Category: Baseball

Tuesday notes…

• STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: Surprise! The Cubs are mired in another 10-game losing streak. They have lost the first game of each of their last 10 series. The Cubs started the season by winning the opener of their first 11 series. Then they lost six in a row and won two, May 4 at New York vs. the Mets and May 8 at home vs. the Padres, before beginning their current double-digit streak on June 12 at Pittsburgh. They Cubs are 13-16 in all first games. They are 15-14 in second games, 18-10 in third games and 4-0 in fourth games. They are 13-14-2 in winning, losing and splitting series. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• AGAINST SUB-.500 TEAMS: The Cubs are 26-19 against teams that had a losing record on the day of games they played them. They are 24-21 vs. teams that were at .500 or had winning records. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• POWER OUTAGE: Last Wednesday, the Cubs hit eight home runs at home against the Padres, tying their team record, in a span of 45 plate appearances. They have hit none in their last 109. Three straight games without a homer is their second-longest streak of the season, after four in a row, March 31-April 5. They have had back-to-back homerless games five other times. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs trail the Nationals 8-0 at Washington entering the sixth inning. They score 10 runs over the next four innings, including home runs by Blake DeWitt and Carlos Pena, and win 10-9. It happened 15 years ago today, Thursday, July 7, 2011.

Cubs lineup:

Tuesday evening in Baltimore.

Tune in live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/3X3yUSEb99

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 7, 2026

Orioles lineup:

New series vs. the Cubs on deck.

📺 @masnOrioles & MASN+
📻 98 Rock 97.9 FM & WBAL 1090 AM pic.twitter.com/BTxCH5HgyA

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 7, 2026

Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Shane Baz, RHP

In two starts since returning from the injured list, Matthew Boyd has allowed 12 hits and three runs in 9.2 innings, with four walks and six strikeouts.

If you squint you can see the form of last year’s Boyd struggling to get out. Hopefully he finds it in Baltimore.

Boyd hasn’t faced the Orioles since 2023 so many of the current O’s weren’t on the team then. Current Orioles are a small sample size 7-for-33 (.212) against Boyd with no home runs and 13 strikeouts.

Shane Baz was supposed to be the Orioles’ big starting pitcher acquisition this year and he’s been decidedly average, posting 0.8 bWAR with a 4.19 ERA.

He was a first-round pick (12th overall) in 2017 out of high school in Texas by the Pirates, who traded him to the Rays in the Chris Archer deal in 2018 (now there’s a blast from the past!).

Baz started against the Cubs for the Rays Sept. 12, 2025 at Wrigley Field and they hit him hard — six hits and five runs in 2.1 innings. Alex Bregman is 5-for-9 lifetime against Baz with a home run.

As you can see below, Baz throws hard, but his K rate is down from last year.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Camden Yards.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Orioles site Camden Chat. If you do go there to interact with Orioles fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

One of the bigger questions looming on the trade deadline horizon for the Phillies whether or not they can get another bat. They have been riding out a platoon of Gabriel Rincones, Jr. and Derek Hill, with Hill filling in at time for Justin Crawford and Edmundo Sosa taking some reps in left field against left handed pitching, options that are probably more appealing in theory than they are in practicality. The more urgent need, if there was one, was finding a more permanent solution to the right field platoon. Rincones has had a decent few games lately, but has generally looked as though more seasoning in the minor leagues was in order rather getting regular time in the majors. Hill is fine as a fourth/fifth outfielder or platoon option, but for a team that is looking to win a World Series, an upgrade is probably best for all.

As we know though, it takes two to tango on the trade front and finding acceptable solutions is going to be tricky. Getting that player on the Phillies will require them to make a deal for someone that is an upgrade over what they currently have, something they may not have the trade capital to do. If not, then the platoon will remain.

In that case:

Who knows what will happen, but we do know the fallback is the current iteration of the roster as is.

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

What began as a promising rookie season for baseball’s No. 1 prospect has taken another turn for the worse.

Pirates star shortstop Konnor Griffin is going to be out for likely the next two months with a torn tendon in his left ring finger, according to multiple reports. 

Pirates Director of Sports Medicine Tom Tomczyk told the media that Griffin’s finger will be in a splint for six weeks. 

Griffin’s estimated return is in 8-10 weeks, lining him up to miss considerable time in the Pirates’ race to the playoffs. 

Griffin suffered the injury against the Washington Nationals on Sunday in our nation’s capital. Griffin made two diving catches into shallow left field for highlight-reel plays, but appeared to injure his left hand on one of the plays.

Here’s the diving catch and Griffin’s reaction after

This sucks. pic.twitter.com/Jb0REOVj72https://t.co/9NgUKWj9Fr

— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) July 7, 2026

He was seen in the dugout getting his fingers checked out by the training staff. Griffin also appeared to be stepped on by Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams while stealing second base in the fourth inning and could be a contributing reason for the injury, which feels like a snowball effect of multiple causes.

It’s a crushing blow for the 20-year-old face-of-the-franchise, who just returned from an elbow injury that kept him out a month.

Griffin hit .306 in eight starts back off the IL with four multi-hit games and the game-winning hit on Sunday.

