MLB News
A six-game road trip through the central divisions commences. Will Smith was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck, and still remains out of the lineup for a third straight game over the last four days.
Freddy Peralta – RHP
Dustin May – RHP
First pitch: 7:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
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Ah, it’s that time of the season.
The Mariners will roll out… a lineup to face the Orioles on Tuesday in Birdland. Victor Robles is leading off. Ryan Bliss, Rob Refsnyder, and Patrick Wisdom each get a start. Cole Young is at short. Not ideal! But hey, this isn’t the worst lineup the Mariners have brought to Baltimore.
Logan Gilbert gets the start. This is shaping up to be something of a down year for Gilbert. His FIP is 4.17, and he’s been much worse on the third time through the lineup. That said, we’ve seen him dominate at times, too. The Mariners could certainly use that today.
Cal Raleigh made a rehab stop in Tacoma this afternoon and hit a couple homers. Kate Preusser has the update on Raleigh for your pregame reading.
Game Time: 3:35pm PDT
TV: Mariners.tv
Radio: Old Reliable
Last week’s good vibes around the Orioles have been partly erased by three stupid losses in a row, but it’s too soon for this team to throw in the towel. After dropping Game 1 of this homestand against the Mariners last night, the Orioles will try to even the series against righty Logan Gilbert with lefty Trevor Rogers on the mound.
It no longer needs to be said, but it’s been a disappointing start to the season for Rogers (3-6, 6.29), who was so brilliant, with a sub-2.00 ERA in 19 starts last season. The lefty has shown signs of life over his last two starts, though, throwing five scoreless each time before hitting a wall. He ended up surrendering four runs in six innings to Toronto two outings ago, and one run in 5 ⅔ versus lowly Boston last week. Hey, it’s better than getting bombed out of the first inning, right? The Mariners have not hit lefties well this year, so perhaps Rogers can keep up his nascent streak of effectiveness. He has history with Victor Robles (3-for-10 against him lifetime), Julio Rodríguez (2-for-6), Randy Arozarena (3-for-9), Mitch Garver (0-for-5) and Josh Naylor (2-for-5).
As for Seattle’s starter, Logan Gilbert has been a model of consistency for the Mariners over parts of six seasons. In five of six of those years, he posted an ERA below four, including this one (4-4, 3.79). This year, Gilbert’s peripheral stats tell an interesting tale: on the one hand, the righty is a leader in fastball velo, strikeouts and walks, but he’s also sustaining some of the hardest contact in the league: his average exit velocity of 90.7 is in the bottom 13th percentile of pitches. It looks like the trouble lies with his fastballs: hitters are slugging .629 against his four-seamer and .655 against his cutter. Time for O’s hitters to swing hard, sounds like. Very few current Orioles have faced Gilbert: Taylor Ward, who used to face him as an Angel, is 6-for-22, Leody Taveras is just 2-for-17 (although both hits were homers), Pete Alonso is 1-for-6 and Gunnar Henderson is 1-for-8.
Orioles lineup
Mariners lineup
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re back with our first Reacts Survey in a while, and this week, we’re asking fans about which prospect they’d most like to see called up to the majors first.
After inking shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt (MLB No. 63, team No. 4) to an eight-year deal back in early April, the Brewers signed outfielder Luis Lara (MLB No. 91, team No. 5) to a seven-year deal this week, giving the team two prospects signed to long-term deals before they’ve even set foot in the majors. Not to be overshadowed, utility prospect Jett Williams is actually ranked higher than both of those guys at No. 57 overall and No. 3 in the organization (behind only MLB’s No. 1 prospect Jesús Made and No. 16 prospect Luis Peña).
Williams, 22, is hitting .224/.338/.355 with five homers, seven doubles, four triples, 28 RBIs, 42 runs, and 12 steals in 60 games at Triple-A Nashville this season; Pratt, 21, is hitting .248/.360/.391 with five homers, six doubles, four triples, 29 RBIs, 29 runs, and 16 steals in 53 games; and Lara, 21, is hitting .338/.447/.500 with seven homers, eight doubles, two triples, 27 RBIs, 49 runs, and 18 steals in 56 games.
