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

It's Tuesday, June 3, and the Orioles (22-36) are in Seattle to take on the Mariners (32-26). Tomoyuki Sugano is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against George Kirby for Seattle.

Fresh off a series win over the Minnesota Twins, the Mariners hope to build on their momentum against the AL East's last-place Orioles.

While the Orioles are in last place in their division, they have won six of their last 10 games thanks to back-to-back series sweeps (Cardinals and White Sox).

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Orioles at Mariners

• Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
• Time: 9:40PM EST
• Site: T-Mobile Park
• City: Seattle, WA
• Network/Streaming: ROOTNW, MASN 2, MASN+

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Orioles at the Mariners

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

• Moneyline: Orioles (+136), Mariners (-161)
• Spread:  Mariners -1.5
• Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Mariners

• Pitching matchup for June 3, 2025: Tomoyuki Sugano vs. George Kirby
  
  • Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano, (4-3, 3.23 ERA)
    Last outing (St. Louis Cardinals, 5/27): 5.1 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
  • Mariners: George Kirby, (0-2, 11.42 ERA)
    Last outing (Washington Nationals, 5/28): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 6 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Orioles at Mariners

• The Mariners have won 12 of their last 20 home games against teams with losing records
• The Over has cashed in the Mariners' last 4 games with George Kirby as the opener
• The Mariners returned a 1.35-unit profit on the Run Line at home last season with George Kirby as the starting pitcher

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Mariners

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Orioles and the Mariners:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Its Tuesday, June 3 and the Phillies (36-23) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (31-28). Cristopher Sánchez is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Bowden Francis for Toronto.

Philadelphia is on a four-game losing streak, which is the second-longest of the season for the Phillies. On the other hand, Toronto has won five straight games and six of the previous seven.

The Phillies have won three straight and five of the past six starts with Sanchez on the mound (9-2 overall). The Blue Jays are 4-7 in Francis' 11 starts this season and were 2-3 in May.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Phillies at Blue Jays

• Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
• Time: 7:07PM EST
• Site: Rogers Centre
• City: Toronto, ON
• Network/Streaming: NBCSP, Sportsnet

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Phillies at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

• Moneyline: Phillies (-152), Blue Jays (+127)
• Spread:  Phillies -1.5
• Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Blue Jays

• Pitching matchup for June 3, 2025: Cristopher Sánchez vs. Bowden Francis
  
  • Phillies: Cristopher Sánchez, (4-1, 3.32 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.2 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
  • Blue Jays: Bowden Francis, (2-6, 5.04 ERA)
    Last outing: Innings Pitched, Earned Runs Allowed, Hits Allowed, Walks, and Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Blue Jays

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Phillies and the Blue Jays:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Toronto Blue Jays at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Blue Jays

• The Phillies are on a 3-game win streak at the Blue Jays
• The Blue Jays' last 6 home games have gone over the Total
• The Blue Jays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 2.83 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Its Tuesday, June 3 and the Cubs (37-22) are in Washington to take on the Nationals (28-31). Cade Horton is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Trevor Williams for Washington.

Washington's four-game winning streak was snapped with a 3-1 loss to Arizona on Sunday, while Chicago has won two straight and six of the past seven.

Chicago is 4-0 this season in Horton's starts versus a 5-6 mark for Washington when Williams is on the mound (won the last two).

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Cubs at Nationals

• Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
• Time: 6:45PM EST
• Site: Nationals Park
• City: Washington, DC
• Network/Streaming: MARQ, MASN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Cubs at the Nationals

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

• Moneyline: Cubs (-151), Nationals (+127)
• Spread:  Cubs -1.5
• Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Nationals

• Pitching matchup for June 3, 2025: Cade Horton vs. Trevor Williams
  
  • Cubs: Cade Horton, (2-0, 3.98 ERA)
    Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 6 Strikeouts
  • Nationals: Trevor Williams, (3-5, 5.69 ERA)
    Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cubs and the Nationals

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Cubs and the Nationals:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Chicago Cubs on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Nationals

• The Cubs have won 4 of their last 5 at National League teams
• Each of the last 3 matchups between the Nationals and the Cubs have stayed under the Total
• The Nationals have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 2.12 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

It's Tuesday, June 3 and the Guardians (32-26) are in Bronx to take on the Yankees (36-22). Tanner Bibee is slated to take the mound for Cleveland against Carlos Rodón for New York.

The Yankees are 6-2 over the last eight games and 10-3 in the past 13 outings, while the Guardians have won three of the previous four games and a 2-1 series victory over the Angels.

