PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. announces Jake Schaffner as the 20th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Day 1 of the MLB Draft is in the books. If you’re internet smart, you know that the Red Sox completely blew it by going way underslot with their first round pick and then failing to use that savings by going overslot on either of their next two picks. If you’re actually smart, you know that attempting to evaluate an MLB draft any sooner than at least two years after draft day is for suckers. But it’s still fun.
Draft Day 2 kicks off at 11:30 with the fifth round. The Sox will have the 22nd pick in the fifth and sixth rounds (#156 and #185) and then the 21st pick in every subsequent round until the draft ends at round 20. Today’s proceedings are not on TV, but you can stream them on MLB.com
If you prefer to watch prospects who are already in the pipeline, the annual Futures Game kicks off noon and will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock. Franklin Arias will start at shortstop for the AL, while Anthony Eyanson will be in the pen.
Talk about players who won’t be in a big league lineup for years to come and whatever else you want in this space. Be good to each other and go Sox.
Los Angeles, - July 11: Pitcher Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers works out on the mound prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Snell who is is currently on the 60-day injured list recovering from elbow surgery as he underwent an operation in mid-May to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The Dodgers’ starting rotation has been one of the best in all of baseball this year in spite of the numerous injuries they’ve dealt with.
Young right-handers Gavin Stone and River Ryan have yet to make their season debuts at the big-league level, while guys like Landon Knack are just now making their season debuts well over three months into the season. Tyler Glasnow has been out since early May, while former two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell has just one start at the big league level this year.
For Snell, who has amassed just three innings in 2026, it’s been another lost season so far, but his return is in the near distance. Sonja Chen of MLB.com notes that Snell threw live to hitters for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery, and the southpaw is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment after the break.
The next step for Snell should be a rehab assignment, manager Dave Roberts said, likely beginning the first weekend after the All-Star break.
“He says he feels better right now than he did when he returned before,” Roberts said of Snell, who has made only one start for the Dodgers this season after beginning the season on the injured list with left shoulder fatigue.
As for Glasnow, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register notes that there’s numerous setbacks where the right-hander feels good about throwing until he doesn’t. Glasnow was able to throw a fastball-only bullpen on Friday.
After tossing six innings in a loss on Saturday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will not be pitching in this year’s All-Star game with his teammate Justin Wrobleski taking his spot on the NL All-Star team, per Chen and Jacob Gurvis of MLB.com.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Yamamoto said. “It would be better if I was able to pitch … because I [would] enjoy the atmosphere, and the whole show.”
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic notes that Kiké Hernández is expected to return to the Dodgers following the All-Star break should all go well with his rehab. Hernández has appeared in just two games this season, collecting hits in all four at-bats including a home run.
Carson Coleman of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders delivers a pitch during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Carson Coleman knew what was happening. It was hard not to know.
He was aware as he entered the game on June 5th at NBT Bank Stadium in New York against the Syracuse Mets that teammate and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders starting pitcher Brendan Beck had not allowed a hit through the first seven innings. Although the other relievers in the bullpen were trying to honor that baseball superstition of not mentioning a no-hitter, subconsciously they were talking about it.
Coleman got a groundout and two strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth to take the no-hitter into the ninth. There, he retired the first batter on a groundout, then walked the next batter. But his first pitch to Kevin Parada was hit on the ground to shortstop George Lombard Jr., who flipped to second baseman Jonathan Ornelas, who threw to first baseman Seth Brown for a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
The seventh no-hitter in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise history was complete.
“Doing it for two innings was definitely more nerve-racking,” Coleman said. “At the end of the day, you just go out and treat it like any other outing. It was awesome, exciting, especially for it to end on a double play and then celebrate with the guys and Beck. It was an awesome accomplishment for him.”
This was the second no-hitter Coleman was involved in as a member of the New York Yankees organization. On Sept. 28, 2022, he got the final three outs for the Double-A Somerset Patriots as they won the third and deciding game of the Eastern League Championship Series over the Erie Seawolves with a 15-0 victory.
That one was a little less stressful because of the lopsided margin. Starting pitcher Randy Vásquez went eight hitless innings with one walk and eight strikeouts. The Patriots scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning to seize immediate control. Jasson Domínguez led the offense, going 3 for 4 with two walks, two home runs and six RBIs. Coleman entered in the top of the ninth and, although he hit the first batter he faced with a pitch, he got a fly out, popout and strikeout to end it.
“It had been a really good season for me that year. I was more excited to hopefully be the guy to finish our championship, let alone a no-hitter,” Coleman said. “I just went out there and made pitches the best that I can and hopefully it came to fruition. Obviously, there can be a jam-shot single which you, as a pitcher, that’s not a bad thing, but it’s a hit. That’s baseball. There’s a lot of luck to it.
“But the championship was a lot of fun, especially throwing to Austin Wells as the catcher. Me and Austin both signed in 2020 and he’s one of my best friends. To finish off the no-hitter with a strikeout in the championship game and embrace one of your best friends and celebrate with that team which was a great group of guys was a lot of fun. Probably the best baseball memory I have. But the one with Beck is still awesome.”
Randy Vasquez and Carson Coleman combined on a no-hitter AND Jasson Domínguez mashed two homers and plated six runs to give Somerset its first Eastern League championship: https://t.co/Yswu9vQkmvpic.twitter.com/idPWA495TO
The Tampa Bay Rays selected Coleman in the 33rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Kentucky, but he did not sign with them. The Yankees signed him in 2020 as a nondrafted free agent and he pitched for Low-A Tampa in 2021 before splitting time in 2022 with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset.
Coleman underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and missed all of that season. In 2024, he was taken in the Rule 5 Draft by the Texas Rangers. However, he never threw a pitch for them. At the end of his rehab from the right elbow surgery, he had a hard time recovering from workouts or bullpen sessions. It turned out he had a rare nerve entrapment issue and needed another surgery that put him out for 10 more months, causing him to miss all of the 2024 campaign as well.
When Texas didn’t keep him on its roster, the Yankees had first dibs since he was a Rule 5 selection and they took him back.
“I think they were excited to have me back, I was excited to be back,” Coleman said. “I love this organization, they’ve been more than great to me. I definitely am going to give my whole heart to this organization, I owe a lot to them. I’m trying to make them as proud as possible. Obviously I wish things would have worked out in Texas because it was a big-league opportunity. But it’s exciting to be back.”
Last season was the first time he was back on the mound since closing out that no-hitter in the championship game for Somerset in 2022. Coleman appeared in a combined 17 games at four levels and had two saves, one hold, a 1.59 ERA and struck out 15 in 17 innings.
