NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 20: Sal Stewart #27 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, June 20, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart has certainly slumped since his breakout month of April, but that hasn’t stopped him from stepping into big situations and picking up timely hits for the club. Manager Terry Francona has stuck with him in the heart of the order despite his recent slide, and Tito was rewarded in spades by the rook on Saturday afternoon in Yankee Stadium.
Stewart doubled twice and picked up a sac fly, to boot, in the process driving in 6 runs as the Reds raced past the New York Yankees 10-2 to even the series in the Bronx. His first double – of the 2-run variety – flipped the scoreboard after Reds starter Andrew Abbott had yielded a 1st inning solo homer to Paul Goldschmidt, and Sal’s second came with the bases loaded in the Top of the 8th – clearing them to put Cincinnati ahead 10-1 at the time.
For the season, Sal now has 53 ribbies to his name, which leads the Reds and would’ve ranked 7th in all of baseball at the start of today.
Edwin Arroyo chipped in with his first big day as a big leaguer, going 4 for 5 with a double and a pair of runs scored. All of a sudden, he’s got a .308 OBP as a Red that doesn’ tlook too dissimilar to the .309 mark posted by one Matt McLain. Spencer Steer had the big mid-game swing in the Top of the 5th off Will Warren, a 3-run homer that helped assuage the current slide he’s been on in a big way, too.
That was more than enough to back Abbott, who pitched around trouble for 5+ IP of 5 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K ball. He allowed the final two batters he faced to reach, but Tejay Antone (2.0 IP, K) came on to bail him out of that jam before continuing on himself. Chase Petty pitched a scoreless 9th and looked pretty good doing so once again.
This all sets the stage for a pretty blockbuster matchup on Sunday in the series finale, as Cincinnati will send ace Chase Burns to the mound to face 6x All Star and former Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole. Cole has looked good since returning to the mound following a lengthy absence getting over Tommy John surgery, and Burns has looked, well, just about as good as any pitcher to ever wear a Reds uniform all season. First pitch in that one is slated for 1:35 PM ET tomorrow, so get your popcorn pre-ready.
Another longball for Slammin’ Sammy today. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Though it’s hard to be surprised, the deflation continues. For the second straight day, the White Sox couldn’t hold on to an early lead, ultimately losing their fourth game in their last five tries, and second straight against the last-place Detroit Tigers. Another early homer — this time from Sam Antonacci on the second pitch of the game — and a stellar opener performance from Sean Newcomb just wasn’t enough, and the team’s record now sits at 39-36 following the 4-1 loss.
It shouldn’t be surprising in the slightest that Antonacci’s homer wasn’t enough to get it done alone. Will Venable’s use of an opener in more than half of the team’s games over the past few weeks is somewhat indicative of where the pitching staff is as a whole. They just don’t have the manpower. It doesn’t matter how effective the first leg of a bullpen game is if you wind up with inexperienced rookies like Tyler Davis and Joe Rock taking high-leverage innings against a division rival.
As is increasingly becoming a pattern this year, opener Sean Newcomb was brilliant. He threw a season-high three innings as today’s opener, and was nothing short of perfect: Nine up, nine down, just 42 pitches to get it done. It was more than enough to hold a lead after Antonacci’s smoked home run got them going:
Davis has some good traits on the mound: His four-seam fastball sits at 96 mph, and it’s got a ton of ride to it. But as of now, Davis’ slider is relatively unexceptional, and his only other pitch is a splitter that he almost never uses. Good control is imperative if he’s going to be a solid MLB reliever. With a slightly subpar 11% walk rate, it’s been spotty so far.
Davis did not have good control today. While Newcomb didn’t allow a basreunner, Davis oozed them, issuing a four-pitch walk to Kevin McGonigle and then handing out two more to Matt Vierling and Spencer Torkelson. Usually I have to give at least some breakdown of why a particular pitch location chart is good or bad. I suspect that won’t be necessary here.
It’s frankly a miracle that Chicago’s 1-0 advantage made it to the fifth inning, given the deja vu that must have been hitting the dugout: bases loaded, two outs, Kerry Carpenter at the plate. Fortunately, Rock’s appearance in relief chased Carpenter from the game, and a huge strikeout of pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones kept the lead intact.
