Category: MLB

What a fun way to kick off tonight’s update! With 20 of 21 players from the draft now having signed, the White Sox released footage of the 2026 draft class working out during Draft Camp in Charlotte:

With the future looking solid, let’s take our usual biweekly look at how each affiliate has started out their second halves:

• The Triple-A Charlotte Knights have started their second half slowly, at 8-12. Normally, that would be cause for rejoicing, but having just logged nearly the best first half of all the affiliates, it’s a disappointment. And through three weeks of play there is considerable parity in the International League, the Knights are stuck in the same division with current opponent the Durham Bulls, who are riding high at 14-4 and sit seven games up on Charlotte at the moment.
• The bad news is that in Double-A, the Birmingham Barons are continuing to play poorly, again with the worst record of all the full-season affiliates, at 7-13. The good news is that Southern League parity puts the Barons just four games behind in the division race. Theoretically, there is still some hope in Alabama.
• With the Winston-Salem Dash and the High-A South Atlantic League is where things get interesting. The Dash are out of the gate at 12-11, three games off of the pace. But the good news is as long as it’s the first-half champs the Bowling Green Hot Rods leading the Sally South, W-S merely needs to finish in second place to make the playoffs, and in that race it trails by just two games.
• Circumstances are similar for the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, but the possible outcome is not so generous. The CBs are out of the gate at 13-10, good for a second-place tie. However, Astros affiliate the Hickory Crawdads have gotten off to a 17-6 start, so it’s an uphill climb for Kanny, who already are four games out of first place.
• Rookie leagues don’t play split seasons. The good news for the ACL White Sox is that they are no longer the worst of the 15-team Arizona Complex League (the A’s, 16-39); the bad news is they are just a half-game out of the basement, at 17-39.
• Our DSL White Sox warriors are hardly doing better, at 11-22 and in last place in the seven-team DSL Southwest. They are, per tradition, the seventh-worst team in the 52-member Dominican Summer League.

Charlotte Knights 7, Durham Bulls 5
The Durham Bulls were uncharacteristically bad in the first half of the season, including possibly being swept by the Knights (sorry, not checking but it was at least eight straight Charlotte wins vs. Durham to start things in 2026). But at this point, Durham remembered it was a Tampa Rays affiliate and bucked up appropriately, leading the division three weeks in.

But tonight, a four-run second inning keyed by an RBI stand-up triple from Rikuu Nishida paced yet another win for Charlotte (50-45) over Durham. This deep fly and scampering hustle from the everywhere man held up as the game-winning RBI, giving the Knights a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish:

You might even say it was the Nishida show tonight, as he added a safety squeeze in the fourth inning and pocketed three total driven in:

Michael Turner is also smelling blood in the water on the South Side, making his case for call-up with a three-hit night and gunning down 1-of-2 base-stealers on the night. Turner’s victim? Former No. 4 overall White Sox pick Nick Madrigal.

A player even more on the radar for a call-up, Shane Smith, made his second start back from injury with Charlotte, and it was not a good one. Smith surrendered three earned in 3 1/3 innings, keyed by a lack of command that saw four walks, three wild pitches and two hit batsman among his 67 pitches.

MVP
Rikuu Nishida (2B-RF): 3-for-4, 3 RBI, R, 3B, BB, SB, picked off 1B, 26.9% WPA

Runners-Up
Caden Connor (RF-LF): 3-for-4, 3 R, RBI, SB, 2 hard hits, 14.7% WPA
Everson Pereira (LF): 1-for-3, RBI, LF assist at 2B, 2 hard hits, GIDP
Michael Turner (C): 3-for-5, 2B, 1-for-2 CS, 2 hard hits
Nolan Jones (CF): 2-for-5, SB
Jason Matthews (SS): 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K, SF, 2 hard hits
Javy Guerra (RHRP): IP, 2 K, SAVE (6)

Cold Cat
Shane Smith (RHSP): 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 WP, 2 HB, 32-of-67 strikes

Runners-Up
Mario Camilletti (3B): o-for-3, R, BB, K
Wikelman González (RHRP): 1 ⅓ IP, H, 3 BB, 3 K, 17-of-36 strikes

Birmingham Barons 6, Rocket City Trash Pandas 4
The Barons (33-56) never trailed in this one, but toyed with the Pandas until a four-spot right after the seventh-inning stretch broke a 2-2 tie and put the game away. And if any White Sox affiliate this season would play a mundane game on offense (four hits) but manage six runs. Wins by any means necessary will need to be Bham’s motto until it packs up the locker room for good in September.

Wherefore came the six runs? One came on an early Jacob Burke solo shot, but the decider in the seventh came courtesy of two hit-by-pitches and a walk, followed by Samuel Zavala’s grand slam:

The other major highlight came in the form of Juan Carela’s start. His first effort for Bham (and seventh of the season, after TJS) was subpar, but the righty was electric in this one. At this point, he appears to have picked up right where he left off two years ago with the Barons, and still just 24, has a bright future in the Sox org ahead of him.

