The Los Angeles Dodgers, ranked first in the NL West with a 43-25 record, face the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are third in the NL Central with a 35-33 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -170 moneyline compared to the Pittsburgh Pirates' +140. Starting pitchers are Justin Wrobleski for the Dodgers, with a 2.62 ERA, and Mitch Keller for the Pirates, with a 4.81 ERA.
How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
The St. Louis Cardinals, ranked second in the NL Central with a 37-28 record, face the New York Mets, who are fifth in the NL East with a 29-38 record. The New York Mets are favored with a -155 moneyline compared to the St. Louis Cardinals' +125. Starting pitchers are Hunter Dobbins for St. Louis, with a 2.77 ERA, and Christian Scott for New York, with a 2.50 ERA.
How to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets
It’s a small eight-game slate on the diamond Thursday, June 11, and my trio of MLB same-game parlay predictions include a pair of afternoon tilts.
The SGP MLB picks begin with the Detroit Tigers having a solid day at the dish against Minnesota Twins righty Zebby Matthews and conclude in the evening with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates lighting up the PNC Park scoreboard again tonight.
Twins vs Tigers SGP: Matthews humbled in Motor City
The Detroit Tigers have flipped the script in June with a second-ranked wOBA supported by a fifth-ranked xwOBA while scoring 6.4 runs per game, and I’m anticipating them giving Minnesota Twins righty Zebby Matthews a tough time this afternoon. Matthews has surrendered a 16.0 barrel percentage with an abysmal 2.14 K/BB rate across his past three starts, after all.
Turning to Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres, he’s picked up a hit in five of seven games since returning to action with a healthy .438 wOBA and 40.9% squared-up contact rate.
I’d play this SGP down to +280.
Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: DSN, MNNT
Cardinals vs Mets SGP: Stars tee off at Citi
The wind is forecast to be blowing out at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon, so I’m targeting three of the best hitters taking the field to fill up the box score.
New York Mets star Juan Soto has teed off on right-handed pitchers to the tune of a .418 wOBA and .289 ISO over the past three years, while St. Louis Cardinals batters Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson have been consistently dangerous in the middle of the lineup and check in with a respective OPS of .903 and .973 against righties in 2026.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the highest wOBA against righties this season and the highest overall xwOBA over the past 30 days, so I’m anticipating Pittsburgh Pirates righty Mitch Keller’s hands to be full Thursday.
Keller doesn’t have a single positive pitch value across his past five starts, and Los Angeles lefty Justin Wrobleski’s2.62 ERA is well below his 4.42 xFIP, so the Pirates are positioned to also chip in offensively.
Finally, Pittsburgh outfielder Bryan Reynolds is dialed in at the dish with a .339 batting average and 48.9% hard-hit rate across his past 17 games, and he also sports an elite .325 average and .433 wOBA against lefties for the season.
This SGP is playable down to +325.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNP, SNLA
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 6-15, +6.4 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 19: Daniel Duarte #54 of the New York Mets pitches to the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Prior to today’s series finale against the Cardinals, the Mets recalled right-hander Daniel Duarte to join the bullpen. In a corresponding move, the team optioned right-hander Jonathan Pintaro back to Triple-A. Thus, the bullpen churn continues as the club looks to cycle in some fresh arms.
Pintaro ate up the final three innings of last night’s 9-2 loss to St. Louis, allowing one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts. It was his third appearance for the Mets so far this season. In 6 2/3 innings for the club across those three relief outings, the righty has given up just the one earned run and one hit while walking one and striking out five batters.
Duarte made one appearance for the Mets earlier in the year, finishing up the team’s 9-6 loss to the Nationals back on May 19. In that game, he allowed just one hit and did not give up a run over 2 1/3 innings pitched from the sixth through the eighth innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out one batter. In 23 innings for Triple-A Syracuse, he’s posted a 3.91 ERA in 18 appearances. He has been charged with 11 runs (10 earned) on 18 hits, with 19 strikeouts over 23 innings.
The White Sox enter tonight’s game riding momentum after a tight 2–1 win over the Braves on Wednesday night at Rate Field. Chicago scratched across both of its runs in the fourth inning and leaned on a strong pitching performance from starter Davis Martin and three relievers to limit the Braves to just one run. The win continues a strong stretch for Chicago that has seen them climb to the top of the American League Central. Atlanta, meanwhile, has dropped back‑to‑back games in the series but remains firmly atop the National League East.
Tonight, Chicago is expected to turn to Anthony Kay (LHP), who owns a 5–1 record with a 4.40 ERA this season. Kay has been serviceable but not dominant and tends to pitch to contact. Can he keep the Braves from making contact too frequently? The Braves will hand the ball to Martín Pérez (LHP), who enters with a 4–3 record and a strong 3.02 ERA. Pérez’ strength has been his ability to limit baserunners (noted WHIP around 1.06 in recent analysis). This alone makes him a tough matchup against lefty hitters in the White Sox lineup.
The Braves’ history against Kay is extremely limited although Dominic Smith did crack a grand slam against him in his lone at bat against the southpaw. Andrew Benintendi is 4-14 (.286) in his career against Perez. Randal Grichuk is 7-24 (.292) against the Braves’ starter.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Braves vs. White Sox
Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Rate Field
City: Chicago, IL
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, BravesVision, CSN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Braves vs. White Sox
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Atlanta Braves (-119), Chicago White Sox (-102)
Spread: Braves -1.5 (+138), White Sox +1.5 (-167)
Total: 8.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Braves vs. White Sox for June 11
Braves: Martin Perez Season Totals: 56.2 IP, 4-3, 3.02 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 47K, 20 BB
White Sox: Anthony Kay Season Totals: 61.1 IP, 5-1, 4.40 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 46K, 26 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Braves vs. White Sox
Tristan Peters -16 hits, .500 AVG and 1.296 OPS over his last 10 games
Miguel Vargas - 11 hits, 3 HR, 10 RBI, .955 OPS in his last 10 games
Andrew Benintendi - 3 HR, .286 AVG, .412 OBP, 1.055 OPS in his last 10 games
Derek Hill - 1 hit in his last 14 AB (.071 AVG) in his last 10 games
Matt Olson – 12-39 (.308) in his last 10 games
Austin Riley – 5-31 (.161) over his last 10 games
Mauricio Dubon – 10-32 (.313) over his last 10 games
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Braves vs. White Sox
The Braves are 41-27 on the Run Line this season
The White Sox are 39-28 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 39 times in Chicago’s 67 games this season (39-26-2)
The OVER has cashed 33 times in the Braves’ 68 games this season (33-31-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Braves vs. White Sox
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Braves and the White Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the White Sox on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 8.5
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Based on the score above, one can infer that not much went right for Gwinnett on Wednesday.
