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

Fitts aims to end this unfortunate streak Monday vs. Angels originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Red Sox right-hander Richard Fitts will look to snap a historic losing streak when he takes the mound for Monday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels.

Fitts, who made his MLB debut last September, has posted an impressive 2.21 ERA over his first eight career starts (40.2 innings). Unfortunately for him, the rest of the club hasn’t held up its end of the bargain.

According to WEEI’s Joe Weil, Fitts is the first pitcher in MLB history to have an ERA under 3.00 with his team going 0-8 through his first eight career starts since ERA became an official stat in 1913.

Richard Fitts is due for a Sox win (hopefully tonight!).

2.21 ERA in 40.2 IP, but somehow the 1st pitcher in MLB history to post an ERA below 3.00 with his team going 0-8 through his first 8 career starts since ERA became official in 1913 (per Elias).

— Joe Weil (@Joe_Weil) June 2, 2025

Five of Boston’s eight losses in Fitts’ starts have either been decided by one run or extra innings.

Looking beyond the losses, Fitts has been a bright spot for the underwhelming Red Sox rotation. The 25-year-old has a 2.70 ERA through four starts this season. He tossed three scoreless innings in his return from the injured list last Tuesday in Milwaukee. (Boston lost 5-1.)

The Red Sox acquired Fitts and reliever Greg Weissert in their 2023 trade with the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo. The deal was a win for Boston as Verdugo struggled in his lone season in the Bronx, then departed in free agency for the Atlanta Braves.

Fitts’ first pitch for Monday’s game at Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

On May 10 for Double-A Binghamton, Mets prospect Jonah Tongwas perfect -- literally.

In 6.2 innings against the Reading Fightin Phils, the 21-year-old didn't allow any base runners, or much contact at all as he struck out a season-high 13 batters in what was an utterly dominant performance.

But with Tong on a bit of a pitch count, he was replaced for the final out of the seven-inning game, which was secured by TJ Shook as the Rumble Ponies completed the perfect game.

While Tong was untouchable that night, he said that his stuff did not feel as unhittable as it looked -- at least early on.

“Honestly, no. I remember the first batter I think I went to a full count. I think it was Robert Moore, and I was like 'Oh, we’re gonna grind through this one.' Then I was just thinking just take it pitch-by-pitch, try to fill it up," Tong told SNY. "At times I didn’t do that. But it just kind of went really smooth, felt like I was getting really good rhythm.

"And when I went for my seventh inning I was like 'Oh, I got something pretty good going right now.' I was looking at the lineup, and I was like 'Oh sh-t, I think I have a perfect game going on.' And obviously the next two batters I go 3-2 on them and extend the at-bat, and then I’m out of the game. It was really cool. The thing I’m happiest (about) is the no walks with it. I was pretty locked in the entire day. Try and replicate that."

As Tong continues a meteoric rise that saw him excel across three minor league levels in 2024 during what was his first full professional season, he has taken it up a notch this season with Binghamton, where he has a 2.25 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, with an eye-popping 72 strikeouts and only 23 hits allowed over 44.0 innings spanning seven starts.

Tong, a native of Canada, was selected by the Mets in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. And he's now at the point where he's on the national radar, recently entering the MLB Top 50 prospect lists for The Athletic and ESPN.

And Tong is staying grounded through it all.

After a first season of pro ball he said was challenging due in large part to all the day games in the punishing heat in Florida, the right-hander is in a groove for Binghamton, with him crediting his offseason work and some natural progression as the reason for his success.

"This past offseason was just a continuation of the one prior, where it was just focus on your strengths – making sure we’re executing there at a high level," Tong explained. "And then also just getting in the weight room, making strides there. I think that kind of really helped blend into this year. I know my average fastball velo went up, and it’s more consistent, which has been huge.

"It’s just seeing how pitches play up now. Obviously, you can't always get away with stuff. But I feel like right now my fastball is playing really well. I’m really happy to see that. And just continuing to develop the slider and seeing where we’re going with that. That’s been a huge focus."

About that fastball...

It has a chance to be special, having elite carry and tons of induced vertical break.

