Jun 9, 2026; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) warms during minicamp at Arizona Cardinals Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
As the Arizona Cardinals closed up minicamp on Wednesday, Mike LaFleur decided he had seen enough through mandatory minicamp and the Cardinals are now off until training camp opens, with the Cardinals being one of the first teams reporting.
The Arizona Cardinals have cancelled the final mandatory minicamp practice today. Cards coach Mike LaFleur will speak with the media at noon @PHNX_Cardinals
Fans were a little perplexed by the decision, which I get their thoughts, the Cardinals are one of the worst teams in the NFL in terms of odds to even make the playoffs. They are being bet heavily that they will not even make their over 4.5 wins, so why would you take the last day off?
Well, here is my thoughts on it… Why does it matter?
Everyone that is there and participating have been there and participating through all of voluntary OTA’s as well, so what is one day for those guys?
If Jacoby Brissett was back and participating, then to me it makes more sense to keep getting an extra day of work and getting some more camaraderie. However, Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck have been throwing to these guys for over a month already. One day isn’t taking it to the next level, and one day isn’t causing them to lose anything.
Again, I get the concern, but these guys who have been at camps are there everyday and working. It is one day, it is one less two hour workday. It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, and those who think it is bad can’t be convinced otherwise. Yet, for me it is a nice way to say thank you for the work and effort put in over the last month from those that were there.
If Brissett had shown up to work (I understand why he did not) then get all three days in and work, but if he’s not doing anything, then those that have been here have gotten enough work in and will be prepared for the next phase.
After narrowly escaping Pittsburgh with their first series win there in five years, the Dodgers are now in the South Side of Chicago to take on the first-place White Sox. Yes, you read that right, the first-place White Sox.
While it is currently just a half game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, they are taking advantage of the situation that is presented to them. Two years ago, they won 35 games total. This season brought them their 36th win on Wednesday. They are a group of young and exciting players who don’t really have anything to lose. The ChiSox are coming off a mini sweep of the Braves, winning their first two of the series with the game on Thursday being postponed due to weather.
Old friend Miguel Vargas has found a home in Chicago after he was traded midseason in 2024. He has 16 homers on the season and while his .243 batting average is not high, it’s much higher than his lifetime average of .212.
The White Sox are sending Anthony Kay to the mound, a left hander who is 5-1 on the season with a 4.40 ERA. His ERA in May was 1.95, however he is coming off a clunker of an outing against the Philadelphia Phillies where he allowed six runs in 4.0 innings including two homers. He does not strike out a lot of batters and walks about 25% of the right-handed batters that he faces.
For their part the Dodgers are sending Roki Sasaki, who has been fantastic in his last three outings and seems to be figuring things out again. The White Sox are very good against right-handed pitching however, scoring three or more runs on each of the last five righties they’ve faced. The White Sox do strike out a fair amount as a team, so look for Sasaki to exploit that.
The Dodgers will be without Will Smith, and Shohei Ohtani left Thursday’s game with an inflamed left knee. Manager Dave Roberts did indicate after the game that Ohtani’s removal was precautionary, and that he is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: Colorado Rockies outfielder, Zac Veen's necklace turned around while batting during the first 2026 spring training game at Salt River Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 20, 2026. The Arizona Diamondbacks went onto beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
On the heels of Cole Carrigg’s (No. 4 PuRP) call up earlier this week and Sterlin Thompson’s (No. 13 PuRP) a few weeks back, we asked you who you thought would be the next prospect to be called up. It wasn’t much of a surprise, but the majority of folks believe Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) will be the next one to make an appearance:
This makes the most sense, since the Rockies outfield needs reinforcements with the losses of Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Jordan Beck and Tyler Freeman. Veen is also already on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move would not have to be made to bring him up.
However, one-third of respondents also believe Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) will make his MLB debut next. Condon has been tearing it up down in Triple-A, but perhaps still needs to show some stability before he gets called.
And while the starting rotation has struggled and been decimated by injuries, only a handful of folks think Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP) will be imminently called up.
Do you agree that Zac Veen will make an appearance soon? Do you still agree with your initial vote? Let us know in the comments!
May 21, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) celebrates with teammates after exiting the game against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
After losing the first two games of a series for the first time this season, the Braves didn’t even get a chance to salvage a game from their White Sox series on Thursday, with the final game postponed to August due to inclement weather.
