The Yankees dropped their second straight to the Reds on Tuesday night, but there were questions on a decision by skipper Aaron Boone that needed addressing.
Starter Carlos Rodon pitched six scoreless innings, and with the Yankees up 3-0 and the southpaw at just 88 pitches, it seemed like an obvious decision to have Rodon pitch the seventh. However, Boone had Jonathan Loaisiga start the inning and the bullpen imploded, allowing the tying three runs and the winning runs in the 11th of their 5-4 loss.
Boone was asked about the decision after the game and pointed to the weather's effect on his starter as the reason.
"Once he came out, I knew he was kinda done on a 100-degree night like that," Boone explained. "[Spencer] Steer had a pretty good at-bat on him his last time. I felt like he was done there."
Steer was set to lead off the seventh and he doubled against Rodon in the fourth, one of the only instances where the left-hander had to pitch around trouble on Tuesday. But despite Boone's explanation about matchups, it was the heat in Cincinnati that really did Rodon in; it was 91 degrees at first pitch, which is the Yankees starter confirmed when he spoke with the media after the game.
"Usually I’m going back out, kind of thing, but I was huffing and puffing a little bit," Rodon said. "...most situations I want the ball, but I could tell, I was gassed. They had some good at-bats, and some long at-bats. Just one of those days where the energy was coming out of me quick.”
Rodon said that during warmer games, he sometimes has to expend more energy, especially in the later innings. Loaisiga was pulled from his relief appearance because the heat was getting to him too, according to Boone.
The longtime Yankees manager said Loaisiga was under the weather on Monday but was good enough to pitch Tuesday. However, that energy reserve was depleted thanks to the heat and was "wiped out."
"I don’t like making excuses for stuff like that. It was one of those situations where you leave it to my guys and unfortunately, we didn’t get it done today," Rodon said. "I trust everybody in the bullpen to go out there and execute. It was just one of those days where they swung the bat well later on, we made a run at it late and it was an exciting baseball game."
Of course, the weather affects both teams, and the Yankees bullpen and lack of execution in extra innings did the team in. Tuesday's loss was the fifth this year where the team had a lead at the start of the seventh inning or later, which is the most in MLB. They have also dropped nine of their last 12 games, which has caused their strong AL East division lead to dwindle. With the Rays' win, the Yankees' lead in the division is just one game.
From left, Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Mike Trout and Christian Moore of the Angels congregate after the ninth inning. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Drenched in frigid electric-blue energy drink, Christian Moore still couldn’t believe where he was — and what he had just done.
Exactly a year ago Tuesday, the 22-year-old from Brooklyn was atop the biggest stage of college baseball, winning the Men's College World Series in Omaha as the Teneeseee Volunteers' star slugger. Now the Angels' top prospect — their top selection in the 2024 MLB Draft — forged a moment to remember.
Mike Trout wasn’t the hero. It wasn’t Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe or any of the power bats in the Angels’ lineup. Moore provided the game-changing — and game-winning — swings that powered the Angels to a 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.
Down 1-0 in the eighth inning, Moore walloped a home run over the left field wall, flinging his bat into the air like a big-league regular who had done it dozens of times before — not just for his second career home run.
He didn’t know he hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the 10th inning. Moore didn’t know that the ball cleared the yellow line on the right-field wall as he hustled into third base as if he just had a tying triple. The excited rookie second baseman wagged his tongue back and forth at the Angels dugout in celebration.
When Moore — who laughed about how cold the cooler full of liquid and ice was postgame — looked up at third-base umpire Chris Segal, the youngest-tenured Angel didn’t know what to think when he saw Segal’s finger circle the air, signaling a home run.
“I didn't believe it — I was kind of scared to get off the base,” Moore said. “But the umpire, he made it pretty serious that it was a home run, so I was like, ‘I'm gonna take your word for it and go celebrate with my boys.’ ”
Moore’s boys, easily his senior, couldn’t be more proud of their rookie second baseman, stunning their American League East foes with his second and third career home runs, shooting the Angels into potential postseason contention, just a game under .500 — at 39-40 — and 2 ½ games out of an AL wild-card spot.
“It's huge, man,” said starting pitcher Tyler Anderson. “To see guys like that coming up and contributing in big ways on offense and defense, is huge and super valuable.”
Shortstop Neto added: “Special player. Watching that was pretty cool. He's going to be here for a long time.”
Before Moore’s monumental at-bats in the eighth and 10th innings — making him the first Angels player to have each of his first three home runs be of the tying or go-ahead variety in the seventh inning or later — the Angels ran into a buzzsaw. He also became the first player in MLB history to hit a tying home run and a walk-off home run with his team trailing while also driving in all of his team's runs.
