Category: Sports News

Coming out of the All-Star break neck-and-neck with the Cleveland Guardians, the Chicago White Sox knew they had to hit the ground running. With two road series on deck against the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers, winning each respective series was all that mattered and the White Sox did exactly that.

Thanks to a recent slip in form for the Guardians, the White Sox now hold a slim 1 1/2-game lead in the AL Central. With the Guardians having to face the Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds on the road the next six games, the time is now for the White Sox, starting with this first game against the Houston Astros.

Another series win would likely keep their lead in the division before the big, bad New York Yankees come into town. With the Tampa Bay Rays and red-hot Boston Red Sox on deck after that, results are imperative here in this series.

The same goes for the Astros, who may not be benefiting from stealing signs any longer but are certainly taking advantage of an unusually weak AL West division. Although they come into this series with a 50-54 record, they somehow find themselves just two games out of first.

Looking to turn the tide of their poor season, the Astros turn to Spencer Arrighetti to toe the rubber tonight. Arrighetti started out the season as one of the best pitchers in the American League but has since fallen off a cliff. After jumping out to a blistering 7-1 record and an ERA of 1.34 in his first eight starts, Arrighetti has yet to record a single win since. He posted an ERA of nine in the month of June before “settling down” with an ERA of six in three starts so far this month.

Arrighetti excels at limiting hard hits, but that’s pretty much all he does well. Much like Vin Diesel, he’s mostly a one-trick pony. Arrighetti is simply average in every other metric that matters. As a matter of fact, he’s quite poor at getting batters to swing and miss, and with a fastball that sits slower than 93 miles per hour he can’t blow anybody away, either. As long as the White Sox stay disciplined and patient, they should have plenty of opportunities to score some runs tonight.

As for the White Sox, they have Davis Martin on the hill and it’s clear why he’s largely considered the team’s ace. His results have diminished as of late, with blowups against the Minnesota Twins, Yankees and Red Sox of late. With that being said, he’s been unfortunate to be without a win since June 10, with Davis having four starts since then allowing just two runs or less.

Martin excels at getting hitters to chase this year, which he’ll need to continue if he wants to have any chance against a player like Yordan Alvarez tonight. With Alvarez being the only qualified player on the Astros with an OPS better than .800 this season, if Martin can limit the damage he causes the White Sox should be able to take care of the Astros. Unfortunately, that’s a much easier task than it may seem on paper.

Here are the starting lineups for the Chicago White Sox:

Here are the starting lineups for the Houston Astros:

First pitch is 6:40 p.m. CST. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. Let us know your thoughts and predictions below!

Welcome back! The Brewers are following today’s regular game with what they’re calling an Alumni Legends Game, a very fun concept after the success of last season’s Alumni Home Run Derby. Stick around after the game to see franchise legends like Ryan Braun, Geoff Jenkins, Jeff Bianchi, and Brad Boxberger!

In all seriousness, this should be a great time as we see some of our favorite Brewers from the 21st century, including a few who we don’t often see in Milwaukee. Personally, I’m jazzed to see Richie Sexson, Bill Hall, Dan Kolb, and Doug Davis. Full rosters below.

The stage is set. The Legends are ready.

Come out to tomorrow's Legends Game to watch these guys compete after our game vs. the Rockies — and enjoy $2.50 beers and brats before first pitch

→ https://t.co/ztgpJrgfxupic.twitter.com/55PWhsdHp7

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 23, 2026

If you’re looking for today’s game recap, find that here.

Box Score

The Brewers and Rockies kicked off a series this afternoon at American Family Field, and while the Brewers never looked out of it and had far more hard contact in the game than the Rockies did, things just weren’t going their way. A couple of solo home runs were all that Milwaukee could muster, and the Rockies’ early offense against starter Shane Drohan held up.