One could make a case for that being a positive (chance to rest, reset) or a negative (dwelling on it). We’ll probably get an idea of which way that will go when the Braves open a series at the New York Mets Friday night, finally playing their last NL East foe nearly 70 games into the season.
While the Phillies seem to have figured it out after their stunning early struggles, the Mets have…not. They’re last in the division at 30-38, 15 games back of the Braves. They had their first winning month of the season in May (16-12) but are now 4-5 in June after losing two of three to the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week.
Juan Soto (.277/.369/.537 with 14 homers) is producing. But Francisco Lindor remains on the injured list with a calf strain and backup plan Bo Bichette (.227/.277/.330) has not lived up to his three-year, $126 million contract.
The team is 31st out of 32 major league teams in batting average (.228) and slugging percentage (.367) and tied for last in on-base percentage (.291).
It’ll be up to Spencer Strider (4-1, 4.00 ERA) to set the tone against the New York lineup. Martín Pérez was supposed to start Thursday and originally slated for Friday, but has since been moved to Saturday.
Strider has been quite consistent in what he delivers of late on the mound for the Braves. In each of his last three starts, he’s thrown exactly five innings and allowed exactly three earned runs. The strikeouts were down in his last start against Pittsburgh, though, as he had a season-low three.
Strider’s Statcast profile is an interesting mix of extremes. The xERA, xBA are very good. The barrel and groundball percentages are quite bad.
Strider has a career 6-2 record against the Mets with a 6.11 ERA in 11 career appearances (nine starts). That ERA is certainly inflated by a pair of starts where he allowed eight earned runs in four innings, the latter of which was his most recent start against New York last August. He does also have four starts of five-plus innings and three or fewer runs against the Mets.
New York’s pitching staff has not been the main problem this season, ranking eighth in ERA (3.88), 10th in hits allowed (533) and tied for fifth in strikeouts (617).
For the series opener, the Mets turn to Nolan McLean (3-4, 3.98) on the mound. After the rookie hit a speedbump in mid-May, allowing 13 earned runs over nine innings across consecutive starts against the Nationals and Reds, he appears to have rediscovered his form. He’s allowed two runs on five hits across 11 innings in his last two starts against the Marlins and Padres.
With 82 strikeouts to 27 walks, McLean has been a rock for the Mets this season, posting the best ERA on the team among pitchers with 10-plus starts.
The Braves saw his ability first-hand when he made his second career start against Atlanta last August, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings.
The Cubs looked like they were going to have a great 2026 after they started 27-12. They had a 3.5 game lead in the NL Central with that record after defeating the Rangers 7-1 on May 8.
Since then, as you know, the Cubs are 8-22 and trail the first-place Brewers by 7.5 games. I’ll save you the math — that’s an 11-game drop over a 30-game span. Clearly, that isn’t good.
But the Cubs never dropped below .500 during this 30-game swoon, or collapse, or whatever you want to call it. There are still 93 games remaining in the 2026 season. If the Cubs can win 55 of them, that’s 90 wins, which should be enough for at least a wild-card spot. 55 wins in 93 games is a .591 winning percentage, which is a 96-win pace. That’s a pretty good pace, but it should be noted that the 27-12 record posted to start the season is a .692 winning percentage, or a pace for 112 wins.
These Cubs aren’t that good. But can they be .591 good over a 93-game span? I think they can.
Here are 10 teams that made comebacks from large deficits over fairly long periods of time to make the postseason over the last 25 years. Of these 10, six reached their low point in June, two in late May and two as late as August. Two of these 10 are Cubs teams, and you’re likely very familiar with at least one of the others.
Here’s hoping the 2026 Cubs join this list by the end of the year.
2002 Athletics
After losing to the Mariners June 5, the A’s were 28-30. They went 75-29 the rest of the way to finish at 103-59 and won the AL West by four games. This included their famous 20-game winning streak. The 2002 A’s lost a division series to the Twins.
2005 Astros
After losing to the Orioles June 15, the Astros were 26-38 and 14.5 games out of first place. They went 63-35 the rest of the way and were the NL’s then sole wild card. They wound up getting to the World Series, where they lost to the White Sox.
In those pre-video review days, Lou came out for a vehement argument with umpire Mark Wegner. He later said he knew Angel Pagan was out, but he wanted to “light a fire” under his team.
