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Sitting 3.5 games back for the second AL Wild Card spot, the Cleveland Indians got a little bad news concerning Justin Masterson.

The news isn’t good, especially considering Masterson is 14-10 with a 3.52 ERA and 188 strikeouts this year. He’s been the best pitcher on the Indians this year.

But is it news that will put the final nail in the Indians’ playoff coffin?

Not Great as of Late

Let’s be honest, Masterson hasn’t exactly been the greatest as of late. He’s lost three of his last four decisions and given up 16 runs in his last 32.2 innings. That’s a 4.41 ERA.

To say him missing a start is going to hurt the Indians couldn’t be further from the truth considering his performance as of late.

Should the injury need more time and he needs to go on the disabled list, it could have a small effect. But it’s not something that should derail the Indians’ playoff chances.

The Schedule

The Indians still have to vault over the Rays, Orioles and Yankees to get the second wild-card spot. While three teams is a lot, they’re just 3.5 games out. That kind of deficit is nothing with one month to go in the season.

Cleveland is in the middle of a three-game series with the Orioles (Baltimore took Game 1). But, if it can take the next two games, that will vault the Indians over the Orioles in the wild-card standings. Meanwhile, if the Rays (leading for the second wild-card spot) can lose two more times to the Angels (like they did Monday), that’s two games the Indians can gain on them.

Even if they can only gain one game, it will still be an improvement and bring the Indians to within 2.5 games.

From there, the Indians have games against the Mets (three), Royals (six), White Sox (six), Astros (four) and Twins (four). Combined, the Indians have gone 30-14 against the four AL teams, with the Mets being the only team they haven’t played this year.

The Indians could easily win between 16-18 of the final 23 games, putting them in prime position to take the second wild-card spot.

The Rays still have 14 total games against the Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox and Rangers. The Yankees have 14 total games against the Rays, Orioles and Red Sox; while the Orioles have 14 total games against the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees.

The three AL East teams are going to be beating up on each other, while the Indians will finish the season with a much easier schedule.

Offense Has to Step Up

The pitching staff will be fine without Masterson for however long he’s gone. But if the Indians are going to make the playoffs, the offense has to pick things up.

Over the last 10 games, Cleveland has scored an average of 2.7 runs per game. That’s not going to get the job done.

Now, it’s understandable (they ran into great pitching against Atlanta and Detroit), but it’s the same type of pitching they would see in the playoffs.

Three of the next five pitchers they’ll see are prime for the Indians offense. Chris Tillman (Tuesday) and Zack Wheeler (Friday) are the only ones who may give the Indians fits.

But they’ll also face Miguel Gonzalez (4.11 ERA), Jonathon Niese (3.66 ERA) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (10.95 ERA). If that doesn’t get the offense licking their chops, then I don’t know what will.

In the end, it’s going to come down to offense. Unlike the National League, where teams can continually get by with strong pitching performances, most American League teams have to put up more runs to be successful.

Out of 15 NL teams, only four have scored 600 or more runs this year. Compare that to the 15 AL teams where eight have scored at least 600 runs. Credit it to the designated hitter or whatever you want, but the bottom line is you have to score runs in the AL if you want to win.

If the Indians can do that, then they should have no problems making the playoffs…with or without Masterson.

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Major League Baseball has released its full 2013 postseason schedule.

According to Mark Newman of MLB.com, the Wild Card games will be Oct. 2. The National League Divisional Series will begin the next day (Oct. 3), while the ALDS will begin Oct. 4.

The NL Wild Card game will take place first, followed by the AL Wild Card game. Both games will be aired on TBS.

Here’s a look at the full schedule:

The National League will lead off each round. The divisional round will follow a 2-2-1 format, while the LCS will follow a 2-3-2 format.

While 18 of the 20 divisional games will air on TBS, two games will air exclusively on the MLB Network. The MLB Network will choose one game on Oct. 4 and Oct. 7.