On the other side of the ball, Troy Melton was brilliant for Detroit as Newcomb was for the Good Guys, though Melton managed to do it with a few more innings on his line. Antonacci’s leadoff homer remained the only hit in the game heading to the bottom of the fifth, with Melton reaching back to touch the high-90s when he needed to multiple times:
Unfortunately for the South Siders, the Tigers were very much able to smell what the Rock was cooking from that point on. Just like yesterday, a few walks, dinks and dunks wound up being Chicago’s undoing, and it was a 3-1 Tigers lead by the time Rock departed the game after the sixth. The state of the bullpen isn’t ideal right now in any case, but Venable will surely face scrutiny for his decision to leave Rock in for a third inning of work.
The game slipped further out of reach an inning later, when Dillon Dingler took Trevor Richards deep for his 17th longball of the year, first among all MLB catchers by a healthy margin.
I projected pregame that Grant Taylor’s lack of action this week indicated he’d be taking the bulk of today’s innings. I was dead wrong, and the late-game, high-pressure situation that calls out for him never materialized.
Meanwhile, Melton left the game after six sparkling innings, failing to allow a single hit after the first hitter of the game. The White Sox were similarly unable to do much with soft-tossing lefty Tyler Holton, who retired six out of eight hitters faced to keep the Pale House off the board until the Kenley Jansen could close things out in the ninth for his 485th career save. That’s good for third all-time, though he remains more than 100 shy of Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera at the top of the leaderboard.
Beyond Newcomb, Antonacci was the true bright spot for the Sox offense today. He reached base all four times he came to the plate, putting up some kind of benign baseball equivalent to a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, getting on via homer, single, walk, and hit-by-pitch. Call it an Antonacci Cycle. His .293 batting average and .392 on-base are both tops among MLB rookies (minimum 200 plate appearances).
Tomorrow’s series conclusion is also a matinee matchup, with first pitch scheduled for 12:40 p.m. CT from Detroit. Davis Martin will attempt to get the Sox off the schneid, facing righthander Keider Montero. We’ll see you there!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Jonathan Aranda #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jun 14, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Yesterday’s series-opening loss between the Brewers and Braves was a pitchers’ duel, with Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski squaring off against veteran left-hander Martín Perez. Unfortunately for hitters on both sides, today’s contest will feature another marquee pitching matchup: Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.47 ERA) against Braves ace Chris Sale (8-5, 2.30 ERA).
Harrison has been consistently dominant in his first season with the Brewers. The lone blemish on his resume came on June 8 against the A’s, when he was tagged for eight runs in 2 1/3 innings. Outside of that outing, he has not allowed more than two runs in any start this season.
Sale, now in his sixteenth season in the big leagues, has aged like a fine wine. The nine-time All-Star captured the pitching Triple Crown and his first Cy Young Award in 2024, then followed that campaign with a 2.58 ERA and 1.066 WHIP across 20 starts in 2025. If both pitchers perform as expected, today’s game should be another low-scoring affair.
Jake Bauers (.765 OPS vs. LHP, .916 OPS vs. RHP) is out of today’s lineup against the left-handed Sale. The top of the order features Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras, with designated hitter Gary Sánchez hitting cleanup. Andrew Vaughn (1.429 OPS vs. LHP, .691 OPS vs. RHP) is hitting fifth and playing first base. Rounding out the bottom of the order are right fielder Blake Perkins, center fielder Garrett Mitchell, shortstop Cooper Pratt, and third baseman Joey Ortiz.
In some news unrelated to today’s game, MLB.c0m Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy reported this morning that manager Pat Murphy will be undergoing surgery for a ruptured disk in his back on Thursday. Thursday is an off day for the Crew, so Murphy doesn’t anticipate missing any time. Per McCalvy, Murphy will also be undergoing hip surgery on the first day of next month’s All-Star break.
How are you planning to spend the Brewers’ off day on Thursday? Pat Murphy will spend it having surgery for a ruptured disc in his back.
