Category: MLB

SAN FRANCISCO — Before and after the stunning early-season trade of Patrick Bailey, the Giants’ catching position has been an offensive black hole.

When they arrived at the ballpark Wednesday, it had been nearly two months since the last home run from one of their catchers. The lack of offense from a defense-driven position is low on the list of reasons why the Giants are where they are in the standings.

But when the player they traded for a lack of hitting is launching more balls over the wall than his replacements who represented a defensive downgrade, it stands out.

Finally, Daniel Susac provided some salvation in the second inning.

The former Rule 5 draft pick got ahold of a low changeup from Brewers starter Thomas Pannone in the second inning and left little doubt about its final destination. The ball ended up 411 feet away for Susac’s long-awaited first career home run — and the first by any Giants catcher since June 4.

“It was about time,” joked starting pitcher Logan Webb.

The blast to straightaway center followed an error and a walk and gave the Giants a three-run lead that held up behind Webb’s six innings of two-run ball that eventually turned into a 16-3 romp.

Susac added a second home run in his final at-bat, with position player Andrew Vaughn on the mound, taking his career total from zero through his first 44 games to two after his 45th.

“I’d be lying if I said [it wasn’t on my mind], but I knew it was going to come eventually,” Susac said. “Just trying to get back to the swing I began this year with. It’s been a grind. … Lost a little bit of weight in spring training, so I’ve been trying to put that back on while keeping it healthy weight.”

The Giants, fresh off being swept by the lowly Royals, took two of three from a team tied with the Dodgers for the majors’ best record and have won consecutive series for the first time since the last week of June.

Webb pitched with a lead for most of his six innings, limiting the damage to two runs after allowing the leadoff man to reach three times, and had no reason to come out for the seventh after the Giants batted around and exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth.

They added three more in the seventh and another three against the position player in the eighth.

“It’s a really, really good group when it gets going downhill,” manager Tony Vitello said. “They stacked at-bat on at-bat today, and I guess you’ve got to trust the process that if you’ve got at-bats like we had in that [sixth] inning, eventually the floodgates will open.”

The Texas Rangers didn’t score but the Tampa Bay Rays scored three runs.

MacKenzie Gore allowed three hits to the first four batters he faced in tonight’s contest. Two of those hits were home runs including one on the first pitch from Gore and another, a two-run shot, that nearly tore the roof off the Trop.

We’re used to Gore having one of these disastrous innings in each of his appearances. It’s interesting to ponder how this start’s disaster impacted the entire course of the game. Down 3-0 immediately, the Rangers never really showed a spark for a comeback bid.

Maybe they thought the Rays were going to blow the game open on Gore eventually. Maybe it’s just difficult to beat the AL’s best club at their park when your starter gives up a crooked number no matter when it comes.

Who knows, maybe if the game had settled in, perhaps Texas could have struck first before the Gore Inning (TM). Or maybe not. Maybe they were just destined to never get on the board tonight against a thrifty Rays staff and it simply was always going to play out like this.

Here’s the punchline, though: After that two-run home run, Gore threw the next 6 2/3 innings without allowing another hit while retiring 20 of the last 21 he faced. Gore walked no one and struck out nine in a quality start, and one that saved the bullpen from a lot of extra work.

Maybe Gore should have done more to give the lineup something to believe in early, but ultimately the lineup failed to ever make this a game and the Rangers missed a shot at their best mark above .500 this season.

Player of the Game: Ironically, MacKenzie Gore.

Up Next: The Rangers and Rays close out this series in the ante meridiem with the Rangers not yet naming a starter but perhaps RHP Nathan Eovaldi while Tampa Bay will turn to LHP Shane McClanahan.

The Thursday finale first pitch from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 11:10 am CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (54-55) and Los Angeles Angels (42-66) play the finale of this 3-game series tonight at Angel Stadium.

RHP Hayden Wesneski (2026 Debut) will make his first start of the season as he takes on Angels RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-3, 8.54 ERA).

SWEEPSTAKES: A win tonight would give the Astros their 4th series sweep of the season and their 2nd on the road. The other was a 3-game sweep vs. the Cubs at Wrigley Field, May 22-24. Their most recent sweep was a 3-gamer vs. MIA last week (July 20-22).

