The Buzz — Saturday, August 29

Aaron Judge

The take Judge wants to skip minors rehab for September return

Judge said what he said — he does not see the point of minor-league at-bats for a hitter who knows what he needs, and he skipped rehab in 2023 after a similar absence. That is a preference about where he gets reps, not a medical clearance. Boone confirmed the conversation and said the club will "work through all that," which is a manager leaving the plan unfinished on purpose.

The rib is the part the timeline cannot skip. Judge has not had a scan since being cleared for light activity in early August. His progression runs on feel — outdoor running, throwing to 100 feet, about 15 overhand batting-practice swings indoors this week. He has not faced high-velocity pitching. Those are the remaining boxes, and none are checked.

September is in play because the activity is accelerating. Judge says he will return to right field and "play smart" on dives — the same motion that fractured the rib on April 26. The crowd is right that the return is live. But a feel-based ramp with no fresh imaging since early August is still a guess, and "why waste at-bats" is a player making his case to skip a step the rib may not let him skip.

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Tarik Skubal

The take Emotional Dodgers return vs Tigers; tears, strong start

Skubal walked in from the bullpen at Comerica Park, saw the tribute video, and made it to the tunnel before the rest came. Then he threw six innings of one-run ball — four hits, zero walks, seven strikeouts on 83 pitches — and did not factor in the decision of a 2-1 Dodgers win. The emotion was real, and so was the line. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner did not let the place swallow him. He set a tight game on a rail and let Freeman finish it.

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Jackson Chourio

The take Chourio multi-homer multi-RBI night fuels Brewers buzz

The 4-for-5 line — two home runs, four RBI, four runs, a stolen base — is the kind of night that makes a highlight reel feel insufficient. But the number that matters is 19: his home run total in a season that started late. The full line sits at .283 with an .822 OPS, 54 RBI, and 14 steals in 407 at-bats.

That is a player already here, having one of his best nights. The Mets series needed offense after a quiet prior game, and Chourio was most of an 8-2 win by himself. The buzz is earned — this was a crescendo on a season already humming, and the read is whether he sustains it through September.

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Ronald Acuña Jr.

The take Acuña three-hit cleanup night sparks Braves streak talk

Batting cleanup for the first time since 2022, Acuña went 3-for-3 with a walk and three runs in a 6-4 win that ran Atlanta's streak to five straight. The jump from .228 to .235 is real but incremental — this was his first three-hit game of the year, after a rest day and a talk with manager Walt Weiss, who said he just liked the look. At 80-55 with a five-game division lead, the Braves can afford to let the experiment breathe. One night is a spark. It needs a second.

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Walker Jenkins

The take Twins top prospect called up for MLB debut

Jenkins went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, singling for his first hit in his second at-bat. The Twins lost 7-4. That is a debut — solid and unspectacular, with multiple standing ovations from a home crowd that knows what the No. 15 overall prospect in baseball is supposed to become.

The call-up was accelerated by Byron Buxton's recurring right hip discomfort, but Jenkins earned the window. At Triple-A St. Paul he batted .308 with a .939 OPS, 12 home runs, and 17 steals in 69 games, including eight homers in his last 15 games. The debut was a single. The minor-league track says the power and the hit tool are close, and the Twins are betting a September look tells them how close.

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