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The Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers will meet in the American League Division Series for the second year in a row, which means the Rangers are set to reignite their feud with Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista.

“They might have a reason to dislike me,” Bautista said Wednesday, according to the Toronto Star‘s Bruce Arthur. “I think I have a few more reasons to dislike them.”

The 35-year-old delivered the decisive blow that knocked the Rangers out of the playoffs last year, hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh of the fifth and final game of the series.

Bautista savored his drive with a prodigious bat flip:

The moment continued to irk the Rangers months later. Bautista and Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor were involved in a scuffle May 15. After Texas reliever Matt Bush hit Bautista with a pitch, Bautista retaliated with a hard slide into second, which sparked a brawl:

Bautista said he won’t let his emotions get the better of him during the ALDS, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet: “I’m not looking for revenge. I’m looking to win ballgames.”

Odor also downplayed the possibility of any simmering tension spilling over into the playoffs, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi:

The second baseman whose punch to Bautista’s jaw triggered a wild brawl between the clubs May 15 described the ALDS with the Blue Jays as “just a series,” and noted “we’re just trying to do our best and try to play how we’ve been playing.”

Lingering bad blood?

“That’s over already, we’re just trying to win this series and win how we play.”

Game 1 is scheduled for Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Marco Estrada will start for Toronto, while Cole Hamels will take the bump for Texas. The Blue Jays owned a slim edge in their seven regular-season meetings this year, going 4-3.

Whatever happens in the ALDS, it’s unlikely to extinguish the bad blood between the two teams.

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The 2016 regular season is over, and the field is set for the MLB playoffs, which begin Tuesday.

The postseason field was largely set heading into Sunday, with a handful of games determining the last few wild-card spots.

The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, 2-1, denying Boston a chance to host Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians. Toronto earned a wild-card spot earlier in the day following the Detroit Tigers’ 1-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

The Blue Jays will host the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday to determine who faces the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.

In the National League, the New York Mets will host the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to the NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs.

Below is a look at the 2016 playoff schedule and two lingering questions surrounding a World Series contender from each league.

2016 MLB Playoff Schedule

Postseason Storylines

Can the Indians Overcome Injuries to Key Players?

Nobody was happier than the Indians to see the regular season end, since it means they can go a few days without another important player getting hurt.

Cleveland has played the entire season without one of its best hitters, Michael Brantley, while Yan Gomes has been limited to 73 games. Just when the veteran catcher was nearing his return, he fractured his wrist on his rehab assignment in September.

As if that’s not bad enough, Carlos Carrasco is out for the postseason, while Danny Salazar’s availability is still up in the air. Oh, and Cy Young Award contender Corey Kluber suffered a quad strain as the regular season drew to a close.

Relief pitcher Andrew Miller talked about how a total team effort helped compensate for all of the injuries, per Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes: “It’s not the bullpen, it’s not the defense, it’s not the offense, it’s not the starting pitchers. This team just finds a way. I don’t remember what [manager Terry Francona’s] quote was exactly, but he made an awesome quote about a week ago when he said, ‘We’ll figure it out.'”

Miller and his fellow relievers will be a big factor in whether the Indians advance to the American League Championship Series and beyond. Cleveland paid a steep price to acquire the dominant lefty, and this is when he’ll be expected to deliver.

A great bullpen can take a team a long way in the postseason. Just ask the Kansas City Royals, who rode their late-inning relievers to a World Series title in 2015.

As a whole, the Indians bullpen is among the best in baseball:

Cleveland isn’t devoid of offense. Mike Napoli hit a career-high 34 home runs this year, while Francisco Lindor is one of MLB’s top shortstops. Jose Ramirez continues to exceed expectations and deliver in the clutch.

The starting rotation has been a big reason for Cleveland’s success, though, and it’s impossible to win in the playoffs without good pitching. With Carrasco out and questions over Salazar’s and Kluber’s health, Francona will need to rely on his bullpen.

Hoynes already penned an obituary for the Indians’ World Series title hopes, illustrating the level of despair in Cleveland.

Francona has done a great job of working around the team’s injuries, and a number of players have stepped up to fill the void.

The Indians shouldn’t be written off, but their outlook doesn’t look promising.

Do the Cubs Live Up to the Hype?

Few teams in recent years have had higher expectations than the 2016 Chicago Cubs, and they’ve performed as expected.

They won 103 games and were the first team to clinch a division title (Sept. 15) this season. On an individual basis, Kris Bryant is the favorite to win the National League MVP Award, while the Cubs have two pitchers—Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks—in the top five of ESPN.com’s NL Cy Young predictor.

