ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 24: The tarp covers the field during a rain delay in a game between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals in the seventh inning at Truist Park on May 24, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, the rain delay (that wasn’t an official rain delay) has officially claimed this game as far as tonight goes. The Atlanta Braves have announced that the game has been suspended and will be picked up in the bottom of the second with Atlanta down 3-2 against the San Francisco Giants.
Tonight’s game against the San Francisco Giants has been suspended due to inclement weather. We will resume the game tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17, at 2 PM ET with the Braves batting in the bottom of the 2nd inning.
All ticket holders from tonight’s suspended game will be…
Again, it raises some pretty big questions as to whether or not this game should’ve even started when it did but at this point, you can’t undo the damage. All you can do is move on and hope whatever is going on with Michael Harris II’s back isn’t anything serious. We’ll see what happens.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Ryan Ward #67 of the Los Angeles Dodgers doubles in the forth inning during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday, June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees offense exploded in support of Gerrit Cole as New York took its series opener against the White Sox, 12-2, on Tuesday night.
It's the team's eighth game this season with 10-plus runs scored this season. New York posted 15 hits with all nine starters getting at least one knock.
Here are the takeaways....
-The White Sox entered Tuesday with the fourth most home runs in MLB, and showed that power early. Andrew Benintendi took Cole deep with a two-out homer to give Chicago an early 1-0 lead after one.
But Cole would settle down, retiring 13 straight through five innings. He'd pitch into trouble in the sixth, allowing a run on an infield single by Luisangel Acuña, but the former AL Cy Young winner would get out of it and deliver six solid innings for the Yankees.
Cole finished by tossing 90 pitches (59 strikes), allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six batters.
-Davis Martin had allowed just three home runs all season (13 starts). He went up against the Yankees, who entered Tuesday with the most home runs in MLB (102). Which side will blink? Well, Spencer Jones took Martin deep in the second to knot the game at 1-1 with a screamer into the second deck in right field.
Then luck was on the Yankees' side in the third. An excuse-me swing by J.C. Escarra resulted in a leadoff double, then Anthony Volpe hit a hopper to second base, but first baseman Jacob Gonzalez didn't cover first, allowing runners on the corners. Ben Rice walked to load the bases before Cody Bellinger lined a two-run single to give the Yankees the lead. Jones walked with the bases loaded before Jose Caballero drove in the team's fourth run of the inning with a sac fly.
Rice added on with a towering two-run shot in the fourth. His 20 homers are now tied for third in the majors. Paul Goldschmidt added a two-run shot to put the Yankees up 9-1 and knocked Martin out of the game. Martin entered the contest with a 2.41 ERA, second-best in the AL, which has been raised to 3.31.
-Ryan McMahon had an RBI single and Jones scored after pitcher Chris Murphy threw a dribbler from Escarra away to account for all runs in a six-run fourth inning.
In the eighth, with Acuña pitching, Caballero launched his seventh homer of the season.
Game MVP: Entire Yankees lineup
Difficult to pick one bat in this one. They all did their job to knock around the White Sox's best starter.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 12: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 12, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Gauthier spent the 2025-26 season with the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers and had another incredible season, finishing with a 21-9-5 record, a 2.09 goals-against average, and a .929 save percentage.
He helped the Nailers get to the Eastern Conference Finals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs before they were eliminated by the Florida Everblades. This was Gauthier's fourth season in the Penguins' organization.
Gauthier is expected to compete for a roster spot with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins next year, since Sergei Murashov is slated to make the jump to the NHL.
Jun 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Tommy Edman during batting practice before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers coveted Tommy Edman’s ability to play multiple positions, especially up the middle, before they traded for him in July 2024, and was a big reason they signed the utility man to a five-year contract extension that winer. Now that he’s back from surgery to repair an ankle he sprained during his St. Louis Cardinals days, Edman’s ankle should allow him to play all over the field again.
“Getting the surgery was a tough decision because I knew I was going to be out for a little bit. But after speaking with the doctor, we determined that it was going to have a high success, a high probability of getting back to 100 percent,” Edman said Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. “So I decided to go through with it. It’s feeling great now. It took maybe a little longer than expected, but I’m feeling back to normal again.”
Edman said he had one stretch early in the 2025 season when he felt pretty good, but then he sprained the ankle in May and missed two weeks, then it lingered for the rest of the season. The second time he sprained his ankle was in August while running the bases, which cost him five more weeks on the injured list.
That second IL trip was on his mind during his three full weeks of games on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, as he got back into game shape.
“I was definitely a little tentative the first week, getting back to playing baseball again, going full speed around the bases. Then by the third week I definitely felt totally comfortable, especially rounding the bases,” Edman said. “Just getting back into game action was the big step, the unpredictability of what might happen during a game, whether it’s a weird play on defense or a weird play on the basepaths. Just getting really comfortable with that was really important these last few weeks.”
Getting that normalcy took some time, with Edman sidelined for the first 73 games of the season, a little longer than he expected.
“With surgery, a lot of times it’s not a super linear progression,” he said. “Just having some ups and downs, and just having the faith that it was going to get back to 100 percent eventually, and having the patience to let the whole process play out.”
Edman said he will wear an ankle brace, but no longer has to heavily tape his right ankle like he did for most of the 2025 season.
“I’m confident it’s strong enough,” he said.
The Dodgers will ease Edman back at first, maybe starting three or four games per week. Dave Roberts said he’ll likely play second base, third base, and left field.
“That’s kind of what I’ve come to expect over the course of my career, is just filling in wherever needed, and playing a bunch of different spots,” Edman said. “I love being able to be valuable wherever I play on defense. To be able to play outfield, be able to play infield, and feel confident in that first step and getting the burst, it’s gonna be nice, and hopefully I can have a good defensive season.”