“It was great. I felt so happy to be out on a baseball field,” Coleman said. “Rehab is lonely and it’s a long road. Going back out, I could have gone five innings and given up 40 runs and obviously would not have been happy, but that’s where my head was at. I was back on the mound and that was such a big accomplishment after two and a half years. And last year went really well. I only threw like 20 innings and gave up just a run or two. All things considered, that was really good getting back into it.
“First time in Triple-A this year. First normal spring training I’ve had since 2022. New level, new challenges, so it’s been a good experience. It’s been a dream.”
Since combining with Beck on the no-hitter in Syracuse, things have been spotty for Coleman. He retired all four batters he faced to get the win in relief at Indianapolis on June 23rd and threw two scoreless innings to earn a save against Norfolk on June 30th. But in six appearances and 8.2 innings, he has allowed seven runs and 11 hits with six walks and eight strikeouts.
For the season, Coleman is 1-0 with one hold, two saves, and a 4.73 ERA in 24 games. He has 32 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. He has inherited 18 runners and allowed just three to score. Since April 18th, none of the seven runners he has inherited have scored.
“Until the month of June, overall I felt like I was making some good steps,” Coleman said. “I’ve kind of been like a coin flip this last month. A lot of it is the game of baseball. After missing a lot of time due to injury sadly last year and early this year, I think a lot of it is getting my feet back underneath me. So I’ve kind of been mindful of that. Now it’s just learn from your failures and try to do better. Take it a day at a time and try to stack some good outings together. That’s the game of baseball, especially as a reliever.”
The best advice Coleman has received in baseball was to leave it in the showers, whether it was a good outing or a bad one.
“Despite any rough outing that’s discouraging, I know it’s part of the game,” Coleman said. “If you get two outings a week and they both don’t maybe go the way you want, it obviously can get you in the dumps sometimes. But I can’t even tell you what I did in my last outing.
“When I was in college or even now, in the role of a closer, say I had a save. I’d see my parents and they’d be so happy and like ‘Great job!’ and I’d be not in a bad mood, but even keel. They’d be like, ‘What’s wrong?’ and I’d be like, ‘It’s good, it’s over with, I’ve got to do it again in two days. Maybe even tomorrow.’ Move on, it’s not worth taking home with you.”
Coleman is continuing to work on the little things that make the difference between a good outing and a rough one.
“It’s a long year – 150, 162 games,” he said. “As a reliever, maybe you’re going to get 50 outings. Just try to make the most of those 50 outings as good as possible.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Jackson Flora as the fourth overall pick by the San Francisco Giants during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The MLB Draft is now a mega event, so welcome to Day 2! On Saturday, the Giants made their first five selections, taking UC Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora with their first-round pick, prep pitcher Carson Bolemon with the compensation round pick they grabbed in the Patrick Bailey trade, prep pitcher Kade Waechter with their second-round pick, Rutgers outfielder Peyton Bonds (nephew of Barry) with their third-round selection, and Hofstra pitcher Carlos Martinez with their fourth-round choice.
Today, they’ll make 16 more selections, with the No. 15 pick in rounds 5-20.
You can follow all the action from yesterday and today by watching our draft tracker, which will give you info on all 21 picks. I’ll also have a few write-ups throughout the day. And if you want to watch the draft, well … here’s how to do so!
The Denver Post’s assigned spot in the Coors Field Press Box | Renee Dechert
I spent last weekend at Coors Field covering the San Francisco Giants-Colorado Rockies series for Purple Row, and I was glad I did because a lot happened.
On two days, Goodman’s father, Robert, threw batting practice to his son, who hoped to be invited to participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday. Goodman was ultimately not invited, but it was still pretty cool to watch a father-son BP. That said, you had to be at Coors Field to see it.
The clubhouse was open, and players answered questions as did manager Warren Schaeffer. Rockies’ 2022 first-round draft pick Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP) made his MLB debut.
Here’s Kyle Karros discussing his monster home run on Sunday. The controlled swagger is a beautiful thing.
Ultimately, the Rockies took the series from a struggling Giants team. They are becoming a better and even a fun baseball team. They have scored an MLB-high 132 runs in the eighth inning or later. How is that not the good stuff for baseball fans?
If the Denver Post had a reporter there to cover the series, I never saw them.
Since Patrick Saunders left The Post, a pastiche of offseason sports beat writers has been in the clubhouse finding material for some scattered feature stories. For example, Nate Peterson spent an afternoon talking with Marlins fans at Coors Field about their experiences with a losing team.
The Post now takes game recaps from the Associated Press. It’s not unusual for those recaps to go up the next day as opposed to immediately after the conclusion of a game, as they did before. I can’t speak to what happens on the road, but in Denver, the AP has two sports writers with one covering each Rockies game. When the game is over, the reporter goes to the winning clubhouse for comments.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m a big fan of The Post’s sportswriters, but writing occasional feature stories and farming out game recaps doesn’t seem like a best practice.
Besides, when the Denver Broncos report to training camp, and the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche start their early-season work, how much time will those beat writers devote to their occasional Rockies feature stories? Listen, I don’t blame them. These reporters really good at their jobs, and that involves working their beat.
When a beat writer works with a team, they spend a great deal of time with players, coaches, and front office staff developing relationships. They build trust and learn off-the-record information that allows them to write more-informed stories. But it’s in that work — so much of that tedious standing around and asking questions — that the real reporting happens.
I suspect if you were to ask a sports editor at The Post about this decision, they would tell you that the Rockies are a bad team, and they just don’t drive enough traffic. Hey, I write for a Rockies site. Believe me: The entire staff of Purple Row is very aware of how little traffic the Rockies have driven in recent years.
But that’s changing.
The Rockies are an exciting young team with stories driven by compelling players and a front office trying to rebuild connections. I can’t speak for The Post, but our site traffic is up, in part because of an improved team and in part because Purple Row is committed to covering the Rockies, even if our resources are considerably more limited than those available to The Post.
That said, even if the powers that be at the Denver Post decide that the Rockies baseball team doesn’t particularly matter, surely they would feel compelled to cover the business side of the Rockies. Like any professional sports franchise, the Rockies are a big business that navigates the uneasy relationship between taxpayer money and owner financial interests.
If nothing else, surely The Post would be interested in what will probably an MLB lockout when the season ends. Given that Rockies owner Dick Monfort is a key figure in trying to get a salary cap — something that would fundamentally change the sport — surely The Post would want someone working that story now.
It is deeply unsettling that that the Colorado Rockies may well receive less attention from The Post for the rest of the season than they will perhaps devote to some high school football programs.
I reached out to The Post for a comment on the publication’s plans for the Rockies beat, but I did not receive an answer.
So here we are.
What’s to be done?
Me, I’m going to cancel my subscription.
Believe it or not, my Denver Post subscription costs more than my subscription to the New York Times. I can read AP gamers anywhere. Better yet, I can read gamers on Purple Row, where we write our own recaps that are published at the conclusion of every game.