As usual, today’s game will be televised on Brewers.TV, with radio broadcasts available on WTMJ 620 and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Trevor McDonald #72 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park on June 13, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for Game 2 between the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins. And it’s time for weekend baseball! It’s a battle of right-handed pitchers, as Trevor McDonald (2-4, 4.64 ERA) faces off with Max Meyer (7-0, 2.75 ERA).
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JUNE 19: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with third base coach Victor Estevez #7 after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on June 19, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats dropped the first game of the Rays series in a fairly sleepy contest. In each of the last two games, the Nats ferocious offense has been quiet. They will look to bounce back and avoid a rare series loss. As we saw last night though, this Rays team is a tough nut to crack.
With a lefty opener, Blake Butera is making some lineup changes. Curtis Mead and Andres Chaparro are both in the lineup at third and first base. James Wood will move to DH, meaning Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews will be in the outfield. After being scratched due to illness yesterday, Cade Cavalli feels better and will toe the rubber this afternoon.
The Rays only have one personnel change. We will see Victor Mesa Jr. for the first time. He will replace Jonny DeLuca. Other than that it is the same group, though Cedric Mullins will be higher in the lineup. It will be a bullpen game for the Rays, with Ian Seymour starting things off.
Rays 6/20
Y. Díaz DH J. Aranda 1B C. Mullins CF J. Caminero 3B R. Palacios 2B C. Simpson LF V. Mesa Jr. RF H. Feduccia C T. Walls SS
The Nats have done a good job staying consistent and not having many large losing streaks. They will look to stay resilient today and get back in the win column. To do so, they will need to take advantage of their chances. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
CJ Kayfus hit a three-run homer in the first game but Steven Perez got lit up in relief.
Bo Naylor went 2 for 4 with two homers including an inside-the-parker to walk it off, where the Railriders’ outfielder seemed to forget what the score was. Oops. Franco Aleman had another scoreless outing.
Ralphy Velazquez has raised his Triple-A OPS to .700… now to see if he can take the next step.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 9: Pitcher Troy Melton #52 of the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park on June 9, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Troy Melton gave the Tigers six innings of one-hit ball on Saturday, leading them to a 4-1 victory and a series win over the Chicago White Sox. Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers both had great games by their respective standards, and contributions from Kevin McGonigle, Spencer Torkelson, James Outman, and Tyler Holton were key in this one. Kenley Jansen locked up his 485th save to finish this one off.
Things did not begin well for Troy Melton, but they would get much, much better after the first batter. The second pitch of the game was a fastball on the inner half of the strikezone and Sam Antonacci lifted it to right field for a solo shot. Melton retired Miguel Vargas, Andrew Benintendi, and Colson Montgomery without difficulty from there, though the only thing he was commanding decently was the fourseamer early on.
Antonacci robbed Dillon Dingler of a flare single with a leaping grab at second base in the bottom half. That helped lefty Sean Newcomb to a 1-2-3 bottom of the first.
The White Sox continued to take their hacks at first pitches from Melton in the second, but it only led to two quick outs. Melton started to find the handle on his cutter and slider, but still had zero feel for the splitter. Braden Montgomery waited out a few errant splitters and drew a two-out walk. Jake Rogers tried to backpick him and Torkelson couldn’t handle the throw. Montgomery took second while Melton challenged the pitch correctly as Rogers was otherwise occupied. Rogers got the error despite the ball being right to Torkelson. It ultimately didn’t matter as Melton carved up Tristan Peters with a good curveball for a swinging strike three and his first strikeout of the game.
Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, getting a rare start against a lefty, grounded out weakly in the bottom of the second, while in between them, Spencer Torkelson whiffed on a Newcomb fastball to strike out. The lefty wasn’t showing much beyond a good, well located fastball, but early on that was plenty.
Drew Romo flew out to start the third. Melton, trying to get inside on Antonacci, hit him, but Miguel Vargas flew out to center field, and Benintendi grounded out to first in another quick inning for Melton. The right-hander finished the third at 39 pitches.
