Category: MLB

This game got smoked out.

Friday’s matchup between the Pirates and Guardians was postponed because of air quality concerns stemming from wildfire smoke coming from Canada, Cleveland announced.

“We have to do what’s best and what’s smart for both teams and for the fans,” Guardians skipper Stephen Vogt told reporters, according to The Athletic.

In place of Friday’s game, a split doubleheader is scheduled at Progressive Field on Saturday, with the start times being 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. Eastern.

According to the Guardians’ statement, fans attending the doubleheader must clear the stadium in between games.

“If fans are unable to attend the makeup game on July 18, they will be able to make an exchange based on how their tickets were purchased,” the Guardians stated. “Exchanges must be made no later than July 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Please note that exchanges cannot be made in the MLB Ballpark app.”

Gavin Williams, who was slated to start for the Guardians on Friday, will pitch Game 1 on Saturday, with Cleveland calling up Logan Allen from Triple-A Columbus to start Game 2.

As of Friday afternoon, Cleveland’s Air Quality Index (AQI) registered at 244, which is labeled as “very unhealthy” and health risks are “increased for everyone,” according to AirNow.

A healthy AQI typically ranges between 0 and 50.

Cleveland, along with the surrounding areas of northeast Ohio, has been experiencing smoky and hazy skies for the past two days, though conditions are expected to improve by Saturday afternoon, according to Fox 8.

MLB is also assessing the air quality of several other games Friday night, and the commissioner’s office has the authority to cancel or postpone games based on the AQI, The Athletic reported.

Friday’s game isn’t the first to be affected by the smoky conditions, with the Mets’ 4-1 win over the Phillies on Thursday getting pushed up one hour to try to avoid the weather as much as possible.

The earlier start time did not do much to thwart the conditions, however, as the smoke eventually engulfed Citizens Bank Park midway through the game.

“My eyes were burning and itching a little bit,’’ Mets infielder Brett Baty said following the game. “[Carson] Benge said it felt like you were sitting by a campfire.

“It was fun … but it didn’t feel great playing ball with it.”

Two starts ago, Seth Lugo faced off against his original big league team in a wild game that the Royals ultimately won despite him pitching quite poorly. He will look to do better today against his other former club, the one that first gave him a shot to resume starting after what had seemed a permanent shift to the bullpen.

We all know who Lugo is at this point; he throws everything but the kitchen sink. But sometimes he’ll add a faucet in there. When he can avoid the middle of the plate and keep guys guessing, he succeeds, when he gets backed into a corner, he can get pounded. The Padres don’t seem like a team that’s likely to pound him, necessarily, but

The Padres have been a bit up-and-down this season with an elite bullpen, an offense that has struggled to hit home runs, and a starting pitching staff that is extremely suspect after Michael King. Unfortunately for the Royals, King is the one who gets the start tonight.

King throws five pitches. What’s odd about his success from the outside is that, well, it looks like a bit of smoke and mirrors. None of his pitches get chase, none get whiffs, his xwOBACON is awful. His stuff is rated average. His 3.49 ERA is backed by a 4.49 SIERA and 4.01 FIP. His K-BB% of 11.1% is a career low. If the Royals had a good offense, I’d wonder if they could find a way to break him out of his lucky streak. But they’re not.

Lineups

Not much has changed with the Royals’ lineup since last weekend. For some reason, Salvador Perez still has to be in there despite actively making the team worse. But otherwise, this is about as good as it gets with the current group of players. A group that likely won’t be together much longer.

Thank goodness Rockies baseball is back.

The Colorado Rockies (39-59) return to action tonight against the Cincinnati Reds (43-52) at Coors Field after four days away for the All-Star break.

The Rockies have not played since last Sunday, when their 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants brought a quiet end to the unofficial first half. Four days without seeing the boys felt considerably longer than they should have.

There was still baseball, of course. It just was not the baseball I wanted to watch.

The Home Run Derby had its moments, and the All-Star Game offered the usual appeal of seeing baseball’s best players up close. But neither did much to fill the Rockies-sized hole in the week. Hunter Goodman barely received a passing mention, which was disappointing but not especially surprising.

After everything this organization has done—and failed to do—the Rockies have not earned national respect. They also have not earned anyone’s confidence that this climb will eventually reach the summit.

