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The New York Yankees, winners of five in a row and eight of 10, are on a roll, climbing to within 3.5 games of a postseason spot as they head to Tampa Bay—one of the American League’s wild-card leaders—for a three-game series this weekend.

With Andy Pettitte showing signs of life on the mound, Alex Rodriguez‘s drama fueling the collective spirit of the team last Sunday night in Boston, and a much-improved offense since the return of Curtis Granderson and the acquisition of Alfonso Soriano, the Yankees might just have enough to make a real run through September and into the postseason.

Of course, it won’t be as easy as it’s looked over the last two weeks. If the Yankees do rally all the way back and qualify for October again, they’ll have to overcome two stumbling blocks: the impending disappearance of the hapless Toronto Blue Jays from their schedule and CC Sabathia’s yearlong issues on the mound.

Upon the completion of yesterday’s sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Yankees moved to 12-1 on the season against the preseason American League East favorites. During those 13 games, New York has outscored Toronto by 28 runs. If you remove the Blue Jays from the ledger, the Yankees are 57-58 on the season. New York’s run differential, currently sitting at plus-two, would be a staggeringly poor minus-26.

In other words, they’ve been a below-average team when facing everyone but the 2013 Toronto Blue Jays.

With six games left on the schedule against Toronto, pencil the Yankees in for four or five more crucial victories, but the bulk of their time against each other has passed. If New York is going to continue sweeping series and winning 70 to 80 percent of its games in the midst of a big run, it’ll have to find a way to be better against the rest of baseball.

Of course, winning against the rest of baseball would be an easier task for this Yankees group if it had the CC Sabathia who arrived in the Bronx in 2009 and dominated in pinstripes. Thus far in 2013, he’s been nothing close to the pitcher who was worth a contract in excess of $161 million.

From 2009 to 2012, Sabathia pitched to a 3.22 ERA, struck out 8.2 batters per nine innings and posted a K/BB ratio of 3.34. In other words, he was a star, giving the Yankees durable, excellent pitching atop the mound.

For a team always in the mix for a postseason spot, his ability to perform better as the season wore on became a calling card for the left-hander and was something New York could bank on if wins were needed in the second half of the season.

Since debuting for the Indians in 2001, Sabathia has pitched to a 3.45-average ERA in the second half of the season, compared to 3.69 in the first half. Since arriving in New York, his second-half ERAs were 2.74, 3.29, 3.44 and 3.29.

Thus far in 2013, Sabathia has pitched to a 7.86 ERA since the All-Star break, failing to complete the seventh inning in five of his six starts. In 34.1 innings, Sabathia has allowed a whopping 63 batters to reach base.

As the Yankees try to make a run, long winning streaks and the ability to stop one-game skids from becoming two or three will be critical to catching and surpassing the teams above them in the standings.

Without the Blue Jays to beat up, the Yankees will need much better pitching from their ace.

If they don’t get it, the stumbling blocks toward a run at October could be too much to overcome.

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As Red Sox Nation holds their collective breath for the return of Clay Buchholz, a quick look at the Boston rotation should strike fear into the heart of anyone that believes the 2013 squad is poised to join the 2007 and 2004 teams as recent World Champions.

An argument can be made, and will be over the next few paragraphs, that the Red Sox won’t enter the postseason with an “ace,” which could cost them a shot at the 2013 Fall Classic.

Of course, defining an “ace” can be an arduous task, but for the purposes of this piece, we’ll combine durability with at least an above-average ERA during the regular season.

Since 2004, every World Series winner has had at least one pitcher on their respective staffs surpass 200 innings and post an ERA-plus (adjusted year by year for league factors in the run-changing environment) of at least 108.

In some seasons, the eventual World Series winner boasted multiple arms with that distinction.

The following is a list of the regular-season “aces” on each World Series winner since 2004. Not all of these arms carried those particular teams in the postseason, but many played major roles in securing a World Series championship.

