DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JUNE 28: Jeremy Pena #3 of the Houston Astros swings the bat in the ninth inning during a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/IOS/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros announced today that they have reinstated All-Star SS Jeremy Pena from the IL.
Pena is batting .295 this season with a .356 OBP and .799 OPS. He has 6 HR, 21 RBI and 34 runs scored.
Pena has dealt with 3 separate injuries so far this season. When healthy, he has been an offensive catalyst for a team that very much needs his bat and speed in it’s lineup.
The team designated IF Braden Shewmake for assignment to make room for Pena on the active roster. Shewmake is hitting .256 this season with a .272 OBP and .695 OPS. Should he clear waivers, he seems like a logical candidate to be brought back into the system with Triple-A Sugar Land. Shewmake’s defensive versatility has been an asset for a team that has been without it’s starting 3B for months and has twice put it’s start SS on the IL.
Ryan Clifford of the Syracuse Mets swings the bat during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ryan Clifford will be the Mets system’s sole representative at the 2026 All-Star Futures Game on Sunday afternoon.
Acquired with Drew Gilbert in exchange for Justin Verlander at the 2023 Trade Deadline, Clifford entered the season ranked the Mets’ No. 8 prospect by Amazin’ Avenue. He is currently ranked No. 2 by MLB Pipeline after the graduations of players like Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and A.J. Ewing.
The 22-year-old first baseman has spent the entire season at Triple-A Syracuse, where he’s hitting .198/.286/.399 with 16 homers and 47 RBI through 85 games played. Clifford has also seen time at the corner outfield positions this season, getting 16 starts in left field and 13 in right to go with 48 starts at first base and six at designated hitter. But his calling card is his power, with 88 homers over the past four seasons. If Clifford goes deep in the Futures Game, he would be the first Met to homer in the event since Francisco Alvarez in 2021.
First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, and the game will air on NBC.
Oct 27, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) celebrates after hitting home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game six of the 2020 World Series at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Last year at about this time, the Mariners got stomped by the Yankees and looked ready to limp into the All-Star break with a final series against the best team in baseball. Then they went to Detroit and beat the pants off the Tigers, setting up one of the most important second halves in team history. The Mariners will hope to find a bit of that do-or-die magic again in 2026, after getting swept by the Marlins earlier in the week and now facing the first-place Rays before the pause.
The biggest change for the Mariners today is Colt Emerson is not in the lineup. J.P. Crawford will instead play shortstop and Buddy Kennedy will play third base. Luke Raley also gets a day off in favor of Miles Mastrobuoni in right field.
Julio Rodríguez is not joining the team in Tampa Bay. Brendan Donovan is in Arizona getting ready for a rehab assignment.
Spencer Steer has played just about everywhere across his college and professional careers. One place he has never played, though, is in CF.
On the same day that news broke that Matt McLain would be heading to the 10-day IL with a calf strain he picked up shagging balls in CF as a player who hadn’t played and CF since college, the Reds are going to roll out Steer as their CF in Friday’s series opener in Great American Ball Park against the Chicago Cubs.
That’s right!
Despite the Reds brass having touted Noelvi Marte’s athleticism and natural instincts as capable of playing some CF, Marte will instead start in RF on the night, with the decision to shoehorn Steer into CF the latest in a long, crumbling line of decisions made by the powers that be in Cincinnati. This all also coincides with the return of Ke’Bryan Hayes at 3B, so perhaps the front office is so convinced that Hayes’ defense is transformative at the hot corner that where anyone else plays defensively truly doesn’t matter.
That’s the headline, tonight, or at least the co-headline. The other is that Hunter Greene will make his second start since returning from elbow surgery with hopes that literally anything other than what happened in his first start is what we get to see.
First pitch against the Cubs is set for 7:10 PM ET. Starting lineups for both clubs are listed below.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Astros and Rangers will renew their rivalry tonight in Arlington, TX, with the first game of a big three-game weekend series at Globe Life Field.
