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Cody Bellinger’s incredible catch, throw the ‘play of the game’ as Yankees win Subway Series finale

The Yankees have been looking for that big play during this tough stretch. 

Hoping to snap their season-high six-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon, they were able to open an early advantage over the shorthanded makeshift Mets pitching staff in the Subway Series finale at Citi Field. 

The Mets refused to go away, though, and suddenly had recaptured the momentum. 

They were able to scratch across runs in back-to-back frames against Max Fried and Jonathan Loaisiga to make is a two run ballgame, then Francisco Lindor led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. 

Suddenly, the red hot Juan Soto stepped to the plate representing the tying run. 

The star outfielder worked the count before lacing a 105 mph liner into shallow left which looked like a clean knock off the bat, however Cody Bellinger came racing in and made an incredible shoestring catch to rob him. 

Bellinger then came up throwing and unleashed a perfect strike to first, doubling off Lindor. 

The Mets challenged the play, but replay confirmed the call on the field.

“It was a hard hit ball, so it’s just trying to get the best read possible,” Bellinger said. “I saw it in the air and had a really good beat on it, so I was just glad I was able to make the play and when I looked up I saw Goldy with his glove high so I was trying to make a good throw.”

The Yankees’ bullpen was able to hold on from there, as Tim Hill and Devin Williams kept the Mets off the board over the last two frames to finally end the skid.  

Carlos Mendoza called it the "play of the game."

Aaron Boone one-upped him and called it the Yanks' "play of the year, so far."

"That's one of those it's like that in-betweener, do you leave your feet, your best way is to go try and shoestring catch it there," Boone added. "He's able to get underneath it, but just that Cody Bellinger presence of mind thing that he has, we've seen it all year with him defensively, just a really special play."

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Yankees' Jazz Chisholm, Max Fried selected to All-Star Game

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge will have some company at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

Judge was previously named the starter in RF after leading the AL through the opening round of voting.

Now, ace Max Fried and infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. have also been selected to represent the organization.

For Fried, it will mark a return to Atlanta, where he spent the first eight years of his career.

The southpaw has been spectacular during his first season with the Yankees, taking home the victory in 11 of his 19 outings and pitching to a 2.27 ERA.

With Gerrit Cole sidelined for the season, he's stepped in perfectly atop their banged-up rotation, and now logs his third career All-Star appearance.

"It's an honor," Fried said. "We have a lot of players on this team who are really deserving. Hopefully, over the next week or so, we can add a few more, but it's special and it's a really cool experience to go and be able to share that with teammates and family."

Chisholm has been forced to battle through some injuries in his first full season with the organization, but he's been extremely productive when healthy.

The 27-year-old infielder is hitting .245 with nine doubles, 10 stolen bases, 15 homers, 38 RBI, and a .841 OPS over 59 games.

This is his second career All-Star appearance.

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Yankees snap losing streak, hold on for 6-4 win over Mets in Subway Series finale

The Yankees snapped a six-game skid and held on to beat the Mets, 6-4, avoiding the sweep on Sunday in the finale of 2025's Subway Series.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Chris Devenski did his job as the Mets opener and pitched a scoreless first inning, allowing just a one-out single to Trent Grisham before getting Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to fly out. The right-hander surprisingly came back out for the second inning and sent the Yanks down in order, including back-to-back strikeouts.

-- New Met Zach Pop made his team debut and came in for Devenski in the third inning, but it go as planned. He allowed a solo homer to Austin Wells on his second pitch as the Yankees took a 1-0 lead. Pop escaped the third without further damage and stayed in to pitch the fourth inning. The righty allowed a leadoff double to Stanton and found himself in a first-and-third situation after Cody Bellinger singled. Pop got Anthony Volpe to hit a grounder, but the Mets could only turn one as the run scored to push the Yanks' lead to 2-0. He allowed another single and was then replaced by Brandon Waddell with runners on the corners.

