ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 14: The tarp on the field before the Saturday afternoon MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and the Atlanta Braves on June 14, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There’s been some nasty weather in the forecast all day for metro Atlanta. It’s been threatening and threatening and threatening to roll in and finally it’s close enough to where the grounds crew at Truist Park has gone ahead and put the tarp on the field ahead of Tuesday’s contest between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets.
The tarp is on the field. Time check: 6:36 p.m.
Nothing official yet, but it's looking pretty clear that there will be a delay
We’ll have more for y’all once the details come in but for now, anticipate that tonight’s game won’t be starting on time.
UPDATE [6:55 p.m. ET]: Well apparently the weather is fine enough at the ballpark to where the game is apparently set to start on time. The tarp is off and the players are preparing as if the game will be starting on time.
The tarp is coming off the field. Perez is now playing long toss. McLean is also throwing in the outfield with the expectation the game will start on time.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Jarred Kelenic #25 of the Texas Rangers looks on from the dugout during a game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on June 24, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have purchased the contract of outfielder Jarred Kelenic from AAA Round Rock, the team announced today. To make room for Kelenic on the active and 40 man roster, the Rangers have designated infielder Jonah Bride for assignment. In addition, the Rangers announced that catcher Danny Jansen is beginning a rehab assignment with Round Rock today.
Well, this is weird. Bride was added to the active roster on Sunday, with lefthanded hitting outfielder Alejandro Osuna being sent down to AAA Round Rock. Now, after two games, both of which Bride started, going 1 for 5 with a walk and two Ks in all, Bride is dropped so the Rangers could add a lefthanded hitting outfielder to the active roster.
Did they just want Bride for the two games? Was the plan all along to have him up against the two lefty starters, then put him on waivers? Did he do something to upset somebody? Did he cropdust Skip Schumaker? Was he playing the Thong Song on the clubhouse stereo (or, conversely, objecting to someone playing the Thong Song on the clubhouse stereo)? Did he sit in Corey Seager’s preferred spot on the bus?
Its a mystery.
Anyway, Kelenic is back for his second stint on the Rangers’ active roster this season. Since being sent down, Kelenic has slashed .391/.456/.674 in 103 plate appearances over 24 games while going 7 for 7 on stolen base attempts. He went 2 for 4 on Sunday, with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored, and maybe the organization like the cut of his jib in that game so much they decided, the hell with Jonah Bride, we need this Kelenic guy back up!
In Kelenic’s previous stint with the Rangers, he was 1 for 8 with two walks, five Ks and a caught stealing in seven games. For some reason, I thought he had gotten more action than that.
The good news is that Danny Jansen will hopefully be back soon. Jansen has been out with an elbow issue that reportedly may or may not need surgery this offseason. He’s scheduled to catch four innings for Round Rock, and my guess is that he’ll spend the week with the Express and, if things go well, be activated when the Rangers return home a week from today to start a series against the Nationals.
Sean Burke holds a 1.74 ERA in his last seven starts, with 144 strikeouts on the season. | (Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
After squeaking out an important series win against the Cleveland Guardians this past weekend, the South Siders look to carry that momentum into a new three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds. Ideally, the Sox can take care of business while holding down first place as the Detroit Tigers and the Guardians bat each other up over the next few days.
The good news is that on top of the wizardry that Mike Vasil contributes to the team, the Good Guys can channel the Pope and those powers-that-be, as 38,000+ fans in attendance on the South Side will be sporting a “Pope hat” from tonight’s giveaway.
Standing room only at Sox Park? All for this glorious hat:
The South Siders have their ace on the mound, as righthander Sean Burke makes his 20th start of the season. Burke ranks 15th in baseball with 144 strikeouts while holding a 27.4% strikeout rate, ranking in the 81st percentile among MLB pitchers. Burke’s excellent extension while walking batters at a lower rate (7.4%) has helped maintain his dominance over the last several starts. In his last seven games, he’s posted an excellent 1.74 ERA across 41 1/3 frames with just a 0.92 WHIP, striking out 57 against just nine walks. The White Sox rank last in innings pitched for starting pitchers, so Burke going at least six innings in five of his last six starts has been helpful to keep a struggling offense in games.
