Category: MLB

Fresh off a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) the Boston Red Sox head to Chicago to take on a rejuvenated White Sox team. Possibly outsmarted by (checks notes) Chris Getz, Craig Breslow’s team has been taking a step back while the other Sox skipped the “improve’ step of the rebuilding process and went right to Division Leader.

Chase Meidroth is hitting .268/.339/.378 with 7 homers.

Brandon Montgomery is at .233/.309/.395 with 2 homers.

Kyle Teel has missed most of the season but in the 11 games he’s played he’s put up a .220/.304/.390 slash line with 2 homers.

Garrett Crochet, who the Sox got for this haul, hasn’t done much in 2026.

So, the White Sox owe a little “thank you” to Boston for their bounce back.

Payton Tolle was ambushed by the Washington Nationals for 6 runs in just 3.0 innings. He wasn’t throwing hard. It was almost 100 degrees. Hopefully he bounces right back with Connelly Early and (probably) Ranger Suarez joining Crochet in the IL void. Mass Pike is opposed by Noah Schultz. A 22-year-old southpaw, Schultz is in his first major league season. In 9 starts he’s tossed 43 innings while striking out 40, walking 26, and allowing 29 runs (28 earned).

Another one of the Sox young lefty starters, Jake Bennett has been cruising. His outing against the Angels was 7.2 innings of two-run ball with 6 Ks against 0 walks. You might say “well that’s the Angels” and he was basically as good against the Yankees. Regardless of opponent right now, Bennett looks like a promising major league starter. Righthander David Martin has been a real gem for the White Sox, but not without his struggles. Two of his last five starts have been 3.1 innings including his most recent. He can struggle with walks in his down outings but overall doesn’t walk many people. So patience might be a good plan for Boston batters.

The finale is currently TBD but that’s likely to be Patrick Sandoval. The lefty was last seen in 2024 when he needed Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2025 season. Finally healthy, across two levels in the minors during his rehab, Sandoval put up a 3.42 ERA over 23.2 innings. He’s struck out 22 against 13 walks. His best year was 2022, so it’s been a minute since he was both healthy and good and 25. Now 29 what does he have left? OTM’s own Jake Roy answers that question in detail. With starts dropping like flies and Sonny Gray possibly on the trade block, we’re about to find out. Anthony Kay, a lefty who spent the last two years in Japan, has been a bit better than he was during his first five major league seasons in MLB. But he’s still not great. He’s leading the league HBPs. He has 67 Ks over 84 innings against 33 walks.

Munetaka Murakami hit 20 homers before hitting the IL.

Old friend Andrew Benintendi is still in Chicago hitting .240/.298/.424 with 10 homers.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday, July 7: Payton Tolle (3.39 ERA / 3.53 FIP) vs. Noah Schultz (5.86 ERA / 4.85 FIP)

Wednesday, July 8: Jake Bennett (3.10 ERA / 3.13 FIP) vs. Davis Martin (3.08 ERA / 3.08 FIP)

Thursday, July 9: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Anthony Kay (4.39 ERA / 4.93 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Tuesday, July 7: 7:40 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday, July 8: 7:40 PM ET on NESN

Thursday, July 9: 2:10 PM ET on NESN

After two tough losses in a row, the Atlanta Braves will head to PNC Park to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tonight’s matchup will feature newly returned Hurston Waldrep against reigning Cy Young Award winner, Paul Skenes. Both pitchers have something to prove. Waldrep is likely looking to show he is fully good to go, and Skenes is looking to prove his 3.62 ERA is a fluke.

Skenes is clearly having a down year by his standards when comes to ERA. In his previous two seasons his ERA stayed within 0.01 point of each other with a 1.96 and 1.97 respectively. However, it does appear that he has been a bit unlucky. If you look at his expected ERA (xERA) of 2.76 it is not far off from his previous two seasons of 2.65 and 2.50.

Skenes has been plagued by a terrible left on base percentage. In his previous two seasons his strand rate was 82.4 percent in 2025 and 85.6 percent in 2024. This season his strand rate is 65.8 percent. Odds are we could see his ERA go down just based on that.

One area that could be good for the Braves is that Skenes’ fastball velocity has dropped every single month this season. In April his average fastball was 97.4 MPH and so far in July it has been 96.3. If we go back to the start of his career his velocity has gone down every season. In 2024 there were months when he was averaging 99.3 MPH.

It should be no shock the Braves have struggled against Skenes in their limited sample sizes against him. Five players on the roster have faced Skenes before and none of them have faced Skenes more than three at-bats. Albies has one hit in two at-bats, and Olson has one hit in three. Riley, Smith, and Yastrzemski are all hitless.

Waldrep will be making his third appearance and second as a starter this season. In his last start he lasted 5.1 innings where he gave up five hits to include a HR, three earned runs, a walk, a HBP, and accumulated four strikeouts. It should be noted that all three of those runs happened in the first inning and he was able to settle down and have a solid start overall. In his lone relief appearance, he went 2.0 innings and struggled with command, giving up four walks, but did not give up a run.

The only player on the Pirates that Waldrep has faced in the past is Brandon Lowe, and surely, he remembers it because it was only one at-bat and Lowe took him deep for a solo shot.

On paper it appears that the Pirates have the upper hand as they usually do with Skenes on the mound, but Skenes just came off of his worst start of his career where he gave up seven earned runs in 4.0 innings against the Phillies, and he gave up four earned runs in the start before that. If the Braves were to ever want to face Skenes, now is the time.

Waldrep is going to have to be on his A game. The Pirates have scored the fourth most runs in MLB since the start of June, and the fourth most in the last two weeks. They are staying steady as an offensive force.

First pitch is at 6:40 EDT.

Game Info

Game Time: Tuesday, July 7th, 6:40 pm EDT

Location: PNC Park, , Pittsburgh, PA

Watch: BravesVision, Gray TV

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Injuries are a real party pooper. Just like with the major league roster, the Yankees’ top prospects are dropping like flies. With several top hitters and pitchers injured, the guys on the periphery are going to get a chance to shine, and there’s one guy in particular who’s starting to gain some real helium down in Tampa.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 7-4 (44-41), 2 GB in the International League East after a 4-1 week against the Norfolk Tides (Orioles)

Run differential: +13 (+16)

Coming up: Away @ Buffalo Bison (Blue Jays)

It was a good start to July for the RailRiders in the win column, bouncing back from a loss on Tuesday to win four straight to close out the week. Saturday’s game was postponed due to rain and was never made up, as only one game was barely squeezed in on Sunday. But while they picked up some wins, this level’s prospect pedigree is shrinking fast.

George Lombard Jr. should be back soon, though probably not until after a Futures Game he’ll likely miss. Garrett Martin went on the injured list a week ago. Brendan Beck filled in for the big league club on the Fourth of July due to Carlos Rodón’s injury, and while he was optioned shortly after, you’d expect Elmer Rodríguez to get promoted in his place for this week. The big kicker, though, is Carlos Lagrange’s season potentially being over because of a shoulder injury. He’s in no-throw for six weeks, which makes a September return the best-case scenario. So much for a 2026 big league debut…

In a depleted lineup that will, at least, welcome back Spencer Jones this coming week, there’s not too much to write home about. JC Escarra has been good as he stays ready for his next big league opportunity, while Ernesto Martinez Jr. and Marco Luciano have hit well. The team’s most reliable hitter, though, has been Jonathan Ornelas, as the 26-year-old journeyman has been hitting over .300 all season long and came through with a walk-off grand slam on Sunday.

