Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Giants DFA struggling Wade, Huff; Dom Smith signed to contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — On Tuesday afternoon, Buster Posey stood against a wall in the home clubhouse at Oracle Park and said the Giants were examining both internal and external options to provide a spark for the historically-cold offense. On Wednesday, the shakeup arrived. 

The Giants DFA’d struggling first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and backup catcher Sam Huff and also optioned backup infielder Christian Koss. The new first baseman will be veteran Dominic Smith, who was signed to a big-league deal a few days after opting out of his minor-league deal with the New York Yankees. Outfielder Daniel Johnson and catcher Andrew Knizner were selected from Triple-A to fill out the roster. 

In one series of moves, Posey and general manager Zack Minasian cleared out nearly a quarter of their active position players. The most notable move was with Wade, who was one of Farhan Zaidi’s greatest finds but has slumped for nearly a calendar year. Wade was hitting .167 with just one homer and had started to lose playing time against right-handed pitchers to Casey Schmitt. 

The Giants are coming off back-to-back brutal losses, both of which can be placed just about squarely on their lineup. They might have the best top-to-bottom pitching staff in baseball, but they lost 1-0 on Monday night and 3-2 on Tuesday. 

The lineup has gone 16 consecutive games without scoring more than four runs, the longest streak since 1965. Posey said Tuesday that the group is better than it has shown over the last two and a half weeks, but also indicated changes were coming. 

“We’re not satisfied with the production,” he said. “We’re trying to exhaust all options.”

The only external addition, at least for now, is Smith, who opted out over the weekend. The veteran had a .782 OPS and eight homers in Triple-A and was a little below league-average last year with the Red Sox and Reds, but right now, league-average might hit cleanup for this lineup. 

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Giants notes: Harrison to get a couple more starts as Verlander rehabs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When Justin Verlander first went on the IL, it was in part because he couldn’t guarantee he would be fully ready if the Giants kept him on the active roster and skipped just one start. There’s always a bit of extra optimism at the start of an IL stint, and Verlander will now miss at least four total starts. 

The right-hander threw a bullpen session Tuesday, and the next step is facing hitters at Oracle Park later this week. Manager Bob Melvin said left-hander Kyle Harrison already knows he’ll get one more start after Wednesday’s, but Verlander does appear to be making progress as he works his way back from right pectoral discomfort.

The bullpen session on Tuesday was a lengthy one. Melvin watched and said he liked the way the ball was coming out of Verlander’s hand. 

“It was a lot better today,” Melvin said. “It looked really good today.”

Harrison has allowed two earned runs on six hits in two starts since returning to the rotation. He said Tuesday that he’s happy to be fully healthy and proud of the way he handled a difficult second half last year and beginning of this year. An ankle injury led to shoulder inflammation that impacted his fastball velocity, but he averaged 95.3 mph on Friday in Miami, his best velocity in a big league start. Harrison cruised through five one-hit innings the last time out. 

“It’s the confidence and just having that attitude out there,” Harrison said. “I think a lot of times this sport is pretty monotonous. You know, you go out there and you’ve got to find that fire again sometimes. I know it’s weird to say but I think that time in Sacramento really helped me find that fire again. Every time I go out there now I take that rock with a lot of passion and I take pride in it.”

Without Verlander — and with Jordan Hicks moving to the bullpen before he went on the IL — the Giants currently have what might be their 2026 rotation. Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are joined by young starters Landen Roupp, Hayden Birdsong and Harrison. All are throwing well at the moment, and it won’t be an easy decision when Verlander is ready. Harrison is doing what he can to stay in the conversation. 

“I think it’s just staying the course and doing what I’m doing right now,” Harrison said. “Just staying consistent, trusting the process, looking forward to my routine the next day after an outing and controlling the things I can control. I’m here for the long haul hopefully. It’s just keeping that in mind and whatever they need from me this year, I’ll be ready for it. I’m just ready to get after it.” 

Another Notable Promotion

Bryce Eldridge wasn’t the only intriguing prospect to join the River Cats on Tuesday. Right-handed reliever Trent Harris was also promoted after a truly dominant run in Double-A. 

The 26-year-old has 25 strikeouts in 16 innings this year, with a 1.69 ERA. Harris has allowed just 11 hits and walked four. 

“He’s throwing the ball extremely well,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said. “It’s a great breaking ball. I think that pitch is most definitely plus … the breaking ball is unique. Getting a look at it in person this spring, it definitely stood out.”

Harris was brought up constantly last year when team officials were asked to name rising prospects. He had a 1.81 ERA across three levels, which got him several cameos in spring training. The big league bullpen is stacked, but he’s now just a step away.

Cuts in Triple-A

To open up a couple of Triple-A roster spots, the Giants released veteran Jake Lamb and utility man Brett Auerbach. Lamb was in big league camp and at one point looked like a potential bench option, but he posted a .706 OPS with just two homers in a hitter-friendly league at a time when the Giants were desperate for better first base options in the big leagues. 