Astros ace RHP Hunter Brown (1-0) will get the start for Houston in what is his seventh start of the season and his first in 2026 opposite the Rangers.
He’ll be opposed by reliever turned starter RHP Cal Quantrill (3-1).
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros are 5-2 vs. the Rangers thus far in the 2026 Silver Boot Series, which includes winning three of four in Arlington earlier this season from May 25-28.
Since the start of the 2017 season, the Astros have won or split nine straight season series against the Rangers, going 98-53 against the Rangers in that span.
THIS WEEKEND’S TELECASTS: All three games this series will be televised by Space City Home Network with Kevin Eschenfelder, Geoff Blum and Lauren Callender on the call.
Shelby Coppedge and Brian Bogusevic will host the pre and postgame shows from the SCHN studio.
SUPPORT FOR VENEZUELA: The Astros Foundation held incredibly successful relief drives last week to support Venezuela after devastating earthquakes hit the country on June 24.
With combined efforts from the Astros Foundation, several of the Astros partners and many Astros fans, the group put together 115 pallets of non-perishable food items, household needs, hygiene items and more, which will make their way to Venezuela.
THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 26-18 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.
On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are 16-10 on their last four road trips combined and are 22-16 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season.
The Astros have won four of their last six road series dating back to May 22.
WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-6 in one-run games and 21-11 in two-run games.
Nine of the Astros last 10 wins and 14 of their last 16 victories have come by two-or-fewer runs.
The last time the Astros won a game by four-plus runs was on June 19 vs. CLE, in a 9-3 win.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!: The Astros would like to wish a Happy Birthday to LHP Steven Okert, who turned 35 yesterday.
Despite being the eldest member of the Astros bullpen, Okert leads the club and ranks third in the AL in appearances (44).
WEDNESDAY IN WASHINGTON: The Astros dropped the rubber game of their three-game series in Washington on Wednesday night by a score of 8-2.
3B Isaac Paredes (2×4) and LF Zach Dezenzo (2×3) both picked up two-hit games in the contest.
1B Christian Walker (1×4) reached a milestone, hitting his 200th career double.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have reinstated SS Jeremy Peña from the 10-day IL and have designated IF Braden Shewmake for assignment.
Additionally, RHP Kai-Wei Teng began a minor league rehab assignment for the FCL Astros today, pitching 1.0 scoreless inning.
BROTHER BROWN: RHP Hunter Brown will make his seventh start of the season tonight and his fifth since returning from a lengthy stint on the IL with a right shoulder strain.
He has shown some rust upon his return, but has been effective on the seaon, posting a 3.38 ERA (11ER/29.1IP) while allowing 23 hits in 29.1 IP (.213 opp. avg.) with 35 strikeouts.
ALL-STAR ALVAREZ: DH Yordan Alvarez has been voted by the fans as the starting DH for the AL All- Star team.
This marks the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he has been voted as a starter (also in 2024).
MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez is a strong MVP candidate, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.030), OBP (.416), SLG (.614), and total bases (208).
Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in HR (29), first in RBI (67), tied for first in XBH (45), second in hits (105), second in batting average (.310), third in runs (62), and tied for fourth in walks (59).
THE LONG BALL LIST: DH Yordan Alvarez has hit 199 career homers and is looking become the sixth player in club history to reach the 200-homer mark.
SECOND HOME: DH Yordan Alvarez had a huge four-game series in Arlington earlier this season, hitting .400 (6×15) with five homers, eight RBI, six runs scored and three walks in the four contests.
In just 34 career games at Globe Life Field, Alvarez ranks 12th all-time at the stadium in home runs (17), just ahead of the Rangers DH Joc Pederson (15 HR in 93g) and 1B Jake Burger (11 HR in 94g).
BEST IN TEXAS: 2B Jose Altuve has 38 home runs and 101 RBI in his career vs. the Rangers, which are his most vs. any opponent.
All-time in MLB history opposite the Rangers, Altuve ranks fifth in runs scored (144), seventh in homers (38), and eighth in hits (242).
