Jul 8, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Randy Dobnak (62) pitches in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Here’s the good news: After winning a wild game last night, the Royals have a shot to take the series with a W this afternoon. The bad news: They’re going to have to do it with Randy Dobnak taking a turn in the rotation because Stephen Kolek needs a tune-up start for Omaha (also occurring today) before he’s ready to rejoin the Royals’ rotation following an extended stay on the Family Medical Emergency list to be with his prematurely-born baby daughter.
Dobnak has danced around trouble – allowing 9 hits and 4 walks while only striking out 4 in 9.2 innings – in 2 appearances for the Royals. If he earns at least one out today, it will be the most major league innings he has thrown in a season since 2021. He didn’t pitch in the bigs at all in ‘22 or ‘23, pitched 9.2 innings in ‘24, and only 5.1 innings last year. When the Twins called him up as a 24-year-old in 2019, it seemed like he could be a swingman in their rotation and bullpen for years to come but it just didn’t work out that way for him. The Royals, of course, acquired him for cash from the Mariners when he exercised an upward-mobility clause in his contract with them earlier this year. The Royals actually just sold Rudy Martin Jr.‘s rights to the Orioles for the same reason yesterday.
The Padres will send Griffin Canning to the mound. Canning is something the opposite of last night’s starter, Michael King. His K-BB% is better, but his LOB% is worse, so he carries an unwieldy 6.47 ERA despite a SIERA of 4.57. So, he’s the opposite of King in that he’s been unlucky, but the same as King in that his true performance has been closer to mediocre than the results would seem to indicate. Don’t ask me what the Royals might do about it.
Canning has seven pitches, though he only throws four of them more than 10% of the time, with three of those – his four-seamer, slider, and changeup – accounting for almost 3/4 of his pitches thrown. He doesn’t generally get anyone to chase his pitches. His slider and cutter can generate some whiffs. Batters don’t do well when they put the knuckle-curveball or sweeper into play. The changeup grades out the best of his pitches. It’s a mish-mash of stats that only tell you that he doesn’t seem to have a clear identity as a pitcher. That can be a problem for a good offense, but I could see how it would make it difficult for a bad offense to figure out a plan against him.
Lineups
Speaking of bad offenses, the Royals will send out the same nine they used last night. I wouldn’t hate it if they did better with runners in scoring position before the tenth inning. Only time will tell if they can manage it.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 03: Pitcher Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 03, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles are in unprecedented territory, carrying a season-best five-game winning streak into today’s game. What do you say we make it six?
The Birds’ second-half opener last night wasn’t the most crisply played affair, with nine walks by the O’s pitching staff and a nearly non-existent offensive showing, but Taylor Ward’s dramatic, eighth-inning home run turned a sure defeat into a dramatic victory. The win leapfrogged the Orioles a half game ahead of the Astros in the crowded wild card race.
If the O’s hope to stay ahead, they’ll need to win at least one of their next two games in Houston. Preferably both! Today Trevor Rogers will make his first start of the second half, hoping to continue the roll he was on before the All-Star break. Since the start of June, the lefty has a 1.73 ERA in seven outings, going 4-1 with four quality starts. He’s shaved his once sky-high 6.96 ERA to a reasonable 4.48. If Rogers can hold Yordan Alvarez in check, he’s got a good chance to lower that mark even further.
The Orioles, against Astros righty Spencer Arrighetti, have eight of the same nine guys in the lineup as last night. The one exception is at third base, where newly recalled Christian Encarnacion-Strand makes his Orioles debut in place of Coby Mayo. This will be Encarnacion-Strand’s first MLB appearance in more than a year, since July 8, 2025 with the Reds. He’s never had much success at the major league level, batting just .233/.275/.404 in parts of three seasons with Cincinnati, but he was tearing up Triple-A Norfolk with 17 homers and a .555 SLG in 61 games. If he can play a decent defensive third base and hit a few dingers for however long he’s with the Orioles, I’ll take that.
