Category: Baseball

Paul Toboni and the Nationals front office must have been in a giving mood last night because they made all sorts of promotions. Several prospects, including some of the biggest names in the organization rose up the ranks. Eli Willits, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Ethan Petry were among the players to be promoted.

This is a monster day for the organization. Willits and Fitz-Gerald are two of the Nats top five prospects, and now they are moving up. Fitz-Gerald is headed to Double-A, while Willits takes his place in the High-A infield. None of these promotions were overly surprising, just all of them happening at once was a bit of a shock to the system.

The biggest promotion of the day was Eli Willits, the former number one overall pick. Willits got off to a slower start, but has picked it up in a huge way. After a monster series this week, Willits is now hitting .300 with a .918 OPS in Low-A. Of course, Willits also brings elite defense and base running to this quality offensive game. 

So far this season, Willits has been a slightly different hitter than expected. His 23.3% strikeout rate is a little bit higher than anticipated. However, he has shown more power than evaluators were expecting, especially this early in his career. Willits already has 6 homers and 14 extra base hits on the season. He is also one of just ten 18 year olds to have at least a 150 wRC+ at Low-A, with some impressive names on that list.

Having seen Willits, he just looks like such a safe bet to be at least a solid big leaguer, which is a crazy thing to say about an 18 year old. Everything he does on the field is so smooth and natural. He is an incredibly sure handed fielder, with just one error all season. Willits could probably play a quality big league shortstop tomorrow. He is also like the energizer bunny on the bases. The youngster is always looking to make plays, as shown by his 29 steals.

He will be in for a fun matchup to start his High-A career though. The Blue Rocks head to Greensboro, where an elite pitching prospect resides. Seth Hernandez was the 6th overall pick in last year’s draft and has established himself as an elite pitching prospect already. He absolutely tore through Low-A before his promotion. Now the two blue chip prospects will likely face off sometime this week.

Willits is the biggest name to be promoted in this spree, but there are plenty of other movements on the farm. Talk Nats was all over this, so a major shoutout to him. One promotion that was a long time coming was Ethan Petry’s move to Double-A. 

As a productive SEC hitter, it just felt like High-A was too easy for Petry. Now, he will be tested at the Double-A level. I will be looking to see if his contact rates stay strong. Petry was making in zone contact at an above average clip in High-A despite being known as a power over hit guy. If those contact skills translate to AA, he could be a potential top 100 prospect.

Speaking of top 100 prospects, Devin Fitz-Gerald got called up to Double-A as well. The timing on this one is intriguing because DFG was in the midst of a major slump. He just snapped an 0 for 22 skid in his most recent game. However, before this cold streak, Fitz-Gerald was one of the hottest bats in all of minor league baseball. There was a time last month where it felt like he was homering every game.

While Fitz-Gerald has cooled off, his season OPS is still above .900. That is highly impressive for a 20 year old who plays his home games in pitcher friendly park. There is also a chance that his slump may have actually led to his promotion. That home run frenzy may have led to some bad habits forming. By getting to a new level, Fitz-Gerald is going to have to focus on making contact rather than swinging for the fences on every swing.

Those home runs might have made Fitz-Gerald’s swing a little too big. He has a great ability to pull the ball in the air, which leads to homers, but DFG should not be trying to be a home run hitter. Fitz-Gerald is at his best when he is trying to hit line drives to right field and then swinging for the fences when he gets the right pitch. Once he remembers that he is a pure hitter with power and not a slugger, the results will come.

One other promotion I wanted to shout out is Jack Moroknek, who dominated in Low-A. He was a joy to talk to when I chatted to him for my story when I went down to Fredericksburg. Moroknek is a self aware guy, who knows he is not some mega prospect. He is just really happy to be playing professional baseball and being teammates with guys like Eli Willits. The 11th rounder still has a long way to go, but I am keeping my eye on him.

These are the only promotions we know for now, but there could be more coming. With Petry and Fitz-Gerald coming to Double-A, a Cayden Wallace promotion would make a lot of sense. Wallace is 24 and has been performing in Double-A. The Triple-A infield is crowded, but his versatility makes it easy to find him a spot in a lineup. Sam Petersen has also been hitting the ball well lately, but the AAA outfield is even more crowded.

This is a big day for the organization, especially with Willits being called up. After he was drafted, Eli Willits said his goal was to be in the big leagues by the time he is 20 years old. He will be 18 for all of this season, and has already made it to High-A. Willits is on track to be in the big leagues as a 20 year old, and could even get a cup of coffee as a teenager if he has a monster year next season.

While the big league team is making more noise than expected, the farm system is still a massive priority for the new regime. The farm has more depth than I can ever remember, and these promotions are a good example of that. In the past, a lot of players got promoted too quickly, with Seaver King being a good example. However, it is tough to say that any of these guys did not earn these promotions. I am excited to watch these guys perform at the next level and march to the big leagues.

Good morning! A tough ending to their game against the Detroit Tigers yesterday handed the Mariners a series loss.

The Mariners will continue their road trip with a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles beginning this afternoon, with Emerson Hancock taking the mound for the 3:35 PM start.

In Mariners news…

• Cal Raleigh reflects on his first rehab start with the Everett AquaSox as he progresses back from an oblique strain.
• Infielder Ryan Bliss has joined the Mariners’ taxi squad as J.P. Crawford remains out of the lineup due to a sore right hand.

Around the league…

• The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Max Kepler amid his 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.
• Chicago Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon will be placed on the IL after leaving the team’s game yesterday with a left hamstring strain.
• The Los Angeles Angels have placed RHP Jack Kochanwicz on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation.
• Detroit Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal threw five scoreless innings in his first rehab start yesterday.

