Baseball News
The Chicago Cubs playing games in an “open-air stadium” doesn’t “transform the view” from a neighboring rooftop into Cubs property, Wrigley View Rooftop and owner Aidan Dunican argue in a recent court filing. And if it did, other teams, leagues and sports organizers could allegedly demand payment from neighbors who currently watch for free.
Wrigley View Rooftop and Dunican hope to persuade U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman to deny the Cubs’ summary judgment and a permanent injunction in the team’s misappropriation, trademark infringement and unjust enrichment lawsuit. The case, which began in 2024, centers on Wrigley View Rooftop selling access to a rooftop building where fans can watch Cubs games in person without paying the Cubs.
Wrigley View Rooftop maintains the Cubs seek a “new property right” in the form of “visibility of a live sporting event from neighboring private property,” with sightlines converted into property rights. The rooftop company asserts that if this “theory” were validated by the court, it would lack a “limiting principle” and its “consequences would extend far beyond Wrigley Field.”
To that point, Wrigley View Rooftop warns homeowners who live next to a golf course used for a PGA Tour tournament, restaurants overlooking a marathon route and bars along a NASCAR street race “could all be required to pay royalties merely because they profit from proximity to an event visible from their property.”
There are counterarguments to this ominous prediction. There’s no reason to believe organizers of PGA tournaments, marathons, NASCAR races and similar sporting would ever demand payment, and thus the hypotheticals are arguably scare tactics rather than realistic consequences.
A few months ago, Judge Coleman ruled that the Cubs’ claims are plausible. She stressed the team, which depicts Wrigley View Rooftop as illegally free-riding off the team’s financial investment in the playing of games, enjoys a property right in the product of live Cubs games produced at Wrigley Field.
In that discussion, Coleman referred to a court ruling from 1938 in which the Pittsburgh Pirates successfully blocked a radio station sending “observers” to watch games from a rooftop of a building adjacent to Forbes Field and using their observations to transmit an unauthorized radio broadcast of games.
The Cubs now seek a judicial finding from Judge Coleman that no reasonable jury could side with Wrigley View Rooftop, and a permanent injunction to effectively shut down Wrigley View Rooftop.
Through a brief authored by Matthew De Preter and Gary P. Hollander of Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa on June 30, Wrigley View Rooftop insists the Cubs’ legal arguments should strike out.
Wrigley View Rooftop asserts its business model is straightforward and lawful. The company sells tickets to patrons who—unlike the observers in the Pirates case—don’t “record, retransmit, rebroadcast, report or relay” Cubs games but instead watch “live, in-person and in real-time” baseball games that the Cubs “choose to expose to public view.”
Along those lines, Wrigley View Rooftop stresses that people watching Cubs games from across a street aren’t engaged in a broadcast or other professional activity. Their watching of games shouldn’t “threaten the existence of Cubs baseball” or “undermine” the team’s “incentive” to stage games.
Wrigley View Rooftop also cites a section of the City of Chicago’s municipal code titled, “Rooftops in Wrigley Field Adjacent Area,” that contemplates rooftop seating as a lawful activity under certain conditions.
Further, Wrigley View Rooftop takes issue with comments by Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, who, in a related litigation about a decade ago, compared people in the rooftops watching Cubs games to one neighbor looking through a second neighbor’s window to watch the hit show Homeland on Showtime, a premium-pay TV network.
“If Ricketts did not want anyone looking through the window,” Wrigley View Rooftop argues, “he should install curtains, and if the Cubs do not want anyone looking at Wrigley, they should install screens.”
Wrigley View Rooftop maintains the Cubs are not really opposed to rooftop seats, only to others owning those seats.
In 2004, the Cubs and Wrigley View Rooftop resolved an earlier litigation over the same basic issues by entering into a 20-year revenue sharing agreement in which Wrigley View Rooftop shared a cut of its profits. The agreement, as described in court documents, prevented the Cubs from trying to block views from the rooftop seats with screens, obligated the Cubs to provide marketing and allowed Wrigley View Rooftop to use Cubs trademarks.
The two businesses couldn’t agree to new terms and their deal expired on Dec. 31, 2023. But Wrigley View Rooftop keeps selling seats and, the Cubs contend, continues to use trademarks of the MLB team. Wrigley View Rooftop argues it undertook substantial efforts to remove those trademarks from its marketing, website and brochures, though in court documents the Cubs have pointed to what they describe as continuing violations.
The Cubs are also described as installing semi-transparent mesh screens “to obstruct the view” from the rooftop seats, which in turn caused Wrigley View Rooftop “to advise customers of the obstruction.”
In addition, Wrigley View Rooftop complains Cubs owners have known what they were getting into when they bought the team. Wrigley Field is a ballpark in the middle of a large city surrounded by tall buildings and “numerous rooftop businesses.” Over the years the Cubs have purchased some of those rooftop businesses, but not Wrigley View Rooftop.
Attorneys for the Cubs will have the chance to try to rebut these and other arguments in a reply filing that is due on Aug. 10.
No trial date has been set for the case, which could end in a settlement at any point. Given that the two sides are familiar to one another, there’s a chance they could strike a deal similar to the arrangement they negotiated in 2004.
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Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
None of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates played more than three games this week because of the All-Star break, so this week’s roundup is going to look a little different. Rather than breaking down each affiliate individually, I’ve grouped together this week’s standout performances to highlight everything that happened around the farm over the last few games without getting repetitive. Let’s get into it.
Standout Performances:
Coleman Crow: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Tyson Hardin: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Josiah Ragsdale: 4-for-11, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K
Blake Burke: 4-for-12, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K
Jesús Made: 3-for-11, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K
Bishop Letson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Travis Smith: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Josh Adamczewski: 5-for-12, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
Luis Peña: 3-for-10, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K
Braylon Payne: 3-for-13, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K
Brady Ebel: 3-for-9, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K
Biloxi (AA) was the only Brewers affiliate to have a winning record this week, while the other three affiliates combined for just one win. That win came from the Nashville Sounds (AAA), who scored just eight runs in three games against the Norfolk Tides but pulled one out in the finale after Coleman Crow delivered a gem.
Crow, making his first non-rehab start in Triple-A since suffering a right forearm flexor strain over a month ago, certainly looked healthy, tossing six shutout innings while striking out six and allowing just one hit. Tyson Hardin didn’t quite match Crow this week, but he put together a quality outing of his own, allowing three hits and one earned run through six innings.
While no Nashville hitter had enough plate appearances to produce eye-popping numbers, the Sounds received contributions from a variety of players. Luke Adams, Jeferson Quero, and Brock Wilken homered, while Tyler Black, Jacob Hurtubise, and Darrien Miller chipped in with extra-base hits. Black led the Sounds with four hits in twelve at-bats.
