TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 5: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates following a win over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on June 5, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners opened their road trip with a particularly deflating series loss to the Detroit Tigers, but the good news is that now Motor City is in the rearview (for the regular season, anyway). Also fortunately in the rearview are the weird 10 a.m. PT start times; this week, they’ll be replaced by some good ‘ol fashioned afterschool baseball in the great state of Maryland.
It’s not very descriptive to say that the Orioles have had a funky start to their season, because for most of this decade and a good chunk of the preceding one, funk has been the rule, rather than the exception. (Funk, as a verb here is expansive – like the groovy tunes some years, like the odor of bleu cheese other years, one consonant off from a common uttering most years.) They’re eight games back of their division with a 31-35 record but only 1.5 games out of a wild card spot, floundering in the muck of mediocrity alongside the A’s and Blue Jays. They had a start to the season that led my Orioles fan friend, Alex, to text things like “Please reassure me that 53 plate appearances is too early to judge a one dimensional slugger on a newly-minted long term contract.” and “Historical precedent is strictly descriptive, not determinative, right?” and “There is no god.”
But these O’s have picked themselves up a few times over now, and while they may not be world-beaters, there are signs of life and upside (not in the bullpen, don’t look over there, spare yourselves!). You can read their thoughts on the impending match-up over at Camden Chat.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Taylor Ward
LF
R
298
21.1%
18.8%
0.105
123
Gunnar Henderson
SS
L
298
25.8%
6.4%
0.196
94
Adley Rutschman
C
S
204
13.7%
10.3%
0.222
132
Pete Alonso
1B
R
284
22.5%
10.6%
0.203
116
Samuel Basallo
DH
L
196
25.5%
9.2%
0.216
126
Coby Mayo
3B
R
178
31.5%
7.3%
0.185
81
Colton Cowser
RF
L
146
28.8%
11.0%
0.165
107
Leody Taveras
CF
S
192
21.9%
11.5%
0.110
108
Jackson Holliday
2B
L
58
27.6%
13.8%
0.184
108
The Orioles currently have the fifth-highest strikeout rate and the sixth-highest walk rate paired with some distinctly middle-of-the-road contact numbers. It’s also worth noting that only four players have accrued 200+ plate appearances at this point, indicative of intermittent injury struggles and some reclamation projects. Former AL Rookie of the Year contender and longtime light at the end of the Bad Years in Baltimore Tunnel, Adley Rutschman (“play badly for Adley” is a clever little ditty that will live on in my brain for eternity) had a torrid start, but has cooled in recent weeks. Gunnar Henderson is being propped up by his good defense, Taylor Ward is as annoyingly-decent as ever, and former “friend” Leody Taveras has slashed his strikeout rate by third, which makes him a reasonably functional big leaguer. Their big offensive signing, Pete Alonso, petrified everyone with his frigid start, but he’s since been about what you would expect. Other names to note are Samuel Basallo, their younger, better (?) catcher who had a scorching month at the plate in May; Jackson Holliday, former top prospect and eternal nepo baby, who started the season on the injured list; and Coby Mayo, pressed into service at third after Jordan Westburg’s season-ending elbow surgery.
Update: The Orioles placed Chris Bassitt on the IL with back discomfort and will be calling up Trey Gibson to make a spot start on Monday.
Despite possessing a deep seven-pitch repertoire, Chris Bassitt leans on his sinker nearly 40% of the time. His other six pitches are peppered in sparingly with his cutter and curveball making up the majority of his secondary pitch usage. He has enough unique looks that he can keep batters off his sinker, but it also means his strikeout rate remains pretty low. He’s managed to maintain a great amount of consistency with that profile; over the last seven years, he’s averaged 2.4 fWAR per season. It isn’t exciting, but it gets the job done, and that’s exactly what the Orioles were looking for when they signed him as a free agent this offseason.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Trevor Rogers
54.1
16.9%
7.9%
10.1%
36.5%
6.29
4.61
Logan Gilbert
73.2
25.8%
5.7%
14.8%
34.7%
3.79
4.16
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
49.2%
43.2%
93.1
103
96
97
0.366
Sinker
11.3%
26.2%
93.1
99
61
164
0.231
Cutter
9.8%
17.0%
82.2
101
97
57
0.505
Changeup
29.7%
13.6%
87.0
85
87
122
0.342
Sweeper
12.1%
13.6%
78.1
124
95
152
0.227
Trevor Rogers enjoyed a bit of a resurgence with the Orioles last year. A one-time top prospect with the Marlins, he finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 but injuries derailed his career over the next three seasons. It looked like he had finally regained his skills last year, posting a 1.81 ERA and a 2.82 FIP in 18 starts for Baltimore, but things have fallen apart again this season. His velocity looks intact — that was the key to his success last year — but his breaking balls have suddenly lost their effectiveness and his ERA has ballooned to over six.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Brandon Young
49.1
17.3%
7.9%
8.5%
37.3%
3.47
4.28
George Kirby
78
19.8%
5.6%
9.9%
53.6%
4.04
3.40
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
31.1%
46.3%
94.1
99
104
135
0.303
Sinker
25.9%
3.6%
93.3
89
84
93
0.341
Splitter
5.5%
31.0%
85.9
89
42
72
0.376
Curveball
6.4%
16.0%
74.6
94
Slider
31.1%
3.1%
83.3
108
114
109
0.306
Brandon Young graduated from the Orioles’ development pipeline last year after landing sixth on their 2025 prospect list. He’s got above average skills across the board but no clear carrying tool to push his profile above a back-end starter. His fastball is probably his best pitch, though he’s introduced a new slider this year that shows a lot of promise. He’ll also mix in a curveball and a splitter to keep left-handed batters at bay. His strikeout rate isn’t all that impressive, but he’s found some success by limiting the amount of hard contact he allows.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Kyle Bradish
69.1
22.5%
11.9%
11.9%
50.8%
3.89
4.24
Bryan Woo
77
24.5%
4.6%
6.9%
36.0%
3.74
2.96
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
7.6%
26.0%
93.9
83
68
134
0.401
Sinker
38.8%
26.4%
94.5
95
72
134
0.302
Curveball
11.6%
28.5%
84.2
104
133
120
0.218
Slider
42.0%
19.2%
86.9
113
95
111
0.347
Kyle Bradish looked like he had made the jump to ace-dom back in 2024 but Tommy John surgery derailed his breakout. He returned to the mound late last year and looked like he was ready to pick up exactly where he left off. Things haven’t gone so smoothly this season, however. The key to his success all those years ago were his two breaking balls. His curveball has looked fine this year, but his slider has been knocked around a bunch. The effectiveness of his sinker has also waned a bit because he’s struggled to locate that pitch in the zone. That’s led to a pretty big jump in walk rate to go along with a much lower strikeout rate.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Mariners
34-32
0.515
—
+29
W-L-L-W-L
Rangers
32-33
0.492
1.5
+14
W-L-W-L-W
Athletics
31-34
0.477
2.5
-43
W-L-L-L-W
Astros
30-37
0.448
4.5
-29
W-L-W-W-L
Angels
25-41
0.379
9.0
-51
L-W-L-L-W
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
38-26
0.594
+6.5
+96
L-L-W-L-W
White Sox
34-31
0.523
+2.0
+8
L-W-L-W-L
Rangers
32-33
0.492
—
14
W-L-W-L-W
Blue Jays
32-34
0.485
0.5
-13
L-W-L-W-W
Athletics
31-34
0.477
1.0
-43
W-L-L-L-W
Orioles
31-35
0.470
1.5
-31
L-W-W-L-L
The Rangers gained a game on the Mariners by winning their weekend series against the Guardians. Texas heads out on a road trip this week beginning with a three-game set in Kansas City. The Astros won their series against the Athletics over the weekend. Houston is now just 4.5 games back in the division after going 10-6 over their last 16 games. The Astros travel to Los Angeles to face the Angels while the Athletics host the Brewers in their Triple-A affiliates’ stadium in Las Vegas.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Shotaro Morii just had finished lifting weights before a game on an unseasonably warm May afternoon in the Bay Area when he and teammate Itsuki Takemoto burst into laughter, their cackling so loud it most certainly can be heard out on the field.
