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

The San Diego Padres brought Gavin Sheets back on a one-year, $4.5 million contract to avoid salary arbitration. It locked him into becoming the lineup’s top designated hitter option. 

Injuries forced Sheets’ role to change

However, injuries to Jake Cronenworth, Ramon Laureano, and Miquel Andujar forced the Padres to revamp their starting lineup. The biggest move was having Sheets play the corner outfield position full-time. 
He may not have great defensive range, but Sheets can put a glove on balls hit in his direction.

He has dominated the plate by shattering expectations, with a .232 average, 12 home runs, and 33 RBI that should easily eclipse last season’s career numbers, which were .252 with 19 HR and 71 RBI in 145 games.

Sheets has become an RBI machine with RISP

The one change we see in 2026 is Sheets’ production with runners in scoring position. The Friar Faithful are witnessing another season where Sheets is exceeding expectations. The 30-year-old is hitting .366 with 4 HR, 22 RBI, and a 1,227 OPS in runners in scoring position.

Unfortunately, the lineup is going to need some assistance in scoring runs. Manny Machado has struggled significantly at the plate, posting a .179 BA, but he has shown signs of busting out of his season-long slumber. 

The rise in his production with runners in scoring position has been aided by the insertion of Sheets in the five spot of the batting order. Machado is hitting .259 with 2 HR and 18 RBI. Sheets continued his torrid pace, hitting .357 with a .762 slugging percentage.

New offensive outlook

The hope is for the top of the order to get on base via walk or a bunt base hit. Then, keep the line moving for the lineup’s big hitters. Each is clutch to knock in runs late in games. 

Combined, Machado and Sheets had 90 ABs in the same inning. They hit .256 with 4 HR and 40 RBI. Sheets is dominating the partnership by capitalizing on each scoring situation. Machado’s production is on the rise, but it may take him a little time to reach his career average of .275 with runners in scoring position.

The Friars need to put themselves in better hitting situations. Hopefully, it leads to more run production.

I haven’t seen any mocks sending Ruiz to the Phillies or any rumors reported on interest from the Phillies, but it’s hard to miss the similarities to picks during the Barber/Mattingly/Dombrowski regime. Ruiz is old for the class (turned 19 in March), is an up the middle defender, has a contact over power approach, but with the swing speed to suggest he could get to some power, and from an area that’s decidedly not a baseball hot bed. That’s basically the exact description of Dante Nori and not far from descriptions of Justin Crawford and Aiden Miller (in Miller’s case his lack of power in High School was injury related). As I’ve said in other previews this year, when picking so low in the First Round (Comp round even, at this point) you have to pick your poison of what flaws you want to gamble on: perceived injury risk (Wood), age relative to peers (Nori, Miller), lack of power (Miller, Crawford, Nori), cold climate (Nori), etc. I’m banking this preview on them looking at Ruiz similarly to their view of Nori.

Ruiz’s overall profile is a 5’10”, 165 lbs, natural Shortstop with smooth actions and plenty of arm, switch hitting bat and line drive gap power from The Stony Brook School in New York. He’s a Vanderbilt commit, so there is some risk he decides not to sign and goes to College where he’d be a draft eligible Sophomore. His profile is actually very reminiscent of Bryan Rincon, who’s having a bit of a breakout season this year. Ruiz was projected pre-season to be closer to a possible top 10 pick, but hasn’t shown any real improvement to in-game power (he shows it in BP, but prospect history is littered with guys who had plenty of BP power and nothing in-game), while other players have. His carrying tool is going to be his glove, which is best in class. He makes all the routine plays and stays under control, but also make acrobatic, highlight-reel quality plays that have earned him plenty of raves. Thanks to his glove he’ll stand a very good chance of at least getting to the MLB level as a glove first bench player. He’s an average runner, who will get some stolen bases, but not really be a weapon in that part of his game. And his arm is a plus weapon allowing him to play multiple positions, if needed down the line.

Switch hitters are double the fun from a draft profile perspective, as you get 2 different swings to analyze, but we’ll start with the basics that apply to both swings. Both swings are mostly line drive oriented and Ruiz rarely swings and misses from either side of the plate. Now for the individual swings his left handed swing shows more pop and better bat speed (that’s good, he’ll use that one more). One notable point is how similar his right and left swings are. For both he sets up with VERY high hands, almost over his head, with some lateral bat wiggle, a small leg kick and short, well-timed stride into his contact zone. I’d love to see if he can bring the hands down some and drop the bat less to shorten his path. That’s a minor quibble and his swing overall looks very smooth and you don’t need tons of power out of him with that glove and plus contact ability. Video below shows a bit of everything in non-game settings.

This video is a very similar vein of workout/showcase video. with a little view from behind the plate in addition.

This pick would feel a lot like the Nori pick as a high floor-lower ceiling gamble. We’re basically a round 2 pick and this is pretty consistent with the profile of the guys you’d be excited about in round 2.

Phillies fans, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

The good news is, you’re killing it in your efforts to elect Brandon Marsh to a starting outfield spot on the National League All Star team.

In voting released by the league Monday, Marsh’s 1.256 million votes are second-most among NL outfielders, trailing only the Dodgers’ Andy Pages, who has compiled 1.518 million votes, and is slightly more than Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna and his 1.216 million votes.

The top-three vote getters will be named NL All Star Game starters, and Marsh is well positioned to do that. He has slightly more than a 200,000 vote edge on the Braves’ Michael Harris II, at 1.059 million votes.

The top six outfielders advance to the second round of voting. At every other position, the the top-two vote getters advance to the second round. Marsh will certainly move onto the next round of the balloting, and has the inside track on landing a starting spot in the outfield.

