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Astros at Blue Jays Game Discussion: 6/22/2026

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 16: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros pitches in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Daikin Park on June 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (37-42) begin a 3-game series vs. the Toronto Blue Jays (38-39) at Rogers Centre in Toronto tonight.

RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 1.10 ERA) starts for the Astros vs. Jays RHP Dylan Cease (4-3, 2.71 ERA). Tonight will be Brown’s 4th career start/app. vs. TOR, and Cease’s 9th career start/app. vs. HOU.

ROAD TRIPPIN: Tonight is the 1st game of a 7-game road trip for the Astros, during which they will visit TOR (3G) and DET (4G), respectively.

Road Success: The Astros are 10-6 in their last 2 road trips combined. They have have posted a 16-12 record on the road since going 1-9 on their 1st road trip of the 2026 season.

Road Raking: The Astros lead the AL in road batting avg. at .252. They also rank 2nd in road SLG (.420) and OPS (.745) and 3rd in road HR (52) and OBP (.326).

ASTROS-BLUE JAYS: The Astros were 4-2 vs. TOR in 2025 (3-0 at home, 1-2 at TOR). HOU pitched very well vs. TOR last season, posting a 1.86 ERA (11ER/53.1IP) vs. them in 6 games while allowing just 31 hits in 53.1 IP for a .169 opponent batting avg.

Jays hitters were just 32×189 vs. HOU pitching overall last season.

Recent Success: The Astros have won 6 of 8 and 8 of their last 11 vs. TOR.

BROTHER BROWN: Tonight will be RHP Hunter Brown’s 4th start of the season and his 2nd since a lengthy stint on the Injured List due to a right shoulder strain (4/1-6/15). In his 1st start off the IL on June 16 vs. DET, he allowed just 1 run in 5.2 IP on 3 hits and 3 walks with 7 K’s in a 4-2 Astros win.

For the season, Brown has been strong in his 3 starts with a 1.10 ERA (2ER/16.1IP) while allowing just 8 hits in 16.1 IP (.145 opp. avg.) with 24 strikeouts.

2025 Review: Brown had an outstanding season in 2025, going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA, earning All-Star honors and a 3rd-place finish in the AL Cy Young voting.

MAKING THE JAYS BLUE: RHP Hunter Brown has had success vs. TOR in his young career. He enters tonight with a 15.0-inning scoreless streak vs. the Jays, which is the longest active streak vs. them.

In his last 2 starts vs. TOR, he hurled 7.0 scoreless innings on April 21, 2025 in HOU and 6.0 scoreless innings on July 1, 2024 at TOR (both wins).

In 3 career starts vs. TOR, Brown is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA (3ER/19IP) and an 0.73 WHIP. He has allowed just 7 hits in 19.0 IP vs. TOR.

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: Over the last month, from May 21-June 21, the Astros are 17-11 (.607), which is the 2nd-best record in the AL in that span.

Top Records since May 21 (AL)

1. Yankees 16-10 (.615)

2. Astros 17-11 (.607)

3. Blue Jays 16-12 (.571)

RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 4 of 5 and 6 of their last 9 games.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid 1st half to his season, currently leading all of baseball with a 1.067 OPS. Additionally, he leads the AL in HR (25), SLG (.640) and TB (181), and ranks 2nd in batting avg. (.322), OBP (.428) and RBI (56).

Alvarez was the AL Player of the Month for May, is hitting .388 (26×67) in June with 5 HR and 17 RBI a 1.124 OPS (.468 OBP/.657 SLG).

ALL-STAR VOTING: Yordan Alvarez currently leads all AL DH’s in All-Star voting. His 1,974,459 votes rank 2nd in the AL and 3rd overall in the Majors.

YORDAN/ROGERS CENTRE: In his last 14 games at Rogers Centre, Yordan Alvarez has 7 HR and 16 RBI, hitting .375 (18×48) in that span with an .875 SLG and a 1.349 OPS.

OKERT’S 0’S: LHP Steven Okert has not allowed a run in his last 15.0 innings, which is the longest scoreless streak by an Astros hurler this season.

His streak, which spans 12 appearances, is the longest consecutive inning scoreless streak in a season since AJ Blubaugh ended the 2025 season with a 19.0-inning scoreless streak. In Okert’s current streak, which began on May 23 at CHC, he has allowed just 4 hits in those 15.0 innings pitched.

HADERADE: In his 8 appearances since coming of the IL on June 3, opponents are just 2×26 off LHP Josh Hader.

