Category: MLB

I know this is not baseball, and you’re probably not interested, but it was incredible to see a World Cup match played in Philadelphia last night. I personally was unable to secure tickets, but just seeing the enthusiasm surrounding the match was something awesome to watch.

Compare that to the lethargy displayed by the Phillies yesterday and it’s the definition of two ends of a spectrum.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Even with his recent struggles, Don Mattingly believes that there is room to improve for Justin Crawford against left handed pitching ($).
• Andrew Painter is having some struggles as a starting pitcher, so here are some options the Phillies could look at to help.
• The Phillies are doing much, much better under Don Mattingly, but even they admit they could (and should) have done the same under Rob Thomson ($).

MLB news:

• Catchers, since adopting the one knee stance, are seemingly getting hit in a more….sensitive area more often ($).
• The Brewers are already good. They’re now going to promote one of their top prospects to reinforce the lineup even further.
• Another in a recent run of hamate bone injuries, the Royals will now be without Vinnie Pasquantino for over a month.
• Another injury for the Royals, Cole Ragans needs further testing on his injured left wing. The Royals are a mess.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (34-35)

BUFFALO 5, SYRACUSE 4 / 7 (BOX)

Thanks to a rain delay that turned into an early completion, Syracuse fell below the .500 mark. Jonah Tong did not pitch particularly well, allowing four runs on eight hits over 5.0 innings, but silver lining: he only walked a single batter, just the second time all season. Buffalo pitched CJ Van Eyk wasn’t much better, allowing three runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings, but that’s the luck of the draw sometimes.

·  LF Nick Morabito: 0-2, R, K, HBP

·  3B Yonny Hernández: 1-4, K

·  1B Andy Ibáñez: 2-3, 2B

·  CF Cristian Pache: 0-3, RBI

·  2B Jackson Cluff: 1-3, R, K

·  SS Grae Kessinger: 0-3, 2 K

·  C Ben Rortvedt: 3-3, R, 2B

·  DH Hayden Senger: 1-2, 2 RBI

·  RF Matt Rudick: 2-3

·  RHP Jonah Tong: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, L (1-5)

·  LHP Jefry Yan: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (24-39)

SOMERSET 7, BINGHAMTON 6 / 10 (BOX)

Trailing for most of the game after taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the eight, the Rumble Ponies came back from a four-run deficit in the middle innings thanks to a two-run Jose Ramon double in the fifth and a two-run Jacob Reimer homer in the seventh. After Binghamton failed to score in the bottom of the tenth, a throwing error by Kevin Villavicencio allowed Somerset’s automatic runner to score.

·  C Chris Suero: 1-4, 2 R, HBP

·  DH Jacob Reimer: 1-4, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, BB, 2 K

·  CF Jose Ramos: 3-5, 2 RBI, K

·  LF Vincent Perozo: 1-5, R, 2B, 3 K

·  RF Jaylen Palmer: 1-4, BB, K

·  SS Wyatt Young: 0-5

·  3B Kevin Villavicencio: 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K, E (1), CS (2)

·  1B TT Bowens: 2-4, R, 2B, RBI

·  2B Diego Mosquera: 0-4, 2 K

·  LHP Max Green: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Zach Peek: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Carlos Guzman: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP

·  RHP Dan Hammer: 0.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HBP, L (4-1)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-37)

BROOKLYN 7, FREDERICK 4 (BOX)

The Cyclones put up a five-spot in the bottom of the third, with all nine batters coming up to the plate in the inning. Mitch Voit drove in a run with a single into left, and a few batters later, stole home when Daiverson Gutierrez drew a walk and the Frederick infield fell asleep. Even if he hadn’t, he would’ve come home to score, as JT Benson whacked a three-run homer over the left-center wall to make it a 5-0 game. Both teams would score a bunch more, but in the end, Brooklyn stood tall.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 3-4, R, 2 RBI, 3 SB (21, 22, 23)

·  3B Yonatan Henriquez: 0-4, E (4)

·  LF John Bay: 0-2, R, 2 BB, K

·  C Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-3, R, BB

·  RF JT Benson: 1-4, 2 R, HR (2), 3 RBI

·  2B Colin Houck: 1-4

·  1B Trace Willhoite: 1-4, 2 K

·  CF Sam Biller: 1-3, 2 R, BB

·  DH Nick Roselli: 1-4, RBI, 2 K

·  RHP Jose Chirinos: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (1-1)

·  RHP Justin Armbruester: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (2)

·  RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, BLK, HBP

·  RHP Danis Correa: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (1)

·  LHP Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, S (1)

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (29-33)

ST. LUCIE 3, PALM BEACH 1 (BOX)

It wasn’t exciting, but the St. Lucie Mets got the job done. Simon Juan put the team on the board with a solo homer in the top of the first, the team plated an insurance run in the top of the third- which came in handy because Palm Beach scored a run of their own in the bottom of the inning- and then they plated one more in the top of the eighth. Cam Tilly was solid for three-and-a-third innings, and the bullpen behind him blanked the Cardinals.

