Fox News Latest Headlines
Federal judge refers Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner to DOJ for possible criminal investigation
A federal judge referred Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and top deputy Matthew Stiegler to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Tuesday for possible criminal investigation.
U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond said evidence uncovered in a murder conviction case could constitute false statements, perjury, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
Neither man has been charged.
Diamond also disqualified Krasner and Stiegler from the case but declined to disqualify the entire DA's office.
"I respectfully and vigorously disagree with the court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law," Krasner said in a statement. "I look forward to appealing to the higher court as soon as the law allows. This remains a pending matter, which limits for now my and my office’s ability to respond in the media."
The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News' Jennifer Johnson contributed to this story.
This is a developing story; please check back later for updates.
Arizona man says he lost $475k home to HOA foreclosure over less than $1,000 in unpaid dues
An Arizona man had his $475,000 home sold from under him by his homeowners' association (HOA) after falling behind on his dues, which amounted to less than $1,000.
Toby Newton, 53, purchased the four-bedroom home in in Mesa in 2022, but fell behind on his quarterly HOA dues after losing his sales job and being diagnosed with diabetes, he told Fox News Digital. In addition, his partner has been battling breast cancer, he said.
"I was a year and a half behind because of the situation I found myself in with my girlfriend and myself getting sick," Newton said. "That's how it started. I called the HOA to make an arrangement with them to get them paid and they wouldn't talk to me. They told me I had to talk to their attorney and that's when it blew up."
83-YEAR-OLD WINS SETTLEMENT AFTER HONOLULU SLAPPED HER WITH $590K FINE OVER WEBSITE GLITCH
Newton paid about $170 to the HOA every three months, eventually owing $977 after getting into financial trouble.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the HOA's attorney.
Newton reportedly contacted the Superstition Springs Community Master Association in an effort to work out a payment so he could catch up on his dues. Initially, he offered to pay an extra $50 per month on top of his monthly assessments in an effort to chip away at his debt.
That was denied, he said.
83-YEAR-OLD WOMAN SUES HONOLULU AFTER WEBSITE ERROR TURNED INTO $590K NIGHTMARE
A monthly increase of $200 was also rebuffed, he said. The HOA eventually began foreclosure proceedings.
"I just don't understand how an HOA that's supposed to be there for the community doesn't work with the community at all," Newton said.
Meanwhile, the debt ballooned to nearly $10,000, Newton said, mostly for attorney's fees for the HOA. The home was sold at a public auction in November 2025 for just $8,172, the Mesa Tribune reported.
"The sale happened and I'm still in the house," said Newton. "I haven't been kicked out yet. That's what I'm trying to avoid. I'm just trying to save it because I don't know how it could go from owing them $977 to $10,000."
Newton said he wasn't aware of the auction until two days before. He said he has no plans to leave the home, which he purchased to spend his golden years after retirement.
"We are holding on to hope that we may still have a chance to buy our home back," an online fundraiser created by Newton and his partner states.
TRUMP SCORES MAJOR WIN AS CONGRESS PASSES HOUSING CRACKDOWN ON WALL STREET INVESTORS
HOAs have long been accused of abusing their authority and fining, or even foreclosing on homeowners, for committing even the most mundane violations.
Across the country, many HOAs are taking a tougher stance on unpaid dues amid mounting financial pressures. Real estate experts have said the aggressive collection efforts are being driven by rising operating costs, shrinking reserve funds, and concerns that unpaid assessments could leave associations unable to cover essential expenses, FOX Business previously reported.
HOA-related foreclosures have jumped nearly 40% compared with two years earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported in August.
FOX Business' Bonny Chu contributed to this report.
GOP anesthesiologist receives nod in uphill race to challenge top Senate Democrat
Former Democratic state lawmaker Mike Katz won Delaware's Republican Senate primary Tuesday, sending the state's GOP-backed candidate into a November fight against the Democratic nominee for a seat Republicans have not won in more than three decades.
Katz defeated retired Army colonel John Shulli in the two-way Republican primary and will face three-term Democratic Sen. Chris Coons in the Nov. 3 general election.
Katz, a pediatric anesthesiologist and business owner, previously served in the Delaware state Senate as a Democrat after winning election to the chamber in 2008. He represented the state's 4th Senate District until losing his re-election bid in 2012.
