Category: Baseball

Major League Baseball's seemingly annual midsummer conflict with smoke from Canadian wildfires could impact the start of the second half for several teams.

The Philadelphia Phillies moved up the start of their Thursday, July 16 game against the New York Mets from 7:05 to 6:10 p.m. ET, with air quality expected to worsen as the night continues from Citizens Bank Park. The air quality index 45 minutes before game time was 176, or very unhealthy. It is scheduled to peak at 180 by 9 p.m., according to Accuweather, as the Phillies and Mets play the lone game on the schedule following the All-Star break.

Yet MLB faces more significant problems Friday.

With all 30 teams in action, air quality is forecast in the "dangerous" range as games begin in Cleveland, Chicago and Milwaukee. The Guardians play host to the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:10 p.m. in Cleveland, where the current air quality is 350 and forecast to be 313 at game time Friday.

It is the same story in Chicago, where Major League Soccer's Fire postponed their Thursday game with the air quality at 597. It has since dropped to 304, still in the dangerous range, and is projected to remain at 299 as the Cubs prepare to open the second half with a 7:05 p.m. CT start against the Minnesota Twins.

The dangerous, or hazardous plateau begins at 301, which constitutes a health warning and outdoor activities are strongly discouraged, per the Environmental Protection Agency's standards. The Mets and Phillies are scheduled to play Thursday under a red, or "unhealthy" advisory, which the EPA defines as "some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects."

In Milwaukee, the AQI exceeded 600 for a time Thursday before settling in at 337 in the evening and is forecast to maintain a similar level before the Brewers play host to Miami on Friday night. The Brewers can close the roof at their home ballpark, but fans and employees getting to and from the game would remain a concern.

MLB has postponed or moved games on two occasions in recent years due to air quality. On June 7 and 8, games were postponed in New York, Philadelphia and Washington due to poor air quality. In 2020, a Seattle Mariners game was postponed – and then relocated to San Francisco – after the Mariners and Athletics played through poor conditions.

The league does not hew exclusively to AQI in making such calls. Yet there are numerical thresholds where protocols and levels of scrutiny go into place, triggering deeper dives into current conditions and projected changes in air quality as MLB, in conjunction with the MLB Players' Association, consults with medical and weather experts.

Other markets will appear to avoid the worst of it. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees host games Friday evening, but a forecasted changed in wind directions is expected to improve the AQI in New York from 138 (unhealthy) to 56 (poor) by the time the Yankees play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Similarly, Boston is forecast to improve from 80 to a "fair" reading of 47 by gametime Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Poor air quality moves time of Phillies-Mets, threatens several Friday games

Lance McCullers Jr.’s 14-year run with the Astros organization came to an end this week when he accepted a trade to the Brewers on Wednesday.

But waiving his no-trade clause was not a sure-fire decision.

A talk with Astros owner Jim Crane, however, made the call easier.

McCullers, in a sit-down with The Athletic, explained that the idea of playing for a different team was a mental hurdle he had to clear.

“I didn’t want to ever wear another team’s uniform,” McCullers said. “This organization took a chance on me when I was an 18-year-old kid. This has been my home ever since. My daughters were born here. This is where my wife and I will live forever. I never thought about playing somewhere else or being somewhere else, but I think all things, obviously, have to come to an end.”

The Astros, sitting at 47-51 and three games back in a relatively weak American League West, decided an offer to send McCullers and lefty Colton Gordon for prospect Jayden Fielder — the son of former All-Star Prince Fielder and grandson of Cecil Fielder — was the right call for all sides.

In the end, the 2012 Astros first-round pick knew it was time to move on. McCullers said Crane made him understand that now was an opportunity for a fresh start with a Brewers team that’s five games in front in the National League Central.

“I spoke to Jim Crane on Monday and we both thought — he thought — that this was going to be a good opportunity for me and that it would leave the Astros in a good situation leading up to the deadline and for the rest of the year,” McCullers said. “I have a lot of respect for Mr. Crane. And out of that love and respect, I told him on the phone that I would waive it.”

McCullers played a critical role in several deep postseason runs by the Astros, famously recording the final 12 outs of the 2017 ALCS against the Yankees en route to Houston’s first World Series win.

He signed a five-year, $85 million extension with the Astros in 2021, but injuries have largely kept him off the field. He’s only thrown 94 2/3 innings since the end of 2022, 39 1/3 of which have come this season.

McCullers is hopeful things will work out for both Houston and Milwaukee.

“Ultimately, I think it’ll be a good decision on both sides,” he added.