The most ironic thing about the schedule is that if the World Series goes to a Game 7, it will take place on Halloween night. It would be the first time in MLB history that Game 7 would happen on Halloween.

The National League has won the last three World Series and five of the last seven.

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The Washington Nationals are infamous for protecting Stephen Strasburg during the 2012 season, setting an innings limit on him.

While they were careful with Strasburg, it seems the opposite is true for their young offensive star, Bryce Harper.

According to Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider, Harper is less than 100 percent healthy:

Harper took awkward swings, he labored to get down the first-base line and he gingerly took his position in the field between innings.

In the middle of the third inning, shortly after Harper limped down the line on a groundout to second base, Jayson Werth brought his teammate’s cap and glove out to the field for him. Werth, though, withheld Harper’s equipment for several seconds, appearing to seek some confirmation first that Harper felt well enough to continue playing.

Zuckerman goes on to say that Harper is dealing with a hip injury, an injury that manager Davey Johnson only found out about on Monday.

“I was a little disturbed that I wasn’t informed that he was having some treatment on his hip,” Johnson said. “But every time anybody talks to Harp, he says: ‘I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.’ So I’m going to stick with him.”

With the Nationals currently sitting 15 games out in the NL East and 7.5 games back in the wild card, is it time for the Nationals to protect Harper from himself?

The Rest of the Schedule

There’s no hope of the Nationals catching the Braves in the division, but there is a small sliver of hope in the NL Wild Card.

However, they still have to jump over both the Diamondbacks and the Reds to get that second spot.

While they are 9-4 in their last 13, only two of those wins came against a playoff contender (Royals). Six of the other seven wins came against the Cubs and Marlins.

Recently, the Nationals have lost three of their last four, including two of three to the Mets.

I’m not going to count out the Nationals, but their chances of making the playoffs are at 2.6 percent, according to ESPN’s playoff odds. Of course, the Reds could have a Red Sox- or Braves-like collapse through the last month, but I don’t see that happening with their schedule.

Because of that, it’s important for the Nationals to be thinking about the future as it concerns Harper.

Big Picture

Last week I wrote about how Harper’s agent Scott Boras is looking for a 12-year contract for his young stud. While I think 12-year contracts are a mistake regardless, it’s even more so if there are injury concerns.

I understand Harper is only in his second year in the big leagues and he’s young. Most likely, he’ll recover to full health.

However, now is when he can hurt himself even more. When a player is playing through pain, that’s when they’re more likely to hurt themselves even more. And if Harper hurts himself worse, that will take him off the field for a part of next year when the Nationals expect to contend again.

Harper should be applauded for wanting to play through the pain, but he also has to realize he is the face of the franchise. There’s no problem with taking risks, but there’s a difference in good risks and bad risks.

When your team is basically out of the playoffs and you’re playing through an injury, that’s a bad risk. 

I’m not saying put Harper on the disabled list, but the Nationals need to protect Harper from himself. There is no reason he should be on the field if he’s hurting. He’s too valuable to the franchise.

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Scott Boras is at it again, and this time it concerns Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper.

According to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, Boras has laid out a case for a 12-year contract extension for Harper:

While locking up a franchise player for the foreseeable future is key, I think it’s still too early to do that for Harper. After all, what has he done other than win NL Rookie of the Year?

A 12-year contract would be suicide for the Nationals for many reasons.

Comparisons to Buster Posey

There’s no doubt that Harper is a great talent, but he still has a long way to go if he wants to reach the big bucks. Of course, Boras could be looking at Buster Posey’s nine-year, $164-million deal as a reference, but Harper is no Posey.

For starters, Posey has led the San Francisco Giants to two World Series titles, along with winning an MVP award (in addition to his NL Rookie of the Year). He batted .317 with 46 home runs and 191 RBI through his first three seasons, which includes a shortened 2010 after a collision at home plate ended his year.