Victor Mederos got the start and more or less got shelled. Across two innings, Mederos gave up five runs on four hits while issuing four walks in the process. The bullpen wasn’t better, as the Stripers relief corps gave up an additional nine runs over the course of the next seven innings.
At the plate, the Stripers were held to just two runs on four hits — of which both runs came in their final at-bats on the night. DaShawn Kiersey Jr. registered the lone RBI on the night, while Jair Camargo was the only Striper to finish the game with multiple hits as he went 2-3.
Despite getting a solid start from Herick Hernandez, Columbus lost game one of their doubleheader on Wednesday by a 6-3 final.
Across four innings, Hernandez turned in a scoreless outing despite issuing four walks and giving up a pair of hits. He also managed to strikeout four as well. With the scoreless performance, Hernandez lowered his season ERA to 1.15 across 31.1 innings pitched, in which he has struck out 39 batters as well.
It’s a decent sample size, but Hernandez needs to show that consistency over four or five more starts before there is a consideration to calling him up to triple-A at this point. Regardless, it’s a very encouraging sign from the lefty.
At the plate, the Clingstones plated three runs on five hits, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the offense from Pensacola. David McCabe launched a solo homer on the night, while Logan Braunschweig went 2-2 with a double and a run scored and a walk to his credit as well.
In what is one of the more unique box score you’ll see, Columbus won game two of their doubleheader by tallying just one hit on the night.
Drue Hackenburg got the stat in this one and put up a competitive performance as he limited Pensacola to just one run on three hits while issuing one walk and striking out four.
Limiting the damage to just the one run proved to be consequential as the Clingstones scored just enough at two runs to get the win — despite getting just one hit.
The lone knock came off the bat of David McCabe who homered — and also left the yard in game one — to give him two home runs on the day. Ironically, McCabe’s homer came in the bottom of the first inning, meaning Columbus was held hitless for the next six innings, but still managed to get the win.
(31-27) Rome Emperors 8, (42-16) Bowling Green Hot Rods 3
All in all, Rome dominated what is a very talented Bowling Green team on Wednesday afternoon.
Rome got on the board first in this one thanks to some nifty baserunning — and a bit of defensive misfortune from Bowling Green.
In the top of the first, John Gil doubled on a groundball into the left field corner to give Rome their first basrunner. Gil proceeded to steal third base — his 29th of the year — and, after the throw sailed wide of the Hot Rods third baseman, Gil trotted across the plate to give the Emperors an early 1-0 lead.
Isaiah Drake — more on him later — also doubled in the inning, but the Emperors failed to bring him home.
Rome wasted no time in adding on to their lead as they plated three more runs in the top of the second frame.
After Owen Carey reached via dropped third strike, Mac Guscette was hit by a pitch to put a runner in scoring position. Tate Southisene proceeded to double over the center fielders head for his first and second RBI at the high-A level while also extending the lead to 3-1.
Once again, Gil came through, this time with an RBI-single into left field again to plate Southisene and make it a 4-1 game.
Rome tacked on another run in the fifth inning as Dalton McIntyre launched his first high-A homer for a solo shot to extend the lead to 5-1. In the very next inning, Drake got in on the action by launching an absolute moonshot on a fastball over the right field wall for a solo homer — his ninth of the season thus far — to make it a 6-1 game. But this wouldn’t be Drake’s last impression on this game.
Bowling Green got two of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth to cut the Emperors’ lead in half to 6-3.
In the top of the ninth, following an Eric Hartman double, Drake pulled a 2-0 fastball for another homer — this time a two-run blast — to extend the Rome lead to 8-3. Drake’s homer was hit so hard, the right fielder for Bowling Green didn’t move a step.
Despite hitting a batter and issuing a walk to put a runner in scoring position, Isaac Gallegos managed to limit the damage there and seal off the Rome win.
While the offense garnered most of the attention in this one, starter Cedric De Grandpre deserves his flowers for his performance. Across five innings pitched, De Grandpre struck out eight batters while holding Bowling Green to just one run on six hits in the process.
(31-28) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (22-35) Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5
Despite putting up a respectable performance in this one, Augusta fell short by a 5-2 final.
Ethan Bagwell was simply excellent as he managed to strike out eight batters across 4.1 innings. While he did give up two runs, Bagwell was dominant enough to keep the GreenJackets in the game.
It’s a nice bounceback for Bagwell who gave up six runs in 4.2 innings in his last outing. Regardless, the righty still carries an ERA of 2.95 on the year in what has been a solid beginning to his season. There’s a good chance Bagwell gets the call-up to Rome in the near future.
The GreenJackets’ offense put up decent numbers in this one as well. Conor Essenburg led the charge with a double and two walks, while Dallas Macias tallied a solo homer as well in this one. Luis Guanipa went 1-4 with an RBI to his credit as well.
For Essenburg, Wednesday marked his third double of the month as he is slashing .292/.414/.417 for June. Essenburg has been seeing the ball extremely well and has shown a solid approach at the plate for his age. He is definitely one to watch over the final few months of the season.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Xavier Neyens #9 of the Houston Astros bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (27-38) lost 2-1 (BOX SCORE)
Brown made a rehab start for Sugar Land and looked good striking out 7 batters over 5 innings allowing 2 runs, 1 earned. Gordon went 4 scoreless innings in relief. The offense got on the board in the 8th inning on a Brooks RBI single but that was it for the comeback as Sugar Land fell 2-1.
Hunter Brown, RHP: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Colton Gordon, LHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (26-33) lost 7-5 (BOX SCORE)
Mayer started for the Hooks but struggled allowed 2 runs while retiring just 2 batters. Guedez and Swanson were the next two in and they allowed 2 and 3 runs, respectively, as the Hooks found themselves down 7-0. The offense got on the board in the 5th on a Brutcher groundout. In the 7th, Whitaker connected on a solo home run. The Hooks rallied for 3 more runs in the 8th on a Schiavone 2 run home run and Whitaker groundout but the comeback fell short as the Hooks lost 7-5.
