MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 12: Gabriel Rincones Jr. #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to bat during his Major League Debut in the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Friday, June 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The news that the team got on Adolis Garcia was probably the worst news they could get.
Even with the recent uptick in Garcia’s hitting, right field was still something of a weakness for the team. He wasn’t hitting much, but his defense was an outright asset to have. Not having him available for (likely) the remainder of the season means that plans need to be scrambled to not let that new weaker weakness get any worse.
The plan for now looks to be a platoon of Gabriel Rincones and Derek Hill. Both have their strengths at the plate, but is that the ideal option for the team? There has been plenty written and said about the dearth of good right handed hitting outfielders in the game, which now means everyone knows the Phillies have a glaring need to address if they look to the trade market.
Which brings us to our question of the day. Which is the better option in the scope of the entire season: a platoon of Rincones and Hill, or a trade for a veteran bat? The platoon is the obvious choice moving forward, likely until the days before the trade deadline. If it’s working, it might make that kind of trade less a priority. Yet if both are struggling at doing their jobs, maybe an upgrade for Rincones and Hill is the new top idea for the team.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 1: Baltimore Orioles mascot, The Oriole Bird, entertains the crowd in the sixth inning during a game against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 1, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Triple-A: Memphis (Cardinals) 10, Norfolk Tides 2
The Tides scored first in the game, with Enrique Bradfield’s leadoff walk turning into a run after a stolen base and an RBI single hit by Heston Kjerstad. Unfortunately, Norfolk’s starter, Trace Bright, had the opposite of a shutdown inning, allowing Memphis to score five runs in the next half-inning. Bright’s day ended after 4.2 innings with six runs allowed. Things did not improve from there.
There were a pair of errors as well, including one by shortstop José Barrero. He’s cooled off substantially after his scorching April, now with a .779 OPS and 11 errors committed.
On the plus side, the guy Creed Willems just keeps on hitting. Two singles and a walk across four plate appearances in the game, bumping his season batting line to .279/.368/.495. That looks good. I don’t know what the Orioles are going to do with him, but that looks good.
The Baysox made this one interesting later on, scoring a run in the eighth and three in the ninth and ending up with the tying run at the plate with nobody out. They could not get any closer, though. They’d been dug too much of a hole by a few of their pitchers, starting with my honorary hyphenated cousin, Juaron Watts-Brown, who was hit for five runs (four earned) in only three innings. Juan Rojas, once notable for being in the Jorge López trade, gave up two runs in an inning. Chesapeake’s pitchers gave up 15 hits and eight walks overall. Ouch.
Not much of the offense had the prospects of note here contributing to it. My guy Aron Estrada took an 0-4, striking out twice. Thomas Sosa had a double in four at-bats. Late in the game, Ethan Anderson pinch hit; he didn’t make anything happen. One guy who did make things happen for Chesapeake was outfielder Douglas Hodo, who homered twice. He’s 25 at Double-A, so other prospects are far ahead of him in the system, but the .922 OPS in 12 games so far is nice for him.
23-year-old righty Yeiber Cartaya has been on a good run since starting the season with the Keys. This one, however, was not good. He walked four guys and gave up five hits in a four inning outing, with six runs (five earned) surrendered.
Frederick was never in the game from that point onward, and only a late three-run home run hit by Ike Irish in the eighth inning kept this from being a total waste. The Irish homer was his ninth of the season. He was also credited with an outfield assist, nailing a runner at third base from right field. Nice work. Wehiwa Aloy and Victor Figueroa were among those who stayed hitless. All three of these guys have an OPS of at least .829, so hopefully this game is just a blip.
We’ve finally got a winner here! The Shorebirds offense made sure this one ended up in the win column as they combined 11 hits and 12 walks. That’s a lot of traffic on the bases; the team was 5-17 with RISP and still managed to leave 13 men on base. It didn’t hurt them.
On base all six times that he batted was Jaiden Lo Re, a fifth round pick out of his Arizona high school last year. Lo Re recently joined the Shorebirds after mostly romping through the Florida Complex League. His night includes two hits, four walks, and two stolen bases. He is just seven games into his time with Delmarva, but for now the 19-year-old has a .975 OPS. Between the two levels, he’s walked 17 times while only striking out 10 this season. Maybe there’s another guy following the Nate George path. Lo Re did commit one of the four Delmarva errors. Low-A is a long way from the majors.
Two other Shorebirds also had multi-hit games. One was Elvin Garcia, also 19, who had two singles and a triple in the game. First baseman Miguel Rodríguez also had three hits.
Starting pitcher Christian Rodriguez also deserves a shout-out here, as he struck out nine batters over a 6.1 inning start. Rodriguez, a 2024 draft pick, is 24 years old and only got to make his debut with an affiliate this year. That’s old for the level. He has a 3.43 ERA after this start and has struck out 70 batters in 57.2 innings. Next time someone gets promoted out of Frederick’s rotation, maybe he’ll move up.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is finally starting to find his power stroke. He's slugged three home runs in his last six games, carrying an impressive .417 ISO and 58.8% hard hit rate during that span.
Ohtani will face Chicago White Sox starter Sean Burke this afternoon, and the matchup plays in his favor. Burke has allowed 1.89 HR/9 across his last two appearances, and 45.5% of his contact in those outings was in the air. 20% left the yard.
Nearly 40% of Ohtani's contact is in the air on the road this season. He consistently gets the ball in the air, and Burke's recent tendency to allow fly balls and home runs creates an appealing matchup.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN, SportsNet LA
Home run pick: Alec Burleson (+690)
Alec Burleson is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now. He's gone deep in three consecutive games, and he has an astounding 52.2% hard hit rate and 26.1% barrel rate over his last six games. Additionally, Burleson also has a .560 ISO.
Minnesota Twins starter Connor Prielipp has thrown the ball relatively well lately, but what stands out to me is that he's allowed over 50% of his contact against left-handed batters in the air. That is dangerous against a hitter like Burleson, who possesses a 40% HR/FB rate during this hot streak.
