Here’s the Rangers’ lineup:
Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
RANGERS AT GUARDIANS: Messick vs. Alexander/Santos, discussion
Mets At Jays Game Thread
Bo returns to Rogers Centre.
It will be weird watching him wearing a different jersey. As much as I wish the best for him, I’d be ok with an 0 for 12 series for him.
There are a bunch of tweets about Bo tearing up before the game, I’m curious to see him when they play the video.
Washington Nationals vs Boston Red Sox Game Thread
After getting back on track in Baltimore, the Nats continue their road trip against another AL East foe. They head up to Boston to face a Red Sox team who just completed a 4 game sweep over the Yankees. However, for most of this season, the Red Sox have been inconsistent at best.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera elected to make a few changes. However, he decided to keep his hottest hitter Luis Garcia Jr. in the lineup. Garcia usually sits against lefties, but he is too hot for that right now. Andres Chaparro will be in there as the DH. Daylen Lile will get a day off, meaning James Wood is in left, Jacob Young is in center and Dylan Crews is in right. Miles Mikolas will be on the mound with no opener in front of him.
This Red Sox lineup has underperformed for most of the season, but they have been better in June. Newcomer Willson Contreras has been their best hitter. Caleb Durbin has also been hot in June. The Nats very briefly rostered Tsung-Che Cheng, before DFA’ing him two days later. Now he is with the Red Sox, and starting at shortstop. Big money signing Ranger Suarez will be on the mound.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Fenway Park
Time: 7:10 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
This should be a fun week with Paul Toboni returning to Boston. There are plenty of storylines to chew on in this series. However, the Nats need to take care of business here. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers: Ryan Weathers vs. Casey Mize
Readers, I begin this humble game thread with a question: is it better to head right back to work after a four-game sweep at the hands of your archrivals, to get an opportunity to flush it and leave it in the past? Or would an off-day at this juncture give you a much-needed chance to reset in the grind of a long season?
It’s a false choice, of course. The Yankees have no alternative but to return to the Bronx tonight and welcome the Tigers to town, after that aforementioned four-game mop at the Red Sox’ hands. The Tigers, if you recall, were the Bombers’ previous opponent before that ill-fated weekend in the Molasses City; they beat New York in a dud of an opener before the Yanks squeaked out a pair of close victories to take the set. You can bone up on the familiar matchup if you haven’t already by checking out Estevão’s series preview here.
Ryan Weathers was victorious in one of those games at Comerica Park, logging his second straight quality start with six innings of one-run ball. He was aided in his quest by excellent Yankee defense, including a pair of nifty grabs in center field by Max Schuemann. (Schuemann, it should be noted, is not in the lineup.) Overall, Weathers has had a bumpy beginning in pinstripes but remains a solid back-rotation option for New York. His penchant for the home run ball (his 16 homers allowed is 4th in the AL so far) has been a major culprit for his uneven season.
Casey Mize took the loss in the other game the Tigers dropped to the Yankees last week. His start wasn’t unlike the last few Gerrit Cole starts: good stuff shown, but too many misses in bad spots and an opportunistic lineup which was ready to punish mistakes. Mize allowed four runs on eight hits, striking out six Bombers and surrendering a go-ahead home run to Jazz Chisholm Jr.; a bright spot in what has been a very bipolar month for Jazz.
Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger will start the lineup with a rare double-lefty setup. Four of the first five batters against Mize will be left-handed, with Jazz and Jasson Domínguez on the other side of Paul Goldschmidt, hitting third. Anthony Volpe takes short, Spencer Jones patrols center field, Austin Wells dons the tools of ignorance, and José Caballero mans the hot corner tonight in the Bronx.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Detroit SportsNet
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WXYT 97.1 FM (DET)
Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.TV (out-of-market only)
For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
Atlanta Braves off day chat and discussion: June 29
There’s one more off day until the Atlanta Braves are back in action on this side of the country. Hopefully the change in scenery will result in a change in fortune for the Braves, who have been on a very dire run as of late. As I mentioned with the title of a series recap from awhile back, the only way out is through, so hopefully the Braves can break through against the Cardinals and Mets this week.
For now, there’s no Braves action tonight so it’s time to get into the “big” question:
What am I watching tonight?
You may be shocked to hear this but there’s a World Cup game starting at 9:00 p.m. ET tonight and I plan on watching it. All of the matches from here on out are of the single elimination variety so the tension and drama has ratcheted up another level. Tonight’s match will be between the Netherlands and Morocco and I’m hoping it’ll be exciting.