(25-38) Norfolk Tide 6, (32-31) Gwinnett Stripers 0

• Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-for-5, .293/.389/.422
• DaShawn Keirsey Jr., CF: 2-for-5, SB, .263/.298/.387
• Brewer Hicklen, RF: 1-for-5, SB, .324/.389/.530
• Aaron Schunk, 1B: 0-for-1, 3 BB, SB, .240/.308/.387
• Luke Williams, 3B: 0-for-1, 3 BB, .227/.305/.367
• Owen Murphy, SP: 5IP 6H 5R 4ER 1BB 6K, 4.91 ERA

Box Score

The Stripers dropped a hard one, getting shut out by the Norfolk Tide and losing 6-0 while splitting the series at three games a piece.

Owen Murphy got the start and had an interesting game as he changed his pitch mix, nearly dropping his curveball entirely, in increasing his cutter usage significantly throughout the outing. Typically, Owen is primarily a fastball pitcher, thanks to his unique fastball that has an IVB that averages 18-22”, but those numbers were way down as he featured his cutter more. Overall, Owen generated 17 whiffs, and most of his trouble came off of a grand slam he allowed to Tommy Pham, also on a cutter. Connor Thomas (2IP 2H 1ER 1BB 1BB 0K) came in relief for Owen and allowed a run of his own across two innings of work. With the offense struggling and still being shut out, Daysbel Hernández (2IP 0H 0R 2BB 2K) worked the final two innings and kept the Tide scoreless.

Unfortunately, the offense struggled throughout the game. They faced six different arms, drew a staggering nine walks, but only had one extra-base hit while going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and stranding 13 on base. Every time the Stripers would threaten with runners on base they either hit into double plays, or struck out in clutch situations – including the first and second innings when they had runners on but hit into double plays each time. DaShawn Keirsey Jr., fresh off being added to the forty man roster, was the only hitter to collect more than one hit, however three players (Brett Wisely, Aaron Schunk, and Luke Williams) all got on base three times each, drawing three walks a piece.

(26-28) Columbus Clingstones @ (28-27) Rocket City Trash Pandas – Canceled/Rain

(22-32) Greenville Drive @ (30-26) Rome Emperors – Canceled/Rain

(22-35) Delmarva Shorebirds 4, (30-27) Augusta GreenJackets 0

• Conor Esssenburg, CF: 1-for-4, .246/.373/.449
• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-for-4, .280/.325/.347
• Cooper McMurray, DH: 2-for-3, BB, .212/.361/.364
• Davis Polo, SP: 6IP 4H 2R 1ER 0BB 8K, 3.22 ERA

Box Score

The GreenJackets just couldn’t get things started offensively as they struck out 11 times as a team, while collecting just four total hits all while failing to draw a single walk. They went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, while stranding 10 on base. To put the cherry on top of it all, they also committed three errors in a game they will want to forget.

Davis Polo got the start for Augusta and turned in another strong start generating an astounding 20 whiffs on 84 pitches. The return from a shoulder injury has gone fantastic for Davis as he has leaned into his three pitch mix to great results. The first run he gave up came in the second inning when a triple turned into an inside the park home run, after an error by catcher Nick Montgomery. The second run came in the third inning when he hit Shorebirds catcher Nolaya, who then stole second, and took third on a throwing error by catcher Nick Montgomery. He then scored on a single with one out – that was the final run given up by Davis. Kendy Richard (3IP 4H 2ER 0BB 3K) replaced Davis Polo and gave up a pair of runs himself, one in the seventh and one in the ninth.

Offensively, the GreenJackets were unable to overcome the defensive mistakes as they struggled to get anything done with the bat. Cody Miller, now finding himself at the top of the lineup in Augusta, went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts – continuing his difficult 2026, though he did pick up a pair of stolen bases. Cooper McMurray got on base three times as he picked up a pair of singles and drew a walk. With just six total bases, it was a game to forget for Augusta offense.

Game Recaps

[Dbacks.com] ‘Pretty dominant’: Soroka’s latest gem salvages D-backs’ homestand – Behind another good outing from Michael Soroka, the Diamondbacks beat the Nationals, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon to avoid a sweep in the three-game series. They finished up their week at home with a 3-4 mark. “Probably an incomplete grade,” manager Torey Lovullo said when asked to assess the homestand. “Nothing overly alarming, and nothing to get overly excited about. I want to come home and win baseball games. “It’s been a bit of an up-and-down stretch for the Diamondbacks. They dominated a run of 13 straight games against the NL’s two worst teams, going a combined 11-2 against the Rockies and Giants. They got swept in Seattle before coming home to face the Dodgers for four games.

[AZ Central] Michael Soroka’s career revival continues with 8th win of season – Michael Soroka’s last winning season was 2019, when he went 13-4 for Atlanta and was a National League All-Star. Seven years later, he’s headed toward more wins than losses; he’s 8-3 after holding the Nationals to a run on three hits over seven innings on Sunday, June 7, at Chase Field. Soroka matched his season high for most innings pitched in a game, and also struck six. He recorded his first seven-inning game with one or fewer runs allowed since August 2019. “It says a lot about how the team’s played,” Soroka said, asked what eight wins says about how he’s pitched in 2026. “I’ve been on the other end of the wins stat in my career. I went 0-and-10 in 2024. I didn’t pitch well for a good chunk of that. But these guys have supported me with some runs and some good defense.”

Team news

[MLB Trade Rumors] Diamondbacks Sign Max Kepler – News broke last January about Kepler’s positive test for the PED known as Epitrenbolone, and with Kepler still on the free agent market, his camp and Major League Baseball worked out an agreement for Kepler to serve his 80-game suspension even if he didn’t land a new contract. Since Kepler didn’t sign until now, he has been serving his 80-game suspension as if he was still a member of the Phillies (his former team). This makes June 25 the first day Kepler is eligible to take part in the 2026 season, so he’ll get a couple of weeks of ramp-up time in the minor leagues before making his D’Backs debut. Even before the suspension, Kepler was likely facing a tough market given his lack of production with the Phillies last year. He hit .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs over 474 plate appearances, and even those modest numbers now come under the cloud of the PED suspension.

