Category: Baseball

Welcome to Friday A’s fans! We made it.

After a day off the club is back at it tonight, this time in Minnesota set to take on the Twins for a three-game weekend series.

The two clubs are in different spots heading into this weekend. While the Athletics have seen their playoff hopes evaporate over the past month, the Twins are still in the thick of things. At 51-53 they’re 4 1/2 games back of the AL Central lead but a much more manageable 2 1/2 back for the third and final Wild Card spot. That’s much better than many expected entering the season, but is it good enough to prevent them from selling?

The Twins would have a few interesting pieces if they decided to make players available. Starting pitcher Joe Ryan would instantly become the #2 starting pitching target on the trade market if the Twins were to make him available. Catcher Ryan Jeffers has been linked to every team that needs catching help and may even find himself on the move in a win-now move for the Twins. And then you have the talented but often-injured center fielder Byron Buxton, who is having his best season in years and would also demand a hefty prospect package to pry him out of Minnesota (though he’s said he won’t wave his no-trade clause).

That said, their owner has made public statements indicating he’d rather not sell off pieces and wave the white flag when they’re this close to a playoff spot. Whether they went into sell mode depended on how they did coming out of the break and they’ve gone 3-4 since. How they act at the deadline will be interesting to watch. Even if they elect not to sell off pieces, they’re not likely to be buyers either as they’re focused on the long-term right now. Now would be a great time for the A’s to get hot and play spoiler.

The A’s meanwhile are just about out of the playoff race and are likely fielding calls on players. They just lost two of three in Arizona and at 43-59 the idea of October baseball is a fantasy. How far the A’s go in selling this trade deadline will be interesting to watch. Are only short-term rentals available, or are any of the medium or long-term assets on the table? We have 11 days until the deadline.

Now looking ahead to this weekend’s series matchups. The A’s will send left-hander Jacob Lopez to the bump to kick off the series in the Twin Cities. Lopez made a successful return to the starting rotation in his most recent appearance, allowing just a pair of runs on just two hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. The A’s will be hoping that the lefty can provide more length tonight without sacrificing those results. The Twins will counter Lopez with third-year right-hander Zebby Matthews, who is having a tough year with a 5.40 ERA in 12 starts.

After Lopez the A’s have not named a starter but we can still guess, right? The club is without J.T. Ginn for the immediate future so they’ll need a short-term option for the rotation. Right-hander Mason Barnett was recalled to take Ginn’s spot on the roster and his last appearance in any game was last Saturday so he’d be well rested for the start. Odds are it’s him getting the ball but if Lopez has a short outing tonight Mark Kotsay may need a long man outing from the righty and the club figures Saturday out when it comes around. We’re at that point in the year, folks. Minnesota isn’t much better though as they’ve yet to announce who’ll get the ball on Saturday either. This should be a fun one.

Then the series wraps on Sunday with a matchup of veterans featuring Jeffrey Springs and Joe Ryan. The lefty Springs had a tough first half and ended it on a low with a few less-than-stellar outings. He managed to bounce back in his first start out of the break and we’ll all be hoping he can continue that in the finale. Minnesota meanwhile has their ace in Ryan lined up for this start. While the right-hander has had a great season to date, he got ambushed for eight runs in his most recent start so maybe the A’s are catching him at the right time.

First pitch is at 5:10 tonight. Have a great day and weekend everyone!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s fall in extra innings 6-5 to Arizona
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Hot Topic: Who Is The “Real Langeliers”?
• A’s Beat Diamondbacks 5-2
• A’s place rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on injured list with ruptured testicle
• Passan: A’s ‘have zero desire’ to trade Shea Langeliers
• Another ‘step in the right direction’ for Lopez in hunt to regain rookie form
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice
• Thinking out loud: Mic’d up Cease, Langeliers work through 3-K 1st in ASG
• What will the Athletics do leading up to Trade Deadline after cold streak?
• A’s Add Next Wave of Prospects in 2026 Draft
• Athletics Get Hitting Help by Claiming Hot Bat off Waivers
• Former A’s top draft pick Muncy learning outfield with Aviators
• Langeliers’ 5-year journey from top prospect to All-Star starter
• Injuries Providing Cover For Some Inconvenient Truths
• Breaking Down the A’s Alarming Trends Heading into the Break
• Jamie Arnold can’t wait for the A’s future. Triple-A Vegas is another story.
• Langeliers savoring 1st All-Star start; injured Kurtz to enjoy homecoming
• Athletics Select Outfielder Drew Burress With 8th Overall Pick
• Athletics Select Left-hander Mason Edwards With 47th Overall Pick
• Athletics Select Gabe Gaeckle With 73rd Overall Pick
• A’s Select Jacob Dudan With 83rd Pick, Roman Martin With 111th Pick

MLB News and Interest:

• Mariners Reportedly Willing To Trade Emerson Hancock
• Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. could return from IL Friday vs. Orioles
• Pirates add bullpen depth by trading for Padres’ Ron Marinaccio
• Brewers Have Checked In On Tarik Skubal, Mason Miller
• Could Red Sox swing blockbuster deal for slugging SS?
• White Sox Looking For Catching Help
• Skubal says he wants to finish season with Tigers and win WS
• Contender or pretender? Division races shaping Deadline strategies
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Truth:

How do you guys feel about this rumor?

Not a surprise after his struggles. He’ll be back:

Interesing:

ICYMI:

Shortly after Steve Cohen bought the franchise, he shared his desire to turn the Mets (43-60) into an east coast version of the Dodgers (65-38). Simply put, that hasn’t happened yet, as the Mets have spent quite a bit of money on their major league payroll but haven’t been consistent when it comes to making the playoffs and have yet to win the National League East during Cohen’s tenure.

