Aug 19, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) delivers during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If the Orioles are going to make a push for the playoffs in this final month or so of the season, they are gonna have to win a bunch of games. That means beating solid teams like these Cardinals on the road. It’s not gonna be easy.
It’s a left-handed starter on the mound for St. Louis, Matthew Liberatore. That might be good news for the Orioles. They have been much improved against southpaws in recent months. As usual, Coby Mayo takes a prominent spot in the lineup, batting clean-up. He has a 1.105 OPS against lefties this year and has been pretty darn good overall in the second half, owning an .854 OPS since the all-star break.
Chris Bassitt will look to make it a third straight decent start since being activated from the IL. He has given up five runs over 11 innings since he returned from his back problems. After the off day on Monday the entire Orioles bullpen should be available, but it would still be nice to see Bassitt go a bit deeper here.
Let’s start this nine-game road trip on a high note!
Miguel Vargas has posted a 1.253 OPS with four doubles and five homers over the past 15 days. | (Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images)
A blowout loss is a tough way to start a series at home in a playoff race, but the South Siders hope to flush Monday’s game and come out strong behind Anthony Kay today. After defeating the Sox yesterday, the Rangers now hold a half-game lead over the Houston Astros in the AL West, while Chicago’s lead in the AL Central has shrunk to just 2 1/2 games over the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians have rebounded from their rough stretch, winning seven of their last 10 and riding a five-game winning streak after defeating the Los Angeles Angels yesterday. The Angels, of course, had opportunities to come back but naturally didn’t.
The South Siders are 5-5 in their last 10, and the offense has been struggling as a whole lately, basically living and dying by the long ball as we’ve seen in the last several games. In August, the White Sox are hitting just .208 with runners in scoring position as a team — the second-worst average in baseball over that stretch — while also racking up the most strikeouts (70). It also probably doesn’t help that both Colson Montgomery and Munetaka Murakami are building Strikeout City from the ground up, with Colson leading MLB in Ks over the last two weeks (24 in 51 ABs) and Mune’s 21 ranking third in baseball. Woof.
With both the rotation and bullpen continuing to struggle, the pitching staff took another hit when the White Sox announced that Huascar Brazobán is headed to the IL with a left lat strain. Righthander Jonathan Cannon is being called up from Triple-A Charlotte to help fill the hole. Jonathan Cannon is most certainly not the answer, but at this point, the front office seems ready to try anything.
Prior to tonight’s game vs. Texas, the Chicago White Sox placed right-handed pitcher Huáscar Brazobán on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain and recalled right-handed pitcher Jonathan Cannon from Class AAA Charlotte.
The only other roster update for today is that our sweet (mostly) clutch Andrew Benintendi has been placed on the bereavement list, and Rikuu Nishida will rejoin the team in his absence. We send our thoughts to Andrew and his family during this time.
Prior to tonight’s game vs. Texas, the Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List and recalled infielder/outfielder Rikuu Nishida from Class AAA Charlotte.
Regardless of what the masses may think, lefthander Anthony Kay has been solid for the Good Guys and is probably the second-best starter they currently have behind Sean Burke. Kay will make his 25th start of the season and has a 3.96 ERA and a 1.327 WHIP over 127 1/3 innings. He seems to keep improving, and in August alone, Kay has allowed just seven earned runs over 23 2/3 innings (four starts), good for a cool 2.66 ERA and a 2-1 record. If you ask me, his great outing against the Atlanta Braves last week went unrewarded because the offense was nowhere to be found.
Hopefully, the bats — or really anybody not named Miguel Vargas or Tristan Peters — can wake up to provide some early run support for Kay, but they will have a tough matchup with righthander Jacob deGrom on the mound. Peters has homered in three straight games, however, so let’s see if he can make it four.
With Benintendi unavailable and a righty on the mound, Sam Antonacci is taking over as the DH and leading off today. Peters will shift to left field in Benintendi’s place, while Brenton Doyle slots into center field and bats eighth. With those changes, today’s lineup is almost identical to Monday’s, and as we know, Will Venable loves the righty-lefty matchups. Still, I would be remiss not to mention Randal Grichuk’s career performance against deGrom: In 14 plate appearances, Grichuk has dominated. He’s slashed .385/.429/1.000 with two home runs, amassing a 1.429 OPS.
deGrom is also making his 25th start of the season and holds a 3.77 ERA across 126 2/3 innings. The 38-year-old still has zero problems striking guys out and has rung up 157 batters this season. His 30.3% strikeout rate ranks in the top 8% of MLB pitchers. deGrom’s fastball averages around 97 mph, though his off-speed pitches — slider, curveball and changeup — all fool batters, with all three pitches generating a whiff rate above 40%. His slider seems to be his most effective pitch, with opponents batting just .163 and slugging a measly .227 against it.