It was an inauspicious start. After a Jake McCarthy strikeout started the game, Kyle Karros hit a blooper down the right field line that fell right in the middle of Luis Lara, Jake Bauers, and Brice Turang, just inside the foul line. Karros ended up on second with a double, and Cole Carrigg, up next, lined one off the wall in left field for an RBI double. Hunter Goodman was up next and hit an RBI single to left, which made it 2-0. Willi Castro was next and hit a ground ball to second that appeared to start an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, but after a Rockies challenge Castro was ruled safe at first. With two outs, Troy Johnston flew out to center to finally end the inning.

The Brewers were down early, but they’re one of the most comfortable teams in baseball when down early. This became immediately apparent when, in a very encouraging sign, Christian Yelich hit a lead-off bomb against Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano, and it was no cheapie, 413 feet over the bullpen to the opposite field.

First swing of the game is an absolute tank ❕@ChristianYelichhttps://t.co/RmPSXhZN6wpic.twitter.com/lxyv1v25yq

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 24, 2026

Jackson Chourio, who was next, just missed another homer when he got a ball a little off the barrel and flew out to center. Brice Turang followed by smoking a line drive into left field for a one-out single, but Sugano retired William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell to end the inning.

Drohan’s second inning went much better than the first, a three-up, three-down inning with two strikeouts, a feat which Sugano matched in the bottom of the inning. The top of Colorado’s lineup was back at it in the third, though; McCarthy hit a triple into the right-field corner to start things, and Karros followed with a hit into right. Karros went to second but was called out—the Rockies again challenged, but it looked like Karros came off the bag and the call stood. Their lead was up to 3-1, but Drohan got the next two to end the inning.

Yelich almost went deep again with one out in the bottom of the third, but this one hung up on the left-field warning track where McCarthy made a jumping catch. Chourio and Turang hit back-to-back two-out singles, but Contreras flew out to center on a pitch that he clearly felt he should’ve done more with.

Drohan had more traffic to deal with in the fourth. Castro led off with a single, then stole second base. A groundout by Johnston advanced Castro to third, and after a Moniak sac fly, the Rockies had manufactured a run in a very Brewers-esque way. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning, the Rockies led 4-1 through four.

The Rockies went down in order in the top of the fifth, but the Brewers did in the bottom of the inning, too, even as Yelich, for the third time in the game, almost went deep with a 392-foot fly ball that was caught on the warning track in center.

Carrigg nearly went deep to right to start the sixth, but Lara made a great leaping catch up against the wall. (It wouldn’t have been a home run, but it would’ve been extra bases.) Drohan walked the next batter, Goodman, on four pitches, but Lara made another nice catch on a first-pitch fly ball down the line by Castro. A flyout by Johnston ended the inning.

Chourio hit a ball hard to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but it was caught in center for the eighth straight Brewer out. But Turang finally ended that streak when he got a hold of one for a long home run to right-center, his 15th, which made the score 4-2. Contreras followed with a single to center and Mitchell worked a seven-pitch walk, which ended the afternoon for Sugano.

Make it 1️⃣5️⃣ Brice Bombs https://t.co/aJnSj0JjjNpic.twitter.com/kpmQwwkN0G

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 24, 2026

With two on and one out in a two-run game, the Rockies turned to right-hander Victor Vodnik. The Brewers countered by bringing on Andrew Vaughn to pinch-hit for Lara. Vaughn worked an 0-2 count back full, but struck out, though both runners advanced to scoring position when the third strike got away from Goodman (who recovered it in time to throw Vaughn out at first). Bauers, though, grounded out with the tying run on second and the inning ended. Milwaukee shrunk the Colorado lead, but they also let a good opportunity to do more go by.

Drohan stayed on to face the left-handed Moniak to start the seventh but walked him, after which Pat Murphy called for Grant Anderson. After Anderson entered, the Rockies went to the bench for the left-handed pinch-hitter TJ Rumfield, a good hitter, who lined an RBI double into the right-field corner to get the run that they gave up in the sixth right back. Ezequiel Tovar did the Brewers a favor by popping up on a bunt attempt for the first out, and McCarthy popped out in foul territory for the second. Karros struck out to end the inning, but with three opportunities left for the Brewer offense, they were down three.

