Carlos Lagrange of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders delivers a pitch during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Yankees’ bullpen, contrary to popular belief, hasn’t been a weakness so far. Well, statistically at least. The unit ranks tenth in MLB with a 3.59 ERA before Tuesday’s game, which is not bad. Of course, true contenders want to be much closer to the top of the league, and that hasn’t been the case with this group.
However you split it, though, the Yanks want another true shutdown reliever or two, and if they go out to the trade market to bring them in, the cost in prospects would be high. That’s probably why they have decided to speed up Carlos Lagrange’s potential call-up by moving him to the bullpen.
Lagrange, to this point, had been OK as a starter in Triple-A Scranton. Not particularly good, and certainly not bad. Just OK, which is fine for a 23-year-old pitcher with big velocity but control issues pitching at that level for the first time in his career.
The right-hander has a 4.41 ERA in 49 innings of work, with an impressive 29 percent strikeout rate but also an 11.5 percent walk rate. While that last number might look a tad high, it’s actually solid considering Lagrange’s reputation as a thrower as opposed to a pitcher.
The main issue so far with Lagrange, at least this season in Triple-A, hasn’t even been walks: it’s been a lack of better command. In his most recent start in Scranton, he threw 30 fastballs, and 21 were strikes, for example. That’s not bad if we speak strictly about control:
A very businesslike performance by Carlos Lagrange tonight en route to a season-high 5.2 innings of work.
5.2 ip 3 h 1 r/er 1 bb 6 k 1 hr
Good pitch mix: 30 four-seamers, 21 changeups, 16 sliders, 14 sweepers, 5 sinkers. 55 of the 86 went for strikes, including 21 of those…
He can overwhelm hitters in the low minors just by pumping 103-mph heaters and that filthy slider of his, but he needs more to consistently get Triple-A batters out, and he’ll certainly need even more to be a solid major leaguer. That ‘more’ is, quite simply, command. He has the raw stuff to be a difference-maker on any staff, but MLB hitters will test him in ways he didn’t think were possible.
The lack of good command, which is basically hitting his spots and not just throwing the ball in the zone, has resulted in more hard contact against Lagrange. Last year, the flamethrower allowed 0.46 home runs per nine innings in Double-A Somerset, but that number has soared to 1.47 in 2026 in Scranton. It’s the first time in his career he has been over 1.00 in a relevant sample.
Perhaps the fact that Lagrange is prone to leaving some meatballs over the plate from time to time played a big role in the Yankees’ decision to move him to the bullpen, at least for 2026. Yes, their lack of elite relief pitching talent on the roster aside from one or two exceptions might have contributed, too, but they also believe that the righty could be less vulnerable in short spurts as a reliever. They probably think his top-notch velocity can be an asset even if command is not ideal, and they are probably right… as long as he doesn’t hurt himself with walks at the highest level.
If Triple-A hitters can make him pay if he gets wild, you can be sure the same is true, even to a greater extent, for MLB batters. When it’s time for him to test his skills against top competition, he will need to show that he has, indeed, made strides.
The 2026 campaign has been positive for the pitcher even though the results have been far from elite. His development, however, is not done. Lagrange still needs to do a better job preventing the long ball, and that will come with reps, time, and innings. Circumstances might force the Yankees to call him up in the summer, once he has become familiar with his new role, and to be completely honest, it suits his current skill set better than starting.
The Nick Castellanos experiment in San Diego is over after just 39 games.
The Padres designated the veteran outfielder for assignment on Wednesday after an abysmal first two months of the season in which he slashed .191/.221/.339 for an OPS of .560 in 122 plate appearances, career lows across the board in his 14-year big league career.
INF/OF Samad Taylor has been called up from Triple-A El Paso in the corresponding roster move.
The timing of the move comes as the Padres are currently in Philadelphia for a three-game series, where Castellanos played four seasons before he was released in February ahead of the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract that began in 2022. During his time in Philadelphia, Castellanos averaged .260 with a .732 OPS and hit 82 home runs.
He emerged as a key player during the Phillies' 2022 NLCS run and was an All-Star for the second time in his career the following season, but his relationship with the organization and then-manager Rob Thomson became strained in 2025 after his antics — such as drinking an El Presidente beer in the dugout after being removed from a game — made more headlines than his declining production.
"Apparently, they thought it was just best for the organization that my personality wasn’t in the clubhouse," Castellanos told reporters recently of his unceremonious end in Philadelphia.
Castellanos last appeared in a game for the Padres on May 31 against the Washington Nationals, where he went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a stolen base.
What's next for Nick Castellanos?
This could spell the end of Castellanos' career. The 34-year-old currently ranks in the bottom third of the Majors in fielding run value, bat speed, squared-up percentage, arm value and arm strength. His liability on defense was a factor in his fallout with the Phillies a year ago and the Padres tried to mitigate that by getting him some reps at first base and DH this season, but he still posted an OAA (outs above average) value of -4. Though he has never been a strong fielder, Castellanos' bat has always been able to make up for his defensive shortcomings; but that simply hasn't been the case the last two seasons.
That said, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise if some team in need of pop at the plate takes a chance on Castellanos in hopes he can return to form.
NL West outlook
The Padres were able put together a solid start to the season despite struggles at the plate from Castellanos as well as their core of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado thanks to stellar performances from their starters and league-best bullpen, but they've struggled down the stretch. Since losing two of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers from May 18-20 to fall back into second place in the division, they've lost seven of their last 10 and enter Wednesday on a three-game losing streak and find themselves trailing LA by six games.
San Diego is currently tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the top NL Wild Card spot.