Hao-Yu Lee flew out to right to open the bottom of the third and Jake Rogers took a called striked three. The White Sox had their bullpen warm as Newcomb was only scheduled to throw around 45 pitches, but things were going well, and Will Venable stuck with Newcomb against Zach McKinstry, who whiffed on 96 mph up to complete three perfect frames.
Melton got a weak fly out from Colson Montgomery to open the fourth, mixing in some good curveballs now. Grichuk bounced a cutter to McGonigle at third for the second out. Jacob Gonzalez bounced out to Lee at second just as Melton’s pitch count topped 50.
Will Venable did turn to RHP Tyler Davis in the bottom of the fourth. He walked Kevin McGonigle on four straight pitches, and the Tigers had the leadoff man on. Dillon Dingler got tied up with a good fourseamer and popped out on the first base side in foul territory. Vierling pulled a pair of two strike pitches just foul of third base, and battled his way back to 3-2 and through a 10 pitch AB before Davis yanked a fastball wide to issue a walk. Davis then fired three straight balls to Riley Greene. Greene swung at a fastball on the inner edge, pulling it foul, and then got jammed, blooping one to Montgomery at shortstop for the second out. That left it up to Torkelson, and Davis continued to be pretty wild, walking him on five pitches.
And so, Kerry Carpenter stepped into a perfect matchup for him, and Venable wanted none of it, turning to lefty Joe Rock instead. And after starting Carpenter with Newcomb facing him the first time, AJ Hinch now turned to fan favorite, Jahmai Jones. He fouled a ball off his shin and was in obvious pain, and then struck out on a slider that backed up and never broke into the zone as boos rained down from the crowd.
Good times.
James Outman took over for Jones, playing center field as Vierling moved over to right field. Melton got Braden Montgomery to open the fifth, but then walked Peters on four straight. That brought Chris Fetter out for a quick factory reset. It worked, as the right-hander carved up Romo with a nasty curveball for a swinging strike three and his second punchout. Melton fell behind against Antonacci, worked it back to 3-2, and then missed the lower outside corner to walk him. It was initially called a strike three, but Antonacci correctly challenged it. So it was Melton versus Vargas, and the Tigers’ starter came after him, blowing him away with 98 mph to strand both runners in the first stress of the outing.
Rock got a weak flyout to right from Lee in the bottom half, then a grounder from Rogers. McKinstry hung in there to draw a walk and turn the lineup over. Rock slung a pair of sliders in for strikes to get ahead of McGonigle, but the rookie eventually got a fastball and lined it up the middle for a single and the Tigers first hit of the game. Dingler followed suit, inside outing a fastball in and lining it for an RBI single to right field. McKinstry scored and McGonigle went first to third with ease. Tie ballgame. Vierling popped up a slider to shallow center field, and we were onto the sixth in a 1-1 game.
Melton was at 71 pitches to start the inning, so this was probably his final frame. Hao-Yu Lee made a nice diving stop to get Benintendi on a hard grounder to start things off. Melton dusted Colson Montgomery with a good slider for the second out, and then did the same thing to the right-handed Grichuk for his fifth strikeout of the game on his 84th pitch.
The breaking stuff really came around as the game progressed and they ditched the splitter. As usual, Melton’s strength is the mix of stuff he can throw, and the fact that he rarely makes a mistake over the middle. He issued three walks as a result, but only allowed one hit, Antonacci’s solo shot which started the game. He racked up 11 whiffs, getting one or more with six different pitches.
6.0 IP, ER, H, 3 BB, 5 K.
Riley Greene made an opposite field bid on a Rock slider as the lefty continued to pour them in, but it fell shy on the warning track for the first out of the bottom of the sixth. Torkelson got a sinker and smoked it to the wall in right center field for a one-out double. Outman got a breaking ball first pitch and torched a hard grounder through the right side of the infield for an RBI single. Nice job there, and the ball was thrown away by right fielder Braden Montgomery so Outman beat feet to second base. Lee lifted a deep sac fly to right field, allowing Outman to tag and take third, but that left it up to Jake Rogers. If I don’t sound confident there, it’s because I was not at all confident. Instead, Rock fired an 0-1 fastball in there and the Tigers backup catcher ripped an RBI single to left center field. 3-1 Tigers. That move to take second from Outman paid dividends.
