PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 09: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs to first after hitting an RBI single in the seventh inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Only a few months away from turning 37, Freddie Freeman seems intent on materializing one of the smoothest “declines” in baseball, if we can even call it that. The Dodgers’ star first baseman isn’t the same hitter he was when he joined this team back in 2022, but you wouldn’t really know it from looking at his numbers. Preparing for a matchup against Mitch Keller, a pitcher against whom Freeman is batting .500 in 18 at-bats, he is in the middle of his finest stretch this season, having recorded a hit in 13 out of his last 15 appearances, once again maintaining an OPS in the mid .800s.
When he takes the field today, it’ll be Freeman’s 66th appearance in 69 games. That level of availability indicates a durability ever more important in the context of this current season, with Shohei Ohtani receiving more days off, Betts facing his issues, both health and production-wise, and even Kyle Tucker not quite hitting the ground running as many expected he would.
Freeman and many Dodger left-handed hitters have enjoyed a terrific first two games in this series against the Pirates, particularly when you adjust the expectations for having faced Paul Skenes. A brief rundown of the Pirates’ numbers against lefty hitters shows why that success shouldn’t come as a surprise. Pittsburgh’s staff has allowed a 5.14 ERA against left-handed hitters, the fourth highest in the big leagues. Mitch Keller, today’s starter, is one of many Pirates pitchers whose stats plummet when facing lefties. Eighteen of the 22 extra-base hits given up by Keller in 2026 have come against left-handed hitters.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 5: Starting pitcher Ryan Feltner #18 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field on June 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The rookies pulled through for the Colorado Rockies as they secured a series victory with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday. Pitching was great for both teams, and things didn’t really happen until the final two innings. TJ Rumfield had a go-ahead home run and Sterlin Thompson later delivered the walk-off single. Now, the Rockies look to sweep the Cubs to close out the homestand.
Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.22 ERA) takes the hill for the Rockies, looking to continue his string of quality starts. Since returning from the injured list, Felter has allowed just one run on five hits over 12 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. He has done a good job of throwing strikes and getting soft contact. Even more important has been the ability to keep composure on the mound to not let things spiral out of control. In his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers, he ended up throwing 37 pitches in the second inning, but worked out of the jam and went back to being efficient for six innings. He has made one career start against the Cubs back in 2022, where he allowed three runs on six hits over 5.1 innings.
Edward Cabrera (3-3, 4.99 ERA) makes the start for the Cubs, his second since returning from the injured list last week. After a solid run in Miami, the Cubs acquired Cabrera in a trade over the offseason to solidify the rotation. He has been decent for the Cubs, but it’s been a little inconsistent as he has had a hard time preventing runs. After two scoreless outings to begin the year, he has allowed at least three runs in every start since, including a season-high eight runs in his previous start against the San Francisco Giants. He can get wild at times, resulting in several walks, but he also has utilized his deep arsenal to get strikeouts. Cabrera has made four career starts against the Rockies, posting a 4.22 ERA over 21.1 innings. Three of those starts have come at Coors Field with a 3.12 ERA.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 9: Jalen Beeks #68 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Globe Life Field on May 9, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have placed lefthanded reliever Jalen Beeks on the 15 day injured list with back spasms, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled righthanded reliever Luis Curvelo from AAA Round Rock.
Beeks was one of the legion of relief arms the Rangers signed to one year deals this past offseason. He has a 3.81 ERA in 26 innings over 29 games so far this season, although with a 5.41 FIP, owing to the fact he’s allowed six homers already this season. He last pitched on Tuesday, in the opener in the series against the Royals, when he faced five batters, retired two of them, and gave up three hits, including a homer.
Curvelo started the season in AAA, but has now been recalled three times, with a stint on the major league injured list mixed in. He has allowed five runs in 7.1 IP over 7 games.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 09: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates his two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 09, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals still have a chance to win the series this afternoon.
