Category: MLB

This morning an interesting report came out that the Nationals have been talking with other teams about Luis Garcia Jr. ahead of the trade deadline. Garcia’s name has not been mentioned as much in trade rumors as the likes of CJ Abrams or Foster Griffin. However, moving the first baseman at the peak of his value could make a lot of sense.

Multiple teams are expressing interest in trading for Luis García Jr., per @WillSammon.

Talks between the Nationals and other teams on García remain in preliminary stage. pic.twitter.com/9K8o7q5m1z

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 18, 2026

There have been no truly advanced talks yet, but it is now clear that Garcia’s name is out there. This would be an interesting move to make, and has its pros and cons. As mentioned in the Athletic article, losing Garcia could be a big blow to the clubhouse, which the front office is mindful of. 

The 26 year old Garcia has become a leader in the clubhouse despite still being a young player. After all, Garcia is the longest tenured player on the Nats, having been with the club since 2020. Obviously, losing Garcia would be more than just a loss in the clubhouse. Garcia is having a career year on the field, hitting .284 with an .871 OPS and a career high 20 home runs. 

Garcia has been on a torrid run since the start of June, with an OPS of 1.087 and 15 of his 20 homers. He has been putting the ball in the air more consistently, and it has paid off in a big way. Garcia has always had a ton of talent as a hitter, but with a better coaching staff, he is finally putting things together.

That makes the decision to trade him an interesting one. At 26, this could just be the beginning for Garcia. However, he does have a fairly long history of mediocre production before this and cannot hit left handed pitching. There is a decent chance that this is the peak of his value.

One other thing that could make it easier to stomach trading Garcia is the fact that the Nats have ready made replacements waiting in the wings. We saw Abimelec Ortiz in the last game of the first half, and he looked like he could handle big league pitching. He also hit three doubles in his first game back in AAA. If you can get assets, ideally pitchers, for Garcia and have Ortiz slide in and deliver similar production, that would be a bargain.

save that baseball ⚾️

first big league hit for abimelec ortiz !!! pic.twitter.com/jUDuw4VMbq

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 12, 2026

The Nats could target high minors or even young big league pitching in a Garcia deal. If they could get a solid starting pitching prospect and a promising but unproven young reliever, this could be a deal that could help the Nats this year. With Ortiz waiting in the wings, Garcia is a player you can trade while not losing that much production. It would be tough to ask Ortiz to be as productive as Garcia has been, but he can give you about 85% of it.

Our guy Paul made an interesting mock trade with the Red Sox, who were brought up in that article. His trade sends Garcia to the Sox for Kyson Witherspoon and Eduardo Rivera. Just like my suggestion, that brings in a nice pitching prospect and a talented but unproven reliever.

Mock Luis Garcia Jr. trade:
Red Sox Receive
1B Luis Garcia Jr. (134 wRC+, 1.9 fWAR)

Nats Receive:
RHP Kyson Witherspoon (#4, A+, 65.2 IP, 5.07 ERA)
LHP Eduardo Rivera (#25, AAA, 38 IP, 2.84 ERA)

Nats sell high on Garcia and buy low on Witherspoon, a 2025 first round pick who…

— Paul Cubbage (@PaulCubbage23) July 18, 2026

I am not totally sold that Witherspoon would be on the table for Garcia, but I suppose it is possible. Witherspoon was the Red Sox first rounder last year, but has had an uneven first pro season after Boston tried to make some tweaks to his mechanics. However, the talent is still quite large. Rivera is a relief prospect who has made his MLB debut, and has loud stuff from the left side.

Both are a bit buried in the Red Sox loaded pitching core, but would be great fits in DC. If Witherspoon is unavailable, Marcus Phillips is another name that makes sense, especially if there is a third piece coming back to the Nats. Phillips is very similar to Witherspoon, as he has big stuff but uneven results this year in his first season of pro ball. 

