Category: MLB

Jorge Polanco was in the starting lineup for the Syracuse Mets on Thursday night as he continues his rehab and went yard for the first time.

With the Mets down 1-0 in the first, Polanco launched a 91 mph fastball from Devin Sweet of the Worcester Red Sox, up in the zone over the right-center field wall. The homer went 342 feet and had an exit velocity of 103 mph as Polanco tied the game. 

The Mets' 1B/DH went 1-for-2 with a walk on Thursday. The towering blast was his first hit since he started his rehab with Syracuse back on June 2 (six games). 

Before he landed on the IL, Polanco played 14 games with the Mets, going 10-for-56 (.179) with a home run and two RBI. However, his first season in Flushing has been marred by injuries. He was first set back by an Achilles strain, which took away his ability to play first base, and the veteran had to play through the pain. But once he suffered a right wrist strain, Polanco was sent to the IL. 

Last week, Polanco said he was feeling "stronger" as he continued his rehab and is able to tolerate the pain he continues to feel in his Achilles. 

POLANCOOOOOOOO!!!! 💣 pic.twitter.com/fdYB6Amv2w

— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 2, 2026

On the mound for Syracuse on Thursday was Jonah Tong.

The young right-hander wasn't his sharpest as Worcester put up a run in each of the first three innings. The last two runs came off solo shots. 

Overall, Tong pitched five innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three batters. This season has been a struggle for Tong. Although Thursday's performance lowered his ERA to 5.90, he's still having trouble putting up zeroes. Thursday marked the fourth time in Tong's last five games that he allowed at least three runs. 

Elsewhere on the diamond 

-Luis Robert Jr. continued his rehab, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while playing center field for all nine innings. Thursday was Robert's second rehab start and is now a combined 1-for-6 with a walk and a double. 

-MJ Melendez, who was optioned when Tyrone Taylor returned from the IL, went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk and two strikeouts.

-Ryan Clifford, who will represent the Mets in the All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He's now hitting .190 with 14 home runs this season.

San Diego Padres (43-42) at Los Angeles Dodgers (56-31), July 2, 2026, 7:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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The Mariners go for a sweep against the Angels to kickoff a holiday weekend at home.

It’s been exactly one month since the Mariners won three straight games. They beat the Mets 8-3 on June 2 in what would be the final win of an eight-game streak. Since then, the Mariners have gone 11-14, never winning or losing more than two in a row. With commanding wins Monday and Tuesday — before a rare, mid-series off day Wednesday due to the World Cup in Seattle — the Mariners now have a chance to make it three straight with a sweep of the Angels.

On the mound Thursday will be Bryce Miller. Now free of the piggyback, he struck out 11 over 5 2/3 in his last outing, although a pair of homers (and lack of run support) sunk his day. Miller has a 3.07 FIP and 30.1% K-BB rate, which is second best in the majors to Jacob Misiorowski.

The Mariners will face Walbert Ureña for the first time in his rookie season. Just 22, Ureña has slick stuff, with a fantastic sinker-slider combination that helps him stay on the ground. He does struggle with walks and has difficulty going deep into games, so ideally the Mariners lineup will exhibit some patience. This could be a tough one otherwise.

That said, the Mariners will send their best possible lineup at the moment. Both Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone are playing tonight, with Raley in right field and Canzone at DH. The only batter they’re missing at this point is Brendan Donovan, who’s working his way back from the injured list.

News

• Brendan Donovan was out Thursday afternoon doing base running drills. He’s expected to begin a rehab assignment next week when the Mariners go on their final road trip before the All-Star Break.
• Luke Raley is in the lineup Thursday. He’ll be wearing a special compression sleeve on his sore elbow.
• The Mariners announced the next piggyback will be Saturday, featuring Logan Gilbert and Emerson Hancock.

Lineups

Game Info:

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m.

TV: Mariners.TV

Radio: Ol’ Reliable

Had a team ever needed an off day more than the Yankees?