Auerbach’s release was a sad one for a lot of Giants employees. He won the Barney Nugent Award in big league camp three years ago and was easy to root for as an undersized catcher who had gone undrafted, but he had a .722 OPS in Triple-A.

The Beginning

As he kicked off his professional career this week, one of the organization’s best prospects was getting used to a notable change. Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez will go by Josuar Gonzalez as a professional, using only his maternal last name. 

Gonzalez was in action for the first time Monday, going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs in a Dominican Summer League game. The switch-hitting shortstop signed with the Giants in the offseason for about $3 million and will spend his summer getting experience in his home country. Gonzalez is only 17, but Giants officials rave about his well-rounded game and compare him to a young Francisco Lindor. 

“He has quickness with his hands, the ability to play shortstop with plus skills, a 70 [grade] arm,” senior director of international scouting Joe Salermo said in January. “He’s a plus hitter with sneaky power. He can beat you in many ways, with the glove, the bat, speed — that stands out. It’s just the ability to play a premium position. It’s so tough to find those types of guys.”

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The Mets and Dodgers were in the middle of another extra-inning classic when the teams entered the bottom of the 10th on Tuesday night.

With the score tied 5-5 and the Dodgers with men on first and second and one out, Freddie Freeman came to the plate looking to drive in the winning run. Jose Butto, who saved Monday’s game in the 10th inning, threw a first-pitch sweeper that the first baseman took the opposite way.

It looked good off of Freeman’s bat and the Los Angeles crowd reacted to what looked like a potential walk-off homer. However, as Brandon Nimmo went back toward the left field wall, he turned to see the ball, turned again to check the wall and by the time he checked for the ball, it dropped next to him as Tommy Edman -- the ghost-runner -- scampered around third and crossed home plate for the 6-5 win.

“Not an easy play, especially in that situation," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "He’s playing shallower than normal and that’s a tough play in left field for a lefty. It’s over your head. Playing in right there, not an easy play."

Freddie Freeman #WALKOFF! pic.twitter.com/dIw9noQl3U

— MLB (@MLB) June 4, 2025

Mendoza said he wasn't sure if Nimmo lost the ball in the lights but knows that a fly ball from a lefty normally slices away and that the play is "not as routine as it looked."

Nimmo expanded on what happened on the play, echoing his manager that the outfielders were playing shallow to potentially cut off the runner at home on a base hit. He had a beat on the ball over his right shoulder as he scampered back toward the wall. When he went to check the wall and looked back up, the ball had moved about 15 feet over his left shoulder.

"[The ball] acted a little bit differently than I’m used to," Nimmo said of the play. "It’s unfortunate, would have loved to have made that play. Two outs and get out of there. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go the way you think."

He added: "I didn’t have enough time to put my foot on the ground and make up the play. I had a read on it, as long as it was staying in the park, I had a play on it. I knew we had to get back quick because we were playing for the base hit. I thought I was going to be able to make a play on it. It just did what I didn’t think it was going to do there at the end. I have a lot of years of experience that tells me the reaction of these things, and that was out of my reaction. I was very surprised to find it on the other shoulder. Very unfortunate time for that to happen."

Despite the loss, the Mets and Dodgers continue to play intense baseball for a game in June. The Mets took two out of three games when the two teams met at Citi Field -- that included a 13-inning affair -- and now the first two games in LA have gone to extras, with the teams splitting the matchups.

Nimmo appreciates the atmosphere of their series and likened it to the postseason.

"It’s been a playoff-type atmosphere. Dodgers Stadium has been rocking. It’s been a lot of fun," Nimmo said. "It’s unfortunate a game like that ends on a play like that. It’s been so good and so high-intensity and good baseball. That’s just the way it goes sometimes."

The two will meet again to try and take the series lead in the third of their four-game set on Wednesday night.

"Unfortunately, sometimes that happens. Sometimes, the ball doesn't go the way you think."

Brandon Nimmo talks about what happened on Freddie Freeman's fly ball in the 10th inning: pic.twitter.com/GIlurj6su9

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

Max Muncy’s 2025 season has been nothing if not enigmatic.

But lately, after a woeful opening month on both sides of the ball, the good (his bat) has been outweighing the bad (his glove).

In the Dodgers' 6-5 win against the New York Mets on Tuesday, such a duality came into plain view.

In the first inning, Muncy punctuated a four-run ambush of Mets starter Tylor Megill with a two-run home run deep to right field. In the fifth, he committed a costly error at third base that fueled New York’s go-ahead two-run rally. Yet, in the ninth, the veteran slugger capitalized upon his chance for redemption, clobbering his second long ball of the night to tie the score — and set up Freddie Freeman for a walk-off double (with a lot of help from Brandon Nimmo’s poor outfield defense) in the bottom of the 10th.