With multiple players at the major league level struggling — Luis Rengifo and Joey Ortiz in the infield, Blake Perkins, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell in the outfield — is it time for one (or multiple) of Milwaukee’s top prospects to get the call? Who would you most like to see?
Weigh in below and stay tuned for results later this week!
Back onto the East coast go the Diamondbacks, starting in Miami for a road-trip which will see them come back to Phoenix by way of Cincinnati. While the Marlins are below the D-backs in the standings, it’s the result of a rather unusual split in the fishes’ record. They are actually better against teams at or above .500, than against opponents with losing records. Miami have gone 19-19 for the former, but only 12-16 against the latter. They have taken series from the Dodgers – on the road, no less – and the Cardinals, and split six games with their Florida siblings, the AL East leading Rays. But they were swept by Detroit, and lost to both Minnesota and Baltimore.
I took a look at the overall standings. Unsurprisingly, most teams do better against weaker opponents. The average win percentage is 124 points better against teams below .500 (.438 vs. 561 – and before you ask, rounding). The Marlins are 71 points worse. The only team with a bigger gap in that direction are the Rangers: they are 19-14 against winning teams, but 14-19 facing losing ones, a whopping 170-point reverse split over what’d be expected. And the team with the largest split on the other side? Well, that would be your Arizona Diamondbacks.
Right now, the D-backs are 11-23 versus opponents at or above .500. That’s exactly the same record as the woeful Angels, who are dead-last in the AL West, and only three teams have a worse win percentage. But against losing teams? 23-8, the best record in the majors. All told, that’s a massive split of 418 points: .324 vs .742. With the Marlins guaranteed to be below .500 for the entire duration of the series, we’re hoping that’s trend which will continue – on our side of the ball at least. If the Marlins want to cool off against winning teams through Thursday, that would be very much appreciated.
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In his first rehab start with the Everett AquaSox on Sunday, Cal Raleigh went 1-for-3 with a single. Serving as the DH, he also hit a deep flyout, just missing a home run. He got that home run today and more in his rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma, a 15-3 drubbing of the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate) where Raleigh alone was responsible for six RBI.
Today the Mariners dialed up the intensity for Raleigh’s second rehab start, having him both take three at-bats and catch a full five innings. Raleigh didn’t have the opportunity to throw anyone out behind the dish, as Tacoma starter Gabe Mosser was able to keep the Isotopes mostly at bay, scattering just a pair of singles and giving up a two-run homer. However, Cal did get some practice in with the challenge system as a catcher: he challenged a pitch that missed inside by .7” in the second and lost, but then challenged another pitch in the third that resulted in a strikeout. If you’re curious about why Cal was willing to risk losing both challenges in the first third of the game, here’s where that second pitch was located:
But if we give Raleigh an “incomplete” for catching work done today, he gets an A + for his work in the box. Facing former Mariner Erasmo Ramírez, somehow still pitching in affiliated baseball in the year 2026 and good for him, Raleigh took the first pitch he saw – a cutter middle-middle – 326 feet to right for a two-run homer.
Sure, the wind was blowing out to right pretty well at Cheney Stadium today, but that majestic shot – 46 degree launch angle! – came off the bat at 104 mph, with that classic Cal one-handed finish, all encouraging signs for Cal’s injured right oblique.
The Rainiers offense was in full send mode against the Isotopes pitching staff, helpfully offering Raleigh four chances to step to the plate over his five innings of work. In his second at-bat, Ramírez fell behind 3-1 before serving up that exact same cutter Cal had homered on earlier. This time, though, Raleigh just got under it, popping up to the shortstop.
His third at-bat came during the fourth inning, where Tacoma had already scored twice more to build out the lead to 6-2, and Ramírez tried again to pitch Raleigh off the plate, this time coming in and plunking him lightly on the toe with a curveball. That did offer the opportunity to see Raleigh run the bases, however, and he was able to go first to third on a ground ball single up the middle, another tick mark on the rehab checklist.
