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In an ugly display of baseball futility, the Royals dropped the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, 13-2. The Rays, utilizing their bullpen for the entire game, didn’t allow a Royals hit until the ninth inning when Carter Jensen hit a two-run home run, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

There really isn’t anything else positive to say about the Royals today. They stunk. They slept through this game on both sides of the ball. The Rays totaled 15 hits, four of which left the yard, and another two went for doubles. Royals pitchers, led by starter Seth Lugo, struck out only five and walked two.

Just a pathetic display of baseball from the Royals.

Things went south pretty quickly. In the bottom of the first, after Jonathan Aranda singled with one out, Rays third baseman Junior Caminero took Lugo deep on a hard-hit, towering flyball to left field. 2-0, Rays.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth when Victor Mesa Jr. hit his third home run of the season, this one a three-run homer.

5-0, Rays.

Meanwhile, the Royals offense looked awful against opener Casey Legumina and then Ian Seymour. Seymour dominated the Royals–the lefty pitched 6-and-2/3 innings, struck out seven, walked one, and surrendered zero hits. He picked up the win to improve to 4-1 as the Rays win their second consecutive game to improve to 45-33 on the season. They are second in the AL East, 2.5 games back of the Yankees, while also holding the top Wild Card spot.

Lugo, clearly, didn’t pitch as well. He stayed in a bit longer and gave up another home run to Caminero and then another run for funsies. On the day, he pitched five innings, gave up seven hits, struck out three, walked two, and allowed seven runs, all earned. He’s now 3-5 with a 4.18 ERA. What a tantalizing trade piece.

Just because Lugo left the game didn’t mean Caminero was done, though. He hit another home run, this one a three-run shot off, uh, Tyler Tolbert, to make it 13-o in the eighth. Today marks Caminero’s first career three-home-run game. I doubt it’s his last. That dude is good.

The Royals finally gained a baserunner in the sixth when Starling Marte worked the first of his two walks on the day. He added another in the ninth before scoring on Jensen’s homer off the Husk of Craig Kimbrel.

Not much else to say. The loss drops the Royals to 34-48. An ugly loss during an ugly season.

That’s Thursday morning baseball for you. If you watched today’s game, go do something fun now. You deserve it.

One date that was curiously absent from the 2026 Dodgers home schedule filled in just before Memorial Day: almost one year to the day, the Straw Hat Pirates of One Piece will make their return to Dodger Stadium.

By all accounts, last year’s festivities were enjoyed by most. We at True Blue LA got far more mileage than expected with last year’s announcement and subsequent festivities, with one major point that we will focus on in a moment.

Last year, the Dodgers and Toei Animation did a joint press release. This year, the Dodgers have largely been mum on the specifics, but one would expect another drone show, intro video, and features around the ballpark on July 2nd.

Frankly, it would be shocking not to see something similar on July 2. As an aside, in the video, Luffy wears 56 as a bit of a Japanese pun – “go” means five, “mu” means six, and the fruit that gave Luffy his stretchy powers is called the Gomu Gomu no Mi (The Gum Gum Fruit).

The theme night will again include a Dodgers-branded signature straw hat, similar to the one Luffy wears, now for the first 52,000 ticketed fans instead of 40,000. The main newsworthiness of last year’s event is the same draw for this year’s event: this year’s promotional card for the One Piece trading card game.

Using last year as an example of why this news is a big deal, it’s not every day that the Dodgers give away a promotional item that last year’s model is still selling for two and a half to five thousand American dollars online.

That Monkey promo card is selling for how much?!?

First, the character is generally known as Luffy (pronounced Loofy, not Luff-y — don’t be Michael Kay), not Monkey; it’s Japanese.

Second, last year, the Dodgers gave away a promotional trading card on One Piece night: a promotional card compatible with the One Piece trading card game, featuring Monkey D. Luffy holding a baseball in a Dodgers uniform.

Here is what I reported at the time:

To the unaware, the card, featuring art from the manga’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, looks like a simple trading card. However, over the past couple of years, games like the One Piece card game and the Pokémon Trading Card Game have developed subcultures centered on collecting rare cards from randomized packs.

These packs, which were originally sold for less than $10 per pack, now sell for significantly more (think anywhere from $25 to $500 or higher per pack). This explanation is generalized for brevity. It is not hyperbole to point out that some of these cards are valued and sold in excess of $1,000 per card…

…Still, after checking online, seeing that secondary sellers are selling the Luffy promo card for an average of $350-$500 is shocking. While prices have dipped from the initial frenzy, I would not expect prices to approach something reasonable until the market crashes.