2012: San Francisco Giants: Matt Cain
2011: St. Louis Cardinals: Chris Carpenter
2010: San Francisco Giants: Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum
2009: New York Yankees: CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte
2008: Philadelphia Phillies: Cole Hamels
2007: Boston Red Sox: Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka
2006: St. Louis Cardinals: Chris Carpenter
2005: Chicago White Sox: Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland and Jose Contreras
2004: Boston Red Sox: Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez

Unless Jon Lester (165 IP, 102 ERA-plus) improves dramatically down the stretch, the Red Sox won’t boast one of those arms in their rotation this season. It doesn’t mean the team can’t compete in the postseason, but choosing a pitcher or two to carry the staff against other aces becomes tough to do.

When looking at ERA-plus, Clay Buchholz’s mark of 246 is outrageous, highlighting just how good he was before his injury. But the time lost to the disabled list and slow rehab process makes it difficult to assume that he will be either healthy or dominant in October.

The in-season trade for Jake Peavy gave Boston insurance for Buchholz‘s injury, but they hardly acquired the Cy Young-caliber arm of the 2007 season.

John Lackey has stayed healthy and effective for most of the season, but he likely won’t reach the 200-inning plateau to join the 200, 108-plus club.

As the 2013 season steamrolls toward the stretch run and October, it’s very likely the Red Sox will enter the postseason picture, regardless of their ace-less rotation. According to MLB.com’s postseason probabilities, the Red Sox, sitting at 75-54 entering play on Friday evening, hold a 92.5 percent chance of making the playoffs.

If that comes to fruition, their staff will possibly go up against arms like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Matt Garza, Yu Darvish and Davis Price to reach the World Series.

If they succeed and achieve big success, including a World Series parade in Boston, it will be surprising considering their good, yet not great, rotation.

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Derek Jeter is currently in Tampa, rehabbing from a calf injury and trying to make it back to the Bronx for the stretch run of the 2013 season. In the aftermath of a fractured ankle set back and subsequent leg injuries, the 39-year-old shortstop has played in just five games this season. 

In the late-60s, the New York Yankees franchise dealt with the decline and eventual retirement of then franchise icon Mickey Mantle. At the time of his retirement, Mantle held the record for most games played in pinstripes. That record now belongs to Jeter.

While Mantle’s legacy stayed intact, his final days on the field were filled with injuries, positional changes and decline in production.

On behalf of baseball fans, especially those in New York, the following is an open plea to Derek Jeter to not become Mickey Mantle 2.0. If Jeter’s body continues to fail him through the winter and early next spring training, the comparisons to Mantle won’t end.

Mickey Mantle was a .305 career hitter through the end of the 1965 season, his 16th year in the major leagues. Derek Jeter was a .313 career hitter through the end of the 2012 season, his 17th full year in the major leagues.

Starting in 1966 and continuing through the 1967 season, Mantle hit .241 in 1,100 plate appearances, lowering his career average to .298. While the mark hardly diminished his legacy, especially in an era that now values on-base percentage more than batting average, the below .300 finish ate at Mantle.

Derek Jeter hit .316 in 2012. In five games, a very, very small sample size, Jeter got off to a .211 start. When, or, if, he returns for the end of the 2013 season, there will be major concerns over Derek Jeter’s ability to hit like he has since 1996. If he can’t produce offensively, the Yankees will soon face a dilemma surrounding his playing time due to Jeter’s poor defense at shortstop.

In other words, Jeter can’t hit like Mantle did in his last two seasons and still remain in the everyday lineup. His power and defense won’t provide enough value unless he hits and reaches base at a high clip.

Production aside, the Yankees are entering a transition period of their franchise. While contending for one of the two wild card spots is still in play for New York, the team isn’t the juggernaut of the late-90s or early 2000s. In fact, imagining a drought without postseason baseball in the Bronx isn’t difficult.

Jeter, since arriving in the Bronx as a sensational, franchise changing rookie shortstop in 1996, has missed the postseason just once.

Similarly, Mickey Mantle played in the postseason in all but two Octobers from 1951 through 1964. In his final three years, the franchise finished sixth, tenth and ninth, respectively, in the American League standings. Without the luxury of wild cards, or even the LCS, New York and Mantle were well, well short of the postseason.