Wells hit another hard grounder that the Mets couldn't turn two on, making it a 3-0 game. Waddell got Oswald Peraza to fly out and end the inning. Waddell stayed in to pitch the fifth and things fell apart fast. Paul Goldschmidt doubled and then Judge launched a two-run homer as the Yanks went up 5-0.

-- Starling Marte dropped a surprise bunt to leadoff the bottom of the first inning and beat it out for a single. Yankees starter Max Fried got a bit upset during Francisco Lindor's at-bat, as he was called for a pitch clock violation with a 2-2 count and walked off the mound to argue with the home plate umpire, but no one was ejected. Marte stole second while Lindor struck out and then advanced to third on a wild pitch by Fried. The Mets failed to capitalize on the early scoring chance as Pete Alonso flied out.

-- Fried kept the Mets bats quiet for most of the day, but found himself in a tough spot in the fifth inning. Jeff McNeil and Hayden Senger hit back-to-back one-out singles and Marte collected his third hit of the day to load the bases. Lindor delivered with the fourth straight hit against Fried on a single up the middle, scoring two and cutting the Yankee lead to 5-2. Fried escaped by striking out Juan Soto on a slider in the dirt and getting Alonso to fly out to right field.

The left-hander's day ended after plunking Brandon Nimmo to leadoff the sixth, as he tossed 98 pitches (61 strikes) and allowed two runs on six hits with five strikeouts.

-- Ronny Mauricio pinch-hit for Mark Vientos with Nimmo on first base and came through with a single. It was then Brett Baty's turn to pinch hit for Tyrone Taylor and he loaded the bases with another single. McNeil hit a dibbler that was misplayed by Jonathan Loáisiga, allowing the run to score and keeping the bases juiced. Senger grounded into a double play, but another run scored to cut the Yankee lead to 5-4. Loáisiga escaped by getting Marte to line out with some help from a sliding Judge in right field.

-- The Yankees tacked on another in the top of the seventh on a Judge sacrifice fly, making it 6-4. Bellinger made the play of the day in the bottom half on a low catch in left field against Soto and was able to double-up Lindor retreating back to first base, helping Mark Leiter Jr. avoid potential trouble.

-- Carlos Mendoza was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning. Home plate umpire John Bacon called two low pitches strikes against Luis Torrens, as both pitches were clearly outside the zone.

Game MVP: Aaron Judge

The slugger hit HR No. 33 on the season with a two-run blast and picked up another RBI with a sacrifice fly. He's up to 74 RBI on the season.

Honorable mention: Bellinger, for his scooping catch and throw to shut down a Mets comeback.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets are off on Monday and then start a three-game series in Baltimore against the Orioles on Tuesday. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. on SNY.

Clay Holmes (8-4, 2.99 ERA) is scheduled to start, while Brandon Young (0-3, 7.02 ERA) goes for the O's.

The Yankees stay in New York and start a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (5-4, 5.02 ERA) take the mound and will face Logan Gilbert (2-2, 3.40 ERA) for the Mariners.

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Mets’ Carlos Mendoza ejected after back-to-back questionable ninth inning strike calls vs. Yankees

Carlos Mendoza is usually pretty calm and collected -- but frustration has been brewing for the second-year Mets skipper throughout Sunday's Subway Series finale at Citi Field.

Finally, in the ninth inning, things reached the breaking point.

With Luis Torrens pinch-hitting against Yankees closer Devin Williams leading off the bottom of the ninth, home plate umpire John Bacon made an extremely questionable strike two call on a pitch out of the zone.

Mendoza gave Bacon an earful from the first-base dugout, but play went on.

Seconds later, Bacon punched out Torrens on a changeup even further out of the zone, and this time the skipper immediately came sprinting out of the dugout.

Mendoza quickly earned his second ejection in the last eight days, and this time he got his money's worth -- kicking some dirt on home plate and getting in Bacon's face before being separated.

It was just his third career ejection, and second in the last week.

"It was building up the whole game," Mendoza explained postgame. "In that situation, leading off the inning down two runs, you want to get guys on base and keep the line moving so hopefully [Juan] Soto and Pete [Alonso] get a chance here.

"You get two calls like that that don't go your way, it's just pretty frustrating."