Tong will always lean on the heater, which he referred to as his "bread and butter," but his entire arsenal is impressive -- including a 12-to-6 curve ball and a developing slider.

Let's have Tong take us through his pitch mix:

"Fastball is always gonna be my bread and butter. Been throwing that same exact thing since I was a kid. I have a lot of faith in it. Big spots – any spot, really, you’re probably gonna see it at some point. Next is my curve ball. It’s kind of my go-to offspeed at times. It’s something I’ve done since I was younger. It’s a bigger shaped breaking ball, it’s slower. Goal with that is just a pitch I can land in the zone, and then expand later in the counts.

"And then my changeup has been probably the pitch that’s seen the biggest strides, although not a whole lot has changed except grip adjustment. So it’s making lower IVB more consistently. So it’s just more depth to it. And that’s been a huge pitch this year. It’s probably been my most consistent strike pitch – especially for my offspeed offering, which has been huge for me. And then my slider is my newest addition. Right now we’re tinkering with shapes, so I can’t really tell you what exactly is happening. We’re tinkering with a few things, but really happy with the progress of that."

As Tong has continued to succeed in Binghamton, he said he's noticed an approach from the hitters that's "a little more refined" than the one used by the guys he faced last year in Brooklyn, noting that he has to "think through the game a little bit more" due to the smaller margin for error.

He also had a chance earlier this season to pick the brain of fellow prospect Nolan McLean, who dominated for Binghamton before being promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, where he has hit the ground running.

"He is awesome. Really down to earth guy. Never too high, never too low," Tong said. "Loved watching him pitch. His advice was always pretty straightforward. It was 'Hey man, go out there, throw your best stuff and go have fun with it.' Never taking something too seriously, which I think I’ve tried to take in. He can speak better on this than I can, but I really just admired that approach and tried to emulate that a little bit.

"Now, he’s got some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen, so he’s gonna do great things. I tried to talk to him as much as possible. Another guy is Jack Wenninger – he’s my roommate. Talk to him a lot. Always chirps me about some stuff, but it’s always in good fun. I love watching him pitch. Same thing with Zach Thornton, Jonathan Pintaro. We have a really, really, really good staff here and it’s easy to want to do better every time you go out there just because of how these guys are pitching."

When it comes to what's next for Tong, it's getting to a point where you can squint and see him in the big leagues for the Mets. That's unlikely to come this season, but Tong impacting the major league club in 2026 seems likely.

Walks have been a bit of a bugaboo for Tong recently, with him issuing four free passes in each of his last two starts after limiting the bases on balls to three or fewer over his prior six starts.

And when asked what he needs to work on the most in order to make the next two jumps -- first to Syracuse and then to the Mets -- limiting the walks was what Tong focused on.

"The most obvious one for me is the walks right now," he said. "They’re definitely there. I do think – and I’m really confident -- that they’re not always gonna be there. It’s just more getting my feet wet and getting into the season. Last year happened for me right out of the gate, and this year it’s just a little bit slower when it comes to that.

"It’s just being more consistent, and knowing that when I’m in the zone we’re gonna have a lot of success. And just feeling confident in that. So I think just being in the zone early and often, and having the ability to put away hitters is something I’ve shown I can do – I just need to do it a little more consistently."

Growing up, Tong and his dad would look at YouTube videos of big leaguers, and said he could probably name 100 pitchers that they focused on. But as far as one pitcher Tong most enjoyed watching and says he's compared to the most, it's Tim Lincecum, who was a strikeout machine during his heyday while winning two Cy Young awards for the Giants.

"The one that everyone always sees is Tim Lincecum. Loved how he threw. They called him The Freak for a reason," Tong noted. "I would say mechanics-wise, that’s probably the one I’m most similar to, although it’s not even intentional. ... but Tim Lincecum is probably the most obvious one to me."

While Tong continues to refine things while working toward his MLB debut and decompresses by playing MLB The Show (he estimates that his record in the game is a tragic 8-19), he hasn't yet allowed himself to think about what it will be like to take the mound at Citi Field as a Met.

