Category: MLB

Not a pitch was thrown with the Dodgers trailing, and yet they found themselves on the losing end of a 3-2 matchup, all thanks to a walk-off solo shot from Ketel Marte off Tanner Scott. Justin Wrobleski did his part by delivering six scoreless innings, but the offense was underwhelming without Shohei Ohtani, and a couple of hiccups from the Dodgers bullpen were all that Arizona needed to complete the comeback and split this four-game set.

After going scoreless in the first four innings, the Dodgers offense began the fifth with a bang, but it wasn’t the bang of a long home run; instead, it was a collision between Max Muncy and Ildemaro Vargas on a race to first base that saw both players leave the game early. Muncy beat out Vargas to the bag, which forced LA to bring in a pinch-runner in Santiago Espinal, who came around to score on a Ryan Ward double. The bottom of the order kept pushing the envelope as Dalton Rushing doubled the lead, an advantage that Los Angeles would maintain until the bottom of the eighth.

Speaking of Rushing, the young catcher also showed poise and a good eye behind the plate to help Wrobleski navigate through his one troublesome inning in the sixth. A pair of two-out hits had Pavin Smith up, who came into the game to replace Vargas, with runners at second and third—in fact, the score would’ve been 2-1 if Arenado wasn’t such a slow runner at this point in his career. The umpire missed the call on the first two pitches, and twice Rushing called a challenge to overturn his decision, ultimately leading to an easy groundout on a down-and-away 0-2 slider. Rushing had one more successful and important overturned challenge, earning Kyle Hurt a strikeout in the seventh after a 2-2 changeup to Tommy Troy had originally been called a ball. Rushing’s work behind the plate deserves praise because it’s not just about getting the challenges right but also about utilizing them in the most important moments.

Other than that one questionable inning, Wrobleski once again thrived in generating soft contact, keeping a low pitch count, needing just 84 to cover the six scoreless innings. Becoming known for his lengthy outings, Wrobleski was on his way to 10 straight outings involved in a decision, potentially earning the win in eight of them, but Arizona had something to say about that. After Hurt’s scoreless frame, Will Klein couldn’t replicate the same level of efficiency, opening up the eighth with a solo shot to Corbin Carroll and creating a mess that Alex Vesia couldn’t clean up, with the lefty later allowing an RBI single to Geraldo Perdomo.

Muncy’s early departure would come back to bite the Dodgers in the ninth because Shohei Ohtani got ready to hit, but couldn’t pinch hit for Santiago Espinal with Will Smith at second following an RBI double since the Dodgers didn’t have any hitters left on the bench. Alex Call and Miguel Rojas had both been used as pinch-hitters against a left-handed pitcher in the previous inning. Instead of using Ohtani, Espinal was punched out, and Marte went yard in the bottom of the ninth with a blast.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Corbin Carroll (9) and Ketel Marte (11)
• WP— Paul Sewald (2-4): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts
• LP— Tanner Scott (1-3): 0.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 strikeout

Up next

It’s a quick turnaround for the NL West leaders coming home for the Freeway Series over the weekend. Roki Sasaki starts on Friday night (7:10 p.m. PT), with the Angels yet to announce their starting pitcher.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs rallied late against the Athletics to secure a 7-6 victory on Thursday, June 4, at Wrigley Field.

Crow-Armstrong had his first career walk-off as Chicago needed a four-run ninth inning to help prevent a three-game series sweep.

"We've stayed in the fight all year,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters after the game. “We've been fighting through these last couple of weeks. This kind of stuff is exactly what we are capable of."

He singled to right field on a pitch by Athletics pitcher Luis Medina while facing a 1-1 count with two outs and runners on second and third base.

The single allowed Seiya Suzuki to score the winning run.

LOVELY NIGHT FOR A WALK(OFF). pic.twitter.com/TQzyBkl2Tq

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 5, 2026

Crow-Armstrong’s heroics helped ease what was a forgettable moment in his career, after he allowed an inside-the-park home run earlier in the game.

With a 2-0 lead in the top of the 6th inning, Shea Langeliers of the Athletics hit the ball 358 feet into center field before it landed behind Crow-Armstrong, who appeared to have lost the ball in the lights. Langeliers’ inside-the-park home run also brought in Henry Bolte to improve the score to 4-0.

🚨 INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN FOR SHEA LANGELIERS 🚨 pic.twitter.com/gMHK7ph5JX

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 5, 2026

Crow-Armstrong responded quickly in the bottom of the inning, hitting a homer 383 feet to right field and putting his team on the scoreboard.

He finished the game 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

Crow-Armstrong has already had his share of blunders this season, having whiffed on a line drive that led to a "Little League home run" against the Milwaukee Brewers back in May.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong allows inside-the-park homer, hits walk-off

The Atlanta Braves announced several moves on Thursday morning, most notably adding a new catcher to the mix. The club acquired catcher Austin Wynns from the Los Angeles Angels and selected him to the major league roster. 