·  SS Elian Peña: 1-4, 2 R, K

·  CF Trey Snyder: 2-4

·  2B Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, RBI, K

·  LF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-3, RBI, BB, 2 K, SB (4)

·  RF Simon Juan: 1-4, R, HR (5), RBI, 3 K

·  C Chase Meggers: 0-3, 2 K

·  3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-3

·  DH Jackson Hauge: 0-3

·  1B Jack Scanlon: 0-2, BB, 2 K

·  RHP Cam Tilly: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HBP, E (2)

·  RHP Christian Rodriguez: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (3-1)

·  RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, H (2)

·  RHP Joe Scarborough: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, S (5)

Rookie: FCL Mets (11-16)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jose Chirinos

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Kevin Villavicencio

Joe Ryan was famously traded from the Rays to the Twins at the 2021 deadline as part of the deal that brought Nelson Cruz to Tampa Bay for its postseason push and veteran leadership in a clubhouse that saw its future in Wander Franco. Fast forward a few years and Ryan looks like an ideal candidate to add to the Rays rotation.

If you’ve been following this series, we can cut to the chase: While Ryan isn’t quite on Tarik Skubal’s level as a frontline starter, the acquisition cost could be comparable because the acquiring team would control him through 2027 rather than just the remainder of this season.

Ryan profiles as a strong number two starter thanks to a deep arsenal, deceptive release traits, and an ability to generate swing-and-miss with multiple shapes, including a sweeper nicknamed The Alien.

He’s coming off a career high in innings last season (171) and is currently on pace to land in a similar range this year. As his fastball usage has declined, Ryan’s overall performance has continued to improve, and he’s arguably having the best season of his career. He’s someone who could help take this rotation to the next level late this summer and into the postseason.

For a Rays club that will carefully manage the workloads of Shane McClanahan, Griffin Jax, Steven Matz, and Drew Rasmussen, adding another durable starter like Ryan would provide both quality and much-needed stability.

Similar to what I wrote about in the Rays trading for Skubal, I think it starts with one of Brody Hopkins or Nathan Flewelling. I don’t think the Rays would entertain moving Theo Gillen for a year and a half of Joe Ryan. Given the trajectory of Gillen’s stock, he may already be too valuable to include in that type of deal.

The market for starting pitching is always competitive, so it would require a mild to moderate overpay to acquire Ryan. A package centered around Hopkins or Flewelling likely wouldn’t be enough on its own. The Rays would probably need to include another prospect from the next tier to make their offer competitive. This next tier of prospects includes:

• SS Daniel Pierce
• C Caden Bodine
• RHP Michael Forret
• INF Cooper Flemming
• RHP Anderson Brito
• RHP Santiago Suarez
• RHP TJ Nichols

It would sting to give up one of them in addition to Hopkins or Flewelling, but that’s the cost of a higher end starter at most trade deadlines.

Minnesota has the luxury of patience. With another season of team control remaining after 2026, they don’t have to move Ryan. That leverage is exactly what makes him such a difficult player to acquire, but also what makes him one of the most appealing targets for a team like Tampa Bay that’s trying to maximize both this postseason run and next year’s rotation. Joe Ryan may not be the best pitcher available, but his extra year of team control means he could cost nearly as much to acquire as Tarik Skubal.

St. Paul Saints 14, Toledo Mud Hens 10 (box)

It may look like a football score, but Toledo fell to St. Paul 14-10 on Sunday. The Mud Hens drop the series against the Saints, 5-1, with five straight losses.

The good news is Max Clark had a three-hit game, as did Ben Malgeri, who was a triple shy of the cycle. Jace Jung also went deep, and Eduardo Valencia had a multi-hit game despite striking out three times.

The Mud Hens led after each of the first four innings and held an 8-6 lead until back-to-back four-run frames in the seventh and eighth.

Beau Brieske got the start and gave up three hits, including two doubles, in the first. Matt Seelinger was next and struggled through 1.1 innings, allowing a pair of home runs. Nick Sandlin came out of the bullpen next and delivered a strong four-strikeout performance over the next 1.2 frames.

Ricky Vanasco struggled out of the gate in the fifth, walking the leadoff man and giving up a pair of singles for a run. He picked off a runner for the second out, but a walk and a wild pitch brought in another run. Vanasco walked the leadoff man again in the sixth, but he retired the next three batters in order.

Scott Effross allowed four of the six batters he faced to reach base in the seventh, although one of those came on catcher interference. Still, Effross hit two batters, the second coming with the bases loaded. The second out came on a game-tying sacrifice fly, so that’s not really a net positive either.

Brennan Hanifee entered the game and promptly gave up the lead with a two-run single. Both runs were charged to Effross. Hanifee gave up four runs on five hits in the eighth, making it a 14-8 game.

Toledo got a little two-out rally going in the ninth, starting with a four-pitch walk that needed a challenge to confirm. Gage Workman and Malgeri delivered back-to-back singles, the second scoring a run, and Valencia doubled in another run. Tha wasn’t enough, though. Trei Cruz popped up to the catcher to end the game.

Clark: 3-4, 2 R, RBI, BB

Anderson: 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB

Malgeri: 3-5, 2B (17), HR (9), 2 R, 4 RBI, K

Coming Up Next: The Mud Hens are on the road next week against the Rochester Red Wings, starting Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. ET.

Canceled: Erie SeaWolves vs. Akron RubberDucks

Erie and Akron got through three innings, but rain canceled this game before it could reach the minimum required to be official. Erie takes the series, 4-1.

