Phillies’ reliever Alvarado rejoins team following PED ban, will be eligible later this month

Philadelphia Phillies v Cleveland Guardians

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 11: José Alvarado #46 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on May 11, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Diamond Images/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies reliever José Alvarado has rejoined the team following an 80-game suspension for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.

Alvarado was back in Philadelphia before Tuesday night’s home game against Baltimore and is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment soon. The Venezuelan left-hander is eligible to return to the big leagues on Aug. 19, but can’t pitch in the postseason if the Phillies qualify due to Major League Baseball rules on PED bans.

Philadelphia led the NL East by 1 1/2 games over the New York Mets heading into Tuesday’s games.

“I am fully aware that using prohibited substances is wrong and I would never intend to do so because I have always had great respect for the game, my organization, my teammates and the fans, all of whom I want to offer my sincere apologies,” Alvarado posted on Instagram. “I made a mistake and therefore, I have faced the consequences set forth by MLB. Going forward, my focus is on working hard to help the team win.”

Alvarado was suspended on May 18 following a positive test for an external testosterone. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the positive test was caused by a weight loss drug Alvarado took during the offseason.

The Phillies used several players in the closer role after Alvarado’s suspension before acquiring Jhoan Duran in a trade with Minnesota for two top prospects last week.

Alvarado had a 2.70 ERA, 25 strikeouts and seven saves in 20 appearances before the suspension. The 30-year-old will lose $4.5 million, half his $9 million salary this year as part of a $22 million, three-year contract he signed in 2023, as a result of the suspension.

Alvarado is 19-26 with a 3.40 ERA in 399 relief appearances and one start over nine major league seasons with Tampa Bay (2017-20) and the Phillies (2021-25). He has 52 saves in 68 appearances and appeared in 21 postseason games over the last three seasons.

Garrett Crochet continues to reach rarefied air in Red Sox strikeout history

Garrett Crochet continues to reach rarefied air in Red Sox strikeout history originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox opted to skip Garrett Crochet for his turn in the rotation last week. The extra rest certainly looked like it helped when the ace took the mound on Tuesday night against the Royals.

Despite allowing a run in the fourth inning and one more in the seventh, Crochet powered up to record his final two outs of the night via strikeout. That left him with eight strikeouts in the outing — a modest total by his standards, but impressive when considering that the Royals have the second-fewest strikeouts in Major League Baseball.

Those strikeouts also lifted Crochet into the MLB lead for strikeouts this season with 183, one more than Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler and two more than Detroit’s Tarik Skubal.

The Red Sox, perhaps drawing some inspiration from Crochet’s emotional exit from the mound following that inning-ending strikeout, plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh en route to a 6-2 victory, ensuring their fourth consecutive series win. Crochet improved to 13-4, though the two earned runs over seven innings ticked up his ERA ever so slightly from 2.23 to 2.24.

Beyond that, though, the 6-foot-6 lefty continued to make his mark in Red Sox history.

As noted by StatsCentre, Crochet currently has the sixth-best strikeouts-per-nine rate in Red Sox franchise history with a minimum of 145 innings pitched, trailing only Chris Sale (2018, 2019, 2017) and Pedro Martinez (1999, 2000, 2002).

Crochet joined a list with two other Red Sox legends, too. WEEI pregame and postgame host Joe Weil pointed out on X that Crochet has gone 9-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 94 strikeouts over his past 11 starts. Only two other pitchers in Red Sox history have delivered the same results in 11 starts: Martinez and Roger Clemens.

(Last month, after pitching a complete-game shutout with zero walks, Crochet joined another short list of Red Sox pitchers who had done the same since 1990: Curt Schilling, Martinez and Clemens.)

Obviously, Crochet still has plenty of time to continue this Cy Young-caliber season, and manager Alex Cora said postgame that he doesn’t anticipate any more planned skipped starts for the ace of his staff.

And for as much as Crochet’s season has placed the pitcher in rarefied air with some of the true pitching greats in franchise history, Cora shared that he is viewing Crochet’s season in comparison with last year, when the lefty was toiling for a White Sox team that was arguably the worst team in the modern era. Now, Crochet is pitching in front of a sold-out crowd at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox making a real run to the postseason.

“I think the fans kind of understood where we were. They stood up, and the two-strike clap, and they got very loud,” Cora said of Crochet’s final strikeout on Tuesday. “I mean, shoot, think about his season last year. As a team and for him, right, it was kind of like up and down. [He had an] innings limit and all that stuff. And now, this is what he wanted to do, just pitch. And we’re gonna let him do that.”

Of that final punchout, Crochet said he “just wanted that strikeout pretty bad” and also spoke about how much he’s enjoyed pitching inside a raucous Fenway atmosphere.

“Yeah, it’s a fun atmosphere right now,” Crochet said. “I can only imagine what it’s going to be in a couple months, but, you know, that’s why we’ve got to keep working. We’ve still got, I don’t even know how many games left — 45 or 50 or something like that. But yeah, it feels really good playing here in Boston.

Gary Cohen joins the show, Mets season about to 'get real' | The Mets Pod

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, SNY Mets play-by-play broadcaster Gary Cohen joins Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo to talk about the results of the trade deadline and the road ahead for the Mets. 

The crew covers the team’s new additions, plans for the starting rotation, the streakiness of the Mets and their younger players, David Wright, Pete Alonso, plus Gary answers a listener’s question about the idea of Juan Soto as a leadoff hitter.

Later, Connor and Joe go Down on the Farm for a Carson Benge deep dive and a check-in on Jett Williams, then score the Scoreboard and open the Mailbag for questions answered about the race for the NL East and the Mets future starting staffs. 

