PHOENIX — San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman left the Giants’ loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks because of an abdominal strain that he suffered in the sixth inning.
The five-time Gold Glove winner is scheduled for an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
The 33-year-old Chapman charged in on a ground ball, fielded it cleanly with his bare hand and threw out Gabriel Moreno at first to end the sixth, but was in obvious pain as he gingerly walked to the dugout.
Chapman said his abdominal area had been bothering him some over the past several weeks, but the pain had been manageable until the incident.
“It’s been hot and cold where I’m trying to figure out what’s going on,” Chapman said. “I made that bare-handed play and that was the first time that one specific play made me cringe and go down a little bit, where I was actually in a lot of pain.”
He batted in the seventh and was retired on an infield pop out before leaving the game.
Chapman is batting .235 this season with seven homers and 42 RBIs.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 19: Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners makes a diving catch during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on June 19, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rick Rizzs Happy Totals: 13 Dan Wilson Tough One Tonights: 14 Run Differential: -17
Beef Boy Bombs: 1 Josh Naylor SB: 3 for 4 Julio HR-SB: 2-7 Ty France Memorial HBP Counter: Randy Arozarena, 4
Luke Raley wOBA rank: 235 of 236 (May was 1 of 260) Dominic Canzone Barrel%: 16.1% (15th) J.P. Crawford Innings Played at 3B: 104 Colt Emerson OAA at SS: -1 Rob Refsnyder PA: 33
Piggyback starts: 1 Logan Gilbert Fastball%: 50.9% Emerson Hancock ERA/xERA: 5.19/5.01 Bryce Miller K%-BB%: 38.1% (1st, min 20 IP (2nd place is 31.8%))
BOSTON — Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was tossed for a second straight game after throwing his helmet toward Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli during a heated exchange that ended with the benches clearing and multiple ejections.
Cavalli struck out Contreras looking on a full-count pitch in the top of the fourth of what eventually became an 8-1 victory by the Nationals. The 27-year-old right-hander then shouted at Contreras as Contreras made his way back to the Boston dugout.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said he heard Cavalli yell “Sit down, boy” after fanning Contreras.
Asked what his specific words to Contreras were, Cavalli told reporters, “I don’t know. I just lose my head in it. I’m competitive. I just told him to sit down.”
The term “boy” has a racially charged history in the U.S.. Contreras, who is Venezuelan, demurred when asked if he felt there was a racial component to Cavalli’s word choice.
“To be honest, I don’t know,” Contreras said, later adding he plans to “let MLB handle that.”
Contreras, who hit a three-run homer off Washington’s Miles Mikolas and celebrated with a massive bat flip that he later apologized for, then approached Cavalli on the mound. The two jawed at each other as both dugouts emptied.
“He struck me on a good pitch, I was walking back to the dugout, and then he did what did, and the rest was history,” Contreras told reporters afterward, later adding, “He was like, instigating, and I snapped.”
Boston catcher Carlos Narvaez tried to hold Contreras back, but Contreras broke loose long enough to leap and throw his batting helmet in Cavalli’s direction.
Things settled down quickly after that, though the brief dustup ended with Contreras, Tracy, Boston outfielder Nate Eaton and Mikolas being ejected.
Cavalli pointed to an incident at the end of the top of the first when Contreras nearly ran into the pitcher as both exited the field as the spark that set things in motion.
“He’s just been doing stuff,” Cavalli said of Contreras. “In the first inning, he just runs past me and brushes me. It’s just something you don’t do in baseball. I think he knows that. I didn’t say anything. I just looked at him. And a few words were said after the strikeout. It’s part of the game. And he’s going to let everybody run out there and try and do whatever he does, throw a helmet and get himself tossed.”
Cavalli stayed in the game and allowed one run on one hit with 13 strikeouts over seven innings in what became an 8-1 romp.
“After everything that happened, the people that they chose that were going to leave the game, I just felt like the other pitcher should have been one of them too,” Tracy said. “That was my biggest complaint.”
The early exit was the second in as many nights for Contreras, the first time that’s happened to a Red Sox player in the club’s 126-year history. The 34-year-old Venezuela native — who acknowledged he is having a difficult time while his native country tries to recover from a pair of devastating earthquakes — was ejected in the second inning at the start of the series for mimicking an appeal call after striking out on a checked swing.
“I feel like everything is against me right now,” Contreras said. “I got ejected last night from nothing. I got ejected today even though I was walking back to the dugout.”
With summer baseball in full swing as the All-Star Break looms, the game's next generation is preparing for its moment in the limelight with July's MLB Draft, Futures Game and HBCU Swingman Classic. Amid the excitement, fans can look forward to a behind-the-scenes journey following six of baseball's top prospects and draft hopefuls with MLB Road to the Show, a new five-part docuseries streaming on Peacock.
