Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Marlins:
Let’s talk about it.
Gamethread 6/16: Marlins at Phillies
Mets DFA Vidal Bruján, add Zack Short to major league roster
Prior to tonight’s game against the Reds, the team designated infielder Vidal Bruján for assignment and added Zack Short, whom they claimed off waivers yesterday, to the major league roster. The team also added Kodai Senga back to the roster to make the start tonight, and optioned Jonathan Pintaro to Triple-A.
Bruján had just one hit in 11 at-bats for the club during his tenure, slashing .091/.167/.091 in nine games. Despite Francisco Lindor’s injury, which could have opened the door to more playing time for a club with few options at shortstop, he didn’t see the field much and was ineffective when he did. The team will instead opt to give Short a chance. Short performed marginally better than Bruján this season, collecting six hits in 36 at-bats for the Tigers before being DFAed. He hit .167/.304/.222 for Detroit this season.
The club also activated Senga off the IL to make the start tonight. Pintaro, who came in yesterday in relief of Tobias Myers, served as the corresponding roster move. The right-hander ate valuable innings in last night’s defeat, hurling 3 2/3 innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. On the season, he’s allowed three earned runs in 10 1/3 innings for New York. Senga, meanwhile, will look to get his season back on track after struggling before his injury. In five starts, he posted a 9.00 ERA.
Brewers shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt called up ahead of series with Guardians
MILWAUKEE — Cooper Pratt has reached the major leagues 2 ½ months after the Milwaukee Brewers signed the shortstop prospect to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract.
The Brewers called the 21-year-old Pratt up from Triple-A Nashville before opening a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. They made room for Pratt by designating third baseman Luis Rengifo for assignment.
Brewers officials showed their faith in Pratt when they signed him on April 3 to an eight-year deal that includes club options for 2034 and 2035. The $50.75 million contract includes escalators that could raise the value by $10 million if he repeatedly finishes high in MVP voting and the team exercises those two options.
Pratt won a Gold Glove as the top shortstop in the minor leagues in 2024 and has continued to play outstanding defense ever since. His hitting is more of a work in progress.
Pratt was hitting .241 with a .349 on-base percentage, six homers, 32 RBIs and 17 steals in 58 games with Triple-A Nashville this season. He batted .238 with a .343 on-base percentage, eight homers, 62 RBIs and 31 steals in 120 games with Double-A Biloxi last year.
“We believe in the bat,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said when Pratt signed his contract. “We believe in the glove, certainly. This guy is really toolsy, too. He’s very athletic. He’s a big, physical kid, so we think there’s a chance to grow into some power. And he can really run. When you have that kind of athletic foundation, it’s a really good thing.”
The Brewers can afford to be patient with Pratt’s bat as long as he fields the way he did in the minor leagues.
Milwaukee has received little offensive production from the left side of its infield all season, yet the Brewers lead the NL Central by 4 ½ games over St. Louis as they chase their fourth straight division title. The versatile David Hamilton had been splitting time with Joey Ortiz at shortstop and with Rengifo at third base.
Hamilton is batting .231 with a .316 on-base percentage, .320 slugging percentage, three homers, 11 RBIs and 14 steals in 58 games. Ortiz is hitting .207 with a .299 on-base percentage, .262 slugging percentage, one homer, 14 RBIs and five steals in 60 games.
Rengifo was hitting .205 with a .280 on-base percentage, .254 slugging percentage, no homers, 19 RBIs and three steals in 57 games.
Pratt was one of two Brewers prospects to sign a lucrative long-term deal this year while still in the minors. Luis Lara, a 21-year-old outfielder playing for Nashville, signed a seven-year deal worth $31 million.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Tommy Edman, Blaze Jordan and Garrett Mitchell
FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
Tommy Edman (2B/OF Dodgers): Rostered in six percent of Yahoo leagues
Having hit .275/.351/.392 in 14 rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Edman is finally back with the Dodgers after offseason surgery to repair the ankle injury that limited him throughout 2025. He'll be a part-timer initially and probably won't make an immediate impact in shallow leagues. However, he should prove to be rather valuable over the final three months.
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Edman hasn't really been at full strength since 2023, when he hit 13 homers and stole 27 bases for the Cardinals. The Dodgers acquired him at the 2024 trade deadline, even though he was still recovering from wrist surgery that had kept him out all season. They then gave him a five-year, $74 million contract extension prior to 2025 after just 37 regular-season games and a strong run in the postseason. Last year, he started strong before the ankle injury but then turned in his worst season to date, finishing at .225/.274/.382 in 97 games. It's fair to wonder if he'll return to previous form after all the missed time. The Triple-A stint wasn't particularly encouraging in that regard, as he struck out 28 percent of the time and had a 26 percent hard-hit rate.
A big part of what makes Edman worth betting on, if not now then in a couple of weeks, is that he's a Dodger. He should eventually turn into a lineup fixture for the best offense in baseball. Even last year, when he wasn't at his best, he had 49 runs and 49 RBI in his 97 games. With Dodger Stadium boosting homers for righties and lefties alike, the switch-hitting Edman has gone deep 12 times in his 60 home starts the last two years. It's unclear if he'll reemerge as a strong basestealer right away or at all, but he's always been exceptional when he chooses to run, having gone 115-for-133 on the basepaths in his career. After 13 games without trying a steal, he did collect one in his final Triple-A game on Sunday. He might not be more than a fringy mixed leaguer if he declines to run, but it'd be nice to have him stashed and see how fares the rest of the month.
Blaze Jordan (1B/3B Cardinals): Rostered in 17 percent of Yahoo leagues
Finally bailing on Nolan Gorman, the Cardinals called up Jordan last week to take over at third base. The 23-year-old's bat demanded it, as he was hitting .313/.373/.548 with more extra-base hits (31) than strikeouts (29) in 252 plate appearances for Triple-A Memphis. His glove... well, that might still be an issue.
From 500-foot homers at 13 years old to his first Major League homer
— MLB (@MLB) June 13, 2026
Blaze Jordan has arrived pic.twitter.com/J11IavvuMB
Jordan has split time between third and first every year since the Red Sox made him a third-round pick in 2020. Expectations have always been that he'd wind up at first or as a DH for the long haul, but third base is what the Cardinals have open for now. Range is the issue for him at the hot corner, but he'll handle what he gets to and make strong throws. Having an excellent shortstop next to him in Masyn Winn will help.