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Mets Notes: Carlos Mendoza outlines plan for Cedric Mullins vs. lefties; Edwin Diaz's dominant stretch

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave some updates on the team prior to Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians...


Cedric Mullins vs. left-handed pitching

Needing an improvement at center field, New York acquired Mullins from Baltimore at the trade deadline last week. The 30-year-old is having a bit of a down year hitting, however, one thing that stands out about his numbers is his high average against left-handed pitchers.

Mullins is batting .224 on the season, but slashing an impressive .291/.382/.465 with an .847 OPS against lefties.

Mendoza was asked about the center fielder's success against left-handers, and because of that, why he wasn't in Tuesday's starting lineup against Cleveland LHP Logan Allen.

"He's been pretty good against lefties, Mullins, I'm not going to lie," Mendoza said. "And he will play against lefties. I just thought today was a good matchup for TT [Tyrone Taylor]. I'm going to continue to play all of them. I already have three lefties in the lineup: Nimms [Brandon Nimmo], [Juan] Soto, and [Jeff] McNeil. I just thought, looking at these guys' splits, pitch shapes, and all that, I thought today was a good day for TT."

Despite going with Taylor against the lefty on Tuesday, Mendoza made it clear that Mullins will play against LHPs and isn't going to be in a platoon situation going forward.

"No, no. Cedric will play against lefties, too," Mendoza said. "I just thought today was, looking what's ahead and where we're at, I thought it was a good day for TT. But Cedric, he's not going to be in a strict platoon here where if we're facing a lefty he's not going to play; he will play."

In comparison, the right-handed hitting Taylor is batting just .167 against lefties, .210 vs righties, and .199 overall on the season. Mullins, oddly for a lefty, is hitting .200 vs. right-handers, but does have 12 of his 15 home runs against them.

Edwin Diaz's recent dominance

Diaz was named NL Reliever of the Month for July on Monday after recording seven saves over 11.0 innings without allowing an earned run. In fact, he hasn't allowed an earned run at all since June 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mendoza praised Diaz for his recent dominance, including Monday's effort, calling it the best stretch he's seen from the closer since becoming manager of the club.

"Yeah it has to be since I've been here," Mendoza said. "Because last year he was pretty good towards the end, but we were pushing him really hard. Like multiple innings and things like that. 

"But now, just being able to watch him day in and day out pretty much, his ability to control the situation. We saw it last night -- guy gets on, gets to third base with nobody out, and his ability to continue to make pitches. That's what, for me, is pretty impressive."

Diaz's ERA now sits at 1.41 on the season over 44.2 IP with 67 strikeouts and a 0.92 WHIP. He's 23-for-25 on save opportunities and has allowed only seven earned runs on the season.

Brewers' successful promotion could result in more alumni home-run derby events

MILWAUKEE (AP) Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn’t have to be limited to All-Star weekend.

The Milwaukee Brewers had Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and several other former players competing in an alumni home run derby that followed a game with the Miami Marlins last month. The promotion helped draw a sellout crowd of 41,944 fans, with nearly all of them sticking around to watch the postgame event.

Other clubs noticed, too.

“I thought it was a great idea and applaud them,” Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. “I believe all of us will be considering something similar.”

Brewers manager Pat Murphy is among those already has been conjuring up ways to expand on this idea.

“I think it just opens the door,” Murphy said. “Can you imagine the Brewers versus the Cubs home run derby - their three legends versus legends of ours. You know what I mean? Can you imagine that happening around the league?”

The Brewers’ home run derby occurred 11 days after Seattle’s Cal Raleigh won Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby and 10 days after the All-Star Game was decided on a swing-off. With the game tied 6-6 after nine innings, three batters from each league took three swings and Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber homered three times to give the NL a 4-3 victory.

Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said a half-dozen MLB teams reached out after their alumni home run derby to get information on how well it had worked.

Milwaukee’s promotion was part of a 25th-anniversary celebration of American Family Field. Keon Broxton, who played for the Brewers from 2016-18, won the event and recreated Fielder’s most famous home-run celebration by standing tall at home while the teammates surrounding him fell back like a collection of bowling pins.

“It was awesome,” Broxton said afterward.

Milwaukee wasn’t the first team to do this kind of promotion. The Houston Astros staged their own alumni home run derby events in 2018 and 2019. The Atlanta Braves had an alumni softball home run derby last year.

The format represents a different way to welcome back former players rather than having the traditional Old Timers’ Day games from yesteryear. The New York Yankees are holding their first Old Timers’ Day game since 2019 on Aug. 9, and the New York Mets are having an alumni game Sept. 13.

But the Brewers’ event last weekend generated plenty of national attention, particularly when highlights aired showing how the stands stayed packed throughout the event.

“The guys that were all here, we all said we’d be back for anything like that, whether it’s something like what Murph suggested or even keeping it in house and playing a couple-inning game ... maybe guys from 2005-10 against guys from 2010-15,” said Casey McGehee, who played for the Brewers from 2009-11 and participated in the home run derby. “I think there’s a lot of opportunity for some really cool stuff to come from it.”

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he didn't get a chance to watch the alumni derby that followed his team's game in Milwaukee, but he liked Murphy's idea about branching it out.

“A big part of the beauty of our sport is how you remember those who played before, the history of our game and had success for your organization or those who made impacts throughout the league,” McCullough said. “So anytime we get a chance to celebrate those who did meaningful things, I’m all for it."

The trick in putting together an alumni home-run derby is finding the right participants. They must be old enough to have finished playing but remain young enough to still manage to hit batting-practice pitches out of a major league stadium.