If that’s not your cup of tea then ESPN is running a national game tonight with the Guardians facing the Rangers. Is that a sexy matchup? Not particularly but it’s baseball and it’s (likely) hot outside so you may as well just plant yourself on the couch and put on the game.
I’m not going to suggest a hate-watch since those haven’t been going pretty well for us Braves fans lately (as far as the Phillies are concerned) but if you just can’t help yourself, Braxton Ashcraft is getting a shot at the Phillies as Pittsburgh goes to Citizens Bank Park. You can also watch the Mets and Blue Jays lock horns in the battle of teams who are performing well below expectations. The Braves are currently performing below expectations at the moment so the vibes should be pretty similar.
What will you be watching? Any baseball? The World Cup? Anything else to get your mind off of sports? Let’s hear it. The floor is now yours.
Memphis reportedly trades Ja Morant to Portland, ending seven-year rollercoaster ride
The Ja Morant era in Memphis has officially come to an end.
The Grizzlies have been trying to find a trade for Morant for the better part of a year and finally found a deal they liked, partnering with the Portland Trail Blazers, a trade first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. The trade shakes out like this:
Portland receives: Ja Morant
Memphis receives: Jerami Grant, Kris Murray
Since owner Tom Dundon bought the Trail Blazers during last season, he has wanted the team to make a bold move, a big splash signing or trade. That is exactly what it is — this is an aggressive swing for the fences, albeit one that carries some risk because of Morant's history of injuries and suspensions.
When he's at his best, Morant is one of the most explosive and entertaining players in the league, the 2020 Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star who still averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists a game last season.
Ja Morant, ce joueur qui peut rendre n'importe quel lay-up spectaculaire ! pic.twitter.com/ftSDsKKoYP
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) June 29, 2026
While there have been questions about him having lost half a step, it's hard to judge because, due to injuries and suspensions, he has played in just 79 games across the last three seasons, including 20 last season.
Portland now has a backcourt of Morant, Damian Lillard (coming off a torn Achilles) and Jrue Holiday. Bringing in a veteran backcourt like that could leave Scoot Henderson as the odd man out (don't be surprised if other teams call and check on his availability).
Combine that backcourt with Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan up front, and this becomes one of the more interesting teams to watch this season. If new coach Micah Nori can bring it all together, this team could be entertaining and win a lot of games. But with Morant and Lillard leading the way, missed time due to injuries will be a concern.
This also means Portland is out of the mix to trade for Jaylen Brown, the team would have needed Grant's salary to match up for that deal (same with the Aaron Gordon rumors out there).
Memphis has been looking to pivot to a fresh start for a while now, particularly building around the just-drafted Cameron Boozer, and this is the clean slate they needed. It's not near the return Memphis may have originally hoped for when it made Morant available, but the return on this trade — with no draft picks — speaks to his market.
Grant had a bounce-back season last year, averaging 18.6 points a game and playing almost 30 minutes a night. That said, he could be traded again before the season because the Grizzlies are stacked along the front line with Zach Edey and Isaiah Stewart at the five, then at the forward spots there are Cedric Coward, Boozer, Santi Aldama, Taylor Hendricks, Jaylen Wells, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, GG Jackson, and the just-drafted Karim Lopez. That's an overload.
Pistons, Kevin Heurter agree to new deal
To paraphrase the words of international assassin hero John Wick, “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m running it back.”
The Detroit Pistons are re-signing free agent wing Kevin Huerter to a three-year, $27 million deal. That’s a decent return for a core rotation player and represents about a 40% paycut from the long-term deal Huerter just concluded.
The 6-foot-6 Huerter was acquired at the trade deadline for Jaden Ivey, Dario Saric, and a pick swap. Huerter played about 500 minutes across 25 games for the Pistons, averaging 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Heurter started his career as a noted 3-point marksman, but the shot has abandoned him over the years, including his time in Detroit.
He shot just 29% from deep on over four attempts per game for the Pistons. He did shoot 61% on twos and has been a high-efficiency interior player because he knows how to take advantage of his opportunities.
It might be a sign that the Pistons are largely OK with running back a 60-win team and hoping the addition of another shooter — in this case Isaiah Joe, is the piece that makes everything else fall into place.
Or perhaps this is a precursor to something larger. The calm before the storm.
