Category: Baseball

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 4-3 vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs

SS George Lombard Jr. 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SB
RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, 1 BB — winning run came on a dropped pop-up Luis Castillo-style
2B Marco Luciano 1-2, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 BB
LF Oswaldo Cabrera 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
1B Seth Brown 0-4, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-4, 2 K
CF Duke Ellis 0-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K
C Abrahan Gutierrez 0-4, 1 K

Dom Hamel 6 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HR
Yerry De Los Santos 1 IP, 0 R
Peter Strzelecki 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Angel Chivilli 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H (win, blown save)

WALK OFF: Luck of the Irish Edition ☘️#RepBXpic.twitter.com/FchoQfUDgo

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) June 14, 2026

Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 4-3 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies

LF Jackson Castillo 2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 K — go-ahead homer in the second, game-winning single in the fourth
RF Garrett Martin 1-2, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
1B Nicholas Torres 1-2, 2 BB, 1 K
CF DJ Gladney 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K
3B Coby Morales 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
C Manuel Palencia 0-1, 3 BB, throwing error
2B Connor McGinnis 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
SS Owen Cobb 1-3, 1 R, 1 SB
DH Cole Gabrielson 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K

Kyle Carr 6.1 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (win)
Chris Veach 0 IP
Chris Kean 1.2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 K (hold)
Ben Grable 1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (save)

ACTION JACKSON 4⃣

Jackson Castillo clubs his 4th home run of the week to give Somerset back the lead. pic.twitter.com/BNVh1AXdjY

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) June 13, 2026

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 4-7 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws

SS Kaeden Kent 2-4, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3B Core Jackson 0-5, 1 R, 1 K, throwing and fielding error
DH Eric Genther 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
1B Kyle West 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 K
RF Wilson Rodriguez 1-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K
C Josue Gonzalez 1-4, 3 K
LF Josh Moylan 0-4, 2 K
CF Luis Durango 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB
PH Camden Troyer 0-1, 1 K

Franyer Herrera 5 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR (loss)
Andrew Landry 1 IP, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H
Thomas Balboni Jr. 0.2 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Aaron Nixon 1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Kyle West knocks a RBI Double that rolls to the wall! pic.twitter.com/IlsxzV8cCY

— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) June 13, 2026

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 2-1 at Bradenton Marauders

3B Jackson Lovich 2-4, 2 K, 1 CS
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-4, 3 K
2B Hans Montero 0-4, 1 K
RF Logan Maxwell 1-4, 2 K
CF Willy Montero 1-4, 1 R, 1 K
LF JoJo Jackson 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
C Luis Puello 0-4, 2 K
DH Engelth Urena 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI — two-run double in the second stood as the winning hit
1B David McCann 1-3, 1 2B, 2 K

Tyler Boudreau 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 4 BB, 11 K (win) — career-high 11 strikeouts, five of which came in the fifth and sixth innings
Jose Martinez 1.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K (hold)
Pedro Rodriguez 1.1 IP, 0 R, 2 K (save)

Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 9-7 (7) vs. FCL Tigers

3B Richard Matic 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R
RF Wilberson De Pena 3-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R
DH Queni Pineda 1-4, 1 K
SS Leni Done 0-2, throwing error
CF Jose Castro 1-4, 1 R, 2 K, 1 SB
LF Robbie Burnett 2-3, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 K
LF Estivenzon Montero 0-0, 1 BB
2B Dexters Peralta 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
C Justin Capellan 0-1, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1B Christofer Reyes 1-3, 1 R

Sabier Marte 3 IP, 5 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Brian Arias 1 IP, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K (win)
Rafael Arias 1.2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (hold)
Edinzo Marquez 1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB (save)

Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 9-5 (7) at DSL Bombers

CF Isaias Castillo 2-5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R, 1 K
SS Stiven Marinez 1-2, 1 3B, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, fielding error
CF Yostin Pena 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
2B Juan Torres 1-4, 1 RBI
C Juan Martinez 0-4, 1 K
RF Manuel Aguilar 0-2, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
DH Cesar Lopez 2-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 R
3B Alfred Ciriaco 1-1, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 BB
3B Abrahan Pichardo 0-0, 1 BB, 2 SB, throwing error
1B Edgar Jimenez 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
1B Jose Peralta 0-1, 1 K

Jhon Beltre 2 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Freddy Lopez 2.2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K (win)
Emanuel Vargas 1.1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 4 BB, 2 K
Varis Villarreal 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 K

Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 5-9 vs. DSL Yankees

2B Daniel Santana 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 SB
SS Mani Cedeno 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3B Carlos Bello 0-3, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 CS
CF David Carrera 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 K
C Alessandro Rodriguez 1-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K, throwing error
DH Jesus Guerrero 0-3, 1 K
LF Richard Meran 0-3, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 CS
RF Sebastian Pinto 1-2, 2 BB
1B Adrian Feliz 1-3, 3 R, 1 BB

Sebastian Castillo 3.1 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K (loss)
Carlos Hampshire 1.1 IP, 6 R, 3 H, 5 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Andre Avila 2.1 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

The Detroit Tigers have not had much luck this weekend, dropping two straight to the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, including a 3-1 loss on Saturday afternoon in Tarik Skubal’s return from the injured list. While the offense put up nine hits, the team reverted back to its unclutch ways, going just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 on base in the defeat.

On Sunday afternoon, the Motor City Kitties look to prevent a sweep at the hands of their American League Central rivals with right-hander Casey Mize toeing the rubber. The 29-year-old is also returning from his second stint on the IL this season with inflammation of his right groin.

Mize had looked great in his return from his first trip to the IL, posting a 1.08 ERA and 1.61 FIP stretching over 16 1/3 innings and three starts, allowing eight hits and a walk while striking out 14 over that stretch. The last time he saw Cleveland was in the AL Wild Card Game last September, in which he gave his team three one-run innings on just a solo home run and two walks while striking out one in what turned out to be a 6-1 loss for the Tigers.

