Welcome to the ultimate month of Main League Baseball’s common season. The following few weeks promise to include a whole lot of thrilling motion as groups jockey for playoff seeding and a lot of the league’s gamers try to finish their years on a excessive observe. For some gamers, although, September is not simply concerning the vibes; it is about gearing up for the postseason and the chance to pursue the sport’s most respected prize.

With that in thoughts, we right here at CBS Sports activities wished to focus on 10 gamers on contending groups who’ve an necessary September forward of them for this or that motive. In some circumstances, it is as a result of the participant must course-correct following a stretch of unhealthy play; in different circumstances, it is due to what they imply to their membership in a better context; and in a couple of circumstances, it is about demonstrating well being. Regardless of the case, we’ll pay particular consideration to those 10 gamers over the following few weeks.

Scroll with us, then, as we contact upon every participant and their state of affairs in a handy-dandy capsule format. (Do observe the gamers are offered in no explicit order.) Onward.

Harper has had a superb season total, however he is not far faraway from a July that doubled because the worst full month of his profession. (He posted a .598 OPS in 17 video games.) Harper’s energy has additionally vanished because the finish of June, with him launching simply two residence runs in his final 32 video games. For comparability’s sake, he hit not less than six residence runs in every of the season’s first three months. Harper admitted over the weekend that he is been coping with wrist and elbow discomfort. If the Phillies are going to win the NL East and make a severe run on the pennant, they will want Harper to regain his energy stroke quickly.

Tucker hasn’t performed since early June on account of a deep bruise in his proper shin. He is nearing a return to the sphere, nonetheless, and it may well’t come quickly sufficient for the Astros. Houston has tried and tried once more to exchange Tucker’s manufacturing, however they discovered few workable options. In our estimation, that claims extra about how good Tucker is than the rest. He’ll have a couple of weeks to shake off the rust and discover ways to handle no matter lingering ache he feels in his shin earlier than October’s vivid lights activate.

From one injured star coming off a chronic absence to a different. Yamamoto is within the means of getting back from the tight triceps that worn out a lot of his summer time. Earlier than heading to the shelf, he had recovered from a tough first begin and had solidified himself as among the finest pitchers within the league. The Dodgers can solely hope that Yamamoto returns sturdy — and that he stays wholesome heading into the playoffs.

We’ll concede that Erceg looks as if an odd alternative for any variety of causes. Bear with us. The Royals’ bullpen hasn’t been notably good this season (they rank twenty fifth in ERA as of this writing), they usually’re chasing down what could possibly be their first division title since 2015. That mixture may persuade supervisor Matt Quatraro to press the button for Erceg extra usually than he may in any other case wish to, in flip placing loads on Erceg’s shoulders — by way of workload and by way of championship chance. We are going to observe that Erceg (who was thought-about day-to-day after selecting up a hand damage final week) has, of this writing, solely labored consecutive video games twice since becoming a member of the Royals on the deadline. If we needed to guess, that will not stay true for lengthy.

Darvish is yet one more veteran who’ll use September to get into postseason form after lacking the previous three months of the season. His absence was brought on by a mixture of damage and an undisclosed private matter. The Padres presumably envision Darvish being a part of their playoff rotation alongside Dylan Stop, Joe Musgrove, and Michael King. First, although, they will have to see that Darvish can carry out as he did earlier than heading to the shelf when he posted a 128 ERA+ over his first 11 outings.

Olson, lower than a 12 months faraway from ending within the high 5 in NL Most Useful Participant Award balloting, has had a down season. He hadn’t posted an OPS above .800 for a month till August, when he began to carry out extra like his regular self. The Braves’ depleted lineup — one with out Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley — may use a powerful end from Olson if they are going to overtake the Phillies within the East, not to mention make good on their preseason World Sequence title aspirations. 

Keep in mind when Kwan was flirting with a .400 common in late June? A lot for that. He is hitting nicely below .250 because the begin of July, which is problematic for a couple of causes, starting with how even with a brand new career-high in residence runs his sport continues to be constructed round churning out singles. Kwan’s stoop has coincided with down stretches from a lot of the Guardians lineup. We will not profess to carry excessive hopes for a lot of of Kwan’s friends righting the ship in main methods, however he is established sufficient that now we have to consider higher days are coming — and coming earlier than the beginning of October.

If you have not been listening to the defending NL champions, you’ve got missed a superb run of pitching from Nelson. He is turned in three consecutive high quality begins, together with a gem in opposition to the Phillies. Nelson has pitched so nicely as of late that the Diamondbacks opted to maintain him within the rotation and jettison Jordan Montgomery to the bullpen. Now, it is as much as Nelson to earn a spot in a playoff rotation that figures to additionally embrace Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez. His high competitors? Brandon Pfaadt, who authored a fantastic stretch of pitching himself final fall.

9. Carlos Rodón, LHP, Yankees

It is honest to jot down that, on the entire, Rodón hasn’t fairly lived as much as the expectations the Yankees had for him once they signed him again in winter 2022-23. Nevertheless, he has had his moments, together with a stretch as of late the place he is fluctuated between good and not-so-good. The Yankees want Rodón — and, actually, not less than one different starter — to step up over the season’s ultimate month if they need to be ok with their possibilities of holding onto the AL East division lead and maybe making a severe run at an even bigger title.

We will all agree that one thing must go terribly improper for the Brewers to lose the NL Central. If they are going to make an actual run on the pennant, they are going to want different issues to go proper. Amongst them: Hoskins to refind his stroke. He began the season nicely, however he is mustered OPS round .600 in two of the final three months. With Christian Yelich sidelined for the 12 months, the Brewers are going to require another hitters to step as much as atone for his absence. Hoskins is a major candidate to do exactly that.