And as things played out, the Mets ended up going down quietly against Williams, who got Starling Marte to ground out and then punched out Francisco Lindor on a 98 mph fastball to end the game.

Still, the club was able to secure the series victory and Subway Series split for the season.

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Mets’ Jesse Winker crushes no-doubt homer in potential final rehab appearance

Jesse Winker has been sidelined since the beginning of May, but he finally appears ready to roll. 

The Mets' left-handed hitting slugger took the field in his potential final rehab appearance down in Syracuse on Sunday afternoon and he looked back in form.

It didn’t take Winker very long to make his mark, as he jumped on a first pitch sweeper from Worcester right-hander Cooper Criswell in the bottom of the first and crushed it 410 feet for a no-doubt two-run home run. 

It was his first long ball with Triple-A, but the second on his rehab assignment. 

He then worked the count full before drawing a walk to load the bases during his next at-bat, but he was a little too aggressive on the bases and was thrown out trying to advance to third on a Jared Young sacrifice fly.

Winker came up with a man on two innings later and he worked another walk, but after two more free passes forced in a run and loaded the bases, he was stranded as Jose Azocar struck out to end the inning. 

The 31-year-old was finally retired in each of his final two plate appearances, flying out to center in the seventh and then the same leading off the bottom of the ninth. 

Overall, he finished the day 1-for-3 with the two-run homer and a pair of walks. 

Winker’s hitting just .143 through five games of his minor league rehab assignment, but he’s driven in seven runs and has a .904 OPS. 

Carlos Mendoza said pregame that the Mets will see how he feels following the back-to-back contests, but there’s a chance he could rejoin the team as they kick off a series Tuesday in Baltimore. 

Getting Winker back in the mix will be a huge boost for this offense -- prior to the injury, he was receiving the bulk of the DH at-bats against right-handed pitching.

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Diamondbacks infielder Pavin Smith heads to injured list with strained right oblique

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed infielder Pavin Smith on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique and recalled infielder Tristan English from Triple-A Reno.

Arizona also placed right-hander Ryan Thompson on the 15-day injured list with a strained scapular, retroactive to Saturday, and recalled right-hander Bryce Jarvis from Reno before Sunday’s game against Kansas City.

Right-hander Tommy Henry was recalled to the big league roster and placed on the 60-day injured list with a right elbow injury to make room for English on the 40-man roster.

Smith is hitting .261 with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 79 games while primarily splitting time between first base and designated hitter.

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Mets ace Kodai Senga could rejoin rotation next weekend in Kansas City

NEW YORK — Mets ace Kodai Senga could rejoin the rotation next weekend in the final series before the All-Star break, a little over a month after straining his right hamstring.

Senga allowed four runs — three earned — and six hits in 3 2/3 innings during Saturday’s minor league injury rehabilitation start for Double-A Binghamton at Hartford. Senga struck out four, walked two and threw 44 of 68 pitches for strikes.

“Physically he feels fine,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday before the Mets concluded their three-game series against the Yankees. “So we’ll see how today, tomorrow, how they go and hopefully he’s making a start for us next time.”

Senga was injured covering first base on a grounder by CJ Abrams when he made a leaping catch on Pete Alonso’s throw June 12 against Washington.

Senga is 7-3 with a 1.47 ERA in 13 starts this season for the Mets, whose starters had a major league-best 2.78 ERA at the time of his injury. The Mets lost 14 of 17 after Senga’s injury, then won four straight with a patchwork rotation that included two openers and Justin Hagenman’s first big league start.

“He’s a big part of this team,” Mendoza said of Senga. “He’s a big part of the rotation. For us to be able to get him back this quickly (is big) because we thought when he went down, in my head I was more like after the All-Star break and then for him to be in play for us now before we go into the All-Star break is huge for us.”

Mendoza also said Sean Manaea may start Sunday in Kansas City. Manaea is slated to make his fifth rehab start and sixth overall appearance Tuesday.