But for all the frustration, the Rockies are moving uphill. They reached the break 17 games ahead of last year’s pace, and the product on the field has been considerably more watchable.

And, Rockies fans still get the joy of this team on its own terms.

Anyone who showed up for the climb expecting an easy bandwagon ride has clearly never hiked in the Rockies. There is no wagon to the top. The trip is earned step by step.

Rockies fans learn to enjoy the climb itself: the debuts, the breakouts, the wild Coors Field nights, the heartbreaks, and the evenings spent shouting at the television before tuning in again the next day to watch a young player continue to find his footing.

Meanwhile, the jumpers are still at the trailhead complaining about the breeze.

Tonight, the climb resumes with Gabriel Hughes on the mound.

The 24-year-old right-hander opened his season with three scoreless innings against the Giants, earning a save in his major-league debut. Five days later, he made his first major-league start at Dodger Stadium and struck out seven over six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks.

Through those two appearances, Hughes has a 3.00 ERA with eight strikeouts and three walks over nine innings. He has leaned heavily on a four-seam fastball averaging just over 93 mph. The pitch has accounted for seven of his eight strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .130 average.

The sample is small, but the fastball has already shown that it can miss major-league bats.

Cincinnati will counter with right-hander Brady Singer. The 29-year-old enters tonight at 3-9 with a 4.72 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 89.2 innings. He was sharp in his final start before the break, holding the Philadelphia Phillies to one run over 7.1 innings.

The Rockies’ offense went quiet before the break, scoring three runs or fewer in four of its final five games. A few days away may have come at a good time.

Now, the break is over. Hughes is on the mound, the gang is back together, and it is simply good to have Rockies baseball back in front of us.

I, for one, am glad to be back on the trail.

First pitch: 6:40 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and KNRV 1150

Reds SB Nation Site: Red Reporter

Lineups

Second half starts tonight in Colorado

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/SEtiP9bWrE

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 17, 2026

Anddddd we are back!

Repost for your chance to win a Rockies City Connect jersey ‼️ pic.twitter.com/98Vha7RyIJ

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 17, 2026

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The Dodgers and Yankees continue their weekend series in The Bronx on Saturday night.

Emmet Sheehan takes the ball for Los Angeles, while left-hander Ryan Weathers starts for the Yankees. The Dodgers are 18-10 in games started by opposing southpaws this season.

The middle game of the series will have Joe Davis on the call, as he was on Friday. Only this time instead of SportsNet LA, he’ll call the exclusive Fox broadcast.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Yankees
• Ballpark: Yankee Stadium, New York
• Start time: 5:08 p.m. PT
• TV: Fox
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

It’s unclear whether the Padres will be buyers or sellers at the MLB trade deadline, but there is a general consensus president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will orchestrate a wild deal.

Entering Friday’s game against the Royals, the Padres were 3 ½ games out of an NL wild-card spot. Depending on how the next two weeks unfold for San Diego, the front office will decide which route to go.

If the Padres choose to sell at the Aug. 3 deadline, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the team is open to trading a number of its stars.

“Multiple sources said the Padres have not ruled out anything, including the possibility of trading closer Mason Miller, high-leverage lefty Adrian Morejón or [Michael] King,” Acee wrote.

Last summer, Preller pulled off the deal of the deadline by acquiring Miller from the Athletics. There’s reason to believe the Padres closer could leave the team by the end of the month if San Diego’s spiral continues.

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King was also dealt to San Diego in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees in 2023. The right-hander is sporting a 3.41 ERA with 92 strikeouts across 108.1 innings pitched. He has a 6-7 record this season.

King’s mark is similar to his 3.44 ERA in 2025, a season that was headlined by injuries for the pitcher.

Morejon is the only hurler of the trio who wasn’t acquired via trade. The Padres signed the reliever as an international free agent from Cuba. The lefty has posted a 3.42 ERA, which is far higher than his 2.08 ERA last season.

Miller is baseball’s best closer, and it would certainly be tough for San Diego to lose such a talented star. However, the Padres have endured a rough season, and things can’t continue as they are.

Preller has largely operated under the element of surprise, so the Padres shouldn’t be underestimated heading into the trade deadline.

Shohei Ohtani was at the top of the Dodgers’ lineup Friday against the New York Yankees, five days after receiving an injection in his left knee. And he’s penciled in to pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Ohtani received an orthovisc shot in his knee to lubricate the joint and relieve irritation, manager Dave Roberts said, and did not have it drained.