"No, not really. It’s always nice to dream," he said. "It’s always nice to imagine yourself out there. I’m trying to live up to just being where my feet are. I’ll let everybody else get excited about that. For me, I’m just really focused on one day at a time. I know eventually I’ll get into that position, but don’t know the timetable. So I’m just gonna take each day as it is."

One thing Tong has thought about is his possible warm-up song, with him joking about the fact that during the first interview he ever did, he didn't know who Celine Dion -- a world-famous native of Canada -- was.

But when Tong reaches the big time, it won't be Dion's voice booming through the speakers.

"I really love Burn It to the Ground by Nickelback," he said. "My goal throughout my career is to do Canadian artists. Not sure how that will change, but that’s been probably my favorite song. I know my dad really wants me to play This Means War by Nickelback, so maybe we’ll sneak that in for him. But not really sure yet."

Phillies adjust rotation with Wheelers expecting 4th child originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Zack and Dominique Wheeler are expecting their fourth child any day now and the Phillies have adjusted their rotation this week as a result.

Wheeler had been scheduled to start Tuesday in Toronto, which would have also lined him up for the final game of the Phillies’ road trip this week in Pittsburgh.

Instead, the Phils will start Cristopher Sanchez, Mick Abel and Jesus Luzardo in Toronto Tuesday through Thursday. Starters for the Pirates series are TBD.

The Phillies’ off-day Monday allows for Sanchez to move up a spot while still pitching on the standard four days’ rest. Same with Luzardo on Thursday.

Abel will pitch the middle game, his second big-league start. The 23-year-old right-hander will remain in the Phillies’ rotation until Aaron Nola is ready to return from an ankle sprain, which could mean two starts. Taijuan Walker has shifted to the bullpen, where he’ll stay.

The Phillies bring a four-game losing streak to Toronto but hope to receive the jolt of Bryce Harper’s bat back in the lineup after five straight absences. Harper was hit in the right elbow by a 95 mph fastball last Tuesday and was swollen and sore for days before hitting in the cage over the weekend.

No Wheeler will make the series more difficult against a Blue Jays club that has won a season-high five straight games and is in the midst of its best offensive period of 2025, having scored 39 runs the last four.

MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox tumble after disappointing month originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox will spend June digging themselves out of the hole they put themselves in last month.

They Red Sox enter Monday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels with a 29-32 record after going 11-17 in May. Although they bounced back by taking two out of three against the Atlanta Braves, their inconsistency makes it difficult to believe better days are ahead.

Their schedule won’t get any easier in June. After the three-game set vs. L.A., Boston will head to the Bronx for its first series against the New York Yankees this season. From there, the team will host the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays and the Yankees before a tough West Coast trip against the first-place Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, and Angels. The Red Sox will wrap up the month at home against the second-place Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds.

Here’s how Boston stacks up against the rest of the league in the latest batch of national MLB Power Rankings:

ESPN (Buster Olney): 18th

“Fair or not, the Rafael Devers situation is defining Boston’s season so far. The highest-paid player in the organization’s history, moved to designated hitter against his will, has declined to take ground balls and build more flexibility into the roster. Instead, everyone else is expected to move — more specifically, rookie Kristian Campbell, who is learning to play a corner infield position on the fly and taking grounders before games. Devers, meanwhile, has played a corner spot his whole career. Is it shocking that Campbell might be overwhelmed as he tries to hit as a rookie? He’s batting .120 in May.”

CBS Sports (Matt Snyder): 20th

“The series win over the Braves snapped a five-game losing streak.”

MLB.com (Will Leitch): 21st

“The Red Sox offense is starting to warm up, and it’s not surprising to see who is leading the charge. He might not be playing the field, but that seems for the best, because Rafael Devers sure has taken to the DH spot: He’d tied for the MLB lead in RBIs (52), which is particularly impressive because he’s also leading the AL in walks. The problem is, of course, everything else with the Red Sox right now: They have fallen all the way to fourth in the AL East.”