Manaea has been sidelined since spring training with a strained right oblique and had a rehab outing pushed back because of elbow discomfort to a bone chip. The left-hander received a cortisone shot and threw 60 pitches in three innings Wednesday for Binghamton at Hartford.

The Mets have 13 pitchers on the injured list and entered Sunday with the fourth-best rotation ERA at 3.38.

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AL East-leading Blue Jays place infielder Andrés Giménez on injured list with left ankle sprain

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays placed second baseman Andrés Giménez on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left ankle sprain.

Giménez left Toronto’s 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. He had tweaked his left ankle covering second base on a steal on Wednesday against the New York Yankees and did not play Thursday as Toronto completed a sweep of the four-game series. His move to the IL was retroactive to Saturday. Giménez is batting .218 with five homers and 23 RBI’s for the AL East-leading Blue Jays.

In other moves before Sunday’s game against Los Angeles, right-hander Ryan Burr was reinstated from the 60-day IL and outfielder Joey Loperfido was recalled from Triple-A. Also, right-hander Lazaro Estrada was optioned to Triple-A and outfielder Will Robertson was designated for assignment.

Burr had been sidelined with a right shoulder issue and did rehab with Triple-A Buffalo, where he struck out 17 in 12 1/3 innings over 11 games and went 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA.

Loperfido was in the lineup Sunday, batting eighth and playing right field. This season in Triple-A, the 26-year-old is batting .278 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs.

Estrada made his big league debut against the Angels on Saturday, striking out four in four innings of relief.

Robertson made his MLB debut last month and saw action in three games. He had one hit and one RBI with Toronto.

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Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas on 10-day IL with right foot injury

CLEVELAND — Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas was placed on the 10-day injured list because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot Sunday before Cleveland faced the Detroit Tigers.

The move is retroactive to Saturday. Infielder Will Wilson was recalled from Triple-A Columbus

Thomas also missed 11 games in late May and early June because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Manager Stephen Vogt said before the game that next week’s All-Star break should hopefully also give Thomas plenty of time to rest up for the second half of the season.

“With eight days until the break, we’re not in a position to play short right now and wait day to day. And we want to give this the 13-14 days that we have from now until we come out of the end of the break to really try and knock it out.”

Thomas hit a grand slam in last year’s fifth and deciding game of the American League Division Series against Detroit, but his tenure in Cleveland has been mostly frustrating. Since being acquired at the trade deadline last year from Washington, Thomas has a .189 batting average in 92 games.

This season, Thomas is batting .160 and .197 (13 for 66) since coming off the injured list on June 9.

Thomas also missed five weeks because of a right wrist bone bruise after getting hit by a pitch during the April 8 home opener against the Chicago White Sox.

“It’s been a frustrating year for Lane. We feel it with him. It’s not at all what we want for him. Not at all what he wants,” Vogt said. “So hopefully with this break we’re able to really get this thing under control so that we can get the best version of Lane.”

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Shockingly, only 2 Phillies selected as All-Stars

Shockingly, only 2 Phillies selected as All-Stars originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It was going to be difficult to beat a franchise record set last season of eight players being named to an All-Star team, but the Phillies seem heavily underrepresented with only two players heading to Atlanta with the honors.

Kyle Schwarber will join Zack Wheeler in his hometown for the Midsummer Classic July 15 at Truist Park.

It’s a huge honor for the players named to the team, but Rob Thomson feels similar sentiments as the manager being able to deliver the news.

“It’s an honor,” Thomson said. “It’s tough to pitch in this league, or play in this league, and it’s even tougher making an All-Star team. I know it’s an honor for the players so it’s a big honor for me to let them know.”

This is the third All-Star selection for Wheeler, who represented the Phillies in 2021 and 2024. It’s been a busy week for the 35-year-old, who was named NL Pitcher of the Month for June and learned of his All-Star nod in the span of four days. A little over an hour before the announcement came out, Wheeler was dealing on the mound and had his first complete game since 2021, being one blemish away from perfection.

Even in his 11th season, there have been no signs of slowing down for Wheeler. In his 18 games this season, Wheeler is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA, 148 K and 0.84 WHIP.