Hader has posted a 1.13 ERA (1ER/8IP) and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities (.077 opp. avg., .038 WHIP).

POSITIVE IMPACT: Since SS Jeremy Peña returned to the lineup on May 18, the Astros have gone 18-13, while Peña has hit .293 (34×116) with 5 doubles, 6 homers and 18 RBI in 31 games. Prior to that date, Peña played in only 10 of the Astros first 48 games of the season, with the Astros going 19-29 in those contests.

ROSTER MOVE: RHP Bryan Abreu has been placed on the restricted list, effective today.

RHP Logan VanWey has been recalled from Triple A Sugar Land and will join the Major League club today.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1966 – In the Dome, a home record crowd of 50,908 fans attend to see future HOFer Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers take on the Astros. The Dodgers win the game, 5-2, but the Toy Cannon, Jimmy Wynn, has a banner day, going 4-for-4 off Koufax with a HR and 2 doubles in the losing effort.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, June 22, 6:07 p.m. CT

Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, CAN

TV: Space City Home Network, ESPN Unlimited

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

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Game Thread: Our ace is on the mound!

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 12: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 12, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Go Rays!

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Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Game Thread

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 19: Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the third inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday, June 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Blake Butera did not downplay the magnitude of this series. While he said this one counts the same as the rest, the players are aware of what is at stake in this 4 game set against the Phillies. This is a major measuring stick series for this group which surprisingly finds themselves in wild card contention.

With a lefty opener, the Nats are going with a unique lineup. Luis Garcia Jr. is hitting 8th to avoid the opener, while Curtis Mead hits second. Jacob Young is back in center field after an injury scare the other day. Dylan Crews will play in left, while Daylen Lile does the DH duties. Foster Griffin will toe the slab in DC.

The top of the Phillies lineup is red hot right now. Bryce Harper just hit for the cycle and Kyle Schwarber already has 29 homers. Brandon Marsh is hitting 6th to extend what can sometimes be a top heavy lineup. Rafael Marchan will catch instead of JT Realmuto. Tim Mayza will open, while Alan Rangel will be in a bulk role.

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Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Weather permitting, this should be one heck of a matchup. The old champion of the division takes on an up and coming challenger in the Nats. This series will be full of storylines, however it goes. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

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Astros Place RP Bryan Abreu on Restricted List, Recall RP Logan VanWey

HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 15: Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu (52) throws a pitch in the top of the ninth inning during the MLB game between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros on June 15, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Today, the Houston Astros announced that they had placed RP Bryan Abreu on the restricted list, and recalled RP Logan VanWey from Triple-A Sugar Land to replace him on the active roster.

No reason for moving Abreu to the restricted list was given.

Abreu, 29, has allowed 1 ER in 7 appearances since a 3-run blow-up June 2 vs. Pittsburgh. He allowed a solo HR in a 9-3 loss to the Tigers June 15 in a game that had long been decided.

Abreu last pitched on June 20, pitching a perfect inning in an 8-1 loss to the Guardians.

For the season, Abreu is 2-3 with 5 SV, a 6.39 ERA and 1.82 WHIP. Abreu’s career ERA is 2.92 and career WHIP is 1.22.

VanWey, 27, has only pitched 3 innings for the Astros this season and has not allowed a run. All 3 of his innings were closeouts of losses. In those 3 innings, he has allowed 1 hit, no walks and struck out 5.

This season at Triple-A Sugar Land, VanWey is 2-3 with a 6.20 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. In 24.2 IP, he has allowed 32 hits, 9 walks, and struck out 34. VanWey figures to be a long man in the Astros pen.

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MLB Power Rankings: Harper and Schwarber fuel Phillies rise, Marlins feasting in June

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber have a game for the ages, Paul Goldschmidt is defying age, the Marlins are stepping up, and a host of big names are set to return from the injured list.

As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.

One programming note before we get started: I’ll be on vacation next week, so Dave Shovein will be providing his insight and analysis.

Let’s get started!

▶ Check out Matthew Pouliot’s latest Top 300 ROS update for fantasy baseball!

Rankings are from the morning of Monday, June 22

1) Atlanta Braves

Last week: 1

In a potential playoff preview, the Braves took two out of three from the Brewers over the weekend. They handed Jacob Misiorowski his first loss since April 19 on Friday before Ozzie Albies played the role of hero on Saturday.

2) Los Angeles Dodgers

Last week: 2

The Dodgers have lost consecutive games for the first time since May 12. Obviously there’s no reason for panic here, but the club might have to make a decision about Emmett Sheehan soon. After giving up six runs in a lopsided loss to the Orioles on Sunday, Sheehan’s ERA sits at 5.32 for the year.

