Manchester City have completed the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for a joint-British transfer record £125m.

The Fernandez deal takes City’s spending to a Premier League record £458m for a single transfer window, surpassing Liverpool’s £415m from last summer.

However, City have also achieved around £300m from player sales this summer.

Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for a then-British record fee of £107m, with his latest switch matching the £125m that Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak also on transfer deadline day last summer.

The clubs negotiated over the past 24 hours and reached an agreement earlier on Tuesday.

Fernandez, who had been keen to join Real Madrid earlier this summer, was booed by Chelsea fans during their friendly against Real Sociedad and again when he came on as a substitute in their Premier League opener at Fulham.

The 25-year-old was not involved in Chelsea’s 4-3 Premier League win over Brighton on Sunday or their 2-0 Carabao Cup victory against Luton three days earlier, as reports in Argentina suggested he asked to be left out of the squad.

“I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me,” Fernandez wrote in an open letter on Instagram addressed to Chelsea.

“Writing this is not easy either. The truth is, I haven’t been in a good place.

“From the moment I arrived [at Chelsea], I became obsessed with winning and with bringing this club every trophy that its history deserves.

“We suffered, we cried, I got angry many times, but we also celebrated titles and unforgettable victories. Together, through the good times and the difficult ones.”

Fernandez added Chelsea would “always be in my heart” and while the decision to leave had been “difficult”, he would “probably be thinking the same way” as the fans if he were in their position.

Chelsea set a deadline of 17:00 BST on 14 August for clubs to make offers of £120m or more for Fernandez, in an attempt to end uncertainty before the start of the 2026-27 season.

The Argentina international worked with City manager Enzo Maresca during the Italian’s reign at Chelsea.

Maresca is keen to work with him again after losing a host of midfielders this summer.

“I could not be happier to be here, and I am ready for the challenge of helping City continue winning trophies. This is a club built for success,” Fernandez told the club’s website.

“If you look across the squad, City have quality in every area. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player.

“I give absolutely everything and I can promise Manchester City that will continue now I’m here.”

It is the second time in two months that City have broken their own transfer record, following the £116m arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in July.

Fernandez becomes the fourth player to move to a Premier League club for a fee of at least £100m this summer – following Morgan Rogers (£117m) to Chelsea, Bradley Barcola to Liverpool (£123m) and City’s signing of Anderson.

Gervonta Davis has fought just once since June 2024, but it seems as though the inactivity of ‘Tank’ could soon come to an end, as a timescale for his return has finally been unveiled.

Davis’ last win came against Frank Martin over 26 months ago, with the Baltimore knockout artist drawing to Lamont Roach Jr in his solitary outing since, retaining his WBA lightweight world title and undefeated record by the skin of his teeth. 

Since then, legal issues have kept Davis away from the ring and have seen him demoted from WBA lightweight world champion to champion-in-recess, with Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi now scheduled to compete for his old belt next month.

It remains to be seen whether Davis will utilise has position as champion-in-recess and return to the lightweight division against the victor of that vacant title bout in a bid to regain the 135lb throne, or if he will move up to the super-lightweight division in pursuit of a rematch with Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.

However, Davis’ coach, Kenny Ellis, told FightHype of his expectations to see Davis remain at lightweight.

“If you go back and look at the fight where Tank went up to fight [Mario] Barrios at 140lbs, in the post-fight interview Tank said, ‘I am going back down, I don’t belong in this weight class,’

“He knows he was small, not that he is scared [of super-lightweight] but he knows that he is not big enough for the weight-class.”

Ellis also believes that Davis will return to action in early 2027.

“It looks like Tank will probably be back at the beginning of the [new] year. He has got to go through some things on his side, but right after that he will be back in the gym.”

Should he remain at lightweight, a showdown against the winner of Schofield-Bahdi looks to be the most obvious route back to the top. Meanwhile, a long-awaited clash with Vasyl Lomachenko could also become a possibility.

Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar in 2023 for an initial £61m, having attracted interest from clubs across Europe including Arsenal.

After impressing in the Champions League with Shakhtar in the first half of 2022-23, Mudryk needed time to adapt to a new country and league.

He had to wait until October 2023 for his first Chelsea goal, and he ended his first full campaign at Stamford Bridge with seven goals and four assists.

By the start of 2024-25 the manager who signed Mudryk, Graham Potter, had been succeeded first by Frank Lampard, then Mauricio Pochettino, and finally Enzo Maresca.