Jun 2, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) reacts after hitting a two run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
I always say it is hardest to blog about a middling team. A bad team, lots to talk about. A good team, lots to talk about. One in the middle?
I think the Jays will get better. I think getting Alejandro Kirk back will help a lot. I think getting, you know, five actual starting pitchers will help. Teams tend to do well on bullpen days, but I think using everyone in the pen in one game out of five (or in the Jays’ case, two games out of five) puts a lot of stress on the relievers. As much as I like the old days when Mark Eichhorn could throw 160 innings in a season, Tom Henke could throw 90 innings, and Duane Ward could throw 110, it was a different game back then. Having Louis Varland pitch in every other game isn’t a recipe for long-term success.
It would also help if we could get 4-5-6 runs a game. Yesterday, we had nine hits, including a home run, and we still only scored three runs. Until we start scoring consistently, we really can’t blame the pitching for a mediocre record. There is hardly anyone on the offense who is heading better than we would have expected, except for Yohendrick Piñango (and I don’t know of anyone who expected he would get playing time in the majors this year.
Even defensively, we haven’t been the team I expected. Gimenez has been terrific at short. And Daulton Varsho seems to be coming back to what we expected. But Ernie Clement has been a -5 runs above average at second base, and I didn’t see that coming. Jesus Sanchez and Piñango look like two guys who are new to playing the outfield.
Anyway, I do think things will get better with some of the guys coming off the IL. I don’t know if it will be better enough, but the AL has been pretty crappy, and we aren’t far out of a playoff spot, just one game back at the moment. Some or one of those teams hovering around the .500 mark are going to have to get better; maybe it will be the Jays. They had a great second half last year. Who is to say it can’t happen again?
Baseball America has made some changes to its top 100 prospect list, and Jays prospect Nolan Perry has jumped on the list at #85. BA says:
Perry is one of this season’s biggest risers. He’s used a dynamic combination of speed and spin to flummox hitters at both Class A stops, and his ERA entering June 2 sat at a sparkling 1.37. He’s punched out 72 hitters in 46 innings and has the makings of a future rotation piece if he can bring his changeup forward.
Of course, Trey Yesavage is one of ten players from their list to have graduated off their list.
Beyond that, Arjun Nimmala has moved up from #65 to #48 (Jo Jo Parker has moved down, 41s
Another Wednesday, that means it must be Ohtani on the bump day.
Just a few weeks ago people were wringing their hands about Shohei Ohtani being stellar on the mound, but putrid at the plate. Well, the two-way superstar has definitely turned things around with his bat.
In Tuesday night’s game, his first two at bats were a double and a triple. His reappearance of his old self at the plate came into play later, when he was intentionally walked in the seventh inning – which is the first time in 26 games that he had been walked intentionally. He later came around to score what would be the winning run. In his last five games, Ohtani is 11-for-22 with a homer, a triple, and two doubles.
On the pitching side, Ohtani sits at 5-2 with a 0.82 ERA. Despite tossing six no-hit innings last week against the Colorado Rockies, Shohei didn’t actually have one of his best outings. He had a season low 56% strike rate and walked a season high four batters. He stated after the game he “just really couldn’t find it”.
Only seven current Diamondback players have faced Ohtani before, and all combined have 21 at bats against, with no homers and no RBI amongst them.
The Dodgers will face Zac Gallen, whom they have seen plenty of times. Gallen has been much better at home so far this season, going 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA as opposed to a 7.57 ERA on the road. The Dodgers did see him to start the season where they tagged him for four runs, but not until the fifth inning, which included a three-run homer off the bat of Andy Pages.
The Diamondback have been tough so far this series, with Arizona taking the first game 4-1, and almost completing a comeback, losing 6-5 in Tuesday’s game.
In that game, five relievers were needed to hold on to that win. Ohtani would do well to go deep into the game, at least the six he usually goes. Gallen is one of the weaker pitchers in the Diamondbacks arsenal, and Dodgers have done really well against right handers this season. Ohtani last pitched at Chase Field last September, where he went six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.
Jun 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) celebrates with first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) after scoring a run in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
The Tigers did the seemingly impossible on Wednesday afternoon as they wrapped up their series against the American League’s top team with a sweep, winning 7-2.
I’d be very curious to know if someone in the Tigers’ front office has promised their firstborn child to an Etsy witch, or something, because I don’t know who the June Tigers are, but they are not the same team that dragged their feet and bats through the whole month of May. I am not complaining, because if there’s one thing I love, it’s fun (and winning) baseball. The Tigers had already won the series heading into the Wednesday afternoon game, but they were hoping to come away with their first sweep in, like, a million years. To get there, they had Troy Melton on the mound, up against Nick Martinez for the Rays.
Gleyber Torres got things going in the first with a leadoff double. A Kevin McGonigle flyout advanced the runner to third, and then a Dillon Dingler single brought Torres home for the first run of the game.
With two outs, Riley Greene singled, but the Tigers weren’t able to convert another runner for the inning. In the home half, Junior Caminero got a one-out single, followed by a Jonathan Aranda walk. Yandy Diaz then singled, bringing in Caminero and tying the game. They’d have to settle for just the one run, but it was the first time the entire series they weren’t trailing the Tigers.
The second inning started with two outs, but Jake Rogers then hit a solo home run to left to push the Tigers back into the lead.
Cedric Mullins fought back in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff home run to re-tie the game. Nick Fortes then followed that with a single, but the Rays weren’t able to convert another baserunner.
Kevin McGonigle got the third started with a single. With one out, Kerry Carpenter singled into center, the ball deflected off the glove of Chandler Simpson. Riley Greene walked, and then a Spencer Torkelson sac fly brought McGonigle home.