The series, produced by MLB Network and narrated by content creator and YouTuber Dan Sarmiento, follows these players through Spring Training and right into the season. Fans can expect the series to highlight breakthrough performances, setbacks and personal milestones.
Get everything you need to know below with the series' featured players, full episode release schedule, and how to watch information.
Which MLB prospects and college players will Road to the Show follow?
MLB prospects
Jesus Made, SS, Brewers (MLB.com's No. 1 prospect)
After becoming just the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off HR in their debut, Braden Montgomery looks to be the latest wave in the White Sox’s emerging youth movement, with a “new guy stepping up every night.”
MLB Road to the Show episode release schedule
Episode 1: Wednesday, July 1 Episode 2: Friday, July 10 Episode 3: Sunday, July 19 Episode 4: Sunday, July 26 Episode 5: Sunday, August 2
How can I watch MLB Road to the Show?
You'll be able to watch all five episodes of MLB Road to the Show on Peacock. You can also watch several clips from episodes on the NBC Sports YouTube channel.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
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Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
MLB on NBC 2026 schedule
Click here to see the full list of MLB games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
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Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club’s home television territory. For more information, visit Peacock’s Help Center.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Junior Caminero knows the All-Star Home Run Derby doesn’t begin for a couple of weeks.
The Tampa Bay slugger is ready to go anyway.
Just hours after committing to participating in the event in Philadelphia on July 13, Caminero homered in his fifth straight game, a three-run shot off the Royals’ Noah Cameron. It was his eighth in the past seven games — something nobody in club history ever has accomplished — and it sent Tampa Bay to a 10-4 rout of Kansas City in the opener of their three-game series.
Asked to put Caminero’s hot streak in perspective, Rays manager Kevin Cash replied: “I don’t know if I can.”
“He’s really seeing the ball well,” Cash said, “and when he gets a ball to hit, he’s doing it.”
Caminero, the AL player of the week after launching seven homers and piling up 15 RBIs, put on a show last year in the Home Run Derby. With his multicolored bat sending social media ablaze, Caminero advanced to the final round before losing a close contest to Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh. The final was 18-15 in a long-ball hitting showcase.
Caminero, who is set to turn 23, went on to hit 45 homers last season, finishing sixth in Major League Baseball.
He may beat that number with ease this season. Caminero already has 23 for the AL East-leading Rays.
“I’ve feel really comfortable the last two weeks,” he said. “I’m trying to be aggressive in the zone.”
The only other players in Tampa Bay history to have homered in five consecutive games are Jose Canseco in 1999, Carlos Pena in 2010 and Mike Zunino in 2021. Pena’s streak extended to six straight games, the franchise record.
Caminero will try to match that against Kansas City.
“I mean, thank God he’s on our team,” Rays pitcher Griffin Jax said with a smile. “The way he’s doing it with the power and the not chasing and the not whiffing is just so impressive.”
In an era of faster-paced games thanks in part to the implementation of a pitch clock, MLB has decided to eliminate a similar clock from its Home Run Derby this summer. Each hitter will have 20 swings in the first round of this year’s contest. The change coincides with a switch in broadcaster to Netflix.
Any player who homers on his 20th swing will keep on swinging until he doesn’t connect for home run. The top four hitters advance, with the distance of the longest homer being used as the tiebreaker if necessary.
The way he’s been swinging the bat, Caminero has a good shot at being there at the end.
“He gets a pitch to hit and he’s not missing,” Rays catcher Nick Fortes said. “I’ve never experienced it so I don’t know how to describe it.”
The Cincinnati Reds are +144 underdogs when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers (-150) tonight, with Shane Drohan looking to continue his impressive form.
My Reds vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks are targeting Drohan to pitch well, while Milwaukee will jump on the struggling Andrew Abbott.
Who will win Reds vs Brewers today: Brewers -1.5 (+134)
Shane Drohan is throwing the baseball well for the Milwaukee Brewers. While his 5.03 FIP over his last two outings doesn't jump off the page, the underlying metrics suggest he's in line for another quality start. The left-hander has allowed just 0.96 home runs per nine innings during that span while limiting opponents to a 32.4% hard-hit rate over the last month.
As for Cincinnati Reds starter Andrew Abbott, he owns a 5.34 FIP across his last five outings while allowing 1.98 home runs per nine innings and a 41% hard-hit rate. Across Abbott's last two starts alone, he has an alarming 6.98 FIP.
Drohan holds the edge, and Milwaukee's 140 wRC+ over its last six games makes this a favorable matchup.
I'll play this pick up to -110.
COVERS INTEL: This Brewers lineup has a .227 ISO in the last week, compared to a .142 mark overall this season. That's a recipe for success against the home run prone Andrew Abbott.