After an ice-cold opening month with the bat, Muncy has caught fire over his last 22 games, batting .314 with eight home runs (including six in the last seven games), 28 RBIs, 14 walks and only 10 strikeouts.

His defense remains a glaring weak spot, exposed repeatedly in key situations during the Dodgers’ slog through May and the opening days of June.

Read more:Dodgers star Freddie Freeman's family appreciated kind gesture from slain Baldwin Park officer

But for now, his production at the plate is giving him a long leash to work through such issues.

Without his offense Tuesday, the Dodgers likely would’ve lost their third straight game.

When Muncy came up as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers hadn’t scored since his first home run eight innings prior.

Megill had found his footing, retiring 16 of his final 17 batters over a six-inning start. The Dodgers had wasted a golden opportunity to come back in the eighth, coming up empty even after getting the go-ahead runs on second and third base with no outs.

Read more:Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball legend with ties to the Dodgers, dies at 89

Muncy, however, extended the game with one swing, connecting on an elevated fastball for a no-doubt missile that traveled 408 feet. He flipped his bat as he left the box. He rounded the bases with a steady, confident gait.

An inning later, after Tanner Scott broke out of his recent struggles by holding the Mets scoreless in the top of the 10th, Freeman walked it off on a fly ball that Nimmo let fall at the warning track in left, getting all turned around as the ball came barreling toward the earth to let automatic runner Tommy Edman score with ease.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets fell short of a second straight extra-innings win over the reigning champions, as they fell in 10 innings to the Dodgers, 6-5, on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

Here are the takeaways...

-- It didn't take long for the Mets to draw first blood against veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw -- they only needed 17 pitches, to be exact. After a one-out single from Starling Marte, who proceeded to reach second base on a wild pitch, Pete Alonso made the score 1-0 with a two-out single to left. It was the team-high 47th run driven in by Alonso, who won an eight-pitch battle with the future Hall-of-Famer.

-- Unfortunately for the Mets, their lead with Tylor Megill on the mound lasted just 11 pitches. The Dodgers knotted the score with one out and a runner on first when Freddie Freeman poked a double past Alonso down the right-field line. The relay throw from Juan Soto on the warning track was then bobbled by Jeff McNeil on the transfer, and that fielding error allowed Freeman to reach third and ultimately score on a groundout from Will Smith.

-- The first-inning mess didn't end there for Megill. With another runner on first -- Teoscar Hernandez reached on a one-out walk before Smith's groundout -- the right-hander grooved a fastball to Max Muncy, who smacked it 407 feet to right for a two-run home run. Megill threw 31 pitches in the four-run frame, which ironically started with an impressive strikeout of Shohei Ohtani.

-- New York cut its deficit to one in the third, with a two-run rally against Kershaw that began with a leadoff single from Francisco Lindor and ended with a loud two-run blast from Soto. The homer to right marked Soto's fifth straight game with an extra-base hit, and bumped his OPS over. 800 for the first time since May 21. Yet another sign indicating that the superstar slugger is finally busting out.

-- In the fifth, the Mets erased their deficit completely. With two on and two out, Alonso belted a game-tying double to the left-center gap that brought home Lindor and sent Marte to third. Three pitches later, Brandon Nimmo drove in Marte by beating out a chopper hit to first, making the score 5-4. The bang-bang play on the toss from Freeman to Kershaw covering the bag was initially ruled the third out, but the Mets challenged and the replay overturned the call. It was also the final pitch thrown by Kershaw, who entered Tuesday with a career 2.00 ERA in 11 starts against New York.

-- Megill collected himself after the early troubles, retiring nine straight at one point and 13 of 14 through five frames. He also received some help in the fourth from Soto, who flashed the leather with an impressive running catch in foul territory along the right-field side wall. The overall run support and gutsy recovery placed Megill in line for the win, and he finished the night with seven strikeouts (18 whiffs) across six innings at 105 pitches.

-- With the Mets' bullpen in need of a fresh arm, Brandon Waddell was called up from Triple-A and made his third relief appearance of the season. He pitched a scoreless seventh, inducing a pair of groundouts and one lineout with one walk sandwiched between. Reed Garrett was then called upon to handle the meat of the Dodgers' lineup, and he magically escaped a no-out jam with two runners in scoring position by striking out Freeman, forcing Hernandez into a fielder's choice groundout, and fanning Smith.

-- The tightrope act from Garrett was all for naught in the ninth. With the bullpen lacking its regular depth, Huascar Brazobán entered for the save opportunity and immediately blew it to the leadoff hitter in Muncy, who crushed a game-tying homer to right. The veteran right-hander managed to push the game to extra innings for a second straight night by striking out three straight.

