Category: Baseball

Let’s see if the D-backs can continue the Padres’ free-fall. On May 18, they beat the Dodgers 1-0, Michael King and two relievers combining on five-hitter. Consequently, the Padres took over first place in the division, with a record of 29-18. It looked possible that we could see a battle for the NL West, the likes of which haven’t happened since 2021, when LA won 106 games, and it still wasn’t enough. Except, since then, the two teams have gone in sharply different directions. The Dodgers have won at a better than .700 rate, going 31-15, while the Padres have been the worst team in baseball, going 15-28, and with the worst run differential over that time to boot.

Consequently, the Dodgers now have a 14-game lead in the division. That’s twice what it was on the same date last season, and the largest on this date since the pre-COVID times in 2019. The division is basically over. Fangraphs gives Los Angeles a 99.9% chance of winning the division, and that may be underselling them. But what happened to the Padres? Their rotation has fallen off a cliff. Over those 43 games, the Padres’ starters have won just seven times – tied for fewest in the majors – with an ERA of 5.29 which ranks 27th in the league. Their offense hasn’t been much better, a .679 OPS ranked 28th (albeit five points better than Arizona!).

It’s certainly not what you’d want given a cash payroll north of $230 million, which is $46 million more than the D-backs. But since San Diego really started spending, entering the top ten in 2020 (where they’ve been every season since, bar 2024), they have finished an average of fourteen games back, and have a losing post-season record at 13-15. If that continues, one wonders how much patience the team’s new owners will have with GM A.J. Preller. He has been in the position since 2014 – longer than anyone save the Yankees’ Brian Cashman – but the team has only made it past the Division Series once in that time.

It’s another night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest hole-in-the-wall for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. The dress code is casual. We’re always glad to see you. We’ve still got a few tables available. Enjoy a cool drink. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night, I asked you what was the best first-round pick in Cubs history. There was a clear winner in Kris Bryant, who got 53 percent of the vote. That makes sense as he was tied for the second-lowest pick in Cubs history as the second overall pick in the draft. Shawon Dunston was the only first overall pick in Cubs history and Mark Prior and Joe Carter were also second picks in the Draft. Also some guy named Terry Hughes in 1967.

On Tuesday nights I don’t do movie stuff, but I always have time for jazz. Now is that time.

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Tonight we’re featuring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Samara Joy singing “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” in New York on June 28 of this year.

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Welcome back to those who skip the music.

As we approach this Saturday’s MLB Draft, I thought I’d ask you who you think the Cubs should select in the first round with the 23rd pick. Of course, I can’t promise any of these players will be available at 23, but all of them are ranked between the 25th- and 37th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and between 17th- and 40th-best by MLB Pipeline. All of them are college players, because the Cubs only very rarely take a high school draft prospect in the first round.

Those lists, of course, do not match the lists that the Cubs or any other team have drawn up in their draft room. Some of these players also have “helium,” meaning that either BA or Pipeline thinks they’re higher on some draft boards today than when these lists were first published. So don’t take any “rankings” as gospel.

All of these players probably won’t be available at 23, but at least one of them should be and likely more than one.

Additionally, when a team’s first pick is at 23, they aren’t going to get a player who doesn’t have flaws or question marks. Any high-ceiling, low-risk player will be taken in the first five picks. So what I’m asking is what kinds of flaw are you willing to accept? How much risk will you take on?

Because I don’t think that most of you are familiar with these players and to keep the players anonymous. However, I’m guessing that those of you who follow the college game will be able to guess who they are in the comments.

So here are the choices:

Player one is a left-handed pitcher from a Big Ten school. After two years of both starting and relieving, he had a breakout season as a starter his junior season. His best pitch is his nasty curveball but he also has an above-average change. He’s not a high-velocity pitcher with his fastball topping out at 93. He’s a pitchability lefty who could move to the majors quickly. He also has a clean injury history.

