Category: MLB

Detroit Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch announced prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Athletics that third base coach Joey Cora has left the organization. Hinch told reporters that he and Cora had met and mutually decided to part ways based on some philosophical differences that had developed. Billy Boyer will take over as third base coach effective immediately.

Hinch characterized the differences of opinion as purely baseball related. That’s interesting considering that Cora has been his third base coach for two and a half seasons after joining the organization in November of 2023. The 61-year-old had an 11-year career in the major leagues, mainly with the Padres, White Sox, and Mariners, before moving into coaching. Apart from his third base responsibilities, Cora has also been the Tigers infield instructor for the past two and a half seasons.

One wonders if the difference of opinion may have had more to do with coaching players than Cora’s work at third base. Like every third base coach since the dawn of time, he’s been criticized for some aggressive sends that worked out badly, but overall the Tigers have graded out pretty well in the baserunning department under his watch, despite not stealing many bases. That’s changed a little bit this year, with the Tigers slipping in the baserunning metrics a bit. They currently rank 17th best in team baserunning per FanGraphs, compared to finishing 10th in that category in 2025.

The 41-year-old Boyer was a college coach until working for the Twins player development system in 2019-2020. He joined the Tigers’ organization as a minor league infield coordinator back in 2021. That was part of now assistant general manager, Ryan Garko’s, overhaul of the entire player development system after long-time director of player development, Dave Littlefield, was reassigned. Boyer became the quality control coach for the major league club this season. As a longtime infield coach who has been working with infielders all year anyway, we assume he’ll take over Cora’s responsibilities working with the infielders as well.

We look forward to seeing a new set of gestures at third base, but otherwise this probably won’t change much about the way the Tigers run the bases. They’re still committed to being aggressive in terms of sending runners from third base to home. We’ll see if they’re more or less successful with Boyer making the calls. It’s quite possible that this has more to do with coaching infield defense, as Boyer spent a lot of time working with Kevin McGonigle last season, with good results.

The Athletics announced a series of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon before beginning their three-game series with the Tigers, activating shortstop Jacob Wilson and recalling left-hander Jacob Lopez from Triple-A:

To make room on the active roster the team is sending backup catcher Brian Serven and starter/reliever Kade Morris back down to the Aviators.

Wilson’s return should provide a boost to both the offense and defense. There was fear after his reinjury that he may have suffered a severe setback but it appears the young shortstop just needed some more time to rest that shoulder of his. He’s slashed .277/.310/.386 with four home runs, a bit of a step back from his second-place ROTY finish last year but still an upgrade over Alika Williams, who will return to backup duties.

Lopez meanwhile will return to the team after spending the past month-plus with the Aviators. In Triple-A the left-hander has made four starts: two duds in his first two after the demotion, followed by two strong starts back-to-back. The assumption is that he’ll slide into Morris’ spot in the bullpen but he could be a starting option again when needed.

Morris meanwhile only made two relief appearances in his most recent stint with the big league squad. He pitched three innings apiece in those appearances, allowing three and one runs respectively. He’ll likely slide back into the Aviators’ starting rotation, taking the spot of Lopez. Well certainly be seeing him again with the big league club at some point this season.

Serven only made it into one game for the big league team during his brief stint, going 1-for-4 with a single and a strikeout. He’s been hitting well for the Aviators this season and could be an option for the team again if any injury (or trade) occurs.

The Guardians will pick 19th in MLB’s draft on Sunday, July 12th, with the draft beginning at 1pm ET. Who might Cleveland select with their top pick?

As you probably know, discovering who an MLB team is targeting by the mid-point of the first round is a crapshoot. Almost no one had the Guardians connected to Jace LaViolette last year, in what was a break from their typical focus on contact over slugging. So, this is an inexact science. I want to be upfront in saying that I do not personally follow college and high school prospects; simply lack the bandwidth for that, and only did so leading up the Guardians #1 pick in 2024. But, I do read up on prospects as we approach the first round, so the following potential selections come from Baseball America’s excellent pre-draft podcast, from Keith Law’s latest mock for the Athletic and from Kiley McDaniel’s latest mock from ESPN.

The names below are players mentioned by these outlets as connected to or a potential fit for the Guardians, and the final six names are additions from our sites’ writers and friends and from players listed around #19 on MLB Pipeline’s list. You can click on names below to read a scouting report on them from MLB Pipeline or Yahoo Sports or Perfect Game.

Names to Know at Pick #19:

Sawyer Strosnider, LHH, OF, 6’2, 200 lbs, TCU 21 years old – A great athlete who projects as a centerfielder, this would be a pick similar to LaViolette as Strosnider is power over contact, with some concerning chase rates but some light-tower pop.

Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, 6’3, 190 lbs, Huntington Beach HS CA 17 y.o. – Probably Grindlinger ends up as a pitcher, but he does have some interesting two-way potential. A lot of projectability in his arm and one of the youngest prospects in the draft.

Logan Schmidt, LHP, 6’4, 210 lbs, Ganesha HS CA 17 y.o. – Experiencing some recent helium, Schmidt has gained some velo and flashed some fun secondary pitches.

Zion Rose, RHH, OF, 6’1, 200 lbs, Louisville 21 y.o. – Probably a left-field only defender, Rose has good contact skills and excellent power, but chases a little too much to be drafted higher than around where the Guardians’ pick.

Ace Reese, LHH, 3B, 6’4, 220 lbs, Mississippi St. 21 y.o. – A lot of power and some solid contact skills here, but some chase concerns and, primrily, defensive liability that may push him to first base put Reese in this general are of the draft.

Connor Comeau, LHH, 3B, 6’4, 180 lbs – Anderson HS TX 17 y.o. – Would be fun to see the Guardians draft another Canadian and this power-first prospect would also be interesting as he is likely limited to 3B as a defender.

Landon Thome, LHH, 2B/3B, 6’0, 177 lbs – Nazareth Academy IL 18 y.o. – You may recognize the last name – it’s Jim Thome’s son! With contact ability and speed being a big part of his game, he is different from his dad, but there’s some solid power potential as well.

James Clark, LHH, 2B/SS, 6’1, 195 – Riverside HS CA 18 y.o. – A little bit of an under the radar prospect, this would be a return to more of the contact-first profile the Guardians had been targeting prior to 2026.