MVP
Juan Carela (RHSP): 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 4 K, 20.1% WPA, 51-of-74 strikes, E

Runners-Up
Samuel Zavala (LF): 1-for-2, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 24.1% WPA
Dylan Campbell (RF): 1-for-2, R, RBI, BB, HBP, 16.9% WPA
Boston Smith (DH): 0-for-1, R, 3 BB
Jarold Rosado (RHRP): 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, R, WIN (4-3), BLOWN SAVE (2), E

Cold Cat
Jonathan Clark (RHRP): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, K, HR

Runners-Up
Alec Briley (3B): 0-for-4, 2 K
Caleb Bonemer (SS): 0-for-4, K
Anthony DePino (1B): 1-for-4, R, 2 K
Grant Magill (C): 0-for-3, 2 K
Liam Paddack (LHRP): IP, 2 H, 3 BB, K

Bowling Green Hot Rods 11, Winston-Salem Dash 3
This was a blowout, and it was over early for the Dash (50-39), but as is the norm don’t you dare blame James Taussig. Somehow, Taussig boasted the biggest WPA in the game, with a 2-for-3 night including a home run.

On the flip side, time may be running short in the White Sox career of Tommy Vail. The SSS darling, at 27, has been getting annihilated over this past month in Winston-Salem. The southpaw’s 2024 was exquisite, his 2025 pretty OK, and this 2026 is for laying down and avoiding.

MVP
James Taussig (1B): 2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K, 13.4% WPA

Runners-Up
Ryan Burrowes (2B): 2-for-5, 2B, 3 K
Arxy Hernández (1B): 1-for-3, 2B, BB, GIDP
Madison Jeffrey (RHRP): 1 1/3 IP, H, K, 11-of-14 strikes

Cold Cat
Tommy Vail (LHSP): 2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R/5 ER, BB, 5 K, LOSS (0-1), WP, BALK

Runners-Up
Kyle Lodise (SS): 1-for-5, 3 K
Jeral Perez (3B): 1-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 K, E
George Wolkow (RF): 1-for-4, 3 K
Ely Brown (CF): 1-for-4, K
Ben Hartl (C): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, 0-for-2 CS
Eddie Park (LF): 0-for-4
Drew Conover (RHRP): 2/3 IP, ER, BB, 3 K, HR, HB, 11-of-27 strikes
Jake Peppers (RHRP): 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K
Jake Bockenstedt (RHRP): IP, 2 H, ER, K

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 2
In a game that wasn’t even as close as the final score indicated (Myrtle Beach scored two garbage runs in the ninth, and Kanny led the entire way), the Cannon Ballers (46-43) struck early and pounded nails in the coffin with three runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Doing almost all of the pounding for Kannapolis was Derek Cerda, who was 3-for-3 with five RBIs; his teammates managed one hit and zero RBIs without him.

In a two-run effort, you’d imagine the pitching to be on point for the CBs, and on point it was. Alexander Martinez got the start and threw four scoreless, including five Ks.

MVP
Derek Cerda (RF): 3-for-3, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 15.3% WPA

Runners-Up
Alexander Martinez (RHSP): 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K, pickoff at 2B, 34-of-48 strikes, 16.3% WPA
Billy Carlson (SS): 0-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SB
Choyce Diffey (RHRP): 2 IP, 2 K, WIN (2-1)
Daniel Wright (RHRP): IP, K, HOLD (2), 8-of-10 strikes

Cold Cat
Adrian Gil (1B): 0-for-3, 3 K

Runners-Up
Jaden Fauske (LF): 0-for-3, R, K, HBP, SB
Javier Mogollón (DH): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB
Alexander Albertus (3B): 0-for-4, K
Steven Lancia (C): 0-for-4, 2 K, 1-for-1 CS
Nathan Archer (LF): 0-for-3, K
Jordan Morales (LHRP): 1 2/3, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K, HOLD (5)

ACL White Sox 6, ACL Padres 3 (7 innings)
Here’s something you don’t see every day: five errors in a game. OK, maybe five errors isn’t SUPER rare, but how about five errors in a game, and none of them leading to runs. It was just such an odd circumstance that helped the Complex Sox (17-39) to a decisive win over the 31-25 Padres. The White Sox conveyed nearly a run per inning via small-ball, as there was just one double sprinkled among eight hits and a whopping six stolen bases that included Osneil Castillo swiping home on a double steal. Drew Thorpe, of the TJS and emergency appendectomy Thorpes, pitched his first pro game in more than two seasons, acquitting himself nicely with two innings of one-hit, three-K ball. Welcome back, Drew!

With a return to the majors on the horizon, Luis Robert Jr. showed that he's ready to be back playing with the Mets.

The slugger blasted a two-run home run in the fourth inning of his rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday night, launching a 1-1 pitch deep over the left field wall to go up 6-2.

Syracuse would go on to win the game over the Buffalo Bisons, 15-2, as MJ Melendez homered twice and Jonah Tong allowed two runs over 5.0 IP. 

