Category: Baseball

Another night when watching the Guardians was more of a chore than a pleasure. They still can’t score. They still can’t put the ball in play when a runner is on third base. They still employ Grant Fink.

A Hoskins home run was their only run; Chase DeLauter was their only baserunner (three times.)

JOEY CANTILLO DID NOTHING WRONG.

But it shows that he made a million pitches and gave up runs!? Yeah, because the defense behind him could not have been worse. This team just is not showing up and playing good baseball.

Around baseball

• Ryan O’Hearn went out and had himself a Lonnie Chisenhall Game last night

• Konnor Griffin is out 8-10 weeks

• Byron Buxton was also placed on the IL

• How easy was it to hit in New York last night? The Royals scored 16 times, the Mets scored 12, and

ESPN: The All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are upon us, and after finding out he’ll be making his first Midsummer Classic, Ben Rice also accepted an invite to participate in the derby. The 27-year-old enters play today with 25 dingers on the season and has continued raking after a breakout campaign last year. Rice announced that he’ll have his dad, Dan Rice—who threw for Brown University in the 1980s—be his pitcher for the derby.

The Rays’ Junior Caminero is the only other announced participant so far, but as outlined, there’s a good case for either to win even before knowing who else will be involved. The last Yankee to take home the trophy was captain Aaron Judge at Marlins Park during his memorable 2017 rookie campaign. (Remember when he broke physics and hit the roof? Good times.)

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: A franchise as storied as the Yankees is bound to have a lot of records, but sometimes they’re on the bad side of history. During this recent skid, things have looked pretty bleak for Aaron Boone’s squad, but all that came to a head on Tuesday. The Yankees matched Monday’s miserable 17-strikeout total on Tuesday to give them 34 over a two-game span, which beat their previous team record of 31 in two games. Congrats, team!

NBC Sports | George Bissell: If you’re looking for a glimmer of hope, or at least just fun, Max Fried looks ready to start working his way back to the rotation. On Saturday, Fried is scheduled to face hitters in another live batting practice session at Double-A Somerset. The bone bruise in his elbow has kept him out since mid-May, but if things progress well, he could be in line to return before the end of the month.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: While many fans are undoubtedly tired of Anthony Volpe’s lack of production and want to see José Caballero get more playing time at shortstop, it likely won’t result in much of a boost to the lineup. Though Caballero’s two home runs on Monday helped drive the team to a win they seemingly can’t buy these days, overall his numbers the past three or so weeks have been pedestrian and comparable to Volpe’s (indeed, he struck out four times in an 0-for-4 yesterday). Hey, at least he has a different face than Volpe though, right?

The 2026 MLB draft kicks off this Saturday, at 1:00pm ET. Because of MLB’s ironclad commitment to preventing this from becoming an event, it will occur while several teams are playing actual MLB games, although the Jays specifically will be in San Diego and don’t go until 8:40pm.

The first 10 picks, which will inexplicably take 90 minutes, will air on NBC and Peacock. After that, it’ll stream on MLB.com, MLB TV and MLB+, and for those who have cable MLB network will carry picks 11-40. Because why would your own network cover the whole first day of your sport’s draft?

Day one includes the first four rounds, while day 2 on Sunday will cover rounds 5-20. That’s an upgrade over last season, as the event isn’t unnecessarily split into three days. Day 2 will also stream on MLB.com and the apps.

The Blue Jays will have a fairly quiet day one. Their first pick, which would normally be 29th overall as the World Series losers, will be bumped back 10 spots to #39 because they tried to hard to win spent over the second luxury tax threshold last season.

They also forfeited their second round pick for signing Dylan Cease after he turned down the Padres’ Qualifying offer. He’s been more than worth it, posting what’s shaping up to be arguably his best statistical season and making a strong case to be in the Cy Young mix, but given the state of the rest of the team they’ll miss the opportunity to strengthen the farm.

After #39, they’ll pick again at #103 at the back of the third round and #131 in the fourth. On day two, they’ll select #164 in the fifth round, and 29th in each round thereafter.

Their bonus pool of $5,543,100 is the second smallest ahead of only the Dodgers, who both pick after them and took two Qualifying Offer penalties in addition to the luxury tax knock back. Nearly half that money, $2.57 million, is attached to the #39 pick. As a reminder of the rules, teams pay a 50% surcharge for exceeding their bonus pool by up to 5%. About 20 teams, including the Jays, always use that 5% overage. But by crossing 5%, the penalty jumps to a 75% surcharge and the loss of a future first round pick. Nobody has ever paid that penalty, and the Jays won’t start now, so 105% of the pool less a dollar ($5,820,254) is functionally a hard cap.* That pool has to cover all of their picks in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus amounts in rounds 11-20 larger than $150,000. If a player in the top 10 rounds fails to sign, the team forfeits the entire bonus amount associated with that pick, which can wreak havoc with plans if they’d expected to move money around between picks. For that reason, expect that teams almost always have had tentative contact with players taken in the first few rounds and know what it’ll take to land them.

*Teams can also give prospects a $2,500 roster bonus that doesn’t count against the pool. That allows the Jays to move $22,500 around, but doesn’t materially change the situation.

Strategically, their lack of resources puts them in a bit of a bind. Normally, teams have three general draft strategies available. First, they can offer an over slot bonus in the first or second round, picking up a single prospect they love at the cost of having to find some bargains later. The Jays did that in 2020 for Austin Martin and in 2022 for Brandon Barriera, but I don’t think it’s likely here for a couple of reasons. First, Austin Martin and Brandon Barriera, and the guys behind them didn’t exactly rescue those strategies. Second, because in those years they had a lot of draft capital (the 5th selection in 2020 and three second round picks in 2022), so even with a deficit to make up they could land multiple significant prospects. That’s very different from 2026.

Second, teams can play it roughly straight, giving them the “expected” amount of money to work with later on. The Trey Yesavage, Gunnar Hoglund and Alek Manoah picks in 2024, 2021 and 2019 fit that mold for Toronto, with pretty good success.