As the Mets floundered through June and early July, David Stearns insisted they were not ready to sell just yet. They were going to give themselves time to see if they could recover before making the decision to buy or sell. Plus, with the draft looming, offices around the sport were distracted with preparation. 

But as the second half begins Thursday night, it seems the time has come: A rival executive said the Mets informed their team that the sale is on, and that everyone but young stars Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, Nolan McLean and the obvious, Juan Soto, isavailable. That doesn’t mean everyone will go. But it means the Mets will listen on just about everyone, which is in keeping with what people familiar with their thinking have signaled for weeks. 

That the Mets are fielding calls already suggests they will be spreading out their sell-off over several weeks, rather than waiting until the week of the deadline when the market has settled and time constraints create a more frenetic process. Some executives argue that selling earlier, before more teams have identified themselves as buyers or sellers, can increase returns and take advantage of immediate desperation while demand is low. 

The Mets, it seems, will be testing the theory. 

The most likely players to go remain those on expiring contracts. Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter are as sturdy lefty relievers as the current market has to offer. Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes are likely to be coveted by the many contenders who need starting pitching.

Despite Peralta’s struggles and Holmes’s current injury, both should bring the Mets a helpful return - in part because it will be relatively easy to determine whether the Mets are getting more in a trade than they would holding on: Both Holmes and Peralta would likely receive a qualifying offer at the end of the season, meaning any return for either would have to eclipse the value of the compensation pick teams receive if players who decline the qualifying offer go elsewhere.

The Mets could still extend Holmes, according to people familiar with their thinking who anticipated conversations with Holmes’s agent to occur between the draft and the deadline. While Stearns’s front office has been reluctant to give long-term deals to starting pitchers in his tenure, Holmes’s early career years as a reliever mean he has fewer innings on his arm than the usual 33-year-old starter with ace capabilities.

As for players with control beyond this season, Luke Weaver will be one of the best relievers available in terms of 2026 performance, and the fact that he will be under control through next season should make him enticing for contenders with money to spend. Huascar Brazoban will also have some suitors, but the Mets do need to build their bullpen around someone in 2027.

They also need someone to catch for them next year, though Francisco Alvarez’s plus-power and Luis Torrens’ steady defense could both draw interest in a still-forming catching market. That both have control beyond this year means the Mets would need to receive more value in return than the value one or either would provide next year.

As for other players under control beyond this year, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio could be attractive for teams with immediate or future infield needs. An executive with one current contender said they plan to check on Baty’s availability, and Mauricio currently has no clear path to big league playing time, either.

And as for Francisco Lindor, no one has given any indications the Mets are shopping him, though no one has said he is off the table either. He is an MVP-caliber player making MVP-candidate money for the next five seasons. Any team wanting to make a deal will likely need not only to be able to pay him that money, but also give the Mets a return that includes viable 2027 big league talent. Few teams seem willing and able to meet those asks. But with a noticeably weak free agent market for hitters looming, it feels unwise to rule anything out.

The Home Run Derby saw plenty of baseballs leave the yard — and even more viewers leave the broadcast.

MLB’s annual dinger demonstration’s debut on Netflix drew just 5.3 million viewers, marking the lowest total since 2003, when the event saw 5.2 million spectators, according to Sports Business Journal.

It was also a drop from last year’s event — in which American League MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh reigned supreme — that drew 5.7 million viewers on ESPN.

This year’s spectacle saw not just a new network but also a revamped format that eliminated timer-based rounds for hitters in favor of swing total.

The format paved the way for a thrilling finish inside Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park as Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker came back to upset Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber.

The event also drew criticism from viewers for its presentation and the inclusion of Will Ferrell, with one fan calling it “one of the worst home run derby broadcasts I have ever watched.”

Sports Business Journal added that Netflix did well with younger viewers but lost a segment of the older demographic.

Netflix will have the derby for at least two more years after signing a three-year, $50 million contract with MLB to stream the event.

Next year’s All-Star Game and Home Run Derby with be at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Clay Holmes is getting closer to seeing actual game action.

After watching Holmes have a successful live in Brooklyn on Tuesday, interim manager Andy Green said the right-hander looked like himself before giving a positive update on the Mets starter.

"Assuming everything moves forward, he’s inching closer to going out to an affiliate and pitching in a rehab assignment," Green said. "Everything depends on the day-to-day, but he’s inching closer to that."

Green didn't have a target date for the rehab, but said Holmes' next step depends on how he recovers and how he feels. Holmes will throw a side between his live on Tuesday and whenever he sees game action, but once he checks every box, the organization and Holmes will commit to the start of the rehab assignment. 