If nothing else, just to ensure that they could not inflict more damage on themselves while trying yet again to end a losing streak that now stands at seven games?

Sometimes when a team is in the depths of despair, it wants to get back on the field as soon as possible to try to climb out of it. The Yankees keep attempting that and it has only gotten worse, so Thursday they had what Aaron Boone described as “a day to refresh the body and mind.”

There may be no better slump buster than the Twins arriving in town Friday, though if the Yankees losing streak somehow reaches eight against their perennial punching bags, the panic may reach an all-time high.

“Ten more [games] before the [All-Star] break,” Cody Bellinger said. “Hopefully we get rolling.”

Before then, here are the five biggest areas of concern from an absolutely brutal week in Yankee land:

Lineup lacks punch 

There is plenty of blame to go around for the terrible week, but first and foremost, the Aaron Judge-less offense has been the most responsible. During the seven-game skid, they have combined to hit just .137 (31-for-226) with a paltry .191 on-base percentage and .230 slugging percentage.

Their .421 OPS is the worst in any single seven-game stretch in franchise history.

Yes, losing Judge to the injured list hurts, but this is more than that — this is almost every hitter on the roster slumping at the same time. 

“I feel like right now, collectively guys are just trying to do too much, trying to be the one guy that will hit the grand slam with nobody on,” Judge said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, just take your approach, take your at-bat.’ ” 

The Yankees have been even worse against starting pitchers in particular. They have faced some tough arms, but those starters have combined to give up just five runs (four earned) and 22 base runners (14 hits, seven walks, one hit batter) with 54 strikeouts in 46 innings. The Yankees have hit a putrid .093 with a .311 OPS against them.

Stars shooting blanks 

Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger will likely be named All-Stars with Judge on Saturday, but they certainly haven’t played like it over the past week. With Judge on the IL for the foreseeable future, the Yankees need Rice and Bellinger to hit like they are capable of — which they did earlier in June when Judge first went down, only to go ice-cold at the same time.

Rice is 2-for-25 during the losing streak while Bellinger is 1-for-23 with two walks. 

“Missing my pitches and then swinging at some pitcher’s pitches,” Bellinger said. “I got to be better. I just got to continue working and continue to trust myself and trust my plan.”

Poor defense 

Among the more stupefying stats of the skid: The Yankees have scored as many runs as they have given up unearned runs: 17.

Officially, they have committed 10 errors — two by Austin Wells (catcher interference each time), two by José Caballero (one at second base, one at third) and one each by Bellinger, Amed Rosario, Oswaldo Cabrera, Ali Sánchez, Yerry De los Santos and Cam Schlittler — along with a handful of additional defensive miscues, all for a unit that had taken decent care of the ball before this stretch.

Part of the problem is the absence of Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon — both are expected to be activated off the IL on Friday — which has forced some guys to play at positions they are less comfortable with.

“We haven’t done a good job of that this week,” Boone said. “Even with some of the guys out, we should still be better at that.”

Cracks in the rotation? 

The last time the Yankees finished an inning with a lead came in the fourth inning last Thursday in Boston. Since then, along with not scoring enough, they have been falling behind early and having to play uphill.

This does not yet rise to the level of concern as the rest of this list, but the rotation has had some clunkers over the past week, including Schlittler, who may start the All-Star Game for the AL. The stud right-hander needs to make sure it was just a blip and not a sign of anything else to come as his innings mount. Same goes for Gerrit Cole, who enters Friday’s start having pitched to a 6.12 ERA in June.

Rays rising back up 

The seven-game losing streak has coincided with a seven-game Rays winning streak that they brought into Thursday night, turning a three-game Yankees lead into a 3.5-game deficit atop the AL East.

The teams have a four-game showdown next week at Tropicana Field, where the Yankees will need to play better to make up some ground.

The Yankees’ hopes of calling up Carlos Lagrange as a bullpen weapon in the second half have hit a potential snag.

