BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 4: Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox walks off the field after a win against the Chicago White Sox on August 4, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Worcester had a win against the IronPigs on Saturday (Phillies AAA) where every single thing that could go right for them did. Mikey Romero went 6-6, Gage Ziehl pitched a shutout performance in his Triple-A debut, and the team scored nineteen runs. Things were not quite the same on Sunday afternoon, but, until Lehigh Valley stormed to a victory with a five-run ninth inning, Worcester looked in line for the win. This was despite Franklin Arias going 0-for-5, Adley Rutschman also going hitless and Blake Wehunt only pitching ten outs (albeit an effective ten outs before he allowed a home run.) And, for the record, I wouldn’t put too much stock in ANY of that; Arias is still batting almost .300 in a sample size that’s growing. Rutschman had an extra-base hit less than 48 hours ago. On Sunday, though, Kristian Campbell had three hits and a walk, Mikey Romero added two runs after his six-hit-day, and along the last three weeks it looks very much like this team (aka the first line of defense against any real injury problems) looks solid as opposed to a team that can’t be trusted with a lead late.
Rutschman didn’t even play 2 full games down in AAA and was only behind the plate for 5 innings, but he traveled to Toronto with the big league team after the game.
Infielder Mason White is right at home in New England after spending his pro career up to this point in the south, as he belted two home runs in New Hampshire (Blue Jays AA) en route to the Sea Dogs scoring nine runs in the first five innings and coasting to a win. His four RBIs across three hits was the difference maker.
This was a thriller of a series finale against the Renegades (Yankees High-A) as there were twenty-four plays that had a WPA of more than .10. Thirteen pitchers were used, five home runs were hit, only one of those was from the Drive, Trennor O’Donnell had to wear the loss after giving three home runs up in the eleventh and twelvth combined following a good ninth and tenth, and the Drive left seventeen on base. It was a four hour and nineteen minute thriller that resembled the thirteen-inning marathon the Red Sox pulled off against the White Sox earlier in the week, but, in this iteration, anyway, Greenville did not come out on top.
BINGHAMTON, NY - AUGUST 08: The Binghamton Rumble Ponies mascot greets fans prior to the game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Nate Stickney/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Syracuse got on the board first thanks to a Nick Lorusso two-run homer in the bottom of the second, but their lead did not last long, as Ofreidy Gomez allowed a run in the top of the third, right-hander Matt Seelinger allowed two in the fourth and then two more in the fifth. Syracuse appeared poised to make something happen in the bottom of the fifth, loading up the bases with one out, but the best they were able to do was score a run via HBP when Ryan Clifford got grazed by a curveball.
Binghamton logged nine hits in the ballgame but all of their runs came on the longball. Kevin Parada blasted a homer in the bottom of the fifth to put the Rumble Ponies on the board and tie the game at 1-1, and Billy Amick blasted his fourth of the series and his third in as many days in the sixth to make it a 4-1 ballgame. The Yard Goats scored two runs in the seventh on a two-run homer off of reliever Carlos Guzman, but Saul Garcia and Garrett Stratton locked in in the eighth and ninth, each tossing a scoreless inning to lock down the win- Binghamton’s sixth in a row- sweeping Hartford.
Brooklyn rallied late, digging out of an early hole they found themselves in. Trailing 6-4 going into the seventh inning, the Cyclones scored two runs in the seventh to tie things up and then another two in the top of the ninth to take the lead. Juan Arnaud walked a tightrope in the bottom of the inning, allowing consecutive singles and a walk to load up the bases with no outs, but he proceeded to strike out the next three batters in a gutsy showing, locking down the save and the series victory.
Early on, St. Lucie and Daytona found themselves evenly matched, but Joel Lara finally cracked in the fourth, allowing three runs. The right-hander allowed another run in the fifth, and reliever Jean Brito allowed an additional run, giving the Tortugas a big 5-0 lead. The offense would put up a three spot in the sixth and would plate another run in the eighth, but the rally fell just short.
