Kansas City Royals pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) delivers a pitch in the first inning between the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
A few pieces of good news, y’all. First, Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia and Jac Caglianone are back in the lineup for the first time in a hot minute. That’s good! Those are the three best hitters in the lineup.
The other good news? Salvador Perez is down hitting fifth. It could be better; he could be hitting sixth or seventh. But he’s hitting fifth, and the further down he and his .250-something on base percentage can go, the better. I mentioned this on the Royals Rundown podcast the other day, but the Royals are a better offense without his bat in the lineup, unfortunately.
Of course, that probably means he’s going to whack a home run, maybe two, to spite me. Bring it on, Salvy. Bring it on.
Will Smith could be headed to the IL. (Ryan Sun / AP)
Dodgers catcher Will Smith was out of the lineup for a third straight game on Tuesday against the Pirates, the stiffness in his neck still lingering. He’ll probably also be sidelined Wednesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“Now the [injured list] is more of a possibility,” Roberts said, noting that the minimum for positions players is 10 days. “We’re starting to talk about that.”
Teams can backdate IL moves by up to three days. Smith’s neck problem cropped up Saturday, when he was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup against the Angels. Though Roberts speculated then that Smith could have slept on it awkwardly, he said the cause of the injury is unclear.
Smith played catch Tuesday, Roberts said, which “went OK,” but Smith’s neck bothers him the most while swinging.
“It’s still a day-to-day situation,” Roberts said. “But for me, just talking to him, talking to the trainers, I would like him to go through a full day [of work] before he plays. So that would probably take [Wednesday] off the table. And then we’ll kind of go from there.”
In Smith’s absence, 25-year-old Dalton Rushing has started three straight games behind the plate, including his four-hit performance in the series finale against the Angels, and six of the past nine games.
“This year my whole goal was to make sure, if there’s an opportunity [when] Will needs rest … make sure that I can provide just as much as he does with the bat as well as behind the plate,” Rushing said Saturday. “That’s something I’m obviously continuing to work toward. Whatever he needs, I’ll be here. He knows I’ll catch seven days a week. He knows I’ll catch every game if he can’t go back there.”
If the Dodgers were to put Smith on the IL, it’s unclear who would back up Rushing. After releasing Seby Zavala last week, the Dodgers’ triple-A catchers are Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson, both journeymen with only Robinson having some major-league experience.
Mar 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the Rogers Centre during the Opening Ceremonies before a game between the Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Dylan Cease is back and Vlad leads off. Dueling headlines for this one.
I’m putting this together early, so I can have a nap before game time.
I’m seeing the doctor tomorrow to hear what I should do about this foot. I have no pain and played tennis yesterday and didn’t have an issue, but I bought a splint for it. What I’m hoping is to continue to play tennis until the end of the month, when my club is shutting down some of the courts for a couple of months and I’ll suggest to the doctor I’ll take time off then. I’m taking time off squash until this is healed.
Tonight’s lineup, with Vlad at the top. I like trying him there.
May 12, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
After a successful homestand against the Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Cardinals begin a road trip in New York Tuesday night taking on the Mets. The Cardinals starter will be Dustin May while the Mets are expected to start Freddy Peralta. First pitch scheduled for 6:10pm central time with the TV broadcast being handled by Cardinals.tv.
MLB Colorado Rockies utility player baseman Cole Carrigg | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Earlier this afternoon, the Colorado Rockies announced they had selected the contract of top prospect Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP). After the announcement, Carrigg spoke with media to describe the experience.
First, if you haven’t seen the video of Carrigg getting the news, here it is:
“[Pedro Lopez] kind of dragged it out a little bit and was just talking for a while,” Carrigg said, “and then he kind of started talking about some stuff with me that we had discussed prior weekends. But I guess I kind of got a feeling towards the end of it — I didn’t know right away. Actually, Adael Amador came up to me in the fifth inning of the game he’s like, ‘I think you’re getting called up, bro,‘ and I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ He’s like, ‘I got a feeling.‘ And then he had a feeling.”
Carrigg brings the kind of versatility — both defensively and offensively — that the Rockies have valued.
In the offseason, he focused on becoming a better left-handed hitter.
“I took the offseason really serious this year and tried to make some changes to keep it more simple and more repeatable,” Carrigg said, “and just a little bit simpler swing, not too many big movements. It’s definitely been feeling a lot better, and it’s been working better for me.”
And he worked to making better choices at the plate.
“We had a lot of talks about that over spring with [Josh] Byrnes and [Chris] Forbes and everybody just talking about controlling the zone better and taking better at-bats and really dialing in what I want in the plate,” Carrigg said, adding, “huge shout out to Matt Snyder, our hitting coach at Triple-A — always on me about it, whether I wanted to hear it or not, and it definitely got better, and it definitely helped.”