[SI] What D-backs’ Ugly Series Loss to Nationals Told Us — And What It Didn’t – After being blown out 14-1 in game one, the D-backs picked up just two hits against Zack Littell in game two. Littell had an ERA north of 5.00 coming in to Saturday’s game. But more critically, Arizona could not find a way to bring runners home once on base. They turned in a dismal 1-for-12 performance with runners in scoring position in this series, including an 0-for-7 day in game three’s 5-1 win. That game might have been a blowout victory with a semblance of improved RISP hitting. It’s a problem that the Diamondbacks only had 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position. It’s a worse problem only one resulted in a hit. This will have to change very quickly.

[Arizona Daily Star] Early signs point to progress in Diamondbacks’ pitching pipeline – “It’s good to see progress, but it’s too early to necessarily say what the long-term progress is going to be in that area,” D-backs general manager Mike Hazen said. “It’s going to take some time.” Hazen said some of the improvements can be traced to philosophical changes and processes implemented by Jeremy Bleich, the club’s new assistant general manager, who was hired in December to revamp the team’s pitching infrastructure. Hazen said Bleich has made a “major impact” on improving strike-throwing from a mentality standpoint. He said the club’s changes to add velocity are still taking shape. “We’re obviously trying to build the engines of our pitchers safely, engines that can drive higher average velocities and I think they’re doing a good job of that,” Hazen said.

[MLB] Tommy Troy on his training, his father’s influence

Not THIS again department…

[Arizona Sports] Report: D-backs 2B Ketel Marte continuing to frustrate segments of organization with absences – Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte has continued to frustrate segments of the organization for taking days off, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Marte missed the Diamondbacks’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. The decision was a combination of Marte and Arizona’s medical staff due to lower back and hamstring issues, and they did not want to risk further injury, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro. Marte’s absence was a talking point last season as there was some drama off the field due to absences and days-off requests around the All-Star break, which reportedly rubbed teammates the wrong way given the timing of the requests. He later apologized.

And, elsewhere…

[MLB] Top 10 Plays of the Week

[AP] Kyle Freeland now Rockies’ all-time innings pitched leader – The Denver native got Luis Rengifo to fly out in the fifth inning to take over the top spot. That first out to center put Freeland at 1,312 2/3 innings for his career and one-third ahead of Aaron Cook, the sinkerball specialist who notched 1,312 1/3 innings for Colorado from 2002 to ’11. Freeland received an ovation and made sure to appreciate the moment — just like former Rockies manager Bud Black once instructed.”I kind of thought of Buddy, that he’d love for me to tip the cap,” Freeland said after the Brewers finished off a three-game sweep with a 12-4 win Sunday. “I know that he would have probably told me, ‘Hey, make sure you tip your cap to the fans out there for their support of you over the years.’ I made sure I found my family to tip my cap to them, too.”

The War Between (2025)

• Rating: C+
• Dir: Deborah Correa
• Star: Damian Conrad-Davis, Sam Bullington, Wayne Charles Baker, Essa O’Shea

We’re familiar with the location in which this takes place. Picacho Peak is just off to the right of I-10, as we head down to Tucson. By our marriage vows, I am required to refer to it as “Pikachu Peak,” every time we pass it, and Chris is obliged to roll her eyes and snort derisively. In 1862, it was the site of the second-most Western conflict of the Civil War, though the “Battle of Picacho Pass” hardly deserves the name, since it was more of a ninety-minute skirmish. There was barely a dozen men on either side, with the Confederate group prevailing and able subsequently to warn Tucson of the approaching Union army. It’s in the wake of this event that the film begins.

Read more

John Hudek’s start was something that only Hollywood could conjure up.     A year to the day from when he was in Toledo, Ohio and the Tigers dropped from the 40-man roster, he’d appear as an All-Star for the Houston Astros.    He was a model of perseverance.  He’s reliever John Hudek, and he’s our 23rd entry of our continuing Legends Series.    

Q:  You made your MLB debut with the Astros in April of 1994.  Three months later you were an All-Star.  What do you remember about that 1994 All Star Game?   

A:  In the game, first they told me to go and get loose.  So, I threw like five pitches and I was ready, I was so hyped up.  I honestly didn’t even know I was facing Cal Ripken Jr and I struck him out.   I just brought fastballs to him pretty much.   I was so locked in.     

My approach was always; it’s me against you, so I didn’t even pay attention to who I was facing.   Afterwards though, I was like oh my gosh!    I got Cal!    (laughs)     

Q:  That 1994 All-Star Game was also fun because at one point, you, Doug Drabek, Biggio, Bagwell and Caminiti were all on the field together. What was it like having so many teammates on the All-Star team?  

A:  Back then having five in the All-Star Game was a big deal.  It was such an incredible experience.   

You’ll remember that was the year that Bagwell was hitting everything.    It didn’t matter if there were no outs, or two outs, he was getting guys who were on base in.    The thing about that group of five, is that we all earned the right.    

Drabek had won the Cy Young with Pittsburgh earlier so going back and playing that night was awesome.   

Q:  Of the 194 games that you appeared in, what was the most memorable for you?

A:  I had situations that were cool.    My first official save was incredible.   Sometimes what I remember is just the friendships.  

One time, I gave up a bomb and Bagwell is out there and he’s taking forever to come in and I’m like, “let’s go” and he’s like I can’t, I’m waiting for that ball to come down that you threw (laughs).   That thing went all the way up on the tarps in Miami but that’s how we would bring each other down to earth.    Stuff would happen every outing, but every save was special and of course that All-Star Game was big.    

In one my career official at bat, I actually got a hit and drove in a pair of runs!    

Q:  How close a group was that 1994 team?

A:  I played with Derek Bell in High School.   Gonzo was also there, Dave Magadan was from there, so all of those guys and then you had so many great players thrown into the mix, it was a special group and time.   Those guys didn’t have any attitudes; they just played hard and had fun.