Mudryk struggled for Premier League starts in the first months of Maresca’s tenure, but was making an impact in the Uefa Conference League when he underwent an out-of-competition test on international duty with Ukraine in October 2024.

Mudryk was provisionally suspended after returning an “adverse finding” for banned substance meldonium.

He was subsequently given the maximum four-year ban by the FA but appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

However, he became free to return to competition “with immediate effect” on 31 July, 2026, after the FA said anti-doping disciplinary proceedings had been resolved and that Murdyk accepted breaking anti-doping rules, also agreeing to a suspension equal to the time already served.

Mudryk, who has always maintained he had “never knowingly or intentionally” taken a banned substance, said he was “grateful” to be able to return to playing after “the most difficult period” of his career.

He will now restart his career at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 11 miles north east of where it appeared to be falling apart.

Manchester City have agreed a £125m fee with Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez but the deal has yet to be confirmed despite the summer transfer window closing at 11pm

Manchester City could have until 1am on Wednesday morning to complete the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, despite the transfer window shutting at 11pm. City have agreed a £125m deal with Chelsea to sign the Argentina international.

Fernandez is understood to have completed a medical and is expected to become a City player this summer. However, the summer transfer window closed at 11pm and the Blues have still not announced his arrival.

However, from 9pm this evening, City could have submitted a deal sheet to the Premier League. This document allows City an extra two hours to complete a deal beyond the 11pm deadline. Deal sheets are only accepted by the Premier League if the necessary discussions and agreements have been made prior to the window closing.

There is confidence the deal will be completed before 1am, particularly after Fernandez posted a goodbye message to Chelsea on Instagram. He wrote: “Dear Chelsea, I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me. Writing this is not easy either. The truth is, I haven’t been in a good place.

“Three years ago, Cobham and Stamford Bridge became home for me and my family. I grew attached to the people, to the shirt, and to the badge of this incredible club.

“Believe me when I say that, from the moment I arrived, I became obsessed with winning and with bringing this club every trophy that its history deserves. We suffered, we cried, I got angry many times, but we also celebrated titles and unforgettable victories. Together, through the good times and the difficult ones.

“I live football the same way I live my life: with passion and with all my heart. That is why I want you to know that I understand you. I truly understand you, from the bottom of my heart.

“But life is about making decisions, and right now I find myself having to make one of those difficult decisions. I’ve said it before, but I want to say it again: I have grown incredibly fond of this club. Chelsea will always have a place in my thoughts and, above all, in my heart.

“But I also understand how football works. I know how passionate you are, because I am the same. And if I were in your position, I would probably be thinking the same way.

“I want to thank every single one of you: the staff, the coaching team, the medical team, the physios, and everyone who works at Cobham and throughout this great institution.

“To all my teammates over these years, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing so many moments with me. I was truly happy here, and I wish you nothing but the very best for the future. Thank you for all the love and support you have given me and my family throughout these years. I will never forget it.

“This group will give you many more reasons to be happy, and I will be happy for you too. Never doubt that. You will always be in my heart, Blues. I will always wish you, always, nothing but the very best. Always Blue. Thank you, Chelsea.”

Floyd Mayweather is regarded as the greatest fighter since the turn of the millennium by many boxing fans. However, three-time BWAA Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia believes that there is one active fighter who has had a more impressive career than ‘TBE’.

Mayweather ruled in five weight divisions and beat a host of fellow legends such as Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto, before retiring with a perfect 50-fight undefeated record.

The defensive master has, however, often been criticised for being too selective and business-minded during his career, accused of including clauses in contracts that aided his chances or picking opponents when they were vulnerable or past their best.

On the True Hustle Podcast, well-respected trainer Garcia discussed Mayweather swerving a lucrative showdown with Antonio Margarito back in 2006, as was reported by ESPN at the time. 

“Years ago, when Mayweather was in his prime and at welterweight, I never seen the contract but I was told and I know that the word is that Top Rank offered him eight-million-dollars to fight [Antonio] Margarito and he never wanted to fight Margarito, so he avoided Margarito.”

Continuing, Garcia then went on to declare that he is more impressed by Canelo Alvarez’s career than Mayweather’s, despite the fact that Mayweather defeated the Mexican superstar back in 2013.

“Canelo has that same kind of criticism where people could say that he has picked his opponents a little bit more, you could say that there is some truth there, but I think that he has taken more challenges [than Mayweather]. 

