Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, the top prospect in the Chicago Cubs’ organization, is set to join the team Tuesday for the start of a series with the Colorado Rockies.

While the “plus” defensive centerfielder and top base runner could help the Cubs in the pennant race, he’s eligible for the playoff roster only if the Cubs successfully petition Major League Baseball in the event an injury replacement is needed. Rules state players must be on the roster by Aug. 31 to be eligible for the playoffs.

The left-handed outfielder is ranked No. 22 overall among minor-league prospects by MLB.com.

Crow-Armstrong played 34 games at Triple-A and hit .271 with six home runs and 10 stolen bases.

The Cubs acquired Crow-Armstrong, 21, from the Mets in the trade that sent Javier Baez to New York in 2021.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Dodgers will return home to open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Monday, looking to forge a path forward with a starting rotation that has come into question.

The Dodgers were scheduled to start left-hander Clayton Kershaw on Monday but pushed his start to Friday against the Seattle Mariners. The Athletic reported that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the move had nothing to do with questions about Kershaw’s health but was made to better line up his starts the rest of the season.

Instead, the Dodgers will start right-hander Gavin Stone (1-0, 10.50 ERA) in a pinch. The rookie will be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make his fourth career start. He has never faced the Padres.

Kershaw spent six weeks on the injured list with shoulder discomfort, returned Aug. 10 and continues to deal with diminished velocity.

“He’s going to keep going. He’s going to keep going until he can’t,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Kershaw. “… If he is able to take the baseball, he’s going to take the baseball. This has nothing to do with where the rotation’s at, who’s available, who’s not. It’s about Clayton taking the baseball for us and us managing each game he throws.”

Kershaw declined to talk about the condition of his shoulder, saying after a start last week at Miami, “I feel fine. That’s not the problem.” According to The Orange County Register, Los Angeles pitching coach Mark Prior suspects Kershaw has a timing issue with his delivery.

Kershaw is 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA in five starts since returning from the injured list but his fastball velocity was down to an average of 88.4 mph against the Marlins.

Whatever the issue, it has raised concerns for the Dodgers, who still have a comfortable lead in the National League West but have rotation uncertainty heading toward another playoff appearance. Lance Lynn has given up six home runs over his past two starts. The rest of the rotation is Emmet Sheehan, Bobby Miller and Ryan Pepiot.

The Dodgers earned a 7-3 road victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday but are just 4-5 since a 24-5 August.

The Padres will counter with right-hander Pedro Avila (1-2, 2.19) as they enter off consecutive road defeats against the Houston Astros. Essentially out of playoff contention in a season that started with so much promise, San Diego has lost four of its past six games and gone 6-10 since Aug. 25.

Padres slugger Manny Machado, who has been dealing with an achy forearm muscle, did not play in Sunday’s 12-2 loss to the Astros.

San Diego was derailed by Houston’s eight-run sixth inning. Matt Carpenter and Eguy Rosario hit home runs for the Padres. It was the first career home run for Rosario, who appeared in seven games with the Padres last season but played in his first MLB game of 2023 on Sunday.

Avila enters off his best outing of the season — and first career win — when he held the Philadelphia Phillies to 6 2/3 scoreless innings at home Tuesday and received a standing ovation.

Since 2015, Avila has made 174 minor league appearances (132 starts), but could be in line for a Padres rotation spot in 2024.

“I’m so happy for him,” Padres teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. said. “Being able to see all the work that we put in together in the minor leagues — him for a longer period of time — and now that we’re here, both together in the big leagues, and seeing him having success, it’s a really beautiful history to be a part of.”

–Field Level Media

Having basically played their way out of contention in the American League playoff race, the Cleveland Guardians will try to take on the role of spoiler when they open a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

Cleveland (68-76), which made the postseason last year and four of the six seasons before that, retained a glimmer of hope this year when they won four in a row bridging August and September.

But needing a big final month in an uphill climb, Cleveland has since dropped six of eight to fall 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

The Guardians will face the Giants (73-70) for the first time this season. They will kick off the visit by giving rookie right-hander Gavin Williams (2-5, 3.34 ERA) his first major league start west of Texas.

The organization’s first-round pick out of East Carolina in 2021, Williams bounced back from an abrupt one-inning outing at Minnesota due to a sore right knee with a strong outing on Wednesday. He allowed one run on one hit in five innings of a 2-1 home victory over the Twins.

Williams will take the mound after another of the Guardians’ 24-year-olds, Tanner Bibee, fell victim to two balk calls in an otherwise brilliant seven-inning effort in a 2-1 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona said after the game he’s very impressed with Bibee, Williams and other members of a young Guardians starting staff.