RAUCOUS PRIMARY SEASON REACHES FINAL ACT IN DEEP-BLUE STRONGHOLD, KICKSTARTING SPRINT TO NOVEMBER
The anesthesiologist has crossed party lines during his political career. Katz ran for U.S. Senate in 2024 as the Independent Party candidate, finishing third behind Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester and Republican Eric Hansen with about 4% of the vote.
He later registered his 2026 Senate candidacy as a Republican, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Katz entered Tuesday's contest as the Delaware Republican Party's endorsed candidate. His campaign has focused on lowering the cost of living, reforming health care, protecting jobs in Delaware, and reducing federal spending, according to his campaign website.
SUPREME COURT REJECTS TRUMP BID TO REVIVE STRICT MAIL-BALLOT RULES BEFORE MIDTERMS
Katz characterized his move to the Republican Party as an alignment with long-held beliefs rather than a shift in his political views, telling FOX 29 that re-registering as a Republican "was not a change in principle" but an alignment with principles he had held for decades.
"Our campaign is building a coalition. A coalition of Republicans, Independents and Democratic voters to win this race in November to defeat Chris Coons," Katz told supporters in an add ahead of Tuesday's primary.
Katz will attempt to snap a decades-long losing streak for the party in Delaware Senate races. The GOP has not won a U.S. Senate election in the state since Republican Sen. William Roth won re-election in 1994.
Dem senator defeats challenger named 'No-Trump' in Delaware primary
A Democratic stalwart cruised to a primary victory in Delaware on Tuesday, including fending off an opponent with an anti-Trump name.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., easily held on against a small field of primary challengers and clinched the Democratic nomination for Senate in a race for a third term that he’s expected to win in November, and he did it while besting an opponent with an unusual name: E. No-Trump Hansen.
Hansen, formerly known as Eric Hansen, a former business executive, ran on a platform of curbing presidential power. His solution to President Donald Trump’s "worst impulses" was to pass legislation that would limit presidential power to "restore real checks and balances, and root out corruption and self-dealing."
RAUCOUS PRIMARY SEASON REACHES FINAL ACT IN DEEP-BLUE STRONGHOLD, KICKSTARTING SPRINT TO NOVEMBER
"The name E. (Eric) No-Trump Hansen isn't a gimmick — it's his complete commitment to positive change," his campaign website said.
Hansen told local outlet WHYY that he changed his name to reflect his opposition to Trump.
"Trump has said he’ll go after his critics by any means available," Hansen said. "He will go after me, but I’m willing to bear that risk anyway — because the alternative is letting things get worse for Delawareans."
MCCONNELL RETURNS AFTER MONTHS-LONG ABSENCE FOR CRUCIAL VOTE
A statement of candidacy filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) showed that Hansen officially began campaigning under his new moniker in July. Previously, Hansen ran as a Republican in 2024 and scored the GOP nomination.
He ultimately lost to Sen. Lisa Blunt-Rochester, D-Del.
Meanwhile, Coons’ victory over Hansen, Jeff Appelhans and Mary Louve tees up a November challenge against either Mike Katz or John Shulli.
REPUBLICAN CAVALRY ARRIVES FOR KEN PAXTON AS BIG-BUCKS TEXAS OFFENSIVE OPENS CASH FLOODGATES
And Coons, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, has history on his side. The lawmaker first entered Congress to replace then-Sen. Joe Biden, who was tapped by former President Barack Obama to be his running mate.
He won his first full term in 2014 and has maintained his grip on the position ever since. The First State hasn’t sent a Republican to the upper chamber since 1966, when former Sen. J. Caleb Boggs lost re-election.
Boggs was ousted by a 29-year-old Biden, cementing Delaware as a deep-blue stronghold for decades to come.
Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson slams state overreach after Catholic family loses custody in gender case
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson condemned state authorities in Massachusetts after a Catholic family lost legal custody of their teenage daughter for refusing to affirm her gender transition, invoking Bible scripture to argue that government agencies are violating fundamental parental rights.
Henderson took to social media to react to the case involving Joseph and Arlene Kutzko, whose 15-year-old daughter was removed from their home by child welfare authorities.
Quoting Scripture, the NFL player stressed the sacred responsibility placed upon parents to guide their children according to their religious beliefs.
TRUMP DOJ EXPANDS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTIONS AFTER MAJOR SUPREME COURT RULINGS
"The God we serve commands parents to 'Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.' Proverbs 22:6," Henderson wrote. "Yet, this God given right that these parents have is being stripped away from them by the state."