In the home half, Aranda used the ABS to get himself a leadoff walk, but Yandy Diaz then grounded into a double play. That made things a fair bit easier for Melton to get out of the inning.
Matt Vierling started the fourth with a single, then advanced to second on a sac bunt from Rogers. Gleyber Torres then singled. With two outs, Dillon Dingler hit a three-run home run to push the Tigers into the lead by a wide margin.
The Rays did little to fight back in the bottom of the inning as they went 1-2-3 back to the dugout.
Martinez’s day was done as the game headed into the fifth, and he was replaced by Mason Englert. Greene got a leadoff single, but was then eliminated in a double play off the bat of Torkelson. A pop-out ended the inning. In the home half, the Rays once again went three-up, three-down.
In the sixth, Jake Rogers got a one-out single. A wild pitch from Englert allowed Rogers to advance to second. Two outs followed though, leaving the baserunner stranded. The Rays had another 1-2-3 inning.
Dingler got a free bag in the seventh after getting hit by a pitch. That’s certainly one way to keep him from hitting home runs. Carpenter grounded into a force out to eliminate Dingler. Then, with two outs, another wild pitch by Englert allowed Carpenter to advance to second, but the Tigers left another runner stranded. Bold of them to think a four-run lead is enough considering history. The Rays, however, didn’t do much to stage a comeback in the bottom of the inning, as they were set down in order.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the eighth. Melton was back out again for the home half, and despite extra effort to get through the first innings, he was looking dialled in and relaxed. He plowed through the side like he was just coming into the game. Just awesome stuff.
Torres started the top of the ninth with a single, continuing to swing a hot bat since his return. McGonigle doubled right behind him, pushing Torres to third. Dingler lined out directly to Caminero on third but Torres was lightning fast getting back, making sure he avoided the double play. A sac fly from Carpenter brought Torres home. Melton was done after eight, with a final line of 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR on 94 pitches. Drew Anderson came out of the pen to replace him. Anderson got the side out in order, and the Tigers walked away with a sweep.
Jun 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Ben Williamson (15) fields a ground ball in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
After so much time spent winning to start the season, defying expectations and climbing to the top of the American League, it’s safe to say no one had “lose a whole series to the worst team in the league” on their June bingo card. Yet the Rays have struggled consistently against the Tigers in this series, either forcing them to claw back runs to almost tie up a game, or to go completely shut-out against one of Detroit’s most inconsistent pitchers. It’s The Outer Limits. It’s Weird Baseball. And frankly, we don’t want it to continue. The Rays were just hoping to come away with a win in the series heading into Wednesday afternoon’s game, and they were doing it with Nick Martinez on the mound, up against a recently returned from the IL Troy Melton for the Tigers.
Gleyber Torres got things going in the first with a leadoff double. A Kevin McGonigle flyout advanced the runner to third, and then a Dillon Dingler single brought Torres home for the first run of the game. With two outs, Riley Greene singled, but the Tigers weren’t able to convert another runner for the inning. In the home half, Junior Caminero got a one-out single, followed by a Jonathan Aranda walk. Yandy Diaz then singled, bringing in Caminero and tying the game. They’d have to settle for just the one run, but it was the first time the entire series they weren’t trailing the Tigers.
The second inning started with two outs, but Jake Rogers then hit a solo home run to left to push the Tigers back into the lead. Cedric Mullins fought back in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff home run to re-tie the game. Nick Fortes then followed that with a single, but the Rays weren’t able to convert another baserunner.
Kevin McGonigle got the third started with a single. With one out, Kerry Carpenter singled into center, the ball deflected off the glove of Chandler Simpson. Riley Greene walked, and then a Spencer Torkelson sac fly brought McGonigle home. In the home half, Aranda used the ABS to get himself a leadoff walk, but Yandy Diaz then grounded into a double play. That made things a fair bit easier for Melton to get out of the inning.
Matt Vierling started the fourth with a single, then advanced to second on a sac bunt from Rogers. Gleyber Torres then singled. With two outs, Dillon Dingler hit a three-run home run to push the Tigers into the lead by a wide margin. The Rays did little to fight back in the bottom of the inning as they went 1-2-3 back to the dugout.
Martinez’s day was done after four, and he was replaced by Mason Englert. His final line for the game was 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR on 5o pitches. A really rough start. Those numbers pretty much tell you the whole story, as does the short leash Kevin Cash used before pulling him. Greene got a leadoff single, but was then eliminated in a double play off the bat of Torkelson. A pop-out ended the inning. In the home half, the Rays once again went three-up, three-down.
In the sixth, Jake Rogers got a one-out single. A wild pitch from Englert allowed Rogers to advance to second. Two outs followed though, leaving the baserunner stranded. The Rays had another 1-2-3 inning.
Dingler got a free bag in the seventh after getting hit by a pitch. That’s certainly one way to keep him from hitting home runs. Carpenter grounded into a force out to eliminate Dingler. Then, with two outs, another wild pitch by Englert allowed Carpenter to advance to second, but the Tigers left another runner stranded. Bold of them to think a four-run lead is enough considering history. The Rays, however, didn’t do much to stage a comeback in the bottom of the inning, as they were set down in order.
In the eighth, the Rays got the Tigers out in order, which was a rare treat in this game. Unfortunately they did the same thing themselves in the bottom of the inning. Hard to make a comeback when you can’t even get a baserunner on.