Robert played eight innings in center field, getting pinch-hit for in the bottom of the eighth inning, and finished 2-for-5 with two RBI, two runs scored, and two strikeouts. It was his first home run in Triple-A over five games, and the second HR overall since his rehab assignment (eight games) started back on June 30.

Mets interim manager Andy Greensaid earlier Saturday that Robert has been looking "better and better" and could return to the club when they travel to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the Brewers on Monday.

"Hope so, certainly hope he’s back in the mix by then," Green said. 

Prior to going on the injured list on April 30, Robert was hitting just .224 with two home runs and eight RBI over 24 games.

Luis Robert Jr. with a two-run blast for Triple-A Syracuse pic.twitter.com/WRBvoTS83K

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 19, 2026

Mariners 4, Giants 3

Jimmy Eat World attending tonight’s game: Cole Young, +0.38 WPA
The fact that Cole Young was born two years after “The Middle” was released: Josh Naylor, -0.13 WPA

Game Thread Comment of the Day

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs made the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) blue, 5-4 in ten innings.

Jordan Wicks turned in a very good start, allowing just one run on two hits over five innings. Wicks walked two and struck out six.

Paul Campbell bailed out the I-Cubs after Antoine Kelly loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Campbell got the final out of that inning, pitched a scoreless ninth and then got the win after Iowa scored four runs in the top of the tenth and Campbell only allowed three in the bottom of the inning. The final line on Campbell was three runs, two earned, on three hits over 2.1 innings. He struck out four and walked no one.

First baseman Jonathan Long had an RBI single in the tenth. He was 3 for 5.

Long later scored in the tenth on a two-run double by DH Moisés Ballesteros. Ballesteros was 1 for 4.

Left fielder Chas McCormick went 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. He also scored two runs.

A great catch by Brett Bateman in center. Bateman was 1 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.

Mo Baller’s big double.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were fried by the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 2-1.

Starter Brooks Caple gave the Smokies four scoreless innings, permitting just two hits. Caple struck out six and walked one.

Tyler Santana came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth with the score tied 1-1. He loaded the bases with two outs on two singles and an intentional walk. Santana then got a strikeout for the first out, but a sac fly to center field ended the game.

The Smokies managed just two hits. One of those hits was an RBI double by third baseman Jefferson Rojas in the fifth inning. Rojas had both Smokies hits, going 2 for 4.

The Smokies did draw six walks and were hit by a pitch once.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs fired the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 10-4.

Starter Alfredo Romero gave South Bend four scoreless innings on just three hits. He walked one and struck out four.

Adam Stone then pitched the fifth inning and retired the side in order. But for some reason, the official scorer gave the win to Cole Reynolds, who surrendered four runs on five hits over 2.2 innings. All four of the runs scored in the eighth inning. Reynolds struck out two, walked one and hit one batter.

Ethan Bell stranded two runners in the eighth and then retired the side in order in the ninth. He retired all four batters he faced, striking out two of them, while picking up the save.

Second baseman Michael Hallquist hit a two-run home run in the fourth, his second on the season. Hallquist was 2 for 3 with a sac fly, giving him three total RBI. He scored twice.

Right fielder Christian Olivo went 2 for 5 with an RBI double in the sixth and a two-run triple in the ninth. He scored one run.

Third baseman Matt Halbach went 2 for 4 and scored once.

Catcher Logan Poteet was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored two runs.

Halquist’s home run.

Olivo’s triple was a bit of a gift.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were knocked over by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 6-2.

Braylon Myers turned in a good start, but got the loss anyways. Myers gave up just one run on two hits over four innings. Myers struck out three, walked one and hit one batter.

DH Alexey Lumpuy went 1 for 3 with a double and he was hit by a pitch. He scored in the top of the ninth when the Pelicans plated both of their runs and three of their five hits.

Here’s shortstop Derniche Valdez singling home Lumpuy. Valdez went 1 for 4.

ACL Cubs

Lost to the Diamondbacks, 7-3.

The pain hasn’t gone away. It may be somewhat dulled, but it remains.

The Dodgers returning to The Bronx this weekend — their first trip here since clinching the 2024 World Series at the Stadium — is a reminder of what could have been.

“The disappointment of getting to the end and playing for it all and coming up short, that’s one of those things that leaves a scar,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees’ game against the Dodgers on Saturday was rained out and will be made up on Sunday as a split doubleheader. “You want to be in a position to be in a World Series and play for it all. We had that opportunity and came up short. So there’s pain and disappointment that comes with that, and it’s part of our baseball journey.”

That World Series only went five games but was evenly played, with the Yankees blowing leads in Game 1 and Game 5.

The Yankees were up 5-0 in the clincher, but a series of errors and misplays enabled the Dodgers to rally for the crown in the Yankees’ first trip to the Fall Classic since winning it all in 2009.

The Dodgers entered this series as owners of the best record in baseball despite a number of major injuries to the likes of Edwin Díaz, Tyler Glasnow, Will Smith and Blake Snell.

They remain the heavy favorites to not only reach the World Series again but win it for the third consecutive year.