The top prospect landed on the seven-day injured list Thursday at Triple-A with a shoulder injury, a source told The Post. Lagrange is scheduled for an MRI to determine what he is dealing with and how long he may be out.

The flame-throwing right-hander was in the midst of a transition from starter to reliever, which the Yankees put into motion at the beginning of June to see if he could impact the big league bullpen later in the season.

Lagrange last pitched Sunday, throwing on two days’ rest, when he gave up five runs on four hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. He threw 20 pitches in the outing and averaged 98.8 mph on his fastball, topping out at 100.9 mph.

It was his seventh relief appearance and second time throwing on two days’ rest, as the Yankees had carefully scaled down his workload over the course of the month.

The 23-year-old had made a strong impression on teammates and coaches this spring in his first big league camp, consistently hitting triple digits with his fastball.

They are not saviors, but Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon’s expected return to the Yankees on Friday should at least offer some version of a life raft for a team that has spent the past week sinking.

Grisham and McMahon are set to be activated off the injured list ahead of a series against the Twins at Yankee Stadium, getting back two players that should help steady things at least defensively.

“Hopefully they’re a part of the equation [of getting back on track], absolutely,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Add some length to things. I think when you get guys back in the mix, then all of a sudden guys start slotting in a little bit more where they should be and you get more threats at different spots. So hopefully that’s something that’ll be a good thing for us.”

Grisham played in a rehab game Wednesday night, while McMahon, after dealing with food poisoning Wednesday, did not play in one Thursday, as the club had initially planned.

Grisham, who landed on the IL on June 13 with a right hamstring strain, should solidify center field again, allowing Cody Bellinger to remain in left field where he is best defensively and José Caballero to get the bulk of his playing time in the infield.

Before getting hurt, Grisham was one of the Yankees’ hottest hitters, batting .290 with an .847 OPS over his last 36 games. He should reclaim his leadoff spot against right-handed starters, with a ripple effect down the lineup.

McMahon, meanwhile, will shore up third base after he missed the last 10 days on the IL recovering from a peritonsillar abscess — with the Yankees cycling through Caballero, Amed Rosario and Oswaldo Cabrera there in his absence. Despite some rough stretches offensively, the lefty hitter had been respectable of late, batting .258 with a .790 OPS over his last 24 games.

Cabrera, who was called up from Triple-A when McMahon landed on the IL, is likely to head back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while the Yankees will have to open another roster spot for Grisham. It’s possible that could be Spencer Jones, since his playing time would likely be limited with Grisham back, though he has been one of the few Yankees who have actually been hitting of late.

The Yankees entered Wednesday with two sacrifice bunts on the season, then doubled their total with sacrifice bunts from Cabrera and Caballero. Both got runners to third (in the eighth and 10th innings, respectively) with one out, but the Yankees could not ultimately score them either time.

Punishments are coming for Willson Contreras and Cade Cavalli. 

Both the Red Sox slugger and Nationals pitcher will face seven-game suspensions for their actions during the benches-clearing incident during Washington’s 10-2 win over Boston earlier this week, the MLB announced Thursday.

Additionally, both players will receive an undisclosed fine as part of their discipline. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning during Tuesday’s game, Cavalli struck out Contreras on a 3-2 sweeper for what looked to be a routine strikeout. 

But it escalated into much more as Cavalli shouted, “Sit down, boy!” to the Red Sox first baseman, prompting Contreras to retaliate and say, “Are you talking to me?”

Contreras eventually moved toward Cavalli, leading to both benches exiting the dugout. 

Contreras tried to throw his helmet at Cavalli in the mix of players pushing and shoving each other around. Numerous teammates pulled Contreras back before the fight eventually settled down. 

While Cavalli wasn’t ejected, Contreras, along with Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton, Washington right-hander Miles Mikolas and Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, were tossed.

Mikolas was suspended five games and Eaton was suspended for three. 