Aug 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser (17) hits a home run during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Miracles do occur: the Orioles actually can score some runs every once in a while. Yesterday they released more than a week’s worth of offensive frustration by putting up a 10-spot on the Rangers, clubbing 15 hits, tied for their third most of the season. Pete Alonso erupted for his first multi-homer game as an Oriole, eight O’s batters had at least one hit, and the Birds averted a three-game sweep with a rare stress-free, blowout victory. Check out Mark Brown’s recap of the decisive win.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Orioles’ overall series in Arlington sunk them further out of the playoff picture. They entered the series on Friday just one game back of the Rangers for the third wild card spot, but the Orioles’ no-show offensive efforts in the first two games cost them valuable ground. Because of their flailing, not only are they now two games back of Texas, but they also trail three other teams — the Twins, Guardians, and the Tigers, who leapfrogged the Birds this weekend. Even the Mariners and Blue Jays are closer to catching the Orioles than the Orioles are to catching the Rangers. One team will eventually rise above all the rest in this battle for mediocrity, but it’s increasingly unlikely to be the O’s.
The Orioles are now off to face another one of that crowded field of wild-card candidates, the Twins, in a three-game series in Minnesota starting tonight. Normally this is where I would write, “This is a hugely important series!!!1!1!!” but…honestly, I’m not feeling it anymore. I think we’re at the point where the Orioles’ season is too far gone to save.
Their offensive woes have become the norm rather than the exception. Before yesterday, the O’s had scored only 11 total runs in their seven games in August. A lineup that is missing Samuel Basallo and Blaze Alexander, and that inexplicably continues to employ Gunnar Henderson’s .294 OBP in the top third of the order, is going to continue to struggle to score runs. We can all pretty much agree that a Dean Kremer Revenge Game is coming tonight, right?
Anything less than sweeping the Twins is going to continue to close the door on the Orioles’ 2026 playoff hopes. And even if the O’s do manage to keep their heads above water in Minnesota, their next 10 games are against the two best teams in the American League, the Rays and Yankees. That brutal stretch is almost certain to bury the Orioles if their goose isn’t cooked already.
The postseason math is looking pretty bleak. But I suppose nothing’s over until it’s over. If the O’s can carry the momentum of yesterday’s 10-run outburst into the Land of 10,000 Lakes, maybe they’ve still got a fighting chance. But it’s going to require a stretch of red-hot, winning baseball that we’ve rarely seen from this team.
Speaking of Revenge Games, Grayson had a pretty good one at Oriole Park for the Angels last week, though the Birds managed to win. I’m surprised how few of the current Orioles hitters were ever teammates with him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on Aug. 10: first baseman Dan Johnson (47), catcher Sal Fasano (55), and the late right-hander Bob Chakales (b. 1927, d. 2010) of the inaugural 1954 Orioles.
On this date in 1963, Boog Powell crushed three home runs against the Washington Senators, but the O’s still lost, 6-5. All three blasts were solo shots. The other two Orioles runs were driven in by utility man Bob Johnson, who was starting at third base, snapping Brooks Robinson’s streak of 463 consecutive starts at the hot corner for the Orioles.
On this day in 1981, a newly promoted 20-year-old O’s prospect by the name of Cal Ripken Jr. made his major league debut, pinch-running for Ken Singleton in the bottom of the 12th inning against the Royals. Fittingly enough, the future Hall of Famer scored the game-winning run in his debut, scoring on John Lowenstein’s walkoff single.
In 1996, Eddie Murray hit his 18th career grand slam, which at the time tied him with Willie McCovey for second most in MLB history. (He now ranks fourth, behind Alex Rodriguez, Lou Gehrig, and Manny Ramirez.) Murray’s salami was part of an eight-run ninth inning for the Orioles, turning a slim 5-4 lead into a 13-4 blowout of the White Sox.
In 1999, the Orioles routed the Rays, 17-1, and they did it without hitting any home runs. The O’s racked up an eye-popping 20 hits, and every batter in the lineup had at least one hit and scored at least once. Six different Orioles had multi-hit games, including Mike Bordick, who went 4-for-6 with two doubles and five RBIs. The game got so out of hand that Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs made a pitching appearance for the Rays, the second (and final) of his 18-year career.
But on this date in back-to-back seasons, the Orioles embarrassed themselves. In 2018, they were mathematically eliminated in the AL East with a gruesome 19-12 loss to the Red Sox that dropped them 46.5 games behind with 46 games to play. It marked the earliest date in baseball history that a team had been mathematically eliminated. The Orioles gave up 16 hits and 10 walks in the game. Starter Dylan Bundy was tagged for eight runs, and three relievers — Miguel Castro, Donnie Hart, and Evan Phillips — each surrendered three or more.