Jeter has $9.5 million reasons to return in 2014, and it’s expected that he will, trying to put the bad taste of 2013 out of his mouth. If he can find his health and hitting form of the last two decades, the Yankees will gladly pay that salary for a soon-to-be 40-year-old shortstop. If he can’t, however, the team and shortstop will deal with uncharted territory in 2014 and beyond.

Mantle went out a shell of himself. Jeter doesn’t have to if he realizes he can’t physically do the job any longer.

Last winter, Derek Jeter’s day-by-day progress in Tampa was a major story in New York. He vowed to be back at shortstop for opening day against Boston. Of course, that never happened.

Unfortunately for Yankees fans, the prospect of Jeter’s health moving forward hasn’t become any less murky. If he doesn’t recover soon and finish 2013 strong, the narratives out of spring training 2014 could be about Jeter’s ability to ever play regularly again.

For a future Hall of Famer with 13 All-Star appearances, 72.3 career Wins Above Replacement and five World Series rings, holding on and fighting father time shouldn’t be part of the long-term legacy.

Jeter has followed in Mickey Mantle’s footsteps admirably as the face of the Yankees, on-field leader and legendary winner.

He doesn’t have to when it comes to the end of a storied career.

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After a storied run in Philadelphia, one that included a World Series title, Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is out, according to ESPN.com. In a joint press conference with general manager Ruben Amaro Friday, the franchise’s most highly decorated manager gave his goodbyes to the fans and city he has known since 2005.

“I did not resign and I did not quit,” Manuel said at the news conference. “I think it was an agreement.”

In Manuel’s place: onetime Phillies farmhand and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg.

Although the timing was curious and the “interim” tag on Sandberg suggests an organization that is not sure about its short- or long-term future, the candidate tabbed to take over immediately is the perfect fit for the organization.

Simply put, the Phillies’ current third base coach has earned a chance at a managerial gig. After Sandberg spent years working his way up through the Chicago Cubs system from Single-A Peoria to Triple-A Iowa, the franchise bypassed him for the managerial gig when the team transitioned top-level management.

Keith Moreland, a teammate of Sandberg’s in Chicago, credited Sandberg in an interview with Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune on Friday for taking the steps necessary to transition from Hall of Fame player to bottom-of-the-totem-poll manager in the Chicago minor league system. He also cited how the new Phillies manager persevered through the difficult news of missing out on the Cubs’ managerial job in 2010.

“He went back and started at the lowest level you can start and worked his way back,” said Moreland. “I think it was really important for him to get back in the big leagues as a coach. I think that really helped him get into this position to be a big league manager. Now the work comes. I wish him all the best of luck except when they play against the Cubs.”

In Philadelphia, Sandberg will be awarded the final 42 games of the 2013 season to show his mettle in the dugout, but expecting big results would be foolish. With a roster that is sorely lacking sufficient talent, wins and losses cannot be the only way to evaluate “Ryno” over the next six-plus weeks.

Considering that the blazing-hot Dodgers are Sandberg’s first managerial test, the ability to coax wins out of an overmatched group would be impressive but far from imperative.

In order to compete atop the NL East quickly, the Phillies must look to move in a new direction, infuse young talent into the big league roster, revamp the minor league system and update their player evaluation tactics.

Sandberg has done more than enough on the field and minor league manager to earn his shot. His dedication to giving his “very best effort and very top performance” will serve him well on the bench—much like it did during his playing days.

Now comes the harder part: proving he can handle the other aspects of the job like the fans, media, expectations and a growing trend toward high acumen in the dugout. With instant replay set to expand—slated to include manager challenges and possible replays on everything besides the strike zone—Sandberg’s challenges won’t be small.

As you can tell from the comments here, it’s safe to say many in the Philly fanbase expected Sandberg to get the call when Charlie Manuel’s day was up. On Friday, that moment occurred.

Although an interim tag suggests that a long, thorough process may take place in the offseason, Sandberg’s work and familiarity with the team will certainly give him a major leg up in the search for the long-term Manuel successor.

Considering the other possible managerial candidates out there for Philadelphia (Sandy Alomar, Omar Vizquel, Juan Samuel, Wally Backman), Sandberg’s ascension and promotion make the most sense. If he’s viewed as a future managerial star, the future should start now.

