Category: MLB

Blue Jay 7 Braves 2

I figured the Chris Sale start would be the tough one to win, but wrong again.

The Jays scored:

• Three in the third: With one out, Vladimir Guerrero doubled and Kazuma Okamoto singled to put runners on the corners. Charles McAdoo singled one home. Nathan Lukes was hit by pitch, to load the bases and Myles Straw singled home two more. Unfortunately Tyler Heineman hit into a double play to end the inning.
• Four in the ninth: Ernie Clement started it with a single and Vlad singled. Two outs later, Nathan Lukes singled to bring in one. Straw singled in another. And Tyler Heineman doubled in two more. Nice to see him chipping in.

We had 16 hits. 16. That’s more than we’ve had in a week. And we were 7 for 18 with RISP. How many times does a team get 18 runners into scoring position. Just three extra base hits, all doubles.

Clement and Vlad had three hits. Okamoto, Lukes, Straw, and Heineman had two. Yohendrick Piñango was the only starter to go 0 for. We will forgive this time, since he was in tough against one of the best lefties in baseball.

And we had another excellent job from the pitchers in a bullpen game:

• Mason Fluharty: He opened and got the first four outs, giving up a hit and a walk.
• Chad Dallas got the ‘bulk’ role, going 3.2 innings allowing 2 hits, 2 walks with 2 strikeouts allowing just a run. He was terrific in his MLB debut. And he was awarded the win. He came in with a runner on third and one out, in the second and got out of it without allowing the runner to score.
• Tyler Rogers pitched the sixth, a clean inning.
• Jeff Hoffman pitched the seventh, a clean inning, with a strikeout.
• Braydon Fisher started the eighth, and gave up a solo home run, making it a one run game.
• Louis Varland got the last four outs for the save, without allowing a base runner, with a strikeouts. His ninth save of the year.

Jays of the Day: Dallas (0.19 WPA), Straw (0.18, 2 for 5 with 3 RBI) and Hoffman (0.08).

Other Award: Well, Pinango has the number, but he did take charge in the outfield on a fly ball hit between him and Straw. He’s been a bit hesitant to do that, so happy to see it there.

The Jays will be straight to the airport, to fly home for the start of a series with the Orioles tomorrow. Usually, getaway games are earlier in the day. Brandon Young (3-1, 3.35) goes against Trey Yesavage (2-2. 2.19).

A verdict has finally arrived on Aaron Judge’s injury. 

The Yankees captain has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the team said Thursday night.

He will be relegated to rest and limited activity and then be re-imaged in about four to six weeks to determine how much improvement he has made and what his next steps might be. 

“Judge is expected to return at some point this season,” the team said in its statement. 

While losing the three-time American League MVP for likely at least two months is a serious blow, it may not be the worst-case scenario after the Yankees had been consulting with a specialist whose focus was on vascular procedures including thoracic outlet syndrome — which may have required season-ending surgery. 

Instead, this diagnosis gives Judge a chance to play again this season, though the Yankees will have a 6-foot-7, 282-pound-sized hole to fill in the meantime. 

Judge, who has not played since Sunday after the shoulder soreness he had experienced in recent weeks came to a head, underwent tests on Monday and then an additional MRI exam on Wednesday night at CT scan and X-ray Thursday morning.

The Yankees were left holding their breath during the four-day saga while waiting for a concrete diagnosis, a process that took longer than they had hoped. 

“Best hitter in the sport, and obviously what he means to us [is huge],” manager Aaron Boone said earlier on Thursday before the final diagnosis was announced. “There’s a void there, but we also have really good players that can pick it up, too. 

“You’re not replacing Aaron Judge though.” 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Judge was not fully hitting like himself so far this season — likely in part because he was playing through the injury — but still had 17 home runs and a .907 OPS in 59 games. 

Last season, Judge missed 10 games with a flexor strain in his right elbow and 42 games in 2023 with a torn ligament in his big right toe after running into the wall at Dodger Stadium to make a catch. But this threatens to cost him more games than either of those injuries, meaning the Yankees will have to find a way to keep winning without him. 

Since Judge became a regular in 2017, the Yankees have gone 652-442 with him in the lineup versus 137-127 when he is not. 