With Garcia, there could be a lot of interest due to his unique offensive profile. His combination of power and contact is rare. Other teams that would make sense for him include the Guardians, the D-Backs if they remain in the hunt and maybe even the Marlins. 

Garcia has one year of team control after this season, which would appeal to teams as well. He is not just a rental, and is still very young. If the Nats wanted to do a combination of buying and selling, Garcia would make a lot of sense as a piece to move. Unlike Foster Griffin or CJ Abrams, they have an in-house replacement and Garcia could help them acquire much needed pitching help. There will be a lot on Paul Toboni’s plate as we approach the deadline, and this Garcia decision will be one of many that he has to make.

This will be a short recap, since nothing really of note happened.

Gavin Williams was, well, weird. 11 Ks in 6 innings, but gave up 3 HRs and 5 earned runs.

The offense did practically nothing. After Gavin gave up a 2-run homer in the 2nd, Kwan singled with two outs in the bottom of the 2nd. Jared Jones missed on a 2-2 fastball, and Bazzana laced a triple down the right-field line, scoring Kwan. For what it’s worth, it probably wouldn’t have been a triple if not for Kwan’s spectacular baserunning, getting from first to home on what was, in most cases, a routine double.

That was all.

Pirates starter Jared Jones went 5 innings, striking out 9, and giving up only that one run. The pirates bullpen pitched 4 scoreless innings, striking out 4.

The Guardians bullpen pitched 3 innings and gave up 2 runs.

The Guardians mustered up 7 baserunners today, and collected only one extra-base hit.

It’ll be Logan Allen tonight at 7:10.

SEATTLE — Landen Roupp didn’t want his night to end. But he didn’t put up a fight.

When just over two more innings represents a career high for a season, you learn to pick your battles over going back out for one more. Even in the case of Roupp, who shares the same bulldog mentality as Logan Webb and, on Friday, sure pitched like the Giants’ ace, too.

Roupp tossed seven shutout innings to help the Giants start the second half on the right note Friday in a 7-0 win over the Mariners. Still, he understood he had minimal leverage to persuade manager Tony Vitello to give him the chance of completing eight for a second straight start.

“He made a comment today about not fighting to go back out there in the eighth,” Vitello said.

Instead, he handed the game off to Jason Foley, who touched 97 mph while tossing a scoreless eighth in his first big-league appearance since 2024. Caleb Kilian took care of business in the ninth, and the Giants finished what they hope is a preview of what’s to come in their final stretch.

Roupp, 27, figures to be a big part of the Giants’ second-half plans, especially if Robbie Ray and/or Tyler Mahle are pitching for different teams after the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

The young right-hander has looked the part of a No. 2 his past two times out. Before allowing two hits over seven innings against the Mariners, Roupp limited the Blue Jays to one run on three hits. 

In that outing, 11 days earlier, Roupp was allowed to complete eight innings, a career high. That also put him on the doorstep of another significant milepost: He was less than 10 innings from matching his largest workload in one season — the 106 ⅔ he threw last year.

When his night was over Friday, Roupp’s inning total stood at 104.

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By the sounds of it, the Giants have no plans of lightening his load.

Vitello was asked after the game about his plans for Roupp in the second half, given the career high he is almost certain to blow past the next time he takes the mound.

“Let him pitch,” he said. “Try not to get in a fistfight in the dugout any time he comes out of the game.”

That’s music to Roupp’s ears.

“I don’t really like to take breaks,” he said. “It kind of just messes with my momentum and rhythm. … I feel good to go. I don’t really see anything stopping this.”

Roupp had plenty of downtime between his two most recent starts and said he felt a “little sluggish” when he took the mound in Seattle, even if it didn’t show. After starting 11 losses in a row, tying a franchise record, Roupp has used pretty much the same formula to correct course his past two starts.

“Just trying to pound the zone,” Roupp said. “Not really going for strikeouts much.”

For the most part, he has done a good job of generating early contact. That has allowed him to pitch deeper into games while limiting runs despite striking out less than a batter every two innings his past two starts, which could also bode well for his ability to continue to take on a larger workload.