It worked. The Cubs went 63-46 the rest of the way and won the NL Central by two games before losing a division series to the Diamondbacks.
This is one of only two Cubs teams in franchise history to be at least nine games under .500 and finish with a winning record (the other: 1968, when they went from 35-45 to finish 84-78).
2009 Twins
The Twins were 56-62 after losing to the Rangers Aug. 17. They went 30-14 the rest of the regular season and won a tiebreaker game for the AL Central title over the Tigers before losing a division series to the Yankees.
2017 Cubs
The “World Series hangover” Cubs were under .500 at the All-Star break at 43-45 after losing to the Pirates July 9, and 5.5 games out of first place. They went 49-25 the rest of the way and won the NL Central by six games. They won a division series over the Nationals before losing the NLCS to the Dodgers.
2019 Nationals
They were 32-38 after losing to the Diamondbacks June 15. They went 61-31 the rest of the way, made the postseason as a wild card, and won the World Series, the only such win in their franchise history.
2021 Braves
They lost to the Red Sox June 16 to drop to 30-35. They went 58-38 the rest of the way, won the NL East by 6.5 games and won the World Series, their first WS win since 1995. Dansby Swanson hit .259/.329/.463 with 17 home runs during those 96 games, playing in 93 of them.
2022 Phillies
They were 21-29 after losing to the Giants May 31. They weent 66-46 the rest of the way, though they backed into postseason after being 80-62, then going 7-13. They made it to World Series, but lost to the Astros.
2024 Tigers
They came to Wrigley Field in late August and lost two of three, looking bad doing it, to drop them to 62-66. They went 24-10 the rest of the way, winning the AL Central. They won a wild card series over the Astros, then lost a division series to the Guardians.
2025 Brewers
They were 25-28 after losing to the Pirates May 24 and were 6.5 games behind the then-division leading Cubs. They went 72-37 the rest of the way, including winning streaks of 11 and 14 games. As you know, they defeated Cubs in the division series before being swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS.
So it can happen. I continue to believe this Cubs team has good players on it and can make a comeback like that. Let’s hope that comeback started Thursday in Denver.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 28: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field on May 28, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is Craig Breslow being fired? Better not tell you now.
Is Boston selling? Reply hazy, try again.
Is Chad Tracy going to lose the interim title? Outlook not so good.
But the Texas Rangers are in town for three games andm like Boston, they’re struggling. Unlike Boston, that means staying at .500 rather than going below. The Rangers are sitting in second place in the AL West with a 34-34 record, 2.0 games behind the Mariners but in control of a Wild Card.
As usual it seems, the pitching matchups are in Boston’s favor. But playing at home with little offense outside of Caleb “Home Run” Durbin what can possibly go right?
Jack Leiter opens things up for the Rangers and he’s pitching, well, not great. He’s coming off a 4.2 innings, 5 run loss to the Cleveland Guardians. He gave up 4 runs to the Rockies and Astros a couple weeks before that. He has 76 Ks in 71 innings but also has 31 walks. Sonny Gray won the only game in New York. With 6.1 innings, 3 runs against the Yankees lineup he’s continued to have a great season. The pitching usually gives them a chance to win. Maybe he can convince the bats to show up? My grandfather would say they call him Sonny because he’s bright, so maybe he’s got a trick up his sleeve?
deGrom remains good, if fragile. At the moment he isn’t hurt. He might get hurt during the game. Who can say. He’s struck out 84 in 70.2 innings. The stuff is still there. And Boston loves striking out. He only has two outings longer than 6.0 innings. Maybe they’ll wear him down? Ranger Suarez had a bounceback start against the Yankees that the Sox should have won. But we all remember the bullpen setting the game on fire. That 6-1 loss really hurts. The Sox can’t get out of their own way in these games and it’s that sloppiness that has really killed them.
Old friend Nathan Eovaldi has thrived in Texas but he’s in a rough patch right now, dragging his season down to something the Sox might exploit. In his last three starts he’s allowed 4 in 5.2, 4 in 6.0, and 5 in 7.0. He still strikes out almost a batter per inning. He’s allowed 15 homers in 13 starts, although 4 in one game skews that a tad. Connelly Early, who has been plagued by the home run ball, has given up just 12 long balls this season. Maybe this is a strategy Boston can exploit? Homers in Fenway? Is that…legal? Craig Breslow will make it legal. The Ks have been there for Early, at least 6 in four of his last 5 starts. They’ve lost three of his last five starts 3-1, 4-2, and 3-2. So while the rookie isn’t lights out, he’s keeping them in the game.