When the Cubs hired president of baseball operations Theo Epstein in 2011, it was perfect. After helping the Red Sox end their title drought, Epstein was taking over the most historically snakebitten franchise in baseball. The Cubs couldn’t have found anybody better to break their supposed curse.

When he joined the club in 2015, manager Joe Maddon explained how the work of Epstein and the front office was starting to bear fruit. He added Chicago found the perfect combination between the two schools of player development, per the Chicago Tribune‘s Mark Gonzales:

It doesn’t happen everywhere. It’s not like this everywhere. The way it has been built, the attention to detail, the human side. It’s not just numbers. There’s a very human side to all this. It’s a great balance. You have to strike a balance.

Any form of extremism is a bad moment, whether it’s liberal or conservative. Extremism is not good. There’s really a balance to be struck, especially in the business world and in our industry. Sometimes it tends to want to gravitate to either side and not understanding that both sides do matter right now.

Last year’s National League Championship Series sweep at the hands of the New York Mets was a disappointing outcome. But most fans kept the result in perspective.

The Cubs won only their second playoff series since their 1908 World Series triumph. In addition, last year’s trip to the playoffs was a look at what’s to come.

All of the stars are aligning for Chicago. Epstein has assembled a World Series-caliber roster, and in Maddon, the Cubs have one of the most tactically astute managers in the big leagues.

The team showed its desperation when it acquired Aroldis Chapman at the trade deadline. Presumably, the Cubs’ window for success extends beyond this season. With that said, failing to collect a World Series ring would be a terrible way to end an otherwise great campaign.

Note: Stats are courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted, and the full playoff schedule is available on MLB.com.

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A public memorial service was held Wednesday for former Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, and his family and friends held a private service Thursday.

The 24-year-old died Sunday morning in a boating accident.

WSVN 7 News shared Scott Boras‘ eulogy during Fernandez’s funeral Thursday. Boras was Fernandez’s agent:

The Sun Sentinel‘s Craig Davis posted a photo of fans honoring Fernandez on Wednesday at a memorial set up outside Marlins Park:

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported approximately 150 fans were on hand to pay tribute early in the day:

The Miami Herald‘s David Smiley reported an automobile procession began at Marlins Park on Wednesday and ended at Ermita de la Caridad (Shrine of Our Lady of Charity), and a public viewing was scheduled at St. Brendan Catholic Church.

The Miami Herald‘s Andre Fernandez showed the procession arriving at the church in the afternoon:

Upon its arrival, Jose Fernandez’s family draped his casket with his 2016 All-Star jersey, as Andre Fernandez shared:

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald posted a photo of Jose Fernandez’s teammates surrounding his hearse at Marlins Park:

WSVN‘s Katrina Bush shared a clip of the players escorting the hearse down its route:

WPTV’s Jason Hackett showed fans lining the route outside the stadium:

Fernandez’s death sent shock waves throughout baseball. He was one of the brightest talents and best pitchers in MLB. He reached his second All-Star Game earlier in the year and was a strong contender for the National League Cy Young Award.

The Marlins canceled Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves after Fernandez’s death was confirmed. In Miami’s first game back Monday, second baseman Dee Gordon led off with a solo home run:

It was Gordon’s first homer of the season.

“I ain’t never hit a ball that far, even in [batting practice],” he said of the moment, per Walter Villa of USA Today. “I told the boys, ‘If you all don’t believe in God, you better start.’ For that to happen today, we had some help.”

Team owner Jeffrey Loria announced Monday that the team will retire Fernandez’s No. 16 jersey. Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 jersey is honored leaguewide, is the only other player to have his number retired by the Marlins.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard missed his scheduled start on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies due to a bout with strep throat. 

It is currently unclear when he’ll return to the mound. 

Continue for updates. 

Latest on Syndergaard’s Timeline for Return

Saturday, Sept. 24

Syndergaard threw a bullpen session on Saturday, and the Mets “remain hopeful” he’ll start on either Monday or Tuesday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. 

Syndergaard Essential to Mets’ Rotation 

The Mets started Sean Gilmartin in place of Syndergaard on Saturday. 

Syndergaard’s dominance on the mound has been a source of both excitement and anxiety for Mets fans.

The 24-year-old is 13-9 with a 2.63 ERA through 29 starts. According to FanGraphs, his 10.60 strikeouts per nine innings are fourth among qualified starting pitchers.