They have better depth than they have had in years, which could give them a better chance of surviving Judge’s absence. Ben Rice has emerged as one of the top hitters in the game, finishing Thursday with the second-highest OPS (a Judge-like 1.031) in the majors. Cody Bellinger has been an all-around standout, the most valuable player in the team by WAR.

Veteran Paul Goldschmidt, who came into the season as Rice’s backup, has been a critical right-handed bat to help them withstand Giancarlo Stanton’s month-plus on the injured list. 

Of course, the Yankees now need Stanton to get through the rest of his rehab from a right calf strain without any hiccups — he could be about 10 days to two weeks away from becoming an option — and the same for Jasson Domínguez, who could return next week from an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. 

But even if they get the best from all of those players — plus those who have under-performed to date, like Jazz Chisholm Jr. — they are not Judge. 

“It kind of sucks not having a three-time MVP in your lineup,” Chisholm said after a 2-1 win over the Guardians. “But at the same time, we all know we can’t use it as an excuse. We’re all baseball players and we got to go out there and win a game.” 

Earlier on Thursday, the Yankees had been waiting to hear back from vascular specialist Dr. Gregory Pearl, who reviewed Judge’s images, hoping to rule out an extreme diagnosis like thoracic outlet syndrome.

They appear to have at least avoided that for now, which is the best news to come out of announcing that one of the best players in the game could miss months. 

“You really miss a player like that, not only out on the field, [but] in the clubhouse and in the dugout, different things like that from a leadership standpoint,” Ryan McMahon said. “You’re always going to miss an Aaron Judge. But it’s on us. We got to hold it down.”

These Atlanta Braves sure have a knack for winning just enough games to take a series.

After winning the first two games at home against the Toronto Blue Jays to win their 17th series of the season, they sputtered out at the plate in a 7-2 loss to the Blue Jays in Thursday night’s finale.

Of those copious series wins, only two have been sweeps — which they haven’t done since May 1-3 at Colorado.

It’s at least somewhat true that the final score was not indicative of the competitiveness of the game. The Blue Jays blew open what had been a contested battle with a four-run ninth off Reynaldo López, scoring all of the runs with two outs.

But that inning made what was a lopsided offensive showing more like it probably should have on the scoreboard based on the hit column.

The Braves allowed a season-high-tying 16 hits to Toronto, which saw each of its top eight hitters in the lineup notch at least one hit and was 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

Atlanta’s offense, by comparison, managed just four hits and was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

That was certainly surprising given the pitching matchup. The Braves started Chris Sale, while Toronto opened with reliever Mason Fluharty before turning it over to Chad Dallas, making his major league debut after he was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo earlier in the day.

Dallas managed the Braves pretty well, getting out of a runner-on-third, one-out situation he inherited and allowing one run on two hits over 3 2/3 innings. And Toronto’s bullpen then really shut the door on the Braves, retiring 12 of 13 Braves over their final four innings at the plate.

All of the Blue Jays’ scoring before the ninth came in a three-run third where they put five straight runners on base with one out. The rally began with the only extra-base hit of the inning, a double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Singles by Kazuma Okamoto and Charles McAdoo followed before a hit-by-pitch of Nathan Lukes and a two-run single off Myles Straw’s bat.

That was certainly the tone of Sale’s outing. He wasn’t consistently hit hard but Toronto racked up 10 hits (his season high allowed) over 5 2/3 innings. His three earned runs allowed were his most since allowing six against the Angels on April 6.

Once again, run support was a totally uncontrollable problem for Sale, who fell to 3-3 over his last six starts despite posting a 2.15 ERA over that span.

The Braves got a run right back in the bottom of the third after Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a single, stole second for his 14th swipe of the season (and third in as many nights), advanced to third on a Mauricio Dubón single and came home on Matt Olson’s sacrifice fly.

Speaking of Dubón, he built off last night’s go-ahead homer by notching two of Atlanta’s four hits. His second hit was an eighth-inning solo homer to snap a streak of 14 straight batters retired which dated back to the final out of the third.

After Dubón had one homer in May, he has two in his first three June games.

At first, the Braves’ bullpen gave the offense a chance to come to life. Didier Fuentes got out of a jam he inherited in the sixth before delivering a scoreless seventh, and Dylan Dodd worked through the eighth without incident.

But López’s ninth inning that got away from him dug way too deep a hole for an offense which never found its gear after a strong showing in Wednesday’s series-clinching win.