That first step was evident on a few plays with Triple-A Oklahoma City while on rehab, first on this diving play at third base on June 5.
“He’s one of our best hitters versus left-handed pitching,” Roberts said of Edman, who has a career 118 wRC+ against southpaws. “If there’s an opportunity to get him in there to get three at-bats against a starter, I’m going to think very closely about that. Because the one silver bullet versus a lefty, like [Miguel Rojas] last night, is valuable, but also getting three certain at-bats is helpful, too.”
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 11: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after striking out to end the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The injury hits just keep coming for the Mariners.
Randy Arozarena departed Friday’s game against the Nationals with a tweaked hamstring, sitting out the rest of the series. The hope was that with those days down, plus the off-day yesterday, the issue would resolve itself. But that wasn’t the case, as Arozarena’s hamstring was still bothering him on Tuesday and he was held out of the lineup and sent for more imaging.
That imaging revealed more inflammation than previously suspected, and so the team will place Arozarena on the 10-day IL, retroactive to June 13th.
Arozarena has been the team’s most productive hitter, leading the team in WAR as well as a host of other offensive categories. He’s also been a steadying force in the lineup while other players have slumped or been injured. In a season that’s been brutal for the Mariners with injuries, this hit lands the hardest – for the team and for Arozarena himself, who’s playing in a contract year.
The good news is Justin Hollander doesn’t think Arozarena will need more than the minimum stay on the IL, given that he was trending positively before the MRI.
In other good news, Curtis Washington Jr. is being summoned from Everett as an emergency call-up. CWJ has been in the organization since 2022, a 19th-round pick out of Purdue. The light-hitting speed-and-defense outfielder hasn’t been able to break out of the low minors, but has earned organizational acclaim for his positive outcome, contributions off the field, and overall good-guy-ness. Washington will likely only be here for the night, as Connor Joe was pulled from Tacoma’s lineup – the Rainiers are in Salt Lake tonight and he wouldn’t be able to get here in time for the game, hence Washington’s call from Everett – so we’re crossing our fingers he can maybe get in the game.
In a corresponding move to make room for Washington on the 40-man, Will Wilson, who is struggling with a fractured left thumb, has been moved to the 60-day IL.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 09: Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 09, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners limp back home after a rough road trip but have to face the same team again as the Orioles come to town. Jake covered this well in his cleverly-titled series preview, which you can check out here.
Lineups:
The good news is J.P. and Cal are back. The bad news is the Mariners are dealing with other bumps and bruises, so this lineup still looks…pretty patched-together.
Injury updates/Roster moves:
There’s a whole separate article on the site about this because there are so many and I encourage you to read that, but in short: Naylor and Raley both day-to-day; Randy to 10-day IL; J.P. and Cal back; Wisdom and Pereda down.
The Orioes had a roster move of their own, reinstating pitcher Ryan Helsley from the IL; in a corresponding move, RHP Anthony Nunez has been optioned to Triple-A.
News:
In case you missed it, Dan Wilson said the Mariners will be returning to the piggyback pitching strategy, at least until the All-Star Break. Read more here.
Tonight’s game information:
Game time: 6:40 PT
TV: Mariners.TV, with Rich Waltz and Angie Mentink, with Ryan Rowland-Smith as sideline reporter
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Shannon Drayer on the call
Jun 5, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Brandon Young (63) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Late night baseball, woo! Let’s do this thing.
I’ll be honest, I probably won’t make it to the third inning of this thing. But one thing that might keep me up is tonight’s starting pitcher, Brandon Young. It still hasn’t stopped feeling weird to say that he’s the best starting pitcher on the team, but here we are. I’m trying to get used to it.
The Mariners sent Logan Gilbert to the plate. Gilbert faced the Orioles in his last start and allowed just one run in six innings. Maybe do better this time around, ok guys?
There is no use pretending this won’t be a very tough road trip. They’re on the wrong coast, playing two first-place teams, and are seemingly incapable of putting together any kind of winning streak.
One thing that might help is the reinstatement of closer Ryan Helsley from the injured list. Anthony Nunez has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to make room. Nunez will be back, but in the meantime, the bullpen is now improved.
Tonight’s starting lineup is about as strong a lineup as the Orioles have right now. Although I have to wonder what it’s going to take to get Gunnar Henderson out of the second spot in the lineup.
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward (R) LF Gunnar Henderson (L) SS Adley Rutschman (S) C Pete Alonso (R) 1B Samuel Basallo (L) DH Leody Taveras (S) RF Colton Cowser (L) CF Blaze Alexander (R) 3B Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
Mariners lineup
J.P. Crawford (L) 3B Cal Raleigh (S) C Julio Rodríguez (R) CF Dominic Canzone (L) RF Rob Refsnyder (R) DH Cole Young (L) 2B Victor Robles (R) LF Colt Emerson (L) SS Miles Mastrobuoni (L) 1B
Winslow, Arizona, A speed limit sign on the road to Meteor Crater. The crater was formed about 50,000 years ago. It is 560 feet deep and about three-quarters of a mile in diameter. It is now a major tourist attraction. (Photo by: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Today’s Lineups
ANGELS
DIAMONDBACKS
Zach Neto – SS
Ketel Marte – 2B
Mike Trout – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Nolan Schanuel – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Jo Adell – RF
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Nick Madrigal – 2B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Wade Meckler – LF
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Denzer Guzman – 3B
Jordan Lawlar – CF
Logan O’Hoppe – C
Adrian Del Castillo – C
Donovan Walton – DH
LuJames Groover – DH
Reid Detmers – LHP
Merrill Kelly – RHP
Where have the strikeouts gone? The D-backs’ pitching staff have K’d only 18.8% of batters faced this year, ahead of just the Rockies. Now, strikeouts are down over the league as a whole – perhaps due to ABS – but nowhere near as much. Last year, the D-backs were at 20.8%, and 21.2% and 22.2% in the seasons before that. This year, it’s the rotation which is to blame. The bullpen are actually fanning slightly more batters than in 2025 – 21.0%, compared to 20.6%. But the starting pitchers have plummeted from 21.0% to 17.5%. Which is odd, considering the great bulk of the rotation are the same men as they were last season.