Boston southpaw Garrett Crochet scorched through them Tuesday night, striking out 10 across seven scoreless innings. The 6-foot-6 Red Sox ace fired high-90s heat with success a day after Walker Buehler struggled to keep the Angels off the basepaths.
The Angel Stadium crowd attempted to will a rally into existence in the seventh inning, cheering loudly as the heart of the Angels’ lineup hit after Trout worked a leadoff walk. Crochet dispatched the Angels back to the dugout, inducing pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud to pop out and hold a 1-0 lead.
It would take one more Angels better before Moore stepped up to the plate in the eighth. Moore, who struck out twice against Crochet earlier in the game, tied the score with his solo homer off of relief pitcher Greg Weissert, not only changing the energy in the stadium — but the final result in the process.
“I think that's just believing in us, understanding that we can score a run or two at any moment, and just believing in our guys,” Moore said. “The game's not over ever.”
Angels acting manager Ray Montgomery said Moore brings a “youthful exuberance” to the clubhouse. Whether it was an over-the-shoulder catch Monday or his home run heroics Tuesday, the rookie is finding his way into big plays, big moments and playing time.
“[Hitting coach Johnny Washington] said 'He's either part of the solution or part of the problem,' ” Montgomery said, “and I think he's a big part of the solution.... He's going to be a big key for us — tonight, tomorrow, and every day after it.”
The Angels’ bullpen, which has emerged as one of the best in baseball during June to the tune of a 2.91 earned-run average entering Tuesday’s game, shut down the Red Sox (40-41) after Montgomery pulled Anderson from the game after 4 ⅔ innings and 82 pitches.
Reid Detmers gave up the only run (unearned) out of the bullpen, the 10th inning single from Marcelo Mayer to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.
Anderson — flummoxed as he watched Montgomery come to the mound as he called on right-hander Connor Brogdon from the bullpen — has only finished the fifth inning twice in his last five starts. Despite the short start Tuesday, the outing was arguably his best in that span, striking out five and walking two, while giving up one run and two hits.
“Obviously, as a starter, you want to go deeper into games,” Anderson said. “But, man, our bullpen is just unbelievable. Kudos to those guys for coming and shutting it down and keeping it there.”
Angels closer Kenley Jansen, who left Monday’s game with shoulder cramps after throwing a few pitches below 90 mph, returned Tuesday and tossed a scoreless ninth. Neto, on the other hand, caused an injury scare when he left Tuesday’s game in the ninth after short-arming a throw, airmailing first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr.
After a short talk with Montgomery and the team trainer, he walked to the dugout. Montgomery said postgame that Neto’s removal was precautionary and due to an eighth-inning slide on a stolen base attempt where the shortstop jammed his right shoulder.
Neto said he probably should have pulled himself from the game and will undergo an MRI and further testing Wednesday morning.
“There's a time and place to be a hero,” Neto said, referring to his aggravated shoulder.
But for the Angels on Tuesday night, it was Moore’s opportunity to be the hero. A day he and Angel fans will remember — when he found the right place at the right time, twice.
With the Mets in need of bullpen help, the team is calling up one of their young right-handers.
Jonathan Pintaro is getting the call to the show, according to The Athletics' Will Sammon. The 27-year-old right-hander was just promoted to Triple-A from Binghamton this week, but had not taken the mound for Syracuse before this sudden promotion.
Pintaro has been solid for the Mets' Double-A affiliate this season. In 11 starts (42.1 IP), Pintaro has pitched to a 3.40 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP with 57 strikeouts. In his three starts this month, Pintaro has allowed just two runs over 12 innings pitched. As Sammon notes, although Pintaro has only started games this season, he's expected to offer the Mets bullpen help.
In Tuesday's loss to the Braves, the Mets used five relievers after Frankie Montas pitched five scoreless innings. That comes a day after the team used four relievers in Monday's loss to Atlanta.
When things are going right, Francisco Lindor likes to say the thing to do is to “keep riding the good wave.” After the Mets dropped their 10th game out of the last 11 on Tuesday night, letting a 3-0 lead after five frames turn into a 7-4 defeat to the Atlanta Braves, the hope is that this bad wave has finally crashed.
“Keep on grinding, keep on grinding. We gotta find a way to beat the team on the other side,” Lindor said when asked what the club has to do to pull out of the recent wipeout. “We have to stay together, we have to fight for each other, and just put our heads down and find a way.”
Just as quickly as a six-game winning streak can turn into a seven-game losing skid, there is a belief that the next wave is around the corner.
“We’re one week away from looking completely different," Lindor said. "At the end of the day, I believe in what we have here, the guys are gonna continue to stay together, they’re gonna continue to fight, continue to play for each other.