The Yankees have plenty of their own maladies, most notably Aaron Judge’s fractured right rib.

Regardless, this could end up being a World Series preview.

“Any time we play the Dodgers, whether it’s here, whether it’s in [Los Angeles], it’s always big. It always feels big,” Boone said. “There are a lot of eyeballs on it, obviously. These are the kinds of series that I think are good for the 162-[game season]. You have the grind of the 162; you have those different series that feel a little bigger. This is one of those.”

PHILADELPHIA — As someone with no-trade protection in his contract, Bo Bichette controls whether he will remain with the Mets beyond Aug. 3.

Bichette has indicated he’s in no hurry to leave.

And yet, the third baseman stopped short Saturday of saying he would block any trade proposal that involves him.

“That hasn’t been brought to my attention right now, so I don’t have an answer,” Bichette said before the Mets lost to the Phillies 6-1 at Citizens Bank Park.

Bichette is a long shot to be traded given he can opt out of his three-year, $126 million contract after the season.

The uncertainty of his status affects his trade value.

His offensive surge over the past six weeks has increased the likelihood he will opt out.

But Bichette said he doesn’t anticipate a decision on that front until after the season.

“I signed here because I believed in the talent here and it’s exciting to play for an organization that was trying to win,” Bichette said. “The reason I signed the contract was to have freedom for my own career, so I guess it would be too early to tell.”

Bichette entered the day with an .844 OPS over his previous 36 games dating to June 3.

It’s the kind of right-handed production that would be hard to replace next season if Bichette departed.

The Mets have plenty of pitchers that figure to move before the trade deadline, but most of the position players they might look to deal have significant dollars remaining on their contracts.

Bichette was asked if the direction the organization appears headed will factor into whether he opts out of his contract.

“I think there’s a lot of positive things here, and also some things that haven’t gone right,” he said. “Obviously, that is something everybody can see, but everything will be taken into account.”

What are the positives?

“There’s a lot of young players they have brought up, a positive outlook for the future,” Bichette said. “And then on top, the organization is still trying to win. It’s not an organization that is OK being mediocre. It’s an organization that wants to win and wants to win the World Series and that is the goal. You couple that with a lot of good young players who have a really bright future. That’s a positive thing.”

The youth movement includes rookies Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, in addition to Christian Scott.

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No member of that group is expected to be available in trade talks.

Bichette began the day with a .253/.297/.372 slash line overall after sputtering into early June.

Bichette said he hasn’t spent much time wondering why his success didn’t arrive earlier.

“I can’t do anything about those first two months,” Bichette said. “I wish I had gotten off to the better start and who knows if the season would have gone differently not just for me, but for the team as a whole. I can’t do anything about it.”

Bichette knows firsthand that a turnaround for the Mets next season isn’t a far-fetched notion.

He was part of a Blue Jays team that finished last in the AL East in 2024 before going to the World Series last year.

“We had a lot of injuries [in ’24] and I was one of them,” Bichette said. “I don’t know if I have ever been this far out of [the playoff race] before, but we were definitely not in a good place.”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The second half of the 2026 season is now under way, the D-backs having played their first two games after the break at Chase Field against the Cardinals. But if this week’s poll results are anything to go by, we should likely be hoping that the rest of the season is more successful than the first. It has certainly been a very mid team. While slightly surpassing preseason expectations from the sports books, the current projected tally of 83 wins is almost in line with the average prediction of 84 wins, from the SnakePit writers back in March. There have been ups and downs, certainly, and it’s fair to say that the wins haven’t all come from the expected places.

For example, who had Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka as the two best starting pitchers? Previous form would not exactly have suggested that. But here we are, with E-Rod coming off an All-Star appearance – and one where he pitched better than the NL starter. On the other hand, there are players who haven’t been as good as expected. Ketel Marte has underperformed his usual high standards, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been a disaster, and I’m sure we don’t need to rehash the first-half autopsy report in regard to first base, designated hitter and center field. But in the final analysis, what did we think of the first half? Well, the SnakePit has spoken with (almost) one voice…

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Yeah, it’s kinda hard to argue with that conclusion. It hasn’t been a disaster, certainly. Second place in the NL West is nothing to be ashamed of, with the Diamondbacks ahead of both the Padres and Giants, despite both sides outspending Arizona by some margin. The team is still in the hunt for a wild-card spot, and it’s worth noting that theie remaining schedule is more favorable than the five teams currently ahead of them in that race. On the other hand, they’ve been outscored by the opposition, which suggests they are “lucky” to be above .500 at the break. If that’d change going forward, it would be helpful and much appreciated.

From the SnakePit point of view, “Meh” is very much the worst outcome, in terms of fan engagement. If this were the Mets, there would be an endless stream of articles to be written on how things can be fixed, who should be fired, etc. If this were the Dodgers, while the “race” for the division has all the dramatic tension of a state funeral procession, there would be a lot to celebrate, the bandwagon continuing to increase in size as we head towards the inevitable post-season. But this? There’s only so many times I can rehash the mediocrity of first-base, or remind people not to take statistics from Reno at face value.

