Category: Baseball

The Dodgers on Friday placed Brock Stewart on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort, and called up veteran left-hander Cole Irvin from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take down bulk innings in the planned bullpen game in the series opener against the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium.

It’s the third injured-list this season for Stewart, who missed the first 36 games of the season after right shoulder debridement surgery last September, then missed another 40 games with a bone spur in his left foot.

When on the mound this year, Stewart has been quite effective, with a 2.45 ERA and 2.08 xERA in 14 appearances, with 14 strikeouts and five walks in 14 2/3 innings. Last Saturday, he earned his first save in three years in closing out a win over the Mets.

Staying on the field has been the issue for the 34-year-old Stewart, who since returning to the majors with the Minnesota Twins in 2023 has been sidelined with right elbow soreness, shoulder tendinitis, a shoulder strain, a left hamstring strain, and shoulder inflammation, while totaling just 101 games and 95 2/3 innings over the last four (nearly) full seasons.

Since the Dodgers acquired Stewart at the trade deadline in 2025, he’s been on the active roster for 43 games and on the injured list for 119 games through Thursday, before this new IL stint.

The 32-year-old Irvin, a native of Anaheim, has a 3.58 ERA in 20 starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, with 55 strikeouts and 43 walks in 98 innings. Irvin leads the Pacific Coast League in ERA and wins (nine) this season.

Another day, another gem by Cole Irvin👏

6.0 IP | 4 H | 0 R | 1 BB | 3 K pic.twitter.com/tq7cXeltaR

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) July 19, 2026

The left-hander signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in February after pitching in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2025, and was a non-roster invitee during spring training.

After both Edwin Díaz and Tanner Scott pitched on each of the last two nights, the Dodgers weren’t likely to be able to cover nine innings of a true bullpen game with six mostly traditional relievers. Irvin with the Comets has lasted six innings in eight starts and has completed five or more 14 times in his 20 starts. He last pitched on Saturday, so Irvin against the Red Sox will be pitching on five days of rest.

Irvin earlier this week was slated to start Friday for Oklahoma City before major league needs took precedence.

Edgardo Henriquez will open Friday’s game for the Dodgers, the right-hander technically making his first major league start.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Irvin, right-hander Chayce McDermott was designated for assignment. The right-hander was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on April 16 for minor league pitcher Axel Perez. McDermott pitched in two games for the Dodgers and allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings, with one strikeout.

For Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, McDermott had a 4.10 ERA in 27 games with 43 strikeouts and 20 walks in 26 1/3 innings.

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

What do you get the team with the most talent in the sport? We asked you guys, and a new catcher was at the top of the wishlist, taking 47 percent of the votes. Before getting into what that might entail, let’s take a moment to appreciate the absurdity that not a single vote was cast for a position player (outside of catcher) — rightfully so, with no open spot on this roster the team could realistically hope to improve on That and other priorities, of course, while trying to improve its World Series odds.

The remaining 53 percent who didn’t vote for catcher were nearly split between starting and relief pitching. Both units share the exciting prospect of reinforcements on the way or recently arrived, with Edwin Díaz just activated and Blake Snell not far behind him. While any bullpen could always use an extra arm, the starting staff has this looming cloud over it with questions regarding the availability of Shohei Ohtani.

Assessing options on the market for these positions of “need,” with Will Smith’s rehab finally showing promising signs, the Dodgers may very well limit themselves to less splashy options. As we covered before here, Victor Caratini and Ryan Jeffers of the Twins may represent the best targets. A pending free agent, Jeffers wouldn’t cost a king’s ransom, unlike other more exciting controllable catchers, and the veteran Caratini would represent a safety net type of acquisition.

On the starting pitching front, with Eric Lauer thriving since being acquired by the Dodgers and Snell returning, it feels like a Tarik Skubal or bust kind of situation. Sure, there are other options who could prove to be an improvement over what the Dodgers have on the backend of the rotation right now, at least in terms of ceiling, but they’re not particularly likely moves. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, some of the better potentially available relievers at the deadline play for the Padres, making for a difficult deal as San Diego would inevitably prefer to move them to someone else. Everyone might want to talk about Mason Miller as the dream target, but pending free agent Adrian Morejón might be a more feasible acquisition and a great one in his own right.

