Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts after an inning ending double play against the San Diego Padres during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals begin a brutal 5-game series over just 4 days against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will give the ball to Dustin May while the Brewers will assign Shane Drohan the starting duties. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time and the game TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.
May 23, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; A view of the signage above the main scoreboard before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
George Springer has joined the team in San Francisco, but there is no word that he’s been added to the roster and he isn’t in the lineup tonight, which is something that we could have an explanation about. Of course, as soon as I hit publish the team will make an announcement.
The lineup they have posted:
Today’s Lineups
BLUE JAYS
GIANTS
Ernie Clement – 2B
Heliot Ramos – RF
Nathan Lukes – RF
Luis Arraez – 2B
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Casey Schmitt – 3B
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Rafael Devers – DH
Sean Keys – DH
Jung Hoo Lee – CF
Alejandro Kirk – C
Willy Adames – SS
Daulton Varsho – CF
Bryce Eldridge – 1B
Myles Straw – LF
Victor Bericoto – LF
Andres Gimenez – SS
Eric Haase – C
Kevin Gausman – RHP
Landen Roupp – RHP
Shi Davidi tells us that Vladimir Guerrero’s back has been bothering him more than he’s admitted to us. Which make sense. Players don’t need to tell everyone if they are hurting.
It explains why he is skipping the All-Star game.
Back things are weird, one day it will feel good and the next you are back to hurting. Back issues happen when you are are in shape or out of shape or in shape. With the rather violent action of a swing, it would be pretty hard for you back to improve if you are taking several swings a day. I think a few days off might do him good. Or at least it can’t get all that worse.
It is Stampede, here in Calgary, and it is a busy time for me, so posting will be a little hit and miss this week. There are a lot of things going on.
AKRON, OHIO - MAY 26, 2026: Parks Harber #26 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels bats during the first inning against the Akron RubberDucks at 7 17 Credit Union Park on May 26, 2026 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
A busy weekend for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates! Let’s jump into all the action that happened on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Some shocking news came across the farm over the weekend: Low-A San Jose LHP Braydon Risley was released. Risley was a 19th-round pick in last year’s draft, and had been having a decent debut season, with a 4.80 ERA, a 4.70 FIP, and a Pitcher of the Month award in the Cal League in May. I don’t want to speculate as to the exact why for this release — hopefully we get details at some point — but, put simply, drafted players do not get released in their debut seasons because of their on-field performance (and even if they did, Risley has been too good to be a consideration for that reason). This is almost certainly an off the field matter, and likely a severe one, given that he was released rather than placed on any sort of leave.
In happier news, AA Richmond center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) was named Player of the Month in the Eastern League, while High-A Eugene center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was named Player of the Week in the Northwest League.
In injury news, Richmond catcher Adrián Sugastey was placed on the 7-Day IL, while AAA Sacramento LHP Matt Wilkinson was activated off the IL. Sacramento outfielder Grant McCray will begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League.
And finally, some shuffling of Quad-A relievers. The Giants designated RHP Gregory Santos for assignment, and outrighted him to Sacramento when he cleared waivers. They also claimed RHP Eric Cerantola off of waivers from the Royals, and assigned him to Sacramento. Cerantola is a 26-year old who was taken in the 5th round in 2021. He has a 2.67 ERA and a 4.31 FIP in AAA this year, with 43 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. He made his MLB debut earlier this year.
AAA Sacramento (45-39)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the El Paso Chihuahuas 4-2 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the El Paso Chihuahuas 8-6 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the El Paso Chihuahuas 11-2 [box score]
Well, not a good weekend for the River Cats, that’s for sure.
It was also an odd weekend. The biggest oddity appeared on Sunday, when LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) made an appearance out of the bullpen. Whitman, the team’s compensation round pick in 2023, was arguably the best starting pitcher in the Eastern League while in AA this year, and received a well-earned promotion to AAA. He’s had a few bumps and bruises as one expects in AAA, but had been fairly solid through 5 starts. And then came this bizarre bullpen outing.
As Roger Munter notes in his must-read Minor Lines, Sunday was Whitman’s scheduled start, but the River Cats were also welcoming LHP Matt Wilkinson back into the fold after a rehab stint. Still and all, I would have assumed that would mean the team would piggyback them, but instead they used Whitman like a true reliever, bringing him into the game in the 4th inning, with 2 outs and a runner on base, and only keeping him out there through the 5th inning. He wasn’t sharp, unfortunately, giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run in 1.1 innings, though he needed just 18 pitches to do so.
In all, it turned into a day of using starters in brief stints: Wilkinson lasted just 3.2 innings as he gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs, with 3 strikeouts, while RHP Carson Seymour came in later and tossed 2 rough innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs, with 3 strikeouts. So not a great day for any of those starting pitchers, but they all did better than the rehabbing pitcher on Sunday, as RHP Jason Foley faced 4 batters and didn’t retire any of them, giving up a double, a single, and 2 walks, which ultimately resulted in 4 earned runs after Seymour’s struggles allowed all the inherited runners to score. A day to forget for the pitchers, and it’s really been a rough scene for Foley, who has a 7.80 ERA and a 5.26 FIP during his rehab assignment, with just 10 strikeouts in 15 innings. Not sure what the Giants will do about that situation.