“He has moved up in weights, who the f**k goes up to light-heavyweight, you know what I mean? A 5’8” guy? He is not tall, he is 5’8” or 5’9” maybe.

“So, I would probably say that, at the end, I think that Canelo [had a more impressive career than Mayweather]. He took those chances, he didn’t have to go to light-heavyweight to fight [Dmitry] Bivol, he didn’t have to do it but he took those chances.”

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Canelo will have the chance to further improve his legacy when he attempts to regain the WBC super-middleweight world title against Christian Mbilli next month, off the back of the longest period of inactivity in his career to date.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are slowly getting back to full strength.

The Dodgers announced on Tuesday afternoon that they’ve activated catchers Will Smith and Dalton Rushing and left-hander Justin Wrobleski from the injured list. They also added infielder Alex Freeland to the MLB roster.

To make room on the roster for the aforementioned returnees, the Dodgers sent outfielder Alek Thomas and catcher Ben Rortvedt — whom they acquired from the New York Mets before the MLB trade deadline — to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Smith, an All-Star in each of the last three complete seasons (2023-25), hasn’t played for the Dodgers since June 5 due to a neck injury. Over the 52 games Smith has appeared in this season, he has totaled six home runs, 23 RBIs and a 101 OPS+, while sporting a .249/.338/.382 slash line.

Rushing, who took Smith’s place as the team’s everyday catcher in the wake of his neck injury, hasn’t played since Aug. 1 due to an arm injury. Across 74 games, Rushing has logged 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, a 123 OPS+ and 1.4 wins above replacement, while possessing a .253/.335/.475 slash line.

Wrobleski hasn’t made a start for the Dodgers since Aug. 15, as he dealt with a forearm injury. The left-hander was an All-Star this year and boasted a 2.62 ERA entering his July 28 outing before posting a combined 8.69 ERA over his ensuing four starts, with a stint on the 15-day injured list following. In all, Wrobleski has recorded a 3.56 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, a 114 ERA+ and two wins above replacement across 126 ⅓ innings pitched (20 starts/21 appearances).

The Dodgers could soon have their full starting rotation. Fellow left-hander Blake Snell is four starts back from elbow surgery, and right-hander Tyler Glasnow was activated last week after back spasms kept him off the mound for manager Dave Roberts for roughly 15 weeks.

The next piece in the puzzle for the Dodgers’ rotation could be Shohei Ohtani, as the two-way superstar hasn’t pitched since July 3 due to knee inflammation and is also dealing with a biceps issue. Granted, Ohtani has continued to be the team’s primary designated hitter.

Los Angeles is the No. 2 seed in the National League at 82-55, good for a half-game lead on the Atlanta Braves (82-56) for the second wild-card round bye and good for being 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers (85-53) for the best record in the NL. The Dodgers also hold a 9.5-game lead on the San Diego Padres (73-65) for first place in the NL West.

Los Angeles opens a three-game series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Need to know

Jack Grealish has completed a season-long loan switch to Everton from Manchester City

All you need to know as Jack Grealish completes his season-long loan to Everton…

1. Grealish has left Manchester City to rejoin Everton on loan for the rest of the campaign
2. The 30-year-old spent last season with the Toffees and impressed before injury curtailed his campaign
3. But he has now linked up again with David Moyes’ side and could make his second Everton debut in the weekend Premier League clash with Manchester United
4. Grealish had interest from elsewhere with Sunderland keen on the England international but the winger had always prioritised a return to Everton if a deal could be done
5. On re-signing for the Merseysiders, he said: “It feels so good. I’m so happy. I think I’m at my best at everything in life, not just football, when I feel loved. That’s what the manager has given me, what my teammates have given me and especially what the fans have given me. Every time I see an Everton fan, it’s just pure love and the way they’ve welcomed me since that first game against Leeds, I’ll never forget that. It means a lot to me and hopefully I’ve made a few Everton fans happy. I had a perfect time here for the first six months, then I stayed around after I got injured. I’ve been watching all the Everton games in pre-season and since the season started. Now I feel ready to go. I’m ready to start training tomorrow and prepare for the games.”
6. Grealish is out of contract at City at the end of the season and could have played his last game for the club. He came off the bench in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and again in the league opener against Bournemouth but was left out of the squad for Friday’s win at Crystal Palace
7. City boss Enzo Maresca has a strong relationship with Grealish but did not view the former Aston Villa man as part of his plans
8. Grealish played a key role in City’s Treble-winning season but has struggled to recapture that form and the Blues are not planning to offer him a new deal, meaning he will leave for free next summer, six years after joining for £100million.
9. Everton are seemingly in pole position to sign him permanently given the relationship the club have built up with the player.

