SNY's Andy Martino is responding to and breaking down answers to Yankees questions from readers. Here's the latest...
What positions do you think the Yankees will be looking to upgrade at trade deadline? - @nick5875
The Yankees continue to look for a righty bat, likely an infielder. It’s too early to do anything but speculate on specific names but Isiah Kiner-Falefa could fit the bill. They could also trade for a third baseman like the lefty-hitting Ryan McMahon and move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base.
By shifting Chisholm to third earlier in the season, the Yanks now have the option to use him at either of those positions, depending on who they acquire. They gained that flexibility by getting him those reps sooner than later.
Some in the organization see a need for an additional starting pitcher. One could also make a case for another power arm for the back end of the bullpen, although they’re in solid shape with Luke Weaver (expected to return Friday) and Devin Williams. Again, it’s early.
Do you think Ben Rice will be taught 3B? Goldy is having a good year and can see an extension to be our premier 1B. - @zanna_zt
No, Ben Rice won’t play third base for the Yankees. Aaron Boone has a plan for Rice that involves days at first base, days at DH, days on the bench here and there, and the occasional day at catcher (though not as the second catcher; that’s J.C. Escarra’s job and it is not in jeopardy). The Yankees do not plan to introduce Rice to any additional positions.
As for Paul Goldschmidt, he has been an excellent upgrade at first base, both on the field and for the team’s culture. But at 37 years old, he’s not an extension candidate. Another year? Maybe. But not an extension.
Is there a real chance Ben Rice starts playing catcher 2-3 times a week? - @NYsportSufferer
Not really. They will likely continue to carry three catchers, if you classify Rice as a catcher. This relates to the previous answer. Escarra is the backup and needs to play at least once or twice a week to stay fresh.
Andy, did you get good questions? - @SirRonaldFritz
It didn't take long for Juan Soto to make history on Thursday night.
The star outfielder lined a two out single off Braves right-hander Spencer Strider in the top of the first -- giving him 1,000 hits in his big-league career.
Soto is one of just 84 players to reach the feat at age 26 or younger.
He joins Mickey Mantle and Mel Ott as the only three players in MLB history with at least 1,000 hits, 200 homers, and 700 walks before the age of 27.
The first 564 knocks of Soto's career came with the Nationals -- he picked up 199 more while with Padres, added 166 with the Yankees, and now has 66 during the first year of his historic deal with the Mets.
All the Yankees needed to snap a season-long losing skid and break out at the plate was a scorching hot afternoon featuring a pair of bookended rain delays. Just the usual remedy for an alarming cold streak.
While their performance wasn't exactly pretty, the Yankees couldn't have cared less about style points on Thursday in the Bronx. What mattered most was securing a long-craved win, and they did just that by outmuscling the Angels, 7-3, in their four-game series finale. They also prevented their old playoff nemesis from pulling off their first-ever four-game road sweep at Yankee Stadium.
The six-game slide, which saw the Yankees hit a measly .155 with 59 strikeouts and go a confounding 30 straight innings without scoring, didn't encapsulate their entire season by any means. They entered Thursday with the highest OPS in the AL, and ranked third across the majors in runs scored.
So, the awakening was inevitable, even though it took a week for the bats to connect. The Yankees' winning formula consisted of 12 hits -- two of which were home runs from Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt -- all nine starters reaching base, and four runs driven in with two outs. Call it welcomed pop and production, from top to bottom.
"Obviously, these last few games haven't gone our way. Today was good, but we've got to keep going," Goldschmidt said after the win. "It's a long season. A long season when you're playing well, a long season when you're losing a few games in a row. We understand that. So, we've done a good job just taking it day by day. Today was a good example of that."
The "no style points" mentality can apply to the performance from Carlos Rodón. While the southpaw served up a season-high three home runs to the Angels, they were all of the solo variety, and the early run support allowed him to complete six innings and earn the quality start. He stuck out seven and walked one across 92 pitches, and his ERA now sits at 3.10.
"Three solo shots, obviously I want to be in a better place with those pitches," Rodón said. "So there's stuff to work on this week and be better at. But all in all, we won the game, so that's the big part... I thought they swung it great, I thought we played some great baseball. Props to the bullpen for shutting it down when I came out."
