LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 28: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers and his dog Decoy delivers a ceremonial first before the game against the Baltimore Orioles on Shohei Ohtani #17 bobblehead giveaway night at Dodger Stadium on August 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ohtani.
Freeman.
Mookie.
Yamamoto.
…Kiké?
Legends all. And the Red Sox will be facing the best team in baseball for a weekend. Just over a month ago this was a dreaded series. The Dodgers were going to crush the last place Red Sox like an egg. Until the Sox caught fire. As essentially the hottest team in the game, will the series go differently?
The Dodgers are 69-40 vs the Sox 57-51. There’s a bit of a gap. They’ve scored 562 runs and allowed 402. The Sox, with their elite pitching and defense, have scored 454 and allowed 404. So, you know, they’re hanging around. This will be the biggest challenge for the Sox so far. As it is for essentially the other 29 teams that aren’t the Dodgers.
Ranger Suarez is back for his second start off the IL. The last time back he looked just about as sharp as expected. He was only out for 4.0 innings so expect maybe 5.0 or 6.0 in start number 2. Edgardo Henriquez gets the start as an opener. A righty, he’s actually finished 6 games and started none until Friday. So it’s his first career start. He’s striking out about a batter per inning and has a large platoon split: .348 OPS against righties and .770 against lefties. With Wilyer Abreu’s reverse splits, this could be a fun first inning.
Payton Tolle is entering some uncharted territory in innings these days and might start to have a little bit of a leash to keep that total down a tad. Will it finally be the piggyback with Brayan Bello we keep hearing about? He’s facing one of the best pitchers on the planet in Yamamoto. The Dodgers ace was hit hard a few weeks ago against the Diamondbacks (6 runs, 6.0 innings) but followed that up with a complete game against the Yankees. He’s never faced the Red Sox.
Jake Bennett last pitched in a minor league park with a few thousand fans and now faces the juggernaut Dodgers in a packed house for Sunday Night Baseball. There hasn’t been a challenge he didn’t face well this season. Emmet Sheehan is a Boston College product out of Connecticut. He strikes out out at a good clip (26.3%) but has been hit hard. Opposing batters are slashing .245/.311/.462 against the righty.
The ageless Freddie Freeman leads the league in doubles with 27 and is slashing .301/.379/.485.
Ohtani “only” has 23 home runs this year and has stolen just 6 bases. He’s dealing with some knee soreness so this may be the best weekend to face him.
Mookie is struggling this season and in July. He had a good June but in July has a .584 OPS.
Kyle Tucker looks like a bust so far. Glad the Sox dodged that bullet!
Max Muncy is chugging along at .253/.347/.497 with 21 homers.
Coming off a 3-1 series against the Athletics helps Boston avoid a really bad road trip but this is an elite team and we’ll see how the race to the deadline goes.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, July 31: Ranger Suarez (3.02 ERA / 2.50 FIP) vs. Edgardo Henriquez (2.79 ERA / 3.05 FIP)
Saturday, August 1: Payton Tolle (3,32 ERA / 3.39 is FIP) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.72 ERA / 3.31 FIP)
Sunday, August 2: Jake Bennett (2.74 ERA / 3.28 FIP) vs. Emmet Sheehan (4.95 ERA / 4.41 FIP)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Hunter Greene #21 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning during Game One of the National League Wild Card Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds will look to keep the good vibes rolling after yesterday’s walk-of win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of this weekend’s four game series in Great American Ball Park.
On paper, the pitching matchup is about as delicious as one can be. Pirates ace Paul Skenes will start for Pittsburgh while Cincinnati will lean on Hunter Greene, who’s seen his name pop up in a litany of trade rumors so far with Monday’s deadline right around the corner.
(For the record, the most recent ‘rumor’ is that the Reds are planning to hold on to him, but who knows if a) that’s credible or b) if that’s merely a bargaining tactic.)
Ke’Bryan Hayes remains on the bench to start, thankfully, as does TJ Friedl. However, that means that Noelvi Marte is still in the lineup despite his struggles, so you get to pick your poison these days when it comes to the banged-up Reds offense.
First pitch is set for an early 6:10 PM ET start. Here’s how both clubs will line up for first pitch:
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 25: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on July 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are back in action against the Cincinnati Reds for the second game of their four-game weekend set at Great American Ball Park.
This game marks the 23rd start of the season for Pirates ace Paul Skenes. He is coming off a tough matchup in his last start on July 25 against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched 5.1 innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs in an 11-0 loss at home. The silver lining from his start is that he struck out 11 batters, so he hopes to bring that same swing-and-miss stuff against the Reds.
This marks Skenes’ third start this season against the Reds. He picked up a win on April 1 on the road when he pitched five innings, giving up three hits and one earned run, but got the no decision on June 26 at home when he pitched five innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs.
Hunter Greene is making his fifth start of the season after missing most of the year with an injury. He lost his last start on July 25 on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up eight hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings.
Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (9-9, 3.65 ERA) vs. Hunter Greene (2-2, 7.06 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today. Chime off in the comments section below.
Wigan move up to second within two points of Leeds
Wigan once again showed why they should be considered favourites to be crowned Super League champions after emerging from a captivating local derby with Leigh to keep pace with Leeds at the summit.
The National Rugby League is understood to be ready to submit its bid to invest and ultimately take control of Super League in the coming days. If it was watching here, it would have seen a game and a competition with plenty to offer. Just seven miles separate these two clubs, and they produced a spectacle any potential investor would have been engrossed by.
Jul 31, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (29) pitches in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Yankees entered this game with 48-percent of their runs scored via the home run, which is third-highest in the majors. The Cubs entered this game with 51-percent of their runs surrendered coming via the home run, which is the highest in the majors. Those two facts plus the soft-tossing lefty Shota Imanaga combined to wake the Yankees bats up just enough, Amed Rosario and Spencer Jones crushing a pair of solo home runs to account for all the scoring in this contest. Will Warren rebounded from his worst start of the season to post his best start of the season en route to a 2-0 win in the opener over the Cubs.
