ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 16: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on June 16, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (37-35) at St. Louis Cardinals (40-31), June 17, 2026, 11:15 a.m. PST
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It's Wednesday, and you know what that means. MLB expert predictions!
Our MLB analysts have looked over the slate and are highlighting a couple of games, including what appears to be a mispriced Cleveland Guardians underdog play in Milwaukee.
Bolster your MLB picks on Wednesday, June 17, with this slate of selections.
UPDATE: Added a Cleveland Guardians ML pick from Jon Metler.
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Pirates vs A's - Over 10.5
Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket
It was just last weekend that games in Sacramento were carrying totals as high as 14.5. Tonight, the Over 10.5 is paying plus money, even though the hitting conditions are once again ideal with double-digit winds blowing out to the home run alley in right-center field.
Last night's game produced another four home runs at Sutter Health Park, and there is plenty of reason to expect more offense today.
If the starters don't give up runs, the bullpens can help. This matchup features the fourth- and fifth-worst bullpens in baseball by ERA over the last two weeks.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, NBC Sports California
There's a reason lefties are hitting just .199 with a .666 OPS against Williams this season, and his skill set is particularly well-equipped to neutralize this lineup.
The key is Williams' four-seam fastball, which features exceptional riding life at the top of the strike zone. That pitch consistently gives left-handed hitters trouble, especially those looking to pull the ball with authority. Instead of driving it, they often get underneath the fastball, resulting in weak pop-ups and harmless fly balls.
At first glance, Milwaukee's left-handed-heavy lineup appears to be a favorable matchup against Williams. Dig a little deeper, though, and the numbers suggest otherwise. That's why I believe the Guardians should be priced more like a 53-cent favorite than a 47-cent underdog.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: Guardians.TV, Brewers.TV
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Rays vs Dodgers - Under 7.5
Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket
Shohei Ohtani has been dominant at Dodger Stadium, allowing one earned run or fewer in all 12 of his regular-season home starts since joining the team.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 06: Luinder Avila #58 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Saturday, June 6, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Royals are back at it trying to salvage a win from a series. Luinder Avila, who blew up last time out, will be starting against the best offense in baseball. What a weird thing to say about a Nationals franchise that has struggled along most recent years. At least KC gets to face a righty today. Maikel will not be in the lineup today as more injuries plague the team.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 14: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees hits a two run home run in the ninth inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Sunday, June 14, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Peter Sarellas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Rogers Centre has proven to be a house of horrors for the Yankees over the last calendar year. In dropping the recent series opener in Toronto, the Yankees had lost nine of their last ten games north of the border including a pair of thumpings in the first two games of the 2025 ALDS. That the Yankees turned things around and won the final two games of the series—both with go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning—must give the team a ton of confidence after the Blue Jays had their number last year in the regular season and playoffs. Few hitters had a bigger impact for the Yankees that series than Ben Rice, and his late go-ahead blast earns his third appearance on At-Bat of the Week.
We join Rice with one out in the top of the ninth, the score knotted at 3-3. Pinch-runner Ryan McMahon stands on second after Paul Goldschmidt reached on an infield single and advanced on a throwing error by reliever Braydon Fisher. Fisher entered the game as one of Toronto’s most effective relievers with a 2.70 ERA, the righty striking out over a batter per inning and giving up well under one home run per nine. If Rice can come through in the clutch, the Yankees will very likely win the series at the Rogers Centre, something that felt like an impossibility less than 12 months ago. Indeed, they hadn’t done so since 2023.
The scouting report on Fisher shows that he throws the slider just shy of half the time and his curveball just shy of 30-percent of the time, so Rice knows that he will be fed a steady diet of breaking balls. Indeed, out of the six pitches that Fisher has thrown to Spencer Jones and Goldschmidt, four were sliders, one was a curveball, and one was a waste four-seamer just for show. Therefore, Rice is likely hunting a pitch that leaves Fisher’s hand middle-up with the idea that it will land down and in.