With a lefty on the mound against the South Siders, Will Venable is calling on his right-handed hitters to hold it down at the plate tonight. Chase Meidroth is getting a second consecutive day of rest, so Sam Antonacci will slot in at second base, with Randal Grichuk batting cleanup and playing left. Colson Montgomery is also getting an off-day in the field, locking in as the DH with Luisangel Acuña subbing in at shortstop. Brenton Doyle will also continue to lead off with Meidroth out, and he wasn’t too shabby the other day, even tallying a couple of hits on Sunday with a stolen base and run scored.
Both Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas remain at the top of the order, and Mune has a 25-game on-base streak going, looking to extend that this evening.
On the mound for the Reds is Nick Lodolo, making his 13th start of the season. Lodolo has floated on and off the IL this season, officially returning to the big league squad today after wrapping up a rehab assignment. The lefty hasn’t pitched since July 11 due to a blister on his throwing hand, so it’s possible he’ll be a bit rusty, which would be best-case scenario for the South Siders. Lodolo isn’t a big strikeout pitcher, only ringing batters up 17.9% of the time, and his 9.7% walk rate is quite high and favorable for a White Sox team that tends to walk 9% of the time.
Burke’s splits against righties and lefties are nearly identical, though opponents are slugging less from the right-handed side (.337 SLG) than when batting lefty (.392). The Reds are rolling with a righty-heavy lineup, though the power at the top of the order is still something to keep an eye on with Elly De La Cruz leading off. Elly has so far posted an .852 OPS on the season, leading the Reds in that category, but the young first baseman Sal Stewart has driven in 87 runs so far this season alongside 25 homers with a strong .807 OPS.
Now that the storms have moved through, it’s a beautiful night for a ball game with the temperature handing around 80º at game time. First pitch will take place at 6:40 p.m. CT, and you can tune into the usual locations either on TV at CHSN or on the radio at ESPN Chicago AM 1000.
Now, it’s time for a White Sox win, because we certainly can’t disappoint the Pope.
After a few rough games that have drawn some eyes to umpires, the Atlanta Braves are looking to bounce back and take game two against the New York Mets.
The game will feature Martín Pérez for the Braves as he continues his second best season of his fifteen year career against Nolan McLean a player emerging as a staff ace for the Mets. Pérez gave up four earned runs against the Mets in early July and in the same game McLean had a much better performance only giving up two.
A rematch is in place tonight, and hopefully Pérez and the Braves come out on top this time. Follow along in the comments.
First pitch was scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET but the tarp went on the field around a half hour before first pitch. The tarp is now off but in case there are any more updates, the rain delay thread is the place to go to. Otherwise, follow along with us below.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 08: Former New York Yankees Nick Swisher is introduced during the Yankees Old-Timers' Day prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jonathan Pensiero/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It is rare to have an opportunity to relive your glory days the way Yankees legends do at Old-Timers’ Day. As a key member of the 2009 World Series-winning team, Nick Swisher couldn’t ask for more.
Before the Yankees faced the Braves on Saturday, Michael Kay made introductions for all the former players participating in the Old-Timers’ Day game. Swisher, whose spirit and enthusiasm were never dimmed by his retirement, was introduced as “Swishalicious,” the nickname famously coined by former Yankees broadcaster John Sterling, who sadly passed away in May 2026.
Hearing that name brought back a massive wave of memories for the MLB All-Star. Sterling originally used another nickname when Swisher first joined the organization, but it never really sat right with him.
“I remember the first time I met John Sterling,” Swisher commented during an interview after Old-Timers’ Day. “The first home run call when I first showed up was ‘Jolly Ol’ St. Nick.’”
“When I caught him after the game, I said, ‘Hey John, do I look like Santa Claus to you? I am jolly, but I’m not old!’”
Suzyn Waldman tells the story of how @NickSwisher didn't like his "Jolly Ol' St. Nick" nickname from John Sterling and how "Swishalicious" came to be 😂
"Players wanted it and it never started that way. It was supposed to be just special and he didn't have to think" pic.twitter.com/swOW2VC6GZ
The former Yankees first baseman revisited old friends in the dugout, shared many stories of his favorite moments in the league, and discussed the current state of the franchise.