And in 2019, the Orioles were obliterated by the Astros, 23-2. Houston set franchise bests for runs scored (23) and extra-base hits (13) in a game. Yordan Alvarez hit three homers and drove in seven on his way to winning AL Rookie of the Year, and five other Astros also had three or more hits. Orioles pitchers Aaron Brooks (nine runs), Branden Kline (five), and Tayler Scott (six) were hit hard, as was utility man Stevie Wilkerson, who gave up three runs in a mop-up pitching appearance. Woof. That 2019 Orioles team was unwatchable.
Happy birthday to Larry Corcoran and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1930 – Before 45,000 fans, the Cubs sweep two from the Boston Braves at Wrigley Field to move a game back of Brooklyn. Hack Wilson drives home seven runs on three homers, the last his 39th, to back up Charlie Root‘s three-hit shutout in the opener. The Cubs win, 6-0, beating Bob Smith. Pat Malone completes the sweep. twirling a five-hitter to beat Bruce Cunningham, 11-1, in the nightcap, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1915 – In Washington, Detroit 3B Ossie Vitt is hit by a Walter Johnsonfastball and, after being knocked out for five minutes, leaves the game with a concussion. A rattled Johnson then allows four runs in the 1st inning, two on a homer by George Burns, and another four through the sixth inning to lose (he will be 17-2 at home this year). Ty Cobb, observing Johnson’s fear of hitting a batter, will begin to crowd the plate on the Washington ace from here on. Cobb will average .435 for the rest of his career against Walter, after topping .222 only once in the previous eight years.
1917 – Babe Ruth beats the Tigers, 5 – 4, giving up just four hits. The Babe’s drive into the CF bleachers, said to be the longest hit at Fenway Park, is the difference. The homer is Babe’s first of the year.
1934 – Babe Ruth announces this is his final season as a full-time player.
1957 – Mickey Mantle blasts a 460-foot homer to become the first player to clear the center-field hedge at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore as the Yankees beat the Orioles, 6-3.
1960 – Ted Williams hits a pair of homers and a double to pace the Red Sox to a 6-1 win over the Indians. Ted has 21 homers for the season. The first of the two today, No. 512, moves Ted past Mel Ott into fourth place on the all-time list. After the game, Williams announces that he will retire at the end of the season.
1971 – Twins’ Harmon Killebrew becomes the 10th player to amass 500 home runs and adds his 501st.
2019 – Another hot-hitting rookie, Yordan Alvarez, also has a three-homer game, scoring five runs and driving in seven as the Astros demolish the Orioles, 23-2. Alvarez now has 51 RBIs in 45 games, beating the previous record of 47 set by Ted Williams in his rookie year.
1908 – Twenty thousand fans, the largest ever to watch a Monday game, crowd the Polo Grounds to see the matchup of Christy Mathewson and the Cubs’Orval Overall. Matty doesn’t disappoint, winning, 3-2.
1776 – News of the United States Declaration of Independence reaches London during the American Revolutionary War.
1893 – Rudolf Diesel‘s prototype internal combustion engine, a single 10-foot iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, runs on its own power for the first time in Augsburg, Germany.
1897 – German chemist Felix Hoffmann first synthesizes acetylsalicylic acid, which is later patented by his company Bayer under the name “aspirin”.
1943 – US General George S. Patton slaps a battle-fatigued soldier at an evacuation hospital, calling him “cowardly,” and threatens him with a pistol.
1949 – Ezzard Charles TKO’s Gus Lesnevich in the 8th round for the heavyweight boxing title.
1969 – Members of the Manson Family cult, including leader Charles Manson, kill Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in their Los Angeles, California home, completing the crime known as the Tate-LaBianca murders.
1977 – Postal employee David Berkowitz is arrested in Yonkers, NY, accused of being the “Son of Sam” .44 caliber killer.
1984 – The US beats Spain 96-65 to win the men’s basketball gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics; future ‘dream team’ members Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin feature.
Today in music history:
1920 – Mamie Smith and her Jazz Hounds record “Crazy Blues” for Okeh Records, the first significant blues hit by an African American artist.
1963 – “Little” Stevie Wonder‘s single “Fingertips (Part 2)” begins a three-week run, making him the youngest singer to top the charts at age 13.
1970 – Jim Morrison‘s trial for “lewd and lascivious behavior” begins in Miami, Florida.
1972 – Paul and Linda McCartney and their band Wings are arrested in Gothenburg, Sweden, on drug possession charges when customs officials discover a package of hashish.