As per usual, the Dodgers are having a great season and considered one of the favorites to win the World Series. If they were to accomplish that feat, it’d make them back-to-back-to-back World Series winners, a rarity in Major League Baseball. And they’re doing just about everything well, as they’re third in baseball in scoring with 5.19 runs per game and the best team in baseball at run prevention with just 3.67 runs allowed per game.

Among Dodgers hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year, Tommy Edman—who has exactly 100 plate appearances—leads the team with a 171 wRC+ that’s driven by his staggering .360 batting average and .439 batting average on balls in play. Among qualified hitters, Shohei Ohtani has been their best, though his 146 wRC+ is relatively pedestrian by his absurd standards. He’s recently taken a break from pitching, and whether or not he returns to his two-way role moving forward remains to be seen.

After Ohtani, Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman are in the 130s with their wRC+, and Dalton Rushing and Andy Pages are both comfortably above league average at the plate. Miguel Rojas and Will Smith are hovering just above league average, too. And all of those hitters are doing plenty to make up for the fact that Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker each have a 94 wRC+, while Teoscar Hernández has a 92 wRC+.

The Dodgers’ bullpen is the seventh-best in baseball this year with a 3.77 ERA. Their rotation ranks second with a 3.42 ERA. No team is flawless, but it’s a lot harder to find flaws when you’re looking at the Dodgers.

As for the Mets, they’re coming off a 3-3 road trip against the Phillies and Brewers, a perfectly cromulent outcome for a team that’s having one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. When it comes to run prevention, the Mets are below league average with 4.69 runs allowed per game. And their lineup has been the fourth-worst in baseball with 4.07 runs scored per game.

Whether or not Juan Soto is fully healthy is something we’ll find out during this series. The Mets gave him the day off in their series finale in Milwaukee on Wednesday ahead of their off day yesterday, refusing to even pinch hit him in a couple of late and close spots where he might’ve swung the game in the Mets’ favor.

Anything better than getting swept this weekend would be a relatively welcome outcome here. But if you’re feeling optimistic, hey, maybe the Mets will sweep the Dodgers. And hopefully it won’t be too much longer before the franchise looks like the perennial contender that Steve Cohen set out to turn it into.

Friday, July 24: Sean Manaea vs. Roki Sasaki, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX

Manaea (2026): 79.2 IP, 81 K, 26 BB, 12 HR, 4.74 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 116 ERA-

Considering how his season started, it’s impressive that Manaea’s are this decent. His most recent start, during which he faced the Phillies, wasn’t so good, but he has a 4.14 ERA since the beginning of June. That’s still disappointing given the contract he signed with the Mets ahead of the 2025 season, but if the Mets’ lineup were better, the team would probably be winning a decent chunk of his starts while he’s looking like a serviceable starting pitcher.

Sasaki (2026): 86.2 IP, 85 K, 34 BB, 19 HR, 4.98 ERA, 5.34 FIP, 118 ERA-

While it often feels like the Dodgers can do no wrong, the 24-year-old Sasaki struggled in limited work in 2025 after coming over from Japan and has either been slightly worse or slightly better than that this year, depending on whether you prefer ERA or FIP—or another ERA estimator.

Saturday, July 25: Nolan McLean vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 7:15 PM EDT on FOX

McLean (2026): 113.1 IP, 135 K, 41 BB, 10 HR, 3.34 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 81 ERA-

It would’ve been great to see McLean in the Cy Young mix in the National League this year, but the fact that he isn’t really has just as much to do with how great some of the starting pitchers in the league have been as it does with McLean himself. After some struggles earlier in the season inflated his ERA, he’s recovered very nicely, as he has a 2.11 ERA in eight starts since the beginning of June. He’ll face the Dodgers’ best pitcher of this series, but he is clearly the Mets’ ace at the moment.

Yamamoto (2026): 119.2 IP, 113 K, 25 BB, 13 HR, 2.78 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 66 ERA-

While his peripherals look very similar to McLean’s, Yamamoto is sporting an ERA that’s a half-run better. He’s also not really in the Cy Young race at the moment, but he is in the top ten in ERA among qualified starting pitchers in the National League. It’d take slip-ups by Jacob Misiorowski and Chris Sale for anyone else to really have a shot, but if those two do falter, Yamamoto could work his way up into that mix. Now in his third season in Major League Baseball, the 27-year-old has really been a boon to a Dodgers team that was already very good before his arrival.

Sunday, July 26: Freddy Peralta vs. Emmet Sheehan, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY

Peralta (2026): 109.2 IP, 110 K, 46 BB, 17 HR, 5.01 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 122 ERA-

Even if you came into the season without the expectation that Peralta would be the ace the Mets made him out to be when they traded for him, you’d be pretty disappointed in what he’s done in his time in Queens. Over his last six starts—an arbitrary selection of endpoints, but still—he has an 8.44 ERA. Over the last three of those starts, it’s been a 6.28 ERA. Ideally he’ll make a couple of better starts before the trade deadline, but facing the Dodgers this weekend obviously doesn’t make that easy.

Sheehan (2026): 87.2 IP, 99 K, 27 BB, 17 HR, 5.13 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 122 ERA-

Coming off an excellent 2025 season that saw him throw 73.1 innings for the Dodgers and finish with a 2.82 ERA and a 2.93 FIP, Sheehan was a pitcher to watch coming into the 2026 season. The 26-year-old hasn’t lived up to those lofty expectations, though, and like Peralta, he’s struggled recently. Over his last six starts, Sheehan has a 6.04 ERA.

Thursday was a rare quiet day across the American League, with just three games going on and only two of them on our radar. The Yankees were one of many that had the day off as they travelled to Philadelphia, so they had nothing to do but see if the Blue Jays could do them a favor and get them a half-game closer to the Rays. Surprisingly, they were up to the task.