Torres started the top of the ninth with a single, continuing his hot streak in his first series back from the IL. McGonigle doubled right behind him, pushing Torres to third. Dingler lined out directly to Caminero on third but Torres snuck back, narrowly avoiding the double play. A sac fly from Carpenter brought Torres home. The Tigers would have to settle for one, but it was another run the Rays would have to try to get back. Melton was done after eight, and Drew Anderson came out of the pen to replace him. Anderson got the side out in order, and the Tigers walked away with a sweep, while the Rays would have to ask themselves some difficult questions.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 07: Rhett Lowder #25 of the Cincinnati Reds delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field on May 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rhett Lowder took the mound in a professional baseball game on Tuesday night for the first time in nearly a month. What he produced didn’t matter nearly as much as how he felt after getting in the work with AAA Louisville, and apparently he’s feeling just fine.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, Lowder came out of his 5.0 IP outing against the Memphis Redbirds feeling as he was supposed to feel as a starting pitcher, and will rejoin the Cincinnati Reds to make a start on Sunday when the team is in St. Louis facing the Cardinals. So said manager Terry Francona, per Sheldon.
Lowder yielded a trio of runs in his rehab outing, but he threw 70 pitches, logged 8 strikeouts, and didn’t walk a soul in an outing more reminiscent of him at his finest.
What we’ll be anxious to see now, though, is just how much the ‘clicking’ in his shoulder that shut him down early in a May 7th start against the Chicago Cubs was something that caused him to stumble a bit against big league pitching prior to hitting the shelf. Between that start and his previous one – a brutal 1.1 IP outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he was hammered for 8 ER while walking the world – he allowed a whopping 11 ER and 8 walks against just 2 K in 4.1 IP combined.
In part due to Lowder’s scheduled return, Chris Paddack has seemingly been bumped from the starting rotation for the time being. He’ll be available in relief in the meantime, though it remains to be seen what kind of role he’ll have when Lowder is activated in time for Sunday’s game.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Anthony Seigler #48 of the Boston Red Sox reacts as he takes batting practice during a spring training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 12, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Note: a version of this article was originally published on February 25, 2026.
Who is he and where did he come from?
He’s Anthony Seigler. Do you think the Red Sox don’t have enough infield depth pieces? You’re in luck, because here’s another one.
This particular infield depth piece started 25 games at third base for the playoff-bound Brewers in 2025 after making his MLB debut in July. The 26-year-old lefty from Cartersville, Georgia was a first round draft pick for the Yankees (three picks in front of Triston Casas!) and spent the first five years of his professional career in that organization. The Yankees-Red Sox crossover comps don’t stop there, because he is just the second Navajo player of all-time to make a Major League roster, joining none other than Jacoby Ellsbury.
Is he any good?
Stop me if you’ve heard thus one before: he’s exactly okay. Which is fine! Seigler has not quite found it yet at the plate in his short Major League career, batting just .194 with one extra base hit (a double) in his 62 at-bats. He fared a lot better at Triple-A, slashing .285/.414/.478 in 2025 and then a similarly healthy .295/.425/.471 this year. This is bolstered by his ability to draw walks, as his percentage as a pro approaches 20 percent. He’s patient, quick, and can pull a ball when he does hit it. Check out his Prospect Savant page for this hot chart (minimum 700 pitches seen.)
Clearly, Seigler has more work to do about getting that ball out of the park.
One more thing about Seigler: he’s played all over the diamond, splitting most of his minor league innings between catcher and second base before spending more time at third in 2026. And if that’s not enough versatility for you, he was drafted as a two-way player who also pitches, something that is great in, uhhh, emergency situation. But, I wouldn’t put too much stock in it, as he was only called upon to take the mound once in 2025.
Here’s his first Major League hit. He has a really interesting swing here, as he appears to choke down a little. Which, if you’re hitting well, great! With Seigler, though, you almost wonder if an adjustment is needed.
But believe it or not, Seigler has even cooler highlights than his first Major League hit. That’s because, not only is he a two-way player, he’s a two-way player who throws with both hands:
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 02: Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners leads off first base against the New York Mets during the first inning at T-Mobile Park on June 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nine is a big number.
The Mariners will look to stretch their win streak to nine this afternoon with a third consecutive sweep. At about four games is when I start to consider consecutive wins a streak, though I’d listen to arguments that three or five should be the minimal threshold. But it’s not until now, where eight turns to nine, that I start to really pay attention. There have many eight-game win streaks in franchise history. The ongoing streak is the 13th.
But there have only been seven streaks of nine or more (eight if you want to count the one that spanned 1994 to 1995), with the 2001 Mariners (15) and 2022 Mariners (14) topping the list. A win today and yeah, this is officially one of the best streaks in team history.
George Kirby will get the chance to do it. He was having an impressive, albeit bizarre start to the season, with a 3.23 FIP on the back of a league-leading 57% grounder rate through his first nine starts. His last three, however, have been harder to watch, plagued by homers and whatever alchemy the Royals are performing in Kansas City. This would be as good a time for a classic Kirby bounce back outing as any.
The lineup looks fairly standard. Josh Naylor is back, after spasming is back with a monster homer Monday. Jhonny Pereda will get the start behind the dish after a monster homer Tuesday. And Julio Rodríguez, Cole Young, and Randy Arozarena are still in there, for the 63rd game of the season. The Mariners and the Braves are the only teams with at least three players who have played in every game this season.
In other news, three Mariners prospects (including Wednesday’s nine-hole hitter Colt Emerson) ranked in Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospect List. Emerson (3rd) is joined by Ryan Sloan (7th) and Kade Anderson (9th — there’s that number again) to round out the best, top-level prospect group in the league. For more, Max Ellingsen has you covered.