“We just have so much fun. You get right back in the locker room and everybody picks up right where they left off. Coffee starts flowing, the crossword puzzles are out, people are talking shop, it’s just an amazing opportunity to be a part of. ”
Swisher is still deeply involved with the Yankees organization and often provides analysis on what needs to get done to get another shot at a World Series title. You can likely find him either visiting old friends at Yankee Stadium, sharing his takes on YES Network, or spending time with his wife JoAnna and daughters Emme and Sailor.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 07: Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with Chase DeLauter #24 after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning at Rate Field on August 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TORONTO, ON - July 19 Starter Trey Yesavage (39) of the Blue Jays pitches in the 5th inning.The Toronto Blue Jays lost 3-3 to the Chicago White Sox at the Rogers Centre in MLB baseball actionJuly 19 2026 Richard Lautens/Toronto Star (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
There is a little bit of news from the Jays:
Trey Yesavage had surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. They are not saying he is out for the season (but I would be amazed if he came back this year). If they don’t make a move towards getting into the playoffs, I can’t see any reason to rush him.
Jameson Taillon has right forearm tendinitis. I remember Bill James having this weird thing about insisting it should be spelled tendonitis. As you get older it is always good to fixate on weird things.
Chase Lee is back in his spot.
And Spencer Arrighetti is unlikely to be back anytime soon.
Simeon Woods Richardson and a handful of others are options to fill Taillon’s spot.
Kazuma Okamoto has been removed from tonight’s lineup again. I can imagine it would be tough to swing the bat with the thumping his knee took.
That has caused a lot of movement in the lineup, that was posted like this:
I’m interested in moving Bateman into center, when Straw was originally there. I’d love to hear the wherefore and the why, one of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs.
I’m interested in seeing how the umpires will manage to award a run to the Red Sox tonight. They used a lot of imagination yesterday.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 31: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are taking their talents to South Beach as they take on the Miami Marlins in the first game of a three-game set this week at loanDepot Park.
Paul Skenes is on the mound for the Pirates, and he’s coming off a loss in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 5. Skenes pitched five innings, giving up two hits and three earned runs, as the Bucs lost 4-2 against the first-place team in the NL Central at American Family Field.
Skenes started against the Marlins when they visited PNC Park back in June. He went six innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs, in an identical 4-2 loss. The hope is that fortunes turn around for Skenes as he looks for his first win since July 19.
Eury Pérez is drawing the start for the Marlins. Pérez is 5-9 with a 3.61 ERA so far this season in 20 starts. In his last appearance on August 5 against the Atlanta Braves, he went five innings, giving up seven hits and four runs in a 4-1 loss at Truist Park. He is looking for his first win since July 5 when he beat the Athletics on the road.
Location: loanDepot Park, Miami, FL
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (9-10, 3.96 ERA) vs. Eury Pérez (5-9, 3.61 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.
The Yankees are looking forward to getting their big three sluggers -- Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton -- back before the end of the season, and manager Aaron Boone shed some light on the order of returns, at least what the team is seeing so far.
Speaking with the media ahead of the Yankees' series opener with the Mariners, including the Daily News' Gary Phillips, Boone was asked whether they expect the order of returns to be Bellinger, Stanton and Judge. The Yankees skipper said that's "probably" the order.
Bellinger (left hamstring strain) was placed on the IL back on July 26. The diagnosis was a Grade 2 strain, so the team expects a 4-to-6-week stint on the IL. Boone said Tuesday that the All-Star outfielder is not "too far off" but is still dealing with some tightness.
Bellinger was slashing .259/.350/.420 with an OPS of .770 to go along with his 11 home runs and 53 RBI across 102 games this season.
As for Stanton, Boone said there's "a chance" that the slugger will need a rehab assignment. Stanton was placed on the IL with a right calf strain in late April. The slugger reinjured his calf in June, pushing his recovery time back.
Stanton has only managed 24 games, hitting three home runs and driving in 14 runs while slashing .256/.302/.422 with a .724 OPS.
However, Stanton has been doing more baseball activities of late, including running the bases before Tuesday's game.