Indeed, things would be even worse, if not for the new arrival, Michael Soroka, whose 24% K-rate is the best among the rotation. But everyone else has seen a clear – and, in some cases, very sharp – decline. Here are the numbers for the five returners (starts only for Ryne Nelson):
Brandon Pfaadt: 19.2% > 15.1%
Eduardo Rodriguez: 20.6% > 17.9%
Merrill Kelly: 23.5% > 13.5%
Ryne Nelson: 20.5% > 17.5%
Zac Gallen: 21.5% > 14.8%
Among the 114 pitchers to have thrown at least sixty innings this year, Gallen is ranked 109th and Kelly 113th for K-rate (the latter ahead only of Colorado’s Tomoyuki Sugano). Merrill has one start so far this year with more than 5 K’s – last year, he had sixteen such outings. He and Zac have seen a decrease in their rates for both called and swinging strikes. Conversely, they’ve seen an increase in contact when they get swings outside the zone. It’s a significant factor in why both men have struggled this year, but the fact it’s happening to various degrees across the entire rotation does make we wonder if there’s something team-wide which is a factor.
According to Tim MacMahon on Utah ESPN 700 Radio, Walker Kessler has received an offer from the Utah Jazz for a 5-year, $ 140 M deal, but apparently it wasn’t enough.
MacMahon was asked if he thinks that Kessler wants to play in Utah, and he responded: “… for more than 5 years, $140M.” It also sounds like there are some real frustrations with how the Jazz have gone about his contract situation. Apparently, the Jazz feel that they can have any hurt feelings improve over time once the contract is signed.
To be honest, it’s a pretty surprising attitude from Kessler, who has shown a lot of potential but not necessarily some concrete production. Utah is right to hold strong in this situation because the worst thing they can do is start handing out max deals to every player on the team. They already have big contracts with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., they have Keyonte George coming up, and then who knows what happens with Ace Bailey eventually.
We know from Sam Amick that there are teams interested in Kessler, like the Lakers, the Hawks, and others, so it’s not like the Jazz don’t have options. If Kessler is trying to force his way out, he may get just that, but don’t be surprised if he ends up in places he didn’t expect, like Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 11: Mitch Keller #23 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on June 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are back in action tonight against the A’s for the second of a three-game set.
The A’s are giving Jackson Perkins the start tonight. It’s only his third start of the season after appearing as a relief pitcher for the first two months of the season.
Perkins made his first start on June 5 against the Houston Astros, pitching four innings and giving up five runs. He appeared again against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 10, pitching four innings and allowing three runs. His transition from reliever to starter has been dicey, but his improvement from his first to his second start suggests that he could be on an upward trajectory when facing the Pirates.
On the flip side, the Pirates are going with Mitch Keller, who is looking for his first win since May 24. Keller is 0-2 in his June starts and has not seen the end of the 5th inning in any of his last three starts. Keller’s struggles recently have been somewhat concerning, but he will have a chance to bounce back with a winnable game against the A’s.
The Pirates and A’s both find themselves in the heat of the wild card race, so this matchup could turn out to be an important one in the grand scheme of everything.
Location: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Mitch Keller (5-4, 5.14 ERA) vs. Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.25 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
GOODYEAR, AZ - OCTOBER 14: Reggie Crawford #23 of the Scottsdale Scorpions bats during the game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Peoria Javelinas at Goodyear Stadium on Saturday, October 14, 2023 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Another busy weekend of San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball! Let’s quickly cover the games from Friday through Monday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The big news is that the Giants sent Reggie Crawford to the ACL on a rehab assignment … as a first baseman! More on that later.
AA Richmond RHP Brad Deppermann was activated off the 7-Day IL, while Low-A San Jose outfielder Jose Astudillo was named the Cal League Player of the Week.
AAA Sacramento (39-27)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys 4-3 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys 5-1 [box score]
A very quiet weekend for the River Cats, whose offense is mostly nonexistent these days, and who had their Monday game cancelled due to rain.
With trade season drawing ever closer, it seems likely that the Giants will soon be calling on some pitchers from AAA to fill out the rotation. And arguably the pair most likely to join San Francisco’s quintet took the mound for Sacramento this weekend: LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) and RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL).
Neither pitcher was particularly poor, but neither provided a bunch of confidence, either, as they both struggled with walks. Whisenhunt pitched on Friday, and walked 4 batters in 5 innings, while throwing just 57 of 97 pitches for strikes. He did limit the damage though, as all 6 hits he allowed were singles, resulting in just 2 runs, and he struck out 5 batters.
As for Tidwell, he handled Saturday’s game and was a bit better, limiting the Space Cowboys to 4 hits and 1 run in 5 innings, with 7 strikeouts … but he walked 3 batters while, funnily enough, also throwing precisely 57 of 97 pitches for strikes. What are the odds of that?
I would assume that Whisenhunt is next in line should Robbie Ray or Adrian Houser be traded or land on the IL … and honestly, with Trevor McDonald (No. 12 CPL) struggling, Whisenhunt could replace him at some point (though Tyler Mahle is nearing a return, so that’s probably his role as the Giants try to rebuild his trade value).
