Category: MLB

Here are the lineups for game two against the Blue Jays. Let’s discuss.

For the Phillies:

Back at it north of the border#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/S9c7tw4gwU

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 9, 2026

For the Blue Jays:

Cease Day 💪 #BlueJays50

Get your tickets: https://t.co/MlcMQbWGsOpic.twitter.com/Fn5rWCdyoW

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 9, 2026

We are into the mandatory portion of the offseason and all is right.

Well, all are in attendance, but not all are actively participating.

As camp opened, Jacoby Brissett was seen with the other quarterbacks, observing, while he enjoyed the warm weather.

Jacoby Brissett off to the side as the other quarterbacks warm up at Arizona Cardinals mandatory minicamp @PHNX_Cardinalspic.twitter.com/QINDoO7Wwf

— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) June 9, 2026

On the defensive side of the things, Josh Sweat did the same, although he was seen in conversation with Monti Ossenfort.

Josh Sweat and GM Monti Ossenfort chatting on the side at Arizona Cardinals mandatory minicamp @PHNX_Cardinalspic.twitter.com/LxIo75nCYA

— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) June 9, 2026

So, for the Arizona Cardinals the question becomes… what are we doing here?

Brissett we know is holding-in for the contract he believes is deserved for a starter, what that is, no one really can pinpoint, but it is likely more than where they are right now.

Meanwhile, what the hell is Josh Sweat doing? Like, awesome that he is there, but what is happening? Why are you not participating in workouts and activities?

This whole offseason has highlighted the overall dysfunction of a franchise that is the losingest in all North American sports. What is happening?

Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound for the Dodgers in the middle game of the series against the Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Ohtani has allowed seven total runs (five earned) in his 10 starts, and in none of his 61 innings has allowed multiple runs. His 0.74 ERA is best in the majors among pitchers with at least 60 innings, and his 2.36 xERA ranks third.

Wednesday will be Ohtani’s first pitching appearance at PNC Park.

Jared Jones makes his third start of the season for the Pirates. The right-hander missed all of 2025 after an internal brace procedure to repair his torn UCL. Jones allowed five runs in his first game back against the Minnesota Twins on May 29, but last Thursday pitched five scoreless innings to beat the Houston Astros.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Pirates
• Ballpark: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
• Time: 3:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The Jays officially activated Dylan Cease off the IL and sent Adam Macko back to Buffalo.

Macko pitched in 12 games for the Jays, with a 1.50 ERA. In 12 innings he had allowed 11 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks and 12 strikeouts. Batters hit .244/.282/.333 against him. I liked that he could throw more than an inning at a go. I am sure we’ll see him again.

Dylan Cease made 11 starts, before going on the IL, with a 3-3 record, and a 3.05 ERA. Batters hit .215/.302/.307 against him. I’m very happy to have him back and even more happy that we won’t be seeing ‘bullpen days’ so often. Spencer Miles can slot into a long relief role (along with Woods Richardson).

And Max Scherzer will be getting tomorrow’s start, with someone else getting moved out.

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Alejandro Kirk is DHing for the Bisons tonight, he’s only a few days from being back.

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Tonight’s lineups. The big news is Vlad hitting leadoff (and DHing). Springer gets a day off. I’ve said I’d like to see Vlad leading off for a while now. I hope he buys into the idea. Course, this doesn’t mean that he’ll be in that spot tomorrow.

Joe DeMayo and guest co-host Sal Licata deliver the latest episode of The Mets Pod, as the Mets come home from a west coast trip. 

Sal and Joe discuss the overall state of the team, the stalled rehab of Jorge Polanco, the emergence of Carson Benge, the slight steps forward for Bo Bichette, and the latest makeup of the starting rotation. 

Later, the guys go Down on the Farm for a status update on 2025 first-round draft pick Mitch Voit, and answer Mailbag questions about the development of A.J. Ewing, the bar for being buyers at the trade deadline, and the potential trade return for Freddy Peralta if the Mets decide to deal him away.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On Tuesday afternoon prior to starting their series against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies announced a series of roster moves. The most prominent of these moves has potentially seismic organizational implications.

