Category: Baseball

The ACL season is over, and the DSL regular season is over. The games are dwindling, but all four of the San Francisco Giants A-ball Minor League affiliates were in action on Wednesday, so let’s talk about it!

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

News

The only bit of news is that the Giants assigned third baseman Dalton Wentz to High-A Eugene. Wentz, who was their 16th-round pick in July, becomes just the 2nd of the Giants recent draft class to head to an in-season team.

AAA Sacramento (70-49)

Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 9-6
Box score

It’s been a good year for Giants outfield prospects, and while we’ve seen some of that result in MLB debuts (Jonah Cox, Victor Bericoto, and Turner Hill), some players are still waiting their turn. But that doesn’t diminish what they’re doing.

Center fielder Scott Bandura is one such player, as his magnificent breakout season continued on Wednesday, when he hit 2-4 with a 3-run home run, a double, and 4 runs batted in.

That was just another day at the outfield office for the 2023 7th-rounder out of Princeton, who has been on fire for nearly 2 months now. It can take a little while to adjust to a new level, and Bandura, a lefty who just turned 25, did take his time following an early-season promotion.

But since June 26, he’s hit 60-168 with 7 homers, 13 doubles, 31 walks, and just 26 strikeouts. It might take an injury for him to make his MLB debut this year, since the Giants are (hopefully) wanting to give their prospects some extended looks instead of yanking them back and forth between San Francisco and Sacramento. But with an .852 OPS, a 123 wRC+, 17 stolen bases, and solid outfield defense across all 3 grassy positions, Bandura feels like a near-lock to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft, so the Giants probably won’t hesitate to call him up if they have an opening later this year.

That was really the lone standout day on offense, though second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) had a nice day, hitting 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout. Quiet days for the top prospects, as right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) hit 1-4 while third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) went 0-4, though neither player struck out. Recently-optioned left fielder Grant McCray hit 1-4 with a stolen base, though he struck out 3 times. Recently-acquired shortstop Shay Whitcomb went 0-3 with a walk.

RHP Anthony Molina made his 4th appearances since being acquired in the Tyler Mahle trade, and he continues to look solid. Molina pitched 4 strong innings in this one, as he is getting stretched out to a starting role after being used as a reliever by his previous teams. In those 4 innings, Molina gave up just 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 runs, and 1 earned run, with 3 strikeouts. He’s definitely an interesting story to follow … you don’t see a lot of players put up mediocre numbers in relief and then get moved to the rotation, but the Giants clearly see something they’re intrigued about, and so far the results are strong.

Another tough outing for RHP Spencer Bivens, who gave up 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 3 runs in 2 innings. Bivens has just a 4.73 ERA and a 5.15 FIP in Sacramento, and has been repeatedly passed over when San Francisco needs bullpen help. He’s got to feel like his spot on the roster is in peril entering the offseason.

AA Richmond (67-47)

Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles) 7-4
Box score

The power surge continues for designated hitter Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL)! The righty slugger was back at it on Wednesday, hitting 2-3 with both a 2-run home run and a solo blast, while also drawing 2 walks. What a day!

Ceballos hasn’t had a great season, but him finding his power has quietly been one of the happier stories on the farm. The 2023 3rd-round pick (by the Braves), who turned 24 on Monday, had a serious show of power to end the 2024 season, after coming over in the Jorge Soler trade. That earned him an aggressive assignment in AA to open 2025, but in 420 plate appearances he bopped just 6 home runs.

This year? He’s at basically the same amount of playing time, as he has 426 plate appearances. But the big difference? He’s already up to 15 home runs. Very exciting!

Unfortunately, that power resurgence hasn’t really triggered success elsewhere. For the 2nd year running, Ceballos is sporting a very low batting average (.223) despite a low strikeout rate (18.1%). And, even though he’s hitting a lot of home runs, he’s not doing much damage on the other hits, as he only has 14 doubles and 0 triples. He’s hitting home runs and drawing walks, and that’s pretty much it, which results in a fairly average .747 OPS and 105 wRC+.

A great day for shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) who was a hit machine, going 4-5 with a double. It’s really remarkable how well Kilen has maintained — and built on — his performance while moving up from High-A to AA midseason. Last year’s 1st-round pick, who only turned 22 in late March, has raised his average (.282 to .333) and dropped his strikeout rate (13.8% to 13.0%), while seeing only negligible decreases in walk rate (9.2% to 8.9%) and isolated slugging (.179 to .176). He only has 1 home run in 28 games at the level, but I’m not hear to nitpick with a lefty middle infielder posting an .891 OPS and a 133 wRC+ in AA in their 1st full season of pro baseball. What a year he’s having!

Right fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) struggled in his 2nd game since getting promoted, hitting 0-5 and striking out twice. Adjustments are to be expected!

On the pitching front it was a really nice start for RHP Trystan Vrieling. The 2022 3rd-round pick (by the Yankees) hasn’t had a very good season, but he’s been showing a lot of good signs lately. The Gonzaga product, who turns 26 in October, pitched 6 innings in this one, giving up 6 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs, while striking out 6 batters.It wasn’t a great strike-throwing performance, as he tossed 54 of 98 pitches for strikes, but he kept the Baysox from hitting the ball too hard, with 5 of his 6 allowed hits being singles. Vrieling now has a 4.26 ERA and a 4.99 FIP this season, which is his 3rd in AA … it’s basically the only level he’s played at (he has 1 rehab start each in Low-A and the Complex League). Unfortunately, he’s walking a lot of batters this year for the 1st time in his career.