However, Green said they are not rushing Holmes to come back, and if the 33-year-old needs more time, they'll give it to him.

"Nothing wrong with taking a couple of extra days [before rehab begins]," Green said. "[Holmes is] doing well." 

Before his injury, Holmes was the Mets' most consistent pitcher. He pitched to a 4-4 record and a 2.39 ERA.

Green also gave a short update on Luis Robert Jr. The outfielder is working out with the Syracuse Mets on Thursday before he plays in Friday's game. 

If everything looks good and Robert comes out of it okay, the first-year Met could rejoin the team "relatively soon."

Major League Baseball released its full-season schedule for the 2027 campaign on Thursday.

Whether the season starts on time, of course, remains very much in question, with the league and the players’ union locked in a contentious CBA battle that is likely to lead to a lockout when the current CBA expires Dec. 1.

For now, though, let’s live in a perfect world in which the year kicks off as scheduled.

Here are highlights of the Dodgers’ 2027 schedule:

Opening Day

The Dodgers will open at home once again, welcoming the Braves to town for a Thursday Opening Day game on March 25. That will be followed by a Friday off-day, before the series concludes on Saturday and Sunday of that weekend.

The Dodgers and Braves crossed paths in the playoffs in the 2018, 2020 and 2021 seasons, and could do so again this October, with both teams leading their division at the All-Star break.

Longest road trip

The Dodgers’ longest road stretch will come quickly, with a 10-game swing against the Rockies, Dbacks and Padres during their first road trip of the season April 1-11.

It could help the division race take shape early on.

Jackie Robinson Day

As usual, the Dodgers will be home when MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, hosting the Rockies for the occasion as part of 13 consecutive intradivision games following their three-city trip.

Home rivalries

The Dodgers will stage their first home series against their chief NL West rivals, the Giants and Padres, in May, with the Giants visiting for four games May 6-9 and the Padres coming to town for three May 21-23.

Holiday games

The Dodgers will be home for several holidays, including Easter Sunday (March 28 against the Braves), Mother’s Day (May 9 against the Giants), Juneteenth and Father’s Day (June 19-20 against the Marlins) and Independence Day (July 4 against the Mets).

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Historic ballparks

The Dodgers will visit each of the league’s two oldest venues in 2027, going to Fenway Park for three games against the Red Sox May 14-16 and Wrigley Field for four games against the Cubs June 3-6.

Freeway Series

The Dodgers and Angels will play a pair of three-game Freeway Series against the Angels, first going to Anaheim May 28-30 before hosting the Angels following the All-Star break July 16-18.

World Series rematches

Time will tell if the Dodgers can get back to the World Series for a third consecutive season this year. But they already have two recent World Series rematches on the books for the second half of next season, with the Yankees and Blue Jays coming to Dodger Stadium Aug. 27-29 and Sept. 13-15, respectively.

Stretch run

The team’s September slate is full of potentially important division matchups, including visits from the Padres (Sept. 10-12) and Dbacks (Sept. 16-19), and a season-closing road trip to Colorado and Arizona (Sept. 21-26). 

Earlier this afternoon, the Colorado Rockies announced their preliminary 2027 schedule.

Assuming there is no interruption due to negotiations between the MLBPAA and the owners, Opening Day is slated for March 25th.

The Rockies are set to begin the year on the road once again, but this time they are on the West Coast, facing the San Francisco Giants in a three-game set right out of the gate followed by another three-game set against the San Diego Padres.

They will then return home on April 1st for a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and a three-game set against the Miami Marlins. This will mark the fifth time in franchise history that the Rockies have faced the Dodgers at Coors Field for the Home Opener, and the first time since 2022 where they lost 5-3. They then took the next two games 3-2 and 9-4, though, respectively.

As always, the Rockies will play 13 games against the NL West. They will also play one home and one road series against the other teams in the NL, and at least one series with each AL team. The Rockies will host the New York Yankees for three games on July 26-28, and will welcome the Chicago Cubs to Coors Field for Father’s Day weekend (June 18-20). The Toronto Blue Jays will spend July 4th in Denver.

In addition to hosting the Yankees and Blue Jays, the Rockies will also have interleague matchups at home against the not-Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Angels. In fact, the Pittsburgh Pirates series from May 17-19 is the only home NL series in May.

Finally, the All-Star break will take place at Wrigley Field in Chicago from July 12-15.

Opening Day is only 252 days away! Which series are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!

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All right, White Sox fans, grab a pen and brace yourselves: Major League Baseball just dropped the 2027 schedule. Opening Day is set for a Wednesday night, March 24, with an exclusive Netflix game, though nobody knows who’s actually playing. It will be the earliest Opening Day in MLB history. The rest of the league gets going the next day, March 25. Of course, with a lockout looming, don’t bet the house on baseball actually happening that night, but hey, dream big.