The market did not crash, dear reader, as much as fans of the One Piece card game would have wanted it to.

The price of the 2025 Luffy Dodgers promo just kept going up and up, as the market for a limited-edition, one-off promotional card clearly demonstrates supply and demand. Now, the 2025 Luffy Dodgers promo card cannot be found in mint condition for sale for less than $2,250. Seeing prices for a mint condition of this card in excess of three thousand dollars is not uncommon.

Capitalism, everybody! For the nuances of how the economies of trading card games and the like work, see the attached link.

Last year’s card invited scalpers to Dodger Stadium, who approached unsuspecting fans, asking for their promotional cards or offering to buy them for what turned out to be pennies on the dollar.

The Dodgers have announced that each ticketed fan will be limited to one set of items, as last year, the folks doing the giving away were a bit overwhelmed, per reports, which is odd considering how adroitly they handled themselves during multiple Shohei Ohtani giveaways, but such is life.

Consider the following pullquote as an informal public service announcement:

Do I expect this year’s card to be comparable in value to last year’s version? Honestly, no.

This year’s card is not as striking as last year’s card, and in these matters, aesthetics matter.

Next, I think the cat is out of the bag, and the situation is eerily similar to the speculation bubble in American comic books that nearly nuked pre-Disney Marvel. This argument needs context, so we must rely on movie critic Bob Chipman for the analogous on-point argument.

The contents of the video essay are predictably evergreen for any overvalued asset.

The reason why last year’s card will always be inherently more valuable than this year’s card is the small number of promotional cards that survived that night at Dodger Stadium. Most of the fans that attended 2025’s One Piece night thought they were getting a couple of ticky-tacky baubles, not something that could potentially be sold for consequences-level money.

Now, people know better, as word (and articles like this one) has gotten out; by definition, more promotional cards will survive, which will increase supply, lower demand, and potentially save us all from a part three in 2027.

I can dream, right?

I suddenly envisioned a future in which I would have to write a synopsis of One Piece for a non-anime baseball audience. While I am having this existential meltdown, you might be having a different thought. If you don’t have tickets to this game, you might be suddenly inspired to see the spiraling San Diego Padres for some reason. Accordingly, you might be tempted to pick up game tickets for Dodger Stadium on July 2.

This article serves as a public service announcement on that front, too.

Game tickets for 7/2 cost how much?!?

Do you like paying NLDS prices for game tickets in July? Why do I ask? Well…

The embedded Bluesky post is not a typo; the lowest price seat from the team is $376. These seats are in the upper deck. Prices get exponentially worse from there. Not “NBA Finals in New York for the first time in a generation” bad, but still astronomical for a summer regular-season game.

In comparison, the following night, the lowest price seat from the team is $81. The secondary ticket market is similarly overheated, with the lowest prices just shy of $400.

From anecdotal evidence, the ticket prices for the game shot up by a third once the existence of this year’s promo card was confirmed. Do I expect ticket prices for this game to drop? No, if anything, I expect the opposite.

Now, if one wanted to avoid this upcoming madness, one could make a tidy little profit by reselling one’s game ticket. One just might do that; I couldn’t possibly comment.

There is a hidden advantage to sitting this out: the likely confusion that will likely bleed into that night’s broadcast, especially if the game is a blowout.

Would I enjoy Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser trying to decipher this madness on the telecast? Very much so. Would I enjoy listening to Stephen Nelson try to explain this madness to Rick Monday on the radio? Very much so. Would I enjoy Eric Karros harrumphing in confusion at the festivities? Less so, but fun can still be had in this scenario.

I would hope for a blowout in either direction to ensure that Nelson/Tim Neverett and Monday have no choice but to fill time by talking about it.

Will noted One Piece fan Shohei Ohtani enjoy the festivities? Probably. Regardless of whether you are going, want to go, want to flee, or you should flee, you cannot claim that you were not told.

To say that the Nationals’ bullpen has been bad might be the understatement of the century. They’re not just struggling, they’re performing at a level so poor that they redefine the definition of a “bad bullpen”.

The group consistently posts some of the worst pitch-based metrics in Major League Baseball, continuously displaying its ineptitude in all facets of the game. Stranding inherited runners, missing bats, and even just the act of throwing statistically above-average pitches are all areas where Nats’ relievers have yet to find any semblance of success. For a team that has maintained its structural belief that a pitcher’s “stuff” is more important than the number on the radar gun, they have sure found a way for their entire bullpen to thrive in neither aspect.