After being ejected from yesterday’s game for heckling the ump, Joc Pederson will get another day off, with Justin Foscue remaining in the leadoff spot after a decent performance Monday. Corey Seager has been swinging a hot bat lately, and after two doubles and three RBIs yesterday, that is now apparent. In the past two weeks, Seager has the third-highest batting average in MLB (.419) and the sixth-highest OPS (1.164), and he’s actually hit lefties better this year (.256 BA vs. .222 against righties).
First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CDT, and it should be a beautiful night for a ballgame: 78º with partly cloudy skies. Watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000 AM.
May 3, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) reacts after hitting a three run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 11: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After taking two of three from the Atlanta Braves, the team with the best record in the NL East, the Brewers will now head to the Big Apple to take on the worst team in the NL East.
Starting for the Mets is rookie left-hander Zac Thornton, who’s made nine starts for New York this year. Thornton has been good at limiting runs (3.04 ERA) and sports a solid 1.15 WHIP, although his underlying numbers paint a somewhat less flattering picture. His 4.09 FIP is more than a full run higher than his ERA, he’s struck out just 6.4 batters per nine innings, and his Statcast chart is almost entirely blue.
On the rubber tonight for the visiting team will be Kyle Harrison, who went five shutout innings against the Mariners last time around. Harrison allowed only two hits and struck out eight in a game Milwaukee would go on to win 22-0. The 25-year-old lefty has been consistently great this year, pitching to a 2.84 ERA through 20 starts in his first season as a Brewer.
Jackson Chourio, who’s hitting .393 with a .916 OPS over his last seven games, leads off for the Brewers. He’s followed by fellow regulars Brice Turang and William Contreras.
Jake Bauers is dealing with a sore foot after fouling a ball off his foot on Sunday, so he’s out of tonight’s lineup. For what it’s worth, Bauers has said he’s fine to play. He’s just a little dinged up right now, and the Brewers can afford to be patient — especially because they still have Andrew Vaughn (1.054 OPS vs. lefties) to hit cleanup.
Hitting fifth is Gary Sánchez, who isn’t too bad himself against lefties (.828 OPS). Rounding out the order are Luis Lara (in right field tonight), Garrett Mitchell, Joey Ortiz, and Cooper Pratt.
In other roster news: OF Sal Frelick is back.
From the Brewers: OF Sal Frelick reinstated from the 10-day injured list
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on May 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tyler Glasnow’s name is kind of nominative determinism if you think about it.
Aug 13, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) sits in the dugout before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 12: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on August 12, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s just barely over a month left in the regular season, but there is still so much to be determined, particularly in the race for both the AL East and the top AL wild card. The Yankees enter play on Tuesday sandwiched between a pair of division rivals, sitting 3.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays and 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. The difference between first and third in the best division in baseball will almost certainly be a No. 1 seed in the American League and a road Wild Card Series in a House of Horrors, so every game down the stretch will have added importance.
But before an extremely pivotal four-game set with Boston at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees continue a stretch of playing some bitter rivals, as they host the middling Houston Astros, fresh off a confusing front office shake-up, starting tonight. Houston might be below .500, but they’re only a half game back in a truly disgusting AL West, so there’s a real chance they have a higher seed than the Yankees. That’s baseball, Suzyn.
Taking the bump for the Yankees is a man who now knows there’s no reason to look over his shoulder in Will Warren. A minor injury to Max Fried seemed to only temporarily delay a shift to the bullpen, but a more serious issue with Ryan Weathers seems to have solidified his place in the rotation for the rest of the regular season. Hopefully, with less pressure on him, he can snap out of this multi-month malaise that has tumbled his ERA to a season-worst 4.43 (95 ERA+) with a 4.27 FIP across 122 innings. In his previous meeting with Houston in April, he tossed a quality start, so more of that, please.
Ethan Pecko will get his second major league start tonight on his 24th birthday for the Astros, coming off an iffy MLB debut last week against the Angels, where he allowed two runs in 3.2 innings. The 2023 sixth-rounder, who’s the No. 9 prospect in the Astros’ system according to MLB Pipeline, has pretty mediocre numbers with Triple-A Sugar Land, but was called up to revitalize a rough rotation in Houston.