I hate to do it. I believe that what newspapers do in local communities is vitally important. But it’s difficult to see The Post as doing anything other than dropping the ball when it comes to covering the Rockies.
Well, what can you say when a pitcher, making his second start of the season and coming off a horrible season debut, is absolutely brilliant? Well, the Cubs hitters helped — 12 of the Cubs’ 16 strikeouts came with Hunter Greene on the mound. But credit is given where credit is due.
That said, the Cubs were outhit 13-4. The hot Seiya Suzuki had two of those, including a double, but with no one on base, they were for naught. And the Cubs, who have been recipients of plenty of walks of late, only managed one Friday.
Yes, Shōta Imanaga gave up yet another solo shot, but he stranded the other seven baserunners while striking out five. There is an article below that points out his big flaw, but gives him credit in every other facet of his game.
But. The bullpen. As shown below, it was easy come, easy go for Jake Woodford. He’s the reliever that turned Imanaga’s effort to dust, giving up a triple and three-run home run that turned a 1-0 game that wasn’t that close into a rout that might as well been 20-0. Thanks so much for stopping by, Jake.
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Charlie Wright (MLBRumors): Cubs Designate Jake Woodford For Assignment. “Right-hander Jake Woodford has been designated for assignment by the Cubs, the team announced. Reliever Phil Maton is back from the injured list to take Woodford’s spot in the bullpen.”
Joey Ricotta (OnTapSportsNet): Who Can the Cubs Trust in the Bullpen Right Now? “The Chicago Cubs have a bullpen problem; there is no other way to put it. Where they stand and how they can improve the situation.”
Christian Willisohn (born January 22, 1962 in Munich ) is a German blues pianist and singer. His musical career began in 1980 in Munich clubs; In 1986 he gave up his profession as a stonemason and sculptor. In 1987 he played with Zora Young for the first time in the US. Since then he has played with many international blues musicians. Today he performs throughout Europe with classics and original compositions with texts by his wife, Alexandra Mayer.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
FAWNSKIN, CA - JUNE 12, 2026: A paddle boarder goes bow fishing with his dog on board on a picturesque summer day on the North Shore at Big Bear Lake on June 12, 2026 in Fawnskin, CA. (This was photographed from a distance on a boat therefore I couldn't get the man's name) (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Braves have certainly put fans through the ringer after the hottest first two months ever. A June swoon has somewhat leveled off into a 5-6 July with JR Ritchie set to finish off the first half. The team is reeling after several injuries. We asked internally if the team could use the time off. I don’t know about the Braves, but I know I need a break.
I am ready for a break from the starting rotation, which consists of Chris Sale and the giant The Price is Right wheel. I am ready to be away from the ugly side of the bullpen. I am tired of Walt Weiss consistently placing games at the mercy of the ugly side of the bullpen. I am ready for a break from this offense and its fits and starts. And I’m definitely tired of this fanbase and their fits and drive-by not-so-very-hot takes.
So are you ready for a break? Will you be ready to jump back in and play starter roulette and the Tim Hyers Batting Approach of the Day on Friday? Well sure, if we must. What else are we gonna do? We want to keep up with college football and track all 105 perma-free-agents on your favorite team’s roster? Are we following the Falcons eternal drive to 8-9? Any CFL weirdos in here? Don’t mind me, I’ll be over here playing Mario Kart with my kiddo until we get back.
HOOVER, AL - MAY 21: Pitcher Liam Peterson #12 of the Florida Gators celebrates closing out an inning during the SEC Baseball Tournament Quarterfinals game between Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide on May 21, 2026, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.(Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Guardians beat the Marlins and selected four players in the first four rounds of the 2026 major league draft.
Patrick Bailey doubled in some key insurance runs late yesterday. Since June 1st, Guardians catchers have had a 118 wRC+ which is crazy. Bailey has a 120 wRC+ in high leverage spots for his career (44 in mid-leverage, 75 in low leverage). That shouldn’t be sustainable but, hey, I won’t complain if it is. Steven Kwan is closing in on a month’s of 110 wRC+ play, so let’s hope that continues. However, his defense is just always good and Travis Bazzana and Kwan combined on an insanely high baseball IQ play yesterday:
“6-foot-5, 225 pounds and throws from a steep vertical arm slot. He throws a high-carry four-seam fastball that averages around 96 mph and has been up to 100. His fastball has clear plus traits and power, but he needs to improve his command to avoid throwing middle-middle heaters that get hit hard. All three of his secondaries are standout swing-and-miss pitches. A high-spin slider in the upper-80s is his go-to secondary and a clear plus offering with sharp biting action that helped him generate a 51% miss rate. He throws the pitch nearly half the time against righties. Against lefties, Peterson will mix in a mid-80s changeup and a curveball around 80 mph. While Peterson has less confidence and feel for his changeup and curveball, they are also potential plus pitches that vex hitters when he can consistently put them over the plate. Peterson has tinkered with his arm slot over the years and is a below-average strike-thrower. He has obvious upside potential as a starter, but will need to make strides with his control and command to stick in that role.”
“Schmidt has a 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame and an easy, repeatable delivery that features a three-quarters slot and a consistently balanced finish. He has a starter’s operation and advanced feel to spot a three-pitch mix. After touching 97 mph on the 2025 circuit, Schmidt pushed his fastball up to 98 during his senior spring season and was consistently throwing the pitch in the mid 90s. He attacks the zone with his fastball and can locate it to both sides of the plate to get ahead in counts and set up his secondaries. Schmidt’s 78-82 mph breaking ball is his go-to secondary and a slurvy in-between offering that varies between a curveball and slider. He throws it with solid movement and shape to build on, and scouts believe he’ll be able to add a harder true slider in the future. Against righties, Schmidt is confident in a mid-to-upper-80s changeup that he sells with great arm speed and has above-average potential.”
“He’s a 6-foot, 190-pound outfielder with dynamic speed and one of the best center field gloves in the class. Broussard missed time early in 2026 with a hamstring injury but hit .344/.436/.472 in 44 games while stealing 25 bases. Broussard has an old-school leadoff skill set, with a hit-over-power profile and plenty of speed. He added a bit of strength and traded some contact for power in 2026 but still profiles as a 50-55 pure hitter with below-average game power. Broussard has an upright and open setup, with a leg kick to get his swing going. He makes solid swing decisions, keeps his strikeouts in check and has a downhill bat path that is more conducive to groundballs and low line drives. That approach and swing should work for his tool set, because Broussard is a 70-grade runner who creates pressure on infield defenses and opposing batteries. He’s a high-volume and efficient basestealer who went 56-for-64 (88%) in two years at Houston. Broussard is one of the better center field defenders in the class.”