Although Manuel’s departure signals an end of, arguably, the greatest era of Phillies baseball, it can allow the franchise to move on with a fresh start. Ironically, one of the best players the organization allowed to get away is now the on-field leader.

If Ryne Sandberg is half as strong in the dugout as he was at second base, the future of the Phillies will be secure from a coaching, teaching and strategy perspective.

The next impending issue for the franchise: putting productive players on the field for Sandberg to motivate and mold.

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When Matt Harvey toes the rubber on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, the hour glass of his 2013 season will continue to run out. Every dynamic, scoreless inning will land the Mets ace and NL Cy Young contender closer to a September shutdown.

According to MLB.com’s Antony DiComo, the Mets will likely end Harvey’s season when he reaches the 200-inning plateau. Heading into tonight’s game, Harvey sits at 159.2 innings for the season, leaving him with just over 40 innings remaining before a shutdown.

Due to an elbow injury to Jeremy Hefner, the team has transitioned back to a five-man rotation. While that is much more palatable to Harvey, pitching every fifth day will speed up his end date. If the 24-year-old star averages 6.9 innings per start (his average in 23 starts this season) over the next month, he will hit the 200-inning mark within seven starts.

Considering the 46 games remaining in the Mets season, Harvey would likely miss at least the last two starts of the season if circumstances do not change or the Mets rearrange off days and skip starts to enable their ace to finish the last week of the season.

When speaking to DiComo, Harvey didn’t seem to mind missing a start or two, but anything more would bother the young right-handed pitcher.

“Obviously, I’m not going to be happy to miss any starts, but if it’s a week, I’m not going to look at it like I didn’t finish a full season,” Harvey said.

Of course, the news and eventual shutdown raises the question for Mets fans: Is the franchise doing the wrong thing by limiting Harvey’s innings?

If the objective revolves around Harvey hoisting the National League Cy Young trophy, the answer is a resounding yes.

Since 2004, factoring in the move towards restrictive pitch counts, no National League Cy Young winner threw less than 214.1 innings in the award winning season. In most years, the eventual winner pitched between 225-240 innings. With a voting populous that now values, well, value such as WAR, a major tenant to the formula is innings volume.

In other words, a high innings arm is more valuable than a similar, lower innings arm.

Harvey might be having a better season than Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals or Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, but shutting him down will prevent him from crossing the Cy Young finish line.

If the objective revolves around Harvey staying healthy for the long-term interests of the New York Mets, the Mets are not making a mistake.

In fact, they are doing the right thing for the best interests of the franchise.

Allowing Harvey to exceed 200 innings in 2013 would put his season ledger more than 30 full innings over his 2012 mark. Last season, splitting time between the minors and Flushing, Queens, Harvey threw 169.2 brilliant innings.

While it’s impossible to concoct a perfect formula for progressively developing young arms, 30 innings has become an acceptable jumping point in building up from year to year.

Ideally, if Harvey reaches 200 innings in 2013, he can be a full throttle, 230-inning arm for the Mets in the foreseeable future.

Depriving Mets fans of the ability to watch Harvey compete for Cy Young award and finish his first full season in New York may disappointing in the short-term, but worth the risk for the long-term in order to keep a dynamic young arm healthy.

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Thanks to the backing of a brilliant Cole Hamels performance and flashy, game-ending defensive play from rookie third baseman Cody Asche, the Philadelphia Phillies cooled down the red-hot Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

What would have normally passed for an innocuous August victory for a Phillies club destined for a losing season instead became a celebration of manager Charlie Manuel.

Philadelphia’s 53rd victory of 2013 wasn’t just another notch in the win column for an aging team, but rather the 1,000th career victory for Manuel as a skipper.

After the game, Manuel, speaking to Comcast Sports Net’s Jim Salisbury, was reflective of his career, especially the winning achieved in Philadelphia.