Up Next

No rest for these Braves, who will stay at home to host the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend. Pittsburgh entered Thursday’s series finale against Houston having won four of five.

Aaron Judge will be out through at least the All-Star break after he was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the New York Yankees announced Thursday, June 4. 

Judge, the three-time American League MVP, has undergone significant testing since last playing in a game May 31. The club announced Thursday that his test results would be reviewed by a thoracic outlet syndrome specialist, and the announcement of the rib fracture came several hours later. 

The Yankees said Judge's injury will require a period of "rest and limited activity," and Judge will be reexamined in four to six weeks; the lone timeline offered by the club was that Judge is "expected to return sometime this season." 

It's unclear whether the stress fracture would ultimately require removal of the rib, a surgical procedure that would likely sideline Judge for the remainder of the season. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with vacuous TOS and underwent removal of the rib last September; he did not pitch in a regular season game until April 25. 

Judge, 34, won his second consecutive AL MVP last season when he led the majors in batting (.331), on-base (.457) and slugging (.688) and hit 53 home runs. He was off to a similarly powerful start this season, with 17 home runs in 59 games, though his OPS of .907 - while still elite - is off his 1.144 pace of 2025. 

Minus Judge, the Yankees lost two of three games to the Cleveland Guardians. They started Jose Caballero in right field the first two games of the series, then moved Caballero to shortstop, benched Anthony Volpe and gave Max Schuemann a start in right. Judge's production will be virtually impossible to replace, and the extent of Judge's injury and length of absence may frame the extent to which they seek offensive reinforcements at the August trade deadline. 

New York enters the weekend 37-25, a half-game behind Tampa Bay in the AL East.  

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Judge injury timeline revealed by Yankees in latest update

The Yankees will be without Aaron Judge for some time.

After days of imaging and re-imaging, the Yankees announced Thursday night that the two-time AL MVP has a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. 

"He will be reimaged in approximately four to six weeks to determine the level of healing and appropriate next steps," the team wrote in a statement. " Judge is expected to return at some point this season."

Judge was missing from the team's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday when manager Aaron Boonerevealed that Judge had been dealing with a bone bruise in his upper right rib and was feeling it through his right shoulder. 

“He’s been, kind of the last couple of weeks, dealing with some shoulder soreness, just kind of nagging,” Boone said at the time. “And then over the weekend, the last couple of games in Sacramento, I think it became a little more than that, where I noticed on some swings and stuff."

 For days, the Yankees and their fans were waiting for the results of the imaging. 

Judge missed the entire Guardians series, in which the Yankees went 1-2, and will now be without their captain for quite some time.

The 34-year-old has had a solid season so far, but has scuffled of late. Over his last seven games, Judge has just one home run and is hitting 7-for-26 (.269). He has only one home run in his last 18 games. 

Overall, Judge is hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBI to go with his .908 OPS this season.

As for Judge replacements, the Yankees hope to get back Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez soon. Dominguez is set to start his rehab assignment on Friday and Boone said Thursday that he expects to continue into next week. It's unclear if the news on Judge has shifted Dominguez's timeline.

For Stanton, the slugger is seemingly further away. The former NL MVP continues to have live BP and his running ramp-up, and the Yankees skipper conceded earlier this week that it could be a couple of more weeks before Stanton returns to the team. 

Spencer Jones, who had a cup of coffee with the club when Dominguez landed on the IL, could receive the promotion again. 

Across 10 games with the club, Jones went 4-for-24 (all singles) with three walks, two RBI, one stolen base and 12 strikeouts. 

Brayan Bello does not want to hear any more talk about his role on the Red Sox.

Bello, 27, allowed eight runs and walked three through five innings of work in Boston’s 8-2 loss to the Orioles on Thursday before being optioned to Triple-A Worcester, according to multiple reports.

Following the loss, Bello told reporters that he wants people to “stop talking” about whether he is a starting pitcher or a reliever.

“Just stop talking about bullpen and starting games,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez, according to MassLive. “I’ve always been a starter. And when I’ve been successful as a starter, nobody has questioned whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games.”

Questions have arisen about Bello potentially pitching out of the Red Sox’s bullpen due to his abysmal 10.35 ERA through eight starts. In comparison, he has a 0.71 ERA as a bulk reliever while pitching after an opener.