This first-pitch slider begins aimed just off the plate inside and drops straight downward. It likely didn’t have quite the aiming point that Rice is looking for, which explains his ability to not chase this pitch despite it landing close enough to the zone for the catcher to unsuccessfully challenge the ball call. When the catcher is fooled that a pitch is a strike and the hitter is not, you know that hitter has an elite knowledge of the strike zone.
True to the scouting report, Fisher sticks with the slider after narrowly missing with the one before.
I’m actually a lot more impressed that Rice took this pitch than the previous one, despite the fact that this one ends up farther from the strike zone than ball one. That’s because this slider exits Fisher’s hand aimed right down the middle, meaning Rice had to pick up the spin early, diagnose slider, and realize that it would break out of the zone all in fractions of a second.
Rice is in the driver’s seat, 2-0, but that does not guarantee that Fisher is going to give in and groove a fastball to get back into the count.
This is just an unfair pitch to drop in back door for the called strike. It looks like a ball high and away out of Fisher’s hand and never looks like it is in the zone until the very last moment where it barely grazes the corner of the strike zone low and away. If the Yankees still had a challenge remaining in this spot I would not have been surprised to see Rice use it a lose it, this curve earning the strike one call by the very slimmest of margins.
The problem for the hitter once a pitcher lands a breaking ball for a called low strike is that you then have to protect the bottom of the zone, which opens up ample opportunity for the pitcher to get you to chase a breaker below the zone. That’s precisely the tactic that Fisher employs with this slider to follow up the curveball.
I’m not sure what Rice is supposed to do in this situation. Once again, this pitch looks like a strike right down Broadway when it leaves Fisher’s hand, and at 89 mph the hitter has way less time to react than against your typical low-80s slider. You can tell Rice is still sitting on a breaking ball from the way he sinks into his legs and aligns his swing plane to track below the zone, but he’s just not precise enough with his barrel to make contact.
With just two pitches, Fisher has turned this AB on its head, going from way behind to being in full possession of count leverage. Rice is in trouble, given that Fisher showed he can both land the breaker for a called strike and command it below the zone for a chase and whiff. Another well-located slider should spell the end of this AB.
Instead, Fisher falls into the classic trap of trying to throw the best slider of his life rather than one that’s just incrementally better than the one before. He spikes this pitch into the dirt by Rice’s feet and he has to hop out of the way to avoid getting hit.
Now that it is a full count, we are once again faced with a situation that in certain cases might dictate an in-zone fastball to avoid putting a second baserunner on, but in Fisher’s case that by no means a sure bet.
Fisher sticks with his plan of throwing sliders and Rice sticks with his plan of hunting one. It’s a really good pitch from Fisher — a slider dotted right on the corner down and in. The problem for him is that it is an even better swing from Rice. This is the exact pitch he has been hunting the whole AB — a slider down and in that he can drop the bat head on and pull in the air with power. His patience pays off, and after having seen four previous sliders, he now knows exactly how this pitch is going to move and anticipates its trajectory perfectly with his barrel. The result: a booming two-run home run to right to give the Yankees the lead in the ninth inning of consecutive games.
Here’s the full AB:
You don’t normally see this level of emotion from Rice, including the bat flip and shouts of encouragement towards his dugout. I wonder if he is feeling extra pressure to be the team’s primary run producer with Aaron Judge out injured. Whatever the case he continues to produce clutch hits for the team in what has been a breakout season from rising star to true superstar. He’s the third-best hitter in MLB by wRC+ (171), and his ABs have become appointment viewing — the first homegrown position player we can say that about since Judge.
The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees meet again following New York's 12-2 whooping of Chicago, and our White Sox vs. Yankees predictions expect a similar outcome.
Find out why in my MLB picks for Wednesday, June 17.
Who will win White Sox vs Yankees today: Yankees -1.5 (+120)
This is one of the bigger ERA-to-expected ERA gaps you'll find this season.