“What do we have to do to get out of something like this? Fight for each other, fight for each other. Turn the page, day in and day out. When we win, turn the page. When we lose, turn the page.”
In Tuesday’s defeat, Lindor went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, including grounding out weakly to second base for the game’s final out, representing the tying run with two men in scoring position. The shortstop snapped a run of three straight two-hit games, and he now has just six hits in his last 36 at-bats (.167) with nine strikeouts and two walks.
“I gotta get better,” Lindor said, adding, “I have felt good the past couple games, probably the past four or five days. Today’s just one of those nights. I gotta get good pitches to hit and when I get ‘em drive ‘em. And today I didn’t do that. “I felt like I got a couple of pitches to hit in that last at-bat and I didn’t come through.
"The bottom of the lineup today did a fantastic job of working together to get some runs. The top of the lineup, the leadoff guy, it came down to me, and I didn't execute. That's [the] bottom line.”
With the team scuffling in all phases of the game – pitching, hitting, defense, baserunning – Lindor said there is some frustration in the clubhouse, they are professionals who “understand the task” at hand.
“There’s definitely some frustration, of course, as competitors and professional athletes, yeah, you don’t want to lose,” he said. “But the guys understand that, to get out of where we are today, we gotta do it together. We have a really good group of guys.”
“...I do feel a sense of urgency of like, ‘Alright guys, we gotta do this and we’re gonna have to do this together.’”
Of course, in the results industry of big league baseball, Lindor knows that, “It’s all about winning. Nothing else matters but winning. And we’re not doing that right now.”
Last season, the Mets stumbled out of the gate and struggled for the season’s early goings and looked lost at sea after a 22-33 start. Lindor said that experience gives them some measure of perspective, but this clubhouse is inhabited by a different team.
“We have a lot of guys that were here last year, but at the end of the day, we don’t really care what happened last year,” he said. “Yes, we all understand in this room that we’re gonna go through things like this. We gotta learn from it, we gotta play better, ultimately that’s what it comes down to. We have to play better, I have to play better.”
Lindor added that in understanding this is a tough moment, the players must “rely on each other and put our heads down and just work.”
Whit Merrifield is retiring after a nine-season career that included twice leading the MLB in hits and three trips to the All-Star Game.
The 36-year-old posted on social media that the birth of his daughter last year played a role in the decision. Merrifield, a utilityman whose career began with Kansas City, was granted free agency after finishing last season with Atlanta. He didn't play in 2025.
“At this point in my life, I'd much rather chase around a toddler than chase sliders,” wrote Merrifield, who had 192 hits for the Royals in 2018 and led the majors again a year later with 206.
Merrifield played his last game with the Braves on Sept. 30, 2024, when they had to play a Monday doubleheader against the New York Mets to settle the National League wild-card race. Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene had rained out both games in Atlanta a week earlier.
The Mets clinched a wild card with a victory in Game 1, which Merrifield played. He sat for the second game, which the Braves won to move on to the postseason as well.
Merrifield was a ninth-round pick by Kansas City in the 2010 amateur draft and made his debut with the Royals six years later, the season after the club won its first World Series in 30 years.
Merrifield played in every game from 2019-21, which included the 2020 season shortened to 60 games by the pandemic.
The Royals didn't make the playoffs in any of Merrifield's six full seasons, and he was traded to Toronto in 2022. He went to the postseason twice with the Blue Jays, but wasn't a regular in the lineup.
Merrifield led the majors in stolen bases three times, including a career-high 45 in 2018. He hit .280 with 94 homers, 485 RBIs, 29 triples and 218 steals in 1,147 games.
The last All-Star trip for Merrifield came in 2023 with Toronto, and he signed as a free agent with Philadelphia that next offseason. The Phillies released Merrifield last July, and the South Carolina native signed with the Braves.
Max Muncy greets Michael Conforto after Conforto's three-run home run in the fourth inning Tuesday. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
When Major League Baseball’s trade deadline arrives next month, the Dodgers will almost certainly be on the lookout for help in the bullpen.
If their injury-plagued rotation takes any more hits, they might reluctantly have to explore the starting pitching market, as well.
But, when discussing the team’s deadline plans recently with The Times’ Bill Shaikin, the one potential area of offensive need that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman seemed unlikely to address was left field.
Michael Conforto might be struggling mightily this season after signing for $17 million this winter. But the Dodgers have remained bullish on his ability to eventually help.
“Never say never,” Friedman said when asked about the possibility of trading for a left fielder in the next month, “but I think we would hold a very high bar and find it very unlikely.”
On Tuesday night at Coors Field, Conforto gave such optimism some badly needed life.