Michael Wacha get the start. He gave up six runs in five innings against the Rangers in Texas, his worst start of the year. Jac Caglianone gets moved up to the cleanup spot and Kameron Misner gets his first start in a Royals uniform.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 5: Martin Perez #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on June 5, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve been kind of checked out during this series. The Braves’ 2026 season has been very exciting so far, but there’s just been a confluence of events that have sort of made me pay less attention than to any other set so far this season:
The start time is kind of weird and runs right across me putting the kids to bed. The pitch clock and other aspects of games this season have made it so games were either starting late (West Coast trip games) or largely decided by kid-bedtime, these scheduled 7:40 pm ET starts mean the meat of the action happens then.
The pitching management in the first game was just as clear of a, “Yeah, we don’t really care about this game” signal as possible.
Yesterday’s game was just a low-energy, nothing carries meh-fest.
Anyway, put all that together, and the Braves are on the brink of getting swept on Chicago’s South Side… unless they can salvage a game. It’s a weird position for this team — this is only their third series loss, the first time they’ve lost the first two games of a series, and only their fourth time they’ve lost consecutive games (including a three-game losing streak in early April, which is their longest of the year so far).
But, standing in the way of the potentially-added excitement of avoiding a sweep by the White Sox, of all teams… is the fact that Martin Perez is starting.
As I’ve noted before, Martin Perez just kind of does something to my perception and ability to enjoy a game. I can’t really put my finger on what it is, exactly, it’s more je ne sais quoi (or, in this case, the opposite of that — is there a similar concept but with a negative connotation?) To be clear, it’s not even that I think Perez is especially bad, or bound to implode; his line on the season is 73/98/96 (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-) which is slightly better than average, and as a starter over his last four turns in the rotation, he’s at 105/94/99. A league-average starter performance for very cheap isn’t anything to sneeze at, but I’m not proverbially sneezing because of the outcome. It’s just…
Perez mainly throws three pitches, sprinkling in another two here and there. The movement profile on every pitch is poor. For example, he throws a slower changeup than most guys (because he throws slower than most guys), yet it somehow has less drop than even an average changeup. You’d think that maybe with a lack of stuff, there’s a command improvement, but Perez isn’t really hitting targets well, either. You can go to Baseball Savant and see his pitch plots — there’s nothing pinpoint there except for the curve, which he throws less than ten percent of the time. The cutter is a get-me-over mess and his sinker is largely thrown middle-middle. He doesn’t get much chase, he doesn’t get many whiffs, but he also doesn’t really avoid walks. As I’ve described before, his starts feel like plinko or pachinko — what happens is ultimately just up to whether the balls guys hit off him happen to be squared up and/or towards a defender. Sometimes they are, and the team is fine, even if he has poor peripherals on the day. Sometimes, they aren’t, and woof.
Perez actually spent a while throwing the ball for the White Sox last year, so he’ll be facing some old teammates. He didn’t have a very remarkable 2025, as he made just 11 appearances (10 starts), with a very fortunate 86/99/118 line. He went down in mid-April with a flexor strain, missed most of the season, and then returned for about a month in mid-August before he was shut down with a shoulder strain in mid-September.
The White Sox haven’t announced a starter. They might be doing another opener-esque thing. If so, Anthony Kay may be the starter. If he is, it’ll be kind of a mixed bag for the Braves. Kay hasn’t pitched all that well after a two-year stint in Japan (105/128/120), but the Braves also haven’t hit well at all when another team has used an opener against them. Kay was crushed by the Phillies in his last start, snapping a streak of three straight where he had allowed exactly one run… even without particularly good peripherals in the process. The White Sox used an opener for Kay a couple of times in April and then seemingly abandoned the idea, but maybe they’re trying it again after seeing how the Braves didn’t really do anything against Erick Fedde in the opener of this game. In any case, given the Perez pachinko, it’ll be up to the Braves to snap out of their offensive doldrums to avoid the sweep.
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast the league’s best run differential as they continue their pursuit of a third straight World Series title, and tonight's favorable matchup against embattled right-hander Mitch Keller offers another opportunity for the NL heavyweights to flex their elite offense.
With Polymarket offering a loaded slate from afternoon to night, here are our best MLB picks for Thursday, June 11.
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Diamondbacks/Marlins Under 8.5
Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket
This is one of the few games on the board where both teams are traveling, which is why it's an afternoon start and could lead to weaker lineups than usual. The Miami Marlins head north to Pittsburgh tomorrow, while the Arizona Diamondbacks open a series against Cincinnati on Friday.