So, great job, guys! Stuffing the ballot box for Marsh, whose .311 batting average entering play on Tuesday ranks 2nd among NL outfielders (San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee, .327), and is sporting a .344 OBP and an OPS of .899. In celebration, Marsh hit his 10th homer of the season for the Phillies’ lone run in their 4-1 loss to the Nationals in Washington.

Here’s the bad news. Much work remains to get Bryce Harper to the next round of the voting.

Harper currently ranks 3rd among all NL first basemen, with 1.143 million votes. He trails Atlanta’s Matt Olson by a little less than 300,000 votes (1.421 million) and is well behind L.A.’s Freddie Freeman (1.779 million), despite leading all NL first basemen in OPS. His .897 OPS is 20 points better than Olson’s .877.

Elsewhere, a few Phils do appear poised to stay on the ballot for the second round.

At third base, Alec Bohm surprisingly has the second-most votes (804,309) in the NL. He’s well ahead of Atlanta’s Austin Riley (572,816), although there’s no drama as to who will actually start for the All Star team, with the Dodgers’ Max Muncy dominating the field (1.933 million votes).

At second, Bryson Stott is also in position to move onto the second round (801,006) trailing Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies by 171,000 votes (972,537). There is a real chance Stott could jump ahead of Albies, but only if Phillies fans make a concerted effort to make it happen. Stott’s .674 OPS ranks just 11th among qualified NL second baseman, but who cares about a small detail like that?

The last Phillie in position to make the second round is MLB’s home run leader, Kyle Schwarber. He’s second among NL designated hitters with 1.54 million votes. Unfortunately, he trails the very best baseball player the human race has ever seen, Shohei Ohtani, whose 2.31 million votes leads all vote-getters in any category. But have no fear, Schwarber will be there, just not in the starting lineup.

Unfortunately, Trea Turner’s awful start has torpedoed his chances of moving on among shortstops. One could argue he shouldn’t even be fourth on the list, trailing only Elly De La Cruz, Mookie Betts and CJ Abrams. And among catchers, J.T. Realmuto currently sits in 3rd (829,868 votes), trailing the Dodgers’ Will Smith for 2nd by 460,000 votes.

So fans, there is work left to do.

Get Brandon Marsh across the finish line.

Get Bryce Harper into the first base finals.

Get Bryson Stott into the starting lineup.

And hey, while we’re at it, let’s shock the world and make Kyle Schwarber the starting DH in the National League.

It’s part of your civic duty as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday. You love the Constitution, don’t you?

Happy Tuesday A’s fans!

The Athletics’ just wrapped up a disappointing series against the division-rival Angels this past weekend. The A’s split the four-game set, but they let the series finale split through their fingers. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s tough to drop those games against a lesser opponent that has one of the worst records in the sport.

Time to flush it and get ready for the Giants. The A’s are back in their old stomping grounds as we have three games set to get going over the next few days. The Giants, like the Angles, are one of the worst teams in the league and likely sellers next month. The A’s can’t afford to be letting games like this go if they want to stick in the playoff hunt into September.

The Giants haven’t had a great season so far. Led by a rookie manager in Tony Vitello with no professional experience, the Giants’ veteran-led roster has disappointed on and off the field. At 31-46 they’re just one game ahead of the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in the entiresport. It’s not as if they haven’t tried as their $231.9 million payroll sits at 11th in baseball. A huge part of their problems can be attributed to the struggles of their most expensive players, Willy Adames, Rafael Devers, and old friend of the Green & Gold Matt Chapman. The recent controversy regarding the players’ wearing the Pride Hat has also now caused fans even more stress as the focus has turned off the field (including the Vice President’s view on the matter).

It hasn’t been all sadness and rain for the Giants. Star prospect Bryce Eldridge looks like the real deal as he’s finally being given a chance to play at the big league level. Swiss army knife Casey Schmitt is in the midst of a breakout year at the plate with 16 long balls. Second baseman Luis Arraez has rediscovered his defense while being coached under another former friend in Ron Washington. Outfielder Jung-hoo Lee is second in all of baseball with a .320 batting average. And former Athletics’ first round pick Daniel Susac has held his own as one of the main catching options.

Perhaps more disappointing than the offense has been the pitching, which has always been a strength for them pitching in that cavernous ballpark. Staff ace Logan Webb has pitched well, but outside of him their starting rotation has been roughed up. The group’s 4.63 ERA is ahead of only the Rockies and Mets in the National League. Landon Roupp and Robbie Ray haven’t been dominant but have held their own, but offseason pickups Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser have been problems for them on the backend, so much so that Houser is now in the bullpen after inking a two-year, $22 million deal this winter. Not the return on investment they were likely hoping for.

Luckily for the A’s they’ll miss Webb during this series. Tonight’s starting matchup will pit veterans Aaron Civale and Ray. Ray has a lower ERA on the season but Civale was pitching fantastically before some recent struggles made his overall stat line look worse. Then it’ll be the rookie Gage Jump making his first start at Oracle Park, and he’ll be opposed by Mahle. And then the series wraps on Thursday afternoon with a pitching duel between lefty Jeffrey Springs and the right-handed Roupp.