Obviously, I’d prefer a 2023-style second half. Though that boat may already have sailed. I keep forgetting that D-backs team went into the break tied for the lead in the division, having been ahead by as many as four games in mid-June. Now, despite the very pleasant sweep of the Dodgers before the break, they still sit 11.5 games ahead of us – no other division leader is up by more than five games. It’s all going to be about the wild-card race for the next two and a half months, and hopefully the 2026 Arizona squad will be in that conversation until the final pitch of the regular season, on Sunday September 27th in San Diego.

The All-Star Game and the MLB Draft are behind us. The Rockies drafted 21 total players over the course of two days, and have signed two undrafted free agents. You can keep track of all the action here.

Earlier this week, we asked who was the best Day 1 pick for the Rockies. It was a close race, but Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson edged out UCLA right-handed pitcher Logan Reddemann for that honor.

Meanwhile, only 21% of folks said Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell — the Rockies’ first pick, 10th overall — was the best pick of the draft.

Do you agree with the results? Which player intrigues you the most from this draft? Let us know in the comments!

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Detroit Tigers (44-52) vs. Los Angeles Angels (38-60)

Time/Place: 10:07 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: N/A
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (5-4, 3.06 ERA) vs. RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-2, 7.55 ERA)

Hopefully the Nats did not get all of the runs out of their system in one night. After last night’s 23 run explosion, the Nats will look for a series win against the A’s tonight. As we saw last night, this is a hitter friendly yard and the A’s bullpen is also very hitter friendly.

With a righty on the mound, Blake Butera will make some tweaks. Luis Garcia Jr. will get his first start after the break. Dylan Crews is the only pure right handed hitter in the lineup, hitting 9th. Jose Tena, Keibert Ruiz and Jorbit Vivas will be in the lineup. Zack Littell will make his first start of the second half.

The A’s are also making a couple tweaks. Long time Met Jeff McNeil will be in the lineup in the 9 spot. Another veteran in Jonah Heim will be in the lineup, and he will be the DH. Otherwise, it is a lot of the same faces as last night. J.T. Ginn has had a breakout year and he is on the mound tonight.

Game Info:

Stadium: Sutter Health Park

Time: 10:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The late night Nats are back this evening, with a 10:05 start. If you stayed up last night, you got to see a show. Hopefully that will be the case again in this one. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Hitters at the bottom of the roster typically take at-bats in pregame sim games, essentially serving as pawns against rehabbing pitchers several hours before the start of real games.

So it felt notable that Anthony Volpe (along with Ali Sánchez) stepped into the box against Clarke Schmidt on Saturday afternoon in The Bronx.

Before the game scheduled for Saturday night was postponed by rain, Volpe was set to be out of the lineup for a second straight game.

Presuming a nod in one end of Sunday’s doubleheader, he likely will start in one game of this series; just as he started in one game of the previous series in Washington; just as he started in one game in the series at Tampa Bay that preceded Washington.

There are a pair of Shortstop Watches going on, both with George Lombard Jr. and the Yankees’ trade deadline.

But at the moment, José Caballero is separating himself as the shortstop receiving the bulk of playing time.

Manager Aaron Boone still called it a “day-to-day” situation, but there is no denying that Caballero is winning the battle most of the days.

During Friday’s series-opening loss to the Dodgers, Caballero went 0-for-4 but still contributed a pair of head-turning plays.

He robbed a hit from Kyle Tucker by ranging up the middle, gloving the ball with a lunging stab and finishing the play with a spin and throw.

Later, he made a nice basket catch in shallow center field with his back to home plate to take away a bloop single from Dalton Rushing.

His defense at shortstop has been solid, and his arm is better than Volpe’s.

Neither has hit enough to firmly seize the job, but Caballero (.688 OPS) has been the slightly better option than Volpe (.668).

That’s particularly true of late, with Volpe slashing .222/.276/.222 in his past 10 games — perhaps a reflection of a hitter’s numbers suffering amid sporadic playing time.

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“I think both guys have come in with a focus and are ready to play and all hands on deck,” Boone said after Saturday’s game was rained out. “In both cases, I feel like [they] have a very team-first attitude, and that’s the way we need it.”

There are no known plans for Volpe to see time at another position.

Boone cited Caballero’s experience as a utilityman in dictating him switching positions when a need in the outfield or at second or third base arises, leaving Volpe to play shortstop.

Those instances, though, largely have dried up since Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon returned from injury, giving the Yankees more stability and less need of a utility player.

Thus, Caballero’s time elsewhere and Volpe’s time on the field have dipped.

Such a development is significant considering the Yankees watched Volpe win the everyday shortstop job in spring training 2023 and have rarely challenged him since.

The Derek Jeter-loving New Jerseyan played in 472 of 486 games from 2023-25, a constant presence with a bat that did not develop as hoped.

It is possible that, at some point this season, Lombard becomes the new hope at shortstop.