CONGRATS JV!: The Astros would like to congratulate RHP Justin Verlander on an incredible career after he announced on Wednesday that he would retire following the season.
Verlander pitched parts of seven seasons with the Astros (2017-19, 2021-24) and had some of his best years, winning two World Series titles (2017, 2022), being named an All-Star three times (2018-19, 2022), and earning two Cy Young awards (2019, 2022) in an Astros uniform.
FEELING DRAFTY: The first day of the MLB Draft begins tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. CT and will include rounds 1-4 of a scheduled 20.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, July 10, 7:05 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Jul 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Update: the start of the game has been delayed by 10 minutes due to weather. (I’m not convinced that’s the only delay we’ll deal with tonight, nor, apparently, is Curt Hogg.)
It’s the start of the last series before the All-Star break (weather permitting) and the Brewers are in Pittsburgh to wrap things up with a three-game set with the Pirates. Brandon Sproat takes the mound for the Brewers, while first-time All-Star Braxton Ashcraft will pitch for the Pirates.
Before we get to tonight’s starters, we’ve got a transaction to tell you about. Since time is, as they say, a flat circle, the Brewers have signed Bryse Wilson to a major league deal. To make room for him, they’ve sent Drew Rom to Triple-A Nashville and they’ve designated Easton McGee for assignment.
Wilson pitched for the Brewers in 2023 and 2024, serving mostly as a long-relief, semi-mop-up option. In 2023 he had quite a nice year: in 53 outings, Wilson pitched to a 2.58 ERA and went 6-0. He struggled more in 2024, but he pitched over 100 innings in a swingman role and was slightly above league average via ERA+. However, in both seasons Wilson vastly outperformed his peripheral numbers, and since leaving the Brewers, things have been a struggle. He made 20 appearances for the White Sox in 2025 and had a 6.65 ERA in 47 1/3 innings; in three big-league appearances in 2026 (two with the Cubs, one with the Phillies) he’s allowed seven runs, all earned, in 9 2/3 innings. Wilson’s role with the Brewers, for however long it lasts (likely not long), will surely be similar to what it was when he last pitched for them in 2024: mop-up duty. (For those who are optimists, Wilson is generally good at not walking guys, but he doesn’t really strike them out, either, and over the last couple seasons he has been eminently hittable, with about 12.5 hits per nine innings.)
Back to tonight’s action. Sproat will look to get into the break on a high note. Sproat’s last outing was a mixture of good and bad: he was not pitching well, needed 92 pitches, and allowed eight baserunners to get through just four innings pitched. But the good news is that he was mostly able to work his way out of trouble, too, and he somehow allowed just one run in those four innings, a game which Milwaukee eventually won 3-2 against the Diamondbacks. It was an encouraging sign of maturation that he didn’t just implode when things weren’t going well. Since the beginning of June, Sproat has a very solid 3.30 ERA in 30 innings pitched and the team is 5-1 in his starts, a stark contrast to his 6.24 ERA and 5-6 team record prior to last month.
Ashcraft has been quite good for Pittsburgh, as evidenced by his status as an All-Star injury replacement. He’s just 26 and in his second season, and he’s done nothing but pitch well since his debut in late May of last season. This year, Ashcraft is 9-3 with a 3.24 ERA (134 ERA+) and even better 3.16 FIP. He’s got sterling peripherals (10.1 K/9, 2.1 BB/9) and is a hard thrower who plays a curveball and sinker off a four-seamer that sits around 97 mph. The curveball, especially, is one of the better ones in the league.
The Brewers continue to rotate through their position players as they reach the end of this 18-games-in-17-days stretch. Christian Yelich is back in the leadoff spot, while the outfield goes Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick from left to right. William Contreras is behind the plate, while the infield is Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers.