BIG WES: RHP Hayden Wesneski makes his return to the big league mound tonight after missing the last 14 months while recovering from Tommy John surgery. His last Major League appearance was a start on May 6, 2025 at MIL.

Rehab: Wesneski posted a 2.25 ERA (5 ER/20IP) combined ERA in 5 rehab starts at Triple A Sugar Land (3 GS), Double A Corpus Christi (1 GS) and the FCL Astros (1 GS). His last rehab start was for Sugar Land vs. Nashville on July 24 (4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 80 pitches, 49 strikes).

Local Product: Wesneski is a Houston-area native and was a standout at Cy Fair High School. He went on to have a record-setting career at Sam Houston St. (25-9, 3.56 ERA), which is also where Steve Sparks pitched in college.

RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 7 of their last 8 games. Their recent 5-game win streak (7/20-25) matched their longest win streak of the season (other was 3/28-4/1).

ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the final game of a 6-game road trip for the Astros (4-1 thus far). HOU was 2-1 over the weekend at CWS on the first stop of the trip. The Astros are 21-13 (.618) on their last five road trips combined and are 27-19 (.587) on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season. HOU is now 28-28 overall on the road.

ROAD SLUGGING: On the road, Astros are 1st in the AL in runs scored (268) and road HR (79) while ranking 2nd in road OPS (.739) and road SLG (.416).

VS. THE HALOS: A win tonight would give the Astros their 1st sweep of the Angels since Sept. 13-15 of 2024 at LAA, which was also a 3-game series. The Astros are 5-4 vs. LAA thus far in 2026. Over the years, the Astros have had success vs. the Angels. They are 143-92 all-time against the Halos, including a 69-48 record at Angel Stadium.

Note: The Astros were 2-0 vs. LAA in a 2-game, regular season series in Mexico, May 4-5 of 2019.

MEASURING UP: The Astros are 32-23 vs. teams currently at .500 or better. Additionally, HOU is a combined 20-11 vs. the 6 AL clubs currently holding playoff spots, with a 10-6 record vs. the 3 AL division leaders (2-1 vs. TB, 6-4 vs. TEX, 2-1 vs. CWS) and a 10-5 record vs. the 3 current AL Wild Card teams (5-1 vs. BOS, 4-2 vs. CLE, 1-2 vs. NYY).

THE LAMMA: RHP Peter Lambert finished the month of July with a 2-0 record in 5 starts with a 1.88 ERA (6 ER/28.2IP) and 32 K’s, allowing just 1 HR in the month. Since May 24, Lambert is 6-1 in 12 starts with a 2.79 ERA, ranking 2nd in the AL in wins in that span.

SLOW BUT STEADY CLIMB: After a 20-31 start to the season, the Astros are 34-24 (.579) since May 22, which is the best record in the AL in that span.

PEÑA POWER: Jeremy Peña has hit safely in 10 straight games at .439 (18×41) clip with 5 HR, 8 RBI and 14 R. He has raised his avg. from .287 to .314. in those 9 games.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez is a strong AL MVP candidate as he enters tonight leading the league in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking 1st in batting average (.325), HR (35), and RBI (80). Additionally, he currently leads all of baseball in OPS (1.082), OBP (.435), SLG (.647) and TB (251), and in the AL, he also ranks 1st in hits (126) and runs (74) and 4th in walks (72).

HOT IN JULY: Yordan Alvarez has posted a 1.223 OPS in his 21 games in July. For the month, he is batting .367 (29×79) with 9 HR and 20 RBI (.463 OBP, .760 SLG).

BRYAN’S BACK: RHP Bryan Abreu has a 1.46 ERA (2ER/12.1IP) in his last 12 apps. with just 7 hits allowed and 14 K’s in that span. Additionally, since May 1, he has a 2.31 ERA (7ER/27.1IP) in 28 apps., and is 5-for-5 in save opp. in that span. Prior to May 1, Abreu had a 12.54 ERA in his 1st 11 apps. of the season.

ROSTER MOVE: Following last night’s game, the Astros optioned RHP Miguel Ullola to Triple A Sugar Land, to make room for RHP Hayden Wesneski, who was reinstated from the Injured List today.