On Wednesday, Cavalli apologized for using the word “boy,” which has a racially charged history in the United States. 

“I’m extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived,” Cavalli told reporters Wednesday. “Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that. My teammates know me, my family knows me, this organization knows me. I couldn’t sleep because of it.” 

Contreras also chimed in on the incident.

“He struck me out on a good pitch, I was walking back to the dugout, and then he did what he did,” Contreras told reporters after the game. “He was like, instigating and I snapped.”

After being thrown Monday and Tuesday, Contreras became the first Red Sox player in history to be ejected in two straight games, according to The Associated Press.

Contreras was ejected Monday night for tapping his helmet to challenge a call that wasn’t challengeable. 

Yankees prospect Carlos Lagrange was placed on the seven-day IL by Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday night.

While the cause of the injury was not released, a source told The Athletic's Chris Kirschner that Lagrange is dealing with a shoulder injury and an MRI has been scheduled. 

Lagrange, 23, was in the midst of a potential roster-breaking season. After being the talk of spring training, the flamethrower has impressed in Triple-A. While his ERA (4.55) is a tad high, the strikeouts are eye-opening. He's punched out 83 batters in just 63.1 innings pitched this season after striking out 168 batters between Double-A and Triple-A a year ago.

The Yankees' plan for Lagrange is to convert him into a reliever to bolster a bullpen that needs it as the calendar inches closer to the postseason. 

After making 11 starts to begin the minor league season, Lagrange made seven relief appearances. His last appearance -- June 28 -- saw Lagrange allow five runs on four hits and two walks across 0.2 innings. 

Lagrange was recently announced to participate in this year's Futures Game in Philadelphia over the All-Star break to play alongside Scranton teammate George Lombard Jr.

The Brewers care about when to challenge ball/strike calls.

In spring training, they tested a system that involved green index cards that were posted in the dugout in the best situations to challenge.  Apparently, MLB told them to stop posting cards.

An unique suspension.

Brewers relief pitcher Abner Uribe was suspended for one game (served on 24 June) for making a WWE gesture called a crotch chop after striking out a batter.  Perhaps, he was (and always will be) the only player in the Majors to make that gesture. Will that gesture get him mentioned at the baseball Hall of Fame?

Home runs are close to the same.

This season, the Brewers and the Diamondbacks ranked in the bottom four teams for home runs (70 and 71 homers in games through 24 June). 

This balance in homers contrasted sharply with total runs.  The Brewers ranked in the top three teams in total runs (407), while the Diamondbacks are average. In past seasons, the Diamondbacks have ranked high in total runs scored. Perhaps they will break-out in this series. Instead of homers, small-ball will likely decide the winner of the series. The Diamondbacks will be challenged, but could play better than expected.

The Brewers are less fearsome, but the series will be challenging for Diamondbacks.

“To close things out with my three-axis framework, I think that the Brewers sacrificed some Championship Probability Distribution in 2026 in an attempt to push it higher in future years. Their full organization looks better than it did to me last year, even if the major league team isn’t quite as fearsome. I also like how they left spots for breakouts in the infield, outfield, and on the mound because of the way they moved on from good-but-not great players.” — Ben Clemens, March 2026

On the other hand, the context makes a big difference.  Despite the Brewers being less fearsome, this series will be a challenge for the Diamondbacks.  Two aspects of the context follow.

• Last season, the Brewers made it to the NL Championship series, and lost to the Dodgers. 
• This season, the Brewers lead the NL Central Division, with 95.3% odds of making the playoffs.

Let’s compare the teams.

Offense. This season through 30 June, the Brewers averaged more runs scored per game (5.18 vs 4.27 runs per game).

Runners Left On Base. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks left fewer runners on base per game (6.61 vs 7.45).

Defense. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks had much better defense (28 vs 2 OAA, 28 vs 19 DRS)

Bullpens. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks and Brewers each had 74 shutdown performances by the bullpen.