1976 – Elton John performs the first of seven sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden, NYC, to conclude his North American tour.
1979 – “Off the Wall,” the fifth studio album by Michael Jackson, is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1980).
1993 – Columbia Records releases “River of Dreams,” singer-songwriter Billy Joel‘s twelfth and final studio album (unless he changes his mind).
Aug 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill (49) celebrates his walk-off RBI single during the twelfth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What a doozy of a ballgame yesterday. It was pretty normal for 7.2 innings before fully going off the rails and delving into performance art. Regardless, it was a win and hopefully once the Phillies can build off of as they enter the week of the Field of Dreams game.
Aug 9, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Pirates 4, Brewers 3
Tuesday: Brewers 4, Pirates 2
Wednesday: Brewers 4, Pirates 2
Thursday: Brewers 5, Pirates 2
Friday: Twins 8, Brewers 6
Saturday: Brewers 4, Twins 3
Sunday: Brewers 4, Twins 3
Division Standings
Brewers 74-44
Cubs 69-50 (5.5 GB)
Cardinals 59-59 (15 GB)
Pirates 58-62 (17 GB)
Reds 56-61 (17.5 GB)
Last Week
Brewers: 5-2
Cubs: 6-1
Cardinals: 4-2
Pirates: 2-5
Reds: 3-3
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
Let’s give a little bit of love to The Vulture, Aaron Ashby. It hasn’t been a particularly easy season, but Ashby had the goods this week, tossing five shutout innings across four appearances while striking out 11 batters. He picked up his 13th win of the season in Saturday’s come-from-behind victory.
An honorable mention to Kyle Harrison, who threw five excellent innings in his first game back with the Brewers since going on the injured list in early July. Harrison struck out 10 batters in that game, and may have threatened his season- (and career-) high of 12 had he not had to exit with cramping.
Top Hitting Performance of the Week
This is an easy one: Jackson Chourio hit just .250 on the week, but four of his six hits were home runs. He also walked as many times as he struck out (seven), giving him an OBP of .419 to go along with his .750 slugging percentage. The kid was a needed source of punch for an offense that’s going through it.
Jake Bauers was also a big source of clutch offense this week (including Sunday’s game-winning hit) and had an OPS near 1.000 in 13 plate appearances. Gary Sánchez, in limited playing time, went 3-for-6 with a homer and a double.
Injury Notes & Roster Moves
The combination of the trade deadline, a few injuries, and being in the midst of a 17-day stretch without an off day led to a busy week on the transaction front.
The headlines came from the deadline. In the biggest deal the Brewers were involved in, they acquired right-handed starter Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero from the Cardinals. May pitched for the Brewers on Thursday, while Romero is on the injured list after an emergency appendectomy but is expected back this month. The trade came with a high cost in the form of well-regarded prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.
In a smaller deadline-day deal, the Brewers sent two minor leaguers from deeper in the system (Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez) for Rockies reliever Antonio Senzatela, who pitched three times for the Brewers this week.
To accommodate the moves, the Brewers needed to open some roster spots. One was freed up when Codi Heuer, acquired in last week’s Bo Naylor/Craig Yoho trade, was sent to the Orioles for cash.
To free up another spot on the 40-man roster, Carlos Rodriguez was designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville. Thomas Pannone, who’d been DFA’d last week, also cleared waivers and was outrighted to Nashville.
To make spots on the active roster for May and Senzatela, Garrett Stallings and Brandon Sproat were optioned to Nashville.
In order to keep some fresh arms on the team, Bryse Wilson was a somewhat harsh recipient of a designation for assignment on Saturday. He was replaced on the 40-man roster by Lyon Richardson.
Cooper Pratt was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a hamstring injury. To replace him on the roster, the Brewers signed free-agent infielder Jihwan Bae, who bunted for a hit and laid down a successful sacrifice in Sunday’s game. To make room for Bae on the 40-man roster, Drew Rom was designated for assignment.
Also on the injury front, Kyle Harrison returned to active duty on Wednesday. To make room on the roster, Grant Anderson was optioned to Triple-A Nashville, at least temporarily setting up a six-man rotation.