Third, they can cut a deal for a player willing to sign for less than the slot bonus at their pick to move some money down the draft, maybe getting multiple solid prospects instead of one top guy. Jojo Parker and Arjun Nimmala represent moderately under slot deals in recent years. The Jays won’t have a specific player in mind at #103 or 131 if they go that route, just the expectation that someone exciting will be around when they next pick that they can use money on. They might also wait and take a shot after the 10th round on a top tier high schooler who slides because a high bonus demand or a strong commitment to go to college make them too risky to take with a slotted pick. That was the play last year, trimming money through most of the top 10 to give $1.7 million to Blaine Bullard in the 12th round.

My sense is that the Jays are opportunistic, rather than having a clearly discernible philosophy. They were tied pretty heavily to Jojo Parker last year at #8, but Yesavage, Arjun Nimmala in 2023, Barriera, Hoglund, and Martin were all somewhat out of the blue. Those six guys represent all four major demographics in the draft (two college pitchers, a college hitter, a high school arm and a pair of high school bats), and signed at different prices relative to the slot where they were chosen. They also have totally different profiles, from a command artist in Hoglund to Yesavage’s nasty stuff and from ultra-polished hit tool over everything Martin to tool shed with swing and miss concerns Nimmala. The only common thread is that if you had been watching public scouting draft boards in the weeks before each of those drafts you’d have expected them to go sooner than they ultimately did.

That seems likely to continue in 2026. They’ll let who’s on the board at #39 dictate the shape of the remainder of the draft, probably with a preference to cut some money but a willingness to go to or above slot for the right player.

Speaking of players, this is normally where I’d take a second post to profile a half dozen likely options. That’s an exercise in futility when the first pick is outside the first round, though. Instead, tomorrow I’ll take a look at each of the four demographics and a handful of names I think might be out there for their first pick.

It was a night of history for Shohei Ohtani.

And infamy for the Dodgers’ defense.

In a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, the Dodgers had been in control of the game, taking an early lead on Ohtani’s 300th career home run before extending it during a seven-inning, one-run gem from Justin Wrobleski.

In the top of the eighth, however, it all came undone.

With two costly defensive mistakes, the team helplessly squandered a two-run lead.

The meltdown started immediately after Wrobleski finished his outing, with his replacement Will Klein allowing two runners to reach base with one out.

Then, with Tyler Freeman at the plate, Klein fired a first-pitch fastball that was grounded straight to shortstop Miguel Rojas (getting the start on a day off for Mookie Betts).

Rojas had to range to his left, but still had a chance for an inning-ending double-play.

Instead, he misread a hop and booted the ball off the heel of his mitt. 

One run scored. Two runners remained on the corners. And the headache was just getting started.

Left-hander Jack Dreyer was summoned from the Dodgers bullpen next, prompting the Rockies to put on a squeeze play with left-handed hitter Jake McCarthy. McCarthy got his bunt down, scoring the lead runner from third. Third baseman Max Muncy charged to field the ball, throwing in time to get McCarthy at first base, where second baseman Alex Freeland was covering.

It was behind the play where the real action was, as Freeman got aggressive and made a hard turn for third –– realizing that Rojas hadn’t gone to cover the bag.

“Physical errors happen, and I’m okay with that, I’m not perfect,” Rojas said, referencing the error he was charged on the missed on the missed double-play. “But mental errors are the ones that are kind of disappointing. Like, I should have been on third base … That’s the one that I kind of like kick myself for.”

Rojas eventually picked Freeman up, and followed him step for step as Freeland turned at first and fired a throw across the diamond. Alas, his strike was low, Rojas couldn’t squeeze it, and the ball trickled all the way down the steps into the Dodgers dugout.

Freeman was awarded home plate.

The Rockies scored their third unearned run of the inning to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish –– surviving a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth to deny the Dodgers a chance for a series-clinching victory.

“It doesn’t happen very often that he doesn’t make a play,” Roberts said of Rojas. “So when it happens, you know, we don’t like it, doesn’t feel good, but you know that player, I give him a lot of grace, because he is very dependable.”

What it means

Tuesday should’ve been about Ohtani, who reached his home run milestone three pitches into the game.

In a 2-0 count against Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, the two-way lifted a towering 409-foot drive deep to center field, reaching the 300-homer club with his 20th blast of the season.

Playing in his 1,101st career MLB game as a hitter, Ohtani eclipsed the 300-homer mark faster than all but four previous players to do so (Aaron Judge, Ralph Kiner, Ryan Howard, Juan Gonzalez). He also became the first Japanese-born player to hit that many home runs, and only the second –– along with Babe Ruth –– to do so while also serving as a pitcher.

“Only 414 to go,” one member of the Japanese press joked, referencing Ruth’s former all-time homer record of 714.

At age 32, Ohtani is unlikely to challenge that total.

But, more round numbers figure to be in his future. Since joining the Dodgers, he has maintained a pace of more than 50 per season.

“He’s still young, still strong,” Roberts said. “So I definitely think 500 is in his future.”

Who’s hot

For now, Wrobleski remains snubbed from the All-Star Game.

But after another seven-inning gem against the Rockies, he remains a strong candidate to be picked as a replacement.

In Tuesday’s game, the left-hander worked around six hits while striking out nine batters –– giving him 20 total punchouts in his last two starts after struggling to generate Ks for much of this season.

The effort lowered his ERA to 2.69, eighth-lowest in the National League. It also marked his seventh time this season completing seven innings, tied for fifth-most in the majors behind only Nathan Eovaldi, Cristopher Sánchez, Michael Wacha and Logan Webb.

Who’s not

We covered the Dodgers’ porous defense above, so let’s focus on someone who is no longer injured.

In his first appearance back from Tommy John surgery last June, Evan Phillips pitched a scoreless inning in the ninth that featured two strikeouts, a fastball that got up to nearly 99 mph and a nice ovation from the crowd after stranding a two-out single.

Phillips will be a key arm to watch in the coming weeks, as the team evaluates its bullpen hierarchy and he tries to re-establish himself as a high-leverage option.

“As frustrating as this loss is tonight, that’s really a silver lining for tonight,” Roberts said of Phillips’ return. “He had a long road with Tommy John, so really happy for him.”