Beck’s emergency promotion thinned the rotation. Dom Hamel allowed six runs in six innings, Alexander Cornielle didn’t finish the fourth in a choppy outing on Friday, and Adam Kloffenstein pitched well on Tuesday. Rodríguez tossed a quality start on Wednesday, getting through 6.2 innings, but the main storyline was the promotion of former third-round pick Kyle Carr, who didn’t allow an earned run in 5.2 innings on Sunday in his Triple-A debut.

The Scranton Shuttle keeps on shuffling the bullpen. Jake Bird and Angel Chivilli are up, while Yovanny Cruz is back down and has really strung together some good outings to get out of a minor funk he had prior to his second promotion. Outside of him, Danny Watson and Zach Messinger have remained under-the-radar, low-velocity arms that have been effective in their roles.

Players of Note:

George Lombard Jr.: .231/.381/.385, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 16 XBH, 8 SB, 109 wRC+ (injured)
Garrett Martin (AA/AAA): .270/.337/.570, 24 HR, 64 RBI, 18 SB, 135 wRC+ (injured)
Brendan Beck: 7-2, 3.07 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 18.1 K-BB% (88 IP)
Elmer Rodríguez: 4-3, 2.93 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 11.4 K-BB% (61.1 IP)
Carlos Lagrange: 1-4, 4.55 ERA, 4.84 FIP, 1.36 WHIP, 17.8 K-BB% (63.1 IP) (injured)

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 5-7 (42-39), 3 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies)

Run differential: -1 (+35)

Coming up: Home vs. Reading Fightin’ Phils (Phillies)

It was a week of inconsistency down in Somerset, as two early-week victories weren’t able to yield anything other than a split after they scored just one run on Saturday and Sunday combined.

Because of promotions, the offense is a shell of what it was when they dominated the Eastern League with gaudy power numbers for the first two months. They’re leaning on Jace Avina and Coby Morales right now for production, with DJ Gladney and a resurgent Jackson Castillo helping out. They really need some other bats to step up, but where will it come from? The catching room is depleted, Connor McGinnis has been so-so in the infield, and others haven’t picked up the slack.

It was a tale of two starts for Cade Smith, who got a rare double this week. He was great on Tuesday with six strong innings, but didn’t record a strikeout in five rough innings on Sunday. Xavier Rivas lasted just two innings after struggling with the ridiculous heat on Wednesday night, Jack Cebert (6 IP, 2 R, 6 K) tossed a quality start on Thursday, Chase Hampton tossed four shutout innings, and Ben Hess allowed three runs in four innings.

The bullpen welcomed back a key piece from injury in Geoffrey Gilbert, but they continue to rely on Tony Rossi to throw big innings, in which he’s been up and down. Harrison Cohen has been good in relief since he was sent back down, while Ben Grable finally allowed a run on Thursday, but continues to be the man to watch in that bullpen. Hayden Merda also bounced back big time with a five-strikeout outing.

Players of Note:

Jace Avina: .272/.360/.540, 16 HR, 44 RBI, 34 XBH, 28.3 K%, 137 wRC+
Jackson Castillo: .273/.355/.424, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 7 SB, 112 wRC+
Coby Morales: .278/.359/.513, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 12 SB, 131 wRC+
Xavier Rivas: 4-3, 4.82 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 22.4 K-BB% (52.1 IP)
Ben Grable (A+/AA): 3-1, 2.70 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 0.80 WHIP, 30.5 K-BB% (30 IP)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 7-8 (38-42), 4 GB in the South Atlantic League North Second Half after a 3-3 week against the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals)

Run differential: +8 (+17)

Coming up: Home vs. Rome Emperors (Braves)

The Renegades basically had the exact opposite week as Somerset. They got off to a bad start, going 1-3 heading into the weekend before back-to-back wins on Fourth of July weekend to salvage a sweep. Sunday’s game was especially thrilling, as Hudson Valley blew a 4-3 lead in the ninth, but rallied to come back on a massive walk-off homer by Kyle West.

Wilson Rodriguez, a former 18th-round pick out of Puerto Rico, has silently become their best and most consistent hitter, carrying an offense that’s struggling. Kaeden Kent is still around .300, but he’s not slugging much and just hit the shelf with an injury. Enmanuel Tejada has struggled of late, Kyle West hasn’t made enough contact around his light-tower power, and guys like Roderick Arias and Camden Troyer are the human embodiment of hot and cold.

Bryce Cunningham (5.2 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K) took a step back in his Tuesday start, struggling with command. Luis Serna and Allen Facundo had identical starts, each allowing four runs over six innings. Franyer Herrera and Sean Paul Liñan scuffled, but there was some progress in one regard this week as 2025 sixth-round pick Rory Fox allowed just one run in 5.2 innings in another strong start.

The bullpen was good all week. Wilmy Sanchez and Bryce Warrecker got big outs, with the latter continuing a terrific season that’s seen him pitch to a 1.64 ERA in 22 innings across two levels. A few of them got screwed over with shoddy defense, like with what happened to Jack Sokol on Sunday when he “blew” the ninth inning with three unearned runs.

Players of Note:

Kaeden Kent: .302/.359/.433, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 28 XBH, 20 SB, 107 wRC+
Core Jackson: .248/.344/.452, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 23 SB, 106 wRC+
Wilson Rodriguez: .262/.381/.437, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 18 SB, 116 wRC+
Luis Serna: 3-4, 4.18 ERA, 3.79 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 16.4 K-BB% (71 IP)
Bryce Cunningham: 2-4, 4.19 ERA, 5.44 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 9.3 K-BB% (43 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 11-4 (46-35), 2.5 GA in the Florida State League West after a 5-1 week against the St. Lucie Mets (Mets)

Run differential: +21 (+44)

Coming up: Home vs. Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)

Tampa keeps cooking. They won three games via shutout and dominated from Tuesday to Saturday with five consecutive wins before a bullpen collapse spoiled the sweep on Sunday. They led 5-1 after seven before allowing nine runs in two innings.

They’re doing it mostly with pitching, but don’t confuse that with bad offense. Sure, they’re no longer getting carried by the likes of Jackson Lovich and Hans Montero while Luis Escudero’s hot bat is on the shelf. It’s the depth of the lineup with guys like Luis Puello behind the plate, JoJo Jackson in the outfield, Logan Maxwell returning from injury, and a blistering hot bat from 2025 UDFA David McCann:

Onto the pitching, which is downright incredible. Justin West got things started with 5.2 shutout innings on Tuesday, followed by Thatcher Hurd (5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K) completing five innings for the first time as a pro on Wednesday. JT Etheridge followed up Wyatt Parliament’s mediocre start on Thursday with four shutout innings as a piggyback; Henry Lalane continued to be incredible on Friday; Tyler Boudreau tossed a quality start on Saturday, and Brennan Stuprich tossed four strong innings on Sunday.

The bullpen was inconsistent. Jose M. Rodriguez continued to impress, now holding a 2.51 ERA in 32.1 innings with 45 strikeouts, but a blowup on Sunday soils a lot of numbers for his teammates. Brian Hendry continued his rehab with 1.1 innings on Wednesday, and I’m curious what the team’s plan is for him. He’s already 26 but has dominated in the limited time he’s been on the mound. I’d compare him to Brendan Beck from a few years ago, but his stuff is quite a bit better.

Players of Note:

Jackson Lovich: .284/.357/.513, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 30 XBH, 20 SB, 127 wRC+
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: .258/.368/.413, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 25 SB, 112 wRC+
Hans Montero: .238/.363/.426, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 27 XBH, 21 SB, 114 wRC+
Tyler Boudreau: 4-2, 3.31 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 19.7 K-BB% (68 IP)
Henry Lalane: 4-1, 2.74 ERA, 2.58 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, 23.9 K-BB% (62.1 IP)

FCL Yankees

Record: 23-24, 7 GB in the FCL North after a 2-3 week.

