Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Thanks for being here.

We’ve never seen a fully-healthy, two-way Shohei Ohtani in October -- but that’s about to change. And that has us imagining all of the (potentially outrageous) ways the Dodgers might unleash him in this year’s playoffs.

Sure, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could just stick with the approach he’s used since Ohtani returned to pitching in June, deploying him in one of two ways: as the starting designated hitter or as the starting pitcher who remains in the game when he’s done pitching. But why play it safe in October when you’ve got a unique player like Ohtani at your disposal? 

It would be one thing if the Dodgers were firing on all cylinders, but that’s clearly not the case. While Los Angeles’ offense remains a force and its rotation has rounded into form, the club’s bullpen is an albatross that could single-handedly sink its chances of returning to the World Series. 

The Dodgers have the option of using Ohtani to pitch out of the bullpen, but the problem there is that relievers can’t stay in the game at DH after they are removed from pitching. So if the Dodgers were to start Ohtani at DH and then bring him in to pitch as a reliever, it would require some creative maneuvering to keep his bat in the lineup.

With this in mind, our own Mike Petriello put together a list of some of the increasingly unhinged (but still realistic) ways the Dodgers might utilize Ohtani this October. Could he show up in the outfield at some point? Maybe. What about appearing as a starting pitcher and closer -- in the same game? Or ... all three in one night?!

We can’t rule anything out, and honestly, we don’t want to. It’s the playoffs, and Ohtani is a one-of-a-kind talent who always seems to be pushing the limits of what’s possible. Let’s get weird.

-- Thomas Harrigan

• Tigers @ Guardians (6:40 p.m. ET, FREE on MLB.TV): A win tonight would give Cleveland its second sweep over Detroit in the last week and officially send the Guards to the postseason. As bumpy as the road has been lately for the Tigers -- losses in eight straight games and 11 of 12 – they're still in playoff position thanks to Houston's slide. Snapping out of it tonight won't be easy against rookie Parker Messick, who has a 2.08 ERA through his first six career starts.

• Red Sox @ Blue Jays (7:07 p.m. ET, FREE on MLB.TV): Boston can also clinch a playoff spot tonight, either with a win or a sixth straight loss by the Astros (LIVE on MLB.TV). A Red Sox win would complete a sweep and further dent the Blue Jays' chances at both the AL's top seed and the AL East title; the Yankees pulled into a tie atop the division last night, but Toronto holds the tiebreaker. Still, the Blue Jays are looking for a spark after scoring a total of five runs in their last six losses.

• Mets @ Cubs (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV, MLB Network Showcase): Last night's win gave the Cubs much-needed separation from the Padres as they look to lock up the NL's top Wild Card spot. The Mets' position is more tenuous: While they can clinch a playoff spot as early as tomorrow, the D-backs and Reds are both looming, and the Amazin’s don't hold the tiebreaker with either club. Rookie Nolan McLean (1.27 ERA) offers the Mets as much hope as any of their starters, having allowed one homer in 42 2/3 innings.

With just four days remaining in the season, we’re watching one of the greatest MVP battles coming down to the wire, as two players having historic seasons are showing no signs of slowing down.

In just about any other season, Aaron Judge would be coasting to his third AL MVP Award and second in as many years. The 6-foot-7 megastar is a virtual shoo-in to become the tallest player to win a batting crown. He’s also leading everyone in on-base percentage (.455) and slugging (.681), and his OPS is more than 100 points higher than anyone else. His two home runs on Wednesday made him just the fourth player in history to have four seasons with at least 50 homers and, more importantly, propelled his team into a tie with the Blue Jays atop the AL East (though Toronto owns the tiebreaker).

This, of course, has not been just any other season. On the other side of the country, Mariners star Cal Raleigh has set the standard for homers by a Mariner, a catcher and a switch-hitter – and he might even break Judge’s AL home run record before it's all said and done. His two homers on Wednesday gave him 60 for the season – two behind Judge’s mark set in 2022 – and helped the Mariners notch their first AL West title since ’01. The reigning AL Platinum Glove Award winner is also a force behind the plate. Did we mention that he even won the Home Run Derby in July? It’s hard to imagine any catcher ever having a better season.

So, who will take home the hardware? Would tying or setting the AL homer record be enough to put Raleigh over the top? What if Judge goes on a huge tear this weekend to lead the Yankees to a division title? With as great as this season has been for both players, it’s only fitting that this race could come down to their final at-bats.

– Ed Eagle

Imagine the stress and pressure of playing in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League season, with games regularly on ESPN and MLB Network, while traveling around the country.

Now imagine doing all of this while pregnant for the first time.

For softball pitcher Odicci Alexander-Bennett, that was her reality this past summer, when she pitched in 13 games for the AUSL Bandits while expecting. And though she kept her pregnancy largely to herself until the season had finished, she was determined to let it empower, not weaken, her on the field. 

“Strength isn't just about your physical ability or your physical power,” she said. “It's about resilience, patience and just trusting your body. And I think I've learned that my body is capable of so much more than I have ever imagined.”

For some, the prospect of playing softball while pregnant might seem particularly brave or heroic. The hundreds of thousands of people who saw her TikTok announcing her pregnancy certainly seemed to think so. 

Alexander-Bennett is flattered by the attention, though she doesn’t exactly see herself that way. In her mind, she’s just showing up to her job, like every other woman out there who works up until the last possible day of her pregnancy. While doing so, she’s following in the footsteps of many impressive women athletes before her.

-- Elizabeth Muratore

Good things generally happen when you hit the ball hard. But we can forgive Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk if he is temporarily questioning that wisdom after what happened on Wednesday night. 

With Toronto trailing Boston, 7-1, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Kirk ripped a 104.1 mph line drive to right field that certainly seemed like a hit off the bat. (It had a .760 expected batting average, in fact). But Boston right fielder Wilyer Abreu was playing shallow, which allowed him to field the ball on one hop and fire a 93.5 mph throw to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for a game-ending putout. That gave Kirk an 0-for-4 on the night and closed the book on a Red Sox win that dropped Toronto into a first-place tie with the Yankees atop the AL East.

It also made Kirk the latest MLB hitter to ride the emotional roller coaster that goes with being the victim of a 9-3 putout, a baseball indignity that usually requires some combination of a hard-hit ball, a strong right-field arm and a slow runner. All three came into play for Kirk, whose game-ending misfortune was the capper on a night he probably deserved better: He made three outs on balls hit north of 103 mph.

Sometimes, it’s just not your night.

-- Jason Foster

If you are fortunate enough to root for a team in the postseason, you need two things: tickets and something to wear to the game. The Blue Jays, who have secured at least an AL Wild Card spot, have you covered in both regards.

If you want to lock in your spot at Rogers Centre for either a potential Wild Card Series or ALDS matchup, postseason tickets are on sale now.

And in preparation for the playoffs, fans can claim a super-sharp City Connect Rugby Shirt before the Blue Jays play the Rays on Friday night at 7 ET. So gear up, get your tickets to ride and buckle up for what is sure to be an exciting October.

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