At 17 letters, Encarnacion-Strand has the longest last name in Orioles history. So he’s got that going for him.
Orioles lineup:
DH Adley Rutschman SS Gunnar Henderson LF Taylor Ward 1B Pete Alonso C Samuel Basallo RF Dylan Beavers CF Colton Cowser 3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand 2B Jackson Holliday
LHP Trevor Rogers
Astros lineup:
SS Jeremy Peña DH Yordan Alvarez 3B Isaac Paredes 2B Jose Altuve 1B Christian Walker C Yainer Diaz RF Cam Smith LF Zach Dezenzo CF Lucas Spence
LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 30: A general view of Tinnell Memorial Skate Plaza as competitors warm up prior to the Finals of the 2021 SLS Championship Tour: Lake Havasu at Rotary Park on October 30, 2021 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
CARDINALS
DIAMONDBACKS
JJ Wetherholt – 2B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Ivan Herrera – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Alec Burleson – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Jordan Walker – RF
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Max Kepler – LF
Masyn Winn – SS
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Nathan Church – CF
Tim Tawa – 1B
Jose Fermin – 3B
James McCann – C
Pedro Pages – C
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Dustin May – RHP
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
Roster moves (just before going to press!)
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Recalled from Triple-A Reno: C Adrian Del Castillo
Placed on the 10-day injured list: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (strained right adductor)
Selected to the Major League roster and optioned to Triple-A Reno: RHP Gerardo Carrillo
It’s rare that a Diamondbacks’ loss so thoroughly annoyed me as the one last night. It was bad enough dipping into the Gameday Thread during last night’s concert. But after we came home and I was watching the condensed version of the game to unwind… Well, it succeeded only in winding me up more. It felt, after sweeping the enemy in Dodger Stadium, that the D-backs had the chance to get on a roll, and I wondered if perhaps the All-Star break was coming at just the wrong time. For certainly, based on the evidence last night, this looked like an Arizona team which had forgotten entirely how to play the game over the four days off.
There was hardly an aspect of the Diamondbacks game which was even adequate. Sloppy defense. Poor approaches at the plate (and never mind the 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, they seemed especially poor with a runner on third and less than two outs). Issuing free passes in key situations. Even the ABS challenges were woeful, allowing home-plate umpire Bill Miller to get away with the single most skewed pitch-calling (click on “Favor (Home)” to sort by that) of the season so far. Indeed, there just only one worse game all of last year – when there were no ABS challenges available to mitigate this level of official incompetence.
Hopefully, things will go better today. Merrill Kelly’s start was actually one of the lesser problems. While he did the five and dive, two of the three runs he allowed came courtesy of Marte’s first-inning gaffe and were unearned. So his ERA dropped to 5.20, the lowest it has been since May. We’ll see if Brandon Pfaadt can join him on the recovery train. Since returning to the rotation, he’s 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA and a FIP under three. Especially with the news about Zac Gallen, it looks like Pfaadt will be a key component of the rotation for the rest of the season. If he can pitch like it again today, we will be all the better for it.
No nifty orange color like Wednesday’s expected in Toronto today, but the roof is expected to be closed anyway. | AFP via Getty Images
Given how much the White Sox have crushed right handed starters recently, Sox fans seeing another righty on the schedule may well go, “Oh, yesss!!” Then when they see who it is, they may well go, “Oh, noooo!!!” And then, when they look at recent stats, they’ll be back to, “Oh, yesss!!” again.
That’s because the Blue Jays are starting Shane Bieber, whom Sox fans are bound to remember from his Cy Young and multiple-All Star years in Cleveland. But lately, Bieber has been more Justin than Shane, thanks to injuries.
Bieber was outstanding for two starts in 2024 before departing for Tommy John surgery. Then he was just so-so after coming back late last season. And then he had another elbow injury this spring which kept him out until June 23, since which he has been absolutely horrible — 26 hits, seven of them homers, in just 17 2/3 innings, to go along with ten walks, adding up to a 7.64 ERA and 2.04 WHIP.