In 59 games during his rookie year, Griffin is slashing .276/.332/.404 with 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs, and 25 RBIs. Griffin homered in his first at-bat against the Reds on June 26.

Already missing center fielder Oneil Cruz and first baseman Spencer Horwitz until after the All-Star break, the Pirates will need to survive another injury to an impactful player for their offense and defense. 

Pittsburgh hosts the Braves and Brewers to close the unofficial first half of the season. The Pirates are 46-45 and three games back of the Marlins for the final wild card spot. Buckle up, everyone.

Texas Rangers lineup for July 7, 2026 against the Anaheim Angels: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Jose Soriano for the Angels.

Texas looks to rebound after losing the home series against the Tigers. Hopefully they are more Dennis Rodman than Doug Smith. Josh Jung, dealing with a sore knee, is sitting again.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Smith — 2B

Burger — 1B

Nimmo — RF

Duran — 3B

Carter — CF

Osuna — LF

Diaz — C

Lopez — SS

7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -164 favorites.

With the MLB draft quickly approaching, we at LL conclude our draft profiles with a culmination of “everybody else”. Many of these players will be drafted before the Mariners pick, many will be drafted after, and hopefully one of them will wind up putting pen to paper with M’s by the end of next week. In case you missed our prior coverage, check out our other writeups here.

Mason Edwards – LHP, USC

The strikeout king of college baseball this past season (by a wide margin), Edwards brings some incredibly loud stuff on the mound despite rather mundane velocity. The lefthander uses a very high arm slot to get massive ride on his fastball, and both his breaker and changeup each possess some unique shapes that have gotten a ton of whiff throughout his college career. The walks ticked up slightly this season, but he is undoubtedly one of the best pitchers in this class.

Mason Edwards (lhp, @USC_Baseball)

⚾️ 8-0, 2.07 ERA, 95.2 IP, 169 Ks, .159 BAA
⚾️ 12 starts of 10+ Ks
⚾️ Big Ten Pitcher of the Year
⚾️ #1 in D1 in Strikeouts (169)
⚾️ #1 in D1 in K-Rate (42.7%)
⚾️ 60% whiff rate CB (100th percentile)
⚾️ 63.9% whiff rate CH (100th percentile) pic.twitter.com/ndwAruAf0G

— Burke Granger (@burkegranger) June 18, 2026

Zion Rose – LF, Louisville

A high-contact corner outfielder at present, Rose was actually a catcher in high school despite possessing plus speed and an average arm. Rose has shown a propensity to barrel the ball and rarely strikes out, though some evaluators have questioned whether his top-end power will be enough to play in a corner spot as it’s closer to average than plus. His speed on the bases absolutely plays and he’ll be a stolen base threat that lashes line drives at the professional level, but elevating the ball with authority (which could come through a change in approach) should be an emphasis for him early in his career. It’s not terribly dissimilar from a young version of Michael Arroyo, though Arroyo was just promoted to Triple-A at the same age that Rose will be drafted.

Daniel Jackson – C, Georgia

A highly athletic catcher that burst on to the scene in 2026, Jackson is a Golden Spikes finalist and is a popular name in the back half of the first round. Posting 32 homers and 26 stolen bases, Jackson’s power-speed combination made him the first SEC player to post a 30-25 season and the first ever catcher to do so at the DI level. There’s legitimate whiff concerns, but the M’s just took a big-school catcher with essentially the same exact offensive profile last season in Luke Stevenson, potentially making him an attractive option based on their internal evaluations.

DANIEL JACKSON GO AHEAD 10TH INNING BOMBBBB 🔥🔥🔥

GEORGIA LEADS. FOLEY FIELD HAS ERUPTED pic.twitter.com/1tmiTJJAjS

— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) June 7, 2026

Sawyer Strosnider – CF, TCU

Strosnider tests extremely well athletically and possesses perhaps the best power-speed combination in this class. A twitchy left-handed swing produces tremendous raw exit velocities, but Strosnider’s zone judgement is subpar at present and he’s prone to swing and miss. It’s a clean swing that produced in each of his college seasons, and in all honesty, he’d need to slide quite a bit in order to get to the M’s first pick at 24. He’s been a buzzy name for a while now and could potentially sneak his way into the top ten, but if he gets to the Mariners, he’d be a very fun player to dream on.

AJ Gracia – CF, Virginia

Probably the bat the M’s want to fall to them most and subsequently the least likely of anyone on today’s list to actually be available, Gracia was a candidate for the 1.1 preseason, but a minor injury sidelined him for a few weeks and his numbers didn’t pop quite as much as evaluators were hoping for. Arguably the bat with the highest chance to possess both plus contact and plus power, Gracia, a centerfielder at present, is more of a left fielder long term and should be a capable defender in that spot. He doesn’t have the top end speed you like to see from someone playing up the middle and his arm is average at best, but every other facet of his game is so polished it’s likely he’ll be gone by the middle of the first round. A tall, athletic outfielder with as safe of an offensive profile as there is is hard to argue with, and if he somehow found his way to 24, the M’s should absolutely jump at the opportunity to make him a Mariner.