HOW THE WEST WAS WON: Beginning Friday, the Astros will host the 1st place Texas Rangers in a 3-game, AL West showdown. The Astros enter tonight in 2nd place in the West, just 2.0 games behind the Rangers. The Astros are 6-4 vs. TEX thus far in 2026. This weekend’s series will be the final regular season matchup between the 2 clubs.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2024 – The Astros acquire LHP Yusei Kikuchi from the Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Jake Bloss, OF Joey Loperfido and minor leaguer IF Will Wagner. Kikuchi goes 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA (18ER/60IP) in 10 starts down the stretch. The Astros went 9-1 in his 10 starts in 2024 en route to winning the AL West Division title.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, July 29, 8:38 p.m. CT

Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA

TV: SCHN

Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Last night, the Athletics evened this series against the Boston Red Sox, winning the second game 4-3 in a contest that came down to the final out. The Red Sox came within a few feet of hitting a second consecutive home run with two outs in the ninth inning, but A’s center fielder Henry Bolte tracked down the fly ball, preserving the victory for pitcher Hogan Harris and the A’s.

Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez will start the third game of this four-game series between the two American League clubs. The 28-year-old enters his 17th appearance and 14th start of the season with a 5-4 record, a 6.12 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP and 53 strikeouts over 64 2/3 innings.

Lopez earned the win in his last start after holding the Minnesota Twins scoreless over five innings while allowing just one hit. Control remains a concern, however, as he issued four walks to continue a season-long trend. Lopez, could benefit from tonight’s matchup against a Red Sox offense that has drawn the fourth-fewest walks in the major leagues. After Gage Jump recorded a quality start yesterday, the Athletics will look for Lopez to deliver another strong performance in his first career outing against Boston.

Here’s the Athletics’ lineup this evening:

If the A’s want to score more runs, they will need leadoff hitter Jacob Wilson to work deeper counts and avoid chasing pitches outside the strike zone. Third baseman Tommy White moves up into the third slot in the lineup after recording the second four-hit game of his career yesterday. White earned the nickname “Tommy Tanks” for his home run ability in college, but he has primarily been a singles hitter through his first 39 major league at-bats. He will look to record his first major league home run this evening.

Further down the starting nine, Jonah Heim will catch, with backup catcher Brian Serven, who hit a two-run home run last night, on the bench. Colby Thomas will serve as the designated hitter, allowing Lawrence Butler to start in right field. Butler, who delivered a pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game, enters today looking to raise his batting average above .200.

The A’s offense will face Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who is seeking his first win in his fourth outing with the team. Sandoval returned to action with a new club after missing last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Through his first three starts back in the big leagues, he has posted a 3.21 ERA with 13 strikeouts over 14 innings. In his last start, Sandoval pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The “Green and Gold” are familiar with the 29-year-old, who pitched for the Los Angeles Angels from 2019 to 2024. During that span, he faced the A’s 11 times, going 4-4 with a 2.56 ERA and 47 strikeouts. The Athletics will aim to generate offense against Sandoval tonight and defeat him for the fifth time.

And Boston’s starting nine:

Over the past two nights, the A’s pitching staff has limited Boston’s offense, with all of the Red Sox’s runs coming against A’s relievers. Lopez will need to be careful against the middle of Boston’s lineup, especially Wilyer Abreu, who has hit left-handed pitching well.

Time to win a second straight and set up a chance to take the series tomorrow. Let’s go A’s!

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET

The Red Sox came all the way back in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Athletics, which evened the four-game set. 

Patrick Sandoval takes the mound for his fourth start in a Red Sox uniform after 4 2/3 scoreless innings last time out against the Toronto Blue Jays. Nick Sogard also rejoins the team after Curtis Mead landed on the injured list after two at-bats with the team. 

Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Wednesday night in Sacramento. 

The Athletics counter with Jacob Lopez, who holds a 6.12 ERA through 64.2 IP of work. The Athletics have lost four of his last five starts. 

There are 23 teams either in a playoff spot or within 5 ¹/₂ games of one, which means there are 23 teams that would welcome Luke Weaver to their bullpen.