Whether the target is a starter or a reliever, perhaps the best team to talk with is the Mets. While their record is atrocious, the Mets don’t lack in high-end reliever quality, with Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver pitching great and firmly available. A.J. Minter was also in this group, but he was the first to go, traded to the Twins on Thursday night. In the unlikely scenario the Dodgers want to add a starter not named Skubal, Clay Holmes ticks a lot of boxes, having recently returned from an injury and heading for the open market at the end of the year.

The San Francisco Giants continue this four-game road series against the San Diego Padres tonight.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.60 ERA, 5.46 FIP, with 13 strikeouts to eight walks in 15.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, in which he allowed four runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

He’ll be facing off against Padres right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.33 ERA, 2.67 FIP, with 47 strikeouts to 16 walks in 46.1 innings pitched. His last appearance was in the Padres’ 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, in which he allowed just one hit with one strikeout in two thirds of an inning of relief.

Game #110

Who: San Francisco Giants (47-62) vs. San Diego Padres (55-54)

Where: Petco Park, San Diego, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: n/a

National broadcast: Apple TV

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

Welcome to wild, wild weekend in baseball land! Who gets flipped where? What does Craig Breslow do? Can the Sox win ANOTHER series? It all starts tonight!

⚾️ First Pitch: 10:10pm EDT – Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

Who's staying up with us tonight? pic.twitter.com/BjpNSsYaea

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 31, 2026

Tonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. Red Sox: pic.twitter.com/QBT207XIFl

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 31, 2026

Another McGwire will be playing baseball for the Athletics organization.

The Athletics signed Max McGwire, the son of former MLB slugger and A's icon Mark McGwire, to a minor league contract on Tuesday, July 28. He was assigned to the ACL Athletics (Arizona Complex League) on Friday, July 31.

Max is the latest member of the McGwire family to reach the professional ranks and is listed as a right-handed pitcher on MLB's minor league website.

The A’s will explore the possibility of the 23-year-old Irvine, California native as a power-hitting option and as a first baseman, according to Jason Burke of InsideTheAs.

McGwire began his college baseball career in 2022 at Oklahoma before transferring to San Diego (2024) and finishing at Saint Louis (2025, 2026). He served as a pitcher out of the bullpen for the Billikens in 12 games during the 2026 season, allowing 14 hits, 13 runs (10 earned runs), two home runs and 11 walks in 16.2 innings pitched.

He joins his brother Mason McGwire as an MLB prospect.

Mark McGwire leads baseball family

Mark McGwire is a 12-time MLB All-Star who played for the A’s from 1986 to 1997. He was the 10th overall pick by the A's in the 1984 draft.

McGwire made an immediate impact during his early years while the team was still playing in Oakland. He was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1987. He was also named an All-Star from 1987-1992. He finished fourth in MVP voting in 1992.

The Pomona, California native was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997 and finished out his playing career with the club in 2001.

McGwire reunited with the A's organization in February 2026, serving as a special assistant to player development.

He previously served as a bench coach for the San Diego Padres (2017-18) and a hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013-15) and the Cardinals (2010-12).

Who is Mason McGwire?

Mason McGwire is the younger brother of Max.

The 22-year-old is a member of the Chicago Cubs' farm system and was drafted by the organization in the 8th round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Capistrano Valley High in Mission Viejo, California.

Mason McGwire currently plays with the South Bend Cubs in the Midwest League. He also played for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans earlier this year.

The right-handed pitcher represented the Cubs in the 2026 All-Star Futures Game, entering in the seventh inning and allowing an earned run but also recording a strikeout.

Fondness for "M" first names

Mark McGwire has six children, and all have a first name that starts with the letter M. He has three sons: Matthew, Max and Mason. He also has triplet daughters: Monet Rose, Marlo Rose and Monroe Rose.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Athletics ink son of franchise icon Mark McGwire to minor league deal

San Francisco Giants (47-62) at San Diego Padres (55-54), July 31, 2026, 6:45 p.m. PST

Watch: Apple TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Friday night baseball.