MLB social media feeds have been flooded in recent days with videos, statistics, and discourse surrounding the pitiful Washington bullpen, highlighted by their back-to-back collapses against the division rival Philadelphia Phillies. The realization of how unprecedented the Nationals’ bullpen failures are has extended from the fanbase within the nation’s capital to that of all 30 clubs. You would be hard-pressed to find any major baseball social media company that isn’t at least mentioning how bad they have been in 2026.

Through all the doom and gloom of the repeated blown saves and missed opportunities, however, the Nats sit 1 game above .500 and just 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, in a year where nobody thought they had even the slightest of chances to do anything meaningful.

I’m not here to tell you that the 2026 World Series will feature the Nats, and I’m not going to go on the record and make any guarantees about where they will stand in the playoff race after 162 games, but this is a franchise that was viewed by many as entering yet another rebuild mere months ago. The offensive surge powered by James Wood and CJ Abrams, combined with the leaps taken by offensive role players and crafty starters, has seen this team’s contending window go from a far-off dream to a reality that is getting closer by the day.

The feeling that these blown saves have put in the hearts of Washington fans is truly agonising, there’s no questioning that. Even in sadness, that feeling is one that the fanbase hasn’t felt in years. It’s not the begrudging acceptance of another year down the drain; it’s a byproduct of the hope that has been re-instilled and has thousands of fans living and dying with every game this team plays.

For every late-inning rally the bullpen gives up, there’s a 2-run home run by Curtis Mead to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 6th and get Nationals Park rocking. For every unfathomable meltdown by a reliever, there are 7.1 sparkling innings by Foster Griffin to lower his ERA to 3.15 and earn his 8th win of the year.

The story of the 2026 Nationals is far from over, and maybe it does end up as being defined by a bullpen that sets MLB records for the worst reasons. But, at the exact halfway point of the 162-game regular season, I’m choosing to view this year’s narrative as one of belief and passion that could see this team playing meaningful baseball in October far sooner than most fans could have guessed just a short time ago.

The Cubs have played 40 home games, just short of half the season total of 81. (It would have been just above half if not for Sunday’s rainout at Wrigley Field.)

Here are some attendance numbers for the season to date.

The Cubs have sold 1,397,964 tickets for the 40 dates. That total ranks sixth in MLB, behind the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Padres, Phillies and Yankees. The per-date average of 34,949 ranks ninth, behind the Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Blue Jays, Phillies, Giants, Mets and Braves, in that order.

The average is likely going to go up with better weather and a holiday weekend matchup coming up against the Cardinals. All of those games are likely sellouts. The somewhat low average for this time of year can be at least partly attributed to having to start the home season with five games in March and also to mostly lousy weather through April and May.

Here are two charts from BCBer Lifetime Cubs Fan, who’s been helping me out with these attendance posts for several years.

As you can see, the average attendance for the first 40 dates this year is below that for 2024 and 2025. Only 2023, when the team started out poorly and there was little postseason expectation, shows up below this year. Again, this average will likely increase for the rest of the season. However, to get to the three million mark, the Cubs would have to average 39,074 for the remaining 41 dates. That’s not impossible, but it would require a near-sellout for almost all the games. Most likely, the Cubs will not make it to three million tickets sold this year. They barely crossed it last year at 3,017,983. Before that, the last three million attendance season was 2019 (3,094,865).

Here are some pricing trends for Saturday games in the bleachers for the rest of the year.

One thing you’ll notice right away is that there are only six Saturday dates remaining. Three of them, though, are against opponents who should draw big crowds — two vs. the Cardinals and the Aug. 1 date vs. the Yankees, which, as you can see, is generating top prices on the secondary market. If the Cubs continue to contend, or perhaps even move closer to first place in the NL Central, the Saturday games against the Reds and Pirates might generate more interest.

The Saturday, July 18 game vs. the Twins is when the Cubs plan celebrations of the 2016 World Series champions, with quite a number of those players returning. As that date gets closer and the Cubs begin to promote it, I’d think that could also create more demand for tickets that day.

We’ll have another attendance update later in the season.

The Rays were looking to wrap up their four-game homestand against the Royals with a split series, and they would have to do it bright and early, so hopefully they all had their coffee before the game. The Rays had Casey Legumina in an Opener role on the mound, up against Seth Lugo for the Royals,

Legumina got things going with a three-up, three-down first. In the home half, the Rays wasted little time getting on the board. Jonathan Aranda got a one-out single, followed by a home run from Junior Caminero to set the tone for the game. Two outs followed, but the Rays had the early lead.