Follow all the City transfer latest in our dedicated deadline day blog here

Representative image: Japan cricket team (Pic credit: JCA)

NEW DELHI: With concerns over accommodation and other logistical arrangements emerging ahead of cricket’s return to the Asian Games, Japan Cricket Association (JCA) CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji has sought to put the apprehensions into perspective, saying participating teams have been offered hotel accommodation but are free to make their own arrangements.At a recent Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting, leading cricketing nations reportedly raised concerns over the accommodation arrangements, with the designated hotel located around 20km from the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin City, Aichi Prefecture, where the cricket matches will be held.The Asian Games begin on September 17.

Japan Cricket CEO clarifies accommodation arrangements

Miyaji stressed that the JCA is playing a limited role in the event’s organisation.“The Asian Games is being organised by the organising committee Aichi-Nagoya Games Organizing Committee (AINAGOC) in collaboration with the ACC under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA),” Miyaji told PTI.“The JCA has provided support in some areas but is not directly involved so I am not able to directly answer all of your questions. What I can say is that all parties are working hard to ensure the success of Cricket in the Asian Games.“I can also assure you that the ACC have been discussing accommodation options with AINAGOC for a long time. The participating teams in cricket are being offered hotel accommodation,” he said.Miyaji also pointed out that cricket is not the only sport facing logistical constraints at the Games.“Many other sports are being accommodated in much more limited facilities such as a cruise ship or container hotels. The teams are free to arrange their own accommodation if they chose to do so,” he said.

‘Toilets will be available within the player area’

Miyaji also sought to allay concerns over reports that team washrooms could be located at least half a kilometre from the playing arena.“Please note that toilets will be available within the player area. There are both temporary and permanent facilities at the venue. The facilities on the ground are temporary, but AINAGOC have worked very closely with the ACC for over a year now to ensure that the best facilities are provided within the limited timeline and facility restrictions,” Miyaji said.He also addressed concerns over the makeshift dressing rooms being prepared for the tournament.“Despite being temporary, the facilities will provide as comfortable a space as possible for the players and officials. There are also permanent facilities around the ground which will be available to the players,” he said.

Korogi Sports Park built from scratch

Miyaji explained that organisers had only 17 months to prepare the venue, which had to be developed from scratch because Aichi Prefecture did not have an established cricket facility.“They only had 17 months to prepare and had to start from scratch as there were no Cricket venues of any standard in Aichi Prefecture. Considering the limited time and resources available, AINAGOC and ACC have worked together to ensure that the playing facilities are suitable,” he said.Sri Lanka Cricket has also provided curators to work on the turf and hybrid pitches.“It will be a full size ground with turf and hybrid pitches prepared by the best curators which Sri Lanka Cricket should be credited for providing,” Miyaji said.“There are limits on what they can do within these tight limits, but from what I have seen, the playing surface and field will be the best seen in Cricket’s inclusion in the Asian Games.”The JCA, meanwhile, has concentrated largely on building local interest in the sport.“We have taken cricket to many school and shopping centres which have received great enthusiasm. Thanks to the full support of Nisshin City, we are confident that the local community will be 100% behind the Asian Games.”Miyaji remained confident that cricket would make a strong impression when the continental event is staged in Japan.“Cricket will be one of the largest sports in the Asian Games. It will also be the first time the top Cricket teams of Asia will be playing in Japan,” he added.

And down the stretch we go. 

September is here, which means one more month of the regular season to whittle the field of 30 teams down to the 12 that will compete in the postseason. A little more than half of MLB’s teams still have a realistic chance of playing in October, while the rest will be using the remaining 25 or so games to deploy their rosters with an eye toward the future. 

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Whether a team is pushing for home-field advantage or the final wild-card spot or easing off the gas to preserve health and perhaps draft lottery positioning, these final four weeks of games can be valuable. In this latest edition of our power rankings, we’ll suggest a realistic goal and/or organizational focus for each team over the final month of the regular season.