Morii is gaining attention as a rising three-way prospect from Japan in the Athletics’ farm system — a hitter and pitcher who unlike Shohei Ohtani also plays the infield. Countryman and baseball roommate Takemoto enjoys teasing Morii at every chance. They are having a blast chasing their big league dreams.
“I love him!” shouts Morii, who wasn’t in the lineup for that May 20 game with the Single-A Stockton Ports at San Jose after he played second base a night earlier then started on the mound the next day. “He’s a funny guy. I talk to him about baseball stuff. He has played baseball in the United States like maybe three or four years. He gives advice to me.”
Morii quickly is becoming comfortable in his new surroundings, speaking near-perfect English, too. It’s something he was determined to do in order to better communicate both on the field and in everyday life.
Like many players from Japan, Morii has been inspired by Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star.
Morii isn’t ready to choose just one position, embracing the challenge and daunting schedule demands of trying to hit, pitch and defend. He skipped the draft back home in Japan to pursue this path in the United States.
“This is great,” he shared. “Last year I couldn’t do pitching. I’m really happy to be doing pitching and hitting.”
Morii’s growth isn’t just about what happens on the diamond
Morii stands behind the cage between his rounds of batting practice and intently listens to hitting coach José Ortiz, shaking his head to signal he understands. Then he’s off to the weight room for some lifting.
At 19, Morii loves all of his positions and is so appreciative of the A’s allowing him to be a utility player and not specialize — not yet, anyway.
He didn’t want an interpreter this year, so it forced Morii to learn English and be a better communicator with his teammates and coaches.
“Speaking English is one of my dreams, that I was dreaming about that,” he said. “I play baseball here, but also I live in the United States so it’s necessary to speak English.”
Last year, Morii regularly kept headphones in his ears listening to music but realized that wasn’t helping him become more comfortable in his new surroundings or with the language barrier.
“It’s been good. He’s done a good job, fit right in,” manager Darryl Kennedy said. “He’s going to be really fun to watch. He’s done a great job.”
With so much to work on, quality reps are critical
The volume here is a drastic difference from what he’s used to back home: In Japan, it’s normal to take 400 swings a day.
And now?
“We think the quantity is the most important thing in Japan,” Morii explained. “But here, quality is the most important thing.”
He is adjusting to a slower pace and thoughtful progression. Morii pitches every Thursday, and the Ports started him at just one inning – as an opener, per se – in his initial four appearances to build him up before he pitched two innings for the first time at Ontario, and then eventually he will go to three. He is 0-2 with an 10.50 ERA for the Ports over five outings on the mound spanning six innings, while batting .174 with two doubles, a triple, four RBIs and two stolen bases.
Morii can’t wait to stay out there and pitch deeper into games. He knows that time will come.
“Right now we’re just happy that he’s on the field and playing,” Kennedy said. “He’s a very mature kid for a 19-year-old. To come over here from Japan all by himself and be able to survive is an accomplishment in itself.”
In March, Morii injured his right hamstring during the MLB Spring Breakout in Arizona, an exhibition for top minor league prospects. He then spent close to two months rehabilitating at the A’s minor league complex in Mesa, Arizona, even changing his running mechanics to help protect the leg for the long haul.
With guidance from an athletic trainer, he has learned to shorten his stride, not an easy task after running one way all his life.
“It helps a lot,” he said.
Each day has become about making adjustments — some big like the running motion, some just smaller tweaks.
Ortiz played nine years in Japan, so he can relate to the pressures in the baseball-crazed country and the determination of players like Morii.
“He’s been getting more comfortable,” Ortiz said. “He wants to do everything perfectly, which sometimes is going to be hard.”
Players who played three ways at lower levels appreciate Morii’s challenge
San Francisco Giants infielder Casey Schmitt did it all during college at San Diego State. He hit, played the infield and came in as a relief pitcher, even starting a handful of games on the mound when needed.
Schmitt has homered while playing five different positions — first base, second, third, left field and as designated hitter.
He’s rooting for Morii to play all of his positions at the highest level one day.
“He’s doing it in pro ball further than I ever did it,” Schmitt said, sitting in the dugout at Oracle Park before a recent game.
“I think it’s good, especially being 19, being young, being able to learn all those new things. When I started learning new positions, I was here. I debuted when I was 23, so I started learning a whole bunch of new positions up here. To be doing it at 19, he’s in low-A and he gets to work on all these things and he’ll get to high-A and continue to work on it in Double-A, Triple-A and in the future the majors. That’s really awesome to be doing it at that age.”
Morii is the latest sign of Ohtani’s influence
Ohtani’s influence on the next generation might mean that even more players avoid specializing, opting to try multiple positions.
“Kids grow up admiring and envisioning them being the next version of whoever their heroes are or the guys that are on Instagram or whatever doing great things,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said. “In my experience it’s been more the player that puts down the bat or puts down the pitching glove then it is coaches, and so I think the more players see that it’s possible the more they’ll push forward for that.”
Morii plans to keep his options open by playing a variety of spots — trusting everybody who is helping him manage it all.
“For me, playing baseball is the most enjoyable thing,” he said. “So when I feel homesick, I just play baseball. Playing baseball here is the biggest dream.”
The Washington Nationals (33-33) continue their west coast trip with three games in San Francisco (27-39).
Washington is coming off a series win where they grabbed two out three wins at Arizona. The Nationals outscored the Diamondbacks, 21-7. Those three games were the Nationals first contests out west. On the road, the Nationals rank top in batting average, OPS, OBP, and SLG with the fourth-most home runs (45) and it followed to Arizona where they scored 20 runs in the first two games of the series.
San Francisco is coming off a 10-game road trip that started in Colorado and extended to Milwaukee and Chicago. The Giants went 5-5 in that stretch and won four of the previous five. At home, San Francisco is hitting .240 (19th) with the second-worst OBP (.292), the fewest walks (61) and the least amount of strikeouts (209).
Let’s dive into the 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 & how to watch Nationals at Giants
Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
Time: 9:45 PM EST
Site: Oracle Park
City: San Francisco, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
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.
Odds for the Nationals at the Giants
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: San Francisco Giants (-149), Washington Nationals (+123)
Spread: Nationals +1.5 (-168), Giants -1.5 (+139)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Giants
Monday's pitching matchup (June 8): Miles Mikolas vs. Logan Webb
The Giants’ Jung Ho Lee is hitting .323 with 71 hits and 98 total bases over 220 at-bats
The Giants’ Rafael Devers is hitting .240 with 62 hits and 87 strikeouts over 258 at-bats
The Nationals’ CJ Abrams is hitting .286 with 68 hits and 127 total bases over 238 at-bats
The Nationals’ Nasim Nunez is hitting .199 with 36 hits and 44 strikeouts over 181 at-bats
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 to know ahead of Nationals at Giants
San Francisco is 30-36 ATS
Washington is an MLB-best 41-25 ATS
San Francisco is 32-29-5 to the Over
Washington is an MLB-best 40-23-3 to the Over
San Francisco is 13-15 ATS at home
Washington is an MLB-best 26-8 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Giants
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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 Monday's game between the Nationals and the Giants:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Nationals on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Nationals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.0
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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: Nasim Nuñez #26, CJ Abrams #5, Daylen Lile #4 and James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals talk in the dugout prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
44 games have passed since these two teams last faced off and it has been interesting to see one team basically takeoff and become a surprise and another team perform to their worst possible projection. If you had sent that sentence back to March, you’d say that it was the Giants who were the surprise. Instead, it’s the Nats.