The Rainiers were in full battering mode in the fifth inning, adding another two runs before Raleigh stepped to the plate for his fourth and final at-bat of the day with the bases loaded. Facing Victor Juarez in a 1-0 count, Raleigh reached down to scoop a changeup up and over the right field wall – just 95 mph off the bat this time but 354 feet, but good for four runs.
On a side note, the Rainiers broadcast caught Cal after the homer, knowing his day was done, chatting with his replacement catcher Brian O’Keefe, and it was the most relaxed and happy Cal has looked all year. It’s been a while since we’ve seen this smile.
The plan is for Raleigh to stay with the Rainiers for this week while they’re at home and the Mariners are out on their lengthy east coast road trip, and then for the team to assess from there. If Raleigh continues swinging like this – with power and apparently pain-free – he could be activated as soon as the next homestand.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet
Pitching Matchup: Eric Lauer (2-5, 5.74 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (2-5, 5.74 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the LA Dodgers tonight at beautiful PNC Park.
After starting the season 1-5 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Lauer was traded to the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers for cash considerations on May 17. The Dodgers appear to be using him as a sixth starter in the rotation as the team works through this middle stretch of the season with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow injured.
This will be Lauer’s third start for the Dodgers, where he has found more success. Lauer is 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA since joining the Dodgers. He won in his Dodgers debut on May 26 in a 15-6 win over the Colorado Rockies before going 4.2 innings in a 6-5 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Pirates are looking for their first win in a Skenes start since May 12 when they beat the Rockies. The Pirates have dropped the last four games Skenes has pitched and he’s taken the loss in the last three. It won’t be easy against the Dodgers, who are 42-24 to start the season, but perhaps playing at home will give the Bucs the boost they need to start their series against the Dodgers on the right foot.
BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
The San Diego Padres desperately needed a game like last night’s. The Friars tacked on six runs against the Cincinnati Reds, en route to a, 6-2, series opening win.
Catcher Freddy Fermin homered again, his third bomb in as many games. That was all the Padres could muster against starter Andrew Abbott until their rally in the seventh inning.
Walker Buehler pitched well, though only went 4 2/3 innings before being pulled after surrendering three consecutive hits to the Reds after recording two outs in the fifth. The bullpen locked it down from there despite Bradgley Rodriguez allowing a run in the sixth.
A rally sparked by San Diego’s young role players helped win the game. Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor went a combined 4-for-7 with a walk. They’ll need more of that production to take the series against Cincinnati’s ace tonight.
After the news of Hunter Greene’s major injury at the outset of this season, Burns was expected to shoulder the burden of being an ace in Cincinnati’s rotation. He had an uninspiring 2025 campaign, though his stuff was undeniably good.
Burns has looked every bit the ace he was expected to be. He’s pitched to a 2.05 ERA and lost just one game for the Reds through 70 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old has been even better lately, posting a 1.70 ERA in his last seven starts.
Giolito has been inconsistent through the beginning of his San Diego tenure, though he’s looked like a veritable back-end option for the Friars. His last outing against the Philadelphia Phillies was solid, going four innings and surrendering just two runs.
The righty has dealt with a short leash due to his inconsistent production. That led to his early hook in the game against Philly after facing trouble in the fifth. Giolito will look to lengthen that leash with a solid performance against a struggling Cincinnati lineup tonight.
After a tepid weekend from the San Diego offense, the bats came alive a bit on Monday night. That said, they showed up late (though showing up at all is fantastic at this point).
Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while Sheets recorded an RBI-double. The former went on the paternity list this morning and will be gone for the next few days. Will Wagner was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
None of the Friars have faced Burns so they’ll need to figure him out quickly or get to the rougher Cincinnati bullpen. That will be a tall order for an offense that hasn’t produced as of late.
Apart from Rodriguez’s gaffe in the sixth, the bullpen was nails on Monday night. Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller each looked electric, with the latter two striking out six batters.
After a three-run eighth inning, Miller came into the game in a non-save situation. He didn’t treat it any differently and looked dominant despite struggling to command his fastball.
The Friars will still have options available today, but will be banking somewhat on Giolito to pitch deep into the game. Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta will be available out of the ‘pen.
