WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - AUGUST 30, 2026: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals turns a double play over the sliding Xavier Edwards #9 of the Miami Marlins during the second inning of a game against the at Nationals Park on August 30, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. The Marlins beat the Nationals, 6-2. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
This series has already seen plenty of twists and turns. Now we are in for a grand finale of this four game set between the Nats and Marlins. After yesterday’s 9th inning meltdown, the Nats will look to bounce back and win three out of four. The Marlins are looking to salvage a split.
CJ Abrams was a late scratch in the lineup. He will be replaced by Nasim Nunez in the lineup. The red hot Daylen Lile will move up to the leadoff spot. Brady House is back in the lineup at third. Andrew Pinckney also replaces Dylan Crews, making a rare start. Keibert Ruiz is behind the plate in this one. Will Dion gets the start and Luis Perales is likely to be involved at some point.
Updated Nationals 8/31
D. Lile LF A. Ortiz DH A. Chaparro 1B K. Ruiz C B. House 3B J. Vivas 2B J. Young CF N. Nuñez SS A. Pinckney RF
Xavier Edwards, one of the Marlins mainstays was put on the IL today. To replace him, Javier Sanoja slid over to second and Leo Jimenez is at third. Kyle Stowers is back in the lineup at first base. Like yesterday, this is a very righty heavy lineup for the Fish. Ryan Gusto will be on the mound for the Marlins.
The Nats suffered a heartbreaker yesterday but they have a chance to redeem themselves tonight. As we enter September, the Nats need to start building momentum. This will be a chance to do that. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Mark Vientos – DH Jared Young – 1B Christopher Morel – LF Marcus Semien – 2B A.J. Ewing – CF Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Robert Stock (RHP)
Rays lineup
Yandy Diaz – DH Jonathan Aranda – 1B Junior Caminero – 3B Liam Hicks – C Chandler Simpson – LF Cedric Mullins – CF Jonny DeLuca – RF Richie Palacios – 2B Taylor Walls – SS
SP: Ian Seymour (LHP)
Broadcast info
First pitch: 6:40 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Aug 30: San Diego Padres Outfielder Dustin Harris (29) at bat during the regular season game between the San Diego Padres and the Tampa Bay Rays on August 30, 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
San Diego Padres (72-65) at Cincinnati Reds (65-72), August 31, 2026, 3:40 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Great American Ball Park – Cincinnati, Ohio
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 30: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on August 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds will welcome back lefty Brandon Williamson to their starting rotation beginning on Wednesday against the San Diego Padres. The 28 year old – who missed all of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery that he needed late in 2024 – has been sidelined since an April 29th start against the Colorado Rockies, but his shoulder is finally good enough to return and eat some innings down the stretch for the Reds.
There will be no major shakeup to the starting rotation – at least, not in the form of a demotion or move to the bullpen. Rather, it’s now officially the time the Reds are going to begin to actively reduce the workload on ace Chase Burns, meaning the 100 pitch grind he chucked in yesterday’s big win over the Chicago Cubs might well be his final ‘full’ start of the year.
That brought him to 145.1 IP on the season.
Manager Terry Francona revealed the framework of the plan to the beats earlier on Monday afternoon prior to the series opener in GABP against San Diego. Charlie Goldsmith was on the scene to help relay things, with Tito still being coy on exactly how many pitches/innings Burns will be allowed to go given then competitive advantage that would forfeit. What we do know, though, is that Williamson will piggyback Burns’ next start on Monday given that Thursday is a day-off.
That start will come against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Brandon Williamson will start on Wednesday. Chase Burns will start on Monday with Williamson as a piggy back.
Rosters officially expand tomorrow, so adding Williamson won’t be as difficult as it otherwise would be. Williamson is on the 60-day IL, however, so a 40-man move will need to be made. Given that both Spencer Steer and Michael Toglia reside on the 10-day IL and are both done for the season, though, that should be merely a procedural swap.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 25: Anthony Molina #45 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on August 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants play a make-up game against the Atlanta Braves this afternoon from Truist Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Anthony Molina, who enters today’s game with a 2.89 ERA, 4.48 FIP, with three strikeouts to two walks in nine and a third innings pitched between the Giants and Braves this season. This will be his first start and second appearance for the Giants this year. His last appearance was in the Giants’ 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds last Tuesday, in which he allowed just one hit and a walk with one strikeout in four and a third innings of relief.
He’ll be facing off against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, who enters today’s game with a 3.95 ERA, 4.45 FIP, with 118 strikeouts to 46 walks in 143.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Braves’ 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday, in which he allowed three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in six innings.
FIX THIS, STAT: The Cubs have lost three consecutive series. They had done that since June 2-11, when they dropped the final three of four in a row. They were 14-4-1 in series before the last three. For the season, they are 22-20-2. Sunday was the Cubs’ 10th game in which they served up at least four homers. That tied for the third most among all teams, with the Nationals and Reds. The Athletics and Royals had 11 such games. No other team had more than eight. The Cubs’ 10 tie them with 2000 for the fourth most by the Cubs, after 15 in 2021, 12 in 2006 and 11 in 1999. Since 2000, they have averaged 5.7; the last five years, 8.0. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SCORING A LOT OF RUNS, BUT LOSING: Last night’s loss was just the Cubs’ 12th of the season in which they had scored at least five runs. They have won 62 games with five or more. They are 9-5 with exactly five. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THIS MIGHT HELP TONIGHT: The Cubs are 35-28 against teams that had a winning record going into each game. They are 20-11 at home. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PCA UPDATE: Pete Crow-Armstrong hit three home runs Saturday and two yesterday. No Cub since 1901 has hit more than five in three consecutive games. Eight different Cubs have hit five a total of 16 times: Dave Kingman and Sammy Sosa three; Andre Dawson, Bill Nicholson, Dansby Swanson and Billy Williams, two; and Mel Hall and Aramis Ramirez, once. Swanson’s two overlapped, June 29-July 1 and June 30-July 3 of this year. Two each of Kingman’s and Sosa’s overlapped, as did both of Nicholson’s and Williams’. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
You did not expect to read these words here a few weeks ago: “Clay Holmes is the most consistent starter on the Cubs staff.”