USA TODAY (Gabe Lacques): 20th

“Getting a little ridiculous we haven’t seen Roman Anthony at Fenway yet.”

theScore: 19th

“The Red Sox dropped six of seven to close out the month, finishing a miserable 11-17. Their middle-infield tandem of Kristian Campbell (.355 OPS) and Trevor Story (.432) finished last and next to last, respectively, among 169 qualified hitters during May.”

Roto Baller: 19th

“The Boston bats have gone cold lately, but they still sport the 6th-best offense in terms of runs scored. That offense has helped them hide a bad rotation that lacks any reliable starters after ace Garrett Crochet.”

Bleacher Report (Joel Reuter): 20th

Newsweek: 21st

Pitcher List: 21st

When is the "fastest" something of a slow roll?

How about last week when pitcher Chris Sale was crowned the fastest to reach 2,500 career strikeouts?

Not to diminish Sale's accomplishment: It took him fewer innings (2,026) to record No. 2,500 than any other pitcher in history. But because of injuries and a reduced workload — both huge, flashing signs of the times — he didn't achieve the feat until his 16th season.

Sale was appropriately humble, telling reporters, "I appreciate it for what it is, but I try not to get too caught up in stuff like that right now."

Perhaps he realizes it took others far less time to reach the 2,500 milestone, including the top two strikeout artists of all time: Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson.

Strikeouts are a single lens in viewing the substantive changes over the last 100-plus years in how pitchers are utilized, record outs and withstand the burden. But they can be an instructive one.

Read more:Going bananas: Why Savannah Bananas tickets cost more than a Dodgers-Yankees rematch

Catch a whiff of this: A certain Dodger currently on the injured list strikes out more batters per nine innings than any other pitcher in baseball history, which in effect is another way to express Sale's "fastest" title.

Blake Snell averages a record 11.1679 strikeouts per nine innings, edging out Sale, who is second all-time at 11.1056 among pitchers who average at least one inning per team game.

The believe-it-or-not distinction might explain why the Dodgers gave Snell a five-year, $182-million free agent contract last offseason. His wicked stuff that features a 96 mph four-seam fastball also could help explain why he's on the injured list for the eighth time in the last eight seasons, this time out since April 6 with left shoulder inflammation.

Snell is the epitome of a highly valued starter in today's game: He accumulates strikeouts at a higher rate than anyone else, gives up fewer hits than anyone else, and elicits only shrugs when someone points out that he has a grand total of one complete game in 213 career starts.

It is revealing that 13 of the top 20 pitchers on the all-time strikeout per innings list are active. The only one who didn't pitch in the 21st century is Ryan at No. 19, just ahead of another believe-it-or-not name, Lucas Giolito.

Among the 33 pitchers to average more than a strikeout per inning, the only one whose career began in the 1950s has a statue outside Dodger Stadium: Sandy Koufax.

Koufax and Snell are two of 10 Dodgers among the 33, a clue as to what the Dodgers front office values in mound performance. Several of the names are less than luminary.

The others, from bottom to top: Lance Lynn (No. 32; 9.04), Rich Hill (No. 29; 9.12), Andrew Heaney (No. 25; 9.33), Clayton Kershaw (No. 16; 9.72), Trevor Bauer (No. 15; 9.82), Pedro Martinez (No. 12; 10.04), Yu Darvish (No. 7; 10.59) and Max Scherzer (No. 5; 10.65).

Read more:Hernández: How Japan media track down Ohtani's home-run balls

Note: Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani averaged a mammoth 11.40 strikeouts per nine innings in six seasons with the Angels but hasn't pitched enough to qualify for the all-time list. He has recovered from elbow surgery and is expected to return to the mound after the All-Star break for the first time since August 2023.

Sale's accomplishment, then, is sustaining a near-record rate of strikeouts per nine innings for more than 2,000 innings, certainly worthy of note.

An equally valid definition of "fastest" to reach a strikeout milestone would be how long it took to get there. The pitcher that the 6-foot-6, left-handed Sale surpassed was his boyhood idol: Johnson, a 6-10, left-handed flamethrower who ranks second to Ryan on the career strikeout list with 4,875.