Either way, it will be fun seeing Whisenhunt and Tidwell when the Giants finally punt on this god forsaken season, but these games are a reminder that there’s a bit to work on for each pitcher, especially from a strike-throwing standpoint. Whisenhunt, in particular, has struggled to get deep in games due to the lack of strikes, and I’d guess there’s a little hesitancy for the Giants with calling on a pitcher who will probably max out at 5 innings (I would assume that’s part of why McDonald was promoted over Whiz).
Still, I should contextualize how good Whisenhunt’s season has been: of the 36 pitchers in the Pacific Coast League with at least 40 innings thrown, he’s 2nd in ERA (3.65), 1st in FIP (3.59), and 3rd in strikeouts per 9 innings (10.0). It’s been a really strong season for him, even if there have been a few lumps along the way (and of course, AAA rankings always need the context that the best players usually don’t hit the innings thresholds because they’re called up to the Majors).
In good news for San Francisco’s ever-struggling bullpen, RHP Jason Foley restarted his rehab assignment after a little break, and pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts. He still needs to get over the back-to-back pitching days hump before he’s activated, but hopefully his arm is responding better this time around.
Unfortunately, RHP Spencer Bivens has started struggling again since returning to a reliever role, and gave up 2 hits, 1 walk, 4 runs, and 3 earned runs in just an inning of work, with the unearned run coming on an error he committed. Even with the Giants bullpen being awful, Bivens, with his 4.83 ERA and 5.08 FIP in the PCL, might be feeling like his roster spot is in some jeopardy.
A really uninteresting hitting weekend. Center fielder Jared Oliva continued his rehab, and hit 2-9 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout. He’s just about hit the 60 days on his IL stint, making him eligible to return to the Majors. I’ll be curious to see if they call him up so that Jonah Cox can return to the Minors for some more seasoning, or if Cox is here to stay.
Third baseman Thomas Gavello hit 2-3 with a double and a walk, while second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) went 2-7 with a walk, a sacrifice fly, and 0 strikeouts.
Catcher/left fielder Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) is, unfortunately, still struggling, as he went 1-8 with a walk and 3 strikeouts. Despite hitting so well in AAA at the start of the season, the 24-year old has been unable to find a groove since getting optioned following his MLB debut. In 10 games with the River Cats since getting sent down, the righty is just 5-37 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts. That’s brought him all the way down to a .712 OPS and a 90 wRC+ in AAA this year.
AA Richmond (41-21)
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators 3-0 (5 innings) [box score] Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators 7-6 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators 5-4 (10 innings) [box score]
A bit of a funny weekend for Richmond. Weather limited them to just half a game on Friday, and then they walked it off in extra innings on Sunday following a true gift from Harrisburg: with 2 outs and the Manfred Man at second, the Senators intentionally walked Charlie Szykowny, hit Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL) to load the bases, and then hit Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) to end the game. Whatever works!
Friday’s short game cost RHP Trystan Vrieling a chance to go deep in his best game of the year. It hasn’t been the smoothest season for Vrieling, who was part of the Camilo Doval return a year ago, but Friday was a strong game. He pitched all 5 innings and gave up just 3 hits, 1 walk, and 0 runs, while striking out 5 batters. With only 62 pitches thrown (41 of which were strikes), it seems certain that Vrieling, whose season high this year is 5.1 innings, would come out for the 6th inning, and possibly even the 7th, had the game not been halted by the weather.
Still, no reason to bemoan the fact that a great performance wasn’t given the opportunity to be even greater. It was, indeed, a great performance by Vrieling, and a much-needed one given his recent performance — in his last 2 starts, he’d given up 9 earned runs, and 11 runs total, in just 5.1 innings, with only 1 strikeout. He must be feeling a bit better now! He’ll need a few more games like this to turn his season around, as he has a 4.50 ERA, a 5.54 FIP, and 35 walks in 50 innings.
On Sunday, LHP Cesar Perdomo was unable to build on his streak of spectacular starts, though he added to his stellar strikeout-to-walk ratio. Perdomo, who entered the game having allowed just 3 hits and 0 runs in 13 innings over his last 2 starts (with 22 strikeouts!), had a funny game: he only gave up 4 hits in 4 innings, but 3 of those hits were solo home runs. Bizarre! On the happier side, he struck out 5 and walked none … of the 41 Eastern League pitchers with at least 40 innings thrown this year, Perdomo is now 2nd in strikeouts per 9 (11.4), and 10th in walks per 9 (2.8). It’s been a fabulous season for him (3.59 ERA, 3.05 FIP), even with Sunday’s home runs … which were quite an anomaly given that he entered the game with just 1 big fly allowed.
In between, RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) had a not very good outing, as he continues to try to adjust to the level. He gave up 8 hits (including a home run), 1 walk, and 4 runs in 4.2 innings, with 5 strikeouts. This was Marte’s 3rd start since getting promoted, and while his ERA is only 4.40, his FIP is 3.92, and he’s rocking 10.7 strikeouts per 9 innings, with just 2.5 walks. Add in the fact that he’s still a few months from his 23rd birthday, and it’s pretty clear that the future is bright for this kid, who came to the Giants in the Mike Yastrzemski trade last year. He’s definitely emerged as one of the better pitching prospects in the system.
Sunday’s game featured a trio of dynamic bullpen appearances: RHP Dylan Hecht, who has really been struggling lately, tossed a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts; LHP Dale Stanavich gave up a hit in 1.2 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts, and RHP Tyler Vogel worked around an error by catcher Ty Hanchey to toss 1.1 no-hit innings with 3 Ks. Hecht has a 10.08 ERA and an 8.00 FIP as he looks to turn his season around; Stanavich has a 3.60 ERA and a 4.04 FIP, but 11.4 strikeouts per 9; and Vogel has a 1.75 ERA but a 4.42 FIP, albeit with 11.6 strikeouts per 9.