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (16-42) lost 21-0 (BOX SCORE)
Santos started for Asheville and allowed 6 runs over 3.2 innings. The bullpen really struggled allowing 10 runs as the Spartanburgers extended their lead and a position player pitched in the 8th, allowing 4 more runs. The Asheville offense struggled on the day collecting just five hits as they were shutout on Wednesday.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (27-32) won 6-5 (BOX SCORE)
Potter got the start for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 1 run over 5 innings while striking out 3 batters. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on a Luciano RBI single, Flores RBI single and Gomez groundout. Verdugo relieved Potter and allowed 3 runs in the 6th as the RidgeYaks took the lead. The Woodpeckers rallied in the 7th scoring 3 runs on an error and a Neyens 2 run double. Verdugo allowed another run in the 9th but was able to hold on for the win.
The Mariners (36-33) and the Orioles (32-37) close out their four-game set tonight at Camden Yards with Baltimore looking to even the series at two games apiece following last night’s 7-2 win. The win snapped the Orioles four-game losing streak.
Baltimore broke a scoreless game open in the sixth on a Pete Alonso home run followed by run-scoring hits from Leody Taveras and Blaze Alexander, then blew it open in the seventh when Jackson Holliday launched a grand slam to make it 7–0. Orioles starter Brandon Young was dominant, tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing just two hits while striking out five. Seattle scratched across two late runs in the eighth finishing with only four hits on the night.
Tonight’s pitching matchup features a pair of right-handers: Bryan Woo (5–4, 3.74 ERA) for Seattle versus Kyle Bradish (3–7, 3.89 ERA) for Baltimore. Woo has quietly delivered one of the steadier seasons in the Mariners’ rotation, pairing strikeout ability with a strong WHIP, while Bradish has pitched better than his record suggests although he does live a little on the edge as he does allow traffic on the bases.
From a lineup perspective, there are clear trends to watch. For Seattle, J.P. Crawford (13-for-37 over his last 10 games) highlights a lineup that’s been relatively steady over the past month. On the Baltimore side, Pete Alonso is heating up (3 HR, 7 RBI in his last 10 games). The O’s are hitting .254 as a team over its last 10 games.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Mariners vs. Orioles
Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
Time: 7:00PM EST
Site: Camden Yards
City: Baltimore, MD
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Mariners vs. Orioles
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Jackson Holliday has hit safely in 3 of his last 4 games (3-13)
Julio Rodriguez is 1-12 in this series
Leody Tavares has hit safely in 3 straight games (4-11)
Josh Naylor is riding a 6-game hitting streak (9-25)
Gunnar Henderson is 2-11 in this series
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Mariners vs. Orioles
The Orioles are 33-36 on the Run Line this season
The Mariners are 27-42 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 32 times in Seattle’s 67 games this season (32-34-3)
The OVER has cashed 39 times in the Orioles’ 69 games this season (39-27-3)
Expert picks & predictions: Mariners vs. Orioles
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Mariners and the Orioles:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Orioles on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Orioles on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 8.5
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: A.J. Ewing #9 of the New York Mets looks on during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on June 10, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets suffered another embarrassing loss to one of the teams they are chasing in the Wild Card standings. The pitching struggled all game, especially David Peterson, who gave up six runs out of the bullpen. The offense was again non-existent outside of Francisco Alvarez, who accounted for all their runs with one swing of the bat. They will now look to avoid a sweep in the series finale.
In other news, another blue and orange team managed to complete a thrilling comeback victory. Go New York, Go New York, Go.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 11: Lars Nootbaar #21 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates a home run with third base coach Ron 'Pop' Warner #75 during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It feels like Lars Nootbaar has been someone that could fit well on the Rays’ roster over the last few years. I think the timing could be right to acquire him this season if the Cardinals are willing to part ways with him. Nootbaar combines above-average on-base ability, defensive versatility, and multiple years of team control – traits the Rays consistently target. With Jonny DeLuca, Jake Fraley, and Jacob Melton all dealing with injuries, the fit between player and roster is stronger now than it has been at any point in recent years.
Nootbaar is a solid defender in a corner outfield spot and he is capable of playing center as well. His offensive profile is largely OBP driven (over .340 vs righties for his career) – making him a good fit to hit near the top of the lineup and potentially leadoff against right-handed pitchers. This could also give the Rays more flexibility with Chandler Simpson’s lineup placement. Whether Simpson remains in the leadoff spot or moves lower in the order, adding another high-OBP hitter would help lengthen the lineup against right-handed pitching.
Despite the fact that Nootbaar has been injured for a large part of the season, the cost to acquire him should be relatively high. The Cardinals are still in contention in a competitive NL Central race, and Nootbaar is under team control until 2028. So what could it cost the Rays to land Nootbaar?
I could see the Rays also needing to offer a player from the group of upper-minors prospects who are going to be Rule 5 eligible this winter. This group includes names like:
INF Cooper Kinney
1B/DH Xavier Isaac
C Tatem Levins
OF Brock Jones
OF Homer Bush Jr.
INF Brayden Taylor
1B Tre Morgan
This group contains prospects with varying levels of risk. Some project as role players or complementary pieces, while others still possess everyday upside but face enough uncertainty that the Rays may be willing to discuss them in the right deal. I think it would take a package of multiple players between the two groups listed above.
The NL playoff race will play a role in the type of package the Rays would need to offer. It would hurt a bit to lose a player from the first group and another from that second group, so that’s a good signal that it would be enough to land someone as valuable as Nootbaar.
A package built around one prospect from the first group and another from the second would sting, which is usually a sign that the deal is in the right neighborhood. Nootbaar is a controllable everyday player who fits the Rays’ current roster, and acquiring that type of talent generally requires giving up prospects with a legitimate chance to contribute in the majors.
The Dodgers took a big lump Wednesday in Pittsburgh, losing a close game that was an Ohtani start in which he surrendered his first inning of multiple runs. And as always, there are always more bumps in the road.