They’re 23-21 since the Giants took 2 out of 3 from them in Washington while the Giants have gone 18-26. The Nats’ pitching hasn’t been the story of their season-long success (#5 in MLB in hitting), but since they faced the Giants, they have a 4.11 ERA (14th) and 4.46 FIP compared to a 4.65 ERA (25th) and 4.45 FIP for the Giants. That might explain the entire season, even with the Giants’ terrible lineup performance for most of the year factored in.
Of course, over the past month (since May 8th), something very interesting has happened. The Giants have been the best lineup in baseball (.277/.331/.480 — 126 wRC+). The Nats have stayed right there with them at #4 (.246/.322/.447 — 115 wRC+), but let’s stick with the Giants. The Giants haven’t remade themselves so much as they’ve done better at what they’ve wanted to do. Their 6.5% walk rate as a team is close to what it’s been all year, along with the 19.9% strikeout rate. The .277 team batting average leads the sport by a wide margin (Pittsburgh is #2 at .262). It would appear that Buster Posey is successfully recreating the championship era (the Giants from 2010-2016: .258/.320/.392 — 7.8 BB%, 18.3 K%) where the lineup is concerned.
Should we talk about the pitching?
This is a stark battle between old school “Computers Bad” and new school “Computers Good and/or Necessary” where the Nationals have seemed to have done what Farhan Zaidi did when he took over the team: quickly maximize the talent through technology while the Giants are sort of stubbornly sticking to “throw talent into the deep end and see if it can swim.” An organization that celebrated the removal of computers from the clubhouse. To be clear, the Giants do use computers and other technologies, but seem to want to limit it to a tool rather than as the centerpiece of scouting and development. Has that sea change/course correction worked out in the past 18 months? The results suggest no. Then again, it’s not like the “computer is supreme” model of the prior front office showed remarkable success (except for that one year).
The tough road trip that saw them do okay — and possibly become a more cohesive unit — might’ve planted the seeds for a more competitive summer, but the Giants also showed that they are deficient enough to be simply a bad team for the next 4 months rather than one of the worst teams ever fielded.
And, yes, it’s because of the pitching.
The Giants have a team ERA of 5.09 over the past month (27th in MLB). They have been the third-least valuable staff in the sport over that same span (+0.2 fWAR) behind just the Cubs (-0.4) and Reds (-0.8). In other words, the Giants haven’t been able to time solid pitching with an offensive streak that has gotten most of the roster back to their career averages or season projections.
The Nats, meanwhile, have been the sixth-worst over this same span and just good enough to not totally work against their lineup. On the other hand, we’ve seen the Giants’ lineup get healthy via some blowouts. There hasn’t been an equal distribution of runs over this span.
Now they return home with some confidence. Maybe that will help the Giants’ bats some more and maybe Oracle Park will be just what the beleaguered pitching staff needs to not be so terrible.
But if you had gone into the season thinking that a new front office would’ve figured out the situation for the Nationals faster than the Hall of Fame brain of Buster Posey and Zack Minasian, you would’ve been labeled a heretic.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (27-39) vs. Washington Nationals (33-33) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Monday & Tuesday at 6:45pm PT, Wednesday at 12:45pm PT National broadcasts: None.
Projected starters Monday: Miles Mikolas (RHP 1-5, 6.39 ERA) vs. Logan Webb (RHP 3-4, 4.25 ERA) Tuesday: Andrew Alvarez (LHP 1-0, 3.54 ERA) vs. Adrian Houser (RHP 2-5, 5.49 ERA) Wednesday: Foster Griffin (LHP 7-2, 3.63 ERA) vs. Robbie Ray (LHP 4-6, 4.12 ERA)
Players to watch
Nationals
CJ Abrams & James Wood: The two best position players on the Nats have effectively carried the team this season, including the past month (148 wRC+ and 173, respectively)
Foster Griffin: He’s wound up being the best of the “returned from overseas” pitchers to sign back with US clubs this season. The 30-year old lefty is a soft-tosser, averaging 87.8 mph with his primary pitch — a cutter — and 91.3 mph with his four-seamer. He also has a sweeper, a sinker a changeup, curveball, and split finger. A real kitchen sinker. Ordinarily, that would probably mean the Giants lose 9-0, but I think Jung Hoo Lee and Luis Arraez are setup to do well against him and I’m curious to watch Matt Chapman and Willy Adames face off against him, too. Some real wild cards: Eldridge and Devers, who could go either way against such an arsenal.
Curtis Mead: The 25-year old utility hitter has a bright red Statcast page and along with being a boon to my fantasy team, he’s been a key fill-in for Washington. Over the past month (22 games, 86 PA0 he’s slashed .278/.395/.542 with 13 walks and 17 strikeouts bracketing 4 doubles and 5 homers.
Giants
Rafael Devers: He’s sort of been forgotten in this Giants’ offensive outburst, and het he’s an important part of it. His 136 wRC+ over the last month is fourth-best amongst the regulars after Jung Hoo Lee (179), Willy Adames (161), and Bryce Eldridge (142). He’s hit for a bit more power at home on the season (.453 slug vs. .395 on the road), but the home/road split is where his season-long problem really shows up: 4 walks against 35 strikeouts. That’s nearly a 9:1 strikeouts to walk ratio. On the road, it’s 15 walks against 52 K (~3.5:1). The Nats’ 7.8 K/9 is 26th in MLB. Will Devers be able to make hard contact in the series?
Willy Adames: He’s slashing an abysmal .195/.288/.305 (.592 OPS) in 146 career PA against the Nationals. It’s his third-worst performance against a team he’s had at least 100 plate appearances against, behind the Phillies (.553) and Marlins (.537). But over the past month he’s hitting .302/.354/5.86 with 8 homers and 23 RBI. This feels like an immovable object versus the unstoppable force situation, but which is which where Adames is concerned?
Dylan Smith: He’s not not the closer now, given Tony Vitello’s determination that the bullpen shouldn’t have defined roles; but, on the other hand, the Giants did throw their ostensible closer Keaton Winn back-to-back days and 2.2 innings, so, he’s almost certainly unavailable for at least game 1 of this series.
Tony Vitello watch
It’s been a minute since he’s made a movie reference. Will he make one this weekend? People are returning to the theaters, not just because of mainstream fare like that Star Wars movie or Masters of the Universe, but also because of stuff like Obsession and Backrooms. Will he make a reference at all? If so, to something more current — or, something that he would’ve seen in a hotel room on a road trip back in the mid-aughts?