The Yankees struck out ten times in six innings against White Sox starter Sean Burke on Thursday and that swing-and-miss followed them from the South Side to Wrigley. Ben Rice and Rosario struck out in the first, Jasson Domínguez and Anthony Volpe in the second, and Jones in the third as Imanaga retired the first 11 batters he faced. Fortunately, Warren picked a good day for a bounce-back start and was largely able to match Imanaga whiff for whiff. He struck out Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner to end the third, and then punched out Micheal Conforto, Dansby Swanson, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the third to navigate around a Miguel Amaya double.
Imanaga made it two outs into the fourth before throwing his first mistake, and boy did it travel a long distance. Rosario pounced on a get-me-over 1-0 sweeper and launched it 450 feet just left of center for the game’s opening run. Initially brought back to platoon with Ryan McMahon at third, Rosario has actually been way worse against lefties (75 wRC+) than against righties (133 wRC+), so it was nice to see him finally put a charge into a mistake from a southpaw.
Imanaga made his second mistake in the fifth and that too was sent a long way.
Spencer Jones was handed a rare start against a lefty with Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of the lineup after departing Thursday’s game in the 11th with cramps, which opened a spot in right as José Caballero filled in at second. The 2022 first-round pick repaid that trust by crushing a middle-middle 0-1 sinker from Imanaga on a frozen rope into the seats in right, the ball leaving his bat at 109 mph and traveling 418 feet. It’s his second homer in his last three games and his first in The Show off a lefty.
Jones looks way more like he belongs at this level since his second call-up on June 5th and now has an OPS above .800 in this 27-game stretch.
Warren entered cruise control in the middle innings, retiring 12 consecutive batters, starting with the PCA punchout to end the third. He encountered his first spot of bother in the seventh, yielding back-to-back two-out singles to Alex Bregman and Happ. Despite his pitch count sitting at just 88, it was refreshing to see the urgency from Aaron Boone being proactive and retrieving his starter rather than risk the inning spiraling as is frequently the case when multiple runners reach against Warren. Paul Blackburn came on for the final out and induced a routine grounder from Hoerner that Volpe still almost turned into disaster, his nonchalance on the simple flip to second sailing high and pulling Caballero off the bag.
Umpires initially ruled Happ safe at second to load the bases, but the Yankees’ challenge fortunately overturned the call in a jiffy, ending the inning since Caballero got his foot down just in time.
Warren entered today’s outing with a 6.57 ERA in his previous eight starts with the bulk of his struggles coming when facing lefties, pitching out of the stretch, and facing the lineup for a third time. You worried that with five lefties in the lineup and the second best OBP (.340) in the majors, the Cubs would pose a particular threat for Warren, but he completely switched up his pitch mix today to excellent effect.
Entering today, Warren threw his four-seamer 38.1-percent of the time, sinker 27.6-percent of the time, changeup 10.8-percent of the time, and curveball a measly four-percent of the time. That got turned on its head today, Warren throwing 27-percent changeups, 26-percent four-seamers, 16-percent curveballs, and just eight-percent sinkers. Most encouraging was the uptick in changeups and curveballs, those two pitches the two most platoon-neutral offerings in his arsenal and therefore seemingly the obvious solutions to his struggles against lefties. Imanaga made it two outs into the seventh with just the two runs allowed, more than qualifying for a quality start, but Warren was simply the superior pitcher on the day, departing after 6.2 scoreless innings allowing four hits and no walks with seven strikeouts on 88 pitches.
The Yankees created one final scoring opportunity in the eighth, Jones and pinch-hitter Austin Wells drawing a pair of walks to open the frame. However, Caballero bunted into a force out and Paul Goldschmidt and Rice struck out to strand them in place. Blackburn stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and struck out the side, all on absolutely filthy changeups, while David Bednar navigated around a Pedro Ramírez single to lock down the save and win, 2-0, in the ninth.
Once again, the pitching carried the day for the Yankees, the offense managing just four hits. Nonetheless, it’s just the start the Yankees needed in the final series of the road trip. Max Fried will look to keep the momentum rolling tomorrow night against David Peterson in a battle of southpaws. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 pm ET with the broadcast moving to FOX.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 17: Andrew Painter #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on June 17, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Marlins defeated the Phillies 12-4. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Giants fans won't be seeing as much of running back Cam Skattebo's acrobatics this year – at least in training camp.
Skattebo told reporters at Giants training camp on Friday, July 31 that he's going to stop attempting backflips off of the field for now. His signature celebration became a hot topic earlier in July after a video of a failed backflip attempt – just months removed from a severe ankle injury – went viral.
"Obviously, I do some dumb things here and there," Skattebo said. "But I learn from it. My coach talked to me, told me how he felt, and I learned from it. Will I go do that backflip again? Probably not. We live and we learn, and we move on."
"Obviously, I do some dumb things here and there. I learn from it. Will I go do that backflip again? Probably not."
A watched stove eventually gets hot, folks. Join us in scratch/hug watch and other trade deadline speculation here as we approach Monday, August 3 at 6 pm ET.
In the meantime, here are some updates coming out of Truist Park per Mark Bowman.
Spencer Schwellenbach
Spencer Schwellenbach is with the team in Cobb County today to throw bullpens as he ramps up baseball activities. Bowman also is reporting that Schwelly is aiming to contribute to the big league club this season.
Schwellenbach is here to throw a couple bullpens in front of the coaching staff. He may be cleared to face hitters within the next week or two. Still a lot of hurdles to clear. But he remains hopeful he will be available to pitch at some point in September.