First Pitch: 5:40 PM CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com
Know thine enemy:Bless You Boys
Taj is looking to bounce back from a rough start in Chicago where gave up 7 hits, walked 5, and allowed 4 runs in 4.2 innings. Tigers starter Troy Melton has had 3 starts, going 20.2 innings total and allowing just 4 earned runs, even with only 9 strikeouts.
Kody Clemens finds himself batting 3rd again today, and he’s earned that position. In his last 11 games he is batting .302/.318/.698 with 4 homers, 3 doubles, and a triple.
The Cubs made multiple roster moves before Tuesday’s game against the Rockies.
Jameson Taillon left Sunday’s game in the second inning with a hamstring strain. Here’s how that happened [VIDEO].
To replace Taillon on the Cubs pitching staff, right-hander Ethan Roberts was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Roberts had been optioned to Iowa Friday when Edward Cabrera was activated, but that was largely just a numbers game. Roberts has been pretty effective out of the pen this year, posting a 1.96 ERA and 1.091 WHIP in 14 appearances covering 18.1 innings.
Also Tuesday, the Cubs activated Matt Shaw from the injured list. He’d been placed on the IL May 22 with what was termed “mid-back tightness.” Shaw was batting .242/.291/.400 in 42 games at the time of the IL placement, and I’m not saying this is cause-and-effect, but the Cubs have gone 5-12, tied for MLB’s worst record, since Shaw last played May 19. Shaw went 4-for-14 with a double in four rehab games at Iowa.
To make room for Shaw on the 26-man active roster, outfielder Kevin Alcántara was optioned to Iowa. Alcántara went 1-for-9 with four strikeouts in 12 games for the Cubs, serving mostly as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner.
The return of Shaw gives the Cubs a bit of positional flexibility, as Shaw played center field for a couple of games at Iowa and has played in the outfield this year for the Cubs. Shaw and Pedro Ramirez remain as backup infielders.
As always, we await developments.
The Pittsburgh Pirates undoubtedly have issues in their bullpen.
The back end, middle relief, and any area not named long relief (thanks to Wilber Dotel), needs help.
Less than two months away from the August 3 MLB trading deadline, the Pirates are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They need relievers and are reportedly the most active club pursuing bullpen help, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, but it takes two to make a trade.
Some teams may believe they are still in the race, aren’t ready to part with key bullpen arms yet, or have set a price so high that a trade is less likely until closer to the deadline.
The Pirates do have one internal option that has been pitching well and is familiar with PNC Park: right-hander Justin Meis.
A right-handed reliever in Triple-A Indy, Meis owns a 3.00 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 30 outings this season.
Meis, 26, is from Bethel Park and has been in the organization for six years.
A 10th-round draft pick of the Pirates in 2021 out of Eastern Michigan, Meis has struck out 27 batters in 30 innings.
He owns a career 4.22 ERA over 371.1 innings, with 386 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP in 162 games, but has pitched his best the last two seasons.
In 42 games in Double-A Altoona last year, Meis recorded a 2.89 ERA in 62.1 innings, posted seven holds, seven saves, and totaled a .213 opponent average.
Meis has been even better this season as opponents are only hitting .149 against him, the best of his career. He has walked 16 batters over his 30 innings and throws his fastball in the mid-90s, but does a good job changing speeds.
A converted starter, Meis has pitched well in a multi-inning relief role. He’s been used to cover multiple frames or just one inning this season and has been especially good of late.
Meis totaled a 2.84 ERA in May and has only allowed one run in his last eight outings over 10.1 innings. He has struck out 12 and walked five during that span.
The area has done a nice job developing relievers over the last 10 years, with Mason Miller (Bethel Park), David Bednar (Mars), and Isaac Mattson (Erie) reaching the majors.
Could Meis join Miller as the next player from Bethel Park to make an impact in a Major League bullpen??
It’s time for the Pirates to find out. Call up Meis and give him the opportunity to be an answer to their lingering questions about how to solve the pitching.
I talked to Meis in 2021 after being drafted by the Pirates, and what the opportunity means to him.
Anthony Greco didn’t believe it.
The 10-year-old third baseman was wrapping up warmups for practice at Vestal Field outside of Pittsburgh when a teammate stopped and pointed.