Rock was clearly shook, and then Tigers fans decided to serenade the airwaves with Take Me Home, Country Roads, perhaps learning from the absolutely epic World Cup invasion of fans who know how to produce chants, sing songs together, and generally live it up. Of course, the John Denver staple has recently spread well beyond West Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a result, Rock walked Zach McKinstry. Unfortunately, McGonigle smoked a line drive right to Gonzalez at first, ending the inning.
Tyler Holton took over in the seventh, and Venable pinch-hit Chase Meidroth in for Gonzalez. He bounced out, but Braden Montgomery bounced one down the first base line for a double. Junior Perez then hit for Tristan Peters. Holton carved him up with a backfoot cutter for the second out of the inning. Drew Romo grounded out to McGonigle, and that was that. Still 3-1 Tigers.
It was quickly 4-1 Tigers, because Dillon Dingler was up first against RHP Trevor Richards. A 1-1 fastball got vaporized 430 feet to straightaway center for the best catcher in baseball’s 17th home run of the season. DING DING.
Vierling, Greene, and Torkelson went in order from there, and we were onto the eighth with a 4-1 lead.
Hinch stuck with Holton against Antonacci, and the left-handed hitter ripped a leadoff single to right to open the inning. Vargas lifted a shallow fly ball to right field to Greene. The wind was blowing the ball toward the foul line, but Greene caught it and then dropped it on the transfer. Third base umpire Rob Drake thought otherwise and ruled a no catch, but Greene immediately fired to second to get Antonacci, who had no chance. Edgar Quero hit for Benintendi, and Holton popped him out to Lee at second. That left it to the dangerous Colton Montgomery, but Holton absolutely carved him up despite Rogers missing a call that should have been challenged. A sweeper that started at the shortstop’s head dropped in for strike three to end the top of the eighth.
Outman pulled another sharp grounder ball to the right side to open the bottom half against lefty Chris Murphy. Antonacci slid for it but couldn’t hang on, and it bounced away for a leadoff single. Lee flew out to center field, but Outman got a big jump and swiped second base easily. Rogers struck out, and McKinstry lifted a fly ball to center to end the inning.
So, it was Kenley Jansen time again. The big right-hander notched his 484th save on Friday night, but the three hitters he faced wouldn’t be seeing him again in this one.
Grichuk grounded out to McKinstry at shortstop to start the inning. Chase Meidroth dropped down a perfect bunt down the third base line on the first pitch he saw for a single. Jansen got right in Braden Montgomery’s kitchen, and he popped out to McGonigle. That left it to Perez, as the Tigers led Meidroth take second base. Jansen got a little wild and walked Perez, and no one liked that as Drew Romo came to the plate as the potential game-tying run, but he lifted a fly ball out to Outman to end the game.
Nice to get a series win. Melton and Dingler were great. Outman and Rogers had good games. Tyler Holton did a great job. And Jansen gets save number 485. The Tigers will hunt the sweep of their AL Central foes on Sunday.
RHP Keider Montero will take on a tough right-hander in Davis Martin at 1:40 p.m. ET on Sunday.
MIAMI — With Tyler Mahle’s pending return to the rotation, the Giants faced a coming logjam of starting pitchers. The odd man out, despite his objections: Adrian Houser.
“I mean, I’m not going to be happy with it, but I understand,” Houser told The California Post after manager Tony Vitello delivered the tough news Saturday. “I signed here to be a starter. I didn’t sign here to be in the bullpen.”
With Tyler Mahle’s pending return to the rotation, the Giants faced a coming logjam of starting pitchers. The odd man out, despite his objections: Adrian Houser.
Yet, that is precisely where the 33-year-old right-hander will find himself only three months into his Giants tenure, at least for now. In 14 starts, Houser was 2-6 with a 5.73 ERA with a 1.573 WHIP, the highest of his career and the third-worst mark of any starter with at least as many innings.
“He wants the same thing as everybody else,” Vitello said. “He wants to do better.”