The Brewers didn’t put up makeshift fences in the outfield for this event to make home runs easier, and the former players’ swings weren’t leaving the ballpark as often as when they were in the big leagues.

McGehee believes future home run derby promotions could feature more power than what the ex-Brewers showcased last weekend. McGehee said he tried working on his swing before last week’s event, but family obligations got in the way.

If he gets another invitation, McGehee expects to be more prepared.

“I think knowing what we know now, the product would probably even get better because we saw how cool that was,” McGehee said. “I think people would be carving out pretty significant parts of their days to get themselves ready to roll.”

Guardians reliever Nic Enright, battling lymphoma, earns emotional first save

NEW YORK (AP) The first career save for Nic Enright was a particularly meaningful one.

Enright, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in late 2022 and is scheduled to complete his treatments later this year, allowed an unearned run in the 10th inning Monday night to close out the Cleveland Guardians’ 7-6 win over the New York Mets.

“He was almost crying on the field just now,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “If you read his story, it’s pretty inspirational.”

Cleveland selected Enright in the 20th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Virginia Tech. He received his diagnosis Dec. 22, 2022 - 15 days after the Miami Marlins took him in the Rule 5 draft.

After four rounds of immunotherapy in early 2023, Enright made nine minor league rehab appearances for the Marlins before being designated for assignment and returning to the Guardians in late May.

He missed most of last season due to a right shoulder strain, but went 2-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 16 appearances with Triple-A Columbus.

The right-hander has one more round of cancer treatment scheduled for November.

“I made the decision when I was diagnosed in 2022 with Hodgkin lymphoma that I wasn’t going to let that define my life and dictate how I was going to go about my life,” Enright said. “It’s something where, for anyone else who is going through anything similar, (it shows) I haven’t just holed up in my house and felt sorry for myself this whole time.”

Enright made his major league debut May 25 and has a 2.01 ERA in 19 appearances for the Guardians, whose bullpen is in flux with All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase on paid leave as part of a sports gambling investigation.

Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith pitched the eighth and ninth innings Monday before Enright entered with a two-run lead. He gave up a two-out RBI single to Brett Baty before retiring Luis Torrens on a fly out to the warning track in right.

“I definitely held my breath as I saw Nolan (Jones) kind of keep running,” Enright said. “But I had faith. As he kind of got closer to the wall, I realized it was losing steam.”

Enright was showered with beer by teammates in the locker room.

“I was so happy, oh, I was going nuts in here,” Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi said with a smile. “I was going absolutely berserk. He came in running up the stairs, smile on his face.”

Enright thanked his wife, his parents and the rest of his family for their support throughout an interview at his locker. He got the ball from the final out and plans to set aside his uniform and hat as well as a lineup card.

“Really, really cool,” Enright said. “These last couple of years, especially, I’ve gone through a lot of adversity and just everything that’s gone on. And so for me, it’s being able to reflect on those in these moments. I think that helps being able to slow the game down. Because it hasn’t exactly been a red-carpet rollout for my career trajectory.”

Shea Langeliers makes Athletics, MLB history with three-homer game vs. Nationals

Shea Langeliers makes Athletics, MLB history with three-homer game vs. Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

They don’t call him Bangeliers for nothing.

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers proved just what kind of pop he has Tuesday as he delivered three home runs in his team’s 16-7 win over the Washington Nationals in the nation’s capital.

The 27-year-old didn’t just crank out the trio of homers, however, as he also finished the night with five hits — a career-first for the fourth-year pro. Langeliers also was on deck in the ninth inning before Max Schuemann made the A’s final out, just one batter reaching base away from another chance at either a fourth home run or a triple to complete the cycle.

“Yeah, I mean obviously you always want the chance to be able to do something like that,” Langeliers told NBC Sports California’s Jenny Cavnar and Dallas Braden after the game when asked if he wanted another plate appearance. “Obviously, wasn’t in the cards tonight but all around, just an awesome night.”

The first home run of the night was Langeliers’ 20th of the 2025 MLB season, which also made him just the second Athletics catcher ever to have three or more seasons with 20-plus long balls, joining Gene Tenace, who owns the A’s record with four seasons accomplishing the feat.

Langeliers has been on an absolute tear following the MLB All-Star break. He already has 10 home runs in just 17 games played since the Midsummer Classic, along with a .435 batting average and 1.430 OPS.

While the hot bat is impressive, some numbers that Langeliers matched on Tuesday night are even more imposing.

Langeliers also placed himself among some of the game’s greats behind the dish; he became just the fourth catcher in MLB history to have a pair of three-home run games in their career, joining Johnny Bench, Gary Carter and Travis d’Arnaud, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Langeliers and d’Arnaud, per Langs, also are the only pair of catchers to hit three home runs out of the leadoff spot — where the A’s catcher never had hit until tonight’s game.

“When they sent out the lineup, me and [Brent Rooker] kind of giggled because I thought it was like a, you know, a misprint or something,” Langeliers told Cavnar and Braden. “Like, they were just sending out the positions, but got to the field and I was in the leadoff spot, obviously I’ve never done that before and, yeah, I was just trying to be aggressive in the strike zone tonight and got the boys going in the first inning.”

Additionally, Langeliers added himself to another short list of catchers to hit 20-plus home runs in three of their first four years in the majors, as shared by MLB Stats.

Aside from the major league records Langeliers matched, he also became the first A’thletics’s catcher to have a five-hit night since Dave Duncan over 50 years earlier in 1972, per MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos.