“He’s a 6-foot-2, 220-pound lefthanded hitter with a buttery smooth lefthanded swing and sound approach. He has a quiet setup and a low-maintenance swing with a slight uphill path but an all-fields approach and a knack for the barrel. He can drive the ball with solid power to both gaps and has gotten to consistent pullside home run power with metal bats, but his wood bat track record is more limited, and his raw power could be more conducive to a hit-over-power profile. That could make his defensive profile a challenge, as Lewis is a below-average runner and more of a first base defender than a third baseman. He was Wake Forest’s primary first baseman in 2026, and might be able to handle an outfield corner, but his value will primarily come from the damage he’s able to do in the batter’s box.”
You can read Baseball America scouting reports here. You can also listen to their post draft podcast and at the very end of it, minute 56, they rave about the Guardians’ draft. So, that’s good!
Rounds 5-20 resume today at 1PM ET on MLB Network and the Guardians wrap up pre-All-Star Game play at 1:40 PM ET, looking for a sweep of the Marlins.
AROUND MLB:
The Twins and White Sox won and Tigers and Royals lost.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 11: LaMonte Wade Jr. #31 is congratulated by Isaac Paredes #15 of the Houston Astros after hitting a grand slam home run against the Texas Rangers in the third inning at Globe Life Field on July 11, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 MLB Draft has dominated headlines in what’s been a full day of action around the league. The Yankees have the four newest members of their organization pending their signings with the team, and even managed to grind out another comeback victory against the Nationals thanks to eighth-inning home runs from Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt. It means they are riding a modest three-game winning streak, which comes at an important time given the results elsewhere around the AL.
Tampa Bay Rays (56-37) 6, Seattle Mariners (47-49) 1
The Rays somehow worked their magic to secure the second pick in this year’s draft and wasted no time in using it on consensus top-two draft prospect Grady Emerson. They had to feel pretty gleeful about how the day went for them as a whole as they rolled over the Mariners for the second straight day and achieved a coup in the Draft. They handed Logan Gilbert one of his heavier defeats of the year, scoring four runs on nine hits and two walks off the Seattle starter, while Griffin Jax gave them five innings of one-run ball, that lone run a Cole Emerson sack fly to open the scoring after Cole Young led off the second with a double.
A Ben Williamson RBI double in the bottom of the frame leveled the score, and back-to-back doubles by Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda to open the third gave them the lead. Gilbert managed to right the ship from there, but was left in a batter too long, an Aranda two-out double in the seventh knocking him from the game. An intentional walk of Junior Caminero put a pair on for pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade, who crushed the first pitch he saw for a three-run blast to put the game out of reach, a Nick Fortes RBI single an inning later wrapping up the scoring. The Rays maintained their four-game lead in the AL East.
Chicago White Sox (49-45) 1, The Athletics (41-54) 0
Despite speculation that they might throw a curveball, the White Sox used the first overall pick on the player many consider to be the top college prospect: shortstop Roch Cholowsky of UCLA. He joins an organization that ascending well ahead of schedule, their win over the Athletics allowing them to stay tied atop the AL Central. A bullpen day that included four scoreless innings from bulk reliever Erick Fedde limited the A’s to four-hits, two apiece for Jacob Wilson and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. The lone run of the contest came in the sixth, Colson Montgomery drawing a two-out walk and scoring all the way from first on a Chase Meidroth double. They remain in a virtual tie with Cleveland atop the AL Central.
With wins in the first two games, the Guardians have put themselves in pole position to sweep the hottest team in baseball since the start of June. It began with 6.2 innings of one-run ball from Tanner Bibee, a Liam Hicks RBI single in the seventh representing the lone damage. Cleveland did all of their scoring on a pair of two-run doubles from their eight and nine hitters. The first came from Steven Kwan with two outs in the fourth and the second was courtesy of Patrick Bailey with two outs in the eighth.
Houston Astros (47-50) 9, Texas Rangers (48-47) 3
Kumar Rocker was simply no match for the firepower in the Astros lineup, allowing seven runs on eight hits including three home runs. Peter Lambert meanwhile continues to be a revelation in the Astros rotation after joining on a minor league contract following a season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He allowed a run on just three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six innings to lower his season ERA to 3.14 in 15 starts after having pitched to a 6.28 ERA in his previous four season stint with the Rockies.
A day after crushing the 200th home run of his career, Yordan Alvarez kicked things off with a two-run blast after Jeremy Peña led off the first with a single, extending his lead atop the MLB HR leaderboard to 31. The big blast of the game arrive in the third after Alvarez doubled, Isaac Paredes walked, and Jose Altuve singled to load the bases. LaMonte Wade Jr. demolished a hanging 1-1 slider from Rocker for a no-doubter grand slam to right, and just like that it was 6-0, Astros.
Christian Vásquez scored their seventh unanswered run with a solo shot in the fourth, though Ezequiel Duran responded in the bottom half with a solo homer of his own. Things settled down until the ninth inning, Houston scoring their eighth and ninth runs on a Christian Walker RBI double and Cam Smith sac fly while Duran chipped in his second home run of the afternoon, a two-run shot this time after Cam Cauley led off with a single.
Jonathan Santucci of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies delivers a pitch during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on June 12, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Detroit Tigers’ six-game win streak came to an end on Saturday evening at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2, inside Comerica Park. Casey Mize just did not have it this time around, and while Eduardo Valencia continued to prove that he belongs in the big leagues, the offense just could not get anything going against Cristopher Sánchez,
On Sunday afternoon, the Old English D looks to seize its fourth-straight series win heading into the All-Star break with perennial All-Star left-hander Tarik Skubal taking the mound. The 29-year-old has posted a 1.64 ERA and 3.02 FIP over his last two starts, including a five-inning, one-run effort last time out at home against the Athletics, which resulted in his fifth win of the season in a 6-2 final.
The Tigers will once again have their hands full as the Phillies send another tough pitcher, right-hander Zack Wheeler, to the bump seeking a series win of their own. The 36-year-old’s last outing at the Cincinnati Reds earned him his 10th quality start of 2026, throwing seven frames of one-run ball on four hits (one home run) while striking out a season-high 14 batters en route to his ninth win in a 4-1 final.
Here is how the two top-tier pitchers match up on Sunday.
Detroit Tigers (44-51) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (53-43)
Time (ET): 1:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:The Good Phight Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 96: LHP Tarik Skubal (5-4, 3.06 ERA) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (9-1, 2.28 ERA)
CINCINNATI, OH - JULY 09: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, July 9, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Colten Strauss/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Bryce Harper snapped his out of his funk last night, collecting two hits after looking rather disinterested in doing so the past few games. Good thing too as he has a busy week ahead of him.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - MARCH 21: Deven Sheerin of the LSU Tigers in action against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Alex Box Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Mac Brod/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
After two season in Baton Rouge, Deven Sheerin will head to professional baseball after being selected #128 overall in the 4th round of the MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the first LSU pitcher to be selected and third player overall, following Derek Curiel and Jake Brown.