In addition, fellow catcher Chadwick Tromp was designated for assignment, outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, and backstop Sean Murphy was transferred to the 60-day injured list. 

It’s been a whirlwind of a month for Wynns, who began the 2026 campaign with the A’s. After struggling offensively with the club, he was released on May 12, and four days later, the Angels picked him up and signed him to a minor league deal. He appeared in eight minor league games before his stint with the Halos came to a close. In that time, he hit .333 in 30 at-bats and logged five games behind the plate, committing two errors.

It’s not a huge grab for Atlanta, but Wynns aims to get the job done while the Braves continue on without Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin. 

More Braves News:

Tallying just four hits, the Braves were unable to complete the sweep on Thursday and suffered a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Mauricio Dubón spoke with the media, sharing how he capitalizes on the opportunity to hit in big moments. 

ESPN’s Jeff Passan says the Braves should go after Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline.

Brett Sears recorded eight strikeouts for the Columbus Clingstones on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap.

In an exclusive interview, John Smoltz discussed Atlanta’s early season success, the race for the National League, and more. 

MLB News:

Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his rib and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. He will be placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. 

The Houston Astros agreed to a major league deal with 1B/OF LaMonte Wade Jr. The veteran’s contract includes a $1M base salary.

From the Feed:

Cast your vote for Braves Player of the Game here.

Four Braves are featured in Baseball America’s updated Top 100 Prospects list.

Prince Night at Target Field included some back-and-forth scoring, some back-and-forth circus baseball, and a rain delay. If the production crew didn’t play Purple Rain during the delay, then they should be fired. Seth Lugo faced off for the Kansas City Royals against the Minnesota Twins’ bullpen to start off this contest.

Everything kicked off right away in the first inning. After striking out the first batter, opener Andrew Morris allowed a single to phenom Bobby Witt Jr, who promptly stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and touched home on a Salvador Perez sac fly to give the Royals a 1-0 lead. Byron Buxton welcomed Lugo back to Minneapolis with a Buck Truck shot to the Minnesota bullpen in left-center field and evened up the score.

Morris was sent back out for the second frame and was greeted with three straight singles to load the bags before an out was recorded. With one out, Witt Jr hit a grounder to Kody Clemens at first base and threw home to cut down the runner for the second out. Great, right? Nope! Another wild pitch by Morris allowed Nick Loftin to score and give K. C. a 2-1 lead. Morris escaped without any more damage and Minnesota countered again in the bottom of the second with a Victor Caratini double, bringing Luke Keaschall in to knot the game again at two runs apiece.

Mike Paredes was called into duty for the Twins and sent down the Royals batters in order in the top of the third. The Twins then took the lead for the first time in the game courtesy of a Clemens home run – a shot to right-center above the out-of-town scoreboard. The 3-2 lead was short-lived as Paredes served up a first-pitch four-seam meatball to Michael Massey, who served it back and deposited it into The Dock in right field to tie the baby up once again in the top of the fourth.

The circus baseball commenced in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and Trevor Larnach on first, Ryan Kreidler hit a triple to the gap in left-center. Left fielder Isaac Collins slid feet-first to try and stop the ball, but ended up kicking it further towards center field. Kyle Isbel chased the ball to the wall while Larnach motored around third base and scored to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. After a mostly-quiet top of the fifth, Minnesota added on courtesy of a Clemens home run – a shot to right field, this time just feet on the good side of the foul pole – his second of the game.

The 5-3 Twins lead was short-lived once again as Paredes issues a walk to lead off the sixth. Two outs and a single later, skipper Derek Shelton brought in Anthony Banda, who has been doing quite fine as of late. He reverted back to his old ways, allowing his first batter to slap a double to left field, driving in two runs to tie the game. The circus baseball vibes flowed again as Witt Jr popped one up behind second base. Kreidler backpedaled… backpedaled… and backpedaled… right into Keaschall and the ball dropped, allowing the third run of the inning to score and give the Royals the lead … again.

Merriam-Webster defines “rain” as: water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere. This happened at Target Field, resulting in an hour and seven minute delay of the game.

Those 67 minutes just delayed the game from being tied once again. With two outs, Victor Caratini took a John Schreiber fastball beyond the wall in right field, tying the baby up once again, this time at six runs each after the sixth. The bullpens traded goose eggs the next two innings.

The top of the ninth is when the game went back to the Royals’ favor. Single, single, sac bunt against Taylor Rogers, who was pulled in favor of Justin Lawrence. Walk, single, walk, strikeout, strikeout give K. C. a two-run lead. Although Minnesota didn’t go down without a fight – a Caratini single, Orlando Arcia legging out a single on a force-out, and Buxton walk – Alex Lange sent the Twins home.