And yet, here we are. He had a rough outing in his Cubs debut, since then in three starts: 0.47 ERA, 0.737 WHIP, and perhaps most importantly: NO home runs allowed in 19 innings.
Last time he faced the Brewers: July 2, 2025 in Citi Field. He allowed two runs in 5.2 innings. We’d take that tonight, I think.
The Brewers acquired Kyle Harrison in the deal that sent Caleb Durbin to Boston. Harrison is having an excellent season, and in two starts against the Cubs this year covering 12 innings, he has allowed two runs and struck out 20. Seiya Suzuki accounted for both of those runs with a two-run homer June 27 in Milwaukee.
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Aug 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) during pregame against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Brewers and Cubs tonight start what I’m dubbing the Mega Series — seven games in 10 days between the top two teams in the National League Central, right at a critical juncture in the season. We’ve done all the previews and talked about it endlessly, but if Chicago has any hope at all of catching Milwaukee in the division, they’ll need to do the heavy lifting over the next week-and-a-half. On the flipside, the Brewers can more-or-less put the division to bed even if they just have an “OK” couple of series — a 3-4 mark would probably do the job. If they’d like to be emphatic, a couple of series victories would really slam the door on any hope of a Cubs comeback.
Things get started tonight with a tasty little pitching matchup between new Cub Clay Holmes and new-ish Brewer Kyle Harrison. Holmes is making his fifth start since coming to Chicago at the trade deadline, and after a poor showing his first time out, Holmes has found another gear. Over his last three outings, Holmes allowed just one run and only nine hits across 19 innings, though Chicago is just 1-2 in those games. Holmes, who spent three years as the Yankee closer before joining the Mets and transitioning into starting work in 2025, is an extreme groundball pitcher: his 59.7% groundball rate is in the top two percent of the league. That will certainly come in handy today, where 90-degree weather will surely make Wrigley Field lively.
Harrison will be making his fifth start since missing nearly a month with a sore elbow. Things have been a bit of a mixed bag; In three of Harrison’s starts, he’s gone five innings and allowed just one combined run while striking out 23 batters in 15 innings. But that fourth one was a disaster, when San Diego put up eight runs (though five of those runs were later ruled “unearned”) in less than five innings. Harrison has mostly been getting results even when he hasn’t looked the sharpest, and the next step for him is to find some length — he’s thrown 90 pitches in two of his four post-IL starts, but he hasn’t pitched in the sixth inning of a game since June 20.
We’ve also got a roster move to report, as some reinforcements are on the way. A day before rosters expand to 28, the Brewers have reinstated Abner Uribe from the injured list. To make room, Bryse Wilson, who apparently tweaked his back during his 2 2/3-inning outing on Sunday, has been sent to the 15-day IL. (Feel free to guess who the two adds Milwaukee will get tomorrow are, but I’m putting my money on JoJo Romero and Bo Naylor.)
Milwaukee is going lefty-heavy with Holmes on the mound. Brice Turang, who at least made some solid contact yesterday, remains in the leadoff spot. Jackson Chourio bats second and shares the outfield with Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick. Christian Yelich is the DH, while Jake Bauers, Cooper Pratt, and David Hamilton join Turang in the infield. William Contreras is doing the catching and batting third.
On the Cubs side, we have to mention: Pete Crow-Armstrong comes in on an epic heater and with pole position in the National League MVP race. PCA hit three homers on Saturday and two on Sunday, and as the great Sarah Langs shares with us, his 31 homers since June 1 are seven more than any other player in that span.
There’s a little bit of weather in Chicago this evening — humidity and heat mean storms could come out of nowhere — but hopefully things will clear out for the game. As long as everything stays on schedule, first pitch is at 6:40 on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 05: Konnor Griffin #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates dives to knock down a ground ball in the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 05, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Konnor Griffin is increasingly close to returning to big league action.
The Pirates star shortstop has missed nearly the past two months with a left ring finger issue suffered against the Washington Nationals on July 5.
Griffin injured the sagittal band and was forced to wear a splint for weeks.
He returned to the diamond on Sunday, suiting up for the Double-A Altoona Curve to begin a rehab assignment.
Griffin played seven innings and ended the day 1-3 with two strikeouts. His rehab was transferred to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.
The 20 year old has only played in 59 games due to two separate long-term injuries that derailed his season.
In 247 plate appearances, Griffin is slashing .276/.332/.404 with a .736 slugging percentage.
He was hitting over .300 in the right-game sample size after his right forearm strain that kept him out almost all of June.
Griffin has hit 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs, drove in 25, and struck out 65 times during his first season in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates signed Griffin to a nine-year extension worth $140 million in April to keep the team cornerstone in Pittsburgh as their new face of the franchise.
Griffin swiped 20 steals and was on pace to exceed 40 stolen bases if he didn’t get hurt.
He is eligible to come off the injured list on September 4 and will likely be back for the Los Angeles Angels series beginning on Friday.