Up next

The Dodgers and Rockies conclude this series on Wednesday, when Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.40 ERA) will look to bounce back from his recent struggles while facing Colorado right-hander Ryan Feltner (3-2, 4.27 ERA).

The Colorado Rockies have lost 11 consecutive games at Dodger Stadium (that would be since September 21, 2024), and they came into tonight’s game looking to break that streak and avenge a heartbreaking loss from Monday night.

It was another game when a dogged Rockies team played without fear against a juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers squad, and this time, the Rockies pulled off a 4-3 win.

“There wasn’t a doubt in the dugout,” Tyler Freeman said after the game.

The offense

Although Justin Wrobleski stymied the Rockies in the first inning, Michael Lorenzen was less successful when facing Shohei Ohtani, who kicked off the Dodgers half of the inning by mashing his 300th career home run.

It looked like the game might go off the rails early when Lorenzen followed that up with a throwing error that put Andy Pages on second. However, he managed to get out of it without allowing any additional runs.

The Rockies got their first hit in the third inning with a Mickey Moniak single. Willi Castro followed that with a walk. They were unable to capitalize despite a TJ Rumfield single when Castro was called out at second base after being hit by a batted ball, and the score remained 1-0 Dodgers.

It looked like the Dodgers might add on in the fourth after Lorenzen gave up singles to Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the inning and prevented the Dodgers from adding to their one-run lead.

The Rockies again had traffic in the fifth inning after Braxton Fulford and Moniak both singled, but they were (again) unable to score.

Lorenzen had been excellent going into the fifth when he began to lose some of the control he had exhibited throughout the game. He started by issuing a leadoff walk to Dalton Rushing; Alex Freeland followed that with a single. A Miguel Rojas bunt failed to score Rushing, who was out at the plate. Lorenzen followed that by walking Ohtani to load the bases. But he wasn’t done issuing free passes with the next one scoring Pages, which made the score 2-0 Dodgers. The Rockies managed two outs after that to end the inning and keep the game within reach.

Finally in the fifth inning, the Rockies got on the board. It started with a Cole Carrigg double (allowing him to reach base in 18 consecutive games) followed by a Tyler Freeman single. Jake McCarthy brought Carrigg home, cutting the Dodgers’ lead in half, 2-1.

In their half of the fifth, the Dodgers would get back their two-run lead when a Rumfield fielding error allowed Edman to get on base. Eventually, he scored on a single by Freeland, and the Dodgers again had a 3-1 lead.

Wrobleski had another strong start for the Dodgers. He logged 7.0 IP and allowed one run (earned) on six hits. He walked two and struck out nine on 94 pitches. His current ERA is 2.69.

The Rockies have come to dominate the eighth inning, and the offense made on of their trademark appearances tonight. It started with a walk by Kyle Karros and then a single by Carrigg, putting runners on first and second. Tyler Freeman followed up with a hit that let to a Rojas error, but it was enough to score Karros, making the score 3-2 Dodgers, while Carrigg moved to second.

The hit knocked reliever Will Klein out of that game after just 0.1 IP, and manager Dave Roberts turned to Jack Dreyer.

It didn’t matter.

McCarthy laid down a bunt that scored Carrigg. Third baseman Max Muncy had not other move but to throw to second. That led to a throwing error by Freeland that left the ball in the camera well, scored Tyler Freeman, and put McCarthy at third when Dreyer failed to cover the base.

Actually, just watch.

The Rockies finished their half of the eighth with a 4-3 lead.

“We executed,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game. “It was a good inning.”

As the game turned to the bottom of the ninth, the Rockies maintained their one-run lead.

Jordan Romano came in to close for the Rockies.

He started by surrendering a single to Freeland. Roberts sent in Teoscar Hernández to pinch hit for Rojas, and during the at-bat, Freeland stole second. Following that, Romano walked Hernández with no outs as Ohtani stepped to the plate.

He promptly popped out to Karros leaving two on with one out as All-Star Andy Pages came up to hit. However, a fly out to right brought the second out as Freddie Freeman took his turn at the plate.

Fulford used two ABS Challenges to correct miscalls by home plate umpire Adam Beck, leaving the Dodgers first baseman with a 0-2 count.

Romano caught Freeman on a swinging strike on a gut-churning slider.

Game over.

Rockies win!

Michael Lorenzen gets the job done

For Lorenzen, this game was a solid outing.

In terms of his pitching, Lorenzen was outstanding. In 6.0 IP, he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits. He walked three, struck out five, and allowed one home run on 95 pitches (54 for strikes).

However, he was also responsible for one fielding error.

That said, Lorenzen’s strong start kept the Rockies in the game until the offense’s eighth-inning tear. His current ERA is 6.65.

“He had a great night pitching,” Schaeffer said, noting Lorenzen’s throw to the plate in the fourth.

”I thought his offspeed stuff was really good. He pitched with confidence.“

“The changeup changed everything for me today,” Lorenzen said after the game. He has been working with Tanner Gordon on the pitch. “He gave me a cue that I felt comfortable going into the start with.”

The bullpen does something

In the seventh inning, Schaeffer turned the game over to the bullpen.

Juan Mejia was first out, and he started by striking out Ohtani. Although Mejia allowed a hit, the Dodgers did not score. His final line was 2.0 IP with one hit and one strikeout on 24 pitches. It was the kind of outing the Rockies expect from Mejia.

“I thought Juan was fantastic,” Schaeffer said.

The ninth went to experienced closer Jordan Romano who did not disappoint. He went 1.0 IP, allowing no runs on one hit. He also walked one and struck out one batter.

Right now, Reader, the Rockies bullpen is very good.

“The first couple of outings from him look really good,” Schaeffer said. “We’re happy to have him.”

Up next

Join us tomorrow night for Game 3 when Gabriel Hughes will face Roki Sasaki as the Rockies will look to take the series.

First pitch is at an ungodly 8:10 pm. (Hey, if the Rockies win, who cares?)

See you then.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the better part of the first three months of the season, Paul Goldschmidt often looked like his former MVP version.