Friday’s starter was the biggest pitching bright spot, as RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL) was strong through 5 innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, and 2 unearned runs, while striking out 6 batters. That said, the unearned runs thing feels a little cheap, since it involved an error by Tidwell himself, and then an ensuing home run … 2 things that feel a little antithetical to a run being “unearned.” Still, it was a solid showing, even if it took him 97 pitches to get through 5 innings. RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts later in the game, as he continues his glorious run … he’s now allowed runs in just 1 of his last 16 outings, which spans more than 2 months. That’s brought him down to a 3.96 ERA and a 4.73 FIP, despite an ugly start to the year.
Also nice relief outings for RHPs Braxton Roxby (2 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts) and Wilkin Ramos (2 perfect innings with 1 strikeout), and LHP Nick Zwack (1 perfect frame with 2 strikeouts).
In the batter’s box, left fielder/right fielder Will Brennan continues to be the team’s best offensive player post-outrighting. The lefty had a lovely weekend, hitting 4-12 with a home run, a double, a hit by pitch, and no strikeouts.
The 28-year old veteran has a 7-game hitting streak, and has collected 10 hits through 5 games in July. And since getting designated for assignment and outrighted, he’s gone 21-57 with 1 home run, 6 doubles, 3 walks, and just 3 strikeouts. It’ll be an uphill battle to get back on the roster, but we’ll see if the Giants trade any of their outfielders in the next month.
Speaking of which, center fielder/left fielder Turner Hill just continues to look comfortable in AAA. He had another majestic weekend, hitting 4-10 with a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, and, like Brennan, no strikeouts. The 27-year old undrafted free agent has an .843 OPS and a 125 wRC+ since getting promoted, with strong outfield defense and 15 stolen bases in 61 games. He’s kind of a left-handed hitting Jonah Cox Lite!
Finally, the up-and-down play continued for catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL). After not getting an at-bat on Friday, the contact savant went 2-5 with a home run and a stolen base on Saturday, though he also committed an error. But on Sunday, he went 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. He’s really been scuffling since getting optioned just over a month ago, and his season numbers in AAA are down to a .777 OPS and a 106 wRC+.
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators 7-0 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators 6-5 [box score]
No Saturday game for the Squirrels, as their holiday game was lost due to poor weather. Not very patriotic of the weather if you ask me!
But 2 games was all that was needed for third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) to shine. Harber put on a superstar showing in both games: on Friday, he cemented the blowout win by smashing a 3-run home run in the 7th inning, as part of a 3-4 day that featured a sacrifice fly and his 1st stolen base of the season.
Yeah Taylor and Travis just got married but have you heard Parks Harber hit another bomb? 💥 pic.twitter.com/dEfIB0G5fT
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 4, 2026
And on Sunday? Well, he one-upped himself, going 2-4 with a pair of big flies. What a weekend!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 5, 2026
Harber hit the ground running after missing the start of the season with an injury, but fell into a bit of a slump for a while. I think it’s safe to say that the slump is well behind him at this point! Over his last 8 games, the righty is hitting 13-32 with 3 homers, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. It’s brought his OPS back to .897 and his wRC+ to 136, though he still has a 25.1% strikeout rate.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 5, 2026
Interestingly, after moving strictly to the outfield for a while, Harber is back to playing third base. Is it a coincidence that his time in the outfield coincided with the Giants having a hole in their outfield, and his move back to third coincides with Matt Chapman’s injury? I’d say yes, but given the trajectory they’ve put some of their prospects on this year, who knows!
Richmond’s other offensive star had a nice weekend as well, if a little quieter, as center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) hit 4-8 with a double, a walk, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout. After a stunning June in which he posted a 1.072 OPS, the 24-year old lefty is off to a similarly hot start to July, with a .984 OPS through the 1st 4 games. He’s up to an .861 OPS and a 121 wRC+, with 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts.
Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 32 CPL) had a lovely time at the yard, hitting 2-6 with a home run and a walk. He’s up to a .779 OPS and a 112 wRC+ on the year, and the 22-year old switch-hitter has more than doubled his isolated slugging over his prior stops in Richmond.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 4, 2026
A great pitching performance on Friday, led by LHP Greg Farone, who had one of his best performances of the year. The 2024 7th-rounder threw 6 shutout innings, giving up just 5 hits, 0 walks, and 2 hit batters, while striking out 5. It’s been a struggle of a year for the 24-year old southpaw, who was given a rather aggressive assignment in his 2nd season, and has just a 6.17 ERA and a 6.18 FIP. His June was particularly bad — he allowed 15 walks and 17 earned runs in 21 innings — so it’s nice seeing him start July on the right foot.