Legumina’s job was done after one out in the second, and Ian Seymour stepped in to take over the bulk innings role. He got the next two outs to send the Royals back to the dugout. In the home half, Victor Mesa Jr. made wise use of an ABS challenge to earn himself a walk, but he ended up stranded, and no runs scored.

The Royals went 1-2-3 again in the third, and if the Rays’ pitching staff keeps this up, it won’t matter how early this game started because it’ll be done by lunch. The Rays, meanwhile, went 1-2-3 themselves in the bottom of the inning.

By the fourth, it was starting to look like a bit of a pattern as the Royals once again went down in order. Cedric Mullins got a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, then stole second base. The Rays won another meaningful ABS challenge, this time a challenge by the Royals, sending Taylor Walls to first with a walk. Mesa Jr. then came out and like he wanted to get his opportunity back after being left on base in the second, he hit a three-run homer.

The Royals went three-up, three-down in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, with two outs, Caminero came out and got his second home run of the game.

They weren’t done yet, though. Richie Palacios singled, then advanced to second on what feels like a made-up thing, but is a real rule, and got the free base thanks to a disengagement violation. It worked out great for the Rays, because Chandler Simpson then singled and brought Palacios home.

In the top of the sixth the Royals got their first baserunner of the game with a one-out walk to Starling Marte, but two quick outs followed to leave him stranded. Seth Lugo’s day was done for the Royals, probably for obvious reasons, and he was replaced by Matt Strahm, who came in and got the Rays out in order.

The Royals went 1-2-3 again in the seventh. The Royals dipped back into their bullpen for Connor Seabold, who gave up a leadoff double to Yandy Diaz, followed by a double to Aranda to score the runner and bump the score up to 8-0. Three outs in a row followed to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth the Royals went down in order. Seymour has looked incredible today, really dialled in, very in control. The Royals made another pitching change in the home half, bringing in Tyler Tolbert. He gave up back-to-back singles to Mullins and Taylor Walls. A groundout from Hunter Feduccia scored Mullins, and then a pinch-hitting Nick Fortes came in for Yandy Diaz and singled, scoring Walls. But if you thought the Rays were going to go easy on the Royals with a ten-run lead, think again. Aranda singled. Then Caminero, bless him, hit his third home run of the game.

Palacios snuck in with a single, but the Rays weren’t able to score any additional runs. The score heading into the ninth was 13-0.

Seymour’s day was done, fairly. He went 6.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K on 90 pitches. Craig Kimbrel came in from the bullpen and gave up a leadoff walk to Marte. Then with one out, the no-hitter that had lasted through 8.1 innings was over as Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer, ending both the no-hit bid and the shutout. Kimbrel got out of the inning with just the one slip-up, unfortunately it was a big one. The Rays still walked away with the win, though, and the series split 2-2.

Final: Rays 13, Royals 2

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Toronto Blue Jays slugger Kazuma Okamoto draws a favorable matchup against Texas Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore, and his power profile makes his total base prop my favorite play for today’s matchup.

Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Rangers predictions and MLB picks for tonight's matchup.

Rangers vs Blue Jays predictions

Rangers vs Blue Jays best bet: Kazuma Okamoto Over 1.5 total bases (+115)

Kazuma Okamoto profiles well against lefty MacKenzie Gore, who gets barreled up hard and often, allowing a 9.6% solid-contact rating, far above the 5.1% league average. 

The Toronto Blue Jays third baseman leads the team with a 12% barrel-rate against Gore’s pitch mix, which has led him to a .298 batting average and a .577 slug-rate this season against the four-seamer and curveball. 

That average clubs to .360 and a .640 slug-rate when facing a left-handed pitcher, which strengthens my conviction in this matchup against Gore.

Additionally, Okamoto has eclipsed his 1.5 base total in 12 of his 19 outings this month. This consistency gives me confidence to play this market down to +105.

COVERS INTEL: Kazuma Okamoto has a 1.000 OPS, averaging 2.2 bases per game in 19 appearances since June 1.

Rangers vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Okamoto has a hit in five of his last six games and profiles well against Gore’s pitch mix, owning a .360 average against them since June 1. He also had a .421 average with RISP over that stretch, with a team-high 16 RBI in that stretch. 

I’ll also add Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 hits. He’s eclipsed this mark in 11 of 13 outings, and owns a .363 average and a .491 slug-rate against Gore’s primary pitch mix.