Bello did acknowledge that he’s been having a “bad season” so far, but insisted that he would be able to recover going forward.

“Just stop that talk because I’m just having a bad season. That’s it,” Bello said. “It’s not whether I’m a starter or I’m a reliever. I’m just having a bad season. But I know I can turn it around. I always have. And I think I will.”

When asked if a short stint in the minors would help him figure things out, Bello said, “I’m not thinking about that.”

“I’m thinking about making my adjustments in the big leagues,” he added. “I have a big league contract. That doesn’t mean the bosses … will take that into consideration. But I’m a big leaguer. I’m a big league starting pitcher. And I’ll make my adjustments here.”

With the Red Sox sending him down to Triple-A, it appears that Bello will have no choice but to figure it out in the minor leagues.

Following Thursday’s game, Bello holds a 2-6 record with a 6.34 ERA across 61 innings pitched this season, noticeably worse than last year for the righty, who pitched to a 3.35 ERA through 28 starts in 2025.

“I don’t really know what’s going on,” Bello said. “I think I have the same mentality whether I’m starting or relieving.

“So obviously I don’t know.”

Two nights removed from an excellent performance in his first game at Triple-A Syracuse, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez had a night to forget as he works back from torn meniscus surgery in his right knee. 

Alvarez was 0-for-4 tonight with three strikeouts, caught looking on one of them. His only other at-bat ended in a groundout to short.

Since Alvarez went under the knife on May 14, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has made it clear that his everyday catcher has to prove he's able to play back-to-back games in the minors before he is reactivated from the IL.

In Alvarez's absence, fellow Venezuelan Luis Torrens has been thrust into the starting role behind the plate. He was signed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract extension less than two weeks before Alvarez sustained his injury.

While Torrens has been struggling mightily at the plate, slashing .220/.287/.578, he is an excellent defensive catcher, ranking in the 94th percentile of all qualified MLB catchers for fielding run value (per Baseball Savant).

Meanwhile, DH Jorge Polanco, still yet to return to the Mets lineup as he recovers from Achilles bursitis and a wrist issue, was left out of the Syracuse lineup tonight.

Outfielder Nick Morabito was also on the bench for tonight's game. Ryan Clifford served as the team's DH and went hitless.

In the end, the Syracuse Mets walked it off to take the win against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 3-2 the final. 

For the RailRiders, top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. batted leadoff and went 2-for-4, while Spencer Jones was 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Don't run on Alvy!

Francisco Alvarez nabs Duke Ellis for his second straight rehab game catching a runner stealing! pic.twitter.com/radGUULHXt

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 4, 2026

PHOENIX –– Shohei Ohtani’s sub-1.00 ERA so far this season is even more impressive than it initially appeared.

Turns out, the two-way star has been nursing a small blister on the inside of his right middle finger.

The good news: The blister does not appear to be much of an issue.

In a scoreless six-inning start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night, Ohtani was seen picking at his finger during the outing. A close-up photo of his hand later emerged from when he was sitting in the dugout.

However, manager Dave Roberts said he “didn’t hear too much about it after the game” and “don’t expect it to affect him going forward.”

“He’s dealt with it for the last couple starts,” Roberts said. “Thomas [Albert, the team’s head trainer] just kind of gives me information on how he’s feeling. And every time I’ve asked, it’s been a non-issue.”

Asked specifically if the blister was to blame for Ohtani’s recently inconsistent command –– he had walked eight total batters in his three previous starts before Wednesday, when he issued just one free pass –– Roberts again downplayed its impact.

“I don’t think so,” Roberts said. “When his command has been off, I think it’s a bigger thing than just a blister. Because it’s a small blister, it’s small. That’s just when his mechanics are out of whack.”

Despite all that, Ohtani has continued his dominant start to the year on the mound, returning to full-time pitching duties with a nearly historic 0.74 ERA through his first 10 starts.

“He’s the best player that’s ever walked this earth,” catcher Will Smith said after Wednesday’s game.

Ohtani was out of the Dodgers’ lineup for Thursday’s series finale against the Dbacks, getting the kind of scheduled day off that might become more common the days following his pitching starts.

“Just the overall body soreness and fatigue is something that, if we can manage that, it kind of gives us a chance to get through the next days after,” Roberts said earlier this week.