I'll play this pick up to +500.
Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, Twins.TV
Home run pick: Matt McLain (+610)
Matt McLain has found his power stroke lately. He has a .556 ISO over his last five games to go along with three home runs. The Cincinnati Reds stud is consistently squaring up the baseball, carrying a 50% hard hit rate and 33.3% barrel rate.
The matchup here is an appealing one as well. The Arizona Diamondbacks send Michael Soroka to the hill, who has allowed 1.38 HR/9 across his previous two starts. Soroka has also given up nearly 50% of his contact during that span in the air, and McLain has an average 21.5-degree launch angle over his last 22 plate appearances. That's compared to a season launch angle of just 12.4.
Soroka is a fly-ball pitcher lately, and McLain is consistently getting lift when he makes contact.
I'll play this pick up to +450.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: DBacks.TV, Reds.TV
Today’s HR parlay
Shohei Ohtani
Bet Now +22223
Alec Burleson
Matt McLain
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 9-63, -18.56 units
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 02: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium on June 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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.
Just a little over a week ago, the Yankees were dealt with a pretty sizeable blow, both literally and figuratively, with the loss of Aaron Judge for four to six weeks. While he hasn’t been hitting like the Judge that we’ve come to know, the fact that he’s been dealing with a stress fracture in his rib probably played a pretty big part in that.
Despite losing their captain, the Yankees have hardly fallen off a cliff in the days since putting Judge on the injured list, including a recent sweep of a solid Cleveland Guardians team. With that in mind, we wanted to know if Yankees fans thought the team could still take home the AL East crown despite Judge’s injury. Here are the results:
Pretty overwhelmingly, fans still think they can. Ahead of Friday night’s game against the Blue Jays, the Yankees were tied with the Rays atop the division, and they had one more win on the books already. We as fans always tend to think and want the best thing will happen, so it’s not a shock that on the whole, we expect that they’ll be able to at least keep pace with Tampa Bay, and then turn it on when the likes of Judge and Max Fried return.
Of course, the Yankees have goals that go beyond just winning the division. We all would generally like to see them return to the World Series and hopefully win it. With that in mind, we also asked who the biggest threat in the American League is. The results were:
The American League is a bit of a weak crop at the moment, which probably helps as to why so many think the Yankees will be able to get past the Judge injury. Not surprisingly, fans tend to think that the Rays, who co-held the best record in the AL going into Friday with the Yankees, will be the toughest out. Ahead of Friday’s games, after the Yankees and Rays, the next best record belonged to the Chicago White Sox at 36-31. Considering how bad the ChiSox were just a couple years ago, it’s understandable to be skeptical of them. Including them, pretty much every other team in the AL is hovering around or is below .500.
[Note: Below results are from an MLB-wide survey, not just for Yankees fans.]
We, and other MLB blogs around SB Nation, also asked who the best hitter is baseball was at the moment, and Astros’ slugger Yordan Alvarez came out with that crown. Houston as a team is struggling this season, but Alvarez went into Friday with a 1.066 OPS and led the league in several statistical categories. Of note for us is that Ben Rice is getting plenty of love too. Rice showed promising signs last year, but he’s exploded into life in 2026, with a 1.055 OPS and 18 home runs through Thursday.
Jun 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) dives under Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran (20) as he steals second base during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Red Sox 10, Rangers 1
That was a trash game.
Just trash.
As a Rangers fan, it felt good for a half inning, when the Rangers hit three singles in the first to score a run and give the team a 1-0 lead.
After that, everything was ass.
Those three first inning singles? Half of the Rangers’ hit total for the day.
Jack Leiter wasn’t good, something that is recurring with an alarming frequency this year.
A pair of runs allowed in the first, highlighted by a Willson Contreras homer.
Then four more in the fifth — Leiter’s last inning — when the first four batters of the inning went double-double-double-sing.
This is the second straight start where Leiter has allowed at least five runs, and the fourth time in his last five starts where he has allowed at least four runs. Leiter has allowed four runs or more in eight of the fourteen stars he has made this year.
After a solid 2025 season, the expectation was that Leiter would take a step forward in 2026. Instead, he appears to have taken a step backwards.
Leiter has now allowed 19 runs in 12.1 IP in the fifth inning of games this year. That seems less than ideal.
Cal Quantrill and Luis Curvelo, apparently not wanting Leiter to feel bad, chipped in, with Quantrill allowing one run and Curvelo three.
Luis Curvelo is now sporting a 7.56 ERA and 7.91 FIP on the season.
Oh, and Evan Carter left the game with an oblique issue after making a diving catch.
Trash game. Bleah.
Jack Leiter hit 98.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.9 mph. Cal Quantrill hit 95.5 mph with his sinker. Luis Curvelo topped out at 97.0 mph with his fastball.
Josh Jung had a 105.7 mph single. Wyatt Langford had a 101.7 mph fly out.
We are moving on to the next game and forgetting this one happened.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 12: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field on June 12, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani did not play in Friday’s series opener in Chicago after leaving Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh with left knee inflammation. Ohtani got an MRI on his left knee with showed “normal wear and tear,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday in Chicago.
“With the travel, just to give him an extra day. My hope is that he’s in there tomorrow. But if not, he’ll need another day. It’s something we think we can manage, not an IL situation,” Roberts said, as shown on SportsNet LA. “Seeing him today, he feels fine-ish. But again, just giving him the extra day is the smart thing to do.”
Dusty Baker had quite the baseball life, with over five decades in the sport as a player, coach, and manager, including eight seasons playing for the Dodgers. Baker has a new memoir out, and Daniel Brown at The Athletic profiled the 77-year-old in an engaging interview. This little aside really tickled me:
“I used to hang out with Tom Selleck. We worked out together,” Baker says. “In L.A., you might run into anybody. He was a good dude.”
Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team physician for the Dodgers and Los Angeles Rams, and renowned surgeon who, among other things, also performed the recent arthroscopic nano-needle surgery on Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in May, found himself in hot water on Thursday.