W: Matt Strahm (2-1)
L: Taylor Rogers (1-3)
S: Alex Lange (2)

STUDS

• Kody Clemens: 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
• Victor Caratini: 3-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
• Byron Buxton: 2-4, HR, BB, R, RBI

duds

• Taylor Rogers: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER
• Justin Lawrence: 0.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 inherited runners scored

Comment of the Game Thread

• Goose has a couple of rain delay thoughts for us

The Twins and Royals continue this four-game series tomorrow night with a 715p Central first pitch, “presented by Apple TV.” Kansas City will send Michael Wacha to the mound while Minnesota counters with Zebby Matthews. Thank you to those who were able to join the game thread tonight, and thanks for reading!

PHOENIX –– Max Muncy and Ildemaro Vargas both ran full speed to first base in the fifth inning of Thursday’s game between the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.

In a brutal moment that forced both players to exit early –– and left Muncy with shortness of breath and a cut on his nose –– neither got out of the way in time to avoid a frightening head-on collision.

“It was pretty violent,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The good news: Neither Muncy nor Vargas seemed to have sustained serious injuries on the play. Muncy passed concussion protocol, saying afterward that he was “gonna be all right” despite getting “a little banged up.” Vargas also told reporters that all the exams and tests he had done afterward were negative, despite feeling like he “ran into a truck.”

“I definitely did not mean to run into him,” Muncy said. “It just happened, and hopefully he’s doing all right.”

With two outs in the fifth, Muncy had hit a ground ball up the line that Vargas, playing first for Arizona, fielded directly behind the bag.

Vargas tried to make the play himself by racing back to first. But Muncy was charging in a dead sprint right at him up the baseline.

The two arrived at the base almost simultaneously, with Muncy getting there a half-second sooner to reach safely for a single.

However, it left no time for either to avoid the bone-crushing hit, with both taking a step toward the inside part of the bag before crashing into each other and sprawling to the ground.

“As I’m running down the line, I saw him in foul territory, so I got to the inside of the bag, and I thought he was going to stay on that [other] side,” said Muncy, who had his glasses and helmet fly off his head. “It felt like neither of us knew which direction we were going to go, and then we both went the wrong direction. And yeah, bang.”

Both Muncy and Vargas stayed down on the ground for several minutes, writhing in pain while getting checked by their teams’ respective trainers.

Muncy knew initially that his “head got banged up a little bit,” from both the impact of the collision and a cut that came from glasses. Then he felt shortness of breath while lying on his back.

“When I looked at the replay, it looked like we both kind of did the same thing, where we both jumped to almost, you know, de-weight ourselves and avoid it,” Muncy said. “Unfortunately, we did not.”

Eventually, both players got back to their feet and hobbled off the field. Vargas sustained bruises to his rib cage and left thigh, but was otherwise alright.

“Just a bad situation that looks like neither of us knew which direction to go,” said Muncy, who had a gift sent over to Vargas in the Dbacks clubhouse after the game.

“I expressed my thank you to him [for that],” Vargas noted through an interpreter. “It’s a hard play. It’s thing you don’t want to see happen.”

Thursday’s collision marked the second time in recent weeks Muncy has been removed from a game early.

On May 22, Muncy was hit by a pitch in his right wrist that forced him to make an early exit in Milwaukee. He missed the team’s next three games after that, but avoided a stint on the injured list.

The Dodgers are hopeful that will be the case again this time.

Roberts said Muncy will be down on Friday (the team was planning to give him an off day anyway) but that he should be available for the rest of the club’s weekend series against the Angels.

“They went through the concussion protocol, and then kind of just treated him up,” Roberts said. “But Max seems pretty with it right now.”

PHOENIX — It was a violent collision at first base Thursday night that left the crowd gasping and two players down − with the players eventually forced to leave the game at Chase Field.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy and Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas ran into one another in a head-on collision at first base in the fifth inning, leaving both players on the ground for several minutes before they both exited.

The Dodgers’ training staff said that Muncy was removed from the game because of shortness of breath and to be evaluated for a possible concussion.

There was no immediate announcement on Vargas’ injury.

Max Muncy and Ildemaro Vargas collided HARD into each other and are both leaving the game pic.twitter.com/Yzl28PS2L5

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 5, 2026

The injuries occurred when Muncy hit a ground ball up the line past the first-base bag that was snared by Vargas. Muncy hustled to first base, and with D-backs starter Ryne Nelson not covering first base, Vargas tried to beat Muncy to the bag. Muncy, running full-speed, reached the base first and ran into Vargas, who has little experience at first base.

The two immediately fell to the ground with Muncy’s helmet and glasses flying off his head.