This 110 mph double is the hardest-hit ball by AJ Gracia this year. Frozen rope. Top spin kept it in the yard. pic.twitter.com/yEw9pQXNHL

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) May 16, 2026

Trevor Condon – CF, Etowah Highschool

Yet another name that’s gotten a ton of love over the past few weeks, Condon is one of the few prep players that could profile into the range the M’s select at and possesses incredibly loud tools. One of the fastest players in the class that mans centerfield masterfully, Condon’s bat-to-ball approach with sound pitch selection should make him an ideal table-setter atop any lineup. Teams love prep bats in the first round, and this year’s relative lack of them likely gets Condon selected before the M’s will have a chance to, but he’s reportedly a popular option in-house and could easily be the guy if he’s still available.

Hunter Dietz – LHP, Arkansas

A physically imposing lefthander that can pump triple digit heat, Dietz pitched his first full season this year after dealing with injuries in years prior, making him a relatively fresh arm on a total innings basis. The Razorback throws four pitches as of now, though the heater and breakingball have done most of the heavy lifting to this point. Dietz has some effort in his delivery and carries some relief risk because of it, though a high octane lefty with massive strikeout numbers ultimately give him a relatively safe floor if a move to the ‘pen does ultimately happen. He’s typically mocked anywhere from 15-30 and should fit nicely into the Mariners’ draft pocket.

Taylor Rabe – RHP, Ole Miss

A recent riser on draft boards, Taylor Rabe was rotationmates with another potential first rounder covered previously on the site and carries a complete four-pitch mix that’s headlined by a fastball that touches 99 mph. The calling card for Rabe is his command; one of the best strikethrowers in the country, Rabe finished fourth in the nation with a 7.00 K/BB ratio, and his high octane heater to pair with it has scouts bullish on his future. His shapes are rather mundane and his feel for spin isn’t great, but if a pitching lab can unlock some improved results on the secondaries, Rabe could be an incredibly compelling arm.

Chase Brunson – CF, Chase Brunson

One of the most well-rounded bats in this draft, Brunson represents something of a “safe” option in the sense that he does everything well, but fails to separate any one tool as exceptional. A solid centerfield defender that could easily transition to right if need be, Brunson has above average power and average contact ability that should make him a consistent 20-homer threat long term. He’s not the most adjustable at the plate, but the overall athlete and traits should have him selected in the first 30 picks or so. He’s a very talented player.

Chase Brunson just hit this 450 feet. pic.twitter.com/MTFCmOs4q8

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) March 27, 2026

Ace Reese – LF/3B, Mississippi State

A popular name up and down the first round right now, nailing down where Ace Reese will wind up being selected is a challenging endeavor for evaluators right now. On one hand, Reese is one of the more polished hitters in college baseball; he’s shown the ability to hit for both contact and power consistently in the past. That said, his contact rates took a hit this season and his overall approach got more passive, drastically spiking his walk rates but presumably playing into his increase in whiff. It’s a fringy defensive profile that lacks a definitive home, but if his bat returns to 2025 levels (a bet that seems rather reasonable), it’s a bat worthy of a pick significantly higher than 24th overall.

Taj Marchand – SS, James Island Highschool

The only other high schooler covered in today’s roundup, Marchand is somewhat of a polarizing player in this year’s class. Having posted some amazing numbers against premium competition for the past calendar year, Marchand’s ultra-aggressive approach and unorthodox swing have left evaluators unsure of how his game will play at the next level. He’s got a lot of moving parts that will likely have to be cleaned up as he goes through the lower ranks of the minors, but should the swing sort itself out, there’s a ton to like in this profile. Great projection, innate power, and good speed at a premium position is tough to find when picking in the back half of the first round, and given how often he’s made contact in the past, the numbers suggest the M’s should be all over this player at this pick. Whether their internal scouts and player development believe in the swing and projection enough is yet to be seen, but should he be the pick, he’d fit right into a loaded crop of young infield talent.

SS Taj Marchand (James Island HS, SC)

6-2 | 198 lbs

Max EV: 107.9
Max Distance: 414ft.

Ole Miss recruit#Super60 || #MLBDraftpic.twitter.com/CTLdIZEgL8

— Prep Baseball Draft HQ (@PB_DraftHQ) February 1, 2026

Ben Blair – RHP, Liberty

Closing out with a hyper-funky starting pitcher that posted some of the best numbers in the country, Blair throws from an ultra-low slot and has a herky jerky motion on the mound, though he repeats it well and gets deep into starts frequently. There’s inarguably some massive relief risk here as the delivery is atypical for that of a starter, but his results have undeniably been excellent, and his combination of stuff, size, and command is hard to compete with. Just behind Rabe in terms of K/BB ratio, if the M’s think he’ll be a starter at the next level, it’s possible they could cut a deal with Blair and see if they could take a few major swings on prep talent in the ensuing rounds.

Here are some under the radar trade targets for the Houston Astros:

OF Lars Nootbaar, Cardinals (28): Nootbaar is a solid OBP corner outfielder whose season only started June 5 due to offseason surgery on both of his heels, which has impacted his ability to run the past couple of seasons. When healthy, as he appears to be, Nootbaar is a good defender as well.

Nootbaar is a heavy side of the platoon player as a lefthanded bat with some pop. Nootbaar is currently batting .270 with a .353 OBP and .769 OPS in 26 games.