“It gives him some relief in his knee which we were hoping to get,” Roberts said. “Then the four days off with no activity which gives it a chance to settle in.”

Ohtani was expected to be in the lineup for all three games against the Yankees. He planned to play catch and throw off the mound in the coming days, and the team would monitor his response before finalizing pitching plans.

Taking the mound Wednesday would give Ohtani more recovery time heading into the team’s day off. When asked if Ohtani would shoulder two-way duties Wednesday, Roberts said, “We’ll see when we get there.”

When it isn’t possible to have Ohtani pitch before a day off, Roberts would like to rest him the following day.

“It’s all contingent on how his knee is feeling,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s second-half workload. “I think we are certainly more prepared to back off on the workload if it calls for it. But Shohei wants to be out there as much as he possibly can.”

Asked if Ohtani would need offseason surgery, Roberts said: “I would highly doubt that.”

Coming out of the break, the Dodgers shuffled their rotation to have Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Yoshinobu Yamamoto face the Yankees in that order.

That leaves left-handed starters Eric Lauer and Justin Wrobleski (not necessarily in that order), to face the Phillies before Ohtani would take the mound.

Smith shut down

The Dodgers are shutting down catcher Will Smith from all baseball activities for a week as he continues to deal with a lingering neck injury. That pushes his return timeline back to at least August, if not later.

“It was flaring up, wasn’t recovering — however you want to word it,” Roberts said. “He didn’t feel like he was making any improvement.”

Smith has been sidelined since early June because of what he described as an inflamed disk. He initially treated it with rest and then an injection. But it still was bothering him during his latest buildup.

“I talked to the trainer, Thomas [Albert], today and he said that Will doesn’t feel any pain,” Roberts said. “Now with that, I think we’re in a much better spot.”

Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández (strained left oblique) was set to begin a rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday. And left-hander Blake Snell was scheduled to take the mound for two innings Saturday in his first minor-league rehab start since undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow.

Air quality concerns

The MLB schedule got off to a smoky start out of the All-Star break. With wildfires in Canada raising air-quality concerns in the Northeast and Midwest on Thursday, the New York Mets’ game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia was moved up an hour.

The smoke cleared over Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon.

“I know that the players got a players’ union text that says it’s a full go,” Roberts said. “They feel good about it. The league feels good. I haven’t heard anything otherwise.”

2027 schedule

With a lockout widely expected to start Dec. 1 and no guarantee of an agreement in time to preserve the 2027 season, take MLB’s schedule announcement Thursday with a grain of salt.

Should collective bargaining negotiations wrap up in time, however, the Dodgers are set to open the season at Dodger Stadium on March 25 against the Atlanta Braves.

They end the season on the road, facing a pair of division rivals in the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks from Sept. 21-26.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Here's the latest Yankees news and buzz ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline...

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July 31, 5:14 p.m.

The Yankees continue to look for impact right-handed bats ahead of the deadline and it seems Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward is on their radar.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yankees are one of a number of teams with varying interest in Ward. The other teams include the Phillies, Guardians and Rangers.

The injuries to Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger may push GM Brian Cashman to make a move for a proven outfielder like Ward. 

Ward, 32, is slashing .248/.383/.350 with an OPS of .733 to go along with seven home runs and 30 RBI.

Ward is an unrestricted free agent after this season.

July 30, 9:18 a.m.

The Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox are among the teams expressing interest in Rockies All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

Per Rosenthal, the Rockies have been asking inquiring teams for their No. 1 prospect as part of the talks. 

Goodman, 26, holds immense value due to his salary ($810,000 this season) and years of control (he's arbitration-eligible through 2029).

New York is in need of catching help, with Austin Wells having an alarmingly bad year with the bat -- hitting .159 with a .525 OPS in 214 at-bats. 

Goodman, who has been an All-Star the last two seasons, is slashing .254/.326/.545 with 31 homers in 100 games this year. 

July 29, 8:07 p.m.

The Yankees are casting a wide net for catching help at the deadline, and that includes the Orioles' Adley Rutschman.

According to the NY Post's Jon Heyman, the Yankees are among teams that have checked in on Rutschman. 