This will also be Schwarber’s third time as an All-Star, being named in 2021 and 2022.

Schwarber is leading the way in home runs (27) and RBI (63) for the Phillies this season while averaging .251 at the plate.

“He does a lot of things for this club other than slugging and getting on base,” Thomson said. “He’s a great teammate, great in the clubhouse, one of the team leaders.

“I love all these guys. I love Schwarb, I’m just really happy for both those guys.”

There are a handful of question marks surrounding the Phillies who weren’t named to the team including Ranger Suarez, Cristopher Sanchez, and most shockingly, Trea Turner.

Turner is currently leading the National League in hits (109) and averaging .299. Aside from Schwarber, Turner has been the most consistent hitter on the Phillies through this point in the season. There is still a chance any of the trio could be named due to injuries or players opting out, but for now, Wheeler and Schwarber will be holding down the fort.

The All-Star experience kicks off Monday, July 14 with the Home Run Derby 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Then, catch the MLB All-Star game 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on FOX.

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Mets Injury Notes: Next steps for Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Jesse Winker and more

Prior to Sunday's game against the Yankees, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave a handful of updates on the team's injured players...

Kodai Senga feeling good after rehab start

Senga threw 3.2 innings on Saturday for Double-A Binghamton, his first start since suffering a hamstring strain on June 12. The team said that Senga could be back before the All-Star break against the Kansas City Royals and that's now appearing to look more probable.

"Good, he physically feels fine," Mendoza said. "We'll see how today, tomorrow, how they go. Hopefully, he's making a start for us next time."

The manager noted how important Senga is to the pitching rotation and that potentially getting him back this soon is "huge" for the team.

"Yeah, huge," Mendoza said. "We saw it when he went down, how hard it was for us. He's a big part of this team, he's a big part of the rotation. For us to be able get him back this quickly. We thought when he went down, in my head I was more like, 'After the All-Star break.'

"And then for him to be in play for us now before we go into All-Star break, he's huge for us."

Sean Manaea still on track for return before All-Star break

Manaea (elbow and oblique) will have one more rehab start this week with Triple-A Syracuse before "hopefully" rejoining the Mets on the road in Kansas City.

"He's making a start on Tuesday in Syracuse," Mendoza said. "And then we'll see where we're at. Hopefully he's a player for us toward the end of the next road trip, so in Kansas City. He's pitching Tuesday, we'll see how he comes out of that one and then we have a decision there."

The lefty received a cortisone shot last week after test results revealed a loose body in his elbow, slightly delaying his return, but he's already been cleared to pitch.

His next start will be his sixth rehab outing after throwing three innings on Wednesday for Double-A Binghamton.

Jesse Winker could return Tuesday

Winker, who has been out since May 4 with a right oblique strain, is expected to be back from the IL soon.

"Got all the at-bats, he's got one more today. We'll check with him after the game today and see if there's there's a chance for him to be active Tuesday," Mendoza said.

DH-ing for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, Winker went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

It was his first game in Triple-A after playing one game with High-A Brooklyn and two games with Double-A Binghamton. The veteran went 3-for-7 with a home run, double, five RBI, three walks and two runs scored during those three games.

Jose Siri "still ways to go" in recovery

Mendoza said that Siri is scheduled to get another MRI to see if his left tibia bone has healed properly.

Siri fractured his left tibia on April 12 after fouling a ball off his shin and suffered a small setback earlier in June. The bone hadn't healed to the team's liking and he was then shut down from baseball activities.

The Mets moved Siri to the 60-day IL on June 23.

Max Kranick making progress

Kranick was shut down for 3-4 weeks on June 21 after an MRI revealed a minor flexor strain, but Mendoza said the reliever is "getting close" to start throwing again.

"Kranick is in Port St. Lucie. He's getting close," Mendoza said. "Last report I got was he's feeling a lot better, almost symptom free. He should be getting close to start a throwing progression here."

The 27-year-old pitched to a 3.65 ERA in 24 appearances across 37 innings for New York this season. He last pitched on June 15 against the Rays, tossing two scoreless innings.