The Rockies have selected the contract of top outfield and shortstop prospect Cole Carrigg (no. 4 PuRP), adding him to the 40-man roster and setting him up for his Major League debut. Carrigg will wear no. 16, last worn in 2025 by first baseman Blaine Crim. He is currently in tonight’s starting lineup, batting seventh in the order and playing in center field.

Carrigg, 24, was a second round pick in the 2023 draft out of San Diego State. With the Aztecs he was a true super-utility player, logging innings at every single position including both pitcher and catcher. However, he has been largely a center fielder and shortstop since joining the Rockies organization—with limited appearances behind the plate with the Arizona Complex League Rockies and Low-A Fresno Grizzlies in 2023.

The Rockies assigned Carrigg to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes to start the season after he spent all of 2025 with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats.

Carrigg has quickly become a star in Albuquerque. Over 57 games with the Isotopes he has hit .338/.414/.529 with 15 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 42 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. Carrigg is among the Pacific Coast League leaders in multiple offensive categories, and has also drawn 27 walks to 39 strikeouts.

The Carrigg promotion comes shortly after Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta discussed prospect progress and potential promotions over the weekend.

To open a spot on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Keegan Thompson has been designated for assignment.

Thompson, 31, was obtained via waiver claim from the Cincinnati Reds this off-season. While he performed well in Triple-A with a 3.34 ERA over 11 appearances—five of which were starts—and 19 strikeouts over 32.1 innings, he has struggled on the Rockies’ active roster. Thompson has posted a 8.25 ERA in five appearances and 12 innings of work.

In addition, the Rockies have recalled right-handed reliever Jeff Criswell from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Criswell, 27, had a promising debut in 2024 with a 2.75 ERA in 13 appearances and 27 strikeouts over 19.2 innings. However, he missed the entirety of the 2025 season after requiring Tommy John surgery.

In order to open another roster spot, outfielder Tyler Freeman has been placed on the 7-day concussion injured list.

Freeman, 27, was removed from Saturday’s contest against the Milwaukee Brewers after being hit in the head by a 98.2 MPH cutter thrown by pitcher Jacob Misiorowski.

The Rockies’ 40-man roster is currently full.

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The Giants were one out away from a much-needed victory Monday night. Instead, they were left searching for answers after another late collapse.

San Francisco carried a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning against Washington before watching it disappear in a matter of minutes.

By the time the dust settled, the Nationals had scored three runs, handed the Giants a 4-3 loss, and reignited frustrations surrounding a bullpen that has repeatedly let games slip away this season.

Former Giants All-Star pitcher Shawn Estes defiantly refused to place the blame on reliever Keaton Winn.

Instead, he pointed directly at the decision-makers.

Speaking on NBC Sports Bay Area’s postgame show, Estes argued Winn never should have been on the mound after a taxing weekend in Chicago that included multiple appearances and extensive work.

Winn entered Monday having pitched in three consecutive games and thrown 41 pitches over the previous two days.

“The guy’s arm is tired,” Estes said. “You could tell in the ninth inning based on the mistakes he was making. I feel for the kid, I feel for him. He’s put in a tough position and now he’s going to get the blame for tonight’s game.”

Estes believed the answer was obvious: let ace Logan Webb finish what he started.

Webb dominated Washington for eight innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out nine. He exited after 99 pitches despite facing little resistance throughout the night.

“He’s your ace,” Estes said. “He’s the guy that can handle that.”

Manager Tony Vitello defended the move afterward, citing Winn’s experience in late-game situations.

Estes wasn’t buying it.

“I don’t want to be the ‘hindsight is 20-20’ guy, but it just seems like that last inning, it was, it was lost when the inning started, just based on how it was managed,” Estes said. “And I hate to say that, but like, that’s a win you got to have right there.”

The criticism didn’t stop there. Estes also questioned the Giants’ decision to pitch to Nationals star CJ Abrams after a passed ball created an open base situation with runners in scoring position. Abrams promptly delivered a game-tying two-run single.

The loss dropped San Francisco to 27-40 and overshadowed another brilliant outing from Webb.

For a team sitting toward the bottom of the National League standings, watching a winnable game unravel in familiar fashion has frustrations at a fever pitch.