RHP R.J. Dabovich made his AA return after a rehab stint, as he pitched in an Eastern League game for the 1st time since early April. He faced 4 batters and none of them put the ball in play, with 2 strikeouts punched and 2 walks issued. Unfortunately, that came back to haunt him when RHP Tyler Vogel entered the game, as the runners promptly stole some bases and scored on a single. That was the only hit Vogel allowed, and he struck out a pair in 1.1 innings.

High-A Eugene (70-45)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 6-4
Box score

The excitement in this game was that RHP Ramon Marquez was making his 2nd start since the Giants acquired him in the Luis Arráez trade. And this start was certainly an exhibit as to why the Giants — and the sport as a whole — are so high on the righty, who turns 21 in about a month.

Marquez wasn’t dominant, but he was very strong, as he gave up 6 hits in 6 innings, with 0 walks, 0 home runs, and 2 earned runs. Marquez only struck out 4 batters, but the way he pounded the zone was surely exciting to the Giants, as he threw 52 of 70 pitches for strikes. Talk about an efficient outing!

Through 8 starts in High-A, Marquez has a 2.48 ERA and a 2.41 FIP … stats that rank 11th and 1st, respectively, out of the 305 High-A pitchers with at least 40 innings thrown this year. He also has 58 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 40 innings at the level. It will be fascinating to see how we rank Marquez in this winter’s Community Prospect List, but I’d say there’s an excellent chance that he ends up as the highest-ranked pitcher outside of Jackson Flora.

His teammate who came over in the Arráez trade also pitched, with RHP Marty Gair throwing a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout, with 9 of 13 pitches going for strikes. Gair has some of the nastiest stuff in the organization, so if he can continue to find the strike zone as effectively as he did in this game, he’ll be in good shape.

Right fielder Damian Bravo, who was just promoted, went just 1-4 with a strikeout, but smacked his 1st High-A home run. That’s always exciting!

Bravo, a 15th-round pick out of Texas Tech in 2025, spent his debut season last year with the Emeralds, but didn’t leave the yard in 98 plate appearances. He began his 1st full season in Low-A San Jose where he showed off the power, bopping 10 big flies in just 248 plate appearances. His season was paused in mid-June when he missed about 2 months with an injury, and when he returned it was in Eugene. Wednesday was his 2nd game of the year with the Emeralds, and great to see him get that 1st homer in the books.

First baseman Robert Hipwell had a really nice game, hitting 2-3 with a double and a walk. It’s been a very rough season for the 2023 6th-rounder, who has a .182 average, a .685 OPS, a 91 wRC+ (which is propped up almost entirely by a 17.1% walk rate), and a 41.7% strikeout rate in Eugene, and was briefly demoted to San Jose for a few games. But the Santa Clara product has been a lot better over the last week, so hopefully he’s ending the year on a high note.

Center fielder Jose Ortiz, playing in his 2nd game with Eugene, hit just 1-4 with 2 strikeouts, but had yet another outfield assist. The dude can play defense!!!

Eugene’s top prospect, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), had the day off.

Low-A San Jose (66-50)

San Jose Giants beat the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 11-1
Box score

RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) returned a few weeks ago. But on Wednesday, he really returned. Yes, Cayama has made a few appearances since coming off the Injured List. But yesterday’s was a start that makes you say, he’s back.

Cayama was truly nothing short of dominant, and put forth one of the best pitching performances we’ve seen from a Giants prospect this year. Cayama retired the 1st 14 batters he faced, and he made them look absolutely silly. He finally gave up a baserunner with 2 outs in the 5th inning on … wait for it … an infield double. Yes, a groundball comebacker hit Cayama in the leg, and ricocheted into the dugout for a double. The game was paused for a while while the trainers checked in on Cayama, who stayed in the game and struck out the next batter. That ended his night, perhaps out of caution after the comebacker, or perhaps just because that was the plan.

The final line: 5 innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 runs, and 9 strikeouts. Despite relying heavily on strikeouts, Cayama needed just 52 pitches to get through his 5 innings, and threw 39 of them for strikes. Just pure and utter dominance, through and through.

While the 19-year old Cayama, who is visibly larger and stronger this year, hasn’t had the best year from a run prevention stand point — he has a 4.18 ERA and a 3.96 FIP — he’s left no doubt that he’s one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the system, even with the influx of talent that rode in on the summer ships of the draft and the deadline. He has a staggering 66 strikeouts to 13 walks in 51.2 innings with San Jose … among the 88 Cal League pitchers with at least 40 innings this year, Cayama’s 11.5 strikeouts per 9 ranks 22nd, while his 2.3 walks per 9 is 10th, resulting in a 5.1 K/BB rate that is 7th. Not bad at all!

RHP Evan Gray picked up where Cayama left off, striking out 3 batters in 2 scoreless innings, with 1 hit and 0 walks allowed. Gray, who was a 15th-round pick in 2024, is repeated Low-A and struggling, with a 5.14 ERA and a 5.64 FIP. He now has 3 straight games without allowing a run, though.