The Sox counter with the righty who had been their star earlier, but Davis Martin has himself struggled some lately, raising his ERA a point in the past month, His last time out, Martin gave up five runs in four innings against the Red Sox — but maybe all he needed was a nice relaxing time between starts, provided thanks to the All-Star break.
With right handers on the mound, both teams have gone to lefty-heavy lineups, though the Blue Jays are limited from that side.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 Central (:07 must be a Canadian thing), with the Rogers Centre roof expected to be closed because of wildfire pollution. Usual broadcast suspects instead of the greed fest last night that put the game on Apple TV.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 17: Jim Jarvis #74 of the Atlanta Braves runs to second base in the fifth inning during the game against the Texas Rangers at Truist Park on July 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 17: Ty France of the San Diego Padres, left, is congratulated by Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres after hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 17, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (48-49) at Kansas City Royals (39-59), July 18, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 11: Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning of game one of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing in a Saturday matinee matchup against the Cleveland Guardians in their first series back after the All-Star break.
Braxton Ashcraft is taking the mound in his first start in the second half. Ashcraft finished the first half of the season with a start on July 11 at home against the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched five innings and gave up five hits and five earned runs, but the Pirates rallied late with four runs in the seventh inning to beat their NL Central rival 7-6.
Ashcraft has arguably been the best starter for the Pirates so far this season. He is 9-3 with a 3.49 ERA. Pittsburgh has won each of Ashcraft’s last five appearances, which sets him up well for today’s game against the Guardians.
Cleveland is handing the ball to a third-year pro, Joey Cantillo, who’s 8-4 with a 3.56 ERA. Cantillo won his last start back on Sunday against the Miami Marlins, pitching five innings, giving up six hits and one run, and earning a 5-2 victory on the road. The Guardians are keeping Cantillo on his normal rest for this start, opting to give other starters more time to recover from the first half of the season.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. announces Taj Marchand as the 33rd overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Following an objectively well ranked haul for the Rays — who had the no. 2 overall pick — we asked for your take on a Rays 2026 MLB Draft that was quite young and full of pitchers.
Did you like the haul? Did you agree with the Rays youth strategy?
I’m pleased to see there were no trolling responses of D or F…
The second half is here, and for many betting their way through the season is part of the fun. If that’s you, check out our friends at FanDuel who sponsored this post.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 17: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Brewer Hicklen #53 and Jim Jarvis #74 following his three-run home run during the fourth inning at Truist Park on July 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Join us and discuss tonight’s matchup of two intriguing pitchers in the comments below!
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 17: Joey Ortiz #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers is congratulated after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at American Family Field on July 17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins are back at it on a Saturday afternoon, and the Crew has a chance to secure a series win right out of the All-Star break.
To do so, they’ll have to get through Max Meyer on the mound for Miami. The Brewers will counter with Shane Drohan. Meyer has been phenomenal this year, pitching to a 2.58 ERA in 19 starts so far, as he was named an NL All-Star. Drohan has a 3.09 ERA on the season and has been very good since re-entering the starting rotation.
The Brewers did make some roster moves prior to this game. Sal Frelick was placed on the IL with a shoulder injury after being removed early in last night’s game. Blake Perkins was recalled from Triple-A to take his roster spot.
Also, Brandon Woodruff made an announcement about his injury, stating that he will indeed have to undergo shoulder surgery for a second time in three years. His 2026 season is over. Woodruff had a 2.98 ERA in nine starts this season, proving he could still be effective, even with diminished stuff.
Late before the game, the Brewers announced that Brice Turang was scratched from the lineup with right foot soreness. Pat Murphy said pregame to “stay tuned” as the issue had flared up on him after fouling a pitch off his foot last night.
