As clichéd as the champagne pouring is at this time of year is the endless self-congratulatory chorus from one clinching clubhouse after another about what they had to overcome to get to this dripping, happy moment.
All 30 teams are beset by strife and those that advance to the playoffs are best at navigating beyond the problems.
For example, isn’t the story of the AL East, to some large degree, that the Orioles were deeper in good alternatives and withstood their big body blows (losing Manny Machado and Matt Wieters, in particular) better than the Yankees?
Baltimore, in fact, is not done experimenting even at this late date. Knowing they will be without Chris Davis for eight playoff games (if they play that many), the Orioles promoted Christian Walker to play first base Wednesday. He did not have to be protected on the 40-man roster this offseason, so if Davis were available, Baltimore would not have done this. But Walker hit 26 homers between Double-A and Triple-A, and the Orioles felt it was worth losing a roster spot to protect someone else from the Rule 5 draft in December to gauge whether Walker could help them in October.
Even so close to the postseason, teams with World Series dreams continue to race the clock to upgrade their rosters, particularly when it comes to healing injuries.
Here are seven big what-ifs looming for seven teams who would have been in the playoffs if the season ended Thursday:
Danny Duffy, Royals
The lefty threw one pitch against the Yankees on Sept. 6 and was removed with rotator-cuff tendinitis. He is now scheduled to start Monday against the Indians. Kansas City wins with pitching (it has 10 fewer home runs than any other AL team) and Duffy had settled in with Jason Vargas and Yordano Ventura as strong support for ace James Shields.
Kansas City is a half-game out of first in the AL Central and a half-game ahead of Oakland for the wild-card lead, but just 1 ¹/₂ games up on Seattle. So the Royals could win the division, gain home field in the wild-card playoff game, be the visitor in that game or miss the playoffs yet again, which they have done every year since 1985. So you see why the Royals would like Duffy and his 2.42 ERA to start two of their final seven games.
Angel Pagan, Giants
Pagan has missed three straight games with a lower back ailment similar to the one that cost him 44 games earlier this year. When Pagan, the Giants’ center fielder and leadoff hitter has not started the past two years, San Francisco is 70-88 compared to 90-66 when he does start. Will a cortisone shot get him on the field healthy and back at a high level? While comfortably in a wild-card position, the Giants want more. They are 2 ¹/₂ games back of the NL West-leading Dodgers with three games looming at Chavez Ravine beginning Monday.
Hyun-jin Ryu, Dodgers
Ah, yes, those Dodgers. Maybe it is 1988 all over again and Clayton Kershaw is Orel Hershiser and nothing else matters when you have the best pitcher at the peak of his powers. But the rotation without Ryu grows ever thinner. He hurt his shoulder last Friday against the Giants, was skipped this week and might start Monday against San Francisco. But it is iffy.
Without Ryu, the shaky Dan Haren becomes the No. 3 postseason starter behind Kershaw and Zack Greinke and Roberto Hernandez, who has not completed five innings in three September starts, becomes the fourth starter.
Also, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez is nursing an elbow strain (although he was in the lineup Thursday night) as his body and his free-agent stock continue to deteriorate.
Anibal Sanchez, Tigers
Detroit’s bullpen remains its Achilles’ arm. Joakim Soria recently returned from injury and it is possible he could usurp Joe Nathan as the closer. But Sanchez could be a relief wild card. He has been out since Aug. 8 with a strained pectoral. He is throwing bullpen sessions now, but there might not be enough time to get him built up to start. That could be left to Max Scherzer, David Price, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello. Can Sanchez eliminate the need for an unsteady reliever or two by being capable of pitching, say, two or three innings effectively out of the pen?
Matt Shoemaker, Angels
Already without Tyler Skaggs and — more importantly — their best starter, Garrett Richards, the Angels do not want to face the playoffs with Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson as their only two qualified starters. Shoemaker suffered a mild oblique strain Monday. The Angels have clinched the AL West, so they can be cautious, but they still have to get the righty revelation (16-4, 3.04) ready for October — a tricky tightrope.
Michael Wacha, Cardinals
John Lackey, who missed one turn with what was described as a dead arm, will return to St. Louis’ rotation Friday. The hope is Wacha will start Saturday. But after missing three months with a shoulder ailment and returning to make three starts before being shut down again, Wacha is a risky piece. The Cards lead the NL Central by 2 ¹/₂ games. Can they win it all with a rotation fronted by Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn and Shelby Miller? Yes. But it gets easier if Wacha or Lackey are right, too.
Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals
He tore his hamstring July 23 and the Nationals have the NL’s best record (33-21) since. Zimmerman is playing intrasquad games at Washington’s minor league complex. He could return as early as Saturday. But to do what, when and where? Do you put him at third base, which would mean moving Anthony Rendon to second and taking Asdrubal Cabrera off the field, where he has helped solidify the defense since arriving from Cleveland? Does Zimmerman play left field or first at the expense of Bryce Harper or Adam LaRoche? Can he even play third with his questionable throwing? Should he just play against lefties? Or should he just be a bench piece and not upset a working formula? First things first, is he healthy?