Will Smith will be hitting the injured list, after his lingering neck issue isn’t getting better fast enough to return to the field. The Dodgers primary backstop has been out of the lineup since he was pulled in Saturday’s game.
Daulton Rushing was already slated to pitch all three games in Pittsburgh, and the Dodgers cleared a roster spot on Wednesday by releasing utility player Tyler Fitzgerald.
The Dodgers have two options in Triple-A, Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson.
“We had Chuckie last year, and we had Eliezer all spring,” Roberts said. “So both those guys are confident. They’re kind of a little older, so they’ve been around, and we’re very familiar with both those guys, so it should be pretty seamless.”
The Dodgers chose Robinson, and he is expected to be in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
Maddie Lee of the L.A. Times has more details on the logistics here.
Freddie Freeman collected his 2500th hit on Tuesday, and now has his sights set on 3000. But, he acknowledges that it might not be in the cards.
Three big things could stand in his way – his age, his want to spend more time with his family, especially now having a newborn at home, and that another certain player will be occupying the DH position for the Dodgers for quite awhile.
“Over the last year or two, 3,000 is a number that I would love to get to. But I have one more year under contract. There’s still a lot of other factors that go into it. I have four kids now. We have to see what’s going on there. But I would love to get to 3,000 hits. I would love to. I’m not going to deny that. But do I know if I’m going to get there? I don’t know. But we’ll start the trek tomorrow and we’ll see if we can get some more numbers and we’ll see if people still want me to play after 2027.”
Only 33 players currently have more than 3,00o hits. Bill Plunkett of the OC Register discusses other implications of chasing that number here.
Jack Harris of the California Post has some more quotes from the multi-time All-Star on where his head is at at this point in his career.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 25: Brycen Mautz #52 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, May 25, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Monday, I covered the position player depth. My bad on not including Thomas Saggese at shortstop. Even though I think I’m lower on his defense there than most, the Cardinals do clearly consider him SS depth, so he should have been listed. Today, I want to address the pitching depth. I’ll take a different approach with the pitching.
First, let’s talk about the ideal pitching depth heading into a season. For your #1, you want somebody where there’s not a debate that they’re an ace. This hasn’t been a thing for the Cardinals since the 2nd half of 2019, and then Jack Flaherty got hurt. Before that, it was probably Adam Wainwright once Chris Carpenter retired. It’s been a minute. (Carlos Martinez topped out at 3.3 fWAR, so I think he falls short of this standard)
For your #2, think Tyler Glasnow as the prototype. The unreliable “ace” if you will. I actually think the last month or so of Dustin May is pretty much this. We can’t really trust him, but he’s pitching like an ace. The true ideal is of course having both Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, but one thing at a time here. Your #3 is…. Michael McGreevy honestly. He’s exactly what I imagine a perfect #3 to be. Someone whose numbers will probably be more reflective of a #2 because of the amount of innings they pitch.
And then your #4 is your hotshot prospect who hasn’t quite put it together yet, and your #5 is the 2026 version of an innings eater. I say 2026 version, because this pitcher will get taken out fairly early in the game sometimes just because taking him out helps you win, but if you’re blowing out a team, they’ll probably go 6. If they get roughed up early, they’ll still throw 5 innings. The Cardinals have my ideal #5 too: Andre Pallante. I wish he was more fun to watch, because yeah he’s a perfect #5 starter.
He’s not a hotshot prospect, but Kyle Leahy’s season is kind of like what I’d expect a season from said hotshot prospect looks like. Can’t quite make it through 3rd time through the order, shows flashes. Leahy is 29 so it’s very much not the same and I still expect him to move to the bullpen, but his season is more or less the expectation for a first-time pitcher.
Again, I’m speaking in generalizations and rarely will a starting rotation look like my ideal rotation. Matthew Liberatore doesn’t fit neatly into my categories right now, but I would say the fully realized Liberatore, if it ever comes, looks a lot like my #3. If he manages that, good chance between McGreevy and Liberatore, you still get a #2 production out of one of them. Hunter Dobbins is in the same boat. He might fit my #3 definition, he might fit my #5 definition.
Behind this group is an MLB ready starter who you want in the major leagues, but nobody has gotten hurt yet. Hunter Dobbins this year, Michael McGreevy last year. Unfortunately, a lot of times in this plan, your sixth starter will look better than at least one of your top five, but it’s just kind of a necessary safeguard in today’s game. On Opening Day, I want there to be at least one starting pitcher in Memphis who I really wish was in St. Louis. You’ve crafted good depth if that’s the case.
Your 7th guy on the depth chart has extensive AAA experience and even if you don’t think they’re quite ready, they’ve been in AAA long enough that they’d probably still benefit from MLB starts. You don’t consider it rushing. Think Quinn Mathews. If Mathews had to be added to the 40 man before the season, he’d have probably made his MLB debut already. And lastly, your 8 and 9 guys on the depth chart are legitimate pitching prospects who you hope will be ready by midseason. One of their seasons will go well, the others will not. Think Ixan Henderson and Brycen Mautz.
So, you have your ace, your flawed ace, your bulk inning #3, your struggling prospect, and your innings eater. Your 6th guy is ready right now, and maybe he fits the bulk inning role, maybe he fits the struggling prospect role. You have your experienced AAA starter, and then two pitching prospects at least a half season away (and probably more than that). And I’m not willing to define depth beyond that.
So going forward, let’s try to map out possibilities. You already have my picture of the 2026 depth, so let’s look beyond 2026. For this exercise, we will act like the Cardinals will make no free agent signings or trades. That’s a good way to get a picture of the depth. And then we might know if we need free agents or trades. After the player’s name will be their service time entering that season.
2027
Possible projected rotation: Matthew Liberatore (3.144), Michael McGreevy (1.091), Andre Pallante (4.145), Hunter Dobbins (1.131)*, Quinn Mathews (0.030)*
6th guy: Richard Fitts (0.164)
Yes, I will once again point out I am not a Kyle Leahy in the rotation believer. I’m moving him back to the bullpen for 2027. I’m probably trading Andre Pallante, just because Dobbins and Fitts seem like natural replacements for him. I’m signing and/or trading for a starting pitcher, one who is better than Michael McGreevy. But again this is a depth exercise. If they don’t actually get another starter, I think Pallante would have to come back unless you’re rolling with Liam Doyle on Opening Day.