Another area of recent focus was running better outfield routes.
“I think I would say the last month really worked on routes, and honestly, just the first step,” Carrigg said. “I think a lot of it is just focus and really being focused on every pitch. It’s easy to get a little lackadaisical out there in the outfield, far away from the action, but I think just really focusing on the pitch and actually seeing the ball at contact. You know hitters’ tendencies and stuff — you know where they usually hit the ball and stuff — you can kind of cheat. You can gamble it in a sense. But just being a lot more focused and getting better prep steps.”
Plus, he’s happy to be spending some time on the infield dirt in addition to focusing on the outfield — a move prompted by the Rockies with their emphasis on versatility.
“They just think it’s great for a lineup,” Carrigg said, adding, “I could play a good shortstop, and I think they just wanted to make sure I had that piece of life for if we need it.”
And Carrigg is happy to be there. “[I] always loved playing short, and to be able to get back to it in Triple-A is super cool and in spring training,” he said. “Just happy to help the team out however I can.”
Carrigg is also eager to catch up with some former teammates he’s played with on his way through the Rockies system.
“I’m excited to share the diamond with everyone,” he said, “but Karros for sure is who I’m excited to share the diamond with again. We haven’t played together since I think in July last summer, but I’ve been every step of the way with him, so it’ll be really cool.”
And his number?
That would be 16, which was assigned to him by the Rockies. The choice was, it turns out, popular with his family.
“As soon as I sent it to my dad — and I kind of had forgotten — but his favorite player back in the day was Bo Jackson. That’s the first thing he said, and I’m like, ‘That’s [a] pretty good number.‘”
“I’m going to play how I’ve always played, and running is definitely a part of my game. I’m going to continue to do so, and obviously make smart base-running decisions, and I’m sure I’ll talk to Schaffer and everybody about what they’re expecting out of me. But yeah, I’m going to play how I play the game and help the team win the best I can.”
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 2: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Busch Stadium on June 2, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
WINNING THAT FIRST ONE SEEMS IMPORTANT: The Cubs lost the first game of five of their first six series of the season. They won the opener in seven of the next nine. Since then, they have lost six straight, making their record 8-13 for the year in first games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
MORE ON FIRST GAMES: The Cubs lost the first game of their first four home stands or road trips. They won the next four. They have lost the last three. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
ALLOWING TWO RUNS: The Cubs allowed just two runs in both of their last two games. They have given up exactly two in five of their last thirteen. In the eight other games, they surrendered an average of 7.75: four once, five and six twice each, 12 once and 18 once. They lost three of the five games in which they allowed two runs, all by 2-1. They won by 7-2 and 3-2. The Cubs are 11-5 in all games in which they yielded a pair of runs. They are 27-11 when the have given up no more than four; 7-21 with at least five. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Ryne Sandberg’s three-run homer in the seventh overcame a 2-1 deficit and the Cubs defeated the Expos 4-2 at Wrigley Field. It happened 30 years ago today, Sunday, June 9, 1996.
The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.
After a couple of rough outings, Colin Rea has posted a 3.57 ERA over his last three starts.
He has not faced the Rockies since 2024 and most of those guys aren’t on the Rox anymore.
Only four current Rockies have ever faced him and they are a combined (small sample size) 1-for-11.
Hoping for good things tonight, Colin.
Tomoyuki Sugano came to MLB in 2025 after a 12-year career in NPB in Japan. He’s 36 and didn’t have a great year in Baltimore last year and his numbers are kind of up and down so far with the Rockies.
Since May 1: 5.12 ERA, 1.358 WHIP, six HR in 31.2 innings. He faced the Cubs last year while with the Orioles, Aug. 2, 2025 at Wrigley Field, and allowed three runs in five innings. No current Cub has more than six at-bats against him and overall current Cubs are (a small sample size, too) 4-for-20 against him.
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 27: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees throws in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 27, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You have to learn to have a short memory when you play in the major leagues, and there’s no doubt that a player like Gerrit Cole does. Last week, for the first time in 627 days, Cole took the loss in his first poor outing since returning from Tommy John surgery against these same Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium.
Well, at Progressive Field tonight, the 2023 AL Cy Young will look to bounce back. Through three starts, Cole has allowed just four runs in 18 innings, pitching into the sixth in all three outings. His first two outings were brilliant, but he allowed four runs in 5.1 shaky innings last week against Cleveland, allowing a trio of home runs for the first time since July 2024. It’s a hard Cleveland team to strike out, so don’t expect him to pitch like he did against Kansas City, but he should do better this time around.