With trade rumors and reports swirling and plastered “on the front page of my Instagram or my newspaper that I don’t read,” Weaver said to laughs, a battle-tested pitcher continued to show that he can pitch through pressure.

Weaver is enhancing his trade value — and his value to the Mets, who do not have to trade him — during a stretch in which the toss-up reality of his immediate future does not seem to matter to him on the mound.

“It [was] certainly a lot harder in the past,” Weaver said about dealing with the uncertainty after firing another scoreless inning in a 3-2, doubleheader-opening victory over the Braves at Citi Field on Wednesday. “But unfortunately and fortunately, I’ve had a lot of experience through different waves of these circumstances — experience to lean into, offseason, in season, for good, for bad. So I think that gives me peace.”

Weaver has pitched for seven teams in parts of nine major league seasons, been traded twice and designated for assignment twice. After his second DFA he was claimed by the Yankees, who converted him to a reliever, watched him soar and last offseason watched him sign a two-year, $22 million pact with the Mets.

So the 32-year-old has been here, which is apparent as he flourishes during a challenging moment. Since May, he has pitched in 29 games and allowed one earned run.

He also is happy with where he literally is, which matters because the Mets are not obligated to trade him like they are with walk-year bullpen arms in Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter (who himself threw a scoreless inning in the 1-0 nightcap loss). Weaver, due $11 million next season, could be a part of a 2027 Mets team that will want to compete.

He is “absolutely” enjoying life with the Mets, he said, pointing to the relationships he has formed and the clubhouse culture.

“It’s been a real joy to come in every day, even in an environment that isn’t winning like we had hoped,” Weaver said after lowering his ERA to 1.88 with a one-hit, one-strikeout eighth inning. “I think [losing clubhouses] can be a very dreaded environment from time to time in certain situations, but to me I’ve never had that. I think it’s disappointing after games when you’re not winning. The winning is great, but you also want the consistency of what you bring on a daily basis when you walk in through the door, and that has definitely matched that in such a positive way, and it’s a testament to the people they have here.”

Weaver said he and his wife are “mentally prepared to an extent” for a trade, “but we’re also not by any means one foot out the door.” He referenced the fact the Mets are not about to embark upon a rebuild and will want to win soon.

Which complicates the future of a pitcher who is showing he can help them win.

“Luke’s really good [and] valuable to us not just this season, the remainder, but also the next season,” interim manager Andy Green said. “Nobody knows how the next few days are going to go.”

The San Francisco Giants had a few things to cheer about in their 16-3 blowout win against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California on Wednesday, July 29.

First off, it was a milestone game for Giants catcher Daniel Susac, who hit his first pair of home runs in his young MLB career.

Susac got his first-career homer on a three-run blast in the second inning that flew 411 feet across center field and out of the park, bringing in Jung Hoo Lee and Willy Adames.

But he wasn't done. He added his second career homer in the eighth inning, going yard 379 feet to left center field to extend the San Francisco lead to 14-3. Susac ended the game going 2-for-4 accounting for two home runs, three scores and four RBIs.

The Giants went on tp win the game and the three-game series, as well as a season-series win over the NL Central-leading Brewers.

Susac, 25, made his MLB debut with the Giants on April 1.

He already looked to establish himself as a consistent base-hitter. In his first career start against the New York Mets, Susac recorded a hit in his first at-bat, going 3-for-3 in the game. He started out with two hits in his next start and became the first player in Giants' modern history to go 5-for-5 in his first five plate appearances. He finished that game against the Philadelphia Phillies 3-for-4 with a two-run RBI triple that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

It was one of the rare high moments for the Giants this season.

San Francisco routed Milwaukee by taking command in the sixth inning, ripping seven runs on four hits and two errors.

Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez both ripped off four hits in the contest, going 4-for-5 on the day.

Arraez became the MLB batting average leader when he singled to center at the bottom of the seventh inning, which resulted in an RBI bringing home Drew Gilbert. His batting average improved to .331 in the Giants' 16-3 win.

Arraez is a three-time batting champion and could very well win his fourth this season with the Giants.

San Francisco won consecutive series for the first time since late June when they took 2-1 series wins against the A's and Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park from June 23-28.