Offensively, Jordan still doesn't show as much power as his frame suggests, but he's gotten quite a bit better there this year. His hard-hit rate jumped from 34 percent in his 85 games in Triple-A last year to 42 percent this season, yet his strikeout rate still held steady at 11-12 percent. He hits too many groundballs, mostly because he's just really good at making contact; breaking balls that would produce missed swings much of the time instead turn into foul balls and groundouts when Jordan gets a piece. Jordan will have to become more selective to turn into a major threat. As is, though, he's still probably a contributor. As much contact as he makes, he'll be a nice RBI guy once he settles into the middle of the order.
Garrett Mitchell (OF Brewers): Rostered in five percent of Yahoo leagues
Last time Mitchell was featured here was on Apr. 7, when he was rostered in 15 percent of leagues. That the number has gone down makes some sense, as he slumped in the first half of May and faced playing time questions as Christian Yelich and Andrew Vaughn returned from injury. Mitchell, though, seems back on solid footing. He's batting .307/.366/.560 with three homers in 22 games since May 14. He also seems to have overtaken Sal Frelick on Milwaukee's outfield depth chart, keeping him in the lineup when the team opts to play Jake Bauers in a corner or gives Blake Perkins a chance against a lefty.
Mitchell is probably going to remain streaky going forward. He strikes out far too much, and though his exit velocity numbers are impressive, he's developed a bad habit of hitting too many balls on the ground this season. Mitchell’s Statcast page is truly remarkable. He's in the 96th percentile of major leaguers in bat speed and the 97th percentile in sprint speed. And he's in the first percentile in strikeout rate. In truth, he's probably swinging a little too hard. It's kind of nuts that he can be in the 91st percentile in chase rate yet in the second percentile in whiff rate. It's basically just him and Munetaka Murakami with that profile this year.
What's made Mitchell fairly disappointing for fantasy purposes this year is that he's just 6-for-11 stealing bases through 59 games. He'd been 23-for-28 in 141 career games coming into the season. Obviously, it's not a matter of speed. Still, Mitchell hasn't been willing to take chances lately; he hasn't attempted a steal since May 29 after being caught on his last two tries. Mitchell would need to get back to stealing bases to be an impact player in mixed leagues, but as is, he's still worth playing until his next injury arises.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
- The Brewers didn't exactly wait until Cooper Pratt got hot to call him up. In fact, his .655 OPS in Triple-A this month is about 100 points lower than Joey Ortiz's .748 mark in the majors. Overall, he'd come in at .241/.349/.386 with six homers in 58 games for Nashville. He did have 17 steals in 18 attempts, but it's hard to see him being of much use in mixed leagues in the short term.
- There's no denying that Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien is a mess right now. Since opening the year with 13 consecutive scoreless appearances, he's posted a 6.88 ERA in his last 17 outings, walking 10 and hitting four batters in 17 innings. His K rate is a modest 20 percent during the span, and his usually strong groundball rate has collapsed. As good as he looked early on, he really shouldn't be closing for a major league team right now. If the Cardinals had a clear No. 2 reliever, he'd probably be worth stashing right now, but JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek and George Soriano could all be candidates for saves if they pull the plug on O'Brien. I'd like to recommend Soriano as a sleeper, but I can't help but think Oli Marmol might default to the more veteran options.
The Yankees Reliever Confidence Index: June Edition
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Despite featuring a closer who has, at times, underperformed and lacking a clear bridge to him in the late innings, the Yankees’ relief corps has posted the third-lowest ERA in the AL. Yes, a big reason for that statistic is the fact that New York’s starters have done their part, allowing their counterparts in the bullpen to toss the second-fewest innings in the league as manager Aaron Boone has been able to put his relievers in position to succeed. But it’s also a testament to the overperforming veterans who’ve buoyed the bullpen as a whole.
As I do each month in a given season, I’m going to take a look at the Yankees’ relievers to identify how Boone is deploying each and offer a verdict as to how much trust we can place in them moving forward.
Statistics below are as of June 15th.
The Closer
David Bednar
Recent stats (since May 15th): 11.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 14 SO, 3.62 FIP, 4 Saves (in 5 opportunities)
After a sloppy start to the year, Bednar appears to have settled in. He’s rolled off eight straight scoreless outings, including a stretch of four hitless appearances to start the month of June. A few of those goose eggs put up by the Yankees’ closer came in games where the Yankees led by more than three runs, negating a save opportunity and perhaps providing an easier avenue for outs against an overpowered opponent. Still, zeroes are zeroes.
Confidence level: High
Bednar’s peripherals anticipated some positive regression after his early struggles, and that has started to come to fruition. Opponents are chasing on pitches outside the zone 39.4 percent of the time and putting the ball on the ground 59.8 percent of the time when they make contact, both of which are in the game’s upper echelon. Expect the eight-year veteran to continue an upward trajectory as he remains unchallenged for the ninth.
The Set-Up Man
Fernando Cruz
Recent stats (since May 15th): 14.2 IP, 1.23 ERA, 16 SO, 2.56 FIP
Cruz has gradually become the Yankees’ de facto set-up man. It’s not hard to see why. The 36-year-old has built on a breakout 2025, pitching to a 2.01 ERA in 34 games (only five MLB pitchers have made more appearances) while bringing an explosive intensity to the mound that has helped galvanize his teammates. As was the case last year, the only scary part of his game is control; Cruz has walked five batters over his last three appearances, creating the kind of traffic that can quickly lead to big innings.
Confidence level: High
Until proven otherwise, Cruz’s splitter remains an unstoppable force. Opponents are hitting just .117 against the pitch and are showing no signs of adjusting to its confounding vertical drop. The walks are a concern but, for now, he remains in the driver’s seat.
The Middle Relievers
Camilo Doval
Recent stats (since May 15th): 11 IP, 4.09 ERA, 8 SO, 3.38 FIP
In Doval, the Yankees have a textbook case of analytics versus outcomes. The former Giants closer’s 2.76 expected ERA is sparkling; his 5.06 season ERA, not so much. FIP, looking at a 25:5 K:BB ratio but four home runs in 26.2 innings, is in between at 3.74. The good, old-fashioned eye test tells us that we have a pitcher with impressive stuff and strong control who struggles far too often to command the zone (his nearly 50 percent hard-hit rate backs this up as well). Where does that leave us?