The SeaWolves led 4-0 before the rain came. Seth Stephenson led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, and John Peck singled him in two batters later. Chris Meyers led off the second with a solo home run.

In the second, Andrew Jenkins singled softly into right, and Stephenson bunted safely again — what is the defense thinking? Peyton Graham doubled in both runners off the wall in left.

Kenny Serwa had a 1-2-3 first. He worked around a dropped third strike and a double off the left-field wall in the second. Serwa struck out the next batter and fielded his position to catch the runner in a pickle between third and home for the second out. Another grounder to the right side led to a scoreless frame. Serwa went 1-2-3 again in the third, and that’s where things ended.

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves are on the road next week against the Harrisburg Senators, starting at noon ET on Tuesday. A special shout-out to my guy Devin Fitz-Gerald, the son of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School head coach Todd Fitz-Gerald, who was recently promoted to Double-A Harrisburg.

Canceled: West Michigan Whitecaps vs. Lake County Captains

Another rain-canceled game. West Michigan drops the series, 3-2.

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are back home next week against the Lansing Lugnuts, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 9, Clearwater Threshers 3 (box)

Jake Miller went three full innings in his third rehab start as the Lakeland Flying Tigers defeated the Clearwater Threshers, 9-3, to end the series tied at three games apiece.

Miller was excellent, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out three batters. His slider and sweeper were on point, drawing eight combined called strikes and whiffs on 12 pitches (66.6%). The velocity hasn’t returned yet, as he’s still sitting 90-91 mph, but it’s pretty early in the rehab process.

The offense gave Miller some early run support, scoring seven runs before he came out of the game. Beau Ankeney was on an absolute tear. He got things going with a solo homer in the first, singled in the third and hit a three-run homer in the fourth.

Edian Espinal went deep in the third to drive Ankeney and himself in, making it 3-0.

Zach MacDonald led off the fourth with a single and stole second and third. Jack Goodman doubled him in, and Jordan Yost kept things going with a single before Ankeney’s second homer.

Charlie Christensen took over for Miller in the fourth and struck out nine batters over the next 4.2 innings. He induced 13 whiffs, which is good for the third most of any Single-A pitcher today. Eight came on the slider, three on the sinker and two more on the cutter.

Clearwater was a little more comfortable with his arm angle the second time through the order and got to Christensen for a pair of runs in the sixth with a string of hits, but Lakeland got those runs back in the top of the seventh. MacDonald drove in Espinal on a sacrifice fly, and Yost walked with the bases loaded.

A leadoff double led to a third Clearwater run in the eighth. Pedro Garcia took over for Christensen and got the final four outs of the game. He allowed just one hit and threw a wild pitch, but everything else was good.

Yost: 1-4, RBI, BB

Ankeney: 3-5, 2 HR (7), 3 R, 3 RBI, K

Miller: 3.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K

Christensen (W, 2-0): 4.2 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers are back at home next week against the Dunedin Blue Jays, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.

A strong weekend in Toronto left the Yankees back where they want to be, alone in first place in the AL East, and with the best record in the American League for good measure. Despite falling behind the Rays by as many as five games last month, New York has surged to put themselves back in front by one game as we near the halfway point of the year.

That the Yankees would lead the division at this point is not a huge surprise, but the rest of the AL East is. The Rays being the Bombers’ primary opponent in the race for the division is not something most would have predicted before the season, and it’s downright shocking to see the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles all well below .500 in mid-June.

There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, but it’s also no longer early, and the division has stratified into a two-horse race. Will it stay that way all season?

None of Toronto, Boston, nor Baltimore has at any point in 2026 looked like the clubs they hoped to be entering the year, but we’ve seen several examples in recent seasons of teams that looked out of it in the middle of the year suddenly turning things around and rallying back into contention. Teams like the 2024 Tigers and Mets spring to mind, with both clubs finding themselves underwater halfway through the season before second-half sprints. The 2025 Guardians somehow won the AL Central after falling 15.5 games behind Detroit, while the 2024 Astros faced a 10-game division deficit in mid-June yet wound up winning the AL west comfortably. Hell, even the 2025 Yankees give us a helpful reminder of how teams can claw their way up the standings, having erased a 6.5-game August deficit to tie the Blue Jays in the AL East.

Can any of the Yankees’ non-Rays foes make this more than a two-team contest? Prior to the year, most would have bet on Toronto giving the Yankees the stiffest challenge all year, and indeed the Jays are in third place, albeit ten games back of first. Toronto has not looked like much in 2026, but I think they are the team the Yankees should be most wary of, other than the Rays. Injuries have wreaked havoc on Toronto’s roster, and though the Jays still do have a huge number of players on the IL, it’s plausible the team will ultimately find itself healthier in the second half and in better position to make a run.

The Orioles, in fourth, shouldn’t be fully discounted either. Baltimore’s young lineup has performed closer to expectations than last year, running the third-best wRC+ in the AL, though their pitching has left a lot to be desired. If the O’s can figure out how to prevent runs, they could prove to be a threat, but the smart money is on them not pitching enough to bother the teams at the top of the division this year.