Rutschman, 28, is a switch-hitter who is currently on the IL with left wrist inflammation but is in the midst of his third All-Star season. In 67 games, Rutschman is slashing .251/.331/.433 with an OPS of .764. He has eight home runs and driven in 47 RBI. The Orioles backstop has one more year of arbitration before he's a free agent in 2028. 

New York has also been connected to Ryan Jeffers, despite the Twins announcing they want to be buyers, and the Reds' Tyler Stephenson.

July 25, 5:07 p.m.

The Nationals could be sellers at the trade deadline despite being competitive, which is why they are likely to hold onto All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, despite the Yankees checking on his availability.

According to The Athletic's Spencer Nusbaum and Will Sammon, New York has "at least" checked in on Abrams to see if they can upgrade the shortstop position.

But as the report states, the Nationals are not shopping Abrams, but will listen to offers. In fact, the Brewers, who are also looking to upgrade at shortstop, are expected to explore the possibility of trading for Abrams again soon.

Abrams has already hit a career-high 24 home runs while batting .289 with an OPS of .907. 

The Yankees, of course, are looking to upgrade at catcher and in the bullpen, but could use the firepower at shortstop. The combination of Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero has not provided the firepower the Yankees need without Aaron Judge in the lineup. 

July 23, 5:10 p.m.

The Yankees are in the market for a catcher, but they will have competition.

Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report that the White Sox are looking for a backstop after losing Kyle Teel to injury. Chicago will join a thin catching market already inhabited by the Yankees, Rays and Dodgers. 

However, while the Yankees have been linked to Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers and a tad to Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman, another option could present itself.

Sammon and Rosenthal point to the Reds' Tyler Stephenson as a potential alternative for the Bombers. 

"The Cincinnati Reds’ Tyler Stephenson, one available catcher, might become an alternative for the Yankees, and other teams are pursuing the Minnesota Twins’ Ryan Jeffers," the report states. 

Stephenson is the same age as Jeffers, 29, and is also in the final year of his contract. While Jeffers is a better offensive option, Stephenson has been solid for Cincinnati. The catcher is slashing .244/.320/.393 with an OPS of .713 to go along with eight home runs and 27 RBI.

July 17, 7:12 p.m.

The Yankees are in need of a catcher at the trade deadline and while Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins seems like an obvious target, the Bombers have checked in with the Rockies about their backstop.

According to ESPN's Jorge Castillo, the Yankees have called about catcher Hunter Goodman, although it was not recently. 

Goodman would provide that right-handed production from the catcher's spot that the Yankees have been missing all season. Goodman, 26, is batting .254 with 27 home runs and an .863 OPS in 90 games with the Rockies. 

As Castillo points out, it will likely take a lot for the Yankees to acquire Goodman, who has club control for another three years. 

The Mets "have no desire to pay down contracts" like they did in their 2023 MLB trade deadline deals that sent right-handed pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander for more than $85 million, according to a report Friday by SNY contributor Jim Duquette.

"The Mets have been telling teams that, unlike the '23 deadline where they took on over $85 million to move the Scherzer and Verlander contracts for better prospects, they have no desire to pay down contracts to that extreme at this year’s deadline," Duquette wrote Friday on X.

SNY MLB insider Chelsea Janes reported Thursday that the Mets "informed teams they're open for business" entering this year's trade deadline, which is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m.

"A rival executive said the Mets informed their team that the sale is on, and that everyone but young stars Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, Nolan McLean and the obvious, Juan Soto,isavailable," Janes wrote. "That doesn't mean everyone will go. But it means the Mets will listen on just about everyone, which is in keeping with what people familiar with their thinking have signaled for weeks."

SNY manager of editorial production Danny Abriano opined Thursday which Mets could be on the move, a list led by right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta.

"A pending free agent, Peralta could be the most established and highest-upside starting pitcher available at the deadline if the Tigers don't deal Tarik Skubal," Abriano wrote. "Peralta's poor season to this point shouldn't be a hindrance when it comes to the Mets getting something of serious value back."

San Diego Padres (48-48) at Kansas City Royals (38-59), July 17, 2026, 5:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City, MO.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Kansas City for the weekend. pic.twitter.com/b38849xiTx

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 17, 2026

Second half starts tonight. pic.twitter.com/BmrIWE0gC7

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 17, 2026

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Go Rays!

Officially, the second half of the 2026 season begins for the San Diego Padres with a 10-game road trip. The gauntlet includes playing two of the top National League East foes (Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins) after a weekend series against the Kansas City Royals.