Confidence level: Low
While Doval has pitched better of late, holding opponents off the board in his last five outings, there’s been far too much boom-and-bust in the right-hander’s game since he joined the Yankees at last year’s deadline (and before) for him to garner much trust. While he’s lost the set-up role with which he entered the season, Doval has remained in the late-inning mix and, considering his recent success, should see more opportunities, but we’re still in breath-holding mode when he enters in high leverage.
Brent Headrick
Recent stats (since May 15th): 12 IP, 1.50 ERA, 14 SO, 2.27 FIP
Headrick has been one of the sport’s biggest surprises at reliever and, considering the chasm between expectation and performance, arguably the biggest reason the Yankees’ bullpen has been as successful as it has so far this year. He’s one of those five pitchers with more than 34 appearances and has posted a 1.87 ERA while shouldering that heavy workload. Opponents are hitting below the Mendoza line against both his four-seamer and slider, the two pitches he throws nearly 85 percent of the time.
Confidence level: High
I’ve been skeptical of Headrick’s staying power in the column. And, while most metrics expect some regression, at some point you have to accept that the man is for real. Boone is using him often as a stopper in the middle innings, and to great success. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if he ends up throwing the southpaw into more eighth-inning work.
Tim Hill
Recent stats (since May 15th): 9.1 IP, 9.64 ERA, 7 SO, 6.00 FIP
It finally happened, folks: Hill had a bad month. When I wrote my last installment of this series a month ago, he had an even 1.00 ERA. It’s jumped all the way up to 3.95 after a doozy of a stretch that saw two different four-run blow-ups and a run of nine outings in which he escaped just three without putting runs on the board. While the sidewinder’s ground-ball rate has remained typically pristine, he’s allowing more hard contact and no longer getting by on the strength of his all-world sinker.
Confidence level: High
Hill has tossed off perfect outings his last four times out, lending credence to the notion that his nine-appearance implosion was just a fever dream. Between his track record since joining the Yanks last year and the specificity of his role in the middle innings, I remain confident in the 36-year-old’s ability to deliver. All signs point to his MLB-best 69.6 percent ground-ball rate continuing to carry the day.
Jake Bird
Recent stats (since May 15th): 7.2 IP, 5.87 ERA, 10 SO, 5.84 FIP
The Yankees just keep running Bird out there. He’s floundered since coming over at last year’s deadline, never settling in and bouncing between the bigs and Triple-A. He’s allowed 12 runs in 21 innings this year, a ratio that’s simply noncompetitive.
Confidence level: Low
Bird is a black hole in the Yankees’ bullpen right now, mostly entering in pretty close games and mostly exiting with the team worse for wear. He’s thrown more than 20 pitches just once this year, meaning he doesn’t even offer many bullets for a garbage time role. The 30-year-old’s roster spot should be considered tenuous at best, particularly since he can still be optioned down to the minors.
The Long Reliever
Paul Blackburn
Recent stats (since May 15th): 12.2 IP, 1.42 ERA, 10 SO, 3.03 FIP
After mostly using him in blowouts or bulk-type roles early in the season, Boone has experimented with inserting Blackburn for shorter appearances in closer games. The former starter has acquitted himself nicely, dropping his season ERA under 3.00 while avoiding any multi-run outings despite pitching more than one inning in six of his eight appearances over the past month.
Confidence level: Medium
Outside of a strong ground-ball rate, there’s not much to indicate Blackburn has transformed himself from a middling starter into a top-tier reliever a la Luke Weaver. Still, the Yankees are getting great value out of the 32-year-old on a one-year, $2 million contract.
The Mop-Up Man
Ryan Yarbrough
Recent stats (since May 15th): 7.2 IP, 3.52 ERA, 4 SO, 4.02 FIP
Clearly jumped by Blackburn in the pecking order, Yarbrough is an afterthought in the Yankees’ bullpen. He’s pitching about once a week, usually in a game that’s not particularly close. His outcomes remain serviceable but, after an excellent run last year that netted him a return engagement, it appears the honeymoon is over.
Confidence index: Low
The last man out of the bullpen is a dangerous place to be. It appears Yarbrough is sticking around because there’s no one in line to replace him who would offer more value (or who the team would not prefer to stash at Triple-A for the time being). If the Yankees add another bullpen piece — either from the minors, off another team’s scrap heap, or by bouncing a struggling Ryan Weathers to the bullpen — the veteran lefty is at serious risk of a DFA. Perhaps his best case to stick around is the team’s ability to option Bird down to Triple-A without passing him through waivers.
MLB ballparks are a friendly neighbor to the World Cup, bringing fans and soccer energy to The Show
ARLINGTON, Texas — When St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol saw his team had an unusual Saturday off during the season, and in the middle of a series, he had one question: “Can I make it to the soccer game?”
Not just any soccer game, a World Cup match.
The international soccer tournament, held every four years, is ongoing at 16 sites in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Those include 11 markets that also are home to a combined 13 Major League Baseball teams.
Kansas City, where the Cardinals open a three-game series, is hosting six World Cup matches at the NFL stadium in the same complex with the Royals’ ballpark. The Cardinals and Royals will be off Saturday, when Ecuador plays Curaçao.
“That is the goal, yes,” Marmol said when asked if he was going to that match.
Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and his wife, who played soccer at Old Dominion, plan to be there.
“It’s strange, but it’s special circumstances,” Pasquantino said. “It’s awesome that Kansas City got access to World Cup games. So, however many years until the United States hosts again, we’ll be all right with some off days like that.”
World Cup matches are being played in the United States for the first time since 1994.
Getting their kicks in Texas
A tournament-high nine matches are being played at AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys that is adjacent to Globe Life Field. The neighboring Texas Rangers will host two split series, but also have a Monday off between home series on July 6, the day of a round of 16 match.
Texas now is in a three-game series against Minnesota that will finish Thursday, after a pause Wednesday when powerhouse England plays its Cup opener against Croatia.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson, who played soccer as a kid in California.
The Rangers completed a road trip Sunday in Boston, with thousands of Scottish fans chanting and singing at Fenway Park the night after Scotland won the opener of its first World Cup appearance in 28 years. That win over Haiti was at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, about 30 miles away.
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said the presence of the Tartan Army made it feel like a European soccer game. He and members of his staff now want to attend the World Cup.
“It was so much fun that on the off day the majority of our staff is trying to find a way to get tickets to go to a game that they know really nothing about because of the atmosphere that was so incredible,” Schumaker said. “The passion was insane.”