Tampa Bay Rays (59-43) 1, Toronto Blue Jays (47-56) 3

The Rays were on the verge of sweeping this four-game series in Toronto, having taken the first three games with Wednesday’s 4-2 result being the only close one compared to two blowouts. Shane Bieber had other ideas in the finale, tossing a gem to give Toronto a chance. He only picked up three strikeouts on the night, but he kept baserunners from running rampant thanks to some good defense and enough soft contact on top of not walking a single batter in his seven innings of work.

Tampa Bay tested him in the first inning, Yandy Díaz leading off with a six-pitch at-bat that led to a pop-up before Jonathan Aranda took a golf swing at a ball down below the zone. He still managed to drive it, going all the way to the warning track in the right-center gap, but Miles Straw had a beat on it from the jump and managed to track it down before colliding with the wall. Junior Caminero lined out, and that clean first inning set Toronto up to do something they’d rarely done all series: take a lead.

Casey Legumina got the start as an opener for the Rays, and he got two quick outs to open the frame. Ernie Clement attacked a first-pitch slider at the top of the zone for a single to start a rally though, and George Springer worked an eight-pitch walk to keep the pressure on. Alejandro Kirk stared at a slider that landed dead-center for strike one and then fought off a couple of heaters well out of the strike zone before getting the slider again, and got another mistake pitch from Legumina. This time he swung, and even though he only got a weak dribbler out of it luck was on his side — Caminero came charging at the ball but couldn’t field it, letting it slip behind him and briefly losing track of the ball. Clement had the play developing right in front of him and never stopped hustling as he rounded third, easily scoring despite the ball never leaving the infield.

The second inning was light work for Bieber, who induced three easy grounders around the infield. Toronto worked a leadoff walk in the bottom half but erased it immediately on a double play, sending us to the top of the third where Tampa saw their first real chance of the game. Bieber started off with two more grounders for outs, but he threw a mistake fastball down the middle to Hunter Feduccia that got ripped to right field for a double. The top of the order was back up and Díaz didn’t get cheated on a knuckle-curve low in the zone, sending a single out to right to tie the game at one apiece. Toronto picked up their pitcher though, responding against the new pitcher Ian Seymour with a leadoff double in the bottom of the third off the bat of Yohendrick Piñango and scoring him on a Springer single to left.

The fourth could have been déjà vu as the Rays made two quick outs before collecting another double, this time off the bat of Jonny DeLuca, but Chandler Simpson flew out on the first pitch to end that threat as quickly as it materialized. Bieber and Seymour traded outs until the seventh inning, when Straw worked a seven-pitch walk aided by a successful ABS challenge. Straw stole second base to put himself in scoring position for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and though the Jays superstar has been having one of the worst seasons of his career he came through with an RBI single here to give them some insurance.

Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland were tasked with taking the eighth and ninth innings respectively after Bieber’s night ended, and both were more than capable of neutralizing Tampa’s bats. Varland ended the night with back-to-back punchouts to secure the save and prevent the sweep, giving Toronto some reprieve in what’s been a lost season for the AL champs. More importantly for the standings, the Rays’ loss brings them back to two games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (54-50) 1, Minnesota Twins (51-53) 3 (12 innings): The Twins just refuse to go down, splitting a four-game set with the Guardians after losing the first two games of the series. Wednesday was a barnburner of a game that saw 16 runs cross the plate, but this time we’d see each team only score once through 11 innings of stellar pitching. Gavin Williams got the start for Cleveland and delivered an ace performance, tossing seven innings and striking out 11 batters while allowing just two hits for no runs. He even had an immaculate inning in the fourth, overpowering the Twins’ batters. Taj Bradley wasn’t quite as sharp but he got the job done, matching Williams in length with seven innings under his belt and just a lone run coming on a Patrick Bailey solo shot in the fifth inning.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, things got messy as soon as their bullpen factored into the game. Hunter Gaddis relieved Williams to start the eighth and promptly walked Royce Lewis, who then stole second base. Gaddis picked up a strikeout but issued another walk to Luke Keaschall, and with a pinch-hitter in Alan Roden coming Guardians manager Stephen Vogt chose to go back to the ‘pen summoning Cade Smith. The switch didn’t work, Roden smacking the first pitch he saw from Smith up the middle for a game-tying RBI single.

The Guardians still had a chance to right their wrongs, getting two batters on in the ninth inning against Yoendrys Gómez, but Kyle Manzardo struck out to strand them. To extras we went, and the Manfred Runner surprisingly proved ineffective in the 10th and 11th as both sides went down without incident. In the 12th inning the tide finally came crashing down though, Trevor Larnach poking a single through the infield to score a run followed by Keaschall also singling to the left side to make it 3-1 Minnesota. Jack Anderson got the assignment to convert the save and did just that, allowing a walk but escaping without even endangering the insurance run.

The Twins didn’t start off hot out of the All-Star break, but working their way into a split with Cleveland has given them a life preserver. They sit three games back of Cleveland for second place in the AL Central and are 2.5 games behind Boston for the final Wild Card slot, still well within reach if they choose to push for it. Not great news if you’re the Yankees, as they would certainly like the Twins on the seller’s side of the Trade Deadline, but there’s still a week and change to go.

Hello everyone and happy Friday!

The M’s are back in action this afternoon, traveling to Arlington to face the Rangers. What would you need to see from the club’s upcoming road trip to Texas and Los Angeles to consider it a success?

In Mariners news…

• In case you missed it, the Mariners parted ways with assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes.
• Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon at The Athletic provided the latest trade deadline intel regarding the Mariners, who are reportedly listening to offers on Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock.
• Ryan Blake wonders what happened to Josh Naylor’s power stroke this year.