First pitch is at 6:45 tonight. We’re just a game and a half back of the Mariners for the AL West lead. Gotta rack up a couple wins, at least. Have a great day everyone.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Squander Chances, Fall to Pirates in Series Equalizer
• As a ballpark rises in Las Vegas, owner John Fisher is pitching his A’s — and himself
• J.T Ginn and Nick Kurtz Lead A’s to Victory Over the Pirates
• Alvarado’s return so dominant, he’s inviting a lofty comparison
• Why Front Office And Manager Should Be Embarrassed By Today’s Game
• Some Easy Fixes Rocket Science Aren’t
• Athletics’ Devin Taylor Emerges As All-Around Talent
• Status Report: Uncertainty Persists In 5 Places On The Diamond
• Why A’s Williams Deserves Spot Past Jacob Wilson’s Return
• 7 wild facts from a Vegas show for the ages
• A’s $2 Billion Las Vegas Ballpark Shows Progress With First Roof Truss in Place
• A’s interested in Kris Bubic
• Korach reflects on A’s history in Las Vegas, upcoming move
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In June
• Las Vegas is ‘dying for a baseball team.’ Will its locals adopt the A’s?
• The A’s Inability To Play Well At Home Is Embarrassing
• Arnold and Jump are both slinging … anyone else reminded of another A’s duo?
• Three Dark Horse Trade Candidates for Athletics This Summer
• Athletics Early MLB Draft Preview

MLB News and Interest:

• Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker exits win vs. Twins with low back spasms
• Rockies walk off Red Sox … in a way we haven’t seen in 20 years!
• Sonny Gray “Open” To Discussing No-Trade Clause If Red Sox Sell
• Boomer Sooner! Oklahoma wins 1st MCWS title since ’94
• Manfred: Giants’ communication to players over Pride caps ‘not clear’
• Mauricio Dubón Open To Extension Talks With Braves
• Antonacci plays hero in back-and-forth victory to put South Siders atop AL Central
• Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff gets 900th K in return from IL
• Rangers Sign Marco Gonzales To Minor League Deal
• Angels Designate Nick Madrigal For Assignment
• Reds Designate Chris Paddack For Assignment
• 5 takeaways from the latest All-Star voting results
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Anyone on this list off the table for you?

Refering to Jack Perkins:

That’s something most A’s fans would have been able to tell you:

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rays fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

You can’t tell the story of the Houston Astros the last 3 seasons without addressing their historic amount of injuries, especially to the starting pitching.

Each of the past 2 seasons, the Astros depended on pitchers returning from injury, with less than optimal results.

This season is no different, and the team is counting on several starting pitchers to be able to return from injury and be productive members of the staff.

Among those returning starting pitchers, which one do you believe is likely to have the biggest positive impact on the team?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Astros fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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The Atlanta Braves visit the San Diego Padres tonight at Petco Park, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. 

My Braves vs. Padres predictions are eyeing Griffin Canning to quiet Atlanta's offense and continue his improved form at home. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, June 23.

Who will win Braves vs Padres today: Padres moneyline (+101)

The Atlanta Braves will hand JR Ritchie the baseball tonight, and the rookie has struggled lately. He owns a 6.70 FIP over his last 10 innings while allowing an alarming 46.2% hard-hit rate.

It doesn't get much better on the road, where Ritchie has posted a 5.24 FIP this season.

Griffin Canning hasn't been in peak form lately either, carrying a 5.46 xERA across his last five appearances. However, the right-hander has pitched considerably better at Petco Park, compiling a respectable 3.48 xFIP.

Atlanta's offense is also cold. The Braves were shut out in Monday's series opener and haven't scored more than four runs in a game since last Wednesday.

I'll play this pick up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: The Braves own just a .120 ISO over the last week compared to a .166 mark on the season, suggesting their power production has cooled considerably.

Braves vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-131)

There may be two inconsistent starters on the mound, but neither lineup is swinging the bats particularly well. Atlanta owns a 67 wRC+ over its last six games and is averaging just three runs per contest during that span.

San Diego has been slightly better offensively, but its .313 wOBA doesn't suggest a lineup capable of carrying this total on its own. Both bullpens have also been solid lately. Atlanta's relief corps owns a 3.59 xERA over the last week, while the Padres' pen has posted a stellar 2.51 ERA across the last two weeks.

Between the bullpen form and recent offensive struggles, the Under offers value.

I'll play this pick up to -140. 

Braves vs Padres weather

Conditions at Petco Park should be fairly neutral tonight. Temperatures are expected to be around 70°F with 8.1 mph winds, 73.1% humidity, and virtually no chance of rain. The mild weather and light breeze shouldn't provide much assistance to either pitchers or hitters.

Braves vs Padres odds

• Moneyline: Braves -108 | Padres +104
• Run line: Braves -1.5 (+150) | Padres +1.5 (-170)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+113) | Under 8.5 (-117)

Braves vs Padres trend

The Padres have hit the Under in 16 of their last 22 games at home (+9.50 Units / 40% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Padres.

How to watch Braves vs Padres and game info

Braves vs Padres latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

After the game, Foster Griffin told me, “You are not done until the manager shakes your hand and says you are done”. Last night, that hand shake did not come until one out in the 8th inning. When Blake Butera took the ball from Griffin, the crowd that stuck through a long rain delay erupted in cheers.

It has been that kind of season for Foster Griffin. In his first season back from Japan, the crafty lefty has been an absolute horse for the Nationals. On the season, he has a 3.15 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 91.1 innings. That is borderline ace stuff, or at least high end number 2 starter production for a guy who signed for $5.5 million.

Griffin has had a lot of good outings, but tonight may have been his best. As he put it, there are only 4 or 5 outings across the season where everything is working, and tonight was one of those nights. Griffin was using his entire 7 pitch mix to perfection, and it baffled the Phillies. He tied his career high with 9 strikeouts.