Looking forward, Sal Frelick joined the Sounds for a rehab assignment, though it sounds like he isn’t yet able to throw and will just be getting at-bats for now. It’s unclear when exactly he’s expected to rejoin the Brewers, especially given that he doesn’t have much value if he can’t play the field.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 09: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves looks on before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 09, 2026 in New York City. The Braves defeated the Yankees 2-1. in ten innings. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
However, the headlines will instead focus on the bizarre occurrences around Chris Sale, who was ejected on Sunday from the dugout for continuing to argue against the reasons he was called for a balk on Saturday. It seems quite odd that an umpiring crew would go to this extent against one of the game’s true stars, especially when Sale did not appear to do anything out of his normal routine on Saturday. Regardless of whether or not the balk was warranted, it does feel that the involvement of the umpires unnecessarily will overshadow one of the better series of baseball we have seen this season.
There are a few elite teams at the top of the heap who are primarily playing for first-round byes and home-field advantage, but for the rest of the clubs with postseason aspirations, every game could potentially be the difference between having a chance to win a World Series or watching the postseason on television.
With that in mind, we offer up a quick snapshot of where things stand in the American and National League playoff races as the new week gets underway.
Current MLB playoff picture
All records and stats are as of the start of play on Monday, Aug. 10.
The division winners with the two best records in each league earn byes into the division series. Currently, the top seeds are the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox in the AL, and the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves in the NL.
The third division winner in each league will have home field advantage in their division series and will host the wild-card team with the worst record. Three teams in each league qualify for wild-card playoff berths.
Note: If two or more teams tie for a division title or a wild-card spot. Ties are broken by head-to-head record first, followed by intradivision record. Beyond that, things can get complicated.
The playoffs follow this format:
Wild-card series: Best of 3
Division series: Best of 5
League championship series: Best of 7
World Series: Best of 7
Key MLB postseason dates
The official 2026 MLB postseason schedule has not yet been released. However, no major changes from last year's schedule have been announced or are expected.
Sunday, Sept. 27: Final day of 2026 regular season
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 08: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 8, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees came oh-so-close to a scintillating sweep of the Braves, but the offense sputtered once again in another extra-innings loss yesterday. Even so, the series victory over Atlanta did serve as proof of concept. Thanks to their stellar pitching, this offensively limited version of the Yankees very much can beat the best teams in baseball. It may not always look pretty, but the Yankees have a chance to win every night because of their staff, and it does beg the question: how good can this team be once (if?) the offensive cavalry arrives?
It’ll be a relatively quiet day on the site, matching up with the team’s offday. In the morning, Kevin recaps Sunday afternoon’s American League action, and Matt profiles Gerald Williams, an outfielder and World Series champion with the Yankees. Later, Peter discusses how Paul Blackburn’s sinker has unlocked the rest of his game, and Madison puts out the call for this week’s mailbag.
Today’s Matchup:
Offday
Questions/Prompts:
1. Has Cam Schlittler re-established himself as the AL Cy Young favorite?
2. The Mariners are in town this week. Where does Seattle rank among the most disappointing teams in baseball this season?
Perhaps some time in October, the Milwaukee Brewers will regret not trading for Tarik Skubal. For the moment, they're the best team in the major leagues, and have one would-be Skubal pawn to partially thank for it.
The Brewers ascended to No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings thanks to two one-run victories over the Minnesota Twins in a taut battle of Upper Midwest playoff contenders. Their series-clinching victory came in 10 innings on a Jake Bauers walk-off single, but it was a catch by right fielder Luis Lara in the top of the inning - his second fantastic grab of the day - that prevented a huge inning and put Milwaukee in position to win.
Lara, 21, was among the players the Brewers roped off from Skubal talks, having signed him to a team-friendly extension and identifying him as a key part of their future. Ranked by Baseball America as the game's No. 35 prospect, he boosted Milwaukee on a day Jacob Misiorowski made history but couldn't close the deal.
No matter. Milwaukee's 74-44 record gives it a three-game edge over Atlanta for best in the NL as the Brewers maintain a 5 ½-game lead over the relentless Chicago Cubs.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Milwaukee Brewers (+1)
Four games at Dodger Stadium may evoke bad memories of last October - or a boost toward the next one.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 02: Mitch Keller #23 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 02, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/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 Pirates fans and fans across the country.
This week’s question asked you about Mitch Keller. The Bucs pitcher is down for the rest of the year with an injury, and before getting hurt, he was having a terrible season with a 6-8 record, 5.26 ERA, and a 1.37 WHIP. We asked you of you thought Mitch had tossed his last game as a Bucco. Here is what you said:
Only one quarter of Bucs fans think that Mitch has pitched his last game as a Pirate. In all likelihood, teams are going to want to see him in action if the Bucs are going to shop him, but stranger things have happened.