The Giants improved to 46-62, but still have the second-worst record in the National League and the West division. Their next series is a divisional four-game bout against the San Diego Padres. Their series will be at Petco Park in San Diego, California. The first game begins Thursday, July 30 at 6:40 p.m. PT.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Giants catcher Daniel Susac hits first career home runs in blowout win

Sound the trumpets.

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated star closer Edwin Díaz from the 60-day injured list, the team announced in a press release on Wednesday afternoon. The 32-year-old flamethrower had been sidelined since April 20 with loose bodies in his right elbow.

Left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes was designated for assignment in the corresponding move.

Díaz underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow on April 22 to remove five loose bodies, or fragments of bone and cartilage that break off inside the joint. It's a condition that Díaz has said he's had to manage since 2012, but the discomfort reached a tipping point early this season when he struggled to a 10.50 ERA with seven earned runs allowed in six innings pitched; an abominable 2.33 WHIP indicated he was battling through some kind of issue with his mechanics or health.

His most recent appearance for the Dodgers came on April 19, where he gave up three runs on three hits to the Colorado Rockies and was promptly pulled by manager Dave Roberts.

The Dodgers conclude their series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night, and turn to Roki Sasaki coming off one of his best starts of the season.

Sasaki struck out nine in seven innings in a win over the Mets last Friday, and over his last three starts has a 1.93 ERA in 18 2/3 innings with 19 strikeouts against only four walks.

Bryce Miller starts on the mound Thursday for Seattle.

Thursday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Mariners
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Well, that game was one to forget.

The worst loss of the year also gives the Brewers their first series loss since before the All-Star Break as they are pummeled 16-3.

To begin, today was already one of those games you didn’t know what to expect as Thomas Pannone made his first start on a Major League mound since 2019. Frankly, it didn’t go quite the way manager Pat Murphy had envisioned as he was looking to give his pitching staff rest.

Pannone was pulled after three innings, during which he threw 56 pitches and allowed two earned runs on two walks and three hits. The bummer of the outing was allowing Daniel Susac to achieve his first career home run. Pannone’s issue throughout his three innings wasn’t necessarily the hits he allowed but rather the number of times he fell behind early in counts.

After Susac gave the Giants a 3-0 lead, the Brewers began their attempt at coming back as the game was officially turned over to the bullpen following the third inning. After David Hamilton and Cooper Pratt both reached base via the single, an RBI groundout occurred from the bat of Brice Turang to cut the deficit down to 3-1. Jackson Chourio quickly ended any other scoring chances as he grounded into an inning-ending double play.

An inning later, Jake Bauers proved that his broken toe was no issue as he led off with a triple into right field. After a Christian Yelich walk, Garrett Mitchell drove in another run on a groundout to bring the game within one at 3-2. That would be the closest the Brewers got the rest of the way, as the bullpen imploded.

Chad Patrick was the first out of the bullpen and threw two scoreless innings before things got away from him in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he proceeded to allow two runs. Aaron Ashby came into the game and only recorded one out before being pulled, as he went on to allow four runs himself on three hits and a walk.

Ashby’s outing was the worst of the bullpen pitching, but it still didn’t look great for the bullpen as we advanced. Bryse Wilson saw his worst outing since rejoining the Brewers as he allowed three runs himself on six hits. After seven innings, the Brewers were down 10, and there was no sense in burning another arm as they called upon Andrew Vaughn to finish out the game.

The Giants’ offense compiled 17 hits on the afternoon as they got four-hit games from Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos. On top of that, Susac had a career day: not only did he hit his first career home run, but he also smashed two, driving in four runs.

Overall on the season, the Brewers are now 2-4 against teams based in the state of California on the road. Despite the favorable schedule, the games on the road against Californian teams continue as the Brewers will enjoy an off day tomorrow before taking on the Los Angeles Angels. After their next homestand, they’ll be right back out west taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres as well.

Taking a look at the series against the Angels, the Brewers will send Shane Drohan to the mound for game one, Robert Gasser in game two, and Jacob Misiorowski in game three. Until then, perhaps today’s game opens some eyes in terms of what the Brewers need to do come trade deadline.

The Tigers may have just given the biggest clue into the Tarik Skubal trade deadline rumors.