Opening on the road in Detroit

Opening Day is scheduled for Thursday, March 25, 2027, in Detroit, where the White Sox will start the 2027 season against the Tigers. The South Siders last opened a season in Motown on April 8, 2022. Chicago lost 5-4 when closer Liam Hendricks blew the save in the ninth. Good times.

Funny enough, that 2022 opener was supposed to be at home against Minnesota, but a lockout shuffled the deck and sent the Sox to Detroit instead. Sound familiar?

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Opening at home vs. Milwaukee

The Good Guys will head back to Chicago for their home opener at Rate Field on Thursday, April 1, against the Brewers. The last time the White Sox hosted the Brewers on Opening Day was April 9, 1990, at Old Comiskey Park. It was the final Opening Day ever played there before the wrecking ball took the old girl down. The South Siders won 2-1 in front of a crowd of 40,008 with Bobby Thigpen getting the first of his eventual record-setting 57 saves that season.

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Crosstown Series vs. Cubs

The 2027 Crosstown Series against the Chicago Cubs includes two sets: the White Sox will visit Wrigley Field from Friday, July 16 through Sunday, July 18, before hosting the Cubs at Rate Field from Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8. The Cubs currently hold a slim edge, 77-75, in the Crosstown Classic since interleague play began in 1997. Fortunately, three games remain this season, so bragging rights are still up for grabs.

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Interleague play

Interleague play means 16 three-game sets for the Sox, half at home, half on the road. Here’s the rundown:

Home series against

Milwaukee Brewers (April 1, 3-4), San Francisco Giants (April 16-18), St. Louis Cardinals (May 3-5), Miami Marlins (May 14-16), Philadelphia Phillies (June 7-9), Arizona Diamondbacks (July 9-11), Chicago Cubs (August 6-8), and San Diego Padres (September 24-26).

Road series against

Los Angeles Dodgers (April 26-28), Pittsburgh Pirates (May 21-23), Cincinnati Reds (June 29-30, July 1), Chicago Cubs (July 16-18), Colorado Rockies (August 13-15), New York Mets (August 27-29), Atlanta Braves (September 10-12), and Washington Nationals (September 17-19).

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Holiday baseball

Memorial Day brings the Tampa Bay Rays to Chicago on May 31. For Independence Day, the Sox head to Texas to tangle with the Rangers on July 4.

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Regular-season finale

The regular season wraps up with a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres from September 24-26.

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2027 All-Star Game in Chicago

The 2027 MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 13, at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

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Tickets & broadcast information

Dates, times, and complete broadcast information will be released in the coming months. Deposits for 2027 season tickets can be placed now by calling 312-674-1000 or visiting whitesox.com/seasontickets.

NOTE: As always, the schedule remains subject to change throughout the offseason.

Mets lineup

1. A.J. Ewing – CF
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Francisco Lindor – SS
5. Carson Benge – RF
6. Jorge Polanco – DH
7. Jared Young – 1B
8. Brett Baty – 2B
9. Francisco Alvarez – C

Christian Scott – RHP

Phillies lineup

1. Trea Turner – SS
2. Kyle Schwarber – DH
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Brandon Marsh – LF
5. Alec Bohm – 3B
6. Bryson Stott – 2B
7. J.T. Realmuto – C
8. Gabriel Rincones – RF
9. Justin Crawford – CF

Aaron Nola – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:10 PM EDT
TV: ESPN
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

Smoke Show: Aaron Nola lit up for three homers in hazy loss to Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Citizens Bank Park felt like the inside of Jeff Spicoli’s van Thursday night.

The air was tinged with the drifting smoke of Canadian wildfires as the Phillies and New York Mets got back to work in less than ideal conditions after the All-Star break.

Early in the day, Major League Baseball considered postponing the game because of poor air quality. There was a hitch, though. This was the only game on the schedule as the All-Star break continued for 28 other teams, and ESPN was in the house to broadcast the game nationally.

Damn the lungs! Play ball!

The start time was moved up an hour to 6:10 p.m., but that didn’t help the Phillies much as they lost, 4-1, to the Mets.

The air was a murky gray at first pitch. Conditions worsened as the game went on. Umpires checked with players to see if they were OK throughout the game.

Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh said it was tough to see a line drive by Jorge Polanco in the eighth inning. Marsh ended up making the play.

“The conditions played no part in the final result,” he said. “They played through the same stuff we did. We just have to be better.”