New York has won three straight starts with Rodon on the mound (7-5 overall) compared to Cleveland who is 6-5 overall with Bibee, but 1-3 in the past four.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Guardians at Yankees

• Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
• Time: 7:05PM EST
• Site: Yankee Stadium
• City: Bronx, NY
• Network/Streaming: CLEG, YES, TBS

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Guardians at the Yankees

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

• Moneyline: Guardians (+155), Yankees (-187)
• Spread:  Yankees -1.5
• Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Guardians at Yankees

• Pitching matchup for June 3, 2025: Tanner Bibee vs. Carlos Rodón
  
  • Guardians: Tanner Bibee, (4-5, 3.86 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
  • Yankees: Carlos Rodón, (7-3, 2.60 ERA)
    Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Guardians and the Yankees

Rotoworld Best Bet Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes an Aaron Judge homer to get the blood flowing on a Tuesday night:

"Aaron Judge has yet to hit a homer against the Guardians this season on 12 at-bats, but hit .583 with seven hits, two doubles, two walks and one RBI. For +150 or better, I will be backing him to hit a homer in each game of the series until he does it."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Guardians and the Yankees:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Yankees on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cleveland Guardians at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Guardians at Yankees

• The Yankees have won their last 3 matchups against the Guardians with Carlos Rodon as starting pitcher
• The Yankees' last 3 home games with Carlos Rodon as their starting pitcher have gone under the Total
• The Yankees have covered the Run Line in 4 straight home games against the Guardians

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

It's Tuesday, June 3 and the Astros (32-27) are in Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates (22-38). Lance McCullers is slated to take the mound for Houston against Paul Skenes for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates are 5-5 over the last 10 games, but won two of the past four series and tied in another. For the Astros, Houston is 2-2 in the past four games after going on a four-game winning streak.

Pittsburg has won Skenes' last two starts (5-7 overall), while Houston has won three straight with McCullers on the mound (3-2 overall).

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Astros at Pirates

• Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
• Time: 6:40PM EST
• Site: PNC Park
• City: Pittsburgh, PA
• Network/Streaming: SCHN, SNP

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Astros at the Pirates

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

• Moneyline: Astros (+122), Pirates (-145)
• Spread:  Pirates -1.5
• Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Pirates

• Pitching matchup for June 3, 2025: Lance McCullers vs. Paul Skenes
  
  • Astros: Lance McCullers, (0-1, 5.89 ERA)
    Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 12 Strikeouts
  • Pirates: Paul Skenes, (4-5, 2.15 ERA)
    Last outing: 6.2 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Astros and the Pirates

Rotoworld Best Bet Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes Lance McCullers to go Over 5.5 Ks:

"If there is a head-to-head strikeout market, this is a game where I would fade Paul Skenes and go with the opposing pitcher. Luckily, Lance McCullers has 20 strikeouts in his past two starts and 12 Ks to one walk on 102 pitches in his previous start (6.0 innings).

That previous start was McCullers fifth, so he is stretched out and while I doubt he goes over 100 pitches again, I certainly expect at least 90-plus and that is enough to get at least six strikeouts against the Pirates lineup."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Astros and the Pirates:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Houston Astros at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Astros at Pirates

• The Astros have won 7 of their last 10 games
• The Under is 33-23-4 in Pirates' games this season
• The Pirates have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 2.21 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

It's Tuesday, June 3, and the Padres (34-24) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (33-27). Ryan Bergert is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Landen Roupp for San Francisco.

Last night we were treated to a 10-inning pitching duel. The two were knotted 0-0 after nine innings. It was Jose Iglesias' go-ahead sacrifice fly that pushed the Padres over the Giants.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Padres at Giants

• Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
• Time: 9:45PM EST
• Site: Oracle Park
• City: San Francisco, CA
• Network/Streaming: NBCS BA, Padres.TV

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Padres at the Giants

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

• Moneyline: Padres (+124), Giants (-147)
• Spread:  Giants -1.5
• Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Giants

• Pitching matchup for June 3, 2025: Ryan Bergert vs. Landen Roupp
  
  • Padres: Ryan Bergert, (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
    Last outing (New York Yankees, 5/6): 1.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 0 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 0 Strikeouts
  • Giants: Landen Roupp, (3-4, 3.54 ERA)
    Last outing (Detroit Tigers, 5/28): 4.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Giants

• The Giants have won their last 3 home games following a loss
• 11 of the Padres' last 13 road matchups against the Giants have stayed under the Total
• The Giants have failed to cover the Run Line in 5 of their last 6 matchups against the Padres

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Giants

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Padres and the Giants:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Diego Padres at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on social media to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

CHICAGO — Parker Meadows had a big smile on his face. He had waited a long time for this moment.

