume fielding sometime this week. The way his knee responds to this will be an indicator of his availability for next week in the postseason.

Playoff teams to keep an eye on –

Toronto Blue Jays –

The Blue Jays have already clinched a playoff spot and are aiming to secure the American League East this week.

They currently hold a two-game lead over the New York Yankees and will host the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series.

This weekend, they’ll face the Tampa Bay Rays as they look to lock up the division title.

New York Yankees –

The Yankees are two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East and hold a three-game lead over the Boston Red Sox.

This week, they’ll look to solidify the top AL wild-card spot or potentially overtake Toronto in the division race as they face the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles.

Boston Red Sox –

The Red Sox are battling for a wild-card spot and currently hold the second spot in the American League, with a one-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros.

They also own the tiebreaker over the Guardians.

This week, Boston will travel to Toronto to face the Blue Jays before returning home this weekend to host the Detroit Tigers, who have dropped six straight games.

Detroit Tigers –

The Tigers are on the verge of blowing a 15.5-game division lead, which has shrunk to just one game since July.

This week, they’ll travel to Cleveland for a pivotal three-game series that could determine the fate of the American League Central.

What once looked like a runaway division title for Detroit now comes with the risk of missing the playoffs altogether.

After facing the Guardians, the Tigers will take on the Boston Red Sox as they continue fighting for their postseason lives.

Cleveland Guardians –

The Guardians have won nine of their last 10 games, backed by dominant starting pitching over the past month. They sit one game behind the Tigers in the American League Central and are tied with the Houston Astros for the third wild-card spot.

Cleveland will host Detroit in a crucial battle for the division, followed by a weekend series against the struggling Texas Rangers.

With the tiebreaker over Houston, the Guardians have multiple paths to securing a spot in October.

Seattle Mariners –

The Seattle Mariners, powered by their dominant starting pitching and American League MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, have been on a tear, winning four straight and nine of their last 10 games.

In that stretch, they’ve gained ground on the Houston Astros and now hold a three-game lead in the American League West.

This week, the Mariners will face the Colorado Rockies before hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend as they push toward a division title.

Houston Astros –

The Astros have struggled recently, going 5-5 over their last 10 games and dropping three straight. They now sit three games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West and have been trying to stay afloat following the loss of Yordan Alvarez.

This week brings a favorable schedule, with matchups against the Athletics and the Angels.

Houston is currently tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the third wild-card spot, though Cleveland holds the tiebreaker.

New York Mets –

The New York Mets have been free-falling in the National League, going 4-6 in their last 10 games and dropping two straight.

They’re currently tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final wild-card spot.

With the Phillies running away with the division, the Mets need to take care of business this week as they visit the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field before facing the pesky Marlins in Miami this weekend.

Cincinnati Reds –

The Cincinnati Reds have won five straight and six of their last 10, pulling into a tie with the New York Mets for the third wild-card spot in the National League.

This week, they’ll host the NL Central bottom-feeding Pittsburgh Pirates before traveling to Milwaukee this weekend to face a Brewers team that may have little left to play for.

Arizona Diamondbacks –

The Arizona Diamondbacks have enjoyed a magical second half and are 7-3 in their last 10 games, riding a two-game win streak.

They sit just one game behind the Reds and Mets for the third wild-card spot in the National League.

This week, they’ll host the Los Angeles Dodgers before traveling to San Diego this weekend to face the Padres, who are battling for the NL West title.

Los Angeles Dodgers –

The Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched a playoff spot and hold a three-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

They’re 6-4 in their last 10 games and will visit the Arizona Diamondbacks this week before returning home to host the red-hot Seattle Mariners as they look to secure the division title and hold off the Padres.

At 77-79, they sit two games under .500 and have gone 3-7 in their last 10, yet remain just three games out of a wild-card berth, trailing the Reds and Mets. To stay alive, the Giants will need a near-perfect week and plenty of help.

They’ll host the St. Louis Cardinals before welcoming the league-worst Colorado Rockies this weekend. It’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened.

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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