“I think if you look at his whole body of work, he’s been great for us all year long,” Vitello said. “It’s just been a couple outings where his pitch count gets high on him because he’s not in the zone.”

The Giants opted to skip his last turn in the rotation before the All-Star break, a decision Vitello chalked up more to finding an opportunity for Carson Whisenhunt than giving Roupp a breather.

“Finding ways to get Wiz involved,” Vitello said, “is something we’re all thinking about in the back of our minds as we talk about the pitching staff.”

Soon enough, Roupp and Whisenhunt will likely be in the rotation. There should be no shortage of innings and starts to go around once the Giants’ sell-off commences.

In the meantime, Roupp found a creative setting to stay fresh during his extended layoff. While Webb was enjoying the All-Star festivities in Philadelphia and Vitello was relaxing on the beach in Cabo, Roupp stayed closer to home. He went to Santa Cruz with Casey Schmitt.

The teammates took in the boardwalk, mostly stayed away from the cold, seaweed-filled ocean water and played catch in the driveway of a friend’s house where they were staying.

“I guess it was good, in the long run, to take a break like that,” Roupp said, even though he added, “I would rather not” take another one.

The St. Louis Cardinals will play game 2 in Arizona Saturday afternoon as Dustin May takes the mound for the Cardinals hoping to win the series versus the Diamondbacks. Arizona will try to foil that plan by giving the ball to RHP Brandon Pfaadt. First pitch is set for 3:10pm central time in the desert. The game TV broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.

The Orioles are in unprecedented territory, carrying a season-best five-game winning streak into today’s game. What do you say we make it six?

The Birds’ second-half opener last night wasn’t the most crisply played affair, with nine walks by the O’s pitching staff and a nearly non-existent offensive showing, but Taylor Ward’s dramatic, eighth-inning home run turned a sure defeat into a dramatic victory. The win leapfrogged the Orioles a half game ahead of the Astros in the crowded wild card race.

If the O’s hope to stay ahead, they’ll need to win at least one of their next two games in Houston. Preferably both! Today Trevor Rogers will make his first start of the second half, hoping to continue the roll he was on before the All-Star break. Since the start of June, the lefty has a 1.73 ERA in seven outings, going 4-1 with four quality starts. He’s shaved his once sky-high 6.96 ERA to a reasonable 4.48. If Rogers can hold Yordan Alvarez in check, he’s got a good chance to lower that mark even further.

The Orioles, against Astros righty Spencer Arrighetti, have eight of the same nine guys in the lineup as last night. The one exception is at third base, where newly recalled Christian Encarnacion-Strand makes his Orioles debut in place of Coby Mayo. This will be Encarnacion-Strand’s first MLB appearance in more than a year, since July 8, 2025 with the Reds. He’s never had much success at the major league level, batting just .233/.275/.404 in parts of three seasons with Cincinnati, but he was tearing up Triple-A Norfolk with 17 homers and a .555 SLG in 61 games. If he can play a decent defensive third base and hit a few dingers for however long he’s with the Orioles, I’ll take that.

At 17 letters, Encarnacion-Strand has the longest last name in Orioles history. So he’s got that going for him.

Orioles lineup:

DH Adley Rutschman
SS Gunnar Henderson
LF Taylor Ward
1B Pete Alonso
C Samuel Basallo
RF Dylan Beavers
CF Colton Cowser
3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand
2B Jackson Holliday

LHP Trevor Rogers

Astros lineup:

SS Jeremy Peña
DH Yordan Alvarez
3B Isaac Paredes
2B Jose Altuve
1B Christian Walker
C Yainer Diaz
RF Cam Smith
LF Zach Dezenzo
CF Lucas Spence

RHP Spencer Arrighetti

Here’s the good news: After winning a wild game last night, the Royals have a shot to take the series with a W this afternoon. The bad news: They’re going to have to do it with Randy Dobnak taking a turn in the rotation because Stephen Kolek needs a tune-up start for Omaha (also occurring today) before he’s ready to rejoin the Royals’ rotation following an extended stay on the Family Medical Emergency list to be with his prematurely-born baby daughter.