Run differential: +14

The FCL Yankees are all but dead in the playoff race, sitting five games behind the wild-card spot occupied by the FCL Orioles with just 13 games to go. The bats cooled off this week, but Wilberson De Pena and Dexters Peralta continue to be the two most prolific home run hitters in all of rookie ball.

Blake Gillespie’s season is likely over due to injury, so the rotation is just a hodgepodge right now. Jerson Alejandro, a mountain of a man at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, has re-emerged after injuries but is struggling. Sabier Marte continues to slowly improve, while Austin Breedlove and Edinzo Marquez are dominating in the bullpen.

Players of Note:

Wilberson De Pena: .342/.399/.663, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 31 XBH, 18 SB, 148 wRC+
Jose Castro: .297/.492/.538, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 25 SB, 158 wRC+
Richard Matic: .309/.427/.481, 20 XBH, 27 RBI, 14 SB, 126 wRC+
Sabier Marte: 34.1 IP, 5.77 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 1.46 WHIP, 16.3 K-BB%
Austin Breedlove: 21 IP, 1.71 ERA, 3.10 FIP, 1.14 WHIP, 18.0 K-BB%

DSL Yankees & Bombers

DSL Yankees:
Record: 15-10, 0.5 GB in DSL East after a 3-2 week
Run differential: +94

DSL Bombers:
Record: 11-15, 6 GB in DSL Southeast after a 2-4 week
Run differential: -26

Did you know the DSL Yankees have the best run differential of any Dominican affiliate? They’ve won by some truly comical margins with a ferocious offense powered by Isaias Castillo and Juan Torres, but have lost some brutal close games. That first week of the season where they seemed to choke every other game away in the late innings hurts.

Not much is going on with the Bombers, who have seven-figure prospect Mani Cedeno struggling. It’s still early in his pro career, but the more the last few classes of international prospects struggle, the more you understand why Danny Rowland was canned when he was, sacrificing the most recent international class.

Players of Note:

Isaias Castillo: .330/.444/.699, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 20 XBH, 10 SB, 159 wRC+ (124 PA)
Juan Torres: .373/.436/.686, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 20 XBH, 11 SB, 151 wRC+ (117 PA)
Stiven Marinez: .289/.420/.567, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 18 SB, 145 wRC+ (119 PA)
Fredy Penuelas: 20.1 IP, 0.44 ERA, 2.68 FIP, 1.03 WHIP, 26.8 K-BB%
Yunior Jerez: 20.2 IP, 3.05 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 0.87 WHIP, 17.7 K-BB%

Prospect of the Week: Henry Lalane

Weekly Stats: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K
Season Stats: 4-1, 2.74 ERA, 2.58 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, 23.9 K-BB% (62.1 IP)

This is now the third time in the last month and a change that we’ve had Lalane as Prospect of the Week, and for good reason. In his most recent dominant start, he was absolutely untouchable in the early innings, eventually racking up 11 strikeouts in another walk-less start. Since May 17, he’s allowed just five earned runs in 42.1 innings with 61 strikeouts to just 10 walks. This is phenomenal stuff.

It’s getting to the point where I actively question if he might be the team’s best starting pitcher prospect. Hess, Cunningham, and Hampton’s stocks are all down this year. ERC is going to graduate in the coming weeks. Lagrange is in the bullpen. There’s real runway to get to Top 100 prospect status with a strong summer from Lalane.

Monday night was a notable game in franchise history for the Dodgers, and not just because the team played their first extra-inning game of 2026, snapping a 91-game stretch that was the second-longest to open a season without playing past nine innings, seven games behind the 2005 Boston Red Sox.

The series opener against the Colorado Rockies was more historical, encompassing the entirety of 143 years as a franchise. Between the regular season and postseason combined, the Dodgers in Brooklyn played 11,109 games. Monday night was the Dodgers’ 11,109th such game since moving to Los Angeles.

The franchise started in Brooklyn in 1884 in the American Association, where they would play for six seasons before joining the National League in 1890.

The World Series as we know it didn’t begin until 1903, but earlier attempts to determine a champion were less series. For example, the Dodgers won the National League in 1890 and played the American Association-champion Louisville Cardinals in the “World’s Championship Series,” but the series ended in a tie (3-3-1) and was never settled. The Dodgers’ only other 19th century postseason was in 1889, when they lost in the postseason to the NL-champion New York Giants, six games to three.

Brooklyn also finished first in the National League in both 1899 and 1900, but had no postseason to play.

In the modern era, the Brooklyn Dodgers played in nine World Series, totaling 56 games. Since moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have played in 14 World Series and 79 Fall Classic games, but also 174 other postseason games.

At the moment, 143 years of Dodgers history is perfectly balanced between Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

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

More than halfway into the 2026 season, the Orioles have not yet emerged from the disappointing rut they fell into early on. They have avoided the kind of disaster that destroyed their season early last year. That’s something. However, they still have to actually find success. As we experience weekly, they just can’t manage to do this consistently.

In this week’s survey, the question is very simple. Are the Orioles going to figure this thing out and make it into the postseason? Vote below:

The odds are not in their favor as they sit 3.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot. At Baseball Reference, the team has a 10.9% chance of getting into the playoffs. FanGraphs currently gives the Orioles a better, but still bad, 19.9% chance of making it. No one would want to have their life or any meaningful amount of money staked on odds ranging from 5-1 to 9-1.

Even after three months of watching these doofuses, and even considering my inherent pessimistic streak, it’s still hard to avoid wondering what this team could look like if just a couple more pieces fall into place. Gunnar Henderson starting to hit like a star again would be the biggest help. Maybe ahead of the trade deadline, Mike Elias will acquire someone useful, sorry, he won’t, I don’t know why I even said that.

The vibes remain confusing. How are you feeling now? Let us know in the comments below.

Following a fantastic 5-1 homestand, the Mariners head to Florida for a six-game road trip during the final week of play before the All-Star break. If they win both of these series, Seattle will effectively match their first-half record from last year — they were 51-45 at the break in 2025. For a season that’s felt so up and down, the M’s really aren’t in such a bad position. They definitely haven’t played up to their talent level, and they’re benefitting from a thoroughly mediocre American League, but FanGraphs gives them the highest odds to win their division of any of the division leaders around the league.

The Marlins were the best team in baseball in the month of June, running a 20-6 record that vaulted them into the thick of the NL Wild Card race. Their pitching staff was characteristically fantastic, allowing just 3.1 runs per game last month. The real surprise has been the offense; they scored 5.1 runs per game in June and their lineup now has a 103 wRC+ on the season. That would be the highest mark in franchise history, and two of the four times the team has had a wRC+ of 99 or higher, it won the World Series. No big deal.

The Marlins don’t have a superstar anchoring their lineup. Instead, they’re benefitting from breakouts from a bunch of their young role players all at the same time. Liam Hicks, Otto Lopez, and Xavier Edwards are the core trio that have been driving the production all season long. The thing all three of them have in common is an excellent approach at the plate and elite bat-to-ball skills. They may not produce the loudest contact, but they rarely strikeout, take their walks, and maximize every ball they put in play. For the loud contact, the Marlins turn to Kyle Stowers. He enjoyed a huge breakout last year but injuries caused him to get off to a slow start this year. Since the beginning of June, he’s posted a 159 wRC+ with eight home runs.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Max Meyer was the Marlins’ number three overall pick in the 2020 draft but has had to overcome a bunch of obstacles en route to his breakout season this year. Tommy John surgery cost him two years of development and he’s struggled with inconsistency and additional injuries since returning from that elbow surgery. He added a sweeper and a sinker to his pitch mix last year, but he’s finally found a feel for that new breaking ball. It’s become his primary pitch alongside his sharp gyro slider and that’s made all the difference. 