And then there are the Red Sox, in the midst of a tumultuous campaign that’s seen them dismiss their coaching staff and lose a whole lot of games. Boston’s roster is still littered with interesting talent, but a dreadful start and the early loss of Garrett Crochet have probably just left Boston too far back in the standings, 13 games out at 29-39.

What do you think? Do you see the AL East remaining a two-horse race all year? Or will another contender emerge during the summer months?

The Yankees are off today, traveling back home for a three-game set with the White Sox, and we’ll have a fairly light day on the site. In the morning, Kevin recaps Sunday’s American League action, while Andrés writes up a Yankees great as part of our Yankees Birthday series in Andy Pettitte, and Madison puts out the call for this week’s mailbag.

Today’s Matchup

Offday.

It was just a series in early June, and no, the two best pitchers in baseball this year did not square off against each other.

Yet it's hard to minimize the symbolic power of the Milwaukee Brewers and Jacob Misiorowski's ' weekend conquest of Cristopher Sánchez and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Misiorowski pitched the game of his life Friday, June 12, a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts that set all kinds of high-water marks for maximum velocity and utter, bloodless efficiency.

Two days later, after the Phillies squared the series, Jackson Chourio jumped on the great Sánchez for a leadoff home run, jump-starting a series-winning 4-0 victory that dealt Sánchez just his third loss in 15 starts.

By weekend's end, The Miz had a firm lead over Sánchez - who posted a 55-inning scoreless streak, a record for a left-hander earlier this month - in virtually every key pitching category. And the Brewers clawed their way into the No. 2 slot in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

"I’m happy for the guys to be in a battle like this with a team built for the World Series," says Brewers manager Pat Murphy. "That’s what this whole thing’s about – to be in these environments as much as you can, keep your poise."

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Atlanta Braves (-)

• A second IL stint for Ronald Acuña Jr. due to barking hamstring.

2. Milwaukee Brewers (+1)

• Kyle Harrison overcomes 10-run Vegas debacle to outpitch Cristopher Sánchez.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (-1)

• One of these times, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get his no-hitter - or perfect game.

4. New York Yankees (+1)

• Now 14-10 against AL East after winning series in Toronto.

5. Tampa Bay Rays (-1)

• Craig Kimbrel wobbly in first two appearances off IL.

6. Cleveland Guardians (-)

• How does one replace Jose Ramírez? You simply hope he's a fast healer.

7. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

• Alec Burleson having a first half worthy of MVP consideration, non-Ohtani division.

8. Chicago White Sox (+2)

• Uhhh they just took a series off the Dodgers. This is getting alarming.

9. Philadelphia Phillies (-1)

• Adolis Garcia's likely season-ending injury will have them scouring for outfielders on trade market.

10. San Diego Padres (-1)

What a week for Samad Taylor: First major league homer, nine hits, eight RBIs.

11. Chicago Cubs (+1)

• Win three in a row for first time in five weeks.

12. Seattle Mariners (-1)

• Should get that Big Dumper back this week.

13. Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

• Gabriel Moreno's hot streak means eight consecutive starts, six at catcher.

14. Washington Nationals (+4)

• 8-1-1 over their last 10 series.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)

• Paul Skenes has given up eight home runs, nearly matching the 11 he yielded last season.

16. Toronto Blue Jays (-1)

• Catcher Tyler Heineman designated for assignment as Brandon Valenzuela (seven homers, 115 adjusted OPS) proves worth during Alejandro Kirk's absence.

17. Texas Rangers (-)

• Corey Seager misses third straight game with "mild concussion symptoms."

18. Miami Marlins (+4)

• Max Meyer goes 15 starts without a loss, longest streak to start season since...Tony Gonsolin in 2022.

19. Athletics (-)

• After 100-degree temperatures, a rock-hard infield and balls flying at altitude in Summerlin, Yolo County never looked so good.

20. Cincinnati Reds (-4)

• A homer in every game from Noelvi Marte can't prevent fifth consecutive series loss.

21. Baltimore Orioles (-1)

• Nine-game West Coast swing seems to have a lot more sink than swim potential.

22. Houston Astros (-1)

• Mike Burrows has highest batting average against (.297), second-most homers given up (18) in AL.

23. New York Mets (-)

• Sean Manaea graduates to starter; no opener necessary. "He's earned it," manager Carlos Mendoza says.

24. Minnesota Twins (-)

• Outfield prospect Tyler Fedko getting big league call-up.

25. Boston Red Sox (-)

• Aroldis Chapman cashes in 29 consecutive save chances, tying career high.

26. Detroit Tigers (-)

• Weird return: Tarik Skubal beaten by Guardians, who lose three players in the effort

27. Kansas City Royals (+1)

• Oof: Vinnie Pasquantino undergoes hamate surgery, out up to six weeks.

28. Los Angeles Angels (+1)

• Another physical malady strikes Grayson Rodriguez, as he leaves start with back injury.

29. San Francisco Giants (-2)

• Pitching staff ranks 22nd with 4.52 ERA. Not much Pride, indeed.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

• Chase Dollander UCL injury a major setback to pitching rebuild.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings:Brewers Misiorowski rise in NL standings

San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. is scorching at the plate to open the month of June. Manager Craig Stammen has been reluctant to lock his superstar into one defensive position at either second base or right field because it might limit the offense’s potential. With the need for more run production amid key injuries, the Padres may be forced to place Tatis Jr. at one position to acquire another bat.

