Wild Card, Division Series schedule, start times through Saturday released - MLB

Major League Baseball announced the start times for the two Wild Card games and the Division Series games through Saturday.

The takeaway: if you’re a fan of the Red Sox or Astros and you work a typical day job, be prepared to either take off work or else wait until Game Three to see any action, as both of the first two games of that series will begin in the afternoon. If you want to watch Game One of the Dodgers vs. NL Wild Card winner game on Friday and you don’t live on the west coast, boil some coffee and prepare yourself for a long night.

As the for Sox and Astros daytime games, Fox and Major League Baseball apparently felt that not having two playoff games going on at the same time was preferable to a larger audience being able to see the early game. I suppose they know what they’re doing as far as TV ratings and things go, but this will no doubt annoy some folks in Boston and Houston. As for the Dodgers first game: it’s a large country, time zones are a thing and, really, it’s way better for the folks in Los Angeles and either Phoenix or Denver to be able to see those games at a reasonable time than it is for east coasters, so I’m cool with that decision.

Here are the start times:

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BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”