The Marlins have essentially been using a four-man rotation for the past month after Janson Junk and Robby Snelling went down with injuries in May. Junk is finally close to returning — he completed a three-inning rehab outing on Saturday — though Miami hasn’t officially announced a starter for Wednesday’s game yet. Junk enjoyed a small breakout last year by honing his command to an elite level; his 2.9% walk rate led all starting pitchers with at least 100 IP last year. He doesn’t really possess a swing-and-miss weapon, though the development of a new changeup this year has given him something to build on.

Tyler Phillips bounced around a few organizations before landing with the Marlins as a multi-inning reliever last year. He saw a little bit of high-leverage work, but was mostly used as a fireman who could eat up a couple of innings before giving way to the setup men or closer. This year, Miami has used him more frequently as a bulk reliever operating behind an opener, though seven of his last eight outings have been traditional starts. He’s got a really weird profile: he has three bat-missing weapons in his two breaking balls and a splitter but he relies too heavily on a mediocre sinker instead of featuring those secondary pitches. The result is far too many balls in play early in the count before he can finish off batters with one of those swing-and-miss pitches.

The Big Picture:

The Rangers wound up dropping the final two games of their series against the Tigers to fall to 1.5 games back in the division; they’ll host the Angels for three games this week. The Astros managed to win their series against the Rays last weekend but dropped the first game of a series in Washington yesterday; they’re now three games back in the division and just 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race. The Athletics are on the verge of dropping entirely out of the playoff picture — they were swept by the Marlins over the weekend and head to Detroit to face the Tigers this week.

One last road trip on deck before the All-Star break, and the Braves are making some roster moves ahead of tonight’s opener in Pittsburgh.

Yesterday it was Eli White, and now reliever Tyler Kinley will hit the paternity list as he welcomes a new addition to the family. Congratulations, Tyler! May the paternal powers bless you and Eli both as they have Michael Harris II and Dylan Lee this season thus far.

The Braves have recalled righty James Karinchak in Kinley’s place. Optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday, July 3, he had a 2.08 ERA in 8 games with the Braves since having his contract selected on June 10.

Karinchak will share Gwinnett shuttle to the airport with LHP Connor Thomas. A Georgia native and Georgia Tech alum, he was signed to a minor league contract this offseason. Thomas debuted last year and pitched in two games with the Milwaukee Brewers before spending some time on the IL with left elbow arthritis. He began the season on the IL with the Stripers before heading on a rehab assignment in Rome. He has a 1.14 ERA in 10 games / 23.2 innings pitched with Gwinnett. Farewell to Daysbel Hernández, who was released in order to open up the spot on the 40-man.

Owen Murphy’s call-up resulted in a kind of nightmarish scenario last night – he entered in the 10th inning tasked with keeping the game tied with the ghost runner lurking on second base. He got two quick outs, but a double by Luis Torrens drove in the aforementioned ghost runner and a Met he’d clipped with a pitch. The Braves only getting one run back in the bottom of the tenth and leave Murphy on the hook for the loss. A valiant effort by the rookie in a tough situation. But he’s Gwinnett-bound after being optioned in the other side of the move for Thomas.

What will be next on the carousel of arms?

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Tuesday's full MLB schedule offers no shortage of betting opportunities, but not every favorite is worth backing.

After breaking down every matchup, I've narrowed the slate to my favorite MLB picks for July 7, targeting teams with the strongest pitching edges, matchup advantages, and paths to victory.

MLB moneyline picks for July 7

Matchup	Pick
Brewers vs Cardinals	-190
Brewers vs Cardinals	+122
Cubs vs Orioles	-106
Athletics vs Tigers	+190
Braves vs Pirates	+135
Mariners vs Marlins	-115
Yankees vs Rays	-111
Astros vs Nationals	-113
Royals vs Mets	-138
Phillies vs Reds	-160
Guardians vs Twins	-108
Red Sox vs White Sox	+115
Angels vs Rangers	-152
Diamondbacks vs Padres	-113
Blue Jays vs Giants	+104
Rockies vs Dodgers	+245

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 7-7.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 7

Brewers vs Cardinals: Brewers (-190)

Brewers win probability: 66%

I am not getting in the way of a Jacob Misiorowski start in the year of our lord 2026. The man has been absolutely dominant, posting a 0.109 ERA and 0.76 WHIP over his last 5 outings.

On top of that, the Brewers offense has been rolling, producing a 120 wRC+, .344 wOBA, and .783 OPS over their last 12 games.

Give me Milwaukee on the run line. I’m not stepping in front of this train right now.

Brewers vs Cardinals: Cardinals (+122)

Cardinals win probability: 45%

For game two, I will bite on the Red Birds. Their offense has been solid as of late, but I would much rather back them when they are not facing the Brewers ace.

Despite the tough matchup, St. Louis has been swinging a hot bat, posting a 123 wRC+, .344 wOBA, and .781 OPS over their last 6 games.

I think this is a spot where the Cardinals can take advantage of Robert Gasser at home and sneak out a win in the second game of the series.

Cubs vs Orioles: Cubs (-106)

Cubs win probability: 52%

Two pitchers I have no respect for, give me the much hotter offense, which happens to be the Chicago Cubs.

The Orioles have been ice cold at the plate, posting an 82 wRC+, .289 wOBA, .125 ISO, and .640 OPS over their last 12 games. Meanwhile, the Cubs have been absolutely rolling, producing a 132 wRC+, .346 wOBA, and .825 OPS over their last 21 games.

When I do not trust the arms, I will gladly back the hotter lineup. Give me the Cubs in this spot.

Athletics vs Tigers: Athletics (+190)

Athletics win probability: 35%

“But it’s Tarik Skubal Day, but it’s Tarik Skubal Day!!”

I DO NOT CARE!!

I want no part of trusting an offense that has been beyond inconsistent on a day-to-day basis. I would much rather take the value on one of the best offenses in baseball at plus money than hope Skubal can hold them to 1 or 2 runs and pray the Tigers lineup can scrape together enough offense.

Give me the Athletics. Please.

Braves vs Pirates: Braves (+135)

Braves win probability: 42%

Sure, it is Paul Skenes Day, but that is usually the day the Pirates offense decides not to show up.

Meanwhile, the Braves are starting to turn things around at the plate. Over their last 6 games, Atlanta owns a 128 wRC+, .353 wOBA, and .800 OPS.

I am leaning on the trend of the Pirates’ offense disappearing on Paul Skenes Day and backing the Braves in this spot.

Mariners vs Marlins: Marlins (-115)

Marlins win probability: 54%

First off, the Marlins are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, while the Mariners are ICE COLD.

Over their last 21 games, Seattle owns a .114 ISO, .617 OPS, and an 80 wRC+. On the other side, Miami has been rolling, posting a 139 wRC+, .370 wOBA, .217 ISO, and .849 OPS during that same stretch.

Max Meyer should be able to do enough on the mound, while the Marlins’ offense continues to take advantage of a struggling Mariners lineup and get on top of Bryan Woo.

Yankees vs Rays: Rays (-111)

Rays win probability: 48%

I am still riding the Yankees fade wagon until further notice. They have been an absolute ice cube, posting a 50 wRC+, .550 OPS, and .247 wOBA over their last 6 games.

On top of that, Will Warren has struggled over his last 5 starts, owning a 5.13 xERA and 1.64 WHIP.

Meanwhile, the Rays are playing some of their best baseball and offer value in this spot. Give me Tampa Bay.

Astros vs Nationals: Nationals (-111)

Nationals win probability: 52%

A lot of people think this is going to be another spot where Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai shoves, especially with the elevated strikeout numbers he has posted in his most recent starts.