ElAttrache wrote a letter of support for UFC star Connor McGregor to use performance-enhancing drugs while McGregor rehabbed from a broken leg suffered in 2021, reported by Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times.
“I have spoken with MLB and I am very comfortable with the process that the league and I will complete to assure the public that I have followed every rule and regulation in my medical treatment of athletes without exception” ElAttrache said in a statement. “My record is completely clean including in this case. I will leave it to MLB officials to provide any further comment as they see fit.“
Not that I was snoozing ….. but, boy, Seiya Suzuki’s slam had to wake everybody up, especially the other bats.
Speaking of Suzuki, Seiya must have read Ken Rosenthal’s article suggesting that the Cubs trade him (see link bel0w). Just like 100 million other people who read the article, those of which who are baseball writers went on a feeding frenzy. “(Enter team’s name) should trade for Suzuki.” I included the only article that actually posted a trade idea — for what it is.
The article by Sahadev Sharma on Edward Cabrera shows amazing detail on how the Pitch Lab went about providing the adjustments that Cabrera needed. I know people roll their eyes at the words “Pitch Lab” (I do at times as well), but if the work Tommy Hottovy put into Cabrera led to his performance in Colorado and he can build from there, there might be something to the Lab (at least in isolated situations).
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Mr. Rosenthal has entered the chat — More trade talk:
Joey Mistretta (Clutch Points): Cubs’ Craig Counsell sends brutally honest message to team after defeating Rockies. “The Cubs’ injury concerns have been impossible to ignore. They have certainly played a role in the team’s underwhelming overall season. However, many players have underperformed as well. The Cubs know they need to be better.”
The worst MLB team since 1961 is arguably the 2024 White Sox at 41-121. They averaged 3.1 runs a game and gave up 5.0 runs a game… net difference of -1.9.
In the last 29 games, the Cubs have scored 3.2 runs a game and given up 5.2 runs a game… net difference of -2.0.
— Baseball's Not Dead (@dead_baseball) June 11, 2026
Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Are the Cubs too uptight? A scuffling club is asking the same question. “The rapid drop-off can be attributed to a variety of factors, from pitching injuries to the law of averages to the club’s best hitters failing to deliver with runners in scoring position. Clearly, something is off.”
Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Jed Hoyer’s outdated vision for 2026 Cubs is unraveling in painful fashion. “The problem is that Hoyer’s need to find depth last offseason may have ignored the elephant in the room. It was made clear by the end of the 2025 season that the Cubs didn’t have a defined ace. Entering the 2026 season, it’s fair to suggest that was still case.”
Aynsley Lister is of the UK’s hottest contemporary blues guitarists. His unique brand of blues-based rock delivers contemporary song writing fueled with the kind of hear and soul that’s missing from so much modern music. Blessed with the coolest dad in town, regularly spinning Hendrix, Cream, Fleetwood Mac and a whole host of bewitching blues for his spellbound son, Aynsley taught himself to play with relentless dedication and a precociously attuned ear, spending hours copying his favourite records note for note. Peter Green, Albert King, Clapton and Kossoff weren’t just his heroes; they became his teachers.
Their influence, coupled with his dynamite live shows and an intense touring schedule, earned high profile support slots with established artists like John Mayall and Robert Cray, whilst rousing festival appearances, cemented his standing as an artist whose work, although rooted in blues, transcended the genre with a fiery modern sound that was eagerly embraced by fans of rock, pop, soul and acoustic music alike.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
We have 15 MLB games on the card, with several underdogs who shouldn't be, and some massive favorites we must fade on price alone.
Read on for a fun day of MLB predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, June 13.
MLB moneyline picks for June 13
Matchup
Pick
Cardinals vs Twins
+104
Yankees vs Blue Jays
+117
Mariners vs Nationals
+104
Marlins vs Pirates
+122
Padres vs Orioles
+113
Tigers vs Guardians
+117
Dodgers vs White Sox
+178
Rangers vs Red Sox
-100
Braves vs Mets
+104
Diamondbacks vs Reds
+104
Astros vs Royals
+108
Phillies vs Brewers
+133
Rockies vs Athletics
+170
Cubs vs Giants
-104
Rays vs Angels
-122
Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 6-13.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for June 13
Cardinals vs Twins: Cardinals (+104)
Cardinals win probability: 49%
Minnesota hitters strike out 21.5% of the time against lefties. Matthew Liberatore holds a steady 4.68 SIERA and a low 0.93 home run rate. St. Louis relievers have a strong 3.10 SIERA, giving them the upper hand late.
Yankees vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (+117)
Blue Jays win probability: 46.1%
Kevin Gausman gives Toronto a real pitching edge at home. The Yankees' offense has slowed down recently, posting a 106 wRC+. New York starter Cam Schlittler has a 4.50 FIP, making the home underdog the smart play.
Mariners vs Nationals: Nationals (+104)
Nationals win probability: 49%
Cade Cavalli owns a solid 4.61 SIERA for Washington. He faces a Seattle offense that has a high 20.1% strikeout rate over the last two weeks. Both teams have matching 107 wRC+, making the home team a plus-money price great value.
Marlins vs Pirates: Marlins (+122)
Marlins win probability: 45%
Pittsburgh rookie Bubba Chandler has a high 5.36 SIERA and gives up 1.80 home runs per nine innings. Miami's bullpen is much safer with a 3.81 SIERA compared to Pittsburgh's weak 4.11 bullpen mark. Back the Miami bats to come out on top.
Padres vs Orioles: Padres (+113)
Padres win probability: 46.9%
Baltimore starter Trey Gibson is overpriced with a poor 6.34 SIERA and a handful of strikeouts. Randy Vasquez has been much more reliable with a slightly better 5.70 SIERA. Take the better pitching numbers with the Padres on the road.