For the Guardians, fellow righty Gavin Williams will climb the hill looking to secure his team’s second sweep and seventh straight win over Detroit this season. The 26-year-old comes into Sunday having struggled over his last two outings — both against the New York Yankees — posting a 5.23 ERA and 7.17 FIP stretching over 10 1/3 frames with four walks and 11 strikeouts.

Williams faced the Tigers last year in the postseason, earning a quality start for his two-run (neither earned) effort over six innings on five hits and a walk while striking out eight in a 2-1 loss.

Here is how the two match up in the series finale.

Detroit Tigers (29-42) vs. Cleveland Guardians (39-33)

Time (ET): 1:40 p.m.
Place: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
SB Nation Site:Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 72: RHP Casey Mize (2-3, 2.27 ERA) vs. RHP Gavin Williams (9-3, 3.32 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Mize	9	47.2	26.5	6.5	35.2	2.42	1.8
Williams	14	86.2	28.7	8.1	46.5	3.81	1.4

MIZE

WILLIAMS

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Sunday's massive 15-game MLB slate offers numerous player prop betting opportunities that we are eager to take advantage of.

I'm targeting three sluggers in great spots and terrific plus-money odds for James Wood, Yordan Alvarez, and Jonathan Aranda to have big days at the dish.

Read on for my MLB player props and MLB picks for Sunday, June 14.  

Best MLB player props today

James Wood Over 1.5 total bases (+117)

Washington Nationals slugger James Wood is an absolute hammer spot against the Seattle Mariners and starter Emerson Hancock. 

Wood’s 2026 profile is pure elite material, sitting at a 100th percentile .627 xSLG and an absurd 25.4% Barrel %. 

The massive catalyst? He’s lifted his launch angle to 10.5°, turning those rockets into extra-base hits.

Now enter Hancock. He features a fastball-heavy mix over 61% of the time, which plays right into Wood’s hands (4.8 combined Run Value against 4-seamers and sinkers).

Hancock doesn’t miss bats, doesn't chase, and surrenders a dangerous 90.4 MPH average exit velocity (18th percentile).

Wood has at least two total bases in three of his last four games, and is a strong bet to +100. 

• Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Mariners.TV, Nationals.TV

Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105)

Yordan Alvarez is in a great spot against Kansas City Royals righty Stephen Kolek, whose pitch mix favors the Houston Astros slugger.

Alvarez has been elite in 2026 (.327 AVG, .658 SLG, .744 xSLG, 100th percentile), backed by a 94.9 MPH exit velocity and 19.1% Barrel rate.

Kolek leans on a fastball-sinker combo more than half the time, and Alvarez has crushed both (.806 SLG vs four-seamers, .488 vs sinkers, positive Run Values on each). 

Kolek's 17.4% K rate means plenty of balls in play, and a bonus for Alvarez. Play this prop to -105. 

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Space City Home Network, Royals.TV

Jonathan Aranda Over 1.5 Total Bases (+115)

Jonathan Aranda has a solid path to clear 1.5 total bases against Los Angeles Angels righty Grayson Rodriguez, especially with the wind blowing out to center.

Rodriguez has been brutal in 2026 (8.10 ERA, 6.66 xERA, .306 xBA allowed, 52.0% hard-hit rate allowed), and opponents are slugging .596 against his four-seamer, which he throws 52% of the time.

The Tampa Bay Rays slugger has punished four-seamers before (.353/.569 last year) and brings a strong power profile (.372 xwOBA, .473 xSLG, 11.7% Barrel rate, 45.6% hard-hit rate) and declining whiff rate on the pitch this season (20%). Play this one to +105. 

• Time: 4:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Angels.TV Rays.TV

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

St. Paul Saints 6, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

Toledo outhit St. Paul on Saturday, but the Mud Hens still fell to the Saints 6-1 thanks to nine walks.

All six runs for St. Paul came with Carl Edwards Jr. on the mound for Toledo. Edwards had five of the nine walks and gave up a three-run homer to ruin what was otherwise a solid bullpen day.

Konnor Pilkington got the start, striking out four over two innings. Jack Little and Tanner Rainey each gave two innings of no-hit ball, with the latter allowing just one walk. Woo-Suk Go worked around a base hit in the eighth, and Tyler Gentry worked around a walk in the ninth.

Max Clark drove in the only Mud Hens run of the game, singling Cal Stevenson home in the third. Besides that little rally, Toledo stayed fairly quiet until the sixth, when Gage Workman led off with a double. The big hit never came, though, and Toledo suffered an unfortunate loss.

Max Clark with an RBI single to right, scores Stevenson. pic.twitter.com/6vbNeqsFGZ

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 13, 2026

Clark: 1-4, RBI

Anderson: 0-4, K

Workman: 1-4, 2B (20), 3 K

Edwards Jr. (L, 2-5): 1.0 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, K, HR

Coming Up Next: The Mud Hens look to break a four-game losing streak on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.

Akron RubberDucks 5, Erie SeaWolves 4 (box)

Some late bullpen struggles ruined a great start from Max Alba and cost the Erie SeaWolves a sixth straight win on Saturday, as the Akron RubberDucks mounted a comeback and finished off a 5- 4 win.

Alaba was efficient, getting through five scoreless frames while allowing just two hits and a walk. He struck out four along the way before turning things over to Wandisson Charles in the sixth. Alba’s 14 whiffs induced were the fourth most across Double-A today.

Charles got into trouble right away, giving up a one-out double and walking the bases loaded. He’s lucky that Akron only managed one run off him. Justice Bigbie threw a runner out at home for the second out, and Charles got out of the jam with a strikeout, preserving a 2-1 lead.

