MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals will continue their brief homestand against the San Diego Padres Tuesday night as Andre Pallante will answer the bell for the Cardinals. RHP Michael King is scheduled to start for the Padres. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm at Busch Stadium.
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Minnesota Twins @ Texas Rangers
Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
RHP Zebby Matthews vs. RHP Kumar Rocker
Go Rangers!
First Pitch: 7:05 PM CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, LosTwins.com, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App
Know thine enemy:Lone Star Ball
Zebby Matthews gets the start tonight for the Twins, and he’s hoping to not give up 7 earned runs as he’s done in 2 of his last 3 starts. If he can avoid the long ball I think he stands a pretty good chance, and he should be helped by the fact that the Rangers don’t hit many home runs (ranked 22nd in MLB).
The Rangers will counter with RHP Kumar Rocker, their 3rd overall draft pick from 2022. He features a slider, sinker, 4-seam, a cutter, and a change-up. Expect to see primarily sliders and sinkers from Rocker, and because of that, lots of ground balls.
In Game 1, the Colorado Rockies bullpen managed to blow a lead, gifting the Chicago Cubs a walk-off win (shrimp style).
Tonight, they will look to even the series. .
Starting for the Rockies is Ryan Feltner in what will be his ninth start for in 2026.
Worth noting, he will be facing the Cubs for the second-straight start after facing them last Thursday at Coors Field. In that game, Feltner suffered the loss in a 9-3 Rockies loss, allowing six runs on four hits across 4.1 IP. He surrendered four runs in the fourth and two in the fifth after retiring each of the first nine batter he faced to begin the game.
The righty has a 5.20 ERA in 36.1 IP. He’s struck out 26, walked six, and given up two home runs. Feltner has a 1.21 WHIP.
Taking the mound for the Cubs will be RHP Edward Cabrera.
Currently, he has an ERA of 4.86 in 63.0 IP. He’s struck out 58 while giving up 33 walks and 13 home runs with a 1.41 WHIP.
And now to the details.
First Pitch: 6:05 pm MDT
TV: Rockies TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
SB Nation site:Bleed Cubbie Blue
Lineups:
For the visiting Rockies:
And the home Guardians:
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The Atlanta Braves are finally back home after a round trip that they likely would like to forget. Spencer Strider was injured and the Braves’ offense struggled mightily.
Since the start of June, only three teams in MLB have scored fewer runs than the Braves and only five teams have had a worse rotation ERA. That clearly is a trend that the Braves would like to turnaround. Fortunately, the Braves finally got back Drake Baldwin which now turns a weakness to a strength.
Grant Holmes is taking the mound tonight against Adrian Houser. Holmes and Houser are both struggling of late so this could be a shootout between the two teams. Holmes has shown he really needs to be in the bullpen since he struggles the second time through the order, and Houser is likely only going to keep a rotation spot because he can eat innings.
Here is to hoping the Braves can get back on the right track. Follow along in the comments. First pitch is at 7:15 pm EDT.
Sometimes it’s okay to say goodbye.
That may be a difficult reality for Astros fans to accept, especially when it involves a player who played such a significant role in the organization’s success over the years. But after hearing Framber Valdez’ comments during his first return to Houston since signing with the Detroit Tigers, it became clear that some fans were bothered by the fact that the Astros apparently never reached out to him or made a serious effort to bring him back before or during free agency.
The question many fans have asked is simple: Why?
The answer is equally simple.
As good as Framber Valdez was throughout most of his Astros career, the version of Valdez that approached free agency was not the same dominant pitcher Houston had relied on for years. There was a time when every time he took the mound Astros fans felt confident their team was going to win. He was one of the most reliable starters in baseball and a key piece of multiple playoff runs.
But over his final season or two in Houston, there were signs of decline.
The flashes of brilliance were still there. The dominance would occasionally show up. However, so did the warning signs. His consistency slipped. There were more rough outings, more runs allowed, and diminished returns on both his velocity and command. Even his trademark breaking pitches didn’t seem to have the same effectiveness they once did.
When evaluating whether to commit a massive long-term contract to a pitcher, performance isn’t the only factor.
The Astros also had to consider Valdez’s emotional volatility.
Whether you believe his actions involving César Salazar were intentional or not, the optics were poor. More importantly, it reinforced concerns that have existed throughout much of his career. When things went wrong, Valdez often struggled to maintain his composure.
Astros fans have seen it before.