Hickory starter Evan Siary allowed two runs in five innings, striking out four and walking one. Owen Proksch struck out two and walked one in two innings. Michael Trausch faced four batters, threw six strikes in 21 pitches, and allowed a hit, three walks and two runs.

Hector Osorio was 3 for 5 with a homer — his 13th of the year — and I wouldn’t be shocked if this was his last game at Hickory. Paulino Santana had a pair of doubles. Daniel Flames doubled. Josh Springer had a hit. Brayling more had a pinch hit single.

Hickory box score

Hub City starter D.J. McCarty struck out nine in 4.2 IP, allowing two runs, including a solo homer, and walking one. Case Matter threw 0.2 scoreless. Joey Danielson struck out two in a shutout inning.

Yeison Morrobel was 3 for 5 with a walk and a homer. Esteban Mejia was 3 for 4 with a homer and a stolen base. Maxton Martin had a hit.

Hub City box score

Frisco played a pair.

In Game One, Dylan MacLean gave up four runs in four innings, striking out two and allowing a pair of homers. Josh Trentadue walked one in a shutout inning. Wilian Bormie threw a scoreless inning.

Josh Smith began his rehab assignment, hit leadoff, playing second base, and was 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk. Rafe Perich homered. Dylan Dreiling had a hit and a pair of walks.

In Game Two, Bryan Magdaleno walked two and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Ryan Lobus threw 1.2 scoreless innings.

Josh Smith led off and DH’d in Game Two, going 0 for 1 with a walk before being lifted for a pinch hitter. Rafe Perich was 2 for 3 with a homer. Ian Moller homered.

Frisco Game One box score

Frisco Game Two box score

Round Rock starter David Davalillo was lifted after recording just two outs, likely because he was at 34 pitches for the inning, with an 11 pitch walk to Alek Thomas being his final batter. Thomas Ireland allowed two runs in three innings, striking out two and walking two. Gavin Collyer allowed a run in 1.1 IP, striking out one and walking one. Michael Otanez struck out one and walked one in 0.2 IP, allowing a run. Emiliano Teodo walked one and struck out one in a shutout inning.

Alejandro Osuna was 2 for 4. Cam Cauley and Blaine Crim each had a hit.

Round Rock box score

The Yankees flirted with leaving the weekend against the Red Sox winless, as they were tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the eighth and hadn’t taken advantage of an excellent day from Cam Schlittler. Thankfully the Bombers’ bats came alive at last, Cody Bellinger breaking the ice with a solo shot before a Trent Grisham RBI single and a three-run blast by Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave the Yanks some breathing room. Final score: 6-1 Yanks and an offense hopefully back on track.

Here’s what else was going on in American League action on Sunday, which included a key game that brought the Yanks back to the forefront of the AL East.

Tampa Bay Rays (37-25) 1, Miami Marlins (31-35) 4

The Fish really did the Yankees a solid over the weekend, as despite entering with a 29-34 record, they took two out of three from the first-place Rays. In fairness to Tampa Bay, Sunday was a tougher matchup with former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara in control. He went seven strong innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk, the lone score coming in the third when Yandy Díaz singled in Taylor Walls after the latter swiped second.

Griffin Jax isn’t a schmuck though, and for his part, the recently-converted reliever shut the Marlins down in five scoreless frames. With Garrett Cleavinger, however, the Fish fared better. Liam Hicks worked a one-out walk in the sixth and Otto Lopez tied the game with a triple that Cedric Mullins failed to cut off in center.

Kyle Stowers lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Lopez and the Marlins were in front.

Miami added insurance runs after a strike-’em-out/throw-’em-out double play that was part of a three-batter seventh for Sandy. Steven Matz entered for Tampa Bay, fresh off his return to the bullpen with the Rays abandoning their effort to make him a starter again. His first relief appearance didn’t go so hot either. The lefty walked Esteury Ruiz, allowed a stolen base, and then issued a free pass to Jakob Marsee. The duo executed a double steal, and the Rays brought the infield in. Joe Mack grounded to shortstop, but catcher Hunter Fedducia couldn’t handle the throw home. Both Ruiz and Marsee scored to make it 4-1, Miami.

Michael Petersen and Anthony Bender combined to allow a mere Jonathan Aranda single across the final two innings as the Marlins took the series. The Rays are now back in a virtual tie with the Yankees for first place in the AL East, technically percentage points ahead of them at 37-25 (.597) vs. 38-26 (.594), but they have played two fewer games than the Yanks. On the MLB.com standings page, they’re even in terms of games ahead/behind. Regardless, the Rays host the Red Sox for three at the Trop next while the Yanks go to Cleveland.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (32-34) 6, Baltimore Orioles (31-35) 4: The Jays enjoyed beating Baltimore 6-4 so much on Saturday that they did the exact same thing yesterday. There was more drama to this one, as the O’s jumped out to a 4-0 lead with an ambush on Kevin Gausman, Colton Cowser and Taylor Ward both homering in the four-run fifth. An inning later, the Jays stormed back. Yohendrick Piñango led off with a homer against Shane Baz, and after a Jesús Sánchez double and an error by Gunnar Henderson, the floodgates opened. An RBI groundout, single, and double followed, the last an Andrés Giménez hit to tie the game at 4-4. Nathan Lukes then reached on an infield single that caromed off the mound, and the play was just so slow enough for Giménez to come all the way around to score. Brandon Valenzuela later homered off Rico Garcia for an insurance run and Louie Varland retired three batters in a row as the potential tying run to nail down the Jays win.