Anthony Kay’s8.74 expected ERA is concerning, especially paired with a .438 xwOBA allowed and a 58%+ hard-hit rate. Regression is coming, and few teams are better equipped to take advantage of it.
In addition, it's not ideal that a 15% walk rate puts free runners in front of a New York Yankees lineup that I think has found its footing again.
Carlos Rodon counters with a 75th-percentile strikeout rate and 81st-percentile xERA against a Chicago White Sox lineup that strikes out heavily. Play to +100.
White Sox vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)
I like the Over to -130.
Anthony Kay's .594 expected SLG allowed and 10.3% barrel rate is a big story. I mentioned how I expect the Yankees to hit him hard, and there's just loads of evidence to back that up.
On the other side, Carlos Rodon's Bottom 3 percentile walk rate is always a story. It's an issue here because this White Sox team has quietly hung around the top ten of baseball in various hard-hit metrics.
The Yankees will do the heavy lifting, and the White Sox will put up a crooked inning in a hitter-friendly stadium.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 29-26, +5.46 units
Over/Under bets: 34-22, +15.82 units
White Sox vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Chicago +155 | New York -190
Run line: Chicago +1.5 | New York -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
White Sox vs Yankees trend
The New York Yankees have hit the moneyline in seven of their last eight games (+6.10 Units / 63% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Yankees.
How to watch White Sox vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
CHSN, Amazon Prime Video
White Sox starting pitcher
Anthony Kay (6-1, 4.34 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon (2-2, 3.19 ERA)
White Sox vs Yankees latest injuries
White Sox vs Yankees weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani will make his scheduled start on the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Ohtani (6-2, 1.06 ERA) left a game in Pittsburgh with left knee inflammation. He missed the next day’s game against the White Sox in Chicago, then returned. This will be his first start since the injury in Chicago.
Roberts said the swelling in Ohtani’s knee had “completely dissipated.”
“I saw that he had just a catch-play right now,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s work. “He’s going to do his touchy-feely deal from the mound in a little bit. I saw him play some catch. Looks good, feels good. Look forward to him making a start tomorrow.”
The game against the Rays is an early afternoon start. It’s a tight window to prep and an early start.
“He likes his sleep. It’s certainly not ideal, but the calendar is the calendar,” Roberts said. “He’ll get his rest and do what he can to post tomorrow. … Anyone that has anything that has a potential red flag, we’ll certainly be watching closely. But again, he wouldn’t start if we felt that we were going to put him in harm’s way. He’s a competitor.”
After a 1-0 win over the Rays, Roberts said Ohtani would not hit.
In his last pitching start, Ohtani gave up four runs — three earned runs — in 6 2/3 innings and the Dodgers lost to Pittsburgh, 9-8.
Edman back in action
Utility man Tommy Edman was reinstated by the Dodgers following offseason ankle surgery.
Edman, who was the 2024 NLCS MVP in the Dodgers World Series championship year, will make his season debut soon.
“The good thing was, I saw progress with every step along the way. It just wasn’t as fast as I expected,” Edman said.
TODAY’S GAME: The Astros and Tigers will play the rubber game of their three-game series today in an afternoon matchup at Daikin Park.
RHP Peter Lambert (5-4), who’s won three straight decisions, will get the start for the Astros opposite the Tigers and RHP Casey Mize (2-3), who’s being activated off of the IL to make today’s start.
DRIVING THE LAMBO: Today’s Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert has been solid in his 10 starts for the Astros, going 5-4 with a 3.47 ERA (22ER/57IP) with 53 strikeouts and a .212 opponent average.
Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 appearances in Japan.
He began this season at Triple A Sugar Land (1.84 ERA in three appearances) before being called up to join the rotation on April 17.
VS. THE TIGERS: The Astros and Tigers will play all seven of their games against each other within a two-week span, with the Astros traveling to Detroit next weekend.
In 2025, the Astros and Tigers finished with identical 87-75 records, but because the Tigers won the season series over the Astros, they earned the final Wild Card playoff spot.