Ty Head, LHH, OF, 6’3, 205 lbs – North Carolina State 21 y.o. – A centerfielder with fringy power potential and a swing that needs some work, this would be a fun pick for the Guardians if he is there.

Owen Hull, LHH, OF, 6’4, 215 lbs – North Carolina 21 y.o. – He has an odd swing but seems to make it work. Take me home country roads, again?

Chris Rembert, RHH, 2B, 5’11, 209 lbs, Auburn 21 y.o. – Would the Guardians draft another player likely limited to second base in round one? He’s got good bat speed and contact ability but not a lot of pop.

Cole Carlon, LHP, 6’5, 230 lbs – Arizona State 21 y.o. – Some reliever risk but there’s enough to dream on for him becoming a good starter with the right organization with a fastball that has hit 98 mph.

Tegan Kuhns, RHP, 6’3, 189 lbs – Tennessee 21 y.o. – Pitched well in the Cape with a 98 mph fastball and an upper 70’s curveball, but is still searching for the right third offering. Pounds the zone.

Trey Ebel, RHH, SS/2B, 6’0, 180 lbs – Corona HS CA 17 y.o. – Projectable shortstop. Sometimes that is the Guardians’ type, but a right-handed hitter would be a change.

More Prospects from CTC Writers/Friendsand MLB Pipeline:
Justin Lebron, RHH, SS, 6’2, 190 lbs – Alabama 21 y.o. – A little bit of a project who chases too much, but stole 42 of 43 bases, looks to be a good defender and has solid power.

Logan Reddeman, RHP, 6’2, 185 lbs – UCLA 21 y.o. – A cutter-heavy pitcher many folks see as a back of rotation arm, but he’s a strike-thrower whom one could easily see the Guardians’ pitching team believing they can maximize.

AJ Garcia, LHH, OF, 6’3, 195 lbs – Virginia 21 y.o. – Leads with excellent plate discipline and good playing instincts, but there is raw power there that would be fun to go after. May stick in center, but if not, heads to left rather than right because of arm strength issues.

Cameron Flukey, RHP, 6’6, 210 lbs – Coastal Carolina 21 y.o. – Flukey seems to be the consensus “If he falls to the Guardians, they better take him and it’ll be a great pick” guy this season.

Hunter Dietz, LHP, 6’6, 235 lbs – Arkansas 21 y.o. – Shook off an elbow fracture in the past with a very good spring. He’s big and throws four pitches that some describe as “plus.“

Liam Peterson, RHP, 6’5, 225 lbs – Florida 21 y.o. – Stuff over command, but tinkers with his delivery a good bit, so Guardians’ could imagine themselves helping him fix problems and maximize his talent.

Always be sure to check out our faithful commenter DelGua’s mock drafts, as he does an excellent job, time in and time out. In his latest, he mentions a few other names to track:

Carson Bolemon, LHP, 6’4, 225 lbs – Southside Christian HS SC 19 y.o. – Sinker-heavy projectable arm, throws low 90’s for now.

Derek Curiel, LHH, OF, 6’2, 192 lbs – LSU 21 y.o. – Ranked 12th by MLB pipeline, should he fall to 19 he may be good value as a solid centerfielder with great contact skills and fringy power.

Our Matt Seese has offered a look at some pitchers the Guardians could target in the draft and is working on a companion piece for hitters they could be looking at. Continue to follow along as we prepare for what is always a fun event as the Guardians welcome more young talent into their organization.

Rehmbert and Bell were the best performers of this bunch in Cape Cod league play and we all know how much the Guardians appreciate that, so I’d keep my eye on them. For me, I kinda hope they draft a pitcher this time and Flutey, Kuhns, Dietz and Peterson intrigue me the most, there. Also, I am a sentimental fool but drafting Landon Thome would be awesome. Hopefully, doing some reading here will help us all be able to form half-baked opinions when the pick is announced! Let us know who you prefer in the comments below.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The New York Yankees have been going through it in recent weeks. They were sharp at the outset of the 2026 season, and despite trailing the surprising Tampa Bay Rays for much of May, they regained first place in early June. By the 19th, they held a 46-28 record, and only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves could boast better records.

The road has been bumpy ever since, however, as the Yankees have lost 12 of their last 16 games, ceding first back to the red-hot Rays. They can reasonably hope to regain health as key pieces like Aaron Judge and Max Fried make their way back to the team, and no matter how poor they’ve looked in the past few weeks, it’s fair to expect a recovery from the league-worst .544 OPS they’ve posted since play ended on June 19th. To wit, even the anemic 2023 Yankees put up a .670 OPS when Judge missed time with his toe injury.

Still, it’s not as though this team is absent any causes of concern. And one might reasonably be wary of the Rays or another division rival giving the Yankees a challenge for the division; Tampa Bay still leads by three games. So our Reacts survey question this week wants to know how you think the regular season will end! Yes, there will be a later question at another time but the true end goal of all Yankees fans (related to the postseason), but for now, we are curious if you think they’ll win the AL East, settle for one of the Wild Card spots—be it the No. 4 seed and hosting a Wild Card Series, or the No. 5 or 6 and going on the road—or miss out on October entirely.

Vote in the survey and we’ll check out the results in a few days.

There are round numbers all over the place for the Dodgers, entering play tonight with 60 wins, 30 of them at home, and 10 of those 60 belonging to one specific starter, Justin Wrobleski, the chosen option to attack the Rockies lineup this Tuesday. While on a positive note, the Rockies have the worst wRC+ in baseball against southpaws at 83. The Dodgers know all too well about the problems of potentially underestimating this offense, both Wrobleski and especially the bullpen.

In their last two games, the Rockies have shown why they lead all of baseball in runs from the eighth inning onward with 126, firstly coming back to beat the Giants at home 7-6 and then nearly doing the same against the Dodgers on Monday. Surely, the Coors Field factor plays a key role in helping the Rox score all of these late runs, but the danger is present both home and away.

Quite often able to give the Dodgers the necessary length, Wrobleski will carry that mission after the two extra innings last night forced the bullpen to work more than originally planned due to the Tanner Scott blown save. Speaking of length, Wrobleski is coming off back-to-back seven-inning starts, and if he adds one more, he’ll reach 100 innings on the season. Although it is still too early for this conversation, the way that the Dodgers handle Wrobleski in the second half will be something to watch, remembering he only threw 118.1 innings last year between the majors and Triple-A.