A few good hitting performances. Right fielder/left fielder Jean Carlos Sio (No. 44 CPL) continues to fit in at his new level, as he hit 2-6 with a home run, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. In his first 5 games since getting promoted, Sio hit 4-19 with 0 extra-base hits and 0 walks; since then, he’s 5-14 with 3 home runs, 1 triple, and 2 walks. Fitting right in!
First baseman/third baseman Charlie Szykowny also had a strong weekend, hitting 3-10 with a home run, a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, and 3 strikeouts. It’s been impressive how strongly Szykowny has held stable in his numbers year-over-year, despite moving up a level. Despite those strong numbers, and despite his advanced age (he turns 26 at the end of the month), the Giants kept him in High-A for all of the 2025 season. With an .848 OPS, a 120 wRC+, and just a 17.4% strikeout rate this season, will he be handed the same fate in AA? Or will the Giants move him up to AAA Sacramento soon. They don’t have any top prospects blocking the corner infield positions, so hopefully Szykowny gets a chance to prove what he can do at the highest rank of the Minors. He has a sweet left-handed stroke that sure looks like it could play in the Majors.
Left fielder Jack Payton hit 3-4 with a home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly, and an outfield assist. What a weekend! A 24-year old utility player taken in the 11th round in 2023, Payton obliterated High-A for just over a week this year (after doing well there last year) before getting promoted to AA, but has been having a hard time adjusting to this level. He has just a .644 OPS and a 70 wRC+, but days like this show what he’s capable of!
As for the team’s top prospects, center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) had a decent weekend, hitting 3-10 with a double, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit just 1-10 with 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, an outfield assist, and a caught stealing. Funnily enough, with Richmond’s outfield sapped (Turner Hill and Scott Bandura are in AAA, while Jonah Cox is in the Majors), Harber moved from left field to center field for the first time in his career on Saturday, so that Davidson could DH.
High-A Eugene (41-22)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds beat Spokane 7-6 [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds lost to Spokane 11-2 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds lost to Spokane 4-2 [box score]
A decent amount of dingers for the Emeralds, who had 5 across the weekend, despite losing 2 of their 3 games. That included a solo shot from center fielder/right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), who had a dynamic weekend despite playing just 2 games, hitting 4-8 with a homer, a double, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts.
Cohen, the organization’s 3rd-round pick last year, has really started to come into his own after taking some time to get started this season. After having a .707 OPS in April, the 22-year old lefty bumped that number up to .816 in May, and is sitting pretty with a 1.077 OPS in June. He’s currently riding a 14-game hitting streak, during which time the Rutgers product is 26-64 with 3 home runs (his first 3 home runs of the year), 7 doubles, 5 walks, and just 10 strikeouts. On the year, he has an .832 OPS, a 129 wRC+, and 22 stolen bases in 26 attempts … what once looked like a so-so year, now looks like a dynamic first full season of professional baseball.
Also starting the season slow but heating up in a big way is catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL), who hit 2-4 with a home run and a strikeout on Friday, though he went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts on Saturday, and rested on Sunday.
Villarroel, a 21-year old from Venezuela, missed the start of the season due to injury. Once healthy, he had a few so-so rehab games in the Complex League, and then struggled in his first week with Eugene. Since then he’s caught absolute fire, and has brought himself up to an .891 OPS and a 140 wRC+. When the Giants acquired Villarroel from the Houston Astros in the Kai-Wei Teng trade, he was touted as a contact-driven catcher, but he’s put some power on display with the Emeralds: he has a .216 isolated slugging percentage, and has hit 6 home runs through 28 games.
Right fielder/left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) had a tough weekend, hitting just 1-8 with 2 strikeouts, but he did hit his 9th home run of the year, as he continues to show off impressive power for his frame. Diaz, who only turns 21 next month, has never fully been able to put all the pieces together in the Minors, and usually hangs around league-average performance (this year he has a .715 OPS and an 84 wRC+). But there are always intriguing things in his profile, in addition to the quality corner outfield defense and the strong arm. For instance, he has a .213 isolated slugging percentage, and just a 17.5% strikeout rate. Hitting for power and limiting strikeouts, what more could you ask for? Well, despite that, he has just a .242 batting average and only a 5.2% walk rate. Things to work on, but a solid base.
And a pair of players having difficult seasons went deep: designated hitter Robert Hipwell went 1-7 with a solo home run, a walk, and 4 strikeouts, while third baseman Walker Martin hit 2-12 with a solo homer, a double, and 7 strikeouts. Both players are really struggling with contact this year: Hipwell, a 6th-round pick in 2023, has a terrifying 42.2% strikeout rate and just a .148 batting average, leading to a .621 OPS and an 86 wRC+ (numbers that are propped up by a hilarious 21.6% walk rate). Martin, a 2nd-round selection in 2023, has a 32.4% strikeout rate, leading to a .720 OPS and a 94 wRC+.
As for the players who didn’t homer, solid weekends from center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) and first baseman/right fielder Jakob Christian (No. 40 CPL). Jordan went 3-8 with a double, a walk, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout, bringing his OPS up to .787 and his wRC+ to 111, with 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts. Christian, who has had a funny season, hit 3-7 with a double and 5 (5!) walks. That brought him up to an .829 OPS and a 125 wRC+. Both players have so much ability and so much power, but need to cut down on the strikeouts as the season goes on (and nice weekends on that front for each).
Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) saw his hitting streak come to an end … he went 2-12 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout, but had a donut on Sunday, ending his streak of 10 straight games with a hit to begin his High-A career. Still and all, it’s an .843 OPS and a 132 wRC+ for the 19-year old since getting promoted, and it’s safe to say he’s adjusted to the Northwest League very, very well.
LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL) took the mound on Friday, and while it wasn’t his best outing, it was once again a sign of how much electricity is in his arm, as he struck out 7 batters in just 5 innings. The rest of the outing wasn’t super smooth, with LDLT ceding 5 hits (including a home run), 2 walks, and 3 earned runs. Walks remain the main issue for De La Torre, as he’s allowing 6.5 per 9 innings … but he really is nearly unhittable when he’s in the zone, as he has 12.3 strikeouts per 9 innings, and has given up only 27 hits in 47 innings this year. In all, it’s a 3.83 ERA and a 4.19 FIP, and while those numbers won’t blow anyone away, they’re solid enough given how excellent the stuff under the hood is.
A so-so outing for LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) on Sunday, as he gave up just 3 hits and 1 walk in 5.1 innings, but 1 of the hits was a 2-run home run, and he only struck out 3. Bresnahan hasn’t really been able to find his footing at the new level, but he also got a late start due to injury, and is still a few days away from being able to legally drink.
Some good and some bad out of the bullpen. The worst of the worst came from RHP Austin Strickland who, after giving up 6 runs in 2 innings in his last outing, gave up 5 runs in 1 inning in this one. That’s how you bust an ERA, which is up to 9.13, with a 7.74 FIP.
But great relief appearances by RHPs Ryan Slater, Matt Dunaway, and Cole Hillier. Slater pitched a scoreless inning on Friday, with a hit and a strikeout, then a perfect frame on Sunday, with 2 Ks. The 18th-round pick in 2024, who just turned 24, has a delightful 18 strikeouts to 4 walks in 12.1 innings with Eugene this year.
Dunaway pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts in his season debut for the Emeralds. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last year, and pitched briefly for Eugene, but started this year injured, and rehabbed in the ACL before returning to Eugene.
As for Hillier, he pounded the strike zone in his frame, throwing 15 of 20 pitches for strikes, while striking out the side. The only baserunner he allowed was a hit batter. It hasn’t been a very good season for the UDFA, so nice to see him have a dominant showing.
Low-A San Jose (37-26)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports 14-9 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports 2-1 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants lost to the Stockton Ports 7-1 [box score]
It wasn’t a great pitching weekend for the Baby Giants, but there was some important news for the Major League team, as LHP Matt Gage began his rehab assignment with San Jose. Gage started Saturday’s game and pitched well, allowing just a single in 1.2 shutout innings, with 2 strikeouts. He threw 23 pitches, 16 of which were strikes, and presumably won’t need too many more outings before he’s ready to return to San Francisco’s bullpen.
Other than that, there weren’t a lot of pitching performances to talk about. The rest of the Saturday pitching was nice, though. LHP Ricardo Estrada followed up Gage and was excellent, throwing 5.1 innings with just 4 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run allowed, while striking out 4. Estrada, a 2021 signing out of Mexico who is in his second stateside season, has slowly been turning his season around. His overall numbers aren’t very good (4.89 ERA, 5.83 FIP), but after giving up 13 earned runs in 10 innings in April, he’s allowed just 10 earned runs in 32.1 innings since.
Rounding out that game was RHP Cooper McGrath, who struck out 2 while pitching 2 perfect innings. Last year’s 18th-round pick has had a very difficult debut season, but it’s now back-to-back dominant showings for the Northeastern product.
The offense had a brilliant day on Friday, before falling back to earth for the rest of the weekend. The most surprising performance in that game belonged to left fielder Jose Astudillo, who stamped his Player of the Week case by hitting 2-5 with a home run. For Astudillo, a contact savant, it was his 3rd straight game with a home run … which came after just 1 home run in his 1st 131 career games. Go figure!
Astudillo, a 22-year old from Venezuela, hit 1-7 with a double, a hit by pitch, and 2 strikeouts in the other games this weekend, and now has an .847 OPS and a 110 wRC+. His strikeout rate in San Jose is a tiny 6.2%.
The best day on Friday, however, belonged to right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL). Last year’s 6th-round pick has had a few games this year where he plays like a superstar, and this was one of them, as the righty hit 4-5 with 2 home runs, a triple, a walk, and 4 runs batted in. My goodness what a day!
Maldonado didn’t hit a home run in his 1st 26 games with San Jose — 17 last year after draft day, and 9 to start this season. But in 38 games since, he has a whopping 11 big flies, which has given him an .882 OPS and a 111 wRC+. He’s hitting for average and for power, and while his strikeout rate isn’t great (24.3%), it’s not terrible, either. Add in some strong defense and 13 stolen bases, and his profile is looking quite delightful.
Second baseman Isaiah Barkett also got in on the fun, hitting 3-6 with a solo blast and a double on Friday, though he went 0-5 on Saturday and didn’t play on Sunday. Last year’s 10th-round pick has really had an under-the-radar season, as he’s been fantastic in his debut, posting an .886 OPS and a 123 wRC+. He doesn’t have a ton of power, but he certainly has some, and “some” is all you need when you have a .332 batting average and just an 8.0% strikeout rate. The righty also has some quality defense at second base, and plays third as well.
Also having nice weekends were first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins and corner outfielder Broedy Poppell. Jenkins went 4-12 with 4 doubles, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts, while Poppell hit 3-7 with a home run, a double, and a strikeout. Jenkins, a 14th-round pick in 2014, has an .847 OPS and a 116 wRC+, albeit with a 32.9% strikeout rate; Poppell, last year’s 13th-rounder, has a .717 OPS and an 82 wRC+.
The big news of the weekend came in Arizona, where Reggie Crawford made his surprise return. It seems no one knew that Crawford, the team’s 1st-round pick in 2022, was going to suit up anytime soon … and then he shocked everyone by showing up in the box score. And not just showing up, but showing up as a hitter.