3) Milwaukee Brewers

Last week: 3

After missing nearly two months following a procedure to drain a cyst from his right shoulder, Brandon Woodruff is set to rejoin the Brewers’ rotation on Monday against the Reds. This likely means Shane Drohan going back to the bullpen, especially with Robert Gasser back on the scene.

4) New York Yankees

Last week: 4

Paul Goldschmidt’s return to the Yankees didn’t garner much in the way of headlines this offseason, which was understandable given how he performed last year, but he’s recaptured some of his old magic this season. The 38-year-old has already surpassed his home run total from last year and his .896 OPS is his highest since his MVP season in 2022.

I couldn’t finish this Yankees section without showing Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart of the NBA Champion New York Knicks throwing out the first pitch last week. These guys are the best buddy comedy going right now.

5) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️

Last week: 8

Having a player hit for the cycle and hit three homers in the same game isn’t just something you can do in MLB The Show. It also happens in real life, as we saw with Bryce Harper (first career cycle) and Kyle Schwarber (fifth career three-homer game) on Saturday against the Mets. Harper and Schwarber are just the second pair of teammates to reach these feats in the same game, joining Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri of the 1932 Yankees.

6) Tampa Bay Rays ⬇️

Last week: 5

After winning two out of three against the Nationals over the weekend (with a couple of big swings from the returning Jonny DeLuca), now the Rays have a chance to end June on a high note. They’ll play seven out of their next 10 games against the Royals, with the other three coming against the banged-up Diamondbacks.

7) St. Louis Cardinals ⬇️

Last week: 6

After a quiet month of May, JJ Wetherholt is slashing .333/.403/.500 this month. Yes, he slugged two homers in a wild win over the Royals on Sunday, but the most impressive thing this month is that he has more walks (six) than strikeouts (five). The National League Rookie of the Year race is far from over, as Sal Stewart of the Reds, Carson Benge and Nolan McLean of the Mets, Bryce Eldridge of the Giants, and Konnor Griffin of the Pirates will have something to say about it, but Wetherholt is the clear favorite right now.

8) Cleveland Guardians ⬆️

Last week: 9

The Guardians have lost four out of six since José Ramírez went down with hamate bone surgery. Travis Bazzana is certainly doing his part to help pick up the slack offensively. He’s hit safely in five straight games, during which he’s launched three homers.

9) Chicago White Sox ⬇️

Last week: 7

No rest for the weary here. After getting swept by the Tigers over the weekend, now the White Sox are set to square off against the Guardians to begin the week. After a long wait, catcher Kyle Teel is finally ready to make his season debut.

10) Chicago Cubs ⬆️

Last week: 12

PCA continues to enjoy a ridiculous month. He’s hit .550 (11-for-20) over the past seven days, including the first cycle of his career last Monday. He’s now homered in five out of his last seven games.

11) Seattle Mariners ⬆️

Last week: 14

It’s been an uneven few days for the Mariners, as they lost two out of three to the Red Sox over the weekend, but they also got Cal Raleigh back from the IL and Logan Gilbert is showing ace form once again. We’ve been saying it for a while, but the Mariners should be better than their record shows.

12) Miami Marlins ⬆️

Last week: 15

This is not a misprint. With the best record in baseball this month, including a four-game winning streak, the Marlins are on the verge of our top 10. The club will have to hope that 2026 breakout Liam Hicks won’t have to miss much time as he deals with a lower-back strain.

13) San Diego Padres ⬇️

Last week: 10

After abbreviated stints with the Royals and the Mariners, Samad Taylor has been a shot in the arm for the Padres’ offense, slashing .362/.423/.447 across 13 games. He’s hit safely in each of his starts with the club and has recently moved up near the top of the order. For a team who has struggled to find offense, they are literally riding the hot hand as far as it will take them.

14) Washington Nationals ⬇️

Last week: 11

Selected No. 2 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Dylan Crews hasn’t had the smoothest transition to the majors, but maybe just maybe we’re seeing what made him so highly-coveted. The former Golden Spikes Award Winner has three homers and 10 RBI over his last 10 games. While his patience leaves a lot to be desire, he’s making lots of solid contact. His .268 xBA and .489 xSLG indicates that he’s deserved better than his results would indicate. The Nationals’ lineup is already potent as it is, but it would be something if Crews begins to meet the hype.

15) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬇️

Last week: 13

Jordan Lawlar is back on the IL with a hamstring injury while Ryne Nelson is dealing with a flexor strain and Michael Soroka has a strained right glute. The Diamondbacks were looking forward to returns from Corbin Burnes and A.J. Puk, but they both suffered setbacks while ramping up their respective rehabs. If you’re around the .500 mark, you have a chance in this modern playoff structure. And that’s pretty much where the Diamondbacks find themselves. However, the injuries just might be too much to withstand.

16) Pittsburgh Pirates

Last week: 16

Scary moment in Sunday’s game, as Jared Jones was hit the elbow by a comebacker. He had a very emotional reaction, understandable given his return from Tommy John surgery, but fortunately X-rays came back negative.

17) Toronto Blue Jays ⬆️

Last week: 19

The Blue Jays went 4-1 on their road trip and now they’ll return home for a 10-game homestand as they finally get Shane Bieber back from the IL on Tuesday. With a big four featuring Cease, Bieber, Yesavage, and Gausman, it would be surprising if we didn’t see the Jays rise in the rankings moving forward.

18) Athletics ⬇️

Last week: 17

This weekend’s series against the Angels was a wild one, so it’s hard to pick just moment, but this catch from Colby Thomas is a ton of fun. It also makes my back hurt.

Something to watch this week: Zach Gelof owns a 24-game hitting streak, three shy of Arizona’s Ildemargo Vargas for the longest in MLB this season.

19) Cincinnati Reds ⬆️

Last week: 20

The pendulum is starting to swing the other way again. Fresh off taking two out of three from the Yankees, the Reds are set to welcome Elly De La Cruz back on Tuesday and Hunter Greene has begun a minor league rehab assignment.

20) Minnesota Twins ⬆️

Last week: 22

To their credit, the Twins aren’t going away. They’ve won six out of their last seven as they attempt to quell the annual trade rumors involving Byron Buxton. While Buxton remains the centerpiece of this offense, Josh Bell has enjoyed a healthy turnaround over the past month. He’s hitting .337 with four homers and 19 RBI over his last 23 games.

21) Texas Rangers ⬇️

Last week: 18

Wyatt Langford has been a force since returning from the injured list, hitting .317 with five homers and 12 RBI in 15 games.

22) Baltimore Orioles ⬇️

Last week: 21

The Orioles took two out of three from our No. 1 team in the Dodgers over the weekend, but they’ll be without a key piece this week after Adley Rutschman was hit in the head by a throw and had to go on the 7-day concussion injured list. Talk about some awful luck.

23) Houston Astros

Last week: 23

Things are actually looking up for the Astros. They’ve won three straight series for the first time this season and they also have their ace Hunter Brown back in the fold.

24) Detroit Tigers ⬆️

Last week: 26

The Tigers pulled off a sweep of the White Sox over the weekend as they try to climb their way out of the hole they dug while Tarik Skubal was on the shelf.

The Tigers will be tested in a big way in the coming days, as they’ll play six out of their next 10 games against the Yankees. They also have a four-game set against the aforementioned Astros.

25) New York Mets ⬇️

Last week: 24

The Mets were hoping they got an ace with the acquisition of Freddy Peralta this offseason, but after giving up a career-high 10 earned runs on Saturday against the Phillies, he’s now sporting a 4.83 ERA on the year. Even with Francisco Lindor expected to return this week, time is running out for this team.

26) Boston Red Sox ⬇️

Last week: 25

The Red Sox are signaling to the baseball world that it’s almost #HugWatch time.

Appropriately enough, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras are likely trade candidates leading into the deadline. Aroldis Chapman and Jarren Duran are among the other names to watch on this roster.

27) Kansas City Royals

Last week: 27

Jac Caglianone is starting to find his way against major league pitching. The 23-year-old has seven homers and 16 RBI this month to go along with a stout .379/.468/.742 batting line. He’s homered in each of his last three games.

28) Los Angeles Angels ⬆️

Last week: 29

Mike Trout appears on track to get voted into the All-Star Game by the fans, but now he’s on the injured list with a right hamstring strain. Hopefully he’s able to make it back in time, as it would be extra special to see him play in Philadelphia, just a short drive from his hometown of Millville, New Jersey.

29) San Francisco Giants ⬇️

Last week: 28

Oh, what a mess the Giants continue to be. Not only were they swept by the Marlins over the weekend, but Rafael Devers decided to go all Roger Dorn and try to waive off a pinch-runner in the ninth inning on Sunday. Giants rookie manager Tony Vitello tried to be diplomatic after the game, but the vibes are just awful here.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

Want to watch an inside-the-park home run? Let’s watch an inside-the-park home run.