He was followed up by another player who has been having a tough season but had a great game: RHP Shane Rademacher. The 25-year old UDFA, who is in his 3rd season, threw 3 no-hit innings to end the game, with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. After a really rough start to the year, Rademacher — who is pitching strictly in relief this year — has started to find a rhythm. He’s allowed 4 runs in 14.2 innings over his last 6 games, after ceding 16 earned runs in 22 innings over his 1st 13 outings.
LHP Charlie McDaniel pitched 6.1 innings on Sunday, which was impressive, though he allowed 7 baserunners and 3 runs, with just 3 strikeouts. The undrafted free agent, who turned 25 on Saturday, has a 5.04 ERA and a 4.15 FIP in 6 starts since getting promoted.
High-A Eugene (49-32)
Friday Game 1: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 5-3 (7 innings) [box score] Friday Game 2: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 9-0 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 8-2 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 5-3 [box score]
It was a very nice weekend for the farm system’s power hitters … while Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) was bashing homers in the Eastern League, center fielder/right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was doing the same in the Northwest League. Jordan has really been turning things on lately following a June swoon, and this weekend emphasized that. After going 0-4 with a strikeout in the 1st game of Friday’s doubleheader, Jordan turned on the burners: over the weekend’s final 3 games, the ultra athletic righty hit 8-13 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and 1 strikeout.
The 2024 4th-rounder, who recently turned 23, now has an .846 OPS and a 122 wRC+, and in his last 7 games has hit 13-29 with 8 extra-base knocks, which earned him Player of the Week honors. Perhaps most encouraging is that Jordan, who still has quite a big swing-and-miss issue, has only 3 strikeouts in his last 11 games.
And now, for the GRAND FINALE!
Dakota Jordan extends his team lead in HR, sending his 15th and 2nd of the game out of the ballpark. @Kota_1k is on an absolute TEAR leading up to the All-Star Future’s Game.#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/fnZZZRAOYO
Plenty of other nice offensive performances, including from left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who hit 5-14 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 3 strikeouts, bringing his OPS to .796 and his wRC+ to 115, with 19 stolen bases in 20 attempts. The middle infield duo of Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) and Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) had up-and-down weekends, with Level going 4-17 with 2 doubles, 3 strikeouts, and a caught stealing, and Kilen hitting 3-17 with a home run, 2 doubles, and 3 strikeouts. Level now has a .756 OPS and a 102 wRC+ since a promotion, while Kilen has an .818 OPS and a 118 wRC+ in his 1st full season.
A nice weekend for corner outfielder Jakob Christian (No. 40 CPL), who hit 3-10 with a home run, a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, and 3 strikeouts, bringing his OPS to .828 and his wRC+ to 123. Christian is showing off a ton of power and getting on base at a fantastic clip, but still really struggling with strikeouts, with a 31.3% rate.
Also homering were catcher Onil Perez and first baseman Robert Hipwell, who each knocked their 3rd dinger of the year in otherwise rough offensive seasons. Catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) only played twice, but hit 5-7 with a double and a walk, boosting his OPS to .857 and his wRC+ to 131. What a season for the 21-year old!
The pitching star was LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), who nearly pitched a complete game during the 7-inning 2nd game of Friday’s doubleheader. The just-turned 21-year old finished with 6.1 shutout innings in which he allowed just 2 hits, 2 walks, and a hit batter, though he only struck out 3. After an injury delayed his start, and then he pitched with a fair amount of rust, Bresnahan has started to really turn his season around … he’s all the way down to a 3.19 ERA, though his 4.50 FIP points to some of the issues he’s been having after back-to-back Pitcher of the Year campaigns to start his career.
While Bresnahan’s strikeout totals were low in this one, it was his 3rd straight excellent outing, as he’s now gone at least 6 innings in 3 straight games, giving up just 7 hits, 4 walks, and 1 run in 18.1 innings over that time. Quite impressive! The strikeouts are a touch concerning, as he’s gone from 12.0 per 9 last year to just 9.7 this season, but that’s still an OK number. And while his home runs have gone in the wrong directions — from 0.2 per 9 last year, to 1.0 this year — he’s also only allowed 35 hits in 53.2 innings, which is extremely impressive.
RHP Niko Mazza also had a great start, as he continues to sport a great ERA/bad FIP combo meal. Mazza pitched on the holiday and went 6 innings, while giving up 5 hits, 1 walk, 2 hit batters, and just 1 run. The 24-year old 8th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft threw 56 of 85 pitches for strikes but, like Bresnahan, only struck out 3 batters. That was out of character for the Southern Mississippi alum, who has boosted his strikeouts per 9 innings from 8.7 in his debut season (in Low-A) to 10.9 this year. And, just like last year, he has an ERA in the 2s (2.63) despite an FIP in the 4s (4.09).
Part of the reason for that high FIP is the walks (he’s issued 5.5 per 9 innings), so the singular walk in this game was a nice change of pace, despite the 2 hit batters.