“It’s definitely quite an achievement,” Manuel said. “Like I told my players, they’re the ones that make it happen. They play. The two organizations I’ve been with, they’re the ones that get the players for me. That just goes to show you just how good they are. It’s hard for me to stand there and say I accept all of my accolades because the other people are definitely achieving those for you. That’s kind of how I look at it. I’m sure later on it probably means a lot more to me than right now. We’re still trying to win some games.”

The last sentence of that quote is unfortunately the story in Philadelphia now, as Manuel’s tenure could be coming to a close at the conclusion of the 2013 season.

As the Phillies chug along to a second consecutive season without postseason baseball, the Charlie Manuel Era can’t properly be broken down and evaluated based on the end, but rather must be reflective upon the totality of accomplishments in Philadelphia under his watch.

From the day he arrived until now, the Phillies have been one of the National League’s better teams. Starting in 2007, the team reeled off five consecutive National League East titles, advanced to three National League Championship Series, two World Series, and, of course, brought a World Series championship to Philadelphia in 2008.

When the roster was flush with prime-aged talent (think Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth before age and attrition), Manuel, the former hitting guru in Cleveland, presided over a relentless and punishing offensive attack.

Every night under Manuel’s watch, the Phillies were going to bring two attributes to the paying customers: Hard-hitting and inspired play.

From 2007-2011, the Phillies offense ranked second, seventh, sixth, 11th and 15th, respectively, in all of MLB in team OPS. Considering their place in the National League, without the luxury of a designated hitter, finishing in the top half of the sport in on-base plus slugging for five straight years is quite the accomplishment.

As the roster, specifically the offensive firepower, has taken a downturn over the years, the hard-hitting expectations have fallen precipitously, but the players have always respected and played hard for a manager that earned his keep in a city that can be notoriously tough on coaches.

It’s likely that Manuel’s last days in the Phillies dugout become uncomfortable for both the franchise and fanbase. Despite his accolades as a hitting coach and accountability from his 25-man roster, Manuel’s age (69) and in-game shortcomings make it highly unlikely that a rebuilding team keeps him in the fold to oversee the next era of Phillies baseball.

However, years from now, when the dust settles on the last era of Phillies baseball, Manuel should be recognized alongside the players, executives and coaches that made the 2007-2011 teams so dominant.

Charlie Manuel was the perfect manager for those teams. In a city that has been starved for professional championships, Manuel delivered what so few others couldn’t.

His place on the Phillies Wall of Fame should be secured.

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Late-night television talk shows made headlines in the world of baseball Thursday night.

First, Mark Cuban, appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, had some choice words and opinions about Alex Rodriguez and Bud Selig.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was also the subject of a much-talked about late-night moment, but as usual, it was for something much less controversial than the world of Alex Rodriguez.

Appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the host, joined by The Roots, took it upon himself to introduce Jeter to new walk-up music for use during his Yankee Stadium at-bats.

The entire bit was hilarious, well done and clearly enjoyed by Jeter.

Each of the three potential future Jeter walk-up sounds was, well, unique.

The first two, performed by an overly excited Fallon, nearly brought Jeter to tears of laughter.

Fallon began the festivities by asking Jeter to walk from behind the curtain to a home plate set up on the stage, simulating his walk to the plate from the on-deck circle at Yankee Stadium. Then the real fun began.

While it’s unlikely Jeter would use either the over-the-top fan-favorite rendition or the heavy-rock, loud and brash rendition, he did seem to really, really enjoy The Roots’ third and final try at a new song.

In part one of the Jeter interview, Fallon and the future Hall of Fame shortstop spoke about a Jeter charity event and party that Fallon was invited to attend years back. Among the highlights of that conversation: Fallon’s embarrassing first time meeting Michael Jordan, golf talk from two non-golfers and where a group of celebrities and athletes finally found a lost Fallon at the Hard Rock hotel.

This wasn’t Jeter’s first foray into late-night comedy. As the interviewer and interviewee noted during Thursday night’s interview, the Yankees shortstop hosted Saturday Night Live 12 years ago. Although Jeter has always been measured and calm when dealing with the media, he’s actually thought of as a really funny and outgoing guy around his teammates and friends.

In a world of sports coverage where every quote is dissected for meaning, Jeter rarely provides anything to spark the flames in New York.