Down in Biloxi, the Shuckers put together their 2-1 week largely thanks to the offense. Biloxi scored 21 runs in three games and still managed six runs in its only loss. The offense was led by Josiah Ragsdale, who reached base seven times in fourteen plate appearances and homered. He’s hitting .322 this year and .298 in fourteen games since being promoted to Double-A, although his 1.037 OPS with Biloxi is actually higher than it was with the Timber Rattlers.
Ragsdale, a seventh-round pick last year who has played himself into legitimate prospect status, just continues to stack good week after good week at the plate. He also has a solid glove and 70-grade speed. This is what 70-grade speed looks like:
Blake Burke continued to do what he’s done for almost a full year now: hit for extra bases. Burke collected three extra-base hits this week, including another home run, although six strikeouts in twelve at-bats isn’t exactly what the Brewers organization wants to see. Still, like with Andrew Fischer, it’s hard to complain too much as long as Burke remains one of Biloxi’s most productive middle-of-the-order bats.
Josh Adamczewski rounded out another productive week, leading the Shuckers with five hits. Since earning his promotion to Double-A earlier this summer, he’s done little to slow the momentum that’s made him one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Brewers’ system. Also — I didn’t include this video last week, but it’s worth watching:
Although Adamczewski led the Shuckers in hits, Jesús Made was probably the offensive standout, homering on the way to a six-RBI week. Baseball’s top prospect also walked three times while striking out only once, another reminder of just how advanced his approach is for a player his age.
Unlike most of the Brewers’ prospects, Made didn’t get much of a break, either. He and Luis Peña also represented the organization at the 2026 All-Star Futures Game, where Made went 1-for-3 with a single and drove in the National League’s lone run.
The pitching was just as encouraging. Bishop Letson tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while striking out four. Overall, Letson has now been pitching well for the better part of two months, which is great to see from the Brewers’ super-talented No. 9 prospect. Travis Smith also turned in a solid outing, allowing three hits and one run over four innings.
Neither High-A Wisconsin nor Single-A Wilson won a game this week, but a few of their top prospects are still worth highlighting. Braylon Payne struck out six times in thirteen at-bats, but he also added another home run, giving him eighteen on the season.
Luis Peña, the Brewers’ No. 2 prospect, went 0-for-3 in the Futures Game, but 3-for-10 with a pair of doubles this week. It’s great to see him back on the field — and producing — after the health scares that interrupted his season. Also, I wasn’t going to name a Play of the Week this week, but this is such an awesome play from Peña that it wins anyway.
Brady Ebel, the Brewers’ 2025 first-round pick, hit two home runs in one game on the way to a 3-for-9 week in Single-A. If you like meaningless stats, Ebel is hitting .348 with a 1.239 OPS since the Brewers drafted his brother. Jarrette Bonet (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) turned in the best start of the week for the Warbirds.
Happy Tuesday, Camden Chatters! Did you watch last night’s baseball game between the Orioles and the Red Sox? It was pretty dumb. It’s not that the Orioles lost, which was disappointing but not that surprising. It was the way in which they lost. They made four errors!
A Jeremiah Jackson throwing error allowed a baserunner in the third inning, who later came around to score. Gunnar Henderson also made an error in the inning and didn’t catch a line drive that he probably should have gotten. Shane Baz pitched pretty well, but in the sixth inning, his throwing error allowed a runner to reach second. That runner ended up scoring. Taylor Ward made an error in the seventh inning that didn’t result in a run, but did cause Jim Palmer to exclaim disgustingly that they were playing terrible baseball.
The sloppy play aided in the loss, which actually saw some pretty good offense from the Orioles. They outhit the Red Sox, 11-10. Henderson doubled thrice. Tyler O’Neill had two hits and two RBI. The new guy, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, had a home run and an RBI single. The biggest disappointment on offense was so-called lefty killer Coby Mayo. Mayo managed to strike out three times against lefty starter Payton Tolle. Come on, Coby! That’s supposed to be the one thing you can do!
Probably the dumbest thing on the basepaths was when Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch and immediately got thrown out trying to steal second base with Henderson on deck. Henderson has his troubles, but he’s already doubled twice against Tolle in the game.
It’s a credit to the lineup that they were able to score five runs without Blaze Alexander, Adley Rutschman, or Samuel Basallo. But since the defense didn’t do its job and the relief pitching wasn’t perfect, it just wasn’t quite enough.
One thing I’ll say is that over the last year I had forgotten what it was like to care so much about baseball game. I like caring, even if it backfired on account of the Orioles playing dumb baseball. I will care again tonight, when the Red Sox try to win their 15th game in a row and the Orioles try to start a new streak.
The newly extended Kyle Bradish is pitching tomorrow for the Orioles. For the Red Sox, it’ll be another tough lefty in Ranger Suarez. Gulp. Game time is 7:10
Links
Orioles battle against red-hot Red Sox, but their 4 errors prove costly – The Baltimore Banner
This is what I’m saying!
Jon Meoli: Kyle Bradish’s extension adds to the good vibes around the Orioles – The Baltimore Banner
I sure hope Bradish brings those good vibes to the ballpark tomorrow.
Orioles place Rutschman on injured list with wrist injury, Basallo day-to-day – Baltimore Baseball
Rutschman is on his third trip to the IL and Basallo is day-to-day with a sore shoulder. Not great, Bob!
AL East Notes: Bassitt, Rodon, Scherzer, Santander – MLB Trade Rumors
I’ll be honest, I forgot Chris Bassitt was on the team. He could be back in mid-August. Great?
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have five Orioles birthday buddies, including Wei-Yin Chen, who turns 41. Chen was signed to a four-year contract after pitching in seven seasons with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. He made 117 regular-season starts with the Orioles from 2012-2015 and got a very memorable win against the Yankees in game two of the 2012 ALDS.
Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Willie Eyre (48), Mike Bordick (61), Mark Williamson (67), and Moe Drabowsky (b. 1935, d. 2006).
On this day in 1990, Ben McDonald made his first major league start, and did so in style. Big Ben pitched a complete-game shutout against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed just four hits and struck out five. The Orioles won 2-0. It wasn’t his Major League debut; McDonald started his career with 12 games in the bullpen.
On this day in 1996, the Orioles traded Kent Mercker to Cleveland in exchange for Eddie Murray. Murray returned to Baltimore with 491 career home runs. He hit #500 on September 6th. It would have been cool if he ended his career in Baltimore, but he played in 55 games in 1997 for the Angels and Dodgers.