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The Milwaukee Brewers have, for the second time this season, signed one of their most promising prospects to a long-term extension. This time, it’s outfielder Luis Lara (ranked as a top-100 prospect by MLB Pipeline), who has enjoyed a significant offensive breakout with Triple-A Nashville this season. According to Jeff Passan, Lara has signed a seven-year deal worth $31 million that includes three option years that could bring the total to 10 years and $79 million. Lara’s deal follows an eight-year, $50 million agreement (plus two option years) signed by his Nashville teammate, shortstop Cooper Pratt, in early April.

Outfield prospect Luis Lara and the Milwaukee Brewers are in agreement on a seven-year, $31 million contract extension that includes three club options, sources tell ESPN. Lara, 21, has dominated Triple-A this season. Deal maxes out at $79 million.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 9, 2026

Lara, who doesn’t turn 22 until November, was signed for $1.1 million as part of Milwaukee’s international free agent class in 2022. The fleet-footed Lara has always been a good defensive outfielder and was viewed as a somewhat high-floor prospect because of that. As a hitter, though, there have always been questions. Lara has never been a bad hitter, as he’s had a wRC+ between 94 and 116 at each of his six minor league stops prior to this season.

But in 2026, Lara has exploded, particularly in the power department. After never having posted a slugging percentage higher than .385 at any level, Lara — against the most advanced pitching he’s ever face — is slugging .500 so far this season. He’d hit a total of 12 professional home runs in four years that covered over 1,700 plate appearances; this year he’s already got seven in 247. On the season, Lara is hitting .338/.447/.500 for a 155 wRC+, and it’s not that small a sample.

Given Lara’s hot start to the season and the struggles particularly of Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins, there have been calls from every corner of the internet for Lara to get the call. Even with the financial concerns now off the table, I still don’t see that happening anytime soon. As Pat Murphy noted earlier this season, they don’t want their big prospects to be riding the pine in the majors. That means that consistent playing time would likely require a demotion of sorts for Frelick. Frelick has struggled this season, but just last season he was a three-WAR player. Lara is also a switch-hitter, so a platoon situation doesn’t make as much sense for him as it might for some others.

In either case, Lara’s future in the Brewer organization is now secured. Along with Pratt, Milwaukee now has an infielder and an outfielder primed and ready with Triple-A Nashville in case of injury or a change in organizational direction in the major leagues.

We’ll have more on Lara coming this week.

Texas Rangers lineup for June 9, 2026 against the Kansas City Royals: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Stephen Kolek for the Royals.

Texas begins a six game road trip this evening against the Royals of Kansas City. I regret to inform you that offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez is not starting.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Seager — SS

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Langford — LF

Duran — 2B

Burger — 1B

Carter — CF

Higashioka — C

6:40 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -125 favorites.

You may recall Joel Kuhnel from his days with the Cincinnati Reds. Big guy, he is – listed at 6’5” and 290 lbs. He was an 11th round pick out of the University of Texas-Arlington, threw a heavy heater, and made it into 14 games with the Reds in 2019-2020 before injuries shut him down for most of 2021.

He was a big part of the 2022 Reds bullpen most of the entire year, though, getting into 53 games, pitching 58.0 IP, and even logging a save, his 6.36 ERA wholly different than the 3.96 FIP he posted, as he did own a pretty impressive 56/14 K/BB in his time. With similarly frustrating surface stats during the start of the 2023 season and a dwindling ability to be jockeyed back and forth between Cincinnati and AAA Louisville, Kuhnel was designated for assignment and eventually traded to the Houston Astros for cash.

Since then, he has bounced like a basketball that rolled down the driveway. He’s been with Houston, Tampa, and eventually with the Athletics, the latter of whom traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers after the A’s, too, had DFA’d him late last week.

What’s interesting about any of this, you ask? Well, the Brewers – who have a pitching lab that has turned just about anyone into superstars – seem to have known exactly what to do when they got their hands on Kuhnel. Here’s a quick glimpse at what his stuff looked like with the A’s vs. what it looked like in his first appearance on the mound for Milwaukee:

he averaged 94 with the A’s lol wtf https://t.co/rN4ID0zCGTpic.twitter.com/8BRzr99fxw

— Switch (@IISwitch2II) June 9, 2026

So, in the matter of two days, he went from throwing his fastball at 94 mph to touching a hundred (with a 99.5 mph average overall). That’s even significantly higher than the 96.4 mph he averaged during his first call-up with Cincinnati in 2019 as a young buck.