Around the league…

• Tigers ace left-hander Tarik Skubal has voiced a preference to stay with the Tigers as trade rumors swirl.
• Rintaro Sasaki — the Japanese slugger who made headlines a few years back when he chose to attend Stanford rather than enter the NPB draft — explained his reasoning for signing with the Marlins after being drafted in the 8th round, rather than heading back home to compete in NPB.
• Keith Law at The Athletic updated his list of the top 70 prospects in baseball, and he’s got some awfully good things to say about Kade Anderson. ($)
• Fangraphs updated its list of the top 100 prospects in advance of the trade deadline.
• How exactly does a three-team trade come to be? Stephen J. Nesbitt and Zack Meisel at The Athletic talked to some architects of recent three-team deals — including Jerry Dipoto — for a behind-the-scenes look.
• Jay Jaffe at Fangraphs checked back in on the Red Sox now that they’ve triumphantly re-entered the playoff picture.
• Former Angels shortstop José Iglesias is headed to Broadway to join the cast of Buena Vista Social Club. Evan Drellich at The Athletic has the story. ($)
• José Caballero continues to make enemies of umpires around the league.

• Passing along a plug here to help a local Harleem baseball icon’s family pay for his funeral expenses.

Diamondbacks News

(MLB.com) Super sub Locklear ‘always ready’ as first HR of 2026 powers surging D-backs

“Not easy to do what he did,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “He comes to the ballpark, he’s always preparing to play. I know that. But the lineup goes out the night before, and there’s a couple things he’s probably going to come here and work on. And all of the sudden transitions an hour before the ballgame starts and he’s going to be starting at first base. I think he’s got the right mindset. He’s always ready.”

(Arizona Sports) Tyler Locklear’s 1st home run of 2026 powers Diamondbacks to impressive win over Cardinals

The Diamondbacks have now won nine of their last 11 games and are averaging 7.3 runs during their last 10 games.

Locklear went 3-for-5 Thursday with a double in addition to his long ball. He’s now batting .385 (5-for-13) since his callup.

Del Castillo, Moreno and Vargas all joined Locklear with three hits apiece, and Nolan Arenado contributed two hits off the bench.

(SI.com) The Diamondbacks May Have Just Found Their First Base Solution

And when the Diamondbacks recalled first baseman Tyler Locklear on July 17, even his exceptional Triple-A hot streak offered little reason to assume he’d produce at a level he’s never shown success at before.

But that hasn’t been quite the case.

(Burn City Sports) Corbin Carroll’s 12th triple of the season puts him in rare company

Carroll reached 55 career triples in just 587 games. By comparison, Marte and Trout each needed more than 1,500 games to reach that same total. The feat further establishes the 25-year-old Diamondbacks outfielder as one of the game’s premier extra-base threats, combining elite contact, speed and power.

Carroll’s pace doesn’t just stand out among active players — it also puts him alongside one of baseball’s greatest legends.

According to Sarah Langs, Carroll is just the second player in MLB history to record at least 55 triples and 85 home runs through his first 587 career games, joining only Lou Gehrig.

MLB News

(Yahoo! Sports) Tarik Skubal says he regrets not getting offseason elbow MRI, admits he might be making his final home start at Comerica Park

The Detroit Tigers ace found himself clearing the air Thursday after a discourse outbreak around his decision to not undergo an MRI last offseason, which could have revealed an issue in his elbow at a more convenient time. Instead, he underwent a novel treatment for loose bodies in May and missed a month and a half.

In comments to The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen published Wednesday, Skubal recalled feeling like “something was wrong” in his pitching elbow in January. He said he chose to ignore the symptoms rather than undergo the MRI.

[Ed. Note] I recognize that the Diamondbacks were never going to be in on the Skubal sweepstakes this offseason, but this makes me glad they aren’t. To risk so much over a one off arbitration hearing? Just wildly irresponsible.

(ClutchPoints) Royals’ Salvador Perez asks police to remove fan from jail after home run ball incident

Anyone entering the fountains is subject to immediate arrest, transportation to the police station, and prosecution, according to the Royals’ ballpark rules.

Following the game, Perez asked authorities to show leniency.

“Please, police, just take care of the job please and send him home,” he said. “If I was him, I’d maybe jump too and try to get that ball, so please. And thank you for the hard work in trying to get that ball.”.

(Yahoo! Sports) Mark Cuban’s firm buys minority stake in Athletics ahead of move to Las Vegas

Mark Cuban is expanding his sports portfolio.

Harbinger Sports Partners, the private equity firm backed by the former Dallas Mavericks majority owner, has purchased a minority stake of undisclosed size in the Athletics ahead of their move to Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Mick Akers.

The other day the Rochester Red Wings faced the greatest pitcher in Nationals history. Max Scherzer was on a rehab assignment for the Blue Jays and faced the Nats AAA affiliate. I was worried this would be a little sad and the Nats Triple-A lineup would rock the 41 year old. However, I was wrong and Scherzer threw five no-hit innings, striking out seven.

In his six big league starts this year, Mad Max has certainly shown his age. His ERA is over 10, and the future Hall of Famer has looked washed up. However, with the Blue Jays out of the race, the Nats have a chance to take a flier on the greatest pitcher in franchise history. If he looks like he did in that rehab start, he would easily be an upgrade over the likes of Mikolas and Littell.

It is very unlikely to actually happen, but I actually think bringing in Scherzer makes a lot of sense for several reasons. The first one is that it is a cheap flier on a guy who still has some upside. It was only last year when Scherzer gave the Blue Jays extremely valuable innings in the playoffs. He proved that he still had the juice to start a playoff game. For crying out loud, he started game 7 of the World Series last year.

If the Nats do sneak into the playoffs, I would trust Max, even in this state, to be the Nats three starter. He has more upside than Littell, Mikolas and Alvarez. Last year, Scherzer looked over the hill and a complete liability. However, the old dog still had that ability to rise to the occasion. The fastball crept up a couple ticks, the slider was sharper and his command was more pinpoint. Mad Max can’t do it for a full season anymore, but he can tap into those reserves when he needs it.