-- The Mets' muscle stepped up to the plate in the 10th inning, but Dodgers closer Tanner Scott overcame Monday's letdown by impressively retiring Soto and Alonso on strikeouts and Nimmo on a ground out. The bottom half of the frame belonged to José Butto, and after he intentionally walked the leadoff hitter in Ohtani to create the force at any base, and Mookie Betts flew out, Freeman drove in the winning run with a deep fly to left that was mistracked by Nimmo.

-- Ronny Mauricio made his 2025 big league debut, batting seventh and playing third in place of the injured Mark Vientos. In his first at-bat during the second inning, the 24-year-old grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with an exit velocity of 100 mph. He struck out against Kershaw in his second trip to the plate in the fourth, grounded out to first in the sixth, and then popped out to short in the eighth.

Game MVP: Freddie Freeman

The veteran slugger drove in the Dodgers' first run of the game with a double and their last with a double. He's now hitting .369, which ranks best in the NL and second among all qualified hitters.

Highlights

Pete Alonso brings home Starling Marte and gets the Mets on the board first! pic.twitter.com/1ymNYBvedB

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

Tylor Megill strikes out Shohei Ohtani to start his night pic.twitter.com/TKeMEjL3nh

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

JUAN SOTO TAKES CLAYTON KERSHAW DEEP! pic.twitter.com/9Wt8VYj9LR

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

OH, WOW!

Juan Soto makes the catch against the side wall in foul ground! pic.twitter.com/jEYilbl1Th

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

PETE ALONSO TIES THE GAME WITH AN RBI DOUBLE! pic.twitter.com/nemZyaILBF

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

BRANDON NIMMO WITH THE HUSTLE!

The Mets take the lead in the 5th! pic.twitter.com/VhzkKsj83v

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

Tylor Megill bears down and goes six innings!

He's retired 16 of the last 17 hitters he's faced! pic.twitter.com/Ogqh1GEQ50

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

REED GARRETT IS HYPE AFTER GETTING OUT OF A HUGE JAM IN THE 8TH! pic.twitter.com/U5bUZnIFGG

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 4, 2025

What's next

The Mets (38-23) will begin the second half of their four-game set at Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 p.m. on SNY.

Griffin Canning (5-2, 3.23 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite right-hander Tony Gonsolin (3-1, 5.23 ERA).

It was a long time coming, but Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. finally returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing more than a month with an oblique injury.

And what did he do in his first game back? Oh, just about everything.

Starting at third base for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, Chisholm Jr. handled himself well, and even made a great play at the hot corner in the first inning.

At the plate? He picked up the Yankees’ first hit in the fifth inning with a bloop single and scored from second base on a DJ LeMahieu single. And then he hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh to lift New York to a 3-2 win over the Guardians.

“It was great to see all the things he can do on the diamond,” manager Aaron Boone said of Chisholm Jr. “The speed scoring easily from second on the hit from DJ. The homer to give us the lead right back after they tied it up. Pretty good play over on third to get the night started. Really excited to have him back and good to see him have that kind of impact right away.”

Before the injury, Chisholm was struggling at the plate after a scorching start where he hit four long balls in his first six games. He was only hitting .181 and hit two home runs in his last 15 games before being placed on the IL.

The 27-year-old would go 2-for-3 with his homer to start, as Chisholm put it, his season over again.

“I pictured 3-for-3 but I’ll take 2-for-3,” Chisholm said with a chuckle. “Every day sitting on that bench, you’re thinking about coming back, especially -- I didn’t have the best start. But at the same time, coming back, starting strong and starting the season over. Starting everything over… you don’t focus on what happened before. This is how I wanted to start my comeback.”

Since Chisholm went on the IL on April 29, the Yankees kept chugging along, going 17-9 in the month of May while using a revolving door of infielders to play second and third after Oswaldo Cabrera's ankle injury.

With Cabrera out for the season, Boone asked Chisholm to return to playing third, a request the infielder obliged. When he was rehabbing with Double-A Somerset, Chisholm said he was willing to do anything to help the Yankees win a championship, and he echoed that after his return on Tuesday.

"I just want to win. I want a ring. We have a lot of great guys in here, and I've really valued teamwork my whole career,” he said. “All I think about is being a team guy, and I did it in Miami where I moved from second base and went and played center field. Came over here, didn't play second base, played third base. Started off the season this year at second base, went back to third base again.

"So for me, it's just I want to win. I want to help my team win, and it's my favorite organization I've ever been a part of, so I definitely want to help."

Chisholm says changing positions is more mental than anything else, but he praised his teammates for always being there for him on the field -- like how Paul Goldschmidt made a great pick at first base to pick up Chisholm's throw -- and off the field.

“Mentally [it’s difficult], but that’s what you have these guys here for. You got [Aaron] Judge, [Anthony] Volpe. They come and talk to you,” Chisholm said. “When you have such a good relationship with the manager, you don’t mind doing anything for a guy you have a good friendship with.”