That a team uncovered something like this is pretty miraculous at the macro level, and insanely frustrating on the micro level for the Reds. Not only is he their former arm, he’s now doing this within the division while their own bullpen is a raging conflagration that has already derailed their entire season.

For the Brewers, though, he’s just their latest success story even if this doesn’t pan out with Kuhnel being a perennial All Star. That they can clearly identify these kinds of inefficiencies right under the noses of the rest of the sport – particularly within the NL Central – is a pretty damning indictment of the clubs trying to chase them down.

The Reds, who are already 10.5 games back of the 41-23 Brewers, will face Milwaukee seven times between now and July 2nd.

Over the past two weeks the Jays are 7-6. The offense has scored 4.5 runs per game.

Hot

Brandon Valenzuela: Played in 10 games, starting 9. Hit ..290/.361/.677 with 3 double, 3 home run, 6 RBI, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts.

And he didn’t have a sac bunt over these two weeks. Yay. He’s been amazing. If he walked a bit more I’d say the second coming of Carlos Delgado. It is getting close to the point that they will have to figure a way to keep him in the lineup when Alejandro Kirk comes back. He played a little bit of first base in the minors and of course he could DH. He’s hit lefties and righties about the same this year, .823 OPS vs RHP, .771 vs LHP. Base stealers are 6-0 against him in the past 10 days. On the season he’s thrown out 21% of base stealers, just slightly below league average.

Ernie Clement: Started in all 13 games. Hit .346/.346/.596 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 7 RBI, 0 walks and 7 strikeouts.

Started 11 games at second, 2 at short. I often talk about guys that control the strikezone. Ernie doesn’t have a strikezone. If a pitcher throws it, he’ll swing and it works. There is more than one way to be successful. Baseball Savant has him at 1 percentile for chase rate and 3 percentile in bat speed, which you would generally say ‘this guy can’t be successful’. But he is 95 percentile in ‘squared-up’. He’s also 92 percentile in whiff rate and 98 percentile in strikeout rate. I’d generally think that his not a player that will age well, but he already has a slow bat speed, will it drop that much more as he ages? He’ll be interesting to watch over the next few years.

Jesús Sánchez: Played in 11 games, 9 starts. Hit .323/.344/.516 with 3 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBI, 0 walks and 8 strikeouts.

The power hasn’t been there the way we expected, but he’s hitting well. He could go on the list of guys who really should DH, but that list is surprisingly long for a team that was building around defense just a few years ago. I don’t know that there has been a shift in philosophy or if this is just the type of player who has been available. The fun part of his defense if that he seems as surprised as the rest of us when he games a catch. Baseball Savant has him at the 5 percentile in range and 23 percentile in arm value with a 67 percentile in arm strength, suggesting he throws the ball well, but perhaps not on target or to the wrong place.

Kazuma Okamoto: Started 13 of the 13 games. Hit .298/.377/.511 with 1 double, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, 3 walks, and 18 strikeouts.

Fairly quietly, he’s been very good lately. I think he’s going to be a streak hitter. Weeks of cold and weeks of hot, but then I think that all of us are streak hitters. His defense looks better than I thought it would, but Baseball Savant suggests it isn’t great, 37th percentile range and 30th percentile arm strength. I would have guessed better. Savant also likes his bat speed (91th percentile), barrel % (89th percentile) and hard hit % (93rd percentile).

Yohendrick Pinango: Played in 11 games, starting 8. Hit .303/.343/.606 with 1 double, 3 homers, 7 RBI, 2 walks and 11 strikeouts.

He’s been great. Like Sanchez, he’s likely better suited to DH, though I hate the idea of something that young DHing. FanGraphs has a him at a -1 Outs Above Average, but that’s in limited innings. I like watching his at bats. He seems to be hitting the ball harder lately, four home runs on the season and three were in the last 11 games. Just 24, I think we are going to enjoy his watching his career.