The Pirates are 67-71 and welcome the San Francisco Giants to town on Tuesday for the first of three.
Only a month remains to determine if the team can complete an all-time comeback for the postseason.
Fresh off a true smack of the rival Red Sox, the Yankees (78-59) open a three-game series in Anaheim against the Angels (52-85) tonight.
New York closed out a four-game series against Boston yesterday with one of its most dominant performances of the season. Yesterday, the Yankees crushed the Red Sox 16-1, recording their largest margin of victory of the year. Will Warren delivered seven strong innings and Austin Wells powered the offense with two home runs and five RBI. With the win yesterday, New York stayed within 4.5 games of the AL East-leading Rays of Tampa Bay and a whopping nine games up in the Wild Card chase. The Angels have lost seven in a row and own the worst record in the American League. The Phillies swept Mike Trout and co. over the weekend. Since going 13-14 in June, the Halos are 16-34.
Rookie right-hander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz gets the start for the Yankees tonight. It will be his third since mid-May. Last Wednesday against Houston, the righthander allowed three runs over six innings. It was the first time in his career that Rodriguez finished the sixth inning. The Angels will counter with Walbert Urena (8-9, 2.94 ERA). Over his last five starts, the righthander has allowed 10 runs over 23 innings. His most recent outing – last Tuesday vs. Cleveland – was less than good. Urena allowed three runs over 3.2 innings in a loss to Cleveland. Neither starting pitcher has faced their opponent in their respective young careers.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Angels
Date: Monday, August 31, 2026
Time: 9:38PM EST
Site: Angel Stadium
City: Anaheim, CA
Network/Streaming: Apple TV, YES, Angels.TV, KCOP
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The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Angels – August 31
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (-119), LA Angels (+111)
Spread: Yankees -1.5 (+134), Angels +1.5 (-162)
Total: 8.0 runs
Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Yankees vs. Angels for August 31
In his last 2 starts, Elmer Rodriguez has struck out 4 and 6 opposing hitters
Walbert Urena has allowed just 2 HRs over the last 2 months (11 starts)
Ben Rice has hit safely in 6 of his last 7 games (10-28)
Jazz Chisholm, Jr. has 10 stolen bases this month
Jose Caballero played all 4 games against the Red Sox and went 6-14 in the series
Mike Trout is hitting .232 (23-99) in August
Trout was 2-12 over the weekend against the Phillies
Zach Neto has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games (18-42)
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees vs. Angels
The Angels are 68-69 on the Run Line this season
The Yankees are 67-70 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed an MLB-low 55 times in games involving the Angels this season (55-80-2)
The OVER has cashed 58 times in games involving the Yankees this season (58-75-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Angels for August 31
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Angels and the Yankees:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total.
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RICHMOND, VA - JULY 19: Dakota Jordan #5 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels looks on during the game between the Erie SeaWolves and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Sunday, July 19, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Today is an off day in Minor League Baseball, but certainly not an off day for our coverage! Here’s everything that happened with the San Francisco Giants affiliates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The most exciting news is that we have a Jackson Flora sighting! Last month’s No. 4 overall pick hasn’t gotten into an official game yet, but made his pro debut in the bridge league, which is the unofficial games played in the Complex League after the official season ends. Thankfully for us, Fangraphs has video of the entire thing!
As for roster news, AA Richmond got an infusion of talent, as outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was activated off the Injured List, while LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) was promoted from High-A Eugene. AAA Sacramento got some depth after having their roster gutted, as Eugene RHP Ryan Slater and LHP Hayden Wynja were sent to Sacramento, as well as Low-A San Jose RHP Samir Chires.
And some hardware to hand out: Eugene swept the weekly awards in the Northwest League, with outfielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) being awarded Player of the Week, while RHP Hunter Dryden was named Pitcher of the Week. Meanwhile, MLB Pipeline named shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) the top MLB prospect in the Arizona Complex League this year!
Finally, Baseball America had some high praise for the system in doling out their best tools awards, which are voted on by the managers of each league.
Great to see the recognition for our guys from managers across the minor leagues. pic.twitter.com/48xAR6srQF
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Reno Aces 6-1 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Reno Aces 12-2 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces 9-7 [box score]
The Giants are beat up, which means a lot of the River Cats are in San Francisco, which means a lot of lower level players are filling in in Sacramento. It makes for a slightly funny roster with some funny box scores. On Saturday, for instance, Low-A San Jose RHP Samir Chires and High-A Eugene RHP Ryan Slater both pitched, and both got roughed up, as one would expect. High-A infielder Zander Darby also played over the weekend, hitting 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and a walk.
And that’s just the lower-Minors fill-ins! There were also a trio of players recently called up from AA probably more for logistical purposes than because of merit. One of those players was first baseman/third baseman Charlie Szykowny, who made his AAA debut on Friday and got into all 3 games, hitting 2-8 with a double and 2 strikeouts.
Szykowny, who was a 9th-round pick in 2023, wasn’t having a great year in AA, where he had a .733 OPS and a 94 wRC+. But, given that he’s already 26, that he has a controlled bat (he struck out 20.5% of the time with Richmond), that he plays all 4 corner positions, and that he’s a well-respected and liked player, it’s easy to see him getting the treatment that Thomas Gavello got last year: come up for logistical purposes, and end up staying put.