It’s not entirely clear what the plan here is. Crawford, who was drafted as a two-way player but fairly quickly converted to just being a pitcher, is currently undergoing rehab from a second consecutive shoulder surgery, and hasn’t pitched in almost exactly 2 years. I assumed that the Giants were just giving Crawford some time hitting to keep his competitive juices flowing, and reward him for all the rehab work, which is thankless. And indeed, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic reported that the Giants are still hoping to get him on the mound sometime in the next few months.
But in an article published by the Mercury News, Justice delos Santos quoted farm director Kyle Haines as saying, “At some point, we said, ‘Hey, this is not good on him and it’s not good on us to keep having setback after setback pitching.’ We just couldn’t get over humps. He kind of stayed active (hitting), like all of us stay active with our golf swing. He was kind of just twirling around with the bat. Then, finally, we said a month ago or so, let’s just start to hit and focus on hitting.”
So it’s not quite clear whether Crawford is a hitter now, or if he’s a hitter while he waits to pitch again, or if he’s a hitter in case he can’t pitch again.
One thing that is clear, however, is that he still has his swing, as he made his years-in-the-making return to the batter’s box on Friday and smashed a mighty impressive home run. In total, Crawford went 1-5 over the weekend with 3 strikeouts, though he drew 2 walks.
For what it’s worth, while Haines said that Crawford hasn’t been able to get over the hump as a pitcher, he did note that the superb athlete is making strong throws from first base, he just can’t get to that next level of throwing. So I expect that we’ll see Crawford playing in the field at some point over the next few weeks.
As for the other hitters, shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) had a modest weekend, hitting 3-7 with a walk, a strikeout, and a caught stealing, and it speaks to how well the 17-year old has taken to professional baseball that a .500 on-base percentage for the weekend feels modest.
Jose Ramos had a nice weekend while showing off his versatility: he played second, third, and left field, and hit 5-11 with a double, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 3 strikeouts. Ramos, who has an .828 OPS and a 122 wRC+, has always shown some interesting things, but has struggled at higher levels. We’ll see how he does when he gets assigned to an A-ball team soon … he missed the start of the season due to injury, and is rehabbing in the ACL. He’ll likely be in High-A Eugene, though maybe he’ll be in Low-A San Jose instead.
On the pitching front, the highest profile player really struggled, as LHP Carlos De La Rosa (No. 30 CPL) only made it through 2 innings on Saturday, while allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, and 3 runs, and striking out just 1 batter. After really opening eyes in the DSL last year — both with the Yankees and when he came to the Giants in the Camilo Doval trade — De La Rosa has struggled to acclimate to the ACL. The 18-year old from the DR has just an 8.34 ERA and a 5.13 FIP, though he also has 9.9 strikeouts per 9 innings, and a 46.4% ground ball rate.
There were a few really good pitching performances, though, especially out of the bullpen. In particular, RHPs Jose T. Perez and Melvin Pineda really shined. Perez, a 22-year old from the DR, struck out 5 batter in 2.1 no-hit innings, while allowing just a walk. Pineda, a 22-year old from Venezuela, struck out 5 in 2 scoreless frames, with just a hit. Strikeouts have been huge for each player this year: Perez has really struggled between the ACL and Low-A, and is walking more than a batter per inning, but also has 33 strikeouts in just 20.2 innings. Pineda, similarly, has almost exactly a walk per inning between the ACL and Low-A, but has a staggering 43 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. There’s something in there with both players.
Dominican Summer League Black (6-5)
Saturday: DSL Giants Black lost to DSL Arizona Red 5-3 (7 innings) [box score] Monday: DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Angels 7-6 [box score]
There was a shining star for the DSL Giants in their pair of losses: shortstop Keiberg Camacaro. The 19-year old Venezuelan, who is in his 4th DSL season, was a star in both games: on Saturday, he hit 2-3 and smacked his 1st home run of the year. On Monday, he one-upped himself by hitting 4-5 with his 2nd home run of the year, while also stealing a base. What a string of games!
Camacaro, whose little brother Alexander is his teammate, has an 1.164 OPS and a 171 wRC+ through 11 games, and already has 8 stolen bases. Most impressively, after struggling with strikeouts in his 1st 3 seasons, he has just a 10.6% rate this year. If he keeps this up, the right-hander will almost surely get a taste of stateside ball in 2027.
RHP Randry De Leon had an interesting start on Monday. He gave up 4 hits, 2 home runs, 1 walk, and 4 runs in just 4 innings, but he also struck out 7 batters. This is the 4th DSL season for the 20-year old from the DR, and unfortunately it hasn’t been a particularly good year for him.
LHP Edwin Reynoso had a nice game on Saturday, striking out 2 batters in 2 shutout innings, with just 1 hit. In his debut last year, Reynoso had just 10 strikeouts in 13 innings … and 18 walks. So he’ll be hoping to rebound from that.
Dominican Summer League Orange (7-4)
Friday: DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Cubs Blue 6-4 [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL Tigers 2, 3-2 (7 innings) [box score] Monday: DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL Mariners 10-1 [box score]
A pair of players homered for the Giants Orange squad. On Friday it was center fielder Jose Valdez, a 17-year old from Venezuela who is in his debut season. The left-handed hitter only went 2-12 over the weekend, but smacked a solo home run and drew a walk, while striking out 4 times. He only has a .760 OPS and an 83 wRC+, but he also only turned 17 in March.
On Saturday it was third baseman Jeyson Moya, a 19-year old in his 3rd season. Moya only played once over the weekend but had a great game, hitting 2-2 with a solo shot, a double, and a walk. Moya is being slow-played this year, after really struggling in his 1st 2 seasons.