In June, Tatis Jr.’s offensive production is .359/.390/.513 with a HR and three RBI, which makes him the lineup’s hottest hitter. Despite his production, the offense still needs another proven batter. Keeping his right-handed superstar at one position allows the front office to pursue potential hitters available on the trade market.

Stammen delays selecting position for Tati

Stammen appears to be indifferent to making such a move. He likes the versatility his lineup offers. However, if the offensive slump continues, it may force the Padres to make a deal.

Granted, Tatis Jr. progressed through the minors as a shortstop before moving to the outfield and becoming a Gold Glove winner. But Jake Cronenworth sustained a concussion that forced Stammen to move Tati back to the infield at second base.

He has deployed Tatis Jr. back in right field and inserted Sung-Mun Song at second against tough right-handed starting pitchers. The latter is a decent fielder, but Song has struggled at the plate. He is hitting .190 with eight hits in 42 at-bats. His offensive struggles will garner further scrutiny if the team’s poor play extends much longer. 

Injuries too much to overcome

The loss of Cronenworth has been a major void, as he looked to regain his offensive proficiency after a slow start to the 2026 campaign. The second baseman was placed on the concussion injury list in early May. Cronenworth has begun light baseball activities, including soft running, fielding, and tossing drills. But there is no guarantee that he will return to the lineup this season.

Now, the Friars are in dire straits with the loss of Ramon Laureano from the starting lineup. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. The recovery time is four to five months, which means Laureano will miss the remainder of the 2026 season.

Unfortunately, the injury might have ended his playing career in San Diego, as he is eligible to become a free agent at season’s end. To replace Laureano in the lineup, Gavin Sheets is expected to play the majority of the time in left field.

A decision has to be made

It seems like the front office is delaying adding another piece to the roster until they get confirmation that Cronenworth will not return this season. Choosing a position for Tatis Jr. allows them to do their due diligence on the price needed to trade for a bat. 

The Friars need to find a way to generate more run production from the bottom of the lineup. Adding another hitter will lengthen the batting order. 

It does not matter whether the Padres acquire a second baseman or corner outfielder, as long as they solve their offensive issues. 

But do not wait too long, or your top trade targets might get dealt. 

A low scoring, back and forth affair took a turn in the top of the eighth inning during which the Rays broke a 3-3 tie with a five-run inning punctuated by a pair of blasts from Caminero and Mesa Jr. The Rays left Anaheim with a series loss, but were able to salvage the last of three games against the Halos, avoiding the sweep.

Across nine innings, the Rays used six different pitchers in what was a scheduled bullpen day. The staff did their job and kept this game close long enough for the offense to break out. Legumina opened ahead of Seymour, tossing 1.2 innings. He surrendered the first run of the game in the bottom of the second and struck out one.

Seymour followed and provided 3.1 innings of two run baseball. He walked and struck out three. Kelly, Kimbrel, Cleavinger, and Baker combined to toss the final four innings. They allowed no runs and punched out seven.

Prior the eighth the Rays managed to score three runs. In the third, the Chandler Simpson singled home Mesa Jr. and Aranda to give the rays an early 2-1 lead. The following inning, Williamson hit his first homer of the season and extended the Rays lead to 3-1.

The Angels bounced back and eventually tied the game in the fifth and the 3-3 score would hold until the eighth inning. Sam Bachman came on to replace Brent Suter and promptly issued a leadoff walk to Mullins. Caminero followed with a blast to left field, his fifteenth of the year.

Leading 5- and with one out in the inning, Palacios doubled and later scored thanks to a two out RBI-single by Feduccia. Mesa Jr. then got in on the action and clubbed his second homerun of the season. The blast extended the Rays’ lead to 8-3.

That score would hold and the Rays eventually left victorious. At the plate Arana, Mullins, and Mesa Jr. all tallied a pair of hits. In total, the Rays had eleven hits on the day along with four walks. they struck out only four times.

They Rays will face the Dodgers Monday night as Nick Martinez will pitch opposite Eric Lauer. The Dodgers will enter the night with a record of 45-27 while the Rays enter at 41-27. Both teams hold the second best record in their respective leagues. Should be a fun series.

It’s easy to forget how good pitching can help produce good hitting. The correlation isn’t always guaranteed, isn’t always direct or obvious, but every once and awhile those two different facets of the game sync for a team, and it becomes perfectly clear how much one needs, or feeds, off the other. 

Defenders are also hitters. The Giants field eight two-way players who not only watch, but prepare, for every pitch thrown by the pitching staff. Every missed fastball and spiked slider in every prolonged at-bat in every drawn-out inning takes its toll over a long game or long series. There’s a trickle down effect to all that standing around — it’s not just the pitcher who struggles. It’s hard for the other players to stay vigilant, to stay sharp as the mind wanders and the body tires. Errors are made. Mistakes seem to compound. Outfielders and infielders are like the rest of us, they’re fans of baseball. They love to be involved, to see action. Good pitching gets them gassed up!  

Jung Hoo Lee said as much about Logan Webb’s performance before his run-saving, wall-colliding catch in the 8th inning.

