A Quick Monday Check-In

Today is Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish Year. Actually, Yom Kippur started last night at sundown on Kol Nidre. It’s a 25-hour Day of Atonement. We fast. We ask for forgiveness for our sins—we ask of ourselves, we ask of our loved ones, we asked of our friends. We beseech the higher spirit to seal us in the “Book of Life.” I don’t believe in that last part. Well, I kind of, maybe, believe in some kind of higher spirit, but not that it can decide whether I live or die in the coming year.

Anyway, I digress.

That’s all to say there won’t be a regular Monday newsletter chock full of tidbits and analysis from the weekend’s games. Think of it as my homage to Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg—two Jewish players who famously sat out of critical games on Yom Kippur.

I’m writing this Sunday morning, with the early games still on-going and the later games yet to begin. The baseball world may look different by the time you read this, particularly in the AL East, AL West, AL Wild Card, and NL Wild Card. I suspect these races will be nail-biters to the end and several teams—and their fans—will end the season in bitter disappointment for what could have been.

That process has already started for the Giants and Giants fans. I will have much more on that in the coming days and weeks.

Here’s what I can tell you.

Rays dealing with injuries to key players

These injuries—obviously—couldn’t have come at a worse time. Second baseman Brandon Lowe fractured his right knee cap when he fouled a ball off his knee in Thursday’s game. He’s out 4-6 weeks. That’s a big blow for the Rays, as Lowe had come on strong in the second half after dealing with a back injury earlier in the season. Now we know why the Rays called up Junior Caminero. They also called up journeyman Raimel Tapia.

Utility guy/power hitter Luke Raley also went on the injured list with a neck strain. Reliever Jason Adam, too, is out for at least 15 days, with an oblique strain. Randy Arozarena is day-to-day with quad tightness. And Yandy Diaz left Sunday’s game with right hamstring tightness.

Phew.

The Rays do have two off days this week—Monday and Thursday—which will give the not-too-injured guys extra time to heal. And that’s fortunate for the Rays because my best guess is that Tampa Bay won’t catch the Orioles for the AL West crown and will be play in a Wild Card series starting on Tuesday, October 3.

Mookie Betts keeps doing Mookie Betts things

Runs batted in became an official stat in 1920. Last night, Mookie Betts recorded his 104th and 105th RBI of the season. Number 105 gave Mookie the MLB record for most RBI out of the leadoff spot since it became an official stat.

The Astros are in a swoon at the worst possible time

Houston emphatically swept the Texas Rangers in three games on September 4, 5, and 6. As a keen baseball analyst, I declared the Rangers in grave danger of falling entirely out of the postseason race.

Predictions are stupid, people.

As of this writing, the Rangers are in first place in the AL West. The Astros are in second place, 1 1/2 games back, and 1/2 game up on the Mariners for the third Wild Card spot. But the Mariners and Rangers are playing, so that will change.

Since they swept the Rangers, the Astros have lost 2 out of 3 to the A’s, 2 out of 3 to the Royals, 2 out of 3 to Orioles (well, that’s understandable), and have lost the first 2 games of this weekend’s series against the Royals.

May I remind you that the Royals are 53-102 and the A’s are 48-107?

Houston isn’t dealing with any big injuries. The team just isn’t playing well when they have little margin for error.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back with newsletters for paid subscribers Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and then Free For All Friday on, well, Friday.

Thank you for reading hanging sliders. This post is public so feel free to share it.