Johnson notched No. 2,500 in inning No. 2,108 — 82 more than it took Sale. But he did so in only his 11th season, five seasons "faster" than Sale.

Incidentally — and incredibly — Johnson was only halfway through his career. He retired in 2009 after 22 seasons with 4,135.1 innings and 303 wins.

Granted, Johnson was an anomaly, the only hurler ever to amass more than 200 innings and 300 strikeouts in multiple seasons well into his 30s. At ages 35-38 from 1999-2002, he averaged a staggering 354 strikeouts and 258 innings a season.

The only comparable hurler was Ryan (record strikeout total: 5,714), who also reached No. 2,500 in his 11th season, the milestone whiff coming in inning No. 2,287 when he struck out Andre Thornton of Cleveland while pitching for the Angels in 1978.

Read more:Is this season going off the rails soon? | Dodgers Debate

Ryan's longevity was even more impressive than Johnson's: 27 seasons from 1966-93, 5,386 innings and 324 wins. No current pitcher will come close to those numbers.

On the other end of the strikeout spectrum are Hall of Fame pitchers from more than 100 years ago who logged vast numbers of innings while striking out far fewer batters per inning. Velocity wasn't nearly as high or as prized as it is today and pitchers were expected to complete games they started.

Sale ranks No. 40 on the all-time strikeout list, and he next will pass Christy Mathewson, who needed a prodigious 4,788 innings to log 2,507 strikeouts from 1900-16. Mathewson is far down the list of strikeouts per nine innings, checking in at No. 689 with 4.71.

Walter Johnson, the legendary "Big Train" out of Fullerton Union High, is third all-time with 5,914 innings and ninth with 3,509 strikeouts in a career spanning 1907-27. But he averaged just 5.34 strikeouts per nine innings, ranking No. 520, a few notches ahead of the less than legendary former Dodgers swingman Elmer Dessens.

Other fabled names associated with blazing fastballs compiled surprisingly low strikeout rates as well. Bob "Rapid Robert" Feller, for example, sits at 6.07 strikeouts per nine innings.

Read more:'A lot of gratitude and gratefulness to get back.' Clayton Kershaw reflects on 2025 return

Kershaw, meanwhile, is on the cusp of reaching a milestone that very nearly guarantees entry into the Hall of Fame: 3,000 strikeouts. The career Dodger in his 18th season has 2,974, and he's inching toward the finish line, having struck out six in three abbreviated starts since coming off the injured list two weeks ago.

Although Kershaw has consistently downplayed the significance of reaching 3,000, he told Tyler Kepner of the Athletic last week that it's on his mind.

“Yeah, I’d be lying if I didn’t want to do it,” Kershaw said. “But I think the coolest part is the company you get to be a part of. You know what I mean? There’s just some really special names.”

They include, of course, Ryan and Johnson. Nineteen pitchers have reached the milestone and 17 are in the Hall of Fame, with Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling falling short for reasons that had nothing to do with strikeout totals.

Kershaw is considered a Hall of Fame shoo-in, his earned-run average of 2.51 the lowest of any active pitcher that meets the innings qualification and his 212 career victories an impressive number in today's game.

Snell's candidacy falls into the "way too early to tell" category. Yes, he is the only pitcher to win a Cy Young award in each league, and his 3.18 career ERA sparkles. And, of course, striking out more batters per nine innings than anyone else in history stands out on his resume.

Read more:Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson reinstated by Major League Baseball, making Hall of Fame election possible

Yet Snell is in his 10th season and he has just 77 wins. Hall of Fame starters with the fewest MLB wins are Dizzy Dean (150) and Koufax (165), the careers of both cut short by arm injuries.

Snell's career should be far from over. He's only 32 and his lucrative Dodgers contract doesn't expire until after the 2029 season. But to have a shot at the Hall, Snell must fulfill the promise that prompted the Dodgers to sign him.

The only active pitchers besides Kershaw considered Hall of Fame locks are Justin Verlander and Scherzer, both hard throwers with the requisite strikeout totals.

Verlander, 42, has 3,457 strikeouts while averaging 8.98 per nine innings. He also has 262 wins — 46 more than Scherzer and 50 more than Kershaw, the next two active pitchers on the all-time list. No one else is close to 200.