Starting Pitcher Matchups. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks had the most quality starts (33 vs 27).

Brewers Players to Watch.

From 1-24 June, the league average OPS was .746. In that same stretch, the Brewers had five players with an OPS over .900. Their batting is worth watching. The players were:

• Andrew Vaughn, 1.019 OPS
• Chourio Jackson, 1.017 OPS
• Jake Bauers, .996 OPS
• Blake Perkins, .945 OPS
• Gary Sanchez, .931 OPS

Diamondbacks Player to Watch.

Gabriel Moreno. From 1-24 June, he leads the Diamondbacks with an .931 OPS. After missing most of April due to injury, he is back. His batting was outstanding, especially from mid-May onward!

Pitching Matchups.

Friday, 6:45 PM MST.

Jose Cabrera vs Kyle Harrison. The statistic of interest is walks plus hits per inning (WHIP). Looking at Diamondbacks starting pitchers, Cabrera’s 1.20 WHIP has the third best (only Rodriguez’s 1.176 and Soroka’s 1.085 were better). And Cabrera’s WHIP seems sustainable because it was 1.19 in Reno. On the other hand, this season Harrison’s 1.039 is his career best. But will he regress?

Perhaps the deciding factor will be ERA. In June, Jose Cabrera started 2 games and had the better ERA (3.60 ERA vs 4.62 ERA).

This matchup is very slight advantage Diamondbacks.

Saturday, 6:40 PM MST.

Merrill Kelly vs Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff was on the injured list from 1 May to 22 June due to a shoulder injury. In June Woodruff (2 games) had the better ERA (0.00 ERA vs 7.31 ERA).

Despite being ceredited with a loss in all 5 starts in June, Kelly had more quality starts than Woodruff (2 QS vs 1 QS). In June, Merrill Kelly allowed 8 home runs. If those had not happened, his June ERA would have been a respectable 4.45.

This matchup is advantage Brewers.

Sunday, 1:10 PM MST.

Eduardo Rodriguez vs Brandon Sproat. In June, Rodriguez had the better ERA (2.02 ERA vs 3.46 ERA), and Rodriguez had more quality starts (4 QS vs 2 QS).

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

Detroit Tigers (38-49) vs. Texas Rangers (44-43)

Time/Place: 8:05 p.m., Globe Life Field
SB Nation Site:Lone Star Ball
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (4-5, 4.05 ERA) vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (8-7, 3.95 ERA)

One of the least-swept teams in baseball found themselves on the wrong end of history yesterday. The San Diego Padres were swept for just the third time this season after the Chicago Cubs scored 23 runs against the Friars. That total ties the Padres’ record for runs allowed in a game. It was a tough one to stomach for a team that has showed fight the last few games.

With starter Walker Buehler on the mound, it was the first pitcher that the Friar Faithful could feel confident about. Instead, Buehler disappointed and was tagged for nine runs in the blowout loss, seven coming via the long ball. It felt like the ball flew out of the yard for everybody but the Padres, who only put up three runs. They went a miserable 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

It’s been a part of a continuing trend toward mediocrity. The Friars need a win now more than ever and the schedule does not get easier from here. They’ll face the rival Los Angeles Dodgers for the second time this week, needing a turnaround to the slump San Diego has been mired in.

Taking the mound

Roki Sasaki (LAD) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)

Sasaki started for L.A. in the only Padres’ win of last week’s series. All things considered, he pitched well apart from an 0-2 mistake to Ty France that ended up in the left field seats. The righty has been serviceable for the Dodgers this year, helping to bolster a rotation struggling with injuries.

He’s also looked better lately, with a 3.99 ERA across his last 38 1/3 innings compared to a 4.88 mark this season. Sasaki’s command has gotten better lately too (1.07 WHIP) despite walking five batters in last week’s contest against San Diego.