Don’t forget to head over to FanDuel for the MLB Playoff odds. As of this morning, the Bucs are +1260, so if you feel they can somehow still pull this thing off, there’s a hefty payout in it for you.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 05: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Hailey Leonard/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: I wish I believed in anything as much as Aaron Boone believes the Yankees’ offensive woes will just magically fix themselves. Since Tuesday, the day their big trade deadline acquisitions made their debuts, the Yankees have scored just 12 runs in five games. Boone acknowledges this team can be really good but needs the offense to improve in order to get there as the starting pitching, at least, has held things down extremely admirably. Yet, there doesn’t seem to be any answer to the problem outside of hoping and praying Aaron Judge returns as soon as possible.
MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: Some notes from around the AL East, but the key point of focus here is Aaron Judge being cleared to begin some upper-body training and light running drills earlier this week. While he’s still got a long way to go and there’s still no timetable for his return, it’s at least some glimmer of hope that hadn’t previously been there for a long time. Though, Brian Cashman reiterated yesterday that he will need to be 100% before they think of bringing him back as they don’t want to risk him injuring something else in a rush to come and save this team. Some of those words are paraphrasing by yours truly, but that’s the gist of it.
MLB.com | MLB.com Staff: When the Yankees signed Antonio Gomez as an international free agent in 2018, they did so as a catcher. Eight years later, Gomez was making his season debut for Single-A Tampa as a pitcher and came out dealing. Ranked with a 70-grade arm, Gomez threw a scoreless inning in relief, averaging 99.9 mph on his fastball and touched or passed 100 mph five times in his 15 pitches of work. Though he transitioned to the mound last season while with Double-A Somerset, he was hurt to start the year, thus making his debut in Tampa.
NJ.com | Keith Sargeant: It’s always a cringeworthy moment when a bat or ball makes its way out of the playing surface and strikes someone. That’s exactly what happened earlier in June when a New Jersey woman was attending a game against the Cleveland Guardians. She’s now suing the Yankees, Yankee Stadium, and companies that her complaint identifies as being involved with the stadium’s protective netting system, for what’s described as “preventable” injuries. They claim the netting was lower in her section than others after a José Ramírez bat made its way into the stands.
Turkish Super Lig club Corum are discussing the final details with Rangers for the transfer of Mohamed Diomande, with the 24-year-old midfielder expected in Istanbul on Monday for a medical and contract talks. (Ertan Suzgun on X)
Corum are closing in on a move to sign Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande for a fee of around £4.5m. (Rangers Review)
Çorum have made an official offer of £4.8m to Rangers for Mohamed Diomande. (Yagis Sabuncuoglu on X)
The bid rejected by Rangers for striker Youssef Chermiti was from Galatasaray for £22m, which would have been a club record sale. (Rangers Review)
Frosinone's asking price of £17.1m for Farès Ghedjemis has coolled the interest of quite a few clubs, including Rangers, in the 23-year-old winger. (Foot Mercato)
Rangers are exploring a deal for 20-year-old Aston Villa right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic. (Daily Record)
Rangers are considering taking Serbia right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic from Aston Villa on a season-long loan. (The Herald)
PSV Eindhoven head coach Peter Bosz insists Rangers transfer target Couhaib Driouech was left out of their Eredivisie opener against Fortuna Sittard due to a lack of fitness as the Ibrox club look to strike a £7m deal. (Daily Record)
After having a £6m bid rejected, Rangers remain in talks with PSV Eindhoven over a deal for 24-year-old winger Couhaib Driouech, with Burnley and Celta Vigo also interested. (Sky Sports)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 07: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Houston Astros during the second inning at Petco Park on August 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/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 Padres fans and fans across the country.
The San Diego Padres fanbase has been through a lot this season. It started with early season reports that San Diego had the worst farm system in the MLB. That transitioned to an MLB offense that was ranked near the bottom of the league in every statistical category, a pitching rotation decimated by injury and a patchwork of arms that was unwatchable at times. Despite all of that, rookie manager Craig Stammen had his team playing well and at one point 11 games over .500. Talk at the time was that how the Padres were winning games was unsustainable. Then the crashed happened. San Diego hit the skids and had a losing streak that saw them fall below .500 as the team headed into the All-Star break.