📺: https://t.co/WtqPJHNDQYpic.twitter.com/vFmQhz7hhc

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 31, 2026

Closing out July with Friday Night Baseball

⌚️: 6:45 p.m. PT
📍: San Diego, CA
📺: @AppleTV
📻: @KNBR | KSFN#SFGiants | @CocaColapic.twitter.com/aXVE1OsoPf

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 31, 2026

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The Brewers didn’t get off to the best start on their six-game California road trip, dropping two of three to the San Francisco Giants. After an off day to regroup, they’ll have as good an opportunity as any to get back on track against a Los Angeles Angels team that’s tied with the Rockies for the worst record in baseball.

On the mound for the Brewers is left-hander Shane Drohan, who’s been excellent in his first season with the organization. Drohan has posted a 3.51 ERA while striking out 82 batters in 82 innings this year. He was originally scheduled to start the series finale against the Giants, but Brewers manager Pat Murphy instead called up Thomas Pannone for a spot start to give his rotation a little extra rest.

The Angels will counter with 23-year-old right-hander Ryan Johnson, a competitive balance selection in the 2024 draft. Johnson made headlines last season after breaking camp with the big-league club despite never pitching in the minor leagues. He struggled to a 7.36 ERA across 14 relief appearances as a rookie and has posted an almost identical 7.34 ERA through 11 appearances (eight starts) this season.

As for the lineup, Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio will bat first and second for the second straight game, followed by designated hitter Christian Yelich. William Contreras will hit cleanup, with Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell batting fifth and sixth. Rounding out the lineup are Luis Lara (.832 OPS in his first 42 at-bats as a Brewer), David Hamilton, and Cooper Pratt. With Hamilton starting at third base, Joey Ortiz is out of the lineup again tonight.

One final piece of roster news: left-hander DL Hall, who owns a 2.03 ERA in 24 appearances this season, has been activated from the injured list. Pannone was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

For those of you tuning in, tonight’s game will air on Brewers.TV, WTMJ, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is scheduled for 8:38 p.m.

Wrapping up the month in the OC

📺: https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm
📻: WTMJ@NicoletLaw x #ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/6ezvHP3Hen

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 31, 2026

Bringing Bikini Bottom to the Big A 🪨🗿🍍

📺: @WatchABTV
📻: @AngelsRadioKLAA | AM830 App & KWKW 1330 [Spanish]#RepTheHalo x @FBMSupplypic.twitter.com/0I6LnUq0j3

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 1, 2026

Friday is the final day of July, and the official dog days of August start with the Dodgers hosting the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has lasted at least six innings in each of his last eight starts. This will be his first career start against the Red Sox. Left-hander Peyton Tolle starts for Boston, with a 3.32 ERA in 17 starts in his rookie campaign, with 103 strikeouts and 27 walks in 95 innings.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Red Sox
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 6:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

This slowly developing story from Tuesday came to a head this afternoon as Buster Posey has put out a statement confirming that the San Francisco Giants have suspended the injured Harrison Bader without pay.

Over the weekend, Harrison Bader was involved in an accident that has delayed Harrison’s prior treatment timeline for plantar fasciitis and, unfortunately, his return to the field. We are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, but will be suspending payment to Harrison until he is able to resume performing services for the Club.

What I appreciate about that statement is how clumsy it is, because it suggests that Buster didn’t write it using generative AI. Oh, but you’re here for the analysis.

Well, Harrison Bader was out late Saturday night into Sunday morning and, possibly while intoxicated, crashed the scooter he was riding into the back of a San Francisco Fire Department truck. Maybe it was the force of the impact or the truck was beginning its motion, but one of the tires ran over his foot. So, this is a severely aggravated injury and it will be interesting to see how it impacts his career going forward.

His time as a Giant would certainly seem to be up in the air, not just given the injury, but because of the foolishness. For all of us who thought this was a bad signing from concept, I don’t think we factored in the player’s behavior very much.