Tuesday’s game info

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

The New York Mets will play host to the Royals the next games as both teams look to salvage what’s been a disappointing first half of the season. For the Mets, though, it’s even worse, as the team entered the year with quite a lofty payroll to go with those World Series aspirations. Instead, heading into this evening’s match-up, the Mets find themselves not only last in the National League East but with the second-worst record in the entire N.L.

This despite the Major’s second highest payroll, coming in at $369 million, behind only the Dodgers. Heck, the Mets are even outspending their New York brethren by a good $35 million. That money should be worth more than a 38-53 record between two different managers, but alas: baseball.

Kansas City Royals (37-54) at New York Mets (38-53) at Citi Field, Flushing, NY

Royals: 4.22 runs scored/game (20th in MLB), 5.00 runs allowed/game (24th in MLB)

Mets: 4.05 runs scored/game (27th in MLB), 4.71 runs allowed/game (19th in MLB)

Juan Soto remains one of the game’s biggest stars as he leads the National League in on-base percentage (.414), slugging percentage (.570), and, naturally, OPS (.984). He’s homered 19 times while driving in 46 runs and scoring 41 times. He’s been worth 3.1 bWAR, far and away the best of the Mets. His mates in the outfield are also posting solid numbers with A.J. Ewing in center slashing .259/.342/.400 and the team’s right fielder, Carson Benge, slashing .258/.316/.405. Bo Bichette came over from Toronto in the offseason for a massive contract, but he’s struggled so far, posting an OPS eight percent below league average, though he is tied with Benge for the team lead in runs scored (47). Brett Baty is already 26, if you can believe it, and he still hasn’t panned out. His OPS has dropped from .748 in 2025 to .601 this season. Yikes. Francisco Lindor is having the worst season of his career as he’s slashing an abysmal .216/.300/.366 for a .666 OPS [makes sign of the cross].

While the Mets have yet to name a starting pitcher for tonight, it looks like it could be 33-year-old Kodai Senga, who is not pitching very well as evidence by his nearly 9 ERA and nearly 7 FIP. Fangraphs predicts righty Christian Scott to take the mound tomorrow night followed by once-upon-a-time-Royals-farmhand Sean Manaea for Thursday’s matinee finale. Scott’s been fine though he averages less than five-innings-per-outing. Manaea, already 34, would be making just his sixth start of the season. He’s thrown 68 innings to the tune of a 5.18 ERA and 4.01 FIP.

As so often is the case with bad teams, the Mets have a bad bullpen. Devin Williams, the team’s closer, such as it is, isn’t getting many opportunities to do his job, and when he does, doesn’t exactly do it smoothly. Luke Weaver, briefly a Royal, is the bullpen’s shining star as he continues to reshape his career as a New York reliever. If David Stearns, the team’s front office honcho, decides to sell this July, he could get back a nice haul in exchange for Weaver. Teams usually overpay for those types of dudes.

Let’s see if the Royals can keep it going after taking the last two against the Phillies, including trouncing them yesterday, 15-1. Seth Lugo takes the ball tonight followed by Stephen Kolek and Michael Wacha. Taking two series right before the All-Star Break would be a nice little somethin’-somethin’ to give the fans.

The Dodgers series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 20 will be exclusively televised by ESPN, the network announced on Tuesday.

Karl Ravech will call play-by-play for Dodgers-Phillies alongside analysts Eduardo Pérez and David Ross, plus reporter Buster Olney. There will be no SportsNet LA telecast of this game. This is the third ESPN game for the Dodgers this season, along with April 15 against the New York Mets and June 15 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. Both of those previous games were at Dodger Stadium.

The game against the Phillies is the start of the middle series of a nine-game road trip gauntlet directly following the All-Star break, with the Dodgers facing the Yankees, Phillies, and Mets, teams they faced over the last two postseasons.

It’s also a trip rife with nationally televised games, four of them exclusive:

• July 18 at Yankees, 5:08 p.m. PT (Fox)
• July 19 at Yankees, 4:20 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
• July 20 at Phillies, 4:10 p.m. (ESPN)
• July 21 at Phillies, 3:40 p.m. (TBS, non-exclusive telecast)
• July 25 at Mets, 4:15 p.m. (Fox)

67.7%.

That’s how much of Northwestern baseball’s offensive production, by RBI, is departing Evanston.

Ben Greenspan had done well in his first three years with the ‘Cats, building back toward conference tournament contention. But year four for him seems like it will be the toughest of all — most of the guys he’s recruited to be the building blocks of a Wildcat rebranding on the diamond will be gone, leaving him with more questions than answers as to how he’ll find success.

There’s a tornado tearing through Greenspan’s roster this summer, and there’s no telling what the wreckage will be once the dust settles in the fall.

Who’s gone?

Among the names to depart Northwestern this summer, the one that hurts the most is MLB prospect Ryan Kucherak — the ‘Cats’ most disciplined hitter this past season, leading the team with 27 walks.

Kucherak has the five-tool player “starter pack,” per se: power to all fields, the ability to hit for average and drive in runs, a plus glove at shortstop, the ability to steal bags and an above-average baseball IQ. The integration of all these aspects of his game immediately makes him one of the top available players in the portal, which is further supported by his performance at the MLB Draft Combine last week, where he topped out at a 106 MPH exit velocity.

NU loses its spark plug in the two-hole, as Kucherak slugged .521 last season with 23 extra-base hits, second on the team behind another draft prospect in Jack Lausch.

Lausch made a major improvement in the middle of his junior season and hasn’t looked back since. This past year, he settled into the cleanup spot for the ‘Cats and proved himself to be one of the best bats in the Big Ten with a .312 average, 1.047 OPS, 41 RBI, 16 home runs and a 131 wRC+, while his pure athleticism made him a sure-handed fielder in center field.

Owen McElfatrick and Matt Kouser are another two departures that pain Northwestern. McElfatrick was one of the ‘Cats’ most consistent hitters — a .250 average doesn’t necessarily scream that, but he still managed to slug .475 and drive in 39 runs last year.

Kouser hits the transfer portal alongside Kucherak after pitching to a 5.02 ERA in 15 appearances. He’d consistently been in a top-two starter role in his freshman season, this year being more of a Swiss army knife for the ‘Cats’ pitching staff, slotting in wherever Greenspan sees fit. A very valuable addition to whichever program is able to secure him out of the portal.