Reds vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-126)
The Over offers value. I expect Milwaukee to do damage against Andrew Abbott, while Shane Drohan has been capable of allowing a few runs himself. A 4-2 or 5-3 type game before the starters exit is certainly on the table, but the bullpens could push this total even higher.
Milwaukee's relief corps owns a 5.22 xERA over the last week while walking an alarming 7.43 hitters per nine innings.
Cincinnati's bullpen hasn't been much better, posting a 7.96 FIP across its last 20 innings while allowing 2.70 home runs per nine. That's a dangerous combination against a Brewers lineup swinging the bats well.
I'll play this pick up to -140.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 32-29, +0.62 units
Over/Under bets: 34-26, +3.40 units
Reds vs Brewers weather
Conditions at American Family Field should be favorable for hitters tonight. Temperatures will remain warm, starting around 92°F before cooling into the mid-80s, while 13-15 mph winds could give well-hit balls a little extra carry. With virtually no chance of rain, the weather shouldn't interrupt play and may provide a slight boost to offense.
Reds vs Brewers odds
Moneyline: Reds +144 | Brewers -150
Run line: Reds +1.5 (-138) | Brewers -1.5 (+133)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-122) | Under (+117)
Reds vs Brewers trend
The Brewers have covered the run line in 30 of their last 50 home games for +15.70 units and a 27% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Reds vs. Brewers.
How to watch Reds vs Brewers and game info
Location
American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Date
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
First pitch
8:10 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Reds starting pitcher
Andrew Abbott (5-4, 3.90 ERA)
Brewers starting pitcher
Shane Drohan (3-2, 3.12 ERA)
Reds vs Brewers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
TORONTO, ON - JULY 1: Mason Fluharty #68 of the Toronto Blue Jays warms up ahead of playing the New York Yankees, in front of Canadian flags for Canada Day celebration, ahead of their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on July 1, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 30: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with Alejandro Osuna #19 in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run to tie the game in the third inning during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Rangers 4, Guardians 2
Another kind of weird win.
Wyatt Langford on the injured list. Brandon Nimmo out of the lineup with an injury. Corey Seager in the lineup, only to be pinch hit for immediately because he couldn’t get his back loose.
No problem, right?
Jacob deGrom did his thing, despite allowing a two run homer to the third batter he faced.
deGrom has allowed 16 homers this season. 8 of them have come in the first inning.
Weirdly, he’s allowed 5 homers in the fourth inning.
But while he has allowed only 6 runs, total, in the fourth inning despite allowing those 5 homers, deGrom has allowed 17 runs in the first inning of games this year. He’s allowed 20 runs in every other inning, total.
I usually don’t buy the “you have to score runs on Pitcher X early or else you won’t score on him at all” cliche that announcers often use, but in the case of deGrom, it has been true this year.
deGrom ended up going 7 innings, striking out 9 and not walking anyone. After allowing a Daniel Schneemann single to start the second, he retired the next 17 batters in a row. Schneemann broke the streak with another single and then stole second, which didn’t matter, because deGrom struck out Gabriel Arias to end the inning.
With those nine strikeouts, deGrom passed Aaron Nola for 103rd on the all time strikeout list, with 1966, though Nola, who is just three Ks behind him, will likely move back ahead of him in Nola’s next start.
Ahead of deGrom are Kenny Rogers (1968 Ks), Bob Welch (1969), Al Leiter (1974), Livan Hernandez (1976), and then John Clarkson and Ervin Santana (1978).
Unusually, the Guardians were on deGrom’s slider — he got just 5 whiffs on 21 swings on his slider. However, he was blowing his fastball past them, getting 10 swings and misses on it.
Peyton Gray and Jacob Latz handled the eighth and ninth, with Latz getting his 18th save of the season, putting him third in the A.L. in saves.
deGrom going seven innings is also big in terms of getting most of the bullpen a day of rest, though Latz will likely be unavailable for the series finale on Wednesday after pitching two days in a row.
The lineup, perhaps not surprisingly, didn’t put many baserunners on, but if you hit homers and time those homers well, you don’t necessarily need to have a lot of baserunners.
Joc Pederson tied things up with a two run homer in the third after Nicky Lopez had singled.
Josh Jung homered off of Shawn Armstrong in the eighth for the Rangers’ insurance run.
Incidentally, Armstrong, whose departure caused such angst this offseason, has a 4.74 ERA and 4.73 FIP this year, with his walk rate almost doubling from 2025 and his home run rate more than doubling.
Armstrong had a 4.86 ERA in 2024 and a 4.38 ERA in 2022, compared to a 2.31 ERA in 2025 and a 1.38 ERA in 2023. Maybe you should just sign him in odd numbered years.
As for the third run…man, I’m reluctant to even talk about it, due to the secondhand embarrassment.