Webb had recorded 23 Chicago hitters in the game so far and wanted a 24th. At the time, the Giants had a three-run lead — but the Cubs had just scored their first run on a throwing error by first baseman Casey Schmitt, and threatened with a runner on second base. Webb’s pitch count had eclipsed the century mark. Manager Tony Vitello went out to the mound to go get his starter and was turned back by his starter. Webb wanted to finish the inning, and even in the far reaches of right field with the afternoon sun in his eyes, Lee could see that.

His teammate’s determination to right the ship was evident from the first frame when he got Pete Crow-Armstrong to swing through a fastball on the sixth pitch of the first at-bat of the game, then turned-two on a comebacker after back-to-back singles.

All game Webb attacked the zone, refused to give into hitters, buckled down with runners on base. He struck out 7 without walking a batter. The last time a Giants starter not named Logan Webb had thrown six complete innings and not walked a batter was Landen Roupp on May 19th, nearly a month ago. The last time a Giants starter not named Logan Webb had even pitched six complete innings (to be clear, a pretty unremarkable feat) was Trevor McDonald on May 27th against Arizona, nearly two-and-a-half weeks ago. Webb had done it twice, throwing 7 shutout frames on June 3rd against Milwaukee, and throwing 8 innings of 1 run ball on June 8th against Washington. Over his entire MLB career, Webb had never thrown 8 complete innings in consecutive starts — until today, thanks to Jung Hoo Lee. 

Michael Busch lined a first-pitch 4-seamer towards the first archway in right. Lee booked it into the corner at the crack of the bat. One eye tracked the ball in flight, the other tried to ignore the disconcertedly solid brick wall that was fast-approaching. We all know the history there. Lee would’ve been forgiven if he pulled up short, not wanting to risk another shoulder injury, another season-ending collision with a stubborn vertical plane. Instead he risked it, secured the baseball, then got decked.

Webb’s start didn’t need that 24th out to be vindicated — he had already gone above and beyond — but the fact that he insisted he stay on the hill, and Lee insisted on catching the baseball, wall be damned, is the kind of symbiosis this team has been lacking. 

Landen Roupp threw 105 laborious pitches and didn’t even make it through the 5th on Friday night. The offense responded with lackluster support, recording just 4 hits and 1 run. On Saturday, Trevor McDonald unraveled in the 4th, with three walks, one hit batter, and two wild pitches in a game in which the batting order managed just a single run again. The starters set a terrible tone. They sunk down into the muck and dragged the rest of the team with them. 

But behind a vintage Webb, the bats responded in kind. They didn’t necessarily look fierce, just dynamic, with balls in play to go along with walks and stolen bases and sac bunts. They blooped and blasted and blooped again. In other words, they got on base, got aggressive, and good things happened. 

San Francisco’s three-run 5th inning started with a single by Lee who took second on Daniel Susac’s bunt. The line-up had been hitless, 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, over the weekend until Drew Gilbert’s bloop double to left.

Then came the blast. 

Matt Chapman’s seventh homer of the year was his sixth in June. He’s racked up 20 RBIs in the first two weeks of the month. His slash line in 54 plate appearances: .415/ .519/ .902.  

Chapman worked a lead-off walk in the 7th. Another sac bunt by Luis Arraez moved him to second to score on Bryce Eldridge’s RBI lob into left.

In the 8th, Casey Schmitt stole second and was promptly knocked home by Susac single. 

The offense looked focused for the most part. There wasn’t much hemming and hawing, not much dilly-dallying. They played off script by manufacturing some opportunities. They didn’t swing too big, or try to do it too much at once. Small ball, you know. When a runner moved into scoring position, the next guy up punched him home. Webb held the Cubs hitless in 6 at-bats with a runner in scoring position, and the Giants went 4-for-7. 

Sweep dodged!

A.J. Ewing showed again Sunday why the Mets were aggressive in calling him up from the minors when they needed a center fielder earlier this year.

The 21-year-old helped lead them to an 8-1 win over Atlanta at Citi Field, coming up just a triple shy of the cycle.

Ewing has consistently impressed with his speed and defense, but his offense has been choppy, and he began Sunday with just one hit in his prior 11 at-bats.

But against Atlanta, he delivered an opposite-field double in a four-run first inning, hit a single to center in the third and then a homer to right in the fifth.

Carlos Mendoza called Ewing’s performance at the plate versus tough Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder “impressive.”

“I just want to be myself and stay as simple as possible,’’ Ewing said.

“It shows how he handles stuff, especially after a couple of tough games,’’ the manager said.

Mendoza likened Ewing to fellow rookie outfielder Carson Benge in that both have been able to maintain level heads despite going through the ups and downs of their first season in the majors.

“Similar to Carson, you can’t tell if he went 0-fer or had a good game,’’ Mendoza said. “It’s his ability to stay consistent. He’s gonna use the whole field. He hit a homer to the pull side, play defense and run the bases. He’s a mature guy and is learning, adjusting and developing at the big league level.”

In the never-ending game of musical chairs that is the Mets rotation, Tobias Myers is scheduled to start Monday’s series opener against the Reds in Cincinnati, Mendoza said.

Myers has been at Triple-A Syracuse, where he pitched 2 ²/₃ innings and threw 36 pitches Thursday.