In the Dodgers’ 9-7 win against the woeful Colorado Rockies, the veteran slugger went two for five with an early double and a go-ahead home run, keying the team’s six-run rally in the fourth with a three-run blast launched deep to right.
The performance marked Conforto’s first multi-hit effort since May 27, and his first with multiple extra-base hits since collecting three doubles on May 13.
It was his first game all season with more than one RBI.
The question now is whether Tuesday was a temporary blip, or a legitimate turning point for Conforto?
The answer could have important implications on the Dodgers’ roster construction for the second half of the season.
Conforto’s overall numbers are still not easy on the eyes. His .171 batting average is easily the worst among qualified big-league hitters. His negative-0.7 mark in wins above replacement (an all-encompassing stat not helped by his limited defensive range in left field) entering the day ranked 158th out of 161 such players.
His playing time has also begun to decrease recently, with Conforto twice getting benched against right-handed pitchers last week in favor of fellow lefty hitter Hyeseong Kim in the outfield.
“I see [Conforto] playing a lot still,” manager Dave Roberts said then. “But I do think that in a meritocracy, in that vein, Hyeseong has earned opportunities.”
And yet, to this point, the Dodgers have sounded wary of shopping for a potential replacement ahead of the deadline.
“To date, obviously, Michael hasn’t performed up to what he expected or we expected,” Friedman said. “But, watching the way he is working, watching the progress being made, I would bet that his next two months are way better than his last two months.”
On Tuesday, the 32-year-old provided a blueprint for how.
One of Conforto’s primary weaknesses this season has been hitting the fastball. Entering Tuesday, he was batting just .174 against heaters, compared to a .283 average against them last year with the San Francisco Giants.
“That's probably the genesis of the whole deal,” Roberts said of Conforto’s struggles. “When you don't hit the fastball, that starts to lend to a little cheating, chasing on spin. And so we got to get him back on the heater.”
In his first at-bat against right-handed Rockies starter Germán Márquez, Conforto finally did, turning on an inside four-seamer for a double down the right-field line; just his third extra-base hit of June.
Power has been another missing piece of Conforto’s game. A four-time 20-home run hitter in his 10-year career, he entered Tuesday with only four long balls this season; all of them solo shots.
But in the fourth inning, he came up with two aboard — after two misplays by Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia led to a pair of Dodgers runs that erased an early 2-0 deficit. Then, when Márquez flipped a 1-and-1 curveball low in the zone, Conforto found the barrel for his three-run blast, putting the Dodgers (49-31) in front 5-2.
Left-hander Justin Wrobleski made the lead stand up, yielding just two runs over five innings of bulk relief to lower his ERA to 3.54 in four outings this month. Shohei Ohtani added some insurance in the sixth with his National League-leading 27th home run, muscling a two-run drive the other way. And though the Rockies (18-61) scored four unanswered runs in the seventh and eighth innings to make it close late, Tanner Scott shut the door with a four-out save to seal the team’s 11th win in its last 15 games.
Conforto didn’t have another hit, grounding out with two aboard in the fifth, flying out with a runner at second in the seventh and grounding out again with a runner at second in the ninth.
His season-long woes are far from being rectified. His long-term role with the team, even in a best-case scenario, might be as more of a part-time player (especially if Kim continues to command more playing time).
But, if the Dodgers are truly hoping to avoid having to replace Conforto at the deadline, Tuesday at least represented a potential start.
The Yankees' bullpen wasted Carlos Rodon's efforts, and the team's extra-inning woes continued, as New York fell 5-4 in the 11th inning.
New York entered the 11th batting .770 with a .270 OPS while driving in one run in extras all year. So, of course, the Yankees would push across a run, but it happened without a hit. After Cody Bellinger moved Aaron Judge -- the ghost runner -- to third on a sharp groundout, Judge scampered home on a wild pitch.
But it wasn't enough as the Yankees allowed two runs as the Reds clinched the three-game series.
Here are the takeaways...
-Tuesday saw the major league debut of Chase Burns, the Reds' flamethrowing righty, and No. 1 prospect, and he didn't disappoint. Burns struck out the first five batters he faced before Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s single in the second inning. Burns bounced back by getting Anthony Volpe to strike out swinging. Burns' fastball averaged around 96 mph and the combination of his heater and breaking pitches that ranged from 88-93 mph kept Yankees hitters off balance.
Burns would get through the order the first time with no problems, but Ben Rice led off the fourth inning by launching a 427-foot bomb on the first-pitch slider to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The Yankees would get a couple of singles to put a runner in scoring position with two outs for Volpe. The Yankee shortstop hit a liner toward TJ Friedl, but the Reds center fielder made an ill-advised dive and let the ball get past him for a two-run triple.