TODAY’S RADIO BROADCAST: The Astros English radio broadcast today will feature Robert Ford and Kevin Eschenfelder, who’s subbing for Steve Sparks.
Sparks will return to the booth on Friday.
LOS ASTROS: Space City Home Network is televising this series in English and Spanish with the Spanish broadcast being televised on SCHN2.
Enrique Vasquez and Gene Flores are on the call on the Spanish telecast this series.
PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has a 2.73 ERA (33ER/108.2IP) with 101 strikeouts, a 1.04 WHIP and a .189 opponent average.
Among AL teams since May 15, the Astros bullpen ranks first in ERA, first in WHIP, and first in opponent batting average.
The Astros are also 17-13 since May 15.
ALL-STAR VOTING UPDATE: On Monday, MLB announced the first balloting update for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, which revealed DH Yordan Alvarez as the AL’s top vote-getter among all position players.
Other Astros among the AL’s top 10 at their respective positions: 2B Jose Altuve (4th), SS Jeremy Peña (5th), 1B Christian Walker (9th), 3B Isaac Paredes (9th), and C Yainer Diaz (9th).
MAKING THE PLAYS: The Astros have committed the fewest errors (29) and own the best fielding percentage (.989) in the AL.
1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in 74 games and 522 total chances.
LAST NIGHT’S WIN: The Astros and Tigers played an entertaining ballgame last night with Houston scoring three in the 8th for a 4-2 comeback victory.
3B Raynel Delgado (2×4, 2RBI) was the hero as the rookie hit a go ahead, two-run single in the 8th for what were his first Major League RBI.
RHP Hunter Brown (1ER/5.2IP) made his much-anticipated return from the IL and fanned seven in his outing, but did not factor into the decision.
THE HUNT IS ON: RHP Hunter Brown returned from the IL last night after dealing with a right shoulder strain which cost him over two months, 67 team games, and approximately 12 starts.
He was effective in his return, improving to 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA (2ER/16.1IP) in three starts in 2026.
A 2025 All-Star, Brown finished third in the 2026 AL in Cy Young voting after going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA.
ON THE LEADERBOARD: DH Yordan Alvarez leads MLB in OPS (1.074), SLG (.644) and total bases (174).
In the AL, he ranks first in batting average (.326), first in hits (88), first in HR (24), first in XBH (38), second in RBI (54), second in OBP (.430), fourth in BB (46) and seventh in runs (49).
ON-BASE MACHINE: OF Yordan Alvarez is on a 23-game on-base streak (dating back to May 22), in which he’s batting .376 (32×85) with nine homers, 23 RBI, 15 walks, a .471 OBP and a 1.200 OPS.
This ranks as the fifth-longest streak of his career and his longest since he posted a 26-game streak from Aug. 2-Sept. 2, 2024.
SELECT COMPANY: DH Yordan Alvarez played in his 750th career game on Monday and went 2×4 to raise his career average to exactly .300.
With 194 career HR, Alvarez ranked sixth in MLB history in homers through a players first 750 career games.
THE LINEUP: The Astros have not repeated a lineup, using 75 different lineups in their 75 games.
DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 63 times.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker ranks third in the AL in RBI (52), behind only 1B Nick Kurtz (57) and DH Yordan Alvarez (54).
He also ranks tied for fifth in AL in homers (18), sixth in total bases (137) and tied for sixth in extra-base hits (32).
SEÑOR CIEN: IF Isaac Paredes, who recently reached 500 career hits and 100 career homers, recorded his 100th career double last night.
He is now just the fourth Mexican-born player in MLB history with 500 career hits, 100 doubles and 100 home runs, joining IF Vinny Castilla, IF Jorge Orta and IF Aurelio Rodríguez.
WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 1-0 with three saves and a 0.00 ERA (0ER/6IP) in six appearances this season.
He’s allowed just two baserunners (one walk, one hit) and has fanned eight.
Hader had a delayed start to the season, missing the first two months with left biceps tendinitis.