Over his last 30 at-bats, though, he has gone completely missing.

The veteran first baseman’s recent skid hit a new low Tuesday night in the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Rays, when he struck out in all four trips to the plate to sink to 0-for-30 over his last nine games.

“I wish I had an answer for you,” Goldschmidt said on a night when the Yankees struck out 17 times for the second straight game. “Obviously the performance tonight especially was terrible. I like to try to be more positive than that, but you strike out four times and there were guys on base, really just a bad performance. [Monday] night was the same.

“Probably swung at too many balls, taking strikes. When I do swing at the right pitch, fouling it off or swing and missing. I’ll be ready to go [Wednesday] and every game, but there’s no excuses. I have not played well.”

Before this brutal nine-game stretch, which has coincided with some awful play from the Yankees overall, Goldschmidt was batting .301 with a .933 OPS through his first 55 games of the season.

His consistent presence as a right-handed bat, especially with the Yankees missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, was immensely valuable.

But the 38-year-old is now searching for answers on how to snap out of his recent funk.

“They beat me tonight, every time, badly,” Goldschmidt said. “You got to keep pushing and just be ready to go. Can’t carry over any bad things, like for me individually, to the next day. I don’t feel like I’ve done that, but obviously the performance hasn’t been better.”

José Caballero, who matched Goldschmidt with four strikeouts, started at shortstop for the second straight game, marking only his third start at the position since returning from the injured list in late May.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

While Aaron Boone continues to describe the shortstop situation as a “day-by-day” decision between Caballero and Anthony Volpe — the manager is unlikely to come out and declare one as the full-time starter even if he is leaning that way — now that the Yankees are closer to being whole, Caballero has a chance to be there more days than not.

With the Yankees facing Rays lefty Ian Seymour on Tuesday, it marked only the second time since Volpe was called up from Triple-A that he did not start against a lefty (the other came June 18, when the White Sox used a lefty opener).

Volpe did eventually enter the game as a pinch hitter for Ryan McMahon (who had hit for Amed Rosario earlier) in the eighth inning against lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger and grounded into a fielder’s choice.

Max Schuemann started in right field, giving Jasson Domínguez a day off for the first time since June 16 — though he also entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and went 1-for-2.

Domínguez, who remains a work in progress in right field, entered Tuesday batting just .209 with a .641 OPS in 30 games this season.

“Obviously want more production [from Domínguez]. I expect more production out of who I think he is as a hitter,” Boone said. “But I also feel like he’s kind of had competitive at-bats every day.”

Max Fried is scheduled to throw a third live batting practice session Saturday at Double-A Somerset, continuing his comeback from a left elbow bone bruise.

If it goes well, he could be in line to start a rehab assignment after the All-Star break.

The San Diego Padres appear to be at rock bottom for the 2026 season. Losing eight games after their one victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their home series that began on June 26, the organization is on the brink of being sellers at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Their only other win over these last 10 games was Sunday, salvaging the last game in the four-game series in Los Angeles over the holiday weekend.

With the combination of poor performance in all aspects of their game and injuries that have devastated the roster, the Padres no longer resemble a team suitable for the playoffs. They played the Chicago Cubs to the most lopsided loss in team history, a 23-3 score that highlighted a horrendous trip to the windy and hot city.

Pitching problems

The pitching has been bad to inconsistent, and the offense has improved, but not enough.

The organization, and baseball at large, knew that the starting pitching needed to get lucky to be enough. With the loss, early in the season, of Nick Pivetta, the Friars had to resort to signing a pitcher in free agency who no one else seemed to want. Late signee, Lucas Giolito, has been a disaster. 

The reclamation projects the team signed before the season, Germán Márquez and Walker Buehler, have been both better and worse than expected. Buehler has risen to the challenge and battled back to respectability. Márquez is largely ineffective and was placed on the injured list after his shaky start to the season. He is now back with the team as a reliever, and maybe just a mop-up man.

The offense, late-inning heroes to start the season, has misfired ever since. Injuries have forced the team to bring up multiple minor league players from Triple-A El Paso for extended work in the major league lineup. Outside the fire provided by left fielder Samad Taylor, none have given the team any useful help.

Starters Michael King and Buehler have had the best performances, but both have been inconsistent. Neither can be depended on to be the stopper the team needs. 

The bullpen, the strength of the team at the start of the season, has faltered with the staggering performance of their teammates. 

There isn’t a lot to be optimistic about at this point 

There are increased rumblings among fans about the lack of experience with the manager and several members of his coaching staff. Having inexperienced coaches, with the team floundering, brings up questions about the ability of the coaching staff to pull the team out of its freefall.

The All-Star break is coming up. The trade deadline follows within a couple weeks. If the team can’t turn this around, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller might not have any choice but to sell off some players to acquire pieces for the future. 

It will be up to the players currently on the roster to determine the future of this season for the Padres. There is no help available elsewhere in the organization. The only pitcher that can be promoted to take the place of the injured Randy Vásquez is righty Jhony Brito. He is building up after his return from UCL surgery and looks to be the last option to join the major league rotation or bullpen.

Bad luck, injuries, poor offense, and bad pitching appear to have doomed this team for this season. Any recovery will be left to the players who have dug this hole.

Kudos for Rudolfo Durán

Backup catcher Rudolfo Durán deserves a mention for his efforts to save the bullpen during the Padres’ losing streak. In the 23-3 loss to the Cubs on July 1, Duran pitched in mop-up for two innings after serving the same role on June 27 in the 15-3 loss to the Dodgers. His three innings, allowing nine earned runs, saved at least two bullpen arms for other games.

Roster moves and injury updates

Reliever Jason Adam went on the injured list on July 3 with a right shoulder strain. He was replaced on the roster by Márquez, who started his rehab with El Paso as a starter but was used as a reliever before being activated by the Padres.

Vásquez, who started the season well but has been largely ineffective in his last eight starts, was placed on the injured list after being hit by a batted ball on his right ankle during his last start. X-rays showed no fracture, but he fainted while walking for testing and was taken to the hospital. He is listed as having an ankle contusion. Reliever Alek Jacob was brought up to fill his roster spot.