While Griffin’s cutter is always his bread and butter pitch, it was particularly dominant tonight. He got 8 of his 17 whiffs on the cutter, which he threw 29% of the time. Seeing all his pitches work together was truly beautiful. As usual, he had his fastball and breaking stuff, but his changeup and splitter were also on point tonight. That changeup was just perplexing right handed hitters.

Foster Griffin has honestly been a true ace outside of back to back blowup starts in May. When he had those rough outings, there were questions about if the soft tossing lefty had been figured out. However, he has had his best month of the season so far in June. Griffin has allowed exactly one run in each of his four outings this month.

Griffin’s performances have left a real mark on his teammates as well. Luis Garcia Jr. was quick to remark that Griffin is impressive every time he pitches, not just tonight. He also said that you can rely on Griffin to go 6 or 7 innings almost every time out. Garcia is pretty spot on in this assessment, as Griffin has gone at least 6 frames in 8 of his last 12 outings.

Curtis Mead was very impressed by how Griffin kept the Phillies hitters off balance. He said that, “It felt like the swings (from Phillies hitters) were not as good as those guys are capable of”. Seeing what Griffin did to a lineup that thrashed the Mets the last couple days made this even more impressive. Kyle Schwarber has been on one of his home run binges, but Griffin made him look silly.

That has been a trend for Griffin. He just has hitters second guessing themselves with all of the different pitches he can throw. I am not saying he is Max Scherzer obviously, but last night felt like a Scherzer outing, even down to the solo homer he gave up. It has been a while since I have seen a Nats starter in such control of an outing that deep into the game.

One key part of Griffin’s outing is that he did not walk anyone. That has been a trademark for him all season, but especially lately. In his last 7 starts, Griffin has just 5 walks in over 40 innings. Just seeing a Nats pitcher not beat themselves while also having the stuff to beat opposing hitters just gives me so much joy.

The Nats will have an interesting decision to make with Griffin at the deadline. He is only on a one-year deal, so there is a chance he could be moved. However, with how the Nats are playing, moving him is not the lock that it may have been earlier in the season. As Spencer Nusbaum put it, Griffin is one of the faces of Paul Toboni’s trade deadline conundrum. 

It would be wrong for Toboni not to at least explore the market. However, I also think it would be a mistake for Toboni to not check in with Griffin’s representation to see what an extension would look like. With underlying numbers that are more average than elite and stuff that does not jump off the page, Griffin might be more valuable to the Nats than he is on the trading block.

A Griffin trade is still obviously on the table, but an extension for 2 to 3 years should be as well. It all comes down to where the Nats are sitting in a month and what Griffin’s number would be. I doubt teams would pay Griffin the way most 3.15 ERA guys are paid in assets or money. That could make an extension easier, but this could be the best we get from Griffin. Just look at Erick Fedde, who had a great first season back from Asia and regressed after that.

This will be a complicated decision for the Nats front office. However, that is not the main focus right now. Instead, let’s close out by talking about how brilliant the lefty has been for this team. He was a real under the radar pickup, but has been one of the steals of the offseason. It is tough to imagine where the Nats would be without Griffin, but they sure would not be in a Wild Card race.

A 5-3 final score does not feel super lousy if you’re just hearing about it in passing. But if you watched any of the Yankees’ game last night in Detroit, it sure felt lousy.

A brief 1-0 lead was lost due to an ineffective Gerrit Cole, as he gave up an uncharacteristic nine hits and five runs, failing to get through five innings on 89 pitches. The Bombers bats didn’t do much against Framber Valdez, and only a two-run homer by Amed Rosario off Drew Anderson brought this back to a two-run game. Jasson Domínguez struck out with two on and two outs in the eighth, and that was the end of the Yanks’ last real threat. Bummer. The Yanks must get out of the muck today, or they’ll face a potential sweep and five-game skid at the hands of Tarik Skubal tomorrow.

The AL West-leading Mariners were idle on Monday, but here’s some of what else was going on around the Junior Circuit.

Tampa Bay Rays (43-32) 1, Kansas City Royals (33-46) 2

The Yankees’ two-game lead in the AL East remained intact because the Rays had their own lifeless showing in their own ballpark against an underachieving Royals team that didn’t have their best player at their disposal. Not great, Bob(by).

Fortunately for Kansas City, if they have any All-Star this year outside of Bobby Witt Jr., it’s starter Michael Wacha. He got to pitch Monday and handled the Rays pretty easily with seven innings of six-hit, one-run ball, pushing his innings total up to an AL-leading 101 through 16 starts. He only fanned five, but he made the right pitches in the counts he needed them, and this game was over in 2 hours and 13 minutes.

Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen drew the short straw of this pitchers’ duel and lost despite a fair outing of six innings with four hits and two runs allowed. He actually leads the AL in WHIP and BB/9 with a sterling 0.884 and 1.6 respectively. He did walk two yesterday though and the first quickly burned him at the beginning of the second. Lane Thomas doubled in Michael Massey to score the game’s first run in the second, and he moved to third on the play.

Rasmussen buckled down to retire the next three batters in order with two K’s. In the fifth however, KC struck out again, this time with small ball. Nick Loftin got a hit and stole second, and following Rasmussen’s second free pass of the evening, capable catcher Carter Jensen drove Loftin in with a single to center. Rasmussen ended the inning on the next two pitches, but the insurance run was helpful for Wacha, as the Rays plated their only run in the home half of the frame, Yandy Díaz doubling in Richie Palacios with two outs.