Despite the somewhat limited action, Mendoza said Myers could be stretched out a bit.

“He’s gonna go,’’ Mendoza said when asked if Myers would be used just as an opener. “We’ll see how the game unfolds. We’ve got a pitch count in mind.”

After that, Mendoza said the Mets would figure out the next two games in Cincinnati, although Christian Scott and Nolan McLean are lined up for them.

Myers, acquired along with Freddy Peralta from Milwaukee in the offseason, hasn’t pitched more than two innings in a game in the majors since going 2 ²/₃ on May 2.

President of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that Myers’ “role is going to be whatever we actually need at that point. … He could pitch at the front of games, it could be more in the swing capacity that we saw at points this year.’’

Coming off an ugly start in his previous outing, Peralta allowed three hits to open Sunday’s game, as the Braves pounced on his four-seam fastball.

So Peralta and catcher Luis Torrens shifted, and he used his four-seamer less, and his curveball, slider and sweeper more.

It helped Peralta get through five innings, although he needed 90 pitches to do so.

“I was able to make pitches when I needed to,’’ Peralta said. “I was looking forward to [pitching] at least six, but some things happened.” 

TORONTO — Over the course of nine innings Sunday, José Caballero played second base, third base and left field, got into his almost-daily argument with the home plate umpire over his usage of the pitch clock, and then capped it all off by crushing a 420-foot home run.

“We got the full experience today,” manager Aaron Boone said with a chuckle after the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. “He got the right level of ticked off to really lock him in there.”

And while Caballero’s day ended on a high note with the three-run homer in the ninth inning that gave the Yankees some breathing room — which he clearly enjoyed with a slow trot around the bases — his latest spat with the umpires was not a laughing matter.

With the game tied in the sixth inning, Caballero began arguing with home plate umpire Steve Jaschinski before Spencer Miles could even throw him a pitch. The root of the issue, as it normally is with Caballero, is how he uses the timing rules to his advantage — purposely not looking up at the pitcher until there are eight seconds left on the clock, which is the cutoff time for engagement. Pitchers cannot come set until the hitter has acknowledged them.

But Caballero said Jaschinski told him that “if I looked down, he was going to call a strike on me.”

“They’ve been changing the rules without any warnings ahead [of time],” Caballero said. “I don’t know why they’re doing that. The rules are the rules. Nobody wanted the rules. They invented the rules. They should take care of it. I’m just trying to play with the new system that they got us playing in, it’s not like I invented the rules.”

After Caballero’s extended conversation with Jaschinski — which eventually included crew chief John Tumpane and Boone and got heated at times — Tumpane announced that Caballero received a warning for “intentionally delaying” the game.

Caballero said he just wants clarity on the rules because they are not being enforced consistently. Boone added that he expects to speak with the league about the issue.

“I do the same thing over and over, even from the windup, even from the stretch,” Caballero said. “It’s not my fault the pitchers rush a little bit. You can tell every time the pitchers don’t rush, it’s no problem at all. But whenever they get people on and they start thinking faster and they rush, then that’s when the problem comes.

“But that’s not my fault. I do the same thing over and over. Please, come out here and tell us the actual rule, because I’m kind of confused at this point.”

Giancarlo Stanton will undergo tests Monday to determine how much of a setback he had in his calf after tweaking it running recently. He is no longer expected to return during the upcoming homestand, as he initially was, but it remains to be seen how much more time this will cost him on the injured list.

“He did have a little bit of a setback, to a similar area in the calf,” Boone said Sunday. “I think it’s clearly going to slow him down a little bit. To what level, I don’t know yet.”

Austin Wells (cervical headaches) will “probably” play in some rehab games this week, Boone said, before he is activated off the injured list. He is first eligible to do so Tuesday.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. started the day out of the lineup, with Boone saying he has been beaten up of late — including fouling a ball off his toe earlier this week. But Chisholm entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and walked in all three plate appearances.

Francisco Lindor has taken another step in his recovery from a strained left calf that’s sidelined him since April, as the shortstop has begun running the bases.

It’s one of the latest signs that Lindor expects to be back soon, even as he opts not to publicly disclose a potential return date.

But as The Post’s Jon Heyman reported, Lindor could be back by the third week of June, which is quickly approaching, and president of baseball operations David Stearns noted they expect him back by the end of the month.

If the Mets really do intend to turn around what’s been a rotten first few months of the season, they’ll need their star shortstop to be there — and productive.

Lindor is in his sixth season with the Mets. He and his family live in Manhattan, and the 32-year-old understands the pulse of the city.

Naturally, Lindor understands what the Knicks’ first title in over half a century means — and what it could mean for the Mets.

“It’s a great moment to be a New York sports fan,’’ Lindor told The Post on Sunday when the Mets beat the Braves 8-1 to win the series. “I’m proud of that group. All they talked about after they won last night is how they played for each other.”

Like these Mets, the Knicks were down a long time before finally getting the title, as James Dolan said immediately after the clincher, when he apologized for the championship having taken so long to return to New York.

“Even the owner said it,’’ Lindor said. “We know what it’s like. We don’t need more inspiration, but something like that, seeing them win, of course it motivates us as players and is inspiring. Want to win here and when you have history being made in this city like they did, it gives you goose bumps and gets you excited for the ‘what ifs.’ ”

For those “what ifs” to have a chance to become reality, Lindor has to get back on the field and return to form.