Vásquez continues to underwhelm on the mound. He owns a 7.34 ERA in his lasts seven starts. He’s only gone 6 2/3 combined innings across his last two games, and surrendered 10 runs in those frames. It’s been rough going for the young right-hander.

Which is why it’s tough for the Padres to pin their hopes on him as a stopper. San Diego is on a five-game losing streak. They need a win any way they can get it, and Vásquez will need to pitch the game of his life in order to turn things around for the Friars.

Batter up!

Two good things happened in yesterday’s blowout loss. Sung-Mun Song hit his first MLB home run! For a player who was signed for his pop in the KBO, it’s comforting to see that first one. (Hopefully they come in bunches.) And Jake Cronenworth went 3-for-4 at the plate in his second game back. He’s now batting .429 since coming off the IL Monday (7 at-bats).

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Samad Taylor, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Gavin Sheets, DH
5. Ty France, 1B
6. Jackson Merrill, CF
7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
8. Freddy Fermin, C
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B

At this point, the offense looks almost irredeemable. Almost. This is still the team that stormed back from a middling 50-49 record at the 2024 All-Star break to post the best second-half record in all of baseball (43-20). Baseball is a game that can change in the blink of an eye. It’s never over until the last out is recorded. The lineup has shown some potency. If it can add consistency to that, it could be the best in all of MLB.

Relief corps

To call it a 23-run blowout is a bit of a disservice. The Cubs scored eight runs against catcher Rodolfo Durán in their final frame. He covered two innings for the Friars to help rest their ‘pen. Even accounting for that, a 15-3 loss is still a blowout. Thanks to Durán, only Kyle Hart was called on out of the bullpen.

Thankfully, Vásquez will have some breathing room with the entire bullpen (excluding Hart) available tonight. Jason Adam, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez are all available to pitch out of the ‘pen. That said, San Diego doesn’t have an off day until the All-Star break. It would be nice to give the relief corps a rest after covering 10 innings in Chicago.

The pitching staff has been asked to be perfect time and again, and now that has begun to implode San Diego’s club. San Diego pitchers have surrendered 47 runs in their last six games. During the five-game losing streak, it’s 46 runs. The lineup needs to produce more to give their pitching some leeway.

Despite having been a fan for nearly 30 years, this is quite possibly the most painful season I’ve ever watched. I think I was shielded a bit during the aughts by my childish belief that the Royals could go on a 15-game winning streak at any moment. I used to believe that pitcher ERAs entering a game significantly influenced who likely had the upper hand. And, honestly, I simply didn’t pay as close attention because I was so much busier during the times baseball was being played and didn’t have a computer in my pocket to keep me up to date on every single play.

Few series this year have been as painful as the ones against AL East opponents. The Royals are 3-15 against AL East opponents. The series against the Orioles, where they won that third game, feels so long ago I’d almost forgotten it. Of course, they won their first two matches against Tampa Bay in Tampa, so things were feeling quite a bit better this time last week, but, these are the 2026 Royals. They’ll win 5 of 6 just so they can lose 9 of their next 10 and really drive home how disappointing all these losses are.

The good news is that Stephen Kolek will return to the mound for KC tonight. He went on the Parental Leave list last weekend ahead of the birth of his first child. Then, because she was born prematurely, he was shifted to the Family Medical Emergency List (There are a lot of lists for players to be on) earlier this week to spend more time with his family. But he’s back now, so hopefully that means good things for the health of his growing family, and it also means we don’t have to watch Mitch Spence tonight.

Jose Cuas is the one who got demoted after throwing two innings last night, which is unfortunate for him, but hopefully, he’ll be back soon.

The Rays will be using Ian Seymour, the author of the beginning of the latest disaster period. (I like to think of Griffin Jax’s victory in the third game of the series last week as the prologue.) Last time, Seymour pitched as a bulk reliever and pitched a hitless 6.2 innings. This time I guess the Rays thought they’d let him see if he could get the no-hitter by himself. I’m not betting against him.