ON THE MEND: RHP Cristian Javier started last night for Triple A Sugar Land at ABQ (COL) in what was his third minor league rehab start.
He worked 3.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with six strikeouts, while throwing 63 pitches (37 strikes).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, June 17, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
WASHINGTON — Nationals reliever Paxton Schultz has his first career victory thanks to a rarely seen official scorer’s decision.
Schultz pitched a scoreless eighth inning in Washington’s 6-4 victory over Kansas City. The Nationals already were up 6-3 when he entered the game — they’d scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh — but that didn’t preclude Schultz from receiving the win.
In the top of the seventh, Washington was up 3-1 when Richard Lovelady entered the game with one out and two on. He retired two of the three men he faced, but the one batter who reached against him was Isaac Collins, whose two-run single tied the game at 3.
Although Lovelady was in the game when the Nationals took the lead for good, according to Rule 9.17 (c), a reliever is not supposed to receive the win if he has been “ineffective in a brief appearance.” If that sounds like a harsh way of describing Lovelady’s outing — 2/3 of an inning, one hit, zero earned runs — the rule book gives even more guidance.
“The official scorer generally should, but is not required to, consider the appearance of a relief pitcher to be ineffective and brief if such relief pitcher pitches less than one inning and allows two or more earned runs to score (even if such runs are charged to a previous pitcher),” it says.
The rules about awarding wins to relievers have been in the news recently after Texas rookie Robby Ahlstrom got his first victory via a scoring appeal. Ahlstrom entered with two outs in the fifth inning against Kansas City. The Rangers led 3-2 in a game they’d eventually win 4-2. Because the starter didn’t go five innings, the official scorer was supposed to give the win to the most effective reliever.
Ahlstrom got a celebratory beer shower after that game, only to find out that Jacob Latz — who came in later — had received the win. The Rangers appealed, and MLB eventually changed the win to Ahlstrom.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers rookie left-hander Robby Ahlstrom is OK not celebrating his first big league victory a second time.
That celebratory beer shower Ahlstrom got in the clubhouse after a road win in Kansas City just came four days before he officially was awarded that win.
“I mean, we celebrated like I did (get the win). I mean everybody thought it was going to be that way,” Ahlstrom said two days before his 27th birthday and a day after an appealed scoring change rightfully made him a winner.
“A little interesting finding out after the fact,” he said. “I was more thinking of like, I don’t want to go through that beer shower again.”
Ahlstrom came on with two outs in the fifth inning and a runner on in the finale of a four-game series against the Royals. He retired all four batters he faced while Texas extended its lead to 4-2. Cole Winn then threw a scoreless inning and closer Jacob Latz finished it with two perfect innings.
Since Texas starter Kumar Rocker had exited one out shy of qualifying for the win, it was assumed by everyone — except the official scorer that day — that Ahlstrom was the winner in his fourth big league appearance, and Latz had another save.
It wasn’t until Ahlstrom checked his phone afterward that he saw the official box score listing Latz as the winner instead.
“No one wants to get beer poured on them if they don’t even get the win,” Latz said. “So we’re happy that it was actually meaningful.”
The Rangers appealed the decision by the scorer. That process included input from Latz, who noted that he had entered the game in a save situation and said Ahlstrom deserved the win.
MLB made the change, with manager Skip Schumaker informing Ahlstrom just before pregame stretch and congratulating him again for his first win. His fellow relievers cheered the news.
“He got the beer shower already, so I’m glad he didn’t have to do that again,” said Schumaker, adding he was excited for Ahlstrom, who made his big league debut June 3.
“You put MLB next to it, it’s kind of cool getting your debut, your first strikeout. But the ultimate goal is to come up here and help the team win ballgames,” Ahlstrom said. “So if you have a ‘W’ next to your name, you did something right. So I think that’d be the coolest part.”
I still have plenty of digging to do to get myself out of this home run hole, but I've hit a dinger here in four straight articles and have gone +10.71 units over those four days. Let's keep the good time rolling with some four-baggers and MLB player props.