His shot has never looked broken, it’s just been unreliable. And even without his three going down consistently, he provides enough on both ends of the court to make him a valuable rotation piece. However, I struggle to understand a lineup that employs all three of Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, and Caris LeVert. Obviously, you’d take Robinson of any of the three, but it makes me wonder if Detroit is keeping Heurter because they have plans to route Robinson or LeVert in a separate deal.
A’s roster moves: Massive Shakeup
The Athletics have not played well over this past week or two, most recently dropping three-game series against the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels. This extended downturn, which has led to them falling from first to fourth place in their division, could partially be attributed to the team playing shorthanded. Several A’s position players and pitchers are on the team’s injured list with various maladies.
Tonight, the A’s begin a three-game home series against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who are full steam ahead in pursuit of the three-peat. The A’s would have liked to match up against the champs on full-strength. However, that will not happen, as the team announced several roster moves this afternoon.
Pitchers
The lone move involving the pitching staff concerns left-hander José Suarez, who was placed on the paternity list and will miss a few games as he welcomes a new addition to his family.
Right-hander Kade Morris, who made his first MLB start earlier this month before being optioned back to Triple-A soon after, takes Suarez’s place on the active roster. Morris will look to make a stronger impression and earn a longer stay during his second stint in the majors this season. Lastly, the A’s designated right-handed reliever Michael Kelly for assignment.
Hitters
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson had not played since re-aggravating his left shoulder injury last week. Wilson was rehabbing in hopes of avoiding another stint on the injured list, but he did not make enough progress. The A’s ultimately placed him on the injured list with right thumb inflammation, retroactive to June 26. Left fielder Tyler Soderstrom joins him out of commission with left hip impingement, an injury he suffered Saturday night against the Angels.
The team recalled infielders Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Darell Hernaiz to fill the roster spots. While Hernaiz has appeared in 47 games with the A’s this season, Kuroda-Grauer will make his MLB debut this evening.
The A’s drafted Kuroda-Grauer in the third round of the 2024 MLB draft out of Rutgers University. The versatile infielder, who can play third base, shortstop and second base, added muscle during the offseason in hopes of improving his offensive production.
The changes appear to have paid off, as he is slashing .323/.367/.478 this season, earning his first big-league promotion. Kuroda-Grauer’s profile is similar to Wilson’s, as both infielders are strong defenders who bring a contact-heavy approach to the plate, making them difficult to strike out.
What do you make of these transactions A’s fans? Will JKG make an instant impact or will the A’s struggle to overcome the loss of Wilson and Soderstrom against the Dodgers?
Ranger Suàrez starts as Red Sox host Nationals after sweeping Yankees
It’s been almost four full years that I’ve been an Over The Monster staff writer, and true story: I’ve never written a pre-game thread. That is, until Bryan Joiner called to the bullpen late, and I “accepted the trade for a player to be named later” or “cash considerations.” Two different metaphors, I know. But, starting one metaphor after another may be something of a symbolic gesture with these Red Sox. But, to quote some Bostonians, “I never had to knock on wood, but I know someone who has.” That’s to say, this team isn’t good. I don’t subscribe to the “we’re four and a half games out of the wild card spot” or the success of this weekend being any sort of start to a rally catapulting this team into contending conversations. But I wouldn’t blame anyone who gets a bit hopeful after watching the last four games. Unless this series goes well.
Fortunately, they’ll have a guy who’s found his stride on the mound. Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.83) . He has not had a decision win at home yet this season. He took a no-hit bid into the seventh in Seattle, and had a little more turbulent outing in hitter-friendly Colorado but still emerged from six innings having given up just three runs, and only one of those earned (sadly, the Sox would implode that game). His ERA in 4 starts (24.0 IP) in June is 1.50.
As Mike Carlucci diplomatically put it in this series’ preview article, the Nationals also suck are having their own challenges keeping things balanced this year, having inverse problems that the Red Sox face. Their offense is awesome, the biggest of those worries being Luis Garcia, the reigning NL Player of the week who’s hit six home runs in as many games, including two just yesterday in Baltimore. They rank at the very top of the league in runs scored and are tied for fourth in home runs, which would usually find you at the top of many standings, unless your pitching is horrible having some trouble keeping runs off the board, to the tune of being the third-worst in baseball. Miles Nikolas (2-6, 5.24 ERA) is tonight’s starter for Washington. At one time he was a very serviceable pitcher. At 37, those days may be behind him, as he’s experienced some stark declines in the ability to strike guys out as well as to generate swings and misses in general, ranking in the lowest three percentile via Baseball Savant this season.