Ezequiel Duran singled to start the seventh, and went to second on an Evan Carter U3 grounder that caused much discussion on the broadcast as to whether or not it should have been called a foul ball.
Alejandro Osuna then hit a routine fly ball to left field. Cooper Ingle, playing in just his fourth major league game, made the catch.
Then, apparently forgetting how many outs there were, he started trotting in, and threw the ball into the stands.
That would have been fine if it was, as Ingle apparently thought, the third out. But since it was the second out, throwing the ball in the stands meant that Duran advanced two bases, scoring the go ahead run.
The Rangers benefited from that play, but even so, I was cringing. I felt bad for Ingle. I was, honestly, relieved when Jung homered — I didn’t want that play to be the difference in the game.
Ingle ended up striking out to end the game, as well. Honestly, I feel for that dude right now.
That Osuna fly out was the only at bat the Rangers had with a runner in scoring position in the game. The Guardians had just two — Kyle Manzardo’s home run off of deGrom in the first inning, and the Arias strikeout after Schneemann stole second in the seventh.
The win keeps the Rangers in first place in the A.L. West, a half game up on Seattle, two games up on Houston, and four games up on that team in Sacramento.
Jacob deGrom hit 100.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 98.7 mph. Peyton Gray’s fastball topped out at 93.7 mph. Jacob Latz reached 96.4 mph with his fastball.
Jake Burger had a 108.1 mph groundout. Evan Carter had a 104.0 mph fly out. Joc Pederson’s homer was 102.7 mph off the bat. Josh Jung’s homer was 101.0 mph.
Jun 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) celebrates win with right fielder Billy Cook (25) and left fielder Jake Mangum (28) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
As of this morning, the Pittsburgh Pirates are 43-43. Certainly an improvement over the Bucs teams of years past, but not quite good enough for the MLB Playoffs. They currently sit at 3 games back of a Wild Card spot. What we want to know is if you think the Bucs can battle their way into the Wild Card?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results!
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 29: Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber #12 hits the ball during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburg Pirates on June 29th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Kyle Schwarber has more home runs than anyone else in baseball this season. If you are surprised by this, you are probably also shocked on a daily basis by things like the sky being blue or your stove being hot. It must be nice, one supposes, to have such an vast capacity for wonder.
But even those of us who have a somewhat more reasonable capacity for it can do some wondering. We know that Kyle Schwarber is one of the finest home run hitters of his generation. We know that he strikes fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers, cowardly and superstitious lot that they are. But we do not yet know if he will hit 500 home runs. He currently stands at 370. Someday, in a bittersweet moment that will not be recognized for what it is until it has past, he will hit his last. That is certain. The number assigned to that final round tripper, however, is uncertain.
Today’s question is: Will Kyle Schwarber hit 500 home runs before he retires?
On Monday, the wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field at 15 miles per hour on a hot evening. Not a single home run left the yard.
On Tuesday, the wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field at 19 miles per hour on a hot evening, 92 degrees at game time. Nine home runs – five by the Cubs and four by the Padres – headed to the bleachers (and Waveland!). The wind didn’t actually have much to do with it, as only one of the home runs Tuesday was wind-aided. The Cubs outlasted the Padres 9-7 during this home-run festival, their fourth win in a row and 14th in their last 18 games.
The long balls began on the fifth pitch of the game by Matthew Boyd. Fernando Tatis Jr. deposited that baseball on Waveland:
— Trent Weyermuller 🐻⚾️ (@CubsBallhawk) July 1, 2026
But that’s all the Padres would get in that inning. Boyd set down the next three hitters on just seven pitches.
The Cubs wasted no time getting that run back. With one out, Alex Bregman walked. He was forced at second by Seiya Suzuki, but when Tatis’ throw went into the Padres dugout, Suzuki took second.
That was Bregman’s first home run since June 11 and just his second of the month. Maybe, just maybe, this will begin a good run for him.
The Padres made it 5-3 off Matthew Boyd in the third with another long ball, this one a two-run shot by Manny Machado. That could have been more if not for yet another diving play by Nico [VIDEO].
Swanson had a huge series in New York, didn’t do anything in Milwaukee and now has had two good games against the Padres. Over his last 12 games: .340/373/.830 (16-for-47) with three doubles, a triple, six home runs, 21 (!) RBI, four stolen bases and 12 runs scored. In that span he’s raised his season OPS from .587 to .691.
Boyd allowed two singles leading off the San Diego sixth and was lifted for Javier Assad, who immediately got Xander Bogaerts to hit into a double play, then got another out to end the inning. The Cubs made it 9-3 in the bottom of the inning on PCA’s 18th home run [VIDEO].
Okay, that one needed a bit of help from the wind.
Assad threw a scoreless seventh and then ran out of gas in the eighth. Gavin Sheets smacked a three-run homer and Tatis went deep for the second time to make it 9-7. A walk brought Machado to the plate as the potential tying run. Tyler Ferguson entered the game and struck him out [VIDEO].