The price on Alec Bohm is nearly 300 points higher than it has been all week, yet today's matchup might be the best one he's seen. Michael Busch is also being priced as a lefty-on-lefty matchup, but the Colorado bullpen will be forced to cover innings today and doesn't have a left-handed option available.
Finally, I need a piece of this Pirates/Athletics game because Sutter Health Park is a launching pad, and Bryan Reynolds stands out.
These are my favorite home run props for Wednesday, June 17.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Alec Bohm
+940
Michael Busch
+508
Bryan Reynolds
+404
💲Today's HR parlay
+29317
Home run pick: Alec Bohm (+940)
Citizens Bank Park ranks as the second-best home run park on the board today, per Ballpark Pal. The Phillies have a home run edge against Sandy Alcantara, who owns the 18th-worst HR/9 rate among MLB starters over the last 30 days and doesn't generate many ground balls, with a 36.3% rate.
Philadelphia should get plenty of balls in the air, and somehow Alec Bohm is still paying a silly +940 to keep raking.
Bohm has been cruising at home in June with a 1.046 OPS. He has three home runs over his last 45 plate appearances and went deep again last night. Those previous home run prices were all shorter than +700. Where else are you going to find a cleanup hitter at this number?
Bohm also owns the second-best slugging percentage on the team over the last two weeks. He's seen Alcantara 32 times in his career and has hit .344 with an .851 OPS in that respectable sample.
I have this fair price closer to +650.
Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC 10, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: Michael Busch (+508)
Here is another great price in a plus-plus matchup against the Rockies, who have a short-leashed starter with home run issues and will eventually turn things over to a depleted bullpen that gets hit harder than any unit in baseball.
Michael Busch will have the wind helping his pull-side power today at Wrigley Field, with 13-mph winds blowing out to right-center. The attractive price is largely due to the lefty-on-lefty matchup, but Colorado starter Sean Sullivan left his last outing due to illness and threw only 49 pitches. He owns a 5.76 ERA in Triple-A this season and has allowed 10 home runs in just over 54 innings.
He'll eventually hand the ball to a bullpen that has three relievers unavailable, including its only left-handed option. This isn't a true lefty-on-lefty matchup for nine innings, and Busch offers plenty of value for a hitter who owns the third-best slugging percentage on the team over the last two weeks.
The Cubs are hitting multiple dingers today, and Busch's HR price has been +330 and +375 in this series.
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Rockies.TV
Home run pick: Bryan Reynolds (+404)
Sutter Health Park once again projects as the best home run park on the slate today. Bryan Reynolds hit two dingers last night, and I'm backing him to add another.
Aaron Civale is starting for the Athletics and making his first start off the IL. Before going down last month, he owned one of the worst HR/9 rates in baseball, and is an extreme flyball pitcher.
He likely won't go deep and will hand things over to a bullpen that ranks fourth-worst in baseball by ERA over the last two weeks.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNP, NBCSCA
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 16-113, -31.26 units
Today’s HR parlay
Alec Bohm
Bet Now +29317
Michael Busch
Bryan Reynolds
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 16: Nasim Nuñez #26 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with third base coach Victor Estevez #7 after hitting a triple in the fifth inning during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Nats have been a series winning machine lately, but sweeps have been hard to come by. They will look to change that against the struggling Royals. With a win today, the Nats would move to a wild 5 games over .500. Finishing off the sweep would be a big step for this group.
Blake Butera has made some tweaks at the bottom of his lineup. Jose Tena will get the start at DH. That means Jacob Young will sit and the outfield will be Daylen Lile in left, Dylan Crews in center and James Wood in right. Keibert Ruiz will be back behind the plate. Zack Littell had his first rough start in a while and is looking to bounce back.
With a righty on the mound, the Royals will add some left handers to the lineup. John Rave will make his first start of the series in right field. Lane Thomas remains in the lineup, but he is lower in the order. Catcher Carter Jensen is back in the lineup and leading off. That pushes Salvador Perez to DH. Luinder Avila gave up 8 runs and couldn’t get out of the 1st inning in his last start, but the righty throws hard.