Well, Judge has begun "light activity" as he recovers from a right rib stress fracture that has kept him out of action since May 31. Judge told reporters on Aug. 5 that he still expects to play this season.
With how carefully the Yankees have handled Judge's injury, a return prior to September doesn't seem likely. Four weeks from Bellinger's 4-6-week timeline puts him at around Aug. 23.
Carlos Rodon rehab
Boone confirmed that the southpaw will need at least one more rehab start. And that start will come Thursday, Aug. 13, with Double-A Somerset.
Rodon tossed 2.2 innings (48 pitches) with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre back on Aug. 8. In that start, Rodon allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four batters.
With a full rotation, it's unclear how the Yankees will handle Rodon's return, but Boone previously threw out the idea that Rodon could be a piggyback situation when he pitches in the big leagues as he continues to build back up.
Kervin Castro lands on IL
Ahead of Tuesday's series opener, the Yankees placed Castro (right elbow neuritis) on the 15-day IL and called up right-hander Bradley Hanner.
Castro has appeared in five games with the Yankees this season, pitching to a 1.42 ERA while striking out eight batters across 6.1 innings pitched. Hanner, 27, has pitched to a 2.10 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in his 40 appearances with Scranton this season. Whenever he gets into a game, it'll be Hanner's major league debut.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Cubs are 20-7 in their last 27 road games, making their season record 34-26, for a winning percentage of .567. In the past 80 seasons, the Cubs have finished better than .567 on the road only twice: .593 in 2015 (48-33) and .575 in 2016 (46-34-1). From 2017-25, they were .480 (324-351), including .519 last year (42-39). (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WINNING BIG: In 41 of the Cubs’ 69 wins, 59.4 percent, their final margin of victory was their largest lead of the game. Twenty of the 41 have come during their current 35-16 surge. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SCORING FIRST: The Cubs have scored first in 56 of their 119 games. In 53 of the games, 44.5 percent, the first run has been scored in the first inning: 27 times by the Cubs and 26 by their opponent. They Cubs are 21-6 when they did it and 9-17 when their opponent did. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Shōta Imanaga continues his excellent run of starts. Last seven: 1.77 ERA, 1.180 WHIP, only six walks and five home runs in 40.2 innings.
He faced the Nationals at Wrigley Field March 29 and allowed four runs in five innings, striking out seven. Of course, that game was played in 59-degree temps, far different conditions than are expected tonight. Also, Joey Wiemer, who went 3-for-3 including a home run that day, isn’t on the Nats anymore.
I’m expecting Shōta’s great pitching to continue.
Jake Irvin missed two months with a shoulder issue and has made two starts since his return. He held the Phillies to two runs in 5.2 innings in his last outing Aug. 5.
He was Imanaga’s opponent in that March 29 game and held the Cubs to two runs in five innings. Both runs were solo homers, by Ian Happ and Alex Bregman.
Interesting note about that March 29 game — of the five Cubs pitchers who appeared in that game, only one — Imanaga — is currently on the active roster. (The others: Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Hoby Milner and Daniel Palencia.)
Please visit our SB Nation Nationals site Federal Baseball. If you do go there to interact with Nationals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 24: Paul Sewald #38 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates with teammates in the clubhouse after the Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7 of the NLCS at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country.
Paul Sewald was designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday, likely ending the reliever’s tenure with the team. On the broadest level, his time here was nothing special. He pitched 107 times in the regular season for Arizona, posting an underwhelming 4.95 ERA. The resulting 86 ERA+ is more or less the same as the likes of Mark Melancon or Matt Peacock, players who are probably no more than footnotes in franchise history. Sewald is certainly not going to see his number retired by Arizona. But a couple of things likely elevate Paul’s place in the record, higher than those pitchers.
Firstly, he was a closer, reaching double digits for the D-backs in saves in three separate seasons. The only pitcher with more such campaigns is Jose Valverde’s four. He became only the sixth man to reach fifty saves for Arizona, and you have to go back a full decade to find the last to do so – Brad Ziegler in 2016. When he first arrived here, at the 2023 trade deadline, the D-backs had three different pitchers with at least seven saves – none of who reached even ten. He stabilized the position down the stretch run, saving 13 games in 15 opportunities, and was key as the Diamondbacks reached the post-season for the first time in six years.