There were games where frustration appeared to overwhelm him. Instead of staying focused and working through adversity, he would abandon his approach and simply throw pitches over the plate. Postgame interviews occasionally featured comments that seemed to shift blame toward teammates or others rather than accepting responsibility himself.
Those concerns weren’t limited to the mound.
Valdez’s defense was also a recurring issue. Opposing teams understood that forcing him to field his position could create opportunities. Bunts and slow rollers often turned into adventures, and his throwing accuracy became a liability at times.
There were also documented disagreements regarding defensive positioning and game-planning strategies. One notable example came during a 2024 game against the Angels when frustration over the pitching plan appeared to contribute to a disastrous seven-run inning.
Yet the biggest factor in the Astros’ decision was likely the simplest one.
Age and mileage matter.
Valdez was already over 30 years old and had accumulated a significant workload on his arm. Baseball history is filled with examples of pitchers signing lucrative contracts after turning 30, only to see injuries and declining performance follow shortly thereafter.
General managers don’t get paid to reward past accomplishments. They get paid to project future performance.
Dana Brown and the Astros front office had to determine whether committing major money and years to Valdez made sense moving forward. Based on the available evidence, they concluded it did not.
And they were right.
That’s not to say fans aren’t justified in feeling disappointed. Valdez was a fan favorite and an important part of the Astros’ success. If you believe he earned at least a phone call or a conversation out of respect for everything he accomplished, that’s a fair argument.
But loyalty can only take a franchise so far.
The Astros had to make a baseball decision, and this appears to be one they got right.
The fact that Houston’s replacements haven’t performed particularly well this season is a separate discussion entirely. The Astros deserve criticism if their plan to replace Valdez has failed. However, that doesn’t automatically mean they should have re-signed him.
His results with the Tigers haven’t matched the best years of his Astros tenure, and the same emotional concerns have resurfaced. Most notably, during a recent game against the Red Sox, Valdez hit Trevor Story with a 94-mph fastball, was ejected, suspended six games, and later denied responsibility for the incident despite widespread criticism.
For Astros fans frustrated by another beloved player leaving town, the reaction is understandable. Houston has watched a long list of fan favorites depart over the years.
But not every goodbye is a mistake.
When you examine the total picture, his age, workload, declining performance, defensive shortcomings, emotional volatility, and the financial commitment required, the Astros’ decision to let Framber Valdez walk was the correct one.
Sometimes it’s okay to say goodbye.
San Diego Padres (37-34) at St. Louis Cardinals (39-31), June 16, 2026, 4:45 a.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
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The San Francisco Giants begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves this afternoon.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Adrian Houser, who enters today’s game with a 5.54 ERA, 5.18 FIP, with 46 strikeouts to 24 walks in 65 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals last Tuesday, in which he allowed three runs on four hits with six strikeouts in four and a third innings.
He’ll be facing off against Braves right-hander Grant Holmes, who enters today’s game with a 4.05 ERA, 5.26 FIP, with 59 strikeouts to 29 walks in 66.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Braves’ 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox last Tuesday, in which he allowed three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks in three and two thirds innings.
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Who: San Francisco Giants (29-43) vs. Atlanta Braves (46-25)
Where: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
When: 4:15 p.m. PT
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
National broadcast: n/a
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
You gotta salivate over games like this. The Yankees are back home after a successful 5-1 road trip, claiming sole possession of first place in the AL East along the way. Gerrit Cole has looked strong in his return from Tommy John surgery, and the increasingly-wily veteran will go up against one of the game’s best, if little-known, right-handers as the resurgent Chicago White Sox send Davis Martin to the hill to open this three-game series in the Bronx.
Martin, 29, has broken out this season, already putting up three wins by fWAR. He doesn’t sit batters down at that remarkable a rate, but he’s awful hard to work a walk against — just 5.4 percent of batters faced have managed it this year. He throws the best changeup this side of Cristopher Sánchez, along with three different fastballs that, like Cam Schlittler, means most of his offerings end up in the zone. You’re only going to get on against Martin by hitting, so no point in keeping the bat on your shoulder tonight.
Cole has been great by ERA, and that three-homer game against the Guardians a couple weeks ago has skewed his FIP in a way I expect to normalize, if not to the tune of 2.45. He’s much craftier than the Cole we knew at signing, and I’m a little worried at how much of the contact he’s allowed has been in the air so far — a 30.2 percent groundball rate is the lowest of his career. Still, as long as the runs aren’t crossing the plate, he’s as reliable as he’s always been.