Even if we accept that most baseball players are overgrown boys, Bader was set to confer with the team’s medical experts the very next day. Plenty of players have been known to hit the field hungover, but doing all of this when you’ve already missed so much time and you’re about to be transported on the team’s dime to evaluate you further just… it’s beyond a bad look, and whatever moral, ethical, or troll arguments you want to make will probably stick. We don’t even need to ask what Bader was thinking, because we know he wasn’t.

What’ll be interesting to see is how the suspension of pay is handled. We don’t know the severity of the injury relative to recovery, for example, so, if his foot was crushed, let’s say, and there’s a 14-month recovery timeline or whatever, does “until he is able to resume performing services for the Club” mean his contract will have been, effectively, voided? And will the MLBPA stand for such a maneuver? But also, does “suspending payment” mean the same thing as “suspended without pay?” In the latter, you imagine that he doesn’t get that money once the suspension ends. In “suspending payment,” you can envision a scenario where they need to put that money in an escrow account until the matter is resolved. Careful wording that’s consistent with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement or just another clumsy aspect of the statement? [I’ll probably edit this section once someone clarifies.]

And then there’s the other complication of the pending lockout. I guess it’s only bad news for Harrison Bader, so I apologize for sounding alarmist.

The Giants get to save some more dollars to go along with all those open 40-man spots. Should help them pay down Robbie Ray’s contract at the deadline.

For many people, the trade deadline is one of the most exciting times in the baseball season, right up there with Opening Day and the playoffs. I am not one of these people, but I acknowledge and respect those who are. Feel free to use this as a space to chat about all the trade deadline deals that go down, toss out a grade, say what you would have done differently, etc. We’ll leave this pinned on the homepage until the trade deadline passes, Monday August 3rd at 3 PM PT.

The club welcomes a new club to town as the Detroit Tigers arrive to Sacramento for a three-game weekend series that’ll surely be overshadowed by the Tarik Skubal trade rumors. Both clubs are out of contention at this point so it makes sense but hell, we still got some baseball to play folks.

Our A’s will send left-hander Jeffrey Springs to the mound for what could be (and some say should be) his final start in the Green & Gold. If tonight truly is the end of his tenure with the Athletics it’ll be a disappointing end as there were some decent expectations for him when the A’s acquired him last year. Unfortunately things haven’t worked out but he could still benefit the A’s with a strong start this evening, possibly piquing the interest of one pitching-needy contender.

Here’s how manager Mark Kotsay will line up his squad for the first game of the series:

Happy Friday! pic.twitter.com/ep9bYyBqzi

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 31, 2026

Same top five of the lineup tonight, but Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim swap places. Henry Bolte is back in center field with Butler moving over to right.

As for the Tigers, they were originally going to be sending their co-ace to the mound tonight in Casey Mize. It seems like the Tigers are preparing to move him however as he’s instead had his start pushed back past the trade deadline. It’ll be a bullpen game for Detroit instead. The A’s would do well to take advantage of that tonight.

And Detroit’s starting nine:

Odyssey this
Odyssey that
You Odyssey Max Clark’s MLB debut

⚾️ 9:40 PM ET
📺 @WatchDSN
📻 @971theticketxyt
🏟️ Sutter Health Park pic.twitter.com/DPV1HgHq2x

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 31, 2026

Big night for the Tigers as former 3rd overall pick Max Clark will make his big league debut in center tonight. A’s fans should be happy with Wilson, who went three picks later.

Can the A’s snap this two-game losing streak and get back in the win column? Win #45 awaits. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

The Colorado Rockies have announced that tonight’s game Between the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies will start in a delay rather than at the 6:40 pm start time.

Follow Purple Row for updates.

UPDATE: 7:06 pm

Current state of Coors Field:

UPDATE: 6:50 pm

UPDATE: 6:51 pm

It appears the grounds crew is beginning To assess the situation as fans return to their seats.

Meanwhile “Purple Rain” echoes across Coors Field.

UPDATE: 6:45 pm

Still raining, but things are slowing down, and the sun is trying to come out.

But allow me to share the press box about five minutes ago:

UPDATE: 6:39 pm

Absolutely pouring now.