Player two is a tall hard-throwing, lefty at an SEC school. He missed almost all of his freshman and sophomore seasons with a stress fracture in his elbow. He returned his junior season and dominated with one of the highest strikeout rates in college ball. His fastball averages 95 mph can touch 98, but his best pitch is a hard, power slider. He has an OK curve but he needs to work on his change. Player two has a high upside, but a lot of injury risk and bullpen downside.

Player three is an ACC outfielder with some terrific contact and hard-hit rates. He makes good decisions at the plate, leading to fewer strikeouts and lots of walks. He’s also a very good athlete with plus speed and lots of stolen bases. Despite that, his arm is weak and is likely to end up in left field, where he played in college, although center field is a possibility. While he is big enough and strong enough to hit for power, his current swing path doesn’t get much lift on the ball, so his power potential could be quite limited. Player three could move up the system quickly, as long as the Cubs don’t try to adjust his swing for more power.

Player four is an SEC catcher. He was a monster at the plate, winning the SEC triple crown. He has easy power to all fields. Player four also has good speed, not just for a catcher, but good speed overall. He was the first Division I catcher to ever have 25 home runs and 25 steals in a season. The downside on player four is that there is an above-average amount of swing-and-miss in his game and that weakness could be exploited by better pitching. Player four also struggled in the wooden-bat Cape Cod League. He only moved behind the plate full-time his junior year, so he’s still quite raw and inexperienced back there. Many doubt that he can stay behind the plate as a pro, although most think he can play left field in that scenario. Leaving him at catcher would likely mean a slower trip through the minors.

So knowing what you know, if these were the Cubs’ four options at 23, which one would you take?

Thanks a lot for stopping by tonight. Please get home safely. Call a ride if you need one. Please stay cool out there. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Start of a new one.#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/Zokf6AuAba

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 7, 2026

Here’s the Twins lineup:

Back home!

📺 https://t.co/usGFyQCbUxpic.twitter.com/CZDyVka1Uo

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 7, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!

It took a few days longer than it should have, but Braxton Ashcraft is an All-Star.

The Pirates’ best starting pitcher in 2026, Ashcraft has burst onto the scene in his first full year as a major leaguer.

In 18 starts, Ashcraft owns a 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 108.1 innings.

⭐️SHCRAFT. pic.twitter.com/h0HPCYEXd3

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 7, 2026

Ashcraft originally wasn’t voted to the National League All-Star roster, but was named as a replacement for Paul Skenes.

Skenes was the only Pirate initially selected to the Mid-Summer Classic on the other side of the state in Philadelphia.

Ashcraft, 26, owns a 10.14 K/9 and has been one of the biggest surprises of any NL pitcher.

The strong right-hander is fourth in the National League in strikeouts (122), fourth in innings (108.1), 11th in ERA (3.24), and tied for ninth in wins (9-3). 

The Pirates are 12-6 in games that Ashcraft starts. 

Ashcraft owns two starts this season with 10 or more strikeouts and not allowing a free pass.

He’s allowed two or fewer runs in 14 of his 18 starts. In the midst of an unstable rotation, Ashcraft has been the anchor that Pittsburgh has relied on. 

The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will commence on Tuesday, July 14, at 8 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The St. Louis Cardinals will play game 2 of their day/night doubleheader Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers with Hunter Dobbins getting the start for the birds. The Brew Crew will assign night pitching duties to Robert Gasser who’s 1-3 with a 4.54 ERA. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm central time with the game broadcast available again on Cardinals.tv.

Anaheim Angels @ Texas Rangers

Tuesday, July 07, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

RHP Jose Soriano vs. RHP Jacob deGrom

Go Rangers!

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Ben Rice and his father have dreamed and talked about it since he was a little kid. On Monday night, it happens for real, on a big league field with his dad on the mound.