Meadows sparked the Detroit Tigers in his season debut after being sidelined by a nerve issue in his upper right arm. Playing center field and leading off for Detroit once again, he had two hits, scored three times and made a terrific catch in a 13-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

“I think I speak for everybody when I say that we missed watching him play baseball, especially for us,” designated hitter Kerry Carpenter said. “He’s super special.”

The major league-leading Tigers activated Meadows from the 60-day injured list. Infielder/outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after a 1-0 victory at Kansas City, and right-hander Ryan Cusick was designated for assignment.

“I didn’t sleep much last night, just thinking about the day,” Meadows said. “Excited to be here.”

Meadows got right to work in his first game back. He robbed Andrew Benintendi of a run-scoring hit with a diving catch for the last out of the first.

Meadows doubled and scored on Gleyber Torres’ single in the fourth. He raced around the bases on a leadoff triple in the sixth and scored on Torres’ grounder to shortstop. He also walked and scored in a three-run eighth.

“What he was able to do there at the top of the order and the defense that we know he brings out there and just what he’s able to do, it’s good to have him back out there,” Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty said.

Meadows was injured in Detroit’s spring training opener Feb. 22 on a throw from center field. He appeared in eight rehab games in the minors beginning on May 21, batting .259 with a homer and five RBIs.

“He’s a glue guy, and the guys love him,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He played at an incredibly high level for us on both sides of the ball, and we have missed him. Our guys have done a really good job of kind of picking up the pieces and being able to adjust to life without him, but we’re better with him.”

Meadows, 25, hit .244 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in 82 games for Detroit last season. He also batted .269 (7 for 26) in seven postseason games, helping the Tigers reach the AL Division Series.

The road back to the majors took longer than Meadows expected when he first got hurt.

“It was tough, but just put my head down and worked every day,” he said. “We’ve got a really good training staff here. Keep a good head on my shoulders and they got me right.”

One of the last steps for Meadows before rejoining Detroit was trying a couple of hard throws during his rehab stint.

“At first it was a little eh,” he said. “But the more throws I made, the better it felt. It feels good now.”

The return of Meadows gives Hinch another option on a versatile Tigers team that is 22-9 in its last 31 games.

Javier Báez, who played an impressive center field while Meadows was out, started at shortstop before moving to second base in the seventh inning of the opener of a four-game series at Chicago. Hinch said Báez is going to move around the diamond.

“I told Javy, ‘Don’t take the outfield glove (and) throw it away. You’re still going to need it,’” Hinch said.

SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Melvin has been waiting for the chance to write Jerar Encarnación’s name into San Francisco’s lineup.

The versatile Encarnación came off the 60-day injured list and made his season debut in a 1-0, 10-inning loss to the San Diego Padres in the opener of the four-game series at Oracle Park.

Encarnación went 0 for 3 after replacing Mike Yastrzemski in the sixth and lined out to end the game against flame-throwing Padres closer Robert Suarez in an at-bat that impressed his manager.

“First day back you’re pushed into some pretty tough opportunities,” Melvin said. “It looked like he was more comfortable as the game went along.”

Melvin hoped that he could start next — whether that’s at first base or in right field.

Encarnación underwent surgery in March on his broken left hand after he was injured trying to make a diving catch during spring training. He batted .302 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in Cactus League play after hitting .248 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 113 at-bats last year.

“We know he can give us some power and he’s got power to all fields,” Melvin said. “We saw it at the end of last year, we saw it in spring training. When we were about to leave spring training there were going to be a lot of at-bats for him.”

The Giants could use a big boost at the plate, and Encarnación hopes to deliver.

“I’m just going to do what I’m able to do to contribute to the team,” said Encarnación, a Dominican Republic native who made his major league debut with Miami in 2022 and joined the Giants as a free agent last May.

The Giants optioned outfielder Luis Matos to Triple-A Sacramento so he can further develop and play regularly.

San Francisco returned home having dropped five of nine games on its road trip to Washington, Detroit and Miami. The Giants have scored only 30 runs over their last 16 games — the club’s fewest in such a stretch since also being limited to 30 runs from June 23-July 8, 2014 — then were shut out for the seventh time this year and third in their last nine games.

“That’s the good thing about him is he can play multiple positions, he can pinch hit,” Melvin said. “It’s nice to have him back. Spring training we were talking about how impactful he was going to be. He was having a great spring and next thing you know he’s out for a while. He feels good at the plate, he hit some home runs the last couple days, he’s ready to go.”