Nootbaar is on a 1 year, $5.25M contract and has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining.

OF Trevor Larnach, Twins (29): Larnach is currently having his best season as a pro. His .292 AVG, .387 OBP and .833 OPS would all be career highs. He is currently pacing for career bests in runs scored and doubles as well.

Larnach is not a fast runner, so left field is his best outfield position, and his range is well below average. He makes up for it with an accurate throwing arm.

Larnach is patient at the plate. Minnesota has a logjam of lefthanded hitting outfielders and is in need of bullpen help.

Larnach is on a 1 year, $4.475M contract and has more year of arbitration eligibility remaining.

SP Clay Holmes, Mets (33): Holmes has reinvented himself as a starting pitcher the last 2 seasons after spending his first 7 years coming out of the pen. In 9 starts this season, Holmes was 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP before a line drive comebacker struck him in the leg and landed him on IL with a fracture.

Holmes was putting up career best numbers before the injury. He is currently expected to face live batters in about a week and go on a rehab assignment later this month with an expectation of an early August return.

Holmes is in the 2nd year of a 3 year, $38M contract in which he makes $13M this season and has a player option for $12M next year that he is a virtual lock to opt out of, making him a rental type player (and a cost of acquisition to reflect that).

RP Luke Weaver, Mets (32): Weaver has been absolute nails out of the pen for the Mets this season, with a 2-1 record with 1 Save in 36 appearances. Weaver has a miniscule 1.89 ERA and terrific 0.84 WHIP, with 42K in 38 IP.

Weaver is exactly the kind of high-leverage righthanded pen arm the Astros need, especially with Bryan Abreu’s issues this season. Adding Weaver to Hader/King/Okert would give the Astros pen more depth and balance, and help them truly shorten games in which they have a lead.

As a member of the Yankees pen the past 2 seasons, he is well versed in pennant race pressure.

Weaver is in the first year of a 2 year, $22M contract. He is making $9.5M this season and is scheduled to make $12.5M next season.

SP Michael Wacha, Royals (35): Wacha has been the leading workhorse in the AL this season, with a junior circuit-high 114.2 IP. Not only is he eating innings, he’s pitching well, reflected in his 5-6 record, 3.45 ERA and 1.16 WHIP on a weak Royals squad.

Wacha is not a strikeout pitcher, and he has an average groundball rate. He succeeds with a six-pitch arsenal that keeps hitters off balance.

Wacha is in the 2nd year of a 3 year, $51M deal. He is making $18M this season, $14M next season, and has a club option for $14M in 2028 with a $1M buyout.

Thank goodness the World Cup is in full swing, because the Yankees are trying their hardest to make this a miserable summer for sports fans of a pinstriped persuasion. Even after winning on Monday, they have lost 12 of their last 16, subjecting us to one of their worst summer swoons in an era defined by their summer swoons. If it was just one problem area that would be palatable, but at the moment it’s all parts of the roster that are deficient. As such, we have just one game from which to select our At-Bat of the Week – Trent Grisham’s leadoff home run in a rare Yankees win – the 5-2 victory over the Twins last Friday.

We join Grisham to lead off the bottom of the first, the Yankees already facing a 1-0 deficit after Gerrit Cole gave up a solo home run to Kody Clemens with two outs in the top-half. Grisham is taking his first AB since being activated off the IL earlier that day, a right hamstring strain sidelining the center fielder since June 12th. He’s facing rookie righty Mike Paredes, making just his seventh major league start.

Through his first handful of big league starts, Paredes has typically attacked lefties with four-seamers up and changeups down and away. He starts this encounter with an elevated four-seamer at 95 mph.

This pitch doesn’t land too far away from the zone, but Grisham’s plate discipline is so advanced that he doesn’t even think about offering at this pitch, almost immediately recognizing it as a ball out of Paredes’ hand.

Paredes sticks with the express after missing the zone by a slim margin, again targeting the top of the zone with a 95 mph heater.

This time, he nails his spot, dotting the corner up and in with this four-seamer. Grisham recognizes it as a strike, but the combination of the perfect location with the elite amount of induced vertical break Paredes achieves with the pitch makes it pretty much impossible to put into play. The heater stays on plane above the barrel of Grisham’s bat and he can only manage to foul it back over the screen.

After two straight elevated fastballs, the second eliciting a swing from Grisham, it’s a good time for Paredes to change speeds and eye level with a low changeup.

Oh man, Grisham misses a good pitch to hit here. Paredes isn’t able to command it to his spot on the corner down and away, and it hangs pretty much down the middle. The change of speeds gets Grisham out in front, however, and he hits it just off the end of the bat foul to the left. You’d love to be able to punish a mistake like that, and now he has to hope he can do damage if Paredes makes a similar mistake.

The count is now 1-2 but there is no panic in Grisham’s approach facing another changeup.

Paredes executes this one much better than the last, making it look like a strike out of the hand and allowing the sinking and fading movement to carry it below the zone. However, Grisham’s pitch recognition and strike zone knowledge kicks in again, and he manages an excellent take against this pitcher’s pitch.

Despite failing to get Grisham to chase that changeup, Paredes opts to throw a third straight one. This tends to be a risky strategy with off-speed pitches as each one needs to be a little better than the one that preceded it.