However, the underlying numbers still raise concerns. Over his last 5 outings, Imai owns a 7.11 ERA while allowing a 43.48% hard-hit rate and 13% barrel rate.

The Nationals' offense has been producing plenty of hard contact and has been swinging the bat extremely well. I will continue riding with the hometown team in this spot.

Royals vs Mets: Mets (-138)

Mets win probability: 58%

After the Royals finally came out of their coma and took apart Cristopher Sánchez yesterday afternoon, I want no part of them in this matchup against the Mets.

Two questionable arms take the mound, and in a spot like this, I am going to side with the clearly better offense. New York has been rolling over their last 21 games, posting a 110 wRC+, 10% walk rate, and .323 wOBA.

When the pitching matchup does not separate the teams, I will back the lineup I trust more.

Give me the Mets.

Phillies vs Reds: Phillies (-160)

Phillies win probability: 62%

One of the most swing-happy teams in baseball takes on one of the best strikeout pitchers in the game, and I will gladly ride with the Phillies after a brutal Monday afternoon.

The Reds send out Andrew Abbott, who owns a 4.75 ERA at home, against a powerful Phillies lineup that can punish mistakes. With Abbott on the mound in a hitter-friendly park, I fully expect some baseballs to leave the yard this evening.

Give me Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies to bounce back.

Guardians vs Twins: Twins (-108)

Twins win probability: 52%

Despite Taj Bradley being the easiest punching bag known to man, he is still a very good strikeout pitcher, and the Guardians have been way too swing-happy as of late.

Over their last 6 games, Cleveland owns a 27% strikeout rate as a team while generating just a 6% barrel rate and 36.8% hard-hit rate.

Meanwhile, the Twins offense has been absolutely howling, posting a 137 wRC+, .366 wOBA, and .842 OPS over their last 21 games.

I think Minnesota is the far better team in this matchup.

Red Sox vs White Sox: White Sox (+115)

White Sox win probability: 46%

Death. Taxes. Take the White Sox at plus money.

Sure, Noah Schultz has not been lights out this season, but neither has Payton Tolle, who has been allowing a ton of hard contact while giving hitters plenty of opportunities to elevate the baseball.

The difference here is the offense. The White Sox have been the better lineup, producing plenty of hard contact and barrels over their last 21 games.

At plus money, I am backing the hotter offense and riding with Chicago.

Angels vs Rangers: Rangers (-153)

Rangers win probability: 60%

Another ice-cold team, the Los Angeles Angels, bring an offense that has completely disappeared lately. Over their last 12 games, they own a 69 wRC+, .266 wOBA, and .593 OPS.

On top of that, José Soriano has fallen off a cliff since May, creating a tough spot against a Rangers lineup that has started to find its rhythm.

Meanwhile, Jacob deGrom takes the mound for Texas and has been nails at home. With the better pitcher and a hotter offense, I will gladly back the Rangers in this matchup.

Diamondbacks vs Padres: Padres (-113)

Padres win probability: 53%

Zac Gallen is on the mound. Give me the Friars.

Gallen has been getting crushed over his last 3 starts, posting an 11.02 ERA, 8.24 xERA, and 1.71 WHIP while allowing a 15.38% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

Meanwhile, San Diego’s offense has been humming over the last week, and I fully expect them to take advantage of Gallen’s recent struggles.

Give me the Padres to get all over his offerings this evening.

Blue Jays vs Giants: Giants (+104)

Giants win probability: 49%

I am not the biggest believer in the Giants, but with Patrick Corbin on the mound this evening for the Blue Jays, who have been a walking corpse over the last few weeks, I have to back San Francisco.

The Giants have been the more efficient offense over the last month, and they also hold the advantage on the mound in this matchup.

Better lineup, better arm, give me the Giants.

Rockies vs Dodgers: Rockies (+245)

Rockies win probability: 29%

Purely off price, nobody should be laying -251 in this spot. Are the Dodgers a better team than the Rockies? On paper, absolutely. But at that number, the value is gone.

Over their last 6 games, Colorado’s offense has actually been performing at a much higher rate statistically. On top of that, left-hander Justin Wrobleski has shown a tendency to allow hard contact, creating opportunities for the Rockies lineup.

At +245, I think Colorado is a very live underdog and worth a look.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Boston Red Sox have been the beneficiary of superb starting pitching in 2026.

Ranger Suarez has a 3.15 ERA and was just named to the group’s lone 2026 MLB All-Star. Sonny Gray should and probably will be joining him, but can take solace in the fact that he has a 2.61 ERA. Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, and Jake Bennett, three rookies who have exceeded any and all expectations placed upon them, are rocking respective 3.39, 3.34, and 3.10 ERAs.

If you’ve been paying attention, though, you would know that the club’s current five-man rotation isn’t going to last much longer…

I’ve decided to take a look at each of the five men who are currently pitching their balls off for the hometown club and figure out what their next steps are — with several approaching uncharted waters, others currently dealing with injuries, and one likely to be the most coveted arm at the trade deadline.

SONNY GRAY

Gray has been absolutely phenomenal, as he is currently riding a streak of seven consecutive quality starts and hasn’t allowed more than three runs since April 14 against the Minnesota Twins.

GOOD!

Gray is also going to be the most coveted arm on the trading block.

NOT GOOD!

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan included him at No. 11 on their list of players most likely to be moved at the trade deadline, though they admitted: “Gray’s restructured contract after his trade from St. Louis to Boston includes a $10 million buyout on a $30 million mutual option for 2027. Considering mutual options don’t get picked up, that is a pricey deadline acquisition, leaving Boston somewhat hamstrung unless it’s willing to pay down a significant portion and convince Gray to accept a deal.”

RANGER SUAREZ

Suarez is sticking around, though he might soon be spending time on the injured list, having left his start against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The Red Sox have already started to prepare for his potential absence, activating Patrick Sandoval from the injured list on Monday — with the expectation that he’ll start on Thursday.

CONNELLY EARLY

Early is already on the injured list, and will get a second opinion this week will be with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas.

JAKE BENNETT

Bennett is the most interesting case on the list, as he has been phenomenal since getting the call to the big leagues but just hit a career-high in innings pitched, as he is sitting at 80.0 across his time with Triple-A Worcester and Boston — recently surpassing the 75.1 he finished with in 2025.

Bennett is just two years removed from suffering an elbow injury that required him to undergo Tommy John surgery in mid-September 2023.

If they view him as a long-term option, they might want to make some difficult decisions.

PAYTON TOLLE

Tolle, too, is hovering around a career-high in innings pitched — with the flamethrowing left-hander sitting at 89.1 in 2025 after finishing with 91.2 in 2026.

Boston probably isn’t rushing to shut him down, but perhaps they start working in extra rest days in order to help him last the entire season.

Being transactional was a thing that JJ Picollo said this organization wanted to be when he took over the operations side as POBO/GM. We now have almost four years of trades to see if at least that part of transacting is going well as we near the 2026 trade deadline. I am not going to go through every swap he has made, Josh Taylor for Adalberto Mondesi is not worth rehashing, but I would like to walk through all of the consequential ones.

There have been two standout successes in the trades. Let’s start there and work our way down.

Aroldis Chapman for Cole Ragans and Roni Cabrera

Aroldis Chapman was traded away at the deadline in 2023, so the Royals gave up 3 months of a good reliever in a season that was already over for them. They got back a pitcher who nearly won the Cy Young 15 months later and was a big reason they were in the playoffs in 2024. Ragans injury issues have colored this a bit, but getting 8+ WAR out of a rental reliever is very good and he still might come back and be good at some point to accummulate some more. Roni Cabrera is also of interest here. He is about to turn 21, so still young, and he is having an okay year in single-A ball. He may still end up on the big league team at some point though it is likely to be closer to 2030 if it happens. This is a very good trade that still has a chance to be spectacular if Cole can get healthy and stay that way or Cabrera turns into a solid everyday guy at some point in the future.