On the other side, it’s another man who pitched in last week’s series at Yankee Stadium, as Slade Cecconi looks to build on a quality start last week in his 14th start of the season. His overall numbers still look pretty unimpressive, pitching to a 4.92 ERA (84 ERA+) and 4.31 FIP in 67.2 innings, and there wasn’t anything particularly eye-opening about his outing last week. He only struck out four batters and worked quickly against an offense that looked lost without Aaron Judge. With another week down, we’ll see how it goes.
The smoldering hot Trent Grisham leads off once again, followed by Ben Rice, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Spencer Jones gets the start in right field, batting sixth in front of Anthony Volpe, Ryan McMahon, and J.C. Escarra.
Cleveland will use the exact same top four for the fifth game in a row, going Travis Bazzana, José Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Kyle Manzardo. Rhys Hoskins jumps into the lineup, batting fifth, while Angel Martinez, Steven Kwan, and Brayan Rocchio assume the same positions. The only other change is Austin Hedges, who will bat eighth and catch.
How to watch
Location: Progressive Field — Cleveland, OH
First pitch: 6:40 pm ET
TV broadcast: Guardians TV, WKYC3, TBS
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7, WARF 1350, Guardians Radio Network (CLE)
Online stream: Amazon Prime Video, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 06: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays takes batting practice prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Saturday, June 6, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Owen Gupta/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 04: Slade Cecconi #44 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 09: Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 9, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A six-game road trip through the central divisions commences. Will Smith was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck, and still remains out of the lineup for a third straight game over the last four days.
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 11: Cooper Criswell #88 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Monday, May 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners announced another batch of roster moves Tuesday, following Monday’s placement of SS J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list and recalling of 2B Ryan Bliss. Today, they placed long relief RHP Cooper Criswell on the 15-day injured list for pitchers with a right shoulder strain, recalling RHP Nick Davila from Triple-A Tacoma in exchange.
It’s a tough break for Criswell, who’s been dutiful with Seattle to the tune of a 3.52/3.76 ERA/FIP, generating groundballs at an exceptional 60.2% clip and covering 30.2 frames in 26 appearances. While a recent poor outing set the stage for a walk-off loss in Detroit, by and large Criswell has been a stellar bridge on days where the bullpen needs length. That is all the more vital with Seattle utilizing a six-man rotation instead of the piggy-back approach, leaving the bullpen shorthanded by current tastes at all times. Davila has been sharp with the Rainiers, and has yet to yield an earned run in the bigs, though his peripherals are that of a man hiding a horseshoe somewhere, and it’s not in his hands or mouth.
Today’s move came along with a contemporaneous deal, wherein Seattle traded for veteran RHP reliever Carson Fulmer, who’d been with Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. Fulmer was not on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster and thus won’t need to be placed on Seattle’s, however the move is the sort that seems likely to include such an addition soon. Bearing no relation to RHP Michael Fulmer who debuted in 2016 as well and won AL Rookie of the Year with the Tigers, Carson Fulmer has nonetheless carved a similar path of longevity at the big league level across several organizations. Fulmer was even a Mariner briefly, signing a minor league deal in the spring of 2024 with a Spring Training invite before being released.
Most recently with the Anaheim Angels in the bigs, the 32 year old occupied a mixture of roles from mop-up to mid-range relief and even starting from 2023-25. He’s managed a 5.44/5.27 ERA/FIP in 256.2 innings, however, with -0.2/-0.5 bWAR/fWAR and a pedestrian 8.1% K-BB ratio. Part of what’s kept clubs coming back to Fulmer is a pedigree as a Vanderbilt ace who was selected 8th overall in the 2015 draft by the Chicago White Sox. He’s lost several ticks on his fastball since then, and struggled with command at every level and stop on his journey, but the repertoire he boasts can be hard on hitters when located well.
Mar 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) celebrates with catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) after his solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Jared Young – 1B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Brett Baty – 3B
MJ Melendez – DH
Francisco Alvarez – C
Freddy Peralta – RHP
Cardinals lineup
JJ Wetherholt – 2B
Iván Herrera – DH
Alec Burleson – 1B
Jordan Walker – RF
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Masyn Winn – SS
Jimmy Crooks – C
Nolan Gorman – 3B
Nathan Church – CF
Dustin May – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10pm EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 02: Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners pauses for a moment before the game against the New York Mets at T-Mobile Park on June 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ah, it’s that time of the season.
The Mariners will roll out… a lineup to face the Orioles on Tuesday in Birdland. Victor Robles is leading off. Ryan Bliss, Rob Refsnyder, and Patrick Wisdom each get a start. Cole Young is at short. Not ideal! But hey, this isn’t the worst lineup the Mariners have brought to Baltimore.
Logan Gilbert gets the start. This is shaping up to be something of a down year for Gilbert. His FIP is 4.17, and he’s been much worse on the third time through the lineup. That said, we’ve seen him dominate at times, too. The Mariners could certainly use that today.