Wacha stranded Díaz on a groundout by Jonny DeLuca and retired six of the next seven batters to end his outing with ease. The Rays ran themselves out of a threat in the eighth when a pinch-running Victor Mesa Jr. got thrown out on a stolen base attempt with two outs and masher Junior Caminero at the plate, who generally has runners in scoring position already when he steps up to bat. Oops. Alex Lange tossed a perfect ninth for KC, nailing down the one-run win.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (39-39) 4, Houston Astros (37-43) 2: The Jays got back to .500 for the first time since May 29th. Ace Hunter Brown made his second start off the IL for the Astros, and though he allowed just one run, he was worked through three innings, tossing 85 pitches — one of which left the yard on a Kazuma Okamoto homer. Somewhat amusingly, the rest of the Toronto runs against the Houston bullpen all came on sacrifice flies, the most important coming off the bat of Myles Straw in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. Those count! Dylan Cease struck out eight in 5.2 innings of two-run ball, though Braydon Fisher got the win with four key outs in middle relief.

Cleveland Guardians (41-38) 5, Chicago White Sox (40-37) 6: This was a spirited back-and-forth on the South Side! It was all Chicago for the first half and change, as Anthony Kay spun six shutout innings and a Randal Grichuk homer helped build a 3-0 lead. But Cleveland came alive with three in the seventh on three singles and two walks off reliever Grant Taylor. Sam Antonacci put the Pale Hose ahead with an RBI knock after the seventh-inning stretch, and manager Will Venable handed the lead to free-agent closer addition Seranthony Domínguez.

It’s been a bumpy road for Seranthony thus far in 2026 unfortunately, and he fell apart in the ninth. He walked Travis Bazzana and uncorked a wild pitch while Bazzana was already stealing, allowing the tying run to move up 90 feet. Patrick Bailey singled him in and Brayan Rocchio followed with an laser double to right. Bailey froze at third and Domínguez did fan Rhys Hoskins for the second out. But Chris Murphy entered and let Kyle Manzardo tie it up on a sacrifice fly that just barely scored Bailey upon replay review.

The more reliable Cade Smith had already thrown a scoreless eighth for Cleveland, and skipper Steven Vogt had no qualms about letting him go for the save in a second inning. Alas, the South Siders had one last rally in ’em. Braden Montgomery worked a one-out walk and Tristan Peters hit a check-swing/excuse-me double down the left field line to put two in scoring position. Pinch-hitter Jacob Gonzalez struck out swinging in his attempt to be the hero, but for the second time in three innings, Antonacci came through. Down to their last strike and in an 0-2 count, Antonacci took ball one, fouled two off, and then singled cleanly to center, scoring both Montgomery and Peters to walk off the Guardians. The two teams are in a virtual tie atop the AL Central.

Watch the full four-ish minute highlight package for this one! It’s a hoot.

As we close in on the 2026 MLB Draft, the focus on who the Atlanta Braves are looking at for the ninth overall pick has come into focus a bit. Names like Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, and Florida prep lefty Gio Rojas seem to be the names most prominently linked to the club. Massachusetts prep lefty Brody Bumila is also a name that has received some buzz. My goal is to start to break down who these players are and their strengths and weaknesses to prepare you for the newest Braves prospect.

We will continue the series by looking at Florida high school pitcher Gio Rojas, the lone pitcher and prep player being prominently linked to the Braves at #9.

Bio

Name: Gio Rojas

Position: Left-Handed Pitcher

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 195

College Commitment: Miami

High School: Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Coral Springs, FL)

Previously Drafted: N/A

Bats/Throws: R/L

Stats

2024: 4-0, 0.66 ERA, 0.47 WHIP, 41 K, 3 BB, 7 H, 21.1 IP, 5 Games

2025: 13-0, 0.72 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 120 K, 16 BB, 35 H, 68 IP, 14 Games

2026: 11-1, 0.58 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 124 K, 17 BB, 31 H, 72.2 IP, 13 Games

Fastball 60

Rojas has a big fastball up to 98 MPH from the left side, coming in with plenty of life. This is definitely a bat missing pitch that will grade out as a plus offering for him.

Slider 60

As good as his fastball is, the slider is his out pitch and comes in with very high spin rates. It’s just nasty and should be a pitch that will rack up the strikeouts for him as he continues to progress.

Changeup 50

Like many high school pitchers with a powerful arm, Rojas doesn’t use the changeup much in games because it actually gives his competition a better chance at being successful due to him taking something off his premium stuff. He does however have some feel for it and it should be a solid third offering for him – though this does take some projection to get to the average grade.

Command 55

Rojas is a strike thrower who has a chance to get to above average command in the future. He needs to clean up his mechanics a little bit, mostly by being more consistent all the time, but that is a coachable thing for an arm like him. Once that takes place, it’s not hard to see the 55 grade coming into play.

Overall

Rojas is a projectable, athletic young arm who only turns 19 about two weeks ahead of the draft. All of the ingredients are there for him to have top of the rotation potential. That is why he is not only the top ranked prep pitcher in this draft, but may even be the second best arm in this draft, behind only Jackson Flora.

He would almost certainly be an underslot option for the Braves at #9, but at the same time he wouldn’t come extremely cheap either. Even if you took the underslot out of things, he is probably my favorite option among the four most commonly linked players to the Braves – simply because he has the highest ceiling of those options.

Rojas ceiling is a potential ace, but with his stuff and command he also seems like a higher floor option than most prep arms. If the Braves did draft him I would count on him maybe seeing Augusta for a short stint this season, and he might get the chance to earn his way to Augusta in 2027 – similar to Briggs McKenzie from last year. He would potentially be a big league option mid-2029 at the earliest.