That is not the case with this changeup, Paredes throwing this one closer to the zone and with less downward break than the last one. It’s clear Grisham is getting a good sense of the velocity and movement profile of the pitch as he’s able to pull this pitch with some power just foul on the wrong side of the right field foul line.

Perhaps Paredes senses that Grisham is growing wise to the low changeup, because he looks to speed things up and reset the eye level again going back to the elevated heater.

This pitch is not close enough to the zone to achieve the goal Paredes wants, sailing up and in and causing Grisham to recoil out of the way. Just your classic waste pitch that doesn’t do much to set up future offerings.

Grisham has fought back to work the count full, and after watching the poor execution of the four-seamer Paredes just threw, I wonder if he allows himself to sit on the changeup here.

Whatever the case, Grisham is absolutely ready to hit the off-speed. Even though he is a little out in front of this pitch, he is able to sink to one knee to dig out this ball and lift it into the second deck in right for the game-tying home run. After missing the first mistake changeup earlier in the count, the worry is that that might’ve been the one good pitch to hit this AB. However, Grisham made sure not to miss when he got a second meatball to hit.

Here’s the full AB:

Grisham was in the midst of a searing hot streak at the time of his injury, his loss from the top of the lineup a huge blow with the team already missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It was incredibly encouraging to see that he did not miss a single beat in his three weeks on the shelf, making an immediate impact in his first AB back from injury. The Yankees offense needs its regular starters back to turn this summer around, and Grisham’s return to the leadoff spot is a huge step in that direction.

The Atlanta Braves are headed to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates and they appear to finally be hitting again. After ranking dead last in MLB in runs score in the month of June, the first week July has seen the Braves score the fifth most runs in MLB.

A lot of that is thanks to Michael Harris with a 205 wRC+, Matt Olson with a 176 wRC+, and Mauricio Dubón with a 165 wRC+ leading the way. It really is a shame that Harris did not get an All-Star nod. There is always the chance that he could be an injury replacement should that be necessary.

The Braves are slotted to face Paul Skenes who has struggled mightily in his last two starts. He has only pitched a total of 9.0 innings in those two starts and gave up eleven runs. The Pirates have lost the last nine games that Skenes has pitched in, despite them having scored the fourth most runs in MLB since the start of June.

Only five players currently on the Braves’ active roster has faced Skenes before and none of them have more than three at-bats. Austin Riley has one hit in three at-bats and Ozzie Albies has one hit in two at-bats. Olson, Smith, and Yastrzemski are all hitless against him in their limited appearences.

One could assume based on injuries and Skenes being a righty, that the Braves would have a lineup very similar to the one they has last night against the Mets, but you never know for certain until you see the lineup card. Smith did have a single last night but has largely struggled as of late, while Joey Bart has a 172 wRC+ in his last eight at-bats.

As most probably predicted, the Braves are going with the exact same lineup as last night since it mostly seems to be working right now.

The Pirates have been steadily good on offense. Not only have they scored the fourth most runs in MLB since the start of July, they have also score the fourth most since the start of June. Hurston Waldrep will have his hands full against a lineup that he has seen only one player before. Brandon Lowe hit a solo shot against Waldrep in his lone at-bat against him.

It was announced earlier in the day that Konnor Griffin has a torn tendon in his left ring finger, so he is not in the lineup this evening. Jared Triolo will be getting the start at shortstop for the pirates. Old friend Marcell Ozuna will not be getting the start as Brandon Lowe will be getting the DH duties this evening.

First pitch is at 6:40 EDT

Detroit Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch announced prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Athletics that third base coach Joey Cora has left the organization. Hinch told reporters that he and Cora had met and mutually decided to part ways based on some philosophical differences that had developed. Billy Boyer will take over as third base coach effective immediately.

Hinch characterized the differences of opinion as purely baseball related. That’s interesting considering that Cora has been his third base coach for two and a half seasons after joining the organization in November of 2023. The 61-year-old had an 11-year career in the major leagues, mainly with the Padres, White Sox, and Mariners, before moving into coaching. Apart from his third base responsibilities, Cora has also been the Tigers infield instructor for the past two and a half seasons.

One wonders if the difference of opinion may have had more to do with coaching players than Cora’s work at third base. Like every third base coach since the dawn of time, he’s been criticized for some aggressive sends that worked out badly, but overall the Tigers have graded out pretty well in the baserunning department under his watch, despite not stealing many bases. That’s changed a little bit this year, with the Tigers slipping in the baserunning metrics a bit. They currently rank 17th best in team baserunning per FanGraphs, compared to finishing 10th in that category in 2025.

The 41-year-old Boyer was a college coach until working for the Twins player development system in 2019-2020. He joined the Tigers’ organization as a minor league infield coordinator back in 2021. That was part of now assistant general manager, Ryan Garko’s, overhaul of the entire player development system after long-time director of player development, Dave Littlefield, was reassigned. Boyer became the quality control coach for the major league club this season. As a longtime infield coach who has been working with infielders all year anyway, we assume he’ll take over Cora’s responsibilities working with the infielders as well.