Houser, in particular, has struggled against lefties and in the first inning. Left-handed hitters are responsible for nine of the 12 home runs Houser has allowed while batting .339 with a 1.042 OPS, compared to right-handers’ .218 average and .540 OPS.
In his last start, Houser served up a 473-foot home run to the Braves’ Drake Baldwin in the first inning, raising his ERA in the first frame to 9.64. His ERA in the fifth, when the lineup typically turns over for a third time, swells to 12.46. But in between, he owns a 2.79 mark.
“He’s really found a rhythm in the middle of outings,” Vitello said. “The first inning has given him trouble. Third time through the order has given him trouble. Those are things he’s done well before in the past.”
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That track record, most recently featuring a 3.31 ERA in 21 starts last season for the Rays and White Sox, led president of baseball operations Buster Posey to award Houser a two-year, $22 million contract to round out their starting rotation with Mahle, another free-agent addition.
Mahle hasn’t been any better — 1-7 with a 6.04 ERA in 11 starts — but could be a trade piece at the deadline. He is only under contract for the rest of this season at a rate of $10 million.
Houser, on the other hand, will attempt to convince Vitello and the Giants brass that he belongs in the rotation. Of his 187 career appearances, 139 have come as a starting pitcher.
Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
“I proved last year that I’m a starter, and I’ve done it in years past, too,” Houser said. “At the end of the day, it’s still the same goal — you’ve got to get outs. I’m gonna do everything I can to get back in the rotation because I signed here to be a starter, not a bullpen guy.”
Houser talked with The Post following a “good day of catch play,” where he was getting hands-on advice from director of pitching Frank Anderson. The team believes his struggles against left-handers has more to do with pitch selection than mechanics.
“The sinker’s been getting damaged a little bit, and that’s kind of been the root cause,” pitching coach Justin Meccage told The Post. “So a little more four-seam usage. Really, a true mix of all four pitches. And moving the fastball around the different quadrants.”
Because of his release point, lefties tend to see the ball better out of Houser’s hand than a typical righty, Meccage said. Too predictable of a pitch mix makes it even easier to tee off on.
Houser talked with The Post following a “good day of catch play,” where he was getting hands-on advice from director of pitching Frank Anderson. The team believes his struggles against left-handers has more to do with pitch selection than mechanics. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
“So you’ve got to disguise pitches to create an unpredictable look,” he said. “Make that [swing] decision really hard as long as possible. That’s where the sequencing comes into play.”
Houser has started to incorporate his four-seamer more, but teams still have stacked lefties at the top of the lineup, leading to his troubles in the first inning.
A simple solution, it would seem, would be to use a left-handed opener in front of Houser if and when he returns to the rotation. The idea has been bandied about among Giants coaches, but Houser said he hasn’t been approached about it.
He would be about as receptive to it as he was about his new assignment in the bullpen.
“I’m not big on it,” Houser said. “I like to stay in my routine.”
So much for that routine, at least for now.
Houser, having only thrown one inning before his last start was interrupted by rain, will be available in the bullpen beginning Saturday, Vitello said. How he will be used remains to be determined, though they expect to need some length behind Mahle in his return Wednesday.
Given Houser’s objections and his status as a player Posey handpicked to fill a role that has suddenly changed, it made for a test for how the rookie manager would deliver hard news.
“There’s no real easy way to tell somebody they’re being demoted or moving to the bullpen or someplace they don’t want to go to,” Houser said. “He handled it the best he could.”
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Jun 19, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of a tifo during the game between the Texas Rangers and the San Diego Padres at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 06: Manager Joe Espada #19 of the Houston Astros looks on during batting practice prior to the game against the Athletics at Daikin Park on June 06, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Joe Espada has done a far better job than you think.
Much has been made again this season over Astros manager Joe Espada’s performance. For the third straight year, Espada has been asked to take a highly injured roster filled with Triple-A players and get elite results.
In his first season, he was able to keep the team together through it’s first half struggles and lead them to a Division Title.
In his second season, he kept an injury ravaged team in the hunt all season, and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
Now in his third season, and managing on the final year of his contract, Espada has again had to deal with a team devastated by injuries in both importance and volume. The Astros record is not where fans or management want, but it is hard to win Major League games with half your roster being Triple-A talent.