The 21-year-old, who had begun to conquer Triple-A competition before suffering a pair of finger sprains in mid-June, returned to action Friday and went 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He also had launched a homer in each of his rehab games in the Florida Complex League, so the top prospect may be announcing that his bat is ready.

Boone said “it’s possible” that Lombard can become a factor this season and acknowledged that “we’re having those conversations internally” regarding how much the club will have to see from Lombard before a promotion — which would arrive in the midst of a playoff chase for a team with World Series hopes.

“It’s no secret how highly we think of George,” Boone said of Lombard, who could be used as a trade piece for a difference-maker, though such a blockbuster would be a surprise. “He’s just getting back now from a fairly short IL stint. Had a good game [Friday] night, obviously, and so he’s certainly more and more in his development pushing himself into the conversation.”

Last night, the Athletics kicked off the second half the same way they finished the first half, suffering an embarrassing 23-4 defeat to kick off this three-game series against the Washington Nationals.

The team’s change at pitching coach did not provide an immediate boost, as several A’s pitchers combined to allow 18 runs in another disastrous performance at Sutter Health Park.According to OptaSTATS, during this 10-game skid, the A’s have made unwanted history, becoming the first MLB team to post an OPS that low (.575) while allowing an opponent OPS that high (1.019).

Tonight, the A’s can even this series and collect just their second win of the month. Before the game, the team made several roster moves following its latest humiliating loss.

Right-handed reliever Justin Sterner, who was one of two pitchers that allowed six runs yesterday, lands on the injured list with right knee chondromalacia, otherwise known as runners knee. If that was the cause of his recent struggles, hopefully his performance will improve once he returns from the injury.

The A’s recalled right-hander Geoff Hartlieb to take his place in the bullpen. First baseman Joey Meneses was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot. The 34-year-old went 3-for-20 in nine games with the Athletics over the past few weeks. Now the club has five days to find a trade partner or place Meneses on waivers.

Speaking of trades, the A’s sent Aaron Civale, who had been designated for assignment a few days earlier, to the Chicago Cubs. The veteran pitcher returns to the team he finished the 2025 season with. In return, the “Green and Gold’ received minor-league pitcher Aiden Moffett, an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia. Moffett has struck out more than a batter per inning this season, but he has also issued 42 walks in just 22⅓ innings between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A.

Moving to tonight’s game, A’s right-hander J.T. Ginn will make his 19th start of the season. The 27-year-old enters his first outing of the second half with a 7-6 record, a 3.67 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and 93 strikeouts over 103 innings.

Ginn ended his breakout first half on a sour note. He exited his start in Detroit after four innings because of an illness. A few days later, he imploded in the A’s final game before the All-Star break against the Chicago White Sox, allowing six runs in the bottom of the first inning and erasing his team’s early 1–0 lead.

This evening, the Athletics desperately need a quality start from Ginn. He must keep the ball down in the zone, trust his sinker to generate ground-ball outs and avoid mistake pitches. That will not be easy, as the Nationals have scored the most runs in the majors, but Ginn has proven to be the one starter the A’s can consistently count on when he takes the mound.

He will face off against Nationals’ right-hander Zack Littell, who is 7-6 with a 4.90 ERA through 19 appearances, including 12 starts, in his first season in the nation’s capital. Yesterday, the A’s offense struggled against Cade Cavalli’s overpowering arsenal. Littell presents a different challenge. With just 57 strikeouts in 90 innings, he relies on keeping hitters off balance and generating weak contact rather than overpowering them. That approach has paid off recently, as the 30-year-old has pitched well over his last three appearances, though he has earned just one win during that stretch.

Littell will face off against this A’s lineup:

While the team’s pitching has received most of the criticism, its offense has also failed to meet expectations.

Catcher Shea Langeliers needs to carryover his All-Star Game performance into games that actually matter. With Henry Bolte on the bench after a tough game in the series-opener,Lawrence Butler shifts to center field. Donovan Walton gets a second straight start at second base, while Jonah Heim and Jeff McNeil make their first starts of the series.

One of the club’s top prospects, Tommy White, is out of the starting lineup after making his MLB debut and collecting his first hit last night. Given the A’s record and the absence of Nick Kurtz, it is surprising to see Tommy Tanks not playing, but hopefully McNeil will prove the doubters wrong.

Ginn will go up against this lineup for Blake Butera’s Nationals:

For the A’s to have a chance to force a rubber match tomorrow, Ginn and the relievers who follow him must keep Washington’s offense in check.

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The Mets' poor defense and lackluster offense continued to hurt them during Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, as the team committed three errors and had just three hits.

Francisco Alvarez's throwing error in the bottom of the fifth inning on a pickoff attempt moved Kyle Schwarber from first to third base, putting him in position to score on a single later in the frame. Then, in the sixth inning with Philadelphia up 6-1, Francisco Lindor's relay throw to third base went wild, allowing Bryce Harper to advance to second base easily and giving him his third straight game with an error.