Tigers vs Guardians: Guardians (+117)
Guardians win probability: 46.1%
Tarik Skubal automatically makes the Tigers the favorites on the road. However, Joey Cantillo holds his own with a 4.46 SIERA. The real advantage is Cleveland's excellent bullpen, which has a sharp 3.59 SIERA to stop Detroit late.
Dodgers vs White Sox: White Sox (+178)
White Sox win probability: 41.5%
Rules prevent taking the Dodgers at a short price of -194. Chicago's offense has actually matched the Dodgers lately, with both teams earning a 122 wRC+. At a high +178 price, home field variance makes the White Sox worth backing.
Rangers vs Red Sox: Rangers (-100)
Rangers win probability: 50%
Texas is an excellent choice at an even pick'em price. The Rangers' offense is rolling with a 121 wRC+ over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, Boston has completely gone cold with a weak 82 team wRC+ and is hard to trust.
Braves vs Mets: Mets (+104)
Mets win probability: 49%
Sean Manaea matches up well against an Atlanta offense that has an ordinary 102 wRC+ across the past two weeks. Atlanta starter Martin Perez has a high 5.09 SIERA. The Mets bullpen carries a strong 3.33 SIERA to protect the lead late, and are a home dog worth backing.
Diamondbacks vs Reds: Reds (+104)
Reds win probability: 49%
Rhett Lowder gets the start for Cincinnati at home. He faces an Arizona offense that has completely flatlined. The Diamondbacks have a league-worst 65 wRC+ over the last 14 days, making the home underdog the right play.
Astros vs Royals: Astros (+108)
Astros win probability: 48.1%
Mike Burrows gets the nod for Houston. The biggest edge for the Astros is their stellar bullpen. Houston relievers have a 3.14 SIERA, which will shut down Kansas City late in the game. Take the plus-money road team.
Phillies vs Brewers: Phillies (+133)
Phillies win probability: 42.9%
The market is making a mistake by pricing the Phillies as big underdogs. Aaron Nola is a top-tier pitcher compared to Shane Drohan. Philadelphia's bullpen supports him with a strong 3.22 SIERA to keep Milwaukee quiet.
Rockies vs Athletics: Rockies (+170)
Rockies win probability: 37%
The Athletics are too expensive to back here. Colorado starter Kyle Freeland has a 4.93 SIERA, which matches up tightly with Jeffrey Springs' 5.00 SIERA. At this large a price, the Rockies and Freeland are too difficult to ignore.
Cubs vs Giants: Cubs (-104)
Cubs win probability: 51%
Ben Brown gives Chicago a stable advantage over Trevor McDonald's 4.21 SIERA. San Francisco's bullpen is in deep trouble, posting a slate-worst 5.21 SIERA over the last two weeks. Back the Cubs at a great price.
Rays vs Angels: Rays (-122)
Rays win probability: 55%
Tampa Bay has a major pitching advantage. Angels starter Jose Soriano struggles with a high 5.69 SIERA and a poor 7.59 BB/9 walk rate. The Rays will score early and exploit a mediocre Angels bullpen.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
More than 700 players have appeared in a game for the Rockies. Most do not last long. The average Rockies tenure is much closer to two years than five, which makes the long-timers easy to remember and the short stays easy to lose.
This is not about franchise pillars, or random cameos, but Rockies who packed most of their Colorado story into one season.
Jeff Cirillo helps draw the line. He spent two seasons with Colorado, and both were productive. In 2000, he hit .326 with 53 doubles, 115 RBI, 195 hits, an All-Star selection, and 4.5 bWAR.
In 2001, Cirillo hit .313 with 17 home runs, 83 RBI, and 3.2 bWAR.
If this were just a list of great short Rockies stays, Cirillo would belong. But his tenure had two good seasons, then a transaction afterlife when Colorado traded him to Seattle in the deal that brought Brian Fuentes to Denver.
This list is narrower: One big year, one sharp impression, and then the moment was gone.
The toolsy outfielder who looked like the future: Nolan Jones, 2023
The most recent bit of one-summer magic is Nolan Jones.
The Rockies acquired Jones from Cleveland for Juan Brito in November 2022, started him in Triple-A, and did not get the full version right away. He was recalled in April, sent back down, recalled again in May, and then caught fire after returning from the injured list.
In 2023, Jones hit .297 with 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 4.3 bWAR in 106 games. He led the Rockies in Baseball-Reference WAR despite playing barely two-thirds of a season, and his outfield arm gave the profile another loud tool.
Jones looked like more than a nice find. He looked like a possible long-term answer.
Then came the follow-up. Jones fell to -0.8 bWAR in 2024, with injuries and swing-and-miss keeping the breakout from becoming a clean franchise arc. By March 2025, the Rockies had traded him back to Cleveland for Tyler Freeman.
The story has kept moving. Cleveland has since traded Jones to the White Sox. Teams are still searching for some version of the player who briefly looked like a future piece in Colorado.
Replacing a legend: Justin Morneau, 2014
Justin Morneau’s Rockies tenure technically stretched into 2015, but his Rockies story is really 2014.
Todd Helton had just retired. First base at Coors Field had belonged to one player for nearly two decades. The Rockies were not going to replace him with another Helton. Nobody was.
Then Morneau showed up and won the National League batting title.
He hit .319 with 17 home runs and 82 RBI, giving Colorado a veteran first baseman who could still really hit. He was not Helton, and the Rockies did not need to pretend he was. Morneau was a former MVP, post-concussion and post-prime, proving there was still a high-level hitter left.
The batting title can be dismissed by people who dismiss every Rockies batting line, but that undersells the season. Morneau gave Colorado a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat at a position that had just lost the most important player in franchise history.
As one-year Rockies chapters go, it was about as simple as it gets: batting title, injury-limited follow-up, free agency.
The Coors Field pitching answer: Joe Kennedy, 2004
Joe Kennedy might be the most underrated brief-stay season in Rockies history.
There was no All-Star selection. No major award. No playoff race. The 2004 Rockies lost 94 games, and Kennedy’s season mostly disappeared inside a bad team.