Lineups
Game Information
First Pitch: 12:40 p.m. PDT
TV:Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Ryon Healy and Angie Mentink
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
May 23, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF Bo Bichette – SS Juan Soto – DH Jared Young – 1B Brett Baty – 3B Marcus Semien – 2B A.J. Ewing – CF MJ Melendez – LF Luis Torrens – C
SP: Freddy Peralta – RHP
Mariners lineup
J.P. Crawford – SS Julio Rodriguez – CF Josh Naylor – 1B Randy Arozarena – LF Luke Raley – RF Cole Young – 2B Dominic Canzone – DH Jhonny Pereda – C Colt Emerson – 3B
SP: George Kirby – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 3:40 PM ET TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 02: Jase Bowen #4 of the San Diego Padres hits a single in the seventh inning of his MLB debut during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 02, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This was a game that, for so many reasons, the San Diego Padres should have won. The Friars were facing the Philadelphia Phillies for the second time in as many weeks after being swept by the Phils last time around. They were also facing Aaron Nola for the second time, giving the batters a second chance against the righty.
That wouldn’t be the case. Instead, the lone runs came on Gavin Sheets’ two-run homer in the third inning. But the Friars failed to score in multiple easy opportunities. Fernando Tatis Jr. led the game off with a double. He wouldn’t even reach third base. With one out and runners on the corners in the seventh, the Padres only need a sacrifice fly from Sung-Mun Song to tie the game. He struck out before Ty France grounded out to end the opportunity.
In the eighth, Tatis hit a leadoff single before Sheets and Manny Machado flew out. With two outs, Miguel Andujar hit an infield single but Tatis overran second base and was tagged out to end the final scoring opportunity the Friars would have. They’ll need to have much better follow-through in today’s game if they hope to force the rubber match.
Taking the mound
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
Sánchez cemented his active scoreless streak in his last outing against San Diego, going seven innings while scattering six hits. After finishing runner-up in the 2025 NL Cy Young award voting, he’s making a run for it again in what has become a competitive race.
The lefty owns a 1.47 ERA and has struck out 95 batters across 79 1/3 innings pitched. Sánchez’s WHIP is a little high (1.12), but he’s been able to navigate well when he allows baserunners. The Padres couldn’t take advantage last time against him. They’ll need to do so today to force the rubber match.
Somewhat surprisingly, Buehler went toe-to-toe against Sánchez in their meetup last Wednesday. Though he didn’t make it as deep into the game, he certainly could have if allowed to. His pitch count sat at just 58 pitches when he was pulled in the sixth inning after putting runners on first and second.
But, until that point, Buehler had faced the minimum amount of batters through five innings. He looked even better than Sánchez until that sixth inning. If he can do that again tonight, the Padres will have a real chance at taking Game 2.
Batter up!
The bright spot of the offense continues to be Tatis, who went 3-for-4 in the series opener on Tuesday night. His batting average has slowly ticked up to .275 after a recent hot streak.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Manny Machado, 3B
Miguel Andujar, DH
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Nick Castellanos, LF
Sung-Mun Song, 2B
Rodolfo Durán, C
Andujar has cooled off lately, but owns a career .444 batting average against Sánchez (nine at-bats). It would be incredible to see him do some damage against the left-hander in today’s contest against Philly.
The other exciting moment from last night was Jase Bowen’s first big-league hit in the seventh inning. He had an underwhelming night at the plate, going 1-for-4 with three strikeouts, but his call up could spark something in this Padres offense.
Relief corps
It was the ‘pen that lost it for San Diego. Jeremiah Estrada was the first man out of the bullpen after Randy Vásquez pitched five solid innings. He promptly walked the first batter and allowed a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Estrada did get Alec Bohm to ground into a double play, but a run came across the board. That would be the difference maker in the Padres 3-2 loss.
The rest of the relievers looked great, with Yuki Matsui, Jason Adam and Bradley Rodriguez pitched the last two innings. Today, the Friars will have plenty of options to turn to. Ron Marinaccio, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Wandy Peralta will be the most readily available. Adam could pitch as well. The righty only threw six pitches in his outing Tuesday night.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 22: A general view of a Texas Rangers hat and glove during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you have been following the Texas Rangers minor league updates this year, you’ve probably seen the name Hector Osorio showing up quite a bit. The lefthanded hitting outfielder from Venezuela, who turned 21 in early April, is slashing .295/.429/.561 in 218 plate appearances over 48 games for low-A Hickory this year, while putting up a 37:24 BB:K ratio and splitting his time between center field and right field.
Coming into 2026, Osorio wasn’t on most folks’ radars — he hadn’t been on any of the Baseball America or MLB Pipeline top 30 lists for the Rangers, didn’t make Fangraphs’ top 45 or top 38 lists from 2025 and 2026, respectively, and had never appeared on Jamey Newberg’s Top 72 Rangers prospect rankings.
We were fortunate enough to get to visit with Hector, with the assistance of his interpreter, earlier this week and visit with him about his career and his big 2026 season. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
LSB: I appreciate you taking a few minutes out to do a little Q&A with us. I know you signed out of Venezuela — when did you first start playing baseball?
HO: I started playing when I was three years old. On my dad’s side of the family, they are very passionate about baseball and there are a lot of people who play baseball on that side of the family. My dad himself tried to pursue the dream to play professionally, and that didn’t really pan out for him, but he made sure to pass on that love to me, and got me started when I was about three years old.
LSB: When was it that you first started getting noticed by major league scouts?
HO: I joined an academy when I was about 11 years old, and it was around age 12 when I started doing tryouts in front of scouts, and that was the first time I was sort of on anyone’s radar. So I was pretty young, around 12.