Seattle Mariners (34-32) 4, Detroit Tigers (27-39) 5: The brutal season for Andrés Muñoz continues. The two-time All-Star closer has been dreadful in 2026, and he blew another game on Sunday, dooming Seattle to a series loss at the hands of the Tigers. They’ve been playing better this past week, but Seattle had this one in hand. Run-scoring hits from Josh Naylor, Cole Young, and Randy Arozarena gave the M’s a 4-1 lead. It was trimmed to 4-3 due to an ineffective Cooper Criswell, and then Muñoz entered for the ninth. He issued consecutive walks with one out to Zach McKinstry and the man whose triple had already cut into Seattle’s lead, Wenceel Pérez. A soft grounder moved the runners over, and down to Detroit’s last out, rookie Kevin McGonigle came through with a two-run single to win it.

Cleveland Guardians (37-30) 0, Texas Rangers (32-33) 10: The Mariners’ loss was the Rangers’ gain, as the obliterated the Guardians to move to within a game and a half of Seattle in the underwhelming AL West race. (The A’s also won to move to within 2.5.) It was a nice atonement for Texas after a 6-0 loss on Saturday. Cleveland’s Joey Cantillo was obliterated to the tune of seven runs on nine hits, three of which came on homers to Josh Jung, Wyatt Langford, and Justin Foscue. Jacob deGrom threw six scoreless for the Rangers, yielding just three hits. The Guardians retained a two-game AL Central lead over the White Sox, who would be leading the AL West. Unfortunately for them, it is not 1983 or 1993.

The Royals have spent much of the season looking like a team destined to sell at the trade deadline. At 27-39, they own one of the American League’s worst records and remain on pace for nearly 100 losses. The starting pitching staff is likely to be targeted by several contenders.

USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale wrote an early preview of the trade deadline, focused largely on Tigers pitching star Tarik Skubal. He reports that Royals pitcher Kris Bubic is drawing interest from the upstart Athletics. But he adds, theRoyals may not be ready to dump their roster despite their record.

The Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins, two more teams going nowhere, say they aren’t ready to sell considering the AL absolutely stinks, and they are somehow still alive in the wild-card race.

Despite all their struggles, the Royals are only 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, and a recent stretch of five wins in seven games has offered a glimpse of the club many expected to contend this year.

Bubic has been out since mid-May with elbow soreness and had a bullpen session this week, but has no timetable to return. The 28-year-old Northern California native was an All-Star last year, and had a 4.11 ERA in nine starts this year, his final year before he is eligible for free agency.

If the Royals decide to become sellers, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha could also draw significant interest, although both are in the middle of multi-year contract extensions. Cole Ragans could be attractive if he can establish his health – he has also been since May and was shut down after he experienced discomfort in a rehab start. Relievers Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, and Alex Lange could also be targeted by teams needing bullpen help.

It was a day of completing series for the minor league teams. How did the team’s youngsters do?

Rochester 7, Lehigh Valley 6

Part of a looming issue facing the big league team right now is depth. What if there was a major injury of some kind, particularly to the pitching staff? Is there someone there that you would feel good about bringing to the major leagues? While the pitching staff would be a problem, what about the outfield? We know that Gabriel Rincones would likely be the initial choice, but outside of that? Keaton Anthony (2-5, RBI)? Dylan Carlson (2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI)? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Binghamton 4, Reading 2

Speaking of looming things, the trade deadline is coming. The team has a good amount of prospect capital playing in Reading right now, some of it performing quite well. Aroon Escobar (0-3, K) is one of those prospects that might attract attention, as is maybe Bryan Rincon (1-4) and Raylin Heredia (2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI). The pitching prospects? Maybe not so much.

Brooklyn 5, Jersey Shore 3

Pedro Leon (2-3, R, 3B, HR, 3 RBI) is an interesting player. Originally signed to give them some outfield depth at the major league level, he got hurt in spring training and has had to rehab and various parts of the minor leagues. Now in High-A, he’s been mashing the ball….but why isn’t he moving up the ladder? They have Dante Nori at Reading, which is who they’d like to get regular at bats at that level, but what about Lehigh Valley? Why not go there and see if he can be an option in centerfield there? Is Dylan Carlson too much to overcome? Do they like Leon enough to just let him hit the ball hard in Lakewood? I have questions.

Clearwater 11, St. Lucie 8

Nathan Humphreys, have a day. The young DH went 4-4 with two home runs and five RBI, leading the Threshers to victory. He wasn’t alone in the offensive explosion either. Juan Villavicencio and Jonathan Hogart each had three hits on the day, both hitting a home run. Sean Youngerman was pretty bad on the mound, allowing six runs in two innings, but when offenses are doing things like that, you can look past the mound struggles.

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The Milwaukee Brewers enter Monday's series opener in excellent form, and the matchup against Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs only adds to their appeal.

My Brewers vs. Athletics predictions and MLB picks are backing Milwaukee to continue its offensive surge and roll to a convincing victory behind another strong outing from Kyle Harrison.

Who will win Brewers vs A's today: Brewers -1.5 (-105)

The Milwaukee Brewers will see Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs in the series opener. He's struggling immensely over his last two starts, posting a 5.99 FIP while allowing an alarming 3.12 home runs per nine innings. 

Additionally, opponents have generated a 51.7% hard-hit rate against him during that stretch, while his FIP sits at 4.43 at home this season. The Brew Crew comes into this one absolutely red-hot at the dish, hitting .319 over their last seven games while averaging a hard-hit rate of 44.6%. 

Kyle Harrison, meanwhile, has been elite. He has a 2.45 xFIP in his last two appearances, and he's given up just 0.77 home runs per nine innings across those starts.

He also owns an impressive 1.69 ERA on the road in 2026. The Athletics haven't shown much power lately, either, carrying a .163 ISO over the last week. I'd play this pick up to -130. 

COVERS INTEL: Kyle Harrison has limited opponents to a 26.6% hard-hit rate in his last four outings and a barrel rate of just 4.7%. 

Brewers vs A's Over/Under pick: Under 10.5 (+100)

This is an incredibly high total, and I'm expecting most of the runs here to come from Milwaukee. The Brewers are averaging 8.7 runs across their last seven contests, although that number is somewhat inflated after scoring 16 against the Giants and 12 against the Rockies. Nevertheless, they're generating plenty of offense and should have success against Springs.