Stay hot might have a whole other meaning when talking about the run Langeliers is currently on.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: JoJo Romero, Francisco Alvarez, and Tyler Locklear

The trade deadline has come and gone which offers us plenty of opportunity as fantasy managers. There are plenty of new closers for those seeking saves and major role openings for exciting position players across the league. Opportunity abounds for them and in turn, us.

Whether you’re trying to hold onto a top spot, pushing the leader, desperately trying to play catch up, or positioning yourself for the playoffs, reinforcements and upside are vital this time of year.

Most waiver wires have been picked over though and it’s difficult to find impact players readily available in most leagues at this point in the season.

Fear not, because there are still a handful of available players that have the chance to be difference makers that help push us towards glory.

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals
The Brewers have scored more runs than any other team over the past 30 days.

Here are three players that are under 40% rostered on Yahoo leagues that you should strongly consider adding.

If you want a larger list, Eric Samulski wrote his extended waiver wire piece on Sunday.

JoJo Romero, RP Cardinals

(25% Rostered on Yahoo)

We’re all scurrying for saves this time of year and last week’s trade deadline provided many more opportunities than usual to find some.

Many closers like Mason Miller, Ryan Helsley, David Bednar, and Camilo Doval were sent out of town. Specifically Helsley’s departure has opened the door for Romero to step in as the Cardinals’ closer.

A 28-year-old left-hander who relies on his changeup, sinker, and slider, Romero already has two saves since Helsley was sent to the Mets and has pitched the ninth inning in St. Louis’ last three wins. Him being their new closer seems cut and dry.

There was a bit of hesitation with him jumping into that role since he was the only lefty in the Cardinals’ bullpen, but they recently claimed Anthony Veneziano off waivers to fill that void as Romero has jumped into his new role.

The other thing working against Romero is simply his style. Again, he’s a lefty sinker-baller who throws from more of a three-quarter slot. That sinker sits around 94 mph and is much better at forcing ground balls than strikeouts. He does not exactly fit the classic closer archetype.

Yet, no one else in this bullpen really does either.

Riley O’Brien can get up near 100 mph, but loses the zone sometimes and also relies on a sinker. While Kyle Leahy has been a breakout reliever, he succeeds more on feel and with a deep pitch-mix than over-powering stuff. Those two along with Romero, Helsley, and Phil Maton – now a Texas Ranger – are the only relievers who’ve been in the high-leverage mix for this bullpen all season.

Romero may not be what we close our eyes and envision when we think about a closer, he’s the guy here and certainly effective enough to handle the job with three plus pitches. Also, this Cardinals team is still halfway decent and should be able to hang around .500 for the rest of the season, giving Romero the potential for plenty of save chances.

Besides him, a few other sneaky closers that could be flying under the radar are Sean Newcomb with the Athletics after they moved Jack Perkins into the rotation and Keegan Aiken, who saw consecutive ninth inning opportunities for the Orioles over the weekend. He converted one save and then took the loss after entering in a tie game the following day.

Francisco Alvarez, C Mets

(17% Rostered on Yahoo)

Back from the minor leagues after a disappointing and injury-riddled start to his season, Alvarez is finally beginning to heat up.

He has a .984 OPS through 10 games since being recalled with at least one hit in eight of those 10 and nearly the same number of walks as strikeouts. Most importantly, he’s hitting for power again with five extra-base hits during this stretch and tons of very hard contact.

Despite going just 1-for-4 on Monday, Alvarez had batted balls of 105.4 mph, 105.6 mph, 109.2 mph, and 112.5 mph. He became just the sixth different player in the league this season to have four batter balls hit harder than 105 mph in the same game and the first catcher to do so since Willson Contreras in 2023.

Along with the return of his prodigious power, he’s taken a much more patient approach lately.

Before being sent down, Alvarez had a 49.9% swing rate and a 29.9% chase rate. Both were a bit higher than league-average while his 77.5% zone-contact rate was worse than league-average. He wasn’t always swinging at the best pitches and then too often missing the good ones.

Lately, he’s drastically reduced his swing rate to 36.8% which has helped him chase far fewer pitches out of the strike zone. At the same time, his zone-contact rate has increased compared to earlier this season.

This approach may be too passive, but right now it’s working and will likely continue until pitchers decide to throw him strikes more consistently again.

Of all players with at least 100 plate appearances this season, Alvarez has seen the 14th-lowest rate of pitches in the zone. Mostly, because he was willing to chase them. Now, he’s getting himself in more hitters counts and doing significant damage when he gets there.

It’s easy to forget that he had surgery to remove a broken hamate bone during spring training that held him out for the first month of the season. That injury is known to sap power and it was already the fourth injury to his hand or wrist that’s forced him to the injured list as a major leaguer.

Also, it’s even easier to forget how young he still is at just 23 years old. Agustín Ramírez, Edgar Quero, and Alvarez are the only players 23 or younger to have caught at least 40 games so far this season. When Cal Raleigh was his age, he hadn’t even reached Triple-A yet.

The power potential alone makes him relevant in most leagues and there’s a chance he could be ready to rip off a serious hot streak through the end of the season.

Tyler Locklear, 1B Diamondbacks

(7% Rostered on Yahoo)

Locklear was the centerpiece of the Diamondbacks’ return for third baseman Eugenio Suárez as an MLB-ready, power-hitting first baseman.

The team announced that the 24-year-old Locklear would be their first baseman moving forward – filling the hole left by Josh Naylor, who they also traded to the Mariners – and he’s started there in every game since.

He’s destroyed the upper minors over the last two seasons with 37 home runs, 27 stolen bases, and a nearly .900 OPS over about 200 games split between Double-A and Triple-A over the last two seasons.