The Cubs got two runners on leading off the bottom of the eighth, but could not score.
Ferguson began the ninth inning by getting two fly balls to left. With Merrill coming to bat, Craig Counsell summoned Ryan Rolison to finish things off. It took Rolison just three pitches to get another fly to left to end the game [VIDEO].
For Rolison, it was his first career MLB save. The Cubs have now had 10 different pitchers record saves this year. In addition to Rolison: Daniel Palencia, Jacob Webb, Caleb Thielbar, Colin Rea, Hoby Milner, Ben Brown, Trent Thornton, Jordan Wicks and Corbin Martin. The leader is still Palencia… with three.
About the Cubs’ five-homer game, from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs had hit three home runs in nine of their 85 games this season before this game. This is their first with more than three.
Last year, they hit at least four in 17 games, eight of them at home. Their longest stretch with no more than three was 36 games.
They went 92 games between four-homer ones in 2024, 80 in 2023, 69 in 2022 and 64 in 2021.
Their last game before this one with at least five homers was the one where they set the franchise record of eight, July 4, 2025 against the Cardinals.
The Cubs thus finish June on a roll. After a rough start to the month they end it with a 16-10 record, and as noted earlier, a four-game winning streak and a 14-4 run. The Brewers also won Tuesday so the Cubs continue to trail them by 5.5 games in the NL Central.
The Cubs will go for a series sweep over the Padres Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field and it’s supposed to be hot and windy again. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs and Walker Buehler goes for San Diego. Game time is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Jun 29, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson (2) mishandles a ground ball allowing two runs to score in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
The Orioles keep finding ways to beat themselves. This isn’t a hot take or even a fresh one. The book is out on the Baltimore Orioles. There are several talented players, but they will not beat you with sound baseball. They are the opposite of those pesky teams that play the game the right way and sneak out close wins. They are 6-13 in one-run games.
Still, the woeful American League has kept Baltimore within five games of a playoff spot. The third wild card, paired with a potentially desperate Mike Elias, has kept the concept of competing in 2026 alive. There is enough talent to see an above .500 baseball team if you look through the right lense, but it’s growing more difficult by the day.
I can’t manage an optimistic approach right now, but I can point out that several things need to change if this team is going to get hot in the second half. It feels like a cop-out to just say hit better, pitch better, and play better defense, so here’s my best crack at some changes that the team can implement starting today.
Give up the third catcher
Offensive catchers have been described as a “cheat code.” The Orioles have two of them. Both Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo possess legitimate middle-of-the-order bats, and the team routinely pencils them both into the lineup. It’s a luxury to have one catcher that can handle himself at the dish, but having two is extremely rare. On paper, Baltimore should receive a legitimate boost on day games when other teams are forced to implement a traditionally light-hitting backstop.
The Orioles are currently using an additional roster spot on catcher Chadwick Tromp. The Birds were happy to get Tromp back in the organization with Rutschman on the 7-day IL, and the team elected to keep Tromp over Sam Huff.
It’s easy to understand why the Orioles want to provide Rutschman and Basallo extra rest. Baltimore gave Rutschman a breather last night, but Tromp remained on the bench. Basallo is obviously capable of catching when Rutschman gets the day off, and the team could use the roster spot on the recently optioned Jeremiah Jackson or another position player.
Address the issue at third base
I’ve spend an unhealthy amount of time wondering how a healthy Jordan Westburg could help this team, but he’s not walking through that door. Right now, the Orioles only have Coby Mayo and Blaze Alexander for the hot corner. Mayo’s defensive woes have been well documented, but Alexander recently stepped into the spotlight. Alexander’s late error brought boo’s from the crowd on Monday night, and he holds a -4.2 UZR/150 rating at the position this year.
Coby Mayo was always going to be a bat-first baseball player. The corner infielder holds a .295/.368/.721 slash line against left-handed pitching this season. He’s hitting .148/.215/.235 against the righties. It’s fine if the Orioles want a bad defender on the field because of a 1.089 OPS, but they simply have to stop putting Mayo on the field when facing a right-handed pitcher.
I get that Gunnar Henderson doesn’t want to play third base, but he probably doesn’t want to keep losing games either. The Orioles probably do not trust Jackson Holliday’s defense at shortstop either, but it’s time to try something different. Sliding the two infielders to their right would allow Alexander and a recalled Jackson to split time at second.
If the team really is a buyer, they could strike a deal for a third baseman or a shortstop capable of hitting right-handed pitching. There’s no rule that you have to break the bank for a guy like Matt Chapman or wait until the end of July.