Yet when given a forum, like Thursday night with Fallon, he delivered a fun and interesting pair of segments.

Moving forward, don’t expect many more late-night television appearances from Jeter or to start hearing Fallon’s vocal cords introduce him to the Bronx crowd when he returns from the disabled list, but The Roots’ work would actually be really fun to hear in Yankee Stadium.

Jeter has suggested he may transition into ownership when his career ends, but if Thursday night showed anything about his post-career potential, Fallon shouldn’t have to look far for a co-host on his talk show.

In a baseball world of controversy and harping on performance-enhancing drug issues, coverage of the sport can use some levity.

If A-Rod’s return to the Bronx is throwing you into a tizzy, re-watch Jeter’s face when Fallon’s vocal cords begin to crack. It’s worth the click!

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Lost in the shuffle of Alex Rodriguez‘s return was the departure, for the third time this season, of New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter.

As the 39-year-old shortstop exited the active roster with a strained calf, his future as a healthy and productive major league player would have been the topic of conversation on the YES Network and MLB Network on Monday night had it not been for the Biogenesis fallout and Rodriguez appeal.

Heading into an offseason that holds an $8 million player option for Jeter to decide upon, it’s becoming increasingly clear that his days are numbered. From the fractured ankle last October to multiple setbacks to the quad injury upon returning to the recent sore calf, Jeter’s body is betraying him.

For a player as durable and productive as Jeter since debuting in 1996, it’s strange to see his body fail him before his skill set truly diminishes. 

Simply put, Derek Jeter can still hit enough to be a top-of-the-order bat in any lineup. Last season, Jeter led the American League in hits (216) and posted a .791 OPS. This year, while spending all but five games sidelined, only three shortstops (Jean Segura, Jhonny Peralta and Ian Desmond) have eclipsed Jeter’s OPS mark from 2012. Considering that Peralta is now serving a 50-game suspension for connection to Biogenesis, a healthy Derek Jeter would still profile as one of the best offensive shortstops in the game.

Yet the 13-time All-Star can’t stay healthy long enough to provide a jolt to the Yankees offense. 

Considering how durable Jeter was from 1996-2012, the frustration inside the New York dugout and clubhouse must be overwhelming. On his way to contributing 72.2 WAR for a dominant string of Yankees teams, Jeter averaged 151 games played per season over his first 17 big league campaigns. Outside of a long-term calf injury in 2011 and dislocated shoulder in 2003, Jeter was allergic to the disabled list.

That durability helped him rack up over 3,000 hits and surpass all but two (Omar Vizquel and Luis Aparico) shortstops on the all-time games played list for the position.

Now, as Jeter is sidelined again, it’s fair to wonder if the wear and tear of playing a demanding defensive position, rarely taking a day off and racking up nearly 12,000 plate appearances has caught up to his aging body.

The thought of retirement hasn’t crossed Jeter’s lips to reporters around the team, but he wouldn’t put anything like that out for public consumption.

With a reasonable player option, for both team and player, it’s likely that the shortstop will enter 2014 on his last long-term contract ever from the New York Yankees. With one year left to stay healthy and prove his worth for 2015 and beyond, the season could take on a farewell-tour atmosphere, even if Jeter isn’t keen on the idea.

Regardless of how Jeter’s contract status shakes out from now through the end of 2014, it’s becoming more and more apparent that New York will look for an adequate contingency plan this winter. In Jeter’s absence, luminaries such as Chris Nelson, Eduardo Nunez, Reid Brignac, Alberto Gonzalez and Luis Cruz combined to post a collective slugging percentage under .300. 

Of course, Nunez was held out of franchise-changing trade talks to provide left-side-of-the-infield relief when Jeter and/or Alex Rodriguez missed time or transitioned to the designated hitter spot of the lineup. Due to his own injury and ineffectiveness, the losses of Jeter and Rodriguez were exacerbated. 

Offensively, Jeter may rebound in September or hit enough in 2014 to warrant a discussion about a run at Tris Speaker and top five of the all-time hit list. Yet, if 2012 and 2013 represent the trend in Jeter’s aging career, his ability to stay healthy and on the field is going to become the focal point over the waning days of his storied time in New York.