Muncy was on the ground holding his head, with blood running down the bridge of his nose, and Vargas was clutching his left knee.

They remained on the ground for nearly five minutes, assisted by trainers, when Vargas got up first, gingerly hobbling off the field. He was replaced by Pavin Smith. Muncy got up next, and headed to the dugout. He was replaced by Santiago Espinal.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Max Muncy, Ildemaro Vargas knocked out of game after nasty collision

The hope going in was that momentum would continue, propelling the Astros to a series win and consecutive victories.  Unfortunately, no one told Ryan O’Hearn and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates.   O’Hearn would be a constant thorn in the side of this rubber match.    Pirates 5 Astros 1.      

The scoring opened with O’Hearn’s RBI single in the first off starter Kai-Wei Teng.    Teng would settle down after a 25-pitch opening frame, but things would begin to unravel in the 6th inning as once again O’Hearn would do the damage, this time blasting a 2-run shot to break things open.    The Pirates have now registered home runs in 11 straight contests.    Oneil Cruz would do his part, reaching safely in all four of his plate appearances with a pair of hits and walks on the night.

The Astros lone run would come off the bat of Isaac Paredes and a solo shot in the 6th.    For Paredes, it would be a small milestone, notching career HR 100.     Teng (3-4) took the loss, allowing 7 hits over 5 innings, 4 of the runs earned.    

Fortunately, better news is on the immediate horizon with the heightened anticipation of Jose Altuve’s return.    Prior to Thursday Night’s contest, Astros Announcer Todd Kalas told me “Altuve brings an immediate presence to the lineup and a jolt to the clubhouse.  His ability to get on a heater, could take the pressure off Yordan, Walker and Pena who have been carrying the team recently.  He also strengthens the lineup, so you get a recent All-Star in Parades or a potential All-Star in Christian Walker hitting 5th with Altuve in there.”      

When #27 returns, (skipping a rehab assignment) he’ll face a “softer schedule” these next two weeks, as the Astros will not face an opponent over .500 until the Guardians come here on June 19th.  A’s, Angels, Royals & Tigers have combined to lose just shy of 150 games thus far.     Expect to see him potentially as early as this weekend.    

Odds & Ends.     

The Astros have completed their journey through the N.L. West, compiling a mark of 6 and 9.   Three of those six wins came at the expense of the Cubs during a Memorial Day Weekend sweep at Wrigley.

Collin Price made his Astros debut.   His first at bat reaching safely on a walk.    

Jeremy Pena has now hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games.    

With Thursday’s result, the Astros now have 11% odds of reaching the postseason according to MLB’s playoff odds.   

Up Next, the Astros host the A’s and pitcher Jack Perkins who enters with a lofty 5.46 ERA.      Friday Night’s contest will celebrate Orbit’s birthday.

The Mets rotation, a mess for much of the season with Clay Holmes out with a fractured leg, Kodai Senga pitching in the minors, Nolan McLean not pitching to expectations and Sean Manaea and David Peterson trading spots in the bullpen, could use a boost. 

As Christian Scott makes his eighth start of the season Friday night in San Diego, the right-hander will be looking to build on his two best outings of the season. 

He followed up five shutout innings in Miami with five more solid innings against the Marlins at Citi Field in his most recent outing, when Scott allowed just one run and picked up the first win of his major league career. 

“I liked what I saw,’’ a National League scout said of Scott’s last two starts. “It’s what you want from a guy coming back from Tommy John surgery: sharper and better stuff as he knocks the rust off and gets back to who he was.” 

Of course, the Mets are still learning just who that is, since Scott — who turns 27 this month — showed flashes of significant promise when he was first called up to the majors in 2024, but also struggled badly at times. 

And even if this isn’t the way they would have liked the season to develop, the never-ending issues in the rotation have given Scott plenty of opportunities to grow on the mound. 

His four-seam fastball velocity is up and more effective than it was in 2024 — as are most of Scott’s pitches, including the cutter he used frequently in his previous start. 

But more than just the stuff, the scout was impressed by how Scott bounced back from his first start of the season, when he walked five batters, hit another and was knocked out of the game in the second inning. 

“When you’re coming off that surgery, you don’t know how you’re gonna feel at this level and when your command isn’t there, it’s fair to wonder when it’s gonna come back,’’ the scout said. “So for him to shake that off and come back and do what he’s done is as much of a good sign as anything else.” 

Scott has walked 11 in 29 innings in six starts since that first start — which was followed by Scott being optioned back to Triple-A. 

But before he could make another outing at Syracuse, Scott was back in Queens to replace the injured Senga. 

He’s pitched better since then and allowed more than two earned runs just once in his last six starts. 