Nathan Lukes: He’s played in all 12 games, starting 10. Hit .349/.404/465 with 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBI, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.

He’s picked up right where he left off before the injury. It is too bad that we have so many good left handed hitting outfielders, it is hard to get them all the playing time they need. He’s played all three outfield positions starting 7 games in right, 2 in left and 1 in center. He’s a better player than I tend to give him credit for. Outfielders without a lot of power or speed tend to get less credit than deserved. But he’s getting on base 36% of the time, he makes the plays in the outfield.

Cold

Daulton Varsho: Played in 12 games, starting 9. Hit .200/.286/.333, with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 4 walks and 6 strikeouts.

A sore wrist has him out of the starting lineup at the moment. He’s been going in as a defensive sub. The down side of that is that they can’t backdate if they decide to put him on the IL. I don’t know if his wrist is improving. I also don’t know how long his wrist has been bothering him.His defense has been looking better lately.

Vladimir Guerrero: Started 12 of 13. Hit .261/.314/348 with 4 doubles, 3 RBI,4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. And 1 steal.

1 start was as DH. Yeah he’s slumping. I don’t know how to fix it. If I did, I likely wouldn’t be a blogger. He has been getting hard contact in pretty much every game, course not every at bat. He’ll seem to have a good at bat, hit one into a glove and then the next at bat isn’t as good. He’s still 96th percentile expected batting average, 94th percentile bat speed. But chase rate is up, 36th percentile and squared up is 56 percentile. Strikeout rate is still low 96th percentile. Walk rate is still high 77th percentile.

Andrés Giménez: Played in all 13 games, starting 11. Hit .220/.273/.341 with 1 home runs, 2 doubles, with 3 RBI, 1 steal, 2 caught stealing, 2 walk and 10 strikeouts.

His RISP numbers have dropped, .749 OPS now on the season, two weeks ago it was .973 on the season. Still a good number but dropping. I love watching his defense and I like him at short. Baseball Savant says 96th percentile in range. How you value bad bat, great glove is tough. Since I play OOTP, I value offense more. In real life? Baseball Reference has him at a 0.2 WAR, Fangraphs 0.8 WAR. Next year, he’s being paid $23.5 and for the two years after that. I don’t know that I’d want to be paying that to a guy who doesn’t hit.

George Springer: Started 11 games, 10 starts. Hit .214/.298/.286 with 3 doubles, 1 RBI, 4 walks and 8 strikeouts, with 1 steal and 1 caught.

I don’t know….we have half a dozen guys who should DH. But, Springer is popular with his teammates. And he’s making a lot of money. He is hitting lefties (.725 OPS) much better than righties (.590) so you could look to platoon him and see if his bat comes around. We do have a few lefty batters who would be better served as DH. That, of course, might be a hard sell to him and maybe to the clubhouse.

Myles Straw: Played in 11 games, 5 starts. Hit .222/.300/.278 with 1 double, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts..

He’s getting more playing time with Varsho’s injury. I don’t think his defense is quite what it used to be, but it is still good.

Tyler Heineman: Started 4 games. Hit .167/.286/.250 with 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.

He threw out 5 of 12 basestealers. The Marlins tried to steal 9 times against him, on May 27, but he threw out 4. If he would be hitting like he did last year, Brandon wouldn’t be playing so much. I kind of feel bad that he’s going to be DFAed when Kirk comes back, but he’ll likely land another backup job before long.

IL

Anthony Santander: Might get into a game before the end of the season. Who knows.

Alejandro Kirk: He should be back soon, maybe by the weekend.

Addison Barger: He’s likely a couple of weeks from coming back.

Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) was signed by the Colorado Rockies in May 2023, well after the big signing period that usually happens in January, and has been an under-the-radar prospect since. 

Baseball America described him as a “late bloomer” who “turned in an inauspicious pro debut,” but Dalis turned things on in 2025 when he made his stateside debut – slashing .352/.440/.525 in 56 games in the Arizona Complex League followed by .241/.333/.379 in 31 games in Low-A Fresno. 

Ahead of the 2026 season, Brendan Gawlowski of FangGraphs wrote, “Dalis stood out in a positive way. He’s a good athlete with a chance to stick at short… it’s early, but the arrow looks up here.”