Kennedy gave the Rockies something they almost never get: a legitimately strong starting pitching season at Coors Field. He went 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 162 1/3 innings, 117 strikeouts, a 135 ERA+, and 5.6 bWAR. He became the first Rockies starter to finish a season with an ERA under 4.00 after the team moved to Coors Field.
Kennedy was actually better in Denver, going 6-1 with a 3.59 ERA in 14 home starts.
Jason Marquis fits this bucket, too, just differently. He gave the 2009 playoff Rockies 216 innings, an All-Star selection, and 3.5 bWAR in his only season with Colorado before leaving through free agency.
Kennedy had less visibility and less team success. For one year, though, he solved a problem Colorado has spent most of its existence trying to solve.
The one-year relievers: Gabe White and Greg Holland
Relievers have their own version of this.
Greg Holland is the visible one. He came to Colorado after Tommy John surgery, took over the ninth inning for a playoff team, saved 41 games, made the All-Star team, shared the National League saves lead, won NL Comeback Player of the Year, then reached free agency.
Gabe White is the sneaky one. He came over from Cincinnati in the Manny Aybar trade, put up 4.5 bWAR, a 2.17 ERA, 0.916 WHIP, 84 strikeouts, and a 247 ERA+ in 83 innings, then fell off in 2001 and was traded right back to Cincinnati.
Holland has the playoff team visibility. White has the “wait, that actually happened?” stat line.
The one that still stands out: Jeffrey Hammonds, 2000
The one that still stands out most to me is Jeffrey Hammonds in 2000.
The Rockies acquired Hammonds from Cincinnati on October 30, 1999, in the trade that sent Dante Bichette to the Reds after seven seasons in Colorado. Hammonds played one season in Denver, reached free agency, signed with Milwaukee, and never again matched that summer at Coors Field.
That one season was the whole story. Hammonds played 122 games for Colorado and hit .335 with 20 home runs, 106 RBI, 14 steals, and made the All-Star team. He was not even the only Rockies position player from that roster to get there. Helton made his first All-Star appearance, and Cirillo was there, too, which is a pretty good snapshot of how ridiculous that lineup became.
The Rockies were built for offense that year. Helton was having a monster season, and Coors Field was still playing huge. But Hammonds was not just along for the ride. He gave them average, gap power, home run thump, some speed, and enough RBI production to stand out even in that environment.
That is what makes it the cleanest brief-stay Rockies season: acquired for a franchise icon, one huge year, free agency, and a reminder that not every breakout is meant to be bought.
The current version
That is part of the point: sometimes you do not know you are watching a “one-summer-only” Rockies season while it is happening.
Hammonds looked like he might be part of the lineup beyond 2000. Kennedy looked like he might have found something that worked at Coors Field in 2004. Jones looked like he might be part of the next good Rockies team in 2023. Each one lasted much shorter than it seemed in the moment.
That is what makes the current roster interesting. Jake McCarthy, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Troy Johnston are Rockies right now, and all three have given Colorado something worth watching. McCarthy has brought speed and useful outfield defense. Sugano has given the Rockies real innings. Johnston is fifth in the National League in batting average and tied with Rafael Devers and Ernie Clement for the Major League lead with 20 doubles.
Maybe their Rockies stories keep going. But maybe this summer is the chapter. Maybe years from now, this is the stretch fans look back on as the brief moment when one of them dropped a little magic in Colorado.
Hughes was excellent in his first game back with Albuquerque after a rehab assignment with High-A Spokane, where he threw six scoreless innings across two starts. The right-hander worked five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four. He threw 58 of his 77 pitches for strikes and earned his first Triple-A win of the season, lowering his ERA to 7.20. Victor Vodnik followed with a scoreless inning, walking one but striking out the side, and Albuquerque pitchers held Tacoma to two hits while striking out 12.
Veen and Condon set the tone in the first inning. Veen doubled to right at 105.1 mph, his 16th double of the season, and Condon followed two batters later with a two-run homer to left-center. The 104.3 mph drive traveled 395 feet and was Condon’s 12th home run of the year.
They kept applying pressure from there. Veen added his 17th double in the third and finished 3-for-6 with two doubles, a three-run homer, three RBI, and two runs scored. He is now hitting .324 with a .985 OPS. Condon finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI, four runs scored, and two walks. His second homer of the night, and 13th overall, came immediately after Veen’s three-run shot in the ninth. Condon has now homered five times in his last five games, and both Condon and Veen have gone deep in back-to-back games.
The game was still 3-1 after seven innings before Albuquerque buried it. The Isotopes scored nine runs in the eighth, with Vimael Machín delivering the biggest swing on a three-run homer, his ninth of the season. Machín finished 2-for-5 with four RBI
The Hartford Yard Goats (34-26) beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (30-29) 11-1 behind an impressive Double-A debut from Jackson Cox (No. 16 PuRP) and a huge night from the Hartford offense.
Cox was superb in his first start with the Yard Goats after being promoted from High-A Spokane, where he had posted a 4.23 ERA and 78 strikeouts over 55.1 innings. The right-hander did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and finished with 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out eight. He worked into trouble in the third with two walks and a hit batter, but escaped the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout and kept New Hampshire quiet from there.
Hartford gave Cox breathing room in the second when Conner Capel walked and Bryant Betancourt followed with his 12th home run of the season. Betancourt finished 4-for-4 with three RBI and four runs scored, raising his OPS to .861.
The Yard Goats put the game away with an eight-run fourth inning. Zach Kokoska delivered the biggest swing with a three-run double, his eighth double of the season, and Aidan Longwell later added a two-run double, his 18th. Longwell finished 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Kokoska went 2-for-5 with three RBI.
Cole Messina (No. 26 PuRP) also reached four times as the designated hitter, going 1-for-2 with his ninth double, three walks, and a run scored. Hartford finished with 16 hits and seven walks, giving Cox more than enough support in one of the Yard Goats’ most complete wins of the season.