Then there was his post-season exploits. There’s a good argument that, without Sewald, Arizona does not win the NL pennant. Through the end of the Championship Series in Philadelphia he pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk, while striking out eleven. Of the D-backs’ nine wins to that point, Paul saved six of them and got the win in another. None were likely more crucial than games 3+4 of the NLCS, after Arizona had lost the first two. In the first, he came into a game tied 1-1 in the ninth, and put up a zero before Ketel Marte’s walk-off. The next night, he came in to preserve a one-run lead, and fanned Brandon Marsh, Jake Cave and Trea Turner.
But the 2023 playoffs then showed the worst of Sewald. In game 1 of the World Series, a two-run lead in the ninth inning evaporated off the bat of Corey Seager. And in game 5, a 1-0 deficit became an unsurmountable 5-0 one, after Sewald coughed up four runs in only 20 pitches, becoming the last Arizona pitcher to throw in the post-season to this date. A World Series ERA of 27.00 illustrated how, even in a profession known for volatility, Sewald seemed particularly mercurial. We saw that again in 2024. Through the end of June, he was perfect as a closer, on a streak of 17 scoreless outings, and with a 0.54 (!) ERA. He didn’t reach the end of July, after a month where he allowed 12 earned runs in 10 innings.
He left as a free agent at the end of the year, and given the July cloud, his return to the team in 2026 was something of a surprise. He was cheap enough, at $1.5 million, and won the role of closer out of spring training – to the concern of many. Initially, Paul was seen as a bridge until established arms Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk were healthy. We’re still awaiting Martinez, and Puk won’t be back at all. Sewald kept plugging away and outperformed many, far more expensive closers. He had 22 saves at the break, a total passed only twice in Arizona history. Again, July proved the unkindest month and he was relieved of duties by the end of it once more.
A brief stint in low-leverage situations proved unsuccessful, and with the team needing a long reliever, Paul was found to be surplus to requirements. But, overall, looking at the entirety of his tenure back to July 2023, how do you rate Sewald’s time in Arizona? Do you look at the mediocre ERA and see a pitcher who was lucky to get as many saves as he did? Or do you weigh the run to the World Series in 2023 and see a man who got the job done, almost whenever the team needed it most? That’s what the poll below is for – as usual, feel free to explain your decision in the comments.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 04: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium on August 04, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The final stretch of the Major League Baseball season is upon us, and the race for division titles and better seeding within the postseason is as important as ever. For the Yankees, the goal is not just to catch the Tampa Bay Rays, who sit six games above them in first place, but also to fend off the Boston Red Sox, who have surged back into the American League East race. The Yankees’ archrivals are two games back for second place in the AL East, and every game from now until the final day of the regular season matters for potential postseason positioning.
With how important every game is, it also stands that every pitch is extremely important. MLB’s Automated Balls and Strikes system has allowed the players to take some power into their own hands and challenge pitches they believe were called wrong. A batter, catcher, or in a rare case, the pitcher, can challenge, and it has been somewhat of a revelation and, in some instances, a game-saving measure for teams. So with the end of the regular season fast approaching and divisional races tightening up, who should the Yankees constrict on challenges, and who should they trust when their hand taps the top of their helmet?
Top Three:
Aaron Judge (+4.5, 6/8 challenges)
José Caballero (+3.5, 14/24 challenges)
Ryan McMahon (+3.0, 4/5 challenges)
Before starting an analysis of these three, it’s worth mentioning that Aaron Judge isn’t actually number one in the top three. In fact, he’s second. In first place is Max Schuemann, who last played for the Yankees on August 1st against the Chicago White Sox before being sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre outright just two days later. He has a Net Overturns For (a metric that measures how many more or fewer umpire calls a player or team successfully gets overturned compared to what an average player would expect when facing identical pitch locations/game situations) of 4.8 and won seven of the nine challenges he put into play for the 40 games he was up with the big club. However, seeing as he’s not with the major league club currently, it was worth a mention, but the focus is on those who play every day.