Lots of great performances in the batter’s box. Catcher Junior Barajas had one of his best games of the year, hitting 2-3 with a home run, a double, and 2 walks.

The 22-year old lefty, taken in the 11th round last year, has really had a season that’s a tale of 3 acts.

April: 22-73, 4 home runs, 7 walks, 14 strikeouts
May/June: 29-140, 1 home run, 10 walks, 44 strikeouts
July/August: 28-89, 8 home runs, 15 walks, 18 strikeouts

Let’s hope that 3rd act lasts for the rest of the season! In all, Barajas has an .809 OPS and a 100 wRC+, and has really impressed with his power potential and his defensive chops behind the dish.

Also having a great day was second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who wants to make sure everyone remembers he exists even as the teenage uber-prospects have joined San Jose. Last year’s 4th-round pick hit 2-5 with a 3-run home run, a double, and a strikeout, and now is the solo leader in all of Minor League baseball with 38 doubles.

38 doubles and 13 home runs for a middle infielder is pretty delightful though, remarkably, despite that, Meola is actually hitting a hair below league average, with an .801 OPS and a 98 wRC+. He’s doing a lot of good things but not a lot of great things (except his shortstop defense!), as he has just a .263 batting average and a 24.6% strikeout rate. There’s been a lot to love about his season, but it is a little damning that he’s spent the entire year in Low-A for a fairly promotion-happy organization.

Rounding out the homer party was designated hitter Angel Guzman, who went deep for the 2nd night in a row, hitting 2-5 with a 2-run shot, a triple, and a strikeout. Guzman’s batting average has really tumbled since getting promoted from the ACL to Low-A, but the overall numbers are still a delight, as he has an .831 OPS and a 116 wRC+. The 17.5% walk rate is carrying a lot of that, but the 20-year old has shown some really nice things when he swings the bat.

That’s where the big flies came from, but other players had nice games as well. Shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) continues to own the level, as he hit 3-6 with a triple and a strikeout, which brought him up to a 1.071 OPS and a 163 wRC+, with 5 triples in 18 games. It’s just comical how much better he is than the competition, despite being an 18-year old who just got to the level.

Right fielder Tanner Mally went 3-5 with a strikeout, while left fielder Broedy Poppell hit 2-4 with 2 doubles, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Mally, a 17th-round pick this year, has a 1.026 OPS and a 164 wRC+ through 11 games, and remains the only Giants 2026 draftee to debut. Poppell, a 13th-round pick a year ago, has a .709 OPS and an 83 wRC+.

Home run tracker

15 — Sabin Ceballos x2 — [AA]
13 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A]
13 — Junior Barajas — [Low-A]
11 — Scott Bandura — [8 in AAA; 3 in AA]
11 — Damian Bravo — [1 in High-A; 10 in Low-A]
5 — Angel Guzman — [3 in Low-A; 2 in ACL]

Thursday schedule

Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Tacoma (SP: Cesar Perdomo)
Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Chesapeake (SP: Yunior Marte)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Vancouver (SP: Henry LaLane)
San Jose: 6:05 p.m. PT at Lake Elsinore (SP: TBD)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV

The Red Sox pitching staff is limping towards the finish line this season, as is almost every single pitching staff in baseball in 2026. Thankfully, with a postseason spot essentially locked down (you know, bar one of the teams below the Sox doing something crazy, like winning 15 games in a row or something…) the Sox are able to shuffle things around to give their arms some extra rest. Jake Bennett is the beneficiary of that strategy this week, as he won’t take the mound until Sunday against the Giants, 9 days after his last start. “It’s more just ‘let’s get some extra rest,’” Chad Tray said. “All the numbers on [objective measures of his physical recovery] — force plate jumps, the arm strength, dynamometer test, and everything — all that’s been great. So it’s more just staying ahead of the game.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Unfortunately it’s not just the starters that are tiring down the stretch. The Red Sox bullpen, which has arguably been the best relief corps in all of baseball, may be starting to show some cracks. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

But the bullpen could get some help from a former Red Sox All-Star who has become something of a forgotten man, as Tanner Houck has finally thrown to hitters as his rehab progresses. “We’re getting close. If you’re on a mound throwing to hitters and you’re throwing 25 pitches, that’s a good thing,” said Chad Tracy. “So, obviously, he still has boxes to check being that that’s the first time he’s thrown to hitters, and it’s been a while. But checking that box is a big one. Being out on the mound and doing that, and actually, velocity being where it was and everything, it’s a good step, a really good step.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

This upcoming Giants series represents a big reunion with a former Red Sox World Series champion in Rafael Devers, of course. But the other big name Red Sox who was recently sent to San Fransisco, Marcelo Mayer, probably won’t take the field, as he is still working his way back from injury. (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)

Mayer represented one half of the Red Sox middle infield on opening day. The other half, shortstop Trevor Story, has also been out with an extended injury, of course. But Story might return to the big leagues this weekend… (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

…Though according to the author of the above piece, his return won’t come until Saturday at the earliest:

Trevor Story is still capable of providing solid if unspectacular defense at short as well as some right-handed power and good baserunning. But what he’s terrible at in this stage in his career is putting the bat on the ball. That would frustrate the hell out of the greatest hitter who ever lived, who is back in our lives thanks to some footage newly discovered by ESPN. Here’s modern-day hitting savant Joey Votto breaking down an unearthed video of Ted Williams talking hitting with teammate and friend Bobby Doerr. (Jeff Passan, ESPN)

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Houston is holding on for dear life in the AL West after dropping three of their last four, but I'm riding with them tonight as part of my Angels vs. Astros prediction.