Jump to a team by clicking on the links below:

1. Milwaukee Brewers (85-53)

Identify the postseason rotation. Jacob Misiorowski has established himself as one of the best pitchers on the planet. Logan Henderson has emerged as a worthy No. 2, posting a 2.36 ERA across nine starts since he was activated from the injured list on July 9. But then what? Who will get the ball in Games 3 and 4 in October? Kyle Harrison’s August featured three gems against losing teams (Pirates, Mariners, Mets) and two complete disasters against quality ballclubs (Padres, Cubs). Shane Drohan and Robert Gasser have shown flashes but are rookies. Dustin May has been frustratingly inconsistent since arriving at the deadline. Milwaukee needs to spend September sorting through these arms and getting at least two on track before the postseason.

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2. Atlanta Braves (82-56)

Secure a top-two seed. The Braves have some questions to answer at a few positions (shortstop, left field) and in the rotation behind Chris Sale. But their chances of going on a deep run in October will increase exponentially if they can avoid playing in the wild-card series and rest up before giving Sale the ball in NLDS Game 1 (for his long-awaited first postseason start as a Brave), rather than burning Sale in the opening round. Seizing the tiebreaker over the Dodgers with a statement sweep in Atlanta last week was a great first step, but there’s more work to be done for the Braves to finish ahead in the standings.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (82-55)

Find some offensive momentum. For close to two months now, scoring runs has been a slog for the reigning champs. Since their 12-run outburst against San Diego on July 2, the Dodgers are hitting .241/.309/.380 across 49 games, amounting to a 90 wRC+ that ranks 24th in MLB over that span. That’s hardly the production of a juggernaut lineup like the one that existed for the first 88 games of the season, when L.A. collectively hit .267/.349/.445, good for a 120 wRC+ that was tops league-wide by a mile.

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Whatever the reasons behind the recent fall-off, the L.A. bats have a real opportunity to build some confidence over the final month against the easiest remaining schedule in the National League. Whether that will sufficiently prepare them for the gauntlet of arms that await in October is another question entirely, but it would be good for L.A. to put a few more crooked numbers on the scoreboard before their pursuit of a three-peat begins in earnest.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (82-55)

Clinch the top seed. The Rays have built a nice cushion atop the American League, thanks to their consistency and propensity to dominate series; taking all three from San Diego over the weekend marked Tampa Bay’s MLB-leading 14th sweep of the year. They’ve also been excellent at Tropicana Field, heightening the incentive to claim home-field advantage throughout the bracket. As such, Tampa Bay should be motivated to rack up enough wins to secure the AL’s No. 1 seed, ideally before they head out on the road for four games at the Yankees and three games at the Phillies in the final week of the regular season.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (78-60)

Clinch the top wild-card spot. The Phillies enter September four games back of Atlanta with seven games against the rival Braves left on the schedule, so perhaps Philadelphia still has a division crown in its sights. But if I’m offering a more realistic objective — especially with the Braves having won five of six against the Phillies so far this season, thus needing just two more wins to claim the tiebreaker — the focus should be on ensuring a wild-card series takes place at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have caught up to the Cubs atop the NL wild-card standings, so it’ll be a race to earn hosting rights between the two clubs.

6. Chicago Cubs (78-60)

Clinch the top wild-card spot. See above. The Cubs occupy a similar space as the Phillies, with an even smaller chance of chasing down the division-leading Brewers but in strong position to guarantee some postseason home games. Chicago’s resurgence over the past two years has helped remind everyone how special Wrigley Field can be when the games matter, and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s push for NL MVP has added a new layer of excitement for the home crowd. If the Cubs want to give that special crowd a chance to shine in October, beating the Phillies for the top wild-card spot is the priority.

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7. New York Yankees (78-60)

Get Aaron Judge back in the lineup — and in the outfield — ASAP. The Yankees have treaded water just fine without their captain, but their ceiling in October is largely predicated on Judge’s availability and impact. And getting Judge back from his rib injury isn’t just about rejuvenating the lineup with a three-time MVP; it’s also about assessing how the entire offense takes shape around him, especially if he needs days at DH as he eases back into action. Even if Giancarlo Stanton is out of the picture due to injury, Luis Garcia Jr., Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt make for a crowded 1B/DH depth chart, meaning Judge will need to resume right-field duties quickly to ensure the position-player group can function against both lefties and righties.

8. Boston Red Sox (75-63)

Get fully healthy on offense. Just as Roman Anthony and Trevor Story returned to the lineup after missing multiple months, Willson Contreras — by far the Sox’s best hitter this season — landed on the injured list due to hamstring tightness. While that ailment isn’t considered serious, it’s frustrating that we’ve yet to see this lineup at full strength. That includes deadline additions Adley Rutschman, who is still looking to find his footing in Boston, and Curtis Mead, who is working his way back after suffering a fractured wrist in his first game with the Sox. What does this offense look like with everyone available? Hopefully we find out before October. 