Chris Meyers gave Erie an early lead, blasting a solo homer in the second. An error put Peyton Graham with two outs in the fifth. He stole second — his 30th of the year — and Brett Callahan drove him in.

Brett Callahan RBI single gives @erie_seawolves the 2-0 lead pic.twitter.com/cYbOc4twoe

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 13, 2026

Bigbie followed up his fielding heroics with a leadoff home run in the sixth to put the SeaWolves back up by two, and Meyers took a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to make it 4-1.

Charles went 1-2-3 in the seventh, but Dariel Fregio had a complete meltdown with two outs in the eighth. The sequences went: single, two-run homer, double, double to tie the game. Erie couldn’t capitalize on a one-out triple from Aaron Antonini in the bottom half, and Tyler Owens gave up the lead in the ninth.

The SeaWolves loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but E.J. Exposito flied out to center to end the game.

Meyers: 1-4, HR (2), R, 2 RBI, BB, K

Bigbie: 1-3, HR (3), R, RBI, 2 BB

Pacheco: 2-4, 2B (9), BB, K

Liranzo: 1-3, 2 BB, K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves can get back in the win column on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

Lake County Captains 9, West Michigan Whitecaps 8 (box)

A five-run eighth nearly led to a West Michigan win on Saturday, but Lake County walked it off, 9-8, with a two-run ninth.

The ball was flying early for both teams. Garrett Pennington hit a two-run homer in the top of the first, and Dean Curley answered with a solo shot for Lake County in the bottom half of the inning. Caleb Shpur brought in
Andrew Sojka in the second to give the Whitecaps a 3-1 lead, but a four-spot for the Captains in the fourth swung momentum the other way.

Once again, the big inning caught up to Rayner Castillo. Three straight hits, including back-to-back doubles, put Lake County in front, and the bullpen came in to relieve Castillo in the fifth. Juanmi Vasquez struck out four over 1.2 innings, but he gave up a pair of singles and a run in the sixth.

Duque Hebbert went 1-2-3 in the seventh, but he couldn’t replicate that after a long top of the eighth for West Michigan. Bryce Rainer sparked the rally with a solo home run.

Bryce Rainer hits a bomb that goes 106.9 MPH off the bat, 412 feet home run. pic.twitter.com/INNW7dwVHk

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 14, 2026

After that shot from the Whitecaps’ shortstop, Lake County walked the bases loaded. Woody Hadeen evened the score at six runs apiece with a two-run single, and Jackson Strong tripled home two, making it an 8-6 game.

Jackson Strong stays hot with a 2-run triple into the right corner that puts the Whitecaps up 8-6. pic.twitter.com/603ybNsfyq

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 14, 2026

Hebbert immediately gave a run back in the bottom of the eighth, allowing a leadoff home run. Jalen Evans took over for him with two outs. Evans struck out the first batter he faced, but everything fell apart in the ninth. He hit Jace LaViolette to open the frame, threw a wild pitch, gave up a single, walked the bases loaded and gave up the tying run on a groundout to short.

A wild pitch sealed it for Lake County. What a way to lose…

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

Pennington: 2-4, HR (11), R, 2 RBI, 2 K

Strong: 3-4, 2B (6), 3B (2), R, 3 H, 2 RBI, BB

Coming Up Next: West Michigan can still tie the series on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

Clearwater Threshers 2, Lakeland Flying Tigers 1 (box)

Caleb Leys only gave up one run over five innings, but the Lakeland Flying Tigers’ offense didn’t provide any run support until the eighth. The Clearwater Threshers took control of the series 3-2, with a 2-1 win on Saturday.

Leys was solid, generating a 32% CSW on his changeup. The southpaw only struck out three, but he also only walked one in his first time working through the fifth inning. It was in that fifth frame that Leys gave up the first run of the ball game.

Jose Guzman walked in the second run, which ended up deciding the game; otherwise, he worked around four hits and two walks over two innings. No strikeouts, though. Eliseo Mota went 1-2-3 in the eighth with a pair of strikeouts.

Lakeland had base hits in each of the first three innings but couldn’t score. The best opportunity came in the second after back-to-back two-out singles from Carson Rucker and Hunter Dobbins, but Newremberg Rondon couldn’t get it done.

Jordan Yost led off the fifth with a single, but Jude Warwick erased it with a double play right after. Lakeland finally got on the board in the eighth, thanks to a leadoff triple from Warwick and a sacrifice fly from Edian Espinal.

Yost: 1-4

Warwickr: 2-4, 3B (3), R

Leys (L, 0-4): 5.0 IP, R, ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: Lakeland is looking to tie things back up in the series finale Sunday at noon ET.

FCL Yankees 9, FCL Tigers 7 (box)

Owen Hall (2024, Round 2) got hammered over 3.1 innings, giving up a home run in each of the first two frames and six earned runs overall. Both balls were center-cut and dispatched appropriately. Still, he managed four strikeouts before turning things over to the bullpen with a 6-3 lead and two men in scoring position.

Leonardo Rossell took the loss, allowing both runners to score and two more under his own ledger. Bryce Alewine (2024, Round 18) gave up one more run in the sixth.

Patrick Lee had two of the club’s six hits, including a three-run homer in the second. Lee’s OPS is above 1.500 through four games of his rehab assignment, so it’s only a matter of time until he’s back with the Whitecaps. Stephen Hrustich doubled in a run, and Steven Madero homered, too.

Lee: 2-3, HR (1), 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, K

Hrustich: 1-4, 2B (2), RBI, 2 K

Hall: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, BB, 4 K, 2 HR

Gm 1: DSL Tigers (1) 8, DSL Twins 6 (box)

This one was picked up in progress from Friday. The Tigers plated six runs in the bottom of the third, which is when lightning delayed the game. Most of the runs came on singles, and the Tigers didn’t score again after the third. A four-run seventh for the Twins gave them a scare, but the rally came up short.