RHP Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL) pitched a no-hit inning with a walk and a strikeout, and it was his 4th straight game without allowing a hit (though he’s walked at least 1 batter in all 4 appearances). The 22-year old’s stuff remains absurd: in 19.2 innings this year, the triple-digit flamethrower has struck out 29, while giving up just 11 hits … but he’s walked 27.
Low-A San Jose (49-32)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-5 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 14-6 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7-2 [box score]
The Baby Giants are officially rolling … they not only swept the weekend, but swept the series, and ride into Monday’s off-day on a 7-game winning streak.
They used the long ball for this weekend’s success, smacking 8 home runs over the 3 games, with at least 2 dingers in each contest.
A pair of those home runs came from someone who is quickly starting to look like one of the breakout players of 2026: right fielder Jose Astudillo. Power numbers in the Cal League shouldn’t be taken too seriously, especially for a 22-year old, but still: Astudillo has always been a sensational contact hitter and a strong defender, but now he’s added in power. Over the weekend he went 5-11 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and an outfield assist, bringing his OPS up to .940 and his wRC+ to 132 (and running his hitting streak to 18 games). The .353 batting average and 5.9% strikeout rate, which rank 2nd and 1st, respectively, out of the 88 Cal League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances? We’ve come to expect that. But the .190 isolated slugging and the 6 home runs? That is a shock for someone who entered the year with just 1 career home run in 110 games. Hopefully it can continue!
Don't think it's possible to be hotter than Jose Astudillo right now. His second two-RBI hit of the night, this one an absolute no-doubter. pic.twitter.com/BOmOfvGPA5
He wasn’t the only San Jose hitter to go yard multiple times, though the other was less surprising: left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 31 CPL) went 3-5 with a pair of home runs and a walk on Saturday, though he went 0-9 with 3 strikeouts in the other 2 games. Not only have we grown accustomed to Diaz hitting homers (he’s 3rd in the system with 13 this year), but he’s playing down a level, as he couldn’t join High-A Eugene on their trip north of the border, so he bopped down to California.
A LISBEL LASER.
Lisbel Diaz hits his second home run of the game, and the Giants have reached double digits in the run column for the NINETEENTH TIME this season! pic.twitter.com/Ini2tsKYen
Third baseman Dario Reynoso continued to rebound from a little slump he had going, as he went 5-12 with a home run, 2 doubles, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 5 strikeouts. Reynoso, who has a .942 OPS and a 133 wRC+, continues to put on a show: his .295 batting average ranks 22nd out of those aforementioned 88 Cal League hitters, while his .241 isolated slugging mark is 10th, and his 14.5% walk rate is 19th. But the 31.1% strikeout rate and 14.8% swinging strike rates remain terrifying, though they are improvements over his 2025, so at least there’s that.
FIREWORKS IN THE FIRST AGAIN!
Dario Reynoso blasts his 11th homer of the year (109 EV) and for the second night in a row, Giants score first on the long ball. pic.twitter.com/TTcFaJ1k80
Shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) played quite well, hitting 4-11 with a home run, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout. Last year’s 4th-round pick has taken a while to get going, but has been much better lately, and now has a .729 OPS and an 82 wRC+, though the 27.2% strikeout rate is a touch concerning for the 22-year old. His July has been excellent following a tough June.
Lorenzo Meola with another mammoth home run, the Giants ELEVENTH home run this series. pic.twitter.com/boTQT2LDdq
First baseman Jeremiah Jenkins and left fielder Oliver Tejada both homered over the weekend as well. Jenkins, who hit 2-12 and added a double, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, now has an .866 OPS and a 115 wRC+; Tejada, who went 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his only game, is 2-14 through 4 games since getting promoted.
And another one!
Oliver Tejada with his first HR of the season, and the Giants take a 4-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/S11y94Ok6d
There were a pair of bits of big news on the pitching front. On the unhappy side was the aforementioned release of LHP Braydon Risley, who made his final appearance for the organization on Friday. It showed off his strengths and his weaknesses, as he allowed 7 baserunners and 3 runs in just 4.1 innings, but also struck out 7 batters. Hopefully we find out at some point why he was released less than a year after getting drafted.
The happier side of the news was that RHP Keaton Winn continued his rehab assignment on Sunday. He pitched for the 2nd time in his rehab, and for the 1st time in San Jose, and gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning. Hopefully he’s back in the San Francisco bullpen soon.
Following Winn was RHP Sam Bower, who had a wonderful game, throwing 4 shutout innings and allowing just 2 singles and 0 walks, while striking out 6. Bower, the 2022 11th-round pick who, due to injuries, didn’t debut until this season, is starting to find his rhythm and kick his rust and dust off. He still has just a 4.62 ERA and a 4.80 FIP in his debut season, but in his last 2 starts has allowed just 5 hits, 0 walks, and 0 runs in 9 innings, with 12 strikeouts. Trending up!
LHP Ricardo Estrada started on Saturday and had a funny start. The 24-year old from Mexico gave up just 3 hits and 1 run in 5 innings, but walked 4 batters (he also struck out 6). He has just a 4.17 ERA and a 5.80 FIP on the year.