By definition, Aaron Nola turned in a quality start for the Phillies. That’s what you call it when a pitcher goes six innings or more and allows three or fewer earned runs.

But Nola’s quality start featured a few low-quality pitches. Three of them landed over the wall.

While Nola did manage to keep his team in the game, the offense did not capitalize. The Phillies, who rank dead last in the majors with a .302 on-base percentage, had just four hits and they left runners on the corners in a 1-0 game when Marsh struck out to end the sixth.

Marsh, who was leading the National League with a .338 batting average on June 7, is hitting .167 in July. He is down to .297 for the season.

He did line out to left in his final at-bat of the night.

“That last one felt really good,” he said. “Something I can build off. I felt good after that last one, for sure.”

Mets starter Christian Scott held the Phillies to three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He walked none and struck out seven.

Nola pitched into the seventh inning. He walked four and struck out six. He got some big outs, like when he pitched out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth. He allowed six hits, but three of them were solo homers. One came on a slider, one on a sinker and one on a four-seam fastball.

“The stuff feels good,” Nola said. “The solo home runs hurt me. I feel like that’s how it’s gone this year and last year. I make a mistake over the plate and they don’t miss it.”

Nola said the move-up in start time did not affect him. He had been at the ballpark long before the time change was announced.

But he acknowledged: “It was really smoky. Not ideal. But it is what it is. It’s an outdoor stadium. You have to get the game in and play through different conditions.”

Nola was at 90 pitches through six innings. Friday night in Detroit, manager Don Mattingly hooked the right-hander after five innings and the bullpen imploded. This time, Mattingly stuck with Nola for the seventh and the right-hander gave up back-to-back homers to Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez (his second of the game) to put the Mets ahead, 3-0.

“So, I take him out too early and leave him in too long,” Mattingly said in response to a question about how he’s handled Nola the last two starts. “I take each game for what it is. He was throwing the ball good. If he’d struggled in the sixth, I would have been more proactive. But he threw the ball so well in the sixth, I felt good about him there.”

The Phillies had just three hits through the first seven innings. Trea Turner clubbed a solo homer in the eighth, but it was too little too late, even before the Mets padded their lead against reliever Seth Johnson in the ninth.

The air was hazy at the start of the game. Still, a crowd of 40,109 turned out. By mid-game, the air quality worsened. Center City, usually eye-grabbing day or night, was not visible as a low cloud hung over the ballpark. All that was missing was Bela Lugosi. Or Jeff Spicoli’s van. Or some Phillies’ offense.

More smoke is in the forecast for Friday, but the two teams are off. The series resumes Saturday, when rain is in the forecast.

The D-backs’ 2027 Home Opening Day on Friday, April 2 vs. Miami Marlins kicks off the home slate and a 6-game homestand against the Miami Marlins (April 2-4) and Los Angeles Dodgers (April 5-7). The second homestand, from April 16-21, will feature 3-game sets against the San Diego Padres (April 16-18) and Chicago Cubs (April 19-21).

Fan-favorite home holidays return with Mother’s Day Weekend against the Texas Rangers (May 7-9), Father’s Day Weekend against the Boston Red Sox (June 18-20) and 4th of July Weekend against the San Francisco Giants (July 1-4).The 2027 home schedule will wrap with a much-anticipated, season-ending, 6-game divisional showdown against the San Diego Padres (Sept. 21-23) and Los Angeles Dodgers (Sept. 24-26).

The D-backs will open the season on the road with a week’s worth of divisional matchups against the San Diego Padres (March 25-28) and San Francisco Giants (March 29-31). The remaining NL West road showdowns are at the Los Angeles Dodgers (May 24-26), Colorado Rockies (June 21-23), San Diego Padres (August 9-11) and Colorado Rockies (August 20-22) before ending the season’s road schedule with a 7-game roadtrip to face the San Francisco Giants (Sept. 13-15) and Los Angeles Dodgers (Sept. 16-19).

The road slate also features visits to the New York Yankees (April 9-11), Philadelphia Phillies (April 23-26), Atlanta Braves (May 14-16), Milwaukee Brewers (May 28-30), Toronto Blue Jays (June 8-10), Chicago White Sox (July 9-11) and Chicago Cubs (August 16-18).

For the full Diamondbacks 2027 schedule, visit dbacks.com/schedule.

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It’s kinda hard to look at the schedule and figure out what sections might be tough or not. I recall everyone looking at this year’s calendar and deciding they had “a brutal early schedule.” Turns out that the Tigers, Mets, Orioles and Blue Jays – currently eight, seventeen, five and six games below .500 respectively – were not exactly the tough opposition predicted. The Diamondbacks went 9-3 against those opponents. So I’m a little reluctant to make any predictions when we are still more than sixty games from the end of this season, never mind any changes which may then get made during the winter.