When on the field, Posey simply helps will the Giants to wins.

Harper, on the other hand, is batting .272 with 40 home runs and 105 RBI in his career. Those are not exactly the numbers you want to see when you’re about to give a kid a 12-year deal.

Like any big leaguer, Harper has dealt with injuries and slumps this year. But just like with everyone else, it’s a part of the game. As an executive, do you give a player a huge contract when he’s coming off a year with filled injuries and struggles at the plate?

Not Even Arbitration Eligible

When I see that Harper isn’t even arbitration eligible yet, that makes me more hesitant to give him a long-term deal. In fact, he won’t be arbitration eligible until 2016.

He’s already under a cheap contract that pays him just over $2 million the next two years, so why not stick with that?

If I’m not going to have to pay a guy a lot of money (even in arbitration), why would I want to pay him more money in a long-term contract? Instead, I could wait and pay him $7-8 million in arbitration and then sign him to a long-term deal prior to his last arbitration year. It would save the Nationals money and would allow them to see what they really have on their hands before committing long term.

With Harper being one of the franchise players for the Nationals, they definitely don’t want to tick him off. But to pay him more money than they really have to early in his career would be a bad business decision.

What If?

Playing the “what if” game can be dangerous, but we’ve seen huge contract decisions come back to bite many teams in the you know what.

Just look at Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez and Carl Crawford. The list of bad contracts for star players goes on, but these three should suffice.

Howard has been good when he’s in the lineup, but that’s the problem…he can’t stay in the lineup. He keeps getting injured.

Then there’s A-Rod, who has a myriad of problems from struggles late last year and in the postseason, and the Biogenesis scandal. It was even reported by ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews and Andrew Marchand that the Yankees were looking at ways to void his contract. It doesn’t sound like the Yankees have the same feeling now that they did back when they signed him to his latest contract.

Crawford has struggled with injuries as well, having played in only 123 games the last two seasons. And the year before that (his first in Boston), he batted .255 with 11 home runs and 56 RBI. 

In total, Crawford has gotten paid almost $55 million over the last three years and produced a .271 average with 19 home runs and 100 RBI. Talk about bang for your buck.

I’m not saying that Harper will turn into one of those three, but it could happen. And if it does, do you really want to be locked into a 12-year contract with him?

Long-term contracts that pay players big bucks do two things: make agents rich and prevent a team from making necessary moves years down the road.

Outside of Crawford (since he’s been traded), imagine if the Yankees and Phillies hadn’t signed Rodriguez and Howard to long-term deals. With injuries and poor play, they could have made the necessary moves to improve their teams.

Instead, those two players are getting paid to either watch or play poorly.

It all seemed good back when those contracts were given out, but like they say, “hindsight is 20-20.”

What Does the Future Hold?

In the end, Harper will eventually get a long-term contract for a large amount of dollars. After all, Boras is his agent and he has a way of doing that.

Funny thing is, he’s also Stephen Strasburg’s agent and will look to do the same thing for the pitcher.

However, the Nationals don’t need to rush to pay either extra money. Let both players get through their first year or two of arbitration and then approach a contract extension.

Giving out a contract prior to that is just like handing out free money. Why do it when you don’t have to?

Do you agree with me or think I’m full of it? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @chris_stephens6.

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The 2013 season has been disappointing for the Toronto Blue Jays. With the acquisitions of R.A. Dickey and Jose Reyes, among others, many thought the Blue Jays would contend for a division title.

However, Toronto has failed to meet expectations this year. Instead, they’ve had one setback after another.

Still, it’s been announced that manager John Gibbons will return for 2014.

With all the talent on the team and the expectations, one has to wonder if the Blue Jays can win with Gibbons at the helm.

Injuries Partly to Blame

When you look at this season, you have to chalk some of the struggles up to injury.

