Baseball News
The Dodgers head to the desert to face the Diamondbacks.
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Smith’s season was barely under way – just two games played – before it went into the freezer, due to the elbow issue. The best part of two months later, after five games of rehab – one in the ACL, and then four with the Reno Aces at Triple-A. He went 7-for-17 there with a double, a walk and four strikeouts, but the main thing will be Pavin’s health. The team certainly needs him, whether it’s at 1B or, as tonight, as Arizona’s designated hitter. The D-backs currently rank 29th by OPS from first-base, at a mere .620 (MLB average is more than 150 points higher, at .777) and 27th at the DH (a woeful .580, compared to MLB average .725).
On that basis, the bar for Smith to be an improvement is pretty low. His career figure, now over 450 games, is .736. Which is about three hundred points higher than you’d think if you only looked at social media. Simply producing at that level would significantly boost either position, so let’s hope he can contribute immediately. We will need all the help we can find this series against the Dodgers, who have rebounded from a rough stretch, although they never dropped more than a half-game out of first place in the division. They have won seven of the last eight, to rebuild a 5.5 game lead in the NL West. They’re 14-3 since May 13, with a 2.09 ERA over that time. It won’t be easy.
While we’re here, some other health updates:
Those first two will be the next roster moves to start thinking about. Both are on the 60-day IL, so we will need to figure out how to open up a 40-man roster spot for each of them, in addition to deciding who they will replace on the active roster.
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Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Jared Young – 1B
A.J. Ewing – CF
MJ Melendez – DH
Brett Baty – 3B
Marcus Semien – 2B
Luis Torrens – C
SP: Austin Warren – RHP
J.P. Crawford – SS
Julio Rodriguez – CF
Josh Naylor – 1B
Randy Arozarena – LF
Luke Raley – RF
Cole Young – 2B
Rob Refsnyder – DH
Mitch Garver – C
Colt Emerson – 3B
SP: Emerson Hancock – RHP
First pitch: 9:40 PM ET
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
In a battle of the worsts of the Wests, the Los Angeles Angels will host the Colorado Rockies in the first showdown of a three-game series tonight.
The Angels (23-37) are currently in last place in the AL West, eight games back of the AL West-leading Mariners. The Rockies (22-38) are in the NL West basement, 10 games back of the division-leading Dodgers.
Both teams have struggled on the mound this season with the Rockies ranked last in MLB with a 5.39 ERA and the Angels at No. 28 with a 4.72 ERA entering Monday’s action. Colorado has struggled the most with starting pitching as they remain at No. 30 in MLB with a 5.83 ERA, while the Angels are worse out of the bullpen with a 5.08 ERA, which ranks No. 28.
The Rockies have gone 3-7 in their last 10 games as part of a brutal May where they went 8-20. The Rockies lost their first eight series in the month before edging the Giants 2-1 to close out May at Coors Field. The Angels have won six of their last 10, winning three series in a row over the Rangers, Tigers and Rays.
Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.08 ERA) will be making his 10th start of the season on Monday night at Angel Stadium. May was no kinder to Freeland than it was the rest of the Rockies as he went 0-4 with a 12.46 ERA in five starts. The worst of those was the most recent when the lefty got shelled for eight runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and no walks in four innings in a 15-6 loss to the Dodgers in L.A. on May 26.
There’s reason to believe this trip to L.A. will go better. Freeland is 3-0 with a 2.40 ERA in five career starts against the Angels.
José Soriano (6-4, 2.65 ERA) will get the start for L.A. and has been the team’s best starter this season. In 71 innings, the 27-year-old RHP has registered 78 strikeouts, walking 31 in 12 starts. Soriano has only faced the Rockies once in his four-year MLB career, holding the Rockies scoreless in two innings in a 4-3 Rockies win in 2023 at Coors Field.
The series marks a short road trip for the Rockies, who will return to Coors Field on June 5 for a six-game home stand against the Brewers and Cubs.