The Houston Astros host the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park as -170 betting favorites at Polymarket and have a strong chance to get going early and often against Grayson Rodriguez and his 7.17 ERA.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 20, and drop a couple of winners.

Who will win Angels vs Astros today: Astros -1.5 (+114)

The Houston Astros are in a great spot to win their second consecutive game against the Los Angeles Angels' Grayson Rodriguez, who's striking out this Astros lineup at just a 16% clip.

The sample size here is large, too, as Houston has had 73 at-bats against the right-hander, owning a .280 xBA and .365 xwOBA. 

On the other side, Peter Lambert has had his way with the Angels, punching them out at a 34% clip while limiting them to a .194 xBA across 41 plate appearances. He's had seven straight starts of going at least five innings while allowing two earned runs or less - that'll do.

I'd play this up to +105.

COVERS INTEL: Yordan Alvarez is indeed in line for some positive regression against Rodriguez. While he's a career 0-for-10 against the right-hander, he's still rocking a .738 xSLG against him. Look for the MVP candidate to break out tonight and help the Astros win.

Angels vs Astros Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 Runs (+105)

The Astros are going to do most of the legwork on this play, but the Angels should do just enough to get us over the finish line.

I'm expecting a big breakout game for Alvarez against Rodriguez, with Isaac Parades (.418 xBA), Christian Walker (.390 xBA), and Yainer Diaz (.417 xBA) helping out behind him.

The Over is a perfect 7-0 in the Astros' last seven games after Houston allowed two runs or less in their previous game. After a 3-2 win last night, the trends are lining up perfectly to cash this play for us.

Angels vs Astros home run prediction: Yordan Alvarez (+276)

Something's gotta give in this matchup tonight between Rodriguez and Alvarez. While the AL MVP odds favorite is 0-for-10 against Rodriguez, his underlying numbers tell a different story.

Averaging an exit velocity of 96 mph in this matchup while owning a .738 xSLG, look for Yordan to put one in the stands.

Angels vs Astros weather

Daikin Park has a retractable roof, so the weather will have little to no impact on game conditions tonight.

Angels vs Astros odds

• Moneyline: Angels (+163) | Astros (-170)
• Run line: Angels +1.5 (-122) | Astros -1.5 (+114)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-113)

Angels vs Astros trend

The Astros are 4-0 in Lambert's last four starts during Game 3 of a series — we'll take that. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Astros.

How to watch Angels vs Astros and game info

Angels vs Astros 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.

Carlos Rodón marked his return from a seven-week absence with left elbow inflammation with four strong innings against the Orioles on Tuesday. He allowed a run on two hits and two walks with four strikeouts, the lone damage a Coby Mayo solo homer in the third, as the Yankees took the series opener, 3-1, thanks to some clutch hitting from Trent Grisham. By far, the most important moments from his start were the pair of strikeouts to strand the bases loaded in the second, so let’s dive in.

We join Rodón with one out in the bottom of the second, Trent Grisham having given them the lead with a solo home run in the top half of the frame. However, he faces a serious threat after a Jazz Chisholm Jr. error on a potential inning-ending double play ball loaded the bases. Stepping to the plate is former Yankee farmhand Carlos Narváez, who memorably crushed them in three games with the Red Sox last year before getting shipped to Baltimore in the Adley Rutschman blockbuster at this year’s deadline.

To this point in the contest, Rodón’s four-seamer has been sitting at about 93-94 mph, so you can tell he senses the gravity of the situation when dialing this first-pitch heater to 96.

Austin Wells sets a high target and Rodón nails it with the four-seamer. Between the velocity, placement, and elite 19 inches of induced vertical break, Narváez swings right through the pitch underneath as the ball gives the illusion of rise on its path to home.

After the spot-on execution of that fastball, Rodón looks to keep the feeling of that release with another four-seamer to the same spot.

Rodón throws an almost identical pitch to the one before. This one had two more inches of drop than the previous one, which is why Narváez is able to foul it back rather than whiff through it. All the same, it’s an advantageous result to give Rodón all the count leverage, 0-2.

With Narváez showing a willingness to offer at the high fastball, the obvious choice is to keep climbing the ladder with the four-seamer.

Unfortunately, this pitch is a little too high and a little too high to entice the hitter to chase. Nonetheless, it is still an effective pitch to keep the hitter’s eye level looking for an elevated heater.

Rodón plays off that eye level with the classic back-foot slider.

This is the absolute perfect pitch to follow the preceding high heater. The slider looks exactly like a fastball right down the middle before diving down and in as the hitter is starting his swing, leaving Narváez no chance to make contact. Perfect release, perfect spot, perfect execution — that’s pitch sequencing at its finest.