Ortiz, Hamilton, and Yelich all grounded out against Vodnik in the bottom of the seventh. Craig Yoho replaced Anderson in the eighth, and he worked around a one-out walk to pitch a scoreless inning. Contreras hit a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, but the Brewers couldn’t make anything of it. Rumfield and Tovar hit back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the ninth off of Yoho, but McCarthy flew out and Tovar was thrown out trying to steal second.

The Brewers needed three runs in the ninth off of Jordan Romano, in his seventh game with the Rockies. Vaughn started things nicely by lining a single to center on Romano’s second pitch, and after a long at-bat, Bauers singled, too. With two on and nobody out, the Brewers had the tying run at the plate. Ortiz popped out, and pinch-hitter Gary Sánchez struck out. Yelich, who’d nearly homered three times in this game, got a chance with two out, but he flew out to right and the game was over.

It was a tough day—the offense didn’t look great, but Milwaukee also had the top five and nine of the top 11 exit velocities in the game. Balls were just finding gloves. That’s baseball, sometimes.

The bright spot was Turang, who went 3-for-4 with a solo homer. Yelich added a home run, too, and generally just looked more dangerous swinging the bat than he has lately. William Contreras added two singles and the Brewers had nine hits as a team, but the two solo home runs were Milwaukee’s only runs on the day. Drohan didn’t have a great day—he finished with six innings, six hits, two walks, six strikeouts, and five earned runs allowed—but he wasn’t terrible and he gave the Brewers some length. Anderson and Yoho combined for three innings and no earned runs, though Anderson did allow his inherited runner to score.

After this evening’s Alumni Legends Game, our attentions will turn to tomorrow, when the Brewers will look to even the series in a pitching matchup between Robert Gasser and Ryan Feltner at 6:10 p.m.

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

Friday, July 24, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / CW33)

The Shed

RHP Bryce Miller vs. LHP MacKenzie Gore

Go Rangers!

Big Tex gets a chance to be bigger than Texas tonight. Bryce Miller, owner of the nickname, will face off against the Rangers in Arlington at 5:05 PT. Since coming back from an oblique strain that cost him the first quarter of the season, Miller has been having the best year of his career. He’s striking out 29.5% of batters while walking just 4.1%, a K-BB% that’s good for fourth-best in MLB (min. 60 IP), nestled right between the folks in the Cy Young conversation. The rest of the top eight is Miz, Skubal, Cease, Wheeler, Schittler, deGrom, and Skenes. Unfortunately, Miller’s fastball velocity, and his results, have been on a downward trajectory over the past month.

He’ll face off against MacKenzie Gore, jewel of the Rangers’ offseason. On one hand, he’s pitched much better than his 4.80 ERA suggests, with xERA, FIP, xFIP, and SIERRA about a full point lower. On the other hand, about 4.00 still isn’t what the Rangers were hoping for. And even worse, he’s historically been a much worse performer in the second half, sort of the anti-Julio.

Lineups

J.P. Crawford is still out of the lineup, so Weston Wilson gets another start at third base. But with Dominic Canzone having worked his way into starts against lefties, the only other change from the typical lineup is that Mitch Garver will DH. It’s masked in his overall stats from all the times he had to face righties while Cal Raleigh was on the IL, but Garver’s been actively good against left-handed pitching this year. He’s at a 107 wRC+ against southpaws, and even amid his decline over the past three years combined, he’s at 114. For context, across MLB, designated hitters have a 108 wRC+ against lefties over the past three seasons.

While this still seems like the same era of Rangers baseball as 2023, this is quite a different looking lineup than their World Series run, especially when Corey Seager’s out.

Game Info

First pitch: 5:05 PDT
TV: Mariners TV
Radio: Old Reliable

Good vibes only

The Dodgers (65-38) continue their long road trip with a three game series against the Mets (43-60) in New York.

Roki Sasaki (3-5, 4.98 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) hopes to build off his impressive start against the Yankees. 