That takes one of the big bats out of the Brewers lineup as they face the right-handed Meyer. Jake Bauers moved up into the No. 3 spot in the order. With Frelick on the shelf, Luis Lara gets the start today in right field and batting sixth. Braden Shewmake was inserted into the lineup, playing second base and batting eighth, while Joey Ortiz will man the hot corner and bat ninth.
The Marlins shuffled around their lineup a little. Otto Lopez, Heriberto Hernández, and Kyle Stowers make up the top of the order today. Xavier Edwards, Javier Sanoja, and Liam Hicks form the middle of the order. Leo Jiménez, old friend Esteury Ruiz, and Joe Mack round out the bottom of the Marlins lineup.
First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
Lineup update: Braden Shewmake will bat 8th & play 2B in place of Brice Turang https://t.co/2l65oJS2tJ
TODAY’S GAME: The Astros will play their 100th game of the season today as they host the Orioles for the middle game of their three-game series at Daikin Park.
RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-5) will get his first start of the second half today opposite the Orioles and starter LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7).
THE STOPPER: RHP Spencer Arrighetti is making his 16th start of the season today and his ninth following an Astros loss.
In his previous eighth starts after an Astros loss, Arrighetti has gone 5-0 with a 2.38 ERA (12ER/45.1IP).
THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 27-21 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.
On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
GET ‘EM EARLY: The Astros rank first in the AL and second in MLB in 1st-inning runs (67).
Overall, the Astros rank fourth in the AL in runs (451) immediately ahead of the Orioles (450).
RACKING UP WINS: Manager Joe Espada has 222 managerial wins as the Astros skipper, which ranks 11th in franchise history.
With two more wins, he will match Terry Collins (224 wins) for 10th on the Astros all-time managerial wins list.
THE LINEUP: The Astros have used 98 different lineups in their 99 games, repeating a lineup just once on the season.
DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 86 times.
TODAY’S PROMOTIONS: At today’s game, the Astros will celebrate Christmas in July, presented by Macy’s.
Fans are encouraged to stop by the open- to-the-public festive area located in Union Station, featuring some incredible Light Up the Park displays.
Additionally, 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Yainer Diaz Catching Bobblehead, presented by Goya.
THIS WEEKEND’S TELECASTS: This entire series will be televised by Space City Home Network with Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum and Lauren Callender on the call.
Sideline reporter Julia Morales will rejoin the broadcast next week.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Astros dropped a close game last night by a score of 3-2 to the Orioles.
RHP Peter Lambert (1ER/6IP) was great in his start, fanning a career-high 10 hitters, while allowing just three hits in his start.
SS Jeremy Peña (2×3, 2BB), DH Yordan Alvarez (2×3, RBI, 2BB) and 3B Isaac Paredes (1×3, RBI, BB) reached base 10 times among the three of them at the top of the order.
RIDING THE LAMBO: Last night’s starter RHP Peter Lambert, who was a minor league free agent signing this offseason, leads the club in wins and among AL pitchers he ranks second in opponent average (.197) and seventh in ERA (3.03) (min. 90IP).
Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 starts.
MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez is a strong MVP candidate, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.067), OBP (.431), SLG (.636), and total bases (224).
Additionally, he is the Triple Crown leader in the AL, ranking first in batting average (.321), HR (31), and RBI (71) entering play today.
Alvarez also ranks first in the AL in hits (113), first in XBH (49), tied for second in runs (65), and fourth in walks (65).
ALL-STAR ALVAREZ: DH Yordan Alvarez started and hit second for the AL in this week’s All-Star Game, going 1×2 with a single and a run scored.
This marked the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he was voted as a starter (also in 2024)
WHAT A HALF!: DH Yordan Alvarez hit 31 homers prior to the break, which are the most in a first half in club history, topping OF Lance Berkman, who hit 29 homers in the first half of the 2002 season.
Alvarez is on pace to hit 50 homers on the season, which would represent a new franchise record, topping the 47 homers hit by 1B Jeff Bagwell in 2000.
Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in HR (31), first in RBI (70), first in XBH (48), tied for first in hits (111), second in batting average (.318), second in runs (65), and fourth in walks (63).