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9. San Diego Padres (73-65)

Clinch a wild-card spot. If the Padres qualify for the postseason, it would be their fifth trip to October in the past seven seasons — the same number of playoff appearances the franchise made from its inception in 1969 to 2019. It would also mark the first time in franchise history that they reached the postseason in three consecutive years. The expanded playoff field has a lot to do with these fun facts, of course, but it’s still a reminder of what general manager AJ Preller and former owner Peter Seidler built — and why new owners Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano are so enthusiastic about getting involved. A return to October is not guaranteed, however. The division rival D-backs will have something to say, and the Padres will have to earn it.

10. Chicago White Sox (72-65)

Win the AL Central. Two years ago, the White Sox arrived in September having already lost 106 games. Last season, Chicago had the worst record in the American League by more than 10 games going into the final month. And look at them now. Already one of the great glow-ups in recent memory, this remarkable story is far from finished. The White Sox have a real shot at not only a division crown but also a first-round bye that would ensure a week of rest and a pair of home games to open the ALDS. What a world.

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11. Arizona Diamondbacks (73-66)

Clinch a wild-card spot. As the Ketel Marte saga lingers, the Snakes remain entranched in a heated wild-card race. If Arizona can keep pace with San Diego in September, as it has for much of the summer, it could lead to the juiciest series of the regular season’s final weekend: D-backs at Padres for three games at Petco Park, potentially to determine the final NL wild-card spot. That would be fun!

12. Houston Astros (70-68)

Win the AL West. It sure hasn’t been pretty — just ask fired general manager Dana Brown — but a clear opportunity remains for the Astros to reclaim the AL West crown after last year’s postseason miss. In fact, a path still exists to a first-round bye if Houston can find some momentum. The Astros made meaningful progress in that effort by taking the series opener on Monday against the White Sox, their top competition for the No. 2 seed in the AL bracket.

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13. Cleveland Guardians (69-68)

Ride a José Ramirez hot streak to a postseason berth. It took 31 games for Ramirez to hit a home run after coming back from his broken hamate bone on July 22, but the star third baseman might be heating up just in time to propel Cleveland to a playoff berth for the third consecutive year. To this point, it has been the rookies — Parker Messick, Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana — fueling the Guardians, but now it’s time for the future Hall of Famer to say, “Get in losers – we’re going back to October.”

14. Miami Marlins (69-69)

Play well enough to give the final road trip real stakes. As the other fringe NL wild-card contenders have started to fade away, the Fightin’ Fish just won’t quit, staying at or above .500 for all of August. FanGraphs has Miami’s playoff odds fading fast (2.3%) entering the final month, but the schedule offers an intriguing opportunity if the Marlins can avoid falling further: Their final road trip Sept. 14-24 takes them to the D-backs, Padres and Cubs — three of the four teams ahead of them in the wild-card standings. That could be a fun stretch if the Marlins can win enough games before then.

15. Baltimore Orioles (69-69)

Clinch the final wild-card spot. Colton Cowser’s mind-blowing, game-ending home run robbery to get the Orioles back to .500 for the first time since they were 15-15 on April 30 almost felt like a sign from the baseball gods that this team needs to be taken seriously. That said, the road to October is daunting for Baltimore, and the Orioles’ six games remaining against Toronto will likely determine their fate. Still, considering the bleak state of affairs at the end of June, when the O’s were 39-48 and five games out of the wild-card picture, vibes are pretty good with 24 games to go.

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16. Toronto Blue Jays (68-70)

Clinch the final wild-card spot. The Blue Jays also entered the final month on a high note, with an emphatic sweep of Seattle. Now another marquee matchup in Cleveland awaits this week and will further clarify Toronto’s chances of returning to October. It’s hard to fully shake the letdown this season has been compared to the sky-high hopes coming in, but at this point, all the Blue Jays can do is make the most of the chances still ahead of them and push for another memorable October in this mediocre American League.

17. Texas Rangers (68-70)

Return to October for the first time since winning the World Series. Texas should not be discounted in the underwhelming AL standings, though losing the tiebreaker against the Astros makes a late push for the division unlikely. That said, the Rangers could sneak in via the wild-card with a strong September, and it’s safe to say no one would be excited to face Jacob deGrom in a best-of-three series. That’s to say nothing of October darling Joc Pederson, who hasn’t appeared in a postseason game since he won the World Series with Atlanta in 2021.