For context, the recently-returned (and then optioned) AJ Smith-Shawver was throwing bullpens on June 3 ahead of being cleared to face live hitters. He began his rehab assignment on June 30 and activated a month later on July 29 as the 27th man for Game 1 of the doubleheader versus the Mets.
Assuming everything progresses as it should, that does track toward a September return for Schwellenbach after his bone spur removal from his pitching elbow in mid-February 2026. Since we do not yet have the technology to just clone Chris Sale, having Schwelly back (that picks back up where he left off in 2025) would obviously be a huge boost to a rotation hoping to make a deep run in October.
Hurston Waldrep
Speaking of other arms that have made their way back up to the big league club, there’s still no major update on Hurston Waldrep, who hit the Triple-A injured list on July 21. He’s still being evaluated, which doesn’t bode well for the rest of 2025. He pitched 10.2 innings in three games with the Braves this year with an 8.44 ERA.
Weiss said Hurston Waldrep is still being evaluated and getting multiple opinions. The assumption over the past couple weeks has been he’s done for the season. So, the update will likely just provide a sense of when he could pitch again in the future.
The rehab assignment clock will tick down to 0 tomorrow for infielder Ha-Seong Kim. It looks like the Braves value Jim Jarvis for his valuable defense and decent production at the bottom of the lineup in his 23 games played. We’ll see if Jorge Mateo is a casualty to make room for Kim’s return.
Ha-Seong Kim’s rehab assignment will expire tomorrow. When asked if they have discussed what Kim’s role might be, Walt Weiss made it a point to say how well Jarvis playing, especially defensively. My guess is Jarvis remains the SS, regardless of whether Kim stays in the…
The Yankees defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field.
Here are some takeaways...
-- With their bullpen completely gassed, the Yankees needed Will Warren to step up in a big way, and the young right-hander was more than up for the task. Warren efficiently and effectively cruised his way through the Cubs lineup, mowing them down across 6.2 spectacular innings of work.
Warren faced the minimum over the first few frames, as he quickly erased a one-out single with a double play in the first, then struck out four of the next six batters he faced before allowing a two-out double in the third, which was also pushed aside by a strikeout of Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The youngster continued to cruise, working with a lead for the first time, retiring the next 12 Cubs before giving up back-to-back two-out singles. Paul Blackburn came on in relief and got a replay-confirmed groundout to short to close Warren's book without any damage on his line.
The 27-year-old allowed just four hits while striking out seven over 6.2 scoreless frames.
-- Chicago starter Shota Imanaga did a good job of matching Warren's effort in the early going, but the Yanks got to him in the middle innings. After the lefty retired the first nine hitters he faced, including five strikeouts, Amed Rosario opened the scoring with a two-out solo homer in the fourth.
-- Spencer Jones followed that up with a solo shot of his own an inning later, doubling the slim advantage. The young slugger had gotten off to a bit of a slow start at the plate in his return to the big league level, but he's now homered in two of his last three games.
-- New York managed just two other baserunners against Imanaga across his 6.2 innings.
-- The Yanks had an opportunity to tack on some big insurance runs after working a pair of walks against Chicago's bullpen leading off the eighth, but a botched bunt attempt and back-to-back strikeouts against the top of the order stranded them there.
-- Blackburn struck out the side in the eighth after getting the big out to close the seventh, then David Bednar retired the top of the Cubs' order around a one-out single to close out the victory with his 23rd save of the season.
-- Aaron Boone elected to keep Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of New York's lineup as a precaution after the slugging second baseman left Thursday's loss early due to cramping in his leg, but he was fully active and available off the bench.
Game MVP: Will Warren
The youngster was tremendous, shaking off his struggles on the mound of late.
Max Fried (4-3, 2.23 ERA) takes the ball against David Peterson (6-7, 5.80 ERA) as the Yanks and Cubs continue their weekend set on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. on FOX.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 28: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers celebrates a score by Joc Pederson #3 in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for July 31, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Hunter Brown for the Astros.
Texas takes on the Astros in the opener of a pretty huge three game series in Houston, the final three games they will play before Monday’s trade deadline.
If they sweep, they clinch the tiebreaker against Houston (they’ve already clinched it against Seattle), and make a pretty decent case for the team to be buying.
If they win 2 of 3, they will be a game and a half up on Houston in the division.
If they win 1 of 3, they will be a half game back of Houston in the division, but with a softer schedule than the Astros have coming up.
If they get swept, well…in that case, I’ll be staying out of the comments here for a while.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Nimmo — RF
Duran — 3B
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Lopez — 2B
Wynns — C
7:15 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +112 underdogs.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - MARCH 11: Josuar Gonzalez #2 of the San Francisco Giants leads off of second base during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
All six of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball teams that are still in season (the ACL is done with for the year) were in action on Thursday, and there were some tremendous performances to talk about. So let’s talk about them!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The only news is that infielder Dayson Croes was demoted from AAA Sacramento to AA Richmond.
AAA Sacramento (58-44)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 6-4 Box score
I remain of the belief that, barring a huge offer, the Giants should not trade Heliot Ramos in the coming days. Part of the argument for why they should trade Ramos has been the large number of outfield options to replace him; my counter is that said options are all unproven. But that doesn’t mean they’re not intriguing. And it doesn’t mean that someone (or ones) won’t emerge as a stellar replacement should the Giants part with their homegrown All-Star outfielder (or, on the other side, Jung Hoo Lee).
One potential replacement? Scott Bandura, who, like a few other players in the system this year, has blossomed from “intriguing prospect” to full blown “good prospect who could be a good Major Leaguer.”
Thursday was another stellar day for the 2023 7th-rounder, who turns 25 on Sunday. Bandura was the star of this game, as the left fielder hit 2-3 with a 2-run home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and a strikeout. What a day!
