AROUND THE HORN
Dodgers: Right-hander Walker Buehler will have season-ending surgery for the elbow injury that has prevented him from pitching for the last two months. The Dodgers announced Monday before the start of their four-game series with the Brewers that that Buehler’s surgery is scheduled for Aug. 23 Buehler, a 28-year-old two-time All-Star, is 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 appearances this season. He last pitched June 10 and left that game after four innings when his elbow began bothering him. The Dodgers announced afterward that Buehler wouldn’t throw for six to eight weeks because of a flexor strain. Now he’s out for the rest of the season. Even with Buehler sidelined, the Dodgers entered Monday with the best record in the majors at 79-34.
MLB playoffs: The World Series is scheduled to start on a Friday for the first time since 1915 and could end on Nov. 5 — its latest ever — because of the lockout that delayed opening day. MLB said its expanded postseason will begin with all four games in the new wild-card series on Oct. 7. The other games are Oct. 8 and 9, if necessary. As part of this year’s schedule, off days will be skipped between Games 4 and 5 of the Division Series and Games 5 and 6 of the Championship Series, potentially taxing bullpens. The AL Division Series will have an unusual off day between Games 1 and 2. The new format has 12 teams making the playoffs, up from the 10 in place from 2012-21, except the 16 used in the 2020 playoffs that followed a regular-season shortened to 60 games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The top two teams in each league get first-round byes, while the No. 3 seed faces No. 6 and No. 4 plays No. 5. The higher seed will be home in each best-of-three series. In the best-of-five Division Series, the top seed plays the 3-vs.-6 winner and the No. 2 seed plays the 4-vs.-5 winner. The Division Series will have the familiar format of the higher seed home for Games 1 and 2, and, if necessary, Game 5. Both the AL Division Series and NL Division Series start Oct. 11. The best-of-seven Championship Series starts Oct. 18 in the NL and Oct. 19 in the AL. Opening day was delayed from March 31 to April 7 because of the 99-day lockout that ended on March 10, and the regular season was extended by three days to Oct. 5. The World Series begins Oct. 28, matching its latest start, in 2009. It will be its first Friday start since Oct. 8, 1915, at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, when the Phillies beat the Red Sox 3-1 before losing the next four games.
Yankees: 2B DJ LeMahieu is day today due to inflammation in his right big toe. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Yankees’ series opener against the Rays, manager Aaron Boone said LeMahieu will receive treatment on what he called a “tricky” injury. LeMahieu was a late scratch from the Yankees’ lineup Sunday ahead of their 3-0 loss to the Red Sox. After the game, he said he had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break to help alleviate the issue. The 34-year-old LeMahieu is hitting .279 with 12 HRs, 43 RBIs and 71 runs scored.
Phillies: Right-handed reliever Corey Knebel was placed on the 15-day IL with a right lat strain. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. Knebel missed 92 games with a similar injury last season with the Dodgers. The 30-year-old Knebel was the Phillies’ closer before being moved into a setup role. He has a 3.43 ERA and 12 saves this season in 46 appearances.