Of course, even Thor has his vulnerabilities, and his impressive velocity is both a blessing and a curse. According to MLB.com’s Statcast data, his four-seam fastball averages 98.3 mph, while his sinker comes in at 98.0 mph.

Since he throws so hard, many fans wondered whether arm trouble would become an issue, and that’s what happened in June. He visited a doctor after experiencing elbow discomfort during his June 22 start against the Kansas City Royals. His July 8 start also ended abruptly after he started suffering arm fatigue.

New York has already lost Matt Harvey for the rest of the season, and it’s anybody’s guess as to how his thoracic outlet syndrome will affect his performance in 2017. 

Syndergaard is essential to the Mets making a run in the postseason if they get in, especially with the winner-take-all stakes in the wild-card matchup. Not having their No. 1 starter available for more than one start would alter their ability to advance if they make the playoffs.

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MLB suspended San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller on Thursday for 30 days, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported earlier in the day members of San Diego’s front office could face punishment for failing to properly disclose players’ medical information when negotiating trades with other teams.

In a statement on MLB.com, the league cited the July trade that sent pitcher Drew Pomeranz to the Boston Red Sox:

Major League Baseball has completed an investigation into the July 14th transaction in which [Pomeranz] was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Boston Red Sox. MLB’s Department of Investigations conducted the thorough review, which included interviews with relevant individuals from both Clubs. The findings were submitted to Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.

As a result of this matter, Major League Baseball announced today that A.J. Preller, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Padres, has received a 30-day suspension without pay.

MLB considers the matter closed and will have no further comment.

The Padres released the following statements after the announcement:

According to Olney, the Red Sox, along with the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox, complained about potential deception by the Padres.

Olney explained that MLB teams are supposed to log any medical information about a player into the Athlete Health Management System (formerly known as Sutton Medical System). The database is then used by other teams interested in trading for a certain player. The Padres, however, used a separate database in addition to the Sutton Medical System to gain a competitive edge:

The athletic trainers were told to post the details of any disabled-list-related medical situations on MLB’s central system, but they also were instructed to keep the specifics about preventive treatments only on the Padres’ internal notes. One source defined the distinction in this way: If a player was treated for a sore hamstring or shoulder without being placed on the disabled list, that sort of information was to be kept in-house, for use within the organization only.

According to the two sources with direct knowledge of the meetings, the athletic trainers were told that by splitting the medical files into two categories, the Padres would benefit in trade discussions.

After going 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts with San Diego this year, Pomeranz was 2-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 11 starts in Boston entering Thursday. His FIP has also climbed over a full run (4.81) from his half-season with the Padres (3.14), per Baseball-Reference.com.

“Sources within the Boston organization say it wasn’t until after the deal was made that they became aware of some of the preventive measures that had been provided for Pomeranz,” Olney wrote.

Colin Rea is a more clear-cut case of the Padres’ strategy backfiring. San Diego agreed to a deal with the Miami Marlins on July 29, which sent Rea and Andrew Cashner to South Florida. Days later, the Marlins traded Rea back to the Padres in exchange for pitching prospect Luis Castillo.

Rea exited his only start with the Marlins on July 30 with right elbow soreness and hasn’t pitched since.

It’s not a stretch to say Preller’s job could be in jeopardy.

Hardball Talk’s Craig Calcaterra highlighted one potential problem the GM will face going forward:

Preller’s 30-day suspension comes on top of what has been an underwhelming two years with the team.

His initial strategy to turn the Padres into a World Series contender overnight failed, as almost all of his marquee moves were busts. San Diego gave up the farm to add Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, Derek Norris, Matt Kemp, B.J. Upton and Wil Myers.

In return, the team won 74 games in 2015 and had a 62-84 record this year entering Thursday. While Preller bolstered the minor league system by flipping Kimbrel and trading Pomeranz, few teams have a bleaker long-term outlook than San Diego.

If ownership was looking for any more pretext to consider firing Preller, the revelations about the Padres’ trade tactics could be the tipping point that results in his departure.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge suffered an oblique strain in his team’s 3-0 win Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s been placed on the 15-day disabled list, per Jesse Spector of Sporting News.

Continue for updates.

Judge Likely Out for Season

Wednesday, Sept. 14

Speaking to reporters, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he doesn’t think Judge will return this year, per Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media.

The injury came in the bottom of the fourth inning. During an at-bat against Dodgers starter Julio Urias, Judge called for the trainer after swinging and missing on a changeup and fouling off a fastball:

Judge stayed in the game to finish the at-bat but made way for Jacoby Ellsbury to start the fifth.