Dobnak has danced around trouble – allowing 9 hits and 4 walks while only striking out 4 in 9.2 innings – in 2 appearances for the Royals. If he earns at least one out today, it will be the most major league innings he has thrown in a season since 2021. He didn’t pitch in the bigs at all in ‘22 or ‘23, pitched 9.2 innings in ‘24, and only 5.1 innings last year. When the Twins called him up as a 24-year-old in 2019, it seemed like he could be a swingman in their rotation and bullpen for years to come but it just didn’t work out that way for him. The Royals, of course, acquired him for cash from the Mariners when he exercised an upward-mobility clause in his contract with them earlier this year. The Royals actually just sold Rudy Martin Jr.‘s rights to the Orioles for the same reason yesterday.

The Padres will send Griffin Canning to the mound. Canning is something the opposite of last night’s starter, Michael King. His K-BB% is better, but his LOB% is worse, so he carries an unwieldy 6.47 ERA despite a SIERA of 4.57. So, he’s the opposite of King in that he’s been unlucky, but the same as King in that his true performance has been closer to mediocre than the results would seem to indicate. Don’t ask me what the Royals might do about it.

Canning has seven pitches, though he only throws four of them more than 10% of the time, with three of those – his four-seamer, slider, and changeup – accounting for almost 3/4 of his pitches thrown. He doesn’t generally get anyone to chase his pitches. His slider and cutter can generate some whiffs. Batters don’t do well when they put the knuckle-curveball or sweeper into play. The changeup grades out the best of his pitches. It’s a mish-mash of stats that only tell you that he doesn’t seem to have a clear identity as a pitcher. That can be a problem for a good offense, but I could see how it would make it difficult for a bad offense to figure out a plan against him.

Lineups

Speaking of bad offenses, the Royals will send out the same nine they used last night. I wouldn’t hate it if they did better with runners in scoring position before the tenth inning. Only time will tell if they can manage it.

Roster moves (just before going to press!)

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

• Recalled from Triple-A Reno: C Adrian Del Castillo
• Placed on the 10-day injured list: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (strained right adductor)
• Selected to the Major League roster and optioned to Triple-A Reno: RHP Gerardo Carrillo

It’s rare that a Diamondbacks’ loss so thoroughly annoyed me as the one last night. It was bad enough dipping into the Gameday Thread during last night’s concert. But after we came home and I was watching the condensed version of the game to unwind… Well, it succeeded only in winding me up more. It felt, after sweeping the enemy in Dodger Stadium, that the D-backs had the chance to get on a roll, and I wondered if perhaps the All-Star break was coming at just the wrong time. For certainly, based on the evidence last night, this looked like an Arizona team which had forgotten entirely how to play the game over the four days off.

There was hardly an aspect of the Diamondbacks game which was even adequate. Sloppy defense. Poor approaches at the plate (and never mind the 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, they seemed especially poor with a runner on third and less than two outs). Issuing free passes in key situations. Even the ABS challenges were woeful, allowing home-plate umpire Bill Miller to get away with the single most skewed pitch-calling (click on “Favor (Home)” to sort by that) of the season so far. Indeed, there just only one worse game all of last year – when there were no ABS challenges available to mitigate this level of official incompetence.

Hopefully, things will go better today. Merrill Kelly’s start was actually one of the lesser problems. While he did the five and dive, two of the three runs he allowed came courtesy of Marte’s first-inning gaffe and were unearned. So his ERA dropped to 5.20, the lowest it has been since May. We’ll see if Brandon Pfaadt can join him on the recovery train. Since returning to the rotation, he’s 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA and a FIP under three. Especially with the news about Zac Gallen, it looks like Pfaadt will be a key component of the rotation for the rest of the season. If he can pitch like it again today, we will be all the better for it.