Left-hander Sean Manaea (2-5, 4.74 ERA, 1.36) takes the mound for the Mets.

Lineups

Today's #Dodgers lineup at Mets: pic.twitter.com/cr6V3bgYj8

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 24, 2026

Tonight's starters ⚾️ #LGMpic.twitter.com/TKDbYREeAt

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 24, 2026

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Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Mets
• Ballpark: Citi Field, Queens
• Start time: 4:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (50-54) begin a 3-game series tonight vs. the Chicago White Sox (54-47) at Rate Field.

RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-5, 4.34 ERA) will start for the Astros as he takes on White Sox RHP Davis Martin (9-5, 3.31 ERA).

ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the 1st game of a 6-game road trip for the Astros, during which they are scheduled to play 3-game sets vs. the Chicago White Sox (Fri.-Sun.) and the Los Angeles Angels (Mon.-Wed.).

The Astros are 17-12 on their last four road trips combined and are 23-18 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season.

ROAD SLUGGING: The Astros are T-1st in the AL in road HR while ranking 2nd in road OPS (.743) and road SLG (.420) and 4th in road runs scored (243).

VS. THE CHISOX: The Astros are facing the White Sox for the 1st time in 2026. They were 3-3 vs. CWS last season, going 2-1 at home and 1-2 here in Chicago. The Astros are 20-13 vs. CWS over the past 5 seasons (2021-25), posting winning records in each of those seasons. HOU is 53-46 all-time vs. CWS.

SPENCER’S GIFTS: RHP Spencer Arrighetti will make his 17th start of the season tonight and his 2nd since the All-Star Break. In his last start on July 18 vs. BAL, he was solid, allowing just 1 hit and 1 R in 5.0 IP, but ended up with ND in an eventual, 4-2 Astros loss in 11.0 innings.

Pitcher of the Month: Named AL Pitcher of the Month for May, after posting a 4-1 record in his 5 starts with an 0.93 ERA (3ER/29IP) and a .165 opponent batting average. Tonight will be Arrighetti’s 3rd career start/app. vs. CWS and his first since Aug. 16, 2024 at Daikin Park (11-5 loss, 5.2 IP, 4 ER). He has made 1 career start/app. at Rate Field, which was on June 20, 2024 (ND in 5-3 win, 4.1 IP, 3 ER).

MOVING UP THE LIST: Manager Joe Espada earned his 225th win as the Astros skipper on Wednesday night, moving him past Terry Collins and into 10th place all-time in club history. Hal Lanier (254 wins) is 9th on the list.

FIRST BLOOD: The Astros rank 1st in the AL and 2nd in the Majors in 1st-inning runs (68). Additionally, HOU is 35-15 when scoring 1st this season.

CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 31-20 in games decided by 2 runs or less, 22-12 in 2-run games, 9-8 in 1-run games.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez is a strong AL MVP candidate as he enters tonight leading the league in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking 1st in batting average (.328), HR (34), and RBI (77). Additionally, he currently leads all of baseball in OPS (1.089), OBP (.433), SLG (.656) TB (244), and in the AL, he also ranks 1st in hits (122), 1st in XBH (54), tied 1st in runs (69), and 4th in walks (66).

HOT STREAK: Yordan Alvarez enters tonight with a 9-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting a sizzling .515 (17×33) with 4 2B, 5 HR and 10 RBI with a 1.691 OPS.

HISTORIC HOMERS: Yordan Alvarez has 34 HR through the Astros’ 1st 104 games, which are the 2nd-most in franchise history at this point in a season(per Elias):

Most HR thru 104 G: Jeff Bagwell-35 (‘94)

Most HR thru 105 G: Jeff Bagwell-36 (‘94), Jeff Bagwell-35 (‘99)

PEÑA POWER: Jeremy Peña has homered in 3 consecutive games, becoming the 5th different Astros SS to do so. The others are: Carlos Correa, Jed Lowrie, Andujar Cedeno, Craig Reynolds. In Peña’s last 3 games, he is 5×12 (.417) with 3 HR, 5 R and 6 RBI.