The A's, however, have struggled at the plate. They own just a 79 wRC+ and .289 wOBA over the last week, suggesting consistent offensive production could be difficult to come by.

Milwaukee's bullpen has also been terrific lately, posting a 3.00 xERA over the last 14 days while allowing just 0.54 home runs per nine innings.

This feels like a game where the Brewers do most of the scoring, while Kyle Harrison and Milwaukee's relief corps limit the damage on the other side. I'll play this up to -110.

Brewers vs A's odds

• Moneyline: Brewers -150 | A's +140
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (-104) | A's +1.5 (-100)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-117) | Under 10.5 (+113)

Brewers vs A's trend

The Brewers have covered the run line in 27 of their last 45 games for +11.80 units and a 22% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. A's.

How to watch Brewers vs A's and game info

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Back to even on the week, the Guardians proved that they can come back strong after a rough patch. They took down one of the biggest threats in the American League and avoided getting swept once again.

Bibee Gets First Win

While win-loss record isn’t much of an important stat for pitchers these days, it doesn’t look the greatest when a pitcher is 0-7 to start the season. That was exactly the case for Tanner Bibee who had not earned a win in any of his first 13 starts of the season. The Guardians haven’t lost every game he’s started, he just did not earn a decision in any of those wins. That was until Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers. Bibee went eight innings, giving up zero runs on just three hits. He walked two and only struck out three, but his eight innings of work in a 6-0 ballgame all but guaranteed him his first win of the season. He acknowledged that wins are “the most useless stat” in baseball but agreed that getting his first was a weight off of his shoulders.

Bazzana Has A Night as Big as Texas

Even though the Guards could not pull off a win in Friday’s 3-2 nailbiter versus Texas, they won the hit column thanks to four huge at bats from rookie Travis Bazzana. He started off hot with a leadoff home run in the first inning, his fourth of the season. In the top of the third, he led off with a single and stole second base. Two innings later, he hit a triple into right field but was not brought home by any of his teammates. He struck out in his final at bat of the night keeping him from the cycle, but he certainly boosted his batting average and slugging percentage with the attempt. He now sits at .271/.355/.444 for the season.

Smith Earns Big Honors

Closer Cade Smith was named the American League Reliever of the Month for May on Wednesday. From May 1st to the 31st, he led MLB with 12 saves while striking out 25 hitters in 13.2 innings. While he had a rough start to the season, he’s gotten right back on track and has become the closer that Cleveland needed after losing Clase. He’s sitting at a 2.83 ERA and 1.08 WHIP for the season and has been a strikeout machine. If he can continue to lock down games late, he’ll be a key part to getting the Guards back to the postseason.

Social Media Spotlight

Doing a bit of a self-plug here, but my favorite social media post from this week was one that I made. I went to the Columbus Clippers game on Saturday, and while I only got to see one inning of baseball thanks to a two-hour weather delay, I got to visit with my favorite former player/current Triple-A pitching coach, Nick Wittgren.

Talk around the San Diego Padres was the offense might have been turning a corner when Freddy Fermin hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that helped them beat the visiting New York Mets on Saturday night. The teams returned to the field on Sunday, and the Padres proved that theory was inaccurate.

San Diego was down early, and it stayed that way throughout the game. New York scored runs in the first, second, fifth, sixth and eighth innings and took the three-game series with a 7-3 win. The floundering Padres offense was outhit 13-7 and five of the 13 hits for the Mets came from rookie Carson Benge who finished the day 5-for-5 with three singles, a home run and a triple. He also scored three runs and had two RBI.

The offensive bright spot for San Diego was once again Fermin, who hit his second two-run home run in as many days. This is the part where you are reminded that Fernando Tatis Jr. still only has one home run. Fermin finished the afternoon 2-fo-4 with a home run and a double. He scored a run and had all three RBI for the Padres. Tatis, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Andujar and Samad Taylor each had a hit for San Diego. Andujar came out of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with an injury after he reached base on his single.

Randy Vasquez could not fool the Mets hitters, as evidenced by Benge’s success at the plate, and he allowed four runs on eight hits and lasted just four inning. Vasquez also allowed two walks and recorded just three strikeouts in the game. He was not the only Padres pitcher who struggled against the New York lineup. Yuki Matsui allowed two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings, Ron Marinaccio allowed one run on one hit and a walk in 2.1 innings, and Wandy Peralta did not allow a run but did allow two hits and issued a walk in his one inning of work.

San Diego does not get a break before the Cincinnati Reds come to town. The Padres and Reds open their three-game series tonight at 6:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• The Padres are in need of a spark. It would be nice if that came one the offensive side, but perhaps it can come from adding pitcher Jhony Brito to the MLB roster. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball thinks it is possible.

• German Marquez looked good in his latest rehab start in El Paso, but can he hit? The return of Marquez could help the rotation eat more innings to give the bullpen a break, but the offense will have to support his efforts.

• Sung-Mun Song has not had the struggles at the plate that many international players do when coming to the MLB from Japan or Korea. He has shown an ability to hit the fastball and his contributing on offense, but his greatest contribution has been his defense.

• Manny Machado had one hit in the three-game series against the Mets. His average is abysmal, but he his hitting home runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. has a good average hitting above .270 but still has not found his power stroke and has just one home run on the season. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribunediscusses the strange season for the two San Diego stars.

• Samad Taylor is a California native who made his first start for the Padres with family and friends in attendance at Petco Park. He was able to give them a hit but unfortunately could not help San Diego give them a win.

• San Diego has not shown any signs of life during their recent struggles, but Dennis Lin of The Athletic says the Padres could still be buyers a t the deadline.

Baseball News:

• Kevin McGonigle hit a walk-off single to give the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners.