Given how much the White Sox have crushed right handed starters recently, Sox fans seeing another righty on the schedule may well go, “Oh, yesss!!” Then when they see who it is, they may well go, “Oh, noooo!!!” And then, when they look at recent stats, they’ll be back to, “Oh, yesss!!” again.

That’s because the Blue Jays are starting Shane Bieber, whom Sox fans are bound to remember from his Cy Young and multiple-All Star years in Cleveland. But lately, Bieber has been more Justin than Shane, thanks to injuries.

Bieber was outstanding for two starts in 2024 before departing for Tommy John surgery. Then he was just so-so after coming back late last season. And then he had another elbow injury this spring which kept him out until June 23, since which he has been absolutely horrible — 26 hits, seven of them homers, in just 17 2/3 innings, to go along with ten walks, adding up to a 7.64 ERA and 2.04 WHIP.

The Sox counter with the righty who had been their star earlier, but Davis Martin has himself struggled some lately, raising his ERA a point in the past month, His last time out, Martin gave up five runs in four innings against the Red Sox — but maybe all he needed was a nice relaxing time between starts, provided thanks to the All-Star break.

With right handers on the mound, both teams have gone to lefty-heavy lineups, though the Blue Jays are limited from that side.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 Central (:07 must be a Canadian thing), with the Rogers Centre roof expected to be closed because of wildfire pollution. Usual broadcast suspects instead of the greed fest last night that put the game on Apple TV.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Guardians, July 18, 2026, 4:10 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing in a Saturday matinee matchup against the Cleveland Guardians in their first series back after the All-Star break.

Braxton Ashcraft is taking the mound in his first start in the second half. Ashcraft finished the first half of the season with a start on July 11 at home against the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched five innings and gave up five hits and five earned runs, but the Pirates rallied late with four runs in the seventh inning to beat their NL Central rival 7-6.

Ashcraft has arguably been the best starter for the Pirates so far this season. He is 9-3 with a 3.49 ERA. Pittsburgh has won each of Ashcraft’s last five appearances, which sets him up well for today’s game against the Guardians.

Cleveland is handing the ball to a third-year pro, Joey Cantillo, who’s 8-4 with a 3.56 ERA. Cantillo won his last start back on Sunday against the Miami Marlins, pitching five innings, giving up six hits and one run, and earning a 5-2 victory on the road. The Guardians are keeping Cantillo on his normal rest for this start, opting to give other starters more time to recover from the first half of the season.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Braxton Ashcraft (9-3, 3.49 ERA) vs. Joey Cantillo (8-4, 3.56 ERA)

BD community, this is your gameday thread. Chime off in the comments section below.

San Diego Padres (48-49) at Kansas City Royals (39-59), July 18, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City, MO

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Saturday starters. pic.twitter.com/TcxApSa6nO

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 18, 2026

Powder Blue Saturday. pic.twitter.com/aJVpfcYZOw

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 18, 2026

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Texas Rangers @ Atlanta Braves

Saturday, July 18, 2026, 3:10 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Truist Park

LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. RHP Owen Murphy

Go Rangers!

Following an objectively well ranked haul for the Rays — who had the no. 2 overall pick — we asked for your take on a Rays 2026 MLB Draft that was quite young and full of pitchers.

Did you like the haul? Did you agree with the Rays youth strategy?

Previously:Rays Post Draft Thoughts and How the 2026 Class Affects System Depth

Here’s what y’all thought:

I’m pleased to see there were no trolling responses of D or F…

The second half is here, and for many betting their way through the season is part of the fun. If that’s you, check out our friends at FanDuel who sponsored this post.

Go Rays!

Join us and discuss tonight’s matchup of two intriguing pitchers in the comments below!

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, July 18, 4:10 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, Los Bravos

The Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins are back at it on a Saturday afternoon, and the Crew has a chance to secure a series win right out of the All-Star break.