As I hinted at above, there’s weather moving through Pittsburgh over the next couple of hours. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one doesn’t start on time, though it looks like they should be able to get it in tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. CT, so we’ll see what happens. Find the game on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 17: Pitcher Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates fields the ball and throws to first base to get the out of Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics in the bottom of the third inning at Sutter Health Park on June 17, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are still at PNC Park for a weekend series as they host the NL Central leader Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game set.
The Pirates hope to start the series off strong with a win by handing the ball to Braxton Ashcraft, who is arguably Pittsburgh’s best starter this season. Ashcraft has won his last four starts and is coming off a win against the Washington Nationals on July 4. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and one earned run, and earned a 7-1 victory on Independence Day.
The Brewers will counter with right-hander Brandon Sproat, who is making his 16th start of the year. Sprote is coming off a short start against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 5, where he pitched four innings and gave up five hits and one earned run. He was not part of the decision because he did not pitch long enough, but the Brewers picked up a 3-2 win. Milwaukee has won each of Sprote’s last four starts, so they hope to continue their hot streak with him on the mound.
It’s the final series before the All-Star break, and with the Pirates sitting at .500, this weekend is critical for Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 09: Manager Craig Stammen #14 of the San Diego Padres takes the ball from Griffin Canning #17 during a pitching change in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on July 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres are still without a series win this month. The club struggled against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly last night, scoring just one run on a Manny Machado homer in the second inning. After that, the club managed just two hits. Griffin Canning pitched well, navigating trouble to give up just two runs. Unfortunately, that was all Arizona would need.
Tonight, the Toronto Blue Jays will come to town to face San Diego. The Padres have considerably less momentum heading into the series, with the Blue Jays having just beat the San Francisco Giants (and almost throwing a no-hitter against them on Wednesday night). Hopefully, San Diego will be able to regain some offensive momentum against Toronto tonight.
Taking the mound
Shane Bieber (TOR) v. JP Sears (SD)
Bieber hasn’t looked great since returning from injury. After surprising many by re-signing with Toronto, Bieber hasn’t helped his free agency case this season. In his first three starts back, the righty’s posted a 9.00 ERA across 13 innings pitched. He’s also posted a ridiculous 2.08 WHIP.
His most recent start against the Seattle Mariners was, by far, his worst. Bieber surrendered seven runs to the Mariners across just four innings pitched. The Padres will look to tag him for that many in the hopes of a series opening win.
Similar to Bieber, Sears has made just three starts this season for San Diego. He’s pitched infinitely better than Bieber, but has still struggled. His high 4.70 ERA is only due to his start against the Chicago Cubs last week. Sears surrendered six runs to the Cubs across just 4 2/3 innings.
Sears rebounded immediately against the Los Angeles Dodgers with five scoreless innings against the rivals. He hasn’t faced Toronto’s lineup very much in the past, which should give him a slight edge over the Jays.
Batter up!
San Diego’s lineup has been resurgent but spotty lately. They’ve scored 29 runs in their last eight games for an average of 3.63 runs per game. Excluding the two games they were shut out, the average bumps up to a much more respectable 4.83 runs per game. The lineup will need to show up against Bieber tonight in order to win the series opener.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Manny Machado, 3B
Gavin Sheets, LF
Ty France, 1B
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Miguel Andujar, DH
Luis Campusano, C
Of the Friars, Bogaerts has had the most career success against Bieber. The short owns a .364 batting average and 1.144 OPS against the righty in 11 at-bats. If he can replicate that tonight, it would be a fantastic turnaround to the struggles that Bogaerts has been recently mired in.
Relief corps
After a few tiring weeks, the bullpen has been spared from overuse as of late. That was mostly true last night, with Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez, Wandy Peralta and Adrian Morejon covering the final 4 1/3 innings. Each pitched a full frame, with Rodriguez covering 1 1/3 innings for San Diego.
That leaves Jhony Brito, Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio and Mason Miller as options for tonight. Brito looked solid in his 2026 debut on Tuesday night but hasn’t been used since. Hart and Marinaccio have been rough lately and will look to turn things around facing the Jays.