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18. Pittsburgh Pirates (67-71)

Finish above .500. Owners of the National League’s longest postseason drought (2015), the Pirates’ playoff odds per FanGraphs climbed as high as 62% at the start of June but have since plummeted toward zero, meaning another quiet October in Pittsburgh is in store. That’s an awfully tough pill to swallow for this long-suffering fan base, and this might not be much of a consolation, but there’s still a path for the Pirates to finish with a winning record, which they haven’t done since 2018. Whether that’d be enough to save general manager Ben Cherington’s job is unclear, but it would at least feel like progress. Also: If Paul Skenes can finish strong after an uncharacteristic midsummer dip in dominance, that would help lend optimism for 2027.

19. St. Louis Cardinals (68-70)

Finish strong enough to be taken seriously next year. As late as June 23, the Cardinals had the fourth-best record in the National League behind the Brewers, Braves and Dodgers. That strong first half suggested this wasn’t the transition year many expected from the Cardinals, but their middling play more recently indicates that St. Louis wasn’t quite ready for prime time. Can the Cards’ young players show enough in September to restore some hype entering next season?

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20. Minnesota Twins (65-72)

Let the kids play. This is the same goal I gave Minnesota in this exercise last year, but that was largely focused on the prospects acquired in their epic trade deadline sell-off. This year, another wave of young talent has arrived in the form of homegrown hitters such as Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins, with perhaps more on the way in Emmanuel Rodriguez, all of whom could anchor the Twins’ lineup for years to come.

21. Seattle Mariners (64-74)

Take advantage of the schedule to embark on a miracle run. Making a late push to seize the title of Most Disappointing Team from the Mets, the Mariners have been a miserable watch lately by any standard — and especially for a team with their lofty preseason expectations. But you couldn’t draw up a more favorable finish to the schedule, as Seattle plays 17 of its final 22 games against the three worst teams in baseball: seven against the Angels, seven against the A’s and three against the Rockies. Is that soft slate enough to save the Mariners? Considering the hole they’ve dug for themselves, we shouldn’t count on it.

22. Detroit Tigers (63-74)

Finish strong on the mound. With the Tarik Skubal homecoming behind them — and the chances of rallying to a wild-card spot evaporating daily — it’s important for the Tigers to end this season on a positive note, pitching-wise, as they prepare for the post-Skubal era. Troy Melton has been one positive development this season, and it would be good to see more steadiness from veteran Framber Valdez, a meaningful step forward from 24-year-old Jackson Jobe and, perhaps most importantly, the Tigers debut of the top arm acquired in the Skubal trade, River Ryan. A proper send-off for Justin Verlander would also be nice. 

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23. Washington Nationals (66-74)

Don’t lose 90 games. The Nationals have made real strides this season under their new coaching staff and front office, but their poor form in recent weeks leaves them at risk of losing 90-plus games for a sixth consecutive season. Washington has the fewest games remaining of any ballclub, with 22 contests left, but that should be enough chances for them to notch the seven wins necessary to avoid the 90-loss mark.

24. Cincinnati Reds (64-73)

Get Sal Stewart his hardware. Only four franchises (Dodgers, Yankees, Braves, A’s) have produced more Rookies of the Year than the Reds, who have celebrated eight top-ranked rookies over the years and might have a ninth in Stewart, MLB’s RBI leader and home run leader among rookies. St. Louis’ JJ Wetherholt landing on the injured list clears the path somewhat for Stewart, but he’ll still need to beat the Mets’ duo of Nolan McLean and Carson Benge to clinch the award. Let’s see if he can turn his dream into reality. 

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25. New York Mets (62-76)

Play spoiler. This obviously was not the plan for September when the season began, but the Mets have played much better since deconstructing their pitching staff at the trade deadline and could make life difficult for a pair of rivals down the stretch. A three-game set at Yankee Stadium and a four-game home series against the Phillies represent golden opportunities for the Mets to sour the vibes for those postseason-bound clubs and perhaps even damage their position in the standings.