We look forward to seeing a new set of gestures at third base, but otherwise this probably won’t change much about the way the Tigers run the bases. They’re still committed to being aggressive in terms of sending runners from third base to home. We’ll see if they’re more or less successful with Boyer making the calls. It’s quite possible that this has more to do with coaching infield defense, as Boyer spent a lot of time working with Kevin McGonigle last season, with good results.

The Tigers once again lead baseball in extra bases taken (53%) and are slightly below average in terms of outs on the bases. https://t.co/1CrZINd7NTpic.twitter.com/VSb20KElfM

— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrown0914) July 7, 2026

The Athletics announced a series of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon before beginning their three-game series with the Tigers, activating shortstop Jacob Wilson and recalling left-hander Jacob Lopez from Triple-A:

We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/62Wdxl1h1I

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 7, 2026

To make room on the active roster the team is sending backup catcher Brian Serven and starter/reliever Kade Morris back down to the Aviators.

Wilson’s return should provide a boost to both the offense and defense. There was fear after his reinjury that he may have suffered a severe setback but it appears the young shortstop just needed some more time to rest that shoulder of his. He’s slashed .277/.310/.386 with four home runs, a bit of a step back from his second-place ROTY finish last year but still an upgrade over Alika Williams, who will return to backup duties.

Lopez meanwhile will return to the team after spending the past month-plus with the Aviators. In Triple-A the left-hander has made four starts: two duds in his first two after the demotion, followed by two strong starts back-to-back. The assumption is that he’ll slide into Morris’ spot in the bullpen but he could be a starting option again when needed.

Morris meanwhile only made two relief appearances in his most recent stint with the big league squad. He pitched three innings apiece in those appearances, allowing three and one runs respectively. He’ll likely slide back into the Aviators’ starting rotation, taking the spot of Lopez. Well certainly be seeing him again with the big league club at some point this season.

Serven only made it into one game for the big league team during his brief stint, going 1-for-4 with a single and a strikeout. He’s been hitting well for the Aviators this season and could be an option for the team again if any injury (or trade) occurs.

The Guardians will pick 19th in MLB’s draft on Sunday, July 12th, with the draft beginning at 1pm ET. Who might Cleveland select with their top pick?

As you probably know, discovering who an MLB team is targeting by the mid-point of the first round is a crapshoot. Almost no one had the Guardians connected to Jace LaViolette last year, in what was a break from their typical focus on contact over slugging. So, this is an inexact science. I want to be upfront in saying that I do not personally follow college and high school prospects; simply lack the bandwidth for that, and only did so leading up the Guardians #1 pick in 2024. But, I do read up on prospects as we approach the first round, so the following potential selections come from Baseball America’s excellent pre-draft podcast, from Keith Law’s latest mock for the Athletic and from Kiley McDaniel’s latest mock from ESPN.

The names below are players mentioned by these outlets as connected to or a potential fit for the Guardians, and the final six names are additions from our sites’ writers and friends and from players listed around #19 on MLB Pipeline’s list. You can click on names below to read a scouting report on them from MLB Pipeline or Yahoo Sports or Perfect Game.

Names to Know at Pick #19:

Sawyer Strosnider, LHH, OF, 6’2, 200 lbs, TCU 21 years old – A great athlete who projects as a centerfielder, this would be a pick similar to LaViolette as Strosnider is power over contact, with some concerning chase rates but some light-tower pop.

Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, 6’3, 190 lbs, Huntington Beach HS CA 17 y.o. – Probably Grindlinger ends up as a pitcher, but he does have some interesting two-way potential. A lot of projectability in his arm and one of the youngest prospects in the draft.

Logan Schmidt, LHP, 6’4, 210 lbs, Ganesha HS CA 17 y.o. – Experiencing some recent helium, Schmidt has gained some velo and flashed some fun secondary pitches.

Zion Rose, RHH, OF, 6’1, 200 lbs, Louisville 21 y.o. – Probably a left-field only defender, Rose has good contact skills and excellent power, but chases a little too much to be drafted higher than around where the Guardians’ pick.

Ace Reese, LHH, 3B, 6’4, 220 lbs, Mississippi St. 21 y.o. – A lot of power and some solid contact skills here, but some chase concerns and, primrily, defensive liability that may push him to first base put Reese in this general are of the draft.

Connor Comeau, LHH, 3B, 6’4, 180 lbs – Anderson HS TX 17 y.o. – Would be fun to see the Guardians draft another Canadian and this power-first prospect would also be interesting as he is likely limited to 3B as a defender.

Landon Thome, LHH, 2B/3B, 6’0, 177 lbs – Nazareth Academy IL 18 y.o. – You may recognize the last name – it’s Jim Thome’s son! With contact ability and speed being a big part of his game, he is different from his dad, but there’s some solid power potential as well.

James Clark, LHH, 2B/SS, 6’1, 195 – Riverside HS CA 18 y.o. – A little bit of an under the radar prospect, this would be a return to more of the contact-first profile the Guardians had been targeting prior to 2026.

Ty Head, LHH, OF, 6’3, 205 lbs – North Carolina State 21 y.o. – A centerfielder with fringy power potential and a swing that needs some work, this would be a fun pick for the Guardians if he is there.