With no clear-cut top pick, the pressure is on for White Sox brass to make the right call at noon Saturday. | (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Chicago’s future will be decided this weekend in a conference room in Philadelphia, at approximately 12 p.m. CT. Although I only partially mean it facetiously, that’s how the front office has seen the first pick of the 2026 MLB draft since the Winter Meetings that revealed its lottery win.
For the last seven months, Chicago’s baseball operations, scouting, player development and coaches have debated who should be the face of the franchise by 2030: Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson or Vahn Lackey. National and local scouting reports, podcasts, and analysts have done their fair share of speculation, but let’s shift the conversation and read between the lines and assess what these picks say about the organization’s belief in itself.
Scouting department reflection If the pick is Cholowsky: Seeing would be believing that Cholowsky’s last three college years were the real deal. The 21 year-old slugger peaked last year with a .353/.480/.710 and 23 HRs and 74 RBIs, regressing only slightly in his 2026 campaign. Picking the UCLA Bruin signals that the scouting department believes these numbers aren’t flukes, and that GM Chris Getz has full trust in the scouts’ eyes.
Emerson: If Getz’s confidence is a 10 out of 10 for Cholowsky, it would be a 12/10 for Emerson in the scouting department. Taking a high-schooler is always riskier than a college player, but banking on a player who slashed .398/.515/.648, had 13 home runs and a 19.7% walk rate in 223 games in the Perfect Game Tournament, one of the most elite travel ball programs in the country, would indicate that the scouts believe Emerson isn’t even close to his ceiling, and that Getz believes so, too.
Lackey: A catcher hasn’t been taken with the first pick of the MLB draft since Adley Rutschman in 2019. For Lackey to be in the discussion means the scouts see something truly special in him, and so does Getz. His rapid acceleration from slashing .214/.330/.381 in his freshman year at Georgia Tech to .397/.519/.772 two years later is forgivable because his glove and arm steal scouts’ eyes. This is a bold pick, but the upside and trust are there.
Development department reflection If the pick is Cholowsky: Chicago is relying on Cholowsky to come in mostly-baked, because they’re more confident in their talent development in fine-tuning a prospect than early pipeline stages. Only two of the Sox’s last 11 first-round picks (since 2016) came from high school. Chicago is relying on Cholowsky’s college maturation, noted by a 2.5% strikeout rate drop and 2% walk rate increase from freshman to junior year, to compensate for its hit-or-miss development skills, primarily with position players.
Emerson: Confidence is sky-high with player development. Paul Janish is the new sheriff in town, and he’s ready to turn the tables on the Sox’s poor PD track record. This doesn’t mean that Emerson doesn’t lay plenty of groundwork. His natural, powerful swing, plus arm and decent speed make him a dream pick in many eyes. But he’s only 18 years old, even if he’s more developed than many college players.
Lackey: Like Cholowsky, Lackey is close to a finished product. Having Walker McKinven, former Brewers catching and strategy and run prevention coach, as the bench coach instills a lot of confidence in the Sox’s ability to translate Lackey’s 55-grade fielding and 50-grade arm into a reliable, daily catcher. Going with a guy whose profile isn’t far off from Cholowsky’s alludes to a high degree of confidence in the coaching staff’s ability to raise Lackey’s ceiling and floor.
Baseball operations reflection If the pick is Cholowsky: Although a crowded infield seems like a problem, the Sox embrace it because they know Will Venable can put together a decent lineup. Getz’s trust and confidence in Venable has grown exponentially this year, even if the dramatic home and road splits call his management into question. If Venable is finding a way to win without the first overall draft pick in his arsenal, let’s see what he does when he has the most highly-anticipated shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
Emerson: Adding Montgomery as the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 draft was the tip of the high school prospect iceberg. Seeing Montgomery’s transformation from a struggling Triple-A hitter riddled with injuries to a cumulative 5.3 WAR player in essentially a year’s worth of games was a sign that the research, player development and scouting departments figured out the right recipe for above-average talent at a cost-effective price. Now, it’s time to rinse and repeat the formula. It’s time to go back to drafting players with 50-grade fielding and speed and smooth lefty swings.