Many media and fans alike have stated that they believe Espada is on the hottest of seats, and others have called for his outright immediate termination.
So exactly what kind of job has Espada been doing? The numbers (thanks to our friends at @TigersData) are going to surprise you:
This chart from @TigersData on X shows two different metrics. The first is Bullpen Situation and the second is Pinch Hitter situation.
In Bullpen Situation, the grade is based on going to the bullpen with runners in scoring position (RISP) and 2 outs, and whether or not the new pitcher stranded the runner(s) or allowed the inherited runner(s) to score.
In this situation, Joe Espada ranked 9th in MLB, with his move to a new pitcher stranding the runner(s) 15 out of 20 times.
In Pinch Hitter Situation, the grade is based on going to a pinch hitter with RISP and either the batter reached base or drove in at least one runner.
In this situation, Espada ranked 11th in MLB, with his pinch hitting decision being successful 7 out of 16 times.
That would cumulatively make him a Top 10 manager in MLB based on game altering decisions that managers are entrusted to make.
Now let’s peel the onion back a little further.
This chart from @TigersData shows the expected change in Win Probability that the manager’s decisions in those bullpen and pinch hitting situations created.
Here, you will notice that despite the fact Espada ranked 9th and 11th in Bullpen and Pinch Hitting actual success, the expected win probability added was negative, rating at -0.43. That left him 20th in the ranking.
How can this be?
It’s because Espada has been getting success with players who were not expected to succeed.
When considering the Astros injury-depleted roster, you must understand that often times, Espada has been required to make pinch-hitting decisions with Triple-A players more than any manager should be asked to. Yet, he has chosen the right player at a Top-11 rate.
He has chosen the right bullpen arm to be a stopper in an inning at a Top 9 rate, despite the injuries and underperformance of the bullpen that left it with an MLB-worst ERA through the first two months of the season.
Analytically, his choices have been expected to fail. They are succeeding.
Espada is maximizing the talent on his team, directly in the face of what the metrics say he should be getting from those plyaers.
Forget making chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what, he’s making Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Espada has the respect of the clubhouse, he knows his players, and he is getting the most from them.
Those are the marks of a manager who should be extended and appreciated, not one who should constantly have his job security or job worthiness questioned.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 19: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves slides into home plate in the sixth inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park on June 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Join us and discuss the game in the comments below, as the Braves look to take a big series win behind Chris Sale.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA- MAY 08: Mitch Bratt #38 of the Reno Aces pitches against the Sacramento River Cats during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 08, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Introduction
There were three rookies getting their very first taste of the big leagues on the D-Backs’ active roster in Ryan Waldschmidt, Tommy Troy, and most recently LuJames Groover. They represent a growing youth movement for the D-Backs that has helped fuel them into the postseason chase alongside their usual veterans. It hasn’t been completely smooth sailing for the trio as they have a combined 0.5 bWAR, a .237/.329/.338 slash line, and none of them currently has an OPS+ over 100. Of course, Waldschmidt is the only one with over 100 ABs so a small sample size qualifier is in effect, but they’ve all had the expected growing pains to one degree or another as they become more accustomed to the speed and skill that’s required at the big league level. However, all three of them are obviously position players and their emergence made me wonder if there were any pitching prospects who might make their debut and contribute to the team at some point this year. Of the team’s top 30 prospects, nearly half are pitchers of some kind with half of those sitting either at AAA Reno or AA Amarillo, giving them a realistic opportunity to make their debut this season. I am excluding players that have already made their debut like Yilber Diaz and ones that have injuries precluding them from contributing like Cristian Mena who will miss the remainder of the season. Additionally, since beginning writing this article, both Ryne Nelson and Michael Soroka have gone down with injuries, adding more urgency to these prospects’ debuts.