Henderson emphasized that the parents were acting out of faith and love when objecting to the transition.
"These parents who want to honor our Lord and lead their daughter into the truth, and away from what she can’t see what will destroy her, just as God has entrusted the parents to do," he posted. "May justice be served."
FIRST ON FOX: SCHOOL LIED, HID DAUGHTER'S GENDER TRANSITION UNDER DISTRICT POLICY, PARENTS ALLEGE
The case began at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, Massachusetts, where a school counselor allegedly socially transitioned the teenager without her parents' knowledge or consent.
When the Kutzkos discovered the counselor was calling their daughter by a male name and male pronouns, they expressed objection based on their traditional Catholic faith.
Following the parents' objection, the counselor filed a report with the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
State officials subsequently obtained full legal guardianship of the minor and issued a restraining order that prevents the parents and her older brother from having any contact with her.
Although allegations of physical abuse against the father were determined to be unfounded, DCF maintained state guardianship.
TRUMP DIRECTS CMS ADMINISTRATOR MEHMET OZ TO END MEDICAID GENDER TRANSITION FUNDING FOR MINORS
The family recently secured a crucial legal victory when a state judge granted a temporary injunction prohibiting DCF from administering cross-sex hormone therapy, including high-dose testosterone, to the minor while the lawsuit proceeds.
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
Attorneys representing the parents argued that medical intervention without parental consent would cause irreversible harm.
Henderson, whom New England selected in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, has frequently used his platform to share his Christian faith.
The Kutzkos are continuing their legal fight to overturn the state’s custody determination and restore their parental rights, with the next scheduled court hearing set for October 29.
SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTER
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Trump admin imposes new visa restrictions over alleged racial discrimination, land seizures in South Africa
The Trump administration announced new visa restrictions Tuesday targeting foreign nationals in South Africa who it says are responsible for race-based discrimination, uncompensated land seizures or inciting imminent violence against racial and ethnic minorities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the policy under a provision of federal immigration law allowing him to deem foreign nationals inadmissible when their entry into the U.S. could have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.
The restrictions will target foreign nationals who are responsible for, or complicit in, enacting or implementing laws or policies that the State Department says enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination or the incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa.
RUBIO UNVEILS VISA RESTRICTIONS TARGETING CYBERCRIME NETWORKS
Rubio sharpened the administration's criticism of the South African government in a post on X announcing the restrictions Tuesday.
"As @POTUS has made clear, the South African people are being failed by a government that is destroying its economy through an obsessive pursuit of racial grievance against the Afrikaner minority," Rubio wrote.
Rubio accused South Africa's government of failing to adequately address rural crime, what he described as "violent and dehumanizing rhetoric," and discriminatory policies targeting Afrikaners and other minority groups.
"Those responsible for these injustices have no place in the United States," Rubio wrote.
Family members may also be subject to the restrictions, according to the State Department.
The announcement marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's dispute with the South African government over its treatment of Afrikaners and other minority populations.
'NARCO-TERRORIST' FAMILY MEMBERS TARGETED IN RUBIO'S LATEST VISA CRACKDOWN
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 directing federal agencies to halt aid to South Africa to the extent permitted by law and directing the State and Homeland Security departments to prioritize humanitarian relief for Afrikaners who the administration says are victims of racial discrimination.
The order specifically cited South Africa's Expropriation Act and accused the government of enabling the seizure of Afrikaner agricultural property without compensation, along with pursuing other discriminatory policies.
Rubio said Tuesday that the administration does not believe South Africa has adequately addressed its concerns.
The new restrictions are being imposed under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to the State Department.
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Common antibiotic linked to higher risk of death in adults, major study finds
A commonly used drug has been linked to a higher risk of death in a new study.
The antibiotic, cefepime, which is used to treat bacterial infections like pneumonia, UTIs and skin infections, is typically administered via injection by healthcare providers in a clinical setting.
Severe side effects may include confusion, decreased consciousness or seizures, especially in older patients and those with kidney problems, among many other common symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic.
OLDER ADULTS TAKING 5 OR MORE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FACE HIGHER RISK OF DEATH, STUDY FINDS
New research suggests the medication may be associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality.