The only real note on the lineup today is the move of Cody Bellinger up to the second slot, commonly seen in this era as where the best hitter hits for most teams. Ben Rice leads off, looking to capitalize on a big weekend in Toronto after killing too many worms there for a stretch. Jasson Domínguez is on the bench after getting a tooth pulled. Painful.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Chicago Sports Network
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | ESPN Chicago, WMVP 1000AM
Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
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We get a slightly earlier start than normal, which would have been good to know before I went for a workout.
Vlad and Gimenez are both back in the lineup.
Lineups:
The Royals are at the point in the season where it’s only the sickos who are watching on random Tuesday weeknights, especially when there’s also a World Cup game in Kansas City the same evening. If any bandwagon fans are left, I question your judgement—unless you’re really, really bored.
In any case, we welcome you, no matter your fandom history. It’s another interleague game against the Washington Nationals. Thankfully, the Royals have been able to score some runs over the last week or so. Even if they lose, there are at least some moments of baseball joy.
Tonight, it’s Michael Wacha on the mound against the Nationals, who are starting old friend Foster Griffin. I’m so happy Griffin is back in the big leagues—I remember him finally getting to the big leagues in 2020 only for him to get hurt in his very first appearance.
The Nationals’ attempt to get to 3 games above .500 went much better last night than it did in their series finale in San Francisco, as propelled by a 5-run 5th inning, the Nats beat the Royals 7-3 to improve to 38-35, their best record this far into a season since 2019. Andrew Alvarez and Brad Lord combined for a strong 7 innings of 3-run ball, and a Dylan Crews 3-run shot down the left field line in the 5th inning padded the Nats lead to 4 runs, although they ultimately would not need it.
In what has become a rare occurrence this season, the Nats lineup remains largely the same tonight, with the top 6 hitters remaining the same, and Drew Millas taking the catching duties being the one difference. The outfield defense does rotate around, as Crews goes from right field to left, Wood from DH to left field, and Lile from left field to DH. Getting the ball for the Nats will be Foster Griffin, who faces off against the ballclub that selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft back in 2014.
The Royals will also run out largely the same lineup, with the only difference being Carter Jensen and Isaac Collins hitting the bench against a lefty starter on the bump, with Tyler Tolbert and Kameron Misner taking their spots in the lineup. On the mound for the Royals is the 34-year-old Michael Wacha, who has faced the Nationals 9 times in his career, including coming an out away from a no-hitter against them way back in 2013.
Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 6:45 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
This Nats squad has toppled all sorts of milestones already, such as the best start to a season in the decade, and now the question is, how far can they take it? A good start would be to secure a series victory tonight, which would be their 4th consecutive series win and make them winners of 8 of their last 11 ballgames. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Before Tuesday's game between the Mets and Cincinnati Reds, manager Carlos Mendoza was asked what he wants to see from Kodai Senga, who is starting for New York for the first time since April 26, and also gave updates on some injured players who are working their way back.
With Senga making his first start since returning from the injured list due to lumbar spine inflammation that forced him out for nearly two months, Mendoza had a message for the right-hander who had been struggling mightily before landing on the IL.
"Go out there, be himself, compete, give us a chance to win a baseball game," the skipper said. "Attack hitters, use all of his pitches and be the best version of yourself."
It sounds simple, but Senga had not been doing any of those things in his five starts to begin the year, particularly in his last three starts, where he allowed 16 earned runs in 8.1 IP, which ballooned his ERA to 9.00.
After a fantastic rookie season in 2023, few things have gone right for the Japanese-born pitcher. He made one start in 2024, had a phenomenal first half in 2025 before an injury kept him out for a month and he ended the season with a rough second half, and has looked nothing like the budding star he was in his first year so far this season.
But with the Mets' starting rotation in flux because of injuries, Senga, who is fully healthy once again, will get another chance to prove he can still be a valuable asset to the team.
Speaking of the starting rotation, Mendoza gave some insight on how New York plans to deploy their starters for the series against the Philadelphia Phillies beginning on Thursday.
After Nolan McLean pitches in the series finale against the Reds on Wednesday, Sean Manaea will get the ball in the opener against Philly on Thursday, followed by Freddy Peralta on Saturday after a rare mid-series off day for the Mets. Sunday's starter is still yet to be announced, although David Peterson is in play, per Mendoza.
"I’m not sure, we’ll see... We haven’t gotten that far yet," Mendoza said.