It’s not a surprise to see Aaron Judge at the top of this list. He’s the best player on the Yankees, he’s one of the best players in MLB, and even though he’s been hurt for a while, he is confident that he can return to the lineup and make a sizeable impact. And, as Yankees fans have seen since Judge’s meteoric rise, the guy knows his strike zone. With his stature, he almost has no other choice. Out of the eight challenges he used when at the plate, he won six of them, and all of the challenges came at the bottom part of the zone.
When Judge taps his helmet, an occurrence that doesn’t happen very often, even though he gets questionable calls in other areas than the bottom of the strike zone, it’s worth paying attention to. He commands the batter’s box, and he knows his strike zone better than anyone.
Caballero won’t be in the lineup as consistently anymore with the coming of 21-year-old George Lombard Jr., but in the at-bats that he will get, he loves to challenge. Fortunately, he’s good at it too. His 24 challenges are a team high, and at a 58 percent win rate, he’s doing about as much as he can in the box. Sixty-seven percent of Caballero’s pitch challenges are considered reasonable according to Baseball Savant, so while he doesn’t always get it right, most of them are within the margin of error to understand why he may think a ball is a strike or vice versa.
A name that many might not expect to be on here is Ryan McMahon. He’s not an above-average hitter (and never has been). His 82 OPS+ this season could be the lowest of his career in a year when he plays more than 100 games, but that hasn’t stopped him from challenging the strike zone when necessary. He has quietly had the highest success rate of anyone on the Yankees with five or more challenges. However, the caveat is that, while he’s successful, he doesn’t challenge often. Five is not a high number relatively speaking. He sits tied for 11th in challenge attempts, and of the seven players lower than him, three of them have only one challenge and two have two. So, for Yankees fans it might be worth remembering that McMahon doesn’t use the challenge system often, but when he does, he’s usually correct.
Bottom Three:
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (-4.8, 7/21 challenges)
Paul Goldschmidt (-4.4, 1/6 challenges)
Cody Bellinger (-3.9, 1/7 challenges)
The feeling has been consistent regarding Chisholm’s work at the plate this season. He came into the year talking about a goal of reaching the 50-50 mark, and to this point, he only has 17 home runs, a slash line of .216/.295/.396, and an OPS+ of 92. His work in the field has been strong, at the very least. His 10 OAA at second base is the 10th best among all major league players and third amongst second basemen (JJ Wetherholt for St. Louis has 22 OAA and Luis Arraez, now with Philadelphia following a stint in San Francisco, leads him). However, the work at the plate has been subpar, and it’s not just the box score numbers; it’s the challenge numbers too.
Chisholm has been the worst Yankee all season long at challenging pitches. He sits with a 33 percent correct challenge rate, and while that’s not the lowest number on the team, he’s also challenged 21 times, the second-most on the team. According to Baseball Savant, Chisholm hasn’t challenged pitches that would be considered reasonable to challenge. Of 23 opportunities he had according to the model, he only challenged eight times, good for 38 percent.
Goldschmidt’s presence is a little less of a problem now that the Yankees found Luis Garcia Jr. to take over his role at first base. When he was in the lineup, he was still hitting at an above-average level, so the lack of successful challenges has less of a bad taste. The same could even be said for Bellinger, who is having another excellent year, but is still dealing with the hamstring injury that has left him out of the lineup since July 26th. He appears to be on a faster track than anticipated, and having him back in the lineup would do wonders for the Yankees’ offense. But his challenges to this point in 2026, even though there have only been eight, have not helped the Bombers get the offense moving or continue to move forward.
Bellinger’s challenge numbers are a bit of a concern considering just how important a cog in the Yankees’ offense he is. He has challenged seven times in 2026 and has only won once. For the most part, his challenges have come on the outside of the zone, and the pitches he’s challenging are so tight that they have low challenge probabilities. But Bellinger challenges them with the confidence that they are balls, and unfortunately, they have all ended up as strikes. So, for Yankees fans watching a Bellinger at-bat, look for opposing pitchers to linger on the outside of the zone, not just because that’s a hard place for any player to create power from. Still, it’s also a potential spot for Bellinger to make a mistake and waste a challenge.