Scherzer ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.65, trailing only Snell, Sale, Robby Ray (another believe-it-or-not name) and Jacob DeGrom. Scherzer's career total of 3,408 ranks 11th, just behind Verlander.

Gerrit Cole, 34, appeared on a Hall of Fame track before undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. He won't pitch again until early next season, putting a long pause on his current totals of 153 wins, 2,251 strikeouts and 10.37 strikeouts per nine innings.

The only recently retired starter who might be rehearsing his Hall induction speech is another former Dodger, Zack Greinke, who posted 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts along with a 3.49 ERA before retiring in 2024 after 20 seasons.

What about Sale, whose rebound from four years of debilitating injuries to win a Cy Young award with the Atlanta Braves was one of baseball's best stories of 2024? He finished in the top five of Cy Young voting seven years in a row from 2012-2018, and his 3.04 career ERA is lower than any active starter besides Kershaw and DeGrom.

“He’s kind of doing Hall of Fame stuff,” Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters. “That guy is probably as big a baseball fan as anybody, just the history of the game and the competition. He's a ballplayer, and it's really cool to watch.”

Yet Sale has only 141 wins, and that perceived blemish could be an interesting litmus test for Hall voters who profess to recognize that wins are much more difficult to accumulate now that teams routinely limit starters to six or fewer innings.

Strikeouts are king these days, and the Dodgers clearly know it.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Yankees were able to avoid a sweep with a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night, but the team now heads back to the Bronx with a couple of injuries to keep an eye on.

Outfielder Jasson Dominguez suffered a left thumb contusion while stealing a base in the fifth inning, and closer Luke Weaver wasn’t available to pitch due to hamstring discomfort.

Both players will be evaluated on Monday during the Yankees’ off day.

Dominguez told reporters after the game that there’s “not much concern” with his thumb, saying he was already feeling better.

The outfielder has played well in his first full season in the big leagues, slashing .247/.346/.420 with six home runs and 25 RBI, posting a 117 OPS+.

As for Weaver, manager Aaron Boone planned to use him in the ninth inning on Sunday night, but Weaver felt something was off while he was warming up in the bullpen.

“He felt something when he had finished warming up, and then when he went to stretch, he felt something in the middle of his hammy,” Boone said, via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “So we had to make a switch on the fly there. We’re hoping it’s not too serious.”

The Yankees ended up tacking on an insurance run to make it a four-run lead, and lefty Tim Hill was able to close things out.

Weaver has been lights-out at the back end of the Yankees’ bullpen this season, pitching to a miniscule 1.05 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25.1 innings, notching eight saves.

The Mets continue a four-game series with the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• Juan Soto has reached base nine times in his last 17 plate appearances, including home runs on Saturday and Sunday and a double on Monday
• Francisco Lindor has eight hits in his last 16 at-bats, and has smacked four home runs in his last four games
• Pete Alonso has reached base in nine consecutive games, and has hit three home runs during that span
• Ronny Mauricio is expected to join the Mets in Los Angeles ahead of Tuesday's game

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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Dodgers play a four-game series in Los Angeles starting on Monday at 10:10 p.m. on PIX11.

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5 things to watch

The Mets' big bats are heating up

After a collective slump for the Mets offense that included Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonsobeing in a rut at the same time, New York's three most important bats have woken up simultaneously.

Lindor has six hits in his last 11 at-bats, including three home runs.

Soto reached base seven times over the weekend, smacking homers on Saturday and Sunday.

Alonso's hot streak goes back a bit more, with the first baseman on an eight-game hitting streak -- bashing three homers during that span.

It was only a matter of time before the Mets' big three found their footing again, and their recent impact has helped offset the fact that New York still isn't getting much from Mark Vientos, Brandon Nimmo, or Francisco Alvarez.

Paul Blackburn and the six-man rotation

After missing the end of last season and the first two months of this one due to injury, Blackburn will return on Monday when he gets the start against Los Angeles.

Blackburn's return is especially notable since it enables the Mets to start trotting out a six-man rotation.