That brings us to first baseman Nick Barron, whose last-minute departure has completed a demolition of NU’s infield. Barron showed power in droves in his first season of college baseball, leading the team with 15 doubles and tacking on nine home runs and 33 RBI batting in the middle third of the order.

A major positive to having Barron back is his plate discipline — his 14.6% strikeout rate was the second lowest on the team in 2026. He would have likely seen himself in the heart of the Northwestern order. Instead, he’ll look to claim that spot elsewhere.

NU is in deep trouble, simply put. It needs corner infielders, a shortstop, a center fielder and a No. 1 starter for next year. Not a great place to be, but maybe it’s not as bad as we’re making it out to be.

What’s left?

In the wake of massive turnover in Evanston, Greenspan has gathered a quartet of transfers for the 2027 season.

Let’s start with a pair of former Duke Blue Devils in Jeff Lougee and Andrew Bell — a pair of athletic infielders who will compete for jobs that seem up in the air as of now with Kucherak’s absence and a lack of an everyday second baseman in 2026.

Lougee only played a total of eight games in Durham last season and struggled, hitting .176 in 17 at-bats. However, much of his true promise was shown in his 2025 Cape Cod League campaign with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, hitting .288 in 80 at-bats, logging eight extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. By season’s end, he was No. 8 on D1Baseball’s top-10 position player prospects list for the 2027 MLB draft.

Bell, on the other hand, is more of what one would call a “raw talent.” He saw a total of 25 plate appearances at Duke, posting a career .158 average in his two seasons there, but his 2025 summer with the Keene SwampBats of the NECBL gives a much larger sample size of his archetype as a middle infielder.

Bell made plays like these, which proves that he has the tools to be one of the Big Ten’s best defensive shortstops.

Graduate transfer Jonathan Kim had his 2025 season ruined by injury, only making 17 appearances on the year. However, he’s proven himself to be consistent when healthy, leading the Wolverines with a .322 batting average in a freshman season that landed him on the All-Big Ten Third Team. Kim hovered around the .270 mark in the seasons after, logging 10 doubles and 15 RBI in 2025.

Rounding out the transfer class is Eddie Albert from Dartmouth, who won the team’s Big Green Rookie of the Year award in 2023 — a year that saw him fan 22 batters in 28 innings. Albert pitched to a 3.72 ERA in 9.2 innings last year in appearances against Gardner-Webb and LSU, and is looking to replicate flashes of reliability with the Wildcats.

The new guard for NU baseball stems far beyond this transfer class — in fact, it includes changes in its coaching staff. Former Washington and Texas A&M pitching coach Jason Kelly is expected to make his way to Evanston in the coming months.

Kelly was named D1Baseball’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018 — the year of the Huskies’ first-ever trip to the Men’s College World Series. He’d lead one of the most efficient pitching staffs in the nation in his first year as an Aggie — a staff that ranked top-three nationally in walks allowed per nine (2.89) and in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.31).

After seeing an early exit in the College Station regional, Kelly looks to revitalize a youthful Northwestern pitching staff which, right now, seems centered around promising sophomores in Jake Rifenburg and James Whitaker.

All that being said, the backbone to next season’s team will be its most crucial returner in Jackson Freeman, who’s still searching for his freshman season swing that carried him to all-conference freshman team honors. While his 2025 season was more reflective of that year than 2026 was, Freeman seeks to build upon the potential he showed three seasons ago.

Above all, this team lives and dies with Ben Greenspan staying true to himself and his coaching philosophy, and not letting the chaos dictate his decision making.

NU is in a developmental phase, where it’s seeking its core pieces for the future. It thought Barron and Kucherak would be those pieces, but now it finds itself back at square one.

Next year will say a lot about Greenspan’s readiness to be the head coach of a struggling program that has been treading water in the Big Ten for the past decade. If he can find a way to move the needle upward, despite the massive turnover, that means that he’s the man for the job.

2026 MLB Draft Preview: Brett Renfrow scouting report.

The 2026 draft is less than a week away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.

Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Virginia Tech righthander Brett Renfrow.

Brett Renfrow is a 6’3”, 220 lb. righthanded pitcher who just finished his junior season at Virginia Tech. Undrafted out of high school in Manassas, Virginia, Renfrow has been in the rotation for VaTech all three seasons. He turned 21 in January.

Renfrow has a mid-90s fastball that grades out around average and that works well up in the zone, but that isn’t a bat-missing pitch. He’s reportedly been able to touch 97 mph with it. Renfrow also throws a cutter, a slider, a curve and a changeup, though there appears to be a lot of similarity between his cutter and his slider. As with his fastball, the secondaries all grade out as more or less average, though Keith Law gives his curve a plus grade.

Renfrow has the size and build of a workhorse starting pitcher, as well as the repertoire. He improved his walk rate in 2026, and the grades on his control all come in around average. However, MLB Pipeline notes that he’s currently a control-over-command guy, and has gotten punished at times due to not locating his fastball in the zone where it needs to be.

Renfrow made 15 starts in each of his three seasons with the Hokies, and logged between 73.2 and 75 innings in all three seasons. After putting up a 4.92 ERA with 78 Ks against 32 walks as a freshman, he improved to a 3.89 ERA in 2025 despite the K and walk rates being very similar, primarily due to cutting his home run rate in half. This year, he improved to 88 strikeouts and 25 walks, though his home runs increased from 7 to 11, resulting in a 4.64 ERA.

Baseball America has Renfrow at #68 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Renfrow at #123 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Renfrow at #76 on his top 150 list. Keith Law has Renfrow at #40 on his board. Fangraphs does not have Renfrow on their board. Baseball Prospectus does not have Renfrow on their top 30 draft board.

Renfrow is not a particularly sexy draft candidate, with grades coming in at around average across the board. He does have a track record of durability, though, and has the build and pitch mix that you want to see in a potential starting pitcher.

To avoid being an up-and-down guy, Renfrow is probably going to need to improve one or two pitches by a grade, and tighten up his command. He seems to offer the upside of a mid-rotation starter, and you could see the Rangers taking him in the second or third round.

Previously:

Liam Peterson

Tyler Bell

Aiden Robbins

Jared Grindlinger

Logan Reddemann

Cooper Harris

Justin Lebron

Cameron Flukey

Derek Curiel

Hunter Dietz

Logan Hughes

Carson Wiggins

Peyton Bonds

Ace Reese

Sawyer Strosnider

Gio Rojas

Chris Rembert

Jack Natili

Andrew Williamson

Trevor Condon

AJ Gracia

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Welcome back to another edition of our Brewers Reacts Surveys, and this week, we’re asking fans if they think it’s time for veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff to retire.