Other starters to see MLB time: Tekoah Roby, Ixan Henderson, Pete Hansen, Brycen Mautz, Liam Doyle, Cooper Hjerpe
Using purely internal depth is not so great for ceiling in 2027 specifically, but the pitching depth at large looks extremely strong. I’m listing Hjerpe because some of you believe in him, so that was an attempt to leave my bias out of it. But yeah my personal expectation is 100 percent in the bullpen. I feel comfortable not listing Tink Hence as SP depth at the moment unfortunately. I think Mautz has a good opportunity to put himself in the 6th guy role too for 2027. They could make some trades to clear out the clutter a little if they want. Of course injuries usually solves these issues.
*I am speculating on the service time of Dobbins and Mathews. Dobbins would need to not get sent down again to reach that number, but the important info is between 1 and 2 years of service. Same for Mathews: I expect a little MLB service time.
2028
Possible projected rotation: Matthew Liberatore (4.144), Michael McGreevy (2.091), Hunter Dobbins/Richard Fitts, Quinn Mathews (1.030), Liam Doyle (0.030)
6th guy: Jurrangelo Cjintje
Other starters to see MLB time: Brycen Mautz, Braden Davis, Mason Molina, Tanner Franklin, Jacob Odle, Brandon Clarke
And I just realized how impossible this exercise is. I think Tekoah Roby to the bullpen is a safe bet, but between him, Clarke and Hjerpe, I mean one of those dudes will stick at starter. That I happen to believe it will be Roby is almost irrelevant. But I realized crafting this rotation that there’s going to be a prospect I have to ignore. Then there’s the fact that Franklin might be ready by 2028 too. Are we still going to be messing with Hunter Dobbins or Richard Fitts in the rotation if the potential of Franklin, Doyle, Roby, Clarke, and Hjerpe is still starting at this point? Probably not right? But they have a bunch of team control.
Anyway, I definitely don’t think Pallante lasts until 2028. He’s eligible for free agency after the 2028 season. I think the version of Liberatore who pans out is safe until 2028, just because in this version, he’s a stable hand and you want a stable hand in the rotation. Maybe when players like Doyle and Franklin establish themselves more fully, that’s the point where you look for a trade.
2029
Possible projection rotation: Michael McGreevy (3.091), Quinn Mathews (2.030), Liam Doyle (1.030), Jurrangelo Cjintje (1.040), Tanner Franklin (0.050)
6th guy: Yhoiker Fajardo
We’re in pick a name of out of a hat status here, but if the pitching prospects remotely go the way the Cardinals want them to go, I think Liberatore is traded before the 2029 season. I think Liberatore is safe for next season, somewhat in danger after, but I don’t think enough names will be established by the beginning of the 2028 season and then either he has taken a leap forward or he’s in that #3/#5 and is someone you can trade. Or he gets injured like every other pitcher. Who knows? But yeah the names at this point aren’t specifically important, pick whoever your favorite prospects are. The high potential starting pitching prospects are either in the starting rotation or full-time relievers by 2029 though. Or traded honestly.
And I’ll stop there, because there’s just too many directions this could go. But that gives a pretty good picture of how much this depth may stack up in the upcoming years and it’ll be interesting to see who sticks at starter, who moves to the bullpen, who is traded, who flames out. It’s important to remember: no so such thing as too many pitching prospects. Which is a good thing to remind oneself looking at the Cardinals’ system, because there are a lot of them.
From left, Detroit Tigers pitchers Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Framber Valdez, Tarik Skubal and Justin Verlander during Valdez’s introductory press conference at the 34 Club of Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Troy Melton has returned to the fold with three good starts. Tarik Skubal rehabbed in West Michigan successfully on Sunday and may be ready to assume his rightful place atop the Detroit Tigers rotation by this weekend. Casey Mize made a rehab start in Clearwater at the Single-A level on Tuesday with the Lakeland Flying Tigers and seems likely to return either immediately or after one more rehab outing this weekend. And finally, Justin Verlander made a second Triple-A level rehab start in Toledo on Wednesday. At the risk of counting our chickens before they hatch, the club appears set to be back to full strength in the starting rotation over the next two weeks. Deploying all this pitching successfully will be crucial to powering the run they need to go on to get back in the thick of the playoff picture.
Fortunately for the Tigers, not only have they shown signs of life with wins in six of their last eight games, but they’re getting healthy, and apart from the top few teams the American League is still in relative shambles. Only five of the fifteen clubs are over the .500 mark, and even the White Sox, Guardians, and Mariners are only just above that line. Even after one of the worst months in franchise history, the Tigers are only 5.5 games out in the chase for the final AL Wild Card berth. The issue is that they’re only ahead of the Angels in the standings, so they have to outplay quite a few teams by a wide margin to catch up.
The 28-40 Tigers have 45 games left ahead of them until the August 3, 6:00 p.m. ET trade deadline. Sure, there are all sorts of ways this could play out, but fundamentally that 45 game span sets a limit for how long the club has to convincingly get into the playoff picture before they decide to sell, buy, or both at the trade deadline.
So none of this is to suggest that the Tigers are likely to catch fire for a sustained stretch and really get themselves back into contention. More than likely the decisions at the deadline will be pretty difficult with the Tigers not out of it, but still not holding a wild card berth. They’re a longshot now, but a comeback certainly looks less improbable than it did a week ago. They do appear to have both Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize on track to return by the middle of the month. If they’re pitching really well that’s great for their trade value, but it also probably means that the Tigers are making up ground and will having a tougher decision on whether to sell than they do at the moment.
Right now, the focus has to be on resetting this roster. The Tigers could really use an upgrade somewhere on the bench and at the back of their lineup. But first and foremost they need to figure out how to organize their pitching staff.
The first part is extremely simple. You plug Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize back into the rotation at first opportunity. With their top three starters re-established in the rotation, the Tigers are a much more formidable team to deal with, and their presence will finally allow their bullpen to get in some kind of consistent shape and usage patterns again.
