Red Sox slugger David Ortiz will play sparingly, if at all, for the rest of the season. Thursday marked the third time in the past six games Ortiz didn’t start. And there have been multiple occasions when interim manager Torey Lovullo has lifted Ortiz midgame for a pinch-runner.

With berths and positioning still to be determined as Major League Baseball gets set for the final weekend of the regular season, the possibility of rain from Hurricane Joaquin striking the East Coast has raised the question of when games might be played in the event of postponement.

Hanging onto home-field advantage is proving difficult for the Mets, who dropped a 3-0 game to the Phillies on Thursday as many of their regulars looked on from the dugout. Jerad Eickhoff struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings for Philadelphia.

The Yankees have been so impressed with the progression Rob Refsnyder has made since they recalled him Sept. 1, the club has decided to reward the second baseman with more playing time.

The Cubs continued their bid to host the National League Wild Card Game by posting a soggy 5-3 win Thursday afternoon over the Reds, who lost their 12th in a row.

Don Mattingly quipped that Yasiel Puig’s recently improved health is “miraculous,” but the Dodgers’ manager wouldn’t say if that means the outfielder will be on the roster for the National League Division Series that starts next Friday.

Mets reliever Hansel Robles has received a three-game suspension for what Major League Baseball described in a statement as “intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Cameron Rupp of the Philadelphia Phillies, with warnings in place for both teams” Wednesday. Unless appealed, Robles’ suspension, which was announced after Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the Phillies, will begin Friday, ending his regular season.

Conventional baseball wisdom holds that a hot September is an essential component to an October drive to a World Series championship parade. Recent history supports that belief.

While it is important to select productive players in the initial rounds of a fantasy draft, the ability to pluck gems during the later rounds and find good options on waivers is the real key to earning a championship. The following players each started off the 2015 season as lightly regarded commodities before producing notable numbers.

One reign officially ends this weekend. Another should reach a historic level. As the Tigers’ run atop the American League Central closes with their first losing season since 2008, the timing appears right to appreciate what Miguel Cabrera is on the verge of accomplishing.

Marcus Stroman’s long and tedious road to recovery was rewarded on Wednesday when he became the youngest pitcher in Blue Jays history to earn the win in a game that clinched the division.

Steven Matz’s upper back soreness has diminished enough for the Mets to pencil him in for an appearance this weekend against the Nationals at Citi Field. The Mets hope that Matz, their No. 1 prospect, can pitch approximately five innings out of the bullpen Saturday or Sunday in tandem with one of their other starting pitchers, who will be limited in their final turn through the rotation.

Evan Gattis might not be fleet of foot, but he’s working on a season for the ages. Gattis, the Astros’ 260-pound designated hitter, is the first Major League player in more than 50 years to hit more than 10 triples without stealing a base. Gattis, who delivered his 11th triple of the season on Wednesday, trails just two players in history who have had more triples without a stolen base.

The Blue Jays are not only going back to the postseason for the first time since 1993 but they’re going in as the American League East champions.

Yoenis Cespedes left Wednesday’s 7-5 loss to the Phillies after Justin De Fratus hit him on the left hand in the third inning, but X-rays later revealed only a bruise on his middle and ring fingers. He will not play in Thursday’s series finale, but could be available as soon as this weekend.

With an 11-1 victory over the Pirates in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, the Cardinals were crowned kings of what has been baseball’s toughest division this season. And now that the NL Central title is theirs, they can turn their attention to preparing to host one of those two division foes in Game 1 of the Division Series.

The Pirates are headed to the postseason, and this will be the first time that many fans across the league will be focusing on their roster. Here’s our attempt to give them a head start with the origins of every player wearing the black and gold.