See you back here after.
Game 85 Game Day Thread – Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians
Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians
Monday, June 29, 2026, 6:10 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / ESPN)
Progressive Field
LHP Tyler Alexander into RHP Chris Paddack? vs. LHP Parker Messick
Go Rangers!
Mets vs. Blue Jays: Lineups, broadcast info, and open thread, 6/29/26
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Lindor – SS
Jared Young – 1B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Mark Vientos – DH
Brett Baty – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Sean Manaea – LHP
Blue Jays lineup
George Springer – DH
Nathan Lukes – RF
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Ernie Clement – SS
Brandon Valenzuela – C
Luis Urias – 2B
Yohendrick Pinango – LF
Myles Straw – CF
SP: Trey Yesavage – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:07 PM ET
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Liam Greentree Doesn't Want To Fill Artemi Panarin's Shoes
When the whole NHL world was finding out about the trade that sent Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings, Liam Greentree, who was dealt to the New York Rangers as part of the deal, was sitting in the back of a bus, playing video games.
“I was on my way to North Bay, midway through the season last year, and I was actually playing Chell (NHL video game) at the back of the bus, and couple of my buddies were just asking if I got traded,” Greentree said recounting when he found out he was traded from the Rangers to the Kings.
“My buddies were asking about me, and then I obviously called my agent. That's how it went.”
Greentree, who was the centerpiece of the return for Artemi Panarin, hit the ice in Rangers gear for the first time on Monday for the team’s development camp.
The 20-year-old forward spoke about his emotions since being traded in February and his excitement to join a franchise like the Rangers.
“It's been awesome. New York is such a historic franchise; it’s an original six franchise,” Greentree said about being traded to the Rangers. “It's just really cool to be a part of it. This is the first time I've worn the jersey, so it's a pretty cool experience.”
Selected by the Kings in the first round with the 26th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Greentree flashed off his potential during the 2024-25 season as the captain of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, as he recorded 49 goals, 70 assists, and 119 points in 64 games.
Despite his numbers decreasing during the 2025-26 campaign, Greentree still posted a more than respectable 38 goals, 36 assists, and 74 points in 52 games.
Some would say Greentree has big shoes to fill, given that he was essentially traded straight up for Panarin, a player many consider to be the Rangers' greatest free agent signing in NHL history.
However, Greetree does not view it that way.
“It’s the business of it,” Greentree said. “I’m going through the process of it, and trying to make my career a good one. I want to play my game, and I just want to be a Ranger one day.”
Greentree is expected to make the jump to the professional hockey level this upcoming season, whether that means playing in the American Hockey League or for the Rangers.
After spending four total seasons in the OHL, Greentree emphasised that he feels prepared to take the professional leap and begin a new chapter of his hockey career.
“I feel good, I feel ready, and I feel strong,” Greentree said. “I'm here to get better and to learn a lot, and try to see what it takes to actually make it to the next level.”
Monday night game thread: vs White Sox, 6:35
Once again the Orioles are at risk of spiraling completely out of contention. Next up on the schedule is a three-game set with a surprisingly solid White Sox squad. Fortunately for the Orioles, these games are at Camden Yards. The Orioles actually having a winning record (23-21) at home, while the White Sox have been quite poor on the road (15-25). Sooo maybe they actually have a chance?
Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off for the Orioles despite being in the midst of a 1-for-18 stretch that has included zero walks and three strikeouts. Why? Nothing more than Craig Albernaz’s intuition, it would seem. It’s not like the Orioles offense has been firing on all cylinders anyway, so whatever.
Perhaps more important is Shane Baz on the mound for the Birds. He’s coming off of a poor showing against the Angels, where he allowed five runs over five innings. The 27-year-old has shown flashes this season, but has looked more like an innings eater than the potential frontline starter we were promised. A start of six innings or more would push Baz over 100 innings on the season. That is valuable even if the ERA isn’t quite as low as the Orioles front office probably hoped it would be.