Catcher Freddy Fermin was removed from the game July 2 after being hit directly on his face mask by a foul tip. It is the second time he has been placed on the IL after direct hits behind the plate. Luis Campusano was activated after only three rehab appearances with El Paso. He spent almost two months on the IL with a fractured toe and an oblique strain.

Jake Cronenworth returned to the team on June 29 after almost eight weeks on the injured list with a concussion and its complications. He also only had three rehab appearances before being pressed into service for the Padres. Infielder Will Wagner was sent to El Paso when Cronenworth was activated.

Both Joe Musgrove and Pivetta are progressing in their throwing programs. Neither has a timeline. 

Giolito has not begun any rehab work and there has been no timeline discussed for his return. 

Matt Waldron is at Triple-A for his rehab and last threw four innings on July 1. He allowed eight hits and a run with a strikeout and has a week-and-a-half left in his rehab window before a decision has to be made about his position.

There has been no update on Jeremiah Estrada’s timeline. He has not begun a rehab assignment after being on the injured list for right knee inflammation.

Editor’s Note: This article was written and submitted prior to the start of the series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In Shohei Ohtani, who on Tuesday became the first Japanese player to hit 300 home runs in MLB, the Dodgers had the first National League All-Star voted in this year.

They still have a chance for a late addition.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been lobbying for two members of his pitching staff to be named replacement players: left-handed starter Justin Wrobleski and left-handed reliever Tanner Scott.

“There’s going to be some changes and some talks here,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. “There’s continual talks about both guys.”

Earlier Tuesday, MLB announced replacements for three NL pitchers who won’t be eligible to appear in the All-Star Game. Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft, Philadelphia’s Jesús Luzardo and St. Louis’ Riley O’Brien claimed spots as Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Miami’s Max Meyer bowed out.

“Obviously it’s disappointing,” Wrobleski said after holding the Rockies to one run through seven innings. “You want to be an All-Star. It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do. It’s frustrating to not get that nod. But like I said before, it’s just more reason to try and keep getting better. Hopefully I can gain the respect of players and everybody else and maybe be in there next year.”

There should continue to be movement on the All-Star roster, especially on the pitching side, with rotation schedules limiting which starters can participate. Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for example, is lined up to start Saturday, which may take him off the table for the All-Star Game next Tuesday.

That could open the door for Wrobleski and Scott.

Read more:'I wish she was alive.' Eliezer Alfonzo has emotional day as Dodgers lose to Padres

Asked to make his pitch for Wrobleski, Roberts pointed to his ERA (2.69, No. 8 among qualified NL pitchers), average of more than six innings per start and 10 wins.

“We run a six-man rotation, and I just don’t want him to get dinged for not making a couple more starts that he potentially could have had,” Roberts said. “I just think that he’s performed enough to earn that opportunity.

“And also, Tanner had a rough one [Monday], but I still think that … he’s one of the elite relievers in the National League.”

Scott, after notching just his second blown save Monday, compared to his 12 saves and 2.70 ERA, didn’t have an opening to improve on his All-Star campaign Tuesday.

Wrobleski, however, strengthened his.

He stayed true to his identity, pounding the strike zone and inducing weak contact to go with nine strikeouts. The only run he gave up came on a groundout in the sixth inning with runners on the corners.

In a nod to Wrobleski’s new nickname, “The Shark,” coined by Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martínez, Dodger Stadium organist Dieter Ruehle played a snippet of the “Jaws” theme to punctuate Wrobleski’s punchouts, and as he walked off the mound for the last time.

Once Wrobleski’s job was done, he paced in the dugout, interrupted once in a while by a hug or handshakes from a teammate. Catcher Dalton Rushing held his hand up to his forehead like a shark fin.

The name and attacking reputation had stuck. Would it be enough for an All-Star nod?

“If it happens, great,” Wrobleski said. “If it doesn’t happen, some time off and just chill for a couple days. Either way, I’m all good.”

On the offensive side, Ohtani’s leadoff homer made him the first player to notch 300 home runs and 100-plus stolen bases in his first nine MLB seasons, according to ESPN Insights. Tuesday was his 1,101st game with at least one plate appearance. By that measure, he was the fifth-fastest to 300 home runs, according to mlb.com and Elias Sports Bureau, behind only Aaron Judge (953), Ralph Kiner (1,086), Ryan Howard (1,091) and Juan González (1,093).

“It was quite the homer,” Roberts said. “I mean, it was [112 mph] off the bat, low launch angle. It was squared up, got out in a hurry. And 300 — he got there pretty quickly for us. I just marvel at him every day.”

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Dalton Rushing, Dave Roberts and a bunch of All-Stars

Defense unravels late

The Dodgers widened their lead to two runs but gave it up in the eighth on a pair of errors, including one on a sacrifice bunt.

Shortstop Miguel Rojas, who botched a grounder to his left earlier in the inning that enabled a run to score, was late breaking to cover third, leaving the bag wide open. Second baseman Alex Freeland tried to hit Rojas in stride with his throw and was charged with an error when it got away and the go-ahead run scored.

“Physical errors happen, and I’m OK with that,” Rojas said. “I’m not perfect, and I’m going to make errors, and physical errors are OK. But mental errors are the ones that are disappointing. I should have been on third base, I shouldn’t be putting Alex Freeland in the situation of throwing the ball with me on the run there. That’s the one that I kick myself for.”

Said Roberts: “This guy’s as dependable as they come. So that it happens, we don’t like it, doesn’t feel good, but you know that player. I give him a lot of grace, because he is very dependable.”

Right-hander Evan Phillips made his first major-league appearance in 14 months, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, and had two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning. But the Dodgers offense didn’t muster a comeback, as the top of the batting order went down in order with two runners on.

Ohtani on track

Ohtani is still in line to pitch Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Roberts said.

The right biceps issue that flared in Ohtani’s final at-bat last Friday, and sidelined him Saturday, raised the question of whether he should skip his last start before the All-Star break. But Roberts said Ohtani’s catch play has been normal and he hasn’t reported any concerns with his biceps.