At the start of the year, the Dodgers had attempted a different strategy to manage Ohtani’s two-way workload, keeping him out of the batting order in three of his early-season pitching outings before having him DH again the day after.

But last month, the club changed course, keeping Ohtani out of the lineup as DH for both his May 13 pitching start and the day immediately after. In each of his three pitching starts since then, he has played both ways, then gotten rest the day after.

“I think him knowing he’s down tomorrow is mentally freeing going into tonight,” Roberts said before Wednesday’s game, when Ohtani also reached base five times as a hitter (three singles, two walks) to push his batting average back over .300. “So, there is some value in him knowing he can empty the tank and know that he doesn’t have to go to it tomorrow as well. 

With Will Smith filling in as the DH, the Dodgers play the Diamondbacks before returning home.

Thursday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Chase Field, Phoenix
• Start time: 6:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

We now know that the St. Louis Cardinals will finally have Lars Nootbaar back in the Major League lineup as he’s being activated for the homestand versus the Cincinnati Reds starting Friday night. There’s been a lot of discussion about what that will mean for the roster moving forward, but I’d like to focus on something that Lars Nootbaar’s return gives the team that statistics cannot track.

In case you missed the announcement that was reported on by MLB Trade Rumors, Lars Nootbaar is headed back to St. Louis. No additional roster move was required because St. Louis sent rule 5 pick Matt Pushard back to the Marlins. The expectation is that Lars will take over his spot in left field which has been covered by Jose Fermin, Bryan Torres, Nelson Velázquez and Thomas Saggese since Nathan Church was injured. There’s a good chance that Lars will be slotted 5th, 6th or 7th in the batting order which should be an upgrade over the production from the bottom of the lineup so far this season. These are important and tangible differences that having Lars back will make for the St. Louis Cardinals.

May I introduce one other factor that I haven’t seen mentioned so far about what Lars Nootbaar’s return will provide the St. Louis Cardinals? If I were one of the Sabermetrics experts here in the VEB community (spoiler alert: I’m not), I’d call my intangible metric TOE. Tarps Off Energy.

One of my favorite parts of the St. Louis Cardinals 2026 season compared to the past 3 years is the competitive energy that the team’s young players bring to the table. I can count on one hand the number of games this year where I’ve felt the team lacked intensity. Now, imagine Lars Nootbaar bringing his personality and fire to what we’ve already seen this season. I can’t wait.

I was not surprised to see ESPN mention today that they believe Lars will become a trade deadline candidate if he stays healthy. That may be so and I don’t disagree that the team should listen to offers and move if the right one is presented. I have to wonder if his playing time between now and the trade deadline is enough to show his value to another team. There’s also the issue of whether Lars can remain healthy which has been his challenge for the past few seasons. However, even if that happens, that gives Lars nearly two months to make a positive impact on the Cardinals young lineup.

Having a career 9.4 WAR player added to the bottom of the lineup which needs help can only be a good thing. There are many that believe Nootbaar being back will also enable the Cardinals to move Victor Scott II back to the minors for more development time once Nathan Church is able to return in the next week or so and I don’t disagree. But, I still believe one of the biggest pluses of having Lars Nootbaar back with the St. Louis Cardinals active roster is the energy he will bring. Let’s hope his positive mojo will be like adding fuel to an already burning fire this young team has already shown.

Long-time Denver Post sports reporter Patrick Saunders announced today on X that he would be leaving the newspaper on June 24, 2026.

Saunders has worked for the post since October 1998 when he began writing about the Denver Broncos.

In 2005, he moved to covering the Colorado Rockies, only missing two years when he served as The Post’s online sports editor (2010-2011).

The third-generation Colorado native, Saunders was recognized in 2018 as the Colorado Sportswriter of the Year. He also served as president of the Baseball Writers’ Association in 2017.

Saunders has degrees in history and education from Fort Lewis College and earned a master’s degree in journalism for the University of Colorado where he works as an adjunct faculty member teaching journalism courses.

Thoughts and well wishes have poured in from the Rockies media community:

On a personal note, Saunders’ departure marks a significant loss of institutional memory on the Rockies beat. In watching Patrick work, he has an ability to ask difficult questions in ways that elicit thoughtful answers. He has worked tirelessly to cover the Rockies and share stories that might be overlooked.

Plus, he’s very funny.