Astros vs Blue Jays SGP

• Kazuma Okamoto Over 1.5 total bases
• Kazuma Okamoto Over 0.5 RBI
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 hits

Rangers vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+295)

We’ll continue to bet on Okamoto tonight in a great matchup against Gore. Okamoto’s combination of barreling the baseball with power against Gore’s inability to miss bats and 45% hard-hit rate makes him a home run threat tonight.

However, Gore has only allowed two home runs over his last seven starts, so I’ll make this a half-unit play

Rangers vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Texas +125 | Toronto -150
• Run line: Texas +1.5 (-170) | Toronto -1.5 (+145)
• Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8

Rangers vs Blue Jays trend

The Blue Jays have covered the first five innings run line in seven of their last 11 games for +2.55 units and a 20% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Rangers vs Blue Jays and game info

Rangers vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Rangers vs Blue Jays weather

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If you posted a .364 OBP during the 2025 Major League Baseball season, you were in pretty elite company. Among the 108 MLB players who logged at least 550 PA last season, that number would’ve sandwiched you right between perennial All Star Jose Ramirez (.360) and slugger Kyle Schwarber (.365). The small number of names ahead of that mark is the who’s who of the sport – Ohtani, Tatis, Freeman, Soto, Judge, etc.

That was just last season! The Cincinnati Reds aren’t even 80 games into this season! It’s all such a recent memory, isn’t it?

The baseball world evolves incredibly fast, however. That .364 OBP from 2025? That’s precisely the mark posted by TJ Friedl in his most recent full season, and last year he served as a perfectly good on-base machine and run scorer atop the lineup for a club that actually participated in postseason baseball.

You’d think a guy like that would have some value, especially since he’s just making $3.8 million this season and comes with two additional years of team control through the arbitration process. If the Reds had tried trading him over the winter with that kind of profile – he even got down-ballot MVP votes in 2023, all as a player playing CF – you’d think there would’ve been a number of teams jumping at the opportunity.

When I posed the question earlier in the week whether you thought Friedl had played his last game in a Reds uniform, very little of all that seemed to matter anymore. An overwhelming 68% percent of respondents think Friedl’s time with the Reds at the big league level is effectively over, the litany of complicating administrative and roster issues hanging over his head right now too much for his recent poor play to overcome.

Poor play is putting it mildly. From the heights of his OBP prowess in 2025 he fell to just .179/.259/.256 (.515 OPS) in 178 PA to start 2026 before the Reds mercifully optioned him to AAA.

He’s almost 31 and his speed has evaporated. With little power to his game, speed – and the good defense that supported – were two key aspects of his game that don’t seem to be there any longer. If that means he’s a LF now – which the Reds pretty much admitted in-game early this season – that’s an overall profile that doesn’t really work. Now, he’s been passed on the OF depth chart by the likes of JJ Bleday, Noelvi Marte, Blake Dunn, and Dane Myers, with Spencer Steer still very much an option in LF, and the idea of keeping that player around on an arbitration raise over the $3.8 million he’s making right now seems impossible on Cincinnati’s budget.

Barring serious injury elsewhere, he’s not getting called back up anytime soon, and we’re now just over 5 weeks from the MLB trade deadline on August 3rd. If the Reds aren’t going to keep him around and tender him a contract at season’s end, they might as well try to trade him to someone who’s willing to take a flyer on him, and that means there’s precious few games in which Friedl would actually have a chance to make a return to Cincinnati.

Maybe that’s not how it plays out. Maybe they sell other pieces at the deadline (seeing as they’re once again in last place), and that opens a path back for him to finish the season at the big league level if he turns it around down in Louisville. Then, the Reds could shop him for something this winter. At this rate, though, that sure seems unplausible.

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In trading David Peterson, the Mets have dealt from a position of weakness, as their starting rotation was already more or less in shambles. With yesterday’s poor performances from Nolan McLean and Sean Manaea, plus the demotion of Kodai Senga to the bullpen and Peterson’s departure, the Mets have to rebuild their starting staff mid-season, and there aren’t too many options.

What is known is that, at least for now, McLean, Manaea, and Freddy Peralta are going to hold down the top three slots of the Mets’ rotation. Peralta is coming off one of his worst starts as a Met, and McLean was left in too long against the Cubs yesterday, but both are as close to a ‘sure thing’ as the Mets have right now, even if that pains me to say it. Manaea has improved his velocity since rejoining the rotation, but he’s still a shakier third starter than the Mets would like.

Now here comes the tricky part. Reports are that the Mets are calling Zach Thornton to start on Friday in Peterson’s stead, but whether this is a spot start of an invitation to prove himself in the rotation remains to be seen. In 12 appearances (11 starts) across both Double and Triple-A, Thornton has a 4.25 ERA. In his one big league appearance, he went four and a third innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out three.