The lefty is doing exactly what you want: adjusting to a level and figuring it out completely. After a very slow introduction to the level following a promotion in mid-May, Bandura posted a .702 OPS in June. But in July? That mark is a thrilling 1.026, which has given him an .824 OPS and a 118 wRC+ at the level, with 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts. He’s been especially hot lately, with a 12-game hitting streak during which time he’s gone 22-50 with 2 homers, 3 doubles, 8 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Given the Giants injuries and trade candidates in the outfield, and given Bandura’s impending Rule 5 eligibility, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Princeton product is making an MLB debut this season.
Of course, when we speak about outfielders turning from fringy prospects to full-blown exciting ones, the first name that comes to mind is Jonah Cox, and the righty made his 2nd rehab appearance in this game, hitting 2-5 with a triple and a strikeout while being the designated hitter. I’m curious to see whether the Giants option him to AAA (where he’d never played prior to this rehab assignment) or bring him back to the Majors when he’s done rehabbing; I strongly am hoping for the former, but I’ve also beat that horse plenty.
As long as we’re talking about blossoming outfielders, we need to mention center fielder Turner Hill, who has been one of the great success stories on the farm this year. It was just another day at the office for the 27-year old lefty on Thursday, as he hit 2-4 with a double. It was Hill’s 4th straight game with multiple hits, and it extended his hit streak to 16 games. During that hot stretch, the undrafted free agent has gone a scintillating 30-65 with 2 homers, 2 triples, 4 doubles, 6 walks, and just 4 strikeouts. My goodness, man!
That gives him an outrageous 1.119 OPS for the month, and a .916 OPS and a 142 wRC+ on the year. Could we also see him make a debut later this year? He’s doing everything the team asks for, with stunning contact rates, a tremendous slash line, strong defense across the grass, and tons of stolen bases. What a season, and what a player!
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) also hit 2-4 with a double, as he continues to audition for the upcoming role of “Casey Schmitt is out for the year and Luis Arráez is traded and you need someone to play second base.” The lefty now has a .778 OPS and a 108 wRC+ on the season.
Not the best days for the new River Cats, as third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-5 with a strikeout, while right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) went 0-3 with 2 walks.
Also not the best start for LHP Cesar Perdomo, who is really fighting to find his AAA legs following a recent promotion. The southpaw struggled to find the strike zone in this game, and when he did find it, he struggled to miss bats. He threw just 55 of 91 pitches for strikes (which resulted in 3 walks), and in 5 innings gave up 3 home runs (2 of which were hit by former Major Leaguers, Patrick Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni … the Rainiers lineup also featured former Giants Major Leaguers Connor Joe and Stuart Fairchild).
In all, Perdomo was tagged for 8 hits and 4 earned runs, though he did strike out 5 batters. It’s still been an excellent year for the 24-year old, who had a breakout season in AA, posting a 3.98 ERA, a 3.53 FIP, 11.1 strikeouts per 9 innings, and 2.7 walks per 9, before a recent promotion. It’s been a tough adjustment to AAA though, as tends to happen with pitchers … he has an 8.62 ERA and a 6.48 FIP through 4 starts, and has allowed nearly 2 hits per inning pitched. Still, I think he’s shown enough to form an intriguing triad with fellow LHPs Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) and Matt Wilkinson, and there are reasonable arguments for preferring any of those 3 over the others.
Nice relief appearances from RHPs Tristan Beck and Spencer Bivens, who each pitched 2 scoreless frames with 2 strikeouts. Both players have a somewhat tenuous grip on their 40-man roster spot, seeing as how San Francisco needs to dramatically upgrade their bullpen … Beck in particular, as this is his final year with options.
AA Richmond (58-39)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 4-2 Box score
Not the most interesting game for the Squirrels. Catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) had his best game since a recent promotion, though, which was great to see. The 21-year old righty had a great game, hitting 2-3 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout, while also having the only RBI of the game for Richmond. Villarroel had been scuffing since getting promoted — he was hitting 1-15 entering this game — but adjustments are expected, and that’s a small sample size.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 30, 2026
Ultimately, Villarroel’s 1st season in the organization (he came over in February’s Kai-Wei Teng trade) has been a smashing success: despite getting a late start to the season with an injury, he post an .856 OPS and a 128 wRC+ in High-A, has earned praise for his defensive abilities, and is now already in AA, where he’s nearly 3 years younger than the average hitter. He’s really turned himself into an intriguing prospect, and the clear-cut best catching prospect in the system outside of the trio of rookies currently holding it down in the Majors.
A day after stealing 3 bases, third baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) stole 2 more, while hitting 1-4 with a strikeout. It’s now 23 stolen bases in 27 attempts for the 22-year old switch-hitter, to go along with an .809 OPS and a 122 wRC+. He’s made emphatic gains in his 3rd pass through the Eastern League, and I’d say it’s firmly time for him to see how his development fares against AAA pitchers.
Second baseman Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) had another nice game, hitting 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout. A big pair of days has helped Ahuna in his quest to turn his season around … after posting just a .454 OPS in June, the 2023 4th-round pick has had an .815 OPS in July, bringing him back to a .676 OPS and an 85 wRC+ in AA, albeit with a 33.1% strikeout rate. He’s starting to learn second base and third base now, in addition to his natural home at shortstop, where he’s mostly been forced off by the arrival of Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL).
Kilen had one of his few bad days in AA, though, as he went 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) was a bit better, as he hit 2-5, though he was caught stealing.
A so-so start by RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL), who pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs, but struck out 6 batters. That’s not a bad start, per se, but it came after back to back dominant outings, so it was a slight step backwards for the Dominican, who turns 23 in a little over a week. Overall, it’s been a very exciting stint in AA: through 10 starts he only has a 4.47 ERA, but he is sporting a 3.93 FIP, with 10.1 strikeouts and 3.0 walks per 9 innings. He’s giving up too many hits and home runs, currently (not in this game, though!), but there sure is a lot to like. He’ll be a fascinating Rule 5 decision this winter.
RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout, and threw 9 out of 12 pitches for strikes. It’s been a tough year for Bednar, who was an NRI and was ticketed for AAA, but was quickly returned to AA where he’s spent the bulk of the year. His velocity and strikeouts are both notably down this year (though he still has 11.6 Ks per 9), but the walks remain nearly as high as a year ago (6.1 per 9), and he has a 3.96 ERA and a 4.31 FIP. Just as last year, though, he’s making gains on that front late in the year: in his last 9 games, he’s issued only 5 walks in 12.1 innings, with 18 strikeouts.
There were a lot of great offensive performances to highlight in this game … but we’ll talk about them later, because the real star of this game was on the mound. It was yet another sensational start for LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), who seems to make it his weekly challenge to put out a strong case as best non-Jackson Flora pitching prospect in the system.
Thursday was one of his strongest arguments yet, as Bresnahan pitched 7 marvelous innings, allowing just 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, while striking out 9 batters. My goodness!!
🔥 Jacob Bresnahan – TOTAL DOMINANCE 🔥 @jbressy_33 had a career day, throwing 7 IP with 9 K and just 1 H and 1 BB allowed.
Jacob ends the month of July with a 4-0 record and a 1.84 ERA across 29.1 innings pitched. He struck out 38 batters issuing just 8 walks#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/N1VLqvWtSF
Bresnahan was quite efficient, as he needed just 85 pitches to get through those 7 innings, which is extremely impressive given the high strikeout total. He lived in the zone, throwing 61 of those 85 pitches for strikes. His lone hiccup was allowing a home run to Randy De Jesus (who later homered off of RHP Mauricio Estrella), one of the Northwest League’s top home run hitters.
This was the 6th time in his last 7 starts that Bresnahan has allowed 0 or 1 runs. In those 7 starts he’s pitched 41.1 innings, and allowed just 23 hits, 10 walks, and 7 runs, with 52 strikeouts. In fitting with the color of the Emerald’s jerseys, holy guacamole!
It’s funny. Bresnahan got a late start due to injury, and then took some time finding his rhythm (after his 1st start of June he had a 4.97 ERA). And I kept repeating the same line: it’s gonna be hard for him to earn Pitcher of the Year honors in his league for the 3rd straight season.
But now? Among the 36 Northwest League pitchers with at least 50 innings thrown this year, Bresnahan is 1st in ERA (2.93), 5th in FIP (3.98), 8th in strikeouts per 9 innings (10.9), 15th in walks per 9 (3.6), 1st in WHIP (1.07), and 1st in batting average against (.185). At this point, the only thing that might keep him from that Pitcher of the Year threepeat is that the southpaw, who only just turned 21, might get promoted to AA soon!
Okay, now we can talk about the hitters, who had 12 hits, 6 walks, and 13 runs. It was a great offensive day, with 4 players who particularly stood out.
Third baseman Walker Martin continued his recent hot streak, hitting 2-3 with a 3-run home run, 2 walks, and 5 runs batted in. My word what a day!
Martin had quite a summer slump, but in his last 11 games is 13-46 with 5 home runs, 1 double, and 6 walks, albeit with a terrifying 19 strikeouts.
It’s hard to know how to feel about Martin’s season. When the Giants drafted him out of high school with their 2nd round pick in 2023, he was touted as an ultra-athletic, ultra-powerful shortstop. But the power didn’t play all that much early on, and contact issues abounded.
Now the power is starting to play. Martin is up to 15 home runs and a .190 isolated slugging percentage, numbers that are easily the best in his young career … and rank 5th and 24th, respectively, out of the 74 Northwest League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this year. But the contact issues remain dramatic: among those 74 hitters, Martin is 57th in batting average (.232), 68th in strikeout rate (32.8%), and 73rd in swinging strike rate (19.4%). The overall package is a .739 OPS and a 94 wRC+ … a lot to work with, but perhaps even more to work on.
Speaking of players who are hitting home runs but still don’t have the best line, center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) went 3-5 with a 2-run home run and 3 runs batted in. Diaz is tied with Martin for 5th in the Northwest League with 15 home runs, and tied for 2nd in the Giants organization with 18 (he has a trio of dingers in Low-A, where he had to play when the Emeralds were in Canada). Despite those home runs, Diaz has just a 101 wRC+.
Unlike with Martin, Diaz’s issue isn’t with contact: he’s striking out just 17.5% of the time, and has a .275 average. No, the advanced metrics are really dinging Diaz for his lack of walks, as his 3.0% rate is last among those aforementioned 74 Northwest League hitters. That said, I don’t care quite as much about not drawing walks when it doesn’t come with a bunch of strikeouts … ultimately, Diaz is 19th out of those 74 hitters in average, 12th in strikeout rate, 17th in isolated slugging (.220), and 35th in OPS (.794). Those are pretty solid numbers for center fielder who just turned 21 less than 2 weeks ago.
Rounding out the dinger party was second baseman Zander Darby, who hit 2-4 with a home run, a double, a walk, and a strikeout. Like Martin, Darby is struggling mightily with strikeouts, as he has a 32.0% rate. But he’s still maintaining a .270 average despite that, and the 2024 12th-round selection is up to an .800 OPS and a 111 wRC+ on the year. A strong season for him, even if there’s a big hole in the swing to fix.
Right fielder Jose Astudillo continues his breakout campaign, and continues to fit right in with Eugene. He had another swell day, hitting 3-5 with a double, a stolen base, and an outfield assist. The 22-year old just can’t stop hitting: through 11 games since his promotion, he has a .386 batting average, and has struck out just 3 times in 50 plate appearances. He has a .904 OPS and a 149 wRC+, and has also already stolen 6 bases in just 7 attempts. It’s time to start talking about him!