Whatever’s next for Patrick, we here at Purple Row appreciate all that he’s done and look forward to seeing what’s next.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.

• Recalled from Triple-A Reno: LHP Phillip Abner (No. 50)
• Recalled from Reno: RHP Kade Strowd (No. 24)
• Optioned to Reno following last night’s game: RHP Brandon Pfaadt
• Placed on family medical emergency list: RHP Taylor Clarke

The big move is, of course, the exit of Pfaadt from the active roster. Little more than a year ago, he had signed a five-year, $45 million contract extension covering the years 2026-30. That bought out his arbitration years, and gave the team an option for 2031, as well as a mutual option for 2032. Despite his success in the 2023 playoffs, it was an interesting move considering Pfaadt at the time had made 50 regular season starts and been replacement level, with a 5.06 ERA. Things since he inked the deal have only gone downhill: a 5.25 ERA in 2025, and a 5.94 ERA in three starts this year, before getting bumped to the bullpen. Things hardly improved (5.91 ERA), and led to today’s move.

It’s not an enormous surprise, Torey Lovullo saying they wanted to get Pfaadt stretched out as a starter again. He hasn’t thrown 40 pitches in a game for more than a month. Along with the news that Corbin Burnes won’t be back until September (if at all), it means the team has little starting depth, if any replacement for the current rotation were to be needed. So far, the team has been lucky, needing only six starting pitchers. But with Mitch Bratt currently on the minor-league IL, we’d perhaps be looking at a call-up for Thomas Hatch. A 4.01 ERA across 11 starts in the Pacific Coast League is good. But he’s only averaging fourteen outs per game for Reno.

We also note the temporary absence for Clarke. Don’t know any of the details, and it’s frankly none of our business. But I hope whatever it is, gets taken care of, and Clarke is able to come back with a good mind. He has been an excellent part of the bullpen with a 1.73 ERA (and almost of that due to the Opening Day blow-up in LA), and his 26 relief innings leads the club this season. We’ll see whether it’s Abner or Strowd who becomes a long-term resident of the Diamondbacks bullpen, with the other presumably going back down when Clarke returns.

Jung Hoo Lee has been someone the San Francisco Giants can look to when they need a base hit.

Despite San Francisco's season of dismay, Lee in the Giants' recent string of games, has been a ray of sunshine beaming through a dark cloud that's casted over the baseball club.

The Giants' 27-year-old right fielder extended Major League Baseball's longest active hitting streak to 12 games in San Francisco's 12-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, June 4. Lee's streak is also a career-best for the third-year major leaguer.

Lee had four hits on Thursday against the Brewers. He finished the game batting 4-of-5 with three runs scored and a RBI.

Lee now has 67 hits this season, tied for 10th in the MLB. His teammate Luis Arraez is second in the league with 76 hits. Lee also has a .322 average, .356 OBP and .803 OPS, all currently above his career averages.

"I know Ichiro (Suzuki) is a hero of his. The one thing I think Jung Hoo had going at times on video from the past and then seeing it in-person or in the season is that style of hitting I think that we're kind of familiar with from a lot of Asian players. It's got a little bit of rhythm, little bit of movement going forward," Giants skipper Tony Vitello told reporters after the game. "But Ichiro, (he) was always going forward and in line with the pitcher... I just think he's a really good hitter. Again, I boil it down to the mentality. But I do see him staying in line a lot better than he did earlier in the year."

The San Francisco Giants are turning the 2026 season into a rather forgetful one.

At this point in the season, as records are taking shape and we get a sense of the teams being fielded, the Giants' shortcomings have been surprising.

The season was headlined by the excitement and doubts of Tony Vitello, a first-year skipper with no major league experience. There was anticipation for the returning lineup that includes Casey Schmitt, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Heliot Ramos, among others.

There was excitement about the arrival of Tyler Mahle and Luis Arraez, and a full season with Rafael Devers. That was March. We're in June, and all that is out the window.

The Giants have one of the worst records in all of baseball. They are dead last, if not second-to-last, in their NL West division, at 25-38, and are currently trending towards the club's first 100-loss season since 1985.

San Francisco has lost seven of its previous 10 games. Prior to back-to-back wins on Wednesday and Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers to conclude their series, the Giants' previous win in that span came against the Colorado Rockies in a 19-6 rout on May 31. Outside of that, there have been mostly low points for the Giants who have, at times, struggled to score runs.