Since his second start in the majors on May 1, only eight starters have struck out batters at a higher rate than Scott’s 11.48 per nine innings. 

And with Holmes out, no Mets starter has been better than Scott, who has seen the Mets win five of his seven starts. 

On Wednesday morning, Colorado Rockies fans were greeted with good news: Rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield had been named Major League Baseball’s National League Rookie of the Month for May.

The 26-year-old Rumfield—obtained this offseason from the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitcher Angel Chivilli—led National League rookies in virtually every offensive category for the month. In May he hit .310/.400/.483 with four home runs, 12 RBIs, and a strong 139 wRC+ while also playing a defensively sound first base.

Rumfield is just the eighth Rockies rookie to win the award, which has surprisingly been elusive since it was created in 2001.

Here are the other seven:

RHP Jason Jennings, August 2002

The first and only Rockies player to win Rookie of the year, 1999 first round pick Jason Jennings went 5-1 over six starts and 38 innings in August with a 3.55 ERA and 25 strikeouts!

Shortstop Clint Barmes, April 2005

Clint Barmes only played 81 games in 2005 and still finished in eighth place for National League Rookie of the Year voting. He started the year strong by hitting .410/.467/.639 with four home runs and 14 RBIs across 21 games in April!

Third baseman Garrett Atkins, June 2005

The only time the Rockies ever had multiple Rookie of the Month winners in a single season, slugging third baseman Garrett Atkins hit .364/.381/.533 with three home runs and a whopping 26 RBIs over 27 June contests!

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, August 2007

Troy Tulowitzki should have won Rookie of the Year in 2007 but instead took second place behind Ryan Braun. The mold-breaking shortstop phenom hit .333/.394/.567 with six home runs and 25 RBIs over 29 games in the penultimate month of the 2007 season.

Shortstop Trevor Story, April 2016

After a nearly ten-year gap between winners, Trevor Story started his rookie campaign with the most home runs by a rookie in franchise history and six of them through his first four big league games. Story finished the month hitting .261/.324/.696 with ten home runs and 20 RBIs over 22 games.

RHP Antonio Senzatela, April 2017

Before reinventing himself as a clutch, late-game reliever this season, Antonio Senzatela was once a promising young starting pitcher. His 2017 rookie campaign would end up being one of his best seasons over 36 appearances and 20 starts. In April of 2017 the 22-year-old Senzatela went 4-1 over five starts with 18 strikeouts and a 2.81 ERA over 32 innings of work.

Outfielder Nolan Jones, September 2023

The Rockies traded for Nolan Jones prior to the 2023 season and it looked like they might have found themselves a star. While things didn’t work out that way, Jones shone brightly with a 4.3 rWAR season. He became the first Rockies rookie accomplish a 20/20 campaign. He was the 16th rookie in MLB history to do so and the first to accomplish it in under 130 games and fewer than 425 plate appearances. He also played some excellent left field. Jones finished the season with an explosive September, hitting .350/.460/.631 with six home runs, 22 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases over 28 games. He finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting but arguably should have been a finalist.

Final Thoughts

While we congratulate TJ Rumfield on his success so far, what are your thoughts on the other Rockies Rookie of the Month winners? Are there any standout rookie months you feel got missed along the way? Who are some noticeable omissions?

Let us know in the comments!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Jorge Polanco could be the face of these Mets.

He’s highly paid, has been injured and played poorly when he was on the field.

The Mets roster is filled with that type of player this year and if it stays that way, the team will look considerably different by the trade deadline.

So with the clock ticking — and the Mets in last place in the NL East — Polanco’s return from Achilles bursitis and a right wrist contusion will have to be a step in the right direction.

If it’s not, the Mets will be that much closer to having to consider tearing down the roster.

Polanco could be back from the IL this weekend, as the Mets begin another must-win series Friday in San Diego, their season still teetering near irrelevance.

When they signed Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal in the offseason with the idea of having him replace Pete Alonso at first base — and as one piece of a makeover that would make up for the loss of Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil at the plate — the hope was that the 32-year-old would at least come close to replicating the production he had in Seattle last year.

Instead, Polanco never got going offensively and had an OPS of just .532 through 14 games before he hit the IL.

And without Polanco, who didn’t do much in five minor league rehab games split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, the Mets haven’t gotten much out of first base.

Mark Vientos has continued to struggle on both sides of the ball, and though the lefty-swinging Jared Young has hit well since returning from his own IL stint, the Mets aren’t looking for him to be their regular first baseman.

Polanco isn’t expected to take that role either when he gets back, as the Mets figure to be cautious with him, given his Achilles issue that is likely to linger all year.

As Carlos Mendoza noted a week ago, Polanco is “gonna feel” the injury throughout the season.

“We have to keep it to a point where [it’s] ‘I can tolerate this,’ ” the manager said in May. “Because if not, he’s gonna be shut down for a long period of time.”