Here’s the full sequence:

Now needing just one out to escape the jam, Rodón faces the top of the order again, Jackson Holliday stepping in after having popped out in the first. Rodón threw all fastballs — three four-seamers and three sinkers — to retire Holliday in the first, so he switches things up here with a first-pitch slider.

It’s clear Rodón’s first-inning attack plan had an effect on Holliday’s approach here. This is not a particularly good slider — in fact it’s a hanger pretty much down the middle. However, given that the pitch looks like a fastball off the plate up and in out of Rodón’s hand, he’s able to freeze Holliday for strike one looking.

Once you show the hitter that you can land your breaking ball in the zone for a called strike, it should amplify the chase potential when following it up with another bender out of the zone.

Instead, Rodón throws pretty much the same pitch as the one he just threw, another mistake slider that catches the heart of the plate. Luckily for him, it appears Holliday is still hunting the fastball given how early and off-balance this swing is to pop it weakly foul and out of play.

After getting away with a pair of mistake sliders, I wasn’t at all surprised to see Rodón change course to the four-seamer here.

Rodón hurls his fastest and best located fastball of his entire outing, and not just because of the leverage of the situation. He pinpoints this 96 mph heater right on the corner up and away, a successful ABS challenge from Wells overturning the initial ball call for the inning-ending strike three looking to strand the bases loaded. In a way, he was almost helped by the first two not-so-great sliders he threw. It feels like Holliday is now sitting on a third straight slider in this spot, meaning he is even more likely to take an up-and-away fastball given the way he saw the last two sliders move away (not that he was likely to make contact with this flawlessly executed four-seamer even if he had swung).

Here’s the full sequence:

Given Rodón had completed just a pair of rehab starts following the seven-week layoff, there was a lot to feel encouraged by in these four innings of work and particularly these two ABs. First and foremost was the four-seamer, whose velocity, shape, and command looked to be in mid-season form rather than a first MLB start in almost two months. However, I was most impressed by Rodón dialing up his focus when facing this massive early jam. Having just scored in the top of the inning, it would have stung that little bit extra to immediately throw it away, especially following the error. Rodón made some of his best pitches of the start when he needed them most. I’m sure he would love to rein in the walks which have peppered his ten starts and steadily increase the pitch count beyond the 60-70 range set for this outing, but all in all you have to feel optimistic about where he’s at.

Rodón’s somewhat surprising early activation off the IL to start this game was accompanied by an even more surprising corresponding roster move, the Yankees placing Max Fried on the 15-day IL with a recurrence of the elbow bone bruise that kept him out for over two months. While the prognosis on Fried’s injury is far more encouraging this time around, it shows how important it was for Rodón to return when he did and pitch with the sharpness he exhibited.

Any parent deserves a good seat to watch their kid hit his first minor league home run. Scott Strosnider doesn't roll that way.

Strosnider's son, Sawyer, hit his first career professional home run Wednesday, Aug. 19 for the Milwaukee Brewers' Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. And guess who caught the ball?

That would be dad, who, as Sawyer told MiLB.com, has a habit of roaming the stadium, restlessly watching. This time, he headed to the "party deck" at Fox Cities Stadium, just beyond the right field fence.

And Sawyer sent him a special delivery.

The 66th overall pick in last month's MLB draft ripped a pitch 103 mph off the bat and right into the hands of Scott Strosnider, who made a nifty catch - and even caught it on video. Sawyer pointed out that way as all pros do, though typically they're saluting their bullpen.

FIRST PRO HOME RUN FOR SAWYER STROSNIDER🔥

Strosnider blasted a solo shot 103 mph off the bat!

Rattlers 3 | Captains 2 #tratnationpic.twitter.com/7wpdFcPsB2

— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) August 19, 2026

This time it was, "Nice catch, Pops."

"My dad, he can't sit still, so he loves to run around the stadium," Strosnider said, per MLB.com. "I'll just be looking up after a foul ball or something and see him on every different side of the stadium. I think it was just the right place at the right time."

That's certainly one way to avoid negotiating with a fan for a milestone baseball.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch: Brewers prospect hits first pro home run and dad catches ball

Deja vu all over again – day game, trying to deny a sweep.

First pitch for Grant Holmes vs. Anthony Kay is at 2:10 pm ET.

Game Notes

Pitching preview

Lineups

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome back to Thursday Afternoon Baseball featuring the Kansas City Royals. In today’s episode, the Good Guys look for win no. 5 in a row (which would also be six out of seven) against the dastardly Athletics, who, once upon a time, called Kansas City home. Now, they’re the only team without one.

On the mound for the Royals will be Randy Dobnak, his stellar beard, and flowing locks. Dobnak, making his seventh start of the season, looks to follow up on his solid start against the Angels back on August 15th. In the game, in which he received no decision, and which the Angels ultimately won, 1-0, Dobnak pitched 5-and-2/3 innings while striking out six, walking two, allowing four hits, and giving up zero runs. Alas: he had no run support.

For the year, Dobnak is 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.296 WHIP, with 25 strikeouts and 16 walks in 41-and-2/3 innings. I wouldn’t mind Dobnak returning to the Royals in 2027 (if a season happens) but only as the team’s fourth or fifth starter. Right now, I imagine next year’s rotation looking something like this:

1. Michael Wacha
2. Noah Cameron
3. Seth Lugo
4. Randy Dobnak
5. ?????

I would not be opposed to signing a starter who takes over the first slot and pushes everyone else down. Can the Royals compete with a rotation headlined by Wacha/Cameron/Lugo/Dobnak? Eh.