That was all the runs the Yankees would get on Burns, though. The young phenom threw 81 pitches (53 strikes) across five innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out eight batters.
-Opposite the rookie was veteran Rodon, who had his second consecutive strong start. The southpaw scattered four hits and one walk over six innings (88 pitches/53 strikes) while striking out five, with the only inning where Rodon was in trouble coming in the fourth after a one-out double by Spencer Steer, but the Reds stranded him.
Rodon now has five starts this season of six-plus innings pitched without allowing a run. Tarik Skubal is the only pitcher with more such starts this year. His ERA dropped to 2.92 on the season with Tuesday's performance.
-Unfortunately for the Yanks, their bullpen could not hold the lead. Jonathan Loaisiga walked Tyler Stephenson after the home plate umpire squeezed him on a potential third strike. Then Rece Hinds and Jose Trevino singled to load the bases before Christian Encarnacion-Strand lined a double to left that cleared the bases -- helped by a Cody Bellinger bobble in the corner.
Loaisiga was pulled with what looked like an apparent injury, but the reliever was sitting in the dugout while Fernando Cruz finished the inning without allowing the go-ahead run to score.
The combination of Luke Weaver and Devin Williams pitched scoreless eighth and ninth, and Mark Leiter Jr. pitched a scoreless 10th. But Aaron Boone asked Leiter to pitch a second inning, and the right-hander couldn't do it, giving up a walk and three hits to allow the two runs that won the Reds the game.
-The Yankees' offense could not get going after that three-run fourth inning. While they did get seven hits, they were 1-for-7 with RISP and left four men on base.
Chisholm was the only hitter to have multiple hits (2-for-4) but was ejected between innings in the ninth after he argued balls and strikes after home plate umpire Mark Wegner called a low pitch a strike that would have pushed the count to 3-0. Chisholm would eventually strike out with a runner on first.
Judge went 1-for-5 with a run scored, and his batting average is now .364 on the season. He came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th, but the AL MVP popped out to second base to end the threat.
Game MVP: Reds bullpen
After Burns allowed the three runs, the Cincy bullpen allowed the one unearned run in six innings to allow the comeback.
The Mets lost to the Braves, 7-4, on Tuesday night at a sweltering Citi Field, blowing a late 3-0 lead.
Here are the takeaways...
- The Mets' offense was quiet again early, failing to get a hit over the first three innings while striking out four times against Spencer Strider. The Mets' only runner across the first three frames was Juan Soto, who drew a two-out walk in the first.
But New York broke through in the fourth inning.
Soto drew a one-out walk and stole second, and Pete Alonso smoked a single to center that was hit too hard for Soto to score. After a Starling Marte walk loaded the bases, Jeff McNeil lofted a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Soto and make it 1-0. Following a Luis Torrens walk that reloaded the bases, Brett Baty stayed back on a flat slider and flicked a two-run single to right field to make it 3-0 Mets.
- The Mets' bullpen gifted the Braves a go-ahead rally in the sixth inning. Huascar Brazoban started things by walking the bases loaded and allowing a sacrifice fly. He was relieved by Jose Castillo, who gave up a run-scoring infield single before drilling Michael Harris II with a pitch and allowing a game-tying single to Nick Allen.
Reed Garrett replaced Castillo and got Ronald Acuña Jr. to strike out for the second out. But with the bases loaded and a 1-2 count to Matt Olson, Garrett threw a fastball that caught too much plate -- with Olson drilling a two-run single to make it 5-3, Braves.
- Richard Lovelady pitched a perfect seventh inning in what was his Mets debut, but allowed two runs in the seventh -- allowing Atlanta to increase the lead to 7-3.
- Down by four in the ninth inning, the Mets got hits from McNeiland Jared Young with one out. Baty struck out looking after getting ahead 3-1 against Raisel Iglesias, but Ronny Mauricio delivered a run-scoring double to make it 7-4 and bring Francisco Lindor up as the tying run. However, Lindor grounded out to second base to end the game.
- Making his season debut (and Mets debut) after missing the first half of the season due to a lat strain, Frankie Montas came out throwing hard -- and kept it that way for the duration of his outing.
The right-hander's fastball sat at 97 mph in the first inning, topping out at 98, in an inning where he froze Acuña.on a fastball to start things. Montas then allowed a one-out walk and bloop hit before escaping by inducing a double play off the bat of Austin Riley.
Following a 1-2-3 second inning, Montas allowed a scratch single to Nick Allen and walked Acuña to find some trouble in the third, but he got Olson to fly out and struck out Marcell Ozuna swinging on a 98 mph fastball off the plate away to get out of the frame unscathed.