Lackey: The Sox aren’t happy with their backstops of today or tomorrow, and Lackey could earn the starting job quickly. There’s little faith that Kyle Teel or Edgar Quero, or anyone else in the minors, can be every pitcher’s favorite catcher and provide elite defense. Making the unorthodox choice to snag a catcher with the top pick in the draft also hints at the front office’s preference for a slow-burn player who can provide more defensive value in the long run at a lower price point than a flashy, versatile shortstop.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 9: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at Globe Life Field on July 9, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for July 10, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Hunter Brown for the Astros.
It is the final series prior to the All Star Break. Texas has three at home against Houston. Silver Boot excitement!
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Langford — LF
Jung — 3B
Nimmo — RF
Burger — 1B
Duran — SS
Carter — CF
Lopez — 2B
Higashioka — C
7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +117 underdogs.
SPLITTING ‘EM UP: By winning two of three at Baltimore, the Cubs evened their record in series for the season: 14 won, 14 lost and two split. They are 6-1-1 in their last eight. Last year, through 30 series, they were 18-9-3. They finished 31-19-3. They were 55-38 through 93 games a year ago. Today, they are 52-41. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
ONE-RUN GAMES: Yesterday’s loss was the Cubs’ first by one run in 27 games, since a 2-1 loss at home against the Giants on June 7. Between the losses, the Cubs had gone 18-8, including four wins by one run. For the season, they are 15-10 in one-run games. They finished at 25-19 last season, their first with a winning record since they were 26-25 in 2018. From 2019-24, they were a combined 123-142. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
OUTHITTING THE OPPONENT: The Cubs lost yesterday despite outhitting the Orioles, 9-3. They had won all 14 previous games in which they had made at least six more hits than they gave up. They are 39-5 when they outhit opponents, 4-2 when they have the same number of hits and 9-34 when they have been outhit, including their 9-7 win on Wednesday, in which they made eight hits and gave up 14. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs end a five-game losing streak and a 20-game stretch in which they went 5-15 by defeating the Pirates 6-5 at PNC Park. Anthony Rizzo went 4-for-5 and Albert Almora Jr. homered in the victory. It happened 10 years ago today, Sunday, July 10, 2016.
Shōta Imanaga, last five starts: 3.00 ERA, 1.148 WHIP, 26 strikeouts in 27 innings, four home runs allowed.
That’s… pretty good!
On May 7 at Wrigley Field, Imanaga held the Reds to one run in six innings and struck out 10. That’d play tonight. The last time he pitched in Cincinnati was Sept. 19, 2025 and he allowed three home runs in five innings. But, that was during a second half in which Imanaga was likely not fully recovered from his hamstring injury. The previous year, June 9, 2024, Imanaga threw 6.2 innings and allowed two runs and only one home run.
Hopefully we get the 2024 version tonight.
Hunter Greene just returned from an injury that kept him out most of this year. He had bone chips removed from his right elbow. That’s never good for a pitcher.
His only start since returning was July 4 at GABP against the Orioles, and they lit him up for seven hits, four walks and eight runs in 3.2 innings. He threw 89 pitches and did top out at 99 miles per hour, but… maybe he isn’t quite ready yet?
Last year, Sept. 18, 2025, Greene threw a one-hit complete game shutout against the Cubs. Somehow I’m thinking he’s not quite that guy again… yet.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 15: Nick Krall, General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds, speaks to the media during the Spring Training Cactus League Media Day at Arizona Biltmore on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft begins in earnest tomorrow, July 11th, at 1:00 PM ET. And because everything must be a spectacle under commissioner Rob Manfred, it’s going to be a televised extravaganza across two days.