Activate Dean Kremer and keep a five-man rotation
The Orioles have forfeited their buffer when it comes to keeping Trey Gibson in the starting rotation. Gibson has pitched like a rookie that’s still figuring things out, and that’s completely reasonable. Craig Albernaz clearly does not trust the rookie to face opponents a third time through the order, and that’s something that really only comes with time.
Unfortunately, the Orioles are out of time. Gibson could use the reps, and Kyle Bradish could probably use an extra day of rest every once and awhile, but the team needs its best five guys taking the ball every five days. Kremer should return from the injured list this week, and Gibson should probably return to Norfolk’s starting rotation.
The Hall of Fame Indexwas first published in 201o. It had been in the works for nearly a decade at that point. The whole point was to establish a systematic way of looking at Hall of Fame candidates and those already in the Hall of Fame. At its best, it measures fitness for the Hall of Fame and aims to put players into groups with other similar players so we can compare them.
The sequel was published in 2020. It obviously updated numbers for players that were currently active, but also adjusted the formula as we got more information. One of the key things in statistical analysis is that we are always learning something new. The formula is similar to JAWS, but has a couple of key differences. First, it combines baseball-reference.com WAR and Fangraphs.com WAR into one number. I do that for two main reasons. First and foremost, the more data the better in most instances. It gives us a cross-section of what keen sabermetric minds feel about a player.
The second reason is that there is always an intellectual divide on these things. The old formulas included win shares, but since Bill James retired, there is no longer an update on current win shares, so that one has been dropped from the formula. Like JAWS, the index includes a peak value element. However, the peak value is made up of ten seasons. I have gotten push back on this and the push back is perfectly reasonable. I chose ten years because you need to play at least ten years to get into the Hall of Fame and ten years gives you slightly more data than the seven years that JAWS brings.
That is important distinction because I do not profile any players until they have been in the league for at least ten seasons. So, as we compare Alex Bregman to his contemporaries, there are five third baseman that make the list. I will not speak for Jay Jaffe (the creator of JAWS) but the index was never meant to rank order players. It was meant to place players into groups with other similar players so that we can directly compare them using other means. I have done this before with Bregman, but since we are at the midway point of the 2026 season, it is a good time to revisit it.
BWAR
FWAR
BWAR10
FWAR10
Index
Jose Ramirez
60.1
59.9
54.8
55.9
230.7
Manny Machado
61.3
57.6
52.9
49.5
221.3
Nolan Arenado
59.2
52.5
53.0
48.5
211.0
Alex Bregman
45.1
49.5
44.1
43.2
176.9
Matt Chapman
44.5
36.3
44.5
36.3
161.6
It’s at this point where I feel the need to reiterate the idea that the index was not meant to rank order players. I would argue that Ramirez is better because he is still trending up where Machado seems to be spinning his wheels, but the numbers by themselves do not prove he is better. They show he is slightly more fit for Cooperstown and that is an important distinction. It is the other tests that will show who is actually better.
As for Bregman, these scores are meant to peg him historically so that we can talk about his career in the proper context. Ironically, he is most similar to another well-known third baseman that finished his career with the Cubs. Ron Cey finished with a higher career value than Bregman, but Bregman is still going. When the dust settles they will probably sit right next to each other and almost look like the same player.
I should point out that Chapman is officially in his tenth season, so anything he does for the remainder of the year will be added to the career and peak value categories. So, he is also close to Bregman in terms of value. If you read the Altuve article, you know we will look at offensive numbers, fielding numbers, MVP voting, and playoff numbers to give us an idea of who might belong and who might not.
Offensive Numbers
OPS+
rOBA
Rbaser
ROV
OW%
Jose Ramirez
130
.369
49
.327
.658
Manny Machado
122
.353
1
.291
.574
Nolan Arenado
118
.362
-3
.295
.606
Alex Bregman
130
.363
-5
.308
.631
Matt Chapman
118
.340
7
.290
.558
I really invite you to read the Altuve article from Monday for a help with the statistical breakdowns. To put it in simple terms, rOBA can be compared to on base percentage and ROV can be compared to batting average. They both include both on base and slugging elements, but in terms of what is good or not good, they are fairly easy to interpret that way. Even without the explanation, we can clearly see that these guys are all fairly similar for the most part.
In a historical context this makes things challenging. How many Hall of Famers should an era have at any one position? If you are the fifth best third baseman from an era are you really a Hall of Famer? That’s a nuanced and difficult question to answer. Each period has strong positions and weak positions. We saw that second base is relatively shallow at the moment. We will see on Friday that shortstop is similar to third base in terms of depth. So far, none of these guys is really distinguishing themselves as above the rest. Ramirez comes closest in some categories, but we will need to look at fielding first.