LSB: I am sure there were other teams besides the Rangers who showed an interest in you — how was it that you decided that the Rangers were the organization you wanted to sign with?
HO: It was a pretty interesting situation because I was in talks with another team. I was at one of these tryouts showing off for this other team, and the Rangers were there. They were actually there to see a different ballplayer. It just so happened that they got their eyes on me, and I sort of became like a new goal for them. And then from there everything happened very quickly.
LSB: I know Rangers fans are glad you ended up choosing to sign with the Rangers. You spent a couple of years playing in the Dominican Summer League, then went to the Arizona Complex League in 2024 and spent the summer there at Surprise and played there. What was the adjustment like coming to the States and playing in Arizona after two years playing in the DSL?
HO: It is a big jump, but fortunately I can say that, for me, it didn’t feel as intense of a change, because they really do a nice job of preparing you in the Dominican League. Obviously its a new country with a new language and a different culture, and there’s some things to learn in that aspect, but I really think they do a good job of developing and teaching you and preparing you for all that is to come when you make that jump. So I didn’t feel as severe of a change — I felt pretty prepared. I think the way they prepare you there is really key to having success here.
LSB: What was it that they did to prepare you that had you so well situated when you came to the States?
HO: They prepare you in so many ways. I can only speak for myself, but there was a lot that I didn’t know, and I can tell you just from teaching you things like the mental aspect of baseball, a lot of fundamental things that you’re not aware of, that once you make that leap here to Arizona, you’re going to find that ready to go. But you don’t know that exists until they teach you about a lot of these basics over there. And there’s things like, even the language — there’s lessons available for that so you can start preparing for that jump.
LSB: In 2025, you went to Hickory for your first season in full season ball. How much of a difference was it, going from playing in the complex league to playing full season ball, having the long bus rides, a lot more fans i the stands, and the like?
HO: I want to say that it didn’t feel like that big of a change, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there are more fans present, so maybe you feel more pressure at first. There’s a lot more games, the season is longer, sometimes those bus rides might wear you out a little bit. But honestly, I can say coming into this season I know what to expect now. You get into the groove of your routines, and its not as challenging as it was that first go-round.
LSB: You’ve gotten off to a great start to the 2026 season. Is there anything in particular that you credit that to, or that you worked on in the offseason to make that big step forward?
HO: I think for me the biggest difference has been in the physical aspect of my body. I’ve prepared, I’ve put on some weight, probably an extra fourteen pounds, and I think keeping fit and putting on that extra weight has maybe helped me have a bit more power when I’m up at the plate. I feel like I, personally, have felt that difference in me.
LSB: I noticed the power has definitely been standing out — you have more home runs so far this year than you have had in your entire career up to this point. Baseball Reference has you listed at 6’, 150 lbs. — is that underselling your size at this point?
HO: I would say they have me a little bit under what I am now. That 150 lbs. is probably what I weighed when I went to the Dominican League. I think I’m closer to 200 lbs. now.
LSB: Now that you’ve been doing those bus rides for a while, what is your favorite place to go to to eat when you are on the road?
HO: I can tell you that the second we hit the road, wherever we land, we are always looking for Venezuelan food. And we always find it! It is really quite fascinating to me — I don’t understand how, but there’s always a Venezuelan spot, so that’s usually what we want to fuel up on.
LSB: What do you feel like your real strengths as a player are?
HO: I think at first glance, you can say that the physical aspect of my body makes me a decent athlete. But I really think that I view the game differently. I think that I make good contact at the plate, and I think I’m really good at recognizing pitches.
LSB: Something that stands out with you is your plate discipline. Is that something that’s just always been part of your game? Is there something in particular you’ve worked at to improve your plate discipline and pitch recognition?
HO: Its funny — that’s something I think I’ve always naturally had, and I didn’t always appreciate. When I got to the Dominican League I really did not appreciate how many walks I could draw — and then in time I started to understand that there’s real value in that. And again, it gets back to what I was saying, it comes really naturally for me with recognizing pitches. And I appreciate that now.
LSB: What are your goals for the rest of 2026?
HO: I think my biggest goal right now is to stay healthy — stay healthy meaning I can keep up this same rhythm for the length of a long season. I think that’s what matters the most to me right now.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 12: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After frustratingly exiting the mound with seven hits and two earned runs across 4 2/3 innings pitched against Cincinnati, Holmes is looking to turn it around with a dominant performance in today’s matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays.
In a back-and-forth matchup that ended with a Matt Olson homer, the Atlanta Braves are coming off a close win against the Blue Jays and will need to produce the run support early with Holmes on the mound.
Though the Cincinnati outing didn’t produce the results he wanted, Holmes’ prior start against Washington—where he recorded 10 strikeouts across his five innings—was his strongest performance all season.
The trade-off was the lack of run support, which resulted in a loss. If the two can be combined in tonight’s matchup, Atlanta will be looking at an early series win at home against Toronto.
With a lot of their key players out and gearing up to rehab, the Blue Jays are making do with what they have, but they kept a steady pace with the Braves in yesterday’s matchup.
Patrick Corbin will start for Toronto tonight. Currently boasting a 3.65 ERA and 1.36 WHIP across his 10 starts of the season, he adds a significant boost to the Jays’ rotation and won’t make it easy for Atlanta.
The lefty’s an underrated signing for the Blue Jays, who allowed three runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts for the team. The pitch to look out for? His sinker.
Making up 31% of his arsenal and topping an average of 91.3 mph, it’s a pitch that is an effective zone-lander out of his six-pitch arsenal and could get him out of trouble when a few particular Braves’ hitters take the plate.