Woodruff, 33, has spent nine seasons in the majors, all with the Brewers, and he’s pitched to a solid career stat line with a 55-30 record, 3.10 ERA, 3.19 FIP, and 918 strikeouts over 790 1/3 innings. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy, though, with an injury on the Fourth of July in Phoenix the latest in a long string of frustrating setbacks.

While he has a solid 2.98 ERA and 3.20 FIP this year, he’s pitched just 45 1/3 innings over his nine starts, and he hasn’t exceeded 70 innings since the 2022 season. In fact, since the beginning of 2023, he’s pitched just 177 innings, and while he has a 2.80 ERA in that period, that’s simply not sustainable for a team like the Brewers, as they’re paying him $22 million, plus $10 million from his opt-out of a mutual deal last offseason.

While there’s no doubt Woodruff provides value as a veteran in the clubhouse and is a fantastic pitcher when healthy, that leaves the question: Is it time for him to retire? He’s spent more days on the IL with a variety of arm injuries than he has healthy, and it seems like a perfect fit for him to find a home with Milwaukee’s coaching staff in some form or another.

I know nobody wants him to retire, but what’s the right call here? Weigh in below and stay tuned for results later this week!

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It’s Paul Skenes Day, and that means the odds have lost their bearings. With the Pittsburgh Pirates starting their most well-known player since a much smaller Barry Bonds was in Pittsburgh, plenty of casual bettors are backing the Bucs.

That means the better team is a heavy underdog, which means a chance to cash in. It’s why my Braves vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks are calling for an Atlanta win.

Who will win Braves vs Pirates today: Braves moneyline (+132)

Even at the height of his powers, Paul Skenes shouldn’t make the Atlanta Braves +132, and he’s far from his height.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost their last nine starts. It’s not merely a lack of run support — Skenes has a 5.36 ERA over his last nine games, and he’s coming off a career-worst day — eight runs and two homers in four innings.

It doesn’t guarantee a Braves win, but it’s the smart-money play if the Braves are heavier than +120. Atlanta is seven games better, has a run differential 62 runs higher, and is better on the road than Pittsburgh is at home.

COVERS INTEL: Paul Skenes' four-seamer and sinker have both lost almost one full MPH from last season and are spinning 90 revolutions less. His whiff rate on the sinker is 8.8%, about half of last season’s. His changeup is the same speed as before, and the lack of difference between that and his fastballs is affecting that pitch as well. Batters are hitting 100 points higher against the change this year.

Braves vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+109)

Skenes is affecting these odds as well. However, he's not pitched in the seventh inning in his last nine starts and has failed to complete six in six of them. Pittsburgh’s bullpen has a 6.75 ERA in the last three games, in which they’ve pitched a total of 16 of the 27 innings.

Both teams are stroking the ball. Pittsburgh has scored five or more in each of the last five games. Atlanta has done one better, scoring a total of 44 in the last six.

The Braves start Hurston Waldrep, who's making just his third appearance since returning from February arm surgery.

Braves vs Pirates weather

Braves vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Braves +144 | Pirates -150
• Run line: Braves +1.5 (-144) | Pirates -1.5 (+133)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+117) | Under 8.5 (-122)

Braves vs Pirates trend

The Pirates have cashed the Over in 30 of their last 45 home games for +13.8 units and a 28% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Pirates.

How to watch Braves vs Pirates and game info

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The last year has been a whirlwind for 19-year-old Dominican second baseman and center fielder Roldy Brito. After a solid–if unremarkable–2024 season in the Dominican Summer League, the unranked and relatively unknown prospect saw his stock and national recognition explode after a standout 2025 campaign.

Brito was named the Arizona Complex League MVP after hitting .368/.445/.555 with 13 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 21 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases over 51 games with the ACL Rockies. He then handled the transition to affiliated minor league baseball by putting up a fantastic debut with the Low-A Fresno Grizzlies. With the Grizzlies he hit another seven doubles, a triple, a home run. In addition, he had 17 RBIs and stole another 13 bases while slashing .375/.442/.463 over 33 games to finish the season.

For his efforts, Brito rocketed up the prospect rankings.

He is now the Rockies’ no. 3 organizational prospect per MLB Pipeline, no. 71 in the MLB Top 100, and our no. 11 PuRP in Purple Row’s pre-season rankings.

Brito was re-assigned to Low-A Fresno to start the 2026 season, where he has continued to build on his previous season. Through 76 games, he is hitting .325/.388/.492 with 20 doubles, eight triples, six home runs, 63 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and a solid 2:1 ratio of strikeouts to walks.

“A lot has happened in this last year, but I think it’s been awesome to be a part of,” Brito said in a recent media availability through interpreter Edwin Perez. “I think it’s been a good start to my career, something that I’ve put on myself as a player to achieve the goals that I have achieved.”

Brito described how grateful he has been for his experiences over the last year.

“I’m thankful to God that I’ve been given this opportunity, and it’s been exciting to be a part of this journey,” he said. “This year, just being able to grow in the game and continue to rise, but it’s not something that I take for granted. I’m thankful to God. I’m thankful to be able to be in this place.”

Brito credits his dad, whom he has described as not only his biggest supporter but also his manager and his best coach, for helping him keep his head down and continue to work and find success.

“He’s given me good advice ever since I was a kid,” Brito said. “About my game, about when things go wrong or right, he’s the one that tells me the adjustments that I need to make when I’m going through a bad hitting streak or a bad streak overall in my game. He’s the one who puts his hand on me and tells me what I need to fix, what needs to get right.”

He continued to express gratitude for his father.

“I think my dad’s just been the biggest rock in my life and the biggest support ever since I was a kid. He will keep it real when he needs to keep it real about me and what I need to do. I’m thankful for every day that he’s helped me improve as a player.”

Brito has also praised members of the Rockies organization and his coaches in Fresno for their work with him.

“All the hitting coaches here and all the coaches overall in Fresno have been such a huge help for me,” he said. “It’s been a huge learning experience for me down at this level because every day we’re looking at every aspect of the game. how I can improve as a player, how can I avoid mistakes when I go up in my future. But also, I give a big shoutout to Rolando Fernandez (the Rockies vice president of international scouting and development) because without him, I would not have had the opportunity to sign with this organization.