The Spokane Indians (25-36) lost 7-6 to the Eugene Emeralds (41-20) on a walk-off homer after rallying back from a three-run deficit.
Jack O’Dowd stayed red hot, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. O’Dowd singled home Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP) in the first, doubled in the seventh, and doubled again to lead off the ninth before being stranded at third. In 20 games with Spokane, O’Dowd is now hitting .395/.471/.711 with a 1.182 OPS.
Tommy Hopfe also helped carry the offense, going 2-for-4 with a walk, his sixth home run of the season, and three RBI. Hopfe led off the game with a homer to center field, then tied it in the eighth with a two-run single after Spokane had fallen behind 6-3.
Hunter Omlid gave the Indians a chance, throwing three scoreless innings out of the bullpen with two strikeouts. But after Spokane missed a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth, Trevor Cohen hit a walk-off solo homer in the bottom half to hand the Indians a tough loss.
The Fresno Grizzlies (31-30) lost 5-1 to the Visalia Rawhide (27-34) after scoring in the first inning but getting held quiet the rest of the way.
Yeiker Reyes opened the game with his first triple of the season, and Ashly Andujar (No. 20 PuRP) brought him home with a sacrifice fly to give Fresno a quick 1-0 lead. Reyes finished 2-for-4 and is now hitting .333 with a .777 OPS.
The lead did not last. Pedro Catuy hit a two-run homer off Riley Kelly (No. 27 PuRP) in the second inning, and Visalia added three more runs in the fifth. Kelly took the loss, allowing five runs, three earned, on three hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four and now has a 5.65 ERA.
Easton Marks gave Fresno a strong finish out of the bullpen, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. The Grizzlies managed only five hits, struck out 14 times to one walk, and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
MLB.com’s Arion Armeniakos writes that Sean Sullivan’s Rockies debut was brief but memorable, with illness ending his first big-league start earlier than planned. Even so, Sullivan showed enough poise to make the outing feel more encouraging than disappointing. For a Rockies rotation still sorting through options, it was a strange debut — but a promising one.
Purple Row’s Cory Cohen looks at a Rockies injury spike that has gotten hard to dismiss as normal attrition. Colorado had been one of MLB’s healthier organizations in recent years, but 2026 has brought a wave of injuries across both the major-league roster and the farm.
MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes that Brett Sullivan turned a little momentum into his best offensive day as a Rockie, homering twice in Colorado’s loss to the Cubs. The bigger takeaway is that Sullivan is starting to look comfortable again after a rough May and limited playing time behind Hunter Goodman
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 12: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles jogs back to the dugout after making a catch for an out in the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, June 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
These Orioles are a resilient bunch. After last night’s 7-5 win over the visiting Padres, they have now taken three straight, scored seven runs in each of them, and find themselves within one game of the AL’s final wild card spot.
What has been most apparent during the Orioles’ recent resurgence is the improvement of the offense. Yes, they are scoring more runs. But that is simply a byproduct of a better approach. They are more competitive at-bat to at-bat. They are showing patience. They are working counts. They are putting up fight. It’s a beautiful thing to see.
Since May 22, the Orioles have the best offense in baseball. Or at least, no one has scored more runs than them in that span. They also rank in the top 10 of MLB in home runs (7th, 30), walk rate (4th, 10.7%), batting average (9th, .262), on-base percentage (3rd, .346), and slugging percentage (8th, .441), among other metrics.
In that same time, the Orioles have been trotting out eight different players with a wRC+ of 100 or better. That doesn’t even include Samuel Basallo, who just missed the cut off (90 wRC+) and has been dealing with an injury saga in that time. Finally, it feels like the potential of this roster is being realized, to a degree.
It’s probably no coincidence that the Orioles are probably as healthy as they could really hope to be from this day forward. There are some key names missing, including Ryan Helsley, Dylan Beavers, and Dean Kremer. But it’s hard to miss them too badly when some of their replacements have been playing quite well.
Rico Garcia is pitching like one of the game’s best relievers. Colton Cowser has rediscovered his 2024 form and seems to be the everyday center fielder again. And Brandon Young has quietly become the best starter on the team. Sure, there is room to improve, and this team would probably still like to have someone like Jordan Westburg back on the roster. But considering where this team has been at times already this year, things are pretty good!
Links
More this, that and the other leftovers for breakfast | Roch Kubatko Included in this are Basallo’s post-game quotes regarding the extremely odd injury critique that came from manager Craig Albernaz earlier in the week. It’s unclear what exactly happened internally with the Orioles, but obviously something did happen. Basallo suggests that he wants to move on from it, which seems wise. Hopefully he and Albernaz have had a heart to heart about it, and that will be the end of it.
James McCann turns 36 today. He was the backup catcher in Baltimore for two seasons from 2023-24, with his trademark moment coming when he got hit in the face by a wayward pitch but stayed in the game and played through a clearly broken nose. Currently, he is with the Diamondbacks in the same role.
Pedro Strop is 41 years old. A power righty, Strop become a crucial piece in the Orioles bullpen between 2011 and ‘13 before he was traded to the Cubs along with Jake Arrieta.
Ernie Whitt turns 74. Much of his 15-season MLB career ws spent in Toronto, but he wrapped up his time in the bigs with 35 games on the 1991 Orioles.
The late Tom Gastall was born on this day (b. 1932, d. 1956). He was a reserve catcher with the Orioles between 1955 and ‘56. He died the day after his final game when a small aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Chesapeake Bay.
This day in O’s history
1957 – Baltimore acquires Jim Busby from Cleveland in exchange for Dick Williams. This is the first of three times that the Orioles will either trade away or sell Williams in his career.
1966 – The Orioles trade away a disgruntled Jerry Adair, who wants more playing time, to the White Sox in exchange for Eddie Fisher.
