MLB Baseball 24 Hours

Last updated: August 29, 2026, 2:58 PM ET

Injury Returns & Roster Moves

The Mets activated Juan Soto from the injured list after the slugger spent more than a month sidelined with a left calf strain. Boston welcomed back Garrett Whitlock from the 10-day IL, giving the bullpen a key reinforcement. Max Fried is set to rejoin the Yankees rotation for Saturday's day-night doubleheader against the Red Sox, while New York continues to assess its walking wounded with October approaching. The Cubs reinstated utilityman Matt Shaw from the IL after two months on the shelf with a sprained left hand.

Game Highlights & Performances

Ronald Acuna Jr., batting cleanup for the first time since 2022, broke out with three hits to spark the Braves in a 6-4 win over the Rockies. In an emotional return to Comerica Park, Dodgers lefty Tarik Skubal threw six strong innings and was brought to tears, acknowledging it was difficult to treat it as just another start. Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins, freshly called up from Triple-A St. Paul, singled in his MLB debut against the White Sox.

Around the League

Major League Baseball has suspended a once-prized Dominican prospect after uncovering an elaborate age-fraud scheme that included a fictitious death, sources told ESPN. The only retired jersey in Williamsport belongs to No. 11 Michael Cammarata, whose 9/11 hero legacy lives on at the Little League World Series. Larry Christenson, a pitcher on the Phillies' 1980 World Series-winning team who spent his entire career with the franchise, died at age 72 while on a fishing trip with family and friends.

Injury Updates & Roster News

Shohei Ohtani threw a short bullpen session Friday as the Dodgers' two-way star moves closer to a mound return, though a timetable remains TBD. The Braves will be without right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep for the rest of the season, as both will undergo season-ending surgeries following setbacks in their rehabs from elbow procedures.

Stadium & System News

The Tampa Bay Rays got county approval Friday on a financing plan that will allow them to build a new stadium, joining the city in OKing the $2.3B project. Meanwhile, ESPN's updated rankings of all 30 MLB farm systems show the Brewers leading the pack after the busiest stretch of the year for adding prospects has passed.

Power Rankings & Features

As the final month approaches, one NL team makes its top-3 debut while a number of AL wild-card contenders shift in the latest MLB Power Rankings. In an era of big-money youth baseball, Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner took an unusual route to stardom, growing up on all-dirt fields and even swinging with one hand during his development.