Freddy Ferminfor Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek

I know people like Freddy Fermin and he was nice to have around for a couple of solid seasons. He was also a backup catcher who was over 30 when the Royals traded him. It just was not that much to give up, especially with Carter Jensen coming along. They got back two legitimate young starters for a backup catcher. Bergert is hurt because he pitches baseballs for a living and that is what happens to those types of people. He will be back at some point, and I assume be decent or better again. Stephen Kolek has made 15 starts for the Royals so far and looks like the type of guy you want in the 4th spot in the rotation with possibly some upside for more. Solid trade, no notes.

David Sandlin for John Schreiber

This is not one that will go down in history as some huge deal, but Schreiber has been a consistent and mostly useful part of the bullpen for almost three years now and this bullpen has been desperate for good innings through portions of that time. David Sandlin has just gotten to the MLB ranks with the White Sox recently and also been sent back down because it has not gone well. He is a 25-year-old starter who is still walking way too many batters though his AAA numbers this season are okay. I think the Royals will not regret this move and having Schreber has been worth it. Not amazing, but a moderate win to this point.

Angel Zerpa for Isaac Collins and Nick Mears

This has to be considered better for the Royals than the Brewers so far, but not in a good way really. Isaac Collins and Nick Mears are both sitting on 0.0 fWAR, so that is not what the Royals were trying to get. However, Angel Zerpa is out with TJ after just 12 bad innings for Milwaukee. The verdict is not out yet. I still think this was the right trade and will end up better for the Royals, though it could also just end up being a disappointment for both sides. I do want to say that I love this style of move from JJ though. This is what I want transactional to look like in a lot of ways.

Mason Barnett, Will Klein, and Jared Dickey for Lucas Erceg

The Royals definitely gave up some value here. Mason Barnett and Will Klein have been useful bullpen arms the last two seasons. Barnett is a middle reliever with limited upside, not actually good enough to worry about losing so far. Klein has been very good over almost 50 innings for the Dodgers between last year and this, so maybe realizing the potential we saw by finally bringing down the walk rate. Jared Dickey is putting up a mediocre AAA season. Meanwhile, Lucas Erceg has been a massively important part of the bullpen for the Royals. This year he has struggled, but for a year plus, including helping getting to and through a round of the playoffs, he was the fireman or closer. Kansas City has so far gotten the better end and I think it was the right deal.

Walter Pennington for Michael Lorenzen

Not a flashy trade. It was a useful one though. Pennington briefly made it to the big leagues, 18 total innings, but did not stick and is now a free agent. The Royals did not really give up anything or so it seems anyway. Lorenzen was a capable 5th starter for basically a season worth of work. Picollo deserves a golf clap here.

Michael A. Taylor for Steven Cruz and Evan Sisk

Michael A. Taylor was very much Kyle Isbel before Kyle Isbel. He was older and he was fine. Trading a year of Taylor for Cruz and Sisk made sense with what the team had and needed. Sisk did nothing for the Kansas City part of the Royals organization except help get Bailey Falter I guess. That might actually be a negative. Steven Cruz has been bad at times and good at others and overall kind of meh. I guess the Royals kind of lost this trade? I don’t feel all that bad about it. Sort of a draw in my mind. What are you supposed to get for an aging center fielder who is not very good at hitting?

Whit Merrifield for Max Castillo and Samad Taylor

This organization waited way too long to trade Merrifield and by the time he did move, the value was not super high. Thus, they got back little. Max Castillo basically did nothing for the Royals, or anyone else, after the trade. Samad Taylor played briefly for the Royals at replacement level and then was traded to Seattle for a player to be named later. That player, once named, was Nataneal Garabitos who seems to be gone from affiliated ball at this point. JJ did not win this trade. Again, it is kind of a got what you could and that wasn’t much, so it did not work out really. Hard to get super mad at it, but also disappointing.

Jonathan Bowlan for Matt Strahm

Now we are into the legitimately bad territory. This looked like it made sense going into this year. Unfortunately, you traded a bullpen arm for a more established bullpen arm and then the pitcher you traded outperforms the one you acquired, that is bad. Strahm is more expensive and older and you have fewer years of control. This could turn around a bit as Strahm has been better as of late and could be traded before the deadline. Bowlan has also not been some revelation in Philadelphia. He has been pretty good. This is looking like one where JJ is going to take an L.

Cayden Wallace and 39th draft pick for Hunter Harvey

Hunter Harvey was really good for the Royals he just wasn’t available the vast majority of the time. Only 16 innings across parts of two seasons is not worth trading for no matter how good those innings are. Cayden Wallace is still in AA for Washington, though playing well this year so far. A sandwich pick like that has value. This was not good for KC.

Brady Singer for Joey Wiemer and Jonathan India

Again, the thought process here made a lot of sense. The Royals had starters, they did not have a leadoff hitter. India just played very badly or was hurt. Joey Wiemer never really did anything of consequence. Giving up a consistent starter and getting back below replacement level production is objectively bad. Is this mostly bad luck? Possibly, but it was bad nonetheless.

Now to answer the question. I think JJ Picollo has been a bit above average on trades since taking over that duty for the Royals. The wins outweigh the losses and even some of the losses are bad in hindsight more than in real time. There are only three I just don’t think you can argue anything other than JJ lost the trade. Seven are either clear wins or the Royals are at least ahead for now. So, if you ignore all the players for cash and other minutiae, I think the record on trades is positive for this Royals leadership team. Hopefully over the next few weeks they bank a few more wins.

Let me say, before you read any further, that this is definitely a first world problem, not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.

And I’ve written about this before, most recently in April 2025.

The scoreboard photo above brought this idea back to me. This is how the “AMERICAN” side of the board looked on Monday, June 29, the first day of the Cubs series against the Padres last week.

If you are reading this article on a computer, you can probably see the difference between “LOS ANGELES (NL)” and “LOS ANGELES (AL)”. But if you’re on your phone — or, more importantly, sitting 400+ feet away from the board at Wrigley Field, you probably can’t tell which L.A. team was playing at the A’s, and which one was at the Mariners.

I’m a bit closer to the board than most at Wrigley from my perch in the left field bleachers and even I had to enlarge that photo before I figured out that the Dodgers were playing in West Sacramento and the Angels were at Seattle.

And as you can see, there’s already a team name there (“ATHLETICS”). The Cubs, as the home team at Wrigley, also have their team name on the board. In fact, this is how the bottom left of the board looked in early June when the Cubs hosted the A’s:

Most websites and apps now show MLB teams with their team names instead of the cities. Here, for example, is the top of the scoreboard page on the MLB app for today’s games:

So get with the program, Cubs. Next time the board is painted, replace city names with team names. It’s cleaner looking, will clearly identify the Los Angeles (and New York) teams and matches what most fans see in other places.

Oh, and one more thing. What on Earth is this?

And by “this,” I mean — why is there a serif on the “1” indicating the starting pitcher? At no other place on the board do any of the number “1”s have a serif. This was added when the board was re-painted a year ago. It looks like a mistake to me. While you’re changing to team names, Cubs, get rid of that serif.

That concludes my TED talk for today. Carry on.

The Milwaukee Brewers have a doubleheader on deck Tuesday, as they’ll begin with game one with Jacob Misiorowski starting opposite the Cardinals’ Matt Svanson.

The big news out of Milwaukee today is the call-up of top outfield prospect Luis Lara. Lara, 21, signed a seven-year, $31 million contract in early June and now gets his first taste of the majors. If you want to learn more about the youngster, check out Paul’s article from this morning or Adam’s dive into Milwaukee’s front office philosophy from last month.