The 24-year-old figures to be a big piece of the Yankees going forward. At the start of the season, Baseball Prospectus ranked him as the top player in the organization’s minor league system. He sits fourth on MLB.com following New York’s midseason acquisitions of Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres.

Gary Sanchez’s breakout has largely resulted in Judge getting overshadowed, though. Judge is also batting .179 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 95 plate appearances.

While it would be nice for Judge to continue getting at-bats in the majors, there’s little sense in putting him at further risk for injury with so little time left in the season. The Yankees are still in the playoff hunt, but given his struggles at the plate, it’s doubtful Judge would help New York’s postseason chances all that much.

The Yankees announced Rob Refsnyder will start in right field for Wednesday’s 4:05 p.m. ET game against the Dodgers. An outfield of Ellsbury, Refsnyder and Brett Gardner is likely manager Joe Girardi’s preference going forward with Judge unavailable.

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Toledo, Ohio, police confirmed minor league prospects Dovydas Neverauskas, Gift Ngoepe and Warwick Saupold were arrested on Aug. 28 following an altercation at a bar, per MiLB.com’s Danny Wild.

Neverauskas and Ngoepe are both members of the Indianapolis Indians, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate. 

“We are extremely disappointed in the actions of Gift and Dovydas,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement, per Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We have made the decision to suspend both players for seven days, taking them through the remainder of their seasons.”

Saupold pitches for the Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate. Dave Littlefield, the Tigers vice president of player development, said the team was alerted to Saupold’s arrest and “will let legal system take its course,” per MLB.com’s Jason Beck.

On Thursday, the Tigers announced they were suspending Saupold for five games, per Beck. 

Authorities charged Neverauskas with two counts of resisting arrest and failure to obey a lawful order, while Ngoepe and Saupold were both charged with assault. Wild provided details of what happened leading up to the incident:

According to the report, Ngoepe, Saupold and Neverauskas were drinking together at the bar late Saturday night before Ngoepe allegedly confronted another man, Andrey Goncharuk, 25, after bartenders announced the establishment would be closing for the night. Witnesses said Ngoepe was unhappy about a bartender pouring out a drink the Indianapolis shortstop had handed him.

Goncharuk, according to witnesses, then got in between an irate Ngoepe and a female bartender, which led to the pair pushing each other. Following the scuffle, the trio of players exited the bar, but Ngoepe waited outside for Goncharuk, according to witnesses in the report.

The bar in question is adjacent to Fifth Third Field, where the Mud Hens play their home games. Outside the establishment, Saupold struck Andrey Goncharuk, and Ngoepe and Neverauskas interfered with officers who were in the process of making arrests.

According to Lucas County, Ohio, arrest records, all three players were released on Sunday. Saupold pitched in Monday’s game against the Indians, going five innings in relief in an 8-1 win for Toledo.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Thursday they traded catcher A.J. Ellis, minor league right-hander Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named later, or cash, to the Philadelphia Phillies for Carlos Ruiz.

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reported Wednesday that Ruiz and Ryan Howard cleared revocable waivers, and the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Matt Gelb added the Phillies were exploring potential trade options for Ruiz. The 37-year-old catcher, who could veto any trade, was open to moving from Philadelphia.

“I’d like to go and win this thing,” he said about playing for a contender before the trade, per Gelb. “It’s going to be a tough decision you’ll have to make. But baseball continues, life continues, and I have to continue to work.”

Some Dodgers fans were surprised the team swapped Ellis for Ruiz. He has been with the team since getting called up to the majors in 2008, and the 35-year-old has a particularly strong relationship with ace Clayton Kershaw.

The Los Angeles Times‘ Andy McCullough provided Ellis’ reaction:

“I’m almost out of tears now,” Ellis said, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick.

Considering what Ellis means to Los Angeles’ clubhouse, the New York Times‘ Tyler Kepner believes the deal doesn’t make sense for the Dodgers: 

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted the Dodgers are looking to fill a specific need with Ruiz’s arrival:

The move is strictly for the short term since Ruiz has a $500,000 buyout for the 2017 season.

For the Phillies, the trade is mostly about acquiring Bergjans. Ellis is a free agent in the offseason, and Philadelphia will have little need for an aging catcher as the franchise continues its rebuild.