Montas was sharp the rest of the way, working around a one-out walk in the fourth and a one-out single in the fifth. He punctuated his outing by striking out Acuña swinging and getting Olson to fly out to end the fifth inning and his night.
Overall, Montas tossed 5.0 scoreless frames, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out five.
Montas' fastball was especially impressive, with 46 of them registering 94.8 mph or faster. It had life and precision all game.
Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman's rehab start for Double-A Somerset did not go the way he wanted as the right-hander surrendered five runs on 10 hits and two walks on Tuesday night.
Stroman, in what might be his final tune-up before he returns to the Yanks' starting rotation after spending time on the shelf with left knee inflammation, went just 3.2 innings, throwing 65 pitches (41 strikes). He had just one strikeout, with four ground outs to two fly outs, pitching in terribly hot conditions as the game time temperature was 98 degrees.
Stroman began the first and second innings the same -- allowing the leadoff hitter to reach before getting the second batter to ground into a double play. But in each inning, he allowed traffic, surrendering a two-out run in the first.
Unfortunately, things didn't go his way in the third as the Erie SeaWolves tagged him for single, single, double, double, single to score four runs. He did get his third double play to end the inning.
The righty faced three batters in the fourth, getting a ground out and a strikeout before allowing a ground-rule double -- his fourth extra-base hit allowed -- ending his night.
The 34-year-old fared much better in his previous outing last Wednesday, when he retired the first 10 batters he faced with four strikeouts on his way to allowing two earned runs on two hits in 3.1 innings.
Stroman tossed 3.1 innings in his first rehab outing on June 11, allowing a run on one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.
Stroman made three starts in early April before landing on the IL, and he was not effective before getting injured. He allowed 12 runs on 12 hits and seven walks with just seven strikeouts in 9.1 innings, good for an 11.57 ERA.
In his debut season in The Bronx in 2024, the righty pitched to a 4.31 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 154.2 innings over 30 outings (29 starts). He had 113 strikeouts to 60 walks
NEW YORK — Mets pitcher Sean Manaea complained of elbow discomfort following his most recent minor league rehab outing, and his return to New York’s injury-depleted rotation will be delayed.
Manaea had an MRI on Monday that showed loose bodies in his left elbow. He received a cortisone shot and was shut down from throwing for two to three days.
“They’re telling me that he should be fine for the rest of the year. But again, we’ll see what happens there,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday.
New York’s top starter last season, Manaea has been sidelined since spring training by a right oblique strain. After a gradual progression, the left-hander pitched well for 5 1/3 innings last Friday at Triple-A Syracuse and was expected to come off the 60-day injured list in early July after making one more rehab start this week.
Instead, he was returned from his rehab assignment Tuesday and won’t pitch in the minors again until at least next week.
“After what just developed here after the last outing, we’ve got to take it one outing at a time,” Mendoza said.
The skidding Mets had been counting on Manaea’s impending return to help replenish a rotation minus ace Kodai Senga (right hamstring strain) and fellow right-hander Tylor Megill (elbow sprain). They are among nine Mets pitchers on the injured list.
The team did get a starter back Tuesday, when veteran right-hander Frankie Montas was reinstated from the 60-day IL to start against Atlanta in his Mets debut.
Right-handed reliever Chris Devenski was optioned to Triple-A following Monday night’s loss to the Braves, and designated hitter Jesse Winker (right oblique strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
The goal is for Winker to begin a minor league rehab assignment by the end of this weekend, Mendoza said. He’s been out since getting hurt on May 4.
The 32-year-old Montas, sidelined all season by a right lat strain, signed a two-year, $34 million contract as a free agent in December. He was roughed up consistently in six minor league rehab appearances, compiling a 12.05 ERA.
New York had lost nine of 10 heading into Tuesday night, dropping the Mets 1 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NL East.
HOUSTON — Two of the best and most battle-tested lefties in baseball hooked up Tuesday night for the sort of pitchers’ duel any fan can enjoy, a tight game between a pair of first-place teams that was scoreless until the bottom of the eighth.
Ranger Suarez’ one and only mistake of the night came on his 98th pitch, an 84 mph full-count cutter to light-hitting Cooper Hummel, who entered the night with a .158 career batting average. Suarez wanted it up-and-in. It was over the middle, slightly away, and Hummel took it to the opposite field for a solo home run. That was the only offense from either side in a 1-0 Phillies loss.
“It’s just baseball,” Suarez said. “You can’t miss pitches at this level and I paid for it. I’m proud of it being a good start but you can’t miss pitches at this level.”