Last Time It Happened (Astros)

Last SS to Homer in 3 consecutive games: Correa (8/9-11, 2016)

Last SS to Homer in 4 consecutive games: Has never happened

Last Astro to Homer in 4 consecutive games: Alex Bregman (8/10-12, 2024)

HIT PAREDES: Isaac Paredes has hit safely in 8 straight games at .387 (12×31) with 2 HR and 7 RBI in that span. Since June 3, Paredes is batting .303 (46×152) with 21 runs scored, 6 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 30 RBI and 18 walks in 41 games.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: The Astros rank 2nd in the AL in fielding pct. (.988) and have the 2nd-fewest errors in the AL (43). 1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in his 99 games played at 1B…dating back to last season, Walker has not made an error in his last 127 games at 1B (last error was Aug. 23, 2025 at BAL).

TAPPING FOR SUCCESS: Astros hitters have won an MLB-best 73 ABS challenges and lead the Majors in challenge success rate (60%). 2B Jose Altuve has been successful on 15-of-23 challenges (65%), ranking third in the Majors in challenges won. 3B Isaac Paredes (11-for-12) has been the most efficient challenger for the Astros.

BRYAN’S BACK: RHP Bryan Abreu has a 1.86 ERA (2ER/9.2IP) in his last 9 apps. with a .156 opp. avg. in that span. Additionally, since May 1, he has a 2.55 ERA (7ER/24.2IP) in 26 apps., and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities in that span. Prior to May 1, Abreu had a 12.54 ERA in his 1st 11 apps. of the season.

WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader, who is 11-for-11 in save opp. with a 1.47 ERA, enters tonight with 238 career SV, needing 1 more to move past LHP Sparky Lyle for 5th place all-time among LH relievers.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2020 – After nearly four months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Astros host the Mariners for Opening Day 2020 at an empty Daikin Park. It marks the latest Opening Day in club history. The game ends in an 8-2 Astros win, giving the club their 8th straight Opening Day victory. RHP Justin Verlander makes his 12th career Opening Day start and earns the win after tossing 6.0 innings and allowing two runs on three hits.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, July 24, 6:40 p.m. CT

Location: Rate Field, Chicago, IL

TV: SCHN

Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Astros-White Sox tonight: pic.twitter.com/dUJrTDyXRR

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 24, 2026

New series on deck pic.twitter.com/7GzZiaz2up

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 24, 2026

An Apple TV game, because MLB will never turn down a dollar.

It would be nice to win a game or two this series.

Go Jays Go

Go Rays!

The Athletics opened this weeklong road trip by losing two out of three to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Following an off day yesterday, the A’s are back in action today as they begin a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins, who at 51-53, are 4 1/2 games back of the American League Central lead and 2 1/2 games behind the third and final AL Wild Card spot.

Roster Move

Before the game. the team shook up its bullpen.

We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/9AzrjolUA9

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 24, 2026

Right-handed reliever Yunior Tur’s MLB debut did not go well, as he allowed 14 runs in his first 2 2/3 innings. Hopefully Tur can work on what wrong at Triple-A, so he comes back to the majors more prepared to succeed.

The player replacing him, right-hander Luis Morales, has been one of the team’s biggest disappointments this season, struggling both in the big leagues and the minor leagues. With the A’s out of contention, getting Morales, a former top prospect, back on track would be a big boost for the pitching staff moving forward.

Game Preview

Left-hander Jacob Lopez will make the start for the A’s to kick off the series in the Twin Cities. The 28-year-old enters his 16th appearance and 13th start of the season with a 4-4 record, a 6.64 ERA, a 1.73 WHIP and 49 strikeouts over 59 2/3 innings.

Lopez made a successful return to the starting rotation in his most recent appearance, allowing just two runs on two hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. In that outing against the Washington Nationals, his pitch count was limited because it was his first true start since being recalled from Triple-A. Tonight, the A’s need Lopez to provide more length given the concerns surrounding their beleaguered bullpen. A quality start against a Twins lineup that has scored the seventh-most runs in the league would be a welcome sight for an A’s pitching staff that has endured significant struggles this season.