Also, if you’re one of those fans who doesn’t like talking about next season on August 20th, well, may I point out to you the standings? Wins and losses are moot at this point. Contention is out the window. Let a man dream.

Back to the here and now: the Royals face another lefty today, this one named Gage Jump. Reminds me of Jame Gumb. It puts the lotion on its skin. Anyway, Gumb—I mean, Jump—is only 23, a rookie, and not having a bad year. He’s been a bright spot on this blight of a season for the Nomadletics: 5-7, 4.50 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.449 WHIP, 85 strikeouts, 37 walks over 15 games started in which he’s pitched a total of 78 innings. The A’s drafted him just two years about out of LSU.

Facing a lefty, you get the Royals’ lefty lineup:

Carter Jensen receives off the afternoon with Luke Maile behind the dish, Salvador Perez manning first, and Vinnie Pasquantino DHing. In case you missed it, Starling Marte is no longer available off the bench, as the Royals released him this morning. I’m sad that didn’t work out.

No active Royal has faced Jump.

With Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia back in the lineup the past few games, the Royals look like they have 7/9 of a decent lineup. For next season, I’d like a different left fielder and for Salvy to move permanently to a back-up role. Kyle Isbel and Tyler Tolbert could platoon in center.

For SacramentoLas Vegas the Athletics

Not much to say about this lineup. Lawrence Butler has struggled. No Nick Kurtz again. He’s only on the 10-day IL, but hasn’t played since July 31st. I wouldn’t be surprised if they shut him down entirely.

Uh…yeah. That’s about it. Behold the lineup for the worst team in baseball.

First pitch at 1:10.

Its a Thursday afternoon, and everyone is all grouchy after last night’s loss.

Seems like a good time to offer up a trivia question.

Once again, a couple of rules…

1 — Put a spoiler over your answer in the comments.

2 — Don’t go digging around on baseball sites to try to discover the answer. This is a trivia question, not a scavenger hunt.

Here is an alphabetical list of professional baseball pitchers:

Greg Maddux

Terry Mulholland

Chan Ho Park

Curt Schilling

John Smoltz

These pitchers are all tied for first place in a very specific category involving them doing the most of something.

Can you guess what category that is?

I will provide an update with the answer later on today.

When Edward Cabrera returned from his injury, Craig Counsell announced that he’d go back in the rotation and David Peterson would go to the bullpen.

Welp. As you know, Cabrera’s start was a disaster and he wound up back on the injured list with a blister. Earlier this week I had asked you in the SB Nation Reacts survey who you’d like to see in the rotation to replace Cabrera.

Here are the results:

The majority got their wish, as Peterson will be added back to the rotation this weekend. He’s now the scheduled starter for Saturday against the Mariners in Seattle.

Peterson did make one relief appearance during his “banishment,” 1.1 scoreless innings and 22 pitches during the Cubs’ win over the White Sox on Monday. So he’ll be going on normal rest in Saturday’s game and with that low pitch count Monday, should be able to (hopefully) go deep into the game.

The question remains: When Cabrera is eligible to return from the IL, should he go back in the rotation? I’m pretty sure the answer from most of you will be “no,” as Peterson has been quite effective since that awful start against the Cardinals in early July. In seven games since then: 2.06 ERA, 1.229 WHIP, 3.86 FIP and the Cubs won six of those seven games.

Cabrera might actually be quite effective out of the pen. He throws hard — up to 97 — and that 94 mile per hour changeup is a good out pitch when he has it working. And throwing one inning at a time might help him with his blister issue.

As always, we await developments.

Here are the results of the national question asked this week.

This is something with which I concur. The Diamondbacks, for example, made the postseason in 2023 with a negative run differential — 746 runs scored, 761 allowed. They were 84-78. Of course, with wild card teams you’re going to likely have some near-.500 teams in the postseason and in fact, this year there could be more than one with the American League Wild Card race currently with six teams within 1.5 games of the last wild card spot, every one of them under .500. And the AL West-leading Astros are only one game over .500.

All you have to do is get in and get hot for four weeks in October.

The Cubs, most likely, are a 92-95 win team and don’t have to worry about that — but still will have to have four hot weeks in October. Make it so.

This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.

After winning 22-0 in Tuesday night’s series opener, the Brewers dropped last night’s game 7-5 against the Mariners, as Dustin May got off to a very shaky start, but the bullpen did all they could to keep Milwaukee in the game.

The Crew will look to bounce back for a series victory in Thursday afternoon’s rubber match, as left-hander Robert Gasser gets the ball opposite George Kirby for Seattle.

Gasser, 27, has made 14 starts this season, with a 3-5 record, 4.54 ERA, 4.60 FIP, and 68 strikeouts across 73 1/3 innings. He went 6 1/3 innings against the Dodgers his last time out, allowing three runs on eight hits (two homers) and a walk while striking out seven in a 3-1 Brewer loss.

Kirby, 28, has made 23 starts this year, with an 8-9 record, 3.89 ERA, 3.78 FIP, and 114 strikeouts across 136 2/3 innings. He’s coming off a no-decision, as he went 4 2/3 innings against the Astros, allowing five runs on eight hits (one homer) and three walks, striking out two.

Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and Jake Bauers sit at the top of Milwaukee’s order, followed by Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, and Joey Ortiz, who moves up to the six spot in the order after a strong month and a half. Garrett Mitchell, David Hamilton, and Luis Lara round things out.

First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

The Braves are back in town for one game against the White Sox to finish a series from June 11. The White Sox have already taken the first two games and have a chance to sweep the Braves this afternoon. Atlanta was just swept by the Twins after losing two of three to the Diamondbacks, so ideally that trend will carry over today.

The Good Guys are back to their regular pitching rotation today with Anthony Kay on the mound. Since the team no longer has today off and went deep into the bullpen during the Crosstown Classic, a lengthy outing from Kay would give the relief corps a much-needed break. Sam Antonacci is back in the leadoff spot today, Drew Romo is behind the plate, and it’s Montgomery squared with Braden and Colson hitting back-to-back.

Grant Holmes (7-5) will be on the mound for the visiting team. Holmes is fresh off a poor start in which he gave up six hits, six earned runs and three walks in 3 2/3 frames in a 10-3 loss against Arizona. Holmes was also the starter for the June 9 game against the White Sox.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT. You can watch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.

Back on July 7, with the Mets toiling at 38-53 and the writing on the wall ahead of an eventual trade deadline, sell-off, I wrote that the lost 2026 season seemed more like an isolated nightmare than the start of a prolonged downturn. 

That was a hard sell at the time, given the recent firing of manager Carlos Mendoza and the freshness of the failed campaign -- following an offseason where president of baseball operationsDavid Stearns engineered wholesale changes to the roster and coaching staff.

But the main thesis of my argument was that, while Stearns had seemingly miscalculated a number of things, nearly everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong.

In April, there was a season-crushing, aberrational 12-game losing streak that coincided with Juan Soto's first calf injury of the year.

Freddy Peralta, acquired in the offseason to help lead the rotation, inexplicably posted a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts for New York before being traded to the Rays, where he has a 7.53 ERA in three starts. 

Major injuries hit not only the players who had checkered injury histories (such as Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr.), but those who were almost always healthy (including Francisco Lindorand Soto). New York lost one of its most important pitchers and clubhouse leaders (Clay Holmes) to a freak injury when his leg was broken by a line drive in the middle of May, throwing the rotation into disarray. 

Nearly every bounce back candidate (Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and David Peterson) had flopped.  

Bo Bichette, potentially due to a bit of an adjustment period on a new team in a new city while learning a new position, started off very poorly at the plate, and didn't get his legs under him until June. 

Through July 7, the Mets had also been unlucky, including a 9-16 record in one-run games that was shocking given how good their bullpen was. In other words, it seemed like something that would revert to the mean -- along with their injury luck and some better performance from players who were too good to be that bad.

New York's BABIP to that point was the second-worst in baseball. And the difference between their wOBA (weighted on-base average) and xwOBA (expected weighted on base average) was also massive. The Mets' xwOBA was .322, which was 11th in MLB. Their actual wOBA was .299, which ranked 29th. That 23-point spread was tied with the Mariners and Reds for biggest gap between actual production and expected production.

To be clear, this is in no way meant to excuse the Mets' play over the first three months of the season, which was often uninspired and sloppy. But it was quite clear that all was not lost, that there was a foundation in place that could help New York turn things around quickly and -- with some offseason reinforcements -- contend again in 2027.

Since July 8, the Mets' record is 20-16. They are 17-13 since the All-Star break, and 11-4 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Their record in one-run games during that span is 5-4, with the Mets' outcome in tight contests normalizing.

The Mets' wOBA since July 8 is .319 (11th-best in the majors), while their xwOBA is .309 -- a spread that is more indicative of their talent than the wild 23-point spread they had prior.

Bo Bichette looks like Bo Bichette, with a .313/.357/.457 triple slash since June 18, Lindor (whose career was left for dead by some because he had a rough 10 days to start the season) has an .802 OPS since returning from the IL, Manaea has a 3.71 ERA and has regained his velocity since returning to the rotation on June 13, and Senga is excelling in a late-inning relief role.

If you go all the way back to June 25, which was the day after Lindor was activated from a two-plus month IL stint, the Mets are a .500 team. And if they win on Friday against the White Sox, their record since May 1 will be 49-49. That's nothing to write home about given their initial expectations, but certainly not a hopeless disaster that is doomed for seasons to come.

So it's fair to say things have evened out.

But the most promising thing about the 2026 Mets has been the emergence of the homegrown players who look like they'll be mainstays.

There's Carson Benge coming into his own offensively while unleashing seeds from right field to nail runners at the plate, A.J. Ewing emerging as an answer in the outfield, Nolan McLean displaying moxie and often dominating near the top of the rotation, Christian Scott missing bats at an elite rate in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, and Zac Thornton impressing at the back of the rotation.

Since the trade deadline, which saw New York deal nearly one-third of its active roster (including four key bullpen members), the remade relief corps with Senga now at the back end hasn't missed a beat. Left-hander Nate Lavender's swing-and-miss stuff has translated, Daniel Duarte has emerged as a legitimate option, and jumping Jefry Yan is firing 100 mph fastballs.