Currently, the Blue Jays have a disabled list full of veteran contributors. Since Aug. 1, eight players have been placed on the DL, including Steve Delabar, Josh Johnson, Dustin McGowan, Brandon Morrow, Ramon Ortiz, Juan Perez, Luis Perez, Maicer Izturis, Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus.

That’s the entire starting outfield and two-fifths of the starting rotation. And that’s just right now.

Everyone remembers the time Jose Reyes spent on the DL with an ankle injury in April. He was lost through the end of June. 

Then you have Brett Lawrie, who missed almost two months with a left ankle sprain. Add in that 13 different pitchers have started a game this year, and you have mass chaos on the field.

While I won’t only blame things on injuries, but they have played a large role in why the Jays have struggled.

Gibbons is a Good Manager

When Toronto hired Gibbons, I thought it was a good move. I think it was a mistake for the team to fire him in 2008 after the team showed noticeable improvement.

Gibbons has an even better team to manage this time around; they just have to stay healthy. After all, we’ve seen what injuries have done to the New York Yankees.

Imagine if the Los Angeles Dodgers were without Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig or the Detroit Tigers were without Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Anibal Sanchez. Would they be doing as well as they are?

Bottom line is, when a manager has his full complement of players, we get to see what his team can truly do.

Since Reyes returned from the DL, the Blue Jays have very rarely put out their best lineup. Injuries have played a major role and Gibbons shouldn’t be held accountable for that.

Moving Forward

As the Blue Jays look towards next year, Gibbons shouldn’t be on the hot seat, even with a fully healthy lineup. The front office needs to give him a few years to instill a winning attitude in the clubhouse.

If they can go out and sign a couple of free agents that can contribute (especially on the mound), I see no reason why Toronto can’t compete in 2014 or 2015.

Gibbons is a good manager and needs management to be patient with him as he works to improve the club on and off the field.

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Miguel Cabrera is one month away from possibly joining the likes of Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Chuck Klein and Carl Yastrzemski.

If all goes according plan, Cabrera will join the five Hall of Famers as the only players in MLB history to win the “Sextuple Crown,” according to Ted Berg of USA Today.

What is the “Sextuple Crown?” It means leading the league in average, home runs, RBI, hits, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

With September nearly upon us, Cabrera leads his league in every one of those categories besides home runs. He sits three home runs back of Orioles slugger Chris Davis, but he’s swiftly closing that gap. Cabrera has 13 home runs to Davis’ nine since the All-Star Break, and Davis’ numbers seem to suggest he’s seeing fewer pitches to drive with more exposure to the league.

Cabrera’s leads in batting average, on-base percentage, and RBI appear insurmountable. Davis sits within striking distance in slugging percentage, and a few guys could catch Cabrera in hits—especially if the Tigers start giving him regular rest once they clinch the AL Central.

The question is, can Cabrera win in all six categories?

The Stats/Schedule

Before we go any further, it’s important to look at the stats:

As of Tuesday, it seems Cabrera has average and on-base percentage. He also has a decent lead in slugging and RBI.

However, he’s only ahead of Adrian Beltre by four hits and is trailing Chris Davis by three home runs. If Cabrera’s run for the crown were halted, it would likely be in one of those two categories.

So let’s look at the the rest of the schedule for Cabrera, Beltre and Davis. While starting pitchers will be different, each player’s schedule will have a lot to say about who will come out on top in those categories.

The home run aspect is hit or miss. Davis has hit nine home runs since the All-Star break, while Cabrera has hit 13 home runs. It would seem Cabrera is hitting with more power and could overtake Davis by year’s end.

All Miggy has to do is hit three more home runs than Davis over the last month and that stat category will be his. But again, it all depends on pitching matchups.

When looking at ESPN’s team pitching stats, Beltre could have the advantage in getting more hits as he’ll face teams ranked No. 1 (Houston), No. 2 (Minnesota) and No. 5 (Angels) in hits allowed for a total of 12 games. Cabrera has games against teams ranked No. 2 (Minnesota), No. 7 (Seattle) and No. 14 (Boston) for a total of nine games.