The Yankees' week-long stench was one for the books. They were shut out in three straight games for just the seventh time in franchise history. For the first time since 1908 -- yes, 1908 -- they scored seven runs or fewer with six-plus losses across a seven-game span (h/t Katie Sharp).
But the Yankees finally showed signs of life on Thursday, and with the last-place Orioles arriving in town for a three-game set this weekend, hopes of a winning streak can re-enter the brains of players and fans.
"It definitely feels good hearing the music again and coming out with a W," said Cody Bellinger, who collected a team-high three hits. "Carlos and the bullpen did a great job of minimizing them. For us, we got to come do our job and score some runs."
TORONTO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks put catcher Gabriel Moreno on the 10-day injured list Thursday because of a contusion on his right hand.
The move is retroactive to June 16.
Arizona selected catcher Aramis Garcia from Triple-A Reno. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-hander Christian Montes De Oca (back/elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Outfielder Corbin Carroll was not in the starting lineup for Thursday’s series finale against the Blue Jays. Carroll left Wednesday’s 8-1 loss in the eighth inning after being hit on the left hand by a pitch. X-rays did not reveal a fracture.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Carroll asked to play Thursday, but Lovullo preferred to rest the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year. Carroll is batting .255 with 20 home runs and 44 RBIs.
Former Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk started in right field for the Diamondbacks on Thursday.
Moreno was scratched from the lineup Tuesday after injuring his hand during batting practice. He did not play on Wednesday.
Moreno is batting .270 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 53 games.
Now in his third season with the Diamondbacks, Moreno was acquired from Toronto following the 2022 season, along with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., in a trade that sent outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Blue Jays.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani will next pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.
The two-way superstar made his mound debut for the Dodgers on Monday against the San Diego Padres, throwing one inning and allowing one run and two hits. He also batted leadoff as the designated hitter and had two hits.
Ohtani faced Padres sluggers Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in his 28-pitch outing.
The Dodgers conclude their four-game series with San Diego on Thursday night, looking for a sweep and their sixth straight victory overall.
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2023 season while with the Los Angeles Angels and missed all of the 2024 season after which he signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jac Caglianone went deep twice for his first two homers in the big leagues as the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Thursday.
The 22-year-old prospect won lefty-lefty matchups both times a day after sitting out in the majors for the first time in part because of a left-handed starter for Texas.
Both of Caglianone’s homers led off innings. He pulled a 95.5 mph fastball from Jacob Latz into the Texas Rangers bullpen in right-center field, the 387-foot shot giving the Royals a 3-0 lead in the second. The second was on the first pitch from Robert Garcia in the ninth, a 439-footer over that same bullpen.
The sixth overall pick in last year’s amateur draft out of Florida, Caglianone went 0 for 5 in his big league debut at St. Louis on June 3. His average was at .196 after going 0 for 4 in the opener of a series at Texas and sitting out the second game.
Caglianone, who played his first six games on the road before making his home debut against the New York Yankees, swung at Latz’s 2-2 pitch above the strike zone, and pointed toward center field. He made the same gesture after crushing a slider from Garcia.
The 6-foot-5 Caglianone hit 15 homers in 50 games combined with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha before getting called up.
MIAMI (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies moved right-hander Aaron Nola to the 60-day injured list on Thursday, a week after he injured his ribcage while trying to work himself back from a sprained right ankle.
Nola had been out since early May with the ankle injury. He experienced stiffness in his right side last week in Toronto that wiped out a planned session against live batters, and an MRI showed a stress reaction in his right ribcage.
Nola, who is in the second season of a seven-year, $172 million contract, is 105-86 with a 3.78 ERA in 11 seasons with the Phillies, making six straight opening day starts from 2018-23. He was 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA in nine starts this year before injuring his ankle on May 8 during pregame agility drills.
The Phillies selected the contract of infielder Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Lehigh Valley before Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins and optioned infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson to the IronPigs.
Kennedy, 26, is batting .283 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 61 games for Lehigh Valley this season and was the International League Player of the Month for May. In 54 major league games over three seasons with the Diamondbacks, Tigers and Phillies, he has batted .203 with two homers and 19 RBIs.
Wilson batted .194 with one home run and 4 RBIs in 22 games for the Phillies this season.