Wilder Dalis may not get as much fanfare as his Rockies org-mate Roldy Brito.

But he might have the better hit tool 👀 pic.twitter.com/SrlSQhSBVZ

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 29, 2025

Dalis grew up in Maracay, Venezuela, as an only child where he lived with his mother and aunt. He started playing baseball when he was two years old and was a shortstop and right-handed batter. 

When he was 12, he picked up switch hitting.

“I’ve got a very good swing from the left,” he said. “My tío said ‘You’ve got a good swing. You’re gonna try to be a switch hitter,’ and I switch hit the whole way.”

Despite growing up hitting righty, Dalis now prefers hitting left-handed.

“It’s more comfortable,” he said. “It’s more free, so it’s good, and my right hand has more power.”

In 2025, Dalis batted left-handed much more than right-handed and found success. In 309 plate appearances as a left-handed batter (87 games), Dalis slashed .319/.410/.480 with 26 extra-base hits. By comparison, in 46 plate appearances as a right-handed batter (30 games), he slashed .250/.333/.400 with four extra-base hits.

Through May 3 with the Fresno Grizzlies, Dalis has batted left-handed nearly twice as often as right-handed in 2026, but has also struggled a bit more. In 76 plate appearances as a left-handed batter, Dalis has hit .161/.316/.339 with two doubles and three home runs. In 25 plate appearances as a right-handed batter, Dalis has hit .261/.280/.435 with one double and one home run. 

Off the field, Dalis prides himself on having a good relationship with his teammates and with fellow Venezuelan shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who is also from Maracay.

“He’s talked to me offensively about how to use my hands and how to stay back,” Dalis said of Tovar through interpreter Fred Ocasio, “and defensively just always try to create that good hop and use my hand out in front to create that good hop to field the ball.”

Tovar had good things to say about Dalis, as well.

“He has all the talent in the world,” Tovar said through interpreter Edwin Perez. “I think once he puts it all together and gets that maturity that all of us professional baseball players do. I think he’s going to show a lot of people that talent because he’s a very, very talented guy.

Dalis also works really well with fellow switch-hitter Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP).

“He gives me a lot of advice and a lot of energy. He’s a really good player,” Dalis said. “The mental aspect of the game is where we help each other out (most). We talk a lot about having confidence and playing the game with confidence.”

It helps that all of the players move as a cohort from the Dominical Summer League to the Arizona Complex League, and then on to Fresno and beyond.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with my teammates,” Dalis said. “I don’t think there’s any difference (between the ACL and Fresno) because I’ve played with all the guys here, and there’s no difference. We all came together from the Dominican to Arizona. 

“But there was one thing: When I left for Fresno, I was playing with more Americans,” he continued. “I liked listening to them and learning about them as well, because they know different things.”

Dalis is currently ranked 18th in the system according to MLB.com and Baseball America. But he’s not worried about rankings. He’s looking towards the future and what he can bring to the Rockies when the time comes.

“Obviously, I know I’m talented,” he said, “but I’m not thinking about ‘Hey, I’m a prospect in the Top 100’ or whatever. I know what I have and my abilities, and that’s it. I don’t worry about the other stuff.

“Hopefully in the near future, I’ll be there (in the majors) and can help the team win and make an impact with the team in Denver.”

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Weekly Pebble Report: June 2nd-8th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (2-4, 34-29 Overall)

The Isotopes dropped four games in their series against the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels), including an odd and rare 1-0 loss in a pitching duel. When the Isotopes won, their bats were firing on all cylinders and the pitching was able to stave off the Bees, but the two sides rarely worked in tandem during this series. The Isotopes are sitting at 34-29, 4.0 games back of the PCL lead.

⬆️ Stock Up:No deep drive into left from this Castellano

Signed this off-season to a minor league contract, 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Eiberson Castellano made his Triple-A debut against Salt Lake and turned in quite the gem. Castellano was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for his six scoreless innings of work, giving up just one hit while tallying seven strikeouts and two walks.

What a Triple-A debut! Eiberson Castellano tossed 6.0 scoreless innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts at Salt Lake on Saturday night, earning the win in his first outing as an Isotope.