Beltre does have seven games against the two toughest teams to get hits off of (Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay).

Since the break, Beltre has 48 hits compared to 38 for Cabrera. That could come into play as well.

Prediction

When looking at the numbers and the remaining schedule, I don’t think Cabrera will win in all six categories. More than likely, he’ll win five and miss out on hits.

The Texas Rangers are in a tighter race in the AL West than the Detroit Tigers are in the AL Central. Cabrera could get a few games of rest down the stretch, while Beltre will likely be playing every day.

While he won’t win in all six categories, Cabrera should still win his second straight Triple Crown. He’s already ahead in average and RBI, and if he can continue hitting home runs, he’ll overtake Davis for that by season’s end.

Even with only five category wins, Cabrera should still be easily named the AL MVP.

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With a little more than a month left in the MLB season, many teams are still fighting for their playoff lives, while others are looking toward next year.

For some players, free agency is looming and they’ve been behind the eight ball all year. Some need to finish strong in hopes of cashing in a huge payday this offseason.

Here’s a look at 15 soon-to-be free agents who need a huge finish to get those big bucks.

Begin Slideshow

With the recent suspensions in the Biogenesis scandal, steroids are a topic of discussion in many circles.

However, there are some people that take it to a different level, perpetuating lies for air time.

Last week it was Jack Clark on his radio show, who claimed that Albert Pujols’ trainer told him Pujols took PEDs. Thankfully Clark was fired for those comments.

This week, it was a person pretending to be former major leaguer Shane Spencer, claiming he took steroids while with the New York Yankees.

According to ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews, the interview happened with host Mike Lindsley of ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team. By the time it was revealed that the interview was a hoax, word had already reached the Yankees:

By then, the content of the interview—the bogus “Spencer” claimed to have taken steroids as a Yankee—had reached the Yankees clubhouse; Derek Jeter, whose name was mentioned by the hoaxster, listened to it shortly before Tuesday’s game against the Angels and had Charlie Wonsowicz, the Yankees head video coordinator, call the real Shane Spencer in the clubhouse of the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League, for whom he serves as the hitting coach.

“I listened to (the interview) for about a minute and I about threw up,” Spencer told ESPNNewYork.com by telephone Tuesday night. “I just want it out there that it wasn’t me.”

“I am outraged that someone would do this and at the same time disappointed that the station believed it to be me despite not coming from the contact information they had for me…”

While station officials said they are still investigating who perpetuated the hoax, a message must be sent once again.

Lindsley has no excuse for allowing the interview to go on, knowing full well an agreement on an interview wasn’t reached. Maybe there was nobody else to fill that time slot, but what happened is sickening, especially considering how volatile the subject of steroids is.

Radio and TV personalties, and writers need to be held accountable for the words they say or write. There’s a difference in stating your opinion than stating your opinion as fact.

Clark can believe all he wants that Pujols took steroids, but when he attributed that claim to someone else, he was presenting a “fact” to his listeners.

The same goes for Lindsley. When he was having the interview with the fake Spencer, listeners believed it was the real Spencer. When it’s found to be a fallacy, that takes away from the credibility of not only the show, but the station itself.

While we have all enjoyed the daily jokes on Alex Rodriguez and other confirmed PED users, throwing a name out there to see if it will stick is inexcusable.

I understand the radio game is all about ratings, but you should never drag someone’s name through the mud for the sake of ratings.

Doing so puts you on the same level as Ryan Braun and Lance Armstrong, both of which ruined people’s careers just to save themselves.

I expect an apology and some type of disciplinary action from the radio station. This sort of stuff should not be tolerated.

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On June 21, the Los Angeles Dodgers were at the lowest of lows.

They had just lost to the San Diego Padres (5-2), had lost nine of their last 12 and were in last place, 9.5 games back in the NL West.