On Wednesday, Skubal made his final start before Major League Baseball’s Monday trade deadline.

The Tigers posted a picture of an emotional Skubal on X with only a goat emoji for the caption. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Skubal received a standing ovation at Comerica Park in front of a home crowd wondering whether that would be final time the two-time Cy Young winner pitched for the Tigers.

Several teams have been linked to Skubal, including the Dodgers, Brewers and Braves. But it’s the back-to-back World Series champions who have the best trade capital to strike a deal with Detroit.

The Dodgers have everything the Tigers would want in a blockbuster deal for Skubal: controllable starting pitching and top prospects. No other team can match what the Dodgers can offer Detroit for Skubal, but it remains to be seen whether LA will go all in for the left-hander.

The Dodgers don’t exactly need Skubal given their starting rotation features Cy Young winners and All-Stars. But the uncertainty surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s availability to pitch has given the team reason to at least explore a trade.

Ohtani is dealing with biceps and knee injuries, but he has remained in the Dodgers’ lineup. Ohtani threw a bullpen session while the Dodgers were in Philadelphia, but his body did not respond well.

Since then, the concern surrounding Ohtani has only grown. Ohtani hasn’t made a start for the Dodgers since July 3 but revealed his biceps issue Tuesday.

“There too, it’s a judgment of to what degree I can push it,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “It’s still July. What judgment will be made in August and September can be decided then.”

But waiting until August or September for an answer on Ohtani’s availability is quite the gamble, one the Dodgers may not be willing to take with a third consecutive World Series title on the line.

Thus, Ohtani’s availability to pitch (or lack thereof) may have just thrust the Dodgers into the market for Skubal.

There hasn’t been confirmation Skubal is on the trade block, but many have speculated that the ace’s tenure with the Tigers is over.

The team’s social media post all but confirmed the Tigers are indeed parting ways with Skubal this summer, especially after the Tigers lost Wednesday’s game 10-9 in extra innings and are now four games out of the AL wild-card race.

[Ed. Note] These questions were written and answered last weekend, but… circumstances delayed their publishing until now. Anything that doesn’t quite add up more than likely relates to that.

As of writing, the Diamondbacks are six games over .500 and in a Wild Card spot. Have they convinced you to buy?

Makakilo: Yes for two reasons. First, being in a Wild Card spot. Second, they can increase the odds by winning the Pirates series (this week). In the Pirates Series Preview, I will include an updated table showing my view of the Wild Card race.

1AZFan1: Absolutely. There are 8 games until the deadline (at time of my response) and we are 2 clear of our closest competitor. I suppose if we go 0-8 and the Pirates go 8-0 that would put us outside of a comfortable buying position, but a slightly more realistic worst case of 2-6 for us and 6-2 for Pittsburgh would still only put us 2 games back of them in the Wild Card, or effectively 3 back assuming they had clinched the season series against us at that point. Diamondbacks are in a prime position and it would take a DRASTIC fall to knock them out of a buying position.

Spencer: Yes. Tepidly. There’s no reason to go out and waste future value on a Skubal (yikes for the team that does), but a backend innings eater and a bat make sense. As would a Hazen Special of swapping someone like Waldy for a controllable arm on no one’s radar.

I’m going to say something controversial for this fandom as one who projected the team for no more than 79 wins before the season: it’s a testament to the franchise health and savvy moves made by Mike Hazen over the last ten years that this team is currently holding a Wild Card spot with next-to-zero or negative contributions from the likes of Perdomo, Burnes, Gallen, Kelly, Martinez, Puk, and Gurriel. That’s the majority of this core. Despite putting out a lineup with names like Tawa, Pavin, ADC, etc., Torey’s Team has remained good. And they’ve been good for years now (no playoffs has sucked immensely…). Previous iterations of our boys in Sedona Red (or Arizona? Purple) could never have withstood this level of misfortune and won more than 50 games.

DBacksEurope: Beats me how they have been able to go that many games over .500, but here they are. I still think this team has too many flaws and they are nothing more than a wild card contender, but the Diamondbacks could make some acquisitions, eyeing the next season. If they were to focus on rentals, I’d call Hazen nuts but trying to pry away a guy like Detmers, like some FanPosts have suggested, make a lot of sense.