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Wheeler one blip away from perfect game, leads Phillies to series win over Reds

Wheeler one blip away from perfect game, leads Phillies to series win over Reds originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

We’re running out of ways to describe what Zack Wheeler is doing right now.

The All-Star teams won’t be announced until later Sunday but after the series finale against the Reds, it’d be a shock to pretty much everyone in baseball if Wheeler doesn’t emerge as the National League starting pitcher.

The Phillies’ ace put on quite a show in the club’s 3-1 win that should not only lock him in as the starter for the All-Star Game but keep his name at the top of the Cy Young conversation.

Earlier this week, Wheeler was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for June and is already making his case for July.

With each outing, the 35-year-old continues to find ways to up his performance. While it almost sounds redundant after each start, it can’t be stressed enough that we’re witnessing one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history.

His last five starts:

vs. Cubs: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
vs. Blue Jays: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
vs. Mets: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
at Astros: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
vs. Padres: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K

Which brings us to Sunday afternoon against the Reds.

Wheeler had one blip — a solo home run from former Phillie Austin Hays — in the fifth inning. It was the first hit and baserunner of the day for Cincinnati. … It was also the last.

Wheeler has flirted with a pair of no-hitters in the past, once in Apr. 2024 against the White Sox and another in June 2023 against the Tigers. Both of those performances had a few walks and a batter getting hit by a pitch.

Sunday had one singular blemish. A perfect game tainted with one swing.

It marks Wheeler’s first complete game since Aug. 8, 2021 against the Mets. He struck out 12 along the way.

“After the fourth I thought ‘this has a chance to be a no-hitter or a perfect game.’ I really did,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He was just dominant. Everything working, control, command. Everything was great.

“That was as dominant as you’re going to get other than a perfect game.”

Trea Turner collected a hit in the leadoff spot for all three games in the Reds series (two singles and a double). He’s currently on a six-game hitting streak and continues leading the way as the National League hits leader (109).

Turner’s combination of power and speed creates the perfect storm at the top of the order. And when Turner isn’t able to get the job done? Well, look to the next man up … literally.

Kyle Schwarber also had a solid series against the Reds, with 4 hits and 5 RBI. His double in the fifth scored Brandon Marsh.

Bryson Stott, who has struggled mightily at the plate in recent weeks, cracked a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to give the Phillies their first lead of the day. It was also the loudest collective sigh of relief the tri-state area has heard in recent years, knowing one of the top performances of Wheeler’s career wouldn’t go to waste.

As “Let’s go Wheeler” chants broke out in the ninth inning when the ace took the mound to finish his outstanding day, everyone took to their feet when realizing what they were collectively witnessing.

Greatness. Complete and utter greatness.

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Orioles acquire Alex Jackson from Yankees after Gary Sánchez becomes their fourth catcher on IL

ATLANTA — The Baltimore Orioles acquired Alex Jackson from the New York Yankees on Sunday after Gary Sánchez became their fourth catcher on the injured list.

Sánchez left Saturday night’s game against Atlanta with right knee pain and an MRI revealed a sprain. Interim manager Tony Mansolino said he did not have a timetable for Sánchez’s recovery.

Baltimore, which has 14 players on the IL, sent the Yankees international signing bonus pool allocation and a player to be named or cash.

Two-time All-Star Adley Rutschman has not played since June 19 because of a left oblique strain, Maverick Handley has been on the concussion IL since a collision at the plate with the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. on June 22 and Chadwick Tromp hasn’t played since June 30 because of a lower back strain.

Jacob Stallings, who replaced Sánchez in Saturday’s 9-6 win over the Braves in 10 innings, and Jackson, who was with the team for Sunday’s game in Atlanta, will form the restructured depth chart at catcher. Stallings’ contract was selected from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday.

Mansolino said he is confident Jackson and Stallings, who started on Sunday, have the experience needed “to quickly catch up and make themselves an asset.”

Jackson, 29, hit .226 with 10 homers in 44 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He made his major league debut with Atlanta in 2019 and also has played for Miami and Milwaukee.