Then, something happened.

Since then, they’ve gone 38-8, have an overall record of 68-50 and sit 7.5 games up in the NL West.

For a team that has dealt with injuries to Josh Beckett, Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley (among others), the Dodgers have been amazing.

But what caused the sudden turnaround?

Yasiel Puig

Puig made his official debut on June 3 and took the league by storm.

We saw what he could do in spring training when he batted .517 with three home runs and 11 RBI. Then when he got called up, he hit .500 with four home runs and 10 RBI in his first week. It was a week-long debut unlike any other many of us had ever seen.

While there have been various incidents (the brawl in Arizona, the overaggressiveness and shunning Luis Gonzalez), there’s no doubt Puig-Mania is alive in Los Angeles.

Puig has cooled down (just a little), batting .371 with 11 home runs and 27 RBI for the year.

All in all, he’s brought a ton of energy into the Dodgers lineup, which was something that was needed.

The Plan

With the new ownership group, there was a plan to mimic the New York Yankees and spend, spend, spend.

The Dodgers traded for Beckett, Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto last year, taking on $58.25 million in salary just in 2013. There was the trade for Hanley Ramirez last year as well, adding another $15.5 million in salary for this year.

They also brought in Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu for the rotation. At the beginning of the season, the team payroll sat at $220 million.

All of those players have been able to contribute in some form or fashion.

Gonzalez has contributed 16 home runs and 75 RBI while Crawford has done well, batting .295. Greinke and Ryu have contributed 21 wins and 211 strikeouts as well.

Although he started the season on the disabled list, Ramirez has been tearing it up, batting .359 and showing shades of the old Han-Ram. 

Ironically, Ramirez started hitting the ball well on June 19, having batted .379 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI since then.

Josh Beckett on the DL

How has Beckett contributed? He’s stayed on the disabled list.

Beckett has long been considered a clubhouse cancer. He was at the center of the beer and chicken fiasco in Boston, and (according to Aaron Gleeman of NBC Sports) then-Marlins manager Jack McKeon had to lock the clubhouse door in 2003 to keep Beckett out of it during the game.

The pitcher seems to have never had an interest in the game when he’s not playing.

I find it ironic that the Dodgers have had a lot of success without Beckett. Coincidence?

Conclusion

So many things have gone right for the Dodgers, but the biggest charge into the team came from Puig.

Without his energy and passion, there’s no way the Dodgers would be in first place right now.

He is a major reason why the Dodgers didn’t fold in early June and a big reason why manager Don Mattingly still has a job.

There’s no doubt the other players contributed a lot as well, but if I could point to the biggest factor, there are none bigger than Puig.

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The Washington Nationals are watching the season fall apart right before their eyes.

In the latest incident for a team that hasn’t lived up to expectations, Jayson Werth and Gio Gonzalez had to be separated after Gonzalez failed to cover first for an inning-ending double play.

It’s just one in a long list of things that have gone wrong for the Nationals this year.

The frustrations likely stem from the fact that the Nationals sit at 57-60 and 14 games out in the NL East.

Then, there’s this:

It appears Gonzalez could have been unhappy about Werth lackadaisically getting to the ball on a first-inning double, while Werth was unhappy about Gonzalez not covering first.

Regardless, both players made mistakes in the first inning but wanted to focus on their teammate’s mistake. 

Twitter also had a reaction:

Everything has come to a head.

Will players start jumping down each other’s throats when a mistake is made? Where’s the leadership?

Players like Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche need to take this team by the horns and restore order to the clubhouse. The only real sign of leadership coming this year has been courtesy of Bryce Harper, who told Dan Kolko of MASNSports.com that the team needed to show some heart.

But Harper, who is only 20, shouldn’t be responsible for assuming the role of a veteran. That type of influence needs to come from guys who have the experience to back it up.

That lack of leadership is why the Nationals have struggled in 2013 and why incidents like this are happening.

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