It’s much too early in his career to properly identify strengths and weaknesses, but he was successful in Triple-A at preventing hard contact, generating chases, and filling up the strike zone, while not picking up many strikeouts or whiffs. He leans on his sinker against right-handed batters, with a sweeper and four-seamer to back it up, but mostly throws fastballs, cutters, and changeups against lefties in his diverse arsenal.
Trent Grisham leads off once again for a lefty-heavy lineup, followed by Ben Rice, Luis García Jr, and Cody Bellinger. George Lombard Jr. will bat fifth, followed by another three lefties in Spencer Jones, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Austin Wells, with Jose Caballero rounding things out at third base, batting ninth.
For the Astros, it’s a lineup that starts dangerous but drops off. 2022 ALCS and World Series MVP Jeremy Peña leads off, followed by current AL Triple Crown hopeful Yordan Alvarez, Isaac Paredes, and someone who’ll relish the boos he gets this week, Jose Altuve. Former Blue Jay Daulton Varsho bats fifth, followed by Christian Walker, LaMonte Wade Jr., Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Space City Home Network
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, KLTN-TUDN 102.9 FM (HOU)
DETROIT, MI - MAY 17: A detailed view of the custom Toronto Blue Jays 50th anniversary sleeve patch worn on a jersey during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. The Blue Jays defeated the Tigers 4-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The first of three against the Royals. Game #133.
The Royals are on an eight-game win streak and are still last in the AL Central.
And the Jays are down another starting pitcher. Thankfully Jameson Taillon should be back next week. But, this week, relievers are going to throw a lot of innings. Guys like Max Scherzer are going to be pushed to go as deep into games as they can.
Today’s lineup:
Today’s Lineups
ROYALS
BLUE JAYS
Carter Jensen – C
Brett Bateman – CF
Bobby Witt – SS
Nathan Lukes – RF
Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Salvador Perez – DH
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Michael Massey – 2B
Jesus Sanchez – DH
Nick Loftin – 3B
Ernie Clement – 2B
Isaac Collins – LF
Andres Gimenez – SS
John Rave – RF
Brandon Valenzuela – C
Kyle Isbel – CF
Myles Straw – LF
Seth Lugo – RHP
Max Scherzer – RHP
Go Jays Go.
Sad to hear about the death of Dolly Parton. I wasn’t a huge fan of her music, but anyone who can write Jolene and I Will Always Love You on the same day (well she admitted, same week) and doesn’t just retire is special. And that she used her money to help others (it seems like such an antiquated idea these days) makes her even more special.
Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez (28) celebrates batting a single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, August 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Detroit Tigers (61-70) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (78-53)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:DRaysBay Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. LHP Ian Seymour (9-4, 4.17 ERA)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 23: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home run in the first inning during the game against the Athletics at Daikin Park on August 23, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (65-66) and New York Yankees (74-56) begin a 3-game series in the Bronx tonight.
Rookie RHP Ethan Pecko (0-0, 4.91 ERA) will make his 2nd career start tonight as he takes on Yankees RHP Will Warren (8-6, 4.43 ERA).
ASTROS-YANKEES: The Astros are 1-2 vs. NYY this season, with the Yankees taking 2 of 3 at Daikin Park, April 24-26. In their last visit to the Bronx, the Astros took 2 of 3 from the Yankees, Aug. 8-10 of 2025.
All-Time: In the regular season, the Astros are 37-54 vs. NYY.
Postseason: The Astros have won all 4 postseason series that they have played vs. the Yankees (2015, ‘17, ‘19, ‘22) and have a combined record of 13-5 (.722) in those games.
NY STATE OF MIND: Tonight is the 1st game of a 6-game road trip for the Astros, with all 6 games being scheduled in the Big Apple. After this 3-game series vs. the Yankees in the Bronx (Tues.-Thur.), the Astros will take on the Mets for a 3-game series at Citi Field in Queens over the weekend (Fri.-Sun).
Last Time It Happened: The Astros had a similar road series in NYC, June 23-29 of 2022, during which they played 4 games at Yankee Stadium (2-2) and 2 games at Citi Field (2-0), respectively.