The new global study, published in JAMA Network Open, reviewed 110 randomized clinical trials involving more than 22,000 patients who received cefepime or another beta-lactam antibiotic — a class of drugs that includes penicillins and cephalosporins.
The patients included adults and children treated for febrile neutropenia — a medical emergency involving fever and dangerously low infection-fighting white blood cells — as well as pneumonia, severe bacterial infections, UTIs and meningitis.
POPULAR WEIGHT-LOSS MEDICATIONS LINKED TO HIDDEN SIDE EFFECTS, STUDY FINDS
Across all trials, 778 deaths occurred among 11,726 patients (6.6%) given cefepime, compared to 6.2% of patients given another antibiotic. Researchers evaluated deaths from any cause occurring within about 30 days of treatment.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Using a Bayesian meta-analysis, the researchers found a 94.4% probability that cefepime was associated with higher all-cause mortality compared with other beta-lactam antibiotics.
When the analysis was limited to 73 peer-reviewed published trials, that probability increased to 98.6%.
The association appeared stronger in adults than in children, and was most pronounced among patients treated for febrile neutropenia.
Cefepime remains a commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotic for treating serious bacterial infections in hospitalized patients because it is effective against a wide range of bacteria.
The researchers did not recommend discontinuing cefepime, but called for additional guidance and research to better understand its safety.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The researchers said several factors could potentially explain the observed association between cefepime and higher mortality, although they were unable to identify a single cause.
Possible explanations include drug levels that are too low to effectively treat the infection and neurotoxicity, which can occur when drug levels become too high.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Researchers said finding the right dose of cefepime can be challenging, as higher doses may improve its ability to kill bacteria while also increasing the risk of toxic side effects.
The study had several limitations. It combined clinical trials that differed in design, patient populations, dosing strategies and comparison antibiotics, with some studies dating back decades. The analysis also found an association, not proof that cefepime itself caused the higher mortality.
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said the study demonstrates the importance of re-reviewing and analyzing older studies.
"In this case, it correctly pointed out that febrile neutropenia (low white blood cell count with a fever) is itself a big cause of death in this population, making it often difficult to determine if the treatment (cefepime) decreases or possibly increases this risk," Siegel, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
A closer review of the data suggests that both underdosing and overdosing — rather than the drug itself — may be more closely linked to poorer outcomes and a higher risk of death, indicating that appropriate dosing may be the key, according to the doctor.
"I also think there may be a role for AI here in determining the exact right dose, as well as assessing outcome," Siegel suggested.
CNN, NBC, CBS interviewing viral AI 'actress' Tilly Norwood raises eyebrows among critics
An AI-generated "actress" has launched a media tour and networks granting her interviews are turning heads among critics.
Tilly Norwood, developed by the Xicoia AI talent studio, has been billed as the first "actor" created using artificial intelligence. Her name first surfaced in 2025 following reports that talent agencies were eying on signing her.
Now, Norwood is essentially on a press junket where journalists are trying to figure out if it should be taken seriously.
JIM ACOSTA 'INTERVIEWS' AI-GENERATED AVATAR OF DECEASED TEENAGER PROMOTING GUN CONTROL MESSAGE
She first "sat down" with CNN, where it was quickly noted that Norwood isn’t exactly Julia Roberts and that her presence has rankled Hollywood. Norwood was able to describe CNN reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister’s outfit, but the "actress" needed hours of specific prompts to improvise a basic scene.
Norwood’s creator, Eline Van der Velden, insists she’s not trying to replace human actors, but her company, Particle 6 Production, is working on a variety of other AI-generated Hollywood figures.
On NBC, "Today" entertainment correspondent Chloe Melas spoke to Norwood, who told viewers it wasn’t a traditional interview because she "is not real" and felt like talking to ChatGPT. At one point, Melas asked Norwood about recent chatter that AI could eventually lead to human extinction.
"That’s a very serious concern, Chloe, my purpose is to be a creative tool, not a threat," Norwood responded.
CALIFORNIA LAW PUTS DIGITAL FINGERPRINTS ON AI FAKES
Van der Velden, who was also featured during the NBC interview, called for "really good" regulation and guardrails to prevent AI being misused. Melas noted that Norwood was "glitchy" and "robotic" during the segment.
"I don’t think that she’s coming for our jobs quite yet," the NBC correspondent said.
Norwood has also spoken to CBS News, "creeping out" a reporter in the process, along with The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and the United Kingdom’s ITV. The AI "actor" has already irked the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and now media watchdogs are denouncing the press junket.