The Mets have come to a decision with Frankie Montas.
With his 30-day minor league rehab assignment officially coming to an end, New York has decided that the veteran right-hander will jump into the big-league rotation on Tuesday night against the Braves.
Montas, of course, has been sidelined since spring training with a right lat strain.
After a long recovery process, he was finally able to get back into game action. But things didn't quite go as planned, as he was roughed up over six outings between Triple-A Syracuse and High-A Brooklyn.
His latest appearance came on Wednesday with Syracuse -- he started well but ultimately faltered off, allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings.
That brought his ERA up to an ugly 13.17 over just 13.2 innings of work.
But with no time left on his rehab assignment and a need for healthy arms in the rotation, the Mets have decided to insert him into the mix for his team debut.
"I'm not gonna lie, he got hit around," Carlos Mendoza said. "Look we've seen it before where guys in spring training struggle and get hit around, then once you put them in a big-league game under the lights with a gameplan and making adjustments, they flip the switch.
"He's had success so far at this level, so hopefully that's the case here with a guy who basically treated this rehab process as spring training and he got hit around. But again, we believe in the player and we're going to give him a chance."
Rob Thomson has talked since spring training about managing his starting pitchers a bit differently in 2025.
With the long game in mind and the goal of keeping their workhorses as fresh as possible for October, the Phillies have dialed their starters back ever so slightly. Rather than extend them one more inning when their pitch count is nearing the upper limit, the Phils have played it safer. The fact that they trail only the Braves and Rays in innings per start speaks to the efficiency and overall productivity of one of baseball’s best rotations.
Thomson could have sent Cristopher Sanchez back out for the ninth inning of Thursday’s 2-1 win in Miami but went to Orion Kerkering instead for the save. Sanchez had retired 10 in a row and was at only 91 pitches, but the Phillies’ manager stayed true to his word.
While every starter wants to finish his own work when the opportunity presents itself, Sanchez didn’t seem too bothered by the decision in the dugout after his eighth and final inning. He was terrific, allowing one run on five hits with no walks and picking up 16 of his 24 outs on the ground.
The lefty is 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA through 15 starts and is on pace to exceed 180 innings.
The Marlins gave the Phillies a scare in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a one-out error by Alec Bohm, which extended the inning for Miami to later put runners on the corners. Dane Myers popped up to Bohm to end it as Kerkering picked up his second career save.
The Phillies (45-30) took three of four at loanDepot Park, the dullest venue in baseball. They’ll come home to substantially more energy this weekend against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park, a battle for first place in the NL East. The teams are now tied thanks to six straight Mets losses.
Every bit of Sanchez’ mastery was required in the finale in Miami because the Phillies didn’t score until the seventh inning. They were gifted their first run on a bobble by Marlins third baseman Connor Norby, who still had a force-out at the plate but chose instead to race to third to unsuccessfully attempt a 5-3 double play on Bryson Stott.
Kyle Schwarber tattooed his 23rd home run of the season in the top of the eighth and Sanchez and Kerkering finished off the series win.
The Phillies have responded to a 2-10 stretch by winning six of their last seven. Their ace, Zack Wheeler, kicks off the weekend looking to maintain momentum. The Phils have played poorly against the Mets for a calendar year but have a chance to help themselves out in a big way. It’s an important head-to-head opportunity, one that won’t come up again until the final week of August.
RHP Max Kranick (right elbow strain) was placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to June 16. He last pitched on June 15 against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing two hits over two innings with a strikeout and a walk. Over 24 games this season, Kranick owns a 3-2 record with a 3.65 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 37.1 IP.
"After the last outing, we had an off day, he complained about some soreness around the elbow area, forearm," Carlos Mendoza told reporters. "Kind of gave him a couple of extra days where we tried to stay away from him, got treatment. Yesterday he played catch, got on the mound, and he was still feeling something. Very similar to what [Tylor] Megill was experiencing on the secondary pitches.
"So he flew back to New York this morning. He got an MRI early this afternoon. We're waiting for the results now."
Mendoza added that Kranick "didn't think this was something too serious," but they'll wait to see what the imaging shows.
With Kranick hitting the IL, New York recalled relievers Dedniel Nuñez and Justin Hagenman from Triple-A Syracuse, while optioning RHP Ty Adcock to Triple-A.