The Yankees’ young slugger is in the Home Run Derby and Dan Rice, his father, is coming to throw to him. The elder Rice pitched at Brown in the 1980s and has never really stopped tossing to his son since he was able to hold a bat. On Monday, July 13, it'll just be at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in front of the whole country instead of in their backyard.

“That was always a lifelong dream of both of ours,” Rice said Tuesday, June 7 before New York took on the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. “So I am really looking forward to it.”

Rice, 27, is a first-time All-Star and a first-time entrant in the derby. He has the credentials, as he has grown into the bat that has kept the Yankees' lineup afloat while Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are hurt.

That he is the one everyone expected to step up and fill in for Judge and Stanton is an almost dream in and of itself.

The Yankees took him in the 12^th round of the 2021 draft, the 363^rd pick overall out of Dartmouth. He didn't care about pedigree and crashed the big leagues as a rookie in July 2024 with a three-homer game against the Red Sox, the first Yankees rookie to ever do that. A breakout 2025 followed, and this season, the left-handed hitting first baseman and designated hitter has become one of the most productive bats in the American League.

More: MLB All-Star snubs: More Phillies, Braves and Rays? Absolutely.

Going into Tuesday night's game, Rice was hitting .267 with 25 homers, tied for the fifth-most in the majors and third in the American League.

A Yankee has not won the Derby since Judge in 2017 in Miami. Before him, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano took the title. Jazz Chisholm Jr. entered last year but went out in the first round with three home runs.

The blueprint Rice is following worked a year ago. Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh won the 2025 Derby in Atlanta with his father pitching to him and his younger brother behind the plate, becoming the first catcher to win it. The man Raleigh beat in the final, Rays slugger Junior Caminero, is the only other hitter so far committed to the field in Philadelphia next week.

MLB reworked the format for this year, moving away from the timed rounds players griped were too tiring. There are now 20 swings in round one, 15 in round two and 15 in the final.

Rice likes the change not only for his own sake, but for his dad's.

“It also takes some pressure off the BP thrower, because I have to swing at every pitch," he said. "Overall it’s a positive change.”

He has done a version of this before. In his summer college league in 2020, tie games were settled with a home run swing-off.

“I did that three times that year,” Rice said.

He won all three.

That’s about as much preparation Rice is taking into this.

“I haven’t really thought about strategy,” Rice said. “I just kind of want to enjoy it. Have fun taking BP with my dad at a big league field, in front of a bunch of people. It should be cool.”

That experience with his dad was why Rice said yes to this opportunity. It's a chance to share what has been a Cinderella-like big league career with the man that got him started.

His dad’s stuff, by the son’s scouting report, is not quite what it was. Dan Rice had a good curveball “back in the day,” his son said. The family is already reminding him not to throw any breaking balls in the derby and just groove them in for his son.

“He always throws to me in the offseason, still,” Rice said. “So his lifetime pitch count is through the roof at this point. We’ll keep adding to that total on Monday.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees' Ben Rice to get his Home Run Derby dream with dad pitching

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We are now less than a month out from the trade deadline, and the D-backs still find themselves in an awkward position on the edge of the wild-card race. They are neither so far out of it that selling is the only sensible option, nor are they right in the heart of things, where adding pieces would clearly make sense. There are certainly no shortage of obvious ways in which the team could be improved, and that’s what this week’s survey is about. I’m highlighting five particular areas, though two of these are different sides of the same count. I still reckon they are each worth considering separately.

Zac Gallen’s rotation spot

It’s interesting to recall that the D-backs actually made Gallen a qualifying offer last winter. He rejected it, failed to find a buyer in free agency, then came back to Arizona for the same price, with a significant deferral. To be blunt, the D-backs shouldn’t have bothered. Zac’s -1.6 bWAR is the worst of any pitcher in baseball this year, a combination of his bloated ERA (6.36 going into tonight’s start against the Padres) and high usage. Starters with ERAs that high, typically don’t stick around in rotations. His strikeout rate has cratered to just five and a half per nine innings, leaving Zac currently dead-last among qualified starters. Is he fixable?