In Philadelphia, the Phillies will be off Friday during their home series against the New York Mets since Brazil plays Haiti at nearby Lincoln Financial Field.
Like for the Rangers, Royals and Seattle Mariners, the home of the Phillies is next to an NFL stadium hosting some of the 104 matches during the nearly six-week tournament with teams from 48 nations. Those stadiums all have shared parking lots.
Texas and Kansas City both are off for round of 32 Cup matches on July 3, a Friday. The Rangers will have already opened a series against Detroit, while the Royals wait to start an unusual Saturday through Monday series against the Phillies.
Not all of the matches are next door
Either the Mets or Yankees have a home game on each of the eight dates World Cup matches are at MetLife Stadium across the river in New Jersey, including the championship finale July 19, when the Yankees also host Shohei Ohtani and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Yankee Stadium is about 14 miles from the Meadowlands, with Citi Field about 24 miles away.
World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium will be about 13 miles from Dodger Stadium and 35 miles from Angel Stadium. Either the Dodgers or Angels play at home on six of the eight match dates in Inglewood. Those other two dates fall on normal off days during a homestand, one for each team.
With separation between stadiums, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Miami and Toronto all will play multiple home games that concur with World Cup matches in their markets.
Mariners and Red Sox almost played two
There still will be a split series for the Angels when they go to Seattle, with a midweek break July 1 for a round of 16 Cup match.
The Mariners originally were scheduled to have a home doubleheader Saturday against Boston with the United States playing Australia in Seattle. But when match time at Lumen Field was set at noon local Friday, the Mariners and Red Sox switched to a traditional three-game series with the opener that night, instead of playing MLB’s first scheduled doubleheader in two years.
Padres recently-potent offense hits skid against Cards
The San Diego Padres were on the wrong end of the best start of Dustin May’s major league career. The righty threw nine shutout innings against the Friars with some help from some key defensive plays by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Padres only had one real rally in the seventh inning and it was quashed by a lucky double play.
Starter Lucas Giolito pitched well, surrendering just three runs across five innings of work. He looked better than he has in his last few outings, commanding his pitches well apart from a two-run fourth inning. But it was impossible for Giolito to keep up with May. Thankfully, San Diego staved off a perfect game after six perfect innings from the right-hander. Still, he pitched a one-hitter and gave up just one walk to Fernando Tatis Jr.
The Padres’ offense had looked great for the last few games until Tuesday night. Hopefully the Friars can right the ship in Game 2, and force their fourth consecutive rubber match.
Taking the mound
Andre Pallante (STL) v. Michael King (SD)
Pallante has been a solid starter for St. Louis to start the year. He boasts a 3.88 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 69 2/3 innings. He’s been incredibly consistent throughout the year, surrendering less than four runs except for three of Pallante’s starts.
Most of the Friars have yet to face the right-hander. The only batter to have any success has been Manny Machado. The star third baseman owns a career .273 batting average in 11 at-bats against Pallante.
King has put up a fantastic season with the Friars, posting a 3.46 ERA and 72 strikeouts through 80 2/3 innings. He’s had some rough outings lately but bounced back somewhat against the Cincinnati Reds (3 ER, 6.2 IP).
Unlike Pallante, King has faced plenty of the Cards’ hitters. The ace has had plenty of success against the St. Louis lineup, with the group having a combined .148 batting average when facing King. Should he have the same success tonight, it would be huge for San Diego.
Batter up!
The offense struggled in an (almost) historic way on Monday night. San Diego had been slugging their way to victory in the last two series, scoring an average of 5.2 runs per game against Cincinnati and the Baltimore Orioles. It was a resurgent performance for the Friars. Hopefully the club can regain that momentum against Pallante in Game 2.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Gavin Sheets, 1B
- Samad Taylor, LF
- Will Wagner, DH
- Sung-Mun Song, 2B
- Rodolfo Durán, C
Monday night was Taylor’s first game out of the lineup since last Saturday against the New York Mets. He’s been a spark plug for the Friars offense so his departure came at a difficult time. He figures to be back in the lineup with manager Craig Stammen back after serving his one-game suspension for Saturday’s debacle with the O’s.
Relief corps
With Wandy Peralta being used as an opener, the Padres only had to turn to Kyle Hart to cover the final two frames for the San Diego pitching staff. Hart was called up in Mason Miller’s place after the latter was placed on the bereavement and family medical leave list ahead of Game 1.
With just those two relievers being used, San Diego has a plethora of options to turn to tonight. Jason Adam, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez are all available out of the bullpen. Marinaccio and Matsui haven’t been used since Saturday, and Morgan since Friday’s game against Baltimore. Those three will likely be the first out of the ‘pen once King exits the game.
Drake Baldwin returns to the lineup as Braves face Giants
There is no way to sugarcoat it, the Atlanta Braves have struggled offensively this month. In fact, only three teams have scored fewer runs since the start of June. Of course, there are some excuses in terms of injuries, but the fact remains the same that the offense needs to get rolling again.
This evening the Braves are facing the San Francisco Giants who will be bringing Adrian Houser and his 5.54 ERA to the mound. With the news that reigning ROTY winner and first place All-Star vote getter Drake Baldwin will be back, there is hope that the Braves can catch a spark.
Baldwin coming back in itself is huge, but factor in that the catcher position for the Braves since the Baldwin injury is dead last in fWAR in all of MLB, it amplifies how big of a deal the return is.
As mentioned earlier, Houser is struggling this season for the Giants, and there are a few Braves players who have done well against him in their careers. Austin Riley has seventeen at-bats against Houser and has been successful with one HR, .471 average, and .1.147 OPS. Ozzie Albies has also done well in his sixteen at-bats where he has maintained an OPS of .974 which is promising since he typically hits lefties better than righties. Michael Harris only has eight at-bats against Houser but has a .375 average against him.
Interestingly, Matt Olson has struggled in his eleven at-bats against Houser with a .182 average and .630 OPS.
Baldwin will be the one leading off with Michael Harris hitting second. It should also be noted that Ha-Seong Kim will be getting the start at SS and will be batting ninth.
Grant Holmes has struggled mightily when he faces hitters a second time in a game. Hitters are averaging a slash line of .317/.391/.663 the second time they face him in a game. With JR Ritchie now slotted in the rotation, there is a good chance we will see Didier Fuentes today.