It would also be a move that would cost you absolutely nothing. Scherzer turns 42 in a few days, and has not been effective this year. Honestly, you could probably acquire him for cash or a player to be named later. At most, you would have to give up an org player who is unlikely to ever reach the big leagues.

Even beyond his performances, I think Scherzer’s presence could help power the team. You cannot deny that he would put butts in seats and make the atmosphere at Nationals Park special. The Nats have not exactly had much of a home field advantage this year. In fact, they actually have the worst home record in all of baseball. I think the buzz that Scherzer would bring could actually be somewhat helpful in improving home performances. It would certainly bring better crowds.

Another reason to bring back Scherzer is for his impact on the clubhouse. Imagine all the things a young power pitcher like Cade Cavalli could learn from one of the greatest power arms of all time. Cavalli probably looked up to Scherzer growing up, and may have even had some conversations with him in 2021 Spring Training. It would be cool to see Scherzer pass his knowledge to the next generation of Nats arms.

He would also provide much needed playoff experience and wisdom to a team that does not have a lot of that. Also, it would likely ensure that Scherzer would go into the Hall of Fame as a National. Seeing the greatest player in franchise history finish his career in DC would be so special.

This is not going to be one of those trades that would make a lot of sense on Paul Toboni’s model. However, it is something he should keep in the back of his mind. The Nats need a third guy who could start a playoff game. Scherzer may be way past his best, but he has shown very recently that he still has the ability to be effective in a playoff setting.

It is time to finish the story. Let’s bring back the greatest pitcher I have ever seen in this uniform. I am probably just delusional and dreaming after one rehab start. However, I would truly love to see Mad Max take the mound at Nationals Park one last time rocking the Curly W.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers were off yesterday.

Evan Grant writes that this upcoming series against the Mariners will go a long way in determining who these 2026 Rangers really are.

Jeff Wilson has some fun draft tidbits such as one of the Rangers’ picks actually sizing up 6’10” Chris Young.

MLB Pipeline has a list of the biggest movers on each team’s refreshed top 30.

And Grant answered fan questions in a YouTube live stream yesterday, including about the prospect of a Jacob Latz trade.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers take on the Mariners tonight at 7:05 with MacKenzie Gore on the mound for Texas.

Happy Friday and go Rangers!

For the third time in the four-game series the San Diego Padres lost a one-run game to the Atlanta Braves. The Padres struck first against Braves pitcher Chris Sale with a three-run second inning, but after a four-run fourth inning the Braves held a 5-3 lead and that deficit proved too much to overcome as San Diego dropped the game and the series with a 6-5 loss.

Kyle Hart started the game as an opener for Griffin Canning and recorded three outs against three batters to start the contest. Hart, a left-hander, faced two left-handed hitters and a switch-hitter in Ozzie Albies who batted from the right side. Michael Harris II led off the bottom of the second for the Braves and rather than continuing with the left-on-left matchup, Padres manager Craig Stammen went to Canning, a right-hander, in the second inning. Harris immediately got the home team on the board with a long home run to right field to make the score, 3-1.

Canning got the next three batters out to end the second inning and faced the minimum three batters in the third. He opened the fourth inning allowing a solo home run to Albies to make the score, 3-2 before getting Matt Olson to pop out. Canning allowed a one-out single to Harris and Mauricio Dubon reached on a catcher’s interference, the second one this week on Freddy Fermin, and Canning responded with a strikeout of Austin Riley. Canning was almost out of the inning, but Dominic Smith hit a 1-1 changeup that was left up and out over the plate over the right-field wall and Atlanta took a 5-3 lead.

The Braves tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh when Baldwin golfed a home run out to right field off Matt Waldron, but that proved to be the game-winner. The Padres scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning when Manny Machado singled and Ty France brought him in with a two-run home run to pull San Diego within a run.

The Padres mounted a two-out rally in the ninth inning against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias when Jake Cronenworth and Fernando Tatis Jr. reached on back-to-back singles. Luis Rengifo who has been arguably San Diego’s hottest hitter, stepped in looking for a base hit to tie the game, but struck out on a high fastball on an 0-2 count to end the game.

The Padres are 2-5 after the All-Star break and start a three-game series in Miami against the Marlins today at 4:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• The Padres traded reliever Ron Marinaccio, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for international bonus pool money.

• Padres reliever Adrian Morejon, who is a free agent after this season, could be on the move at the trade deadline.

• According to reports, the Milwaukee Brewers have contacted the Padres about a Mason Miller trade. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball has a solution for San Diego concerning what to do with the All-Star closer.

Baseball News:

• Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball breaks down the latest CBA proposal from the MLBPA.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks got a win over the St. Louis Cardinals thanks to a late addition to the roster.

• The Detroit Tigers rallied for a one-run win over the Kansas City Royals.

• Shane Bieber led the Toronto Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Rays with a strong performance on the mound.

Wins on the lower levels and losses on the higher levels marked the day of baseball in the Dodgers minor league affiliates.

Player of the day

Eduardo Guerrero and Hayden Gilliland both had four-RBI games with a home run, but the difference is that the Loons won their matchup, while Gilliland couldn’t carry the Drillers all the way to the finish line.

Not much of a power bat with a slugging percentage below .400, Guerrero now has five home runs, already an improvement on the three he accumulated in over 100 games across three different levels in 2025.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The good news is that Kiké Hernández’s rehab is trending in the right direction, with the veteran utility man hitting a home run. The bad news is that the Comets didn’t have much scoring outside of that, losing to the River Cats by a score of 4 to 2.

These days it is not easy to see a team finish an entire game without recording a walk, but that was what OKC did against the River Cats pitching staff. On the other side, the Comets bullpen game allowed seven free passes and recorded just four strikeouts.