One pitcher likely not in the picture to get the start is Tobias Myers who was the opener on Monday and surrendered seven earned runs while recording just four outs. The outing was Myers' first since getting recalled from Triple-A where he was sent down on May 30 for bullpen manipulation (he had one option remaining).
So how will the Mets go forward with Myers who now has a 5.71 ERA?
"He’s going to continue to get opportunities, probably out of the bullpen," Mendoza said. "Kinda like the same way we were using him before he was sent down. [He's] a guy that can go multiple innings, a guy that can do a lot of different things for us. He’s stretched out. He’s gonna continue to be a pretty important part of our bullpen."
Francisco Lindor: Played three innings of a simulated game on Monday and "came out good after". He’s scheduled to play another simulated game on Wednesday at Citi Field, this time maybe five innings, per Mendoza.
"He’s doing a lot," Mendoza said. "The three innings is nonstop, pretty much where he’s taking ground balls, hitting, taking swings, running and all that. Pretty intense."
Clay Holmes: "He’s off the boot. He’s playing catch, light catch. But still in the early stages," Mendoza said.
Jorge Polanco: "He had some live at-bats yesterday with Lindor," Mendoza said. "I think he’s scheduled to have live at-bats again tomorrow and we’ll see what we got after that."
The Mets’ rotation continues to change like the tide. The Mets are the only team in baseball that doesn’t have at least three pitchers who have made at least 10 starts. Of course, part of this is because of the Mets’ frequent use of the opener this season, but it is a striking statistic nonetheless. David Peterson remains in the dog house, but Sean Manaea seems to pitched himself out of it. Meanwhile, Jonah Tong has been sent back to the minors and Christian Scott has hit the injured list. Having ascended up the bullpen pecking order, Austin Warren had a rare misstep, but Luke Weaver and Devin Williams have had a strong month of June. Cionel Pérez has pitched well enough to stick around, but the likes of Jonathan Pintaro, Daniel Duarte, and Joey Gerber continue to ping-pong between Triple-A and the big leagues.
The usual disclaimer: this meter does not reflect last night’s game and only covers the period from June 1-June 14.
| Player | Last week | This week |
|---|---|---|
| Huascar Brazobán, RHP |  | |
| Daniel Duarte, RHP | | |
| Joey Gerber, RHP | — | |
| Sean Manaea, LHP | | |
| Nolan McLean, RHP |  |  |
| A.J. Minter, LHP | | |
| Freddy Peralta, RHP | | |
| Cionel Pérez, LHP | | |
| David Peterson, RHP | |  |
| Jonathan Pintaro, RHP | | |
| Brooks Raley, LHP | | |
| Christian Scott, RHP | |  |
| Jonah Tong, RHP | | |
| Austin Warren, RHP | | |
| Luke Weaver, RHP | | |
| Devin Williams, RHP | | |
The good news for David Peterson is that he will continue to get significant innings—either starting games or pitching behind an opener—because the Mets don’t have any other options now that Christian Scott is on the injured list. It’s a shame for Scott, who had been the Mets’ most consistent pitcher of late. The same definitely can’t be said for Peterson, who was hammered by the Cardinals to the tune of six runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings. Austin Warren served as the opener in that game and didn’t fare much better, coughing up two runs in the first inning, taking the loss. That was the second of three consecutive outings in which Warren was scored upon. The most costly of those was last Saturday against the Padres, in which he gave up a go-ahead (and ultimately game-winning) home run to Freddy Fermin in the seventh inning. He also gave up an insurance run to the Braves in the Mets’ only loss in that series. His only clean outing in the month of June came on June 1 against the Mariners, in which he served as the opener and pitched a scoreless first inning.
Sean Manaea went on to pitch five innings of one-run ball after Warren opened the game, striking out four batters and walking one. Unfortunately, the Mets went on to lose the game in extra innings. Manaea followed that up with another strong outing in San Diego, in which he earned the win. He was rewarded with being granted the standalone start against the Braves in which he pitched six very solid innings, but unfortunately the Mets did not give him enough run support and he took the loss.
After David Peterson’s poor outing against the Cardinals, Jonathan Pintaro had to fall on the sword and soak up the final three innings of the game. He gave up an insurance run, but the game was already well out of hand by that point. He was of course rewarded by being optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse for a fresh arm. That arm was Daniel Duarte, who made back-to-back appearances over the weekend against the Braves and didn’t give up a run in either of them. He was then optioned back down to Triple-A in favor of…Pintaro again. Joey Gerber is receiving much the same treatment; he was recalled on June 3 and pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a lopsided victory against the Mariners that night. He then pitched two innings in last Tuesday’s shutout loss to the Cardinals before being sent back down to Triple-A.