Encarnación has been eager to rejoin the Giants, but embraced his faith and that it took the time it did for him to fully recover and come back. He missed the first 59 games, then made seven rehab appearances with Triple-A Sacramento, playing three games at first base, starting two as designated hitter and two more in right field.

“I’m so happy and content that I’m here,” he said, before adding with a smile a few minutes later that he’s “great, muy bueno.”

Pitcher Logan Webb is thrilled to have that spirt from Encarnación back in the clubhouse and on the diamond.

“My favorite thing about Jerar is the enthusiasm and smile, the energy he brings to the dugout every day,” Webb said. “I’m very excited to have him back and I think everyone in here is excited as well.”

CINCINNATI — A bruised right hand didn’t have any effect on Christian Yelich.

The Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter — named the National League’s Player of the Week before the game against the Cincinnati Reds — was back in the lineup and continued his hot streak with a solo home run in the third inning to lift the Brewers to a 3-2 victory.

“Sore hand or not, he crushed two balls tonight. So, he’s living up to his Player of the Week (honor),” manager Pat Murphy said.

Yelich left a game against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning after being hit by a sinker from Ranger Suarez in the first inning. Once he found out X-rays were negative, the 2018 NL MVP was preparing to make sure he wouldn’t have to take a day off.

“Worked on it the rest of the game (yesterday) did some stuff on the flight (from Philadelphia to Cincinnati) and came in early today. It was fine,” he said. “Once I knew it wasn’t broken it was like yeah, we’ll get back out there. It’s something we all take pride in, showing up for each other and being able to play.”

Yelich is a pivotal reason why the Brewers have won eight straight games. He has a nine-game hitting streak — the second-longest active run in the majors — and is batting .450 (18 for 40) with six home runs and 14 RBIs.

It is the sixth time Yelich has been the NL Player of the Week, but the first since April 2019. He had three homers last week, including his first walk-off with a grand slam on May 27 against the Boston Red Sox.

Yelich extended his hitting streak when he drove Brady Singer’s slider on a full count 417 feet to straightaway center and off the batter’s eye.

“It was a 3-2 count, not really knowing what was going to happen there. He threw a couple sliders that I swung over, so I knew there was a chance it could show up,” Yelich said.

Yelich also lined a ball to center in the sixth inning that looked like might fall for extra bases, but Cincinnati’s TJ Friedl made a leaping grab.

The 33-year-old is a two-time NL batting champion, but missed 81 games last season due to a lower back injury. Yelich was batting .184 on May 21 but has raised his average 49 points during his streak. He has 13 homers on the season, which is tied for eighth-most in the National League.

“I know he’s worked at it. I mean, he takes it really personally,” Murphy said. “He’s been doing it a long time. He feels that responsibility to his teammates. He never gives himself enough credit.”

While Yelich is on one of his best streaks in six years, he is trying to maintain his focus on the present.

“Each year is its own year, they’re all different,” he said. “You just try to stay focused on your work in the day-to-day. You know, flush the previous day whether it is good or bad, and have good focus on what you want to do and your approach that day. Kind of stay locked in and put blinders on.”

BOSTON — It hasn’t taken Mike Trout long to regain his form after missing a month with a bruised left knee.

Trout had three more hits, including a 454-foot homer that was the longest at Fenway Park this year, in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox — his second three-hit game in three starts since returning from the injured list.

“Anybody that knows Mike Trout shouldn’t be surprised,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Mike Trout can still do a lot of things that a lot of people can’t do. And he’s showing that.”

Trout hit a three-run homer in the first inning and singled in his next two at-bats. In the seventh, he grounded into a double play but said he had no problem with his left knee as he tried to beat the relay.

In all, the 11-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP is 8 for 14 since coming off the IL to raise his batting average from .179 to .225. It was only his second homer in 35 career games at Fenway Park.

Trout, 33, said he was able to work on his swing while he was out, though he was limited to 30-40 swings per day. The break helped him reset some bad habits he had developed, he said.

The three hits gave Trout 1,675 in his career and moved him into second place on the franchise list, surpassing Tim Salmon. Garret Anderson holds the Angels record with 2,368.

Zach Neto homered leading off the game, Trout added a three-run shot and Jo Adell put one over the Green Monster to make it 6-0 — all in the first. It was the first time in the 114-year history of Fenway Park that a visiting team has hit three homers in the first inning, according to MLB.com.

“Anytime you set records in a stadium like this, it’s pretty special,” Trout said. “It’s pretty crazy.”