Nuñez had a late start to his season while recovering from an elbow injury, making his season debut on May 5. However, the righty struggled and walked six batters in 3.2 innings of work across five games. He was then optioned down to Triple-A on May 17.
Over 19 games in the minors, Nuñez has gone 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 19.0 IP.
Hagenman is expected to start Friday's game as the opener against the Phillies in Philadelphia. He allowed one run on three hits over 3.1 IP with four strikeouts on April 16 against the Minnesota Twins in his lone major league appearance and owns a 6.21 ERA over 33.1 innings with Triple-A Syracuse.
Adcock let up one run on one hit in Wednesday's loss to the Braves and has pitched to a 3.00 ERA over three games with the Mets this season.
After a week of historically dormant offense, the Yankees mercifully snapped their season-long, six-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over the Angels on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
By salvaging the final game of the series, the Yankees also prevented the Angels from pulling off their first-ever four-game road sweep in the Bronx.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Angels wasted no time drawing first blood for a fourth straight game. With two outs in the first inning, Carlos Rodón grooved a fastball to Mike Trout that landed deep in the left-center field bullpen for a home run, the 390th of his esteemed career. But the Yankees quickly responded in the bottom half with a somewhat refreshing rally against Tyler Anderson. A leadoff double from Paul Goldschmidt, an infield single from Cody Bellinger, and an RBI groundout from Giancarlo Stanton knotted the score at one apiece after one.
-- Rodón couldn't keep the game tied for long, however. In the second inning with one out, he served up another solo homer -- this time to Jo Adell -- that landed in the right-field seats and gave the Angels a 2-1 lead. There haven't been many players hotter than Adell, who has smacked nine homers over his last 18 games. Shortly after Rodón completed the frame, a heavy thunderstorm forced a rollout of the tarp. But before the tarp was even laid out entirely, the grounds crew stunningly picked it up and proceeded to fold it -- one of the strangest rain delays in recent memory.
-- Perhaps the brief rain shower washed away the Yankees' week-long stench at the plate. After a two-out single from DJ LeMahieu in the second, Trent Grisham crushed a fastball into the right-field bleachers for a two-run homer, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Then, two pitches later, Goldschmidt ripped a fastball down the line in left for a solo blast, making the score 4-2. It was the sixth time the Yankees have smacked back-to-back homers this season.
-- The two-run cushion helped Rodón settle in a bit, as he retired six of seven batters during the fourth and fifth innings. But the homer bug nipped him yet again with one out in the sixth, when Taylor Ward took a fastball deep to right-center for a solo shot. The three homers allowed by Rodón bumped his season total to 13, and it was the first time that he gave up three jacks in a game since June 21, 2024. Despite the longballs, the veteran southpaw still earned a quality start -- he struck out seven and walked one across six innings and now owns a 3.10 ERA.
-- In the seventh, the Yankees pushed their lead back to two. After a one-out Grisham double and a LeMahieu strikeout, Bellinger delivered an RBI single to right. But the scoring play also ended the inning, as Bellinger was tagged out trying to stretch his hit into a double. It was the Yankees' second baserunning gaffe of the game -- Anthony Volpe made the final out at third in the sixth due to miscommunication on a steal attempt by Austin Wells at first.
-- The Yankees turned to relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Jonathan Loaisiga for the seventh and eighth innings, and they kept the 5-3 lead intact by retiring six of seven combined batters. A second rain delay arrived in the eighth -- this one lasted 32 minutes -- after a leadoff double from Aaron Judge and a walk to Stanton. When play resumed, Jazz Chisholm Jr. reached first on a bunt single that tricked past the pitcher.
-- The no-out, bases-loaded rally produced two runs on sacrifice hits -- a groundout from Volpe and a flyout from Wells -- that pushed the Yankees' lead to a more-comfortable 7-3. Devin Williams was then called upon to close out the ninth in a non-save situation, and he completed the task by striking out three. In his last 15 games, Williams owns a sharp 1.88 ERA.
-- Of course, there was no guarantee of a breakout -- is that the correct word here? -- with Anderson on the mound. The veteran lefty entered Thursday with a 2.05 ERA in four career starts (22 innings) against the Yankees.