The hard part, is deciding who gets the last two spots in the starting rotation, and who goes to the bullpen or down to Toledo. With Kenley Jansen rehabbing and probably only one more outing from returning to the Tigers by the beginning of next week, the spots are a bit limited, and the return of Skubal, Mize, and Verlander is going to push a few arms into the bullpen anyway.
Justin Verlander
This is the really tough call. After missing two months with left hip inflammation, the future Hall of Famer and Tigers’ legend has now made two starts with the Toledo Mud Hens, building up to 86 pitches on Wednesday. Assuming the hip doesn’t flare up in his recovery work on Thursday and Friday, Verlander appears to be healthy and ready to go in that sense, but he also doesn’t look ready to handle major league hitters yet either.
Verlander allowed four solo home runs and some other very hard contact from the St. Paul Saints on Wednesday. His fourseam fastball averaged 92.9 mph, topping out at 95.5 mph, and while it still has above average riding life, Verlander has below average extension these days as well. He struggled a bit with his slider, and perhaps was throwing it in some odd counts just trying to dial it in, but against a Triple-A lineup, he only collected one whiff on it, while getting four on the fastball. Not really what you want to see.
This just isn’t going to cut it in the big leagues, especially considering that one of Melton or Montero will have to move out of the rotation to accomodate him. If they decide to give Verlander a few starts and he struggles, they may be responsible for blowing up their already poor chances of getting into contention by August 3. Putting him in the pen to see if that helps him get it going is the alternate move, but the Tigers may well simply have to cut bait if it’s not going well. That will require some fortitude, because cutting Verlander won’t be an easy conversation, nor will a conversation about moving to the bullpen.
Don’t be surprised if the Tigers aren’t quite convinced that Verlander is back to full strength just yet, despite the pitch count on Wednesday. The obvious move is to schedule one more rehab start to put the decision off a bit longer and see if he can get it going. It’s possible that he just needs another outing or two to get dialed in after two months on the injured list, but he’ll have to show sharper stuff to convince anyone that he should be rejoining the starting rotation and moving one the following pitchers to the bullpen. Skubal and Mize are already on track to push two of this group to the pen anyway.
Jack Flaherty
For a while, it looked like Jack Flaherty was going to have to move to the bullpen as well. It’s certainly an open question as he’s been better of late but still mediocre overall. Going back to May 1, the right-hander has allowed three or more runs in all but two of his eight starts. He’s pulled it together enough to avoid the big blow-ups lately, and he’s gotten the walks well under control over the last five starts, but there’s no telling what might come. If Flaherty strung together eight good starts in a row, it wouldn’t be shocking. It also wouldn’t be shocking if he got shelled out of a starting role in the next few weeks.
Flaherty has probably earned himself a little more leash for now, but if things start falling apart again, a move to the bullpen is indicated. For all his troubles this year, Flaherty still holds a 26.3 percent strikeout rate and a 4.12 FIP. He gets plenty of whiffs and has kept the home runs under control. In the bullpen, he could sit 95 mph, strike a lot of guys out, and if he starts to lose the strikezone you just call in the next reliever up in the pen.
Keider Montero
Between Verlander, Flaherty, and Keider Montero, it is Montero who has the best argument to stay in the rotation. The long-overlooked right-hander has once again emerged as a real godsend when the Tigers needed him, and yet he continues to be treated like a sidenote in their plans.
Montero has been an absolute workhorse since he was in rookie ball. He doesn’t miss starts, and that proven durability and his relentless strike throwing this season are his best arguments for staying in the rotation. The more mature approach he’s featured this season has been noticeable, and you’d hate to see him moved to the bullpen just as he’s navigating lineups more effectively and gaining confidence in his ability to attack hitters and pitch efficiently deep in games.
Montero’s 3.95 ERA and 4.16 FIP both say he’s the best of this group. Sure, we’d like more strikeouts, but Verlander nor Troy Melton are striking out any more than Montero. Unlike those two, Montero also has a very good changeup to help combat platoon splits and keep left-handed hitters in check. He does need to generate more whiffs, and his tendency toward more and more fly balls against him is a concern as the weather heats up, but again, you could say the same for Verlander or Melton. Montero has always been overlooked, and yet he continues to show up for the Tigers and improve. They’d be in even bigger trouble without him and you’d hate to see that rewarded with a move to the bullpen in a season where it feels like he’s putting his complete game together.
Troy Melton
Melton has only made four starts since returning from the injured list after forearm inflammation early in camp saw the Tigers take no chances and immediately put him on the 60-day injured list to make sure he was 100 percent before he returned. The right-hander throws hard, and he has a good cutter/slider combination. His splitter remains too inconsistent to be a factor, and until he conquers that issue, he’s best deployed in the bullpen.
Sure, Melton holds a 2.81 ERA in those four starts, but his relatively meager strikeout rates as a starter in the big league tell a different story. So far, he’s only struck out 13.7 percent of hitters faced. We can expect that to improve as he settles into his routine, but despite good velocity and great extension, his fastball remains fairly hittable in the zone. Combine that issue with the fact that he can’t command his splitter and is vulnerable to left-handed hitters as a result, and you have a pretty good case for putting him in the pen and letting him air out the heater to 98-99 mph, where it is a plus pitch that gets whiffs.
Long-term, Melton probably has to be part of the Tigers’ rotation plans, but it can wait for now. If they end up trading starting pitching at the deadline, Melton will likely stretch out and take over one of those spots anyway. For now, the bullpen could certainly use a killer, and Melton at peak velocity and with his chill demeanor, has some closer vibes.
Ty Madden
After a lost season in 2025 due to a shoulder injury, the 26-year-old Madden has also pitched pretty well for the Tigers in a pinch. He’s striking out 26.8 percent of hitters with a 2.60 ERA and a 3.28 FIP across 17.1 innings of work. Walks have remained an issue for him, and even in Toledo this season they were a problem, but he’s managed to avoid them since his call-up at the beginning of May despite getting sent back down to Toledo for a start late in the month before returning.
Madden is coming off a lost year, and my feeling is that letting him remain a starter might be the best way to help him build back to full strength. He used to sit 95 mph and touch 99-100, but we haven’t seen that since the injuries started to bite him. His fastball shape is very hittable, and that’s also been the issue with him as a prospect. He shows some signs of working on that, occasionally popping 18-19 inches of induced vertical break before losing that release feel again and returning to his usual pedestrian numbers. Maybe that can keep developing if he’s pitching on regular rest every fifth day in Toledo for a while.