While Sheerin was a Tiger for multiple season, he only played for one of them. Soon after transferring to LSU in the summer of 2024, he tore his ACL and missed the entire 2025 National Championship season. This past year was his first on the field and he made up for lost time.
In 37.2 innings pitched, Sheerin held a 4.78 ERA. He struck out a whopping 58 batters, averaging over 1.5 Ks per inning. Pumping in fastballs up to 97-98 mph and following them with a wicked slider, the redshirt-sophomore’s most important quality during the 2026 season was his ability to throw strikes. LSU’s pitching staff led the SEC in walks allowed, so his command, along with his dominant stuff, led Sheerin to being LSU’s most consistent pitcher throughout the season.
With a 3/4 arm slot delivery, paired with a stretch in which he steps way across his body, he is a nightmare for right-handed hitters. He very well could become a dominant Major League bullpen arm, especially considering how fresh he is. With only 107.2 innings pitched across three seasons in college, Sheerin is delivering a massive amount of promise to the Phillies organization.
Slot value for the 128th pick is $597,400, so it will be interesting to see the final singing bonus that Philadelphia gives him.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 2-5 (7) and L, 1-3 (7) vs. Norfolk Tides — yeah, they had a … less enjoyable doubleheader than the A-ball team
Game 1
C J.C. Escarra 0-3, BB, fielding error DH Spencer Jones 3-4, HR, RBI, K, SB — .960 OPS at Triple-A after 14th homer in 48 games (109.1 mph off the bat on a hanging slider, 412 feet to the opposite field) 2B Marco Luciano 1-4, K RF Yanquiel Fernández 0-4 3B Oswaldo Cabrera 2-3 1B Tyler Hardman 1-3, fielding error SS Jonathan Ornelas 1-2, 2B, BB, K CF Duke Ellis 0-3, K LF Kenedy Corona 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 K — actually outdrove Jones on his homer, 421 feet
Kyle Carr 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, WP (loss) Yerry De los Santos 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Eric Reyzelman 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
DH J.C. Escarra 0-4, K — hitless day in seven at-bats CF Spencer Jones 0-2, 2 BB 2B Oswaldo Cabrera 0-2, 2 K RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-3 3B Tyler Hardman 2-2, BB — only good game from the nightcap 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-3, K, GIDP SS Jonathan Ornelas 1-3, fielding error LF Cole Gabrielson 0-3 C Abrahan Gutierrez 1-2 PH Marco Luciano 0-1
Adam Kloffenstein 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, HR, WP (loss) Will Brian 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K Kervin Castro 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 2-5 vs. Hartford Yard Goats
LF Jackson Castillo 1-4, K CF Jace Avina 1-3, 3B, BB, RBI — triple in the first RF DJ Gladney 0-4, 3 K 3B Coby Morales 1-4, RBI, 2 K 2B Connor McGinnis 0-4, 2 K DH Miguel Palma 1-4, 2 K 1B Josh Moylan 1-4, 2 K C Manuel Palencia 0-4, K SS Owen Cobb 0-2, BB
Cade Smith 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 7 K, HR, WP (loss) Kelly Austin 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR Matt Keating 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Geoffrey Gilbert 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR
Cade Smith (@Yankees No. 16 prospect) struck out seven batters over 4.2 innings in his 15th Double-A appearance tonight!🔥 pic.twitter.com/H6tjGAYmQl
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:W, 7-1 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks
3B Roderick Arias 1-4, 2B, BB, 3 K, 2 SB, throwing error SS Core Jackson 1-3, BB, 2 K, SB DH Eric Genther 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, K, SF — solo shot in the third 1B Kyle West 1-4, K LF Wilson Rodriguez 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, SB 2B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-3, RBI, K, SF, CS C Josue Gonzalez 1-2, 2B, BB, RBI, SF, passed ball CF Camden Troyer 1-4, RBI, 2 K RF Luis Durango 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K — very egalitarian day for Tampa, everyone had at least one hit, no one had more than one
Rory Fox 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 9 K, 2 WP, HBP (win) — personal career-high with nine strikeouts Thomas Balboni Jr. 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP Wilmy Sanchez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Kevin Stevens 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
SS Jackson Lovich 1-3, BB, SB, CS 2B Hans Montero 1-2, HR, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 SB — 25-for-28 on steals C Luis Puello 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI 3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-2, 2 BB, fielding error DH David McCann 2-4, HR, BB, 4 RBI — go-ahead three-run bomb in the fourth LF Brando Mayea 1-4, GIDP RF Willy Montero 1-4, K 1B Christofer Reyes 1-3, K CF Isael Arias 0-3, K, SB
Sabier Marte 1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, HR — first start above Rookie ball was tough, left in a 6-1 deficit Parker Seay 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (win) Brian Hendry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K — rehab assignment Austin Breedlove 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (save) — A-ball debut as well
#Tarpons C/1B David McCann (2-for-3, HR, BB, 4 RBI, R) paced the bats in DH G1 w/ 4 RBI, including this GW 3-run HR – his 8th HR (4th w/ Tampa). Now has 21 RBI in just 24 games in Low-A. #Yankeespic.twitter.com/KYPqMDNdz7
3B Jackson Lovich 3-4, 2B, HR, RBI — #atripleshy (homer went 417 feet at least, 107.8 mph off the bat) 2B Hans Montero 2-4, K, SB, throwing error SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-2, BB, RBI, K, SF 1B David McCann 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, K, HBP — two-run double in the fifth to make it 3-0 RF Brando Mayea 0-2, BB DH Engelth Urena 0-3, 2 K LF Gabriel Lara 1-2, 2B, BB, K C Ediel Rivera 1-3, RBI, K, throwing error CF Isael Arias 1-2, 2B, BB, SB
Tyler Boudreau 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR (win) Greysen Carter 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K
#Tarpons INF @JacksonLovich (4-for-7, HR, 2B, BB, RBI, 3 R, SB) hit safely in both ends of the DH, including his league-best 16th HR – a 417 ft shot hit 107.8 mph off the bat. Lovich also leads FSL in SLG (.532), OPS (.894), XBH (34), TB (134) + 2nd in RBI (54) & H (81). #Yankeespic.twitter.com/o0RXjHHkba
Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 3-2 (7) vs. FCL Phillies
3B Richard Matic 0-2, BB LF Wilberson De Pena 1-3 C Queni Pineda 1-3, 2B, RBI, K, SB SS Leni Done 0-3, throwing error CF Jose Castro 0-3, 2 K DH Francisco Vilorio 0-2, K 2B Dexters Peralta 1-2, K RF Estivenzon Montero 1-2, HR, 2 RBI — go-ahead two-run shot in the fifth was the decisive blow 1B Justin Capellan 0-2, K
Edinzo Marquez 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 7 K Alexander Almonte 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP (win) Jorge Luna 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K (save)
Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 8-6 at DSL Phillies
CF Isaias Castillo 0-4, 3 K, HBP SS Stiven Marinez 2-4, BB, RBI, K, 2 SB RF Yostin Pena 0-5, RBI 2B Juan Torres 2-5, K C Juan Martinez 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 2 passed balls — go-ahead two-run double in the sixth 1B Jose Peralta 0-4, BB, 3 K, SB DH Abrahan Pichardo 0-5, 3 K LF Eliezer Adames 2-4, K, fielding error 3B Adrian Feliz 1-3, HBP — scored tying run on a wild pitch in the four-run sixth
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 5-11 vs. DSL Colorado
2B Dariel Santana 1-5, 2B, 2 K, SB, picked off SS Mani Cedeno 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB, fielding error 3B Alfred Ciriaco 0-1 C Alessandro Rodriguez 1-3, RBI, K, SF DH Carlos Bello 1-2, 2 BB, picked off CF David Carrera 1-4, RBI — tied game in the eighth on an RBI grounder 3B-SS Germayhoni Beltre 0-4 RF Sebastian Pinto 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, GIDP — second career homer 1B Jesus Guerrero 1-3, BB LF Eddison Charles 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K
Argenis Veloz 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, HBP, WP — pro debut Brandy Luis 3 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K Ronald Tejada 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 2 K (loss) Diego Carrillo 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, HBP — Tejada got the loss, but Carrillo got smoked in the go-ahead six-run ninth
PHILADELPHIA — Three months and 16 days have passed since opening day, and now that the All-Star break is here, do we really know anything more now than we did back in March?