Brito described the significant influence Fernandez has had on him since the young player signed with the organization as part of the 2024 international class.

“He’s been just an overall huge help getting me in the door, but also on me as a player and as a person off the field,” Brito said. “He’s been just a huge support, but also understanding that he wants me to have success. He’s been big in that aspect.”

Brito also heaped praise on his fellow teammates with the Grizzlies.

“It’s a group that I’m thankful to be a part of,” he said. “We truly have the best intentions for each other. We want to grow as a group. It’s like a family. We’re supporting each other every day, every at bat. It’s sad when someone leaves us — we lost [Ethan] Holliday, we lost [Jack] O’Dowd, we lost [Tanner] Thach, it’s sad when those guys go. But it’s a group that we’re truly friends outside of the field. But when we’re on the field, we’re playing for each other. We’re not just playing for ourselves.”

Brito has enjoyed immense success with his newfound family in Fresno. However, he also recognizes his need to continue to grow and push towards the future in his professional career.

“I’m not looking just at the past,” he said. “I want to keep it going. I want to have the courage, I want to continue to have the faith and trust in myself that I can keep doing this stuff. And trust me, I’m not done. I’ve put so much on myself to accomplish this year—and obviously this Futures Game is one of them, but I have more to accomplish, and I’m excited for it. It’s been an awesome journey, a marvelous journey for me, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

What’s next for Brito will bring him even more national recognition. He was selected—along with fellow top prospect Charlie Condon (no. 1 PuRP)—to represent the Rockies at this year’s All-Star Futures Game.

“I’ve always wanted to get selected to an important game such as this,” Brito said. “I think it’s going to be something that’s going to be very beautiful. It’s going to be a game that I’m just going to go out there playing and enjoy it. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity that I have.”

Brito is one of just three players currently playing in Low-A to be selected for the Futures Game rosters. He’s also the fourth-youngest representative on a Futures Game roster this year.

“It feels very good to be a part of it, one of those three that were able to do so at this kind of level,” he said. “I put it on myself that I want to be part of this kind of thing, and I’m able to be part of it. I think it’s just special for me, so I’m excited for the opportunity.”

Not only does the Futures Game and increased national attention come with the opportunity shed positive light on both Brito and the Rockies organization, it also gives Brito the opportunity to show the world just who he really is.

“This last year, people are paying more attention. This last year has been beautiful as a whole just to experience it,” he began. “For me, on the baseball side, I want them to focus on that I’m aggressive. When I’m out there playing, I’m going to give it my all. I’m not just focusing on the bat. Sometimes you can see the numbers and think ‘they’re just focusing on the bat,’ but I don’t think that’s the case for me. I’m also working on my fielding, I’m working on my running game, I’m working to improve on every aspect of the game. I’m not just a bat and a guy that can swing it well.”

Off the playing field, Brito also expressed how he wants to be seen as a person—especially when it comes to working with his found family in the Rockies’ minor leagues.

“I think the personality that they’re going to see is just a friendly guy. A guy that no matter what a teammate or a person needs around me, a staff member, whatever, they’re going to get that on me,” Brito said with a smile. “Whatever I can do to help someone out, that’s the person I want to be. I want to be that person that can be helpful to everyone. I want to be that upbeat guy that, if someone’s going through a bad stretch or anything like that, I can be the upbeat guy that can help them keep their heads up high. Just an overall friendly guy that they can trust.”

The 2026 All-Star Futures Game will take place on Sunday, July 12th at 10:00 AM MDT to kick off All-Star Week in Philadelphia.

Weekly Pebble Report: June 29th- July 5th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (3-3, 45-42 Overall)

Albuquerque’s road week at Round Rock (Texas Rangers) was a study in whiplash. The Isotopes let leads slip late in each of their first two losses — a grand slam surrendered in the eighth, then a walk-off, two-run homer in the ninth the next night — before steadying themselves to win three of the last four. The bats never went quiet, but the bullpen made several nights harder than they needed to be. Albuquerque holds third place in the second-half PCL East standings with a record of 6-6

⬆️ Stock Up: Condon Keeps Raking

There’s no slowing Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP). For the second week in a row, the 23-year-old was the best hitter in the lineup, going 10-for-22 (.455) with three home runs, a triple, two doubles, and a hit in four of the five games he played. His power has become a nightly expectation, and the sustained tear has pushed his season slugging past the .600 mark. Whatever adjustments Triple-A pitchers are trying, none of them are working.

⬆️ Stock Up: Shawver Slams the Door

Evan Shawver was a quiet source of order in a chaotic week for the pitching staff. Across two outings, the left-hander tossed four scoreless innings, striking out five without issuing a walk and allowing just four hits. On a week when several arms struggled to hold leads, Shawver simply attacked the zone and got outs — the kind of steady, no-drama relief work that’s easy to overlook until you tally it up.

Upcoming

The Isotopes stay on the road for a six-game series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros).

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (3-3, 44-36 Overall)

Hartford’s week in Somerset (New York Yankees) started rough and finished strong. The Yard Goats lost three of the first four, before salvaging a split in the final two — including back-to-back gems from Jack Mahoney and Jackson Cox, the latter tossing six no-hit innings to key a shutout finale. Hartford sits in fourth place in the Eastern League Northeast second-half standings at 5-7.

⬆️ Stock Up: Riggio Runs the Show

Roc Riggio (PuRP No.14) set the table and cleared it all week. The second baseman hit .409 (9-for-22) with three home runs, two doubles, four RBIs, and a team-high eight walks, reaching base at a clip that made him a consistent headache at the top of the order. He homered in the series opener, again the next night, and once more in the finale — a steady power-and-patience combination that lifted his season slash line and anchored an offense that came and went around him.

⬇️ Stock Down: Longwell Goes Quiet

Aidan Longwell couldn’t get untracked, managing three hits in 20 at-bats (.150) with seven strikeouts across five games. Two of those knocks were doubles, so the pop wasn’t entirely gone, but the swing-and-miss piled up and the production dried up, dropping his season average to .240. A reset over the coming week would go a long way heading into the All-Star break.