The switch-hitting Polanco has generally hit well from both sides of the plate and, if he can return to the form he had with the Mariners a year ago, would deepen a lineup desperately in need of lengthening.

With Bo Bichette in the midst of a season-long slump — although perhaps his four-hit day Wednesday was a good sign — Marcus Semien also not hitting and Francisco Lindor still out with a strained calf, the Mets have had to rely too much on Juan Soto, as well as rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing.

If the Mets are going to make an effort toward getting back in the wild-card race — they started Thursday six games back of the final spot with seven teams ahead of them — they’ll need to move quickly.

They followed up a four-game winning streak in Queens by dropping two of three in Seattle and will face a Padres team that lost its fifth consecutive game Thursday and has dropped nine of its past 10.

The Mets, despite the rough series against the Mariners, have still won five of seven but will have to do more than that to start inching up the standings.

A 2025 version of Polanco would at least provide some help in that regard, but the one they’ve seen so far this year has been an all-too-familiar disappointment.

The 7th overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Alabama Crimson Tide will host St Johns, who was the 4 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, in Super Regional play this weekend. The 40-19 Tide will host the 36-24 Red Storm in game one at 8 p.m. CT on Saturday. Game two is set for 2 p.m. CT on Sunday and the if necessary game would be Monday at a time to be announced. Today we will look at Bama’s overall statistics and the individual leaders.

Alabama Team Offense:

Batting Average- .257, 493 hits, 94 doubles, 10 triples, 79 home runs, .440 slugging percentage, .376 on base percentage, 282 walks, 99 hit by pitch, 541 strikeouts, 26 sacrifice flys, 14 sac bunts 85-93 on stolen bases.

Leaders:

*Brady Neal .332 batting average, 64 hits, 15 doubles, 10 home runs, 49 RBI, .575 slugging percentage, 33 walks, 111 total bases, .444 on base percentage.

*Bryce Fowler .322 bating average, 73 hits, 17 doubles, 2 triples,6 home runs, 38 RBI, 112 total bases. 15-17 stolen bases.

*Justin LeBron .274 batting average, 61 hits,12 doubles, 16 home runs, 46 RBI, 121 total bases, .543 slugging percentage, .382 on base percentage, 26 walks, 15 hit by pitch, 40-41 stolen bases.

*Eric Hines .289 batting average, 121 at bats, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 24 RBI, .554 slugging percentage, .341 on base percentage.

*Johnny Lemm .253 batting average, 9 doubles, 9 home runs, 33 RBI, 31 walks, .462 slugging percentage, .383 on base percentage.

*Jason Torres .241 batting average, 8 doubles, 9 home runs, 47 RBI, .409 slugging percentage, 36 walks, .367 on base percentage.

*Luke Vaughn .213 batting average, 8 doubles,9 home runs, 30 RBI, .452 slugging percentage.

Alabama Team Pitching:

40 wins, 14 saves, 4.22 ERA, 510 innings pitched, 476 hits allowed, .247 batting average against, 206 walks, 513 strikeouts, 82 doubles allowed, 57 home runs allowed.

Leaders:

*Tyler Fay 10-4, 4.70 ERA, 95.2 innings pitched, 83 hits allowed, 21 walks, 112 strikeouts, .232 batting average against, 11 doubles allowed, 20 home runs allowed.

*Zane Adams 7-4 , 4.04 ERA, 82.1 innings pitched, 84 hits allowed, 27 walks, 90 strikeouts, .264 batting average against, 8 home runs allowed, 15 doubles allowed.

*Myles Upchurch 8-3, 3.57 ERA, 70.2 innings pitched, 50 hits allowed, 40 walk, 77 strikeouts, 6 doubles allowed, 6 home runs allowed, .198 batting average against.

*Hagan Banks 2-0, 6 saves, 2.82 ERA, 22 innings pitched, 23 hits allowed, 8 walks, 29 strikeouts, 1 home run allowed, .256 batting average against.

*Matthew Heiberger 3-2, 5 saves, 3.05 ERA, 38.1 innings pitched, 31 hits allowed, 20 walks, 31 strikeouts, five home runs allowed, .246 batting average against.

*Ashton Crowther 2-2, 2 saves, 3.27 ERA, 33 innings pitched, 31 hits allowed, 8 walks, 23 strikeouts, five home runs allowed, .246 batting average against.

*JT Blackwood 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 30 innings pitched, 33 hits allowed, 7 walks, 15 strikeouts, 3 home runs alllowed, .280 batting average against.

The Yankees announced tonight that Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right rib. Judge will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks after a period of rest and limited activity.