But we’ll get into that when the lineups are released. Stay tuned for more ame coverage as the days continue to watch how tonight unfolds in game two.
A week ago, I wrote this article about the troubles of this year’s Cubs and how they were beginning to remind me of some of the travails the team went through in 1970 and 1985, years they were supposed to contend but wound up short of a division title, the only playoff spot available in those years.
This year’s Cubs haven’t really done any better since that article posted a week ago Tuesday. They’re 3-4 since then and, apart from three games where the offense woke up a bit, they’re now in an offensive funk again, scoring just once in each of the last two games.
This year’s Cubs peaked (so far) at 27-12, following the team’s second 10-game winning streak of the season. (Feels like a long time ago, doesn’t it?) Since then the Cubs are 5-17, tied with the Royals for the worst record in baseball in that span. They’ve been outscored 108-70 and have had a 10-game losing streak as part of that stretch. At 27-12 they led the NL Central by 3.5 games. Now they trail by 6.5, so they’ve lost 10 games in the standings over that 22-game stretch.
I’m here to tell you that a long-ago year was even worse. The 1973 Cubs, the last of those great 1960s-1970s teams that never won anything, roared out to a great start. After defeating the Mets 4-3 in 10 innings June 29, the Cubs were 47-31 and led the NL East by 8.5 games. Many of us felt that would be the year that would finally redeem that star-crossed group.
Well, nope. They then went on a run of 9-33. No, that is not a misprint — a 42-game stretch when they won nine and lost thirty-three. That included losing streaks of six, seven and 11, and in the last of those, the final two games were thrashings by the Braves, 15-1 and 10-2, both at Wrigley Field. It got so bad that after the ninth of those losses, right before those two demolitions by Atlanta, Fergie Jenkins, normally the most mild-mannered of men, threw bats onto the field in frustration. That was a shocking thing in those days, something players just didn’t do.
The Cubs were 56-64 after that horrid run and 5.5 games out of first place, so over 42 games, they lost 14 games in the standings. The season seemed over.
The ‘73 Cubs then went on a run of sorts. They won eight of 10 and moved to within two games of first place in what was a pretty weak NL East. By the season’s final weekend they still had an outside chance, but failed against the Mets, who won the division with what is still the fewest wins ever by a full-season division champion, just 82. I’ve chronicled that crazy weekend here a couple of times, most recently on its 50th anniversary in 2023.
Here’s the final play of the 1973 Cubs season, a double play hit into by Glenn Beckert, the last at-bat he’d have as a Cub:
The parallels between the 1973 Cubs and 2026 Cubs aren’t exact. That was a pretty old team, with only two regulars (Rick Monday and Jose Cardenal) under 30. The pitching staff was also old, though they had three decent young starters in Burt Hooton, Rick Reuschel and Larry Gura — if only they’d kept Hooton and Gura instead of trading them away in more of the awful deals that were a hallmark of that era.
This year’s Cubs have better, and somewhat younger, players. Two of the biggest stars on the team, Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong, are in their 20s and several others still should be in their prime years (and it would be good if they started hitting like that). The starting rotation this year is in tatters, but that’s due mainly to injury, not age, and the injured starters should be back soon.
The other thing that’s different is that this bad 5-17 run has come more than a month earlier than the Cubs’ awful collapse in 1973. By the time the Cubs were done with that 9-33 run, it was Aug. 16 and there were only 42 games remaining in the season. There are 100 games remaining in the 2026 season, and one other thing this year’s Cubs have that they can go for that the 1973 team didn’t — more playoff berths. Sure, we’d love it if the Cubs could win the NL Central, and they’re not out of that race by any means, but there are three wild-card spots to play for and last year’s Cubs made the most of theirs, winning their wild-card series against the Padres.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that even the 103-win World Series champion 2016 Cubs had a run similar to this year’s, though they began from a higher point. After defeating the Pirates June 19 at Wrigley Field (the day Willson Contreras homered in his first MLB at-bat!), the Cubs were 47-20 and led the NL Central by 12.5 games. They then went on a 5-15 run in which they were outscored 123-88. At the end of that span they were 52-35 and had lost six games, almost half, of their division lead.
That team, of course, recovered. They had the best record in MLB — 51-23 — the rest of the way, won the division by 17.5 games, and of course went on to win the World Series.
There’s a lot of time left in the 2026 season. I continue to believe this Cubs team is too good to keep losing the way they have. It would be nice to start the turnaround tonight against the A’s.
Since my last article looking at hitting prospects had such a warm reception, I thought I’d take a look at a few more hitters in the Diamondbacks farm system who have either hit well all season, or have been hot over the last 30 games. All four of these players are easily in the top 10 of the Dbacks prospects, but Kayson Cunningham should be consider the team’s top prospect with Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy in the big leagues now. I’ve linked to each players MLB Pipeline profile, along with their Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference player pages.
The D’Backs first pick in the 2024 draft, taken just two picks before Ryan Waldschmidt, got off to a very slow start in 2026, hitting just .143/.365/.157 for the month of April, and getting just 10 hits in 70 at bats. In spite of those hitting struggles, Caldwell still managed to get on base at a decent rate thanks to walking twenty times and five hit by pitches, which he took advantage of by stealing eight bases (while only getting caught stealing once) Apparently, and I say that because I only learned this via Jack Sommers a few week ago, Caldwell suffered a herniated disc back in 2025, and wasn’t at 100% until the end of April, which explains a lot of the struggles down the stretch in 2025, his early struggles in the 2026. Caldwell actually being at full health is reflected in just how hot Caldwell was in the month of May, going 25 for 83 with five doubles (four more than in April) and his first two homeruns of the 2026 season or a triple slash line of .301/.448/.434. It wasn’t all positive though, as Caldwell struck out 34 times versus the 25 times in April, while also walking 19 times compared to the 20 he had in April. On the season, Caldwell is hitting .223/.400/.299 with a .353 wOBA, which works out to a 108 wRC+ or 8% better than league average. I wouldn’t normally include Caldwell in an article like this, but I think how well he has hit in May and the fact that he’s finally healthy merits discussion.