Perhaps the most exciting news in this game was that designated hitter Reggie Crawford returned following an injury. He played part of Friday’s game and hit 2-2 with 2 runs batted in, and in 5 games this year is 5-14 with a home run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts.
By now you’re likely all familiar with Crawford’s story and career path (and if you want more there, I recommend reading Justice delos Santos’ recent profile). After Crawford began hitting again following his countless pitching injuries, it felt extremely cruel that he quickly suffered an injury playing first base. But it’s great that the injury didn’t linger, and hopefully he can get back in a rhythm of playing regularly this summer.
Speaking of injured players returning, shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) is still healthy, though the Giants have slow-playing him a little bit following his second hamstring injury. He played in Friday’s game and went 0-2 and was caught stealing, but also drew 2 walks and stole a base. He’s still only played 20 games in the ACL, but the 18-year old superstar prospect is 23-61 with 7 extra-base hits, 15 walks, just 15 strikeouts, and 6 stolen bases in 7 attempts. I can’t wait to see him in San Jose later this year.
His counterpart, shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) also only played once, but went 1-4 with a triple, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout. He’s slowed down a little bit following his unreal start, but he still has a .939 OPS, a 119 wRC+, and just a 17.7% strikeout rate … stunning numbers for a 17-year old middle infielder in his debut season. The future is bright! Which is good, because the present is fairly ugly.
First baseman Evan Estevez had a nice weekend as well, going 3-8 with a 2-run home run, though he also struck out 4 times. The 18-year old has struggled in his stateside debut, with just a .723 OPS and a 76 wRC+. He’s shown some good power (he now has 5 home runs and 11 extra-base hits in 43 games), but his contact skills are really taking a hit, as he has just a .231 average and a 37.1% strikeout rate.
As was the case in San Jose, the big news on the Complex League pitching front was RHP Keaton Winn kicking off his rehab. Before he went up to the Cal League, Winn pitched a perfect inning on Friday at Papago, while striking out 2. He was replaced by AA RHP Logan Martin, who is also rehabbing. Martin tossed 2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts. Martin has now made 3 rehab appearances and allowed just 1 baserunner (a walk) in 5 innings. Hopefully he’s back in Richmond very soon.
Otherwise, the pitching over the weekend was not very good. RHP Luke Mensik did strike out 6 batters in 4 innings on Friday, but also gave up 6 baserunners and 5 runs. The 18-year old, who was taken in the 17th round of last year’s draft (for a nearly $500K bonus), has just a 5.08 ERA and a 5.87 FIP in his debut season, though he has 9.6 strikeouts per 9 innings and a lovely 50.5% groundball rate.
Dominican Summer League Black (14-11)
Friday: DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Mets Orange 5-4 [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Black lost to DSL Arizona Black 11-10 [box score]
Saturday was an extremely DSLy game. The DSL Giants Black drew 8 walks and were hit by 3 pitches … and issued 13 walks while hitting 3 batters. Gotta love it.
It was a good weekend for the Camacaro brothers. Third baseman/shortstop Keiberg, the older of the 2, went 3-8 with a solo home run, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. Second baseman Alexander hit 3-7 with a double, 2 walks, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Keiberg, a 19-year old in his 4th season, is putting up career numbers, with a .957 OPS, a 137 wRC+, a 12.7% strikeout rate, and 13 stolen bases in 24 games. That’s a dramatic improvement over last year, when he had a .620 OPS, an 89 wRC+, a 24.6% strikeout rate, and just 7 stolen bases in 33 games. Alexander, an 18-year old in his 2nd season, has a .736 OPS, a 91 wRC+, and 9 stolen bases in 24 games … those aren’t great numbers but, like his brother, they’re dramatic improvements over last year’s debut (.483 OPS, 56 wRC+, and 0 stolen bases in 17 games).
A few pitchers kept their low ERAs intact: 18-year old RHP Jeremiah Jones tossed 2 no-hit innings with a strikeout, though he walked 3, lowering the 2nd-year player’s ERA to 2.53 (albeit with a 4.97 FIP); 21-year old RHP Lender Bracho tossed 3 scoreless frames with 3 hits and 2 strikeouts, and now has a 1.72 ERA (but a 5.33 FIP) in his 3rd season; and 22-year old RHP Brayan Cabello retired all 4 batters he faced with a strikeout, lowering his blissful ERA to 0.49, though his FIP is 4.50 and this is his 5th season.
Dominican Summer League Orange (14-11)
Friday: DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Blue Jays Blue 7-6 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL White Sox 3-2 (7 innings) [box score]
First baseman Fernando Pena, who is normally a catcher, went 0-1 on Friday, but drew a walk and was hit twice. The 19-year old, who is in his 3rd season, has now been hit 9 times in just 24 games. There’s something about catchers that just leads to getting hit all the time! Combined with his 17.3% walk rate and his .319 average, all those plunkings have given Pena a .495 on-base percentage (and also a 1.017 OPS and a 153 wRC+).