A well deserved PCL Pitcher of the Week award! pic.twitter.com/hcF8xHGP2i

— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) June 8, 2026

⬆️ Stock Up:Dr. Veen’s Extra-base Machine

Zac Veen (no. 9 PuRP) continues to push for a fresh chance at playing in the big leagues with yet another strong week. Veen went 11-for-28 with a home run, three doubles, two triples, four RBIs, and two stolen bases. Veen has been playing very well for the Isotopes this season, hitting .317/.417/.525 with eight home runs, 12 doubles, three triples, 40 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.

Upcoming

The Isotopes are off to the Pacific Northwest for six games against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners).

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (3-3, 30-25 Overall)

Helped by a series split against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox), the Hartford Yard Goats sit atop their division in the Eastern League. The series got off to a rough start as the Yard Goats were blown out and shut out. The next day the pitching staff gave up ten runs in another loss. However, Hartford then rattled off three strong wins to seal a series split.

⬆️ Stock Up:Running Up That Hill

GJ Hill had his best series of the season after largely struggling this year with Double-A Hartford. Hill went 9-for-21 at the plate with a double, a triple, four home runs, and ten RBIs. With this series, he boosted his OPS from .643 all the way to .794 on the season.

GJ Hill cannot be stopped! 😤

He homered YET AGAIN tonight, his 7th HR in his last 14 games 🎥 ⬇️

He launched it over the Maine Monster, which is comparable in height and distance to the Green Monster 🚀

Also doubled off it today too 🥶 #Rockiespic.twitter.com/PKiGw6n8W6

— Paul Beckman (@prospectsaz) June 7, 2026

⬇️ Stock Down:Fish out of water

Left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring (no. 10 PuRP) made just one appearance out of the Yard Goats’ bullpen this series and it was a rough one. Herring went just 0.2 innings and gave up seven earned runs on three walks and four hits—including a home run—without recording a strikeout.

Upcoming

The Yard Goats will host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays) in a seven game series that includes a double-header on Wednesday.

High-A: Spokane Indians (2-4, 23-34 Overall)

After losing the first two games of the series against the Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks) it looked like the Spokane Indians could regain their footing. They won two in a row including a 12-5 blowout. Unfortunately, they then lost their final two games of the series including a thud of a series finale via a 14-0 beatdown.

⬆️ Stock Up:Continued rehab progress

Right-handed pitcher Gabriel Hughes (no. 12 PuRP) made his second rehab start with the Indians and looks ready to return to action. Hughes struck out six over three shutout innings while giving up two hits and a walk. A return to the active roster in Albuquerque would mean a lot to both the Isotopes and the big league squad, who are both in desperate need of pitching reinforcements.

⬆️ Stock Up:

Outfielder Robert Calaz (no. 6 PuRP) still hasn’t quite found his power swing in Spokane, but he had a very solid week at the plate. Calaz went 9-for-18 with a double, a triple, a home run, and seven RBIs with two walks and only three strikeouts.

Upcoming

Now tied for last in the Northwest League, the Indians are off to Eugene to play the league-leading Emeralds (San Francisco Giants).

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (3-3, 30-27 Overall)

Plenty of runs were scored in a series split against the California League South-leading Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego Padres). The Fresno Grizzlies are still two games back in their own division behind the San Jose Giants, but they still have one of the better records in the league.

⬆️ Stock Up:Never in a pickle

2025 draft pick and right-handed closer Seth Clausen continues to quietly be an underrated gem for the Grizzlies pitching staff. The 16th round pick pitched a combined 3.1 innings of scoreless, hitless late innings work against the Storm with a strikeout and a walk. Opposing batters are hitting just .122 against Clausen and he currently has a 1.61 ERA over 28 innings this season.

⬇️ Stock Down:Missing the Marcos

Right-handed pitcher Marcos Herrera was a fairly reliable starting pitcher for the Grizzlies last season. In 21 appearances—19 of which were starts—he posted a 3.93 ERA. Unfortunately, this season has been a rough one. Herrera has a 9.28 ERA in 12 starts so far. This week he struggled again. In 4.2 innings he gave up nine earned runs on 11 hits—two of which were home runs—and four walks while striking out four.