It’s a crushing piece of news, though one that at least avoids the worst-case scenario. After days of testing, fears spread that Judge could be suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome, which would have almost certainly ended his season. Instead, Judge seems likely to return at some point this season, but when that could be is anyone’s guess at the moment.

Judge missed his first game of the season on Tuesday, with the slugger apparently having dealt with shoulder pain for the last few weeks. The discomfort coincided with one of Judge’s worst slumps of the last few years, Judge running a .672 OPS over his last 20 games.

New York will soon place Judge on the IL and get a healthy player on the roster in his place, perhaps top outfield prospect Spencer Jones. Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Domínguez are both progressing in their respective recoveries, but neither is ready to replace Judge on the roster. It goes without saying that no one is prepared to replace a healthy Judge’s production (or at least to truly complement the early-2026 version of Ben Rice), and we now have to hope that we’ll get to see a healthy Judge back on the field some time this year.

Blue Jay 7 Braves 2

I figured the Chris Sale start would be the tough one to win, but wrong again.

The Jays scored:

• Three in the third: With one out, Vladimir Guerrero doubled and Kazuma Okamoto singled to put runners on the corners. Charles McAdoo singled one home. Nathan Lukes was hit by pitch, to load the bases and Myles Straw singled home two more. Unfortunately Tyler Heineman hit into a double play to end the inning.
• Four in the ninth: Ernie Clement started it with a single and Vlad singled. Two outs later, Nathan Lukes singled to bring in one. Straw singled in another. And Tyler Heineman doubled in two more. Nice to see him chipping in.

We had 16 hits. 16. That’s more than we’ve had in a week. And we were 7 for 18 with RISP. How many times does a team get 18 runners into scoring position. Just three extra base hits, all doubles.

Clement and Vlad had three hits. Okamoto, Lukes, Straw, and Heineman had two. Yohendrick Piñango was the only starter to go 0 for. We will forgive this time, since he was in tough against one of the best lefties in baseball.

And we had another excellent job from the pitchers in a bullpen game:

• Mason Fluharty: He opened and got the first four outs, giving up a hit and a walk.
• Chad Dallas got the ‘bulk’ role, going 3.2 innings allowing 2 hits, 2 walks with 2 strikeouts allowing just a run. He was terrific in his MLB debut. And he was awarded the win. He came in with a runner on third and one out, in the second and got out of it without allowing the runner to score.
• Tyler Rogers pitched the sixth, a clean inning.
• Jeff Hoffman pitched the seventh, a clean inning, with a strikeout.
• Braydon Fisher started the eighth, and gave up a solo home run, making it a one run game.
• Louis Varland got the last four outs for the save, without allowing a base runner, with a strikeouts. His ninth save of the year.

Jays of the Day: Dallas (0.19 WPA), Straw (0.18, 2 for 5 with 3 RBI) and Hoffman (0.08).

Other Award: Well, Pinango has the number, but he did take charge in the outfield on a fly ball hit between him and Straw. He’s been a bit hesitant to do that, so happy to see it there.

The Jays will be straight to the airport, to fly home for the start of a series with the Orioles tomorrow. Usually, getaway games are earlier in the day. Brandon Young (3-1, 3.35) goes against Trey Yesavage (2-2. 2.19).

A verdict has finally arrived on Aaron Judge’s injury. 

The Yankees captain has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the team said Thursday night.

He will be relegated to rest and limited activity and then be re-imaged in about four to six weeks to determine how much improvement he has made and what his next steps might be. 

“Judge is expected to return at some point this season,” the team said in its statement. 

While losing the three-time American League MVP for likely at least two months is a serious blow, it may not be the worst-case scenario after the Yankees had been consulting with a specialist whose focus was on vascular procedures including thoracic outlet syndrome — which may have required season-ending surgery. 

Instead, this diagnosis gives Judge a chance to play again this season, though the Yankees will have a 6-foot-7, 282-pound-sized hole to fill in the meantime. 

Judge, who has not played since Sunday after the shoulder soreness he had experienced in recent weeks came to a head, underwent tests on Monday and then an additional MRI exam on Wednesday night at CT scan and X-ray Thursday morning.

The Yankees were left holding their breath during the four-day saga while waiting for a concrete diagnosis, a process that took longer than they had hoped. 

“Best hitter in the sport, and obviously what he means to us [is huge],” manager Aaron Boone said earlier on Thursday before the final diagnosis was announced. “There’s a void there, but we also have really good players that can pick it up, too. 

“You’re not replacing Aaron Judge though.” 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Judge was not fully hitting like himself so far this season — likely in part because he was playing through the injury — but still had 17 home runs and a .907 OPS in 59 games. 

Last season, Judge missed 10 games with a flexor strain in his right elbow and 42 games in 2023 with a torn ligament in his big right toe after running into the wall at Dodger Stadium to make a catch. But this threatens to cost him more games than either of those injuries, meaning the Yankees will have to find a way to keep winning without him. 