Prediction time
I had such a good time negatively predicting what would happen to the Giants against the Cubs that it feels right to keep those bad times rolling in this section. The Nationals are a remarkable 21-13 on the road this season with a +31 run differential. They took 2 out of 3 in Atlanta late last month followed by 2 out of 3 in Cleveland, and this 6-game road trip they’re on right now has already seen them take 2 out of 3 from the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
To put it another way, the Nationals have lost just two series on the road all season (at Philadelphia, March 30-April 1, at Miami, May 8-10). They’re 8-2-1 overall. Meanwhile, the Giants are just 12-16 at home (-29 run diff.) No reason to think they’ll lose this series against the Giants, but it’s worth noting that the Giants are 5-4 in home series and the record really only looks bad because they went 1-6 against the Yankees and Mets to start the season. They’re 11-10 since.
In case I’m unclear, my prediction is that the Nationals will win the series.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Max Kepler #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs after hitting a triple during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arizona GM Mike Hazen hasn’t been shy about discussing what the team us looking to add as baseball heads towards the trade deadline. While the team does currently occupy a wild-card spot, there are clear areas for improvement. Speaking on MLB Network Radio over the weekend, he said “I probably need a little more thump in the lineup, probably a little more power, probably need to get a little more left-handed.” It makes sense. The D-backs currently sit 28th in the majors by OPS against right-handed pitching, at just .665. [They’re 4th vs LHP, at .771] So, on that basis, signing left-handed Kepler makes sense. Except there are a few things about the signing which don’t immediately make sense.
1. Kepler isn’t very good.
Over his career, the numbers are decent enough. A career 101 OPS+, and better than that against right-handed pitching (.770 OPS there, against .653 facing lefties). But he’s now thirty-three years old, and the past couple of seasons have shown father time to be catching up with him. In 2024-25, over 232 games for the Phillies and Twins, his OPS+ dropped to 89. In 715 PA there against RHP, his OPS was .689, hardly much better than the Diamondbacks are already posting. A lot of his success there is now well in the past, unless you think he’ll experience an Arenado-like resurrection in the desert.
However, it’s worth noting a couple of points. The team OPS vs. RHP may be .661, but that is significantly boosted by the success of Corbin Carroll (.813 OPS there) and Nolan Arenado (.791). The bar to improve the team is therefore considerably lower than .661. You would be looking to Kepler to replace the likes of Adrian Del Castillo (.638), Ryan Waldschmidt (.622) and Jorge Barrosa (.431), all of whom should be firmly ushered away from the plate with a rightie on the mound. Kepler is an improvement over the play we’ve got out of their spots this year – and especially over the last month. He doesn’t strike out much and has a little more oomph than most options we currently have.
2. The roster crunch
Even before Kepler was signed, eyes were being cast forward to the upcoming returns of Carlos Santana, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jordan Lawlar. All of them are now on their rehab assignments: Santana and Lawlar with the Aces, while Gurriel begins his in the Arizona Complex League today. Who will they replace on the current roster? The addition of Kepler would make the situation even more congested, especially in the outfield. LuJames Groover and Del Castillo are likely on thin ice, and may well be optioned back down in the coming week, when Santana and Lawlar are ready. But neither of them play the outfield.
It is possible Kepler is just being signed as a depth piece. In term of credible outfielders in Reno right now, it’s basically Kristian Robinson, and that’s it. The “rehab assignment” in Reno will give Arizona a chance to see what he can do. If he looks like he can play a role with the big-league club, he’ll be brought up to the D-backs. If not, he’ll be released, will likely get picked up elsewhere (because even teams that have no postseason chances still have to fill out a lineup card), and the Diamondbacks will barely be on the hook for anything. There isn’t that much difference to a minor-league deal, the likes of which get signed all the time. Last June saw the team sign Anthony Gose and Seth Brown as depth.
There is another possibility, and while I’d say it’s probably unlikely, is worth mentioning. This could be the first piece in a larger puzzle. Despite recent results, the biggest weakness on this team remains the rotation, with three current starters at an ERA+ of 90 or worse. There is a top-five (probably top-two) pitcher who is going to be on the market, in Tarik Skubal, plus potential other options such as Sandy Alcantara. Any package to get one of these pitchers likely starts with an MLB ready prospect. For the Diamondbacks, the area of greatest strength is outfielders. Kepler is a low-risk signing who can provide coverage there if a trade works out, and be easily jettisoned if one does not.
3. The PED problem
It has been interesting to see how the team’s attitude towards PEDs has changed and softened over the years. The team certainly hasn’t been immune from this problem. Matt Williams was named in the Mitchell Report as using HGH and steroids while on the roster. There was also the federal raid in 2006 on the house of reliever Jason Grimsley. Various minor league players have also failed drug tests, perhaps most notable Jose Herrera, who was suspended for 50 games after failing a drugs test in 2018. But the only Arizona major-leaguer I can think of to have failed a drug test was Domingo Leyba in spring 2020.
Going back, there have been rumblings that the Diamondbacks have traded away or let go players who have been linked to PED use. [And, no, I shall not be naming names] This previous position against signing proven users was driven by ownership. In 2013, Nick Piecoro wrote, “Their hardline stance appears to be spearheaded by Ken Kendrick, the club’s managing general partner and a longtime critic of PED users. When Jason Grimsley’s house was raided in 2006, Kendrick made sure the Diamondbacks immediately cut ties with the reliever — and even tried to have his contract voided. Team sources say Kendrick continues to discourage the acquisition of players, or even the hiring of coaches, who have ties to PEDs.”
This did not stop the team trading for Starling Marte, who had served an 80-game suspension in 2017. He was signed three years later, but only played 33 games for Arizona before being traded to Miami. Said Kendrick at the time, “When his incident occurred several years ago, he stood up and was totally remorseful for what he had done, realized it was wrong. I’m a believer also in second chances in life… That’s something I’m sure he wished weren’t on his record, but I don’t think he should have been excluded from being considered and ultimately we made the trade and we’re very hopeful he’ll go and perform.”
And now, here we are, signing someone on an active suspension for PED use. I haven’t been able to confirm any statement being made by Kepler in regard to the suspension, so the “stood up and was totally remorseful” escape clause doesn’t appear to be in effect here. I’m not going to lie: I personally – and this is just Jim here, opinion vary among SnakePitters – find it disappointing for the team apparently to be compromising a laudable moral stance, for a fringe upgrade. If Kepler makes the team, I’m going to find it hard to cheer for him. Minor league PEDs are one thing: I understand it’s a dogfight down there. But when you’ve already reached the show, the very pinnacle of the sport? Yeah, I find that unacceptable.
It’s also worth noting that, if the Diamondbacks reach the post-season, Kepler will still be ineligible. Though if we need him on the playoff roster, that’s probably a bigger problem. But if Kepler has been called up and is contributing enough during the regular season, we will then be without his services for the games that matter most. We’ll see what unfolds. Meanwhile, have a poll!
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Cardinals play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
Francisco ... that's fun to say
The Mets' goal forFrancisco Alvarez, as relayed by manager Carlos Mendoza this past Friday, has been for Alvarez to return during this homestand.
And with Alvarez not experiencing any health hiccups over the weekend while rehabbing with Triple-A Syracuse, it seems likely he'll be activated before or during the series against the Cards.
Alvarez's return will give New York a player who had a 101 OPS+ (a tick above league average) before tearing his meniscus on a swing on May 12.
The initial timeline the club gave about Alvarez projected a six-to-eight week recovery, so him making it back in just about four weeks would be a relative miracle. But it shouldn't come as a surprise since Alvarez has often beaten estimated timelines.
Once Alvarez is back, it's unlikely he'll be asked to catch regularly from the jump. But he will also be an option at DH, giving the Mets another way to go when Alvarez isn't behind the plate.
For this series, though, the Mets should be able to roll with their three regular starting pitchers: Freddy Peralta, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean.