Fielding Numbers
Rfield
DRS
OAA
FRV
Jose Ramirez
34
36
57
43
Manny Machado
93
93
25
23
Nolan Arenado
172
172
113
94
Alex Bregman
34
36
57
43
Matt Chapman
121
121
71
64
Perceptive people will notice one thing immediately: Rfield and DRS are basically the same. It’s because they are the same. Why do we include both? BWAR officially bases the fielding part of the formula on Rfield. If you go to Fangraphs, you will see defensive runs saved (DRS), outs above average (OAA), and fielding run value (FRV). Those two numbers are usually lower because they are more recent and have some seasons missing, but also because they are compiled differently. FWAR is built using OAA and FRV and not DRS.
I’ve made no bones about the fact that I refuse to take sides in the debate over which metric is best. All three are designed by people far smarter than me. What we can see in a general sense is that all of these guys are considered to be at least above average with the glove. Arenado and Chapman are clearly head and shoulders above the other three.
Arenado is likely in the finishing stages of his career, so his defensive value will be fairly fixed. Chapman is still close to the prime of his career, so he still could add some value on the back end. Similarly, Ramirez is also closer to his prime, so he could add some value there as well. As an analyst, I would stay these numbers tend to put Arenado’s career in a much different light.
MVP Voting
Voting
BWAR
Diff
Top
Jose Ramirez
37
29
8
1
Manny Machado
26
26
0
0
Nolan Arenado
26
33
-7
1
Alex Bregman
12
15
-3
0
Matt Chapman
7
15
-8
0
The MVP points test is important for two reasons. First, it is a different way of expressing peak value. It answers the question of whether a player was ever the best player in the league. According to BWAR, Bregman and Arenado led the league once in BWAR. Neither won an MVP. That spills us into the second reason why this test is valuable. It shows us the difference between how a player was perceived and how he actually performed. Four of the five third basemen here were under-appreciated.
The points are weighted more heavily the higher in the MVP standings you finish. Baseball-reference also does us a solid by enumerating how many times a player finished in the top ten in BWAR. In his landmark book “Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame,” Bill James asks a series of questions. Usually it starts with how often you are the best player on your team? How often were you the best player at your position? Were you ever the best player in the league?
Answering no to any of those questions is not an automatic no. For instance, Tony Perez was never the best player on those Big Red Machine Reds teams, but fans and analysts alike would agree they aren’t who they were without him. However, an answer of yes in Bregman and Arenado’s case is a feather in their cap. It is another check mark on a spreadsheet of questions you ask if someone is trying to get into the Hall of Fame.
Postseason Numbers
PA
SLASH
HR
Runs
RBI
SB
Jose Ramirez
190
.234/.316/.365
4
17
19
2
Manny Machado
218
.209/.259/.423
12
23
27
1
Nolan Arenado
35
.152/.143/.242
1
3
3
0
Alex Bregman
447
.239/.349/.442
19
63
55
3
Matt Chapman
26
.273/.346/.318
0
0
1
0
The spreadsheet motif fits here. I have a hard time taking anyone knocking Arenado based on 35 plate appearances seriously. He does not check the postseason success box. Chapman doesn’t either even those his numbers are not awful. Postseason performance is a function of opportunity and we could say Bregman has made the most of his opportunity. At least we could say he has done more with his opportunity than any of these players did.
Postseason success is a tiebreaker. If you aren’t sure where to go on a player then the success in the playoffs can push him over the top. Bregman is not a borderline Hall of Famer yet. He could be depending on what he does for the next few seasons in Chicago. If he finds his way into the neighborhood where Ramirez, Machado, and Arenado are swimming then his postseason numbers will help considerably.
Alex Bregman is closest to Matt Williams and Larry Gardner historically. Who is Larry Gardner you ask? If you have to ask then that tells you Bregman is not quite there yet. He will likely be close to the likes of Toby Harrah and Josh Donaldson at the end of the season. That’s good, but not quite good enough. If he throws a few more three or four win seasons on the board then we can start talking. Like everything else, it will all depend on how he ages.
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 30: Francisco Alvarez #4 of the New York Mets celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo-home run in the fifth inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 30, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets beat the Blue Jays 3-0 behind a dominant pitching performance by Nolan McLean, who struck out seven batters in six scoreless innings.
The Mets signed Christopher Morel to a minor league contract after his release by the Marlins last Friday.
John Harper dealt a midseason grade to the Mets defense, and in a surprise to no one, he didn’t give them high marks.
Clay Holmes will throw a bullpen session in the coming days, which puts him ahead of schedule in his recovery process (and could provide him with more value on the trade market).
The Mets need to take special care with the mental fortitude of their young players in the midst of a lost season.
Steve Gelbs reviewed the Rogers Centre hot dog as part of his Let’s Be Frank series, and he gave it a number right down the middle.
Nolan McLean threw a curveball last night that seemed genuinely unreal by the numbers.
McLean’s start was one of his best all year, and he’s been looking better on the whole as of late.