Arizona put up a donut last night, and while the Fish scored eight runs, six of those came in a single fourth inning. I trust both bullpens, and the Diamondbacks should need to use some relief arms today, which could result in high-leverage relievers working in non-high-leverage spots.
Let's hope for some quick at-bats and getaway-day baseball.
Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
How to watch: Dbacks.TV, Marlins.TV
Jon Metler's expert pick: Braves moneyline
Price: 54¢ (-120) at Polymarket
Ronald Acuna Jr. landing on the IL is certainly a blow to the Atlanta Braves' lineup, but I think the market may be overreacting to the news. Against left-hander Anthony Kay, Atlanta still has plenty of ways to generate offense, which creates some value at the current price.
One reason is the added depth provided by right-handed hitters Jorge Mateo and Ha-Seong Kim near the bottom of the order. Their presence lengthens the lineup and helps keep pressure on opposing pitchers when the batting order turns over. Mateo is hitting .300 on the season and .324 against left-handed pitching, while Kim has consistently produced better numbers against southpaws throughout his career.
Even without Acuna, this lineup is built to match up well against a left-handed starter, and that reality isn't being fully reflected in the market. I make the Braves closer to a 57-cent favorite against the Chicago White Sox.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: BravesVision, CHSN
Neil Parker's expert pick: Dodgers -1.5
Price: 49¢ (+104) at Polymarket
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast the highest wOBA against righties this season and the highest overall xwOBA over the past 30 days, so I’m anticipating Pittsburgh Pirates' right-hander Mitch Keller to have his hands full.
Keller doesn’t have a single positive pitch value across his past five starts, which paints the perfect picture for why he’s allowed 24 runs across 26 innings during the skid.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's bullpen has already been tasked with eight innings of work this series, and the Pirates rank 26th in reliever ERA across the past two weeks.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: SportsNet LA, SportsNet Pittsburgh
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Orioles moneyline
Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket
I'll happily back the home underdog in a matchup where the splits strongly favor the Baltimore Orioles.
Kyle Bradish is on a tear at Camden Yards, allowing just one earned run across his last three home starts. On the other side, Seattle Mariners' starter Bryan Woo has struggled away from the Emerald City, carrying a 5.08 road ERA and surrendering 18 earned runs over his last four road outings.
Baltimore also enters in better offensive form, ranking 10th in OPS over the past week while remaining one of baseball's most productive home offenses.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPN
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Acuña was removed from the game, and an MRI on Wednesday showed the strain.
“Grade 1, so it’s not terrible, but enough where we had to IL him,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said, according to MLB.com. “We’d be waiting around a while, playing short-handed if we were waiting for it to heal. So we went ahead and put him on the IL.”
It is Acuña’s second left hamstring injury this season. He was on the 10-day injured list from May 3-18 with a strained left hamstring also sustained while attempting to run out a grounder.
“I don’t think it’s as severe as the last one, but still going to need some time,” Weiss said.
To open a spot for him on the 40-man roster, right-hander Jhancarlos Lara was designated for assignment.
In other moves before Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to Chicago, the Braves selected James Karinchak to the big league roster and designated fellow right-hander Carlos Carrasco for assignment. The team also recalled right-hander JR Ritchie and placed reliever Tyler Kinley on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 8, with right elbow inflammation.
Kinley is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 31 appearances.
The 28-year-old Acuña, the 2023 NL MVP and a five-time All-Star, is hitting .251 with seven homers, 22 RBIs, 15 steals and a .793 OPS for the Braves, who top the majors with a 45-23 record. They lead the NL East by eight games over Philadelphia.
Acuña also has endured two serious knee injuries in his career. He sustained a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in May 2024, and tore his right ACL midway through the 2021 season.
DETROIT (AP) — Two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will return to Detroit’s starting lineup Saturday against Cleveland.
Manager A.J. Hinch made the announcement Thursday, adding that right-hander Casey Mize could return Sunday if he completes another bullpen session later Thursday.
Skubal, meanwhile, appears ahead of schedule. The Tigers announced in early May that their 29-year-old ace would require arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The procedure, called a NanoNeedle scope, took place nearly five weeks ago. Skubal made one rehab start, allowing two hits over five shutout innings for Detroit’s High-A affiliate.