That's because New York was off last Thursday and this Monday, allowing for Peralta to pitch on an extra day of rest on Tuesday, followed by Scott and McLean the next two days (with both of them on regular rest).
If the Mets do go that route, they'll have to get creative for one of their weekend matchups against the Braves -- either going with a bullpen game or calling someone up from the minors to start/serve as the bulk reliever.
New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) celebrates with left fielder MJ Melendez (1) after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park / David Frerker - Imagn mages
Bichette carried his momentum into New York's series against the Padres in San Diego, going 5-for-13 with two doubles.
He is hitting .293/.341/.480 with three homers in 19 games since May 18.
Bichette's OPS+ for the season is up to just 75, so he still has a long way to go when it comes to climbing out of the rough start he had. But things are pointing up for him.
The Cardinals are overperforming
The Cards, despite starting the season in a rebuilding phase, enter this series with a 35-28 record and in possession of the first Wild Card in the National League.
While they have been a nice story, what they're doing feels unsustainable for a few reasons.
For one, their run differential (-2) suggests that they'll be regressing to the mean at some point. Of the 12 teams currently in playoff position, the Cardinals and Phillies are the only ones with a negative run differential.
Second, St. Louis' rotation will likely not be a strength as the season rolls on.
Michael McGreevey (2.99 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is having a very nice year, but Matthew Liberatore (4.48 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), Dustin May (4.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), Kyle Leahy (4.42 ERA, 1.57 WHIP), and Andre Pallante (3.96 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) all profile as back-end starters.
Jordan Walker's breakout
Acter a solid rookie season followed by two poor years, Walker is a legitimate MVP candidate this season.
The 24-year-old is slashing .303/.362/.560 with 16 homers, 14 doubles, and 47 RBI over the first 62 games.
He is in the 85th percentile or better when it comes to xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard hit percentage, and bat speed (he is in the 100th percentile there).
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
A.J. Ewing
Ewing has been elite in center field and is holding his own at the plate -- currently on a five-game hitting streak.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Christian Scott
Scott fired 5.2 scoreless innings against the Padres his last time out.
Which Cardinals player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
JJ Wetherholt
Wetherholt has cooled off after a blazing start, but is one of the best young hitters in the game.
The Arizona Cardinals reported starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett has missed all of voluntary workouts, but apparently will be at the teams mandatory minicamp per reports.
Arizona Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett plans to report to mandatory minicamp this week despite contract issues with the team, per @joshweinfuss and @JFowlerESPN.
That seemed to always be the trajectory of this situation, and we have not heard anything in regards to a new contract, so this also may be an instance where he shows up and is “holding in” while being there but not really participating.
This has been a hilarious situation where both sides seem right and wrong.
If Jacoby is the starter, it’s reasonable to bump him up in pay and guarantees, but he’s also 2-15 as a starter in his last two chances to start for two different organizations, the Cardinals seemed to be looking to move on all offseason and even drafted Carson Beck.
Meanwhile, if the Cardinals are telling Beck he’s the starter, what is the wait? Just get the guy in so you at least have the quarterback in the building.
Yet, if they’re looking at him as a starter only in name for the beginning of the season, then they’re playing this correctly. Guarantee him a little bit, maybe even give him a bump in pay, but overall they don’t owe him anything if they have an idea of moving to Carson Beck.
The Cubs came home this past week hoping to make up for their 3-4 road trip.
They did not. In fact, they were even worse in the Friendly Confines, which were decidedly unfriendly against West Coast visitors, the Athletics and Giants, and the Cubs won just two of the games — and they had to come from behind and walk off both those wins.
Sheesh. Let’s hope that improves, and soon.
Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.
Three up
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s recent hitting is at MVP level
PCA is on a career-high 12-game hitting streak and once again looking like the hitter he was the first half of 2025. That got him an All-Star nod. Maybe he’ll get another, if he keeps this up.
For the week: .440/.481/.920 (11-for-25) with four home runs, six RBI and two stolen bases. It’s a testament to how bad the Cubs offense has been that PCA got on base nearly half the time and the only runs he scored were on the home runs.
For his 12-game hitting streak: .392/.456/.745 (20-for-51) with three doubles, five home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored.
He’s got a pretty good chance at being named National League Player of the Week.
Brown pitched just once this past week, 5.1 shutout innings against the Giants on Saturday, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
Since joining the rotation: 1.44 ERA, 1.89 FIP, 0.766 WHIP in six starts and 31.1 innings. And, of course, he has allowed just one home run this year — to the very first batter he faced, Jacob Young of the Nats on Opening Day. Since then: 219 batters faced, no homers.
Jacob Webb has become perhaps the most trustworthy Cubs reliever
After Webb’s first four outings of 2026, in which he allowed multiple runs in two of them, he had a 7 .36 ERA.
Since then: 1.46 ERA, 1.85 FIP, 1.094 WHIP, 31 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. He’s allowed runs in just five of his last 24 outings and none in his last 11.
Webb has certainly arrived near the top of Craig Counsell’s Circle of Trust.
Three down
Where have you gone, Alex Bregman?
Bregman was 2-for-24 during the homestand and 0-for-12 against the Giants, striking out three times and hitting into a rally-killing double play on Sunday (though the second out of that DP wasn’t his fault, it was Kevin Alcántara straying too far off third base).
To his credit, Bregman did not make excuses and said he’s been “awful”:
That’s really just it. Bregman is 32. That should be an age at which he can still be productive. There are 96 games remaining in the season. It’s time for him to start hitting again. Hopefully, beginning Tuesday in Colorado.
Edward Cabrera, yikes
Cabrera returned from his minimum 15-day stay on the injured list and was just terrible, serving up three home runs to the Giants in their Friday afternoon blowout win.
I’ll spare you the carnage. His next start will be Thursday in Denver.
Please try to keep the ball in Coors Field, Edward.
Dansby Swanson’s offense has also vanished
Swanson was 2-for-14 during the homestand with four strikeouts before Craig Counsell gave him the last two games off from starting. Pretty sure Counsell intended for Swanson to not play at all those days, but he was pressed into service as a pinch-runner in the 10th inning Saturday and wound up scoring the winning run.
Over the first three years of his Cubs contract, Swanson batted .243/.313/.408 with 62 home runs in 455 games. That’s not great, but it’s perfectly acceptable with his elite defense.
The defense is still elite, but he’s got to do better than a .606 OPS, which is over 100 points lower than his career mark. Perhaps the two days off and Coors Field can jumpstart his offense.
The San Diego Padres 33-31) and Cincinnati Reds (31-33) meet at Petco Park for a three-game series. Both squads come in on the colder side of the win and loss column.
San Diego is coming off a series loss to the Mets and are 1-7 in the last eight games and 1-11 in the previous 12. The Padres are in the midst of their worst slump of the year. In the past 12 contests, San Diego is hitting an MLB-worst .188 and .172 in the last six.
Cincinnati is currently riding its second-longest losing streak of the season at four. The Reds have been outscored 26-13 in that span. In the past week, the Reds' pitching staff has a 5.02 ERA (T-22nd) and the second-worst WHIP (1.67).