My favorite thing about this might have been Jake McCarthy’s comments after the game. As he told Thomas Harding of MLB.com, “I was tired — I was trying not to throw up.”

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Where to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Minnesota Twins: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Monday, June 22

The Los Angeles Dodgers, ranked first in the NL West with a 49-29 record, face the Minnesota Twins, who are third in the AL Central with a 38-41 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -155 moneyline compared to the Minnesota Twins' +125. Starting pitchers are Eric Lauer for the Dodgers, with a 5.37 ERA, and Zebby Matthews for the Twins, with a 4.78 ERA.

  • Date: Monday, June 22

  • Time: 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT

  • Where: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN

  • TV Channels: Twins.TV Presented by Progressive, SportsNet LA

  • Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

  • Los Angeles Dodgers: 49-29 (first in NL West)

  • Minnesota Twins: 38-41 (third in AL Central)

  • Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

  • Moneyline: Minnesota Twins +125 / Los Angeles Dodgers -155

  • Over/Under: 9.5

Los Angeles Dodgers: Eric Lauer (2-5, ERA: 5.37, K: 40, WHIP: 1.31)

Minnesota Twins: Zebby Matthews (3-4, ERA: 4.78, K: 34, WHIP: 1.18)

Series: Game 1 of 3 (series tied)

Weather: 75°F at first pitch

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The Braves travel out west to face the Padres

ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 16: Starting pitcher Grant Holmes (66) of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch during the Tuesday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants on June 16, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Atlanta Braves are headed out west to face the Padres and they could use a series victory to get back on track. The. The Braves did take two from the Brewers, but they won in games where the Braves did not produce much offense.

The Braves will likely need their offense to kick it into gear tonight since Grant Holmes is on the mound. Holmes has arguably had the worst two game skid in his career his last two outings. In his last two starts he combined for only 5.2 innings pitched while giving up six runs, eight hits, and walking five hitters to only four strikeouts. He also got saved a few times when he loaded the bases multiple times where a lot more damage could have been done.

It is no secret now that Holmes struggles the second time through the order. The average hitter is hitting .320/.395/.660 against him. If a hitter had that slash line for an entire season, they would get MVP votes. For reference, if a hitter had an OPS of 1.055, they would have the second highest OPS in MLB behind the otherworldly Yordan Alvarez.

No player on the Padres has faced Holmes in more than five at-bats, so there is not a lot of past matchup data to draw conclusions from. Ty France has seen Holmes the most and in his five at-bats is hitting .400 with a 1.100 OPS. Manny Machado has a hit against Holmes both times he faced him.

Unless something crazy happens, it is likely that we will see a lot of bullpen arms used today. It will be interesting to see if it will be a planned long reliever like Didier Fuentes or someone like that.

Michael King will be taking the mound for the Braves. The last time King faced the Braves it was his first start of 2025 where he only lasted 2.2 innings when he gave up four hits to include a HR, four walks, three earned runs, and three strikeouts. The Padres ended up winning that game, but it was not because of King.

King has been very good this season when looking at his on the field surface numbers. He has a 3.60 ERA in 85.0 innings over fifteen starts with a WHIP of 1.188. His underlying metrics show a different story with his expected ERA (xERA) being 4.79 which is in the bottom 25.0 percent of pitchers. He also has an expected batting average against (xBA) him of .252 which places him in the bottom 37.0 percent of pitchers.

Hopefully King’s regression to the mean will start tonight with the Braves. The difficulty with King will be that his best skill this season is preventing hard contact, and that is what the Braves’ greatest strength is offensively.

Every player on the Braves’ active roster outside of Eli White has faced King before. Rowdy Tellez leads the team with fourteen at-bats against King, but likely won’t get the start. Unfortunately, no one on the Braves has established success. Albies has a HR in two at-bats, and Kim has a hit in his one at-bat, but everyone else has an OPS that is .715 or lower against King.

On paper, the Padres seem to have the advantage in this game, but you never know when one of the Braves start to get hot. That seems to be the trend this season. Dominic Smith had a spurt, Matt Olson had a hot streak, Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris have been steady, and Ozzie Albies seems to now be heating up.

Grab your coffee because the first pitch is at 10:10 pm EDT.