Prior to landing on the injured list, Skubal had a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA in seven starts. He allowed 35 hits and 13 earned runs over 43.1 innings. He last pitched for the Tigers on April 29.
The Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox wrap up a three-game set at Rate Field on Thursday, June 11, and the South Siders can pull off the series sweep with a win.
But my top Braves vs. White Sox predictions and MLB picks are calling for Atlanta to leave the Windy City with the victory after teeing off on Chicago lefty Anthony Kay tonight.
Who will win Braves vs White Sox today: Braves moneyline (-112)
On the flip side, Atlanta starter Martin Perez checks in with a sustainable 4.02 xERA with just 15 runs allowed across his past eight starts, so I’m anticipating him limiting the damage enough for the Braves to pull away in the series finale.
I’d play the Braves moneyline down to -120, too.
COVERS INTEL: Chicago White Sox starter Anthony Kay has the fifth-highest xERA among the 100 pitchers with at least 60 innings, so I expect his struggles to continue and pave the way for the Atlanta moneyline and the Over 8.5 tonight.
Braves vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-105)
While I do expect Perez to hold the Chicago lineup in check to a degree, the White Sox also send a potent lineup to the dish.
The Pale Hose similarly rank third in wOBA against lefties and 10th in the overall metric across the past 30 days.
Of course, Chicago has also played to the Over in 19 of their last 30 games (+9.05 Units / 28% ROI), while Atlanta has gone Over the number in 28 of its last 45 road games (+11.45 Units / 23% ROI).
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 25-14, +12.73 units
Over/Under bets: 13-11, +1.22 units
Braves vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Atlanta -120 | Chicago +100
Run line: Atlanta -1.5 (+140) | Chicago +1.5 (-165)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)
Braves vs White Sox trend
The Atlanta Braves hit the Over in 28 of their last 45 away games (+11.45 Units / 23% ROI), and the Chicago White Sox have played to the Over in 19 of their last 30 games (+9.05 Units / 28% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. White Sox.
How to watch Braves vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Thursday, June 11, 2026
First pitch
7:40 p.m. ET
TV
CHSN, BravesVision
Braves starting pitcher
Martin Perez (4-3, 3.02 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Anthony Kay (5-1, 4.40 ERA)
Braves vs White Sox latest injuries
Braves vs White Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
May 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
IT HAS BEEN 14 YEARS: The Cubs have not been swept in a series at Colorado since Sept. 25-27, 2012, when they lost by 10-5, 6-0 and 7-5. This is their 13th series there since that sweep. They lost two games, then won the finale in 2019 and 2024. The Cubs have been swept in four total series at Denver. The three before 2012 were two games and four games in 1997, then three games in 2010. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TWO IS RARELY ENOUGH: The Cubs scored only two runs last night. It was their seventh game with exactly two, and the fourth they have lost. They are 1-7 with one run and have been shut out seven times, so they are 4-18 with two or fewer runs — and 30-16 with three or more. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
MORE ON THE LACK OF OFFENSE: In their last five games, the Cubs have scored 12 runs: three in three games, two in one and one in one. They have scored in only 10 of 47 innings, and produced multiple runs in only two, both with two runs. They have scored more than two runs in an inning only once in their last 10 games: the four-run, ninth-inning rally that beat the Athletics, 7-6, last Thursday. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jody Davis hits his first MLB home run and the Cubs defeat the Giants 6-1 at Wrigley Field. It’s the team’s fifth win in their last six games after a 10-36 start to the season. It’s also the last game before a players’ strike that would last nearly two months and wipe out a third of the season. This game happened 45 years ago today, Thursday, June 11, 1981.
For the third day in a row, the Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Honestly I have no idea why it takes this long, why they can’t do this by two hours to game time. Anyway, please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.
Edward Cabrera’s last start was… oh, I won’t be charitable. It was awful. He allowed three home runs and eight runs in fewer than four innings, the first time he’d ever allowed eight runs in a game.
The last time he pitched in Coors Field was Aug. 26, 2024 and he allowed three runs in 5.1 innings. Honestly, doing that today would be a significant improvement over last time out.
Ryan Feltner missed most of 2025 with back and shoulder issues and also missed five weeks earlier this year with ulnar nerve inflammation.