Of course, those counting stats should be taken with a grain of salt because Locklear spent 168 of those upper minors games with Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League. Known as a hitter’s haven, five of the 10 ballparks in the PCL have at least 3,000 feet of elevation so it’s as if Locklear played half of his road games in a run environment relatively comparable to Coors Field.

Still, his production was well clear of league average and he had the batted ball quality to match it. I want to shout out Prospect Savant for this amazing site they’ve created that delivers a Baseball Savant style player page with the public data available in both Low-A and Triple-A.

It’s an incredible tool and shows Locklear to be plus-plus in every major power metric, has a max exit velocity of 112.4 mph, and makes fine swing decisions. The profile should play at the major league level.

Screenshot 2025-08-05 at 11.49.43 AM.png

After going 0-for-8 in his first two games with the Diamondbacks, Locklear had two hits and stole a base on Sunday before launching his first home run of the season on Monday.

The clear path to playing time and likely ability to hit for power and chip in a handful of stolen bases makes Locklear a decent option for the rest of the season.

If something were to hold him back, it would be his struggles against high-velocity. About 10% – 164 of 1,635 total pitches – he saw at Triple-A were thrown 95 mph or harder. He swung at 79, and missed 26 for a 32.9% whiff rate. He will see a higher rate of 95+ mph heat like that in the majors, so keep an eye on how he responds to it.

MLB Power Rankings: Brewers mash their way to the top, Red Sox surging in AL playoff race

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, we look at the fallout from the recent trade deadline, Kyle Schwarber’s power explosion, the Red Sox and Yankees headed in different directions, Kyle Stowers’ emergence, hope for the White Sox, and much more.

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

Let’s get started!

Shohei Ohtani
Mason Miller and David Bednar plummet this week as trade deadline fallout leads to many Top 300 changes.

Note: Rankings are from the morning of Tuesday, August 5. 

1) Milwaukee Brewers ⬆️

Last week: 4

The Brewers have earned the No. 1 spot after winning two out of three from the Cubs, absolutely destroying the Nationals over the weekend, and winning the series opener with the Braves on Monday.

People keep asking what the Brewers’ secret sauce is when it’s quite obviously cheese curds.

2) Chicago Cubs

Last week: 2

It feels like the Cubs are a team where a couple of months from now we’ll be asking why they didn’t do more at the deadline. The team’s big rotation acquisition, Mike Soroka, is headed to the injured list after leaving his Cubs debut with shoulder discomfort.

3) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬆️

Last week: 5

Max Muncy made his much-needed return to the Dodgers’ lineup on Monday after missing a month with a knee injury. Believe it or not, the club ranked last in the majors in runs during that time.

4) Toronto Blue Jays ⬇️

Last week: 1

A two-homer game from Bichette at Coors Field. I’ve seen this episode before.

After an injury-plagued 2024 season, Bo Bichette has returned to form this season. He’s leading the majors in hits and setting himself up for a nice payday this winter.

5) Detroit Tigers ⬆️

Last week: 6

The Tigers have righted the ship somewhat with six wins in their last eight games. Like many contenders, the Tigers prioritized their bullpen at the deadline, including new closer Kyle Finnegan from the Nationals.

6) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️

Last week: 7

Kyle Schwarber cannot be stopped. With a pair of blasts on Monday, the 32-year-old slugger has now 40 homers for the season and 10 in 16 games since the All-Star break. The pleas to re-sign him are only getting louder in Philadelphia.

7) Boston Red Sox ⬆️

Last week: 11

The Red Sox are another team where you could argue they should have done more at the trade deadline, but that’s not stopping them from being the hottest team in baseball. Winners of six straight, they now hold the top spot in the Wild Card standings.

8) New York Mets ⬇️

Last week: 3

You can build a great back-end of the bullpen — which the Mets have done — but it’s still a problem if your starters can’t complete six innings on a regular basis.

9) Houston Astros ⬇️

Last week: 8

The Astros have lost eight out of their last 11 games, but the good vibes are still (mostly) flowing from Carlos Correa’s return.

Looking forward to seeing the reception when Correa plays his first home game back in Houston next Monday.

10) San Diego Padres ⬇️

Last week: 9

A.J. Preller, you beautiful maniac. Of course the Padres had to go crazy at the trade deadline, not just adding to a dominant bullpen with Mason Miller while trading their top prospect, but also upgrading their top-heavy lineup with Ryan O'Hearn and Ramón Laureano.

11) Seattle Mariners ⬆️

Last week: 12

The Mariners did exactly what they needed to do at the deadline, grabbing Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez to strengthen their lineup and left-hander Caleb Ferguson to lengthen their bullpen. The club took three out of four from the Rangers over the weekend and should be considered a serious threat to take down the Astros.

12) New York Yankees ⬇️

Last week: 10

The Yankees did the right thing by prioritizing their bullpen at the deadline, but so far it has been nothing short of a disaster. Friday’s blowup was an all-timer, the bullpen came up short again on Monday against the Rangers as Devin Williams served up a game-tying homer in the ninth before recent acquisition Jake Bird gave up a walk-off homer to Josh Jung in the 10th. At least Aaron Judge is coming back?

13) Texas Rangers

Last week: 13

The Rangers are clearly betting on improvements from their offense, as they focused on their rotation (Merrill Kelly) and bullpen (Phil Maton, Danny Coulombe) at the trade deadline last week. Josh Jung, who hit a walk-off homer on Monday, is part of that bet. He’s hitting .382 (13-for-34) with three homers and eight RBI since returning from the minors.