In 2000, the Orioles beat the Blue Jays, 8-5, in Toronto. Per Baseball Reference, this ended a 20-game Canadian losing streak for the Orioles in games against both the Blue Jays and Expos. Their last win in Canada came in June 1998.
One year ago today, the Orioles lost to the Guardians 10-5. Tomoyuki Sugano got knocked out in the fourth inning after allowing four runs, and relief pitcher Grant Wolfram later let things get out of hand. He gave up four runs in the seventh to make it a blowout. Ramón Laureano had two hits, including a home run, and four RBI.
The Detroit Tigers opened up their three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs on Monday night with a nail-biting 8-6 victory in 10 innings. It began with a half-hour rain delay and ended in extra frames, and in between the two was plenty of action and zaniness. But what’s important is that the good guys won.
With a chance to clinch the series, left-hander Framber Valdez gets the start looking to build upon his last outing before the All-Star break. The 32-year-old earned his 10th quality start of the 2026 campaign against the Athletics, matching his season high with seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out nine — another season high — en route to his fifth win in a 4-1 final at Comerica Park.
Opposite him is Ethan Roberts, who gets his first start in his 24th appearance of the season after putting up sub-replacement player numbers as a reliever. This will also be the 29-year-old’s first outing of July after a brutal June that saw him post an 8.38 ERA and an 8.27 FIP over 11 games stretching across 9 2/3 innings, serving up 13 hits (three home runs) and seven walks while striking out five plus a hit-by-pitch.
Here is a summary of both pitchers’ stats ahead of Game 2 of the series in the Windy City.
Time (ET): 8:05 p.m.
Place: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
SB Nation Site:Bleed Cubbie Blue
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 101: LHP Framber Valdez (5-6, 4.10 ERA) vs. RHP Ethan Roberts (0-2, 4.21 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdez | 19 | 107.2 | 18.6 | 7.7 | 52.3 | 4.10 | 1.3 |
| Roberts | 23 | 25.2 | 15.5 | 12.7 | 48.7 | 5.28 | -0.2 |
VALDEZ
ROBERTS
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Offday
Double-A Somerset Patriots: Offday
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: Offday
Low-A Tampa Tarpons: Offday
Florida Complex League Yankees: Suspended by rain in first inning vs. FCL Phillies — this was to be 2025 first-rounder Dax Kilby’s second game back from a hamstring injury, though he grounded out in the first before the game was called
Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 9-3 vs. DSL Blue Jays Red
CF Isaias Castillo 1-4, HR, RBI, BB, 2 K, 2 SB
SS Stiven Marinez 1-4, BB, K, SB, throwing error
RF Yostin Pena 3-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI, K, SB, CS
2B Juan Torres 0-3, BB, 2 SB
C Juan Martinez 1-3, 2 RBI, K
DH Cesar Lopez 1-2, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, K
1B Poly Ojeda 0-1, 2 BB, K, SB — eight steals from the Yanks in this game, typical DSL stuff
LF Miguel Aguilar 1-4, 3 K
3B Adrian Feliz 1-4, SB, throwing error
Hector Moreno 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Fredy Penuelas 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K (win)
Brauilo Jaquez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 8-7 (9) at DSL Cardinals
CF Ruben Castillo 0-3, RBI, SF
2B Dariel Santana 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K
C Alfiery Rodriguez 0-4, K
3B Carlos Bello 2-3, BB, 3 SB
DH Kenneth Melendez 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
RF David Carrera 2-4, RBI, BB, SB
SS Germayhoni Beltre 1-5, RBI, 2 K, SB — the Bombers also stole eight bases on the day
1B Stalen Ramirez 0-2, BB, 2 SB
LF Sebastian Pinto 0-3, RBI, K, SF
Randy Angomas 2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 7 BB, 3 K
Kevin Centeno 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Andre Avila 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Ronald Tejada 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Josue Silvestre 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K (loss) — gave up a walk-off two-run double, including the zombie runner, in extra innings (the game ended in nine but was scheduled to end in seven)
NEW YORK — Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana said he yelled at José Caballero for taking too long to get ready in the batter’s box, triggering a heated altercation in Monday night’s 8-5 loss to the New York Yankees.
Both benches and bullpens emptied after Caballero bounced into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. Santana got angry following the play, gesturing and shouting a few times at Caballero on the field.
“Just don’t (take) that long (at) home plate and that’s it,” Santana said when asked what he said to Caballero.
The right-hander was restrained by teammates Rafael Flores and Bryan Reynolds before order was restored after a few minutes without any punches or ejections.
“Dennis just got frustrated by something,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “Thankfully it didn’t end up being a big deal.”
Since the pitch clock was implemented in 2023, hitters are required to be in the batter’s box and facing the pitcher with eight seconds remaining on the clock. Caballero was trying to wait until the last second available during his at-bat, which lasted three pitches.
“I just grounded into a double play, turning my back to the coach at first base to give my guards to him, and he was chirping at me,” Caballero said. "I was a little bit surprised about it.”
Caballero had two hits, including a two-run double, before his at-bat against Santana, who has a 6.05 ERA in 44 appearances and gave up a game-ending two-run homer to Cleveland rookie Travis Bazzana on Saturday.
“At this point, he’s lucky he doesn’t get a ball right away because at this point, it’s been four years with the same rules, which we all should know about the rules,” Caballero said. “The whole league should know who I am, what I do (in) the box, and they should be aware of it. For you to get mad at something that the league’s implementing — you shouldn’t be mad at me, you should be mad at someone else.”
During New York’s 8-3 win in Toronto on June 14, Caballero was issued a warning for intentionally delaying an at-bat. He was warned by plate umpire Stephen Jaschinski that he would get an automatic strike called if it happened again, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to Major League Baseball officials about it the following day.
“I know he does it every pitch. It’s his thing,” Reynolds said.
Caballero’s deliberate style in the batter’s box has periodically irked opponents, including the Yankees, who acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 31 last year.
As a rookie with the Seattle Mariners in June 2023, Caballero annoyed Yankees ace Gerrit Cole so much the right-hander threw a 97 mph fastball to him that landed high up on the backstop.
Cole’s pitch was in response to Caballero stepping out repeatedly during his first two plate appearances until the pitch clock was down to the eight-second requirement to be in the batter’s box and alert.