Earlier on Monday, the Rockies made a handful of roster moves, calling up RHP reliever TJ Shook from Triple-A Albuquerque while sending struggling reliever Zach Agnos down to the Isotopes. Read more about the roster updates here.
First Pitch: 7:38 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
Lineups:
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David Ortiz is near-impeachable in these parts and it’s well-earned. He’s plainly the most important player in the history of the Red Sox, and that distinction has spoils, especially for those with whom he danced to get there, both on the field and in the organization. It is for this reason, and several others, including his obvious natural charisma, that he will remain the team’s biggest booster, all on top of being its white knight several times over. So when he recently defended John Henry by way of saying the 76-year-old owner felt “worried” about how the team has turned out, I was like… lmao. Sure. If you say so. I’d probably say the same thing too, even if Henry’s been at the project for six years. But nah. LMAO. Fuck outta here. Love u tho.
Two of the Mets' regulars will be in Triple-A this week as they continue working their way back from injury.
Francisco Alvarez is officially set to take a huge step in his recovery, as he will kick off a rehab assignment Tuesday, catching four innings behind the plate for Syracuse.
The young backstop has progressed incredibly following meniscus surgery on May 14.
Alvarez was able to hit, catch bullpens, block, run the bases an d throw over the past couple of days before the training staff gave him the okay to take the final step in his recovery.
"It's pretty amazing to see," Carlos Mendozasaid on his progression.
Kodai Senga will then toe the rubber on Wednesday night, making his third appearance during his rehab assignment, and his second up with Syracuse.
The right-hander struggled a bit during his first one with the team last week, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and a pair of walks across just 3.2 innings.
He's expected to throw roughly 85 pitches this time around, and Mendoza said that the team will see how he fares and feels afterwards before deciding his next step.
Senga has been sidelined since late April due to lumbar spine inflammation.
The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have made three moves that affect their pitching staff:
TJ Shook, 28, was selected by the Rockies in the Minor League Phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft from the New York Mets and has spent the 2026 season in Triple-A Albuquerque. In 22 appearances, the right-hander has gone 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA that includes seven saves, eight walks and 29 strikeouts. He leads the PCL in saves and is tied for second in appearances.
Shook was originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of the University of South Carolina, and has a 34-23 record with 20 saves and a 4.30 ERA over six minot league seasons (151 appearances).
He will be making his MLB debut.
Meanwhile, Zach Agnos was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. This comes after a terrific start on May 21 that saw him pitch five one-hit, shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, since then, Agnos has allowed 14 earned runs combined over his last two outings (three total innings pitched). Agnos has been up-and-down all season, but given the last two outings, the Rockies decided to send him to ABQ for a reset.
The most unfortunate news, though, is that of rookie left-hander Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP) being transferred to the 60-day IL after being diagnosed with left elbow inflammation on Saturday. He was originally recalled when José Quintana suffered an elbow injury last Sunday, and made three excellent appearances out of the bullpen (2.1 IP) — allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out two (the first of which was a failed ABS challenge by Dodgers’ catcher Daulton Rushing).
This brings Brennan Bernardino back to being the lone lefty in the bullpen.
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MILWAUKEE — Hector Borg didn’t last long as the Giants’ third-base coach, and his interim replacement, Ron Wotus, doesn’t seem to be long for the gig, either.
The Giants are in discussions with Gary Pettis to become first-year manager Tony Vitello’s third third base coach in as many months, a major-league source confirmed Monday afternoon.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the sides were in agreement, though the Giants have not announced anything and Vitello indicated they were still not yet across the finish line.
“Definitely closer,” the manager said before the Giants began a four-game series against the Brewers. “There’s been a couple twists and turns to it.”
Pettis, 68, is a veteran third-base coach, most recently holding the title for 10 years under three different managers with the Astros until his contract wasn’t renewed after 2024. Before that, he coached third and first on Ron Washington’s staff with the Rangers for eight seasons.