14) Cincinnati Reds

Last week: 14

The Reds took on Ke’Bryan Hayes entire contract ($36 million from 2026-2019, with a $6 million buyout on $12 million club option for 2030) in their trade with the Pirates last week. There’s no doubt that Hayes can pick it at third base, but only Christian Vazquez has a lower OPS than Hayes (.574) among players with at least 500 plate appearances dating back to the start of last season.

15) Cleveland Guardians ⬆️

Last week: 18

Nic Enright secured his first save on Monday, a significant milestone for someone who is battling lymphoma.

16) Kansas City Royals ⬆️

Last week: 19

The Royals were characterized as a buyer coming out of the trade deadline. And to a certain extent, they were. But the pitchers they acquired — Bailey Falter, Ryan Berger, Stephen Kolek — all come with multiple years of control. Adding in the extension to Seth Lugo and they are clearly thinking about both 2025 and beyond.

17) Miami Marlins ⬆️

Last week: 23

The Marlins swept the Yankees over the weekend and NL Player of the Month Kyle Stowers was right in the middle of it with a pair of homers.

18) San Francisco Giants ⬇️

Last week: 15

I could talk about the Giants’ trade deadline approach here, but the real headliner is the reality that the San Francisco Giants and the New York Giants really do get together for dinner.

19) St. Louis Cardinals ⬇️

Last week: 16

Masyn Winn is tops in the majors in Outs Above Average, and if you watch this play from last week, you’ll know why.

20) Los Angeles Angels ⬆️

Last week: 21

Why are you the way that you are? The Angels actually bought at the trade deadline for some reason, acquiring relievers Luis Garcia and Andrew Chafin.

21) Tampa Bay Rays ⬇️

Last week: 17

The Rays have been one of the worst teams in MLB over the past month, but they cooked up a cosmic gumbo of buying and selling at the trade deadline. Similar to what the Royals did with some of their moves, the Rays’ acquisition of reliever Griffin Jax is about now and future seasons.

22) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬇️

Last week: 20

While this season hasn’t worked out as hoped for the Diamondbacks, they did a nice job loading up on prospects while trading Merrill Kelly, Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, Shelby Miller, Jordan Montgomery, and Randal Grichuk.

23) Baltimore Orioles ⬆️

Last week: 24

A lost year for Grayson Rodriguez is officially in the books. The young right-hander is scheduled for elbow dibridement surgery next week and could be sidelined through the early part of next season as well. Figuring out the pitching side is of utmost importance for Baltimore going forward.

24) Atlanta Braves ⬆️

Last week: 26

Behold, the only trophy the Braves will be lifting this season.

Because the Braves’ season continues to be cursed, Austin Riley is headed back to the injured list with an abdominal strain.

25) Athletics

Last week: 25

Having a great closer is quite simply a luxury for a non-contender, so you can’t fault the A’s for trading Mason Miller and J.P Sears, especially when you get one of the game’s top prospects in return. It will be fun to see De Vries in Sacramento/Las Vegas/a destination to be named later in a couple of years.

26) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬆️

Last week: 27

The Pirates made some notable moves last week (Ke’Bryan Hayes, David Bednar), but it’s the ones they didn’t make (impending free agents Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham, and Andrew Heaney) which were especially confusing.

27) Minnesota Twins ⬇️

Last week: 22

If you were a Twin, you probably got traded last week. And that goes for Tyler and Trevor Rogers, as well. You have to feel for Twins fans. Hopefully there’s a soft landing with their sale situation in the days ahead.

28) Washington Nationals

Last week: 28

The Nationals have given up at least seven runs in each of their last five games. The Dog Days of Summer, indeed.

29) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 29

This is what it’s all about for the White Sox right now.

Montgomery, in particular, has been the most exciting of late. He’s now homered seven times in his last 11 games.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

Not only did this three-run homer from Jordan Beck end Paul Skenes’ 18-inning scoreless streak, but it was also the first time Skenes had given up a home run of more than two runs in the majors. So the Rockies have that going for them, which is nice.

What we learned as Giants' offense erupts behind Logan Webb in win vs. Pirates

What we learned as Giants' offense erupts behind Logan Webb in win vs. Pirates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — For all that has changed for the Giants over the past week, they still have an old guarantee. Every five days, Logan Webb is going to give them a very good chance to get a win. 

Webb threw six dominant innings in Pittsburgh, reaching double-digit strikeouts for the sixth time this year, and the lineup exploded with rare run support for the staff ace. The 8-1 win evened the series and guaranteed at least a .500 trip for the Giants, who went 0-6 against these same two teams — the Pirates and New York Mets — last homestand. 

The Giants got a solo shot from Jerar Encarnación and two-run blasts from Christian Koss and Willy Adames as they continued what has been a high-scoring road trip. Webb did the rest, showing that whatever happened over three rough starts in July was just a blip. Here are three things to know from the third win of the trip … 

Mr. 1,000

Webb became the 10th San Francisco Giant to pitch his first 1,000 innings in the big leagues while wearing orange and black, and the list is full of the best pitchers in franchise history. Madison Bumgarner, who got there in 2015, was the last to do it, and before that it was Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Ed Halicki, John Montefusco, Jim Barr, Bobby Bolin, Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal. 

Webb got to 1,000 after leading the league in innings twice, and he’s on track to do it for a third consecutive year. His 147 1/3 lead MLB and he is eight ahead of Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler atop the NL leaderboard. 

Webb also has a chance to reach 200 strikeouts for the first time, which was one of his goals heading into the 2025 MLB season. He struck out 11 Pirates last week at Oracle Park and got 10 more on Tuesday, reaching 165 for the season. Webb is on pace for about 225 strikeouts, which would shatter his previous high of 194. 