This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”

Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (33-41, 13.5 games back)

The Storm Chasers split their series on the road in St. Paul. On the mound, Randy Dobnak, who the Royals traded for, made his first start with the organization. He went 4.1 innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs, walking 1 and striking out 5. Génesis Cabrera threw 3.1 innings of 2 run ball, both runs unearned, over 3 relief appearances, striking out 4 batters. Bailey Falter made a start, going 4 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs, walking 3 and striking out 4.

At the plate, Abraham Toro had a great week, going 9-for-23, hitting 2 doubles, 2 triples and 3 homers, while driving in 10 runs. Oh, and he hit for the cycle, the sixth in modern Omaha history. Brandon Drury went 9-for-15, with 3 doubles, 2 homers, driving in 6 runs. Matthew Lugo was 12-for-29, with 3 doubles, 2 homers and 4 runs batted in.

The Storm Chasers return home to take on the Columbus Clippers this week. The series runs from Tuesday through Sunday.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (29-38, 16 games back)

The Naturals lost 4 of 6 to the Tulsa Drillers, the best team in Double-A. At the plate, outfielder Connor Scott went 6-for-15, with a double and homer, also driving in 3 runs. Scott is a 26-year-old, from the Marlins organization, he was taken 13th overall in 2018. Rudy Martin was 7 for 21, Jack Pineda was 7 for 19 with a double and 5 runs batted in.

On the mound, Drew Beam was fantastic in his only start of the week, going 7.1 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 run, walking 1 and striking out 5. Beam seems to finally have settled in at Northwest after getting promoted right before the season started from Quad Cities. Frank Mozzicato threw 4 scoreless innings over two relief appearances, allowing 2 hits, walking 5 and striking 5 batters out. Hunter Patteson made two starts, totaling 13 innings, allowing 6 hits, 5 runs, walking 3 and striking out 11. Patteson is a 26-year-old lefty out of Central Florida selected in the 5th round draft pick in 2022 by the Royals. He has a 5.22 ERA over 58.2 innings so far this season.

The Naturals hit the road, to take on the Springfield Cardinals this week. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Quad Cities River Bandits (30-35, 10 games back)

The River Bandits lost 3 of 5 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, with one game being rained out. On the mound, Kendry Chourio made his High-A debut after getting promoted from Columbia. The 18-year-old right hander went 4.2 innings, allowing 7 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), while striking out 10 batters. It was a mixed bag performance against the fourth best team in High-A. Elsewhere, David Shields went 5 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, walking 1 and striking out 10 hitters. It’s the second straight start for Shields with 10 strikeouts. Jordan Woods threw for the first time in a couple weeks, going 2 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit, walking 1 and striking out 2. Emmanuel Reyes threw 6 innings of 2 run ball, allowing 7 hits, while striking out 5.

At the plate, Ramon Ramirez was 7-for-20, with a double and 2 homers, while driving in 5 runs. On the season, Ramirez is hitting .285/.360/.487. The 21-year-old catcher is in his first year at Quad Cities. Derlin Figueroa was just 1-for-16, cooling him down after a good start to June and an overall good month. Figueroa is slashing .277/.366/.564 with 15 homers this season. The first baseman is just 22 years old.

The River Bandits hit the road to take on the South Bend Cubs, one of the best teams in High-A. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Columbia Fireflies (34-35, 5 games back)

The Fireflies lost 4 of 6 to the Hickory Crawdads. On the mound, Jose Gutierrez threw 7 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, striking out 4. Ryan McDonagh, a 20-year-old right hander from Canada, made his Low-A debut after getting promoted from Rookie Ball. In his start, he went 5 innings, allowing 1 hit, 2 runs, 2 walks, striking out 4.

At the plate, Josh Hammond went 8-for-18, with a homer and 2 runs driven in. Hammond is slashing .287/.349/.422 on the year. Sean Gamble went 6-for-16 with a pair of doubles and 3 runs batted in. Gamble in the month of June is slashing .292/.444/.438. Raising his season average all the way to .179, it’s good to see the Royals first round draft pick from last season starting to put things together.

The Fireflies stay on the road, taking on the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

This is not going to be one of those years where the American League All-Star roster is chock full of Orioles. There will probably only be one. The fan voting is not going to bring any Orioles on as starters, nor should it, because there aren’t any guys who are doing so overwhelmingly great to deserve that.

Still, there are a few Orioles with at least interesting cases to make the roster. In this week’s survey, I’d like you to think about who deserves it the most. You can define “deserve” however you like. For me, it’s a player who is among the best at his position in the league so far this year, or at least close enough to it that he’s not likely to end up on the level of an “All-Star Ty Wigginton” kind of embarrassment years down the road.

What do you think? Vote here:

Results will be shared on Friday. I’m curious to see how this one shakes out, because you could make the case for a few of these guys. It might come down to the commissioner’s office decision of who would fit the roster best based on the choices of the fans for starters, the players for reserves, and other “this team must have one All-Star” decisions.

In these divided times, there aren’t that many things that we can all agree on. But in Kansas City Royals land, there are at least a few: that Bobby Witt Jr. is the franchise’s best position player since George Brett, that keeping him healthy is important for the short and long term, and that it would not be a good thing if, say, he weren’t in a knee brace. 

Unfortunately for us all, he’s hurt. He’s in a knee brace. And manager Matt Quatraro hopes that he will be available in the next few days after being diagnosed with a grade 1 MCL sprain. 

Witt last played on June 18, where he went down after a defensive play at shortstop. It looked scary, and though he stayed in the game afterwards, he was taken out of the game later.

While we’re on the subject of other things we can all agree on, let’s also talk about Maikel Garcia, who is also an important player for the Royals to succeed. Unfortunately for us all, he has been hurt, too. On May 30, Garcia was removed from the game after seven innings. He was diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring strain, and though he made an appearance as a pinch hitter and as the designated hitter a few times in the following games, it took eight days for him to be well enough to play in the field again. 