• Tarik Skubal is looking to return to the mound as soon as possible and is well on his way after five scoreless innings in his first rehab start.

• The Atlanta Braves completed a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 3-2 win.

• Brandon Marsh homered to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago White Sox.

• The bottom of the lineup for the Los Angeles Angels dominated Los Angeles Dodgers pitching and gave the Halos a 13-5 win.

• The Milwaukee Brewers reached 40 wins on the season with a win and a series sweep over the Colorado Rockies.

• The St. Louis Cardinals completed a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.

Before the Orioles started their little six-game road trip last week, a 3-3 record across the six games would have felt pretty good. The O’s have not been good on the road so far this year, so even holding at .500 while outside of Camden Yards is positive. They just made it feel disappointing to actually go 3-3 since they won the first series plus the first game in Toronto before closing out with a couple of stupid losses.

This week’s episode of the podcast has me thinking about how confusing it is to try to sort out thoughts about these guys because at this point, two-plus months into the season, it’s not totally clear who they are yet. Was the dismal start to May the aberration for an otherwise good team, or was the recent stretch of winning 10 of 14 the departure from an otherwise bad team? We aren’t really going to know until more time has gone by.

Also in this episode, some extended discourse on Adley Rutschman thanks to a reader’s email for my thoughts. Rutschman is a good symbol for this 2026 Orioles team because he’s gone between two extremes as well. Is he bounced back from a couple of rougher years, as evidenced by a great April, or is he continuing on the road to disappointment, as evidenced by a rough May? This question is only going to be answered over time as well.

Listen to my thoughts on the last week of Orioles baseball below:

If the above player isn’t displaying, view this article in Incognito Mode or check it out on the show’s page.

This is my weekly podcast about whatever is going on lately with the Orioles. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to subscribe. You can get the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you prefer to access your podcasts.

How are you feeling about the way things are going with the Orioles right now? Answers could make it into the mailbag section of the next episode of the podcast.

Evan Phillips pitched a scoreless inning on Sunday in his second rehab game for Triple-A Oklahoma City, as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery just over a year ago. Phillips got the ball in the eighth inning against Round Rock, then struck out his first batter, walked his second, and induced a groundball double play to get out of the frame on 10 pitches.

Tommy Edman played seven innings at second base on Sunday, and tripled and scored a run at the plate. Edman played in five of six games this week, including all three games this weekend, and has played nine weeks thus far in his minor league rehab assignment.

Here’s what happened in the rest of the Dodgers minor leagues on Sunday.

Player of the day

Mike Sirota hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning on Sunday, turning a two-run Tulsa deficit into a win of a suspended game that began on Saturday.

Sirota had already walked twice in that first game before his game-winning home run, then singled and walked in the second game to extend his on-base to 47 games, which includes his final 30 games for Great Lakes this season.

Since getting promoted to Double-A on May 19, Sirota is hitting .365/.506/.603 with nine extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 17 games.

With his combined performance in High-A and Double-A, Sirota has moved up prospect lists since the offseason. At Baseball America for instance, Sirota was ranked the 45th-best prospect in baseball in January, and just this week moved up to No. 19.

“Entering the season, the only real question about Sirota’s game was how he’d look after knee surgery that ended his 2025 campaign,” Josh Norris wrote at Baseball America on Wednesday. “Safe to say, the only remnant of the injury is the scar left by the incision. He’s hit for average and power all year, and has shown he fits right in with the Dodgers’ outrageous group of outfielders.”

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Comets peppered offense throughout Sunday’s game to beat the Round Rock Express (Rangers), and The Comet was in the middle of things. Hyeseong Kim had three hits in the win, stole a base, and drove in a pair.

Zach Ehrhard reached base four times with two singles and two walks. Alek Thomas had two hits and a walk.

Jack Suwinski singled, walked, scored two runs, and was on the front end of this unconventional double play to end the seventh inning, with some quick thinking by shortstop Noah Miller.

Double-A Tulsa

Zyhir Hope hit a two-run home run in the first game on Sunday, then homered, doubled, and drove in four runs in Game 2, helping the Drillers to two wins over the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Diamondbacks).

Josue De Paula homered in the second game.

In the completion of Saturday’s suspended game, Wyatt Crowell took over on the mound and allowed one run in his first three innings on Sunday. But then he allowed two home runs and a double in a five-run fifth inning that turned the game around. The left-hander has allowed six runs in four different appearances this season, plus another five-run game, fueling his 7.34 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 32 walks in his 38 innings.

High-A Great Lakes

After winning four of the first five games in this series, the Loons were on the wrong end of a blowout in a loss to the Lansing Lugnuts (A’s).

Sterling Patick had a rough go of things, with six runs allowed on nine hits and a walk in his 4 1/3 innings. The left-hander, who entered Sunday with a 24.6-percent strikeout rate this season, failed to strike out a batter for the first time in his 43 professional starts.

Emil Morales homered, walked, and singled, driving in two of Great Lakes’ four runs on Sunday. He has four home runs and two doubles in 15 games since getting promoted to High-A.

Eduardo Quintero doubled and singled, extending his Loons-record on-base streak to 32 games. It’s his 15th multi-hit game this season, and fifth in the last two weeks. Quintero also stole a base on Sunday, his team-leading 24th of the year on 28 tries. He has 20 steals in his last 22 games.

Class-A Ontario

The Tower Buzzers were on the wrong end of a blowout loss to the Stockton Ports (A’s), who scored the first 10 runs on Sunday.

Hyun-Seok Jang started and pitched a scoreless first inning, but was roughed up for seven runs while getting chased in the second inning, after four hits (including a three-run home run), two hit batters, and a walk.

First baseman Easton Shelton hit a solo shot, his fourth home run in the last three games.

Outfielder Landyn Vidourek homered and drove in three.