Cionel Pérez, on the other hand, has managed to stick around. He has a 2.84 ERA over 6 1/3 innings in June thus far, giving up just two runs in total over the five appearances he’s had this month. Three of those five appearances were over an inning in length. He appeared once in Seattle, soaking up two innings in an 8-3 loss. He then appeared twice in both the Cardinals and Braves series. Against the Cardinals he had back-to-back scoreless appearances. He recorded two outs in Sunday’s lopsided victory and then earned the victory in Saturday’s game, despite giving up a run.
Pérez’s appearance on Saturday came in relief of Nolan McLean whose performance continues to be…uneven. McLean put up a quality start in San Diego, giving up just one run on three hits, striking out five batters and walking three. Against a more formidable offense in the Braves, he got away with an outing that could have been way worse. After looking unhittable in the first inning, McLean loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning and somehow only gave up two runs. He needed a ton of pitches to navigate through it, but managed to grind his way through two more innings after that and thanks to Bo Bichette’s power surge, the Mets hung on to win the game.
“Uneven” is a good descriptor for Freddy Peralta’s recent performance as well. He began his June with a quality start against the Mariners in the only win the Mets managed in Seattle. But then he followed that up with one of his worst starts (at least results-wise) as a Met against the Cardinals. Despite the Cardinals dropping a four spot on Peralta in the third, Carlos Mendoza stuck with Peralta for six innings, over which he gave up six runs on six hits in total. His results against the Braves on Sunday were much better and unlike in his previous outing, the Mets gave him plenty of run support to work with and he earned the win to even his record to 5-5.
If nothing else, the Mets have been getting strong work from their closer and primary setup men. Luke Weaver and A.J. Minter are the only pitchers currently on the roster to be unscored upon in the month of June—both across 5 1/3 innings apiece. They definitely co-own top honors for this meter, as Weaver lowers his season ERA to a sparkling 2.40. A.J. Minter returning looking strong is good timing, as the Mets’ other primary lefty Brooks Raley, usually so consistent, has hit a bit of a snag. He began the month by giving up a game-tying homer to Josh Naylor in Seattle in a game the Mets would go on to lose in extra innings. That loss was charged to Minter, but the run was of course unearned due to the ghost runner. Raley bounced back with three consecutive outings in which he pitched a scoreless frame, but then he had a bad outing on Friday which necessitated the use of closer Devin Williams in the eighth inning to hold off the Braves. Williams gave up an RBI single (run charged to Raley), but then got out of it and pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the victory and earn his tenth save of the season. It was the second consecutive save for Williams, who also earned the save in the series finale against the Cardinals, in which the Mets salvaged a win. Williams also pitched in two non-save situations. He followed Weaver’s 1 1/3 scoreless innings in a tie ballgame in Seattle with a scoreless inning of his own to send the game to extra innings and then he gave up a walk and a double to plate a run in San Diego, but the Mets had built up enough cushion that it did not cost them.
Huascar Brazobán also continues to be one of the Mets’ more reliable bullpen arms, but he has been shuttled back and forth between the opener role and a fireman sort of role. He has started two games in June to mixed results. In Seattle, he opened for Jonah Tong and gave up two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Tong poured gasoline on the fire, yielding an additional five runs (only four of which were earned) and taking the loss. Tong was optioned back to Triple-A after that game. Brazobán then opened for Manaea in San Diego and that went much better; he issued two walks to lead off the game, but got out of the inning unscathed thanks in part to a double play grounder off the bat of Ty France. Brazobán was unscored upon in all three of his appearances in the month of June thus far as a reliever, racking up six strikeouts in those appearances, compared to none as an opener. He has put up an incredible 204 ERA+ this season—by far the best mark of his career.
Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Jared Young – 1B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Brett Baty – 3B
MJ Melendez – DH
Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Kodai Senga – RHP
Blake Dunn – CF
JJ Bleday – LF
Sal Stewart – 1B
Nathaniel Lowe – DH
Eugenio Suarez – 3B
Spencer Steer – RF
Tyler Stephenson – C
Matt McLain – SS
Edwin Arroyo – 2B
SP: Brady Singer – RHP
First pitch: 7:10 PM ET
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2