Writing this article without mentioning Austin Wells would be an oversight, too. His challenges behind the dish have helped Yankees pitchers out of multiple jams, and while his season at the plate isn’t going well at all, of his 96 challenges, he has had 59 correct, good for a 61 percent correct rate. That puts Wells 12th-best amongst catchers with 55 or more challenges. So, while trusting him at the plate may be a foregone conclusion, Wells has still been strong behind it, and a tap of the helmet from him shouldn’t be much of a worry for Yankees fans.
The Yankees need their big guns not just to hit the ball well, but to use their challenges effectively. And while some of them have completed that mission so far this season, there are some players in the everyday lineup who need to fine-tune their understanding of how strike zones are going to be called, and, more importantly, when to use challenges in a given game. The postseason is called tighter, and there’s less room for error, so a World Series-winning team will take full advantage of the ABs, but it is also disciplined with its usage.
Angels pitcher Luke Murphy speaks with pitching coach Mike Maddux, second from left, during a game last month. (William Liang / Associated Press)
The Angels fired pitching coach Mike Maddux and two other major league pitching coaches Tuesday, the latest decision in interim general manager John Mozeliak’s aggressive push to revitalize the moribund franchise.
One week after trading eight players off the major league roster to launch a long-overdue rebuilding effort, Mozeliak fired Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Dom Chiti.
The Angels have a 4.53 earned-run average, ranking 24th among the 30 major league teams. They lead the majors in walks, and they have blown 20 of 36 save opportunities. They posted a 4.89 ERA last season, ranking 28th.
The Angels have the worst record in the major leagues and are on pace for the first 100-loss season in franchise history. Their hitters have fared no better than their pitchers: The Angels rank 26th in the majors in runs scored.
The interim pitching coach, Tim Leveque, will be the Angels’ sixth in seven years.
The contract of manager Kurt Suzuki expires at the end of the season. If the Angels hire a new manager for next season, he would become the team’s sixth manager in eight years.
When Mozeliak joined the Angels in June, he said he had told Suzuki and the coaches “they’re all fine for this year.”
In a statement Tuesday, Mozeliak said: “After spending time discussing with Kurt where we are as a coaching staff and where we want to go in the future, we felt it was best to make a change. With seven weeks remaining, we plan to use this time to evaluate what additional steps are needed to elevate our entire pitching program and best position us for success moving forward.”
Maddux, a pitching coach for five major league teams, and Scott each was in his first season in Anaheim. Chiti is a longtime associate of Perry Minasian, fired as the Angels’ general manager in June.
The interim pitching coach: Leveque, the Angels’ double-A pitching coach and a longtime pitching instructor under Mozeliak with the St. Louis Cardinals. The interim bullpen coach: Michael Wuertz, the Angels’ assistant minor league pitching coordinator.
Mozeliak said last week that he had yet to discuss with the Angels owner Arte Moreno and team president Molly Jolly whether he would continue as the Angels’ top baseball operations official, although many baseball insiders believe he would like to do so. The Angels have committed only to filling that position by the end of the season.
The Atlanta Braves are looking to rebound a tough loss last night against the New York Mets as a clash between two top ten offenses since the All-Star break meet in game two at Truist Park.
The Braves have scored the seventh most runs in MLB since the All-Star break, and the Mets have scored the tenth most. That being said, the rankings are a bit skewed. The gap between the two teams is sixteen runs. If the Braves had sixteen more runs since the break, they would only be two runs behind the MLB leader.
The Mets seem to be getting it together offensively, even without Juan Soto, which means Martín Pérez and crew will need to be on their game tonight to ensure a victory against the Nolan McLean. McLean is having a solid year but has shown some weakness as of late.
McLean was able to hold the Braves to just two earned runs over six innings in early July when he faced off against Pérez the first time. However, over his last three starts he has struggled to an ERA of 4.67. This is largely due to four HRs in that span and an inflated BABIP of .370. The Braves may be facing McLean at the perfect time while he seems to need to make some adjustments or is wearing down after a long season. McLean only has 178.2 innings under his belt in his MLB career, and 130.2 of them are from this season.