The Los Angeles Dodgers still are the best team in baseball and, with a 61-34 record entering Saturday, could realistically pop the champagne corks in August, running away from everyone in the National League West.
The Colorado Rockies, even with a new front office, still stink at 39-57, and are on their way to their fourth consecutive 100-loss season.
The Milwaukee Brewers continue to embarrass every prognosticator and algorithm that predicted this would be the year they’d be sitting home in October, and now watch them sit with a 7 ½-game lead in the NL Central entering Saturday.
And as far as everyone else, welcome to the land mediocrity, where 24 teams are within six games of a playoff berth, putting the Aug. 3 trade deadline into chaos.
While everyone has breathlessly been talking about the trade deadline since mid-April, producing tens of thousands of words on paper and on the airwaves, what if this turns out to be the dullest trade deadline in decades?
What if the Detroit Tigers, who have the American League’s best record since June 1, actually hang onto two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal?
What if the Boston Red Sox, who perhaps have the most valuable trade chips in starter Sonny Gray, closer Aroldis Chapman and first baseman Willson Contreras, believe they’re a legitimate contender after winning 12 of their past 14 games, climbing to within 1 ½ games of a wild-card berth?
What if no one is desperate enough to spend hundreds of millions to take Rafael Devers, Willy Adames or Matt Chapman off the San Francisco Giants' hands?
What if there are so many teams in the wild-card race at the trade deadline, with perhaps 84 victories getting you into the dance, no one wants to sell?
Well, after three months of gathering no clarity except for the fact that this may be the Dodgers’ best team yet in their dynasty, here are the top five story lines for the second half of the season:
Will Detroit Tigers trade Tarik Skubal?
Skubal is the difference between a glorious trade deadline and perhaps a dull one.
He’s also the one player who could be the Dodgers’ kryptonite, knowing that any team that has Skubal in the postseason has the potential to end the Dodgers’ dreams of a three-peat.
Can you imagine the Brewers with Skubal and Jacob Misiorowski in the same rotation? Or the Atlanta Braves with Chris Sale and Skubal? How about the New York Yankees with a four-headed monster of Skubal, Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried?
Or, what if the dude goes nowhere.
Skubal is back, healthy, and he also could be the one salvaging the Tigers’ season. Everyone in the AL Central had a chance to put the Tigers away when they lost 21 of 25 games and dropped to 22-38. But instead, Skubal came back and the Tigers took off. They have gone 21-12 since June 1 and are suddenly back in the race. They entered Saturday 4 ½ games out in the AL Central and 2 ½ games back in the wild-card race.
Forget the narrative that the Tigers could thread the needle and trade Skubal while also acquiring players.
Either they go all in, or all out.
If the Tigers keep Skubal, and perhaps grab another late-inning reliever, they suddenly could be awfully scary with Framber Valdez, Casey Mize, Jack Flaherty and a future Hall of Famer named Justin Verlander.
When will Aaron Judge be back, and what would it mean to Yankees?
Well, let’s put it this way: Aaron Judge better return this year from his fractured rib or the Yankees will have a long, cold winter in the Bronx.
Just in case anyone wondered how valuable Judge is to the Yankees, all you have to do is look at this season. They are a World Series contender with Judge in the lineup. They are a flawed, mediocre team with zero hopes of catching the Tampa Bay Rays without him.
Judge, who has been on the IL since June 5, will have his rib re-imaged during the All-Star break. That should provide a timeline for his return, with the Yankees hoping he’ll be back sometime in August.
"I don’t think we’re anticipating it’s coming back clean," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. "I think we’re anticipating and hopeful that it’s showing the healing process. … The time frame that it would take to heal should allow him to be back with us this season."
Judge broke his rib diving in the outfield April 26, but he played with the injury for another month before going on the IL.
So how badly have they missed him?
Let us count the ways: The Yankees have lost 15 of their past 22 games. They’ve scored an MLB-low 73 runs since June 18. And they’ve struck out an MLB-leading 230 times since June 18.
"Clearly, you miss him," Cashman told reporters. "That’s certainly part of it. But that’s not an answer to why we’re struggling with some consistently really good players that are going into collective slumps at the same time. That has nothing to do with Aaron Judge."
Then again, it has everything to do with Judge.
They simply are a different team without him, and the quicker they get him back, the better chance they’ll have to run down the first-place Rays.
Can anyone beat Dodgers? Anyone?
The Dodgers have been a runaway freight train since the first pitch, winning 15 of their first 19 games, and now on pace to win 106 games for their best winning percentage since they won 111 games in 2021 – back in the days when they couldn’t get out of the first round.
They’re doing all of this despite Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow – who are earning $53 million – combining for 42 ⅔ innings; right fielder Kyle Tucker, who’s earning $60 million, hitting seven homers; and $23 million closer Edwin Diaz sidelined since mid-April with four saves.
So, imagine when Snell, Glasnow and Diaz return? Imagine when Tucker starts showing a semblance of himself again? Imagine when Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Max Muncy get hot at the same time?