The Nats have used late inning rallies to overcome the Royals in the first two games, and will look to finish off what would only be their second sweep of the year. Getting 5 games over .500 would be quite the accomplishment. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs placed right-handed pitcher Daniel Palencia on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation hours after he struck out three in the ninth inning to pick up the win in a 5-4 comeback victory against the Colorado Rockies.
The Cubs recalled Gavin Hollowell from Triple-A Iowa to replace Palencia.
After Palencia walked the first batter he faced, Cubs manager Craig Counsell went to the mound with a trainer to check on Palencia, but left him in the game to finish the inning. The Cubs scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to give Palencia (2-1, 2.70 ERA) his second win.
”I was just concerned that the body language wasn’t normal,” Counsell said. “He said he was fine but then he had symptoms afterward, the elbow didn’t feel great afterward and didn’t feel great today.”
Hollowell, 28, has made one appearance for the Cubs this season, allowing two runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Boyd to get minor league rehab
Starter Matthew Boyd (knee) is headed for a minor league rehab stint after a successful bullpen session, and Justin Steele (elbow surgery) has rejoined the team to begin a throwing program expected to last about three weeks, Counsell said.
The Cubs still hope Steele will pitch again this season despite a flexor strain that pushed back his timetable.
“He’s got runway,” Counsell said. “He can’t afford any setbacks. But we’ve got time.”
Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said the wave of injuries to pitchers — the Cubs have eight pitchers on the injured list, including starters Boyd, Steele, Caleb Horton and Jamieson Taillon —- has pushed the depth the Cubs thought they had to the limit.
“We thought we had real numbers there, and then the number of injuries took care of it,” Hoyer said. “Now we have to be creative.”
Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Tennessee Volunteers helmets lined up before the game against the LSU Tigers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
Tennessee picked up a commitment from Wyatt Hanoian on Tuesday, a transferring second baseman from Air Force. Hanoian made his commitment public on Tuesday night.
Hanoian hit .357 for Air Force this season as a true freshman, which put him on the Mountain West All-Freshman team. The switch-hitting second baseman hit six home runs, walked 32 times, hit 14 doubles and four triples this year.
The most impressive stat for Hanoian? A staggering on-base percentage of .498. For reference, Garrett Wright, who was seemingly always on base for Tennessee this season, held a .439 mark.
Hanoian made 33 starts at second base for the Falcons, along with eight in right field, a handful at third base, along with a few as the team’s designated hitter. The class of 2025 prospect was the No. 222 player out of the state of California in the recruiting cycle.
He joins former two-way Mercer star Braydon Kersey and Northwestern State pitcher Brody Trosclair in Tennessee’s current transfer portal class.
Infielder Wyatt Hanoian, @BaseballAmerica's No. 27 transfer, is transferring to Tennessee. Switch hitter with great zone control and feel for the barrel. Hit .357/.498/.573 with six HR, 14 doubles, four triples and 32 walks to 21 strikeouts in 2026. pic.twitter.com/YWrTtZdaFe
The Tampa Bay Rays, ranked second in the AL East with a 41-29 record, face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are first in the NL West with a 47-27 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -160 moneyline compared to the Tampa Bay Rays' +135. Starting pitchers are Shane McClanahan for Tampa Bay, with a 3.23 ERA, and Shohei Ohtani for Los Angeles, with a 1.06 ERA.
How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
The New York Mets, ranked fifth in the NL East with a 32-41 record, face the Cincinnati Reds, who are fifth in the NL Central with a 35-37 record. The New York Mets are favored with a -135 moneyline compared to the Cincinnati Reds' +110. Starting pitchers are Nolan McLean for the Mets, with a 4.01 ERA, and Nick Lodolo for the Reds, with a 5.21 ERA.
COVERS INTEL: 
Alec Bohm
Michael Busch
Bryan Reynolds