An Oakland native, Pettis’ name should be familiar for local sports fans: Dante Pettis, the former 49ers receiver, is one of his four children. He also played 11 big-league seasons as an outfielder and a speed demon for the Angels, Tigers, Rangers and Padres.
The Giants reassigned Borg to a player development role and elevated Wotus before their weekend series against the Rockies that began the road trip.
Borg, in his first season on the major-league staff after two decades in the organization, became the center of attention for the wrong reasons too many times. The tipping point apparently came in the finale of their home stand Wednesday, when he waved Willy Adames into an out at home plate in a 3-2 loss that finished off a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks.
Despite an emphasis in spring training, San Francisco has been the worst base-running team in the majors, according to FanGraphs’ all-encompassing metric.
Entering Monday, the Giants had been thrown out on the bases 18 times, tied for the ninth-most of any team, including seven times at home plate.
Wotus, the longest-tenured coach in the organization, was in the third-base coach’s box for the first time Friday in Denver and remained there to begin their series against the Brewers.
Wotus, officially a senior adviser, has been in the dugout for home games but has not traveled regularly with the team since he retired from coaching full-time after 2021.
SEATTLE — Marcus Semien’s numbers with runners in scoring position haven’t been the issue as much as his production the rest of the time.
Unfortunately for the Mets, the vast majority of the veteran infielder’s at-bats this season have occurred the rest of the time. But over the last week, there’s been an uptick in Semien’s all-around performance.
Over his previous seven games before Monday, Semien owned a .954 OPS. He was an instrumental piece in a team that took a four-game winning streak that ended after Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Mariners.
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Try it free“There have been lots of ups and downs, but the work never stops,” Semien said before going 1-for-3 with a home run and a strikeout. “That is what I love about this game is we have eight months to basically work as hard as we can to get to the point where we are playing in the game and the ball slows down a little bit and we’re swinging well.”
Even with his recent surge, Semien began play with an anemic .615 OPS for the season. Among his troubling underlying numbers are an average exit velocity of 86.1 mph that ranked in MLB’s ninth percentile. His average bat speed of 68.4 mph also ranked in MLB’s ninth percentile.
Semien went 5-for-10 with a homer in a three-game sweep of the Marlins that completed the homestand. It was a contributing factor to one of the Mets’ best series offensively this season after a dreadful showing the previous weekend in Miami. Over those three games the Mets scored only two runs and got swept.
“I think we learned from the series in Miami what worked against us,” Semien said. “And I think that is what this league is always about is making adjustments when the other team has really good stuff. They threw us a lot of offspeed pitches even though they have high velocity, too, so you have to be able to handle velocity but get it in the right spot … we chased a lot. It’s never going to be perfect but if everybody goes with that approach, that was part of the conversation.”
Semien entered the day with an .830 OPS with runners in scoring position. Included into that equation was a .354 batting average (17-for-48) in such instances.
Manager Carlos Mendoza described Semien as “short to the ball and quick” when he’s successful offensively.
“He’s not missing pitches there, controlling the strike zone a little bit better,” Mendoza said. “We are going to need him. It’s been hard for him, but this guy is going to continue to play and grind out. It was good to see him continue to get results.”
Juan Soto continues to carry the Mets lineup, but the Mets received big contributions from Carson Benge, Mark Vientos and Jared Young, among others, in building the four-game winning streak they took into play.
Semien, who won a Gold Glove at second base last year with Texas, can appreciate the team’s defensive growth — with the addition of rookie A.J. Ewing to join Benge in the outfield — as much as the offensive resurgence.
“A lot of those balls are being hit over my head and you feel like they are going to be doubles or triples and they are running them down,” Semien said “It’s a good feeling and it makes our pitchers feel like they can be confident in the zone. Their talent is through the roof and experience is how they are going to get better every day.”