To do so, they’ll have to get through Max Meyer on the mound for Miami. The Brewers will counter with Shane Drohan. Meyer has been phenomenal this year, pitching to a 2.58 ERA in 19 starts so far, as he was named an NL All-Star. Drohan has a 3.09 ERA on the season and has been very good since re-entering the starting rotation.

The Brewers did make some roster moves prior to this game. Sal Frelick was placed on the IL with a shoulder injury after being removed early in last night’s game. Blake Perkins was recalled from Triple-A to take his roster spot.

Also, Brandon Woodruff made an announcement about his injury, stating that he will indeed have to undergo shoulder surgery for a second time in three years. His 2026 season is over. Woodruff had a 2.98 ERA in nine starts this season, proving he could still be effective, even with diminished stuff.

Late before the game, the Brewers announced that Brice Turang was scratched from the lineup with right foot soreness. Pat Murphy said pregame to “stay tuned” as the issue had flared up on him after fouling a pitch off his foot last night.

That takes one of the big bats out of the Brewers lineup as they face the right-handed Meyer. Jake Bauers moved up into the No. 3 spot in the order. With Frelick on the shelf, Luis Lara gets the start today in right field and batting sixth. Braden Shewmake was inserted into the lineup, playing second base and batting eighth, while Joey Ortiz will man the hot corner and bat ninth.

The Marlins shuffled around their lineup a little. Otto Lopez, Heriberto Hernández, and Kyle Stowers make up the top of the order today. Xavier Edwards, Javier Sanoja, and Liam Hicks form the middle of the order. Leo Jiménez, old friend Esteury Ruiz, and Joe Mack round out the bottom of the Marlins lineup.

First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

Lineup update: Braden Shewmake will bat 8th & play 2B in place of Brice Turang https://t.co/2l65oJS2tJ

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 18, 2026

Game 2 from Milwaukee.

📺: https://t.co/pMAEOPIlyG
👂: @MarlinsRadio, @radiomambi710, @1043wqam
⏰: 4:10 PM ET#FightinFishpic.twitter.com/RZf7OMuKJA

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) July 18, 2026

TODAY’S GAME: The Astros will play their 100th game of the season today as they host the Orioles for the middle game of their three-game series at Daikin Park.

RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-5) will get his first start of the second half today opposite the Orioles and starter LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7).

THE STOPPER: RHP Spencer Arrighetti is making his 16th start of the season today and his ninth following an Astros loss.

In his previous eighth starts after an Astros loss, Arrighetti has gone 5-0 with a 2.38 ERA (12ER/45.1IP).

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 27-21 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.

On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

GET ‘EM EARLY: The Astros rank first in the AL and second in MLB in 1st-inning runs (67).

Overall, the Astros rank fourth in the AL in runs (451) immediately ahead of the Orioles (450).

RACKING UP WINS: Manager Joe Espada has 222 managerial wins as the Astros skipper, which ranks 11th in franchise history.

With two more wins, he will match Terry Collins (224 wins) for 10th on the Astros all-time managerial wins list.

THE LINEUP: The Astros have used 98 different lineups in their 99 games, repeating a lineup just once on the season.

DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 86 times.

TODAY’S PROMOTIONS: At today’s game, the Astros will celebrate Christmas in July, presented by Macy’s.

Fans are encouraged to stop by the open- to-the-public festive area located in Union Station, featuring some incredible Light Up the Park displays.

Additionally, 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Yainer Diaz Catching Bobblehead, presented by Goya.

THIS WEEKEND’S TELECASTS: This entire series will be televised by Space City Home Network with Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum and Lauren Callender on the call.

Sideline reporter Julia Morales will rejoin the broadcast next week.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Astros dropped a close game last night by a score of 3-2 to the Orioles.

RHP Peter Lambert (1ER/6IP) was great in his start, fanning a career-high 10 hitters, while allowing just three hits in his start.