Let’s dive into the 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 & how to watch Reds at Padres
Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Site: Petco Park
City: San Diego, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV / ESPN
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Odds for the Reds at the Padres
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: San Diego Padres (-136), Cincinnati Reds (+113)
Spread: Padres -1.5 (+157), Reds +1.5 (-191)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Padres
Monday's pitching matchup (June 8): Andrew Abbott vs. Walker Buehler
The Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .273 with 65 hits and 78 total bases over 238 at-bats
The Padres’ Manny Machado is hitting .169 with 38 hits and 60 strikeouts over 209 at-bats
The Reds’ Elly De La Cruz is hitting .280 with 65 hits and 118 total bases over 232 at-bats
The Reds’ Tyler Stephenson is hitting .203 with 32 hits and 47 strikeouts over 158 at-bats
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 to know ahead of Reds at Padres
San Diego is 35-29 ATS, ranking eighth-best
Cincinnati is 34-30 ATS
San Diego is 37-26-1 to the Under, ranking first
Cincinnati is 39-24-1 to the Over, ranking second-best
San Diego is 19-16 ATS at home
Cincinnati is 19-13 ATS on the road, ranking sixth-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Reds
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Padres and the Reds:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Reds on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Reds at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.0
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Jon Metler's expert pick: Rays ML
Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket
The Tampa Bay Rays may start Ian Seymour as an opener against the Red Sox tonight, but I believe the key to this matchup lies in the middle innings, when Mason Englert takes over. Englert’s sweeping curveball and slider have both been highly effective this season, and they match up well against a Boston lineup that likes to be aggressive and pull the baseball. The east-west movement on those pitches can make it difficult for hitters to get the barrel out front consistently. On the other side, Tampa Bay’s offensive identity is built around patience: The Rays excel at extending at-bats, spoiling quality pitches, and forcing starters to work deep counts. If they can drive up Connelly Early’s pitch count and get into Boston’s middle relief early, I think they gain a meaningful advantage. I make the Rays closer to 56-cent favorites in this spot, which is why I’m willing to back them at this price.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: RAYS, NESN
Neil Parker's expert pick: Phillies -1.5
Price: 49¢ (+104) at Polymarket
Toronto lefty Patrick Corbin sports a 7.46 ERA with 5.4 BB/9, while allowing a monster .442 wOBA and 1.035 OPS across 35 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies since the beginning of the 2022 season. With NL Cy Young favoriteCristopher Sanchez toeing the rubber tonight for the Phils, they have a huge advantage on the mound. Additionally, the Philly bullpen also has the lowest xFIP, and the bats rank sixth in xwOBA over the past two weeks — while Toronto checks in 22nd and 12th.
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SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 13: Luis Curvelo #57 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Don Collier/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Texas Rangers optioned relief pitcher Luis Curvelo to AAA Round Rock after yesterday’s game, the team announced yesterday. In addition, the team also announced yesterday that utility man Sam Haggerty, who was designated for assignment on Friday to make room for Elias Diaz on the active roster, cleared waivers and was released.
Curvelo came up a week ago, along with Robbie Ahlstrom, when the Rangers optioned Gavin Collyer to AAA Round Rock and placed Chris Martin on the 15 day injured list. He made three appearances while he was up, including facing two batters in Saturday’s blowout loss before leaving the game after taking a comebacker to the leg, and pitching a scoreless inning to finish Sunday’s blowout win. I thought it was odd Curvelo was pitching the day after he left a game due to injury — I thought Jakob Junis, who hasn’t pitched since last Tuesday, might get an inning just to keep him from getting rusty — but the Rangers apparently decided he was heading back to the minors after the game anyway, so might as well get some innings from him.
The Rangers haven’t announced a move to fill Curvelo’s spot on the active roster, but the beats are indicating that Cole Winn, who went on the injured list on May 24, is expected to take his place. Winn threw 16 pitches for Round Rock on Friday on a rehab assignment, and is eligible to be activated from the injured list today, though they will probably wait until tomorrow to officially make the move since the Rangers are off day.
Haggerty, meanwhile, is a free agent now. After a solid 2025 season in a platoon role for the Rangers, he was brought back to again be a righthanded platoon bat, but didn’t hit against righties (.182/.182/.182 in 11 plate appearances) or lefties (.152/.222/.182 in 36 plate appearances) this season. The Rangers currently have Justin Foscue as their short-side platoon DH and Michael Helman filling that role in center, though it remains to be seen whether either of those are viable solutions going forward.
AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 07: Texas Longhorns infielder Adrian Rodriguez (24) reacts after hitting an RBI double during the NCAA Super Regional college baseball game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oregon Ducks on June 7, 2026 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, TX.(Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
On Saturday night, as the No. 6 Texas Longhorns took on the No. 11 Oregon Ducks in the Austin Super Regional, SEC writer and podcaster Chris Marler had some thoughts on the intensity of sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez in the batter’s box.
I don’t care about bat flips or home run celebrations.
But whatever this shit is when taking a ball, is lame as hell.
Rodriguez doesn’t hide that competitive intensity in the box, shaking his head at the pitcher on balls before kicking rubber pullets out towards the mound.
“Whatever this shit is when taking a ball, is lame as hell,” Marler wrote.
And Rodriguez did strike out on the next pitch, but what Marler may not have noticed is that the fiery Texas shortstop had already given the Longhorns a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run double.
What Marler couldn’t have known was that Rodriguez would go on to finish with five RBI after knocking out a run-scoring single in the fifth and executing with runners on third in the sixth and eighth innings with back-to-back sacrifice flies.
What Marler couldn’t have known was that Rodriguez would go on to cement his place in Texas super regional lore with a go-ahead, two-out, bases-loaded double in the eighth inning on Sunday to send the Longhorns through to the College World Series with a 6-5 win over Oregon.
That Rodriguez ultimately went 2-for-5 on Sunday to bat 4-for-8 (.500) with two doubles and seven RBI in the Austin Super Regional after a sensational Austin Regional that saw the Flower Mound product go 7-for-11 (.636) with three doubles, two RBI, and five runs scored.
Over those five games, Rodriguez has bolstered his average from .277 to .306 by going 11-for-19 (.579) with five doubles, six runs scored, and nine RBI.
What Marler probably doesn’t know is anything about Rodriguez — what he’s been through since he was hit by pitch against Missouri 14 months ago, the pain he’s felt ever since on his swings, and how much he’s had to grow through that adversity. How hard he’s worked with Troy Tulowitzki to prove himself defensively at shortstop.
What Marler doesn’t have is any of the perspective to understand why Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle is so proud of Rodriguez and why the standout sophomore has earned praise instead of criticism.
Understanding where Rodriguez is right now requires understanding the hamate fracture in his left hand from March of last year that caused him to miss seven games and forced him to bat left-handed while playing through pain, an injury that sapped Rodriguez of the power that allowed him to hit five home runs before the injury.
Rodriguez ultimately had surgery to insert a staple into that hand last fall, but the pain continued into this season, caused by an allergic reaction to the metal in the staple that forced him to undergo another procedure at the beginning of April to remove the staple that left Schlossnagle hoping Rodriguez could recover enough to be impactful late.
“Ideally, before the season ends, before May, it’d be awesome to have him,” Schlossnagle said at the time. “But we may not get that this year. That may have to be next year. I just know he’s capable of helping our team. He’s the energy of our team.”
That’s high praise from Schlossnagle given all the big personalities on this team.
It’s an energy apparent in the batter’s box, and in his shoulder shaking after a big hit, a recent innovation that grew out of a song that team listens to on the road, and celebrating with his teammates even if it wasn’t his big hit.
While the energy has remained consistent from Rodriguez, his approach has changed, from going back to hitting exclusively from the left side because those swings don’t hurt as much to simplifying his swing mechanically to help keep his head still to recognizing that his power still hasn’t returned with his hand remaining at less than 100 percent as Rodriguez has learned how to settle for shooting the ball into gaps or down the lines, like the inside-out swing that won Sunday’s game over Oregon.