Well, it’s time for a new series. I’m not sure if that’s the good news or the bad news, but the San Francisco Giants are in cheeseland for a quartet of games against the Milwaukee Brewers.
It begins tonight, with right-hander Landen Roupp on the mound. Through 11 starts, Roupp is 3-3 with a 3.30 ERA, a 2.66 FIP, and 68 strikeouts to 22 walks in 60 innings. He pitched five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his last start, giving up four runs and two earned runs.
On the other side is lefty Shane Drohan, a rookie. Drohan is an opener for the Brewers, and in 11 games is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA, a 2.38 FIP, and 28 strikeouts to eight walks in 27.1 innings. He tossed two shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in his last game.
Enjoy the game, everyone! Go Giants!
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Giants
RHP. Landen Roupp
Brewers
LHP. Shane Drohan
Who: San Francisco Giants (23-36) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (35-21)
Where: American Family Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: 4:40 p.m. PT
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
National broadcast: n/a
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
I’ll try not to bring up the 2011 World Series. Just kidding. I’m gonna bring back those memories as often as I can. The St. Louis Cardinals welcome the Texas Rangers to Busch Stadium Monday night. Michael McGreevy will start for the Cardinals while Skip Schumaker will send Jacob deGrom to the mound for the Tigers. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm. Two words, Rangers fans: David Freese. You’re welcome.
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I hope everybody’s had a lovely Monday so far! The Braves aren’t alone in getting today to rest, as nearly half the league is off. If you want or need a baseball fix, there’s still plenty of college baseball going on over on the ESPN family of networks. Unfortunately for some of the locals (or fortunately if you’re the type who likes to wear red and black and red), the No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets just got eliminated from the NCAA Baseball Tournament after getting taken down by the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s also fortunate for Tech fans that this won’t be the biggest flop in the tournament after the No. 1 overall seed UCLA fell directly onto their faces during their regional. This tournament is already crazy, y’all.
Anyways, if you haven’t given college baseball a try then now is the perfect time to do so. ABSincewayback is going to be covering the results from a Braves MLB Draft perspective, so stay tuned for that.
If all of that amateur baseball doesn’t interest you, then the Marlins and the Nationals have a pretty fun pitching matchup going tonight. Sandy Alcantara is taking on Cade Cavalli, so if you want to watch some big league action then that could be fun. You could just also watch whatever you want, it’s an off day, there’s no rules.
Texas Rangers @ St. Louis Cardinals
Monday, June 1, 2026, 6:45 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
Busch Stadium
RHP Jacob deGrom vs. RHP Michael McGreevy
Go Rangers!
The vibes on the South Side have shifted in a hurry. The White Sox enter tonight’s matchup with the Twins riding a 6-1 week that included a statement sweep of the Tigers. Now comes another test against an AL Central rival, as Chicago heads to Minnesota looking to keep the momentum rolling.
The challenge won’t be easy. The Twins hand the ball to righthander Joe Ryan, who was dominant against the White Sox just last week. Ryan carved through Chicago’s lineup for 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out nine and issuing no walks, earning a quality start. On the season, the veteran owns a 3-3 record with a 2.94 ERA and sparkling 0.93 WHIP.
Ryan attacks hitters with a deep six-pitch arsenal led by his four-seam fastball (43.1%), while mixing in a knuckle curve (13.6%), sweeper (13.2%), sinker (12.5%), splitter (10.2%), and slider (7.5%). The White Sox will need a more disciplined approach than they showed in their last meeting if they want to crack one of the American League’s steadiest starters. Ryan rarely beats himself. The White Sox drew zero walks against him in their last meeting. Finding ways to elevate his pitch count and create traffic on the bases will be essential.
Skipper Will Venable is countering Ryan with one of the most intriguing stories in the organization. David Sandlin gets the ball for just his second start after an unforgettable debut against the Twins last week. The first and only batter to do serious damage against him was Byron Buxton, who launched Sandlin’s second pitch of the game into the seats. After that? Absolute dominance.