We’re within two weeks of the MLB Trade Deadline, and things are pretty unsettled across the league. In the 12-team, three-Wild Card playoff era, it gets harder and harder to discern buyers from sellers, with so many teams within striking distance of a postseason spot. This year, a number teams that many figured would be also-rans, like the Cardinals and Marlins, are contending, while some presumed contenders, like the Mets and Tigers, are fading. Some teams that looked sure to sell not long ago (looking at you, Boston), look like they might buy, while other teams that perpetually seem to go all in (hello, San Diego, might now need to sell.
We have little idea what anyone’s going to do over the next couple of weeks, and that includes the Yankees. The baseline assumption is that they’ll buy, because of course they will, they’re the Yankees. But beyond that, exactly what kind of deadline New York has is an open question.
To my eye, the last decade of Yankees’ trade deadlines gives us a few archetypes. There’s the most flashy one: the full-scale renovation, the deadline that sees the Yankees part with buckets of prospects for several major-league contributors. Seasons like 2025 and 2017 come to mind for this archetype, and 2022 also might fit the standard as well. After that, there’s a deadline of still-impactful but more measured buying, where Brian Cashman makes a few significant moves, without overhauling a third of the roster at once. Years like 2018, 2021, and 2024 are probably the best examples here. And then there are the years where the Yankees mostly stand still, content to make one or two moves without really shaking the boat; think 2019, 2020, and 2023. There’s also, lastly, the Selling Deadline, which the Yankees have pursued just once this century in 2016, though the odds of that kind of deadline are low (but not zero with Aaron Judge still hurt!).
Which type of deadline do you think is most likely in 2026? For my money, the solid deadlines of 2018, and 2021, and 2024 feel like the best analogs. 2018 saw Cashman add a few pitchers (J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn, and Zack Britton), while taking a flyer on a bat in Luke Voit. In 2021, he brought in Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo, and Andrew Heaney, while in 2024 it was Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Mark Leiter Jr. That kind of deadline, where the Yankees target a few legitimate big-league contributors but don’t go crazy, generally feels like the median outcome for a Cashman deadline.
But there’s always a chance things go off script, in either direction. Maybe the Yankees see fit to turn over the roster like they did last year, or maybe they’ll make like 2023, the last time they entered the deadline with an injured Judge, when Cashman added an interesting relief arm in Keynan Middleton before calling it a day.
What do you think? Which route is most likely? And which do route do you think would be best for the Yankees with the roster in its current state?
On the site today, our Trade Deadline target series rolls along, with John analyzing Luis Arraez, a player the Yankees were often linked to a couple years ago. John will also profile Carsten Charles Sabathia on the occasion of his 46th birthday, while Matt will hand up the day’s Rivalry Roundup. Later, Michael recaps the last week of action down on the farm, and Peter delivers his At-bat of the Week.
New York Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Time: 7:10 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, SportsNet Pittsburgh
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
CHICAGO — All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan, sitting in front of his locker in the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field, figured he’d be gone with everyone else in the infamous Minnesota Twins fire sale a year ago.
He heard the rumors all winter that he’d be traded, again in spring training, yet now that the MLB trade deadline is here, the Ryan trade talks have suddenly stopped.
Funny how a team’s outlook changes when the American League stinks.
The Twins, despite a 49-52 record, are only three games out in the wild-card race and four games back in the AL Central.
And Ryan, who could be the most sought-after starter on the trade market, now believes he’ll be actually staying put.
The Twins, after tearing the hearts out of their fanbase a year ago, certainly don’t have the audacity to do it again.
Entering Monday with a 2.88 ERA, striking out 128 batters in 110 ⅓ innings, Ryan also is under team control for one more year before he can hit free agency after the 2027 season.
“Last year there’s just kind of this unknown and we didn’t know that it was going to go down the way it did," Ryan said. “I don’t even know if the organization knew it was going to go down the same way it did. But at the same time, I think it was probably inflamed publicly with the 'fire sale' because we had a lot of guys on expiring contracts that you’re going to move, regardless.
“Then, all offseason I was kind of like, 'He’s going to get traded. He’s going to be traded.’ In spring training. And the beginning of the year. It was constant. But we’ve just played good baseball, and it’s allowed me to really just hone in on the team and keeps you present.
“It’s just given me peace."
Ryan is one of the 12-most intriguing players on this year’s trade bubble, executives believe, with teams still trying to figure out whether they’ll be traded or kept.
Prediction: He’ll stay.
Here's a look at other players on the bubble:
Skubal, the defending two-time AL Cy Young winner, realizes his fate depends on how the Tigers fare these next weeks. If they keep winning – and they're 24-15 since June 1 – he’s staying.
If they have a relapse and start losing like they did when they went 6-22 in May, he’s gone. And if he’s gone, why hang onto Casey Mize, who’s also a free agent after the season?
“I mean it's all out of my control,” Skubal said after his last start.
Certainly, he’s doing everything in his power to stay, pitching seven shutout innings Saturday with nine strikeouts against the Angels. It was the first time he went seven innings since April 29, his last start before undergoing elbow surgery, and everyone’s taking notice.
Prediction: STAYING
Holmes hasn’t pitched in a game since May 15 when he fractured his right fibula on a comebacker, but it hasn’t stopped scouts from monitoring his minor-league rehab stint, knowing he should return shortly after the Aug. 3 trade deadline. This is a guy who was dominant before the injury, yielding a 2.38 ERA in his first 52 ⅔ innings.
Holmes is in the second year of a three-year, $38 million contract, but he could opt out of the remaining $12 million in his deal and hit free agency after the season. He expressed interested in signing a long-term extension, but David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations, has been reluctant to give out long-term deals to pitchers.
Prediction: GOING
Would the Pirates dare trade one of their potential young stars while fighting for their first playoff berth since 2015?
Likely not, but they desperately need bullpen help and could aways use depth in the starting rotation. They also have a powerful offense, depth in the outfield with Jake Mangum and Esmerlyn Valdez, and the desire to keep their payroll at its current level. If they choose, they can always move him in the winter, too.
Prediction: STAYING
The Blue Jays have been one of the game’s most underachieving teams, and nothing after the break has changed their plight, losing two of three games to the Chicago White Sox.
The Blue Jays hate to raise the white flag after being just two outs of winning the World Series last year, but they also have to be realistic about their most attractive trade chip.
Prediction: GOING – along with a few of his teammates
The Nationals dangled Abrams over the winter, but no one came close to stepping up and making a bid to pry him away. It may be no different this time around, but Abrams is having an All-Star season and has already set career highs with 21 home runs and 70 RBIs. And he still has two years of club control. They are still hanging around the wild card race, and could instead trade first baseman Luis Garcia Jr.