Chisholm made 45 regular season starts at third base last year and said he didn't think he would play there again. But he's ready to restart.

"I really thought I was done at third base. I thought I left my career over there with a good stamp," he said. "But I guess we’re back again. We gotta shine again. Can’t let the reputation go down at third base.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. returned from the IL with a bang, hitting a go-ahead home run in the Yankees' 3-2 win over the Guardians on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Chisholm Jr. played his first game since April, starting at third base and delivering two hits.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Yankees' offense was befuddled by Tanner Bibee for the first part of the game, being no-hit into the fifth inning. Chisholm Jr. broke the no-no with a bloop single. But Chisholm's dynamic speed would prove a good addition for the Yankees, as a J.C. Escarra walk put Jazz into scoring position when DJ LeMahieu singled to plate the game's first run.

After Trent Grisham reached on an error to load the bases with two outs, Ben Rice grounded out to end the threat.

Chisholm wasn't done impacting this game, however. He would hit a leadoff homer in the seventh to put the Yanks back on top, 2-1. Anthony Volpe followed with a solo shot of his own, the seventh of the shortstop's season.

-There wasn't much offense to speak of in this one. The Yankees mustered just five hits and two walks against Guardians pitching. Aaron Judge finished 0-for-2 with two walks, dropping his average to .387.

-Carlos Rodon continued his hot stretch of starts on Tuesday. After allowing a first-inning single to Jose Ramirez that put him trouble, the southpaw retired 17 straight Guardians. Ramirez broke Rodon's streak with a leadoff single in the seventh and came around to score after stealing second and reaching home on a David Fry single. It broke a streak of 20 straight scoreless innings from Rodon.

Despite some hard contact and shoddy defense, Rodon pitched out of trouble in the seventh to keep the score tied 1-1.

Rodon finished with 93 pitches (64 strikes) through seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out eight.

-With Luke Weaver on the IL, the shortened bullpen was tested, but passed. Mark Leiter Jr. bounced back from his bad outing in Los Angeles to pitch a scoreless eighth inning, and Devin Williams was called upon to pitch the ninth. He allowed a one-out double and the runner to score on a two-out single by pinch-hitter Daniel Schneemann. After a mound visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, Williams bounced back to get Bo Naylor to fly out and close his sixth game of the season.

The Guardians made Williams work, making him throw 30 pitches thanks to a ton of foul balls.

Game MVP: Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm's prints were all over this game. He was the only Yankee to have multiple hits, and his homer put the team ahead for good. He also played a solid third base in his first start at the hot corner since last season.

Highlights

Carlos Rodòn with a couple of Ks to escape trouble in the first pic.twitter.com/7wEH0wswyd

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 3, 2025

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s first hit off the IL is the Yankees’ first of the game off Tanner Bibee pic.twitter.com/eeQ3Sc8PXw

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 4, 2025

DJ LeMahieu opens up the scoring in the 5th! pic.twitter.com/mrve6aIG0Q

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 4, 2025

WELCOME BACK JAZZ CHISHOLM JR.!

Solo shot for the lead! pic.twitter.com/Uh6bJYEIvN

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 4, 2025

Anthony Volpe back-to-back with Jazz Chisholm Jr.! pic.twitter.com/zFy69uwOvk

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 4, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Guardians continue their three-game set on Wednesday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Clarke Schmidt (2-2, 3.95 ERA) will take the mound, while the Guardians will have Luis L. Ortiz (2-6, 4.40 ERA) on the bump.

Mets right-hander Frankie Montas had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, and his time on the mound hours later didn't go exactly according to plan.

Working his way back from a months-long lat strain, Montas took a beating against the Blue Jays' affiliate, allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out four. While he reached 61 pitches (43 strikes) and stretched out to four-plus innings of work, half of the hits were home runs and three were even to the same player, Will Robertson.

Montas looked much sharper last Thursday in his second rehab start for High-A Brooklyn. In that outing, the 32-year-old allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while fanning three across three frames. He also threw 49 pitches (28 strikes).

Of course, Tuesday's pitching line wasn't pretty. But the good news is that Montas completed the assignment, and barring some setback, he might need only one more rehab appearance before rejoining the Mets' active roster within the next week or so.

Shortly after Montas' exit on Tuesday, top prospect Nolan McLean entered in relief, striking out six across four innings of two-run ball (72 pitches). His season ERA now sits at 2.63.

Nolan McLean struck out six in four innings out of the bullpen for Triple-A Syracuse tonight.

His final line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (72 pitches) pic.twitter.com/2C5q8Z3QmK

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 4, 2025

The Mets have made a flurry of roster moves to accommodate the promotion of Ronny Mauricio, and one of them is an unfortunate one.