Upcoming

The Grizzlies have six game series ahead of them against the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks).

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies (5-0, 20-7 Overall)

After a 5-0 week, the ACL Rockies find themselves sitting atop the Arizona Complex League with the best record in the desert. They even had two games in which they scored 14 or more runs.

⬆️ Stock Up:Ugarte A La Carte

First baseman Ronny Ugarte went 10-for-18 at the plate this week with his best game coming against the ACL Giants where he went 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.

⬇️ Stock Down:More of a concept than a Concepcion

18-year-old righty Kevin Concepcion (no, not the wide receiver drafted by the Cleveland Browns this year) made his first start since joining the Complex League after two solid relief appearances. The start went poorly, with Concepcion giving up six earned runs on seven hits and a walk over just 2.2 innings of work.

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The Mets are getting a huge piece back in their lineup, with the club activating catcher Francisco Alvarez off of the IL. 

In a corresponding move, catcher Hayden Senger was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Alvarez suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee while swinging a bat against the Tigers on May 12. And while the initial diagnosis had Alvarez likely to miss 6-8 weeks, he has been activated in just four weeks, including a brief rehab stint.

The young catcher is hitting .241 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 37 games this season, but he was heating up prior to his injury. In his last seven games played, Alvarez is hitting .292 with a ,375 slugging percentage.

The hope for the Mets was that Alvarez would be able to be activated at some point during their current six-game home stand against the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, which begins on Tuesday night, and it turns out that he'll now be availability for the entire homestand.

The future keeps arriving on the South Side. Prior to Tuesday night’s series opener, before the Braves roll in, the White Sox officially selected the contract of Braden Montgomery from Triple-A Charlotte. One of the most hyped call-ups of this whole rebuild is now, at last, real.

Montgomery, No. 2 in Chicago’s system and No. 21 in all of baseball (MLB Pipeline), has been banging on the door since Opening Day.

He started the year in Birmingham, and it took about five minutes for the 23-year-old switch-hitter to torch the Southern League. Player of the Month in April, up to Charlotte by May 5. The brakes? He never found them.

The numbers across the season: .314/.422/.548, 10 bombs, 41 RBIs, 52 runs, 39 walks in 56 games between Birmingham and Charlotte. And in his last 10 with the Knights, he basically turned into Barry Bonds: .474/.580/.711, on base like it was a birthright.

At that point, there wasn’t much left to prove.

This call-up is another notch for the blockbuster Garrett Crochet trade between Chicago and Boston in December 2024. Montgomery was one of four bodies in that deal — Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Wikelman González, the others. All four have reached the majors (although González started the season in Charlotte and is currently on the IL), and the trade isn’t even two years old.

For Montgomery, the journey to the majors has been anything but ordinary.

The former No. 12 overall pick entered the 2024 draft as one of the most talented players in college baseball after starring at Texas A&M. His combination of switch-hitting pop, incredible athleticism, and an arm that could knock over a mailbox from the outfield. A broken ankle suffered during the Aggies’ postseason run briefly slowed his ascent, but it did little to diminish the excitement surrounding his long-term potential.

Since turning pro, the hype train has only picked up speed.

Scouts drool over the power, but that’s just the start. The arm is a cannon — 70-grade, no exaggeration — and he can handle center or right. Most see him sticking in right, but the ability to play center is a nice bonus for a team still sorting through its future core.

The best part is that Montgomery isn’t just a slugger. He works counts, draws walks, and owns the strike zone. That patience, plus the pop, is why scouts see him as a real middle-of-the-order threat.

Now the White Sox and their fans will find out how quickly those tools translate in the big leagues.

Montgomery’s call-up came as part of a roster shuffle, with Joe Rock up from Charlotte, Rikuu Nishida and David Sandlin back to Triple-A, and Austin Hays to the 60-day IL.

But let’s be real: Tuesday is all about Montgomery.

For a team still building towards the next competitive window, these call-ups are the measuring stick. Some are just bodies. Some are hope.

Montgomery feels like something more.

The Sox think they landed a cornerstone in the Crochet deal. Starting tonight against Atlanta, fans get their first look at whether he can turn all that promise into something real.

The Braden Montgomery era? It’s here. Get excited.