Speaking late last week, president of baseball operations David Stearns suggested the six-man rotation wasn't something New York would roll with for the remainder of the season. Instead, they will deploy it when needed, including during stretches where they have lots of games in a row without a day off.

What will be interesting to see is how the Mets operate once Frankie Montas (in the middle of a rehab assignment) and Sean Manaea (close to a rehab assignment are back).

If every starting pitching option remains healthy, they will soon have eight options for six (or five) spots.

Reed Garrett has been close to untouchable

The Mets' bullpen has been terrific, including a current six-week run by Edwin Diaz where he has been at his absolute best.

And Garrett has been an enormous part of the success of the relief corps, serving as one of the main bridges to Diaz while allowing the opposition to do basically nothing against him.

In 25.2 innings over 26 appearances, Garrett has a 0.70 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.

His strikeout rate is an impressive 10.5 per nine, he is allowing a career-low 5.6 hits per nine, and has given up just one home run all year.

The Dodgers' pitching staff is badly shorthanded

The Mets will face Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, and Landon Knack during this series -- and those are four pitchers with serious talent.

But what the Dodgers are currently missing from their pitching staff is eye-popping.

Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell,Roki Sasaki, and Emmet Sheehan are all on the IL, making the current starting rotation much less vaunted.

Los Angeles' bullpen is also severely depleted right now, without Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, and Evan Phillips -- with Phillips set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

The Dodgers are still loaded with talent, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto (who started on Sunday night against the Yankees), but they are not anywhere close to their best right now.

Shohei Ohtani is on a torrid pace, but strikeout-prone

Ohtani, who is taking baby steps toward a return to game action on the mound, remains an offense-only weapon for now. And what a weapon he is.

Through 57 games, Ohtani is slashing .293/.390/.655. He is leading the National League in home runs (22), slugging percentage, and total bases (150), and leading the majors with 63 runs.

While Ohtani has been a menace in the box, he has been susceptible to strikeouts.

Ohtani has already fanned 66 times this season -- including 15 times in his last 10 games.

He is on pace to strike out 181 times, which would be his highest total since 2021 with the Angels.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Juan Soto

Soto looks locked in for the first time all year.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

David Peterson

Peterson has been especially effective lately, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts.

Which Dodgers player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Freddie Freeman

Isn't he always?

Padres eyeing Red Sox star Jarren Duran as trade target: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Could a Boston Red Sox team that entered the 2025 season with playoff aspirations become a seller ahead of the MLB trade deadline?

While it’s still too early to make that determination, at least one of Boston’s everyday starters is already drawing interest on the trade market: The San Diego Padres have Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran on their list of trade targets, The Athletic’s Dennis Lin reported Monday.

San Diego’s interest in Duran isn’t surprising; the Padres reportedly had the 28-year-old outfielder on their radar before the 2024 season, when he earned his first All-Star nod while leading Major League Baseball in doubles and triples. San Diego looks like a serious contender at 33-24 but has a weakness in left field, ranking 29th in the majors with a combined .530 OPS at the position.

The case for Boston trading Duran revolves around top prospect Roman Anthony, who has been tearing it up in Triple-A but remains in Worcester with Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu currently manning the Red Sox’ outfield.

If Boston feels it can sell high on Duran while freeing up an outfield spot for Anthony, that’s certainly a path worth considering.

What might work against a Duran-to-San Diego deal is the Padres’ lack of elite prospects. Outside 18-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries — the No. 3 overall prospect in MLB.com’s rankings — San Diego has just one other prospect in MLB.com’s top 50: catcher Ethan Salas (No. 29 overall). So, if the Padres are unwilling to move De Vries for Duran, it might be hard putting together a trade package that Boston would accept.

The Red Sox 3.5 games out of a wild card spot at 29-32 with Triston Casas out for the season and Alex Bregman on the injured list due to a strained quad. If they don’t show considerable improvement in June, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow should at least explore the possibility of selling ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, and Duran could be one of Boston’s most valuable assets.

From the Red Sox’ perspective, however, the Padres don’t seem like an ideal trade partner.

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