Replacing Senga in the rotation will be the returning Christian Scott, after serving time on the IL with a hip issue. Scott has been a rare bright spot on this club, putting up a 3.10 ERA across nine starts. His first start of the year was an abject disaster (5 earned runs in one and a third innings pitched), but since then, he’s settled in nicely.

With Clay Holmes likely not back until August (and being one of the best trade chips the Mets have, broken fibula or not), the Mets are going to need to make this group, or this group plus or minus Jonah Tong and/or Jack Wenninger, work for them. It looks like the Mets are likely out of the playoff race, and so players like the aforementioned Holmes and Peralta might be on the block. If that’s the case, the Mets’ rotation will get very young, but the results may even look, somehow, worse than they do right now.

Sunday July 9th, 2006 was last day before the All-Star Break. The Red Sox were 53-32 entering that game. First place in the AL East. They won the first two games against the Chicago White Sox 7-2 and 9-6. Up 3-2 in the 9th, closer Jonathan Papelbon came in for the save. He blew it, allowing Chicago to tie the game. The Sox then scored 2 in the 11th inning. Mike Timlin came in and blew the save, allowing 2 runs to tie the game. In the bottom of the 19th, Rudy Seánez, in his third inning of work, allowed a walkoff run. Boston was still in first place but the season had, more or less, ended. The Red Sox would go 33-43 over the remainder of the season and suffer injuries to Trot Nixon, Jason Varitek, Jon Lester, and Jonathan Papelbon. They would finish in third place. 2007 would, of course, still be exciting.

Similarly crushing losses in Colorado are the departing memories as the Sox fly back to Boston to face the first place Yankees. At home. Where they have struggled mightily.

Cam Schlittler once again takes on the Red Sox. In April, Schlittler went 8 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned). In June the Sox got him out of the game in 5.2 innings but he still only allowed 1 earned run. Last time out he struck out 13. Vaunted “draft guy” Chaim Bloom selected Caleb Bolden with the pick right before the Yankees in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. Bolden currently has s 4.50 ERA for the Portland SeaDogs. He is not in their top 60 prospects according to SoxProspects. He wasn’t that great in college so that’s more on Bloom than on the pitching development program. Connelly Early bounced back from his worst start of the season to hold the Mariners to 1 run in 6.0 innings. In April he allowed 3 runs in 5.1 to the Yankees.

Will Warren hasn’t been bad but hasn’t been great either. This is probably the Sox best chance to prevent a four-game sweep if we want to consider that possibility. He has six starts of fewer than 5.0 innings on the season including two of the last three. He hasn’t faced the Red Sox this season but last year allowed 15 runs in 14.1 innings against Boston. Payton Tolle had a low-strikeout (2) 6.0 inning start where he allowed 3 runs to the Mariners but the Sox only scored one time. He faced NY in his first start of the season when he struck out 11 over 6.0 innings only to have Danny Columbe and Greg Weissert lose the game.

Gerritt Cole is back after missing a season. Will Garrett Crochet return to face him someday? Who can say. Sadly, Cole looks healthy and possibly good. Though the Tigers hit him for 5 runs in 4.1 last time out. He returned in May in two 6.0 inning shutouts. Jake Bennett was the hard luck loser (he didn’t get an L but was denied a W) in the Aroldis Chapman Collapse game. Six shutout innings and 9Ks while not issuing a single walk? More of that, please. A steal by Craig Breslow here.

Not to be confused with Rodan, a foe of Godzilla, Rodón has recovered from his 6 ERA introduction to the Yankees. He missed the start of the season and hasn’t faced the Red Sox thus year. He hasn’t gone more than 6.0 innings and has allowed 3 runs exactly in five of his eight starts. Sonny Gray is coming off a dominant start against the Colorado Rockies going 7.0 innings, allowing 1 run, and striking out 11. Boston won his game in Yankee Stadium on June 5th where he allowd 3 runs in 6.1 innings. The Sox won 7-1 but are missing Ryan Weathers this time around.

Aaron Judge is still out but it hasn’t slowed them down, sadly.

Spencer Jones has come up and hit .220/.324/.356 with 2 home runs and 29 strikeouts in 23 games. Totally irrelevant but Nick Sogard and Spencer Jones are each worth 0.2 bWAR this year and Sogard needed only 12 games.

Cody Bellinger is the most valuable bat by WAR for New York at 3.8. He’s slashing .271/.370/.464 with 11 homers and 10 steals.