One final note: shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) did not play, and has not played since July 26. I believe he’s got some dents and dings, but nothing serious going on.
Low-A San Jose (56-43)
San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 9-7 Box score
The Baby Giants are must-see TV these days, thanks to the arrival of teenage shortstop super prospects Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL). So I was mightily excited to watch Thursday’s game, as they were set for their biggest challenge yet: a game against rehabbing Major Leaguer Yusei Kikuchi, a 2-time MLB All-Star.
González, who was the DH in this one, led off the game and looked overmatched striking out against Kikuchi. Can you blame him? The 18-year old switch-hitter was playing in just his 34th stateside game, and just his 4th A-Ball game (where he’s more than 3 years younger than the average player) … and was facing a Major Leaguer.
But my goodness did he ever take that as a learning experience. When González came up for his next at-bat — still facing Kikuchi — he jumped on the 1st pitch he saw, and hit a home run so mesmerizing that I’m not sure if that ball has even come down yet. You want to see an impressive home run? Then let’s roll the tape. Then watch it a 2nd time and watch how the left fielder doesn’t even move a muscle. That ball is GONE.
Josuar Gonzalez slugs his first Single-A @SJGiants homer off rehabbing big leaguer Yusei Kikuchi ‼️
The top-ranked position player in the 2025 international class (@SFGiants) hit .343 with a .966 OPS in the Arizona Complex League this summer: pic.twitter.com/R4ri8fASWj
That swing was so damn impressive that it would have been a great day for González even if he struck out in all his other plate appearances. But he didn’t! He finished the day 3-4 with a walk, though he was caught stealing once (he might have been safe with replay, I’m not sure … it was close). What a performance!
The Baby Giants have 33 more games, plus the playoffs. Is there any chance that González could play so well that he opens next year in High-A? I have no idea, but I’m going to have a whole lot of fun watching and finding out!
While González justifiably was the main attraction due to A) his age, B) his prospect pedigree, and C) the ungodly length of that home run, the Baby Giants actually had 3 different prospects take Kikuchi deep. Third baseman Dario Reynoso went 1-5 with 2 strikeouts but popped a 2-run shot off the All-Star, while center fielder Oliver Tejada went 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and got the scoring started with a 3rd-inning solo blast.
For Reynoso, that broke a streak of 17 straight games without a home run, after he had been on quite a flurry earlier in the year. Even with that, he’s having a strong season, as the 21-year old has a .903 OPS and a 127 wRC+. That 31.9% strikeout rate looms large, though, and is the answer to the question “why hasn’t he been promoted?”
As for Tejada, he’s struggled since a recent promotion … except when it comes to hitting big flies. He has just a .217 average and a 35.8% strikeout rate, but still has a .754 OPS and a 90 wRC+ thanks to 3 home runs in just 20 games with San Jose. One would expect those strikeouts to course correct as he adjust to the level … after all, he’s only 19 years old, and he had just a 19.3% strikeout rate in the ACL this year before his promotion.
As for González’s running mate, it was a fairly quiet day for Hernández, who hit 1-4 with a walk and a strikeout, while committing an error at shortstop. Then again, that ain’t bad for someone more than 4 years younger than the average player in the Cal League!
An uninteresting and uninspiring pitching performance for San Jose. LHP Ricardo Estrada got the start and was mediocre, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 2 earned runs in 5 innings, while only striking out 2 batters. Estrada has a 3.67 ERA on the year, but his FIP is 5.78, and he’s not doing much from a strikeouts and walk standpoint.
Dominican Summer League Black (26-16)
DSL Giants Black lost to DSL Arizona Red 8-5 Box score
Not a lot to discuss in this game, except that 2 hitters who keep on hitting … well … kept on hitting. Left fielder Franco Willias hit 3-5 with a double, though he also had a strikeout and was caught stealing. Willias, a 21-year old in his 3rd season, has a 12-game hitting streak, during which time he’s 23-48 with 1 home run, 7 doubles, and 5 walks. He’s now up to a stunning 1.075 OPS and a 161 wRC+ on the year, marks that rank 10th and 9th, respectively, out of the 408 DSL hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year. Looks like we’ll be seeing him in Papago next year!
Shortstop Keiberg Camacaro hit 1-3 with a double and a stolen base. After a subpar 3rd DSL campaign last year, the 19-year old has exploded this season, with a 1.040 OPS and a 157 wRC+, and more walks than strikeouts. Just a stellar season for another person we’ll likely be seeing in the states in 2027.
Drama for the Giants Orange squad, which used a 5-run 7th inning to overcome a 6-2 deficit and walk it off. Incredible! And it happened in extremely DSL fashion: after they tied the game on a home run, they loaded the bases with 2 walks and a single … and then got a walk-off walk. Naturally.
A trio of players hit home runs, and those were the stars of the game. Right fielder Brandon Vasquez was the hero, as he hit 1-3 with a walk and a game-tying 3-run blast in the final inning. The 19-year old has made huge strides this year, and has an .810 OPS and a 107 wRC+. In his 3 years in the DSL he’s seen his strikeout rate drop from 16.5% to 14.6% to 8.3% … and, subsequently, his average rise from .187 to .241 to .306.
The other dingers belonged to center fielder Yoxander Benitez, who hit 2-4 with a solo shot, and second baseman Leonardo Vargas, who went 2-3 with a solo home run. Benitez, a 19-year old in his 3rd season, has also made huge strides this year, with an .833 OPS and a 116 wRC+, numbers that tower over his prior years. Vargas, a 17-year old from Mexico, has really been struggling through 10 games in his debut season, so this was a nice moment to see.