On the other hand, Madden has a six-pitch mix and has learned to use that advantage to better handle hitters on either side of the plate. He packs a cutter, slider, curveball to go with the fourseam-sinker combo, and his splitter is a little more reliable than Melton’s at this point. All of this argues that he should be the one to stay stretched out in case of further injury trouble.
These decisions may decide the Tigers fate
The decisions that Scott Harris, GM Jeff Greenberg, and manager A.J. Hinch make about the pitching staff in the next week or two are going to be crucial. The decisions they make at the trade deadline may well be the deciding ones in the current front office’s tenure running the Detroit Tigers. The pressure cooker is real, and in their current circumstances, the room for error is non-existant.
Let’s say the rotation becomes Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Casey Mize, Jack Flaherty, and Justin Verlander, as initially intended. Those are big decisions to keep Flaherty and Verlander starting, and move Melton and Montero to the pen. They really can’t waste their innings in Toledo.
With Kenley Jansen nearing a return, the rest of the bullpen could look like this.
Will Vest
Kyle Finnegan
Drew Anderson
Tyler Holton
Enmanuel de Jesus
Keider Montero
Troy Melton
If we presume that Skubal and Mize will get back to full strength in relative order, the rotation is going to be better no matter who occupies the final two spots. Moving two starters like Melton and Montero adds up to a much improved bullpen, especially if they get back to a full-on matchup strategy again and don’t just reflexively have Kenley Jansen close games. The Tigers are missing Brant Hurter, but Montero and Anderson’s ability to handle left-handed hitters helps balance things out as well. The length available from former starters with Montero and Melton added to the mix should also help them to cut Flaherty and Verlander’s outings short as needed. Drew Sommers, Beau Brieske, and Brenan Hanifee would then return to Triple-A Toledo. Both Sommers and Brieske need to lock in their command to be effective anyway.
Were the Tigers to keep one of Melton or Montero in the rotation, moving Flaherty or perhaps Verlander to the pen, that’s a pretty interesting debate between the two young starters. I lean toward Montero staying in the rotation, but there are good arguments on both sides. There are also decent reasons to keep Flaherty starting for a while longer to see if a deeper pen and a quicker hook helps get more out him. On the other hand, Flaherty would probably do well in the bullpen, but sometimes that transition is pretty difficult.
The Verlander decisions are not easy because of the circumstance, but the Tigers really cannot afford to give him 4-5 starts just to see if he can get rolling. Whatever they decide, that decision can’t wait through a month of poor starts just because he’s Justin Verlander.
What I think is a must, is that Montero and Melton stay in the major leagues. Wasting either one of them in Triple-A just to stay stretched out in case of an injury is absolutely not the right move. With Madden I think there’s more of a case to let him keep getting starting reps under his belt, especially if they’re adding Montero and Melton to the bullpen. After a year away, Madden could use the reps, and if he can just stay healthy and solidify his progress this year he has plenty of future ahead with the Detroit Tigers.
Of course, we’ve already gotten a crash course in how plans can go awry this season. Further injuries might make some of these decisions for the club by the time everyone is actually healthy and ready to go. Skubal appears to be on track to return this weekend, while Mize, Verlander, and Jansen are still a bit more up in the air. What is perfectly clear, however, is that how they deploy their pitching staff at full strength is going to be crucial to their chances of catching fire and gaining enough ground in the standings to avoid an obvious sell-off situation at the trade deadline.
If they can get into good position, maybe they don’t sell. Mediocre position, a few games out of a playoff spot? Maybe you sell to a degree, but get major league ready pitching and look to sneak into the playoffs with a surge in August and September anyway even if it does come down to trading Tarik Skubal. Bad position? It’s time to commit to trading most of their veterans and start reshaping the club for 2027 and beyond.
Obviously there are still all sorts of different ways this season could play out. Baseball will baseball. The trade deadline just limits how long the club has to turn things around and affect the way management approaches it. Whatever comes, the strange, unfortunate drama of the early 2026 season is now into a crucial stretch that might decide not just this season, but several seasons down the road. Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg better stack up a lot of smart decisions over the next eight weeks, and some of them are likely to be painful ones.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies leaves the game with medical staff in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Digging deeper than that and looking at the organization as a whole, however, shows that the injury trend extends beyond the major-league club.
Of the 285 players in the Rockies organization, currently 54 of them are on the injured list. That means almost one-fifth of the entire organization’s entire player populace that is unavailable right now.
With publicly available information, it is impossible to forecast with an accuracy the total number of games these players will miss. But with some rough napkin math, it’s obvious that the Rockies will be much further up the games missed leaderboard this season than they have been the past couple.
Chase Dollander is generally considered the pitcher with highest ceiling in the entire organization, and he appeared to have turned a corner against major-league hitting to start the season.
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) is has the most star potential of any player in the organization and was in the midst of a strong start to what would have been his first full season in professional baseball.
There are more injured players, but you get the point: Losing players to injury impacts both the short- and long-term future of the organization even in a season in which there are no real expectations to win.
Since 2024, six of the ten teams that lost the most MLB days to the IL have made the playoffs at least once in that time. Meanwhile, among the teams that had the fewest days missed are the Rockies and other recent poor-performing teams such, as the Los Angeles Angles, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Nationals.
This is not to say, that teams should be trying to have more injuries, just that the correlation between success and injuries is not simple.
With the Rockies front office turnover this offseason, it’s fair to wonder whether this recent uptick in injuries could be tied to that changing of the guard.
Even if there is not some concerted effort towards more risky behavior, it’s possible that an uptick in injuries is a downstream effect of some innocuous process changes. Another possibility is that the new personnel are more aggressive with monitoring for injuries and officially utilizing the injured list in a way that the previous regime may have just unofficially benched players.
In a game fueled by numbers, it is tantalizing to try and ascribe meaning to them. It is natural to look at trends and formulate an explanation. When zooming in closer to the context of the individual events that those numbers and trends are collating, however, it is sometimes hard to reconcile those big-picture theories with the messiness of the small data.