YOUNG ETHAN: Tonight will be the 2nd ML start/ app. for 24-year-old rookie RHP Ethan Pecko. He made his ML debut with a start vs. LAA on Aug. 19 (3.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO), ending with a no decision in a 3-2 Astros victory at Daikin Park. Pecko, who is a native of Darby, PA, combined to post a 4.57 ERA (42ER/82.2IP) with 86 strikeouts in 20 games (18 starts) in the minors this season, including 17 games at Triple A. The Astros 6th-round pick in 2023 out of Towson University (MD), Pecko has pitched in parts of four minor league seasons in the Astros system and currently ranks as the Astros No. 9 prospect per MLB.com.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES: To today’s Astros starter RHP Ethan Pecko, who turns 24 years old today.
VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!: With RHP Ethan Pecko turning 24 years old today, tonight will mark the 30th time that an Astros/Colt .45s hurler has started a game on his birthday. Pecko will be the 4th Astros pitcher to do so since 2019. In the previous 3 birthday starts, Astros hurlers were dominant, combining for a 3-0 record with an 0.43 ERA, allowing just 1 ER in 21.0 IP with 24 K’s and just 7 hits allowed.
Last 3 Birthday Starts – Astros :
Hunter Brown: 8/29/24 vs. KC (W, 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 SO).
Jose Urquidy: 5/1/21 at TB (W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 SO)
Gerrit Cole: 9/8/19 at SEA (W, 8.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 15 SO)
Note: RHP Larry Dierker’s 3 birthday starts are the most in franchise history. The Astros are 18-11 when a pitcher starts on his birthday.
RECENT STROS: The Astros are 2-3 in their last 5 games and 4-6 in their last 10 games.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Among AL teams, the Astros rank 1st in SLG (.410) and 3rd in runs scored (596), HR (173) and OPS (.727).
MEASURING UP: The Astros are 32-20 (.615) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. They have winning records vs. BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (2-1), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), TB (2-1), TEX (9-4).
TRIPLE THREAT: Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently leads the AL in several categories, including all three Triple Crown categories. He enters tonight leading the AL in batting avg. (.320), HR (36) and RBI (90). Additionally, Alvarez also leads the Majors in OPS (1.050), SLG (.613), OBP (.436) and TB (284).
Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).
SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 45-35 (.563) in their last 80 games (since May 22). That is the 2nd-best record in the AL in that span, behind only the Red Sox (50-32).
ROAD WARRIORS: Since posting a 1-9 record on the 1st road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have been one of the best road teams in the Majors. They are 31-22 (.585) on the road since April 14, which is 3rd-best in the AL in that span. More recently they are 15-10 (.600) on their last 4 road trips combined…. Overall for the season, HOU is 32-31 on the road.
THE HIT MAN: Jose Altuve enters tonight’s game needing just 13 hits to reach 2,500 for his career. Among active players, his 2,487 hits rank 2nd to Freddie Freeman’s 2,576.
IN GOOD COMPANY: In MLB history, Altuve is one of just 3 players with a .300 career batting avg. to reach both 250 HR and 300 SB. The other 2 are HOFers Willie Mays and Derek Jeter.
WALK OF FAME: Yordan Alvarez’s ML-high 28 intetional walks this season have set the franchise single-season record, surpassing Jeff Bagwell’s 27 intentional walks in 1997. Alvarez was intentionally walked 3 times on Sunday vs. ATH.
ONE OF THE BEST: LHP Josh Hader reached his 500th career app. recently, making him one of 12 active pitchers to reach that milestone. Hader has been stellar since returning from injury in June, going 4-1 with a 0.75 ERA (3ER/32IP), 43 strikeouts, a .119 opponent average (13×109) and a 0.75 WHIP, while converting all 18 of his save chances in 33 appearances.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Several of the Astros minor league clubs are having success this season:
• Triple A Sugar Land: In the second half, the Space Cowboys (34-17) are in 1st in the PCL East Division.
• Class A Fayetteville: For the second half, the Woodpeckers are in 1st place in the Carolina League North Division with a 32-20 (.600) record.
• Rookie Level FCL Astros: The Astros won the Florida Complex League championship, finishing with a 42-11 (.792) record in the regular season.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1992 – Shortstop Andujar Cedeno is called up from Triple A and promptly hits for the cycle in a 5-3 loss to the Cardinals in 11.0 innings. Cedeno’s cycle marked the 4th time an Astro had achieved this milestone.