Sandlin retired the next 18 batters he faced, completing six innings while striking out four without issuing a walk. Of his 61 pitches, only one truly hurt him.
The 25-year-old righthander arrived in Chicago as part of the Jordan Hicks trade with Boston. Originally selected by Kansas City in the 11th round of the 2022 draft, the Royals dealt Sandlin to the Red Sox in February 2024 before eventually landing with the White Sox. His minor league numbers this season were eye-popping: a combined 0.55 ERA in 16 1/3 frames across Winston-Salem and Charlotte.
Like Ryan, Sandlin works with six pitches. His four-seam fastball (44.3%) and curveball (29.5%) make up the bulk of his attack, complemented by a cutter (11.5%), changeup (6.6%), sweeper (4.9%), and sinker (3.3%).
Here’s how the White Sox line them up against the Ryan and the Twins.
A few things stand out here. Venable continues to show confidence in Sam Antonacci, who gets another shot atop the order after providing energy and on-base ability during the recent hot streak. Meanwhile, Colson Montgomery finds himself in the cleanup spot, a sign of just how much faith the organization has in the shortstop’s bat. It’ll also be interesting to see whether Edgar Quero can continue his recent offensive surge from the bottom third of the lineup.
And for Minnesota.
The headliner is obviously Buxton, who wasted no time introducing himself to Sandlin last week with that first-inning homer. Chicago will also have to navigate left-handed bats Kody Clemens and Trevor Larnach, both capable of doing damage against right-handed pitching.
Buxton got the better of the rookie in Round 1. Sandlin’s response after that homer was impressive, but tonight offers another opportunity to show he can make adjustments against one of the division’s most dangerous hitters.
A 6-1 week can change the complexion of a season. The White Sox have been playing aggressive, confident baseball lately. The question now is whether they can carry that momentum into another divisional showdown and a tough month of June.
The White Sox have already swept one AL Central foe. Tonight, they’ll try to make it seven wins in eight games and continue proving that this recent surge is more than just a hot streak.
First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. CT on CHSN, with radio coverage on ESPN 1000.
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The Texas Rangers have recalled relief pitcher Luis Curvelo from and infielder Cody Freeman from AAA Round Rock and have purchased the contract of relief pitcher Robbie Ahlstrom from AAA Round Rock, the team announced today. To make room on the active roster for the pitchers, the Rangers have optioned reliever Gavin Collyer to AAA Round Rock, placed reliever Chris Martin on the 15 day injured list, and placed infielder Sam Haggerty on the bereavement list. To make room for Ahlstrom on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have moved reliever Robert Garcia from the 15 day injured list to the 60 day injured list.
Swapping out Curvelo for Collyer gets the Rangers a fresh arm up, although Collyer’s demotion was probably performance-related as well. Since his most recent callup, Collyer has walked six of 23 batters faced (though one was intentional), and hit two batters. His most recent outing, on yesterday, saw him come into the game with a 6-1 lead in the eighth. He retired just two of the six batters he faced, walking two of them, hitting one, and giving up a home run.
Martin was on the injured list earlier this year and hasn’t really seemed right all season. The designation for the injured list move is a shoulder impingement.
Ahlstrom is a lefthander who turns 27 later this month. Acquired from the New York Yankees prior to the 2022 season in the Jose Trevino trade, Ahlstrom split the previous two seasons between Frisco and Round Rock, and has spent all of 2026 in Round Rock. This year, Ahlstrom has shown significantly improved command, cutting his walk rate in half from the previous two seasons. He has a 2.76 ERA this season in 29.1 IP over 21 games for the Express, with 33 Ks against 8 walks.
Freeman was seen as a candidate for the 2026 Opening Day roster in a bench role but started the season on the injured list due to a back issue. He was sent out on a rehab assignment a couple of weeks ago, and was activated from the injured list and optioned on May 28.