He’s made two starts since returning and both were very good — in total, 12 innings pitched, five hits and one run allowed.
He has not faced the Cubs since Sept. 18, 2022 and I post that boxscore link mostly for amusement value, because there’s only one position player from that lineup still on the team (Ian Happ). Current Cubs are a very small sample size 2-for-16 against him.
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Paul Blackburn #58 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on May 21, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Yankees re-signed Paul Blackburn to a one-year deal back in December, I actually liked the move. A veteran pitcher who had spent his entire career as a (rather lackluster) starter, he was, at a minimum, important early-season depth for a team that knew heading into the winter that it would have three starting pitchers — Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt — open the year on the injured list. And while the rotation depth was fortunately not tested any further in spring training, having a pair of veteran arms in Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough was the type of Plan B that big-market teams with larger payrolls should always have.
This wasn’t why I was intrigued, however. Three years ago, in September 2023, the Yankees claimed journeyman starter Luke Weaver off waivers. They liked what they saw, re-signed him to a one-year deal with a team option for 2025, and although they had him prepare as a starter in spring training, they had him ticketed for a spot in the bullpen from pretty much day one. You know the rest — he became a dominant bullpen arm that locked down the closer’s role in the Yankees’ 2024 AL pennant run, followed that up with an up-and-down 2025, and signed a two-year deal with the Mets in free agency this past winter. To me, Blackburn seemed like a perfect candidate to try this again.
Fast forward to June, and it seems like this is the Yankees’ goal. Unlike Yarbrough, who primarily — although not exclusively, as we saw on Monday night — pitches when the team needs multiple innings (particularly in garbage time), Blackburn has been increasingly used in more and more…I wouldn’t say high leverage roles, but middle innings in games that the Yankees neither have a large lead nor have put up the white flag. And for his part, he hasn’t been half bad in that role: since the start of May, he has allowed just five runs, three of which came back on May 13th in Baltimore.
However, is this performance sustainable, or is Blackburn’s stretch of strong performances yet more evidence for the volatility of relief pitchers? The underlying data is, well, rather contradictory.
Blackburn has done a very good job at both avoiding hard contact and generating groundballs — in fact, his groundball percentage ranks 14th out of the 183 relievers with at least 20 innings so far this season, and his hard hit percentage 64th. At the same time, though, he struggles to get batters to chase at pitches out of the zone or whiff at pitches in the zone, a combo that makes him one of the worst strikeout pitchers in the game. While Tim Hill (69.8 GB%, 11.8 K%), Yennier Cano (61.7 GB%, 19.8 K%), and Tyler Rogers (68.9 GB%, 15.1 K%) prove that you can still be a reliable reliever — nay, even a dominant one — while pitching more to contact, it does leave less room for error.
Looking deeper into the Statcast data, Blackburn has thrown seven different types of pitches this year, a reflection of his background as a starter: a sinker, a cutter, a changeup, a curveball, a sweeper, a four-seamer, and a slider. Of these, he tends to lean on his sinker and his cutter against righties, mixing in his sweeper against righties. Against lefties, he has used a wider repertoire, leaning on his cutter, changeup, and curveball and mixing in the sinker. He’s only thrown eight fastballs and four sliders, and given the context, I’m pretty sure the sliders were simply sweepers that didn’t register correctly on Statcast.
Not surprisingly, given the larger number of right-handed hitters compared to lefties, Blackburn has combined to throw his sinker and cutter a whopping 65.4 percent of the time. Unfortunately, these are also the pitches that hitters have done the most damage on: batters are hitting .324 against the sinker and .357 against the cutter, and the xBA for each shows relatively little regression should be expected, at least in terms of batted ball data (.338 and .275, respectively). The changeup, cutter, and sweeper, on the other hand, have been very effective in their smaller sample sizes, responsible for 11 of his 20 strikeouts and just four of his 27 hits.
So where do we stand on our original question? In truth, the question is still up in the air. Should Blackburn be able to generate more soft grounders with the sinker, he may be able to continue this hot stretch and become a solid middle reliever for the team as we head into the summer months. But unless he can find a way to generate some swing-and-miss, however, it seems unlikely that he can pull a Weaver and turn himself into what the Yankees are looking for, another true bullpen ace.