Game MVP: Trent Grisham
Grisham's regression at the plate over the last month was inevitable -- his surprising red-hot start to the season just wasn't sustainable. But he gave the Yankees a much-needed jolt with a 2-for-3 day that included a go-ahead homer and a double. He raised his OPS to .823.
The Yankees (43-31) will continue their week-long homestand on Friday night, when they begin a three-game set with the division-rival Orioles. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Max Fried (9-2, 1.89 ERA) is slated to take the mound, while the Orioles have yet to announce their starter.
Around the fifth inning Thursday at Oracle Park, Wilmer Flores walked down the steps of the Giants’ dugout into the batting cage to go through his routine and get his swings in.
Nothing changes for Flores before a game, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench. But on a day like Thursday’s 2-1 win against the Cleveland Guardians when Flores watched the first six innings from the bench, the 33-year-old veteran knows exactly when it’s time to get himself ready for a moment where his number is called.
“I’m always thinking about the process, not the result,” Flores said. “I stay with my process. What do I have to do to have a good result? It’s see the ball early, and try to do that a lot.”
There have been a handful of times where Flores has taken his fair share of practice swings only to never get a real opportunity to make a difference. This wasn’t one of those cases. Giants manager Bob Melvin had a plan. So did Flores.
Each worked as well as the two hoped.
Trailing 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning after another dominant start from Logan Webb, Casey Schmitt took a sweeper low and away for a line-drive single to center field and Jung Hoo Lee walked on four pitches as the first two batters of the inning for the Giants. Melvin went old-school and had catcher Patrick Bailey square for a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt on the first pitch he saw, putting Schmitt and Lee in scoring position with one out.
Former Giants catcher Stephen Vogt, who’s in his second season as the Guardians’ manager, then turned to his bullpen again and brought in right-hander Nic Enright. Melvin had an even easier decision. Flores’ number was called to hit for second baseman Christian Koss, and more magic was created.
Flores was sitting on a fastball or slider middle-in. His at-bat began with a slider in the dirt he spit on before swinging through a fastball and taking one way too high. Flores then fouled off two fastballs to get himself in a 2-2 count.
With the infield in and Schmitt taking his lead down the third-base line, Flores needed a ball he could lift. Instead, Flores sat back on a slider in the zone and hammered a hard grounder down the third-base line and into left field, scoring Schmitt and Lee to give the Giants their first two runs of the game and an eventual win to snap a four-game losing streak, which also avoided a three-game home sweep against the Guardians.
“It’s just such a great feeling to have him up there,” Melvin said. “It’s so hard to do, and we expect so much out of him. We expect him to come through every time in those situations, and he does almost every time. But it’s really, really difficult to do.
“Sit on the bench the entire game, have the biggest at-bat of the game, gets behind in the count, again doesn’t try to do too much – put it in play with the infield in. That’s just what he does.”
Flores now has a league-leading 17 go-ahead RBI this season. His pinch-hit, two-run double snapped a stretch of the Giants going 0-for-22 with runners in scoring position. Flores has 66 at-bats with runners in scoring position this season and is batting .348 (23 of 66) with 44 RBI in 45 games.
There’s a calmness to Flores’ game. The moment he arrives at the ballpark, he already knows what he needs to get done for the day. There’s also an unseen special ingredient that Flores has just enough of that adds another sense of confidence throughout the Giants.
“He’s like maybe sick in the head a little bit,” Webb said. “Some guys are just built for that stuff, and I think Wilmer’s like that. He has done that his whole career, so it’s a pleasure to watch every time he gets to hit.”
For the second time in three games since the Giants pulled off their blockbuster trade of acquiring star slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, Flores began the game on the bench. He played all of the Giants’ loss Wednesday, but had to put his first baseman’s mitt back on, something Melvin would like to avoid.
While Devers was adamant about not playing first base in Boston, he already has shown a willingness to play the new position for San Francisco. He’s extremely early in the process of learning a new position. The Giants are happy enough to have his bat in the lineup.
The real plan, though, is to have Devers and Flores in the lineup together as much as possible once the newest Giants is more comfortable with a foreign area on the field for him.
Webb still remembers the one time he had to face Flores, and Vogt, his catcher that day, warned him he’s someone you don’t want to make a mistake to. The staff ace calls Devers one of the 10 best hitters in baseball and is giddy at the thought of a full squad that should make any pitcher feel an extra boost when steps on the mound.