At this point in the schedule, the Giants should consider ways to give their fans something to cheer for and salvage an abysmal season, even if it means preparing for the future.

Here are options for San Francisco to consider:

After a quick four-game series split against the Giants in Milwaukee, the Brewers are headed out west for a three-game set in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. The Crew sits at 37-23 on the season, five games ahead of the Cardinals and Pirates atop the NL Central as of this writing. On the other side, the Rockies are coming off back-to-back series wins over the Giants and Angels, moving them to 24-39 on the season, still in last place in the NL West.

While several key players have returned for the Brewers in recent weeks, they had a string of injuries in Thursday’s series finale against the Giants, as both DL Hall and Grant Anderson exited. Hall has already been ruled out for the road trip, as he’ll remain in Milwaukee to undergo an MRI scan as he deals with left subscapular/pectoral discomfort. Anderson, who took a liner off his right arm, is reportedly day-to-day with a contusion after X-rays were negative. Lefty Rob Zastryzny, who returned from the IL last weekend, went right back on the shelf with a trap strain, and he’s out until at least late June. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff is close to returning, as is outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who is on the verge of a rehab assignment. Right-hander Quinn Priester is now rehabbing with the ACL Brewers as he continues to deal with the effects of thoracic outlet syndrome. Right-hander Logan Henderson and left-hander Jared Koenig are also expected to return in the coming weeks.

For Colorado, they also have a few day-to-day injuries, as TJ Rumfield is dealing with a nagging shoulder issue, and Tyler Freeman is dealing with shin soreness. Outfielders Jordan Beck, Mickey Moniak, and Brenton Doyle are also out, with Moniak the closest to returning, potentially as soon as this weekend. DH Kris Bryant continues to be plagued by injuries, as he hasn’t played a single game this season. On the pitching side, RJ Petit (2027), McCade Brown (TBD), Jose Quintana (second half), Chase Dollander (TBD), Victor Vodnik (TBD), Jimmy Herget (mid-June), and Welinton Herrera (TBD) are all out.

Jake Bauers is the first Brewer to hit double-digit homers this year, hitting his 10th of the season earlier this week. Brice Turang has seven homers, while Jackson Chourio’s two-homer game in Thursday’s series finale brings him to four for the year, tied with William Contreras and Christian Yelich. Beyond those guys, Milwaukee’s offense features Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, David Hamilton, Andrew Vaughn, Joey Ortiz, Gary Sánchez, Blake Perkins, and Luis Rengifo. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .247/.336/.369 (.705 OPS ranks tied for 16th), with 44 homers (last), 301 runs (sixth), and 63 steals (second).

Catcher Hunter Goodman leads Colorado’s offense with 15 homers this season, with Rumfield at eight homers and Jake McCarthy and Ezequiel Tovar the next best among active players at four homers apiece. Willi Castro, Kyle Karros, Freeman, Edouard Julien, and Troy Johnston round out healthy regulars, while Sterlin Thompson, Braxton Fulford, Chad Stevens, and Brett Sullivan serve as depth. As a team, the Rockies are hitting .247/.316/.391 (.707 OPS ranks tied for 14th), with 60 homers (tied for 20th), 272 runs (15th), and 50 steals (ninth).

The Brewers’ bullpen picture is a tad unclear after the injuries to Hall and Anderson, but the leaders of the current group include Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Trevor Megill. Jake Woodford’s ERA has ballooned to 6.94 after another blow-up outing on Thursday, with Chad Patrick, Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, and Coleman Crow (all three of whom have started games at different points this season, including the latter three in the last week) rounding things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.26 team ERA (third), including a 3.23 starter ERA (third) and a 3.30 bullpen ERA (seventh). They’ve struck out 580 batters (third) over 535 1/3 innings.