“As he goes through the next couple days, if he doesn’t feel great, we’ll pivot, and we’re prepared to pivot,” Roberts said. “But as we sit here, I don’t see that changing.”

Roberts said he doesn’t think Ohtani will pitch in the All-Star Game or participate in the home run derby. But he does expect him to take an at-bat or two as the NL’s starting designated hitter.

“He understands the responsibility he has,” Roberts said. “So I do think that there’s a middle for what’s best for him, what potentially could be downside, but also what’s best for the game.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

LOS ANGELES— The Dodgers were close to adding another walk-off win against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, but instead came up short in a 4-3 defeat.

Shohei Ohtani reached yet another milestone on Tuesday night, teeing off for his 300th career home run and leadoff homer run no. 25 as a Dodger to give his team an immediate cushion. Ohtani is now the 18th active player in baseball with at least 300 career home runs— 129 of them coming with the Dodgers.

Offense would be an unusually challenging feat against Lorenzen throughout his night, with the Dodgers producing an additional run on a bases-loaded walk to Andy Pages in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Dodgers scratched across another run in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI single from Alex Freeland, Unlike how they fared against Lorenzen in April, three runs was more than efficient for the Dodgers’ starter.

Tuesday was another spectacular night for the southpaw Justin Wrobleski, as he only made Colorado’s struggles against left-handed pitching more agonizing. Wrobleski managed to complete seven full innings allowing just one run and striking out nine. Although he still has a 6.55 strikeout per nine innings rate, the left-hander now has 20 strikeouts across 14 innings over his last two starts.

While Wrobleski was excellent yet again, the bullpen failed to secure a winning decision for him. Will Klein was the first man in relief, and immediately ran into trouble after putting two men on base with just one out. Tyler Freeman brought in the runner from third, and Klein was subsequently replaced by Jack Dreyer. Jake McCarthy was thrown out on a sacrifice bunt, but the relay throw from Alex Freeland sailed past Muncy into the Dodger dugout, allowing two runs to score as the Rockies took a one-run lead.

After two scoreless innings from Juan Mejia, Jordan Romano was called upon to try and close things out. The Dodgers looked to be mounting another walk-off after Freeland and Teoscar Hernández reached base with nobody out. Romano got both Ohtani and Andy Pages to fly out before striking out Freddie Freeman to give Colorado their first win at Dodger Stadium this year.

Evan Phillips made his return from Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, marking his first appearance since May 2025. Phillips tossed a scoreless ninth inning while allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out two.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (20)
• WP:Juan Mejia (2-6): 2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
• LP:Will Klein (3-3): 1/3 IP, 1 hit, 3 runs (0 earned), 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
• SV:Jordan Romano (6): 1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Up next

The Dodgers wrap things up against Colorado on Wednesday (7:10 p.m. PT). Roki Sasaki faces Ryan Feltner.

The Atlanta Braves made a series of roster moves ahead of Tuesday’s contest in Pittsburgh. Most notably, right-hander Owen Murphy was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. In addition, the club selected the contract of lefty Connor Thomas, released righty Daysbel Hernández, recalled righty James Karinchak, and placed righty Tyler Kinley on the paternity list. 

22-year-old Murphy made his debut on Monday evening, where he was put in a difficult extra-inning situation against the New York Mets. He threw just one inning but allowed the game-winning runs. 

The remaining moves are refreshing Atlanta’s bullpen as the club continues the final road trip before the All-Star break. Thomas gives the Braves a fresh left-handed arm, while Karinchak returns after a brief stint in Triple-A to help cover innings with Kinley away on the paternity list.

More Braves News:

Hurston Waldrep struggled and the Braves suffered a 12-4 beatdown from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is reportedly nearing a rehab assignment. It could begin as soon as next week. 

MLB News:

The Minnesota Twins have placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list with a right hip strain. The move is retroactive to July 6. The injury will cause Buxton to miss the All-Star Game.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin will miss eight to ten weeks due to a torn tendon in his left hand. 

From the Feed:

Rowdy Tellez has rejoined the Braves on a minor league deal. 

A.J. Ewing is one of the bright spots for the Mets this season, and Tuesday night against the Royals showed exactly why.

The rookie outfielder went 4-for-4 -- his first four-hit game -- including a two-run shot and a career-high three RBI. It was an overall impressive game for Ewing, who has picked it up offensively recently. 

Over his last 22 games, since June 14, Ewing has a .311/.400/.568 slashline with five home runs, four doubles, 16 RBI, 12 runs and a .968 OPS. 

"I feel comfortable in the box right now. That’s pretty much it," Ewing said after Tuesday's game. "When I say comfortable in the box, I mean it. I’m relaxed." 

When asked specifically about his growing power numbers, five of his six home runs this year have come in the last month, Ewing reiterated his comfort at the plate, but emphasized that he's not intentionally going for the long ball.

"That's not really something I'm pushing for," he said. "It's more just line drive stuff, but the fact that I'm getting the ball in the air to the pull side, it's cool."

Tuesday was also the third time Ewing batted leadoff with the big league club. Although the series opener with the Royals was the first time he picked up a hit in that spot, the outfielder is accustomed to it. In 33 games batting leadoff with Syracuse before his call-up, Ewing slashed .342/.448/.525 with a .973 OPS.

Through 52 games, Ewing's OBP (.359) is ranked ninth among rookies and his 22 walks are 13th. Should be noted that only one rookie, the Giants' Bryce Eldridge, has more walks in fewer games, with the majority of the players ahead of Ewing having already played in at least 60 games.

Ewing was asked how his skillset fits with batting leadoff, and the 21-year-old gave a concise response.

"Naturally, I see a lot pitches," he said. "That's going to suit me well in that spot."

The Royals have right-hander Steven Cruz scheduled to start Wednesday's game as the opener. There's a good chance we'll see Ewing hitting leadoff and whether he can continue to use his particular skillset as the Mets' table-setter. 

Jays 9 Giants 3

Before the game, I asked the Jays to score and not just one run. And they did….I should have asked earlier.