A pair of really nice pitching performances to highlight, from RHPs Jose Trevizo and Kendry Castro. Trevizo, an 18-year old from Mexico, pitched 2.1 shutout innings with 1 hit, 0 walks, and 3 strikeouts, while Castro, a 19-year old from the DR, threw 2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts. Trevizo has a delightful 8 strikeouts to just 1 walk in 6.2 innings this year, his 2nd season. Castro, who is in his 3rd season and struggled in the 1st 2, has 4 strikeouts and 0 walks in 3 innings this season.
Home run tracker
11 — Cam Maldonado — [Low-A] 9 — Charlie Szykowny — [AA] 9 — Lisbel Diaz — [High-A] 8 — Jean Carlos Sio — [3 in AA; 4 in High-A; 1 in ACL] 8 — Walker Martin — [High-A] 6 — Jancel Villarroel — [High-A] 5 — Broedy Poppell — [Low-A] 4 — Jack Payton — [2 in AA; 2 in High-A] 4 — Isaiah Barkett — [Low-A] 3 — Trevor Cohen — [High-A] 3 — Jose Astudillo — [Low-A] 2 — Robert Hipwell — [High-A] 2 — Keiberg Camacaro — [DSL] 2 — Jose Valdez — [DSL] 1 — Reggie Crawford — [ACL] 1 — Jeyson Moya — [DSL]
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 26: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers looks on from the dugout during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 26, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Guess who’s back. After throwing a live BP session on Monday, Justin Verlander has been announced as the Detroit Tigers starting pitcher for Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. Keider Montero will be moved to the bullpen to open a spot in the starting rotation.
Hopefully Verlander showed better stuff in his bullpen session than he has in starts at the Triple-A level. He was absolutely shelled in his last start against the St. Paul Saints. Still, once he started making rehab starts and recovering from them without any ill effects to his injured left hip, the clock was ticking to reinstate the longtime ace and future Hall of Famer.
The choice of Montero to the bullpen is a little strange, however. The most durable pitcher in the Tigers’ organization over the past four years, Montero has already made 13 starts this season, averaging six innings per start and producing a 3.61 ERA/4.00 FIP combination.
The more obvious choice would seem to be Troy Melton to the pen. Montero has a good changeup and a five pitch mix that he’s commanded very well. He does have a lot more trouble with left-handed hitters and should thrive in the bullpen, but the same is even more true in Melton’s case, and his splitter is still mostly a show-me pitch that he doesn’t command with consistent authority.
Ultimately, this may not matter that much as who knows what Verlander might have to offer at this point. It may be a fairly short-lived experiment. However, Melton throwing 99 mph out of the pen and leaning into his cutter and slider combination makes him a pretty lethal relief arm. Sitting mid-90’s as a starter his fourseamer is fairly vulnerable. In either case the two young right-handers don’t really get enough whiffs to really dominate as of yet. It’s just peculiar that Montero’s consistently solid track record in a starting role the past three season doesn’t earn him the nod. Still, he should be able to sit 96-98 mph in a relief role and will be a big help to a bullpen that has struggled to hold leads this season.
Things will get even more complicated when Jack Flaherty returns from his ankle injury, which sounds minor and likely to only keep him out until June 27, when he’s eligible to return from the 15-day IL. Flaherty shouldn’t be taking starts from Melton or Montero either, but they’ll cross that bridge when they get to it.
For now, the home crowd will finally get a look at Justin Verlander back in Comerica Park in a Tigers’ uniform. Let’s hope he’s up to the task. The Tigers are in no position to let nostalgia rule their decision-making, and if Verlander struggles and continues to get chances, things are going to get ugly. It’s hard not to hope where Justin Verlander is concerned. He’s been written off as washed up before and returned to surprise critics. We’ll see if he’s got another resurgence left in the tank.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 31: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 31, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Jazz 118-96. 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. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Jazz big man was once seen as the perfect complement to Anthony Davis and can now be viewed as the lob-catching, defensive anchor in the paint for the Luka Dončić version of the team.
The assumption, however, was that, with Kessler being a restricted free agent this summer, it would take a big offer sheet to lure him away from Utah. However, that may no longer be the case.
In a surprising bit of reporting on Monday night, Sam Amick of The Athletic revealed that Kessler and the Jazz front office are not seeing eye-to-eye and the big man might be making plans for his next team.
Kessler, the 24-year-old who was taken 22nd overall out of Auburn by the Memphis Grizzlies before his rights were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and eventually the Jazz in 2022, was already known to be frustrated by Utah’s choice not to offer him an extension last summer. And now, with the Jazz choosing to leverage the realities of restricted free agency against him as a way to minimize his market, sources say he is strongly considering the prospect of a basketball future outside Utah.
It wouldn’t take much to already link the Lakers to Kessler, given their history. On top of that, though, J. Kyle Mann of The Ringer appeared on Zach Lowe’s podcast on Tuesday and connected the two parties yet again.
“I think you could see some teams across the league who are in need of maybe an asset that be ‘distressed’ that they maybe think could perform what they might end up having to pay for him. I’ve heard teams like the Lakers kicking [his name] around.”
When Kessler is healthy, he’s been one of the league’s best young rebounders and defenders. He would be a natural fit with the Lakers in their search for a big man of the future.
However, injuries have been a problem for him in his young career. Last season, he appeared in just five contests before undergoing surgery on his torn labrum. In the 2024-25 season, he played in just 58 games. However, the Jazz have been one of the most egregious tankers in the league in the last few seasons and a lot of those missed games came in the second half of the season, so that could be the reason for him missing games.
As it stands, the Jazz front court is already crowded with Kessler, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. That comes before the potential addition of AJ Dybantsa or Cam Boozer at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft, too.
It’s hard to know what a deal for Kessler would require, particularly if he wants to leave. The Jazz still hold the cards in this situation, but it would be in their best interest to try to acquire an asset in a trade, especially given how many forwards and centers they already have on the roster.
With the draft quickly approaching, it could be something to monitor.