Prediction: STAYING
There are plenty other high-salaried players on long-term contract the Giants would love to trade, including Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, but Lee is having the best season at the best price. He’s hitting .303 with a .787 OPS, with about $70 million remaining through 2029. He also has an opt out after the 2027 season. Still, with only five home runs this season, teams may instead covet power-hitters.
Prediction: STAYING
Detmers just may be the most valuable pitcher to hit the trade market.
Detmers, who is striking out 10.2 batters per nine innings, is coming off a dominant six-inning shutout performance against the Tigers, yielding just four hits with seven strikeouts. This not only is a breakout season for the 27-year-old lefty, but he’s also not earning much money ($2.625 million) and is even under team control through 2028.
If owner Arte Moreno gives his blessing, John Mozeliak, interim president of baseball operations, will trade him, and perhaps Jose Soriano too, knowing how it could instantly inject an abundance of talent into their farm system.
Prediction: Detmers goes, Soriano stays
This is the type of player the Orioles could get a handsome return for with the lack of power hitters on the market. Yet, after winning six games in a row to be in the middle of the wild-card race, can they really afford to part with Ward? He hit 36 homers with 103 RBIs for the Angels last season, which has dropped to seven homers and 27 RBIs, and is a free agent after the season.
Do they give up on him or believe he’ll turn it around?
Prediction: STAYING
The New York Yankees are salivating over the chance to acquire Ryan Jeffers, and the Rays are in the mix, too.
Who wouldn’t want a power-hitting catcher who’s back healthy with a .941 OPS?
The Twins’ dilemma is that they are still hanging in the race, just 3 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central race and 2 back in the wild-card race. They do have reliable Victor Caratini, but he’s not Jeffers.
“There's nothing you can do about it,’’ Jeffers said this weekend in Chicago. "You just go out there and continue to play baseball. If I wanted to be a GM, I'd stop playing. So, I'll keep on playing and figure out the future career path after I'm done."
Prediction: GOING
The Padres gave up their top prospect and three other prospects to acquire him a year ago, believing he would make their bullpen so powerful that they would never blow a lead.
They never envisioned that they’d become so mediocre this year that 14 times already he has had three or more days of rest, including a stretch in June where he never appeared for six days. He has had only 10 save opportunities since May 30.
Simply, he’s too valuable to sit around and rot in the bullpen, and the Padres could use their return to bolster their woefully thin rotation.
Prediction: GOING
It’s crazy to think that the Reds would trade Greene, right? He’s one of the most talented young pitchers in the game, but injuries have limited him to just 123 ⅔ innings since the end of the 2024 season. He also is under team control through the 2029 season at $52 million.
So why would the Reds even think about it?
Well, with so few sellers on the market, and Greene not turning 27 until three days after the trade deadline, the Reds are intrigued just to see what they could command on the market, seeing if someone blows them away.
Prediction: STAYING
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade deadline predictions: Will these 12 players on the bubble stay or go?
MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: Although the team’s top two prospects, George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange, appear to be off-limits at this year’s Trade Deadline, the Yankees still have quite a bit of prospect ammunition to make a deal at this deadline, with former top prospects Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones joining current prospects Dax Kilby and Elmer Rodríguez as players the Bombers could look to move to augment this year’s big league club.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: With a series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the rearview mirror and the Trade Deadline looming, the conversation has turned to whether or not the Aaron Judge-less Yankees have the means to compete in the American League. With that in mind, Brendan Kuty makes three proposals to immediately give the Yankees a boost: get rid of Camilo Doval, call up Spencer Jones, and platoon Jazz Chisholm Jr., who has struggled against southpaws this season, with Max Schuemann, who has thrived versus them. While, in a vacuum, none of these suggestions would move the needle, in the aggregate, they might give the team a jolt.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees got a bit of good injury news this weekend, as Clarke Schmidt — out since last summer after undergoing Tommy John surgery — took the mound and threw 15 pitches before Saturday night’s game was postponed due to weather. Facing Anthony Volpe and Ali Sánchez, he threw only four-seam fastballs, following the same rehab schedule that Gerrit Cole did earlier this season; should all go well, he will start incorporating breaking balls in his next session. Schmidt may be able to return to the Bronx in a bullpen role in August, or as a starter in September.
Baseball America: (subscription required) Now that the draft is behind us, Baseball America has updated their Top 30 prospect lists. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lombard took the top spot, while Lagrange — who turned heads with his high velocity during the spring — comes in fourth, behind Rodríguez and Kilby. This year’s top pick, Hunter Dietz, debuts at seventh with second-rounder Sean Duncan hot on his heels, while Jones drops to ninth.
José Caballero claimed “the whole league should know who I am” after he enraged Dennis Santana with his time-wasting in the batter’s box and caused the benches to clear in the eighth inning.
The Yankees infielder has gained a reputation for not engaging with pitchers until the last possible moment, and it set off the Pirates pitcher Monday night — even after he grounded Caballero into a double play.
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Try it freeCaballero hit a tame grounder to the pitcher before being thrown out moments later, but the pair jawed after the play concluded as things quickly escalated.
Caballero said after the game that he didn’t believe he and Santana could actually hear each other’s barbs — but that didn’t stop both benches and bullpens from swarming the field as the game was delayed several minutes.
“The whole league should know who I am, what I do in the box, and they should be aware of it,” Caballero said.
“And for you to be mad at something the league implemented in this league [batters have until eight seconds left in the pitch clock to engage], he shouldn’t be mad at me — he should be mad at someone else.”
For his part, Santana admitted he was aware of Caballero’s strategy “a little bit” before the game, but that it’s “not my problem.”
He admitted that he got “caught up in the game,” and that he didn’t think Caballero should be delaying him on every pitch with the Yankees already leading 8-5.
Aaron Boone, meanwhile, cracked that “sometimes boys will be boys,” but admitted that pitchers can be caught off guard by Caballero’s antics.
“I completely understand, it’s part of his process getting ready mentally to hit. And frankly, I think more guys should,” Boone said.
“If you’re not used to it, you should practice,” Caballero added.
The Mariners kept ‘00s weekend running with a Monday dismantling of the Reds re-enacting Evanescence’s 2003 three debut single “Bring Me To Life.”
This season fans have bemoaned lifeless at-bats and flat outings, begging the team that electrified the city last summer to show some semblance of their former selves. Now that I know what I’m without/You can’t just leave me. And yet so often the 2026 club has left fans in the dark, after offering a tantalizing taste of playoff baseball last season. Now fans know what they’ve been without, making the taste of failure that’s characterized much of 2026 all the more bitter.