The Jays scored:

• Three in the second: Brandon Valenzuela led off with a single. An out later, Sean Keys singled (108.5 mph). Then Jonatan Clase homered (362 feet, homer in 22 of the 30 MLB stadiums).
• Five in the third: Vladimir Guerrero started it off with a single to the opposite field. Kazuma Okamoto followed his lead, singling to the opposite field. Valenzuela singled to center, scoring one. A Daulton Varsho ground out put runners on second and third. Keys singled again, scoring both. Clase singled putting runners on the corners. Andrés Giménez singled one home. And Ernie Clement hit a sac fly.
• One in the ninth: Clement led off with a single. Lukes singled to give us runners on the corners. Then Vlad hit into a double play, which brought in the run, but it was a crappy swing.

We did go five inning there without getting a baserunner. But let’s focus on the nine runs instead.

We had 13 hits. Clement (leading off) had three hits. Valenzuela, Keys, and Clase had two each. Varsho was the lone member of the batter order not to get a hit. He did have a 102.7 mph lineout, .650 expected BA. But his other at bats were pretty sad.

And we were 4 for 10 with RISP, so a good day.

Spencer Miles got the start and wasn’t great. He gave up 7 hits in 4 innings, with just 1 strikeout. He was lucky to get through the four innings with just 2 earned.

Patrick Corbin gave up a run, going 2.1 innings. He started his 2.1 innings with a single and double allowed. Both of which I thought Nathan Lukes likely should have caught. The single, Nathan kind of ran parallel to, instead of going after. I guess he was playing it safe, but I though he should have made the catch. And the double was just over Lukes head, and again, I thought he could have made a better effort. So Corbin allowed one run in his 2.1.

Jeff Hoffman got the last two outs of the seventh, with a strikeout.

Mason Fluharty pitched a quick eighth. And Louis Varland pitched the ninth on 19 pitches. More than I would have liked him to throw, but he didn’t allow a baserunner.

And our pitchers didn’t give out a walk.

After the defense was so awful yesterday, it was pretty good today.

Jays of the Day: Clase (0.25 WPA) and Keys (0.09).

No one gets the other award, tho Vlad came close at -0.08.

We have a day game tomorrow. 3:45 Eastern start time. I was out in the sun all day today, so I might just about be up by that time. Dylan Cease (5-4, 2.79) vs. Logan Webb (5-6, 3.66).

Maybe we could score again tomorrow.

Whatever momentum seemed to have been gained by the offensive outburst last night was immediately lost 24 hours later. We are right back in the same spot we were in when we got here yesterday. Really a frustrating night for a team that was hoping to turn a corner after last night and get some momentum going.

The team turned as they have done all season to their former ace to be a leader and put this team on his back, but Zac Gallen faltered once again. He allowed 4 runs in the first inning and his team seemingly shut down behind him. Gallen was able to keep the Padres at 4 for the next 5 innings which was kind of nice, but the damage had already been done. Overall, the line for Gallen wasn’t terrible going 6 innings and allowing 4 runs, however allowing all 4 of them in the first inning seemingly really killed this team’s momentum. The Dbacks TV commentary was really trying to push the narrative that tonight was somehow an improvement for Gallen, however I am not really buying it.

As for the Dbacks offense what else can really be said at this point? Nobody hit. Pavin Smith should’ve been DFA’d 3 weeks ago but is still somehow inexplicably getting starts. And guess what? He went 0-3. Shocker!

Corbin Carroll appears to have a hole in his swing again at the top of the zone that pitchers have been exploiting the past couple of weeks and it doesn’t look good. It took him quite a while last season to make an adjustment on that pitch and the Dbacks really need him now.

Really not an approach that is going to allow you to score runs when you cant avoid the groundball with runners on base. After the Marte double in the first inning, After loading the bases with 0 outs in the first inning, a fielders choice, a walk to score the lone run, Nolan Arenado lined into an inning ending double play. Definitely a missed opportunity. This would be the first of 3 inning-ending double plays on the night for the Dbacks offense, 2 of which by Arenado. After the first, the Dbacks managed only 3 hits the rest of the game, all singles. Especially frustrating after getting the Padres starter Marquez to over 30 pitches in the first inning.

Like I said, there’s not much that can be said that hasn’t already. This offense got outslugged by the worst offense in the league tonight. Something needs to change.

The Dbacks will look to rebound in a big way tomorrow and get back to .500. They will turn to the youngster Jose Cabrera and the offense will have their hands full facing Michael King. These games over the coming weeks are too important to be handing them away like they seemingly did tonight. If the Dbacks are going to be buyers, we need to see something quick.

Tuesday's game between the Mets and Royals will be one to forget if you're in New York's bullpen. 

Before the Mets' rollercoaster 16-12 loss, they had never lost a home game when scoring 11 or more runs. Their 12 runs scored is also tied for the franchise record for the most runs scored in a loss, period.

And those marks fell on the Mets bullpen.

After two straight games in Atlanta that required a lot of pitchers, interim manager Andy Green was short on the pitching side Tuesday. It didn't help that he had to deploy a bullpen game in their series-opener with Kansas City. Despite that, the Mets pushed on.

Cionel Perez was the opener with Kodai Senga allowing four runs in his three innings of work. The Mets' offense blitzed the Royals' pitching staff and overcame Senga's performance, grabbing a 9-4 lead heading into the fifth inning. That's when Austin Warren took the mound and allowed five earned runs on four hits and one walk without recording an out.

"It was a tough day for us. No other way around it," Green said of the pitching staff after the loss. "Perez got us off to a good start. [AJ] Minter had a really good inning in there. [Huascar Brazoban] came in and did some decent stuff. Everything else just was a tough day. Austin Warren’s been somebody we’ve relied on all year long; he’s been very very good for us. It wasn’t his day today."

Green explained that they hoped Warren would pitch a few innings, but since he didn't they had to use recently-acquired RHP Matt Seelinger in the seventh with the score tied at 9-9. Seelinger, a 31-year career minor leaguer, was making his major league debut and allowed seven runs in the frame, essentially putting the game out of reach. 