Justin27: Yes, I think so. I am writing this after Saturday’s loss to the Nationals, but I still think that. I will stand by my assertion 2 weeks ago that I do not want to see them do anything crazy.

Preston: Under normal circumstances, I’d say no. But with the number of players coming back, there’s a chance for a formidable pitching staff in October. It was the pitching that let them down in 2023. With Corbin Burnes due back, as well as Soroka and Ryne Nelson, AND a true top rental starter on the market, there’s no time like the present.

Tyler Locklear has made quite the impression in his return from the minors. What are the odds he is the solution at first base?

Makakilo: His odds are high. What Has Recently Changed at First Base will post on Tuesday. This will be the link: https://www.azsnakepit.com/e/95150

1AZFan1: I’m glad he’s finally getting his shot and he’s currently making the most of it, but I can’t say that he’s for sure our long term solution at first. We’ve been here before with hot starts from recent call-ups. I will say it’s very important for Tyler Locklear’s personal career that he makes it work at first base. He’s the only one of our potential first base solutions that has to make it work at first. Groover can play third. Tawa can play a competently anywhere but catcher. Vargas is a classic utility man. Even Pena is getting reps in left field in AAA. Locklear’s only chance is making it work at first.

Spencer: I’m not sold on him as the overall solution, but I’m ready willing and able to give him all the opportunities to prove he could be. If he isn’t? Oh well, let’s go back to the DFA heap and hope to find another Christian Walker….

DBacksEurope: There aren’t many alternatives there so why not, he was acquired as a possible player that could step in. I don’t believe he will be the first base Messias we need, but the bar is so low… Paul Goldschmidt obviously would have been the best solution, so if it is either bad blood created or lack of interest, your first base situation is presented by Mike Hazen.

Preston: He’s yet to reach 20 plate appearances and we’ve seen stretches like this before. (Seth Beer was slashing .438/.486/.625 through 35 plate appearances in 2022. He batted below .100 with no extra base hits in the remaining 91 plate appearances of his career.) Locklear has a higher floor than Beer, and his .417 BABIP isn’t as sky high as Beer’s was, but this looks more like a case where we need to ride the hot hand, but still be prepared to add (at least) the other half of a platoon.

The Owners have taken to airing commercials during Dbacks broadcasts promoting their CBA proposals. Is this as sleezy and icky as I feel like it is?

Makakilo: Politics can be sleezy & icky. Could be worse, such as personal attacks against MLBPA representatives, or …(Wisdom tells me to stop my answer).

1AZFan1: It was jarring the first time I saw it. I mean, I don’t know why I need to see an ad for how one side is right and the other is wrong in a labor battle that I have zero vote in, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s sleazy. If anything, I’d say it’s smart by them to get some counter-programming out there because almost universally the MLB talking heads are pushing the Players’ narrative that having the Dodgers as currently run is better for baseball than a salary cap would be.

Spencer: It is gross. And at the same time it’s smart. They are tying the cap/floor to the great changes they’ve made in recent years on game time and pace of play. They are pandering to the newest fans who likely follow another league more closely with that has a cap/floor already. And they’re also targeting 25 fanbases that give up on 1 April each year when the slow methodical and boring “race” to massive market payroll teams winning divisions/home field advantage begins. How can MLBPA compete with that? They have no direct avenue to reach those casual fans and their argument is far weaker: “let us millionaires have even more millions by watching your favorite player go don pinstripes or Jackie Robinson Blue because we can!” Woof.

DBacksEurope: Yes. MLB should not allow this or take sides, but it seems that conflict of interests is becoming a normality in the United States, so it does not surprise me at all.

Justin27: Yes. Right now I don’t have DbacksTV, so I haven’t actually seen the commercials, but it sounds like it. Related: June and July hours suck.

Preston: Absolutely. It’s not the most sleazy and icky thing I’ve seen recently (that would be the commercials disguised as news reports trying to get old people to sign up for scam life insurance) but it’s pretty bad.

Players have historically taken the blame for any work stoppage. It’s apparent the owners are concerned that they will be the ones blamed this time around, and they’re trying to get out ahead in the public opinion battle.