Bergjans is 3-13 in 24 appearances in High-A ball. In 130 innings pitched, he has struck out 133 batters and walked 29 while posting a 4.98 ERA. However, KYW Newsradio’s Matt Leon is intrigued by the 23-year-old:

Chances are, Bergjans won’t grow into an MLB-caliber starting pitcher. But he’s only in his second year of professional baseball after the Dodgers selected him in the eighth round of the 2015 draft.

The Phillies might be able to groom Bergjans into a pitcher who can help them in either the rotation or the bullpen. He fits more into their long-term plans than Ruiz would have.

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Oakland Athletics teammates Billy Butler and Danny Valencia got into a fight Friday, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

As a result, Butler was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list, and both players were fined, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. 

According to Slusser, Valencia took exception to Butler speaking to a representative from a sporting equipment company after the representative had asked Valencia whether he was wearing cleats from another brand.

Slusser detailed what apparently irked Valencia:

Valencia told the representative that he only uses the non-issue spikes during pregame workouts. According to multiple sources, Butler, who has an equipment endorsement with a different company, jumped in to tell the equipment rep that Valencia was lying and regularly uses the non-standard spikes. Butler allegedly told the representative that the company should drop Valencia’s endorsement deal.

[…]

After the rep departed, the players said, Valencia confronted Butler and told him, “Don’t you ever loud-talk me in front of a rep. That was wrong,” and walked aggressively toward Butler. Butler turned around, took a couple steps toward Valencia and, according to both witnesses, said, “I can say whatever I want, and your b—h ass isn’t going to do anything about it.”

Slusser reported Valencia and Butler squared up, and after they engaged in a shoving match, Valencia punched Butler in the head.

The two players have not spoken to each other since the altercation, per John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group. Valencia has also yet to talk with manager Bob Melvin about the incident, but doesn’t believe there will be any repercussions, according to Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area. 

Butler’s locker was moved to the “far end” of the A’s clubhouse, distancing him from Valencia, per Hickey.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Valencia’s former teammate, and A’s outfielder Coco Crisp came to Valencia’s defense:

Valencia has played with six different teams in his MLB career. In a June interview with USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, A’s first baseman Yonder Alonso said the third baseman’s personality can rub some the wrong way:

He’s a guy that if you’re not his team, you may not like him, and you want to beat him. If he’s on your team, you want this guy playing every single night, helping you win. And if you’re in a fight, you want him right next to you.

He’s as truthful as it gets and doesn’t mind hurting your feelings, knowing that at some point you will appreciate what he told you is the truth. Honesty is refreshing these days.

Butler missed Oakland’s three-game series against the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, while Valencia played Friday and Saturday before sitting out Sunday.

Slusser noted Butler was not scheduled to play Friday and that manager Bob Melvin said Butler was out of the lineup Saturday and Sunday with nausea and vomiting.

The non-waiver trade deadline has already passed, so the A’s could have trouble moving one of Butler or Valencia in the event the two can no longer coexist.

Butler and Valencia were Royals teammates in the first half of 2014. Butler signed with Oakland before the 2015 season, and Valencia joined the team off waivers in August 2015.

Valencia has one more year of arbitration remaining before free agency, while Butler is signed through 2017 and will earn $11.7 million next year, per Spotrac. Valencia is hitting .302/.351/.478 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 97 games, while Butler is hitting .286/.338/.419 with four homers and 30 RBI in 79 games.

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A woman is suing Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion for battery, TMZ Sports revealed on Monday. 

The woman alleges Encarnacion gave her two sexually transmitted diseases following a February trip to the Dominican Republic and is requesting more than $11.5 million in damages. Encarnacion’s agent offered no comment to TMZ Sports regarding the allegations.

A league official told John Lott of Vice Sports that MLB had no statement regarding a potential investigation as of Monday. 

Encarnacion’s agent Paul Kinzer commented on the lawsuit in a statement released to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi on Tuesday:

[Encarnacion] will take every legal measure to defend himself against this frivolous claim, and will bring appropriate claims in the appropriate forums against all of the individuals seeking to exploit his financial position. This is an unacceptable attack on his exceptional character and stellar reputation within the baseball community as a man who carries himself with the highest level of integrity. …

Mr. Encarnacion will not be commenting on this matter. He will not allow this to distract from his continued focus of contributing to his team’s success. We kindly ask that his privacy be respected.

The woman said she had an STD test following a separate encounter with a Blue Jays player in 2015, and the results came back negative for any disease. After returning from the Dominican Republic, the woman visited a doctor, who discovered the presence of two STDs.

The woman alleges Encarnacion misled her as to whether he had any STDs at the time of their February rendezvous.

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