Double-A Tulsa

Needing your catcher and eighth-hole hitter to secure all of your RBI in a game is not the path one normally takes to win a game. Hayden Gilliland did his best with a season-high four RBI—it wasn’t enough, though, with the Travelers winning at home 5 to 4 thanks to an eighth-inning run hit by Hayden Fitz-Gerald.

The top three in the order all went hitless for the Drillers, including an 0-for-5 performance from leadoff hitter Taylor Young. The only one of three to get on base safely was Mike Sirota, earning a walk. Three of Gilliland’s four RBI came on an opposite-field home run in the fourth.

High-A Great Lakes

The team effort that was lacking in the Drillers lineup was present for the Loons, with everybody but the ninth-hole hitter recording at least one base hit in an 8-to-5 win. The Eduardo brothers (not actually brothers) ran the show, with both Quintero and Guerrero leaving the yard, the latter of whom was responsible for half of the team’s eight runs driven in.

With starter Tyler Gough off his game, allowing four runs in as many innings, the key pitcher for the Loons was Jacob Frost, tossing four scoreless innings and earning what became his eighth win, lowering his season ERA to 3.11.

Single-A Ontario

It was a push-and-pull game for the Tower Buzzers pitching staff, allowing just three hits and at the same time handing out 10 free passes and seeing their defense commit three errors behind them—all of this wasn’t enough to take the win away from Ontario, fixing many of these problems with the long ball on the offensive side.

Easton Shelton’s terrific form continued with the first baseman hitting a milestone 30th long ball before August rolls around. Kellon Lindsey and Ching-Hsien Ko also left the yard in this game.

Transactions

The Tulsa Drillers placed left-handed pitcher Wyatt Crowell on the injured list.

Thursday’s scores

• Sacramento 4, Oklahoma City 2
• Arkansas 5, Tulsa 4
• Lansing 5, Great Lakes 8
• San Jose 5, Ontario 7

Friday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Zach Root) at Lansing (Jorge Marcheco)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Arkansas (Kade Anderson)
• 6:45 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Blake Snell) at Sacramento (Cesar Perdomo)
• 7:00 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at San Jose (TBD)

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The Detroit Tigers sit as a heavy -270 moneyline favorite behind Tarik Skubal tonight against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. 

My Royals vs. Tigers predictions are expecting Detroit to come out on top here against a vulnerable K.C. bullpen. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, July 24. 

Who will win Royals vs Tigers today: Tigers -1.5 (-121)

Tarik Skubal may not be as dominant in 2026 as last year, but the Detroit Tigers star is still in solid form.

He's collected a 3.04 FIP over his last five appearances. During that span, Skubal has allowed a mere 17.5% hard-hit rate. 

As for the Kansas City Royals, they will go with opener Beck Way. He typically pitches just one inning, which means this will be a bullpen game.

K.C.'s relief corps is struggling immensely, posting a 5.27 xERA across the last week while surrendering 3.09 HR/9. 

I'll play this pick up to -130. 

COVERS INTEL: Skubal owns a 1.27 FIP in his last two outings, and he hasn't allowed a single homer in those starts. 

Royals vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-107)

This total sits at just 7.5, and the Over has a clear path despite Skubal’s presence.

The Tigers have been average overall with a 98 wRC+ over the last week, but their .185 ISO shows some extra-base pop.

Kansas City has also been productive lately, carrying a 107 wRC+ during that same span.

The bigger concern is the relief pitching. Detroit’s bullpen owns a 4.71 xERA over the last week, while K.C.’s bullpen game is the main path to runs. 

I'll play this pick up to -125. 

Royals vs Tigers weather

Conditions look excellent at Comerica Park tonight, with clear skies and temperatures sitting in the low-to-mid 70s throughout the game. Winds should stay light around 7-8 mph, and there is no rain risk.

Royals vs Tigers odds

• Moneyline: Royals +257 | Tigers -270
• Run line: Royals +1.5 (+113) | Tigers -1.5 (-117)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-104) | Under 7.5 (-100)

Royals vs Tigers trend

The Tigers have hit the moneyline in 14 of their last 19 games (+8.45 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Tigers.

How to watch Royals vs Tigers and game info

Royals vs Tigers latest injuries

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We officially have trade deadline rumors! Is anyone interested in a little Zach Neto action?

Yesterday, The Athletic reported that “after expressing interest in the Los Angeles Angels shortstop last offseason, [the Red Sox] continue to view him as a strong fit, according to people briefed on their discussions.”

As fun as it was to watch Anthony Seigler and Tsung-Che Cheng make surprising contributions during the 15-game win streak, there is no question that the middle infield continues to be a major weak spot on the Red Sox roster. Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story are making progress on their rehab journeys, and Franklin Arias is now knocking on the door at Worcester, but Zach Neto and his 2.8 bWAR would be a significant upgrade. And, as a right-handed home run hitter who would likely see a Green Monster-induced power boost, he’s a great fit for the lineup.

But Neto is by no means a perfect player. He strikes out a lot, doesn’t walk much, and has consistently graded out as a poor defensive shortstop. He’s unlikely to be the long-term answer at the most important defensive position on the diamond. But he’s just 25-years-old, is under team control through 2030, and his 19 homers would be second on this Red Sox team behind Willson Contreras. Frankly, he looks a lot like a younger, healthier Trevor Story.

Personally, I don’t love Neto’s profile. But he’s a young player who will almost certainly put up 3-5 WAR over the next 3-4 years, which is more than you could reasonably project from Marcelo Mayer at this point. And with Arias almost ready for the bigs, the Sox will have a painless avenue for moving Neto off of shortstop in the very near future. The prospect of a Contreras-Neto-Arias-Durbin infield is tasty.

From that perspective, a package headlined by Mayer makes sense, though the Sox would almost certainly have to sweeten the deal with additional prospects, and we’re talking about top-10 guys here, like Kyson Witherspoon, Anthony Eyanson, and Justin Gonzalez. The Angels might even insist on a big league-ready arm like Connelly Early.