The best players for the DSL Orange team were on the mound, though. RHP Omar Calcurian, a 21-year old in his 3rd season, pitched 2 shutout innings with 2 hits, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.45 (like nearly all DSL pitchers with good ERAs, his FIP is way behind, at 5.25). After striking out just 17 batters in 33 innings last year, Calcurian already has 19 punchouts this season, in just 18.2 innings. 19-year old RHP Kendry Castro tossed 3 scoreless frames on Saturday with 2 hits, 0 walks, and 2 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.64 (and again … 4.13 FIP). Castro has really done a great job improving command: after walking 29 batters in just 15.2 innings in his debut season in 2024, he issued 18 walks in 33.2 innings last year … and has given up just 2 walks in 11 innings so far this season.
Home run tracker
15 — Dakota Jordan x2 — [High-A] 13 — Lisbel Diaz x2 — [10 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 11 — Parks Harber x3 — [AA] 11 — Dario Reynoso — [Low-A] 9 — Gavin Kilen — [High-A] 9 — Jeremiah Jenkins — [Low-A] 8 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A] 7 — Jesús Rodríguez — [2 in MLB; 5 in AAA] 6 — Jakob Christian — [High-A] 6 — Jose Astudillo x2 — [Low-A] 5 — Evan Estevez — [ACL] 4 — Diego Velasquez — [AA] 3 — Robert Hipwell — [High-A] 3 — Onil Perez — [High-A] 3 — Keiberg Camacaro — [DSL] 2 — Will Brennan — [AAA] 2 — Oliver Tejada — [1 in Low-A; 1 in ACL]
Now that it has been multiple days since the start of NHL free agency, many of this year's top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have been signed. Although this is the case, there are still plenty of UFAs still looking for their next contracts.
Interestingly, a decent amount of the NHL's remaining UFAs are former Flyers players.
Claude Giroux is the most notable former Flyer who is still a UFA at this point in the summer. However, he has been heavily linked to Philadelphia since hitting the market. A reunion between the Flyers and their former captain would make for a fantastic story.
Giroux would provide the Flyers' forward group with a nice boost if successfully brought back, as he is still a very useful player at this stage in his career. In 82 games last season for the Ottawa Senators, he posted 14 goals and 49 points.
James van Riemsdyk is another former Flyer who is still a UFA. The 37-year-old winger is still a solid offensive contributor at this stage of his career. With that, it is possible that he could land a one-year deal if he does not retire. In 72 games last season for the Detroit Red Wings, the 2007 second-overall pick posted 15 goals and 31 points.
Former Flyers goalie Cam Talbot is one of the top goalies still available in free agency. The 39-year-old had a tough year for Detroit, posting an .883 save percentage and a 3.19 goals-against average in 34 games. However, the two-time All-Star also had a .900 save percentage or better in five out of his previous six seasons before 2025-26. This kind of past success could help him get at least a PTO from an NHL club.
Other former Flyers who are also still UFAs include Kevin Hayes, Rodrigo Abols, Luke Glendening, and Petr Mrazek.
Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, LeBron James, Willie McGee and Romeo Travis at the premiere of "Shooting Stars" held on May 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images) | Variety via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the teams vying for LeBron James’s services in free agency. There hasn’t been much news out of James’s camp or teams like the Cavs to really get a feel for how things are going. That vacuum has left those of us on the outside looking for clues as to whether a second reunion in Cleveland is likely.
One of those clues, which has an innocent enough explanation, came out on Monday. LeBron’s former teammate at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, Romeo Travis, is one of the guest coaches the Cavs have brought on to help with Summer League training camp.
There were a couple of former Zips at #Cavs Summer League practice today.
Cleveland's own Shammah Scott invited to Summer League Training Camp workouts this week, while Akron's own Romeo Travis was helping the coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/a10s6i4ixS
Having a guest coach isn’t unique. Many teams, including the Cavs, do this for things like Summer League training camp. The timing of this, with James as a free agent, will understandably cause a stir, even though it likely doesn’t mean much.
There are plenty of Akron and St. Vincent-St. Mary’s connections on the Cavs which include assistant general manager Brandon Weems and Malaki Branham, who is on the Summer League roster. Travis also fits the profile of someone who would typically help out in a situation like this. He’s a former professional player with ties to both the team and the area. There’s nothing completely out of the ordinary with this.
Travis played collegiately at the University of Akron after graduating from St. Vincent-St. Mary. He played there from 2003-07, and still ranks sixth in all-time Zips scoring. He then played professionally overseas from ‘07 through ‘21.
This isn’t Travis’s first experience with the Cavs in Summer League, as he was on their summer roster in ‘07 and ‘08.
The Cavs will start Summer League play this Friday. They’ll take on the Indiana Pacers at 4:30 PM in Las Vegas. That will be the first of five guaranteed games they’ll play.