Merrill Kelly’s rotation spot

On the one hand, Kelly hasn’t been as bad. His ERA of 5.71 is two-thirds of a run below Gallen, and he has shown flashes of his old self. A complete game in Coors Field is no mean feat, certainly. On the other hand, Merrill’s peripherals are worse than Zac’s, with a similar K/9 (5.50), but higher walk and HR rates. Consequently, his FIP is two-thirds of a run higher and his xERA (based on contact quality) is a monstrous 7.80, almost a run and a half worse. Kelly is also under contract for 2027 as well (providing there is a season), and turns 38 in mid-October. If he has hit the aging well, next year could be even more disastrous than this one.

First base

It has been well-recorded that this position has reached historical levels of suck for the 2026 Diamondbacks. First base has posted this line for Arizona, across 359 plate appearances: .214/.256/.310 for an OPS of just .565. That’s sixty-seven points of OPS below any other team in the majors this year. Indeed, it’s the lowest OPS from the position in the last hundred years. The only sides below Arizona in the live-ball era both played in the 1920 season. Nobody has been able to produce there for the Diamondbacks. Ildemaro Vargas’s .633 OPS is the best of anyone with more than a handful of PA at 1B, and he stopped hitting after April.

Designated hitter

Some slack can perhaps be given to first base, since defense is a part of the equation there. The same cannot be said for the DH spot, which is literally all about the offense. It’s in the damn name, f’heavens sake. But Arizona’s DHs are hitting not much better than their 1Bs: .218/.294/.317 for a .611 OPS. Of the five players to have 25+ PA at the spot, everyone bar Ketel Marte has an OPS of .531 or lower. The entire position has hit just five home-runs for Arizona over 331 at-bats – no team in the majors has fewer homers by its designated hitters. Frankly, I’d almost rather see our pitchers try to hit, the results have been that feeble.

Center field

This one seems to have slid through the cracks a bit. But as at first-base, the D-backs rank dead last in the majors by OPS at the spot. Arizona’s CFs are batting below the Uecker Line at .198, the three (3) home-runs aren’t helping, and a K:BB ratio of 90:21 also factors into the .574 OPS. If not as “once in a century” historically bad as first – you only have to go back two years to find the Cardinals getting a .570 OPS from the center fielders – it’s an area where the team has clearly struggled. The youth movement Arizona has tried there, with almost every game this season started by someone no older then 25, is clearly not a success to the current point.

So, there’s your options. But if you had a One Wish Willow, and could address just a single of the above issues, which one would you consider the biggest? That’s what the poll below is for, and as ever, explain your choice in the comments for a shot at inclusion in the results post on Saturday!

Around next Wednesday, after this weekend’s MLB Draft and next week’s All-Star Game, we’ll firmly be in trade rumors season with just 27 days left until the deadline. As one of the worst teams in professional sports this year, the Giants will be sellers this year, and while the team is so bad it’s reasonable to conclude that they have little to offer actually good teams, I noted the 10 most valuable Giants they could trade a month ago, and yesterday, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel along with Jeff Passan noted 7 Giants in their top 100 trade value ranking. Could the Giants really remake themselves for 2027 at this year’s deadline?

Remarkably, Luis Arraez is not listed as the team’s most valuable trade chip, though he is also in the top 10 along with their top preference. The highest ranking Giant on the list is instead outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, whom they’ve tagged with a 50% chance of being traded, adding, “Lee is primed to get a big return if the Giants indeed move him.” Nine teams are listed as best fits, but in a sign that maybe this piece wasn’t as closely edited as we might want, the Padres are listed twice, meaning just 8 teams fit the bill, per their analysis.