However, based on current standings, it looks like it may be difficult to get out of the gate quickly. There’s an early 12-game stretch where we face the Marlins, Dodgers, Yankees and then back to the Marlins again. Based on the current standings, that would be a tough couple of weeks. It’s then then followed by ten more against the Padres (still at .500, though well off their early page), Cubs and Phillies. All told, that’ll be 22 games where all but three are against teams currently – again, a lot of water under the bridge between now and then – in the top eight of the MLB standings. Though the Marlins are probably gonna Marlin and sell everyone off for 2027.

After that though, I wasn’t seeing too many other cases where we have more than two consecutive series against teams currently with winning records. Maybe we’ll have Corbin Burnes back as Opening Day starter? Let’s wait and see there though.

The All-Star Game in the rear view mirror, and the Cubs have played their way to a 54-42 mark on the season so far. It’s not quite good enough for a lead in their division, that belongs to the 59-37 Milwaukee Brewers, but it does have them in sole control of the first Wild Card spot, one game in the loss column ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s a pretty miraculous record when you consider they have a pretty elite rotation and bullpen sitting on the injured list, and have for much of the season. I mean, just look at this:

While some of those pitchers seem slated to return soon-ish (Jameson Taillon is on a rehab assignment and Edward Cabrera and Daniel Palencia are throwing), many are out for the year. It’s a team tailor-made for the trade deadline, which believe it or not, comes up on Aug. 3, just 18 days from now.

Cubs fans would be forgiven for being a bit skeptical that reinforcements are on the way at the deadline, however. Last year saw them add Michael Soroka, who immediately hit the injured list, along with Andrew Kittredge and utility man Willi Castro. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and PJ Mooney put the outlook for this year’s deadline pretty bluntly yesterday:

Hoyer’s front office trusts the team’s pitching coaches, and Counsell believes they can maximize pitchers who might not look like obvious contributors.

“The job in a game is to get 27 outs,” Counsell said. “It doesn’t matter what the names are — just get 27 outs. That’s the pitching staff’s job, to somehow put together 27 outs every day. So it doesn’t matter how you do it, or what you’re called when you do it. It matters that we do it better than the other team.”

A pessimist would doubt the front office’s willingness to go all in at the trade deadline for a likely wild-card team; a pessimist would probably also doubt the club’s ability to stay healthy. An optimist would look at all the potential in the names on the injured list and the opportunities to improve the team through transactions before early August.

Bruce Levine was even more blunt on a now-deleted Tweet that was surely meant to be a DM or text message that surfaced over the break:

Bruce Levine deleted one of the greatest tweets of all time. pic.twitter.com/Q4pAcpiGvi

— Chief Cub (@ChiefCub) July 14, 2026

It seems fans are not alone in feeling that the Cubs front office has been a bit too cautious at adding players to this roster.

To my eye, a reunion with Kittredge (or a similar pitcher) could make sense. While his ERA and FIP look less stellar than last season (4.32 ERA off a 4.06 FIP in 2026 v. 3.45 ERA off a 3.52 FIP prior to the trade in 2025) the underlying numbers are similar: about a strikeout per inning, low walk rate and a 51.3 percent ground ball rate that is better than what he put up in 2026.

That said, while the Cubs should add to the back end of the bullpen, what they really need is starting pitchers. MLB Trade Rumors has a solid write-up of the arms who might be available, which include everyone from Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, old division foe Freddy Peralta, the Twins’ Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray of the Red Sox. Cubs fans are certainly familiar with Gray from his time in the NL Central with the Reds and Cardinals.

Unfortunately for Cubs fans, among the teams the Cubs could trade with above, the Twins, Red Sox, Orioles and Tigers are all within 3.5 games of a Wild Card spot in a lackluster American League, so all of those teams could take it down to the last minute before deciding to sell this trade deadline. That could mean a lot more waiting (and fretting) for fans anxious to see the Cubs try to make another run at the Postseason in 2026.

The homestand before the All-Star break went to wild extremes. Sure, being swept in the first series was in part because Boston is a pretty good team despite its record. And sweeping the second one was in part because the A’s are awful, especially with their best hitters out or slumping.

But the handedness thing was something else again. It was only a few years ago that the White Sox killed lefties. Now they just roll over and play dead. That final week painted a vivid picture of the situation.

The Red Sox started three back-of-the-rotation lefties. The White Sox scored one run, zero runs, and one run.