Jake Burger leads the Rangers with 11 home runs and no one else has double digits.
Evan Carter has 10 steals and no other Ranger has more than 5.
The Rangers are a bottom five offense in terms of runs scored.
They’re, really, not a great team. But that gets you a .500 record in the AL this year. Boston can win this series. Or rather they can pitch to win it. Can they score enough to keep the weak part of the bullpen in the ‘pen?
As a reminder, Sunday is a night game on Peacock.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, June 12: Jack Leiter (4.69 ERA / 4.46 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (3.20 ERA / 3.94 FIP)
Saturday, June 13: Jacob deGrom (3.76 ERA / 4.07 FIP) vs. Ranger Suarez (3.18 ERA / 4.45 FIP))
Sunday, June 14: Nathan Eovaldi (4.26 ERA / 4.59 FIP) vs. Connelly Early (3.30 ERA / — FIP)
Sep 7, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Jose Altuve (27) throws his bat after he strikes out against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Astros missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016, but still finished with 87 wins. This year, the bottom may be dropping out, as they are tied for the eighth-worst record in baseball and are headed to their first losing season since 2014. Their dynasty run that included nine playoff appearances, four pennants, and two titles, appears to be coming to an end.
Houston Astros (31-39) vs. Kansas City Royals (28-41) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Despite playing in Minute Maid Park, the Astros have hit better away from home this year, and only five teams in baseball have hit more road homers. Jose Altuve is one hitter who has struggled on the road, hitting .189/.252/.263 away from Houston. Yordan Alvarez leads all qualified hitters in slugging percentage (.636) and wRC+ (189), and is second in on-base percentage (.430) and home runs (22). He is hitting lefties equally as well as righties. Jeremy Peña is hitting .328/.418/.534 with three home runs over his last 17 games.
Isaac Paredes has a 53.8 percent pull rate, seventh-highest in baseball. He’s a lifetime .196/.328/.373 hitter in 14 games at Kauffman Stadium. The Astros have the worst success rate on stolen bases, getting caught 33 percent of the time. Altuve and Paredes rank as poor defenders by Outs Above Average, but much of the rest of the team rates well.
Tatsuya Imai struggled in his first few starts in the big leagues after coming over from Japan, but he allowed just four runs in 17 innings over his last three starts. He has a 3.24 ERA in four road starts. He throws his slider 44.7 percent of the time, helping him induce a 51 percent groundball rate.
The Astros acquired Mike Burrows in the offseason in a trade with the Pirates, but he has struggled. He leads the majors in losses (8), home runs allowed (17), and he has the highest ERA among qualified starters at 5.77. He has given up four or more runs in 7 of his 13 starts. Lefties are hitting .321/.397/.575 against him. Noah Cameron has allowed just six earned runs in 30 innings over his last five starts for 1.80 ERA, but the Royals have won only one of those games.
Spencer Arrighetti is tied for third in the American League with seven wins, with five Quality Starts. Opponents are hitting just .185/.322/.260 against him. He throws his curveball one-third of the time, and the pitch has a 42 percent whiff rate. Stephen Kolek has allowed just seven earned runs in 32.1 innings over his last five starts.
The Astros have a 4.82 ERA from their bullpen, seventh-worst in baseball, with the third-highest walk rate. And yet, they have the fewest blown saves in baseball with just three. Josh Hader missed the first two months with shoulder and bicep injuries, but earned a save in his first game back. He has struck out 7 of the 13 batters he has faced so far, without allowing a hit. Bryan King, Bryan Abreu, and Enyel de los Santos had each earned saves prior to Hader’s return. Abreu has the highest walk rate among relievers. Steven Okert has a 60 percent flyball rate, third-highest in baseball.
The Astros had an awful month of April, but have played .500 ball since then. They split their season series with the Royals last year, with Kansas City winning the series at Kauffman. This is the fifth consecutive series for the Royals against a team that currently has a .500 record or worse. They’ve gone 6-7 over that stretch so far, and will need to do much better if they any hopes for climbing back into contention.