Owen Hull, LHH, OF, 6’4, 215 lbs – North Carolina 21 y.o. – He has an odd swing but seems to make it work. Take me home country roads, again?

Chris Rembert, RHH, 2B, 5’11, 209 lbs, Auburn 21 y.o. – Would the Guardians draft another player likely limited to second base in round one? He’s got good bat speed and contact ability but not a lot of pop.

Cole Carlon, LHP, 6’5, 230 lbs – Arizona State 21 y.o. – Some reliever risk but there’s enough to dream on for him becoming a good starter with the right organization with a fastball that has hit 98 mph.

Tegan Kuhns, RHP, 6’3, 189 lbs – Tennessee 21 y.o. – Pitched well in the Cape with a 98 mph fastball and an upper 70’s curveball, but is still searching for the right third offering. Pounds the zone.

Trey Ebel, RHH, SS/2B, 6’0, 180 lbs – Corona HS CA 17 y.o. – Projectable shortstop. Sometimes that is the Guardians’ type, but a right-handed hitter would be a change.

More Prospects from CTC Writers/Friendsand MLB Pipeline:
Justin Lebron, RHH, SS, 6’2, 190 lbs – Alabama 21 y.o. – A little bit of a project who chases too much, but stole 42 of 43 bases, looks to be a good defender and has solid power.

Logan Reddeman, RHP, 6’2, 185 lbs – UCLA 21 y.o. – A cutter-heavy pitcher many folks see as a back of rotation arm, but he’s a strike-thrower whom one could easily see the Guardians’ pitching team believing they can maximize.

AJ Garcia, LHH, OF, 6’3, 195 lbs – Virginia 21 y.o. – Leads with excellent plate discipline and good playing instincts, but there is raw power there that would be fun to go after. May stick in center, but if not, heads to left rather than right because of arm strength issues.

Cameron Flukey, RHP, 6’6, 210 lbs – Coastal Carolina 21 y.o. – Flukey seems to be the consensus “If he falls to the Guardians, they better take him and it’ll be a great pick” guy this season.

Hunter Dietz, LHP, 6’6, 235 lbs – Arkansas 21 y.o. – Shook off an elbow fracture in the past with a very good spring. He’s big and throws four pitches that some describe as “plus.“

Liam Peterson, RHP, 6’5, 225 lbs – Florida 21 y.o. – Stuff over command, but tinkers with his delivery a good bit, so Guardians’ could imagine themselves helping him fix problems and maximize his talent.

Always be sure to check out our faithful commenter DelGua’s mock drafts, as he does an excellent job, time in and time out. In his latest, he mentions a few other names to track:

Carson Bolemon, LHP, 6’4, 225 lbs – Southside Christian HS SC 19 y.o. – Sinker-heavy projectable arm, throws low 90’s for now.

Derek Curiel, LHH, OF, 6’2, 192 lbs – LSU 21 y.o. – Ranked 12th by MLB pipeline, should he fall to 19 he may be good value as a solid centerfielder with great contact skills and fringy power.

Our Matt Seese has offered a look at some pitchers the Guardians could target in the draft and is working on a companion piece for hitters they could be looking at. Continue to follow along as we prepare for what is always a fun event as the Guardians welcome more young talent into their organization.

Rehmbert and Bell were the best performers of this bunch in Cape Cod league play and we all know how much the Guardians appreciate that, so I’d keep my eye on them. For me, I kinda hope they draft a pitcher this time and Flutey, Kuhns, Dietz and Peterson intrigue me the most, there. Also, I am a sentimental fool but drafting Landon Thome would be awesome. Hopefully, doing some reading here will help us all be able to form half-baked opinions when the pick is announced! Let us know who you prefer in the comments below.

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

The New York Yankees have been going through it in recent weeks. They were sharp at the outset of the 2026 season, and despite trailing the surprising Tampa Bay Rays for much of May, they regained first place in early June. By the 19th, they held a 46-28 record, and only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves could boast better records.

The road has been bumpy ever since, however, as the Yankees have lost 12 of their last 16 games, ceding first back to the red-hot Rays. They can reasonably hope to regain health as key pieces like Aaron Judge and Max Fried make their way back to the team, and no matter how poor they’ve looked in the past few weeks, it’s fair to expect a recovery from the league-worst .544 OPS they’ve posted since play ended on June 19th. To wit, even the anemic 2023 Yankees put up a .670 OPS when Judge missed time with his toe injury.

Still, it’s not as though this team is absent any causes of concern. And one might reasonably be wary of the Rays or another division rival giving the Yankees a challenge for the division; Tampa Bay still leads by three games. So our Reacts survey question this week wants to know how you think the regular season will end! Yes, there will be a later question at another time but the true end goal of all Yankees fans (related to the postseason), but for now, we are curious if you think they’ll win the AL East, settle for one of the Wild Card spots—be it the No. 4 seed and hosting a Wild Card Series, or the No. 5 or 6 and going on the road—or miss out on October entirely.

Vote in the survey and we’ll check out the results in a few days.

There are round numbers all over the place for the Dodgers, entering play tonight with 60 wins, 30 of them at home, and 10 of those 60 belonging to one specific starter, Justin Wrobleski, the chosen option to attack the Rockies lineup this Tuesday. While on a positive note, the Rockies have the worst wRC+ in baseball against southpaws at 83. The Dodgers know all too well about the problems of potentially underestimating this offense, both Wrobleski and especially the bullpen.