He’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s third-year right-hander Zebby Matthews, who enters his 13th start of the season with a 4-7 record, a 5.40 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP and 58 strikeouts over 70 innings. The 26-year-old is coming off a rough outing against the Chicago Cubs, allowing eight runs on nine hits in just three innings.

This will be Matthews’ second career start against the A’s. On June 4, 2025, he earned the win after holding the A’s to one run on four hits over five innings. However, he enters tonight’s game in poor form, so the Athletics’ injury-depleted offense must capitalize on any mistake pitches the young right-hander leaves over the plate.

The A’s will send out the following lineup against Matthews:

📍Target Field pic.twitter.com/ke67n92CLi

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 24, 2026

Nothing too surprising about this Athletics starting nine. Shortstop Jacob Wilson and third baseman Tommy White will look to continue their strong performances on this road trip. If the A’s want to win this Friday night contest, they will need production from the bottom of the order, where struggling right fielder Lawrence Butler and center fielder Henry Bolte will look to provide a spark.

Lopez will take on this Twins’ lineup:

Home sweet home

📺 https://t.co/usGFyQCbUxpic.twitter.com/GxIMKv1Irj

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 24, 2026

Byron Buxton, one of the best center fielders in the sport, is the leader of the Twins offense. Lopez will also have to be careful when pitching to well-traveled designated hitter Josh Bell and catcher Ryan Jeffers, who could be a trade candidate at the upcoming deadline.

Time to get back on the winning side of things and generate some good vibes heading into the weekend. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dodgers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Even great teams have room for improvement, and for the Dodgers in 2026, one of those paths is in the acquisition of a catcher. Will Smith has been out since early June with neck inflammation, and updates on his condition have put into question if and when the veteran might be back. We asked the fans if the Dodgers should proceed with the current depth chart believing in Smith’s return or plan for the worst while they still can.

All in all, with the resources that this team possesses and the lack of holes to fill, to look for a catching addition feels like a given. Perhaps more than what we may see with the bat, the Dodgers ought to look at adding a steady presence, a catcher who can be relied on to not only do his job but also excel behind the plate defensively.

What adds layers to this debate is that for a team on the market for a catcher, there are legit game-changing options to at least call about. Although none of them are explicitly on the block, controllable beyond just this current campaign, Hunter Goodman, Shea Langeliers, and Adley Rutschman each could be seen within reason as trade candidates. Acquiring any of them, though, would inevitably back the Dodgers into a corner down the line since Smith is going nowhere long-term.

Perhaps in Minnesota, the Dodgers might find targets that are more their speed in Ryan Jeffers or Victor Caratini. Quietly, one of the better-hitting catchers in the AL over the last four seasons, Jeffers has been phenomenal with a .933 OPS in a short sample (44 games) due to missed time this year. With Caratini, who is under contract through next season at a reasonable rate, the Dodgers would be getting stability above all else, adding a player perfectly willing to fade into a backup role down the line. Caratini might even provide Rushing insurance if the youngster hits his way into staying on as a starter in the playoffs.

Taking into account the experience, or lack thereof, of players such as Eliezer Alfonso and Chuckie Robinson, adding a backstopper who’s been there in a postseason environment for the off chance Smith doesn’t return is good business.

Mets president of baseball ops David Stearns met with the media prior to Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers to discuss a number of different topics…

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When may we see some deals...

With Thursday's complete off day in the schedule, there had been some hope that we could potentially see some trade deadline moves start to take shape. 

However, that ended up not being the case. 

So, Stearns was asked when we could potentially see some reach the finish line.

"Every deadline moves a little at its own pace," he said. "A week and a half is an eternity at deadline season; we see it every year -- there are active discussions going on throughout the industry, that is certainly the case. 