KEYSTONE FLIGHTS: 2B Jose Altuve has 246 career homers as a second baseman and per Elias that ties him with 2B Joe Gordon and 2B Ian Kinsler for eighth all-time in homers by a second baseman in MLB history.
On that all-time list, the trio immediately trails 2B Bret Boone (251), who happens to be the father-in-law of IF Nick Allen.
TAP FOR SUCCESS: Astros hitters have won an MLB-best 70 ABS challenges and lead the Majors in challenge success rate (61%).
2B Jose Altuve has been successful on 15-of-21 challenges (71%), ranking second in the Majors in challenges won.
3B Isaac Paredes (11-for-12) has been the most efficient regular challenger for the team and was successful in his first 11 challenges on the season.
WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 3-1 with 10 saves (in 10 chances), has a 1.17 ERA (2ER/15.1IP), 25 strikeouts in 15.1 innings, a .115 (6×52) opponent average, and a 0.91 WHIP in 17 appearances.
He has not allowed a hit in 13 of his 17 appearances.
ON THE DEFENSIVE: The Astros rank second in the AL in fielding pct. (.988) and their 42 errors are the second-fewest in the AL.
1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in his 95 games played at 1B.
Dating back to last season, Walker has not made an error in his last 123 games at 1B (last error was Aug. 23, 2025 at BAL).
ON THE MEND: RHP Hayden Wesneski (right elbow surgery) pitched for Triple A Sugar Land last night at El Paso, tossing 4.0 innings and 64 pitches, while allowing three runs on six hits.
He’s now made four rehab appearances, posting a 2.87 ERA (5ER/15.2IP) with 14 strikeouts in those contests.
MINOR LEAGUE PROMOTIONS: The Astros promoted several prospects throughout the minor league system over the All-Star break, notably moving RHP Jackson Nezuh up to Triple A Sugar Land, OF Chase Call up to Double A Corpus Christi, and IF Xavier Neyens up to Class A Asheville.
Neyens, who was the Astros first-round pick last season and currently ranks among the top 100 prospects in baseball, made his Tourists debut last night, going 1×4 with a double.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, July 18, 3:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 25: Former Toronto Blue Jays player Joe Carter throws out the first pitch prior to game two of the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Center on October 25, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A win would be nice, or at least score a bunch of runs.
The Jays are honoring the players from our World Series wins today. And the Joe Carter statue is being unveiled.
Being honest, I don’t see us having enough pitching to go on a sort of run needed to make the playoff. They haven’t shown the offense either, but we seem to be blowout ever 3rd or 4th game.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 28: Brandon Woodruff #53 of the Milwaukee Brewers walks back to the dugout in the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field on June 28, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not the end just yet for Brandon Woodruff. But his 2026 season is over.
Woodruff last pitched on the 4th of July, when he had to exit the game in the fourth inning due to renewed shoulder discomfort. He had missed six weeks earlier in the season with a shoulder issue that led to dead arm and diminished velocity. This time, though, the injury felt different. Woodruff got imaging done, which revealed a new injury to his anterior shoulder capsule. He then went to get a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, who performed Woodruff’s first shoulder capsule surgery back in 2023.
The opinion from Dr. Meister confirmed the worst: Woodruff would need surgery again.
“Yesterday with the announcement, it seemed like I was having a funeral or I was announcing retirement or something, and that’s not it at all. I gotta have surgery. It’s unfortunate,” Woodruff said.
Woodruff fully intends to return to the mound and pitch again. It’ll be a long process before he can get there, however. While Woodruff did not reveal an exact timeline, based on his previous shoulder capsule surgery, he won’t return until likely the 2028 season, when he will be 35 years old.
When he has been on the mound this year, Woodruff has still been effective, pitching to a 2.98 ERA across his nine starts, and that’s a point of pride for him.