In their last two games, the Rockies have shown why they lead all of baseball in runs from the eighth inning onward with 126, firstly coming back to beat the Giants at home 7-6 and then nearly doing the same against the Dodgers on Monday. Surely, the Coors Field factor plays a key role in helping the Rox score all of these late runs, but the danger is present both home and away.

Quite often able to give the Dodgers the necessary length, Wrobleski will carry that mission after the two extra innings last night forced the bullpen to work more than originally planned due to the Tanner Scott blown save. Speaking of length, Wrobleski is coming off back-to-back seven-inning starts, and if he adds one more, he’ll reach 100 innings on the season. Although it is still too early for this conversation, the way that the Dodgers handle Wrobleski in the second half will be something to watch, remembering he only threw 118.1 innings last year between the majors and Triple-A.

Tuesday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Rockies
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The New York Mets will play host to the Royals the next games as both teams look to salvage what’s been a disappointing first half of the season. For the Mets, though, it’s even worse, as the team entered the year with quite a lofty payroll to go with those World Series aspirations. Instead, heading into this evening’s match-up, the Mets find themselves not only last in the National League East but with the second-worst record in the entire N.L.

This despite the Major’s second highest payroll, coming in at $369 million, behind only the Dodgers. Heck, the Mets are even outspending their New York brethren by a good $35 million. That money should be worth more than a 38-53 record between two different managers, but alas: baseball.

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Kansas City Royals (37-54) at New York Mets (38-53) at Citi Field, Flushing, NY

Royals: 4.22 runs scored/game (20th in MLB), 5.00 runs allowed/game (24th in MLB)

Mets: 4.05 runs scored/game (27th in MLB), 4.71 runs allowed/game (19th in MLB)

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Juan Soto remains one of the game’s biggest stars as he leads the National League in on-base percentage (.414), slugging percentage (.570), and, naturally, OPS (.984). He’s homered 19 times while driving in 46 runs and scoring 41 times. He’s been worth 3.1 bWAR, far and away the best of the Mets. His mates in the outfield are also posting solid numbers with A.J. Ewing in center slashing .259/.342/.400 and the team’s right fielder, Carson Benge, slashing .258/.316/.405. Bo Bichette came over from Toronto in the offseason for a massive contract, but he’s struggled so far, posting an OPS eight percent below league average, though he is tied with Benge for the team lead in runs scored (47). Brett Baty is already 26, if you can believe it, and he still hasn’t panned out. His OPS has dropped from .748 in 2025 to .601 this season. Yikes. Francisco Lindor is having the worst season of his career as he’s slashing an abysmal .216/.300/.366 for a .666 OPS [makes sign of the cross].

While the Mets have yet to name a starting pitcher for tonight, it looks like it could be 33-year-old Kodai Senga, who is not pitching very well as evidence by his nearly 9 ERA and nearly 7 FIP. Fangraphs predicts righty Christian Scott to take the mound tomorrow night followed by once-upon-a-time-Royals-farmhand Sean Manaea for Thursday’s matinee finale. Scott’s been fine though he averages less than five-innings-per-outing. Manaea, already 34, would be making just his sixth start of the season. He’s thrown 68 innings to the tune of a 5.18 ERA and 4.01 FIP.

As so often is the case with bad teams, the Mets have a bad bullpen. Devin Williams, the team’s closer, such as it is, isn’t getting many opportunities to do his job, and when he does, doesn’t exactly do it smoothly. Luke Weaver, briefly a Royal, is the bullpen’s shining star as he continues to reshape his career as a New York reliever. If David Stearns, the team’s front office honcho, decides to sell this July, he could get back a nice haul in exchange for Weaver. Teams usually overpay for those types of dudes.

Let’s see if the Royals can keep it going after taking the last two against the Phillies, including trouncing them yesterday, 15-1. Seth Lugo takes the ball tonight followed by Stephen Kolek and Michael Wacha. Taking two series right before the All-Star Break would be a nice little somethin’-somethin’ to give the fans.

The Dodgers series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 20 will be exclusively televised by ESPN, the network announced on Tuesday.

Karl Ravech will call play-by-play for Dodgers-Phillies alongside analysts Eduardo Pérez and David Ross, plus reporter Buster Olney. There will be no SportsNet LA telecast of this game. This is the third ESPN game for the Dodgers this season, along with April 15 against the New York Mets and June 15 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. Both of those previous games were at Dodger Stadium.

The game against the Phillies is the start of the middle series of a nine-game road trip gauntlet directly following the All-Star break, with the Dodgers facing the Yankees, Phillies, and Mets, teams they faced over the last two postseasons.

It’s also a trip rife with nationally televised games, four of them exclusive:

• July 18 at Yankees, 5:08 p.m. PT (Fox)
• July 19 at Yankees, 4:20 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
• July 20 at Phillies, 4:10 p.m. (ESPN)
• July 21 at Phillies, 3:40 p.m. (TBS, non-exclusive telecast)
• July 25 at Mets, 4:15 p.m. (Fox)