American MLB team in Houston, Texas, competing in MLB’s AL West
Amazon has paused operations with 21 Air after a fatal Miami crash involving Prime Air Flight 7598. Investigators are reviewing speed, descent and maintenance as the NTSB probes the Sept. 6 incident that killed five workers and injured five others. Amazon is supporting the investigation and seeking other carriers.
The Red Sox have secured an American League wild-card berth after a 5-1 loss by Boston and a Houston loss to Atlanta. A season started with turmoil after April firings but turned around under interim manager Chad Tracy. Boston now faces a likely rematch with the Yankees in the AL Wild Card series at Yankee Stadium.
The ABS challenge system has been used to overturn a close ball/strike call in the Phillies-Braves wild-card game, delivering a 4-3 win for Philadelphia. Realmuto challenged a ball that replays showed clipped the zone; the ruling change preserves the Phillies’ season. The moment marks ABS’s first playoff-game use to end a game.
MLB has ended its consideration of Grand Teton National Park as a potential site for a game after local opposition became clear. Commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that the league will not evaluate the park further, and previous reporting highlighted the lack of community support and environmental concerns. The development follows earlier exploration of other non-traditional venues and signals a shift back to traditional ballparks.
The Houston Astros have not renewed Joe Espada’s contract and will not bring back five coaches for 2027, while bench coach Omar Lopez is offered a new internal role. The organization is also searching for a new manager and GM after a season that saw seven straight ALCS appearances end in 2026 with a sub-.500 finish.
Randy Flores has been named the Astros’ 15th general manager, replacing Dana Brown. Flores has a history with St. Louis and will be introduced at a Daikin Park news conference. Houston went 81-81 last season and reached the playoffs as a non-winning club.