The other call-ups happened on the mound, with RHPs Trystan Vrieling and Darien Smith. Vrieling started Sunday’s game and really struggled, giving up 14 baserunners (10 hits, 3 walks, and a hit batter) in just 4 innings, which tagged him for 6 runs. The 25-year old, who was taken in the 3rd round in 2022 by the Yankees, had just a 4.23 ERA and a 5.02 FIP in AA this year, while walking 5.3 batters per 9 innings. So some struggles are to be expected as he tries to adapt to AAA on the fly.
As for Smith, he’s the one player here whose promotion may have been primarily performance based. The 26-year old undrafted free agent, who is in just his 2nd pro season, had a decent year in AA, with a 2.84 ERA, but a 4.51 FIP, while working as a starter. He hit the Injured List in mid-May, though, and began rehabbing in the Complex League in July. Rather than return to Richmond upon his activation, the Giants sent him straight to Sacramento. He took that promotion well, as he threw 2.1 no-hit innings in his Friday debut, while walking 1 batter and striking out none.
Now, onto the rest of the players. It was a pretty uninteresting weekend, honestly. It was fixing to be an ugly offensive performance from Sacramento’s trio of exciting position player prospects, until left fielder/right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) saved the day. Davidson went just 0-8 with 2 strikeouts on Friday and Saturday, but exploded on Sunday with a sensational game, hitting 2-3 with a double, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a strikeout, and, most critically, a go-ahead 3-run home run in the 9th inning.
Davidson has really turned a corner lately, and with Rule 5 protection a certainty for him, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Giants get him some MLB coffee before the season concludes. He has an .871 OPS and a 125 wRC+ in AAA, with just a 16.4% strikeout rate.
Things were a little less fruitful for center fielder Scott Bandura and third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL). Bandura had some good moments in a quiet weekend, hitting 2-11 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, a strikeout, and an error. Harber had a weekend very much to forget, as he went 1-12 with a walk, 5 strikeouts, and an error. Bandura now has an .880 OPS and a 131 wRC+, while Harber has an .800 OPS and a 111 wRC+.
Decent showings for a pair of players who could factor into the backup infield plans next year, especially since the Giants will likely have to get rid of most, if not all, of Christian Koss, Osleivis Basabe, Shay Whitcomb, and Nate Furman in order to make it through the offseason. Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) hit 5-11 with a double, a walk, and 2 strikeouts, while shortstop Aeverson Arteaga hit 2-6 with a triple, a double, and 3 strikeouts. Velasquez, a 22-year old switch-hitter, has an .826 OPS and a 123 wRC+ through 21 games since getting promoted. Arteaga, a 23-year old righty, has just a .631 OPS and a 65 wRC+ through 62 games, but also derives the bulk of his value through his glove.
With so many players in San Francisco (and/or injured), the River Cats are shy on starting pitchers, so both Friday and Saturday were uninteresting bullpen games. MLB LHP Matt Gage continued his rehab assignment and got rocked, giving up 4 hits, 1 walk, and 4 runs, while recording just 2 outs. Just great seeing him healthy again, though. RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) continues to struggle since returning to AAA, as he allowed 5 baserunners and 4 runs in 2 innings, with 1 strikeout. The 2021 1st-round pick has given up multiple runs in all 6 of his outings since heading back to Sacramento after spending most of the year in AA.
RHP R.J. Dabovich pitched a scoreless inning with a hit, a walk, and a strikeout. Great seeing him healthy. And RHP Alex Carillo, who has had some struggles since recently joining the organization, had an absolutely dominant weekend: the 29-year old pitched twice, and struck out 7 batters over 3 scoreless innings, giving up 1 walk and 0 hits.
AA Richmond (72-52)
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Portland Sea Dogs 9-3 [box score] Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Portland Sea Dogs 14-3 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Portland Sea Dogs 8-7 (10 innings) [box score]
Some very good news on the injury front for the Flying Squirrels this weekend, as Saturday’s game featured center fielder/right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) and right fielder/left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL). Jordan was making his return to the lineup after an absence of just over a month; it looked for a while like his stellar season might be over, but thankfully he’ll get some run here to end the season. As for Diaz, he hurt his knee sliding into a wall on Thursday, and it certainly looked like it could be a serious injury. But Diaz only missed 1 game, and that’s fantastic given how gruesome it looked.
Both players are in the top 4 among Giants prospects in home runs this season, and both players added to that tally. Jordan struck out in his 1st 3 at-bats as he started to recalibrate his swing after 5 weeks on the sidelines … and then unleashed with fury in his 4th at-bat of his return game, launching an absolute bomb for his 1st AA home run.
The 23-year old Jordan, taken in the 4th round of the 2024 draft (with quite an overslot bonus), then went 1-3 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts on Sunday. He has looked quite comfortable through 11 games with Richmond, posting an .814 OPS and a 114 wRC+, while lowering his strikeout rate from what it was in High-A to start the year (though it’s still a not-great 25.5%). I’m looking forward to seeing how he can end the year.
As for Diaz, who was recently promoted, he’s been a little slow to adjust to a new level, but has certainly shown flashes. He hit 2-8 over the weekend, with a hit by pitch, a stolen base and 2 strikeouts, and showed one such flash on Sunday, when he launched a 3-run blast in the 1st inning, pulling him into a tie with Davidson for the organizational lead in dingers.
There’s a lot to work on for the right-hander, as through 11 games he has just a .182 average and a 28.6% strikeout rate, leading to just a .586 OPS and a 44 wRC+. But then again, it’s only 11 games, and he only turned 21 last month! He’s almost 4 years below the league average age in the Eastern League!
Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) had a very nice weekend, which was good to see as he had been scuffling for a while. Last year’s 3rd-round selection hit a delightful 6-14 with a solo home run, a stolen base, a strikeout, and an error. He also had something you’ll only ever see in a Minor League game: a walk-off hit off of a position player!