Brennan Bernardino leads the Rockies with 28 appearances this season, pitching to a 3.70 ERA over 24 1/3 innings. Juan Mejia (5.79 ERA) and Jaden Hill (3.43 ERA) rank second and third in appearances, respectively, while former starter Antonio Senzatela has looked great in a bullpen role this year, with a 1.30 ERA and three saves over 34 2/3 innings (17 appearances). Seth Halvorsen (2.70 ERA over 13 1/3 innings) is the only other real standout for Colorado. Former Brewer farmhand TJ Shook (no runs allowed over two innings), Keegan Thompson (7.56 ERA over 8 1/3 IP), and Blas Castaño (no appearances) round out the bullpen. As a staff, the Rockies have a 5.46 team ERA (last), including a 6.03 starter ERA (last) and a 4.92 bullpen ERA (26th). They’ve struck out 451 batters (28th) over 552 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, June 5 @ 7:40 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (1-4, 6.24 ERA, 5.59 FIP) vs. RHP Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.85 ERA, 5.06 FIP)

Sproat hasn’t been able to figure things out just yet, and patience seems to be wearing thin as he’s now 11 appearances (nine starts) deep into the season. He sits with a 6.24 ERA, 5.59 FIP, and 52 strikeouts across 49 innings, as he’s allowed a whopping 48 hits (10 homers) and 27 walks for a 1.531 WHIP. He got hit hard again in Houston his last time out, allowing five runs on six hits (but walking none!) with four strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings in a 9-2 loss. This marks Sproat’s first career appearance against the Rockies.

Feltner, 29, is a former fourth-round pick now in his sixth MLB season with the Rockies. He’s made six starts thus far, with a 4.85 ERA, 5.06 FIP, and 19 strikeouts across 26 innings. He’s coming off his best start of the season, as he went six scoreless innings with four hits and no walks allowed, striking out two in an 8-3 win over the Giants. Feltner has made five career starts against Milwaukee, totaling 27 2/3 innings with a 2.93 ERA and 26 strikeouts. That includes a six-inning, one-run outing last season that resulted in a no-decision.

Saturday, June 6 @ 8:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (6-2, 1.65 ERA, 1.85 FIP) vs. RHP Tanner Gordon (0-1, 6.37 ERA, 4.09 FIP)

Misiorowski is coming off one of the best months we’ve ever seen for a Brewer pitcher (despite not winning NL Pitcher of the Month). He went seven scoreless frames against the Astros on Sunday, allowing three hits, a hit batter, and no walks while striking out eight in his sixth win of the season. Across 12 starts this year, he has a sterling 1.65 ERA, 1.85 FIP, and league-leading 108 strikeouts over just 71 innings. This marks his first career appearance against the Rockies.

Gordon, 28, is a former sixth-round draft pick now in his third MLB season with the Rockies. After making all 15 of his appearances as a starter a year ago, he started 2026 as a reliever, making his first seven appearances from the bullpen before getting the start in his last two outings. For the year, he’s totaled 35 1/3 innings with a 6.37 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 35 strikeouts. He got hit hard in a 19-6 loss to the Giants in his last outing, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two over three-plus innings. This marks his first career appearance against Milwaukee.

Sunday, June 7 @ 2:10 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (2-1, 2.87 ERA, 2.78 FIP) vs. LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.06 ERA, 6.08 FIP)

Drohan is set to make his third major league start and 13th appearance in Sunday’s series finale. After making his MLB debut as a starter, he made his next 10 appearances from the bullpen before returning to the rotation on Monday night against the Giants. He went four innings in that one, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five as the Brewers would go on to a 16-2 blowout victory. As is the case with Sproat and Miz, this is Drohan’s first career appearance against Colorado.

Freeland, a fourth-place finisher in the NL Cy Young race back in 2018, has never quite been able to replicate that success. After leading the majors with a whopping 17 losses last season, he has a dismal 8.06 ERA and 6.08 FIP across his first 10 starts this season, totaling 48 innings with 43 strikeouts. He’s allowed at least three runs in each of his last seven starts, including six runs (five earned) on seven hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings against the Angels in his last outing, taking a no-decision as the Rockies would go on to win 9-8. A familiar foe for the Brewers, Freeland is 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA and 51 strikeouts across 58 1/3 innings (10 starts) against Milwaukee, though he lost both appearances against them last year, allowing 11 runs over just 10 1/3 innings.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, June 5: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, June 6: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, June 7: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

This could be one of the highest-scoring series we’ve seen this year, especially when you consider how dismal some of Colorado’s pitchers have been this year and the high-altitude environment of Denver. While the Brewers are just 7-13 in Colorado since beating them in the 2018 NLDS, they did manage to win the series a year ago. Give me a repeat of that performance as the Brewers win two of three.