DENVER, CO - MAY 20: Manager Skip Schumaker #55 of the Texas Rangers jogs on the field in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This week, our Rangers Reacts Survey asked y’all to give new manager Skip Schumaker a grade for his work as manager so far.
Y’all seem to find him to be, generally, just okay.
Just over half of you gave him a “C” grade, and over 80% of you have him with either a “B” or a “C.” So a fairly unremarkable performance so far from Skip.
As for the national questions, Yordan Alvarez narrowly edged out Shohei Ohtani for the title of “best hitter in baseball”:
Asked about the looming labor negotiations, over half of respondents are following, and a large majority are worried about a work stoppage.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 16: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves reacts as he rounds third base after hitting a solo homer to lead off the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 16, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The day after Hurston Waldrep made his first rehab stint, we now have news that Waldrep will have a partner joining him on his rehab journey. They won’t be in the same level but it’s still truly a sight for sore eyes to see this particular guy getting back into action.
The Gwinnett Stripers have announced that catcher Drake Baldwin will be doing a rehab stint at the Triple-A level. He’ll be back in action starting on Saturday as the Stripers take on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this weekend.
Here’s more from the Stripers on the press release:
The Gwinnett Stripers, in conjunction with the Atlanta Braves, have announced that catcher Drake Baldwin will join the Stripers on an injury rehab assignment on Saturday, June 13. Baldwin, on the Braves’ 10-day Injured List since May 19 (strained right oblique muscle), is scheduled to play in Gwinnett’s 6:35 p.m. game against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at VyStar Ballpark.
The 25-year-old Baldwin played in 48 games with the Braves prior to the injury, batting .303 (57-for-188) with six doubles, 13 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a .932 OPS. Including his 2025 National League Rookie of the Year campaign, he is hitting .283 (168-for-593) with 24 doubles, two triples, 32 homers, 118 RBIs, and an .848 OPS across 172 career games with Atlanta.
Baldwin’s rehab assignment marks his return to Gwinnett. The Madison, Wisconsin native played for the Stripers from 2023-24, batting .300 (86-for-287) with 13 doubles, one triple, 13 homers, 57 RBIs, and an .893 OPS in 75 games.
While the Braves (and Walt Weiss in particular) were initially hopeful that Baldwin could just eschew the rehab stint and jump right back into action at the big league level, it appears that the Braves have decided that it would be better for everybody involved if Baldwin did indeed take that rehab stint. The target arrival for Baldwin was initially this next week’s homestand so we’ll see if this’ll be a quick rehab stint or if they’ll let him cook a bit longer with the Stripers before bringing him back into action with the Braves.
Either way, the Braves can now start thinking about having their star catcher back at some point in the near future. With all due respect to both Sandy León and Austin Wynns (along with Chadwick Tromp’s contributions while he was here), Baldwin’s bat is sorely missed in the catcher’s spot of the lineup and he’ll also provide a very valuable DH bat as well. Hopefully this rehab stint goes smoothly and we see Baldwin back in the Atlanta lineup sooner rather than later.
Jun 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Jonah Cox (53) scores against the Chicago Cubs during the 10th inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Cubs have lost 2 out of 3 in their last 4 series, including last weekend in Chicago against the San Francisco Giants. By the way, the extra innings game on Sunday Night Baseball wound up being the fourth-largest primetime audience of the MLB season. The Giants didn’t look like one of the worst teams in the sport and the Cubs, despite losing, still had the veneer of a good team despite being 8-22 in their last 30 games.
They managed to win their finale in Colorado yesterday, and it looks like this turn through the rotation will feature everything they’ve got from the starting pitching front. Javier Assad reliever Jameson Taillon in that thrilling Sunday Nighter and pitched 6.1 shutout innings, allowing only a hit and a walk to go with 5 strikeouts. Ben Brown is their best starter and shutout the Giants for 5.1 innings in the Cubs’ Saturday win, allowing only a hit and a walk to go with 5 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Colin Rea has thrown the second-most innings on Chicago’s staff (69.1 IP). He has yet to have a start where he hasn’t allowed a run, though, on three separate occasions he’s allowed only 1 run.
When we last saw the Giants at home, one of the coolest things that you will ever see in a baseball game happened. If you don’t know what I’m talking about for some reason…
All I can say is that I was listening to this game on radio until the 9th inning comeback started and I decided to switch over to watch Eldridge’s at bat. I’m not kidding, I turned the game on as he stepped in to the box. As great as Krukow and Kuiper’s hogs out banter was before the final pitch, let history never forget Jon Miller’s call.