Orioles lineup
- Gunnar Henderson, SS
- Taylor Ward, LF
- Adley Rutschman, C
- Pete Alonso, 1B
- Samuel Basallo, DH
- Dylan Beavers, RF
- Colton Cowser, CF
- Blaze Alexander, 3B
- Jackson Holliday, 2B
RHP Shane Baz (4-8, 4.31 ERA)
White Sox lineup
- Sam Antonacci, LF
- Miguel Vargas, 3B
- Colson Montgomery, SS
- Kyle Teel, C
- Randal Grichuk, DH
- Branden Montgomery, RF
- Tristan Peters, CF
- Chase Meidroth, 2B
- Jacob Gonzalez, 1B
RHP Sean Burke (5-4, 3.71 ERA)
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Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres preview, Monday 6/29, 7:05 CT
Today’s roster move: Here
Monday notes…
- SERIES WINS AND LOSSES: The Cubs won eight of the first series they played this season. Then they lost five a row, split one and lost four most. Since then, they have won four and split one, making their record in series 12-13-2. They finished 31-19-3 last year. This year, the Cubs’ record is better the deep they go into each series: 12-15 in first games, 14-13 in second games, 16-10 in third games and 4-0 in fourth games. They lost the opener of the series at Milwaukee, but had won the previous four first games, after having dropped seven straight. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- MONDAY, MONDAY: The Cubs are 4-1 at home on Monday this year, their best record at Wrigley Field on any day of the week so far. They are 3-1 on Thursday and 4-2 on Wednesday. (COurtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- WIN/LOSS SPLITS: The Cubs are 20-19 against teams that had a winning record going into that day’s game, and 26-19 vs. teams at .500 or below. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- SEIYA SOON: Seiya Suzuki during the Brewers series: 4-for-12 with two home runs and six RBI.
Cubs lineup:
Padres lineup:
Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Griffin Canning, RHP
Shōta Imanaga again got bit by the home run bug in his last start, serving up three to the Mets, though the Cubs won the game anyway.
He’s got a worse home run rate at home (12 in 53 innings) than on the road (eight in 39 innings), though neither of those is any good.
He did manage to allow just one to the Padres in Game 2 of last year’s Wild Card Series, and in the 2025 regular season he allowed just one earned run to the Padres in 12.1 innings. He has not faced them yet this year.
Do good, Shōta.
Griffin Canning had been in the Padres rotation starting in May after returning from an Achilles injury last year, but after he allowed seven runs to the Orioles June 12 (third time in eight starts he’d allowed six runs or more), he was moved to the bullpen. He hasn’t really been any better there. In his last relief appearance, vs. the Braves June 23, he allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning.
His last start against the Cubs was May 11, 2025, while he was with the Mets. He allowed one run in six innings.
Alex Bregman is 8-for-17 vs. Canning with two home runs. Maybe this will get Bregman going.
Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.
Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball. If you do go there to interact with Padres fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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Flyers Issue 4 Qualifying Offers; AHL All-Star Let Go
Officially, the Philadelphia Flyers have finalized their qualifying offers with Monday's 5 p.m. deadline come and gone, featuring one surprise.
The players who were tendered qualifying offers will come as no surprise.
Young stars Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, as well as prospects Hunter McDonald and Nikita Grebenkin, had their signing rights retained by the Flyers on Monday.
The group of players who did not have their signing rights retained was much larger, though.
A cabal of trade acquisitions--Artem Guryev, Brett Harrison, Christian Kyrou, Tucker Robertson, and Phil Tomasino--as well as Karsen Dorwart, were not given qualifying offers and are free to sign with other NHL organizations, starting Wednesday, July 1.
Kyrou, a 2026 AHL All-Star, is the name many Flyers fans are stuck on, given how promising he looked during his short time with the Flyers organization.
After being traded for Samu Tuomaala early in the year, Kyrou ripped off 10 goals, 24 assists, and 34 points in just 55 games with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, though that surge of offense was, obviously, not enough to warrant keeping him around.
Flyers Announce Development Camp Roster with 3 Major SurprisesThree top Philadelphia Flyers prospects will make surprise appearances at the team's development camp this week.In the interest of fairness, the Flyers do have a considerable number of options at Kyrou's position.
Former second-round pick Spencer Gill will be turning pro this year, in addition to David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk pushing for NHL roster spots with the Flyers.
Plus, Carter Amico, Luke Vlooswyk, and Brek Liske are all one or two years away from turning pro themselves.
Basically, the Flyers decided that, if Kyrou wasn't going to make the NHL on their team now, he never will, and the Tuomaala trade already proved that the young defenseman's trade value around the league was nil.
From here, the Flyers' next steps will be to re-sign Zegras, Drysdale, Grebenkin, and McDonald to NHL contracts with greater term and/or salary.