Just a few weeks later, Garcia saw some time off due to injury, this time due to hand soreness which he said first happened in the St. Louis series in mid-May. Garcia left the game on June 16 after six innings and then saw the field five days later at shortstop while Witt was out.

And finally, one thing that we can all agree on, too, is that Salvador Perez is the best defensive catcher on the team. Yet at the beginning of May, Salvy spent eight consecutive games as the designated hitter due to a hip injury (and was on base only five times in 32 plate appearances).

What ties all these events together? You probably guessed, especially if you read the title of this article, but the answer is that the Royals didn’t put any of these players on the injured list at any point. 

Putting a player on the injured list provides the team with a clear benefit: players on the injured list don’t count against the active roster. So, as long as a player is on the injured list, they can call up another player to take their spot. The downside, though, is that injured list stints require a minimum of 10 days for position players (and 15 for pitchers) for non-concussion injuries. 

I don’t want to get into nitpicking whether or not any of these specific situations warranted an injured list trip or not. The fact of the matter is that the team doctors know more than us both about medicine in general and these situations in particular. Plus, players want to play, and more of them are banged up to some degree than not at this point in the year. Teams are better off with their core players playing at less than 100% than they are with Triple-A guys filling in at full strength, and of course there’s a chance that those players are also at less than 100%. 

All the listed injuries I brought up could have easily been injured list material. Salvy went 11 days between games behind the dish with his hip injury. Garcia went eight days between games in the field with his hammy injury. And Witt will, at minimum, be five days between any baseball action at all; he’ll hit the 10-day counter this upcoming Sunday. 

This is clearly a pattern, and it’s one that has actually gone back a few years. The Royals just do not like putting guys on the injured list if they don’t know for sure they’ll be out a minimum of 10 days. And it would be one thing if this were just limited to the player, but there are teamwide consequences, too–with guys on the bench but unable to play, Kansas City is forgoing a roster spot every time they do this.

I think it would also be one thing if the Royals were fighting for a playoff spot, but the 2026 Royals are simply fighting to not be the worst team in the American League. What’s the worst that could happen if Witt or Garcia or Salvy spend a few unnecessary days on the injured list? The team loses 95 games instead of 93 games? Oh, the horror. 

Witt’s injury is particularly worrying to me. Yeah, I’m sure he wants to play. Yeah, I know the Royals want to win, still, regardless of their record. But the Royals are going to look really dumb if that MCL sprain turns into some other, bigger knee damage that affects 2027 if they don’t even put him on the IL and send him back out there to play as soon as he can.

Game Recaps

Merrill Kelly grinds out bounce-back effort as Diamondbacks fall short vs. Cardinals by Payne Moses [Arizona Sports]

Kelly has logged more than one uncharacteristic start this season after re-signing with Arizona, but he didn’t let the latest last week against the Los Angeles Angels (six earned runs on 11 hits) carry over into Monday.

It didn’t look like a bounce-back start was loading in the first, with the first three St. Louis batters reaching on two singles and a walk. But a lineout to Geraldo Perdomo by star right fielder Jordan Walker and 4-6-3 double play hit into by Lars Nootbaar was a huge zero to put on the board.

Diamondbacks Fall Down to the .500 Line After New Loss to Cardinals by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to look like a rudderless team. Once again, they have fallen back to the .500 line after taking another tough loss in their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals are, admittedly, a tough opponent. But in what has seemed to be an extremely common theme in recent days, the D-backs struggled to take advantage of the numerous opportunities they had on Monday night, losing by a thin margin of 3-2 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Diamondbacks News

Bowden: Zac Gallen an under-the-radar trade target by Tyler Drake [Arizona Sports]

It’s been a rocky 2026 for Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen after re-signing with the franchise on a one-year contract this offseason.

His most recent outing on Saturday that ended with a shower of boos at home was a prime example of that.

The reunion hasn’t been what many expected. And with the MLB trade deadline in the not-so-distant future (Aug. 3), The Athletic’s Jim Bowden has Gallen as an under-the-radar trade target to watch.

Arenado reflects on time with Cards in return to St. Louis with Arizona by Jeff Jones [MLB]

Nolan Arenado has been through the spin cycle of returning to a former home ballpark before, so he has the benefit of experiential wisdom when it comes to handling the emotions of four games at Busch Stadium this week.

“Being 35 now [helps],” Arenado joked Monday from the Diamondbacks’ dugout. “I’m a little older now, so I’ll be OK. In ‘21, it was kind of a weird moment, obviously being there [in Colorado] for eight years. I’m gonna take it in. I know I’m coming toward the end. Back then in Colorado, I didn’t really take it in as much. Here I probably will just because it means a little different here. I’m really excited for the game to start.”

Diamondbacks Give Update on Lawlar,Soroka Injury Timelines by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

“It’s gonna be weeks and not days, hopeful for the fastest return possible,” Lovullo said (via Arizona Sports 98.7’s Alex Weiner). “We’re hoping it’s gonna happen before the four to six week period of time, everybody seems to be throwing out, but I’ll keep you guys updated on their progression.

“Just unfortunate news. MRIs confirmed that there was something that was going on in there and they’re gonna have to step away and rest up.”

Around the League

Here’s the latest All-Star Ballot update by Brian Murphy, Shanthi Sepe-Chupuru [MLB]

Phase 1 of the voting concludes Thursday at noon ET. If Ohtani and Clement remain on top in their respective league, they will automatically receive spots in their side’s starting lineup for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14.