So what would you be willing to ship to LA to land him?

Talk about trades and whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.

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The slightly favored Pittsburgh Pirates (-113) host the Chicago Cubs in a National League Central Division battle tonight. 

The Pirates are rightfully favored with Jared Jones on the bump, but my Cubs vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks think the -120 price tag is too short.

Who will win Cubs vs Pirates today: Pittsburgh Pirates (-120)

Jared Jones has been nothing short of exceptional over the past month. He is sporting an excellent 2.29 ERA and his indicators (2.15 xFIP, 1.86 xERA) are even better.

The Chicago Cubs have hit .236 with a strikeout rate above 25% during the same period. This is a matchup Jones should continue to find success.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Piratessit sixth in homers, fifth in OPS, and first in average against lefties at home.

Matthew Boyd struggles to limit power, and that will get him in trouble against this lineup.

Back the Pirates to -135.

COVERS INTEL:Boyd's ERA is 2.25 runs lower than his FIP over the last 30 days, signaling his recent success is smoke and mirrors.

Cubs vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 8.0 (-115)

Jones has averaged more than 12 punchouts per nine innings in three consecutive starts, over which time he allowed two runs.

He is providing the Pirates with ace-caliber pitching right now and that’s not something I want to challenge.

The Pirates continue to hit for power against lefties but their low 5.9% walk rate in July could lead to less traffic on the basepaths when that power arrives, making it more difficult to score in bulk.

The Under is my preferred route, and I would play it to -120.

Cubs vs Pirates weather

The forecast calls for temperatures in the high 70s with winds blowing inwards. Small boost to the arms.

Cubs vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Cubs +100 | Pirates -120
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+160) | Pirates +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under: Over 8.0 (-105) | Under 8.0 (-115)

Cubs vs Pirates trend

Pittsburgh has hit the moneyline in 10 of the last 16 games (+4.80 units, 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Pirates.

How to watch Cubs vs Pirates and game info

Cubs vs Pirates latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Defending World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers will launch a summer of live Major League Baseball on the BBC when they meet the New York Mets on Sunday.

The Dodgers lead the National League again in 2026, with last season's Most Valuable Player, Shohei Ohtani, to the fore as they target a third consecutive World Series title.

The struggling Mets are in need of inspiration from star man Juan Soto as they look to turn around a difficult start to the season.

The game sets up a run of 10 consecutive live Sunday night MLB matches on the BBC, including the season finale on September 27 before four post-season games the following week.

• Why Dodgers are on brink of World Series dynasty

• The night the Tartan Army took over iconic Fenway Park

The Dodgers' record of 65 wins and 38 defeats means they are likely to win the National League West for the 13th time in 14th years.

Their recent dominance is built around Ohtani, whose achievements are now compared to the greatest players in the history of the game.

His ability to both hit and pitch at the top level consistently - he already has 22 home runs this year and has recorded eight wins as a pitcher - demonstrates a similar skill-set to the legendary two-way player Babe Ruth.

Ohtani has been named Most Valuable Player in his league four times, including last season, when the Dodgers became the first franchise in 25 years to win consecutive World Series titles.

Dominican left-fielder Soto became the highest-paid player in baseball history in 2024 when he left the New York Yankees and signed a $765m deal with their bitter cross-city rivals the Mets.

He hit his 250th career home run against the Yankees earlier this season, one of 21 home runs he has delivered in 2026.

Despite Soto's contribution, the Mets narrowly missed out on a post-season berth last year and now sit bottom of the National League East with 43 wins to 60 defeats.

This season, the MLB Bases Covered Live team will again be led by play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman, with former St Louis Cardinals first baseman Xavier Scruggs and Maccabees guitarist Felix White alongside to call the action for seasoned baseball fans and new viewers.

During the 2026 Fifa World Cup, baseball played an unexpectedly large role in the experiences of football fans and players from the UK as they enjoyed memorable outings to ballparks across the US.

After defeating Haiti in their opening game in nearby Foxborough, Scotland's Tartan Army took over Fenway Park in Boston to celebrate while watching the Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers.

England manager Thomas Tuchel threw out the first pitch at Kaufmann Stadium when several members of the England squad watched the Kansas City Royals play the St Louis Cardinals.

How to watch: MLB Bases Covered Live

(all times BST)

Sunday, 26 July - 1830 - 2100

Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Mets

Watch on BBC iPlayer, follow on the BBC Sport website and app

Sunday, 2 August - 1900 - 2130

New York Yankees @ Chicago Cubs

BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

Sunday, 9 August - 1830 - 2100

Toronto Blue Jays @ Philadelphia Phillies

BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

Sunday, 16 August - 1830 - 2100

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

Sunday, 23 August - 1830 - 2100

St Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies

Remaining fixtures to be confirmed

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The Toronto Blue Jays open a weekend set at Fenway Park against a red-hot Boston Red Sox club, sending Trey Yesavage to the mound against left-hander Patrick Sandoval.

Toronto finally broke out of its slump on Thursday, and I’m backing the bats that did the damage, starting with Ernie Clement.

Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks for this Friday, July 24 matchup.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox predictions

Blue Jays vs Red Sox best bet: Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases (-110)

Ernie Clement has the shortest line for total bases, yet I’m still drawn to this pick. On the simplest level, he’s been the Toronto Blue Jays' most consistent hitter, especially in July, where he has at least one hit in 13 of 17 games. 

But his advantage Friday runs deeper than the box score.

The Boston Red Sox send out lefty Patrick Sandoval, who has allowed 14 hits in 9.1 innings this season and leans on a shaky mix of sliders and changeups. Sandoval throws the slider 35.5% of the time, and opponents have teed off on it this year, slugging .667 over a 50-pitch sample. 

Clement is the slider-hitting extraordinaire on this roster, hitting the pitch for a +2 run value, per Baseball Savant, along with a .339 average and .475 slugging mark.