A rare combination of natural hitting ability and relentless work ethic caught Schlossnagle’s attention a long time ago, and the trust was mutual enough for Rodriguez to commit to Texas A&M before following Schlossnagle to Austin and flipping to Texas two years ago. But the hand injury caused that work ethic to work against Rodriguez, forcing some pragmatic changes to his formerly intense routines.
“I think it’s definitely made me more mature on how I’m going about things in the facility, how many swings I’m taking before the game — I’ve limited that down quite a bit because of the situation I’m in right now,” Rodriguez said on Saturday.
In turn, that’s helped Rodriguez gain a more healthy perspective on what effective preparation looks like.
“I think for Adrian, this would be something that really helps his career long term. He’s learning that he’s a special, special player that doesn’t have to take 1,000 swings to be ready to go. He can wake up and hit,” Schlossnagle said.
“He will get fully healthy one day. He likes baseball, so I don’t ever want to coach that out of him, I don’t want him to change that, but he’s learning that he can limit his work and still be super effective. And then really learning to use the whole field to hit, he hadn’t done that a lot in the past, but being really left on left, he’s just come so far, and super proud of him.”
The dedication shown by Rodriguez has extended past his efforts to get his hand healthy and not cause any setbacks by taking too many extra swings.
When shortstop Jalin Flores signed with the St. Louis Cardinals after the 2025 MLB Draft, Rodriguez opted against playing summer baseball to get lean enough to move to short after splitting time between second base, third base, and left field as a freshman, dropping 10 pounds to improve his range.
Rodriguez looks like a Tulowitzki-coached shortstop now — there’s an artfulness to his defense, how he approaches the ball, the smoothness of his transfer, and the ability to get throws off quickly and accurately. Despite the increased challenge of playing shortstop, Rodriguez has only committed five errors this season, three fewer than last year, and improved his fielding percentage from .929 to .968, the same fielding percentage that Trey Faltine posted at shortstop for the Longhorns as a sophomore in 2021.
Now healthy and well-adjusted enough to make an impact at the plate, Rodriguez has grown into an all-around player who serves as a linchpin for a defense that entered the super regionals ranked 22nd nationally with a .979 fielding percentage, solidifying the bond between assistant and player.
During a rare offensive timeout called by Texas before Rodriguez went to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning on Sunday, Tulowitzki leaned on the rapport he’s built with Rodriguez through all the hard work they’ve put in together.
“He was just slowing my brain down — he knows I can get kind of amped up during those kind of situations — and he told me this is why you come to the SEC, this is why you’re a Texas Longhorn, and he told me that he wouldn’t have it any other way than with me in the box at that moment,” Rodriguez recounted after the game.
And then one shortstop came through for the other.
“Tulo is my guy, I’m with him every single day, working on stuff, talking to him, he’s one of my biggest mentors in my whole baseball career and helped me get better,” Rodriguez said.
So Marler can create whatever standard he wants for Rodriguez. Does he need to be so demonstrative in the batter’s box? Probably not.
But it’s a sign of his competitiveness, and the standard that Rodriguez actually has to live up to on the Forty Acres is simple — “The pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas will not be entrusted to the weak or the timid.”
Neither weak nor timid, Rodriguez has emerged from the adversity of his hand injury tougher, more mature, and playing the best baseball of his college career.
And that’s worthy of respect, no matter what any ignorant haters think.
“What a great player,” Schlossnagle said. “What a player that rises to the occasion when needed, and certainly glad he’s a Longhorn.”
It's a new week, and a slate filled with opportunities to back hitters in strong spots against vulnerable arms on Monday, June 8.
This evening, our MLB player props are rolling with Yordan Alvarez, Yandy Diaz, and Willson Contreras, all in matchups that set up well for production.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Yordan Alvarez
Over 1.5 total bases
-112
Yandy Diaz
Over 1.5 total bases
+102
Willson Contreras
Over 1.5 total bases
+112
Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 total bases (-112)
Well, well, well, look who we're all over this evening. None other than Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez to go over 1.5 total bases.
The big fella enters with an elite rating on Batters-Box and draws a matchup against Los Angeles Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who has been getting lit up by left-handed hitters this season. Overall, Rodriguez owns an 8.90 xER, while lefties have posted a .458 xwOBA against him. Over the last 60 left-handed batters he's faced, they've produced a 61.1% elevation rate, 47.2% hard-hit rate, and a ridiculous .826 xSLG.
Alvarez has been on a tear all season, but he's been especially dominant against right-handed pitching lately. Over his last 30 plate appearances versus righties, the big fella is batting .417 with a .750 SLG and a 1.283 OPS. He's also generating 55% hard contact and a 15% barrel rate.
Did I mention that Alvarez has gone over this prop in four of his last five elite ratings? Or his 100% arsenal coverage against Rodriguez's entire pitch mix? No? Well, I'm glad I did now.
Paying a little juice for one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball feels well worth it, especially in a matchup against Rodriguez. I'd be willing to play this all the way up to -120 if I have to.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ABTV, SCHN
Yandy Diaz Over 1.5 total bases (+102)
Getting Tampa Bay Rays star Yandy Díaz at plus money to go over 1.5 total bases feels like a steal in this spot.
The Rays veteran draws Boston Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early, who does carry an elite pitcher rating today over on Batters-Box, but so does Diaz on the hitter's side.
He records a hit 72.46% of the time, 2+ hits 34.78% of the time, and has gone over this prop nearly 50% of the time in elite ratings. That is a 69-game sample size. He has also cleared this line in six of his last 10 elite-rated spots.
Early has also been getting hit hard by right-handed bats this season. Over his last 50 batters faced, they have produced nearly a 70% elevation rate, 53.5% hard contact, and an 11.6% barrel rate, while also carrying a sub-.700 xSLG.
Diaz has been rolling against left-handed pitching. In his last 30 at-bats, he is making nearly 90% contact, with 63.6% hard contact and a .938 OPS. On top of that, he owns an 85% arsenal coverage rating against Early’s mix.
Backing a hitter who is making consistent contact and hard contact against a pitcher who has been getting tagged by right-handed bats makes this a strong look. Getting it at plus money only adds to the appeal.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: RAYS, NESN
Willson Contreras Over 1.5 total bases (+112)
Sticking with this Red Sox vs. Rays matchup, we're backing Willson Contreras to go over his bases as well. The Red Sox veteran owns an elite rating on Batters-Box, where he is backed by some spicy trends.
In 29 elite ratings on the road:
1+ Hit: 72.41%
2+ Hits: 34.48%
Double: 27.59%
Home Run: 27.59%
2+ Bases: 51.72%
Contreras has cleared this prop in seven of his last ten elite ratings on the road.
The Rays send out right-hander Mason Englert, who has been getting torched by right-handed hitters this season. At home, it has been especially rough for the 26-year-old. Right-handed hitters are hitting .409 with a .727 SLG and a .507 wOBA, while posting a 72.2% elevation rate. Overall, Englert is allowing 43.2% hard contact and a 16.2% barrel rate to right-handed bats.
Given the matchup and underlying numbers, I would not go much higher than even money on Contreras and would look to grab the best number available.
I'm not shying away from sprinkling on all three of these guys to leave the yard today, and I am taking them straight up in their spots.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: RAYS, NESN
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 195-342-29, +0.3 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.