New York officially placed Mark Vientos on the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain he suffered in Monday's extra-innings win against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Before Tuesday's game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the severity of Vientos' strain is still unknown, and he's flying back to New York for further testing and imaging.

"We don't know [the severity]," Mendoza said. "But based off of all the testing he went through last night, we know it's a strain. We've just got to wait and see."

Vientos hit a grounder in the 10th inning and collapsed running up the first base line before getting up and grabbing at his leg. He eventually hobbled back to the dugout. After the game, Vientos was checked out by the team trainers and Mendoza said the injury "didn't look good."

Mauricio will take Vientos' spot on the bench and wear No. 10.

In addition to the Mauricio/Vientos news, the Mets optioned RHP Max Kranick back to Triple-A Syracuse following last night's game. The reliever allowed one run on one hit in his inning of work on Monday while striking out two. With no days off until Monday, the Mets needed another fresh reliever and Kranick has options -- so, he was brought back down to the minors, for now.

Kranick has pitched to a 3.51 ERA in his 22 appearances this season.

"He's been a huge part of that bullpen, and that's part of the messaging," Mendoza said of Kranick. "You know, 'This is part of the business, you've got options. Just know you're a big part of this team. Go down there and work on the things you've been working on, and you're going to be back.' That was the message. He understood. He took it hard, but he understood. You have to understand they're competitors."

Replacing Kranick in the bullpen will be LHP Brandon Waddell, who returns to the team after pitching against the White Sox last week. In that series finale, the 31-year-old allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings of work. While not his best outing, Waddell's innings gave the Mets' bullpen a blow heading into their weekend series with the Rockies, a series they ultimately swept.

In Waddell's two games with the Mets this season, he has pitched to a 3.86 ERA and struck out seven in 9.1 innings of work.

Also on the pitching front, RHP Frankie Montas' rehab assignment was transferred to Triple-A. He will start Tuesday's game with the Syracuse Mets.

Former Yomiuri Giants player and manager Shigeo Nagashima, one of the biggest stars of Nippon Professional Baseball, died early Tuesday morning of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital, his former team said in a statement. He was 89.

Nagashima played third base for the Giants from 1958 to 1974. Along with fellow superstar first baseman Sadaharu Oh, Nagashima led the team to 11 Japan Series titles, including nine straight from 1965 to 1973. He retired with a .305 batting average, 2,471 hits, 1,522 RBIs and 444 home runs.

He was one of Japan's biggest celebrities, so much so that his 1965 marriage to Akiko Nishimura was nationally televised and was reportedly the country's most-watched program of the year.

In 1975, Nagashima became the Giants' manager but was fired in 1980 after not leading the team to a Japan Series title. He returned as manager from 1993 to 2001, however, and led the Giants to championships in 1994 and 2000, with future MLB outfielder Hideki Matsui as his star player.

Read more:John Brenkus, risk-taking host of 'Sport Science,' dies after battle with depression

Current Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani took to Instagram on Tuesday to honor Nagashima. He posted three pictures of the two of them together, including two from the Dodgers' trip to Tokyo in February for two games against the Chicago Cubs.

“May your soul rest in peace,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese.

Nagashima could have become the first Japanese MLB player, and he could have done so as a member of the Dodgers. In the spring of 1961, the Yomiuri Giants visited Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., to train and play exhibition games.

Then-Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley is said to have been so impressed with Nagashima — who in the previous season had won the second of what would be six straight batting crowns in Nippon's Central League — that he offered to buy Nagashima's contract from Giants owner Matsutaro Shoriki.

Shoriki turned O'Malley down, and pitcher Masanori Murakami ended up becoming the first Japanese MLB player when he debuted with the San Francisco Giants in 1965. Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck also attempted to purchase Nagashima's contract in 1968 but also was thwarted by Shoriki.

Nagashima maintained a close relationship with the Dodgers and the O'Malley family, particularly with Walter's son Peter, according to Walter O'Malley's website.

The Dodgers posted a tribute to Nagashima on X, featuring a photo of the 1988 Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductee with legendary Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda.

The Dodgers mourn the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, Japan’s “Mr. Baseball,” who died Tuesday in Tokyo at age 89. Nagashima became a legend for the Yomiuri Giants, who have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Dodgers from as far back as the 1960s. We extend our heartfelt… pic.twitter.com/QIZQgwEmxb

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 3, 2025

"The Dodgers mourn the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, Japan’s 'Mr. Baseball,' who died Tuesday in Tokyo at age 89," the team wrote. "Nagashima became a legend for the Yomiuri Giants, who have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Dodgers from as far back as the 1960s. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and generations of fans."

Nagashima's wife, Akiko, died in 2007. They had four children, including oldest son Kazushige, a former professional baseball player who played for the Yomiuri Giants and Yakult Swallows in Japan, as well as 53 games for the Class A-Advanced Vero Beach Dodgers minor league affiliate in 1992.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Giants still confident in Doval despite blown save in loss to Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — In a series of unfortunate events for the Giants, things came crashing down quickly for Camilo Doval in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday night.

