Postseason seeding still up for grabs

CLEVELAND — As the Indians enter the final week of the regular season, all they have left to sort out includes some questions around the roster and whether they’ll open the postseason at home or on the road.

With six games left, the Indians (98-56) hold the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs over the Houston Astros (95-60 entering Monday). The Los Angeles Dodgers (99-57 entering Monday) have managed to narrowly hold off the Indians for the best record in baseball, even as they lost 15 of 16 games during the Indians’ historic 22-game winning streak.

This season marks the first after the league underwent several rule changes, one of which being that regular-season record — and not the result of the All-Star Game — determines which team gets home-field advantage in the World Series.

In the AL, the postseason picture is just about set.

The Indians and Astros have each clinched their divisions, and the Boston Red Sox are close to clinching the AL East as seeds 1-3. That would make the New York Yankees (88-69) the first wild-card team and the fourth seed. The final spot in the postseason, barring a miraculous surge, will go to the Minnesota Twins (82-74). If the Indians hold off the Astros, they will play the winner of the wildcard game between the Yankees and Twins.

The roster isn’t set and doesn’t have to be until the end of the week. One major question mark remains the health of outfielder Michael Brantley, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 9 with a sprained right ankle. Brantley hasn’t progressed like the club had hoped. He received a second opinion and was shut down from running until later this week.

Lonnie Chisenhall (calf) and Brandon Guyer (wrist) are also working their way back to the lineup, meaning the outfield picture for the beginning of the postseason remains blurry.