During Phase 1, you can vote as many as five times per every 24-hour period exclusively at MLB.com, on all 30 MLB club sites and on the MLB app.

Beyond the two leading overall vote-getters, the top two vote-getters at every position, and the top six outfielders, will advance to Phase 2 of the voting, which begins on June 29. If an outfielder is a league’s leading vote-getter, only the next four outfield finalists will move on to Phase 2 to determine who starts at the two remaining spots.

Biggest strength for top current 2026 MLB playoff contenders by David Schoenfield [ESPN]

Arizona Diamondbacks

Week 12 ranking: 12
Record: 39-38 (3rd in NL West)
Biggest strength: Umm … the offense has underperformed

OK, that’s not really a strength, unless you consider that the Diamondbacks are still over .500 even though the offense has underperformed compared with last season. Indeed, it’s a little difficult to figure out how they’re over .500 in the first place considering they’re scoring about a half-run less per game than last year and the rotation is 29th in strikeout rate and has just two pitchers with an ERA under 4.97. And while the bullpen has been good, it’s not like Arizona has cleaned up in one-run games (13-12) or extra-inning games (2-4).

Will it continue? Sorry about the confusion here. This is more complicated than the 2016 Diamondbacks’ uniform scheme. We’re asking: Will the underperforming continue? Which isn’t a strength, since the Diamondbacks need the strength to be “better offense.” Anyway, FanGraphs projects Arizona averaging 4.59 runs per game the rest of the way, which is better than its current 4.28. But it’s probably not enough to get into the playoffs, unless the Diamondbacks start getting better work from the back end of the rotation.

How Much Would MLB’s Draft Proposal Cost the Best Players? by Dan Szymborski [FanGraphs]

A year or two is actually quite significant when dealing with an elite free agent or free agent-to-be. When you’re talking to guys that land megadeals, getting a player like Juan Soto or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a couple years early basically allows you to swap a year in their 40s for a year in their prime. This isn’t just mean math guys and their even meaner projection systems; teams are aware of this, which is why someone like Pete Alonso largely gets shrugs in free agency, certainly relative to how early-30s non-elite sluggers were treated 15 years ago. And yes, I’m fully aware of the irony of my noting how much teams have soured on non-elite free agents in their 30s, since, as I’ve been told both by multiple front office decision makers and multiple agents, I’m one of the people responsible for the spread of that attitude!

ZiPS originally projected Soto to get a 15-year, $719 million contract in free agency after the 2024 season, compared to the $765 million he actually netted. Keeping everything the same and making him two years older drops that projected salary from $719 million to $588 million, a pay cut of $131 million.

Sonny Gray “Open” To Discussing No-Trade Clause If Red Sox Sell by Steve Adams [MLB Trade Rumors]

With the Red Sox’ season continuing to spiral — they’re buried in the AL East cellar and have the American League’s second-worst record — speculation about a potential deadline sale continues to mount. The team hasn’t made any major directional decisions at this juncture, but if they opt to go the seller’s route, veteran right-hander Sonny Gray will be open-minded about waiving his full no-trade protection, he tells Tim Healey of the Boston Globe.

“If someone came to me from the Red Sox and made a decision that that’s the direction that this team was going to go, I would be open for a conversation,” Gray said. The 36-year-old righty declined to indicate whether geography would play any sort of role in his decision process.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins meet once again tonight, with Justin Wrobleski looking to continue his recent dominance. 

My Dodgers vs. Twins predictions are targeting the defending champions to take the second game of this series behind the left-hander. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, June 23. 

Who will win Dodgers vs Twins today: Dodgers -1.5 (+101)

Justin Wrobleski has taken advantage of his opportunity in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation, posting an 8-2 record and 2.72 ERA this season. The left-hander has pitched well lately, compiling a 3.40 FIP over his last four appearances while walking just 0.76 hitters per nine innings.

The Minnesota Twins counter with reliever Kendry Rojas, but the bigger concern is a Twins bullpen that owns a 5.50 FIP and has allowed 2.08 home runs per nine innings over the last two weeks.

The Dodgers are squaring up the baseball, carrying a 42.2% hard-hit rate over the last two weeks, creating a favorable setup to cover the run line.

I'll play this pick up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: Minnesota's bullpen consistently struggles with command, allowing 4.82 BB/9 this season, and 5.21 walks per nine across the last week. 

Dodgers vs Twins Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+105)

This matchup has the makings of Los Angeles scoring most of the runs while Minnesota struggles offensively.

The Dodgers' bullpen has been lights out lately, posting a 2.71 xERA across its last 26 innings while holding opponents to a 27.3% hard-hit rate.

Wrobleski typically pitches into the sixth or seventh inning, limiting the amount of bullpen work required. While the Twins are batting .320 over their last six games, this is a significantly tougher pitching matchup for them.

Los Angeles should produce some offense against Minnesota's shaky pitching staff, but an offensive eruption feels unlikely. With the Twins potentially struggling to contribute, the Under still offers value.

I'll play this pick up to -120. 

Dodgers vs Twins weather

Conditions at Target Field could play a role tonight. Temperatures are expected to be around 71°F with 9.2 mph winds, 68.3% humidity, and an 89% chance of rain. The mild weather is generally favorable for hitters, but the potential for rain could create a slightly less predictable environment.

Dodgers vs Twins odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -163 | Twins +156
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+104) | Twins +1.5 (-108)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-113) | Under 8.5 (+108)

Dodgers vs Twins trend

The Dodgers have hit the Moneyline in 34 of their last 50 away games (+6.50 Units / 8% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Twins.

How to watch Dodgers vs Twins and game info

Dodgers vs Twins latest injuries

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