Cohen will likely never hit for a lot of power, but he can put the occasional charge into one. It’s the small-ball stuff that really impresses with the 22-year old lefty: even though he only has a .734 OPS and a 97 wRC+ through 39 games in AA, he’s rocking a .297 batting average and just a 9.3% strikeout rate, while playing awesome defense. He’s also stolen 15 bases in 19 attempts.
The excitement on the mound occurred on Sunday, when LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) made his AA debut. Bresnahan, who only turned 21 in late June, had a spectacular season in High-A despite getting a slow start due to injury, and then needing a little time to work the rust off. He finished his 1st and last season in the Northwest League with a 2.92 ERA, and while he did have a 4.32 FIP on account of a lot of home runs given up, he struck out 10.8 batters per 9 innings, while only issuing 3.5 walks. And he ended his tenure on an absolute heater.
He showed a lot of that in his AA debut, though, understandably, he also showed that it will be an adjustment. The 2023 13th-round pick, sent to the Giants in the Alex Cobb trade, struck out 8 batters in just 5 innings in his Eastern League debut. Mighty impressive!
Jacob Bresnahan gets his first Double-A strikeout on the second batter he sees! 😤 pic.twitter.com/VSAxtbxcIi
The rest of his performance was a bit less pretty, however. Bresnahan struggled to find the strike zone, throwing just 54 of 92 pitches for strikes, while issuing 5 walks. He gave up 4 hits, which included a home run, and ceded 3 runs. Still and all, that’s a highly encouraging start in my book for one of the best pitching prospects in the system.
LHP Greg Farone made a great start on Saturday, pitching 4 shutout innings with just 4 singles and 2 walks allowed, plus 3 strikeouts. Farone only pitched 4 innings despite throwing only 49 pitches, which is probably just a desire to keep his workload in check. With this start, he moved the bare minimum (a third of an inning) past his innings total in his debut season last year. A 7th-round pick in 2024, the 24-year old Farone has a 5.43 ERA and a 5.67 FIP on the season.
A lot of bullpen struggles, but none from LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, who struck out 4 batters in 2.2 scoreless frames, with just 1 hit allowed. The 23-year old has been quite solid since getting promoted to start the month, as he has a 2.31 ERA and a 3.22 FIP through 5 AA games, with 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. He’s given up too many walks (7), but has only allowed 5 hits.
High-A Eugene (75-50)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox 4-3 (10 innings) [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox 12-9 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox 8-4 [box score]
Certainly some standout performances for the Emeralds. The single best performance of the weekend on the farm arguably came on Saturday from designated hitter Robert Hipwell, who hit a perfect 3-3 with a pair of home runs, while also smacking a double, drawing 2 walks, and knocking in 6 runs. That’s a performance he won’t soon forget!
In the other pair of games, Hipwell hit 1-6 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. It’s been a rough season for the 2024 6th-rounder, who has really struggled in Eugene. Some power and a whole bunch of walks (16.9% rate) have given him a league average line (.736 OPS, 100 wRC+), but his contact issues are severe: he’s repping just a .199 batting average, with a 38.8% strikeout rate and a 16.8% swinging strike rate. That unsightly trio ranks, respectively, 66th, 68th, and 59th out of the 68 Northwest League hitters with at least 200 plate appearances this season.
But Hipwell, who turned 23 in March, has been much better lately. While still residing on the interstate, he hit .269 in July and has hit .264 so far in August, with a .927 OPS. That is, likely, enough improvement to ensure that he stays in the system for at least another season.
Also leaving the yard twice (though spread out over the weekend, rather than in a single game like Hipwell) was third baseman/first baseman Hayden Jatczak, who hit 4-11 with 2 homers, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and an error.
After obliterating Low-A competition to start his debut season, Jatczak — an undrafted free agent who turned 25 earlier this month — took a while to get acclimated to High-A. He’s starting to find his groove now, though, and is up to a .727 OPS and a 97 wRC+ through 30 games. Hopefully he can end the year on a high note.
One other player homered, as catcher Daniel Rogers made a 2-run shot his only hit of the weekend, going 1-10 with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. The home run was a rarity — it was just his 6th of the season — but not as rare as the fact that he was behind the dish for all 3 games. You don’t see catchers catch 3 days in a row much anymore, at any level! A 24-year old undrafted free agent in his 2nd season, the left-handed hitting Rogers has a .658 OPS and a 76 wRC+ with Eugene this year, and has a 35.2% strikeout rate. His numbers were quite good in Low-A, though.
Some good and some bad on the pitching front. It was a sandwich of a performance, with Friday and Sunday’s starters shining and Saturday’s not so much. The star was RHP Hunter Dryden, who put forth one of the best starts of his young career on Sunday, when he went 6 innings and allowed just 2 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, while striking out 7 batters. What a day!
Dryden, who was a 17th-round pick in 2024, is really ending the season on a high note. In his last 6 games, the D3 Whitworth product has pitched 32.2 innings and allowed just 26 hits, 7 walks, and 6 earned runs, while striking out 28 batters. The recently-turned 24-year old only has a 4.37 ERA and a 5.42 FIP, and home runs continue to haunt him: the big fly he gave up in this outing was his 17th home run in 103 innings. But the 9.6 strikeouts per 9 innings and the strong end to the year should be, in my opinion, enough to get him to AA next season.