Game Info

Game Time: Monday, June 22nd, 10:10 pm EDT

Location: Petco Park, , San Diego, Ga

Watch: ESPN

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

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Ask Pinstripe Alley: Yankees mailbag questions request

Ask Pinstripe Alley

It’s been an up and down week for the Yankees, as they took a series against the surprise contender White Sox but dropped their weekend series to the Reds scoring just three runs in their two losses. There were still plenty of highlights to point out, from Cam Schlittler dominating for another six innings of shutout ball with 13 strikeouts to further his early Cy Young case or Ben Rice clobbering another couple of balls to jump up to 22 homers on the year and moving him back up to fourth in MLB.

Now that we’re officially into summer though, it’s time to start getting serious about the team’s place in the standings and how to improve their chances of going the distance. The team sits in first place with a two-game lead over the Rays, but even if you believe that the gap should be a little wider based on the quality of their wins the fact of the matter is Tampa has been neck-and-neck with them thus far. Rumors of a Tarik Skubal all-in rental are floating, but would an absolutely overwhelming rotation solve the team’s issues in the lineup and bullpen? Are their prospects good enough to outbid the other teams seeking his services, and can they do anything else if they go that route? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of June 25th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Where to watch New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Monday, June 22

The New York Yankees, ranked first in the AL East with a 46-30 record, face the Detroit Tigers, who are fourth in the AL Central with a 33-44 record. The New York Yankees are favored with a -125 moneyline compared to the Detroit Tigers' +105. Starting pitchers are Gerrit Cole for New York, with a 2.57 ERA, and Framber Valdez for Detroit, with a 4.09 ERA.

  • New York Yankees: 46-30 (first in AL East)

  • Detroit Tigers: 33-44 (first in AL Central)

  • Spread: New York Yankees -1.5

  • Moneyline: Detroit Tigers +105 / New York Yankees -125

  • Over/Under: 8.5

New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole (2-1, ERA: 2.57, K: 24, WHIP: 1.00)

Detroit Tigers: Framber Valdez (3-5, ERA: 4.09, K: 67, WHIP: 1.35)

Series: Game 1 of 3 (series tied)

Weather: 74°F at first pitch

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Yankees recall Yerry de los Santos ahead of Tigers series

May 16, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Yerry De los Santos (73) reacts during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees announced on Monday that they called up right-handed relief pitcher Yerry de los Santos to the major leagues to shore up their bullpen ahead of their series with the Detroit Tigers. The team made the announcement via X.

The hard-throwing sinker-changeup specialist takes Elmer Rodríguez’s place after his spot start on Sunday. De los Santos beats Yovanny Cruz, who was also in contention for a spot on the major league roster.

De los Santos has already been called up twice this year, pitching in a couple of games and completing 5.1 innings with a solid 1.69 ERA. He has walked three and struck out six hitters.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed a fairly successful campaign in Triple-A so far with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, posting a 3.41 ERA and a 3.14 FIP in 31.2 frames. He boasts a 27.7 percent strikeout rate and a 6.2 percent walk rate.

Cruz has also been solid in Triple-A this year with a 3.46 ERA and a 31.3 strikeout rate, but has been crushed to the tune of a 5.68 ERA this month and has pitched just five games in June. Perhaps he’s dealing with an undisclosed and minor issue, or just going through a bit of a slump.

During his career in the majors, de los Santos has shown a live arm and has always been seen as a promising pitcher, but an inability to get lefties out has limited his ceiling. So far, he has a 5.01 FIP vs. lefty hitters and a 3.12 mark vs. righties in MLB.

However, he appears to have made some strides in that department this year in the minor leagues, where he boasts a .164 batting average against while facing lefties and a .253 mark vs. righties. Whether he can keep up those gains against some of the most talented hitters in the world remains to be seen. If he pitches well, de los Santos could have a chance to stick around for a while.

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Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger lead Yankees in MLB All-Star voting

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 26: Aaron Judge #99 and Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees stand on second base between innings of an MLB game between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals on May 26, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Earlier this afternoon, MLB released its second All-Star balloting update. The Yankees are well-represented, with Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger all in position to advance in the voting.

As a refresher, MLB uses a (semi-convoluted) multi-phase system for its All-Star ballots. We’re currently in Phase 1, which will end on Thursday. At the conclusion of Phase 1, the top vote-getter in each league will automatically earn a starting spot in the All-Star Game. Then, the top two (top six for outfielders) finishers at every other position advance to a run-off stage in Phase 2.

Judge leads all Yankees and all outfielders with 1,788,499 votes, pulling ahead of Mike Trout by just about 50,000 votes. Despite the right rib fracture that’s kept him out the last three weeks, Judge looks likely to make the team. However, he isn’t the top overall vote-getter in the American League at the moment, thanks to a surprise surge from Ernie Clement of all people. The Toronto second baseman paces the Junior Circuit with 2,054,130 votes.