Only four players on the Giants’ active roster have faced Holmes before and none of them have more than five at-bats. Rafael Devers is the player to watch today. He has a .400 average in his five at-bats against Holmes. Willy Adames is one for two against Holmes. Matt Chapman and Luis Arraez are both hitless in their two at-bats against Holmes.
The Giants are starting every player that has faced Grant Holmes before as both teams look to get headed in the right track in this series.
First pitch is at 7:15 pm EDT.
Who are the Phillies’ other All-Stars?
Earlier today, Joe asked the question about how everyone is feeling about the team’s All-Star voting results after the first round of results were released.
Now, we’re asking a different question.
Realistically, Sanchez and Schwarber are as close to locks as we can get. Sanchez is probably going to start while Schwarber will be the backup to Shohei Ohtani as the DH. They do have other candidates available, but let’s be honest: J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott probably aren’t going to in the All-Star Game. These other three do have a solid chance at making it.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phillies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Injury clouds Yankees’ minor-league pitcher Eric Reyzelman’s return to RailRiders
Eric Reyzelman was glad to be back in Triple-A.
After spending all of last season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the right-handed reliever and No. 28 prospect in the Yankees organization opened this season in Double-A Somerset. He was promoted May 19th.
“I loved being in Double-A. We have a great staff, great team, love the facilities and the people over there,” Reyzelman said. “It was really good for me to go back there and get some confidence and get back to how I feel I should be pitching.
“But obviously, really good to be here. Definitely wanted to be back here and pitch well and put myself in a good spot to move through.”
Unfortunately, his return was curtailed by a trip to the injured list.
In Reyzelman’s first three outings, he allowed one run and four hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Then at Syracuse on June 3rd, he gave up four runs and three hits in two-thirds of an inning with four walks and one strikeout. He was put on the seven-day IL on June 5th.
Injuries were the primary culprit for Reyzelman’s struggles last season. He appeared in 34 games with the RailRiders and was 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA, 42 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 42 innings. He was experiencing back pain, but didn’t say a word. Being so close to The Show, he was afraid to tell the Yankees anything.
Part of the reason he didn’t say anything was due to the season he had in 2024. He went a combined 1-1 with a 1.16 ERA, 63 strikeouts, and 5-for-5 in save opportunities in 31 games across three levels: Rookie ball, High-A, and Double-A. He got an invite to big-league spring training in 2025 as a result.
“To know I was a call away, I just really, really wanted to push through,” he said. “It turned out to not be the right decision. But all of that is a learning process and experience and something that I now know how to deal with.”
Reyzelman said it was like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet hole. He would do all these short-term fixes, but all he was doing was making things worse.
Finally, after a rough outing on August 3rd against Nashville – three runs, one hit, three walks, two strikeouts in two innings – he couldn’t take the pain anymore and spoke up.
“I realized if I did go up, if there was a circumstance, a situation, if I had a couple good outings in a row, when I did get called up to the big leagues, I wouldn’t be able to bring my best self,” Reyzelman said. “I didn’t want to go up there and not pitch the way I know I can pitch. I know how tough it is, I know what the business is like. You go up there and don’t throw the ball well, it makes it a lot harder to get back up. Unfortunately, that’s how it goes sometimes. You need to be ready and the truth is I just wasn’t physically, mentally, all the stress of dealing with that. Where I was, the headspace I was in, wasn’t going to translate to good pitching performances.”
When rest and rehab didn’t work, Reyzelman had back surgery in the offseason. He also did a lot of work with Aaron Barnett in the Yankees’ mental conditioning department.
Having surgery meant Reyzelman wasn’t able to go to big-league camp this year nor able to pitch alongside fellow Triple-A arm Harrison Cohen for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. Then, his first outing in minor-league spring training wasn’t great.
“I went in there thinking, ‘I’m going to throw the best I’ve ever thrown,’” Reyzelman said. “That first outing it was like my body forgot what to do. I think I walked three or four in a row, gave up a couple hard hits in the zone and my velo was 91, 93. I just had to take a step back. Last year, after all those outings, I’d be so shortsighted that I’d lose sight of why I wasn’t pitching well, which was my back. I tried to make all these changes on the fly and reinvent the wheel every outing. I kind of defaulted back to that for a second and was like, ‘Oh, no. It didn’t work.’
“But we just have the best people in the business. John Kremer, our rehab coordinator, sat me down and was like, ‘Dude, it is your first time on the bump in who knows how long. You just had major surgery. Everything we’ve been doing is 100 percent right. We have a great process, you have the best routine you’ve ever had. Continue to hammer it and the results will come.’ As much as I didn’t want to listen to him, I did. It was the best advice I’ve taken. I did not change a thing in my routine since that day and progressively every outing just got better and better and better.”
It showed at Somerset. In 13 games, he was 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA, 32 strikeouts and just four walks in 17.1 innings to earn the promotion to Triple-A.
Now, it’s wait-and-see for how long Reyzelman is on the injured list before returning to the RailRiders.
Following MLB Pride Night cap controversy, actor Rob Schneider blasts MLB as ‘anti-Christian’
Comedian Rob Schneider has inserted himself into Major League Baseball’s latest Pride Night controversy, offering to pay any future fines for players who display Bible verses on their uniforms and accusing the league of being “anti-Christian.”
Schneider’s comments came after MLB issued warnings to San Francisco Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker, who wrote references to Genesis 9:12-16 on their Pride Night caps during Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. Another Giants pitcher, Sam Hentges, chose not to wear the rainbow-themed cap at all, opting instead for the club’s standard black cap.
“I will pay the fines for any MLB Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform,” Schneider wrote on X. “MLB is ANTI-CHRISTIAN.”
The league, however, has maintained that the warning had nothing to do with religion.
“The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB said in an initial statement.
MLB later clarified that the warning was procedural and not disciplinary. No fines have been reported
“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” the league said. “We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited.”
The league added that it has previously issued similar warnings for messages such as “Dad,” “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,” and names of family members.
Roupp later explained that the Bible passage reflected his Christian faith.
“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us, his faithfulness and his mercy,” Roupp said. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that.”
Hentges also emphasized that his decision not to wear the Pride Night cap was not motivated by hostility toward LGBTQ people.
“It’s just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it,” Hentges said. “There wasn’t hatred behind it. I think that’s kind of something that’s misinterpreted. I don’t hate the LGBTQ community. It’s just something I believed and talked with teammates and family, and they supported it.”