Jerar, So Far

The Giants took Encarnación’s rehab assignment as far as they could, and then they optioned Luis Matos to activate the veteran, who always has put up strong Baseball Savant numbers but has yet to fully translate that into big league production. The staff still believes Encarnacion can be a big part of the lineup, and he should get an extended look in August given that he’s out of options heading into the offseason. 

Encarnacion showed off that power in the fourth, going to dead center on an elevated four-seamer from Mike Burrows. The homer was his first of a season that has twice been disrupted by injuries. It left the bat at 107.7 mph and went an estimated 415 feet. 

That’s About Right

For all of the grumbling about Adames early in the year — and there was a LOT of grumbling — the shortstop looks like he’s going to give the Giants about what they expected in year one of a long-term contract.

The homer was Adames’ 18th, and while he almost certainly won’t match last year’s 32, he’s going to end up somewhere in the mid-20s. His OPS is up to .730 and has been trending upward for two months; he’s not far from his career average of .761.

After a shaky start with the glove, Adames entered the day with three Outs Above Average, which ranked sixth among NL shortstops. It took some time, but it looks like Adames will finish with a solid overall season and give the Giants more than three Wins Above Replacement. 

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Alvarado back with Phillies as suspension nears end, ready to help in two weeks

Alvarado back with Phillies as suspension nears end, ready to help in two weeks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

About a 15-minute interview with suspended reliever Jose Alvarado included interpretation from Jorge Velandia, the Phillies’ assistant general manager. The only part that needed no interpreter was the end of the conversation when Alvarado clearly stated where he is in his baseball life now.

“I flush the toilet. That’s it. I’m here,” he said with a smile.

Alvarado was back with his team Tuesday, having nearly cleared the 80-game suspension that was given to him by Major League Baseball back in May for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. He can return to action on Aug. 19.

Before his suspension, Alvarado was 4-1 this season with a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings pitched. He accumulated four walks and 25 strikeouts with nine saves. But before any talk of baseball was to happen, Alvarado met with teammates before getting some work in before the official team picture was taken.

“First and foremost, I’m happy to be back,” he said. “Incredible to be back. I talked to all my teammates and the staff and apologized today. I have missed them deeply. Happy to be back and around the guys and can’t wait to contribute in some ways. I apologized to everyone and all my teammates.

“It’s been really tough for me, being away from my teammates and fans and everybody involved in my life. Now I’m ready to go. I’ve resumed my responsibilities and apologized and ready to go and move past this episode of my life and I’m ready to continue and create a new episode and journey of my life.”

The journey will not include participation in the playoffs, as part of his punishment. But it will be interesting to see how Alvarado will fit in a bullpen that has added flame-throwing closer Jhoan Duran. Alvarado said he addressed the team Monday.

“He’s been an integral part of what we’ve done the past couple of years,” fellow reliever Tanner Banks said. “It’s good to have someone that can come in at big moments as needed and shut the door. There’s been a few games this year that have gotten away from us and having people for the right moments so that we end up on the right side of those games is big as we’re pushing to win as many games as we can.

“With Duran being here as our set closer is awesome. It’s good for the rest of us to be able to walk down innings leading us up to that.”

Eventually, Alvarado will be a part of that to finish out the season.

“I think he’s in a good frame of mind,” Rob Thomson said. “Really energetic, really happy to be here. I thought (his address to team) was very good, short and sweet and we’re moving on. (His bullpen) went really well. His velocity was good, command was good, cutter was really good. He looks like he’s been throwing.”

Following the suspension, Alvarado went back home to Venezuela and did have an agenda, not all having to do with baseball.

“I didn’t stop working, whatsoever,” he said. “I went back home to Venezuela and I continued to play catch and throw bullpens and throw to live hitters. Before I went home, I talked to a few of my teammates about whatever happened at the time.

“It’s the first time I went back to Venezuela and I got away from social media for a little bit. I tried to stay away from communicating and take some time at home with the people I grew up with and that’s why I took some time off.”

Throughout the interview, Alvarado apologized profusely and said that he would never knowingly take a banned substance. He did not name the substance that he took but said it wasn’t something that was going to make him throw harder.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been able to throw hard,” he said. “I don’t believe that whatever I took helped me in my performance. I’ve always been a hard thrower and I’m a big guy. I took it to take some weight off and stuff like that. At the end of the day, I don’t think that helped with my performance in any way.”

He did make sure to keep up with his team. Asked how much, Alvarado replied in English, “A lot. A lot. I watch my teammates every day. It’s hard because a couple moments I said to my family ‘This is my time (to be in the game).’ But it happened.”

And now it’s time to flush.

Yankees reinstate Aaron Judge off 10-day IL, announce flurry of roster moves

The Judge is back in his chambers.

The Yankees announced a slew of roster moves, highlighted by reinstating Aaron Judge off the 10-day IL.

The full list of roster moves:

• Returned RHP Mark Leiter Jr. (stress fracture in left leg) from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 15-day injured list

• Reinstated Judge (right flexor strain) from the 10-day injured list

• Recalled RHP Yerry de los Santos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

• Placed OF Austin Slater on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain

• Designated RHP JT Brubaker for assignment

Earlier in the day, the Yankees also optioned reliever Jake Bird, a trade deadline acquisition, to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre


Judge is expected to be back in the starting lineup on Tuesday night in Texas against the Rangers, with manager Aaron Boone previously saying that Judge will likely DH for some time before getting back in right field.

The superstar missed only the minimum 10 days with his injury, but the Yankees went 4-6 without their captain in the lineup, including the team’s current four-game losing skid.

Judge has been a force at the plate this season, posting a 1.160 OPS with 37 home runs and 85 RBI in 103 games.