On Friday it was RHP Cade Vernon, who had an effective if not overpowering start, as he gave up just 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 unearned run in 5 innings of work, but only registered a single strikeout. Vernon, who was a 10th-round pick in 2024 out of Murray State, had been working in relief until recently, but has started to get stretched out. The results haven’t been strong … prior to this game, since moving into a bulk innings role, Vernon had pitched 19 innings and allowed 30 hits, 10 walks, and 18 earned runs. But hopefully this step in the right direction is the start of something good for the 24-year old, who has a 4.52 ERA and a 5.15 FIP on the year.
Unfortunately, the meat in the starting pitcher sandwich was LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL), and he once again had all sorts of issues. LDLT simply could not find the strike zone in this game, as only 33 of his 72 pitches were strikes, which led to 5 walks and 2 hit batters in just 2.1 innings. The control issues even followed him off the mound, as he committed a throwing error!
Per the usual, when De La Torre did throw strikes, hitters didn’t know what to do with them. He gave up just 2 hits (which resulted in 4 runs), and struck out 5 batters. And that’s the season in a nutshell for the southpaw, who turns 23 this weekend and has a 5.87 ERA and a 5.46 FIP. Among the 70 Northwest League pitchers with at least 40 innings thrown this year, De La Torre is 65th in walks per 9 innings, with 7.5 … but he’s 16th in strikeouts per 9 (11.3) and 10th in batting average against (.202).
Awesome relief outings from RHPs Alix Hernandez and Marty Gair. Hernandez struck out 2 batters in 2 scoreless innings, while allowing a hit and a walk. In 8 games since getting promoted, the 22-year old has a 2.51 ERA and a 5.40 FIP, with 15 strikeouts and 5 walks in 14.1 innings. Gair retired all 3 batters he faced, with 2 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 2.25 and his FIP to 1.97 since joining the organization. The just-turned 23-year old, who came over in the Luis Arráez trade, has 13 strikeouts to 4 walks in 8 innings with Eugene.
Low-A San Jose (75-51)
Friday: San Jose Giants lost to the Visalia Rawhide 9-6 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 11-5 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 5-4 [box score]
Friday saw the Baby Giants lose their 13-game winning streak … but they started a new one on Saturday!
A great pitching performance from one of the organization’s top prospects on Sunday, as RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) was thoroughly dominant, giving up just 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter in 5.2 innings, while striking out 7 batters. Martinez did give up 2 runs in the game, though just 1 was earned, but that’s a strikeout-to-baserunner ratio that we will take 8 days a week!
It’s been a bit of an odd season for Martinez, who turned 22 earlier this month. Really, it’s been similar to De La Torre’s just … better. But the same strengths and weaknesses. Martinez has struggled with walks, issuing 4.6 per 9 innings, and he’s ceded 11 home runs in just 88.2 innings, after only allowing 3 a season ago, in 69.1 frames. But, despite those issues — which have led to a 4.87 ERA and a 4.83 FIP — Martinez has been very hard to hit. There are 92 pitchers in the California League who have thrown at least 40 innings this year, and Martinez is 7th in strikeouts per 9 innings (13.1) and 13th in batting average against (.210). It hasn’t been a smooth and seamless follow up to his breakout 2025, and I’m sure both he and the Giants were hoping he’d be in High-A by now, but at the very least, he’s affirmed his status as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization.
LHP Jordan Gottesman had a nice start as well, as last year’s 6th-round pick tries to end his debut season on a high note. Gottesman pounded the strike zone for 5 innings, allowing just 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, and striking out 4 batters. That lowered his ERA into the 3s for the first time since mid-June, as he’s really been on a roll lately: in his last 54 starts, the Northeastern alum — who turned 24 on Saturday — has pitched 21 innings and allowed just 14 hits, 7 walks, and 3 runs, with 23 strikeouts. Gottesman has a 3.96 ERA and a 4.90 FIP on the season, with 9.8 strikeouts to 3.0 walks per 9 innings … solid enough numbers that will make him fun to follow in Eugene next year.
20-year old LHP Leandro Rodriguez also had a really nice showing, giving up 2 singles, 2 walks, and a hit batter in 5 innings on Saturday, while striking out 4 and allowing just 1 unearned run. Rodriguez hasn’t had quite the breakout campaign that Martinez, De La Torre, and RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) had a year ago, but he’s really flown onto the radar in his 1st stateside season. Rodriguez, who signed out of Venezuela last year, had modest overall numbers in the Complex League this year (4.18 ERA, 4.35 FIP), but had a very nice strikeout-to-walk ratio of 58-to-11 in 47.1 innings. He hasn’t been able to parlay that into Low-A success, but starts like this are reason for a whole lot of optimism.
Not much on the bullpen front, but RHP Ian Korn made his professional debut, which is exciting. Korn, a 23-year old from West Virginia who was taken in the 10th round in July, is the 1st (and only, currently) pitcher from the team’s recent draft class to get into an affiliated game. It didn’t go well, as he gave up 4 hits and 2 runs in 1.2 innings, with 2 strikeouts, but still awesome to see.
The offense wasn’t all that exciting. Shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) saw his numbers fall a little, but only because of how absurd they were to begin with, not because he played poorly. The electric 18-year old switch-hitter went 4-13 with a triple, a double, 2 walks, 3 stolen bases, a strikeout, and an error. Just another weekend for one of the sport’s top prospects!
Josuar Gonzalez comes through with a bases-loaded single, and the Giants add on to the lead! pic.twitter.com/rcvfRPAPnq
It’s still just 26 games, but González has a 1.019 OPS and a 155 wRC+ with San Jose, with 12 stolen bases. He’s hitting for average, hitting for power, drawing walks, limiting strikeouts, swiping bags, and playing sensational defense. The total package!