“We’re just trying to keep these guys (reeled in). I want to look up 10-12 years from now and see (Bibee) winning 20,” Francona said of pulling him after seven innings with a two-hitter. “I know that’s frustrating. There will be a time when they don’t have to come out.”

In the Giants, Williams will see a team that found its offensive stroke against the pitching-poor Colorado Rockies over the past three days. San Francisco scored 24 runs during its three-game sweep of Colorado.

By winning three straight games, the Giants propelled themselves upward in the National League wild-card race after six consecutive losses had dimmed their hopes. They enter this series 1 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot, which is held by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

San Francisco managed the sweep against Colorado despite holding back one of its top starters, right-hander Alex Cobb (7-6, 3.74 ERA), who took a cortisone shot in his left hip last week after experiencing pain his last time out. He made it through just three innings in that start, allowing four runs.

The former American Leaguer is familiar with the Guardians, having gone 4-2 with a 3.26 ERA against them in six career starts.

The Giants managed their offensive onslaught vs. the Rockies despite missing star catcher Patrick Bailey, who is eligible to return from the concussion injured list in time for Wednesday’s series finale.

“This is maybe a little bit of a silver lining, in that he could get a little extra rest that his body could probably use,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler noted. “As with all injuries, we have to fight through with the players that we have.”

–Field Level Media

A lot has happened since the Seattle Mariners were last at home.

They went 3-7 on a trip to New York, Cincinnati and Tampa Bay. In that stretch, they went from a tie atop the American League West to 2 1/2 games behind division-leading Houston and also dropped into the AL’s third and final wild-card spot, surpassed by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mariners (79-64) will attempt to regain their mojo when they open a three-game series with the visiting Los Angeles Angels (67-77) on Monday night.

The Mariners have lost three in a row, including a 6-3 decision Sunday at Tampa Bay.

“Tough road trip,” Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford said. “Forget about it. Gotta look at the bigger picture here and focus on the prize.”

Seattle’s pitching staff faltered on the road, as it posted a 5.38 ERA on the trip with just two quality starts.

“We had a couple of short starts, which then eat into your bullpen a little bit,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We had some leads later in games and weren’t able to lock down. I talk all the time about how you’ve got to hit on the road. You also need guys to step up and get the big outs. We weren’t able to do that on this trip.”

The Mariners could get a boost from the return of outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who has been out since July 19 with a fractured foot after kicking a water cooler in frustration after striking out in the ninth inning of a loss to the Minnesota Twins that dropped the Mariners below .500.

The Mariners won 29 of their next 38 games to make up a double-digit deficit in the division.

The fiery Kelenic figures to up the intensity of the playoff race.

“Oh, we’ll be energized (Monday) — us and about 40,000 of our dearest friends will be at the ballpark to get behind us,” Servais said. “We need it. We’re dragging a little bit. But it happens this time of year, at the end of a long, rough road trip. But we’ll be ready to go (against the Angels).”

The Angels have a two-game winning streak after defeating visiting Cleveland on Sunday.

“We are where we are, we’re trying to win ballgames and these guys are out there grinding,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said.

Los Angeles could also get some reinforcements for its injury-riddled lineup.

Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani missed the entire seven-game homestand with right oblique tightness but might play Monday, Nevin said.

Rookie first baseman Nolan Schanuel (shoulder) is expected to return after leaving Friday’s game. Schanuel has reached base in his first 17 games in the majors, setting a franchise record.

On Sunday, the Angels got back rookie shortstop Zach Neto (lower back inflammation) and reliever Ben Joyce (numbness in right hand).

Monday’s pitching matchup is set to feature Angels left-hander Reid Detmers (3-10, 4.82 ERA) against Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (13-5, 3.61).

Detmers didn’t get a decision in a 5-4 loss to visiting Baltimore last Tuesday. He allowed just one earned run in 6 2/3 innings. Detmers is 2-0 with a 5.01 ERA in five career starts against Seattle. He has failed to go five innings in his two starts against the Mariners this season, a pair of no-decisions.

Gilbert has won his past eight decisions, including an 8-4 victory last Wednesday at Cincinnati in which he gave up three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, with nine strikeouts. He’s 4-2 with a 4.71 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels. He lost 9-4 on June 11 in Anaheim, Calif., as he surrendered seven runs (six earned) on eight hits over three innings.

–Field Level Media

The Chicago Cubs were fading for a few years after they broke a 108-yard drought by winning the 2016 World Series.