Upcoming

The Yard Goats return home for a six-game series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets)

High-A: Spokane Indians (6-0, 40-41 Overall)

The Indians ran the table at Hillsboro (Arizona Diamondbacks), sweeping all six on the road behind pitching that rarely gave an inch. Spokane threw two shutouts — including a 1-0 nail-biter — and edged the Hops in a 5-4 game before closing with a 5-3 romp, a staff ERA under 2.00 for the week doing most of the heavy lifting. The sweep lifted the Indians to the top of the Northwest League second-half standings at 11-4. They’ve now won nine in a row.

⬆️ Stock Up: Hopfe Stays Hot

Tommy Hopfe kept his season-long roll going, hitting .400 (10-for-25) with two home runs, two doubles, three steals, and a hit in every game. He scored a team-high seven runs and gave the Indians a spark at the top of the order night after night. There’s no cold stretch in sight for one of Spokane’s steadiest bats.

⬆️ Stock Up: Herrera Deals

Yujanyer Herrera (PuRP No.22) bookended the sweep with two dominant starts. He opened the week with six shutout innings and six strikeouts in a 2-0 win, then returned in the finale to fire five more strong frames. All told: 11 innings, one earned run, nine strikeouts, and a single walk. On a week defined by Spokane pitching, Herrera was the tone-setter at both ends.

Upcoming

The Indians stay on the road for a six-game series against the Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants).

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (3-3, 44-37 Overall)

Fresno split six at home with the Ontario Tower Buzzers in a week of wild swings. The Grizzlies piled up runs in a 13-4 rout and a 10-9 walk-off, but absorbed lopsided losses on the other side, closing the series with a 13-0 shutout defeat. The offense mashed, and the pitching wobbled — a fitting summary of a .500 week that keeps Fresno tied for third in the California League with an 8-7 record in the second half.

⬆️ Stock Up: Brito Won’t Make an Out

Roldy Brito (PuRP No.11) turned into an on-base machine. He hit .529 (9-for-17) and reached base at a staggering clip, drawing nine walks and getting hit three times on top of the hits — a triple, a double, and a steal mixed in for good measure. Brito rarely gave the opposition a free out all week, and the .325 hitter did as much as anyone to keep the Fresno lineup churning even in the losses.

⬇️ Stock Down: Kelly Roughed Up

Riley Kelly (PuRP No. 27) couldn’t find any traction in either of his two starts, taking the loss both times. He surrendered 12 earned runs over eight innings (13.50 ERA), gave up 16 hits and three home runs, and exited early in each outing. The strikeouts were there — nine on the week — but the hard contact kept coming, and his season ERA climbed to 6.39.

Upcoming

The Grizzlies stay home for a six-game series against the Stockton Ports (Athletics)

ACL: ACL Rockies (3-2, 33-13 Overall)

The ACL Rockies kept rolling, taking three of five. The offense did the heavy lifting all week — Colorado posted 13, 11, and 13 runs in its three wins — while the pitching had a harder time keeping pace, surrendering nine-plus runs on multiple occasions. The league’s hottest team stays comfortably atop the ACL East at 33-13.

⬆️ Stock Up: Ugarte Powers the Offense

Ronny Ugarte was the engine of the loaded lineup, hitting .400 (8-for-20) with two home runs, a triple, and a team-high nine RBIs across all five games. He drove in runs in bunches and rarely gave away an at-bat, pushing his season line to a robust .357 clip. In a week where the Rockies’ bats carried the club, Ugarte’s was the loudest.

⬇️ Stock Down: Cubilla Clipped

Efrain Cubilla ran into trouble in his lone outing of the week, a relief appearance in the game against the Giants. He was charged with six runs on eight hits over two innings, unable to find the strike zone’s edges as the Giants teed off. It was a single rough night rather than a trend, but it was a costly one, briefly threatening a game the Rockies would go on to win.

DSL: DSL Colorado (4-1) & DSL Rockies (4-0)

Both Dominican Summer League affiliates had strong weeks. DSL Colorado won its first four before dropping a 12-9 slugfest to DSL NYY Yankees in the finale, holding first place in the DSL Southeast at 16-9. DSL Rockies, meanwhile, ran the table — four straight wins, capped by an 8-7 walk-off over the DSL Tigers 2 — to climb to 11-13 and up to fourth in the DSL East.

⬆️ Stock Up: Montiel Mashes (DSL Colorado)

Adafel Montiel was the centerpiece of Colorado’s offense all week, hitting .471 (8-for-17) with a team-high seven RBIs, two steals, and a hit in nearly every game. His biggest blow came in the opener, a grand slam that keyed a 15-run rout of the DSL NYY Bombers. Now up to .362 on the season, Montiel supplied both the power and the consistency of a first-place lineup.

⬆️ Stock Up: Cancro Rakes (DSL Rockies)

Danny Cancro carried the bat for a Rockies club that won all four of its games. He hit .545 (6-for-11), reaching base in every game and delivering four RBIs while striking out just once. The .346 hitter has become a dependable table-setter, and his steady contact helped power an offense that overwhelmed its opponents throughout an unbeaten week.

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The St. Louis Cardinals will have their work cut out for them in game 1 of a day/night doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. The St. Louis Cardinals have announced they’re starting Matt Svanson in game 1 while the Milwaukee Brewers are sending likely All-Star game starter Jacob Misiorowski to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm central time at Busch Stadium.

The Cubs enter this series just 9-14 vs. American League teams. Just five of those 23 games have been against AL East teams, and the Cubs are 3-2 in those (2-1 over the Rays and splitting a pair with the Blue Jays, with the third game of that series rained out and to be made up next month).

So perhaps they can improve on that mark with this visit to Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles.

For more on the Orioles, here’s Mark Brown, manager of our SB Nation Orioles site Camden Chat.

The Orioles were supposed to find a way to improve on last year’s 75-87 record and all they’re managing to do is be a disappointment again. They enter this series on pace for that exact same record. Almost every player on the roster has shouldered some of the blame for that at some point during the season, with many fans also pointing fingers at first-year manager Craig Albernaz as well as president of baseball operations Mike Elias.

A lot of things have gone wrong. One that stands out to me is that these guys just aren’t hitting left-handed pitchers. That’s good news for the Cubs, since two of your three scheduled pitchers are lefties. The Orioles are also struggling to hit away from Camden Yards, less relevant to this coming series in Baltimore. Everyone’s hoped-for return to superstar status for shortstop Gunnar Henderson has not happened. He brings an OBP under .300 into this series and is a below league-average hitter overall this season. It was supposed to be better.