The debate has drawn comparisons to an earlier chapter in Giants history.
During the late 1970s, a group of San Francisco players dubbed by the media as the “God Squad” became a frequent target of media scrutiny after several players, including reliever Gary Lavelle, openly discussed their Christian faith, including their views on homosexuality.
The Giants situation is also far from the first time professional athletes have objected to Pride-related initiatives.
Last season, several Tampa Bay Rays pitchers declined to wear Pride-themed jerseys, citing their Christian faith. In 2023, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw publicly criticized the team’s decision to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, while stressing that his concerns were directed at the organization and not the LGBTQ community.
More recently, Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen appeared during Los Angeles’ Pride Night wearing the team’s traditional blue cap rather than the rainbow-themed version worn by most of his teammates. Treinen did not publicly explain the decision, but it quickly generated discussion across social media.
The Giants have since reaffirmed their support for Pride Night and the LGBTQ community while acknowledging that individual players may make personal decisions regarding team activations.
“We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all.
“We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”
For now, MLB has indicated no discipline beyond the warning, but Schneider’s pledge has ensured the debate over faith, free expression and Pride Night celebrations will continue well beyond Oracle Park.
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The Giants are open to purging their roster
The industry is buzzing over the possibility that the San Francisco Giants might hold a fire sale for their 2026 roster. I’ve already ranked the top 10 trade chips the Giants have, but yesterday, we got some actual names bandied about via informed rumormongering from Ken Rosenthal for The Athletic in a piece with the headline, “Giants start testing the waters on potential trade deals: Sources,” and from an X post by Buster Olney which said that the team is “open to offers for […] Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman — among other obvious trade candidates, like Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray.” Let’s examine this exquisite corpse the Giants are about to present to market and see if we can make ourselves a little hungry in anticipation of potential returns.
I’ll give you some analysis and then list teams I think might be interested, and in the comments, you can agree/disagree and/or find some potential returns from the other team’s organization.
Luis Arraez
Profile: Both Arraez and Robbie Ray are labeled by both Rosenthal and Olney as the “most obvious” moves to be made. They’re both free agents at the end of the year so, yeah, makes sense. At the beginning of the month, Arraez was the 23rd-most valuable in the sport. He’s currently #18 with +2.5 fWAR. Most impressively, his +6.9 Defensive Runs Above Average makes him one of the 11-best defenders currently gloving it in the sport. Wow! He is the second-best defender at second base behind St. Louis’s JJ Wetherholt.
Possible trade partners: Sixteen teams have sub-average performance at the plate from their second baseman, with Texas’s 99 wRC+ making it more like fifteen. Among them: the Nationals (38-35), Mets (32-40), Red Sox (29-40), Reds (34-37), Rays (41-28), Astros (33-41), Orioles (34-39), Athletics (36-36), Twins (34-40), Phillies (39-33), Dodgers (46-27), and Cubs (38-35).
The Giants probably won’t trade with the Athletics and certainly not the Dodgers. The Orioles are going to stick with Jackson Holliday, I’m sure. The Rays might like the roster they have and prefer to use the $4 million they might have to commit to the remainder of Arraez’s deal on someone else. The Cubs have Nico Hoerner for a long time and for a lot of money now. Do the Twins really think they’re in the race? Their owner was calling season ticketholders in the offseason to convince them that things would be okay, and now they’re just 3 games back of a Wild Card spot. Sure, they’re 6 games under and have a -40 run differential, but… 3 games! The Nationals have Luis Garcia Jr. who’s a left-handed second baseman. No, he’s not Arraez, but they might consider themselves to be a year or two ahead on their rebuild and might want to hold on to prospects. The Astros have Jose Altuve at second base.
So, let’s go with a field of the Red Sox (more on them in a bit), Reds, Phillies,Twins.
Robbie Ray
Profile: He has certainly pitched his way out of being a meaningful figure in any team’s rotation, but the trade deadline can get silly and one of these last minute pitching depth deals are sure to be when the Giants can move the lefty. In the trade value piece, I compared the situation to when the Padres got Nestor Cortes from the Brewers at the end of last year’s trade deadline. Teams always need pitching.
Possible trade partners: Now, he’s already pitching in the ballpark with the best Park factor for home runs (79) and walks (93), but the Pirates are right there with Oracle Park in both of those categories, and so maybe Pittsburgh (36-37) might try to supplement their rotation at the deadline just to show their fans they’re trying.
But, they’re already a top 5 staff. How about the Rangers? They play in a stadium with a solid Park Factor for Ray’s arsenal. They also have a house of cards rotation. 38-year old Jacob deGrom, 36-year old Nathan Eovaldi, and MacKenzie Gore are the front three, but the back part of Kumar Rocker, who will cross his previous MLB innings high of 65ish innings in his next start, and Jack Leiter, who has a 4.97 ERA, are shaky in a way that might require a solid backup.
Matt Chapman
Profile: As big of a mess as the Giants have been and figure to be for the foreseeable future, they might’ve somehow avoided being the messiest — and, therefore, worst — team in the sport thanks to the Boston Red Sox. Last week, Olney floated the possibility that someone in the ownership group has stepped forward to inquire about trades in hopes of improving the team’s fortunes in 2026.
So, this is what I’m getting from other teams. That, generally speaking, there isn’t a lot of trade stuff going on, and in fact, when Sam Kennedy came on and said, ‘Hey, there’s more trade talk than ever. There’s a lot going on,“ a rival executive actually called around thinking like, ‘Oh man, I missed something.’ […] and when he checked into it, what he got back was, ‘The Red Sox are looking aggressively.’ And the Red Sox are kind of on their own in that regard.
And then I heard last week from a couple teams that they [the Red Sox] were signaling that they were willing to take on money. Today, I talked to someone who with another team who told me that it’s to the degree that Red Sox ownership has gotten involved. […] I have not confirmed the name of the owner […] but, an owner […] is actually calling around and trying to grease the skids to get a right handed bat.