Padilla: 3.0 IP, H, R, ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Moya: 2-4, 2 R, RBI

Rodriguez: 1-2, 2B (1), R, BB, K

Benavides: 1-3, 2B (2), R, BB

Gm 2: DSL Twins 11, DSL Tigers (1) 5 (box)

The game stayed close until the fifth, when the Twins scored seven runs to run away with it. The Tigers still had a couple of runs left in them, but nowhere near the dozen needed to make a comeback. Enny Rodriguez homered in the sixth, and Randy Santana did the same in the seventh.

Reyes (L, 0-1): 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, K

Santana: 1-2, HR (1), 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K

Rodríguez: 1-3, HR (2), 2 R, RBI, BB, K

DSL Tigers (2) 3, DSL Giants Orange 2 (box)

A three-spot in the fifth was enough for the Tigers to take this one. Alexander Bertiz went four innings and gave up just one run. Jesus Miranda got the win in relief of Bertiz, with three strikeouts over 1.2 hitless innings. Dariel Morillo logged his second save of the summer.

The nine-hole hitter, Diego Orro, tripled in two of the three runs and scored himself on an RBI single from Sterling Bazil.

Bertiz: 4. IP, 4 H, R, ER, 2 BB, K, HR

Orro: 1-3, 3B (1), R, 2 RBI, K

Good morning to a new New York everybody. The Yankees squared things up in their series against the Blue Jays thanks to a timely two-run homer from Paul Goldschmidt and the return of Jasson Domínguez proving fruitful with a solo blast, securing the win after Cam Schlittler gave the team seven strong with just one run allowed. However, even on a Yankees page like this we have to acknowledge the monumental achievement that is the New York Knicks winning the NBA Finals after 53 long years, besting the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 with yet another comeback win in the fourth quarter. The vibes in the city are sky-high, and hopefully with the stage now fully clear for baseball in the city the Yankees can ride that momentum into being the boys of summer.

We’ve got a relatively quiet day to wrap up the weekend before getting into the rubber match against Toronto. Jonathan wishes former Yankee Chase Whitley well on his birthday and reminisces on his career, Kevin covers the Rivalry Roundup featuring a Tampa Bay loss that puts the Yanks back in the driver’s seat in the AL East, and John has the weekly social media spotlight featuring plenty from that Knicks run with Yankees past and present making cameos at the games.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays

Time: 1:37 p.m. EST

TV: YES, Sportsnet1, TVA Sports

Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON

Questions/Prompts:

1. Does Will Warren do better or worse than the five innings and three runs he gave up in his previous meeting with the Blue Jays this year?

2. If you’ve been a Knick fan throughout this drought, what were the emotions that came up when they finally won the title? Where does Jalen Brunson rank in your All-Time Knick leaderboard after delivering a Finals MVP?

MLB.com| Bryan Hoch: Surely Yankees fans haven’t forgotten how last season ended in pitiful fashion at the hands of the Blue Jays. Neither, apparently, have the players themselves. After the Yankees won 3-1 on the back of his gutsy seven-inning, one-run start, Cam Schlittler said that he and his teammates should carry “a chip on their shoulders” every time they play against the Blue Jays. While the Yankees have by far the better overall record this year, their head-to-head record against Toronto is 3-3 so far, and 9-14 dating back to last year (including the ALDS). It would be great if the boys in pinstripes could make that record look a little better this season.

MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: Giancarlo Stanton has suffered a setback in his quest to return to the Yankees’ lineup, as he tweaked his calf while running this week. Prior to the injury, he was reportedly nearing a return to the team, but now it looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer. Details on the injury are unclear, as is when exactly Stanton is scheduled to start his recovery process. With the Yankees already without Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham, the Yankees’ offense needs all the firepower they can get. Here’s hoping Stanton’s injury isn’t a biggie, and that he can resume ramping up baseball activities before long.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: Some positive news on the injury front for a change (shocking, I know): Max Fried’s recovery is going well. On Friday, Aaron Boone disclosed that the lefty was cleared to throw a light bullpen session on Saturday after imaging on his left elbow bone bruise showed that the injury was sufficiently healing. Compared to the position player corps where the injuries are starting to pile up, the starting rotation’s needs are less pressing. However, as the adage goes, you can never have enough starting pitching, and the Yankees would gladly welcome a pitcher of Fried’s caliber returning to the rotation.

There were plenty of baserunners to go around for both sides in Las Vegas on Saturday night, with the Colorado Rockies and Athletics combining for 19 hits. While the Rockies had their chances, another rough outing from Kyle Freeland didn’t help the cause, and they were never able to stay ahead of the A’s.

The Rockies losing streak grows to three games as they drop the series.

Freeland falls behind early again, but rebounds

The first inning has not been kind to Freeland on the season.

Coming into tonight’s game, he carried a 9.00 ERA with 11 runs and 13 hits surrendered in 11 first innings pitched. He’s only been worse in third innings (11.45 ERA, 14 runs, 24 hits).

That trend continued with another rough game start for K-Free. He secured the first out against Colby Thomas leading off, forcing him to a grounder. After a Nick Kurtz single and a Shea Langeliers double, Freeland got a strikeout for out number two. With those two outs and runners on second and third, Freeland allowed a two-run single to Jacob Wilson to give the Athletics an early lead.

Things got better from there — for a bit, anyway — as Freeland settled in over the next couple innings. Aside from a double in the second inning, Freeland worked through the second and third with relative ease. He notched another strikeout in the second and logged a 1-2-3 third.

Rockies claw back in and a slew of triples bounce Estes

For their part, the Rockies offense chipped away at the A’s leads. After a quiet first and second inning, the Rockies initially broke through in the third with a Brett Sullivan solo home run to right field, cutting the lead to 2-1.