What is your favorite giveaway you’ve gotten at any ballpark?

Makakilo: A small red towel that I waved during the game.

1AZFan1: I haven’t gone to a ton of giveaway games. I don’t go to a ton of games in general, and the games I do go to are not usually planned around giveaways. When I do go to games, I actually plan them around fireworks. The last 3 games that I’ve been to in the past year (in AZ, San Diego, and LAA) were all intentionally chosen as fireworks nights. That may not be an answer to the question asked though haha.

Spencer: Man there are so many. I’m a sucker for a bobble head or a T-shirt. The 2023 replica ring is definitely high though. And I’m jealous of folks who got the OG Haboob Globe and/or will get the new one. My Crew is giving away a garden gnome this year. That’s going to be a quirky one

ISH95: The Diamondbacks did that once! It was a Wade Miley Garden Gnome! I wanted one but couldn’t make it to the game. And not to rub it in to Spencer, but my favorite has got to be the OG Haboob Globe. It was odd having to wait after the game to get our giveaway since it was made of glass.

DBacksEurope: I’ve never gotten one because I’ve never visited an American ball park. I’d love a themed bobble head, like Zack Godley’s Game of Thrones’ I wrote about some years ago.

Justin27: Probably the Justin Upton bobble head I got at a SnakepitFest 15 or 16 years ago. I would say the Serpientes hat I got with my best friend in 2023. It was against the Cubs in September of that year. I unfortunately lost that hat, otherwise that would be my favorite. I sent Blake the one that my best friend got because she didn’t want it.

Preston: I’m not a real giveaway person. I have some prized items that were giveaways, but I’ve acquired them after the fact. (My favorite would be a set of pins from the 1998 season.)

My favorite that I’ve gotten in person was probably the Serpientes jersey in 2023. I also lucked out to get that. I was part of a ballpark tour group and our guide made sure to get us the jerseys so we didn’t have to wait outside in the heat and then probably not get one because the line was already incredible long.

The Dodgers activated Edwin Díaz from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday as expected, getting their closer back in a bullpen suddenly in need of stability from its right-handed relievers.

Díaz last pitched for the Dodgers on April 19, and missed the last 100 days after arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. The right-hander allowed one run though his first five appearances this season, striking out eight of his 21 batters faced, a 38.1-percent strikeout rate. But then he allowed three runs in back-to-back performances, separated by eight days off with concern over diminished velocity, before landing on the injured list.

Though he missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury suffered during the World Baseball Classic, Díaz’s five previous seasons were dominant, with a combined 2.36 ERA, 2.33 xERA, and 40.8-percent strikeout rate, tops in the majors from 2020-25 in xERA and strikeout rate among pitchers with at least 250 innings, and fourth in ERA.

That earned Díaz a three-year, $69 million contract from the Dodgers in December, breaking his own relief pitcher contract record for highest average annual value. Díaz during his rehab assignment pitched in seven games, three with Class-A Ontario, one in the Arizona Complex League, and three with Triple-A Oklahoma City, with a combined 3.18 ERA in 5 2/3 innings and 11 strikeouts among his 22 batters faced.

The Dodgers designated Charlie Barnes for assignment, which created space on both the active and 40-man rosters for Díaz’s activation from the 60-day injured list.

Barnes, who was claimed off waivers from the Cubs on May 9, has pitched in four games for the Dodgers over his three stints in the majors, including pitching an inning on Sunday against the Mets in New York. The left-hander allowed seven runs in 10 innings with five strikeouts and four walks.

For Triple-A Oklahoma City, Barnes had a 5.65 ERA in seven starts with 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in 28 2/3 innings. This is the second time the Dodgers designated Barnes for assignment, along with July 11. That previous time, Barnes cleared waivers then elected free agency before re-signing with the Dodgers on a minor league deal. He was called back up to the majors on July 21, and pitched in one of the six games for which he was active.

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs will play again Wednesday night with hopefully better results (for the Cardinals) than the previous two nights. According to MLB.com, Dustin May will make the start for the Cardinals while LHP Matthew Boyd will take the mound for the Cubs. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium. Game TV broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.