Lindor was 7-for-17 with a pair of extra-base hits in his final five games before he suffered the calf injury the same day that Juan Soto returned from his own strained calf.

Without the superstars paired in the lineup, the Mets offense has mostly slumped, although there have been encouraging signs of late.

He’ll continue to rehab from the injury this week, Carlos Mendoza said prior to the game, and the Mets will see how he responds before a potential minor league rehab stint since he hasn’t played in nearly two months.

The Mets clearly haven’t played well in his absence, but they haven’t completely folded, with the hope that Lindor’s presence back on the roster could rejuvenate the team, which has severely underperformed.

With Lindor returning to short, Bo Bichette would shift back to third, leaving Brett Baty to play against certain right-handed pitchers, and Jared Young would likely stay at first base, at least for now.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Red Sox failed to win a game at Fenway Park. It was ugly from the jump, with Connelly Early’s first pitch of the night going for a home run. In the second inning, after a few runners reached base, he left a changeup over the plate that was also sent over the fence, giving the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Willson Contreras followed with a solo home run in the bottom half, and the Red Sox were able to push another run across after a walk, a single, and a groundout, but couldn’t extend the rally. In the fourth, the Rangers grabbed two more runs when Early again left a pitch over the plate, this time off the wall for a double.

The bullpen did its job, keeping the Rangers off the board for the final 4.1 innings of the game, but the offense wasn’t able to do enough against Nathan Eovaldi and a really strong Rangers bullpen. Jacob Latz came in with two outs in the eighth inning and was nearly perfect, retiring all four batters he faced to record his 11th save of the season. It’s an off day on Monday before a three-game set with the Blue Jays at Fenway Starts on Tuesday.

Three Studs

Willson Contreras

Two bombs. Get that man to the All-Star game.

Ryan Watson

Two scoreless innings to keep the score where it was and save the bullpen. Solid.

The Tartan Army

I love having the Scots here in Boston. Yeah, they’re on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, so obviously they’re in a good mood, but they’re just constantly having fun and bringing good vibes. I biked around the city on Friday morning, and Boston Common was lively with bagpipes and kilts and all of that. On Sunday, the crowd was as loud as it’s been all season, thanks to the Tartan Army. Go Scotland.

Three Duds

Connelly Early

The home run ball once again ruined Early’s night. He’s left the ball over the plate far too often this season, which has gone for home runs. He also seriously labored through the fourth inning. If the Red Sox’s season continues to go how it is, I can’t help but wonder if it would be beneficial to cap his innings. He’s never thrown over 100 innings in a season, and he’s already at 75 on the season.

The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the Boston Red Sox scored four runs.

The Red Sox must not enjoy tidying up as the Rangers were able to keep them from sweeping with a win in tonight’s finale. It was a frustrating couple of games for the Rangers over the weekend in Boston but they came out quite literally swinging in front of the primetime audience on NBC.

On the game’s first pitch, leadoff designated hitter Wyatt Langford sent one 418 ft over the Green Monster to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead. By the end of the top of the second, it was already 4-0 Texas as catcher Kyle Higashioka connected for a three-run dong, giving the Rangers what they’d been missing for much of this road trip with a big extra base hit with runners on base.

In the bottom of the second, however, the Red Sox signaled that the game wouldn’t just devolve into a laugher as they scored two runs off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi to halve Texas’ lead.

The Rangers were up for scoring more runs in ways they’ve struggled with as Brandon Nimmo doubled in two runs on a bases loaded opportunity in the fourth inning. That double made it 6-2 to give Eovaldi a lot of runway as he eventually finished allowing three runs on six hits and a walk to go along with six strikeouts over seven innings of work.

The third Red Sox run came in the sixth when Willson Contreras connected for his second solo home run off Eovaldi, as he did his best Wilyer Abreu impression against Texas this weekend. Speaking of Abreu, he drove in Boston’s fourth run of the night — because of course he did — in the eighth to cut the lead to just two.

However, with two on, Jacob Latz came in and got the Rangers out of the eighth inning jam and then pitched a clean ninth to allow Texas to claim the finale and finish with an even road trip.

Player of the Game: Eovaldi deserves credit for putting in seven innings for a quality start on 94 pitches as he helped to save the bullpen during this long stretch.

In addition, Brandon Nimmo doubled twice and drove in two runs with his first double coming on a dreaded bases loaded chance. Justin Foscue had three hits before being lifted to get his glove off the field. Cody Freeman had two hits and drew a walk.

Kyle Higashioka had two hits, including the big hit of the night with his three-run home run to give the Rangers a four run lead. Wyatt Langford hit a home run, walked, and scored twice out of the leadoff spot. And Latz was Latz (1.1 IP, 0 R, 2 K) and Latz is good.

Good stuff all around.

Up Next: The Rangers immediately hop a plane back to Arlington to open up a series against the American League Central’s Minnesota Twins beginning tomorrow night. Texas will send LHP MacKenzie Gore to the mound to begin the series while Minnesota hasn’t yet named a starter for the opener.

Monday’s first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and you can can head back over to watch it on the Rangers Sports Network.