This might sound like a daunting task, but the Padres have a chance to put themselves back into the postseason chase. Currently, they trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by a whopping 12-and-a-half games in the NL West standings. But the Friars are only three-and-a-half games behind the Marlins for the final Wild Card berth.

We cannot expect a total collapse from the two-time World Series champs, but chasing down the Fish seems like a reasonable goal.

Here is what to expect from the Padres in the second half:

Get Jake Cronenworth healthy

One of the surprises before the All-Star break was the return of Jake Cronenworth to the starting lineup. Barring any physical setbacks, he will play second base and hit ninth in the batting order. 

The Friars need his left-handed stick, as getting the stagnant offense going is of great importance right now. We have seen throughout the season that the team’s best hitters can go cold for long stretches. 

Even Manny Machado is experiencing the worst hitting slump of his major league career. Adding Cronenworth to the mix should allow the lineup to get back on track and score runs.

But to achieve postseason aspirations, the Padres need Cro sharp at the plate.

Do not play Freddy Fermin until concussion-free

Playing through injuries is expected from those who put on the tools of ignorance. But the number of catchers sustaining a concussion has grown at an alarming rate this season.

Everyone should be worried about the amount of time Freddy Fermin has spent in concussion protocol this season. We need to get him healthy before he begins playing in the second half of the season.

Concussions are lingering injuries that stay with a sufferer for an extended time. Even if Fermin has passed all the protocol testing, a few extra days out of the lineup will not hurt.

The position’s offensive production has been non-existent all season, but Fermin is an outstanding defensive catcher. The Friars will need his experience to call a game if they expect to move up the standings. 

Trust the starting rotation

Let’s stop fooling ourselves; the Padres starting rotation is in shambles. No question, injuries have forced constant change, but the days of juggling starting pitchers in and out of the rotation are over. Team skipper Craig Stammen has to play the cards he was dealt.

Sorry, the Friar Faithful are tired of waiting for Joe Musgrove to make his season debut or the return of Nick Pivetta to the rotation. Their replacements failed to live up to expectations. They struggled with consistency and could not stop opponents from putting runs on the scoreboard. 

The second half will begin with Michael King, Griffin Canning, and German Marquez in the opening series against the Royals. Each pitcher is rested and should be sharp for their first start after the All-Star break. Stammen needs to show confidence and allow each starter to work out of potential jams.

The Friars have a grueling road trip ahead, and the club needs quality starts from their starting rotation. 

The chase is just starting, but do not plan any postseason viewing parties just yet. The Padres will have to put their foot on the accelerator because it is time to gain some ground in the standings.

All the Friar Faithful want is for the team to be in a position to contend.

The Dodgers (61-36) open the second half of the season with a three-game series against the Yankees (54-42) in New York. 

Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.33 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) looks to find consistency in the second part of the season. 

Gerrit Cole (3-4, 4.04 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) starts for the Yankees.

Lineups

Today’s #Dodgers lineup at Yankees: pic.twitter.com/p3LSlUfjbv

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 17, 2026

Clash of The Coasts. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/XW7mMfcwCb

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 17, 2026

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Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Yankees
• Ballpark: Yankee Stadium, New York
• Time: 4:05 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

With the All-Star break now behind us, it’s back to the grind of the MLB season. In what can only be described as the shock of the season, the Chicago White Sox enter the second half of the season tied for first atop the AL Central. With 67 games left, the final push for the playoffs starts now.

The first team to be tasked with testing the White Sox is the Toronto Blue Jays. When these two teams met at the beginning of the season, the White Sox made a statement by sweeping Toronto over the three-game series, outscoring the Blue Jays, 14-7. Now, judging by how the two teams have fared since that series, that matchup looks more like an early indication of how the two teams would play out the season.

To say the Blue Jays have been undergoing a World Series appearance hangover would be an understatement. The team that fell just two outs short of a championship now find itself in dead-last in the AL East. To start the second half of the season, they’re throwing out Spencer Miles.

Miles made his MLB debut earlier this season for the Blue Jays after being acquired by the San Francisco Giants in last year’s Rule 5 draft. He’s mostly been used as a long reliever this year, but has started three games so far as an “opener.” On the season, Miles has been on an absolute tear after a difficult start: He comes into this game with an 2.85 ERA and a 4-1 record. Miles is a pitcher who prides himself on limiting damage when he does allow runs, as he has allowed more than two scores in just two of his 26 outings.