The Giants are also throwing their best part of the rotation at the Cubs too, though, as Logan Webb has looked great since returning from the IL and Landen Roupp and Trevor McDonald at home is a good matchup.
The Cubs need this series very badly. The Giants are playing for vibes. Even with baseball, you’d like to think that the more relaxed team has the advantage.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (28-41) vs. Chicago Cubs (35-34) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 7:05pm PT, 12:10pm PT National broadcasts: ABC/ESPN (Sunday)
Projected starters Friday: Landen Roupp (RHP 5-6, 4.00 ERA) vs. Javier Assad (RHP 3-1, 4.73 ERA) Saturday: Trevor McDonald (RHP 2-3, 4.15 ERA) vs. Ben Brown (RHP 2-2, 1.74 ERA) Sunday: Logan Webb (RHP 3-4, 3.88 ERA) vs. Colin Rea (RHP 5-4, 5.19 ERA)
Players to watch
Cubs
Just 4 Cubs have been better than league average since May 1st: Michael Busch (166 wRC+), Pete Crow-Armstrong (145), Ian Happ (136), literally Michael Conforto (114), so let’s focus on the recent underperformers:
Nico Hoerner: The Oakland native and Stanford alum has done well when he’s returned to the Bay Area. He’s a career .275/.351/.392 at Oracle Park in 14 games (57 PA), but over his last 37 games (162 PA), he’s hitting just .208/.290/.257 (60 wRC+).
Alex Bregman: He was practically nonexistent against the Giants (0-for-12) and is hitting just .236/.317/.338 since May 1st (167 PA). Over the last two weeks, it’s just .178/.296/.333.
Seiya Suzuki: Since May 1st, his line has been a substandard .207/.280/.348 (74 wRC+), but over the past two weeks, he’s picked up his production, slashing .279/.326/.512 (134 wRC+), hitting well enough that he became the subject of a Ken Rosenthal thinkpiece about the Cubs possibly moving him for some badly needed pitching. He did well against the Giants (3-for-9 with a homer) and is on an 8-game hitting streak.
Giants
Bryce Eldridge: Of course.
Trevor McDonald: He was the starter of that Sunday night thriller and he’s bounced back nicely from that 7-run disaster against the White Sox (not entirely his fault anyway), but this entire series is a test to see just how much familiarity persists between these two teams with so few games between the rematch.
Ryan Walker: He has been recalled from Sacramento and taking Carson Seymour’s spot. Seymour wound up being batting practice for the Cubs and Nats in his two appearances this season, but Walker has been that to a large degree, too. We’ll see if his scoreless wizardry in the minors comes back up to the big leagues with him. The Giants could certainly use some outs from the bullpen.
Prediction time
The Cubs are 1-6 at Oracle Park over the past two seasons, so, I’ll predict that the Giants won’t get swept?
The Braves (45-23) and Mets (30-38) meet for the first of many times this season. Atlanta won eight out of 13 meetings last season versus New York.
New York is 4-5 to start the month and have been inconsistent offensively. The Mets are hitting .223 (26th) to start the month and scored 33 runs (T-25th) over nine games. The Braves and Mets are separated by 15 games in the NL East.
Atlanta is coming off being swept by the Chicago White Sox, 6-5 in extra innings and 2-1. The series finale was postponed. The Braves announced that Ronald Acuna Jr. will be on the IL due to a strained left hamstring. Over the last 11 games, Atlanta is hitting .241 (23rd) with 51 runs scored (23rd). Acuna was hitting .316 in that span with 12 hits and five home runs. The Braves offense is expected to slow down without Acuna.
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 first pitch, 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.