Rice is second in voting at first base, a bit of a travesty given the middling year that the leader, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., has put together so far. The Yankee first baseman’s 174 OPS+ dwarfs Guerrero’s 101 figure, but Guerrero now leads by about half a million votes. No matter, Rice should advance comfortably to the runoff stage with a chance to make his first All-Star team.

Also polling well is Bellinger, who clocks in with 1,067,622 votes, fourth among outfielders behind Judge, Trout, and Byron Buxton. Remarkably, the 2019 NL MVP has not made an All-Star team since securing that MVP award, but he has a great shot at breaking the streak this year. Bellinger has been excellent in every phase of the game for the Yankees, and his 3.8 rWAR is actually tops among AL outfielders.

In the running at second base is Jazz Chisholm Jr., though he is far back of the leader Clement. Chisholm stands in fourth with 419,777 votes, about 100,000 votes behind the second-place second baseman, Ezequiel Duran, so he has his work cut out for him if he wants to advance to Phase 2.

Outside of Judge, Rice, Bellinger, and Chisholm, no other Yankee hitter is really within striking distance in the voting. The team will surely also send a pitcher or two to the All-Star Game, but the pitchers that make the roster are not chosen by fan vote. You can find full details on the voting thus far, as well as results for the National League, here.

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Texas Rangers lineup for June 22, 2026

Jun 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Wyatt Langford (36) hits a three run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers lineup for June 22, 2026 against the Miami Marlins: starting pitchers are Tyler Alexander for the Rangers and Tyler Phillips for the Marlins.

Texas starts their final really long road trip of the season today in Miami. Its a 10 game, 10 day trip, and if the Rangers go .500 in the next ten games, I think we’d call it a success. A pair of Tylers are functioning as openers today. Tyler Phillips, you may recall, was originally a 16th round draft pick of the Rangers all the way back in 2015.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Langford — CF

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Osuna — LF

Diaz — C

Lopez — 2B

5:40 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +110 underdogs.

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Series Preview: Guardians at White Sox

Aug 5, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Umpire Malachi Moore tries to separate Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) and Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (7) after Ramirez slid into second with an RBI double during the sixth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Guardians and White Sox will determine who is the early AL Central leader over the next three days

The Guardians are 41-37 with a -7 run differential, 23rd in wRC+ at 92 (70 wRC+ since Jose Ramirez went down), tenth in baserunning runs above average at 2.4, 11th in Defense at -6.1, eighth in starting pitching ERA at 3.81 (4.15 FIP), and tenth in bullpen ERA at 3.76 (3.71 FIP).

The White Sox are 39-37 with a -4 run differential, 13th in wRC+ at 102, 19th in baserunning runs above average at -1.6, 13th in Defense at -7.3, 20th in starting pitching ERA at 4.53 (4.41 FIP), and 18th in bullpen ERA at 4.30 (4.41 FIP).

The Guardians will have to outpitch the White Sox to win this series and keep scores low.

MATCHUPS:
Game One, Monday, 7:40PM ET: Gavin Williams, RHP 3.83 (4.03 FIP) vs. Anthony Kay, LHP 4.61 ERA (5.32 FIP).
Game Two, Tuesday, 7:40PM ET: Parker Messick, LHP 2.70 ERA (3.21 FIP) vs. Sean Burke, RHP 3.89 ERA (3.97 FIP)
Game Three, Wednesday, 2:10PM ET: Tanner Bibee, RHP 4.03 ERA (4.66 FIP) vs. Erick Fedde, RHP 4.46 ERA (5.60 FIP)

The Guardians need their three best pitchers to actually pitch like it this week. Time to show what you’re made of, Gavin, Parker and Tanner. The boys need ya.

Watch out for Sam Antonacci 130 wRC+, Miguel Vargas 127 wRC+, Tristan Peters 121 wRC+, Colson Montgomery 120 wRC+, and Chase Meidroth 103 wRC+ on the White Sox. Also, Randal Grichuk is hitting well at the moment and I’m not sure what to make of that. Chicago better avoid Travis Bazzana, Kyle Manzardo and Brayan Rocchio… and that’s about darn it.

Here goes nothing, folks.

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Reds shake up bullpen with return of Pierce Johnson

CINCINNATI, OH - MAY 23: Pierce Johnson #52 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeffrey Dean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Cincinnati Reds finally welcomed back some proven reinforcement to their overworked bullpen on Monday afternoon ahead of their series against the Milwaukee Brewers in Great American Ball Park.