In the last 14 days Ben Rice is at just .220/.304/.460 for a .764 OPS. Maybe they catch him in a slump and the lineup becomes a bit less scary. The Red Sox took pitcher Chris Troye (7.20 ERA in Portland this season) in the same round that the Yankees took Rice. Prospects are random. Tanking won’t improve the team any time soon. Better luck will.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Thursday, June 25: Cam Schlittler (1.71 ERA / 2.13 FIP) vs. Connelly Early (3.64 ERA / 4.87 FIP

Friday, June 26: Will Warren (3.45 ERA / 3.36 FIP) vs. Payton Tolle (3.08 ERA / 3.32 FIP)

Saturday, June 27: Garritt Cole (3.62 ERA / 4.25 FIP) vs. Jake Bennett (3.71 ERA / 2.62 FIP)

Sunday, June 28: Carlos Rodón(3.70 ERA / 3.49 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (2.95 ERA / 3.81 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Thursday, June 25: 7:10 PM ET on NESN

Friday, June 26: 7:10 PM ET on NESN

Saturday, June 27: 1:10 PM ET on ABC/ESPN

Sunday, June 28: 7:20 PM ET on NBC/Peacock

In what seems almost comically timed after an all-time terrible performance on his souvenir jersey night, Marcus Semien hit the Injured List with a left hip flexor strain. In his place, the Mets are calling up Ronny Mauricio, who was just activated yesterday after a stint on the IL with a thumb injury.

To replace the now traded David Peterson on the active roster, Daniel Duarte is joining the club. And in one final move (for now), Jonathan Pintaro was returned to Syracuse after acting as the 27th man during yesterday’s painful doubleheader.

Duarte has thrown five scoreless innings so far for the Mets this year, striking out three and allowing one hit and one walk.

Semien had a truly terrible night in the field in Game 2 of the doubleheader, misplaying a number of balls beyond just the two errors he was charged with; for a player known for his defense, this was an especially embarrassing performance.

Mauricio will likely get many of the second base reps until Semien’s return, while the also newly reinstated Francisco Lindor holds down shortstop, allowing Bo Bichette to play third base. Brett Baty will likely play some second base in Semien’s stead as well.

Over the past two weeks the Jays are 6-5. The offense has scored 4.3 runs per game, a little better than the 4.1 they’ve averaged this year.

Hot

Andrés Giménez: Started 10 of 11. Hit .313/.343/.500 with 1 home runs, 3 doubles, with 3 RBI, 0 walk and 7 strikeouts.

His RISP numbers are continuing to drop .667 OPS now on the season, four weeks ago it was .973 and we were told how great he was with RISP. Now he’s hitting about the same with RISP or not. Still excellent defense. FanGraphs has him +8 outs above average, which is 8th in the MLB. Now if he could hit like he has the last two weeks and play that defense, we’d really have something.

Kazuma Okamoto: Started 11 of the 11 games. Hit .289/.400/.684 with 3 double, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 6 walks, and 12 strikeouts.

He’s been amazing. And his defense looks fine. Fangraphs has him at a -1 outs above average. I think it will come up some. The play last night was terrible. Apparently he expect the throw to come from the catchers, not from the pitcher. I don’t know if it was a language thing or just a misunderstanding. I hate pickoff plays at second or third. I don’t understand the point. Pickoffs at first have enough errors to make any value you get out of it a wash, but I’m sure that at second and third, it is a negative value to the defense.

Davis Schneider: Played in 9 games, starting 7. Hit .250/.280/.583 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.

Maybe the time in Buffalo did do him well. Not many walked in the last two weeks but 4 extra base hits. And the team likes his defense in the outfield more than Sanchez’s. I’m not sure, FanGraphs has him at a -2 outs above average in the outfield (limited inning), Sanchez at a -6, in three times the innings. I guess they have a point, but it is close. Neither will be getting a Gold Glove anytime soon. But I wouldn’t be against giving Davis more playing time against RHP.

Daulton Varsho: Started 4 games. Hit .389/.421/.833, with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 5 RBI, 1 walks, 5 strikeouts and 2 steals.

Just four games, but they have been four very good games.

George Springer: Started all 11 games,. Hit .302/.404/.535 with 1 double, 3 home runs, 7 RBI, 7 walks and 9 strikeouts, with 3 steals and 0 caught.

Nice to see him hitting. The problem, when you have started the season poorly, no one notices when you start hitting. They talk about having him play outfield, but I don’t really think that’s a great idea. Of course, we have several guys who should DH.