1972 – In 4-3 loss to the Expos, Jimmy Wynn hits his 200th career HR. Additionally, prior to the game, the Astros replace manager Harry Walker with Leo Durocher.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, August 25, 6:05 p.m. CT
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 19: Jackson Jobe #21 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after exiting the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 13: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on August 13, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As Payton Tolle prepares to take the mound tonight against the Marlins, it’s worth noting this will be his fourth consecutive start on five days rest. When opponents face Tolle on a “normal,” four days of rest, they hit .250 with a .753 OPS. While not horrible, it’s a rather pedestrian line for a guy who is known for lighting up his surroundings both on and off the mound.
When Tolle faces opponents on that “extra” fifth day of rest though, opponents only hit .196 against him with a .539 OPS. This is one of the big reasons why the Sox used a pseudo six man rotation through their long stretch earlier in August without an off day (bringing Brayan Bello in as a “bulk guy” behind an opener every sixth day). The other was of course to keep Tolle’s general workload down as he’s blowing by his career high in innings pitched, and they’re of course hoping to continue to pile up his 2026 innings total deep into October.
With all those hard facts swirling in the background, here’s something a little lighter — Payton Tolle walking around the field barefoot before his start:
The lineup tonight is also worth noting. Adley Rutschman takes a seat after apparently feeling something in his right elbow during last night’s game, and Caleb Durbin gets a scheduled day off with the versatile Nick Sogard starting at third and leading off. The Sox don’t seem too concerned about Rutschman, but I’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on if he’s available off the bench in the late innings and / or if he starts tomorrow. With the way this club has turned underestimating the severity of injuries into an art form, let’s hope this doesn’t get added to the collection.
Today’s Lineups
RED SOX
MARLINS
Nick Sogard – 3B
Otto Lopez – SS
Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
Heriberto Hernandez – LF
Wilyer Abreu – RF
Agustin Ramirez – DH
Willson Contreras – 1B
Javier Sanoja – 3B
Mickey Gasper – DH
Xavier Edwards – 2B
Andruw Monasterio – SS
Leo Jimenez – 1B
Jarren Duran – LF
Griffin Conine – RF
Anthony Seigler – 2B
Esteury Ruiz – CF
Connor Wong – C
Brian Navarreto – C
Payton Tolle – LHP
Tyler Phillips – RHP
⚾️ First Pitch: 6:40pm — LoanDepot Park, Miami, FL
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 24: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Nationals Park on August 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats quiet bats exploded last night and they put up 13 runs to win the first game of a 4 game set against the Rockies. Now the Nats need to string together some victories. Winning when Cade Cavalli is not on the mound has been a major challenge lately.
Blake Butera is only making one change to his lineup and that is behind the plate. Harry Ford will be filling in for Keibert Ruiz behind the plate. CJ Abrams is back at the top of the lineup, but he is still only able to DH. That means Nasim Nunez and Jorbit Vivas will be the middle infield. Andrew Alvarez has been the Nats second best starter lately and is on the mound today.
The Rockies are making a few changes for this contest. Most notably, their star catcher Hunter Goodman is back in the lineup after an IL stint. Cole Carrigg is also in the lineup as the center fielder. At the bottom of the order, Jordan Beck and Ryan Ritter will be making their first starts of the series. Mason Adams was acquired by the Rockies at the deadline and he will be making his MLB debut tonight on the mound.
Yesterday was a good win to stop the bleeding. Now it is time for the Nats to start stacking wins in order to finish the season strong. They need a win without their ace on the mound because it has been a while. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
New York Mets pitcher Zach Thornton (49) pitches during a game against the Boston Red Sox at CitiField, Jul 12, 2026, Flushing, NY, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Luis Robert – CF Eric Wagaman – DH Jared Young – 1B Marcus Semien – 2B Luis Torrens – C A.J. Ewing – LF
SP: Zac Thornton – LHP
Brewers lineup
Jackson Chourio – LF Brice Turang – 2B William Contreras – C Andrew Vaughn – 1B Gary Sanchez – DH Luis Lara – RF Garrett Mitchell – CF Joey Ortiz – 3B Cooper Pratt – SS
SP: Kyle Harrison – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10 PM ET TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The Mets are back in action at Citi Field on Tuesday night to take on the Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game series and interim manager Andy Green spoke about a few topics in his pregame news conference.
Latest on Juan Soto and outfield alignment once he returns
On the injured list for the second time this season with a calf injury, Soto hasn't played for New York since July 24 but is still fighting to return to the team before the end of the season.
Green told reporters that he still doesn't have a specific return date for the slugger, but that Soto continues to progress well and remains doing baseball activities.