Jun 10, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) tags out Minnesota Twins left fielder Ryan Kreidler (5) at home plate in the third inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (28-40) vs. Minnesota Twins (31-38)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (2-4, 3.95 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (2-3, 4.15 ERA)
COVERS INTEL: The Chicago Cubs rank 27th in clutch batting win probability (-0.98) during their highlighted slump after posting a sixth-ranked 1.26 mark through the prior 23 games to highlight an unsustainable – and catastrophic – drop in timely hitting has been another huge contributor to the skid. Chicago begins returning to form at the plate this afternoon.
Cubs vs Rockies Over/Under pick: Under 11.5 (-122)
The Cubs and Rockies played to the Under the first two games of the series with just 15 runs combined, so with the potential for both teams to rest regulars Thursday, this total is too high for me.
Additionally, while Chicago righty Edward Cabrera was hit hard in his return from a blister on his middle finger, he surrendered three earned runs or fewer in nine of 10 starts while pitching to a nearly identical 4.00 ERA and 4.01 xFIP to start the year.
Finally, considering the highlighted Cubs struggles at the dish, I’m not anticipating Chicago flipping the script entirely this afternoon and would play this Under to -125.
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 25-14, +12.73 units
Over/Under bets: 13-11, +1.22 units
Cubs vs Rockies odds
Moneyline: Cubs -155 | Rockies +130
Run line: Cubs -1.5 (-100) | Rockies +1.5 (-120)
Over/Under: Over 11 (-115) | Under 11 (-105)
Cubs vs Rockies trend
The Cubs have cashed the Under in 18 of their last 30 games for +5.15 units and a 16% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Rockies.
How to watch Cubs vs Rockies and game info
Location
Coors Field, Denver, CO
Date
Thursday, June 11, 2026
First pitch
3:10 p.m. ET
TV
Marquee, Rockies.TV
Cubs starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (3-3, 4.99 ERA)
Rockies starting pitcher
Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.22 ERA)
Cubs vs Rockies latest injuries
Cubs vs Rockies weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 09: A detailed view of the bat of Samad Taylor #0 of the San Diego Padres during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park on June 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
2026 MLB Draft Preview: Jared Grindlinger scouting report.
The 2026 is about a month away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Huntington Beach, California, two-way player Jared Grindlinger.
Jared Grindlinger is a 6’3”, 185 lb. lefthanded hitter and thrower who is matriculating from Huntington Beach High School in California. Grindlinger is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class, having just turned 17 this past April. Grindlinger was originally going to be in the 2027 draft class, but reclassified four months ago to being draft-eligible in 2026. He is committed to the University of Tennessee, where his older brother, Trent, is a freshman who has been the Volunteers’ starting catcher this year.
As a hitter, the reports on Grindlinger describe him as contact-oriented, without a lot of present power, but with a build and swing that projects for power in the future. BP describes him as having “elite” contact ability and strike zone control.
Defensively, Grindlinger plays the outfield, though his lack of speed means he’s probably a corner outfielder, with right field being the best fit due to his arm. His speed will probably decrease as he fills out, which could result in him ending up at first base.
On the mound, Grindlinger is “all about projection,” per MLB Pipeline, which notes that his present stuff isn’t all that impressive. His fastball has touched 96 but is generally in the low 90s, with a slider that is a work in progress. His changeup is seen as his best offspeed pitch, with MLB Pipeline noting he has thrown both a circle change and a kick change.
Grindlinger is a really interesting draft candidate. His re-classifying just five months before the draft means that teams had not focused on him previously as much as other high schoolers who were draft-eligible this year. His being so young means that there’s much more projecting that has to be done with him, as well as the fact that as a two-way player he has not focused on either pitching or hitting as much as a non-two-way player would have at this point. To put his youth into context, on draft day, Grindlinger will be roughly five months older than Sebastian Walcott was when the Rangers signed him.
Grindlinger is a high upside, high risk guy right now, and the chances are good that he will be off the board when the Rangers pick. If he’s not, the Rangers, who have two way teenagers Josh Owens and Seong-Jung Kim playing in the ACL this year, would have the opportunity to add another youngster with two-way potential to the system.
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