Transactions

Triple-A: Left-hander Antoine Kelly was traded to the Cubs. A non-roster invitee this spring, Kelly had a 5.14 ERA with 22 strikeouts and 19 walks in 23 games and 21 innings for Oklahoma City. Second baseman Taylor Young, who broke his wrist in spring training and just returned this week in three games for Tulsa, was promoted to the Comets, a few days after infielder/outfielder Tyler Fitzgerald was placed on the injured list.

Sunday scores

• Oklahoma City 7, Round Rock 3
• Tulsa 7, Amarillo 6 (Game 1)
• Tulsa 7, Amarillo 1 (Game 2)
• Lansing 13, Great Lakes 4
• Stockton 15, Ontario 8

The week ahead

• Oklahoma City at Charlotte (White Sox)
• Tulsa vs. Wichita (Twins)
• Great Lakes at Wisconsin (Brewers)
• Ontario at Lake Elsinore (Padres)

A rare interleague series for Oklahoma City, playing the Charlottes Knights of the International League.

When Jameson Taillon went down with an injury in the second inning, it appeared that any chance of the Cubs winning Sunday’s game — especially since they were already down 1-0 with a runner on base — was close to zero.

They didn’t win, losing the game 2-1 and the series to the Giants, but the failure was certainly not the fault of Javier Assad, who had been called up from Triple-A Iowa Saturday to provide “length” out of the bullpen. That he did, and more, throwing 6.1 outstanding innings, allowing one hit and just two other baserunners. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for the Cubs to win the game.

Taillon threw 29 pitches in a rough first inning in which the Giants had a walk and two singles that produced a run. After the Cubs went out meekly in the bottom of the first on just eight pitches from Giants starter Trevor McDonald, Taillon walked Matt Chapman leading off the second.

On ball four to Chapman, Taillon immediately signaled to the dugout [VIDEO].

He left the game, and a bit later:

We don’t yet know how serious this is, but I’d imagine this puts Taillon out until after the All-Star break.

As noted above, Assad came in and slammed the door shut. He did hit the first batter he faced, and the two Giants runners were advanced on a sacrifice bunt.

Then this happened [VIDEO].

Great throw by Pedro Ramirez, great tag by Carson Kelly. The play was reviewed and ruled “call stands.”

After that, Assad allowed just two more baserunners, a leadoff walk followed by a single in the fourth. A double play followed, the first of 13 consecutive Giants retired by Assad before he left to a warm ovation in the eighth. The 6.1 inning scoreless relief appearance was the first by a reliever for the Cubs in a very long time. From BCB’s JohnW53:

The last Cubs reliever to pitch at least 6.1 scoreless innings, as Javier Assad did Sunday night, was Tom Dettore, way back on Aug. 16, 1974, at home vs. the Padres. He pitched 6.1, gave up three hits, walked one and struck out six.

There had been only five earlier in the Expansion Era:
7.0: Ray Burris, 1973
7.1: Tom Phoebus, 1972
7.0: Bill Hands, 1967
6.1: Cal Koonce, 1965
8.0: Koonce, 1964

There have been 78 such games since 1901, of which 19 were in the Dead Ball Era.

Here’s more on Assad’s outing [VIDEO].

But the Cubs offense produced… nothing. Well, not totally “nothing,” as they did tie the game in the third. With two out, Kelly singled and went to second on a single by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Another single by Moisés Ballesteros scored Kelly [VIDEO].

But that was it. The Cubs loaded the bases in the fourth. Ian Happ sent a ball to the right-field corner with one out and legged out a triple. After Seiya Suzuki hit a sharp line drive to short, Nico Hoerner and Ramirez walked. But Kelly struck out to end the inning.

Jacob Webb relieved Assad in the eighth and retired both hitters he faced. He’s really become very reliable.

The Cubs had an excellent chance to score in the bottom of the eighth. Miguel Amaya, batting for Ballesteros, walked. Kevin Alcántara ran for Amaya. Michael Busch dribbled a ball in front of the plate and was safe at first with a hit, and when Giants pitcher Erik Miller threw the ball away, Alcántara took third.

Then this happened [VIDEO].

What was Alcántara thinking being so far off third base? Alex Bregman hit the ball hard, but right at first baseman Rafael Devers, whose throw to Chapman easily beat Alcántara back to the base for a double play.

Daniel Palencia threw a 1-2-3 ninth. The Cubs had yet another good scoring chance in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Hoerner singled and Ramirez walked. The winning run’s on second. But Kelly popped up for the second out. PCA, with a chance to be a walk-off hero for the second time this homestand, grounded to first, so on to extras the game went for the second day in a row.

Trent Thornton threw the 10th, and on his second pitch Chapman singled in the placed runner to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. Thornton got out of the inning with no further damage. Could the Cubs repeat a 10th-inning win?

Well, no, they could not. PCA was the placed runner. Michael Conforto, who hit a walk-off homer earlier this year, batted for Alcántara and struck out.

Then PCA took off for third [VIDEO].

That’s a very risky play when you’re already in scoring position. But now, a fly ball to the outfield could tie the game.

As you know, the Cubs could not produce that fly ball. Busch popped up and Bregman, who has been getting booed lately, also popped up to end the game.

For his part, Bregman acknowledged the boos and that he hasn’t played well:

Credit where it’s due: Bregman is a stand-up guy. He did not make excuses for his poor play so far. He wore it, he gets that fans are frustrated with him. We can only hope that he improves from here.

Here are Craig Counsell’s postgame comments [VIDEO].

And then, there’s this summary of the game (and really, this whole season):

You have heard that story before, so I won’t belabor it. This just has to get better or the remaining 96 games are going to be really, really unhappy. Lastly, the Cubs, who started out 18-5 at Wrigley Field, have lost 10 of their last 12 home games and since May 8 are 7-20, the worst record in MLB over that span.

The Cubs have Monday off and then open a three-game series against the Rockies in Denver Tuesday evening. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs and Tomoyuki Sagano will go for Colorado. Game time Tuesday is 7:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.