Realistically, this is why the NL teams will be more aggressive than the American League teams at the deadline, knowing they have to go through Los Angeles to be in the World Series. The Philadelphia Phillies, with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo, can certainly match up with the Dodgers in a short series, but they could use another starter and certainly a right-handed hitting outfielder. The Brewers will take Misiorowski against anyone, but what if they had Skubal to go with him? Or if the Braves added Skubal or Sonny Gray to go alongside Chris Sale.
The Dodgers can be beaten, and they were awfully fortunate enough to get past the San Diego Padres two years ago and the Toronto Blue Jays a year ago. But now is the time to take your best shot.
A year from now, it wouldn’t surprise a soul if the 2027 Dodgers have Skubal in that rotation, too.
Will those fabulous Cinderella stories crash and burn or will the magic continue?
These teams opened the season in a full-scale rebuild, retool or reboot, and here they shocking the world in the first half.
Who would have imagined that the Marlins, who traded away prized young starting pitchers Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers during the winter, would be winning 16 of their past 20 games for their greatest 20-game stretch since 2004. They are an MLB-best 26-9 since June 1, with shortstop Otto Lopez hitting an MLB-leading .341, and have the same record as the Phillies. They have a two-game lead in the wild-card race.
The Cardinals traded away everything but the St. Louis Arch during the offseason in their first fire sale in two decades, but here they are, hanging just two games back of a wild-card berth.
The Nationals traded prized starter MacKenzie Gore and let everyone know that CJ Abrams and James Wood were available during the winter, too, but now have a winning record and are hovering in the wild-card race.
And then there are the White Sox, the team that utterly embarrassed themselves two years ago by losing an MLB-record 121 games. But even after slugger Munetaka Murakami went down with an injury for 35 games, the White Sox still are tied for first place in the AL Central.
It’s absurd. It’s insane. It’s baseball.
No one in their right mind had any of these four teams competing this year, let alone having a legitimate chance to be playing in October.
It’ll be a fascinating watch at the deadline just to see how much the front offices believe in their teams themselves.
What is the future of managers on the hot seat, particularly first-year and interim managers?
Tony Vitello: The Giants took an unprecedented gamble when they hired Vitello from the University of Tennessee, and it has badly backfired. It certainly hasn’t helped that the Giants surrounded him with a huge contingent of young and inexperienced coaches, but they are the biggest mess outside Queens.
They’ve embarrassed themselves with their performance, leaving them no choice but to place every veteran on the trade block but starter Logan Webb.
It might be too embarrassing to fire Vitello after one year, but it wouldn’t surprise a soul to see Vitello return to the college ranks if the right opening comes his way.
Craig Stammen: Remember when the Padres stunned everyone by hiring Stammen, a former reliever who had no managerial or coaching experience, to be their first-year manager, choosing him over the likes of Bruce Bochy, Albert Pujols, Brandon Hyde and Phil Nevin?
It’s not as if Stammen can be blamed for all of their offensive troubles and battered starting rotation, but someone is going to have to take the fall, and it’s not going to be general manager A.J. Preller, who has already hired six different full-time managers.
Kurt Suzuki: Suzuki, another manager with zero experience before agreeing to a one-year contract to manage the Los Angeles Angels, has yet to make a difference. No one is saying the Angels are his fault by any means, and folks believe that he has a chance to be a good manager in the future, but it’s unlikely he’ll get that chance with the Angels.
There’s a new sheriff in town in John Mozeliak, and he’s expected to hire a new GM, who surely will want his own guy. The popular choice will be Albert Pujols, who actually had the job until he wanted a five-year contract and the ability to hire his own coaching staff. We’ll see if there could be a compromise this time around, particularly with Mozeliak his former GM in St. Louis.
Andy Green: Green is just a temporary hold until the New York Mets hire a new manager after the season when he returns to the front office. New Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran should be the leading candidate after having the job pulled away from him in 2020.
Don Mattingly: Mattingly was hired to be the Phillies' interim manager after Alex Cora rejected the job when Rob Thomson was fired. It was supposed to last only until the end of the season, but Philadelphia has performed so well under Mattingly that he might win NL manager of the year. And now he says that he’d love to stay if given the opportunity.
The job is still expected to be offered again to Cora after the season, but if the Phillies win the World Series, all bets are off.
Joe Espada: This is Espada’s third year with the Houston Astros. They have yet to win a postseason game, failing to make the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016. Simply, the Astros have to at least make the playoffs, if not play deep into October, for Espada to survive.
Torey Lovullo: Just three years ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks were in the World Series. They haven’t made the playoffs since and are teetering on irrelevancy. Mike Hazen, D-backs president of baseball operations, continues to support Lovullo, but Lovullo is on the final year of his contract and there have been zero talks of an extension. It might be playoffs or bust.
Matt Quatraro: The Kansas City Royals just locked up Quatraro in January with a three-year contract extension through 2029. They certainly had no intention of considering pulling the plug after one year of the new deal. Then again, they never imagined this might be their most disappointing season in franchise history.
Aaron Boone: GM Brian Cashman once again reiterated his support for Boone, believing he’s the right man for the job, and exonerating him for their struggles this year. Yet, if the Yankees don’t win the AL East this year, if the Yankees don’t play deep into October, or if somehow the Yankees miss the playoffs altogether, Cashman might have no choice but to make a change for only the fourth time in 30 years.
Around the basepaths
The Rays, who suddenly are seeing that the AL is wide open for the taking, plan to be aggressive buyers at the deadline. They not only have their eyes on Skubal, but they have shown interest in seeing whether the Diamondbacks would move second baseman Ketel Marte and Giants All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez as a backup plan.
The Diamondbacks shopped Marte during the winter, but pulled him off the market before spring training. He now has 10-and-5 rights and is expected to veto all trades, which Arizona has told teams.
Skubal has informed friends that he badly wants to stay in Detroit the rest of the season, believing they have a legitimate shot at the World Series, and has zero appetite to be traded. "I’ve never lost faith," Skubal says.
Marlins owner Bruce Sherman is telling his employees that he wants to keep ace Sandy Alcantara, who went 6-0 with a 3.35 ERA in June, and has absolutely no intention of trading him at the deadline.
The Seattle Mariners are letting teams know that they are willing to trade one of their prized starters for a back-end reliever and right-handed hitter, most likely Luis Castillo. They not only have a surplus of starters at the big-league level with a six-man rotation, but they have the finest pitching prospect in baseball with Kade Anderson. Anderson’s numbers are mind-boggling at Class AA where he has a 1.36 ERA and .160 opponent’s batting average in 14 starts. He has 99 strikeouts with just 10 walks in 66 ⅔ innings. That’s a 41.4% strikeout rate and 3.8% walk rate. The Mariners would also be clearing payroll by dealing Castillo, who is owed $22.75 million this year and next year.