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Game details & how to watch Braves at Mets
Date: Friday, June 12, 2026
Time: 7:15 PM EST
Site: Citi Field
City: Flushing, NY
Network/Streaming: Apple 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 Braves at the Mets
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Atlanta Braves (+105), New York Mets (-126)
Spread: Braves +1.5 (-204), Mets -1.5 (+167)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Mets
Friday's pitching matchup (June 12): Spencer Strider vs. Nolan McLean
The Braves’ Matt Olson is hitting .272 with 72 hits, 19 home runs and 50 RBI over 265 at-bats
The Braves’ Austin Riley is hitting .206 with 51 hits and 79 strikeouts over 247 at-bats
The Mets’ Juan Soto is hitting .277 with 52 hits, 14 home runs, and 31 RBI over 188 at-bats
The Mets’ Bo Bichette is hitting .227 with 62 hits and 52 strikeouts over 273 at-bats
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 Braves at Mets
The Mets are 28-40 ATS, ranking fifth-best
The Braves are 41-27 ATS, ranking third-best
The Mets are 33-29-6 to the Under, ranking eighth-best
The Braves are 33-31-4 to the Over
The Mets are 13-20 ATS at home, ranking sixth-worst
The Braves are 23-12 ATS on the road, ranking second-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Braves and the Mets
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Braves and the Mets:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Braves on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brvaes at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.0
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It’s a busy night of the diamond, and I’ve got three MLB same-game parlay predictions to cover you for all the action Friday, June 12.
My top MLB picks begin with an AL Central showdown between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians and wrap up with an SGP for the matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins.
Tigers vs Guardians SGP: Detroit motors to another win
The Detroit Tigers are turning the corner with a fifth-ranked xwOBA and 6.9 runs per game during their active 7-2 stretch, while the Cleveland Guardians rank 29th in xwOBA while averaging 3.5 runs per game during their own 3-8 skid.
Additionally, Detroit starter Jack Flaherty has fanned six or more batters in four consecutive starts with a sterling 2.37 xFIP, and outfielder Riley Greene has been a force against righties over the past three years with a high-end .374 wOBA and .237 ISO while hitting in the heart of the lineup.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CLEG, DSN
Phillies vs Brewers SGP: Misiorowski builds on Cy Young bid
Still, I’m expecting Philly rookie Andrew Painter to pitch deep enough to record four or more strikeouts. His 4.68 xFIP is way below his 6.21 ERA, and Painter has limited opposing hitters to a below-average 34.9% hard-hit rate.
Finally, Brewers second baseman Brice Turang is ripe to snap out of a 0-for-9 slump, considering he sports a .304 batting average and .419 wOBA against righties this season.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: BREW, NBCSP
Cardinals vs Twins SGP: Minny lambastes Leahy
St. Louis Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy (4.42 ERA and 4.34 xFIP) has surrendered the highest blast-contact rate among pitchers with at least 50 innings, so I’m anticipating a short outing paving the way for four or fewer strikeouts from the righty.
Left-handed bats have teed off on Leahy to the tune of a .421 wOBA and .962 OPS, and Minnesota Twins infielder Tristan Gray has been sneakily productive down the lineup with four runs, 11 hits and 12 RBI across his past 13 games.
Of course, the Twins have a sizable edge on the mound with Joe Ryan sporting a solid 3.02 ERA and 3.60 xFIP.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MNNT, CARD
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 8-16, +12.0 units
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BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 11: Baltimore Orioles fans arrive at Oriole Park prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
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.
At times this year, never for more than three days at a time, the Orioles can almost convince you that maybe they will be able to be a good team, or at least a good enough team. If there are a few good games in a row from the starting pitchers at the same time the offense does positive things, when they’re doing that, it doesn’t feel foolish to believe. The only problem is that they can’t do it more than three games in a row. Or at least they haven’t done it yet.
In this week’s survey, I asked Orioles fans whether they think the team can get back above .500 before the All-Star break. At the time I posted the survey, that would have required an 18-12 record before the break. They went 2-1 in the remaining games in the Mariners series since then, so we’re now talking 16-11 between now and July 12’s game. Can they do that? Here’s what you said:
That’s a resounding no. It’s almost even a shocking no, because in my experience these surveys have tended towards the optimistic, perhaps even the foolishly optimistic. With the way the Orioles managed to lose on Monday and Tuesday – the two freshest games in people’s minds as they would have been voting this week – it seems the optimism was temporarily beaten out of them. I don’t blame them. I don’t think this team can get back above .500 before the break either.
They’re probably going to have to fire off at least a five-game winning streak to do it. That’s a tall order with the recent state of the rotation. There aren’t five good pitchers out there. There might not even be two. We’ll see if they can do anything to make us feel a little better in hosting the struggling Padres.