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Imagine this scene in early October: Bud Selig, on hand for the Yankees–Red Sox one-game wild card playoff, avoiding cameras during the game during each Alex Rodriguez at-bat. The appeal process has dragged on just like MLBPA head Michael Weiner predicted, allowing Rodriguez to play out the season.

Now, with two RBI singles and solid defense at third base, A-Rod has helped the Yankees rally into October.

After watching Rodriguez’s return in Chicago on Monday night, the scenario above does seem far-fetched due to New York’s issues on the mound and outside media distractions, but the specter of a magical run through August and September isn’t impossible.

If the Yankees do rally, lead by Rodriguez’s bat in the middle of their lineup, expect one of the most awkward forms of postseason coverage in baseball history.

Throughout the Biogenesis case and fallout, baseball fans have nary heard a denial on performance-enhancing drug use from the former three-time MVP, but rather the ability for due process and a fair hearing to state his case for a lesser suspension, if not total leniency from baseball.

If there was a chance A-Rod was totally innocent, the thought of his latest comeback bid turning into a rallying point for fans and spectators would exist, but that doesn’t seem to be close to reality.

Instead, baseball fans are dealing with a player that has come off as disingenuous, yet in love with the game. During Rodriguez’s press conference in Chicago on Monday, the only remarks that felt sincere centered around how grateful he was to be playing Major League Baseball again.

Now, if he can play it well, the Yankees will have the opportunity to benefit in the present and future. If the final ruling on A-Rod’s appeal lasts into the offseason, the team can extract two months of his bat, but possibly rid themselves of his salary and headache for 2014. Considering their self-imposed mandate of landing under the $189 million luxury tax next season, extracting Rodriguez’s salary from the books can go a long way toward the goal.

For the 2013 team, sitting at 57-54 heading into play Tuesday night in Chicago, offense is a problem. Despite owning a pitching staff that has only allowed 439 runs on the season, New York sports a minus-18 run differential. In realty, they profile as a below-.500 team attempting to make a miraculous run at 90 or more wins.

Rodriguez’s role in this puzzle was clear when Yankees manager Joe Girardi penciled him into the fourth spot in the lineup Monday. Despite his age (38) and multiple hip surgeries in the last four years, the team still is counting on a productive Rodriguez.

Of course, if CC Sabathia (4.78 ERA) and Andy Pettitte (5.64 ERA since June 10) can’t find themselves on the mound, the offensive boon Rodriguez provides will likely go for naught.

However, if New York rallies, the narratives around A-Rod’s latest chapter can change for the better. Although he’ll never be beloved by Yankees fans and New Yorkers, re-writing the last chapters of story can’t hurt a legacy that includes recent entries of postseason failure, injury and steroid allegations.

Despite leading, literally and figuratively, the Yankees to a World Series title in 2009, Rodriguez’s contract is disdained in New York and labeled one of the worst in professional sports.

There’s little that A-Rod can do over the next two months to change the entire story, but one positive chapter won’t hurt. Besides, even if he’s disliked, a curtain call for big hits and season-changing moments isn’t out of the question.

For fans, winning is what matters most. As for Bud Selig? Well, don’t expect any rousing ovations at postseason games.

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Heading into play on August 2, 16 of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams are within 7.5 games of a postseason berth. In other words, more than half of the sport is within reasonable striking distance of the chance to compete in the October tournament.

With the non-waiver trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, most contenders are finished making major acquisitions. While it’s always possible that expensive, long-term contracts can slip through the waiver wire for a franchise-changing move, it’s not likely to happen.

Outside of impact players (Curtis Granderson, Brett Anderson, Matt Harrison), each contender must make the best of the 40-man roster currently at its disposal. 

By Monday, each team will have played roughly 112 games. With 50 or so to guess upon, here’s a look at how the final records could look.

Factoring in injuries, potential Biogenesis discipline and strength of schedule, the following is a look into the crystal ball of the final 2013 MLB regular-season standings.

Keep the arguments cordial in the comment section, folks!

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