Of course, in order to call Lara up, the Brewers had to make a corresponding move. That leaves outfielder Blake Perkins as the odd man out, as he’s sent to Triple-A Nashville. Perkins, 29, is having a rough season after providing 3.3 bWAR over the last three seasons as a depth piece of Milwaukee’s outfield. While he’s still been worth 0.2 bWAR this year, that’s almost entirely due to his above-average defense — he’s hitting just .157/.250/.258 with a homer and 11 RBIs over 101 plate appearances. Given Lara’s defensive prowess, it seems like a similar thought process to the Cooper Pratt-for-Luis Rengifo swap in mid-June — the hitting can’t be much worse, and the defense should be on par (or even better).

The Brewers also announced Robert Gasser as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader, and he’s slated to start game two tonight.

The Brewers have also not made a move for David Hamilton, who exited Monday night’s game with a reported hamstring injury. It seems likely he’ll be facing an IL stint, but we’ll await word on the severity and any official move. Outfielder Greg Jones and right-handed reliever Easton McGee are reportedly on hand in St. Louis as members of the taxi squad, per Todd Rosiak.

Misiorowski, who was named an All-Star over the weekend, will make his 18th start today, as he’s pitched to a 1.47 ERA, 1.97 FIP, and 156 strikeouts over 104 innings this year. He got roughed up a bit against the Reds last week, allowing five runs (though just one was earned) on five hits, striking out 10 over five innings in his fourth loss of the season.

Svanson gets the ball for the Cardinals in what will be his first career start. After a solid 1.7 bWAR season with a 1.94 ERA and 2.72 FIP over 39 appearances (60 1/3 innings) last year, he’s struggled to a 6.69 ERA and 4.49 FIP over 34 appearances (37 2/3 innings) this season. As you can see from those numbers, he does have the ability to go a couple of innings, which is likely what we’ll see here. With Hunter Dobbins designated as the 27th man and slated to start game two for St. Louis, it seems possible (likely even) that right-hander Michael McGreevy will get the bulk of this game, unless St. Louis opts to save him for tomorrow, as they haven’t yet announced a starter for that one.

Lara isn’t featured in the lineup for the first game today, with a nearly identical lineup to Monday night’s game — the only change is Joey Ortiz starting at third base and batting ninth in place of the injured Hamilton.

First pitch is set for 1:15 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

It is time for the Guardians to re-assert themselves as the dominant team in the AL Central when it comes to the Twins.

The Guardians are 47-44 with a -9 run differential, 23rd in MLB with a 93 wRC+, eighth in baserunning runs above average at 3.7, eighth in Defense at -2.2, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.80 (4.10 FIP) and tenth in bullpen ERA at 3.80 (3.84 FIP).

The Twins are 44-47 with a -17 run differential, fifth in MLB with a 106 wRC+, 27th in baserunning runs above average at -4.7, 26th in Defense at -27.5, 18th in starting pitcher ERA 4.43 (4.21 FIP) and 30th in bullpen ERA at 5.28 (4.63 FIP).

Put the ball in play and get into the pen as soon as possible! Byron Buxton tweaked his hip last weekend, so he MAY not play in a game or two, or he may be back. We will see.

Matchups:
Game One, Tuesday 7:40PM ET: Taj Bradley, RHP 3.86 ERA (3.92 FIP) vs. Joey Cantillo, LHP
Game Two, Wednesday 7:40PM ET: Connor Prielipp, LHP 4.96 ERA (3.63 FIP) vs. Slade Cecconi, RHP
Game Three, Thursday 1:40PM ET: Mike Parades, RHP 4.60 ERA (6.08 FIP) vs. Gavin Williams, RHP

The Twins are led on offense by Ryan Jeffers 165 wRC+, Byron Buxton 146 wRC+, Trevor Larnach 136 wRC+, Kody Clemens 118 wRC+, Ryan Kreidler 114 wRC+, Alex Jackson 109 wRC+, Brooks Lee 104 wRC+, and Josh Bell 104 wRC+.

The Guardians are led by Austin Hedges 114 wRC+,Chase DeLauter 114 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 112 wRC+, Brayan Rocchio 114 wRC+ and David Fry 104 wRC+.

Kinda need Kahlil Watson to rebound from a tough end to the White Sox series and Cooper Ingle to find his footing a bit to have a good shot at winning this series.

Second place is still a long shot but it could happen! It’s a fair question to ask, too. While there was a lot to be encouraged about from this last homestand when it comes to the Atlanta Braves finally and eventually breaking out of extended run of bad form, it’s clear that they’re not quite out of the funk just yet. The offense is back to hitting bombs and putting up crooked numbers but that’s coincided with the bullpen finally starting to show some cracks. Now granted, the bullpen is still in strong form but you know it’s a bit wobbly when Raisel Iglesias finally blew a save.

All that has led to this point: The divisional lead is now down to three games in the final week of action before the All-Star break. While the Phillies have finally slowed down a bit from the furious pace that they have been on for a while now (and getting demolished in a three game series by the Royals is, um, something), they’ve still been one game better (5-5) than the Braves (4-6) over their past 10 games, so they’re still gaining ground. The Phillies have the Reds and Tigers to finish things off while the Braves have the Pirates and Cardinals. Atlanta will likely still be in first place by the time the break rolls around but they will certainly have to earn it in order to remain on top heading into the second half of the season.

July 7-9: Pittsburgh Pirates

Current Record: 46-45 Projected Record (via FanGraphs): 83-79

Well, the Braves can’t escape Paul Skenes this time! Hot off the heels of a wacky and wild ending to a four-game series against the Mets, the Braves will now have to take on Skenes in Pittsburgh with no rest for the weary after a late night in Atlanta. The good news is that, well, Skenes has hit the skids a bit. As this piece from Kiri Oler from FanGraphs notes, Skenes has a 5.36 ERA over his past nine starts and hasn’t exactly looked like the dominant force that helped propel him to the All-MLB First Team and an NL Cy Young Award as well.

Skenes gave up eight runs (seven earned) in his most recent start against the Phillies and that was after he gave up four runs in five innings to the Reds. His last really dominant performance was back on May 12 when he struck out 10 batters over eight shutout innings against the Rockies. Ever since then, he’s found it tough to navigate the waters and this could actually be an opportunity for a newly-resurgent Braves offense to continue moving in the right direction if Skenes continues to struggle.

Maybe seeing the Pirates again could be a tonic for the Braves since the last time these two locked horns, the Braves were busy dusting off a sweep at Pittsburgh’s expense. I’m very skeptical that we’ll see another sweep here and if we do, Atlanta’s pitching staff will have bounced back as well since the Pirates have actually been hitting the ball pretty well lately. Ever since the sweep in early-June, Pittsburgh has been hitting .285/.351/.482 at the plate with a 126 team wRC+ and a .362 team wOBA. Their offense essentially went in the opposite direction of Atlanta’s after that sweep and a lot of that has to do with guys like Bryan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales, Tyler Calihan and Endy Rodriguez going on a tear at the plate since then. Konnor Griffin has also been getting it done as well.

It’s not exactly encouraging considering how the pitching has fared lately but also, the Pirates won’t have a super-imposing run of starters going for this one either. On top of Paul Skenes struggling, Wednesday’s starter Jared Jones hasn’t been the model of consistency for Pittsburgh so far and the last time the Braves saw Mitch Keller, they bombed him for six runs over 4.2 innings. We could be in for some more high-scoring, topsy-turvy games based on how both teams have been performing as of late.