Center fielder Tanner Mally continued looking right at home in Low-A, as he went 4-10 with a double, 3 walks, 3 stolen bases, and a strikeout. July’s 17th-round pick has been so comfortable in San Jose, where he has a 1.053 OPS and a 173 wRC+ through 20 games, with just a 13.2% strikeout rate, and 8 stolen bases in as many attempts. I think it’s safe to say that he’ll start next year in Eugene.
He’ll be joined by shortstop/second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who had a fine weekend, hitting 4-9 with a triple, 4 walks, a sacrifice fly, 2 strikeouts, and a caught stealing. It’s been an up-and-down year for last season’s 4th-round selection, and he has an .825 OPS and a 105 wRC+. The defense, however, is as good as advertised.
Shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) continues to be sidelined following a minor injury a short while ago. Outfielder Peyton Bonds, the team’s 3rd-round pick in July, hasn’t played in a few days, so I’m not sure what’s going on there.
Home run tracker
26 — Bo Davidson — [7 in AAA; 19 in AA] 26 — Lisbel Diaz — [2 in AA; 21 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 19 — Dakota Jordan — [1 in AA; 18 in High-A] 12 — Hayden Jatczak x2 — [3 in High-A; 9 in Low-A] 8 — Robert Hipwell x2 — [High-A] 6 — Trevor Cohen — [3 in AA; 3 in High-A] 6 — Daniel Rogers — [2 in High-A; 4 in Low-A]
With MLB rosters expanding to 28 players on Tuesday, the Mets are recalling right-hander Justin Hagenman and outfielder Nick Morabito from Triple-A Syracuse.
Interim manager Andy Green confirmed that Hagenman will start the series finale against the Rays on Thursday, as the club will give Christian Scott an extra day of rest.
If possible, the Mets would like to give Scott, Nolan McLean, and Zac Thornton extra rest whenever they can.
"It’s hard to be completely committed to it every turn of the rotation, but by and large [with] our younger guys, I think we’d prefer to see them on five days of rest instead of four days of rest as we close out September," Green said on Monday.
"In all of their cases they’ve pitched more than they ever have in their careers. … When we can, we’d like to wedge in an extra day."
Hagenman appeared in nine games for the Mets last season, but has not pitched in the majors in 2026. Morabito, meanwhile, had a brief five-game stint with the Mets earlier this year.
This means that for now, Jonah Tong will remain in the minors, though he was initially thought of as a potential September call-up.
Tong pitched in three major league games (all in relief) at the end of May and early June, going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA over 10.0 IP, and has found a groove recently in the minor leagues after an up-and-down season.
Overall, the 23-year-old has gone 5-6 with a 4.54 ERA across 23 starts in Triple-A, tallying 126 strikeouts to 59 walks over 107.0 IP.
New York has been patient with his development in the minors this season and have made him earn his next opportunity in the rotation. Last year, after being rushed to the majors due to injuries, Tong struggled with a 7.71 ERA over five starts.
1920: Chicago White Sox players Eddie Cicotte and Shoeless Joe Jackson testified before a grand jury and admitted involvement in the plot to fix the 1919 World Series, bringing the Black Sox scandal into the open. Eight members of the White Sox were later indicted.
1938: Chicago Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett hit his famed “Homer in the Gloamin’,” a two-out, ninth-inning home run that beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 at Wrigley Field during Chicago’s late-season drive to the National League pennant.
1941: Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams went 6-for-8 in a season-ending doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics and finished at .406, becoming the last Major League Baseball player to hit .400 for a full season.
1951: New York Yankees pitcher Allie Reynolds threw his second no-hitter of the season, an 8-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox that was part of a doubleheader sweep that clinched the pennant for the Yankees.
1951: Los Angeles Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin passed for an NFL-record 554 yards in a 54-14 victory over the New York Yanks, a single-game record.
1953: American League owners unanimously approved the St. Louis Browns’ move to Baltimore, where the franchise became the Orioles.
1960: Ted Williams homered in the final plate appearance of his major league career, hitting the 521st home run of his career in Boston’s 5-4 victory over Baltimore at Fenway Park.
1972: Paul Henderson scored with 34 seconds remaining to give Canada a 6-5 victory over the Soviet Union in Moscow in the eighth and deciding game of the Summit Series.
1974: California Angels ace Nolan Ryan threw his third career no-hitter, struck out 15 and defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-0.
1975: Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers combined for the first four-pitcher no-hitter in major league history as the Oakland Athletics beat the California Angels 5-0.
1976: Muhammad Ali retained the WBA, WBC and Ring heavyweight championships with a unanimous 15-round decision over Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium in their third and final meeting.
1978: Houston Astros ace J.R. Richard became the first right-handed pitcher in National League history to record 300 strikeouts in a season, reaching the milestone during a 4-3 victory over Atlanta.
1979: Larry Holmes stopped Earnie Shavers in the 11th round to retain the WBC heavyweight title, strengthening his standing atop boxing’s heavyweight division.
1988: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser threw 10 scoreless innings against San Diego to extend his streak to a major league-record 59 consecutive scoreless innings, surpassing Don Drysdale’s record.
1993: Montreal Expos right-hander Dennis Martínez became just the seventh pitcher to win 100 games in both the American and National leagues.
1995: Montreal Expos pitcher Greg Harris became the first major leaguer in the modern era to pitch with both hands in the same game, working the ninth inning against Cincinnati.
1996: Iowa State running back Troy Davis rushed for a school-record 378 yards against Missouri, one of the highest single-game rushing totals in major college football history.