In an extra-cruel twist of fate, one of the biggest accountings for that delta in performance has been the sensation of the 2025 season, their All-Star switch-hitting catcher, home run derby champ, iron man-redux Cal Raleigh, who has gone from appointment viewing at-bats to doctor’s appointments followed by “I might rather be at a dentist appointment than watching this at-bat.” It’s been brutal and frustrating both for the fans and for Raleigh himself.
When the Mariners came out of the break with a 0-7 shutout loss in a lifeless showing against the dismal Giants, it felt like the nightmare of 2026 would be continuing. But to their credit, the Mariners perked up and won the last two games of the series, coming into today having won three of their last four games, a talking point repeated by several members of the team after yesterday’s win.
Today the Mariners kept the momentum rolling, again scoring via both small ball and the long ball, the same way they won Sunday’s contest. And what a long ball it was: this grand slam by Cal Raleigh, after Terry Francona and the Reds had intentionally walked Dom Canzone – a seemingly more favorable left-on-left matchup with former Mariner and member of the 2025 playoff team Caleb Ferguson on the mound – to get to Cal Raleigh with the bases loaded with one out. The Reds, as Dan Wilson charitably explained postgame, were likely looking to set up an inning-ending double play.
That did not happen.
But let’s back up a little, because even though this slam put the game out of reach, the Mariners were going to win this game anyway thanks to some small ball manufacturing of runs, taking advantage of miscues by the Reds, and some dominant pitching from starter George Kirby.
George Kirby didn’t have pinpoint command in the first despite throwing four of four first-pitch strikes, walking leadoff man Elly De La Cruz and going to a full count on former Athletic JJ Bleday, who came into this game sporting a 1.56 OPS against Kirby. But Kirby neutralized Bleday on a harmless flyout, just like he’d go on to neutralize the Reds for the rest of the night, even if it wasn’t his most dominant outing.
The Mariners got some traffic in the second because that’s when Cole Young was due up to bat. With two outs, Young worked a very nice seven-pitch walk off the lefty Andrew Abbott, and advanced to second on a little dunk base hit from Victor Robles, who understands his job description right now is 50% “Play Outfield, Don’t Get Hurt” and 50% “Hit Righthandedly.” But Buddy Kennedy, getting the start over Weston Wilson, struck out to end the threat.
It looked like the Reds would punish the Mariners for not taking advantage there in the top of the third. George Kirby threw two pitches and like magic – tonight was Harry Potter Night at the park, so go figure – had two baserunners on with no outs. Things got a little more hot water (or dogwater, as Angie would say) when Josh Naylor threw too high to Colt Emerson on a potential double play, giving Kirby just one out instead of two, but Sal Stewart flew out softly to right field and former Mariners prospect Edwin Arroyo made the head-scratching decision to try to score, instead being easily thrown out at home to end the inning.
The old saying (slash bastardization of a quote attributed to Napoleon) is that you don’t interrupt your enemy when they’re making a mistake, and the Mariners were happy to let the Reds keep on making mistakes. In the fifth inning, Victor Robles led off the inning with a single, his second hit of the game, and then was gifted third base by a bad throw from catcher Tyler Stephenson on a stolen base attempt. Randy Arozarena does get credit here for keeping the inning alive with a two-inning walk, bringing up Julio Rodríguez, who hit into what should have been an inning-ending changeup, chasing after the same pitch he’d struck out on in his first at-bat, only to have Elly De La Cruz mishandle it and allow the run to score (it was ruled an infield hit. It was not.).
Because there is a cost to chaos magic – as those who bought a ticket to Harry Potter Night can attest – the baseball gods ruled that Julio had to pay a price, and that price was getting hit in the Lomas de Cabrera by the errant throw while also maybe pulling something trying to beat out the throw. Dan Wilson was oblique about the nature of the injury postgame, saying only that it was precautionary and that it wasn’t a strain.
With Kirby at 80 pitches to end the sixth but in his first outing since the All-Star Break, and the leverage relievers (Bazardo, Speier, and Muñoz) down after pitching this weekend, the Mariners summoned Nick Davila to protect the one-run lead. It got off to a rough start, with Davila hitting the first batter he faced, Spencer Steer, but then Good Guy Eugenio Suárez offered Davila a reset by grounding into a double play, allowing Davila to finish the inning painlessly after getting Tyler Stephenson to ground out.
With Abbott at 100 pitches, the Reds turned to righty Pierce Johnson in the seventh to face the terror known as Victor Robles and Robles responded by immediately rapping a single into right field. Luke Raley was then summoned to pinch-hit for Buddy Kennedy and once again, Raley produced a big hit, singling to right and allowing Robles to scoot into third. Then it was Colt Emerson’s turn to get to contribute. Emerson was originally out of the game for a scheduled day off on his 21st birthday, but stepped in when J.P. Crawford was a late scratch for wrist soreness (he is day to day). In addition to making some slick plays at shortstop, Emerson brought in an at-the-time crucial second run with a sac fly. Happy birthday, Colt. But the Mariners weren’t done. Randy Arozarena kept the line moving with a beautiful little oppo single, because Randy does that now, and then Weston Wilson – who was in for Julio Rodríguez – tapped a little double into right field, showing that two can play the oppo taco game (an oppo hit that’s not a home run? oppo taquito?).
A three-run lead felt good, but with the A side of the bullpen down or at least heavily taxed, some insurance would have been nice. This is an area where the 2026 Mariners have struggled, and also been punished for it. But what’s even more egregious to the baseball gods than failing to add insurance? The hubris of walking a left-on-left matchup in order to get to a temporarily diminished but by no means fully dimmed Cal Raleigh.
It didn’t matter who was coming out next – although Cole Wilcox and Michael Rucker did continue the shutout, both looking sharp (Wilcox even threw five strikes in an at-bat that somehow still ended in a walk). The die was cast, the park was jumping, the Mariners had been brought to life and brought their fans along with them. Wake them up inside, they can wake up.
Coming off a doubleheader in which every reliever except Kervin Castro pitched, the Yankees could have used more from Ryan Weathers on Monday when he lasted just 4 ²/₃ innings.
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Try it freeBut after rough second and third innings, Weathers bore down and managed to record 14 outs, salvaging a night that could have gone much worse.
Weathers gave up one lead but held the next, pitching better as the game wore on and solving a pitch-tipping issue on the fly in what became an 8-5 win over the Pirates in The Bronx.
“I love those outings when it’s a grind, when it’s tough,” manager Aaron Boone said, “and you still give yourself, give your team a chance to win.”
That is what Weathers did in allowing five runs in the second and third innings but settling down afterward.
In the second, the first three Pirates tallied hits, the third of which was an RBI double from Jared Triolo.
From second base, Triolo appeared to be relaying signs to batters concerning when a changeup would be coming.