“I think that’s exciting. I may not have the 98 mph anymore, but I can still pitch at what it was this year, 90-93. There were some 88s and 89s in there, and I know those last couple of batters were like, it was 85-86. But it taught me how you can change speeds and move the ball around, and it’s more about location than stuff per se. So that’s the exciting thing for me… I’ve always prided myself on being a pitcher,” Woodruff said.
“You start thinking about your time with the Brewers and one of your favorite moments — it’s Woody out there throwing 92 like it’s 99. Hard to stomach for our team, what it means for the dugout, what it means for the clubhouse. Yeah, it’s a gut punch, not just from the competitive standpoint, of course, but from the person,” Pat Murphy said.
This injury leaves the Brewers with two of their top three starting pitchers out for the rest of the season. Quinn Priester underwent TOS surgery earlier this year, and now Woodruff, within the next month, will go under the knife as well. Relievers Brian Fitzpatrick and Angel Zerpa are also out for the year with Tommy John surgery.
Woodruff is a free agent at season’s end, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be brought back to rehab once again or if he will have to seek that opportunity elsewhere.
For his career, Brandon Woodruff has a 3.10 ERA, the lowest ERA of any pitcher in Brewers franchise history with a minimum of 500 IP. He has totaled 19.0 bWAR, a 55-30 record, and 151 appearances with 136 starts.
Woodruff is at or near the top of the Brewers franchise leaderboards in several categories, including: bWAR (3rd), Win-Loss % (2nd), ERA (1st), WHIP (1st), H/9 (3rd), BB/9 (7th), K/9 (3rd), Adjusted ERA+ (1st), and FIP (2nd).
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 10: New York Yankees Outfielder Aaron Judge (99), Infielder Ben Rice (22) and Outfielder Cody Bellinger (35) watch the action on the field during the regular season game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays on April 10, 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
During the All-Star break, we polled Yankees fans about how they thought the regular season would end for the ol’ Bronx Bombers. The majority didn’t think they would win the AL East, instead having to settle for a Wild Card—though 35 percent at least thought that they would be the home team in a first-round best-of-three.
The immediate follow-up question must be asked though: How would the 2026 Yankees fare in the playoffs? So we of course obliged with our SB Nation Reacts question this week. Would the Yanks win it all and capture No. 28? Would they at least win their second AL pennant in three seasons after missing out last year at the hands (or talons) of the Blue Jays?
Yeah, optimism isn’t terribly high in the Bronx right now, even after a sweep to end the first half — one largely enabled by the lousy Nationals bullpen. Only a quarter of Yankees fans think that they’ll win the World Series. Although it was the most common answer in this poll, 25 percent is hardly a ringing endorsement. I’m sure that I’ve made this comp before, but it’s most similar to the “Ask the Audience” results on classic “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” when contestants would use the lifeline on a high-level question where the vast majority was just guessing.
Perhaps more concerning is the fact that the combined 55 percent don’t envision even a return to the Fall Classic. It’s one thing to be extremely worried about the juggernaut Dodgers in a potential World Series matchup. It’s another to not be terribly confident that they’ll win the pennant in an American League that currently looks even more underwhelming than it was in 2024, when the Yankees only had to dispatch the Royals and Guardians—hardly the powerhouse Astros or Red Sox of yesteryear—to secure their first World Series trip since 2009.
Ninety-six percent of fans at least see the Yankees returning to the playoffs. It’s just a matter of where they’ll bow out, though again, a quarter are keeping the faith! I might run this poll again after the Trade Deadline, just to get another pulse check.
Fire and rain impacting Clay Holmes, Luis Robert Jr.
The weather in New York has tossed a bit of a wrench into the plans for some rehab assignments.
Holmes was scheduled to pitch on Saturday night in Brooklyn, but with rain hammering the borough, Green said that, at the time he was speaking, with plans up in the air and “weather dependent,” the plan had now become for the right-hander to “throw a live BP to ensure he gets his pitches in today.”