UPDATE: 6:36 pm

Chris Bianca reports the delay will be brief.

Rockies delay should be brief, storm moving in now should be done by 6:50-7p#COwx

— Chris Bianchi (@BianchiWeather) August 1, 2026

UPDATE: 6:31 pm

The tarp is on, and fans have been told to leave the Rockpile for the concourse.

The Rockies continue to announce the starting lineups, however, and complete pre-game festivities.

UPDATE— 6:24 pm

Pregame festivities continue, and no announcement has been made to Coors Field, but the tarp is coming out.

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The Kansas City Royals hit the Mile High city, after two disappointing walk-off losses in the Twin Cities. Two improbable losses cost the Royals a road sweep. As they wrap up their longest road trip of the season, they look to do it in winning fashion against the Colorado Rockies.

All-Star Michael Wacha takes the ball in tonight’s game. In his last outing, Wacha went 7 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, walking 2 and striking out 3 against the Tigers. Sparse run support has cost Wacha a lot of wins this season, in fact, his last win was June 22nd in Tampa Bay, in a 2-1 Royals win.

Here are the 46-64 Royals lineup behind Wacha tonight

In Denver for the final leg of the road trip. pic.twitter.com/l3SSCfyG6P

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 31, 2026

The Colorado Rockies come into this game at 42-67, they are tied for the worse record in baseball, with the Angels. However, they are 24-29 at home this season.

Right hander Tomoyuki Sugano starts for Colorado tonight. Sugano is having a good first season in Denver, posting a 4.69 ERA and 10-4 record. The 36-year-old Japanese born pitcher is a trade candidate as well. In his last outing, Sugano went 5.1 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, striking out 5, against the Brewers.

Here are the Rockies starting lineup behind Sugano.

Happy Friday!

Repost for your chance to win a Rockies City Connect jersey ‼️ pic.twitter.com/4oYCPzo4JD

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 31, 2026

It’s been a rather solid road trip so far for the Royals, can they start hot in the Mile High City tonight? First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m. CT. The game can be watched on Royals.TV.

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

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Earlier this week in the SB Nation Reacts survey, I asked you how many trades you thought Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer would make before the MLB Trade Deadline happens. Incidentally, the official deadline is 5 p.m. CT Monday, Aug. 3, though if history is a guide, we’ll probably hear of some trades reported for an hour or two after that.

Here are the survey results:

This seems pretty reasonable. The Cubs need a starting pitcher — obviously — and I’m nearly 100 percent certain that Hoyer will trade for someone fitting that description. Earlier this week I posted a number of articles about potential starting pitcher trade targets for Hoyer.

Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal, of course, is the No. 1 guy on the trading block. Could the Cubs be in the Skubal market? Patrick Mooney of The Athletic says … maybe:

Hoyer has a close, longstanding relationship with his Detroit counterpart, Scott Harris, who earned a 2016 World Series ring while launching his career at Wrigley Field, and now runs the Tigers with a similarly systematic approach.

Another connection worth noting: Skubal has deep roots in Arizona, which would make spring training at the Cubs’ Mesa complex an appealing and convenient feature once he weighs his options as a free agent. Acquiring Skubal, who is represented by agent Scott Boras, would give the Cubs a head start on that recruiting presentation, though it would likely require a financial commitment to a pitcher that is unprecedented in franchise history.

So, who knows? The package the Cubs would have to send to the Tigers is probably a high cost, even for a two-month rental.

Feel free to discuss that possibility, plus any others, in this thread throughout the weekend.

The Cubs might also be in the market for a reliever, though they do have multiple good relievers likely to return to the bullpen sometime in August. Maybe that would be as good as trading for someone.

Here’s the result of the national survey question asked of SB Nation Reacts members:

In my view this is just silly. The Tigers are absolutely, positively going to trade Skubal. I’m certain of it. Now, could I be wrong? Sure. but if they don’t, then he walks with no compensation other than a draft pick. Skubal isn’t returning to Detroit as a free agent, so the Tigers should be motivated to get something for him while they can.

It’ll all be known in less than 72 hours!

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This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.