Since Judge became a regular in 2017, the Yankees have gone 652-442 with him in the lineup versus 137-127 when he is not. 

They have better depth than they have had in years, which could give them a better chance of surviving Judge’s absence. Ben Rice has emerged as one of the top hitters in the game, finishing Thursday with the second-highest OPS (a Judge-like 1.031) in the majors. Cody Bellinger has been an all-around standout, the most valuable player in the team by WAR.

Veteran Paul Goldschmidt, who came into the season as Rice’s backup, has been a critical right-handed bat to help them withstand Giancarlo Stanton’s month-plus on the injured list. 

Of course, the Yankees now need Stanton to get through the rest of his rehab from a right calf strain without any hiccups — he could be about 10 days to two weeks away from becoming an option — and the same for Jasson Domínguez, who could return next week from an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. 

But even if they get the best from all of those players — plus those who have under-performed to date, like Jazz Chisholm Jr. — they are not Judge. 

“It kind of sucks not having a three-time MVP in your lineup,” Chisholm said after a 2-1 win over the Guardians. “But at the same time, we all know we can’t use it as an excuse. We’re all baseball players and we got to go out there and win a game.” 

Earlier on Thursday, the Yankees had been waiting to hear back from vascular specialist Dr. Gregory Pearl, who reviewed Judge’s images, hoping to rule out an extreme diagnosis like thoracic outlet syndrome.

They appear to have at least avoided that for now, which is the best news to come out of announcing that one of the best players in the game could miss months. 

“You really miss a player like that, not only out on the field, [but] in the clubhouse and in the dugout, different things like that from a leadership standpoint,” Ryan McMahon said. “You’re always going to miss an Aaron Judge. But it’s on us. We got to hold it down.”

These Atlanta Braves sure have a knack for winning just enough games to take a series.

After winning the first two games at home against the Toronto Blue Jays to win their 17th series of the season, they sputtered out at the plate in a 7-2 loss to the Blue Jays in Thursday night’s finale.

Of those copious series wins, only two have been sweeps — which they haven’t done since May 1-3 at Colorado.

It’s at least somewhat true that the final score was not indicative of the competitiveness of the game. The Blue Jays blew open what had been a contested battle with a four-run ninth off Reynaldo López, scoring all of the runs with two outs.

But that inning made what was a lopsided offensive showing more like it probably should have on the scoreboard based on the hit column.

The Braves allowed a season-high-tying 16 hits to Toronto, which saw each of its top eight hitters in the lineup notch at least one hit and was 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

Atlanta’s offense, by comparison, managed just four hits and was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

That was certainly surprising given the pitching matchup. The Braves started Chris Sale, while Toronto opened with reliever Mason Fluharty before turning it over to Chad Dallas, making his major league debut after he was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo earlier in the day.

Dallas managed the Braves pretty well, getting out of a runner-on-third, one-out situation he inherited and allowing one run on two hits over 3 2/3 innings. And Toronto’s bullpen then really shut the door on the Braves, retiring 12 of 13 Braves over their final four innings at the plate.

All of the Blue Jays’ scoring before the ninth came in a three-run third where they put five straight runners on base with one out. The rally began with the only extra-base hit of the inning, a double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Singles by Kazuma Okamoto and Charles McAdoo followed before a hit-by-pitch of Nathan Lukes and a two-run single off Myles Straw’s bat.

That was certainly the tone of Sale’s outing. He wasn’t consistently hit hard but Toronto racked up 10 hits (his season high allowed) over 5 2/3 innings. His three earned runs allowed were his most since allowing six against the Angels on April 6.

Once again, run support was a totally uncontrollable problem for Sale, who fell to 3-3 over his last six starts despite posting a 2.15 ERA over that span.

The Braves got a run right back in the bottom of the third after Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a single, stole second for his 14th swipe of the season (and third in as many nights), advanced to third on a Mauricio Dubón single and came home on Matt Olson’s sacrifice fly.

Speaking of Dubón, he built off last night’s go-ahead homer by notching two of Atlanta’s four hits. His second hit was an eighth-inning solo homer to snap a streak of 14 straight batters retired which dated back to the final out of the third.

After Dubón had one homer in May, he has two in his first three June games.

At first, the Braves’ bullpen gave the offense a chance to come to life. Didier Fuentes got out of a jam he inherited in the sixth before delivering a scoreless seventh, and Dylan Dodd worked through the eighth without incident.

But López’s ninth inning that got away from him dug way too deep a hole for an offense which never found its gear after a strong showing in Wednesday’s series-clinching win.

Up Next

No rest for these Braves, who will stay at home to host the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend. Pittsburgh entered Thursday’s series finale against Houston having won four of five.