Buster’s unnamed rival exec also wondered, “Why didn’t they just offer Alex Bregman more money [to stay with the team after last season]?” and that’s how we get to Matt Chapman being on the block, I think, because there’s a potential deal to be made here. Craig Breslow — he’s a Yale grad, you know — got pretty cute with prospect capital and thought he was Moneyball Billy Beane when made this trade to replace Alex Bregman:
Brewers receive
INF David Hamilton
LHP Kyle Harrison
LHP Shane Drohan
Red Sox receive
2B/3B Caleb Durbin
INF Andruw Monasterio
3B Anthony Seigler
Competitive Balance Round B Draft Pick
Durbin is hitting .194/.255/.313 in 222 plate appearances (63 games). It would be an understatement to say that the addition of Matt Chapman would improve the Red Sox. Bregman signed for 5 years, $175 million with the Cubs, a $35 million AAV through 2030. Chappy’s deal also runs through 2030 but carries a $25.167 AAV by comparison. But there’s also the age factor. Bregman will be 36 at the end of his while Chapman will be 37. I don’t know how much that will weigh on the Red Sox taking on the contract — certainly, if Breslow is hewing close to SABR orthodoxy than Matt Chapman is mostly red flags. A big AVOID.
If the Red Sox are willing to take on money, as Olney suggests, then the Giants wouldn’t necessarily have to take back Masataka Yoshida’s $18 million salary for next season (but that’s just the CBT figure: it’s $18.6 million in actual value). That could limit the return, too, but sometimes it’s about quality and not quantity. And just to make sure it’s clear that I know he has a no trade clause, I’ll end this writeup by mentioning that, and how it could help or hinder the Giants. Help because it might make the other team more willing to part with a good prospect, but it could also be a hindrance if the best deal is with a team Chapman simply refuses.
Other trade partners: Mariners, Phillies, Yankees
Rafael Devers
Profile: I don’t think Devers has much more ceiling in him — at least this season. He’s owed a lot of money for a long time and carries an average annual value figure of $27.5 million. Not great for someone who might only hit around the league average. First base isn’t a position where a lot of teams have struggled to find production. The Giants’ 98 wRC+ is 23rd overall, but only 3 teams are below 90 wRC+: the Mets, Royals, and Diamondbacks.
Trade partners: The Blue Jays are using George Springer in that spot and have gotten no power. Literally, a .076 Isolated Slugging Percentage. He does get on base and doesn’t strike out much, but he might be an upgrade. In 47 games at Rogers Center, he’s hit 12 homers and has a .979 OPS (204 PA). He’s a notorious Yankees and Orioles killer, too. The Blue Jays might be trying to ride the wave of relevance from last year’s World Series appearance and might be motivated to make a big trade but also one that doesn’t really hurt them from a player development side — the Giants would almost certainly like to have the money back versus prospect capital. This is the last year of Springer’s contract ($25 million), and so Devers could simply slide into that slot for next season and beyond.
Willy Adames
Profile: I am surprised that the Giants would be willing to trade Adames, but that must mean things behind the scenes are as bad as they are in front. He has been the 8th-least valuable starting position player this season, so at first blush, it would seem like a lot of imagination and creativity are needed in order to envision a trade. On the other hand, over the last month (28 G 121 PA), he’s slashing .239/.306/.532 with 8 homers and a far more palatable 2.6 K/BB. He’s also hit 6 doubles and a triple and all with a .247 BAbip. So, some team out there would almost certainly be willing to buy his rise. It was from this point last season that Adames turned his season around, hitting .225/.323/.443 with 25 homers, 66 RBI, 60 BB, and 128 strikeouts over his final 116 games and 490 plate appearances. A similar resurgence seems to be happening here.
Defensively, though, he’s a mess, and an acquiring team might be more inclined to move him to another position. But then why not go for Luis Arraez when the cost would be considerably less long term? Well, it’s of a thought with acquiring Matt Chapman or (lol) Rafael Devers — if the owners are expecting a salary floor in the new CBA, then some teams might try to grab a guy who gets them to that threshold but without resorting to current and future market rates for similar players. Adames (like Chapman) isn’t a bargain, but the cost of a 3 or 4-win shortstop isn’t likely to get much cheaper than Adames, who’s owed $155.7 million through 2031 with a $26 million AAV for CBT purposes.
Trade partners: Yankees, Brewers (59 wRC+ — 30th), Red Sox (65 wRC+ — 27th) , Phillies (62 wRC+ — 29th). Of course, in order to make even this list seem plausible, you’d have to imagine the Brewers as one of those teams anticipating a salary floor, that the Red Sox would prefer Adames over Chapman, and that the Phillies would want Adames for second base (or, somehow, have convinced Trea Turner to move to second base). All three situations are tough to imagine right now.
But then there’s the New York Yankees, who I’ll register as a possible dark horse for any of the Giants trade chips. Matt Chapman or Willy Adames would be upgrades on Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, and/or Anthony Volpe.
Now, as the Rosenthal piece points out, the team has “not fully committed to becoming sellers at the trade deadline.” For some fans, that’s a sign that the team still thinks they can get back into the playoff race or, at the absolute worst, make a run to wind up with a more respectable record and maintain a core that has gathered some momentum heading into next season.
Maybe this is the cynical read, but I think the only reason why Rosenthal’s sourcing cautioned that the team isn’t fully committed is only because they haven’t yet heard any returns they like. Recall that in the offseason, the Giants were frustrated by the asks they were getting during various trade talks, and that’s when they were trying to add somebody. Taking their time to see what they could get for their high-priced players should only prove more frustrating. Remember, the Giants’ front office thought they had one of the best lineups of the last 20 years heading into the season. They’ll be dealing with an industry that never came close to sharing that opinion.
But that’s not to say the Giants won’t be sellers in some way. I was hoping they’d DFA the bullpen and let God sort it out, but there might be some small deals to be had with some of them, if the “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” expression has any meaning.
We’ve heard nothing about Jung Hoo Lee, who’s hitting well enough that he might have some interest, or Heliot Ramos, who might be a good power option from the right side once he returns from injury. Logan Webb and Casey Schmitt were the only two from reporting who the Giants don’t appear to be moving.
Personally, I agree that this is what needs to happen. The Giants don’t need to be precious about this roster. Yes, competing in the near-term will require some sort of Chapman-Adames-Devers core, but if it’s Schmitt-Adames-Eldridge are you about as competitive? Or Devers-Schmitt-Eldridge? But maybe you don’t think the Giants need a dramatic shakeup.
So, of this entire list, who do you think is most likely to be moved and to where and for what return?
Series Preview: Guardians at Brewers
The titans of small market midwest teams tangle for a three-game series in Milwaukee this week.
The Guardians are 38-32 with a -3 run differential, 22nd in wRC+ at 94, seventh in baserunning runs above average at 2.8, 12th in defense at -6.1, sixth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.80 (4.16 FIP), and 11th in bullpen ERA at 3.68 (3.61 FIP).