Luckily, Lindor's mistake didn't add to the Phillies' lead, but it did continue the trend of poor defensive mistakes for the 2026 Mets as the star shortstop is already up to six errors in only 42 games this season. After the loss, he was asked if what interim manager Andy Green described as "sloppy play" is creating a mental block for the team across the board and took blame for his mistakes, saying his level of play needs to improve.

"I can't really speak about everybody else. From my point of view, he's right, it was sloppy. It's not to the level that I expect myself and it's not the level that people expect us to play here," Lindor said. "For me, defense, it's the most important thing and it's been not good, not good at all. I'm letting down the pitchers that have worked extremely hard. 

"Thankfully, tonight, my error didn't lead to a run. However, it lead to high-leverage situations. Where it was just we could have pitched with someone on first and third. Overall, just got to get better. When it comes to mental mistakes, yeah, that was a mental mistake today. I got a little fast and tried to make something happen and I wasn't fully aligned to go to third base."

Lindor, who owns a career .980 fielding percentage and had made just 55 errors in his first five seasons with the Mets, said the team needs to be better about "turning the page" after a mistake and continue to support each other when they happen.

"You got to focus on what you have in front of you," Lindor said. "And as soon as you make that error, try to focus on turning the page and then expect the ball to be hit back to you. It's one of those where per game, it's happened a little too much. But with that being said, everybody is working... you just got to rely on each other and have the mentality of picking each other up."

He added: "We know each other, we're here for each other and we know nobody's going to make the mistakes. At the end of the day, everybody cares for each other here. As a defensive player, I want to get it done for the pitcher. And in the same thing, the pitchers want to help us when we mess up. And when we're on offense, we want to score for everybody to have the lead and help the pitchers be a little more comfortable. Everybody trusts each other here and we're playing for each other.

After missing 57 games, it was expected that Lindor would take some time to reacclimate at the plate, but not on defense. When asked if there has been a bit of an adjustment period for him defensively since returning on June 24, Lindor said that either way, he needs to get back to his "standard."

"I've never really thought about it, but there have been some plays that have gone a little fast," Lindor said. "I don't know if it's missing time or if it's just, I got to just get better. The way I view it, bottom line, I just got to get better. 

"I don't know if it's a time thing, to me, that's not an excuse. I'm back on a major league field, I got to play like a major league player. I got to play to the standard that the New York Mets want and I got to play up to my standard as well."

Green and the team believe that Lindor can get back to that level this season, especially when they get "on the attack defensively." The 32-year-old noted that returning to full form is a "high mountain" he plans on climbing the rest of the season.

"He's a guy that we believe in, we'll continue to believe in," Green said. "He's got a long track record of being one of the absolute best shortstops in baseball. Have confidence that he will be that before this season is out."

The Orioles may or may not be a good team. But right now, they’re pulling off a heck of a lot of improbable wins.

The O’s stunned the Astros in Houston for a second straight game, somehow emerging with a 4-2, 11-inning victory to extend their season-best winning streak to six. It was a game the Birds seemingly had no business winning. Their offense was a no-show throughout regulation, squandering nearly every scoring opportunity, as the top five hitters in the lineup were a combined 0-for-19. The Birds faced certain doom in the bottom of the 10th when the Astros put the winning run on third base with nobody out. But Tyler O’Neill made a game-saving defensive play and later drove in the Orioles’ go-ahead run, and new reliever Cam Sanders locked it down with a perfect 11th for the save.

Let’s jump right ahead to the most unbelievable part of this ridiculous game, the Orioles’ Houdini act in the bottom of the 10th. The clubs were locked in a 2-2 tie and the Astros loaded the bases with nobody out against Andrew Kittredge. The O’s, for all intents and purposes, were screwed. Doomed. Destined for defeat. There’s no escaping this. The Astros didn’t even need a hit to win. A well-placed grounder or a deep fly ball. Or a walk, or a wild pitch, or a hundred other possibilities. The O’s had only two outfielders, with center fielder Leody Taveras coming in to give the Birds a five-man infield. Only a miracle would keep this game alive for the Orioles.

Apparently, folks, miracles do occur. Jose Altuve lofted a fly to center. Right fielder Tyler O’Neill had to range over to make the catch, and Nick Allen, the runner from third, tagged up and busted toward the plate. O’Neill fired the ball toward home with such force that he knocked himself off his feet. His throw sailed a bit up the third-base line, but catcher Samuel Basallo snagged it and made a great tag of Allen as he slid past. OUT! DOUBLE PLAY! Wow! I didn’t think O’Neill had any chance of cutting down the runner, especially with a somewhat off-line throw, but incredibly, it worked out.

The O’s weren’t done flashing great defense. Now with runners at second and third, the next batter, LaMonte Wade Jr., tried to catch the Orioles off guard with a bunt, laying it down the third-base line. This time it was Kittredge himself who dazzled defensively, racing over to barehand the ball and whipping a strong, accurate throw to first to just nip the runner. One false move — a bobble by Kittredge or an off-line throw — would’ve resulted in a hit and scored the winning run. Kudos to the veteran Kittredge for keeping his cool and making the play. The Orioles, amazingly, had escaped the jam unscathed and lived to play another inning.