The Marlins were in Sacramento facing the Athletics on Sunday, and Perez recorded seven perfect innings on 92 pitches. He retired all 21 batters he faced before being pulled to begin the eighth inning.
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez (39) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A’s fans chanted “Shame!” at the team as they came in to remove Perez.
His replacement, Lake Bachar, gave up a leadoff walk in the eighth and a single to end the perfect game and no-hitter almost instantly. Bachar would give up five earned runs on four hits before Michael Petersen came in to try and stop the bleeding.
For the ninth, Pete Fairbanks got the ball. He gave up three runs of his own, and the Marlins nearly blew the 9-0 lead they had held all afternoon.
Eury Pérez threw 7 perfect innings (92 pitches) at the A's today.
He was replaced by Lake Bachar to begin the 8th, and the A's got a leadoff walk to end the perfect game, followed by a single to end the no-hitter.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 5, 2026
Perez, who was making only his third start since returning from the injured list, was a mere six outs away from securing the first perfect game in franchise history.
“There was a part of my heartstrings pulling at his opportunity to keep on going, but I have to think about Eury and our organization, our team and what’s best moving forward to give us a chance to continue winning games,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame.
“Going into this game, 90-plus was the pitch count, but…us looking to play beyond the regular season, Eury’s going to be an important part of that. He had it really going today,” McCullough continued.
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez (39) hands the ball to manager Clayton McCullough (86) after being pulled as catcher Joe Mack (80) looks on in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The possibility of seeing the Marlins in October doesn’t seem that far-fetched these days. They’ve won nine of 12 overall, including the weekend sweep of the Athletics. They are in a statistical tie for the final wild-card spot. All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez, who homered in Sunday’s thriller, was named the NL Player of the Week.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Mikel Brown Jr. poses for a photo during the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Laura June Kirsch/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After waiting two games, Nets fans will finally get to see Mikel Brown Jr. in action — one day after the Nets steamrolled the Bucks. There hasn’t been much word about why he’s been out, but any concern is justified given his history with back injuries. One would have to assume that the front office is being particularly cautious with him. They’re playing their third straight game in three days, then they’ll head over to Las Vegas for more.
In the meantime, enjoy the MBJ era!
🏀 Key Info
Matchup: Golden State vs. Brooklyn
Time (ET): 8:00 PM
Broadcast / Streaming Platform: Gotham Sports App, Prime, NBA TV, NBA League Pass, ESPN+
For the California Classic, the Warriors have two teams, so there would be an equal number of squads playing in the first edition of the Summer League. Those teams include “Warriors Gold” and “Warriors Blue.”Today, the Nets will face their blue team.Warriors Blue are 0-2 throughout their first two games, losing 91-85 to the Sacramento Kings and 97-83 to the Milwaukee Bucks, whom the Nets beat, 89-69 yesterday without Brown, Jefferson, Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, Tyler Bilodeau, and Chaney Johnson
💬 Discussion
Share your thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.
Which, for the Dodgers, comes with one big question:
Go after two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal? Or largely stand pat with a roster containing virtually no glaring needs?
Trade deadline season is here. For the Dodgers, that means deciding whether they want to pursue two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Trade deadline season is here. For the Dodgers, that means deciding whether they want to pursue two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.Getty Images
That’s the decision California Post baseball writers Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris are discussing on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast, as they look ahead to the team’s deadline plans with less than a month to go until the Aug. 3 occasion.
Dylan makes the case the Dodgers don’t have any holes, and don’t need to mortgage their future on a pitcher who –– for all his talent –– is also a pending free agent who could be gone next year. Jack wonders if the team needs to hedge against potential pitching injuries over the second half of the season, and whether that’s worth dealing from a farm system that will be important for the club to count on to provide talent in the coming years.
Elsewhere, the two recount an emotional day at Dodger Stadium, as rookie catcher Eliezer Alfonzo made his MLB debut on the same day he learned his sister and stepmom had been found dead in the rubble of the recent Venezuelan earthquakes.
They also recap other talking points from another Dodgers series win over the Padres.
Later, they take reader comments, including one on the differences between “reasons” and “excuses” for Roki Sasaki’s recent struggles.
And, as always, they finish with some trivia and predictions –– plus throw in a little World Cup talk at the end.
All that and more on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast. Subscribe on YouTube or follow along on Apple and Spotify.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 12: Koby Brea #14 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 12, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns continue to secure their own free agents to new deals. Koby Brea is next, according to ESPN NBA’s Insider Shams Charania, who reports that the guard is signing a two-way contract to return to Phoenix.
Phoenix Suns G/F Koby Brea is signing a two-way NBA contract to return to the team, his agent Erika Ruiz of Primera Sports tells ESPN. The restricted free agent appeared in 12 games as a rookie last season.
In college, he was known for his shooting prowess at Kentucky and Davidson. Playing in 12 regular-season games after being selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, Brea’s return is not a surprise, considering the frequency with which restricted free agents return to their teams and his listing on the team’s Summer League roster, alongside Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and newly drafted Koa Peat.