Meanwhile, Slater, another trade deadline pick-up by general manager Brian Cashman, lands on the IL after exiting Monday’s loss to the Rangers in the first inning. Slater reached first base on a fielder’s choice, but said after the game that he felt something happen with his hamstring as he was running out of the box.

Mets prospect Jonah Tong turns in another dominant outing for Double-A Binghamton

Top Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tongkept his dominant season going on Tuesday afternoon, firing 5.0 innings of shutout ball for Double-A Binghamton as he overpowered the Somerset Patriots.

Facing a Somerset lineup that included top Yankees prospect George Lombard, Jr., Tong allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out eight during his 82-pitch outing.

Tong lowered his ERA to 1.58 and now has 154 strikeouts in 97.0 innings this season spanning 19 starts.

The 22-year-old Tong won every battle against Lombard, who was called out on strikes his first time up, grounded out to third base on the first pitch of his second at-bat, and struck out swinging his third time up.

Featuring a fastball that sat between 93 and 98 mph and his Vulcan changeup, Tong frustrated Somerset all day.

Tong struggled with his command a bit in the fourth inning, issuing a leadoff walk and one-out single. But he worked around the jam by notching a pair of strikeouts.

A leadoff double and bunt put a runner on third with one out in the fifth, but Tong buckled down, recording back-to-back strikeouts to emerge unscathed.

It remains a bit of a mystery why Tong hasn't yet been promoted to Triple-A Syracuse.

There is a bit of a logjam there in the starting rotation, but Tong has been mostly overmatching Double-A hitters for months.

The top pitching prospect on SNY contributor Joe DeMayo's midseason top 30 list, Tong is expected to make his big league debut at some point in 2026.

Marcelo Mayer shares wrist injury update, hopes to play again this season

Marcelo Mayer shares wrist injury update, hopes to play again this season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Amid speculation that his season might be over, rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer is taking a positive outlook for the time being.

Mayer, not wearing a protective brace on his wrist, met with the media ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Royals and provided some details on the injury that’s kept him off the field for the past two weeks.

Mayer told reporters that he suffered a TFCC injury (triangular fibrocartilage complex tear) and that he chose to get a cortisone injection with the hope of being able to play as soon as possible, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. Mayer said he also suffered a TFCC injury in 2022, when he was limited to just 91 games in Boston’s minor league system.

Mayer, who’s missed 10 games since suffering the injury, won’t make the trip with his teammates to his hometown of San Diego this weekend at the start of a six-game road trip.

The public outlook on Mayer had turned for the worse over the weekend, when USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that season-ending surgery was “a possibility after consulting with specialists.” Nightengale noted that the wrist injury was “more serious than the Red Sox initially envisioned.”

Mayer did say that surgery was an option, but he chose the cortisone shot route with the hope of being able to play again this season.

That report came just days after Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters in a post-trade deadline Zoom call that Mayer was seeking a second opinion on his injured wrist. It also came after manager Alex Cora told reporters that Mayer was set to receive an anti-inflammation injection to help expedite his recovery.

The 22-year-old Mayer, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, made his MLB debut in late May this year. He remained with the big league club until suffering the injury in Philadelphia on July 23. In his 44 games in the majors, Mayer has batted .228 with a .674 OPS. In 127 at-bats, he belted He has eight doubles, a triple, four home runs and 10 RBIs in 127 at-bats.

A natural shortstop, Mayer was primarily used at third base during Alex Bregman’s injury, and he shifted over to second base upon Bregman’s return. Mayer’s IL stint created a domino effect of sorts, with Ceddanne Rafaela coming in from the outfield to play second base. Romy Gonzalez, primarily used as a first baseman throughout the season, also slid over to fill in at second. Cora’s game of lineup Jenga was further complicated on Monday when rookie corner outfielder Roman Anthony was a late scratch due to back tightness.

The Red Sox have overcome those lineup uncertainties, though, winning three straight series against the Dodgers, Twins and Astros before winning the series opener against the Royals on Monday night.

Twins at Tigers prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 5

Its Tuesday, August 5 and the Twins (52-60) are in Detroit to take on the Tigers (66-48).

Zebby Matthews is slated to take the mound for Minnesota against Chris Paddack for Detroit.

The Tigers doubled up the Twins in the series opener last night, 6-3. The game featured six home runs with each side launching three. Kerry Carpenter's two-run blast in the sixth was the key blow.

Lets dive into tonight's 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 the 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.

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

Game details & how to watch Twins at Tigers

  • Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2025
  • Time: 6:40PM EST
  • Site: Comerica Park
  • City: Detroit, MI
  • Network/Streaming: MNNT, FDSNDT

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 Twins at the Tigers

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

  • Moneyline: Twins (+136), Tigers (-163)
  • Spread:  Tigers -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Twins at Tigers

  • Pitching matchup for August 5, 2025: Zebby Matthews vs. Chris Paddack
    • Twins: Zebby Matthews (2-3, 5.67 ERA)
      Last outing: July 30 vs. Boston - 10.39 ERA, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
    • Tigers: Chris Paddack (4-9, 4.95 ERA)
      Last outing: July 30 vs. Arizona - 1.50 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Twins at Tigers

  • The Tigers have won their last 6 games against divisional opponents
  • The Twins' last 3 games against American League teams have gone over the Total
  • The Tigers have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 2.78 units
  • Chris Paddack has struck out at least 5 hitters in 4 of his last 5 starts
  • Gleyber Torres has hit safely in 6 of his last 8 games (9-33)

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

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Twins and the Tigers

Rotoworld Best Bet

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

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

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

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Tigers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Minnesota Twins at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

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

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