The momentum back on their side, the O’s took the lead for good in the top of the 11th. With Gunnar Henderson on second base as the free runner, Taylor Ward drew a leadoff walk. Astros righty Enyel De Los Santos very nearly got out of it, striking out Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo, but once again it was O’Neill who played the hero. On his slow grounder to second, Altuve was late to get to the ball, and O’Neill — hustling down the line at an uncharacteristically speedy 29.3 feet per second — beat the throw to first. Henderson, who never stopped running, scored all the way from second base with the go-ahead run. Taveras followed with an RBI single to add some insurance, making it 4-2.

With the Orioles having already used all their high-leverage relievers, Craig Albernaz turned to newcomer Cam Sanders to secure the save in the bottom of the 11th. Sanders had made a fantastic first impression the previous night in his O’s debut, escaping a bases-loaded jam and notching the win, and he was no less impressive this time around. He coolly retired all three batters he faced, including a game-ending strikeout of Dezenzo that clinchde an outstanding O’s win. In his first two games as an Oriole, Sanders has earned both his first major league win and his first major league save. Can’t get much better than that.

What a victory. Before the extra-inning heroics, it seemed like this game was destined to be another of those frustrating Orioles defeats in which they only have themselves to blame. Their offense, specifically, was a source of constant frustration in the first nine innings. They failed to take advantage of Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti, who was a control-challenged mess, walking four batters and plunking another over the course of his five innings.

For example: in the third inning, Arrighetti issued back-to-back walks, bringing up Gunnar Henderson. You would think Henderson might take a pitch or two from a guy who couldn’t find the strike zone. You would think! Instead, Gunnar hacked at the first pitch and popped out to short. (He went 0-for-5 in this game and is hitless in the series. If you thought the All-Star break might cure what’s ailed Gunnar, sad to say he seems more lost at the plate than ever.) Taylor Ward then flied out on a 3-0 pitch, ending the inning.

The frustration only mounted in the fourth. Again, Arrighetti got himself into immediate trouble with an Alonso walk and Basallo HBP. Dylan Beavers followed with a produtive at-bat, lashing a double down the right-field line. Alonso scored, Basallo moved to third, and the O’s were up 1-0 with runners at second and third and nobody out, on the verge of a big inning.

But the next three Orioles put up some pathetic at-bats. Colton Cowser and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, making his Orioles debut, were each retired on the first pitch, failing to score the runner. And Jackson Holliday completed the trifecta of ineptitude by striking out. Ouch. Even after Arrighetti left the game, the O’s biffed another rally in the sixth when Cowser grounded into a double play with two runners on. Remember those two weeks or so when it seemed like Colton had finally figured things out? Those were nice. Now he’s 5-for-44 in his last 18 games, looking hopeless again.

Still, Trevor Rogers nearly made the slim one-run lead hold up. Rogers wasn’t perfect, but he was able to pitch himself out of nearly every threat the Astros tried to put together. One came right off the bat in the bottom of the first, when the Astros had three hits but didn’t score, thanks to a double play and a strikeout.

Rogers dodged a jam again in the fifth. A pair of singles put two aboard for the dangerous Yordan Alvarez, the American League’s best hitter in, oh, basically every category. Rogers made a big pitch when he needed to, retiring Alvarez on a grounder up the middle. The 1-0 Orioles lead was still intact.

But the O’s couldn’t count on Rogers to be flawless forever, and in the bottom of the seventh, the branch snapped. After retiring the first batter, Rogers gave up back-to-back singles that put runners at the corners, ending his night at 99 pitches. For Rogers, it was his fifth straight start of one or fewer runs allowed, lowering his ERA to 4.28. He’s been fantastic since the start of June.

Sadly, he wasn’t rewarded with a win. The Astros’ Nick Allen laid down a perfect squeeze bunt against Rico Garcia that plated Zach Dezenzo from third, tying the score. The Orioles really should have scored a few more runs earlier, huh? Garcia at least got out of the inning without further damage, starting an impressive couple of innings by the bullpens. Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells each worked a perfect inning for the Orioles, while Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader did the same for the Astros, sending the 1-1 tie into extra innings.

Briefly, the O’s got the upper hand in the top of the 10th. An Encarnacion-Strand single moved the free runner, Taveras, to third base, and pinch-hitter Jeremiah Jackson laid down a squeeze bunt to bring him home. It was the Orioles’ first run since the fourth inning, giving them a 2-1 lead.

The lead slipped away in the bottom of the 10th against Kittredge, which began with an Allen bunt single and an Alvarez game-tying RBI double, followed by a Henderson error. That set up the aforementioned bases-loaded, no-out jam and the wondrous escape that followed. The Orioles were facing defeat right in the face. And they said, “Not today.”

Who is your Most Birdland Player, Camden Chatters? Is it Tyler O’Neill for his game-saving throw to the plate and his go-ahead single? Andrew Kittredge for escaping a jam (albeit one of his own making)? Trevor Rogers for another strong outing? Let us know in the comments.