1999 – The Orioles set a club record for runs scored, beating the Braves, 22-1. Cal Ripken Jr. goes 6-for-6 with two home runs. Will Clark goes 4-for-4 with five RBI. Mike Mussina gets the win, tossing seven innings and allowing just the one run.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: Bryce Eldridge #8 of the San Francisco Giants rounds the bases after hitting a walk-off grand slam home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Washington Nationals 11-10 at Oracle Park on June 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball is coming to an end this weekend, so it’s time to make our picks for Player of the Week!
I am really enjoying this thing that the Giants are doing lately where it’s actually difficult to make my picks for these because there are too many great options. It’s a nice change!
But there’s absolutely no universe in which my pick for this week isn’t Bryce Eldridge! Obviously he wasn’t the only one coming up big in Wednesday’s epic comeback win over the Washington Nationals. But Eldridge was the one that got THE big swing of the bat that sent everyone home happy with his walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning.
I also want to take a moment to wish both my brother and Matt Cain’s perfect game a Happy Birthday! Pretty great day, if you ask me.
Who is your pick for Player of the Week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this weekend series against the Chicago Cubs tonight at 7:05 p.m. PT.
Jun 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) pitches in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Not only did the Atlanta Braves drop the series opener to the New York Mets 7-5, but things remained difficult on the injury front. Spencer Strider got the start and struggled early on. He exited in the fourth inning due to shoulder and elbow soreness and likely undergo an MRI today.
Once again, the Braves are hoping for the best, but after seeing Strider’s significant velocity drop, this is another tough blow for Atlanta.
More Braves News:
Hurston Waldrep was activated from the IL and assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett. In his start with the Columbus Clingstones, he threw 3.2 innings and allowed four runs. He will be joining Drake Baldwin, who begins a rehab stint with Gwinnett this weekend.
MLB News:
The Kansas City Royals placed starter Seth Lugo on the seven-day concussion IL after being struck in the face on Wednesday. Fortunately, he was able to leave the game under his own power.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 12: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets looks on during the national anthem prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, June 12, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets began a three-game series against the NL East-leading Braves last night and were able to overcome a rough second inning from starter Nolan McLean and a late rally from Atlanta to secure a 7-5 victory. The star of the night was Bo Bichette, who hit two home-runs—including a grand slam—and drove in six runs. The Amazins have now won two straight.
The Phillies were completely and utterly dominated by Jacob Misiorowski last night, as the young Brewers ace threw a complete game one-hit shutout with fifteen strikeouts to give Philadelphia a 6-0 loss.
Prior to last night’s game, the Phillies made a number of roster moves—including placing Adolis García on the 60-day IL with a lat tear and adding the recently acquired Derek Hill to the active roster.
Sandy Alcántara racked up his 1000th career strikeout and the Marlins won their sixth straight with an 8-3 victory over the Pirates that put the Fish back at .500.
The Nationals were delayed for over two hours yesterday due to rain and didn’t exactly come out of the delay sharp, as they were shellacked by the Mariners to the tune of a 10-2 loss.
R.A. Dickey came very close to throwing a no-hitter—and instead settled for the first of what would end up being back-to-back one-hitters—on this date in 2012.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 12: Starting pitcher Tanner Bibee #28 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on June 12, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians won a big game to end their four-game losing streak and start the season 5-0 against the Tigers. Nick has your recap here.
Tonight is Tarik Skubal vs. Joey Cantillo and if I were the Tigers, losing this one would have me packing it up.
Travis Bazzana is in his first slump in the big leagues. He has a wRC+ of 30 over his last 39 plate appearances. Good for him. He will work his way out of it.
Tanner Bibee has been nails for the Guardians since that disastrous start vs. The Nationals. Props to him and Patrick Bailey for figuring it out. And, if my “Bench Steven Kwan” article can mark the beginning of a run for him, that would be great.
AROUND MLB;
White Sox beat the Dodgers, Twins won, and Royals lost. The Royals are 14 games under .500.
Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick (10) reacts to the strike during the fifth inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday May 27, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This has not been a good season for Sal Frelick. He has struggled at the plate. Even more alarmingly, he has struggled in the field. People are speculating as to whether he’s injured. And when the Brewers secured the signature of Luis Lara—who has been red hot all season at Triple-A Nashville—earlier this week, they gave themselves an obvious candidate to take some of Frelick’s playing time.
Frelick is an easy target right now. His at-bats don’t look good. He has never hit for power, so he’s not offering value as a low-average, high-homer guy akin to Gary Sánchez. Previously, living with Sal’s struggles at the plate wasn’t hard to do; he was a Gold Glove-winning outfielder in 2024 and still solidly above average out there last season. He has generally been a good baserunner (which, it should be said, continues to be the case this season).
But, contrary to another struggling veteran on the Brewers right now, Frelick shouldn’t be completely given up on. I’m not ready to pull the plug in order to hand his job over to Lara quite yet. In his time with the Brewers, Frelick—who is still only 26 years old—has earned a little patience.
That being said, the concerns are real and should not be ignored. Let’s go through it.
Offense
Take a look at Frelick’s Statcast page for 2026. Then take a look at Frelick’s Statcast page for 2025. What’s different?
The answer: not much. What is true is that Frelick’s Statcast page is ugly. There’s a lot of blue. His exit velocities, barrel percentage, hard-hit percentage, expected slugging, all of that kind of stuff, are all bad. He’s in the bottom 10 percent in most of them.
But what’s weird is that he was bad at all those things last year, too. This season, Frelick is batting .228/.299/.311. Last year, he hit .288/.351/.405. So what’s different?
Frelick is still one of the best players in the league at not striking out. He’s actually been quite a bit better this season at not chasing. According to Statcast, he is squaring up the ball at an elite clip—he is maximizing theoretical exit velocity on the swings that he is taking—something he did well last season, too.
Unfortunately, a major factor isn’t allowing Frelick to maximize that high square-up percentage: he’s hitting too many ground balls.