SS Jeremy Peña (2×3, 2BB), DH Yordan Alvarez (2×3, RBI, 2BB) and 3B Isaac Paredes (1×3, RBI, BB) reached base 10 times among the three of them at the top of the order.

RIDING THE LAMBO: Last night’s starter RHP Peter Lambert, who was a minor league free agent signing this offseason, leads the club in wins and among AL pitchers he ranks second in opponent average (.197) and seventh in ERA (3.03) (min. 90IP).

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 starts.

MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez is a strong MVP candidate, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.067), OBP (.431), SLG (.636), and total bases (224).

Additionally, he is the Triple Crown leader in the AL, ranking first in batting average (.321), HR (31), and RBI (71) entering play today.

Alvarez also ranks first in the AL in hits (113), first in XBH (49), tied for second in runs (65), and fourth in walks (65).

ALL-STAR ALVAREZ: DH Yordan Alvarez started and hit second for the AL in this week’s All-Star Game, going 1×2 with a single and a run scored.

This marked the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he was voted as a starter (also in 2024)

WHAT A HALF!: DH Yordan Alvarez hit 31 homers prior to the break, which are the most in a first half in club history, topping OF Lance Berkman, who hit 29 homers in the first half of the 2002 season.

Alvarez is on pace to hit 50 homers on the season, which would represent a new franchise record, topping the 47 homers hit by 1B Jeff Bagwell in 2000.

Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in HR (31), first in RBI (70), first in XBH (48), tied for first in hits (111), second in batting average (.318), second in runs (65), and fourth in walks (63).

KEYSTONE FLIGHTS: 2B Jose Altuve has 246 career homers as a second baseman and per Elias that ties him with 2B Joe Gordon and 2B Ian Kinsler for eighth all-time in homers by a second baseman in MLB history.

On that all-time list, the trio immediately trails 2B Bret Boone (251), who happens to be the father-in-law of IF Nick Allen.

TAP FOR SUCCESS: Astros hitters have won an MLB-best 70 ABS challenges and lead the Majors in challenge success rate (61%).

2B Jose Altuve has been successful on 15-of-21 challenges (71%), ranking second in the Majors in challenges won.

3B Isaac Paredes (11-for-12) has been the most efficient regular challenger for the team and was successful in his first 11 challenges on the season.

WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 3-1 with 10 saves (in 10 chances), has a 1.17 ERA (2ER/15.1IP), 25 strikeouts in 15.1 innings, a .115 (6×52) opponent average, and a 0.91 WHIP in 17 appearances.

He has not allowed a hit in 13 of his 17 appearances.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: The Astros rank second in the AL in fielding pct. (.988) and their 42 errors are the second-fewest in the AL.

1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in his 95 games played at 1B.

Dating back to last season, Walker has not made an error in his last 123 games at 1B (last error was Aug. 23, 2025 at BAL).

ON THE MEND: RHP Hayden Wesneski (right elbow surgery) pitched for Triple A Sugar Land last night at El Paso, tossing 4.0 innings and 64 pitches, while allowing three runs on six hits.

He’s now made four rehab appearances, posting a 2.87 ERA (5ER/15.2IP) with 14 strikeouts in those contests.

MINOR LEAGUE PROMOTIONS: The Astros promoted several prospects throughout the minor league system over the All-Star break, notably moving RHP Jackson Nezuh up to Triple A Sugar Land, OF Chase Call up to Double A Corpus Christi, and IF Xavier Neyens up to Class A Asheville.

Neyens, who was the Astros first-round pick last season and currently ranks among the top 100 prospects in baseball, made his Tourists debut last night, going 1×4 with a double.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, July 18, 3:10 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)

Bounce back.

⚾️: 3:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 102.9 HD2#ChaseTheFight x @reliantenergypic.twitter.com/HoUkOOBtSH

— Houston Astros (@astros) July 18, 2026

Saturday plans.

📺 @masnOrioles & MASN+
📻 98 Rock 97.9 FM & WBAL 1090 AM pic.twitter.com/I1zz5mux9l

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 18, 2026