The Athletics used a lefty opener in the first game, and he retired all five batters he faced. Then they brought in a righty — the constipation-relief-sounding bulk reliever — and the Sox scored 14 runs. In the next game, against a regular left-handed starter, the White Sox scored one run. In the finale, against a pretty decent right-hander, they scored nine.

Even stranger, the Sox lineup without Munetaka Murakami doesn’t, on the surface, explain the wide disparity of handedness.

Or does it? Let’s take a look.

THE TWO EXTREMES

GRAND CANYON WIDE: Anyone who wonders why Will Venable will sit .300+ hitting All-Star left-handed hitter Tristan Peters for far-below-the-Mendoza-line Junior Perez against southpaws need only take a look at Peters’ platoon splits, which are as wide as they come:

Vs. RHP: .324/.376/.523, for an amazing .899 OPS, a batting average that would be third in MLB

Vs. LHP: .111/.172/.111, for an abysmal .284 OPS, which is less than half the lowest OPS in the majors this year

Note that his three hits against lefties are all singles and were probably all bunts. Maybe they don’t have lefty pitchers in Banana Ball.

BACKWARDS: When Colson Montgomery bashes a lefty, Steve Stone is inclined to act surprised. He shouldn’t be, because lefty Colson has reverse splits, and pretty big ones at that:

Vs. RHP: .206/.294/.433, an OPS of about-average .727

Vs. LHP: .250/.319/.546, a fine OPS of .866, with a higher percentage of homers and doubles, but also more K’s per AB

How can that be? Maybe because his main weakness is high heat, which doesn’t have a handedness factor. Or maybe because he also has trouble with breaking balls under his hands, which are harder for a southpaw to throw.

LET’S LOOK AT THE REST

Overall, in big-league ball, platoon splits are actually quite small, statistically. It’s no doubt because managers play the righty-lefty game so much and don’t bat especially vulnerable players like Peters. Still, right-handed batters hit righty pitchers for a .692 OPS and lefties for .750, only slightly more. Same small difference for lefty hitters, .679 OPS against lefties, .731 vs. righties.

For the White Sox, in descending bWAR order, bearing in mind that WAR is a cumulative stat, so those with fewer games played will be at a disadvantage:

Miguel Vargas, 3.3 bWAR, All-Star, bats right-handed, power hitter you’d expect to have large splits

Vs. RHP: .233/.338/.454, .792 OPS
Vs. LHP: .272/.395/.583, .978 OPS

Fairly pronounced splits, but no real weakness either way.

Chase Meidroth, 1.9 bWAR, bats right-handed, contact hitter you’d expect to have small splits

Vs. RHP: .247/.325/.342, a satanic .666 OPS
Vs. LHP: .320/.381/.466, nifty .847 OPS

Bit of a surprise, right?

Munetaka Murakami: 1.8 bWAR despite losing time, bats left-handed, a pure power hitter

Vs. RHP: .250/.383/.595, sky-high .978 OPS
Vs. LHP: .190/.342/.413, still an above-average .754 OPS despite low BA thanks to homers and walks

Pretty much what you might expect, especially since the fear he couldn’t hit heat was misplaced, but he does have a problem with breaking pitches unless they hang, in which case they travel very, very far.

Sam Antonacci: 1.6 bWAR despite starting season late, bats left-handed, mostly a contact hitter

Vs. RHP: .314/.405/.475, nifty .881 OPS in part thanks to 11 doubles
Vs. LHP: .193/.292/.211, really bad .503 OPS

Did you realize Antonacci was that bad against lefties? I sure didn’t. Helps explain the team’s failures in that direction since he’s the spirit of the outfit.

Randal Grichuk: 0.6 bWAR in limited action, bats right-handed, famed lefty killer

Vs. RHP: .204/.200/.388, OPS. 588
Vs. LHP: .273/.319/.591, very solid .910 OPS

Yet somehow, he, Vargas, and Meidroth aren’t enough to close the handedness gap.

Braden Montgomery: 0.1 bWAR, but only up for 29 games so far, switch-hitter

Vs. RHP: .233/.325/.438, above-average .761 OPS
Vs. LHP: .226/.242/.290, very poor OPS .532

An important note is that he draws lots of walks from righties, but, in a small sample size of 31 trips to the plate, has just one walk the other way, against 10 strikeouts.

Kyle Teel: 0.0 bWAR, bats left-handed, only 51 AB, so too small a sample size to count, but he does have pretty big splits in the normal direction, as he also had last year.