Lineups

Salvador Perez is getting another day off after hitting into two double plays last night. Unfortunately, that means the middle third of the Royals’ lineup goes Lane Thomas, Starling Marte, and Nick Loftin. In an ideal world, none of those guys would be batting in those positions either. But the Royals stopped playing in an ideal world almost before the season started.

Also, apparently, it might mean Salvy is hurting. The Royals designated Eric Cerantola for assignment and demoted John Rave (who absolutely did not deserve it, but what can you do) to add Luke Maile back to the roster. If the Royals think they need three catchers and one of those guys is catching and leading off tonight, you don’t have to be all that good at math to know something is adding up bad for the other guy.

Of course, the Rays have Victor Mesa Jr., Chandler Simpson, and Cedric Mullins in the same spots. They wouldn’t be my first, second, or third choices to bat there either. The Royals will have to find another reason for their failures than having guys out of position in the lineup, perhaps.

Junior Caminero is still in the Rays’ lineup. I’m torn between wanting the Royals to intentionally walk him every time and just let the guy hit some more dingers because what harm can it do KC, and it would be awful to end his homer streak by intentionally walking him in every AB. Don’t forget, no baseball tomorrow because of the World Cup. Enjoy the break!

Detroit Tigers @ Texas Rangers

Thursday, July 02, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

LHP Framber Valdez vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi

Go Rangers!

The Atlanta Braves are taking on the St. Louis Cardinals looking to secure their first series win since the twentieth of June, almost two full weeks ago.

Hurston Waldrep is making his much anticipated first start of the season after making one appearance this year where he went two innings. It will be interesting to see if he will be on a strict pitch count and how long he will go if he is pitching well. He will be facing Dustin May who had a one hit shutout two starts ago but followed that up with a six earned run start where he was removed after two innings.

If the Braves can get the bats going early, they may have a shot to get a two-game winning streak going for the first time since that series win previously mentioned.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT. Follow along in the comments.

Lineup

Preview

Welcome to The California Post’s weekly Dodgers recap, where baseball writers Dylan Hernández and Jack Harris review the week that was, hand out very official awards and take stock of the state of the season.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Will tempers flare in Padres rematch?

Around this time last year, the Dodgers-Padres rivalry reached its boiling point, after a flurry of hit batters amid a stretch of seven games in 10 days between the clubs led to a benches-clearing incident at Dodger Stadium.

This weekend, similar circumstances could be in place.

The teams, fresh off the Dodgers’ series win in San Diego last weekend, are again engaged in a seven-games-in-10-days stretch. And last Sunday’s finale at Petco Park saw five batters get hit –– including Fernando Tatis Jr., whose repeated plunkings last year served as kindling to the rivalry’s eventual blowup.

Granted, tempers didn’t flare then. And a key piece of last year’s hot-blooded equation — former Padres manager Mike Shildt, who confronted Dave Roberts during the June 2025 melee — is no longer in the picture.

Another key difference now: The Dodgers have pulled away in the National League West race, entering with a 12-game division lead that already feels almost insurmountable.

Still, if the Padres are going to get back into the division picture, this four-game trip to Chavez Ravine represents their best opportunity. That could enhance the stakes of the series and perhaps the emotions of a quick-turn rematch, too.

“We try to take every series with the same importance,” Roberts said on the eve of this weekend’s series. “But obviously you know winning that series would be [big]. That is the goal.”

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Tommy Edman (.366 average, 1 home run, 8 RBIs in 12 games back from offseason ankle surgery)

After he played through — and was clearly hampered by — an ankle injury for most of last year, it was easy to forget how impactful a healthy Edman can be.

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The switch-hitting utility man has offered a quick reminder lately, however, returning to action with a flurry of production after missing the first three months of the year recovering from offseason ankle surgery.

Edman has taken his typical quality at-bats (getting on base at a .435 clip) while also flashing the kind of power he failed to maintain last year once his ankle began bothering him (two doubles, one triple and one home run that traveled 428 feet, his longest since 2021).