Looking more at his “stuff” as a pitcher, Miles leans heavily on a sinker and curveball combo, as he throws one of those two pitches 67% of the time. He doesn’t get batters to chase or whiff very often, but he does limit hard hits and not many batters are able to barrel anything up on his pitches. Due to his low ability to get guys to swing and miss, if Miles isn’t able to locate his pitches as he wants he can open himself up to some damage.

As for the White Sox, they are throwing out none other than Anthony Kay. After a sensational month of May and a bad June, Kay has steadied the ship a bit in July. In his two starts, against the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox, Kay has allowed just three earned runs in just a shade more than nine innings. It’s also important to remember that Kay was terrific in his start against the Guardians, allowing just one hit over four innings, until the rain delay ended his night early.

With both the White Sox and Guardians having relatively easy schedules to start the second half of the season, it’s crucial for the South Siders to win each and every time out as they no longer have a margin for error. With their team healthy and the Blue Jays still beaten up with some injuries to key players, there is no excuse for the White Sox to not take this series.

Here is the starting lineup for your Chicago White Sox:

Here is the starting lineup for the Toronto Blue Jays:

First pitch is 6:15 p.m. CST. You can watch on Apple TV or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. Let us know your thoughts and predictions below!

The San Diego Padres finally managed to win a series, pushing past the Toronto Blue Jays to take their first series in July. After an 8-7 comeback win on Saturday night, the Friars pulled off the same feat with a 5-4 comeback on Sunday afternoon. Those wins gave their offense some much needed momentum heading into the All-Star break.

The Padres desperately need a consistent turnaround. Now is the time to do it. San Diego has a 10-game road trip with no off days before returning to Petco Park on July 28. That’s six days before the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3. There’s an abundance of speculation on how the Friars will approach the deadline this year. The next 10 games will make or break the rest of San Diego’s season.

Taking the mound

Seth Lugo (KC) v. Michael King (SD)

Lugo has been stabilizer in years past for the Kansas City Royals. That has not been the case this season. Lugo has struggled toward a 4.56 ERA alongside a 6.68 ERA across his last 33 2/3 innings. That line is primarily due to the righty’s fall off after a hot start to the year.

The Royals themselves have struggled, mostly regressing after a solid but uninspiring 2025 campaign. The offense looks rough, but the rotation has been worse. Lugo has been part of an overall regression from Kansas City’s starting pitchers. The Padres will look to add to those troubles.

King had been looking for a bounce back and seems to have found it. After surrendering four runs in as many innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers, King has given up just three runs across his last 12 innings pitched. The right-hander’s command has been excellent lately, and he’ll look to follow it up against the Royals.

The majority of Kansas City’s lineup has seen King minimally. The only batter with 10 or more at-bats against the righty is veteran catcher Salvador Perez. The backstop owns a career .200 batting average against King. San Diego’s ace will hope to limit the rest of the Royals similarly on Friday night.

Batter up!

The lineup has looked healthy over the last few games, but the Padres have yet to prove consistency in their offense. Their final two games against Toronto showed that San Diego still has some grit in them, with back-to-back comeback wins against the Jays. If the Friars can show that fight through the second half of the year, they’ll be well on their way to the playoffs.

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

Expect Andujar and Sheets to play a big role on offense tonight. Both have a batting average over .300 and an OPS over 1.000 in their careers versus Lugo. France and Merrill do as well, but the former duo has more experience against Kansas City’s right-hander (18 combined at-bats).

Relief corps

The entire bullpen will be available with the series opener being the first game back from the All-Star break. That said, Wandy Peralta was placed on the bereavement list Wednesday afternoon. The Padres recalled Jhony Brito from Triple-A to fill out their ‘pen.

The rest of the available relievers will be made up of Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Matt Waldron. Brito and Waldron will figure to cover multiple innings as both have worked as starters and bulk relief pitchers.

I’m busy all day today, so getting a Game Thread together early in case I can’t get to it later.

Lineups haven’t been announce yet.

Spencer Miles (4-1, 2.85) and former Jay Anthony Kay (6-4, 4.23). I wonder if they can push Miles thru five innings? At least the pen is rested.

Hopefully some time off did the hitters some good too.

Go Jays Go