Proof, btw:

If we assume that Buster Posey would not trade within the division, that really just means 6 (Arizona is also listed), according to the speculation of two industry insiders. The Padres should, in theory, be in on a lot of players, though, because their new ownership probably wouldn’t be looking for them to dump salary despite their recent struggles (15-28 since May 19th), but of the plausible teams, the Phillies, Atlanta, Guards, Rangers, Rays, and Marlins, I think only Atlanta would work? They’ve already got Ha-Seong Kim there. The Giants could get back Mike Yastrzemski, I guess?

Anyway, it was a surprise to see him as the first Giant. I’m not entirely sure that his profile is more valuable than Luis Arraez’s, because even their conclusion is that he’s “a solid everyday player but not a star.”

With Luis Arraez, you’ve got a borderline Gold Glove defender up the middle with contact skills that are unmatched. Some of their analysis feels tinged by the defensive reputation he’s had over the past few years, which has led them to be suspicious of his improvement this season. I just think that if there was a tangible reason for suspicion, it would’ve cropped up by now. So, even though they think he has a 90% chance of being traded and consider him a 3- or 4-win player, they still put him below Jung Hoo Lee in terms of value.

In the most recent SB Nation Reacts poll analysis, I suggested that Cleveland would be a great landing spot for Arraez. McDaniel and Passan list the Guards alongside six other teams. One of them is Los Angeles, though, and I don’t imagine that Buster Posey would trade with the Dodgers, so it’s odd that they would list that team as a best fit, because, presumably, “best fit” involves an evaluation of the facts. To ignore the rivalry as a fact is a terrible omission, even in the business of baseball. They don’t bother to list the Yankees as a “best fit” for any Red Sox valued on this list, for example.

And then two more Giants are listed in the top 25: Matt Chapman (#15) and Robbie Ray (#22). With the former, the analysis believes that Chapman’s excellent defense is enough to prevent his deal from being underwater already, a situation unlike Devers and Adames. They do a quick and dirty analysis of Chapman’s batted ball profile and come to the same conclusion I did at the end of May — that Chapman’s raw talent is still there and age hasn’t gotten to them yet — but didn’t update this blurb after news of Chapman’s season-long abdominal strain, which explains all the weird power numbers this season. Anyway, I think Chapman’s age, contract, and durability concerns going forward (he played in just 128 games last season, remember) are enough to disprove the notion that the contract isn’t underwater, and I can’t see the Giants paying down much of it. The “best fits” list is interesting, though:

Cardinals, A’s, Nationals, Brewers, Marlins, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox.

Matt Chapman makes every team he’s on better, so, adding him to any of these lineups would be great for them. It would be funny if he went back to the A’s, though, and I just think this is another bit of poor analysis that doesn’t account for the on-the-ground details like the Giants and A’s are not in the business of helping each other. Quite the opposite!

Now, the main reason why Chapman’s on this list is the same as why Robbie Ray is #22 and not lower — there really isn’t a lot of value in the top 100 because most of the potentially available players are coming from bad teams. This isn’t one of those pure “What’s the trade value of every player” article that ignores all context, it’s very much looking at the continuum of players likely to be available at this year’s deadline. So, Robbie Ray cracks the top 25.

They suspect he’ll become a reliever in the postseason but would be crucial for a contender in the regular season as a starter. And given that need for innings coverage which Ray generally provides, their list of Best fits is obvious enough: White Sox, Cubs, Diamondbacks, A’s, Blue Jays, Braves, Padres, Cardinals, Rays.

Would the Rays trade for Robbie Ray and Luis Arraez? That’d really help them out. It might not help the Giants out, but that’s their fault. They’ve made a string of decisions that has once again put them in a place where they have to be sellers at the trade deadline.

Also mentioned but left un-blurbed: Caleb Kilian (#50), Harrison Bader (#70), and JT Brubaker (#77). I’ll try to reverse-engineer these rankings. Hmmm… well, getting any team’s closer automatically improves a bullpen, theoretically; and, theoretically, because Harrison Bader wound up being an impact player at last year’s deadline, he could be that again this season despite the time missed with injury — again, theoretically; and, um, JT Brubaker could, theoretically, improve the last man in the bullpen situation for a lot of contenders or be effective enough (2.89 ERA — just ignore the 4.01 FIP) for teams on a tight budget looking for a slight upgrade.