He deserved a better fate after tossing another absolute gem. Suarez allowed just four hits over 7⅔ innings and has a 2.08 ERA on the season. Of his last 61 innings, 54 have been scoreless and he’s gone 47 in a row without allowing multiple runs.
When he’s healthy, so many of Suarez’ starts look just like this one — quick outs, limited baserunners, impeccable defense. He started a double play to end the fourth inning when he caught a Jose Altuve liner back to the mound and tossed to first base. He made an even better snag on a line drive back to the mound the next inning by Cam Smith.
“It just seems like every night, there’s one or two plays that are Ranger Suarez plays,” manager Rob Thomson said.
The lefty snagged both without his own glove. Suarez, a Rawlings guy, used Cristopher Sanchez’ Wilson glove on Tuesday night because he forgot his own back home in Philly.
“Both plays were really tough and I got scared on both,” he said. “First play was coming to the crotch and the next one to the face. It was scary.”
Prior to the Hummel homer, Suarez had outdueled Framber Valdez, who the Phillies never hit. Valdez has faced the Phils five times, including twice in the 2022 World Series, and allowed five runs. These have been the lines:
• 5 IP, 0 R, 10 K • 7 IP, 3 R • 6⅓ IP, 1 R, 9 K • 6 IP, 1 R, 9 K • 7 IP, 0 R
The Phillies taxed him, particularly early, but couldn’t find the one hit they needed. They put two men on base with two outs in the first inning, had two on with nobody out in the second, a leadoff baserunner in the third, two on with one out in the fourth and again in the sixth.
“I thought our approach was pretty good,” Thomson said. “We weren’t getting out of the zone early and we had opportunities, it just didn’t happen. Valdez made pitches when he needed to.”
So did Suarez, just as he has for seven consecutive weeks. He has a 1.17 ERA in his last nine starts.
Suarez and Valdez will be the top two left-handed starting pitchers on the free-agent market this winter. Suarez turns 30 in August. Valdez turns 32 in November. Valdez has a better track record of durability but Suarez is pitching himself toward a $100 million contract, as well.
It’s been another stellar first half for a pitcher some thought might end up back in the bullpen, where the Phillies have less depth. Suffice it to say, that ain’t happening, but Suarez continues to say all the right things.
“That conversation was never brought up to me and I always wanted to be a starter this year,” Suarez said. “That’s my usual role and what I wanted to do but that being said, what I want is for this team to win. I’m open to do whatever it takes to help, if that’s relieving or whatever. I’m always open and willing to help this team.”
Francisco Alvarez's first game back with Triple-A Syracuse came to a premature end.
The catcher was removed after the top half of the first inning in Syracuse's game at the Rochester Red Wings on Tuesday night due to a heat/dizziness issue, SNY's Andy Martino reported. He was replaced by Jakson Reetz behind the plate for the home half of the first inning.
The game time temperature in Rochester was 90 degrees.
Alvarez saw one pitch in his fist at bat – a 91.2 mph sinker off the outside corner – which he hit rather weakly (72.6 mph off the bat) into a 4-3 double play.
There’s one major reason the New York Rangers decided to send their 2025 12th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins and keep their 2026 first-round pick.
Part of the thinking for the Rangers in moving this year's pick is to potentially be able to use their 2026 first-rounder for a move at the trade deadline if they are in a position to contend according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
The Rangers had a choice as part of the conditions of a trade with the Vancouver Canucks involving J.T. Miller to either give up their 2025 or 2026 first-round pick.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury has not spoken publicly since making this decision, so it’s unclear exactly where his head is at on this specific choice he made.
It’s clear that he deemed having their 2026 first-round pick is more valuable than keeping the 12th overall pick whether they are competitive during the 2025-26 season or not.
They’re right to identify the problem. But Stearns was also correct on Tuesday in suggesting that internal fixes were coming.
More vexing for the season’s long-term outlook is the state of the Mets’ pitching.
On the hitting side, the current active roster is probably not strong enough to shake off the recent trend of frequently recurring flat games. But a lengthier lineup by mid-summer is easy enough to imagine -- not tonight, not tomorrow, but soon enough to keep the Mets in contention to make the deep playoff run that until recently felt likely.
Mark Vientos should return from the injured list at the end of the week, and Francisco Alvarez is in Syracuse trying to get right. It’s not unreasonable to think that at least one of those dynamic young hitters will find himself over the next few months. Both have already proven that they can slug in the big leagues.
Jesse Winker, on the IL since May 5 with an oblique strain, will begin a rehab assignment next week. His return will help shore up the DH spot and further lengthen the lineup.
Beyond that, I expect the Mets to seek a center fielder at the trade deadline, with Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins and Boston’s Jarren Duran among those who might become available. Tyrone Taylor is a winning player, but another bat could push Jeff McNeil into the bottom third of the lineup, which is where he fits best.