TJ Rumfield doubled to second to lead off the fourth inning. He was brought home a few batters later on a Troy Johnston single. Johnston was thrown out trying to stretch it into a two-bagger, but got the job done and tied the game at 2-2.

That tie wouldn’t last long. In the bottom of the inning, Henry Bolte singled, and a Zack Gelof dinger put the Athletics back ahead, 4-2.

The rollercoaster, or maybe seesaw, continued with the Rockies bats getting to work in the fifth inning. Kyle Karros got his first career triple to start the momentum. Sullivan scored him on a fly ball to right to bring the Rockies within a run. Another triple from Sterlin Thompson would chase Estes, with José Suarez coming in to relieve him.

Before being called up and given the start in tonight’s game, Estes was 2-6 in 12 starts with a 5.95 for the Las Vegas Aviators in triple-A. Getting the start in familiar surroundings at the Aviators’ home, Estes made it 4.1 innings giving up five hits, four runs (including the homer to Sullivan), and four strikeouts.

By the end of the inning, the Rockies took a 5-4 lead after Thompson made it home on a passed ball and an Edouard Julien double scored Rumfield.

Things get rocky for the Rockies in the sixth

Freeland’s up and down night continued. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, Freeland would again let the lead slip away in the sixth inning. Freeland gave up a single to Alika Wiliams that brought Gelof home from second to tie things up again at 5-5.

Following that, Freeland was pulled for Jaden Hill. Freeland’s day ended after 5.2 innings, giving up a whopping 10 hits and six runs, with four strikeouts. His ERA jumped up to 7.98 after this start. Manager Warren Schaeffer noted that he “thought Kyle battled well tonight. Kyle was throwing the ball very well; the pen is a little light at the moment. He did a great job taking it to 95 pitches.”

Of those 95, he relied primarily on his four-seam fastball throughout, but leaned heavily on his cutter for his third time through the order. The A’s were able to get their bats on his cutter, though, with four of their 10 hits against Freeland coming off of that pitch.

Hill, who was so reliable to start the year, would unfortunately log another off night. On a 1-1 count with two outs, Hill surrendered a double to Tyler Soderstrom that gave the A’s a 6-5 lead on a Williams run. Hill intentionally walked Kurtz, walked Langeliers to load the bases, and hit Carlos Cortes with a pitch to move a runner home and extend the lead to 7-5.

Steady as she goes

Despite lots of early lead changes, the runs dried up in the later innings. The Rockies needed a couple pitchers to make it through the bottom of the seventh. Seth Halvorsen replaced Hill to start the inning, getting the first two outs but allowing Gelof to board second on a fielding error. After Williams walked and Gelof stole third, the Rockies looked to Juan Mejia to get the final out. That he did, as Soderstrom grounded to the mound. Neither side mustered much of anything in the eighth.

The Rockies went out with a dud. They only managed one hit from the fifth inning on and were blanked in the ninth when Elvis Alvarado entered to close things out for the A’s. Alvarado struck Karros out on four pitches, mixing sliders and a sinker, ultimately getting him out on the former. Sullivan battled for a good at-bat, but met the same fate, striking out after 10 pitches. Thompson grounded out towards first to put the game to bed.

Schaeffer pointed to “sloppy baseball” being the reason for tonight’s loss. He noted that the team “had the chance to get out of innings, chance to win the game. But sloppy baseball prevented that from happening.”

Up Next

The Sin City series comes to a close with a Sunday afternoon matchup. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. MDT at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4, 4.08 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rockies, while the Athletics will turn to Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68 ERA).

---

---

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

For anyone whose perspective is “Expect the Worst” as a Cleveland sports fan, tonight must have come as no surprise as Jose Ramirez fractured his left hamate.

It’s unclear if Jose will get surgery or wait for the situation to heal, but somewhere between 4-8 weeks is the recovery time and a hitter’s power can be sapped for a while afterwards. Jose was on his way to a 60-steal season and looking to take the franchise lead in home runs, so, even though his numbers looked pedestrian compared to his career norms, this is about as big a blow as the Guardians can sustain, short of a season-ending injury to Ramirez (God-forbid).

From the looks of Columbus’ lineup activities, Gabriel Arias will be called up and probably take Jose’s place as the primary third baseman (spelled occasionally by Daniel Schneemann). The good news is that Arias should be a great defensive replacement. The bad news is that no one is Jose Ramirez offensively and Arias is very likely to be at least a 30 wRC+ drop from Jose’s expected output. On the positive side, the next 4-8 weeks should finally put a bow on the Arias experience for the Guardians; he will either hit enough to be a league average hitter or they can DFA him when Jose returns.

Chase DeLauter was also removed after crashing into a wall with what was described as a rib confusion. CJ Kayfus being removed from the Columbus game late makes me suspect this may end up being an IL stint. Hopefully, just a 15-day variety, but that’s definitely a blow. I see folks asking for George Valera or Kahlil Watson. I would have chosen Valera, myself, but Kayfus’s September from last year should not be forgotten where he put up a 126 wRC+. He can take a walk and he’s got some pop. Let him handle left field for a while and see what he’s got, I suppose, is the mindset.

I am sure that we are not far from a Watson debut or a Valera return engagement. Watson and Kayfus have some similar red flags as hitters, so I can’t argue too much there. I do think Valera has shown more signs of consistent plate discipline and power than Kayfus, but his defense looked borderline unplayable in most recent instances. I think it’s Kayfus for a bit and then if he isn’t showing much and DeLauter needs more time, we will see Valera before the All-Star break. But, hopefully, we will not be missing Chase that long.

Angel Martinez also has a foot bruise and is day-to-day. “Oh, what a night!” As the Four Seasons once said. Only in a much more somber tone from me.

The way this team responds to losing the leader of their team and future Hall of Famer will define the 2026 season. If they can find a way to pull together and win baseball games at a .500 level in his absence, that should be a great confidence builder for this group. If not, well… they will have some ground to make up in August and September and they have done that before.

I hope everyone remembers to go and vote Jose to the All-Star game. He deserves the selection and it will be a way for us to show our appreciation to a player whose absence we are about to feel keenly, even if the team is able to step up during his recovery.

The A’s came out on top for the fourth straight night in Las Vegas, beating the Colorado Rockies 7-5. The win put the A’s back at .500, secured the series win and gives the Athletics a chance at a sweep tomorrow afternoon. And thanks to losses from a pair of division rivals in the Mariners and Rangers, the A’s rose in the AL West to sole possession of second place and just a game back of first place.

The A’s got to work quickly against Colorado starting pitcher Kyle Freeland. A first inning single and walk put two on for the recently returned Jacob Wilson, and he came through with a two-out, two-run single to give the Green & Gold a quick lead:

J Willy plates two for the lead 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ytM9K69yH5

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 14, 2026

The Rockies would soon get one of those runs back against A’s starter Joey Estes, who was making his first big league start in over a full calendar year. After a solid start with two uneventful innings Colorado catcher Brett Sullivan came to the plate to lead off the top of the third and got ahold of a hanging breaking ball in the middle of the zone for a solo home run to put the Rockies on the board. Estes bounced back to retire the next three batters in a row but gave up another run in the fourth that tied this game up at two-all.

With Freeland still in the game the A’s offense needed to get back to work. Rookie center fielder Henry Bolte began the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff single. Zack Gelof, playing right field tonight, was next up to the plate and he got ahold of his own misplaced pitch, launching a two-run home run to retake the lead for the A’s:

GO GELOF GO#VoteAthletics ⭐️ https://t.co/SBezYOtGtGpic.twitter.com/pdvovnVXVD

— Athletics (@Athletics) June 14, 2026

That blast was #9 on the year for Gelof and it also extended his hitting streak to 17 games, currently tops in MLB.

But Estes couldn’t supply the much-needed shutdown inning. The Rockies rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth, with two charged to Estes and another charged to his replacement left-hander Jose Suarez. Once again the A’s would have to ask their offense to bail them out.

It took them a couple innings but they did some serious damage in the bottom of the sixth. First, with a runner on second and two outs the A’s needed a base hit and Alika Williams delivered one, tying this game back up at 5 with a bloop RBI single to center:

Alika Williams ties it with a bloop single 😎 pic.twitter.com/oMgFVl9Qdj

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 14, 2026

Williams would finish the night 3-for-3 with that RBI and a run scored. That hit also chased Kyle Freeland from this contest and we were now into a below-average Rockies bullpen. Mark Kotsay decided to counter the pitching change with a swap of his own, pinch-hitting Tyler Soderstrom for Colby Thomas. His decision worked to perfection as Sodey came through with a go-ahead RBI double:

Sodey delivers a pinch-hit RBI double for the lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/WtcJ3ozyWT

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 14, 2026

Things continued to unravel from there for the Rockies. An intentional walk was followed by an unintentional one, loading the bases for the A’s but still with two outs. Again Kotsay turned to his bench, this time going with the lefty in Carlos Cortes in place of switch-hitter Jonah Heim. And again it worked out, but with some help via a hit by pitch that brought home the Athletics’ seventh run of the evening. The A’s now had a two-run lead with nine outs to go. Could the bullpen hold for a second straight night?

Next out of the ‘pen was Scott Barlow. He pitched a scoreless seventh with just a meaningless walk allowed. Fellow righty Mark Leiter Jr. followed him for the eighth and tip-toed around a runner making it to second to post a zero himself. With a two run lead it was now up to Elvis Alvarado to close this one out against the 7-8-9 batters in Colorado’s lineup. With a 1-2-3 inning he sealed the deal, finishing off the Rockies for the win and securing his second save of the year.

Another solid win, if not perfectly well-rounded. Estes looked good in his first two innings but quickly fell apart. On the bright side he at least managed to provide 4 1/3 innings, saving the bullpen from a heavy lift tonight. The offense came through with 11 hits with only one of those leaving the yard. Gelof’s hit streak continues, the A’s are back to .500 and we’re right back on the Mariners’ heels in the AL West.

The series wraps up tomorrow afternoon for the series finale. Lefty Jeffrey Springs, who was originally scheduled to start tonight’s contest, will instead get the ball for the last game of the series. He’ll be hoping to bounce back from a tough stretch in what’ll he his 15th start of the year for the A’s. He’ll be opposed by Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who has been a solid if unspectacular member of a subpar Colorado starting rotation this season.

The best, most positive bright spot of this game and this series is that it happened late at night on the West Coast, in between a packed World Cup slate, and during Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Ideally the absolute minimum amount of people were exposed to the completely lifeless version of the Rays that June has wrought.

Rays couldn’t make the key defensive plays needed to win. They couldn’t come up with any clutch hits or even weak hits with runners in scoring position. Rays pitched well enough but not well enough. Angels on the other side did all of those things.

And isn’t that the true biggest level of agony: the Angels?! The freaking Angels? The Martin Prince of baseball teams are bully balling their way to shoving the Rays into a locker? Oh, that does it!

Let me make this relatively quick and painless for those lucky enough not to have watched.

Griffin Jax continued to be sharp in a starting role. 5 innings, 5 hits, no walks, and 5 Ks. The only run he gave up, and the reason for the L on his ledger, is a very sharp grounder directly to Taylor Walls which Walls could not handle and hopped wickedly off of him into the outfield. A fairly harsh error, but also a ball I know Walls would say he needed to make, especially with 2 outs to preserve the shutout.

Rays bullpen was less sharp, but Cash wisely chose not to chase the late trailing game (1 run seems like 10 right now) and used the strugglers and returners. Garrett Cleavinger continued to be ineffective, but at least it was quick. 3 batters, 1 K, 2 hits, and 1 out recorded. Recently returned Craig Kimbrel was very wild and got tagged for MORE 2 out offense from the Halos.

Later on, Cash got more of the low leverage struggle bus involved and Cole Sulser gave up a 2 run dinger to Jose Siri. The Angels would feast some more off of Sulser, who also could not finish a full inning, leaving with just 2 outs recorded 5 hits and 1 walk and 4 ER given up.

On the offensive side of things, there was nothing to really write home (or in recap) about. Yandy Diaz extended his on base streak to 26 games and the Rays didn’t get no-hit. The went 0-7 with RISP and left 6 on base, but there never really was a serious threat of scoring. This yard sale whiff from Caminero pretty much sums up the Rays June:

With a Yankees thrilling win and Tampa Bay’s humiliating loss tonight, the Rays sink to 2nd place for the first time since May 8th.

Oh, I just thought of more good news: June only has 30 days.

It was a huge win for the Guardians as they regained first place in the AL Central standings and continue to destroy the Tigers season. Winning this game against Skubal was great not only in the standings but it also had to demoralize the Tigers players. A 2 run HR from Schneemann was all we needed today after a great start from Cantillo where he didn’t walk a single batter, which is absolutely massive for him. I know there has been some panic over the bullpen, but I feel really good about all 3 of Holderman, Gaddis, and Smith right now. I think they’re gonna be just fine, especially when we get the likes of Aleman, Espino, and Walters settled in.

Now for the bad news…José Ramírez fractured his hamate bone and will be out for 4-6 weeks. Gabriel Arias was scratched from the AAA lineup so I think it’s probably fair to assume he will get the bulk of the ABs at 3B, which I am ok with. Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez were also both removed from the game due to injury, but neither injury appears particularly serious. Martinez had x-rays on his foot and they came back negative, thankfully. DeLauter left the game with a right ribcage bruise, let’s hope he doesn’t miss too much time with that.

We are really going to see what this team is made of over the next month and a half. They will look to sweep the Tigers tomorrow at 1:40 pm ET. It will be Gavin Williams vs Casey Mize.

Any hopes the Texas Longhorns had of contending in the College World Series took a massive blow on Saturday at Charles Schwab Field in a 7-1 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs as right-hander Joey Volchko delivered the best outing of his career, striking out a career-high 15 batters in a complete game for the first Bulldogs win in Omaha since 2008.

Volchko took control early by striking out the first three batters he faced and never faltered, pouring in strikes early in the count and missing bats with the glove-side run on his four-seam fastball and electric slider. Of the 114 pitches thrown by the Stanford transfer, 84 went for strikes as Texas only managed four hits, two by sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez, who scored the only run for the Horns in the fifth inning. Volchko’s ability to fill up the strike zone resulted in Texas only drawing one walk.

The Horns went 1-for-9 (.111) with runners on and 1-for-5 (.200) with runners in scoring position as only one player in the starting lineup, junior first baseman Ashton Larson, avoided a strikeout. Larson went 0-for-3.

As Volchko worked ahead in count, Texas responded by trying to attack the first pitch, a strategy that worked as poorly as attempting to get deep in at bats. After junior right fielder Aiden Robbins worked a full count against Volchko to start the game before striking out, the Horns didn’t get to a three-ball count again until pinch-hitter Josh Livingston in the eighth inning.

The Bulldogs took advantage of early mistakes by the Longhorns as sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis struggled with his command in the first inning, walking the first batter he faced before giving up a line-drive home run off the foul pole in left field by center fielder Rylan Lujo.

Upon further review…HOME RUN RYLAN LUJO‼️

B1 | UGA 2, TEX 0#GoDawgs | @RylanLujo | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/zvWWvHUHIY

— Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) June 14, 2026

Even as Volantis became more effective, it backfired when junior catcher Carson Tinney airmailed a soft throw on a swinging strikeout that allowed Georgia to put a runner on first with one out after Lujo’s homer. A soft single through the right side of the Texas infield increased the pressure on Volantis, who was able to record the second out before hitting a batter and giving up two unearned runs when Tinney made another mistake on a swinging strikeout, missing his throw to first instead of trying to get the runner out at home.

The Dawgs add two more 🤯

B1 | UGA 4, TEX 0#GoDawgs | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/mq7S74Bsye

— Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) June 14, 2026

So the Bulldogs took command of the game after the first inning with the benefit of only one hit as Tinney committed his third and fourth errors of the season in an uncharacteristically shaky performance.

Volantis wasn’t always able to work in the zone over the ensuing innings, hitting two more batters, even though he didn’t allow another hit until the seventh when he gave up an RBI double and a two-run single when Georgia scored three unearned runs thanks to an error by junior third baseman Casey Borba.

If the game wasn’t already out of reach for Texas before the seventh, it certainly was afterwards as the top four batters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-15 with 11 strikeouts, including four by redshirt senior second baseman Temo Becerra.

The Horns also saw junior designated hitter Ethan Mendoza depart in the eighth inning with an injury after hitting a single up the middle.

With the season on the line, Texas faces Alabama on Monday at 1 p.m. Central in an elimination game. The Tide lost to the Sooners 9-0 in the early game on Saturday.

Joey Volchko made College World Series history on Saturday, June 13, in Georgia's 7-1 win over Texas, delivering a masterful performance while being virtually untouchable.

The 6-foot-4 starter finished his first-career complete game with a career-high 15 strikeouts against the Longhorns, holding their lineup to one unearned run on four hits and a walk. He needed 114 pitches in the complete game, and dominated hitters with virtually untouchable cutter and sweeper combination.

REQUIRED READING: Georgia vs Texas baseball score: Joey Volchko masterclass leads to Bulldogs win

Complete Game ✅

First CWS win in 18 years ✅#GoDawgspic.twitter.com/aAL1Sg0K8i

— Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) June 14, 2026

Volchko's start led the way for Georgia's first College World Series win in over 18 years, and his 15 strikeouts were the most by any pitcher in program history in Omaha, Nebraska.

Volchko, the No. 73-ranked prospect of the 2026 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline, has struggled with command at times in 2026, entering June 13's game with 45 walks in 86 1/3 innings pitched. But his strike-throwing was on point against Texas, walking one hitter while throwing 84 of his 114 pitches for strikes.

He lowered his ERA by nearly 0.40 points, as his average reduced from 4.07 to 3.68 after the career performance. The first-year transfer from Stanford flashed overpowering stuff all night against the Longhorns, touching 96 mph on his cutter while mixing in devastating sweepers and curveballs that kept Texas off balance.

The Bulldogs got out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Texas ace Dylan Volantis, a first-team All-SEC pick this season, due to multiple errors from the Longhorns defense. From there, it was a pitchers' duel between Volchko and Volantis, the latter of whom allowed seven runs, only two of which were earned.

Should Georgia reach the national championship series, Volchko would be fresh enough to make another start, which at that point would come with huge expectations after the imposing showing.

Here's what to know of Volchko after his powerful win against Texas in the College World Series:

Joey Volchko stats

Volchko had his career-best start against Texas in the College World Series on June 13, tossing a complete game with no earned runs. Here's his final line against the Longhorns, along with his season stats:

• vs. Texas: One run (unearned) on four hits with one walk and 15 strikeouts across nine innings. Threw 84 of 114 pitches for strikes.
• 2026 season: 11-2 record with a 3.68 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 95 1.3 innings pitched.

Joey Volchko MLB draft projection

Volchko is MLB Pipeline's No. 73-ranked prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft. MLB Pipeline notes his potential as a front-line MLB starter, although only if he can blend his power with more finesse.

Clearly, he showed it against Texas.

"He has a durable 6-foot-4 frame, athleticism and a quick arm that could help him fit in the front half of a rotation if he can find some finesse to go with his power," MLB Pipeline writes.

MLB Pipeline also gives Volchko a 60-grade fastball and a 60-grade slider, although his splitter, curveball and command were graded at 40, which is below average. Overall, he's a 50-grade prospect, according to the prospect evaluators.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joey Volchko dominates in Georgia's College World Series win vs. Texas

As we nervously await the diagnosis on what appeared to be a pretty grim injury to Spencer Strider’s throwing arm, the Braves scraped a win in Flushing with their fifth starter and missing two of their most productive bats. While there is some pitching depth returning from injury, in the form of Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Spencer Schwellenbach, none of those can be taken for granted. This team is in a great spot in the standings and is getting significant offensive firepower back, but they have a real need to add pitching and likely another viable bat at the deadline. With the exploding farm system

Braves News

Spencer Strider hit the IL with right elbow inflammation, as he is undergoing diagnostic examination. Anthony Molina took his place on the roster.

Eli White provided the Braves’ offense on a Saturday when 2 runs is all they needed to beat the Mets, with some great pitching (although Michael Harris provided a bonus third run.

MLB News

Perennial AL MVP candidate Jose Ramirez is hitting the IL with a hamate bone fracture, one that is notorious for being difficult for hitters to recover from.

Tigers’ superstar Tarik Skubal made his return from injury in Cleveland, in a game that was not his best, but completed his incredibly quick recovery from having loose bodies removed from his throwing elbow.

Yankees swapped one injured outfielder in Trent Grisham for a recovered one in Jasson Dominguez.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Diamondbacks bullpen may be getting reinforcements shortly, in the long-absent shape of A.J. Puk, who last pitched for the team on April 17 last year. He has been on rehab assignments in the minors, and has made five appearances there since May 23. However, I use the word “may”, since Nick Piecoro reported yesterday that Puk was experiencing shoulder discomfort as a result of those outings, and will undergo an MRI. So his return is now at least a few weeks off. I’m just glad that when we posed this week’s question, “when he’s healthy” was affixed to the end. Anyway, the topic was whether or not Puk should take over from Sewald immediately. Here are the results.

Brought to you by FanDuel

That’s quite a resounding show of support for Sewald. To his credit, Paul has been almost perfect in the role, with just one blown save in sixteen opportunities, and a 2.30 ERA there. Of course, there are the four losses and a 5.87 ERA over his ten appearances in non-save situations. But closers tend to be measured largely by how they close, and it’s hard to argue against Sewald there. It’s very much a “Ride or die” mentality there: as long as you don’t blow saves, nobody is too bothered what happens. My concerns, personally, are more whether Sewald can be as effective going forward, because the peripherals aren’t great, and suggest he may be over-performing.

He goes into this Cincinnati series with 15 saves, a number exceeded by only a handful of pitchers this season. But among the 190 relievers with 20+ IP in 2026, his ERA is very much middle of the pack, at #91. His xERA (using exit velocity, launch angle, and sprint speed to model what a player’s ERA “should” be) isn’t bad, coming in 26th at 2.63. But his FIP (Fielding Independent ERA) of 3.88 is 111th and his xFIP of 4.26 is 129th. The main reason for concern is, far more balls in play are becoming outs than you’d expect. His BABIP is .148 – about half league average, and the third lowest of those 190 pitchers.

It does help that he’s not allowing a lot of line drives, which tend to be the engine room which powers BABIP. At 12.3%, Sewald owns the 15th-lowest rate. In addition to doing a good job of limiting hard contact and barrels, he has been successful in getting pitchers to chase, particularly with his sweeper to right-handers. They are 6-for-39 with 12 strikeouts and a feeble .457 OPS against Paul. Considering his low cost – just $1.5 million for the year – he has been a bargain, and has likely already been worth more than that. You just have to look at struggles around the league of far more high-priced closers, to understand why I doubt we’ll see changes in Arizona anytime soon.