Nathan Lukes: He’s played in all 12 games, starting 10. Hit .270/.289/.486 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 3 RBI, 3 walk and 8 strikeouts.

Not very hot, but hitting well. Good bat, good defense, not all that much to complain about. He isn’t hitting lefties at all, but that’s very limited at bats.

Yohendrick Pinango: Played in 6 games, starting 4. Hit .143/.294/.286 with 2 double, 0 RBI, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.

And now he’s in Buffalo. He’ll be back.

Cold

Ernie Clement: Played in 9 games, starting 7. Hit .188/.212/.219 with 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walks and 4 strikeouts. And a caught stealing.

Started 6 games at second, 1 at short and played short in a couple of other games. He’s been dealing with a hip injury of some sort, which would make it tough to hit. Hopefully it will improve soon.

Brandon Valenzuela: Started 4 games. Hit .250/.333/.313 with 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts.

He threw out 1 of 2 base stealers. Cold is a little unfair, but his .646 OPS isn’t great, in very few at bats.

Vladimir Guerrero: Started 9 of 11. Hit .243/.256/.351 with 1 double, 1 home run, 6 RBI, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. And 1 steal.

He’s looked worse in the last couple of weeks, not even talking walks, which he’s always been able to do. He had one hard hit ball, yesterday 100.3 mph line out the opposite way that Baseball Savant had as a .700 expected BA, but that was his only hard hit ball on the day. And nothing hit hard the day before either.

Jesús Sánchez: Started 7 games. Hit .130/.259/.174 with 1 doubles, 0 RBI, 3 walks and 9 strikeouts.

He’s had a bad couple of weeks in all ways. Seems to have lost his starting job in the outfield, because his fielding is so bad. He should DH. The two weeks before these two, he hit great. I wonder if the defensive issues are following him to the plate. He hasn’t always been this bad defensively. We were told that they are working with him.

Myles Straw: Played in 10 games, 5 starts. Hit .158/.227/.211 with 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts..

One of a number of guys not hitting well.

Alejandro Kirk: Played in 8 games, starting 7. Hit .222/.267/.259 with 1 double, 4 RBI, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.

14 steals against, no caught steal. He hasn’t been great since coming back.

Yohendrick Pinango: Played in 6 games, starting 4. Hit .143/.294/.286 with 2 double, 0 RBI, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.

And now he’s in Buffalo. He’ll be back.

IL

Anthony Santander: Might get into a game before the end of the season. Who knows..

Addison Barger: He is to meet with ‘Blue Jays staff’ because ‘some soreness has crept in. Hopefully it is nothing. If they decide he’s ok, he’ll start a rehab assignment.

The Mets have placed second baseman Marcus Semien on the 10-day IL with a hip flexor strain.

Infielder Ronny Mauricio, who was just activated and assigned to Triple-A on Wednesday, has been recalled from Syracuse.

Additionally, right-handed reliever Daniel Duarte has been recalled, while Jonathan Pintaro, who served as Wednesday's 27th man, has been returned to Syracuse.

Semien played all of Wednesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs, committing two of the Mets' six errors as a team.

"It’s always going to be attention to detail with defense," Semien explained. "First step was not great on the first [error]. Seems like when I’m trying to pick the ball up and rush, the throw isn’t good. I feel like it’s a play that I could have saved and got the out and I didn’t. Those ones hurt. 

"Pop-up, same thing, drifted to the ball. The wind was a little funky out there, and just took my eyes off the ball. Those are plays that I want to make, plays that I want to make tomorrow to help us win."

Acquired this offseason in the trade that sent Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers, Semien has struggled offensively, hitting .214 with a 71 OPS+.

The A’s announced on Thursday morning that infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof will head to the injured list due to the hand injury he suffered on Tuesday night, with Alika Williams coming up to take his place:

The team evidently felt that Gelof’s hand injury was too severe to avoid a stint on the IL. Luckily there wasn’t any reported fractures or need for stitches so the team will hope he can avoid being on the shelf for any more than the minimum. He’ll be eligible to return next weekend at home against the Miami Marlins.

Taking his place on the roster will be Williams, who has spent the past couple of weeks down at Triple-A Las Vegas. He’ll likely return to his semi-regular duty with the big league team with Gelof down for a bit. He performed admirably during his first stint with the club so hopefully he can keep that going this time around.

On the bright side of things, the club did not place shortstop Jacob Wilson on the IL after he left last nights game. It seemed he had reaggravated the shoulder injury that placed him on the IL earlier this month. No word yet on his status so keep your fingers crossed for him.