Someone said it was Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Nobody bought it.
“We didn’t believe it at first,” Anthony told USA TODAY Sports, “but then we went over there and we saw him.”
The reigning Cy Young winner had been driving down Perry Highway in Wexford around 7 p.m. on Monday, June 8 when he saw the light still on at the Little League field. Anthony Greco and his teammates were getting ready for their tournament season.
Skenes pulled over and wandered up to the field.
Two hours later, when Anthony’s mom Courtney came to pick him up, there was Paul Skenes on the field with the kids.
“He just took all the time in the world to talk to them and answer questions,” Courtney said. “He signed autographs, he took pictures and just spent a lot of time with them.”
This was the night before Skenes was scheduled to face the defending World Series champion Dodgers at PNC Park.
“I just couldn’t believe he was there,” Anthony said. “I thought he’d have to practice or something because he’s pitching (Tuesday) night.”
But Skenes had an off day and all the time to talk to the coaches of the Ingomar Franklin Park Little League.
And they had questions.
“How do you throw your splinker?” one asked.
“How do you throw so hard all the time?” asked another.
Skenes shrugged and told the young pitchers to just throw as hard as they could. He signed everything the kids put in front of him; he posed for every picture.
Anthony, who had gone with his family to Altoona, Pa. on Aug. 26, 2023 to see Skenes make his Double-A debut, said that the All-Star was “taller and stronger” than he looks on TV.
When it was his turn to talk to Skenes, Anthony had a very direct question.
“I had a ball, so I just asked him, ‘Can you sign it?’” Anthony said with a laugh. “And then we got a picture after that.”
He is going to frame both and keep them in his room.
The moment went viral in part because when he drove up to the field, Skenes was on the phone with his girlfriend Livvy Dunne. The former gymnast and current model and influencer posted about it on social media, writing she could believe her MLB boyfriend, “is just a boy” for pulling over to watch a Little League practice.
He told the adults at the field that he pulled over because he just loves baseball and remembers being that age and how much Little League meant to him.
Skenes showed up just after practice started around 7 p.m. He did not leave until after 9:15 p.m.
“I couldn’t believe he just spent all the time with the kids,” Courtney said. “To go to the field and see Paul Skenes, someone they look up to.
“They just couldn’t stop talking about it.”
Neither could anyone else who heard about it.
By the time they arrived, the story had already gone viral. It was on the nightly news. Anthony’s dad, Chris, who runs the league, was fielding phone calls from newspapers and television reporters. The pictures and videos were all over baseball social media.
For Anthony and the other kids, however, it was their own experience. A real life baseball star on their field with them. From here on out, Anthony Greco and his teammates and family will never forget it.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul Skenes surprises Little League team before Dodgers start
Finally getting healthier, the Houston Astros have won 3 of 4 and 11 of 17.
Jeremy Pena is hitting .307 since returning from injury May 18, with 3 doubles, 3 HR, 12 RBI and 4 SB.
Josh Hader has struck out 7 of the 10 batters he has faced in his 3 innings since returning from the IL, and has not allowed a hit or a run.
Jose Altuve has also returned from injury, much sooner than anticipated. He scored the game winning run on Monday night tagging up on a pop-up caught by the Angels second baseman in shallow centerfield. His sprint speed was clocked at over 29 ft/sec, incredibly fast for anyone, let alone a player of Altuve’s age.
Monday night, Bryan Abreu may have finally found his fastball. He threw three straight heaters to Jo Adell at 97 MPH for a 3 pitch strikeout.
Hunter Brown has pitched brilliantly in his rehab starts, and has one more rehab start scheduled before likely being activated.
Cristian Javier will make his second rehab start tonight for Sugar Land after making his first last week for Corpus Christi.
Yainer Diaz is starting his rehab assignment with Sugar Land this evening as well.
Houston is playing better, getting better pitching, and getting healthier as they try to get back over .500 and solidify their place in the playoff race.
The Astros play a total of 27 games in the month of June, and are currently 4-3.
How many games do you think the Astros will win in total for the month of June?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Astros fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