Mickey Moniak landing awkwardly when making a catch against the outfield wall and hurting his ankle isn’t a the result of any process change. Tyler Freeman getting hit in the head by a fastball certainly wasn’t anything but awful luck.
The signal of an injury spike is messy and complicated both in its potential causes as well as its ramifications for the team. If the recent uptick in Rockies players getting hurt becomes a years-long trend, then we can responsibly try and find a cause. For now, we’re best off just taking the news of each injury in on its own merits and hoping for the best.
The Albuquerque Isotopes struggled to get anything going against the Rainiers (SEA) after the first inning tonight. 2B Vimael Machín singled to score Drew Avans with two outs, and that was it. The Topes were limited to five hits and struck out 11 times. Five players had one hit, but none had more than one. DH Kyle McCann went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
Pitching wise, Valente Bellozo threw three innings and gave up seven runs, all earned, on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. He also gave up two home runs — a two-run show in the first and a three-run shot in the third. He took the loss, and is 0-6 with an 8.83 ERA on the season. Evan Shawver gave up another run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Jimmy Herget made his first rehab appearance, and gave up two runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout in 0.2 innings. Both runs came on a two-run homer by Hogan Windish in the seventh inning. And TJ Shook made his first appearance since being optioned, pitching the final 1.1 innings and allowing one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Double-A: The Yard Goats had a double header last night!
In Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Yard Goats came out on top. New Hampshire (TOR) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when catcher Aaron Parker hit a two-run homer, but the Yard Goats chipped away with one run in the third and then tacked on three in the sixth. The Fisher Cats scored again in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.
Dyan Jorge hit a sac fly in the third to score the single run. In the sixth, things got going with a Zach Kokoska RBI groundout, then Benny Montgomery doubled to score Bryant Betancourt and Cole Messina (No. 26 PuRP). All three runs were charged to Konner Eaton (No. 28 PuRP), who came out on top after throwing 6.1 innings and allowing just two hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
The Yard Goats weren’t as lucky in the second game, as they gave up taco’s. New Hampshire put up a four spot in the third — one run on an RBI single by Jay Harry, and the other three on a three-run homer by Victor Arias. Eddie Micheletti hit a two-run homer in the sixth to run up the score 6-0, but then Cole Messina doubled to score the Goats’ first run. Jose Torres then singled to score Jimmy Obertop and Messina, which cut the score in half. In the fifth, Jackson Hornung singled to score Arias, which was the final score for the Cats. Messina hit a two-RBI single in the sixth, but it wasn’t quite enough and the Goats fell 7-5.
Pitching wise, Davison Palermo took the brunt of it. He pitched three innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Cade Denton came in next, allowing three runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts in two innings. Fidel Ulloa finished with a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
It was a back-and-forth affair in Spokane, but the Indians trounced the Emeralds (SF) 10-9. Spokane struck first when Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP) homered. But then Zander Darby singled to tie things in the bottom of the second. Eugene scored again in the fourth and fifth, but then Kevin Fitzer hit a two-run homer in the sixth to put the Indians back on top. Lisbel Díaz homered to put Eugene up 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth, and then Roynier Hernandez singled to tie things up in the seventh. Jack O’Dowd then followed that up with a three-run homer to blow it open 8-5, but then Jakob Christian hit a grand slam to put Eugene up again 9-8. In the eighth, Kelvin Hidalgo doubled to score Juan Castillo and tie it at 9, but then Tommy Hopfe singled to score Hidalgo and end the game.
Austin Strickland took the brunt of it on the pitching side, giving up six runs on seven hits with one strikeout in just two innings of work. But starter Niko Mazza gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits with six strikeouts in his 5.1 innings of work.
Visalia (AZ) jumped out to an early lead in the first three innings and never yielded. Carlos Virahonda homered in the first to put them up 2-0. In the second, JD Dix hit an RBI groundout and then Virahonda was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to put the Rawhide up 4-0. In the third, Pedro Blanco homered.
The Grizzlies scored just once in the fourth, when Roldy Brito (No 11 PuRP) grounded out to score Cameron Nelson.
Grizzlies’ starter Austin Nelson threw just 2.2 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits with four walks and a strikeout. Bryson Van Sickle threw 3.1 scoreless innings, striking out four. And Jhon Medina allowed just one hit over two innings with a walk and two strikeouts.
The most exciting Rockies related news this week has obviously been the call up of No. 4 PuRP Cole Carrigg. On Purple Row, Renee Dechert wrote up excerpts from Carrigg’s pre-debut media availability yesterday and Patrick Lyons follows that up with this piece in which he dives into Carrigg’s debut and the adjustments the team had him working on in the minors before the call up.
The Rockies made a couple of very low profile moves on Monday in order to increase depth at the minor league level. Matt Postins takes a look at the Rockies newest farmhands and digs into what they can reasonably be expected to provide moving forward.
Davy Andrews looked into the connection between locations that catchers are able to frame pitches well and the locations that catchers have had ABS challenge success on. The basic conclusion is that there is potentially an inverse relationship between the zones where a catcher is better at framing vs challenging. It’s a quick, interesting read that I mostly call out because it sheds light on the fact that Hunter Goodman does his best pitch framing at the top and arm sides of the zone.
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 10: Cleveland Guardians pitcher Codi Heuer (50) hands the baseball to Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) as he leaves the game during the seventh inning of the Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on June 10, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cleveland Guardians were swept by the New York Yankees at home yesterday. Nick has the recap of the frustrating loss. With said loss, the Chicago White Sox have taken first place of the AL Central. The Guards are off today and welcome the Detroit Tigers to Cleveland in a three game weekend series.
Quincy wrote about the state of this team this month. He highlighted a fact that many Guardians fans are keeping an eye on. The notable absence of Cooper Ingle and Kahlil Watson from the Clippers line up yesterday.
Instinct tells me we’re being unrealistic in expect either to get called up, but I’m choosing to continue to hope that the moves the front office has made thus far is a regularity, not a blip.
Luke Hill continues to garner the attention of MLB, being named Cleveland’s top performer from last year’s draft.
Around the League (and Beyond)
Max Scherzer recorded his 3500th career strike out.
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League kicked off its second season this week. MLB released a FAQ about the AUSL. The league can be watched on MLB.tv, ESPN, and MLB Network.
MIN vs 
DET
STL vs 
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PIT