“I made an adjustment in-game,” Weathers said. “I fired a fastball, and that kind of shut it down.”
The issues were not over, though, with one more RBI single in that inning and a two-run homer from rookie sensation Esmerlyn Valdez in the third.
The homer came off a down-the-middle slider, a pitch Weathers said he struggled with and should have moved away from sooner.
But after Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s second home run of the night keyed a four-run third that gave the Yankees an 8-5 edge, Weathers allowed just a single in the fourth and a walk in the fifth, when he was pulled with two outs and watched Angel Chivilli escape the bit of danger.
“Wasn’t a great one for him, got hit around early on a night we’re up against it pen-wise,” Boone said, “but I love the fact that he hung in there.”
The Yankees still did not have any clarity regarding a timeline for Giancarlo Stanton’s return or rehab assignment or when he will run the bases again.
“I do know he’s continuing the running progression, it’s going pretty well,” Boone said. “But I don’t have a timeline.”
Little is known publicly about the status of Stanton, who Boone said was “moving again with more intensity and hitting against [velocity] again” way back June 29 after his second calf strain.
Since then, the Yankees have said Stanton has continued a running progression but offered little detail otherwise.
The loss of Aaron Judge for an indefinite period has shone a further light on Stanton because the club has not been able to hit without the pair of sluggers.
Stanton played just 24 games this season before going down and had launched three homers while posting a .724 OPS.
The Yankees signed all 20 of their draft picks.
Their first two selections — Arkansas’ Hunter Dietz and Sean Duncan, out of a high school in Canada — are lefty starters. The other five sole pitchers they selected are righties. They also announced Luke Pettitte as a two-way player, a righty pitcher and first baseman. Andy’s son had been a righty pitcher and slugger at Dallas Baptist.
Otherwise, they selected six infielders, four outfielders, one catcher and one utility player.
The backup catcher for Pittsburgh on Monday was Rafael Flores, whom the Yankees signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and who rose through a system that is well-regarded for developing catchers and touched Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season.
Flores was dealt to the Pirates in the trade that brought David Bednar to The Bronx.
He debuted briefly in June and was called up again earlier this month, showing promise (1.167 OPS) in his early days.
“I really enjoyed Rafa,” Boone said. “We had him in camp [in 2025], before we ended up trading him, and I really liked him, liked his upside. He had a joy for the game that was fun to be around. You could tell he loved the game.”
After the dramatics of yesterday’s game, with a franchise-record comeback to clinch the season series against playoff rivals, tonight’s contest always had the feel of a trap game. And so it proved, as the D-backs suffered the sugar crash to end all sugar crashes. The productive offense consisted in its entirety of Ketel Marte’s two-run home-run in the sixth, briefly tying the game at two. However, the usually reliable Kevin Ginkel chose a bad time to have his worst outing in more than three and a half months, immediately giving the Athletics back those runs, – and one more for good measure. The D-backs consequently dropped the series opener, though did not lose any ground in the wild-card race.
Mitch Bratt got the start for the D-backs, and… Well, I guess you can’t complain about two runs across 4.2 innings, from a man making only his third major-league appearance. That was likely a couple more outs than I was expecting, but given the bullpen situation (as discussed in the GDT), it seems likely he was going to be pushed as far as possible. Suspect Torey Lovullo was looking for five innings, but at 84 pitches – the most Bratt had thrown this year, at any level – I absolutely get why the starter was pulled, with two outs in the fifth inning, and Athletics on the corners. He’d scattered eight hits and a walk, with four strikeouts.
Unfortunately, two of the hits left Chase Field, although each was a solo shot. One came at the start of the second to put the visitors 1-0 up, while the second came leading off the fifth inning. Indeed, both home-runs came on the very first pitch of the inning, which might be something Bratt should think about. He did throw a first-pitch strike to 19 of the 23 batters faced, which is definitely higher than MLB average. But let’s be clear: Bratt only turned 23 years old a couple of weeks ago, and under ideal circumstances i.e. other than multiple starting pitchers on the IL, would still be honing his craft in the minor leagues. No real complaints about tonight’s outing.
I did have a feeling Steve Berthiaume jinxed the offense, when he pre-gamed by telling us how the A’s starter Jeffrey Springs was leading the majors in home-runs allowed, and was exactly the kind of pitcher on which D-backs’ lead-off man Ketel Marte would feast. Naturally, Marte swung at the very first pitch, sending a harmless shallow fly ball to right field. That set the tone for the evening: you certainly wouldn’t know that Springs had allowed most earned runs of any pitcher in the AL. Through five innings, he had faced two batters over the minimum. The D-backs had managed three hits and a walk, but two runners were erased by a caught stealing and double-play.
The former was Geraldo Perdomo in the opening innings, and was one of a number of weird plays tonight. He had previously been called out, picked off first according to umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Except the replay clearly showed no tag was ever applied. Having dodged that bullet on appeal, Perdomo tried to steal second and was gunned down. The double-play was hit into in the second inning by Nolan Arenado, who came into the game with 1,999 career hits. However, his next time up, he duly doubled down the left-field line to reach the two thousand mark (above). There are only six active members of the 2K Hits club. Can you name the other five? Answers later.
Arizona finally broke through against Springs in the sixth, getting three hits without recording an out. Jorge Barrosa led off with a double, and Marte finally got the pitch for which he was looking. It went 402 feet down the left-field line, for Ketel’s 18th home-run of the year (below). Perdomo then got his second single, and it looked like we’d have runners on the corners with one out, as Gabriel Moreno walked as Perdomo stole second, taking third on a bad throw down by the A’s catcher. However, a perhaps suspiciously delayed ABS appeal turned the ball 4 into strike 3, so it became a man on third and two outs. Ildemaro Vargas lined out, and the game remained 2-2.
Ginkel took over and, as noted, it did not go well. He put two aboard, then retired the next two, and it looked like he would get out of it. A comebacker pinged off him, and Kevin still threw to first in time for the inning ending out. But, wait! Another appeal reversed that decision, instead loading the bases. A bloop single and wild pitch followed, so instead of a zero, it was a very crooked three-spot for the Athletics and a 5-2 lead. That seemed to suck the life out of the Diamondbacks, though they did get the tying run to the plate in the ninth. But Ryan Waldschmidt has now gone 38 games without a homer to start his MLB career. Still some way to go for the team record: Jose Herrera didn’t homer until his 127th game.