Taken 18th overall, the Diamondbacks first pick in the 2025 draft was widely regarded as the best pure hitter out of the high school bats. Cunningham didn’t exactly impress in his handful of games after signing in 2025. In those 11 games, Cunningham hit just .255/.308/.277 with a .292 wOBA and 68 wRC+, while striking out 28.8% of the time. This year Cunningham has absolutely destroyed the A ball level California League’s pitching. In his 39 games playing for Visalia, he’s hit .377/.471/.509 with ten doubles, four triples, and the first homerun of his pro career. He cut his strikeout percent from that 28.8% down to a much more respectable 17.5%, and increased his BB% from a middling 5.8% to very solid 14.8%.
I expect Cunningham to stick at shortstop, which is probably a good thing, since his 5’10 frame doesn’t end itself to projecting power development going forward, making him much less valuable as you move down the defensive spectrum. That said, his superb contact ability, above average plate discipline, and speed on the base paths should more than make up for the lack of HR power.
While he’s seen his hot hitting teammates either get promoted or go on hot and cold streaks, Lujames Groover has been a consistent presence in the AAA level Aces lineup. This season in 54 games, Groover is hitting .327/.425/.460 which works out to a .406 wOBA and a 119 wRC+ in the hitter friendly PCL. (His xwOBA stat, however is not nearly as impressive at .305.) Looking at how he did last season those numbers are right in line with the .309/.399/.434 triple slash, .389 wOBA, and 120 wRC+ he put up for Amarillo in 2025. Groover has seen his strikeout% jump from 14.4% in 2025 to 17.3% in 2026, but that’s also been accompanied by his walk% increasing from 11.5% to 14.5%.
Originally a below average fielder at third, Groover defense has improved enough to be acceptable at the hot corner. The one area that I’d like to see Groover work on is finding a better launch angle or approach at the plate to better harness his ridiculous bat speed. Groover has put up exit velocities of 110 MPH+ this season, while having just three homeruns. Considering how well Tommy Troy and Ryan Waldschmidt have handled MLB pitching since being called up, and the fact that most of Groover’s underlying metrics are better, I think he’d be a safe bet to succeed if called up. I don’t expect the Dbacks to call up Groover anytime soon unless Arenado gets injured for any real length of time. There are probably ways to get Groover on the roster now and give him playng time, for example, shifting Arenado to 1B/DH and then playing Groover at third base, but I don’t think that or any other scenario is plausible and makes sense at the moment. With all that said, I expect Groover to be the D’Backs starting third baseman in 2026.
JD “recursive acronym” Dix was drafted by the Dbacks with the 35th overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft out of Whitefish Bay Highschool in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, the very same high school that 2001 World Series hero Craig Counsell attended. (Coincidentally, Dix likely will end up teammates with Craig Counsell’s son Brady, who’s currently assigned to the A+ level Hillsboro Hops). As a second baseman, Dix’s combination of plate discipline, power, and speed on the basepaths makes him quite intriguing, especially if he can become more polished defensively as he progress through the minors.
Dix made his pro debut in 2025, playing in the Arizona Complex League for 39 games, where he hit .342/.421/.493 with a .427 wOBA and 147 wRC+, though influenced by an insane .425 BABIP. Having conquered the Complex, the Dbacks promoted Dix to the A ball level Visalia Rawhide, where he played in 50 games to close out his 2025. In those 50 games, Dix saw his numbers drop down to .261/.391/.335 with a .368 wOBA and 114 wRC+. Interestingly, while Dix’s strikeout percentage increase from 19.1% to 22.2%, Dix’s BB% also increased from 11.2% to 16.55. He also was much more successful on the basepath after being promoted. While he was in the Complex, Dix stole nine bases and was caught stealing four times. While he was still caught stealing four times in the California League, he was able to steal 10 more bases in just 11 additional games.
The Dbacks assigned Dix back in Visalia for 2026, where got off to a slow start to begin the year. At the end of April, JD Dix was hitting just .187/.292/.307 with a double, a triple, and a pair of homeruns. He was still the same menace on the basepaths, arguably even better with seven stolen bases without getting caught stealing. In May, he hit .289/.438/.651 with seven doubles, a triple, and seven homeruns, while stealing 11 more bases without getting caught in just sixteen more plate appearances. Altogether, Dix is hitting .241/.371/.487 with a .385 wOBA and 115 wRC + in 40 games for Visalia. The only real red flag in Dix’s 2026 season is a slight downtick in BB% from 16.5% down to 13.8%, though his strikeout 22.1% is right in line with the 22.2% he posted in Visalia in 2025.
Assuming he hits similarly to how he has the last month, I’d expect Dix to be promoted to Hillsboro by the Allstar Break.
Final Thoughts
Which of these Diamondbacks prospects are you most excited for? Are there other prospects who you think I should have talked about instead? Is Kayson Cunningham the team’s top prospect in the minors right now? Do you think LuJames Groover deserve a callup? If so, who do you send down and how do you give him regular playing time? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!