Coming out of the break, the conversation among fans, Padres front office personnel and the baseball world turned toward what the team should do at the MLB Trade Deadline. The Padres had hoped to come out of the All-Star break and jump right into a winning streak that would compel San Diego president of baseball operations and general manager to buy at the deadline, or at the very least keep what was in place. Instead, the Padres dropped two games to the Kansas City Royals and three games to the Atlanta Braves and started their post-All-Star road trip 2-5 heading into a three-game series at Miami.
The Padres went on to sweep the Marlins and finished their road trip 5-5 and headed back to San Diego for a homestand against the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants. There was still no indication what the Padres would do at the deadline and with a two-game sweep of the Rockies and taking three out of four games against the Giants, Preller and his team became buyers. However, there was still talk San Diego could try to be a buyer and possibly sell some pieces to improve the poorly ranked farm system. By the time the deadline had come and passed, the Padres had acquired two of the top starters available and a utility player and kept the roster intact.
San Diego added starters Robbie Ray, who had just got the win for San Francisco when the two teams met, and Casey Mize and Gage Workman from the Detroit Tigers. It was good to see Preller address the rotation, which proved to be the most glaring need at the deadline, but he paid the price for adding two rental arms, further depleting his farm system. Some people were unhappy with the decision not to trade players in the final years of their contracts like Adrian Morejon or Ty France. Some were unhappy that players with options at the end of the year like Michael King were not traded. But throughout baseball Preller and the Padres were lauded for the work they did at the Trade Deadline.
The Padres Reacts Survey question from this week asked respondents to give their take on the deadline moves. There were multiple options to choose from, including “Great,” “Good,” “Fair,” “Poor,” and “Terrible.” The majority were right in the middle with no one getting too high and no one getting too low. After seeing the first two starts from Ray and Mize the responses might look different, but both players were out of routine and are expected to bounce back in their next outings. The Padres, Preller and the Friar Faithful all hope so or this could turn into one of the worst deadlines of Preller’s tenure.
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New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after striking out in the ninth inning during a game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.
The Yankees keep waiting for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to take off.
With 44 games left in the season, it has yet to actually happen.
At a time when the Yankees are going through a brutal stretch offensively — including Sunday’s 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Braves — without Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, they could sorely use someone to spark the lineup. Chisholm has the skill set to make that happen, except he has not been able to put things together consistently all season, finishing Sunday batting .216 with a .691 OPS through 109 games.
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“I think all year, just struggling to really get dialed in,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s never had that real hot streak, which he’s certainly capable of. We’ve seen over the last couple years, where it’s two, three, four weeks of impactful damage, speed, getting on, things like that.”
Chisholm went 1-for-3 with a walk Sunday (while also committing a throwing error on a chopper-turned-infield-single that he could not cleanly grip out of his glove).
Though he is certainly not alone in his offensive struggles, the pending free agent is as capable as anyone on the Yankees of single-handedly changing a game.
He just has not been able to do it often enough.
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after striking out in the ninth inning during a game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“I’ve been feeling OK,” Chisholm said. “Hit it hard, get out. Sometimes not even making contact. But every day, going out there and grinding, trying to make things happen for the team.”
After throwing 48 pitches in 2 ²/₃ innings Saturday night in his first rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Carlos Rodón (left elbow inflammation) will likely make another this week before returning to the Yankees.
“I watched his outing this morning, thought he looked pretty good, thought he threw the ball pretty well,” Boone said. “So I would assume we’ll probably have another one for him at least.”
Cody Bellinger, now two weeks removed from suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, has been running and hitting, though it is unclear if he could beat the four-to-six week timeline he was given.
“It seems like he’s doing pretty well, but until we get to that finish line …” Boone said.
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Clarke Schmidt, who experienced forearm cramping during his live bullpen session Tuesday, has played catch but has yet to throw a bullpen session since then.
“I think we’re good, but we got to get to that point where he’s back on the mound, which hopefully is the next couple days,” Boone said.
Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain) did some more running in the outfield Sunday at what appeared to be a pretty good intensity, but he still did not run the bases.
Anthony Volpe got his first start at second base at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday night and handled all three ground balls hit to him cleanly. He was back at shortstop Sunday as he gets eased into the new position that could be how he gets back to the big leagues, whether that is this year or next.
Chris Sale, apparently still annoyed at the balk called on him Saturday that scored the go-ahead run, was ejected before first pitch Sunday.