Of all Dodgers hitters since his return, his .971 OPS trails only Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

“Just a continuation of making sure I’m keeping a good approach, dictated by the situation,” Edman said after a four-hit, four-RBI game Tuesday. “I just feel like I’ve been pretty consistent this far.”

That has also been true of Edman’s switch-hitting abilities, as he’s hit better than .350 from both sides of the plate.

In Edman’s first couple seasons with the Dodgers, his left-handed swing had been noticeably weaker. But so far this year, he’s gone 10-for-27 from that side of the plate.

“I feel like this is kind of one of the rare times where both swings feel good, both from the right and left,” he said. “It’s really tough to maintain both swings over the course of the season, so just happy that I feel that way right now.”

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Emmet Sheehan (5 innings, 1 run, 5 strikeouts in win vs. Padres; 4-5, 5.08 ERA on season)

The third-year right-hander not only reaffirmed his place in the Dodgers’ starting rotation with a strong outing in San Diego last weekend, but more importantly, he might have unlocked a new pitch.

After working with assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness on a new curveball grip in a pair of between-starts bullpen sessions, Sheehan showcased the changes effectively while navigating what was arguably his best start in months.

The new version of the pitch was harder (averaging 79.3 mph compared with 76.8 mph before) and had a little less drop (5 inches fewer, to be precise, according to MLB’s Baseball Savant data). 

The result was a breaking ball that was easier to keep in the zone and tougher for opposing hitters to lay off. 

Even while throwing it over the plate more than 70% of the time, Sheehan got six whiffs off nine swings against the pitch (a dramatic shift from the 28% whiff rate it had been inducing this season), and only one ball was put in play against it.

“I think trying to change speeds and make them respect stuff in zone that’s not the fastball is really important,” Sheehan said.

Maybe it’s the thing that will help him turn his previously disappointing season around.

PROSPECT OF THE WEEK

Eduardo Quintero (.294 average, five home runs, 37 RBIs, .834 OPS this year in High-A Great Lakes)

The Dodgers’ reigning Minor League Player of the Year got off to a slow start following an offseason promotion to High-A, hitting just .195 in April.

Ever since then, though, Quintero has rediscovered his scorching form from last season, hitting .372 with a .941 OPS in May and .333 with a 1.011 OPS in June. Those latter stats were boosted by three home runs, including his first career grand slam earlier this week.

And now, the 20-year-old prospect is becoming just the latest outfielder in the club’s pipeline to put together an impressive season.

Their depth at the position is so deep, it figures to be an area for them to trade from as the deadline approaches next month.

FUTURE DODGER OF THE WEEK

(Where we speculate about potential future Dodgersacquisitions — sometimes far-fetched, sometimes not)

Sonny Gray, Red Sox (ETA: August)

Tyler Glasnow has started throwing again, but the deliberate pace of his recovery remains disconcerting. Glasnow has already missed nearly two months with back problems.

The Dodgers were fortunate to have their four best starting pitchers healthy for the postseason last year, but there’s no guarantee that will be the case again. Unless the team is comfortable with Roki Sasaki or Justin Wrobleski starting games in October, it should monitor the market for starters.

The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal is the grand prize of this trade market, but the cost for him will be extremely high. Gray, 9-1 with a 2.69 ERA, is a potential alternative. Gray’s contract includes a $30 million mutual option for next year that features a $10 million buyout. That added cost would force the Red Sox to ask for less in return since just getting his deal off the books would count as a victory for them. As far as the free-spending Dodgers are concerned, it’s just money. 

The St. Louis Cardinals will finish up their stay in Atlanta before heading to the (not so) friendly confines of Wrigley Field for the 4th of July weekend. Dustin May will make the start for the Cardinals while the Atlanta Braves will send Hurston Waldrep to the mound. First pitch at Truist Park is once again set for 6:15pm central time and the game’s TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.