1997: Europe defeated the United States 14½-13½ at Valderrama in Spain to win the Ryder Cup, the first Ryder Cup held in continental Europe.
2000: Norway defeated the United States 3-2 after extra time in the women’s soccer final at the Sydney Olympics to win the gold medal.
2001: Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez hit his 50th home run of the season, becoming the first shortstop in major league history to reach 50 homers in a season.
2008: Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie won the Berlin Marathon in a world-record 2 hours, 3 minutes, 59 seconds, becoming the first man to run a marathon in under 2:04.
2008: Fernando Alonso won the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, the first night race in Formula One history.
2008: The Boston Red Sox retired Johnny Pesky’s No. 6 during a Fenway Park ceremony honoring one of the franchise’s most beloved players, coaches and broadcasters.
2011: The Tampa Bay Rays completed one of baseball’s most dramatic comebacks, erasing a seven-run deficit and clinching the American League wild card when Evan Longoria hit a 12th-inning walk-off home run against the Yankees.
2011: The St. Louis Cardinals completed a historic September surge and captured the National League wild card with an 8-0 victory over Houston.
2012: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey threw the first of his two career no-hitters, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0.
2019: American Christian Coleman won the 100-meter world championship in Doha in a world-leading 9.76 seconds.
2019: New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso hit his 53rd home run of the season, breaking Aaron Judge’s major league rookie record in a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
2020: The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the COVID-delayed Stanley Cup Final to capture their second Stanley Cup championship.
2022: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season to tie Roger Maris’ American League single-season record.
2025: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 250 career touchdown passes, accomplishing the feat in his 116th game during a 37-20 victory over Baltimore.
2025: Europe defeated the United States 15-13 at Bethpage Black to win the Ryder Cup on American soil for the first time since 2012.
— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 30: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a two RBI ground-rule double against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at American Family Field on August 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for August 31, 2026 against the Athletics: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Gage Jump for the Athletics.
Texas is back at home for seven games, the first of which is against the Athletics. The Rangers are facing a lefty, and so the righthanded-swinging crew is in there. Notably, Ezequiel Duran is hitting leadoff, the first time in his career he’s started a game in the leadoff spot. He now has been in the starting lineup at each of the nine spots in the batting order.
The lineup:
Duran — CF
Seager — SS
Langford — LF
Nimmo — RF
Burger — 1B
Foscue — 2B
Diaz — DH
Freeman — 3B
Jansen — C
7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -214 favorites.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 22: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on August 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Cardinals 12-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in baseball fans across the country.
Looking at the long history of Major League Baseball shows a clear swinging of the pendulum in style of play. Booming offenses gives way to dominant pitching, which in turn brings out an emphasis on home runs. After the heyday of the steroid era, it became common for the home run leader to slug fewer than 50, or even 45, home runs in a season. That has gradually changed to the point where over the last few years the home run champ finishes at or near 60 on the season.
This year, however, has seen a step back. Kyle Schwarber currently leads the league in home runs with only 40, on pace to hit 47 on the year. That would mark the fewest home runs in any season (excluding the shortened 202o season) in a decade. Schwarber isn’t a lock to win the home run race, either. There are five other players who are basically just a really good few games away from being tied for the lead.
Who will win the home run race?
Just as interesting as who will win the race is how many home runs it will take to wear the crown. There are seven players right now who are on pace to hit at least 40 home runs. How many of those players can catch a little bit of fire and surpass 45 on the season?
Looking at the season as a whole, it hasn’t felt like there has been a shortage of long balls. Maybe the distribution of home runs is all that has changed, so more players are hitting a dozen home runs instead of a select few hitting 55.
In the hopes of finding a happy medium, what do you think is the right amount of home runs in a season for the best slugger in baseball? How many homers should the top guy expect to have in a given season?
Be on the lookout for results to these surveys and the rest of the SB Nation Reacts surveys later this week!
The Mets’ addition of Freddy Peralta, and the right-hander’s subsequent performance on the mound, was a microcosm of what didn’t go right for the club this season.
Acquired in a trade with Milwaukee that sent Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers, Peralta came to New York to be the team’s ace, with a chance to sign a multi-year contract extension that would keep him in New York for a long time.
But Peralta struggled to the tune of a 4.99 ERA, and the Mets traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the deadline.
Now, Peralta is set to take the ball against New York on Tuesday night.
“It’s a challenge. Every game for me, I think I take it the same way,” Peralta said on facing the Mets. “I just come in to compete and try to get the win.”
Peralta was an All-Star with the Brewers in 2025, pitching to a 2.70 ERA and finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting. But for whatever reason, things just didn’t click in New York.
“It was the first time that I was struggling like that, but I never give up,” Peralta said. “I was always trying to find a way to feel better, to pitch better. I knew what I could do, and I was feeling good physically too and healthy, but I couldn’t make an adjustment. The good thing is that now I’m different, I feel different and I plan to keep going until my worst year is over.”
Despite his struggles on the mound, the veteran right-hander says that he’ll remember the people that made his time with the Mets special.
"I made good friends there, really good friends,” Peralta said. “People there, they took care of me really well. For me, that’s a little sad.”
Peralta is now on a first-place team, as the Rays look to hold off the Yankees (currently 4.5 games up) in the AL East race. He’s had his struggles as a Ray as well, pitching to a 5.60 ERA, but he’s coming off his best start, going 6.0 shutout innings against Detroit in his last outing.
He’ll look to keep that up on Tuesday, when he faces Sean Manaea and his former team.