Home run tracker
18 — Lisbel Diaz — [15 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 15 — Walker Martin — [High-A] 12 — Zander Darby — [High-A] 12 — Dario Reynoso — [Low-A] 8 — Scott Bandura — [5 in AAA; 3 in AA] 4 — Oliver Tejada — [3 in Low-A; 1 in ACL] 3 — Josuar González — [1 in Low-A; 2 in ACL] 1 — Leonardo Vargas — [DSL] 1 — Yoxander Benitez — [DSL] 1 — Brandon Vasquez — [DSL]
Friday schedule
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: TBD) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT at Somerset (SP: Charlie McDaniel) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Tri-City (SP: Niko Mazza) San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 30: Shane McClanahan #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays walks off the field with athletic trainer Joseph Benge after an injury in the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field on July 30, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After exiting his start following three innings of work on Thursday, Shane McClanahan has been placed on the Injured List due to the southpaw experiencing some soreness in his back.
McClanahan made his return to the Rays in April after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and missing the entirety of the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to setbacks in his recovery. It didn’t take McClanahan long to showcase his top of the rotation arm once returning to the Rays, but the team has taken it slow in allowing him to pitch deep into games.
The former first round pick has produced excellent numbers, posting a 3.09 ERA | 3.37 FIP but is averaging under 5 innings per start, having only pitched into the 7th inning once (July 8th against New York). Still, McClanahan has allowed 2 ER or less in 14 of his 20 starts and 1 ER or less in 10 of his 20 starts.
The Rays are expecting McClanahan’s stay on the IL to be brief and for the rotation to turn around twice in his absence.
Taking McClanahan’s spot on the rost is 25-year old Alex Cook.
Cook was the Rays 12th round selection in the 2022 draft and once he makes his debut, he will be the 5th player from the team’s draft class to have appeared in the Majors joining Chandler Simpson, Trevor Martin, Drew Sommers, and Duncan Davitt. Since making his professional debut in 2023, Cook has been one of the top relievers in the Rays system, with his 31.1 K% ranking 4th in the organization among hurlers with at least 100 IP.
The Rays initially tried Cook as a starting pitcher in 2024 with excellent results but suffered a right shoulder strain. When he returned, the Rays moved him to the bullpen and Cook dominated down the stretch in Double-A. Last November, the Rays added Cook to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Rays Assistant General Manager Kevin Ibach had this to say following the placement.
“He showed a lot of the same stuff that we saw initially out of the Draft, and I think that he’s a guy that can help the big league club sooner than later0 Another guy, just like the other two (Dominic Keegan and Jadher Areinamo and , that there’s always trade interest in. Certainly want to make sure that he makes his debut in our uniform.”
He entered Spring Training with an outside shot of making the Opening Day roster but would be optioned to Triple-A after a couple of weeks.
Cook would open the year with Durham but went on the Injured List in May with an intercostal strain that cost him the majority of the month. When Cook has been healthy and on the mound, the results have been great. Cook has had scoreless outings in 24 of his 29 appearances and currently has a 3.78 ERA | 4.03 FIP with a 28.5 K% & 9.2 BB% over 33.1 IP. According to FanGraphs, Cook has a fastball that reaches the upper 90’s and has “remarkable arm speed.” His fastball is complimented by a cutter/slider and a change-up, but his fastball is his lone plus pitch.
The Rays needed a fresh arm for their pitching staff as they used seven pitchers during Thursday’s series finale against the Texas Rangers. Tonight, the Rays will begin a three-game series against the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox.
BALTIMORE — The Detroit Tigers are breaking apart, bit by bit; a backup catcher likely giving way to a franchise icon and, perhaps, most of a starting rotation.
Life is coming at them fast on Woodward Avenue, to the point Jake Rogers didn't even get to bid Tarik Skubal goodbye.
The two-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher and his longtime personal catcher met at the alternate site during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, grew up through Rogers' career-high 21-homer season until the emergence of All-Star Dillon Dingler pushed Rogers to the margins and, finally, resulted in his getting designated for assignment Tuesday, July 28.
A day later, Skubal made perhaps his final start as Detroit Tiger before the club likely deals him in a blockbuster move before the trade deadline. The ace got emotional when discussing Rogers.
Finally, the two exchanged text messages and then, come Friday, July 31, Rogers found himself back in a pennant race, activated by the Baltimore Orioles before a huge series against Philadelphia.
He's reunited with the man who drafted him, Oriles president and former Houston Astros scouting director Mike Elias, who says Rogers is "going to be catching a lot here in the next few days" as Orioles catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo recuperate from injuries. Rogers came through the Astros system but was shipped to Detroit in the 2017 deal for future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, and he'd been ensconced in the D since then, a handy part of a catching timeshare and a key clubhouse guy.
With that in mind, the wounds in Detroit are still a little raw after Rogers was designated for assignment to make room for Javier Baez's return form the injured list.
It's possible Rogers and Skubal are reunited on a ballfield at some point. Yet certain ends come so quickly.
"I love Skoob to death," Rogers said Friday at Camden Yards. "He made it known that he was going to miss me, and I made it known I was going to miss him. It’s going to happen eventually. To happen the way it did was a little iffy. It’s all a business and they had to do it.
"I feel like I’ve grown up with him. Met him for the first time at the alternate site. We just had such a good relationship since then. Just a really good human and a hardworking human."
Skubal's fate was likely sealed after he left Wednesday's game against, oddly enough, Baltimore, when the Tigers blew all of a 7-0 lead and lost 10-9 in 12 innings. Their apparent teardown gained momentum Friday when the club announced former All-Star Casey Mize was scratched from his start at West Sacramento, the better to keep him and his balky groin healthy before the trade deadline.
That's what happens when a team loses 22 of 28 games in May, sits at 51-58 three days before the deadline and has apparently lost all faith from the front office they can eventually get it going.
Rogers was there in 2024, when the club sold at the trade deadline – most notably, starter Jack Flaherty, who won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers – and then finished 34-19, sneaked into the postseason and upset the Houston Astros in the AL wild card series.