Meanwhile, most of the prospects the Mets got back in their deadline deals have been on fire since joining the organization. That includes Jefferson Rojas, who could figure prominently in the second base mix next season. Another possible second base option in the near future is Mitch Voit, New York's first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, who has been having an offensive breakout since being promoted to Binghamton.

With all of this as a backdrop, the Mets are playing a crisp, fun, exciting brand of baseball that has reignited the fanbase -- making these technically meaningless (barring a miracle) late-season games at Citi Field something to look forward to.

That's because when you squint just a bit, it's easy to see that this has been coming together for months, and that many of the players who are helping to author this change should figure prominently in 2027. While this season will not be remembered fondly, it might be a year that is eventually looked back on as the start of things coming together -- even if it took longer for the Mets to get there than they originally hoped.

Amid the summer heat, and on a Monday no less, the Yankees announced they were placing Max Fried on the injured list. The news broke with a very general release saying the move was retroactive to Friday and due to a left elbow bone bruise. The same injury that cost Fried two months already this year.

Since Monday was an off day, we had to wait a full night and day before we got to hear from Aaron Boone on the news. When he was finally in front of the cameras, the skipper downplayed the news and made it seem like Fried and the team, or a collective “we,” made the decision for an injured list stint. Us fans were then treated to four good innings from Carlos Rodón, which made the place start skipping his last rehab start like Fried did on his way back.

On Wednesday, Boone went on a podcast and said that Fried did not want to miss time and further downplayed how serious the injury appears to be at the current time. He doubled down on the idea that the team wanted to ensure they did not let a little thing become a big thing. The slight shift in message and the big shift in tone make it feel like a game of telephone.

However, this relatively consistent information and positive reassurance should make us feel better, right? But I cannot be alone in wondering why this does not make me feel any better.

After consideration, I have decided I, or the collective “we,” have some traumatic, or probably just dramatic, fan stress disorder. This can most realistically be traced back to the first time for many of us when the Yankees punted the season and sold off players at the deadline. One of those acquired players was Clint Frazier.

Many have their opinions on Frazier. The nuts and bolts of it are that he went on to have an injury-riddled career stemming mostly from a concussion suffered with the Yankees in 2018. The team pushed the star prospect narrative hard on us and then quickly blamed injuries as the cause for his washout. Frazier has since publicly criticized how the Yankees handled his injuries and given legs to the “we can’t trust the team” argument for many fans.

Frazier was really just the visible part of the iceberg. Anthony Rizzo is the big chunk and main cause of our still-prevalent angst. Remember watching Rizzo get absolutely trucked and then play like a shell of himself for over a month back in 2023? Rizzo was officially diagnosed with a concussion after playing 46 games.

I am not a medical doctor, but the eye test, numbers, and quick decline raised alarms in all of us, it seemed, other than the team itself. Before the collision, Rizzo had an .880 OPS. During that month-plus, his OPS was .496. It made many of us feel like they simply needed to save the player from himself, if nothing else.

In the 2025 season, we got essentially the combination of Frazier and Rizzo with Anthony Volpe’s injury. The former star prospect was clearly battling something for essentially the whole year. Boone pounded the table for his young shortstop all season, and they kept saying it was not the issue.

Then, following the season, surgery revealed Volpe’s shoulder injury was far more extensive than what their initial in-season MRIs had indicated. Cashman, in the most Cashman way, even admitted that it was likely part of the issue after all. So another player clearly fought through an injury for a large stretch of the season, with the team trying to tell us logic, data, and our own eyes were not adding up correctly. Volpe might not be much better than his performance in 2025, but the team should have given the young man a break instead of cortisone and hope.

Sebastian Junger himself could have written the perfect storm of injuries the Yankees have had during the 2026 season and how they directly contribute to the reluctance to accept the Yankees’ optimism on Fried. When Giancarlo Stanton goes down with soft-tissue stuff, it is hard to put a date on his return. Then you have the Yankees captain, who prefers to stay private in his affairs. Since the team likely lacks a true ETA on Stanton and has respected Aaron Judge’s wishes about return timetables, both situations only further fuel all of our stomach aches.

That brings us full circle back to Fried. A recurring injury. But not a big injury this time. A move meant to make sure a little thing does not become a thing, even though it was already once a pretty big thing not long ago and is usually a precursor for a really big thing. Ugh.

How the team has handled injuries in the past, and the way it communicates, has led us to this point. Will Fried, Stanton, or Judge come back this season? Will any of them end up having surgery in the offseason? Your guess is as good as any.

And if you feel hesitant to buy into the injury optimism with Fried, I am with you. I want to accept the optimism, but recent history makes it hard to take the positive news without at least a grain of salt.

Game three in the ballpark of the damned. This is game #129. It is starting to get serious.

I spent a fair bit of time, this morning, cleaning a fish tank. I had a few fish in it and then we went on holiday, with my son looking after the house. Well, the filter stopped working and he didn’t notice until way too late. I kept it going until the last fish died (he was a fighter) and now I’m trying to make it livable again.

I’m not sure I’m really a fish guy, but I’m going to refill it with water tomorrow and hopefully, in a week or two add fish.

Today’s lineup: