Category: Baseball

This roadtrip has loomed large since last year, when the schedule first came out. Regardless of how the standings would look, we knew a nine-game slate against the Yankees, Astros and Brewers would be brutal. A year and change later, it’s still scary, but the silver lining of the 50th Flop is that it’s deadened much of the terror. I won’t speak for everyone, but this weekend I personally released my remaining hope (and subsequent frustrations) like a small coterie of bedraggled, mostly flightless pigeons. As a friend pointed out yesterday, going 3-6 on this trip would feel like a big win. We’ve written plenty on this site about the power and beauty of holding hope and expectations, but at this point, with what this team has shown, it’s freeing to look at each remaining game as simply a day with baseball. 

I don’t know, dude. They’re the Yankees, what more do you want me to say? They’ve won a lot of baseball games. Not as many as they have in the past, and definitely not as many as the Rays, which has to annoy them, but mostly is just messing up the Wild Card race. 

I look forward to the 2044 court case, when Aaron Judge sues Ben Rice for siphoning his health this season. With Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton all shelved with various maladies, the Yankees focused on bringing in some potent bats at the trade deadline. They added Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos and called up their top prospect George Lombard Jr. García is in the midst of a huge power breakout this year and Lombard should be the shortstop of the future after Anthony Volpe flamed out.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

From a previous series preview:

The new man in the starting rotation, Ryan Weathers is a product of the Marlins pitching development pipeline. He’s struggled with a bunch of different injuries over the last few years but none of them have required surgery. His raw stuff leveled up during spring training last year, adding a tick of velocity to his entire repertoire and adding a ton of movement to his changeup and sweeper. We didn’t get to see that revamped arsenal in action for very long before a lat strain derailed his season. His raw stuff was even more impressive this spring; his fastball was regularly touching 99 mph, which would make him one of the hardest throwing left-handed pitchers in all of baseball. His two secondary pitches are fantastic at generating whiffs and he’s confident enough with his changeup to use it against both righties and lefties. There’s a lot of unfulfilled promise with Weathers — he’s yet to prove that he can stay healthy and that all this raw stuff can produce outs regularly — but he’ll get an opportunity to prove it all with the Yankees this year.

Weathers has had a bit of an up-and-down season for the Yankees, but he’s stayed healthy and has posted back-to-back scoreless outings. In his first start of the season way back in April, he held the Mariners to just a single run in 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Thanks to the injury to Gerrit Cole last spring, Will Warren earned a spot in the Yankees rotation out of the gate last year and posted a solid first full season in the big leagues. His 4.44 ERA was a bit higher than his 4.07 FIP, but his peripherals gave him a solid foundation to build off of. This year, he’s taken a small step forward. His ERA and FIP are still a little out of sync, but he’s cut his walk rate by nearly two points while maintaining his excellent strikeout rate. His low arm slot gives his pitches plenty of horizontal movement and his four-seam adds a generous amount of ride for his arm angle. He’s got a pretty good sweeper to pair with his fastball, but it can get hit around a bit, especially by left-handed batters.

From a previous series preview:

After signing a massive eight-year free agent deal with the Yankees in December 2024, Max Fried posted one of the best seasons of his career in New York. His velocity was up two ticks and he rejiggered his pitch mix to emphasize his cutter against right-handed batters. With two fantastic breaking balls, a solid changeup, and three different fastball looks, he’s got a weapon for any situation. If he needs a swing and miss, he’ll turn to one of the best curveballs in baseball. If he needs a groundball out, he’ll go to his sinker or changeup. That deep repertoire paired with excellent command makes him one of the toughest pitchers to face in the AL.

A bone bruise on his throwing elbow interrupted Max Fried’s season in May. He missed a month and a half of the season but recently returned from the IL at the end of July. He’s leaned pretty heavily on his cutter this year and it’s been one of the most effective pitches in the majors. Back in April, he held the Mariners scoreless across seven innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six.

The Big Picture:

Don’t look at this. That’s not healthy. Maybe leave this alone for a little bit. We can check back before they go to Houston, maybe.

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Blake Snell makes his long-awaited return tonight for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who sit as a heavy -257 moneyline favorite against the visiting Kansas City Royals. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium. 

With Michael Wacha struggling, my Royals vs Dodgers predictions expect LA to take the second game of this series.

Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, Aug. 11. 

Who will win Royals vs Dodgers tonight: Dodgers -1.5 (-121)

Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Wacha enters tonight’s start in poor form. He carries a 4.31 xERA across his last four starts while allowing a 40% hard-hit rate during that span.

Wacha now faces a Los Angeles Dodgers offense that has a 105 wRC+ at home this season.

As for Blake Snell, he’ll be on a pitch count after a prolonged absence, and the Royals own a very average 96 wRC+ against left-handers. LA’s bullpen should be involved earlier tonight, but that is manageable with the relief corps recording a 2.97 xERA over the last week.

I’ll play this pick up to -140.

COVERS INTEL: Kansas City’s bullpen issues are not just a recent blip. The Royals own a 5.25 FIP on the season and a nearly identical 5.21 FIP over the last week, giving the Dodgers a massive edge later in the evening.

Royals vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)

Wacha is shaky lately, and Snell’s pitch count should create an earlier bullpen game for Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers bullpen has posted a 4.64 FIP over the last week while allowing 1.27 HR/9.

Kansas City’s bullpen is an even bigger concern, sporting a 5.21 FIP and 1.44 HR/9 in that same span.

I’ll play this pick down to -110.

Royals vs Dodgers home run prediction: Kyle Tucker (+344)

2026 has been a difficult year for Kyle Tucker, but he’s swinging it with authority right now. The slugger owns a .400 ISO over his last six games, smacking two home runs during that span.

Tucker is consistently getting the ball in the air, boasting a 52.6% fly-ball rate over the last week. That matters against Wacha and the Royals bullpen. Wacha owns a 48.6% fly-ball rate over the last month, and he’s surrendered 1.09 HR/9.

KC’s relief corps has given up 1.77 HR/9 over the last two weeks while allowing 40.7% of its contact in the air. Whether it comes against Wacha or a reliever, Tucker has a clear path to connect on No. 12 tonight.

Playable to +300. 

Royals vs Dodgers weather

Weather at Dodger Stadium looks clean tonight, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures falling from 78°F to around 73°F later in the game.

Winds are moderate early, around 9 mph before easing closer to 6 mph, and rain chances sit at just 1%. Overall, conditions look neutral with no delay concern.

Royals vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Royals +245 | Dodgers -257
• Run line: Royals +1.5 (+113) | Dodgers -1.5 (-121)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-103) | Under 8.5 (-117)

Royals vs Dodgers trend

The Over is 4-0-1 in the Royals' last five games as an underdog. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Royals vs Dodgers and game info

Royals vs Dodgers latest injuries

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I was told last night that the Jays couldn’t appeal because they left the field. Of course, since I was watching the game and they weren’t, I asked if a team had ever stayed on the field after the umpires called the inning over. What would happen if a team just stayed on the field? I’m sure there is a rule against it.

And people talked about ‘Playing under protest’. But that doesn’t exist anymore:

As of the 2021 season, Rule 7.04 in the Official Baseball Rules was amended to read:

“Protesting a game shall never be permitted, regardless of whether such complaint is based on judgment decisions by the umpire or an allegation that an umpire misapplied these rules or otherwise rendered a decision in violation of these rules.”

But baseball has to change a rule. If a run can be given 10 minutes after an inning has ended, a team should be allowed to appeal at the same time. It can’t be a one-way street.

Of course, I don’t know that it isn’t that way. I don’t know that the umpires didn’t get that rule wrong. They didn’t call New York again to ask, ‘Can the Jays appeal?’

But I believe that either a run shouldn’t be allowed to be given after the teams leave the field, or an appeal should be allowed after the teams leave the field. It seems like playground justice to me. If one side can do something, the other should be allowed to as well.

I’d suggest a rule that, once the players leave the field, no changes can be made to the scoreboard. I’m pretty convinced that, if the play had been the one where the Blue Jays got a run ten minutes after the inning ended, we would never have gotten that run. The umpires would decide it wasn’t fair that the Red Sox weren’t allowed to appeal the player not tagging up, and let them. Actually, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have gotten that fair. The Umpires wouldn’t have phoned New York to see if they could wake up the one person who understands all the rules of the game.

I was also told, “The Jays should have thrown to third.” Well, maybe, but then players are trying to get the third out, and they will take it any way they can. If there was more going on than them getting the third out, the umpires should have said something before sending the players off the field.

And, people said in the thread that John Schneider should have got himself kicked out. I understand the point, but I’m sure he was just incredulous that this happened and tried to process it all. I can’t imagine trying to figure out what they were saying. And, of course, yelling and screaming wouldn’t change anything and only get him thrown out.

We often say that the great thing about baseball is that you can watch for 50 years and yet each game can show you something you’ve never seen before. Sometimes that isn’t a great thing about baseball.

But the good guys won anyway, which makes it all worthwhile.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar southpaw Tarik Skubal made his Dodger Stadium debut on Monday night after being traded from the Detroit Tigers before this year’s deadline.

Skubal’s home debut for Los Angeles didn’t go as planned. The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner conceded three earned runs in five innings pitched, getting a no-decision in what ended up as a Dodgers 6-5 win.

Dodgers fans were treated to a wholesome moment before the game, when Skubal was greeted by his wife, Jessica, and their two sons (Kasen and Klay) along the right field line before the game began.

It was cool to see Skubal share this family moment shortly before his first home start as a member of the Dodgers. Especially because this pregame routine looks a lot different than it did with he was in Detroit.

When Skubal was still pitching for the Tigers, his pregame family routine included Jessica and their sons greeting Skubal in Detroit’s actual bullpen. This was because Comerica Park’s architecture made it so he could stand right at the bullpen gate, which was positioned at field level in the outfield stands.

Dodger Stadium’s architecture doesn’t allow for this. The Dodgers’ bullpen is isolated, where fans can’t walk up to a field-level gate like they could at Comerica Park.

Therefore, Skubal’s pregame family routine takes place in a different location: along the Dodgers’ right field line as opposed to in the Tigers’ bullpen. That allowed fans in the stands who showed up early a front-row seat to the warm embrace on an emotional night for the superstar pitcher.

Then again, pitchers are superstitious, routine-oriented creatures. Perhaps this change to Skubal’s pregame routine isn’t ideal, or at least something else he must adapt to with his new team.

Ultimately, the most important thing is that Skubal sees his family before pitching, regardless of where in the stadium it happens.

And the Dodgers got the dub.

Three members of Congress sent a letter on Monday to Major League Baseball and the players union requesting that they tighten policies so an incident last month involving Bryce Harper, FanDuel and an admitted gambling addict cannot reoccur.

Harper, an All-Star with the Philadelphia Phillies, said on Instagram that he created a troublesome, personalized 21-second video on behalf of FanDuel. But he would not have done so had he known the online sportsbook allegedly intended to use it to entice VIP customer Terry Thompson to continue gambling.

The incident triggered the three-page letter signed by Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Paul Tonko and Congresswoman Valerie Foushee that demands an end to the policies that enabled “this type of predatory promotion.”

The letter states that although Harper said he was unaware of the true purpose of the video, the incident “raises broader concerns that players are not prohibited from such endorsements and highlights a systemic failure rooted in the deep enmeshment between leagues, teams, and sports books.

“In fact, MLB rules currently allow players to enter endorsement deals with sportsbooks so long as they do not encourage betting on baseball. Partnerships that do not violate this rule can even use personalized content from players to drive vulnerable fans into debt and addiction.”

Read more:Bryce Harper's beef with FanDuel could end up in court, legal experts say

The letter suggests that MLB and the players union must confront this “failure” during collective bargaining negotiations that began in May and likely will continue through the expiration of the current agreement Dec. 1.

The letter posed the following five questions and requested that MLB and the players union provide answers by Aug. 24.

1. As MLB and MLBPA renegotiate their collective bargaining agreement, what is your current position on allowing MLB players to seek endorsements and partnerships from sportsbooks? Note: The MLBPA has publicly announced their intention to seek greater freedom for players to have relationships with gambling companies.

2. How will MLB and the MLBPA guarantee that fan safety and well-being take precedence over revenue from gambling partnerships?

3. Do you believe MLB and MLBPA policies on sportsbook endorsements and partnerships are adequate to prevent engagement with predatory VIP programs?

4. Will the MLB and MLBPA undertake any player education to ensure that players understand the risks their participation in sportsbook promotions poses to fans?

5. Will the MLB and MLBPA prohibit players from participating in personalized marketing campaigns by sportsbooks as part of VIP or tier programs?

Read more:Super Bowl host California bans sports betting, but prediction markets found a loophole

Harper said he received a request on Cameo in November 2024 to read a message provided by FanDuel VIP host Bryttanni Morgan for a personal “holiday video for Terry.”

“Hey, Terry? What’s up, brother? Hey, man, your host Bryttanni from FanDuel wanted to make sure your Thanksgiving was extra special,” Harper says in the video.

Thompson sued FanDuel, Morgan, DraftKings and the NFL in March, alleging that the sportsbooks caused him to lose about $1.6 million while betting an estimated $18.5 million over a four-year period.

“Had I known FanDuel’s true intent, I would not have made the video,” Harper said. “The same is true had I known anything about Terry or his situation, or about any alleged ‘partnership’ between Cameo and FanDuel.”

Read more:‘Bonkers’ bribery case raises questions about why NBA star Terry Rozier would allegedly risk millions by participating

The lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute on behalf of Thompson and fellow gambler Christopher Sage alleges that FanDuel and DraftKings intentionally fostered addiction by providing enticements such as Super Bowl tickets, hotel accommodations and access to athletes and celebrities.

FanDuel issued a statement after the Harper video came to light in an investigative story published July 9 in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“We are committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers,” the statement said. “Unlike illegal offshore sportsbooks, FanDuel employees are trained to recognize and flag signs of problem gambling and offer resources and tools, and we continue to review and strengthen our policies to ensure we have the industry’s strongest consumer protection initiatives.”

FanDuel and DraftKings, the leading sportsbooks since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that states could legalize sports betting, have developed lucrative partnerships with leagues in all major sports. The 2022 MLB collective bargaining agreement opened the door for players to do promotional work for sportsbooks.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Three congressmen have commanded MLB and its Players Association (MLBPA) to outlaw promotional partnerships with betting companies after Bryce Harper unknowingly recorded a video sent to a gambling addict.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Rep. Valeria Foushee (D-NC) wrote the letter sent to the league and the MLBPA.

Key Takeaways

• Harper claimed that he never would have recorded the video had he known the reason it was requested.
  
  
• The MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire after Dec.1.
  
  
• Lawmakers want to know MLB and MLBPA’s attitudes toward various betting partnership questions before the new CBA is signed.

It was reported in July that Harper, a nine-time All-Star and two-time MVP, recorded a Cameo video that FanDuel sent to an individual suffering from a gambling addiction. The bettor later filed a lawsuit against the sportsbook, claiming that it preyed on his diagnosable condition. 

Harper released a statement that said he did not know and did not consent to the video being used to promote FanDuel’s betting platform, per NBC Philadelphia.

“We write to demand an end to the MLB and MLBPA policies that enabled this type of predatory promotion,” the congressmen wrote in their letter.

The letter went on to detail the lawmakers’ concerns that MLB rules allowed players to share personalized content that would “drive vulnerable fans into debt and addiction.”

MLB signed its first betting partnership with MGM Resorts International on Nov. 27, 2018. It maintains deals with BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Hard Rock Bet, and also has a prediction market deal with Polymarket. 

“This is a failure that Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association must confront directly, especially as both are in the midst of renegotiating their collective bargaining agreement (CBA),” the letter stated.

New CBA holds the answers

MLB’s CBA is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, 2026. While key issues include the salary cap, revenue splits, and free agency eligibility, there is also a debate over the rights given to players for promotional purposes.

The current structure allows players to secure promotional opportunities with betting companies, so long as the promotions don’t use their name, uniform number, image or likeness. Discussions are still ongoing, but the MLBPA is hoping to remove these restrictions from the next CBA, according to sources familiar with the discussions cited by ESPN.

Lawmakers Blumenthal, Tonko and Foushee are hoping to gain a better understanding of MLB and MLBPA’s position on sportsbook endorsement deals, along with the answer to four other questions that were included in their letter.

• As MLB and MLBPA renegotiate their collective bargaining agreement, what is your current position on allowing MLB players to seek endorsements and partnerships from sportsbooks? Note: The MLBPA has publicly announced their intention to seek greater freedom for players to have relationships with gambling companies.
• How will MLB and the MLBPA guarantee that fan safety and well-being take precedence over revenue from gambling partnerships?
• Do you believe MLB and MLBPA policies on sportsbook endorsements and partnerships are adequate to prevent engagement with predatory VIP programs?
• Will the MLB and MLBPA undertake any player education to ensure that players understand the risks their participation in sportsbook promotions poses to fans?
• Will the MLB and MLBPA prohibit players from participating in personalized marketing campaigns by sportsbooks as part of VIP or tier programs?

The letter asked for a response no later than Aug. 24.

Harper denies knowledge of video’s purpose

Harper claimed that the video used by FanDuel was requested on the video-sharing website Cameo. He claimed that a user named “Bryttanni” asked for a "holiday video for Terry” in November 2024, and that FanDuel later added its logo and used it in a gambling promotion without his knowledge or approval. 

“Had I known FanDuel’s true intent, I would not have made the video,” Harper wrote in a statement released on his Instagram on July 13.

“The same is true had I known anything about Terry or his situation, or about any alleged ‘partnership’ between Cameo and FanDuel.”

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.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country.

Of all of the things that cause angst about the 2026 Orioles, the struggle of Gunnar Henderson is the one that hits me the hardest. He was just so good two years ago, a legitimate MVP contender, and even as his power production took a dive last year, he was still a great player. Not much is going right this year and things seem to be getting worse as the season goes along.

The Orioles need him to be a good player. There’s no backup plan for what if he’s not. Manager Craig Albernaz said this directly in pregame remarks yesterday: “For us to get where we need to go, Gunnar Henderson has to be Gunnar Henderson.” It’s a statement that looks silly written out, because of course Gunnar Henderson is always Gunnar Henderson.

We can take his meaning easily. Henderson needs to be a real positive difference-maker for the Orioles. He’s making a difference this year, but not in a good way. You could argue reasonably that the gap between Henderson’s 2025 and 2026 is what got Adley Rutschman traded, or at least a substantial percentage of it if not the whole reason.

Lately, Henderson is stuck in a downward spiral and it seems neither he nor anyone else is able to find a way to bring him out of it. For this week’s poll question, I’m wondering simply: Do you think he will ever be good for the Orioles again? Vote below, and let us know what you’re thinking in the comments. Results will be shared on Friday or Saturday.

You can define “good” however that is meaningful for you. I would put the line at, will he ever have at least a 4+ bWAR season for the Orioles. That’s a good player. It’s not as great as he once showed us that he can be. Still, if he can rebound to that point, that will have mean that he’s fixed some things and gotten on a better trajectory. Maybe you think he’s cooked entirely, maybe you think the fixes won’t happen under current Orioles philosophies. Is he going to get better here? That’s the question for the week.

As someone who was perhaps the perfect age for the Yankees’ 2009 World Series win, it’s difficult to come up with many players more fondly remembered from those days than Melky Cabrera. A fleet-footed outfielder who had plenty of great moments in New York, and later broke out in his post-Yankee days, Cabrera was an energetic and downright fun player.

While his reputation certainly took a hit from a PED suspension a few years after he left the Bronx, “The Melk Man” was a fan favorite, who was a very good player for stretches, and did enough to stick in the big leagues for 15 years.

Melky Cabrera
Born: August 11, 1984 (Santo Domingo, DR)
Yankees Tenure: 2005-09

Born in the Dominican Republic in 1984, Melky Cabrera originally signed with the Yankees as a 17-year-old in the fall of 2001. After a three-year stretch climbing the minor league ranks, the switch-hitter rather quickly ascended to the Majors, making his debut on July 7th in the 2005 season, at the age of 20.

Melky had just a cup of coffee in that ‘05 campaign (making an ugly misplay at Fenway in his last appearance), but he’d quickly earn himself a near full-time role in New York. After an impressive spring training and some timely injuries on the Yankees’ roster, Cabrera earned another call-up in May of that season. He’d go on to play in 130 in that season, and while he at least posted a 95 OPS+ with 35 extra-base hits—including a walk-off homer against Seattle on July 18th—the defense was the calling card in earning his way to 3.0 bWAR. It was a defensive profile that provided a top-notch highlight in June of that year, snatching a potential game-tying homer away from Manny Ramírez in a Yankees/Red Sox classic.

For the 2007 season, Cabrera still had to battle for a full-time role with the Yankees, but his defense and mostly palatable bat kept his role fairly significant. He appeared in 150 games, hitting eight homers with an 88 OPS+, and while it was perhaps a step back, he did enough to get plenty of run in the outfield. The same did not quite ring true during the ‘08 season, however, as he took a significant step back with the bat, slashing just .249/.301/.341, eventually resulting in a brief demotion to Triple-A in August.

Melky wouldn’t stay away for long, however, as he returned for the 2009 campaign in what would be a much-needed bounce-back. Initially competing with Brett Gardner for the center fielder job, Cabrera took hold of the job relatively early on, thanks to a season filled with some big-time moments. On April 22nd, Cabrera belted the first walk-off homer at the new Yankee Stadium, the first of many in a thrilling season filled with them.

Later on in the season, Melky hit for the cycle in Chicago, the first Yankee to do so since Tony Fernandez in 1995; he remains the last Yankee to achieve the feat, 17 years later.

It was an exciting year for the switch-hitter, as Melky had fully established himself as a fun player out in the outfield, with a knack for the big moment now and then. Ultimately, 2009 was a nice rebound for the then 24-year-old, who set career-highs with 13 home runs and a .416 slugging percentage. He was up-and-down during the postseason, but was a major contributor during the ALCS, recording nine hits and four RBIs in the pennant win. Of course, he would capture a World Series ring during that season.

After a nice run in pinstripes and plenty of memorable moments, Melky Cabrera’s time with the Yankees would come to a close with a trade to the Braves in December 2009. Although he was popular, he was expendable given the presence of the ascendant Gardner, and more relevantly, their recent trade for All-Star Curtis Granderson. As a highlight-reel defender, and no stranger to fun moments on both sides of the ball, he had certainly made his mark.

Cabrera was awful for Atlanta in 2010—beyond modest reliever Boone Logan, the deal didn’t really work out for either side, given Javier Vázquez‘s Yankees struggles—but broke out in a big way with the Royals a year later. In 155 games, Cabrera hit 18 homers with a 121 OPS+ that was a significant high-water mark, while hitting over .300 for the first time in his career. In 2012, now with the Giants, Cabrera picked up right where he left off, hitting on a pace even more impressive than his breakout the year prior. He was batting .373 through the end of May and earned a starting spot with the National League All-Stars, eventually winning himself All-Star Game MVP honors.

Hitting .346 with a whopping 157 OPS+, Cabrera’s season and ascension in the league hit a screeching halt, when he was handed a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. The story only got stranger with controversy over his side creating a fake website. He would miss out on a chance to win a batting title (recusing himself to pave way for teammate and Buster Posey), and of course, celebrate another World Series when the Giants swept the Tigers that October—though the team did grant him a ring.

With a reputation certainly a bit tarnished, Cabrera would stick around in the bigs for some time. He played until the 2019 season, spending time with Toronto, the White Sox, Kansas City again, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Although he never came close to the pre-suspension heights, he still enjoyed some nice seasons, including a 3.5 bWAR season in ‘16 with Toronto, part of a four-year stretch with at least a dozen homers in each.

Melky Cabrera played his final game in 2019 with the Pirates, putting a cap on a nice 15-year-career in the Major Leagues. Having registered 383 doubles, 45 triples, and 144 homers in addition to a World Series win with the Yankees and an All-Star Game MVP with the Giants, he certainly had some impressive highs across that decade-and-a-half. Melky continued to play in the Dominican Winter League but finally hung up the spikes in January 2023.

Here’s to a happy 42nd for the Melk Man!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Mitch Voit

Week: 5 G, 18 AB, .611/.682/.778, 11 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 BB, 3 K, 3/4 SB (Double-A)

2026 Season: 76 G, 293 AB, .242/.349/.396, 71 H, 12 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 37 BB, 70 K, 36/44 SB, .278 BABIP (High-A) / 11 G, 40 AB, .550/.633/.850, 22 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 BB, 6 K, 6/7 SB, .636 BABIP (Double-A)

This week was a hard week to crown a hitter of the week. It wasn’t that there were no players who really stood out, as is the case occasionally, but rather, there were too many impressive performances. Mitch Voit hit .611/.682/.778 with 3 doubles, 3 stolen bases, and drew 4 walks to 3 strikeouts, all good for a 295 wRC+. Vidal Brujan hit .500/.650/.786 with 4 doubles, 2 stolen bases, and drew 5 walks without striking out once in the week, good for a 263 wRC+. Billy Amick hit .294/.400/1.000 with 4 home runs, a stolen base, and drew 3 walks to 9 strikeouts, good for a 240 wRC+. Nick Lorusso hit .389/.450/.889 with 3 home runs and drew 2 walks to 4 strikeouts, good for a 228 wRC+. Julio Zayas hit .381/.458/.857 with a double, 3 home runs, and drew 3 walks to 2 strikeouts, good for a 224 wRC+. Royner Bravo hit .524/.583/.762 with a doubles, 2 triples, and a stolen base, with 3 walks to 3 strikeouts, good for a 224 wRC+ as well. Frank Moreno hit .467/.556/.667 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 1 strikeout, good for a 200 wRC+. Yonatan Henriquez hit .389/.476/.667 with 2 doubles, a home run, 2 stolen bases, and drew 2 walks to 4 strikeouts, good for a 196 wRC+. Elian Pena hit .400/.455/.550 with 3 doubles, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 6 strikeouts, good for a 158 wrC+. Ronny Mauricio hit .300/.348/.600 with 3 doubles, a home run, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 6 strikeouts, good for a 128 wRC+.

In total, among hitters who had at least 12 at-bats this past week, eleven players had an OPS over 1.000. In the end, what Mitch Voit did, with his combination of logging double-digit hits, hitting for power while doing so, stealing bases, and working counts, gave him the edge over the many other deserving hitter of the week candidates.

Normally, I’d write some kind of observation or something like that about the player, something that they changed or something that they’re doing, but in this case, Voit’s crazy numbers actually make it hard for me to say anything about his week. Besides for the fact that the odds of Voit hitting .550/.633/.850 over the next two months are extremely low, the way that he has hit .550/.633/.850 has unsustainable, with extreme outlier metrics, and as such, it’s hard to say anything about what he’s been doing to spark this streak.

Noah Hall

Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K (Double-A)

2026 Season: 19 G (16 GS), 88.1 IP, 78 H, 49 R, 45 ER (4.58 ERA), 60 BB, 96 K, .308 BABIP (High-A) / 2 G (2 GS), 11.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, (3.27 ERA), 5 BB, 16 K, .273 BABIP (Double-A)

Noah Hall was promoted to Double-A Binghamton at the end of July and has made two starts there so far this season. In his first, against the Reading Fightin’ Phils, he got smacked around a bit, giving up 4 runs in 5.0 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking 2, and striking out 6. In his last start, the right-hander threw six scoreless innings and matched a career-high ten strikeouts, posting a season-high 75 GameScore for the start.

In the first, Hall struck out centerfielder GJ Hill and third baseman Andy Perez. Hill went down swinging on a 92 MPH fastball middle-away and Perez was called out on a curveball middle-away. In the second, he struck out DH Mike Antico and catcher Cole Messina. Antico struck out swinging on an elevated fastball, while Messina was called out on strikes on a fastball in the same location. In the third, he struck out right fielder Zach Kokoska swinging on a changeup down below the zone. In the fifth, he struck out first baseman Jack O’Dowd, Mike Antico a second time, and left fielder Skyler Messinger. O’Down went down swinging on a changeup down and away outside of the zone, Antico went down swinging on a curveball down under the zone that Kevin Parada blocked and threw to first for the put out, and Messinger struck out swinging on a fastball middle-away. In the sixth, he struck out shortstop Dylan Jorge and second baseman Roc Riggio, both infielders going down swinging in low-90 fastballs middle-in.

Players of the Week 2026

Week One/Two (March 27-April 5): Hayden Senger/Cam Tilly

Week Three (April 7-April 12): A.J. Ewing/Christian Scott

Week Four (April 14-April 18): Randy Guzman/Jose Chirinos

Week Five (April 21-April 26): A.J. Ewing/Channing Austin

Week Six (April 30-May 3): A.J. Ewing/Jonah Tong

Week Seven (May 5-May 10): Ryan Clifford/Jonathan Santucci

Week Eight: (May 12-May 17): Jacob Reimer/Zach Thornton

Week Nine: (May 19-May 24): Ryan Clifford/Channing Austin

Week Ten: (May 26-May 31): Ryan Clifford/Jose Chirinos

Week Eleven: (June 2-June 7): Vincent Perozo/Frank Camarillo

Week Twelve: (June 9-June 14): JT Benson/Nick Carreno

Week Thirteen (June 16-June 21): Nick Morabito/Jonathan Santucci

Week Fourteen (June 23-June 28): JT Benson/Daviel Hurtado

Week Fifteen: (June 30-July 5): MJ Melendez/Daviel Hurtado

Week Sixteen: (July 7-July 12): Daiverson Gutierrez/Jonathan Santucci

Week Seventeen (July 13-July 19): MJ Melendez/Noah Hall

Week Eighteen: (July 21-July 26): Ronny Mauricio/Conner Ware

Week Nineteen: (July 28-August 2): Mitch Voit/Jonah Tong

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country.

Earlier this season, right after the promotion of Cole Carrigg, we asked you who you thought the Rockies would call up next. At that time, we asked you to choose between Zac Veen (No. 9 Pre-Season PuRP), Charlie Condon (No. 1 Pre-Season PuRP), Sean Sullivan (No. 8 Pre-Season PuRP) and “other.”

This time around, we’re giving you a few of the same options and a few new ones. The only one who hasn’t made his MLB debut yet is Condon, but Adael Amador hasn’t seen any MLB action in 2026.

That said, who do you think the Rockies will call up next as we finish up the 2026 season?

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

The Atlanta Braves lost to the New York Mets on Monday night. That’s now seven losses to the Mets this season, which means that Atlanta has officially dropped the season series to New York for the first time since 2017. It’s kind of wild that this was the year for that streak to end but baseball’s a strange sport and the Mets have still played the Braves pretty tough over the course of that time so this was bound to happen at some point.

Anyways, Atlanta’s fate was nearly sealed in the first inning alone when the Mets tagged Bryce Elder for five runs in that one inning. With that being said, it was certainly strange how they ended up getting to those five runs. The game got off to a weird start in the first place when Elder gave up what was initially ruled a ground rule double out to right field after Ronald Acuña Jr. declared a ball that ended up under the wall as unplayable.

Following a replay challenge review, the umpires eventually determined that the ball had not been lodged below the wall — it had stopped but it wasn’t stuck. “The ruling was the ball was not lodged but the fact that the umpire more-or-less finished the play with a ruling of two bases meant that they kept the runner at second instead of third,” explained Walt Weiss when he was asked about it after the game.

“You can make a case that the ground rule needs to be changed, there,” continued Weiss when he was asked about the ground rule. “Ronald from his vantage point, it’s almost like the ball disappears. He’s up above it and the ball is kind of underneath the wall, so it’s a tough play.”

To Bryce Elder’s credit, he took full responsibility in the post-game press conference and didn’t make any excuses for what happened out there during his rough outing. It started to get very rough once a play that sure looked like it could’ve been a strike-em-out, throw-em out moment that instead ended up turning into a walk. Bryce Elder appeared to have signaled for a challenge but the home plate umpire Cory Blaser didn’t grant it and so the inning continued on.

If you look closely at the clip above, you can see Elder tap his head and point at Sean Murphy as if to say that he should tap his head as well. Instead, no tapping was acknowledged, the Mets kept their rally going and then Brett Baty blew the game open with a grand slam that put the Mets firmly in control.

Again, Elder held himself accountable for the whole ordeal. “If I don’t put one on a tee there for Brett then it’s a whole different conversation,” admitted Elder. “We can look at the challenge and look at this and look at that but at the end of the day, I’ve got to make a better pitch to Baty there and then we don’t have to have that conversation.”

It was also unfortunate to see all that damage being done with two outs. In fact, all seven of the runs that Elder gave up on Monday night happened while two outs were on the board. Elder current has a 6.10 ERA with two outs on the board so far this season as opposing batters are hitting .280/.356/.470 with a wOBA of .361 in that situation. For comparison’s sake, the league average is a 4.86 ERA with a slash line of .234/.317/.384 with a .310 wOBA. All of those numbers are below average for Elder and he’s aware of that and also how it’s been a bit of a pattern in his career.

“For my whole career, it’s one of those things where when I’m good, I’m good with two outs. When I’m bad, I’m bad with two outs. It’s pretty black-and-white as far as whether I need to make better or do a different pitch but whatever it may be, I’m not sure,” explained Elder when I asked him about his issues with two outs. “Yeah, definitely this year when I’ve struggled and things go south it’s with two outs. Being able to make that pitch to get out of an inning is important so hopefully I will be better at it moving forward.”

It was certainly a rough night for Elder and it’s certainly been one of those seasons that we’re becoming used to now where he has peaks that see him peering over all of baseball and valleys that make you wonder just what on Earth is going on with him. Monday was probably the weirdest night of the season yet for Elder and it was certainly frustrating to watch — much less to actually experience it like he and the rest of the Braves did.

Hopefully this’ll be a blip and that Elder will continue to bounce back moving forward since it’s apparent that the Braves are going to need him in some big moments both down the stretch and possibly in October as well. We’ll see what happens.