A simple indicator is batting average on balls in play. In Frelick’s first three seasons with the Brewers, he had BABIP numbers of .286, .306, and .317. This year, it’s .243. A more specific indicator is the ground balls. In 2024 and 2025, Frelick was just about league average in line drive rate and he was a little below the league average in ground ball percentage. This season, his ground balls have jumped (GB = ground ball, LD = line drive, FB = fly ball):
2024: 48.0 GB%, 24.8 LD%, 18.0 FB%
2025: 46.7 GB%, 23.2 LD%, 20.2 FB%
2026: 53.8 GB%, 17.9 LD%, 17.9 FB%
Digging further into Frelick’s batted ball data, we can understand why the groundballs are happening. Statcast breaks down batted ball quality into six different categories: weak, topped, under, flare/burner, solid, and barrel. Barrels are what you want—that’s the best quality of contact—and while Frelick is slightly below last year’s 3.1%, at 2.2% he’s actually slightly above league average this year (2.1%). He’s making slightly less weak contact (the worst kind) than last season. He’s getting under the ball slightly more often, but not alarmingly so.
The big problem is his percentage of balls that are “topped.” This matches the eye test: Frelick is hitting a ton of balls that go directly into the ground. At 42.4%, Frelick is more than four percent higher than the league average, and more than seven percent higher than he was last season. We see this is in his launch angle data, too: at an average launch angle of 8.3 degrees, Frelick is well below last season’s 12.1 degrees and even further below the league average (12.5 degrees).
Another thing that might be preventing Frelick from maximizing his square-up percentage is that he has a slow bat. But a slow bat and a good square-up percentage can work for players who can elevate the ball: Luis Arraez is has first-percentile bat speed with a 100th-percentile square-up rate. But Arraez’ 14.6 degree launch angle dwarfs Frelick’s 8.3 degrees, and he’s hitting way fewer ground balls (43% versus 29.4% line drives and 24.2% fly balls).
Basically what the Statcast data tells us is that Frelick is the same hitter he was last year except for one crucial problem: he’s hitting over the top of balls way too often. This accounts for his poor launch angles, his high ground ball percentage, and his low BABIP.
The fact that Frelick is so poor in terms of exit velocity, barrel percentage, expected slugging, etc. means that he has very little wiggle room. If he’s not hitting line drives like he was last season, he’s just going to ground into a ton of outs. That’s true of anybody, but even more so with Frelick, as his low-exit-velocity grounders are less likely to sneak through the infield.
Whether you think this is good news or bad news depends on how you saw the Frelick of 2025, the one who finished seventh in the league in batting average and had a 111 OPS+. If you think that that version of Frelick was good and had a repeatable approach, then you should be optimistic that some adjustments to his bat path should help him stop topping the ball and he can return to being that player. But if you saw Frelick’s 2025 performance as mostly luck-based, and that all the blue on his Statcast page was a major red flag, then you will think that this year’s version of Frelick is simply what last year’s version should have been.
Defense
The defensive question is far more alarming. Simply stated, if Frelick isn’t offering anything in the field, his bat isn’t good enough to be a starting corner outfielder for a good team, and that was probably true even last season when things were going well.
For the purposes of this discussion, let’s use Statcast’s defensive metric, Outs Above Average. Frelick has been a good outfielder the past two seasons by OAA. But it sees him as poor in 2026 (as does Baseball Reference’s preferred metric Defensive Runs Saved, for what it’s worth). Statcast has Frelick in just the 28th percentile in fielding run value. That’s an alarming drop; Frelick was in the 85th percentile in 2025 and 79th in 2024 via the same metric.
The issues are all over. Frelick was in the 90th and 93rd percentile in range in 2024 and 2025, respectively. This year he’s in the 48th percentile. His arm has suffered, too: Statcast has two numbers to grade a player’s arm, “arm value” and “arm strength.” In 2026, Frelick is in the 9th percentile in arm value and in the 44th in arm strength; that’s down from 71st and 66th in 2025 and 66th and 68th in 2024.
Why has this happened? There has been a lot of speculation that Frelick, a player who plays with no real regard for his own body, is playing hurt. He does seem to react with pain at certain times during games. But if this is the case, it’s not really hurting his sprint speed, which you would expect to be an accompanying issue. Frelick’s speed as measured by Statcast is down slightly, but not much—he’s still in the 86th percentile in sprint speed (he was 87th last season).
If Frelick’s speed is intact, I’m not sure how to explain his diminished defensive value in right field. There could be an injury that’s affecting his upper body, but not his legs—that would be supported by the fact that some of the speculation about Frelick’s potential injury being related to his oblique. That could explain the dip in the value of his throwing, but it doesn’t really explain why he is or isn’t getting to balls that he used to be catching.
He has earned some patience
Whether there’s some positive regression in Frelick’s future or not, we do not know. Fans are getting frustrated and Lara is making waves in Nashville. But Frelick didn’t turn 26 until April. He’s got two years of solid major-league baseball behind him. He was a 3.6 fWAR player last season. By all accounts he is a great teammate, he works hard, and he is clearly one of Pat Murphy’s favorites.
There are signs that Frelick is improving, too. It’s only 10 games, but in June Frelick is hitting .303/.378/.394. The pessimists will point out that his xwOBA (.293) in that span is only 14 points higher than his season total (.279), and he is outperforming it by 55 points (.345 wOBA).
If Frelick is injured, then he should stop trying to play through it, go on the injured list, and let Lara have a chance. But it’s worth remembering that Lara is no sure thing, either; he’d be a defensive improvement over this version of Frelick, surely, but there’s no guarantee that he would outperform even Frelick’s 71 OPS+ this season.
In the case of the Brewers’ infield, I advocated for moving on from Luis Rengifo and giving Cooper Pratt the shortstop job. Sal Frelick isn’t Rengifo. Rengifo is on a one-year contract and everyone has known since the day that he signed that there were big prospects behind him. Frelick is a bigger part of Milwaukee’s past and he can still be a part of their future if he turns things around, and the Brewers should give him the chance to do so. He’s earned it.
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