I wouldn’t play this bet past -110. 

COVERS INTEL: Clement has always hit left-handers better, with a .725 career OPS against southpaws versus .669 against righties, giving him an edge Friday against Patrick Sandoval.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox same-game parlay (SGP)

For the same-game parlay, I’m stacking Toronto’s momentum from Thursday’s win. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases leads the way, backed by his platoon edge against a left-hander and his long history of damage at Fenway Park.

Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts is an aggressive play, even if he’s punched out five or more in three of his last five starts and carries an 8.7 K/9.

I’ll cap it with the Blue Jays moneyline at plus money, a live price for a club that just snapped its skid against a starter making only his third appearance of the year.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox SGP

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts
• Blue Jays moneyline

Blue Jays vs Red Sox home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+525)

This whole Blue Jays offense seems cursed to hit nothing but singles this season, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be primed for a big day, especially at Fenway Park.

Red Sox fans must be terrified of Vladdy, who owns a .342/.415/.589 slash line at their home park with 12 home runs and 49 RBI in just 56 games.

That’s a 35-homer pace.

Guerrero already went deep at Fenway earlier this year, and he arrives equipped to keep mashing on the road after two clutch hits on Thursday helped Toronto break out of its slump.

He’s also been far better against lefties (.784 OPS) than righties (.668 OPS) this season, and Boston is sending out a lefty. I’d play this until +500 and, as usual, keep it to a quarter unit.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: Toronto +105 | Boston -125
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-180) | Boston -1.5 (+155)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (+100)

Blue Jays vs Red Sox trend

Patrick Sandoval carries a 1.71 WHIP through his first two starts of the season, allowing 14 hits across 9.1 innings, which suggests he’s still shaking off some rust. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Red Sox.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Red Sox and game info

Blue Jays vs Red Sox latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Red Sox weather

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Tyler Kinley’s relationship to the Braves has been an odd one over the last year.

Before 2025, Kinley had a career 107/102/109 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-) and 1.2 fWAR in just under 260 innings. Most of that value was accrued in 2022, when his season was cut short by injury. It’s also important to keep in mind that there’s at least some evidence that the Coors Field park effects are overly punishing to hitters and therefore overly generous to pitchers.

Before the Braves traded for him in 2025, it was more of the same: 118/96/113. Those numbers are barely rosterable for a reliever aside from a low HR/FB. The Braves hoped they could get more out of him, and they did in some ways, though it wasn’t exactly him hitting a new gear or anything: 17/68/105. Basically, Kinley had an epic run of not having runs charged to him and allowing very homers… while pitching as effectively (or, I guess, ineffectively) like the Kinley of old. The Braves had Kinley throw fewer fastballs, work harder on getting the fastball up, and change the way he threw his curveball so that it came out of a similar arm slot as his slider. They had him focus on getting the breaking pitches in the zone, with the fastball going above it.

Kinley did all of this. There is a very clear breakpoint in his pitch usage and location, among other things, between his time with the Braves and the Rockies. This wasn’t a matter of an inability to implement desired changes. It was just that it didn’t really matter. Though Kinley did halve his walk rate as a result of the changes, getting the ball in the zone or higher made him less of a grounder-generator and didn’t help him in the strikeout department. The fewer walks were great, but that was largely the only benefit.

While we don’t know the reasons, all of this led to a surprising-at-the-time-I-guess? declining of his team option in the offseason. There was some clamor about $5.5 million being an okay price for Kinley’s services, but from my perspective, there was no reason to give a reliever who never pitched all that well and couldn’t even manage a 100 xFIP- with the Braves anything above league minimum in the first place. The Braves ultimately re-signed Kinley for $4.25 million, essentially saving $1.25 million relative to his option price.

There was a stretch, a relatively brief one, where Kinley at least seemed better. Through May 3, he kind of seemed like he was picking up where he left off in 2025, with a little bit better performance overall: 42/82/94. His walk rate was back up to its former gross levels, but he was actually striking a bit more guys out. A reliever with an xFIP- around 90, especially one that you believe has some contact/homer suppression, can definitely play in a bullpen.

It didn’t last, though. Over the next month or so, Kinley went 111/130/96. His walk rate fell, but so did the grounder rate. You can write off the homers, as well, HR/FB stuff, but it didn’t feel great. His elbow may not have felt great, either, as he missed about a few weeks with inflammation.

At this point, Kinley has been back for about a month, and his performance has been ghastly. 231/202/132 is really bad. His strikeout rate plummeted, his walk rate is bad again, he’s barely getting any grounders. Joel Payamps got canned after a 193/137/116 line. Aaron Bummer got canned after a 179/207/136 line. The Braves ate some money in both of those cases. Kinley could very well be next: his season line is now 107/125/103, and has been getting dramatically worse basically every other outing or so.

Probably the biggest issue is that in aggregate, Kinley is losing any reason for positive prognosis. Even if he was never a guy to dream on given his track record, you could at least… ponder that he’d be okay for a while? But, with his season xFIP- crossing the 100 mark again, and with him not even doing the homer suppression thing, there’s not much there there. Basically every plate discipline metric is down across the board from his Braves stint in 2025, and his fastball command has been an utter disaster. While he’s really honed his slider release such that it hits the corner of the zone over and over, that’s actually not as helpful when everyone knows it’s coming at least two out of every three pitches, and he has no idea where his fastball is going. (The fact that the slider’s shape isn’t very good is another detriment — batters have an easier time hitting it relative to another slider if they know it’s coming and they can reach it, and they definitely know it’s coming and can reach it in the zone.)

So, put all that together, consider the impending Trade Deadline, and… will Tyler Kinley make it to season’s end with the Braves? Or, will they eat another partial reliever salary to reconfigure their bullpen to hopefully be a bit better?