Arizona pitchers ended up allowing 15 hits, though out of the bullpen, there were scoreless outings for Juan Burgos (likely going back to Reno tomorrow), Jonathan Loaisiga and Brandyn Garcia. Perdomo had two hits, while Barrosa walked in addition to his double. But the teams nearest to Arizona in the NL Wild-Card race also lost: the Marlins, Cardinals, Pirates and Padres all were beaten. So the D-backs remain one-half game back of the third spot for now. Though this has to be considered a lost opportunity, given the overall record of tonight’s opponent. Let’s hope for better things tomorrow.
Click here for details, at Fangraphs.com
Deep Blue Sea: Ketel Marte, +15%
The Legend of Hercules: Kevin Ginkel, -37%
Exorcist: The Beginning: Ildemaro Vargas, -11%
372 comments in the Gameday Thread, which is pretty good for a Monday night. Snake_Bitten takes home Comment of the Night for this observation:
Tomorrow night, we’re back at it with another young pitcher looking likely to start for Arizona, in the shape of Kade Stroud’s MLB debut. 6:40 pm first pitch for that.
The other active members of the 2K Hits club are (in descending order of hits): Freddie Freeman, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen, Paul Goldschmidt and Manny Machado.
In this week’s Injury Report, the Marlins lose breakout starter Max Meyer to the injured list with a neck strain. Adley Rutschman is sidelined with a wrist injury. And things are looking promising for Kyle Harrison as he recovers from a bout of forearm inflammation. All that and more as we cover all of the most relevant injury news around the league.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Meyer had an abbreviated outing on Saturday against the Brewers, ending his day after 74 pitches through three innings. On Monday, the Marlins placed the 27-year-old breakout right-hander on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain. It’s unknown how much time Meyer is expected to miss or the severity of the injury. He was approaching a career-high in innings pitched with 111. Meyer had combined for 115 innings in 2024 between Triple-A and the majors. He’s stepped up as the team’s ace this season, posting a 2.68 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts.
Rutschman sat out Sunday’s contest against the Royals before he was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday with left wrist inflammation. He’ll likely undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue. It’s the third trip to the injured list for the 28-year-old backstop. He’s been limited to 67 games, hitting .251/.331/.433 with eight homers and 47 RBI across 284 plate appearances. Samuel Basallo is also working through a shoulder issue. The team promoted Chadwick Tromp for catching depth behind Basallo and Sam Huff.
Harrison threw a bullpen session on Saturday after MRI results revealed no structural damage. He came away from the throwing session with no issues, another encouraging update since he was placed on the 15-day injured list with left forearm tightness. The next step would be for Harrison to face live hitters, but there’s a chance for him to return when first eligible on Friday, if not shortly after. Meanwhile, an update on Woodruff over the weekend wasn’t as favorable. The 33-year-old right-hander will undergo right shoulder capsule surgery, ending his season. Woodruff had a similar procedure in 2023 that cost him nearly a year and a half. While a second surgery would be difficult to come back from, he plans to continue pitching. Though he may not be ready until well into 2027.
Judge was transferred to the 60-day injured list with an update after he underwent follow-up imaging on his fractured right ribcage. The imaging revealed some healing for the 34-year-old slugger, but he’s still not cleared to resume baseball activities. Judge will need to wait until he’s completely symptom-free before ramping things up. For now, he’s limited to lower body work and neck excercises. With his placement on the 60-day injured list, he won’t be eligible to return until early August, but he remains without a timeline, with September being a more realistic possibility.
Story has been on the injured list since late May after undergoing sports hernia surgery, a procedure that came with an 8-12 week timeline. The 33-year-old shortstop has progressed to taking batting practice and will ramp up his running progression before he’s cleared for a minor league rehab assignment, something he’s hoping to do by the beginning of August. Story’s return sometime in August would be a boost for a surging Red Sox team, though it shouldn’t preclude them from acquiring more middle infield depth at the trade deadline.
Witt was held out of Sunday’s contest against the Padres with back tightness and was back in the Royals lineup on Monday for the team’s series opener against the Giants. He departed in the fourth inning after going 0-for-1 with a walk with lower back tightness. While the 26-year-old star has been able to avoid the injured list so far this season, he’s played a little banged up as he’s been forced to miss some games due to recurring knee issues. While he’s produced a solid season, it hasn’t quite been up to his upper-echelon standards, slashing .280/.350/.451 with 13 homers, 51 runs scored, 39 RBI, and 30 steals across 414 plate appearances. His situation will be one to monitor in the coming days.
Things look optimistic with Lopez and his availability in the coming days. He sat out a pair of games after taking a ground ball off his right ring finger on Saturday and experiencing some discomfort holding a bat. His initial X-rays came back negative, a good sign that he won’t be sidelined much longer. Still, it’s worth monitoring. The 27-year-old infielder is in the middle of a breakout season, hitting .335/.368/.505 with nine homers, 61 runs scored, 46 RBI, and 18 steals across 419 plate appearances.
Two weeks ago, it was reported that Early was receiving a second opinion on his ailing left elbow after he hit the injured list with inflammation. He must have gotten relatively good news, as he began a throwing progression on Friday, increasing his throwing distance from 75 feet to 90 feet. The 24-year-old left-hander will continue to ramp up his throwing program with the goal of rejoining the rotation sometime in the second half, barring any setbacks. Early enjoyed an excellent first half of his rookie campaign, posting a 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 93 strikeouts over 91 2/3 innings.
Gelof has been out since July 9 after suffering a knee laceration during a diving catch in the outfield. He’s due to have his stitches removed on Tuesday and will begin baseball activities. How his knee responds to running could determine how quickly he can return to the A’s lineup, as he may not need any rehab games. Meanwhile, Kurtz has been on the injured list since July 10 with a right thumb capsule sprain. He began baseball activities, including a hitting progression and fielding grounders, with a goal to possibly return later this week.
Both Teel and Montgomery made early exits from Monday’s game against the Rangers. Teel required assistance leaving the field following a play at the plate in the second inning in which he appeared to get his leg caught under him as he twisted in an attempt to tag a runner out. He’ll undergo further evaluation and imaging with hopes that he’s avoided a serious injury. Montgomery seems to have dodged a bullet. He departed in the seventh after fouling a ball off of his right shin. X-rays have already ruled out any fractures, so he’s likely just bruised up. He may need an extra day or two off, but he shouldn’t be facing a lengthy absence.
Rodríguez was removed from Monday’s game against the Reds just two days after returning from the 7-day concussion injured list. He was hit on the left hamstring on a throw by Elly De La Cruz as Rodríguez legged out an infield single. He remained in the game through the fifth inning before heading through the tunnel with an athletic trainer between innings. We should have more clarity on the situation on Tuesday.
James Schiano
Eric Samulski