"Hey look, that team has been in that situation before," says Rogers. "In ’24, we sold everybody and all of a sudden made an incredible run. Baseball is an incredible sport where anything can happen in any clubhouse. Their expectations for this year – obviously the month of May they had was tough and put them in a hole they are now.
"They know it’s a business, just like I did."
Then again, that team had Skubal. In a few days, he'll likely be gone – along with several others.
"They know it’s possible to get traded, too,' says Rogers. "Maybe it’ll hurt for a couple days, but they’ll get over it."
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Landon Harmon #15 of the Washington Nationals throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
While the Nats were on National TV against the Braves, one of their top pitching prospects was putting on a show of his own. In his third outing since coming back from injury, Landon Harmon threw 3.1 scoreless innings with one hit, 0 walks and three strikeouts. He reminded Nats fans why he was such a prized pickup in last year’s draft.
— Fredericksburg Nationals (@FXBGNats) July 24, 2026
When the Nats drafted Harmon in the third round, it felt like a real bargain. While Harmon may not have gotten taken in the first two rounds, he sure got paid like it, receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus. Harmon was known for his projectable frame and electric fastball.
Since entering pro ball though, his profile has changed a little bit. While he throws in the mid-90’s, he has not been some strikeout monster like Miguel Sime. Harmon has been succeeding due to his command and the sharpness of his breaking balls. On the season, Harmon has just 17 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. However, the 19 year old has only walked six hitters and batters are hitting .169 against him.
At this point in his career, Harmon is a guy who relies on being very tough to square up. The fastball is a big part of that, having heavy cutting action. He can generate a ton of soft contact and breaks plenty of bats. It is not a true cutter, but Harmon’s 95 MPH heater is somewhere between a fastball and a cutter.
Landon Harmon tonight at Low A: 5 IP 2 H 0 BB 5 Ks ERA down to 0.87 across 10.1 IP Stud. pic.twitter.com/DbzcYpEGWI
A lot of organizations really value pitchers who cut the baseball like that. The cutter-like shape on the fastball is only one reason for that though. Pitchers with natural cut tend to be able to spin a variety of different breaking ball shapes. Foster Griffin and Cade Cavalli are two pretty good examples of this. Both have some cut to their heaters and as a result they are able to throw three different breaking ball shapes with cutters, curveballs and sweepers.
Right now, Harmon has a harder, shorter slider as well as a sweeper. He has the ability to locate both at a solid level, which is rare for a teenager. Being able to spin the ball this well at a young age is rare. A good example of a guy who can really spin it is former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.
Don’t forget about Landon Harmon, my 9th prospect (45 FV) in the Nats system. Mid-90s with cut, natural feel for spin with two plus breaking balls he can land in the zone.
Pitch mix reminds me a lot of Corbin Burnes when he was in the Brewers’ minor league system. https://t.co/0OWZYVLGKU
If Harmon hits his ceiling, hopefully he reaches those levels. However, he has a long ways to go. Harmon is still just in Low-A, and has not thrown a ton of innings this year. He missed about two months with an oblique injury, but is back now.
As we head down the stretch of the season, one thing I want to see from Harmon is a little bit more swing and miss. It is not a total necessity, but it is a good indicator that you are dominating the level. A guy with Harmon’s stuff should be getting at least one strikeout per inning.
However, he is still having plenty of success even without being a whiff monster. Harmon has all the raw tools to be a top 100 pitching prospect for me. All he needs to do is stay healthy and get a bit more whiff.
The combination of stuff, command and feel for spin is very impressive for a 19 year old. While he is having a good year this season, I think next year will be when Harmon truly bursts on to the scene. This time next year, people around the world will know Landon Harmon’s name, but you heard it here first.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 22: Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley (27) hits the ball deep during the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves on May 22nd, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
During Thursday night’s 5-4 win for the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals, Austin Riley spent the entirety of that contest watching from the dugout as Mauricio Dubón came down from the outfield to play third base. Walt Weiss stated in Thursday’s pregame press conference that “the best way to slow the game down is to have [Riley] watch it from the bench.”
Hopefully the game has slowed down enough for Riley after he watched a full one from the bench, as he’s now back in the starting lineup and playing third base for Friday’s contest against the Nationals.
At this point, I can say that it might be safe to assume that we’ll be seeing Ronald Acuña Jr. lead off against lefties while Drake Baldwin gets the nod at the top of the lineup against right-handers. Foster Griffin is a left-hander, so Acuña’s up top. Baldwin has also been the DH every time the Braves have faced left-handers lately, which means that Joey Bart is starting at catcher and batting eighth. Now that Riley is back in the lineup, Mauricio Dubón is back in the outfield and playing left. Most of the usual suspects are in their familiar positions, so there’s that.
Here’s how the Nationals are looking:
WSH Nationals Lineup 07/31 1. James Wood DH 2. Luis Garcia 1B 3. Dylan Crews RF 4. CJ Abrams SS 5. Brady House 3B 6. Daylen Lile LF 7. Harry Ford C 8. Jose Tena 2B 9. Jacob Young CF #NATITUDE
Brady House came in as a pinch-hitter during Thursday’s game but he’s starting tonight against Bryce Elder. Daylen Lile moves down to sixth in the lineup as a result. Additionally, Harry Ford is in at catcher instead of Keibert Ruiz and José Tena gets the start at second base instead of Nasim Nuñez. Jacob Young gets the nod in center as Dylan Crews moves to right field, while James Wood moves to the designated hitter spot to lead off this evening’s contest.
Tonight’s game is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. ET. Tap in with us in the chat and discussion thread later on this evening but if trade speculation is more of your thing, we’ve got you covered with our Feed thread. Either way, keep it right here for the time being, folks.