Andrew Benintendi: -0.2 bWAR, bat left-handed

Vs. RHP: .251/.313/.458, OPS .772
Vs. LHP: .182/.229/.212, but he’s rarely allowed to bat against lefties, just 33 AB

Interestingly, Benintendi has a career OPS of .703 against lefties, and had big reverse splits last year. Maybe he forgot how to hit them, or they learned how to pitch him.

Luisangel Acuña: -0.2 bWAR, contact hitter, speedster, bats right-handed, even though Chris Getz thinks he’s a switch-hitter

Vs. RHP: .229/.286/.277 for a .563 OPS
Vs. LHP: .258/.265/.288 for a .553 OPS

Note the much higher average against lefties, as you’d expect. But almost no walks from them, so almost the same OPS either way.

Junior Perez and Drew Romo: Not worth worrying about

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN?

Well, there are reasons the White Sox hit right-handed pitchers better, but there sure aren’t enough reasons to explain the huge difference on the team level. They just have to hope opponents don’t decide to bring lefties up from the minors or out of the bleachers whenever the Sox are on the schedule. Or that they learn how to hit lefties better.

The MLB draft and All-Star festivities are over and we San Francisco Giants fans don’t have much to look forward to other than the looming trade deadline.

Of course, the Giants should be one of the busiest teams during the next couple of weeks as they sell away the bitter memories of lost season. Depending on who you believe, we could see a massive fire sale with most of the current 26-man roster available if the price is right. So, it could get wild as San Francisco has a chance to add some real firepower to an already much improved farm system. Yes, reading updated top 30 prospect lists has become much more enjoyable than scouring the MLB standings.

Still, there are some veteran players I’d like to see the Gaints resist dealing. Lets take a look:

Luis Arráez

I was excited when Arráez mentioned last week that he’d like to stay with the Giants. I’ve been screaming for weeks that Buster Posey needs to extend him, not trade him. Arráez is the type of player who the Giants can easily build around in the next half decade. He likely won’t be unbearable to absorb financially and he is just 29 years old. He is such a special player with the bat and his drastic defensive improvement shows he is still an ascending player who cares. You keep these types of players. Also, I wouldn’t expect another team to part with a top prospect for a non-power hitting middle infielder on an expiring contract. Just sign him now and move forward.

Jung Hoo Lee

The Lee rumors ramped up when ESPN recently included him as one of the more likely players to be dealt at the deadline. I have my doubts the Giants will actively shop him and that’s my hope. He was signed two years ago to be a core player and after some growing pains in MLB and some injuries, that’s exactly what he has become. At 27, Lee has a chance to be a premier hitter for the next several years. Now that he is the player tge Giants envisioned him becoming when the signed him out of KBO. Why would they cut bait now? He and Arraez give the Giants some serious OBP juice. Why mess with that? Let’s see this guy become an all-time San Francisco Giant.

Rafael Devers

Look, I’m as disappointed in the outcome of his trade last year as you are and his body language drives me nuts. But let’s just move on with Devers. Let’s face it; the Giants won’t get much if they give up on Devers either in player return and financial burden relieved. So, they might as well just embrace having him and move forward. Yes, he hasn’t been as good as advertised and he’s been frustratingly streaky in his 13 months as a Giant. But, there is no denying the guy can hit and he will hit for the next decade. Let’s bookend him with Bryce Eldridge for the next several years and enjoy it. Let’s forgive the shortcomings and just hope breaks the streakiness and rakes regularly like he can.

The start of Thursday's game between the Mets and Phillies -- and the official start of the second half of the 2026 season -- has been changed.

New York and Philadelphia will begin their three-game series at 6:10 p.m., an hour earlier than its originally scheduled time due to air quality concerns later in the evening, the Phillies announced. 

"They had to meet about it at 4," Marcus Semien, who was activated off the IL prior to Thursday's game, said of the new start time. "Definitely the opposite of a delay. It's for the better, it looks pretty bad out there."

“There is some air quality alerts out there. MLB, city teams feel it's safe enough to play a baseball game. We surely hope it stays that way, interim manager Andy Green said of the conditions. "You can’t predict this kind of thing. We limited our outside exposure, very short time out there for our guys.” 

Green said their schedule changed a lot with the new start time, as they received word a little before four o'clock, but the team got as much done as they could.

"We got the work done that needs to get done, just in a condensed format," Green said. "This is a typical day where you might have an elongated workout because guys are coming off a break. It’s an adjustment but baseball always tends to make us make them." 

Christian Scott (2-1, 3.17 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets, who are looking to snap their three-game losing streak. The Phillies will send Aaron Nola (3-6, 5.75 ERA) to the bump as Philadelphia looks to extend its winning streak to three games.