The Brewers are 43-26 with a +112 run differential (second-best in MLB behind the Dodgers), third in wRC+ at 107, 10th in baserunning runs above average at 2.1, 21st in defense at -14.8, third in starting pitcher ERA at 3.40 (3.49 FIP) and eighth in bullpen ERA at 3.51 (3.52 FIP).
On paper, this matchup doesn’t look quite as one-sided as the run differential would indicate, but it does require the Guardians to hit the ball better than they have in recent weeks to compete. The Brewers hit extremely well in the clutch with a 130 wRC+ with runners in scoring position and a 107 wRC+ in high leverage situations, while the Guardians have only an 84 wRC+ with RISP and an 83 wRC+ in high leverage.
MATCHUPS:
Game One, Tuesday, 7:40PM ET: Robert Gasser, LHP 6.38 ERA (7.24 FIP) vs. Slade Cecconi, RHP
Game Two, Wednesday, 7:40PM ET: Brandon Sproat, RHP 5.70 ERA (5.55 FIP) vs. Gavin Williams, RHP
Game Three, Thursday, 2:10PM ET: Shane Drohan, LHP 3.59 ERA (2.72 FIP) vs. Parker Messick, LHP
The Guardians definitely look to be getting a break here in the projected pitching matchups. Now, to see if advance scouting can help them adjust to some starting pitchers whom they have not seen before so they can take advantage.
The Brewers are led at the plate by Andrew Vaughn 172 wRC+, Jackson Chourio 161 wRC+, Jake Bauers 148 wRC+, Gary Sanchez 139 wRC+, Brice Turang 134 wRC+, Christian Yelich 116 wRC+, Garrett Mitchell 114 wRC, and William Contreras 113 wRC+.
The top Guardians hitters currently known to be healthy are Brayan Rocchio 113 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 111 wRC+, David Fry 106 wRC+, Kyle Manzardo 105 wRC+ and Rhys Hoskins 100 wRC+. Hopefully, Chase DeLauter’s 110 wRC+ can be added to the list above. We will know shortly!
It has been a rough June so far for Guardians’ hitters. If they can right the ship after a couple days off, this could be a fun series. If the June swoon continues… it won’t be pretty given the firepower of the Brewers’ offense.
On the Dodgers pitching deep, and going streaking
Justin Wrobleski takes the mound on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium, just the second time this season a Dodgers pitcher has started on four days rest.
The left-hander is coming off a start last Thursday of 4 2/3 innings in Pittsburgh, an early exit spurred by both a four-run fifth inning and taking a comebacker off his right hamstring during the frame. It marked the first time in 11 starts this season Wrobleski has failed to complete five innings.
Wrobleski is second on the Dodgers with 73 1/3 innings, and in his starts has averaged 6.3 innings. His four starts of at least seven innings is second on the team, behind only Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Wrobleski has completed at least six innings eight times in 11 starts.
Going deep has been a hallmark of the Dodgers’ six-man rotation this season, averaging an MLB-best 5.75 innings in their real starts (excluding the bullpen game on May 15 in Anaheim), with a sparkling 3.13 ERA.
Eric Lauer allowed a two-run home run in the first inning and another run in the second in Monday’s series opener, but remained in the game to complete six innings with nothing else on the board. I likened this to a classic Randy Wolf start, allowing early runs but still managing to deliver a quality start. I thought this might be more apocryphal than real, though Wolf in 2009 with the Dodgers did have threedifferentstarts in which he allowed three runs in the first two innings but finished at least six innings with no other runs allowed, so my memory hasn’t completely left me just yet.
Lauer has two qualify starts in his four starts with the Dodgers, and the team leads the majors with 41 quality starts this season, seven more than any other MLB team. The Dodgers had 52 quality starts all of last regular season, but had 10 in the postseason, the most by any team since the 2013 Detroit Tigers.
Wrobleski has seven quality starts this season, and the Dodgers have won six of those games. As a team the Dodgers are 29-12 (.707) in games they get a quality start. MLB as a whole this season is 486-208 (.700) in such games.
It stands to reason teams are successful in such games. Starters pitching deeper means less wear and tear on the bullpen, and more rested relievers are likely to be more effective. That’s the kind of symbiotic relationship that can build a winning streak, or perhaps spur a losing streak.
The Dodgers haven’t had a losing streak for over a month now, not since losing four straight from May 9-12. But they haven’t had any kind of streak for a week and a half. They’ve alternated wins and losses for their last nine games, and haven’t posted consecutive wins since June 5-6 against the Angels.
Tuesday game info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Rays
- Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
- Time: 7:10 p.m.
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
MLB issues warning to Giants pitchers for Bible verses printed on LGBTQ+ Pride Night caps
Major League Baseball has issued warnings to four San Francisco Giants pitchers after three players wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps and another wore an entirely different hat during the team’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
Starter Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker took the field during Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with Bible verses written on their rainbow-themed Pride Night caps.
The trio included the inscription “Gen 9:12-16,” a passage referencing God’s covenant with Noah and the rainbow as a sign of that promise.
Left-hander Sam Hentges, meanwhile, opted to wear the Giants’ standard black cap with the orange “SF” logo instead of the Pride Night version.
MLB said the players violated the league’s uniform policy, which prohibits writing or displaying messages on apparel or playing equipment.
“The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB said in an initial statement.
The league later clarified that the warning was procedural and unrelated to the content of the messages.
“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” MLB said Tuesday. “We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited.”
MLB noted it has issued similar warnings in the past for messages referencing family members or holidays, including phrases such as “Dad” and “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom.”
After the game, Roupp said the Bible passage reflected his religious beliefs.
“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy,” Roupp told reporters when asked about the Bible passage. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want.”
Hentges spoke to the media a day and explained his stance, “It’s just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it. There wasn’t hatred behind it. I think that’s kind of something that’s misinterpreted,” he said. “I don’t hate the LGBTQ community. It’s just something I believed and talked with teammates and family, and they supported it.
Giants manager Tony Vitello said the pitchers’ decisions were not discussed beforehand and described them as personal choices.
The Giants later released a statement reaffirming the organization’s support for Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community while acknowledging that some fans felt “pain and anger” stemming from the players’ actions.
The team said those decisions do not change its commitment to inclusion and creating a welcoming environment for all fans.
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