San Francisco held a 2-0 lead and was one inning away from securing its first win of the season against the San Diego Padres. But Doval, who replaced a struggling Ryan Walker and reclaimed his role as the Giants’ closer last week, ran into trouble with consecutive walks to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez before giving up the tying hit, a two-run single, to Padres star Manny Machado.

The Giants couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth or 10th, and the Padres’ lone run in the top of the 10th was enough to secure their seventh straight win against San Francisco.

Doval blew his first save since re-entering the closer role and allowed his first earned runs since April 7 as the Giants collapsed to the Padres 3-2 in extra innings Tuesday at Oracle Park. The blown save erased a great start by Landen Roupp, who pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings and lowered his ERA on the season to 3.18.

Still, the Giants’ confidence in their closer hasn’t wavered.

“Yeah, he just had a little off night with the couple of walks,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said postgame. “Look, we feel great every time he’s in the game. He’s had quite the run. We shut them [the Padres] down for eight innings. They scored two in the ninth. Ball off the end of the bat, it’s a hit, but a good at-bat by Manny.

“But it’s the walks that got him the most.”

Bob Melvin addresses what went wrong during Camilo Doval's blown save pic.twitter.com/wSSZEQBXfJ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 4, 2025

Doval’s 20 2/3-inning scoreless streak ended Tuesday, and despite the rough outing, he has a 1.67 ERA across 27 innings this season with seven saves, seven holds and three blown save opportunities.

After being an MLB All-Star in 2023, Doval had a down season in 2024 as he eventually lost the closer role. But aside from a rough patch in early April, Doval has been lights-out for the Giants this year. Roupp doesn’t expect one bad outing to change that.

“Yeah, a bunch,” Roupp said when asked how much confidence he has in Doval. “Things like that are going to happen. Just an unfortunate ending tonight. We want him in the ninth and that’s what’s going to happen.

“I’m just looking forward to seeing him get back out there and continue to throw the ball well.”

After Roupp’s shutout outing, Giants relievers Erik Miller and Tyler Rogers got into some trouble. After the Padres loaded the bases in the seventh, Miller escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam after Arráez grounded out to third. The Padres’ offense was a threat once again in the eighth, but Rogers, too, escaped trouble without allowing a run.

Unfortunately for Doval, he failed to do the same.

Perhaps the blame shouldn’t all fall on Doval.

Outside of Heliot Ramos’ two-run home run in the third inning, the Giants’ offense continued to struggle. One night after being shut out by the Padres and going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, they were 1-for-6 with RISP on Tuesday night. They now are 7-for-63 with RISP over the last 10 games.

It’s easy to point fingers after a tough loss. But in the midst of an up-and-down career with the Giants, Doval has shown flashes of his potential to be one of the most dominant relievers in baseball.

It will just come down to how he responds to Tuesday’s tough outing. After all, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey confirmed last week that the closer role is “fluid” between Doval and Walker.

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What we learned as Giants collapse vs. Padres in extra-innings loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants were one out away from earning their first win of the 2025 MLB season against the San Diego Padres, but within a blink of an eye, everything changed as a late collapse led to a 3-2 loss Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

And for the second night in a row, in a theme all too familiar for San Francisco, a strong outing by the starting pitcher was wasted.

Manny Machado played hero for the Padres, who, down to their final out, tied the game in the top of the ninth inning. The Giants couldn’t respond in the bottom of the ninth, and San Diego stole the game in extras.

That'll do 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/xObHQ1ng1c

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 4, 2025

Landen Roupp pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings, and the Giants’ offense appeared to come alive in the third. But one inning changed everything.

The Giants dropped to 0-4 against the Padres this season and 33-28 overall.

Here are the takeaways from another frustrating loss:

Missed Opportunity

It ain’t over ’til it’s over.

The Giants learned that the hard way when all signs pointed to a win that would have evened the four-game series against their division rivals with one win apiece, but the pesky Padres persisted.

Giants closer Camilo Doval came out to try and close out the game in the ninth, but the Padres rallied courtesy of a Machado double.

HE'S THE MAN. pic.twitter.com/4nZnqN2Ap8

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 4, 2025

Those were the first runs surrendered by Doval in 57 days.

San Francisco had an opportunity to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, but it did quite the opposite as three consecutive outs forced extra innings.

And, the Padres did just enough — well, score — in the 10th inning to surpass the Giants.

Roupp Deals Again

Following a masterclass by Giants ace Logan Webb on Monday night, the Giants’ rotation continued to dominate against the Padres.

Roupp pitched 6 1/3 strong innings, striking out five while allowing four hits, zero earned runs and two walks on 92 pitches.