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 05: (left to right) Houston Astros center fielder Brice Matthews (0), Houston Astros center fielder Jake Meyers (6), and Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) celebrate the team 5-1 win in the top of the ninth inning during the MLB game between the Athletics and Houston Astros on June 5, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
June is a huge month for Houston, as they face primarily teams with losing records and need to show they can get back to .500 and legitimately chase a playoff spot.
Here is what you said:
More optimism than pessimism among readers, but not optimistic they can crawl to .500 by month end.
Do you think the Astros can get to .500 by the deadline?
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 09: Fernando Cruz #63 of the New York Yankees celebrates his team's 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fernando Cruz can certainly frustrate. But far more often of late, Cruz has dazzled with both dominant displays and gritty performances coming out of the bullpen. Perhaps no performance better encapsulates these game-changing abilities than his five-out save in the middle game against the Guardians Tuesday night. He struck out four of the five batters he faced including three in a row in the ninth to lock down the Yankees’ 3-2 victory in Cleveland. As impressive as several of the other Yankees pitchers have been, there was really no competition for this edition of Yankees Sequence of the Week.
We join Cruz with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Chase DeLauter standing on first after drawing a leadoff walk. The Yankees cling to a 3-2 lead courtesy of Spencer Jones’ first big league home run and the go-ahead solo blast from Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the eighth. The bullpen has performed spectacularly to this point in relief of a laboring Gerrit Cole, Paul Blackburn, Tim Hill, Camilo Doval, and Jake Bird have all put up zeroes following Cole’s departure after four. Cruz has already worked his magic in the previous frame, inheriting a pair of base runners from Bird but striking out Travis Bazzana and getting José Ramírez to line out to strand both in place. Angel Martínez steps to the plate as the Guardians’ last hope having already collected a pair of base knocks on the day.
Cruz has been experimenting with varying his first pitch selection in recent weeks, usually looking to establish a called strike one with a four-seamer or slider to set up chase on the splitter for the rest of the AB. However, he has a single-minded approach in this spot, not wanting to mess around with either of his less dependable pitches. He throws perhaps the best splitter in baseball and goes full send with his number one pitch.
It’s pretty obvious that Martínez is sitting dead splitter in this spot, given the way he is able to track this pitch that starts as a ball above the strike zone and ends as a ball below it. His swing is matched perfectly to the movement of the pitch, but he’s just a tad early as he rips it foul to the right.
Despite seeing that Martínez was all over that first pitch splitter, there’s no flinch from Cruz. It’s almost like he’s saying, “Here’s my best against your best, let’s see if you can beat me.” He maintains supreme confidence in his splitter, knowing that if he executes to his spot, there are very few hitters in the league if any that can hit it.
This is frankly an unfair pitch from Cruz. This splitter breaks downward ten more inches than the previous one. You can see the look of bewilderment on Martínez’s face as he just nicks the top of the ball for a foul tip into J.C. Escarra’s glove. He swung exactly where he thought this pitch would end up based on the movement of the prior splitter, only for this one to dive downwards way more than he was expecting.
Now that Cruz has shown he can throw the splitter in the zone and still get a swinging strike, he has Martínez in big trouble with the count 0-2. If he can execute another splitter just a little lower than the one he just threw, the hitter should have no shot at making contact.
Decent execution from Cruz, even better take from Martínez. This splitter leaves Cruz’s hand looking like an elevated, centrally-located strike before plummeting down and away almost into the dirt — just insane movement on the pitch and kudos to the hitter for not chasing.
That ball doesn’t change anything in this AB. Cruz still has the count leverage overwhelmingly in his favor and knows he can enforce his will upon Martínez with one more well executed splitter.
Swing and a miss, good night. Cruz caps of this untouchable sequence with his best splitter yet. The pitch travels about halfway to home looking like a meatball strike on the inner half. Just after the ball passes through the hitter’s swing decision point, it drops off the table falling over three feet before it reaches Escarra. Martínez has already started his swing before the pitch’s movement kicks in, meaning it is actually impossible for him to make contact.
I don’t think it is a stretch to say that Cruz is the Yankees’ most trusted reliever at the moment. He has by far the best swing and miss stuff of their entire relief stable. With David Bednar’s recent upturn in form, the Yankees once again have a formidable duo for the final two (or more) innings of a winning ballgame. For anyone who may have missed the game on Tuesday or didn’t get to see all five outs that Cruz recorded, I leave this for your viewing pleasure:
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