"When deals ultimately get across the finish line, it's tough to tell, but there's always the acceleration of deals at the deadline; we see that every year -- but when exactly we make our first deal would be tough for me to predict."

Will either of the catchers go?

With so many contenders looking to add catching ahead of the deadline, there has been some buzz that the Mets could look to move on from one of their backstops. 

Francisco Alvarez is still just 24 years old and is under club control through the 2029 season.

Luis Torrens is one of baseball's more steady backups, and he just signed a two-year extension with the club. 

While both would likely net a relatively decent return, Stearns doesn’t exactly sound too eager to move on from either with the team still looking to contend next year. 

“Catching is really important,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to have two really good ones.”

State of the starting rotation

Stearns also broke down what he’s seen from the group from a long-term lens. 

“We have some young starters who are performing really well that we are very excited about -- we have some pitching coming behind it, some of which has progressed nicely and some have hit some speed bumps,” he said. 

“So from a young starting perspective, we still feel pretty good about where we are as an organization -- but it’s also an area that we’ll have to look to supplement as we head into 2027, but we’ll get to that as we get to planning for 2027.”

The performing youngsters, of course, are Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton, who have been putting their talents on full display in the majors of late.

That is a solid trio for the Mets to build around, but there's no denying they need more. 

When you are trying to chase down several other teams in the playoff race, and games between now and the trade deadline are running short, every series feels big. This weekend’s clash with the Atlanta Braves is no different. Our very own John Beers provided a run down of the matchup earlier today.

The Orioles lineup lacks some bite without Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo, but they put up a fight against the Red Sox earlier in the week, which included snapping their rivals’ 15-game winning streak. A win for the Orioles tonight will make it two in a row for them, en route to another streak of their own.

They have the right pitcher on the mound to make it happen. The Orioles have won each of Trevor Rogers’ last five starts. The lefty has done a lot of the heavy lifting, allowing three total runs across 30.2 innings in that stretch. That translates to a 0.88 ERA. Pretty good!

Grant Holmes, the Braves starter, allowed three runs in his last start alone. So, the momentum is with Rogers. Holmes is a good pitcher, though. He just doesn’t tend to go very deep into a game. The last time he threw more than five innings in an appearance came seven starts ago on June 3rd.

It’s worth noting that Dylan Beavers will bat leadoff in this one. That’s the first time he has had that role this season and just the third time he has ever done it as a big leaguer. Tony Mansolino used him atop the order twice in late September last year. The outfielder is batting .462 over his last five games, including a 2-for-4 performance in the finale with Boston. Craig Albernaz has been more willing to change the lineup to find something that clicks. Beavers makes just as much sense as anyone else right now.

Orioles lineup

1. Dylan Beavers, LF
2. Pete Alonso, 1B
3. Gunnar Henderson, SS
4. Taylor Ward, DH
5. Colton Cowser, CF
6. Leody Taveras, RF
7. Jackson Holliday, 2B
8. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B
9. Chadwick Tromp, C

LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.28 ERA)

Braves lineup

1. Drake Baldwin, DH
2. Ozzie Albies, 2B
3. Matt Olson, 1B
4. Michael Harris II, CF
5. Mauricio Dubón, LF
6. Austin Riley, 3B
7. Eli White, RF
8. Joey Bart, C
9. Jorge Mateo, SS

RHP Grant Holmes (6-4, 3.70 ERA)

Detroit Tigers (49-54) vs. Kansas City Royals (43-61)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Royals Review
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (6-5, 2.83 ERA) vs. RHP Beck Way (1-0, 3.22 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Skubal	14	82.2	30.5	3.4	46.5	2.85	2.2
Way	18	22.1	21.4	10.2	56.7	4.90	-0.1

Friday Night Skub 🍿

⚾️ 6:40 PM ET
📺 @WatchDSN
📻 @971theticketxyt
🏟️ Comerica Park pic.twitter.com/nTWfW7vQlU

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 24, 2026

Set for game two. pic.twitter.com/XOIeyzp0eZ

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 24, 2026