So was the starting rotation! Elias made a big swing on a trade with the Rays that brought Shane Baz to the Orioles, gambling that there was top-of-the-rotation stuff in there after Baz had a 4.80 ERA last year. The O’s also gave Baz a contract extension — the first Elias has given to a pitcher — before the season even began. They’re not getting No. 1 or No. 2 stuff from Baz; he has a perfectly average 100 ERA+. Thursday’s starter Trevor Rogers is not repeating his magical 2025, though he’s looked better lately after some early season struggles. Expensive veteran starter signings didn’t work out. The bullpen is mostly not working out. Nobody’s ERA is helped by the defense being an absolute mess on a regular basis.

All of this has added up to the Orioles not managing to win more than three games in a row at any point this season. They are 6-14 in one-run games. This team ain’t got it. The weird shape of the American League this year means they’re only 3.5 games out of a wild card spot. If they can ever find that winning streak, they’ll be right there in the mix.

Fun facts

Since 1876, first season of the National League, the Cubs have played 128 games against the Baltimore Orioles — but only 25 against THESE Orioles, who began play in 1901. The earlier 103 were against an NL version of the Orioles, in 1892-99.

The Cubs were just 14-32 at Baltimore vs. the 19th Century Orioles. They are 9-2 there vs. the current flock, having won two of three games in 2003, sweeping three in 2017, splitting two in 2022 and sweeping three again in their last visit, two years ago. In that visit, the Cubs held the Orioles scoreless through the final 24 innings, as they won by 9-2, 4-0 and 8-0.

Last year, at home, the Cubs posted a third straight shutout, 1-0, then blanked the Orioles for seven more innings, for a total of 40 in a row, before giving up four in the eighth and losing, 4-3. The Cubs won the rubber game, 5-3, on Justin Turner’s walk-off homer in the ninth, to make the Cubs’ 17-8 in all games vs. the current Orioles.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Tuesday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (3-1, 5.08 ERA, 1.396 WHIP, 3.44 FIP) vs. Shane Baz, RHP (4-8, 4.19 ERA, 1.366 WHIP, 3.79 FIP)

Wednesday: Colin Rea, RHP (6-5, 4.74 ERA, 1.433 WHIP, 4.86 FIP) vs. Dean Kremer, RHP (1-1, 3.18 ERA, 0.882 WHIP, 5.11 FIP)

Thursday: David Peterson, LHP (4-7, 6.75 ERA, 1.668 WHIP, 4.09 FIP overall; 1-1, 11.57 ERA, 1.821 WHIP, 5.79 FIP in two starts with Cubs) vs. Trevor Rogers, LHP (6-7, 4.70 ERA, 1.316 WHIP, 4.02 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Tuesday: 5:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Wednesday: 5:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Thursday: 5:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

The Cubs were 34-34 after losing to the Rockies June 10. Since then they’re 16-6, the best record in MLB. Meanwhile, the Orioles took two of three from the Reds over the weekend (thanks Orioles!) but overall have lost seven of their last 11.

Two of three.

Up next

The Cubs travel to Cincinnati for a three-game series against the Reds that begins Friday evening.

Fresh off a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) the Boston Red Sox head to Chicago to take on a rejuvenated White Sox team. Possibly outsmarted by (checks notes) Chris Getz, Craig Breslow’s team has been taking a step back while the other Sox skipped the “improve’ step of the rebuilding process and went right to Division Leader.

Chase Meidroth is hitting .268/.339/.378 with 7 homers.

Brandon Montgomery is at .233/.309/.395 with 2 homers.

Kyle Teel has missed most of the season but in the 11 games he’s played he’s put up a .220/.304/.390 slash line with 2 homers.

Garrett Crochet, who the Sox got for this haul, hasn’t done much in 2026.

So, the White Sox owe a little “thank you” to Boston for their bounce back.

Payton Tolle was ambushed by the Washington Nationals for 6 runs in just 3.0 innings. He wasn’t throwing hard. It was almost 100 degrees. Hopefully he bounces right back with Connelly Early and (probably) Ranger Suarez joining Crochet in the IL void. Mass Pike is opposed by Noah Schultz. A 22-year-old southpaw, Schultz is in his first major league season. In 9 starts he’s tossed 43 innings while striking out 40, walking 26, and allowing 29 runs (28 earned).

Another one of the Sox young lefty starters, Jake Bennett has been cruising. His outing against the Angels was 7.2 innings of two-run ball with 6 Ks against 0 walks. You might say “well that’s the Angels” and he was basically as good against the Yankees. Regardless of opponent right now, Bennett looks like a promising major league starter. Righthander David Martin has been a real gem for the White Sox, but not without his struggles. Two of his last five starts have been 3.1 innings including his most recent. He can struggle with walks in his down outings but overall doesn’t walk many people. So patience might be a good plan for Boston batters.

The finale is currently TBD but that’s likely to be Patrick Sandoval. The lefty was last seen in 2024 when he needed Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2025 season. Finally healthy, across two levels in the minors during his rehab, Sandoval put up a 3.42 ERA over 23.2 innings. He’s struck out 22 against 13 walks. His best year was 2022, so it’s been a minute since he was both healthy and good and 25. Now 29 what does he have left? OTM’s own Jake Roy answers that question in detail. With starts dropping like flies and Sonny Gray possibly on the trade block, we’re about to find out. Anthony Kay, a lefty who spent the last two years in Japan, has been a bit better than he was during his first five major league seasons in MLB. But he’s still not great. He’s leading the league HBPs. He has 67 Ks over 84 innings against 33 walks.

Munetaka Murakami hit 20 homers before hitting the IL.

Old friend Andrew Benintendi is still in Chicago hitting .240/.298/.424 with 10 homers.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday, July 7: Payton Tolle (3.39 ERA / 3.53 FIP) vs. Noah Schultz (5.86 ERA / 4.85 FIP)

Wednesday, July 8: Jake Bennett (3.10 ERA / 3.13 FIP) vs. Davis Martin (3.08 ERA / 3.08 FIP)

Thursday, July 9: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Anthony Kay (4.39 ERA / 4.93 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Tuesday, July 7: 7:40 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday, July 8: 7:40 PM ET on NESN

Thursday, July 9: 2:10 PM ET on NESN