Like every other major sports league, Major League Baseball has its own flex scheduling system, moving games around the schedule as needed, particularly as the postseason nears and it gets clearer which games are crucial to the postseason picture. 

How to Watch

Watch Sunday Night Baseball on NBC and Peacock.

This August on NBC and Peacock, some of that flex scheduling will impact NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball, bumping a primetime game to earlier in the day and moving a key divisional matchup into the evening slot to maximize viewers. Let’s take a closer look at the changes.

RELATED: Full Sunday Night Baseball Schedule on NBC and Peacock

Flex Scheduling for Sunday Night Baseball on August 30: Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds

NBC Sports announced this week that the August 30 installment of Sunday Night Baseball will look a little bit different than previously scheduled. That Sunday night game will now feature the Chicago Cubs hosting the Cincinnati Reds in a National League Central division matchup previously set for that Sunday afternoon. You can catch the game live at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock

Why the change? Well, for one thing, the Cubs are looking like one of the NL’s key postseason contenders. At this point in the season, they’re second in the NL Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers, but they’re a top contender for one of the National League’s three wild card spots heading into the playoffs. A divisional win against Cincinnati (though the Reds are currently last in the division) would shore up their wild card chances in a big way before the end of the regular season, making this a crucial game for the National League playoff picture.

What happens to the previously scheduled Sunday Night Baseball game on August 30? That matchup, between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets, flexes to earlier in the day, and airs live at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. 

RELATED: Full Schedule of 2026 MLB Games on NBC and Peacock

Flex Scheduling for Sunday Night Baseball on September 6: Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins

The following Sunday, on September 6, NBC Sports will again flex their scheduling for a matchup with big playoff implications. That week’s Sunday Night Baseball slot will now feature the Chicago White Sox vs. the Minnesota Twins at 6 p.m. ET live on NBC and Peacock. 

The White Sox sit at first place in the American League Central right now, while the Twins are in third place, and still locked in a close fight with the Cleveland Guardians for a wild card spot, so this game could have some big postseason impacts. 

The previously scheduled September 6 Sunday Night Baseball game, between the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, will be available in local markets.Â