Cody Bellinger’s downward plane wasn’t as long, but he was far from his National League MVP year of 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cubs and Bellinger have teamed up this season, and the results have been good for both parties. The Cubs (77-67) are second in the National League wild-card race thanks, in part, to Bellinger’s resurgence.

They will continue their postseason push when they open a three-game series at the Colorado Rockies (51-91) on Monday night in Denver.

Chicago will send Jordan Wicks (3-0, 2.16 ERA) to the mound against Kyle Freeland (6-14, 5.09) in a matchup of left-handers on Monday.

The Cubs could be without infielder Jeimer Candelario, who left Sunday’s 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks due to back tightness. Chicago has listed him as day-to-day.

Bellinger’s high-water mark came in 2019 when he hit 47 home runs, drove in 115 runs and batted .305, but he fell off the next few years, including hitting a career-low .165 in 2021. A change of cities has done wonders for him; he is batting .318 this season and on Sunday hit his 25th home run.

Bellinger also had a steal Saturday night to give him at least 20 homers and 20 steals for the first time in his career.

His homer on Sunday helped stop the Cubs’ three-game skid and keep them within reach of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs trail the Brewers by three games.

“You know, for us, try to pick it up a little bit, do our part and as an offense help the team win, we did a good job,” Bellinger said after Sunday’s game.

Another important contributor has been Wicks, who will make his first career appearance against the Rockies. Wicks made his major league debut Aug. 26 and has been a good addition to the rotation.

Colorado had hoped that Kris Bryant would be a consistent part of the lineup when he signed a seven-year deal with the team in March 2022, but his time with the Rockies has been filled with injuries. He appeared in just 42 games in 2022 and has played in only 65 this season.

Bryant has played outfield in his time with Colorado, but when he returns from a finger injury, possibly against his former team, he might see time at first base.

“One of Kris’ advantages as a player — this is well-documented when he was with the Cubs — is he played all over,” Rockies manager Bud Black said recently.

Freeland’s career highlight moment came when he started the 2017 NL wild-card game against Chicago, a game Colorado won in extra innings. He has struggled this season but has won two of his last three decisions, including the Rockies’ only victory on the just-completed six-game road trip that was capped with a 6-3 loss to San Francisco on Sunday night.

Freeland is 1-3 with a 5.01 ERA in four career regular-season starts against the Cubs.

–Field Level Media

Just when it appeared the Houston Astros were set to squander the momentum gained by their three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers last week, they responded in resounding fashion Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres.

Featuring their best offensive lineup for the first time this season — one that included stalwarts Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, plus breakout contributors Chas McCormick and Yainer Diaz — the Astros pounded the Padres 12-2 for their first home-series victory since Aug. 11-13 against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Astros (82-62) opened a 2 1/2-game lead in the American League West over the Seattle Mariners, who fell 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Houston now will play nine of 12 games against the two worst teams in the majors, the Oakland Athletics (44-99) and Kansas City Royals (44-100), starting with a three-game home set against Oakland on Monday night.

“I think we’re about to hit our stride,” McCormick said. “We’re putting some good games together. Obviously, we’ve been a little up-and-down, but I’m starting to see us play really well defensively (and) offensively. We’re as healthy as we can be, and it’s a good time to get going.”

Left-hander Framber Valdez (11-9, 3.30 ERA) will start the series opener for the Astros. Valdez has won back-to-back starts and is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA over his past three starts.

Including his first career no-hitter against the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 1, Valdez has logged at least seven innings in five of his past seven starts and six innings against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 30.

Valdez is 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA over 12 career appearances (10 starts) against Oakland. In his previous start against the Athletics, he allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts over five innings in a 6-4 road victory on July 21.

Rookie right-hander Mason Miller (0-2, 3.09 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Athletics on Monday. It will mark the sixth career appearance and fifth start for Miller, who made his major league debut on April 19 and started four games before winding up on the 60-day injured list with right forearm tightness.

Since being reinstated on Wednesday, he worked in relief against the Toronto Blue Jays and recorded three strikeouts over two perfect innings in the Athletics’ 5-2 home victory.

Miller will make his first career appearance against the Astros.

The Athletics dropped the rubber match of their three-game series against Texas 9-4 on Sunday, recovering from the Rangers’ three-run first inning with four runs in the third before Texas posted a two-spot in the fifth and four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Even with the loss, the Athletics are 10-9 over their last 19 games and have been far more competitive after opening the season with 50 losses across their first 62 games.

“Our goal this month was to be competitive,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “I thought we came in here up until that sixth inning and had a chance to win another game against a contending team. For all three games, I thought we played decent overall.”

–Field Level Media