“Obviously you have a whole lot of time in the big leagues now with multiple teams,” Mansolino said, adding the Yankees are a “very forward-thinking organization.”

Infielder Jorge Mateo, who last played June 6 due to left elbow inflammation, was transferred to the 60-day IL to clear a roster spot for Jackson.

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He’s back! 41-year-old reliever Jesse Chavez returns again for seventh stint with Braves

ATLANTA — Jesse Chavez has returned yet again for his seventh stint with the Atlanta Braves, including his second this season.

The Braves added the 41-year-old reliever to their major league roster before Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. It is the sixth move to add the veteran right-hander to Atlanta’s roster since 2021 and the seventh overall since 2009.

Chavez allowed two runs in three innings in his first stint with the Braves this season after being called up on April 1. He was released a few days later and granted free agency before re-signing with the team.

The Braves optioned left-hander Dylan Dodd to Triple-A Gwinnett and transferred right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach to the 60-day injured list. Schwellenbach was placed on the injured list on Wednesday with a fractured right elbow, possibly ending his season.

The loss of Schwellenbach led the Braves to use seven pitchers, including Dodd, in a bullpen game in Saturday’s 9-6 loss to Baltimore in 10 innings. That prompted the move to add Chavez for pitching depth in Sunday’s final game of the series.

Chavez first joined the Braves in December 2009 in a trade with Tampa Bay for reliever Rafael Soriano. He played on Atlanta’s 2021 World Series championship team after signing a minor league deal.

Chavez made his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 2008 and has pitched for nine teams in 18 seasons, including multiple stints with Toronto, the Los Angeles Angels, Texas and the Chicago Cubs.

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Shohei Ohtani works two scoreless innings, strikes out side in second on 31st birthday

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani worked two scoreless innings against the Houston Astros on Saturday in his fourth mound start of the season, striking out the side in order in the second while pitching on his 31st birthday.

Ohtani allowed one hit and threw 31 pitches, 21 for strikes. He fanned Christian Walker, Victor Caratini and Yainer Diaz — all swinging — to conclude his latest outing as an opener as he works his way back from elbow surgery.

Houston scored four runs in the third against reliever Justin Wrobleski and went on to win 6-4.

In his previous mound start a week earlier, Ohtani threw the fastest pitch of his career at 101.7 mph. This time, he hit triple digits only once — a 100.9 mph fastball that Caratini fouled off.

“Very impressed,” Dave Roberts said of Ohtani’s pitching. “His stuff continues to get better, the command, the feel for making pitches. It’s nice to see he doesn’t have to throw as hard as he can. It’s more of a controlled fastball, controlled stuff. Really efficient with the double play in the first inning. Looking at the next one we’ll have a discussion and how much and what we expect of him. Really impressed how he’s continued to get better and better each time out.”

Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle played one line of “Happy Birthday” as Ohtani walked to the dugout after the second inning. Before the game, the Los Angeles grounds crew wrote the message “HB Sho” in the dirt.

“I’m already at an age where I don’t celebrate birthdays like I used to do,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “With that being said, I’m grateful for everyone who said happy birthday to me. As long as I can can play the way I want to play, I usually spend my birthday just like any other day.”

Isaac Paredes led off against Ohtani with a single to left. Ohtani then got Cam Smith to hit a comebacker that second baseman Tommy Edman turned into a double play. Jose Altuve followed with a groundout as Ohtani retired the side on 10 pitches.

Ohtani has allowed one run in six innings this season for a 1.50 ERA.

The three-time MVP did not pitch last season, his first with the Dodgers, while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made 86 mound starts over five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, going 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA.

Batting in his customary leadoff spot, Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a walk. He led off the ninth with a single against Astros closer Josh Hader, who then retired Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman to end it.

“I don’t feel too bad at the plate. At the same time, I’m recognizing pitches I should be able to hit, which I’m not,” Ohtani said. “Usually, it’s a matter of a little bit of a difference with the way I’m swinging and the cage work. Hopefully, I can apply that on the field.”