Veteran righty Pierce Johnson was activated off the 15-day IL, while the Reds also chose to select the contract of righty Julian Garcia from AAA Louisville. Making way on the active roster were Zach Maxwell, who was optioned back to AAA, and Chris Paddack, who was designated for assignment.

The Reds announced the moves on Twitter.

Johnson last pitched for the Reds on May 26th, landing on the injured list with an elbow issue shortly thereafter. He only pitched in a single game on rehab with Louisville, allowing a run on two hits (with a strikeout), but apparently that’s enough for the club and the 35 year old to know that he’s ready once again to tackle big league hitters.

Garcia, though, is a whole different story. The 31 year old will be making his big league debut the moment he takes the mound in a Reds uniform, a former 10th round pick out of Metro State in Denver who spent most of the 2024 and 2025 seasons pitching for the Kansas City Monarchs in indy ball. While at Louisville this year, though, the slide-piece specialist strug out 54 in just 35.2 IP while pitching to a 3.03 ERA, and even has been good at limiting walks (12) in a way no other Reds reliever can really claim. Obviously, it will be quite the story to follow to see if the Reds have uncovered a diamond in the rough with him.

As for the other moves, Maxwell struggled mightily in this stint with the Reds and will return to the minors to sort things out. Paddack, meanwhile, will almost certainly move on to another organization after being signed to help rescue the starting rotation in May when it was dealt a number of costly blows. His role had been reduced to mop-up duty after his final start on May 29th, and pitching out of the bullpen did no favors to him or to the Reds. He will, though, potentially go down in Reds lore for teaching Chase Burns a new changeup, something that was on full display on Sunday in the Reds victory over the New York Yankees in the Bronx.

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Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies poised to start at 2026 All-Star Game after second vote update

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Ozzie Albies #1 and Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves smile before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Are you tired of the Hamilton-adjacent cosplays yet? Well, Braves Country isn’t throwing away its shot to send some Braves to the All-Star Game. But some help may be needed.

With three days left remaining in Phase 1 of voting, Major League Baseball has released the second balloting update for the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. As of last week’s update, five Braves were poised to advance. 

Much is the same in this update, which is what we like to see.

Our recently-returned reigning ROY Drake Baldwin and recent walkoff hero Ozzie Albies lead their positions at catcher and second base, respectively. Baldwin, sporting a cumulative 1,755,668 votes, has a decent lead over LA’s Will Smith. If a late push to get J.T. Realmuto in at his home field happens, he’s more than welcome to fight it out with Smith. We love the Drake.

Things are much tighter in the race for second base. Ozzie’s holding at first with just shy of a million votes, but is nearly 200,000 votes above Phillie Bryson Stott in second, and just over 300,000 votes separate him from Luis Arraez of the Giants in fifth. The Ozzie Albies game came with a relentless push to vote Ozzie, and our short king could use your support. 

Matt Olson remains (criminally) in second place with Freddie Freeman in first for NL first basemen, but is still poised to advance to Phase 2. If a last-minute comeback for Bryce Harper in voting sinks this for Matty O… I don’t even want to think about it. 

The outfield has the one mildly unpleasant update. Ronald Acuña Jr.’s current placement on the IL may be dampening his All-Star voting for the outfield. He’s slipped from second place to third behind Andy Pages and Brandon Marsh. The latter has surged but has a slim ~40k lead. Michael Harris II is right there behind Ronald at fourth. Both would still advance to Phase 2, but of course we’d much prefer to see Acuña Jr. earn the starting spot in the OF over a Phillie, right?

TL;DR: Baldwin and Albies are in line to start at catcher and second base for the National League, while Olson, Acuña Jr., and Harris II are in good shape to advance to Phase 2 of voting.

As for our other Braves, Austin Riley surged in voting a little to overtake Nolan Arenado to be third for third baseman. The gap between him and Alec Bohm isn’t impossible to close, but it could be tough to find 300k+ votes. Ha-Seong Kim, Dominic Smith, and Mauricio Dubón all remain at the same spots as last update in their positions (sixth, third, and eleventh, respectively). Full vote totals can be found here.

The marching orders seem clear to me: help secure Ronald’s spot in the Midsummer Classic and keep voting Braves. Consider submitting your five daily votes today through Wednesday while we’re waiting around all day for these Pacific Time games. Phase 1 of the voting ends at 12:00 p.m. ET sharp on June 25. Finalists will be announced at 6:00 p.m ET that same day and Phase 2 begins on June 29.