It’s too early to say if the Mets will seek a third baseman. But let’s play fantasy baseball for a moment. If Arizona makes free-agent-to-be Eugenio Suarez available or Boston is willing to move Alex Bregman ($40 million this year, followed by an opt out or two more years at $40 million), the Mets could acquire one as a rental player and use Vientos at DH for the remainder of the year. Brett Baty’s swing would play at Fenway Park.
That is all speculative. Maybe the reality of tweaking the infield mix is more in the Jeimer Candelario category than the Bregman/Suarez lane. But the idea illustrates how many avenues, both internal and external, exist that could improve the offense beyond the continued excellence of Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.
Jun 18, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck - Imagn Images
"We have some players who are getting healthy who I think will help there," Stearns said Tuesday. "I also think the players who have struggled in our lineup over the last month largely are better offensive players than we've seen so far. They themselves have demonstrated that over periods of this season.”
It’s not as easy to see how the Mets address a pitching staff that suddenly seems shaky and tired -- and which still leads baseball in staff earned run average, though likely not for long.
Most nights, the Mets simply aren’t able to match the ace-level opponents they have faced in recent series against Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Philadelphia. That makes it hard to end a losing streak, or kick off a winning one.
Manaea had a cortisone injection to address the discomfort, and the team still expects him to return shortly from the oblique injury that has delayed the start of his season. But Manaea is more hopeful than certain that the elbow issue will not impede him for the rest of the year.
Clay Holmes, moved into a starting role this year, has lately shown signs of fatigue. Tylor Megill struggled before injuring his elbow. The bullpen, asked to carry a heavy load, has seen its own share of injury and regression.
Looking for hope? David Peterson continues to develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter, and Kodai Senga (hamstring) will return. The Mets continue to employ one of the best pitching coaches in the sport, Jeremy Hefner, and a POBO who has done this before -- including last year.
As the Mets try to find their way back to consistent winning, they are forced to do so with diminished pitching. They have prospects who might contribute in the future, but are not ready now. And just like at every trade deadline, most contending teams will be looking for impact pitchers.
It won’t be easy to find a way back toward enjoying the best pitching staff in the league.
Francisco Alvarez's difficulties behind the plate reached a crescendo in the days before the Mets sent him down to Triple-A Syracuse.
His inability to get in front of a ball in the dirt, and indecisiveness on a rundown play contributed to a loss early last week in Atlanta.
Then, on Saturday in Philadelphia, a passed ball on Alvarez led to a run.
The 23-year-old also mashed a 452-foot homer on Saturday night, showing the immense potential he still has.
Overall, Alvarez is hitting just .236/.319/.333 with three home runs and three doubles in 138 plate appearances over 35 games this season. And his struggles at the plate and behind it simply became too much for the Mets to ignore, resulting in his demotion on Sunday.
"Alvy's a really talented player. He got to the big leagues at such a young age, performed at such a high level immediately that it's difficult to remember sometimes he is still young," President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said on Tuesday at Citi Field. "He's an age that good prospects -- industry-leading prospects -- are still in Double-A. And he's been playing in the big leagues for two-plus years.
"So this is not unusual. And I think getting him a little bit of a chance to reset, to work on both sides of the game -- and we do think there are performance improvements that are needed on both sides of the game. Giving him an opportunity to do that in a less pressurized environment where he's not doing it in front of 45,000 people every night, against really good pitching, catching pitchers with really good stuff. We thought this was the right time to do that, both for him and for the team as a whole."
May 5, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Alvarez missed the first month of the season after needing surgery for a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.
It was the second time in as many years that he missed significant time due to an injury -- Alvarez missed a chunk of time in 2024 after tearing a ligament in his left thumb.
While it's possible the recovery from the hamate surgery has impacted Alvarez's power a bit, it's not an extra-base hit surge the Mets are seeking from him in the minors before calling him back up.
"There are certainly some goals, and yes, they're not statistical," Stearns explained. "And they're on both sides of the ball. We want to see him get back to the level of player that we know he can be -- that's what he wants to do as well."
Stearns also discussed Alvarez's receiving difficulties, and whether or not he could be carrying his offensive struggles with him behind the dish.
"I think for any player, when you struggle on one side of the ball, sometimes it can impact the other side of the ball," Stearns said. "And I don't know if that is happening, but it would be natural if it would. Alvy's really competitive. He cares a lot, and sometimes that level of emotion -- that competitive spirit -- can be tough to corral.
"There are things I think we can help him with -- on both sides of the ball -- receiving among them, to get him back to the level that we're accustomed to seeing."