"As a group, have a ton of confidence in Austin Warren. He had a night that was really tough. We looked at it pretty confidently, he would give us a couple of innings tonight. It didn’t turn into that," Green said. "It was at that point we knew we had to put Seellinger in a tough debut spot you prefer not to. We believe in Austin, we’ll continue to believe in him. He’s been great for us all year. That’s where we tripped up a little bit. And that happens."

"We were light today, I knew I needed to cover some innings," Warren said of his performance. "Doesn’t change the way I go about my business. Just didn’t work out. Bad outing." 

Warren has been great for the Mets this season, but his last two outings have been subpar. On July 4 against the Braves, he allowed four runs in two innings of work. And after giving up five on Tuesday, Warren has now allowed nine runs in the last two times on the mound (2.0+IP), which equals what he allowed the entire season leading up to that (33.0 IP). Warren chalks it up to missing his spots, but doesn't want to make excuses, just find a way to get the job done.

With the Mets playing five days in a row before the All-Star break, New York needs Warren and the rest of the pitching staff to pick up the slack or more games like Tuesday will happen.

Charlotte Knights 8, Nashville Sounds 2
Munetaka Murakami kicked off his Charlotte (47-41) rehab with a single in his first trip, putting two on with nobody out. That set up a first-inning run, courtesy of a Ryan Galanie fly out and a Caden Connor sac fly. Mune stuck around for five innings at first, finishing 1-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. Galanie blew the game open in the second with a grand slam, Knights up 5-1. Nolan Jones chipped in with a two-run double in the sixth, and Andy Weber kept the line moving with an RBI knock in the seventh. The pitching held up, too. Tanner McDougal, fresh off the IL, tossed one inning with a walk and two punchouts.

Columbus Clingstones 4, Birmingham Barons 3
The Barons (31-51) looked ready to steal one late, but the Clingstones had the final word. Alec Briley launched a first-inning solo homer to put Birmingham ahead, but starter Lucas Gordon surrendered a game-tying blast on just his fourth pitch and another solo shot in the fifth that gave Columbus the lead. Dylan Campbell answered with a solo homer in the sixth to knot things up, and the Barons appeared to have the winning run when Samuel Zavala drew a leadoff walk in the ninth and raced home on T.J. McCants’ clutch RBI double. But the lead disappeared just as quickly, as Jonathan Clark allowed the tying run before the Clingstones walked it off with a game-winning single in the bottom of the frame.

Asheville Tourists 11, Winston-Salem Dash 3
The Dash (47-35) got on the board first thanks to George Wolkow’s two-out RBI double in the opening frame, plating Ryan Burrowes, who had singled. But then came rehabbing Shane Smith, who promptly served up three runs in the second. His line: 2 2/3 innings, three runs, three hits, two walks, but hey, six strikeouts, so not a total wash. The bats had a few more tallies in them, one on a Burrowes solo blast in the fifth and a Wolkow bomb in the eighth, but the bullpen? Woof. Seven earned over 5 1/3 innings. That’s a mess.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 2
Kannapolis (41-41) got things rolling in the second, slapping three runs on the board thanks to Jurdrick Profar and Efren Teran coming through with RBI singles. The Shorebirds made it interesting, tagging Ballers starter Truman Pauley for two tallies in the third, but the Ballers answered in the fifth with Stiven Flores plating Nick McLain, who had doubled. At 4-2, Kanny wasn’t done, squeezing two more in the eighth on a wild pitch and a McLain sac fly. The bullpen shut the door, holding the Birds scoreless for the last five-plus.

ACL White Sox 9, ACL Mariners 8 (7 innings)
The ACL White Sox (14-34) jumped out early, thanks to Osniel Castillo launching a two-run bomb in the third. Then, Jose Mendoza and Landon Hodge smacked back-to-back doubles in the fourth for another run. In the fifth, the wheels fell off as Sox pitching surrendered five runs, handing the Mariners a 5-3 lead. Yordani Soto tried to spark a rally with a solo shot in the bottom half, but the Mariners punched right back with three more in the sixth. The Sox, undeterred, broke through with a five-run haymaker in their half of the sixth with doubles from D’Angelo Tejada and Hodge, and RBI knocks from Alejandro Cruz and Soto, the works. That 9-8 edge held, with Felix Doroteo sweating through a single and a walk in the seventh but getting it done for the win.

DSL Blue Jays 5, DSL White Sox 3 (7 innings)
The DSL White Sox (10-17) had chances all afternoon but couldn’t deliver the clutch hit, stranding plenty of traffic and going just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Felix Lebron did his part, driving in two runs with an RBI double in the second and an RBI single in the fourth after Orlando Patiño’s one-out triple. The Dodgers built a 5-2 cushion before the Sox pushed across an unearned run in the seventh, but the late rally fizzled, leaving too many missed opportunities.

ACL Dodgers 4, ACL White Sox 1 (July 6 — 7 innings)
The ACL Sox mustered just two singles and five baserunners through the entire contest. The Dodgers practically begged for trouble with three errors, but the Sox bats couldn’t take advantage of a single one. Dodger arms mowed down the first 13 Sox hitters before D’Angelo Tejada finally reached on a throwing error in the fifth. Marcelo Ácala and Jefrank Silva managed the only hits. On the mound, Fidel Montero was nails, tossing five shutout innings, allowing five hits, a walk, and three strikeouts.

DSL White Sox 7, DSL Twins 3 (July 6 — 7 innings)
The DSL White Sox got all their business done early, hanging a seven-spot by the end of the fourth. They got on the board in the first on a little chaos with a leadoff single, stolen base, wild pitch, and dropped third strike. The second inning was more of the same with two walks, a couple of singles, Sox up 3-0. The Twins tried to make it interesting with two unearned runs in the third, but the Sox just shrugged and piled on three more in the bottom half. Ronald Cordoza ripped a two-run triple, and Orlando Patiño lofted a sac fly. Hector Hernandez added the exclamation point with a solo shot in the fourth. Yordany Marte got the start, three innings, just the two unearned, with one walk and three punchouts. Job done.