With McLean being new to the league, the Braves do not have many at-bats against him. Michael Harris is tied with the most with eight but has struggled to an OPS of .250. Matt Olson is the other player with eight ABs and he is hitless against McLean. Ronald Acuña has a HR in three at-bats, and Drake Baldwin has .900 OPS in five at-bats.
The question of the day with a right-handed pitcher was who was going to be the DH with Dominic Smith’s magic running out.
Ronald Acuña will be the DH today which will slot Mike Yastrzemski into RF. Jim Jarvis is getting another start at SS and super utility Dubón will be in LF. Drake Baldwin is staying in the leadoff spot, which appears to be the norm at this point. It should also be noted that Walt Weiss seems to finally be making it common practice to have Albies out of the top four when facing a righty.
The Mets were able to tag Pérez for four earned runs in early July, but since that gave Pérez has a 1.42 ERA and 3.35 FIP over 19.0 innings with sixteen strikeouts, albeit with a BABIP of .184.
Francisco Lindor has faced Pérez in twenty-five ABs and has been successful with an OPS of 1.213. Another player to keep an eye on is Bo Bichette. He has an OPS of 1.100 and average of .467 against Pérez in fifteen ABs. Marcus Semien has a whopping forty-one ABs against Pérez and has a .707 OPS against him.
On paper it looks like the slight edge factoring in the trends of SPs and the lineups, but we all know that anything can happen in baseball.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 21: Cameron Flukey #2 of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers pitches against the LSU Tigers in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals at Charles Schwab Field on June 21, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A wave of additions to the Low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers roster have been announced as the 2026 Detroit Tigers draft class receives their first assignments in pro ball. 2026 first round selection RHP Cameron Flukey heads the list, as he is slated to debut in the organization with a start for the Flying Tigers on Wednesday night. The 21-year-old right-hander, selected 22nd overall back in July, missed the early part of his college season with Coastal Carolina due to a stress fracture in his ribs. The Tigers have decided to try to make up some of those innings lost in his final college season, and sources have reported that Flukey has looked very good in his bullpen sessions as he prepares to start his pro career. If things go well, there’s a good chance he could begin his first full season in 2027 at the High-A level, putting him on a relative fast track towards the upper levels of the minor leagues.
Joining Flukey in Lakeland will also be 2026 sixth rounder SS Maddux Molony, and seventh rounder 1B Brady Ballinger. The Tigers have already made some additions to the Flying Tigers roster in recent weeks as former top prep picks LHP Paul Wilson and RHP Owen Hall have each made a few appearances. An exciting young shortstop prospect in Angel De Los Santos has been making waves after a strong showing in the Complex League and some good work in his first seven games for the Flying Tigers with a pair of home runs already. Fellow 19-year-old infielder Ronald Ramirez is also off to a strong start.
Shortstop Tyson LeBlanc, the Tigers second round pick this year, is currently on the 7-day IL with an undisclosed injury, but seems likely to return in time to start his pro career in Lakeland before the season ends.
The Bridge League, which is essentially an unofficial continuation of the Complex League on the backfields, has also had some interesting news as both RHP Michael Massey and RHP Zach Swanson, two high bonus picks who have spent most of their time in pro ball on the injured list, have made appearances. Massey was the Tigers’ 4th rounder out of Wake Forest in 2024, while Swanson was a prep pick in the same draft. The duo were among our favorite arms selected over the past four drafts under the Scott Harris front office, so it’s good to finally see them healthy and getting some work in.
Finally, 3B Carson Rucker, along with RHP Luke Hoskins, and RHP Maddux Long, have been promoted from Lakeland to High-A West Michigan.
Shortstop prospect John Peck is due to begin a rehab assignment tonight in Lakeland. However, in less happy news, outfielder Wenceel Pérez is still dealing with vision issues and headaches after suffering an orbital fracture back in early June. His rehab assignment has been temporarily shut down while he is re-evaluated.
Big day of moves for Lakeland(1/3): RD1 pick Cameron Flukey will make his pro debut with Lakeland this week. After missing two months due to a stress fracture in his rib in Feb., he is being built back up to make up for the IP lost over that span. @tigersMLreport@bythewaybro