Just in case a thousand or so reporters want to ask once again, Mike Trout wants to stay with the Angels and has no interest in being traded. He also has all of the power with a full no-trade clause to go along with his 10-and-5 rights.
The Yankees are making it no secret that they want to acquire catcher Hunter Goodman of the Rockies or Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers. Yet, the Rockies plan to keep Goodman, who has the second-most homers in the NL behind Kyle Schwarber, and the Twins have no interest in trading Jeffers unless they fall out of the mediocre AL Central race, hanging just 2 games back.
Now with the seven veteran umpires who are 59 years or older who qualified for MLB’s buyout, there will not be a single umpire 60 or older in the major leagues next season, perhaps for the first time in modern-day MLB history.
The Phillies have included Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. among their possible trade targets for a right-handed hitting outfielder, which also includes Angels right fielder Jo Adell. Gurriel, however, is hitting just .222 with two homers, 20 RBI and a .565 OPS in 45 games since opening the season on the IL.
The Royals will listen but have no intention of trading Michael Wacha, who not only made the All-Star team for the first time in 11 years but is considered an invaluable clubhouse leader. He also is under team control at $14 million a season through 2028.
Kudos to MLB for selecting Alan Porter, born and raised in Philadelphia, to be the crew chief and home-plate umpire at the All-Star Game.
Red Sox fans should send thank-you notes to former GM Chaim Bloom, now with the Cardinals, for sending them Cy Young candidate Sonny Gray and slugger Willson Contreras in the offseason. The Red Sox would be a disaster without them.
Remember Josh Hader? He’s back to being one of the finest closers in the game. Hader has appeared in 15 games for the Astros since debuting after opening the season on the IL, and he has given up just two hits and one run in 15 innings, striking out 24. He's perfect in all nine of his save opportunities and generating a stunning 43.8% chase rate. Hader, who is in the third year of a five-year, $95 million contract, is not available in trade talks.
The Diamondbacks, who have been mired in mediocrity, could have starters Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Soroka, Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen available along with closer Paul Sewald.
Chicago Cubs ace Justin Steele, who hasn’t pitched since April 7, 2025, is expected to start throwing off a mound the first week of August, but Cubs manager Craig Counsell said it will be too late in the season for him to rejoin the rotation and instead would be used in the bullpen in September.
The Astros, who have gone 26-19 since May 21, desperately want another starter. Their rotation is yielding a 5.29 ERA, second-worst in MLB.
The Dodgers’ big midseason acquisition will be two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell. He hasn’t faced a hitter since his lone start May 9, but after undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove bone chips he has started facing live hitters again. He claims this is the best he has felt in two years, with his shoulder pain gone, too. Snell has thrown only 64 innings since signing his five-year, $182 million contract, but he was invaluable in last year’s postseason – 3-0 with an 0.85 ERA the first three rounds – and has a chance to have a major impact again this October.
While the Texas Rangers could be interested in trading shortstop Corey Seager this winter, his trade value has absolutely plummeted. He has been on the IL six times in the past two years, and is owed $155 million over the next five seasons.
Rival executives are intrigued to see whether A.J. Preller trades Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller at the deadline with their team spiraling downward, but they laugh at the notion they will receive anything close to the package they surrendered to the Athletics to acquire him. Shortstop Leo De Vries, the No. 2 prospect in baseball, was featured in that swap.
The Mets’ best trade chip might not be starter Freddy Peralta, but actually reliever Luke Weaver. Peralta, who has been a disappointment with the Mets, will be strictly a rental as a pending free agent. Meanwhile, Weaver has thrived and is under control through 2027. Weaver is yielding a 1.89 ERA in 38 innings pitched, and hasn’t given up an earned run in 24 appearances since May 1.
Loved seeing Blue Jays manager John Schneider letting Dylan Cease have a chance to throw only the second no-hitter in franchise history when he entered the ninth inning having already thrown a career-high 115 pitches. "I’m a fan of baseball," Schneider said. "I think if a guy has a chance to throw a no-hitter, I think you let him do it, and you make adjustments after that."
The coolest thing for Tigers rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle making the All-Star team? "Mike Trout texted me," McGonigle said. "Trout texted me and congratulated me. That's the one, I was like, wow, that's pretty wild." McGonigle is the first Tigers position player to make the All-Star team at 21 years old or younger since Hall of Famer Al Kaline in 1954 and 1955.
Ever since several D-backs officials and players expressed their frustration with Ketel Marte for sitting out their game against the Dodgers and starter Shohei Ohtani, Marte has since played in every game – starting all but six times this season. "He’s very driven as an athlete overall," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "I think he wants to be elite and be recognized as one of the best players in the league. I know that he knows to do that, you got to play. You’ve got to play a lot and post and perform. He’s been doing that really well."
The Brewers’ urgency to acquire a starter at the deadline was heightened with the uncertainty of veteran Brandon Woodruff pitching again this season. They would also like to acquire an impact bat for the left side of their infield.
The Cincinnati Reds already are getting plenty of interest in Spencer Steer, who can play first base, third base and left field. He’ll be in high demand with so few impact bats available at the deadline.
While the Giants love having second baseman Luis Arraez, who’s willing to sign an extension, the cold-hearted truth is that they need to clear infield spots for Casey Schmitt and Bryce Eldridge, leaving Arraez out of the picture. They also already have six players earning more than $20 million this year.
You know the Pittsburgh Pirates are serious about getting into the playoffs when they traded away their Competitive Balance pick (No. 34 overall) to the White Sox for shortstop Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed pitcher Brandon Eisert. The Pirates, who have already hit more home runs than all of last season, badly needed another infielder with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin sidelined for two months with his left ring finger injury, and they were willing to sacrifice a valuable draft pick.
You think the Dodgers wish they had kept Yordan Alvarez, the Cleveland Guardians had kept Junior Caminero, the Rays had kept Cristopher Sanchez or the Giants had kept Otto Lopez? They will be bringing back the painful memories of "what if" at the All-Star Game.
The most underrated part of the All-Star weekend is the Swingman Classic with Ken Griffey Jr., featuring HBCU programs across the country, showing their talents in front of scouts.
Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, formerly of FOX, is launching his own sports network.
Stat of the week, courtesy of @MLBRandomStats: From 1901-2015, there was not a single pitcher who had a perfect game through 6 innings and was pulled from the game. From 2016-2025: Three pitchers were pulled with perfect games through 6 innings. This week: Twice in four games.
Quote of the Week: Padres third baseman Manny Machado on their first half woes: "Obviously, you know, there’s a lot of things that haven’t really been going our way. It’s baseball, man. That’s the beauty of it. And I’ve been a part of it, and it’s a beautiful game, and we’re all stupid to be playing it. We’re all stupid to be playing it, because it’s a life of struggle."