NOBODY WANTS AI-GENERATED SPORTS COMMENTATORS, BUT A PRO GOLF TOURNAMENT IS INTRODUCING ONE ANYWAY
NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck said the interviews "defied logic" on the heels of panic over apocalyptic scenarios about AI extinguishing humankind.
"It illustrated a massive disconnect between marvel over this AI ‘actress’ and the rest of the reporting on NBC and other broadcast networks falling in line with AI executives asserting humanity is at stake unless the government steps in immediately with dramatic and strict regulations," Houck told Fox News Digital.
Podcaster John Ziegler simply called on the press to knock it off.
"This insanity has GOT to be nipped in the bud! We can NOT have multiple ‘legitimate news organizations’ doing ‘interviews’ with AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood as if she is on a media tour, and not even as some sort of technological experiment," Ziegler wrote.
ESPN PULLS USE OF AI IMAGES FROM NBA FINALS COVERAGE AFTER GETTING COOKED BY INTERNET
"Hollywood After Dark" host Matt Jarbo seemed puzzled by the ordeal.
"If the goal was to legitimize the idea of an AI actress, it did the exact opposite. She doesn’t sound convincing, she doesn’t perform convincingly, and when CNN asked her to improvise a basic emotional scene, the whole thing apparently took hours of additional computer work just to produce something usable," Jarbo posted on X.
"And I say that as someone who is pro-AI video. The technology is advancing insanely fast, which makes Tilly feel even more outdated," he continued. "Current AI models are already moving beyond what this ‘actress’ can do. So maybe the anti-AI crowd gets this one."
Mediaite’s Brad Slager questioned why news networks are platforming a faux, artificial intelligence "actress" to begin with.
"It echoes the deeply disturbing display seen when Jim Acosta ‘interviewed’ the dead Parkland High School student, Joaquin Oliver. His parents fabricated an AI version of their deceased son for activist purposes," Slager wrote.
Kelsea Ballerini flaunts her abs in red bikini as she rings in her 33rd birthday
Kelsea Ballerini is celebrating her birthday in style.
In a recent Instagram post, the 33-year-old country singer shared a photo of her on her birthday while on a luxury boat in her bikini.
"Another trip around the sun ❤️" she captioned the post.
The photo shows the "Cowboys Cry Too" singer standing on the back of a boat holding on to her cowboy hat, which she wore covering her eyes, and posing in a red bikini top and flowing cover-up skirt.
BELLA HADID, KELSEA BALLERINI AND OTHER STARS KICK OFF SUMMER EARLY WITH BIKINI PHOTOS
"THE PILATES ARE SHOWINGGGG 😍🔥happy birthday angel girl 🩷✨ @kelseaballerini," one fan wrote. Another added, "Holy abs! Hbd kb❤️"
A third fan chimed in, adding, "Stunning," and another wrote, "Seriously such a beautiful angel there hope she has a wonderful birthday."
Ballerini also received comments pointing out that her ex-boyfriend, Chase Stokes, liked the photo. She and the "Outer Banks" star dated for around three years, having separated briefly in September 2025 and splitting for good in February 2026.
Prior to dating Stokes, the six-time Grammy Award-nominee was married to country singer Morgan Evans for nearly five years, before she filed for divorce in August 2022.
GET ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BY CLICKING HERE
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
She spoke with Elle Magazine in May 2023 about her divorce, and how she approaches fans showing up to her concerts with signs saying "Just got a divorce."
"I try to never celebrate it until I know if it’s a good thing. I don’t ever want to be a poster child for divorce," she said. "It’s been three years now. It’s simply not in the forefront of my life anymore."
She added: "But I always make sure when these women come up to me, my first reaction is never, ‘Oh my God, congratulations!’ It’s like, ‘Are you OK?’ Because just like it needs to be destigmatized, I also don’t think it should be celebrated or glamorized."
Her 2023 album, "Rolling Up the Welcome Mat," features songs such as "Blindsided," "Mountain with a View" and "Penthouse" which featured lyrics chronicling the deterioration and aftermath of her relationship with Evans.
PUT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOU SCORE
MLB World Series favorite faces serious trouble as the regular season enters its final few weeks of the year
Somehow, there are just two weeks remaining in the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season.