"We all expect him to be back," the skipper said.
When Soto does eventually re-join the team, he will be met by a crowded outfield mix that includes rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge and veteran Luis Robert Jr., whose absence with an injury for most of the summer opened the door for Ewing to get his opportunity and allowed Ewing and Benge to shine alongside Soto.
When Robert returned from his injury, the plan was to reintroduce him to the outfield slowly to try and keep him healthy and to keep the rest of the outfielders in the lineup. On days that Robert played the outfield and Soto wasn't the designated hitter, one of the rookies would have to sit.
That's not an ideal plan, considering that the development of Benge and Ewing should be paramount to the team, especially in a lost season. And it quickly went out the window when Soto re-injured his calf, which made Benge and Ewing full-time players once again. So, what will happen to the outfield when Soto returns this time around?
"I think it just adds the best player in baseball to our outfield/DH mix," Green said. "I think Luis would get some DH at-bats in that set of circumstances, as would Juan, which is what he was getting before. So whenever we get to that, we will welcome him with open arms and be excited to get him into the lineup."
Until then, the Mets will continue to flip-flop reps to Ewing and Robert in center field and in left field after Robert, who had never played left field in his career, started all three games there against his former team, the Chicago White Sox, over the weekend.
Green spoke about how Robert handled the new position and how to manage Ewing's development at his long-term position in center field while also putting out the best defensive alignment in the outfield, which has Robert in his natural center and Ewing in left where he's also comfortable.
"I thought [Robert was solid out [in left field]… outside of the ball that he lost in the sun where we still got [Miguel] Vargas on the relay throw he made every play that he could possibly make," Green said. "… I think [we're] encouraged by that and I think we’re gonna continue to stick with what we talked about, which is getting A.J. consistent center field reps – he had them every game last series – and he’ll continue to get more than he gets in the corner.
"It does not hurt A.J., his future development, his value to the team to move to the corners. He has said to me how comfortable he is in left field, and I know that to be true because I’ve been watching him since he was in Port St. Lucie playing left field, and seeing him make some outrageous plays there. So we’ll still get him the lion’s share of reps in center, but we’ll continue to do what we told Luis we were gonna do, which is give him some consistent reps [in center] as well."
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Ewing dealing with first prolonged offensive slump
While all the talk surrounding the defensive alignment in the outfield takes place, Ewing has been having a rough go of it at the plate. Over his last 30 games, the youngster is slashing .186/.269/.237 and is currently 6-for-his-last-53. He hasn't had a multi-hit game since Aug. 7 and has seen his OPS fall from a season-high .813 on July 8 to .681 entering play on Tuesday.
The Mets are hoping Ewing is showing signs of getting back on track after recording a hit in the final two games in Chicago, but right now it is not coming easy for the 22-year-old who burst onto the scene since his MLB debut.
"I don’t know that anything new has been learned," Green said when asked what he's learned from Ewing as he fights through this tough stretch. "I do think he is walking through a stretch where he doesn’t have the greatest slash line – he’s walking through it well from a work perspective, from an attitude perspective, from a confidence perspective. He’s handling these things really, really well, which gives you a lot of confidence as he moves forward into the future.
"Slumps are a part of baseball for guys that have 15 years in the big leagues and guys who have 15 minutes in the big leagues. I think he’s had some really quality at-bats along the way. It’s not the consistency of the quality that I know he wants, and we believe he will have, but I think he has reaffirmed what we already knew about him, and we trust the resiliency and resolve."
To his credit, Ewing has been in the lineup every day while he tries to figure things out on the fly, but he is no longer batting leadoff, at least for now, as he's hitting ninth in the order on Tuesday for just the third time in his young career.
Perhaps a return to Citi Field will help Ewing get back on track. In 46 games at home, Ewing is slashing .253/.333/.416 with six home runs, compared to on the road where he's slashing .235/.302/.309 with one home run in 44 games.
Mark Vientos injury update
Asked about any news on Vientos, who has been out with a fractured hand since July 10 but began a rehab assignment recently, Green gave an update.
"He’s heading to Lehigh Valley now with the Triple-A club," Green said. "We’ll let his play, how he feels, and kind of the progression in general be determined by what happens on the field a little bit. Right now we’re not particularly close to declaring him ready. When you hurt your hand, you need to get some at-bats and get going."
In two games with Double-A Binghamton, Vientos is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and a walk.