Another fantastic outing from Landen Roupp 👏 pic.twitter.com/NJJUV17ZxA

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 4, 2025

He received a well-deserved standing ovation from the rejuvenated Oracle Park crowd as he was pulled in the seventh inning.

Roupp now has a 1.39 ERA over his last six starts and lowered his ERA to 3.18 on the season.

Defense Does Its Part

Even though offense has been a point of emphasis — or, the point of emphasis — since going cold over the last few weeks, defense might have stolen the show Tuesday.

And part of it came from the guy playing in just his second game of the season with San Francisco.

Jerar Encarnación made an incredible diving catch that saved an extra base and a run, which allowed Roupp to get out of the fourth inning (and game) without allowing a run.

What a catch by Jerar Encarnación 🤯 pic.twitter.com/NbqSXDMOO8

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 4, 2025

The Giants activated Encarnación from the 60-day injured list before the series opener Monday, who, ironically, broke a bone in his left hand when he dove for a ball in spring training.

San Francisco’s defense came in clutch in the top of the eighth inning, too.

With Padres runners on first and second, third baseman Matt Chapman showed off his Gold Glove ways with an incredible double-play effort.

Chappy takes it himself to turn a pair 😤 pic.twitter.com/XXDIIZDQYx

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 4, 2025

The Padres still had a chance as Xander Bogaerts approached the plate with a runner on second, but another impressive defensive effort by Casey Schmitt and Tyler Rogers ended the inning.

While Ramos’ homer was the breakthrough San Francisco’s offense needed, the defense was a promising sign for the Giants.

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Harper's immediate impact and Turner's two bombs end Phillies' losing streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Coincidence or not, Bryce Harper’s first inning back in the Phillies’ lineup in a week was their most explosive inning in a week, a six-run outburst that enabled them to cruise to an 8-3 victory in Toronto.

Harper donned a new elbow guard with a sleeve over it and took a nice, easy swing on an 0-2 pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis to hit his ninth homer of the season in his first at-bat since last Tuesday. He went back-to-back with Trea Turner, who preceded with a two-run shot.

The Phillies kept pouring it on with an RBI single from Max Kepler and a two-run knock by Bryson Stott to put Cristopher Sanchez up by a touchdown (no PAT) before he even stepped on the mound at Rogers Centre.

The lineup has a way of falling into place when Harper is occupying his usual spot. It creates such a grueling top-of-the-order with Turner in front of him and Kyle Schwarber behind him. Turner homered twice. He has seven, all of them on the road, and is hitting .305 with an .815 OPS.

“I was messing with Kyle and messing with Trea that when I hit behind Trea, he’s way better, need to keep Schwarbs in that four-spot,” Harper said on the broadcast postgame. “Trea’s such a dynamic player. He hits for average, everything. Just fun to watch him.”

Harper missed five games after being hit by a 95 mph fastball on the right elbow. It was swollen for several days, then came the bruising, but Harper was finally able to swing and throw by the weekend. He was not wearing an elbow guard when he was hit by Spencer Strider last week but will wear one moving forward. He tested it out again in spring training but then stopped using it.

“There’s times where I’m OK with it, there’s other times where it feels kinda weird,” Harper said last week. “We found a brace that I wore during the Tommy John, so I’ll probably wear that again and a brace on top of that just to kinda feel it out. It’s really hard to find braces that feel good. I haven’t really worn them my whole career, I have here and there just to feel it.”

Maybe he’ll be convinced by the immediate results.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Phillies, who are 37-23 and entered the night 1½ games behind the Mets. They’ve had only two losing streaks this season longer than two games and responded to the other by winning 23 of 29.

Sanchez walked a season-high four and found himself on the ropes during a long fifth inning. He’s walked at least three batters in five of his last seven starts after doing so only six times in his previous 41 starts.

A timely mound visit from Caleb Cotham with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth appeared to settle him down. Sanchez had just been all over the place in walking George Springer, and Cotham’s advice might have been not to start Alejandro Kirk with the sinker he’s waiting for. Toronto was down six at the time so it was certainly an opportunity for a hitter to ambush. Sanchez threw him two changeups for strike one and a groundout.

The lefty gave up one run over six innings and is 5-1 with a 3.15 ERA. It’s been an interesting couple of months for Sanchez. He entered the night with the same ERA as last season (3.32) but with substantially higher rates of strikeouts and walks. He’s pitched with added velocity this year, which is a part of it.

The Phils have Mick Abel and Jesus Luzardo going the next two nights, big starts for both. Abel is looking to show his impressive MLB debut (6 IP, 0 R, 9 K vs. Pit) was no fluke. The Blue Jays will be a much tougher test for Abel than the Pirates, who are equivalent to a Triple A lineup minus Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen. Luzardo is eager to move on from the worst start of his career.