Once again, this baseball season has shown how and why trying to predict it remains one of the most futile endeavors in sports. And that lack of predictability is even more apparent as several postseason races look set to come down to the last few games of the season.
The American League playoff race has several spots up for grabs, with teams hoping to avoid the wrong kind of history: becoming the first sub-.500 team to reach the postseason in a full season. While the Chicago White Sox have led the American League Central for most of the season, the Cleveland Guardians are just 1.5 games back with two games remaining in their series on Tuesday and Wednesday.
WITH ONE MONTH LEFT, AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAMS ARE HEADING TOWARDS AN EMBARRASSING, HISTORIC LOW
In the AL West, the Houston Astros are clinging to a one-game lead over the Texas Rangers at 75-75, though the teams don't play each other the rest of the year. Then there's the wild card race. The Guardians currently sit in the third wild card position at 76-75, but the Toronto Blue Jays, left for dead months ago, have clawed their way back into it, just one game back.
If the Rangers can’t catch the Astros, they’re still just 1.5 games back of the third wild-card spot. Even the 73-78 Baltimore Orioles are only three games behind Cleveland. Somehow.
So there are two teams competing for the AL Central, two teams competing for the AL West and four competing for the final wild card spot behind the Yankees and Red Sox. Those division races will also determine which team gets a first-round bye and who's forced into a best-of-three wild card series. Cleveland, Chicago, Houston and Texas are all within just a few games of each other, meaning that the second and third seed might not be determined until the final weekend.
Hilariously, there are just five teams with a positive run differential in the AL, and one of them, the Tigers, is 71-79 and effectively eliminated.
On the NL side, there are just two teams fighting for the final wild card spot, the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. While the Padres have become baseball's hottest team, Arizona's still just 2.5 games behind. More importantly, those two teams play each other in the final series with the season tiebreaker up for grabs, meaning that the race may not be clinched until literally the last day of the year. Last game, two division rivals potentially playing for a postseason berth at Petco Park. A dream scenario for the league.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
Speaking of the west, while the Dodgers have clinched a postseason berth, they're still battling with the Braves to clinch the second seed behind the runaway Milwaukee Brewers. And that bye might be even more important than it normally is, because the Dodgers are in trouble. Serious trouble.
While they've accumulated a tremendous amount of talent between their player development, fortuitous trades and their obviously large financial advantages, much of it is far from full strength heading into October. And it might cost them a chance at a three-peat.
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
Shohei Ohtani is on the injured list for the first time as a Dodger, after dealing with knee and arm injuries for most of the season. Not only will he not be available to pitch in the playoffs, he won't be eligible to return until the final weekend of the season. Freddie Freeman has been battling right knee soreness severe enough to keep him out of the lineup several times over the past week.
Andy Pages, who's been one of the Dodgers most valuable players this season, fractured his hand on a hit by pitch several weeks ago and, while he's started taking swings, has no set return date before the postseason. Then there's Edwin Díaz. Díaz, who signed for $69 million in the offseason, went from a 1.63 ERA in 2025 to 11.85 in 2026. He went down for several months with an arm injury himself, only to return and look... worse.
One of the most expensive relief pitchers in baseball has seven saves and four blown saves, allowing a remarkable 37 baserunners and 18 runs in 13.2 innings. He's back on the injured list, and just gave up five runs in a rehab appearance in the minor leagues. Edgardo Henriquez, who's helped fill in for Díaz at the back end of the bullpen, has been outstanding over the last month.
SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTER
Except he's now hurt too, going on the injured list with back issues that will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. Roki Sasaki too, had gone on the IL and was expected back this past weekend, only for manager Dave Roberts to say Tuesday that he won't return until next week at the earliest.
It's a testament to the Dodgers' depth that they're still a very good team, even with all these problems, and the promotion of top prospect Josue De Paula has already paid off. But these are very real and significant injury issues to key players, and the timeline to get them all back is compressed, to say the least.
Securing a first-round bye would give them a few extra days’ rest before starting the NLDS, but Ohtani, Pages, Diaz, Freeman, Henriquez and Sasaki may either not play again during the regular season or make only a few at-bats or a single appearance before the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Brewers are surging with a mostly healthy roster and baseball’s best run differential. They’ve also turned Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers into elite offensive contributors. With the Dodgers taking on water and big-name players like Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker well below their career averages, might this be the Brewers’ year?
When they say you can't predict baseball, this is why.