26. Kansas City Royals (62-76)

Enjoy a late push for MVP from Bobby Witt Jr. A sizable deficit in offensive production plus Kansas City’s lackluster showing in the standings has kept Witt somewhat on the outside of the AL MVP conversation. But it’s worth noting that Witt has a solid lead over Alvarez in WAR, thanks to his spectacular defense at shortstop, and a chance to lead the AL in stolen bases. Could a monster final month at the plate paired with a cold spell from Alvarez fuel Witt to MVP honors? It’s unlikely, based on Alvarez’s consistency, but it can’t be ruled out.

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27. San Francisco Giants (57-81)

Complete a (real) sweep. By beating the Braves in Monday’s makeup game, the Giants technically swept Atlanta in all three games of their two-part visit to Truist Park, having won the first two games back in June before the finale was rained out. But other than that, San Francisco has failed to sweep a continuous series this season, which is a rather astonishing and rare shortcoming, even for a bad team. Eight series remain for Tony Vitello and the Giants to change that.

28. Los Angeles Angels (53-85)

Don’t lose 100 games. The Angels narrowly avoided losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history two years ago, winning their 63rd game on Sept. 22. Can they find 10 more wins over their final 24 games to repeat the feat and duck the unique ignominy of triple-digit losses? We’ll see. It doesn’t help that 15 of their remaining contests are on the road. 

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29. Athletics (53-85)

Find a new head of baseball operations. By parting with longtime baseball ops head David Forst in early August, the A’s afforded themselves more time before the offseason to survey the front-office landscape and identify the best candidates to lead the organization as it prepares to move to Las Vegas in 2028. Whoever that individual turns out to be has a ton of work to do to get this franchise headed in the right direction after an injury-ravaged and non-competitive campaign, so the sooner they can take over, the better.

30. Colorado Rockies (52-86)

Don’t lose 100 games. Unlike the Angels, the Rockies have lost 100 games before — each of the past three seasons, after avoiding such a fate for the first 30 years of the franchise’s existence. Only four teams in MLB history have lost 100 games in four consecutive seasons. The Rockies need to notch 11 wins over their final 24 games to avoid becoming the fifth.

East Zone’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot on day three of the Duleep Trophy semi-final. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s aggressive cameo, backed by fiery spells from Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, helped East Zone storm into the Duleep Trophy final with a four-wicket win over defending champions Central Zone on Tuesday.The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi made a valuable contribution of 40 off 43 balls as East Zone chased down a target of 159 on a turning pitch on the third day of the semifinal.East, winners of the tournament in the 2012-13 season, will face either South Zone or North Zone in the final at Chepauk from September 6.

Sooryavanshi provides early spark before dramatic dismissal

Chasing 159, East needed a steady start as the pitch increasingly aided the spinners. Sooryavanshi initially adopted a cautious approach, scoring his first 15 runs from 30 balls.But once he found his rhythm, the left-hander shifted gears spectacularly. His next 25 runs came from just 13 deliveries, featuring another six and three boundaries.His opening partner Abhimanyu Easwaran was more fluent initially, including a six off off-spinner Saransh Jain over long-on, while Sooryavanshi struggled to find the same freedom against spin.The teenager, however, came alive when Yash Thakur was introduced into the attack. Having already hammered the pacer for four fours and two sixes in the first innings, Sooryavanshi again went after him, smashing three fours and a six in the 14th over.But his attacking approach also brought about his downfall. Sooryavanshi fell in the same over when Rajat Patidar completed a stunning running catch off Thakur.His dismissal suddenly changed the mood of the chase, with East losing wickets at regular intervals. Harsh Dubey then struck twice in successive deliveries, removing Kumar Kushagra and Anukul Roy to leave East at 124 for five.

Shami, Mukesh dismantle Central before Kishan finishes chase

Earlier, Central resumed their second innings at 45 for three but suffered a dramatic collapse in the extended first session. They lost their remaining seven wickets to be bowled out for 158.Shami and Mukesh were the chief destroyers, exploiting variable bounce and the assistance available to the bowlers. Shami finished with 3/56, while Mukesh claimed 4/44 to complete a seven-wicket haul in the match.Mukesh was subsequently named Player of the Match, providing a timely boost to the India seamer who has been out of favour.Central briefly threatened to stretch the chase when Dubey and Arshad Khan added 43 for the ninth wicket, taking their side beyond 150. But East held their nerve to complete the victory.Ishan Kishan then produced a composed 39 not out from 41 balls to guide East home with minimal further trouble.“For a personal point of view, and not only me, the entire team members are looking forward to playing in the final. It will be heartening if we can go on and win that title,” Easwaran said after the match.