Rounds 1-4 will be broadcast live on NBC (and streamed on Peacock) on Saturday from 1:00 PM ET through 2:30 PM ET, which means you’ll be able to watch the Cincinnati Reds make picks at #18 in Round 1, #58 in Round 2, #70 in Competitive Balance Round B (which follows Round 2), pick #94 in Round 3, and pick #122 in Round 4 all on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday will see coverage resumed by MLB.com, MLB.tv, and MLB+ beginning at 11:30 PM ET. Rounds 5-20 will all take place on Sunday afternoon and evening, at which case the talking heads can begin to yap about which teams had the best overall draft even though every single player selected will still be a year (or, in most every case, years) away from actually having a shot to contribute at the big league level.
Because the Reds unexpectedly made a playoff appearance last year, albeit briefly, they don’t pick until 18th overall this year. Between that, having zero Compensation Picks from losing a free agent to a big enough contract elsewhere, and landing a Competitive Balance Round B pick (instead of Competitive Balance Round A after Round 1), their overall draft bonus pool of $10,758,500 ranks as just the 17th highest in the league this year. How that impacts their strategy of drafting high school talent vs. college talent remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they swing big with their first selection and then backfill in rounds 7-10 by drafting college seniors who’ll only command minimum bonuses to sign.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 09: Mike Yastrzemski #18 of the Atlanta Braves hits a grand slam home run in the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves open up a set in St. Louis on Friday night, and have moved Mike Yastrzemski to sixth on the heels of his grand slam in Thursday’s win over the Pirates:
Yastrzemski started out hitting fifth, but quickly dropped down to the bottom of the lineup amid struggles in April. He last hit as high as sixth back on May 4. It hasn’t been a good year for him overall, as he posted sub-.300 wOBAs and xwOBAs in both April and June. He hit okay in May (.338 xwOBA) and got very fortunate (.414 wOBA), but slumped with the rest of the team the following month. That said, he’s been on a heater in July (.409 wOBA, .442 xwOBA), so him moving up in the lineup amid the ongoing struggles of Austin Riley and Dominic Smith makes sense given the way the Braves shuffle things. As a result, this is a novel lineup, the Braves’ 76th in 93 games.
The Cardinals haven’t tweeted out their lineup, with their press folks probably preparing to cover the rumored JJ Wetherholt extension.
The now-flush-with-cash Wetherholt remains in the leadoff spot — the rest of these names are familiar if you watched any of the prior series between these two teams in Atlanta. That said, it’s also a new lineup for St. Louis, who actually doesn’t shuffle things around that much (62nd in 93 games), with a bunch of righties stacked at the bottom against Chris Sale.
The Braves’ lineup has only a handful of collective PAs against Leahy, though everyone but Michael Harris II and Jim Jarvis have faced him at least once. It’s a funny collective .201 wOBA and .518 xwOBA in 15 total PAs, with that disparity driven by both Yastrzemski and Riley once crushing a ball off him that went for an out instead of an extra-base hit or whatever.
Among the entire St. Louis lineup, the only player to have ever faced Chris Sale before is Nelson Velazquez, who had a weak flyout and a walk against him back in 2023. Kinda weird.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will miss next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia because of continued irritation in his left knee.
The Dodgers added that Ohtani would not make his scheduled start on the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, but would continue his role as the team’s designated hitter throughout the weekend.
The team says that after the series against the D-backs ends on Sunday, Ohtani will have some “interventions” done on his knee to get his ready for the second half of the season, which will cause him to miss the All-Star Game.
The four-time Most Valuable Player has once again been one of the best players in the big leagues this season and stands alone as the game’s premier two-way player.
Ohtani is batting .290 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs and is 8-2 on the mound with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings.
Ohtani’s absence will be a blow for baseball’s midsummer showcase at Citizens Bank Park. The Japanese star — who turned 32 years old earlier this week — is among the game’s most popular players and led MLB in jersey sales last year.
He hit his 300th career homer on Tuesday night, a leadoff shot against Colorado Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen that made him the first Japanese-born player in the majors to reach the milestone.