“Until we get Raffy up to speed it’s going to kind of be half-half,” Melvin said. “But to be able to come off the bench in those type of situations is really valuable.”
The Giants now have a MLB-leading nine wins this season when trailing going into the seventh inning. They’ve played 33 one-run games, which also leads the majors, and improved to 18-15 in such games. Flores is the closer with a bat in his hands, and the lineup will only become that much more complete when he and Devers are mainstays, as well as Matt Chapman being healthy enough to return from a right hand injury.
In the meantime, the Giants gladly will take another episode of late-game heroics from Flores.
The Yankees revealed on Thursday that reliever Luke Weaver was in position to be activated from the 15-day injured list as soon as Friday, and sure enough, they put that plan into action at the anticipated time.
After missing two-plus weeks with a left hamstring strain, the Yankees reinstated Weaver on Friday afternoon, marking a speedy recovery for an ailment that initially carried a month-plus timetable. The right-hander will be back in the bullpen while the team hosts the Orioles for a weekend set.
When asked about the closer role before Friday's game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters the job will belong to Weaver "on some nights." He'll be sharing ninth-inning opportunities with Devin Williams, who's resembled his old, All-Star self of late with a laudable 1.88 ERA in last 15 games.
How long the Yankees will go with the closer-by-committee approach with Weaver and Williams remains to be seen. In the meantime, Boone said the plan is for Weaver to avoid back-to-back games while ramping up to his regular workload. Matchups will determine their appearances, too.
"I look at him and Devin like we've got two elite guys back there," Boone said. "With Devin, you're always pretty much going to keep him to an inning. With Weave, he's kind of that fireman... On the nights when they're both available and we're in the eighth inning with a save situation, I'll probably match it up with how I think they line up best..."
Weaver has been an invaluable back-end arm for the Yankees. This season, he's registered a sharp 1.05 ERA and 0.70 WHIP across 25.2 innings (24 appearances) with 24 strikeouts and eight saves. He's also held opponents to a career-low .128 average.
But Williams' reliability in high-leverage spots while Weaver was on the shelf can't be ignored either. After a disastrous spring, in which he posted a 6.53 ERA and lost closer duties, he's bounced back with a 1.35 ERA in seven June appearances. He's also converted four saves and struck out 10.
"This has been over a month of some excellence. He's going to close a lot of games," Boone said of Williams. "That's the reality. I want to put him, Weave, the rest of the guys in the best position to be successful. So, that'll mean Devin closing a lot of games. But there will be those given nights where I use him in the eighth."
Earlier in the week, Boone indicated a rehab assignment wasn't even necessary for Weaver. The 31-year-old veteran faced hitters in live batting practice on Tuesday for the first time since injuring his hamstring, and Boone described the session as "excellent."
"Any time you add someone like Luke, it just makes the entire thing better, on top of what he brings," Boone said before Thursday's win. "Maybe a little [surprised by the recovery], just based on the initial readings. But that being said, I know he felt good right away.
"Even the few days after, he got the PRP in there, I knew based on his throwing program right away. His ability to get right back on the mound was big. He was throwing a side, however many days in, had a few sides, the live. Looks really good, so it's all been encouraging."
While the Yankees are welcoming Weaver back with open arms, their bullpen hasn't been helpless without him. The unit owns a 2.63 ERA since June 3, the day Weaver was placed on the injured list. It's the seventh-best mark in all of baseball.
The Boston Red Sox’ “Big Three” will temporarily become the Big Two.
The Red Sox are sending infielder Kristian Campbell back to Triple-A Worcester, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday. Outfielder Wilyer Abreu is expected to return from the injured list and join Boston’s active roster in a corresponding move, per multiple reports.
Campbell entered the 2025 season as the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox organization — behind Roman Anthony and ahead of Marcelo Mayer — but made the Opening Day roster as the team’s starting second baseman, while Anthony and Mayer began the campaign in Worcester.
Campbell validated the Red Sox’ decision out of the gate, slashing .301/.407/.495 through the end of April while earning American League Rookie of the Month honors. He’s been mired in a major slump since then, however, slashing .159/.243/.222 in May and June while struggling mightily in the field.