Mitch Bratt
The youngest of the three players listed here, the organization’s 14th-ranked prospect is also arguably having the best season of the three on the list too. In 11 starts with Reno, he’s pitched to an impressive 2.84 ERA, a 0.947 WHIP, and a .190 BAA. That’s particularly noteworthy given the elevated offensive environment the entire Pacific Coast League represents and that it’s Bratt’s first taste of the highest levels of the minor leagues. Since coming over from the Rangers as part of the Merrill Kelly trade, he has done nothing but impress the club – prompting them to add him to the 40-man roster in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. That move definitely increases the likelihood for Bratt to make his debut this season alongside his left-handedness for a starting rotation that leans righty pretty heavily, but given his age (he’ll turn 23 in July) and his lack of experience at AAA, he faces an uphill battle to get a call this year. But if and when he does make his debut, he’ll need to take advantage of his excellent control to make up for a lack of velocity on his fastball that usually sits in the 90-93 range that he can place excellently.
Kohl Drake
The other headliner in that Kelly trade at last season’s Deadline, Drake has gone in the other direction so far with his new organization. Drake was the Rangers’ 13th-ranked prospect before the trade and immediately slotted in at nearly the same place within the D-Backs’ system this year. Unfortunately, while he’s the more experienced player between he and Bratt with 21 starts at AAA, he has looked overmatched there to this point. He struggled to a 7.15 ERA in seven starts between Reno and Round Rock last year with a WHIP of 1.705 in those appearances. Those numbers have all worsened so far this season with a 7.83 ERA and 1.759 WHIP in 14 starts and he’s particularly struggled walking batters with 4.3 walks per nine. Even by the inflacted PCL standards, those kinds of statistics just simply aren’t very competitive. Still, he’s shown enough potential at the lower levels that if the coaching staff can fine tune his pitch mix and control, he could compete for a backend rotation spot at the end of this season or the beginning of next season.
Spencer Giesting
By far the most dark horse candidate on the list, Giesting has never been a ranked propsect, but has absolutely feasted in his time with Reno so far this season with a 2.87 ERA and a 0.973 WHIP in six appearances and 12.1 IP. Originally an 11th round pick out of the University of North Carolina, Giesting was mostly deployed as a starter for the beginning of his pro career with decent results at the lower levels with a 3.67 ERA at AA last year, but struggled as a starter at AAA with a 6.47 ERA. But since moving to the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever (MIRP in the FanGraphs parlance), the lefty has been a completely different player – increasing his strikeout rate from 8.7 per nine to 13.8 this year. He isn’t currently on the 40-man roster which likely does slightly decrease the likelihood of making his debut, but he’s also Rule 5 eligible this season and has opened enough eyes that the team will probably have to protect him from being scooped by an opportunistic club. Even still, it isn’t often that you’re able to develop a mid-rounder into a productive bulk reliever, but the “deceptive lefty” may be able to parlay an unusual delivery into a bullpen role that could desperately use such a pitcher.
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 02: Reliever Matt Moore #55 of the Los Angeles Angels delivers a pitch during a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 2, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won 5-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals have been searching under every rock to build up their pitching depth after recent injuries have decimated their staff. After acquiring Connor Seabold and Randy Dobnak earlier this week, today they signed veteran pitcher Matt Moore to a minor league deal.
Not to be confused with the former Chiefs quarterback of the same name, Matt Moore has spent 13 years in the big leagues with the Rays, Giants, Rangers, Tigers, Phillies, Angels, Guardians, and Marlins. The 37-year-old has a career 4.39 ERA, spending his early career as a starter, but transitioning to a reliever later in his career.
The lefty was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and was an All-Star for Tampa Bay in 2013 as a starter. He had Tommy John surgery the next year, but bounced back to have a solid season in 2016. He missed most of the 2019 season with a knee injury, and played in 2020 with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan.
He returned to the States in 2021, and converted to the bullpenin 2023, posting a 1.95 ERA in 63 games with the Rangers. He last pitched in the big leagues in 2024, making 51 appearances with the Angels, posting a 5.03 ERA. Moore signed with the Red Sox last year, but experienced arm soreness and was released before ever making an appearance in the organization.
The Royals are currently without starters Kris Bubic and Cole Ragans, as well as relievers Nick Mears and Carlos Estévez.