Brea’s best game of his young and inexperienced career came in the final game of the team’s regular season against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he knocked down six threes and scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field in 29 minutes. Outside of the context, he played more than 10 minutes just once. For the season, he averaged 3.8 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists on 41.7% shooting from the field, 43.3% from three and 100% at the charity stripe (he took just two free throws all year).
Brea spent the majority of the season with the Suns’ G League affiliate, the Valley Suns. He averaged 33.4 minutes, scoring 15.0 points on 37/43/80 splits in Tempe, adding 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
On a two-way deal, Brea can play up to 50 regular-season games, but is not eligible for postseason play. For him to play in the playoffs, they would need to convert his contract into a standard deal and waive a player like the team did for Jamaree Bouyea last season. Phoenix has used all of its standard roster spots to this point, as the team rosters 15 guaranteed deals.
With the team signing Luke Kennard to a multi-year deal to replace Grayson Allen, Brea’s role projects to be similar to the one he played last year as a reserve, getting minutes sparingly or when games are clearly decided. He joins newly signed Pat Spencer as the team’s only player on a two-way, but news about CJ Huntley returning to the team is likely to come soon, with him also being on the Summer League roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a major splash when they acquired center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz earlier this month.
However, that trade wasn’t even the biggest thing to happen in Kessler’s live this week. He got engaged to Abbie Stockard (who was Miss America 2025) during Fourth of July weekend, which Stockard then shared to her Instagram profile, with a photo of the couple showing off her engagement ring with the caption, “The future Kessler’s. Let’s get y’all married!!!”
Walker Kessler and his fiancée, Abbie Stockard, celebrating their engagement. Abbie Stockard’s July 6 Instagram story post upon arriving in Los Angeles.
It didn’t take Kessler and Stockard long to arrive in Los Angeles. This was shown by a post that Abbie made to her Instagram on July 6, which showed a photo of multiple purple and gold balloons, including one gold “L” and another gold “A” next to it.
The post was captioned, “touched down in LA ”.
Walker Kessler smiles while walking down the court during a Utah Jazz game. Getty ImagesAbbie Stockard poses after winning Miss America 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
It’s unclear whether Kessler and Stockard bought these balloons themselves or whether they were presented them by the Lakers or by someone upon their arrival. What’s for sure is that Kessler has enough money to buy them himself, given that he signed a four-year, $130 million deal upon joining the Lakers.
Los Angeles will need Kessler (who averaged 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game with the Jazz last season) to produce in his first season, especially given that LeBron James won’t be returning to the franchise and Rui Hachimura is headed to the cross-town Clippers in free agency, which was announced on Monday.
But that’s the last thing on Stockard and Kessler’s mind right now, given everything positive that has happened in their life lately.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 21: Owen Murphy of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Vincent Mizzoni/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The series finale between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets is about to start shortly and as usual, Walt Weiss spoke with the media ahead of the game and gave his thoughts on various hot
On Owen Murphy
“Good for him [earning a call-up],” began Weiss when talking about Owen Murphy. “He’s going to protect us out of the ‘pen. We’ve been running with a seven-man ‘pen for a while so at some point that’s going to run its course — and it probably has. [Murphy] will protect us with the ability to go long. He’s on schedule with his starts and he’s got a full tank of gas.” I went on to ask Weiss about whether or not this could potentially lead to an opportunity to start at some point but Weiss made it pretty clear that for this stint in the majors, Owen Murphy will be sticking to his role of being a bulk guy.
On the state of the farm system
Walt Weiss was then asked about how important it’s been to have a conveyor belt of talent being able to come up and make contributions to the team so far this season. “It’s important, critical, even,” stated Weiss. “We’re not like the other markets who go out and make a big splash in the free agency, so I think we do a really nice job of doing a little bit of everything. You gotta rely on your system and scouting and development and I think they’ve done a nice job when it comes to player development.”
“We’ve come a long way in a couple years prospect-wise,” continued Weiss. “A couple of years ago, we were talking about our system being dried up and now all of a sudden, there’s quite a few prospects.”
On Austin Riley’s attempts to get back on track
Austin Riley is coming into the final game of this series against the Mets with three hits and three RBI over the past couple of games. We’ve been here before in terms of Riley looking good for a brief spell before going back to struggling but Weiss is still backing his third baseman to eventualy get it going for real at the plate.
“He’s certainly putting in the work,” stated Weiss when it came to what he’s seen from Austin Riley behind the scenes lately. I’ve talked about how there’s a tipping point where it goes from physical to mental at times and I’m not sure that’s the case with Austin but speaking from experience…he’s putting in the work and he’s got a really good track record so it makes you believe that it’s going to work out.“
“We’ve got some recent examples with Ozzie and Harris last year. He really struggled in the first half of last season and then he finished strong and carried it into this year,” continued Weiss. “It’s nice to have a recent example that gives you hope and I’m sure it gives Austin hope that he can turn this thing around and end up having a really good second half and a really good season.”
”. 