(His seven errors are tied for the second-most in the American League, and he ranks 49th among 49 qualified MLB second basemen with an Outs Above Average rating of negative-8, per StatCast.)
The 22-year-old agreed to an eight-year contract extension with Boston in early April, so he’s not going anywhere. But Campbell’s demotion is a reminder of the challenges that face young prospects when they reach the MLB level, and the Red Sox are hoping that a reset in Worcester can help him get back on track.
Boston is in the midst of a nine-game West Coast road trip that continues Friday in San Francisco against the Giants. So, it’s likely that Campbell remains in Worcester at least until the Red Sox return home the following Friday (June 27) to face the Toronto Blue Jays.
David Hamilton has started the previous two games at second base and could see more playing time while Campbell is in Worcester.
SAN FRANCISCO – On a picture-perfect beautiful day where the seats were filled at Oracle Park, the Giants found life late to avoid a three-game sweep and beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Thursday.
Starting pitcher Logan Webb continued his campaign of a second straight bid for the MLB All-Star Game. Webb for the most part found his way out of the few jams he faced as the Guardians scored one lonesome run off him. Webb racked up nine strikeouts and six groundouts to earn his seventh win of the season.
The Giants’ offense looked like they were going to let him down as they have far too often. They only had two hits and were scoreless through the first six innings. But they found their juice after the Seventh Inning Stretch with Wilmer Flores being the hitting hero of the day thanks to a pinch-hit go-ahead double in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Casey Schmitt was the only Giant to have multiple hits, and six starters went hitless.
Over the final two innings, Randy Rodriguez and Camilo Doval didn’t allow a hit or walk, striking out three and sending the Guardians away with a loss.
Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ win.
Another Webb Gem
Halfway through his seventh season in the big leagues, and with 161 games already to his name, Thursday was a first for Webb. Outside of the Giants, the Guardians were the last team Webb had yet to face.
His day started with some tough luck when Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan beat Webb to first base on an infield single. Webb rebounded by striking out the next batter, and the inning ended on a diving catch from left fielder Heliot Ramos to prevent at least one run scoring. But trouble caught up to Webb in the third inning when a bloop to left field from Jose Ramirez scored the first run for either team.
The Guardians never scored again off Webb.
Knowing how badly the Giants needed a win, Webb certainly did his job. Webb lasted seven innings and though his seven hits allowed were his most this month and the third-most he has given up this season, he struck out nine and did walk a single batter. When Webb walked off the mound to end the top of the seventh inning, he officially was tied with Chris Sale for the second-most strikeouts in the National League at 114.
Jung Hoo’s June Gloom
Manager Bob Melvin made a noticeable lineup change Wednesday when Jung Hoo Lee was slotted into the six-hole. Lee was even lower one day later, batting seventh. Neither change helped the struggling Lee.
After going 0-for-4 with a strikeout, two groundouts and a pop out, Lee on Thursday was 0-for-2 with groundouts to first base. Lee’s swing doesn’t look free and easy right now. He’s moving all over the place and appears to be overcompensating trying to catch up to velocity.
This isn’t a one or two-game problem for Lee. In 16 games (14 starts) this month, Lee now is batting .185 (10 of 54) and only has three RBI. Lee is in a clear slump, but there was a big positive of his that led to the Giants’ win.
The Plan Works
Undoubtedly, the best sight of the day for the Giants was seeing Gavin Williams in the Guardians’ dugout when San Francisco came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Giants only mustered two hits off Williams in six innings, walking three times but striking out twice as much.
Schmitt roped a single to center field to open the bottom of the seventh off reliever Matt Festa, and Lee followed by walking on four pitches. Melvin then went the small-ball route of bunting Schmitt and Lee into scoring position, turning to Flores off the bench to hit for Christian Koss.
Now that Rafael Devers is wearing Giants colors, Melvin gets to use Flores as a weapon off the bench in clutch situations. On the sixth pitch Flores saw, he turned on a slider for a double down the third-base line that scored Schmitt and Lee to get the Giants on the scoreboard and ahead of the Guardians.
The first six innings were an eye-sore offensively. Getting Lee’s speed on the bases and Flores’ clutch genes coming through were exactly what the Giants needed to avoid a series sweep.