Luis Robert Jr. began his rehab assignment in Syracuse last night, playing five innings in center field and going 1-for-2 with a walk.
Around the National League East
The benches cleared during the Nationals game against the Red Sox after Willson Contreras struck out and was told by Cade Cavalli to “sit down, boy!”
The Nationals ended up handily defeating the Red Sox 8-1. Cavalli went seven innings, allowing a single unearned run, giving up one hit, and striking out thirteen batters.
The Phillies dominated the Pirates 8-0. Cristopher Sánchez spun another gem, going seven scoreless innings while giving up three hits and two walks while striking out nine.
The Braves were bested by the Cardinals 5-3. Martín Pérez gave up four runs in five innings, allowing five hits and walking three batters.
The Marlins humiliated the Rockies 14-3. Griffin Conine and Xavier Edwards each collected four hits, as Conine drove in two runs and Edwards drove in one.
Around Major League Baseball
Harborfield native Sean Keys’ power propelled him to the majors, and he got the start at first for the Blue Jays last night.
The Dodgers’ plans ahead of the trade deadline aren’t focused on Tarik Skubal or major league talent generally, but improving their minor league depth.
The Red Sox have found themselves back in the playoff race, thanks in no small part to the general quality (or lack thereof) of teams in the American League.
MLB and the MLBPA have donated $1 million to Venezuelan earthquake relief efforts.
WAR has become a top statistic within baseball, to the chagrin of some fans, but there are some changes it must make to keep from harming certain players in pre-arbitration pools and awards voting.
MLB has lost its bid to trademark the phrase “play ball” as the phrase was deemed too commonplace.
The first competitor in this year’s Home Run Derby is the red-hot Junior Caminero.
Aaron Judge is a “couple weeks” away from re-imaging on his fractured rib, putting him closer to the latter end of the original four-to-six week timeline.
Shohei Ohtani’s next start has been pushed back to Friday against the Padres, in an attempt to give him more rest between starts.
Brandon Nimmo will likely avoid the injured list after suffering an AC joint sprain.
Cam Schlittler gave up six earned runs in the worst start of his young career.
Jacob deGrom looked like his vintage self in a Rangers win over the Guardians.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 30: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers salutes the fans has he walks off the field after the Dodgers defeated the Athletics 9-3 at Sutter Health Park on June 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. The victory was Roberts's 1000th has a manager. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tuesday marked the fourth straight victory for the Dodgers on what has been a tremendous road trip, and it was an even more impactful game for manager Dave Roberts.
Now into his 11th season as Dodgers manager, Tuesday’s 9-3 victory over the Athletics marked the 1,000th win of Roberts’ managerial career, becoming the fastest manager to achieve that milestone in the live ball era and becoming the fourth manager in team history to accomplish that feat.
When asked about what it means to achieve 1,000 managerial wins, Robert described it as “mind-blowing,” per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“I mean, 1,000 didn’t even seem on my radar,” Roberts said. “That’s a long time of consistent winning, let alone keeping a job for 11 years. That’s just kind of the life I chose. But yeah, to kind of put your head down and look back and go, ‘Oh my god, I’m here,’ it’s mind-blowing.”
Roberts later shared a speech in the clubhouse following Tuesday’s victory, where he expressed his gratitude for his players, both past and present, on helping him reach 1,000 wins.
“What makes a great coach or manager? Great players, and I’ve been blessed with great players.”
Justin Wrobleski started the game that would eventually become Roberts’ 1,000th win as Dodgers manager, as the left-hander struck out a career-high 11 hitters while becoming the first Dodger pitcher since Clayton Kershaw in 2023 to have 10 wins before the All-Star break.
Wrobleski felt honored to be the winning pitcher in Roberts’ milestone game, as he spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA about the impact Roberts has had on his career.
“I want to do that for Doc. He’s done a lot for me in my career. Getting the chance to be the winning pitcher in his 1,000th win is super cool… Can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for me in my career and my development. I really wanted to get this done for him.”
Tommy Edman has been a contact machine since being activated off the injured list, as the switch hitter is slashing a robust .395/.452/.579 over his first 11 games of the season. Edman was a driving force in Tuesday’s win over the A’s, going 4-5 while connecting for his first home run of the season and driving in four runs.
Before Edman spoke with Watson about his brilliant day at the plate, he also showed his gratitude towards Dave Roberts acknowledged the privilege it is to play for the Dodgers with him at the helm.
“It really is an honor to just be a part of this team. It’s such a crazy accomplishment– 1,000 wins is just unbelievable if you really think about it. Couldn’t happen to a better guy. I’ve just loved every minute playing for him since I’ve gotten here. He’s so personable and makes it really easy to play for. He keeps things loose, and there’s a reason for why he’s won 1,000 games.”
COVERS INTEL: This Brewers lineup has a 