TORONTO, ON- MAY 24 - Dylan Cease #84 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches as the Toronto Blue Jays play the Pittsburgh Pirates at Rogers Centre in Toronto. May 24, 2026. Steve Russell/Toronto Star (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
There are little bits of Jays news today.
Tanner Andrews has cleared waivers and is on his way back to Buffalo. Not really a surprise, but it’s good to keep some pitching depth.
And it sounds like we will have Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer back this week. They have a couple of open spots coming up (and an off-day Thursday). I’d love to see us get out of the ‘two bullpen days out of five’ cycle they have been in. As much as I’d love bullpen usage to return to the days of the 1990s, but that’s not happening. The game has changed.
Of course, I’m not sure that Scherzer will pitch much deeper into game than your average reliever. But having Spencer Miles in the pen to be a long man, as well as Simeon Woods Richardson, who we might see on the mound one day. Getting Yimi Garcia back will help with the pen too. And Tommy Nance should be back soon too. That will make the back end of the pen much better (back end? front end?). Add in that Alejandro Kirk should be back sometime around the end of the week, the team will look a fair bit different soon. Hopefully better.
The big story of yesterday’s game, from the Orioles side, was the lack of a call on Ernie Clements avoiding a potential tag.
I don’t think this explanation is going to help:
Crew chief Hunter Wendelstedt and 2B umpire Nic Lentz explained the Ernie Clement call to a pool reporter and said Gunnar Henderson was still in the act of fielding when Clement established his wide base path.
“It was actually a very gentlemanly thing to do,” said Wendelstedt.
This is the sort of thing that Orioles fans will think he should be out and Jays fans will think they got the call right. Or at least, we’ll be happy that we got the benefit of a bad call.
It didn’t help that they called Jackson Holliday out for leaving the base path, when they should have called him out for the tag, in the ninth inning.
Who figured Brandon Valenzuela would be one of our best players. They are going to have to find a way to keep him in the lineup when Kirk comes back.
Apr 20, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Angels second baseman Adam Frazier (20) during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
Phillies fans can be complicated. As we saw this past offseason, “running it back” with players who have failed in previous seasons – particularly the playoffs – is not a popular strategy. On the other hand, there was a lot of angst about the team allowing Jeff Hoffman to leave as a free agent after 2024.
Hoffman was a very good reliever for the Phillies, but many people seem to have memory holed his performance in the 2024 NLDS when he may have been as responsible as any player for the series loss.
Despite that, I would have wanted him back at the right price, but not for the contract the Blue Jays offered him. They gave him three years and an opportunity to be the closer, despite several red flags about his health.
In the early part of the 2025 season, there was a lot of complaining when Hoffman was racking up a ton of saves, while the player the Phillies seemed to peg as his replacement – Jordan Romano – was dreadful. Hoffman was generally good in 2025, but in the biggest save opportunity he’ll ever have, he couldn’t get it done.
Jeff Hoffman vs. Miguel Rojas with the World Series on the line.
Tom Verducci and Bob Costas break down the pitch-by-pitch sequence leading up to Miguel Rojas' iconic game-tying home run in the 9th inning. pic.twitter.com/K50C04F0Hi
In 2026, on the surface he has been awful, and was removed from the closer role. But looking at most of the numbers, you wouldn’t think he’s been all that bad. He’s walking fewer batters, striking out more, and giving up less hard contact than last season, giving him a FIP of 2.99.
The biggest problem for Hoffman may simply be bad luck. He’s got an amazing .492 BABIP against him, resulting in a 6.26 ERA. Of course, after a guy blows a World Series, many fans aren’t all that interested in hearing that the poor on-field results are due to bad luck.
“This is up there for one of the weirdest years for a pitcher”
Jays’ Manager John Schneider on Jeff Hoffman’s season.
Schneider also spoke about fans booing Hoffman after he gave up a home run against Baltimore on Saturday: pic.twitter.com/pRqk1SnZNT
— 6ix Inning Stretch Podcast (@6ixinningpod) June 6, 2026
Hating on the Blue Jays
Obviously, the 1993 World Series is a good place to start if you want to work up some animosity against the Jays. The Phillies had one playoff appearance between 1983 and 2007, and Paul Molitor and Joe Carter had to ruin it. It’s perhaps even more galling that they missed the playoffs for the next 21 seasons after that. It’s like they said, “We ruined childhood for a bunch of Phillies fans. We’re good for a while!”
Aside from that, there’s not much to dislike. The Toronto fans are great, and the fact that they have only one non-Jackie Robinson number retired (Halladay) sits well for an elitist like me. (Some franchises would have retired Dave Steib’s number about ten times over.)
But if you do want to hate on these guys, you can bring up the fact that they had a chance to put a stop to the Dodgers’ reign of terror, and they blew it. They had a 3-2 lead in the series and then lost two straight at home. And in game seven, they were two outs away from victory! (Oh, I’m sorry, Blue Jays fans. It must really suck to have your closer blow a save in a decisive World Series game, huh?)
Random guy who played for both teams
The pennant year song battle has run its course. Now, I’m going to start highlighting a former Phillie who you might not have realized also played for the opponent as well.
When thinking of players who suited up for both the Phillies and Blue Jays, Roy Halladay is probably the first name that comes to mind. And if that square comes up in Immaculate Grid, Scott Rolen or Jose Bautista probably get used quite a bit. But did you realize that Mickey Morandini played for the Jays as well?
It’s hard to think of Morandini as anything but a Phillie. A “Harry Kalas special,” Morandini was a member of the 1993 Phillies team that fell to the Jays in the World Series, and after a two-year stint with the Cubs (TIL that Mickey Morandini received an MVP vote as a member of the Cubs in 1998), returned to the Phillies in 2000.
At midseason, with the Phillies comfortably in last place, and Morandini not doing much at all, the Phillies traded him to Toronto so they could give more playing time to younger players like Marlon Anderson and Kevin Jordan.
You're a hardcore Toronto Blue Jays fan if you remember Mickey Morandini playing his final 35 major league games with the club in 2000.
Morandini didn’t do much in Toronto, being worth -0.2 wins above replacement in 35 games. Meanwhile, the player sent to the Phillies was Rob Ducey who had been traded by the Phillies to the Blue Jays two weeks earlier.
😍⚾️STRANGER THAN FICTION: Phillies traded OF Rob Ducey to the Blue Jays for a Player To Be Named Later on 7/31/2000 (John Sneed). Then on 8/7/2000, he went back to the Phillies as the PTBNL in the 8/5/2000 deal for Mickey Morandini. (Getty Images) #philliespic.twitter.com/cNyQtMF3s6
The Phillies’ starting pitching was bad against the White Sox, but with Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler scheduled for this series, that figures to improve. The bigger question is whether or not the recent offensive surge can continue.
The first starter they’ll face this series is familiar: Patrick “Flags Fly Forever” Corbin. Formerly the unofficial holder of the “Worst Contract in Baseball” title (unfortunately, the Phillies have a pitcher who might be the current title holder), he’s surprisingly having a decent season for the Jays, with a 3.98 ERA in eleven starts.
The Jays have yet to announce starters for Tuesday and Wednesday. There’s a chance that Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer will return from the Injured List to make those starts., but the Phillies could also get to go against a bullpen game. (At this point of his career, a game against Scherzer is likely more enticing than facing the bullpen.)
The Phillies should have an opportunity to keep scoring runs as long as players like Adolis Garcia and Alec Bohm (great career numbers against Corbin) don’t fall off a cliff after their recent hot spells.
Yordan Alvarez
Yandy Diaz
Willson Contreras 