Tuesday, July 7 at 6:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision, GrayTV)
Wednesday, July 8 at 6:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Thursday, July 9 at 12:35 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

July 10-12: St. Louis Cardinals

Current Record: 47-41 Projected Record: 83-79

Similar to how the season series with the Giants ended up being structured, the Braves and the Cardinals are going to end up getting their hostilities out of the way over the course of a two-week span. Things didn’t go particularly well for the Braves against the Giants so hopefully things will be different for the Braves as they travel to St. Louis to finish their season series against the Cardinals.

The Cardinals may have been struggling before they ran into a Braves team that was struggling more than they were but it appears that they’ve shaken it off. St. Louis walked into Wrigley Field the day after putting 11 runs on the Braves and proceeded to drop 17 on the Cubs to open the series. They then won the series the next day as they put a screeching halt to the heater that the Cubs had been on (Chicago beat San Diego 23-3 they day before they got beat 17-1! The 2026 Cubs, man.). I am sure that Chip Caray had a hootin’-and-hollerin’ time throughout that Atlanta-Chicago road trip.

St. Louis is now in the midst of a five (5!) game series with the Brewers and one that could have St. Louis getting closer to their divisional rivals in the standings with the break ahead. The Cardinals did drop the first game and now a doubleheader awaits them on Tuesday, so we’ll see if they can get back into the swing of things in that series or if the Brewers can continue to hold them at bay.

Due to the demands of the five-game series (including the doubleheader today), St. Louis’s pitching schedule is all up in the air so it’s really tough to figure who’s going to be pitching this weekend against the Braves. Dustin May is an option for the weekend and he’ll surely be looking to get a measure of revenge for what happened to him on a muggy night in Atlanta. No matter who the Cardinals have pitching, it’ll be imperative for the Braves to figure out a way to keep Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt from tipping the scales. Nathan Church was also an absolute pain to deal with when the Braves were in Atlanta, so keeping that particular trio quiet will be conducive to any type of success that the Braves will hope to have to close out the first half of the season.

Friday, July 10 at 8:15 p.m. ET (Apple TV)
Saturday, July 11 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Sunday, July 12 at 2:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

The Yankees, having existed for well over a century, have had more than their fair share of characters don their uniform. Some of them were stars like Yogi Berra, and some of them were role players like Billy Martin. It’s players like them that add some texture to the history of the team and of the game, reminding us that though we come to see the best of the best play, sometimes we stay for the interesting characters on the side. George Moriarty, known for combining an easygoing demeanor off the baseball diamond with a rough-and-tumble personality in the clubhouse, was one of those characters.

George Joseph Moriarty
Born: July 7, 1885 (Chicago, IL)
Died: April 8, 1964 (Miami, FL)
Yankees Tenure: 1906-1908 (player)

George Moriarty was born in Chicago to a former semi-pro catcher, and dropped out of school at an early age to pursue baseball. He played in various semi-pro leagues around the city and even began his professional baseball career in 1901 at 16. He signed with the Davenport River Rats and the Rock Island Islanders in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. He played in 110 games during the first of three seasons he would spend in the Three-I League. Moriarty was then moved to the Bloomington Blues in 1902 and, once again, to the Joliet Standards/Springfield Foot Trackers to play ball there in 1903. He hit .232 in 1902 and .222 in Joliet/Springfield. Moriarty took a job in Chicago toward the end of 1903, and in an exhibition game against the Cubs, Moriarty started a triple play at third base. The Cubs’ manager, Frank Selee, decided to give Moriarty a one-game tryout on the last day of the 1903 season.

On the day of the one-game tryout, those in the press box noted that Moriarty was nervous in his debut and went 0-for-5. Despite his poor performance at the plate, he managed to make another tryout with the Cubs in the spring of 1904.

The first four games for Moriarty in a Cubs uniform were strikingly bad, as he did not register a hit in 14 plate appearances, and his only time on base came on a walk. As a result, he was sent back to the minors, and after the Southern Association’s sale to Little Rock, he was sent to the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association.

Moriarty played 136 games and not only found his stride at the plate, batting .295 by season’s end, but he also began to earn his scrappy reputation. There were plenty of stories about the third baseman fighting those who gave him attitude with his bare hands while also continuing his excellent play on the field.

Moriarty led the league with 51 steals for Toledo in Class-A ball in 1905, and after that excellent year on the basepaths, he joined the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) when his contract was sold for the 1906 season. He played all over the field in his first season with New York at the age of 20, including second, third, left, and center field, finishing with a slash line of .234/.298/.340 in 65 games.

In 1907 with the Highlanders, Moriarty became a full-time utility player, registering 474 plate appearances while playing seven different positions. He also upped his play at the plate, moving from a .234 average to a .277 average, a .320 on-base percentage, and a .336 slugging percentage, all of which were better than the league average. His on-base and slugging percentages that year would remain career highs for the rest of his time on a baseball diamond.

Moriarty stayed in the same role in 1908 under managers Clark Griffith and Kid Elberfeld. He continued to get playing time, but his numbers dropped sharply, finishing at .236/.269/.276. Along with the drop in the individual numbers, the Highlanders finished dead last in the American League with a record of 51-103. They were 39.5 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers, and they finished 17 games behind the second-to-last place Washington Senators.

But for Moriarty, the end of the season resulted in some good news. The Highlanders had sold him to the top of the table: the Detroit Tigers.

Instead of being a utility player, Moriarty was made the team’s consistent third baseman. He helped the Tigers win another pennant in 1909, despite the team losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. And his time with the Tigers was when his reputation as a fighter grew from just a story here or there. He was willing to spar with anyone who stepped up.

Tigers legend Ty Cobb reportedly wanted to fight Moriarty, and, according to the Society for American Baseball Research, Moriarty promptly handed Cobb a baseball bat, saying he’d need it to even have a chance. Cobb did not take the challenge. But he was not the same player on the field as he was off of it, being known for his quiet and peaceful demeanor on the diamond.

Moriarty would play with Detroit for another five years from 1910 to 1915. His best year came in 1914 at the age of 29, when he played in 132 games and finished with a slash line of .254/.318/.323, the best of his time with the Tigers. He also remained a stalwart on defense, as he was throughout his career.

In the 1915 season, Moriarty played only 31 games, ultimately gave up his job at third base to 25-year-old Ossie Vitt, and spent the year assisting manager Hughie Jennings as a player-coach. The Tigers gave Moriarty his unconditional release that November.

The third baseman joined the Chicago White Sox in 1916 and, after going 1-for-5 as a pinch-hitter, Moriarty was released and was named manager of the Memphis Chickasaws in Memphis, TN. But after his managerial career in the minor leagues, he found his real calling in 1917 — umpiring.

Moriarty was a major league umpire from 1917 to 1940, with a break in 1927 and 1928 to take over as the Tigers’ manager after Ty Cobb. He finished after two seasons, when his contract expired, with a 150-157 record at the helm of the team. His Tigers finished fourth and sixth in the American League and eventually returned to umpiring, garnering plenty of stories along the way.

One of the most notable stories was when Moriarty came to the defense of future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg in the 1935 World Series, issuing numerous warnings to the Chicago Cubs bench to stop yelling antisemitic slurs at the Tigers slugger. When they did not listen and continued, he ejected three Cubs players, which ultimately resulted in a $200 fine from the league commissioner. That World Series was one of five he umpired (and was the crew chief for two of them), and he umpired the second-ever MLB All-Star Game in 1934 at the Polo Grounds, when the Giants’ Carl Hubbell famously struck out legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin all in a row.

Following his extensive major-league umpiring career, Moriarty worked as a scout, a writer, and in other roles, and spent the rest of his days in Miami, where he passed away on April 8, 1964, at the age of 79 due to kidney cancer. He was buried at Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery in Evergreen Park, Illinois.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.