“He’s completely fine; he’s geared up to throw around 45 pitches either in the game or live BP,” the interim skipper said. “Where we stand right now with where the weather is, it’s most likely going to be a live BP."
(The Cyclones later called off the game due to rain.)
As far as a timeline, speaking even before Holmes had thrown a single inning in his rehab, Green said that once he is built up to around a five-inning mark, the conversation can begin on when he will be set to re-join the big league outfit.
Robert, who had a double and two walks in five times up in his first game with Triple-A Syracuse after the All-Star break, came out of the game “really good,” Green said.
“He’s also in this weird weather world right now; I guess we’re trying to dodge fire and water right now,” the interim manager said. “I think it is just water up there in Syracuse, so for him we’re hoping he plays today, but not sure what that day is gonna be.
“If he doesn’t, we gotta determine if he plays tomorrow or when he does come back to us because he’s looking better and better.”
For a return, Green said that when the Mets head to Milwaukee for a three-game set on Monday, it is possible Robert could be activated. “Hope so, certainly hope he’s back in the mix by then,” he said.
Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing see more LHPs
Both of the Mets' highly-touted rookie left-handed batters were in the lineup against Phillies lefty Jesus Luzardo, which continues a trend of Benge and Ewing getting more chances left-on-left.
“I think they stay in and there’s no fear,” Green said when asked about why they’ve been successful against LHP. “I think you see it, especially with Carson, just whatever the pitch shape is just a comfort in the batter’s box. He’s not rattled by anything.
“A.J. has just such a short, compact swing that I think that plays incredibly well for him.”
Green added that they “both kinda do it a little bit differently,” but there is “reason to believe that they handle left-handed pitching.”
Through his first 95 plate appearances against lefties, Benge has a bit less power than against right-handers, but still posted an impressive .267/.337/.384 slash line for a .721 OPS.
Ewing has a bit less time against southpaws, with a slightly bigger drop in his average, but still a decent .231/.305/.442 slash for a .747 OPS in 60 plate appearances.
Crowded outfield
When Robert does return, what does that mean for all the above?
“All of them are going to play,” Green said. “That’s right for us from a matchup perspective; that’s right from a talent-level perspective. When it comes to the two kids that we feel strongly about, it’s their first full professional season; taking a day off a week as we get into kinda the dog days of July, August, and September isn’t going to hurt them; it will help them.
“We welcome really good baseball players back to the team and we’ll be excited to get [Robert’s] bat back into the lineup, and he’ll get some days off as well.”
Could Robert also get some time at DH? Well, that’s a bit more complicated with Jorge Polanco “getting a lot of those” and Juan Soto also getting some time as a hitter only.
“DH at-bats are tougher to come by than usual,” the skipper said. “But yes, that is a possibility as well.
That could also see Polanco get some time again at first base.
“I think so in time,” Green said when asked about that possibility. “Right now we got him back to get his bat back in the mix. So we’ve thought of him primarily as a DH in the short term. As we get into August, if he continues to feel good, I would expect us to start to explore that, get him so more ground balls, get him going again.
“That obviously was the intent when we signed him. Right now we just want his bat viable for us and we’ll cross that bridge when we get there in August.
AI in the dugout
Asked for his opinion on MLB changing what is allowed on iPads in the dugouts, the interim manager said he “cares about that as much as I care about game times changing an hour,” referencing the past two Mets games’ start time moving up one hour.
“I don’t care about it at all,” Green said. “Whatever the rules are, we remain fully compliant. And Major League Baseball makes those determinations. And we go out and play a game.”
After the news of MLB’s change was reported, former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino said the Mets were "the main team" that got cracked down on by MLB for using an AI program on iPads in the dugout that would help them "pick pitches.”
Asked if he or the organization had any reaction to Ottavino’s comments, the interim skipper said, “I certainly don’t.”
“I don’t think it does us any good to talk about what everybody says publicly,” he continued. “From my perspective, what I just said remains true: We remain compliant with everything MLB’s asked us to do, and we’ll continue to do that.”