There’s no speculation about returns and that’s fine because otherwise this list would become too cumbersome to compile, but just from a bird’s eye view, I’d say that given the money involved in some cases and the term length in others that the returns wouldn’t be all that heavy. The Giants would be making these trades mostly for salary relief.

One thing they don’t do is post a tally at the end. If the Giants were to trade all these players and, let’s just say for the sake of argument, not have to eat any of the money, then they would save roughly $209.75 million (assuming Jung Hoo Lee doesn’t opt out after next season) total. They would also need to account for roughly 10 WAR next season. That’d be on top of the projected deficit they’re likely to have just based on their atrocious season.

Anyway, unless a team becomes very desperate or Zack & Buster’s Memory Hut is able to play teams against each other to maximize the returns, it doesn’t seem like the trade market will be a great avenue for reinvention. A good time to build up depth maybe.

Yes, I used Heliot Ramos in the article image as a goof. He’s not listed in the ESPN article. I didn’t list him in my article. But recently, Bay Area media has suggested Ramos could be on the move, too. If the Giants were to start moving their low-cost good players, then we’d see them out to acquire value, and that’s where a team stuck in a perpetual rebuild might start to become a little more interesting.

In any other season, I would say go after him.

Pay the ransom.

Shake up baseball one more time by landing Tarik Skubal before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

A legitimate shot at winning a World Series shouldn’t be taken for granted. A legitimate shot at winning a third consecutive World Series really shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Any time a championship contender can acquire a pitcher of Skubal’s caliber, it should. It would be negligent not to.

Only in the case of these Dodgers, they’re not typical contenders.

They’re not typical two-time defending champions, if such a thing exists.

Which is why the team in a better position than any other in baseball to strike a deal for Skubal shouldn’t.

They can win without him. 

By October, their rotation will consist of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

Without Skubal, they would still have the best starting rotation in baseball. Even if Skubal is traded to another contender, they would still have an edge in pitching over whichever team acquires the left-hander.

This isn’t a knock on Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Tigers.

Skubal will be paid hundreds of millions of dollars this winter – or whenever the sport’s anticipated lockout comes to an end – and rightfully so.

But his status as an impending free agent complicates matters.

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With Skubal months from potentially signing a record-breaking contract, what could the Dodgers reasonably ask of him if they find themselves in a pinch?

Could they move him into the bullpen for a game or two, as they did last October with Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow? Could they send him to the mound on three-days rest, as they did with Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series?

The situation wouldn’t be fair to Skubal, who has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create generational wealth for his family.

The situation would be uncomfortable for the Dodgers, who have become a destination franchise not only because of how much they pay their players but also because of how they treat them.

For argument’s sake, let’s say the Dodgers acquire Skubal and do so without giving up any of their projected October starters. There would be a logjam in their rotation.

There are worse problems to have, obviously, but is this one worth creating at the expense of a high-caliber prospect such as Josue De Paula?

Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations, was unambiguous about what his preference would be.

“What we have said for years now is that our goal in July is to not be in a position where we feel forced to buy,” Friedman said. “Prices are 200% normal prices outside of the deadline.”

Whether the Dodgers will be forced into such a position depends on injured players they expect to return.

Reliever Evan Phillips returned Monday from an elbow reconstruction he underwent 13 months ago. Closer Edwin Diaz has started throwing to hitters and Snell is expected to join him relatively soon.

While Glasnow and catcher Will Smith remain in the early stages of the recoveries from back and neck injuries, respectively, Friedman said they both could be counted on to return later this season.

“So obviously we’ll know a lot more as we get deeper into July about our guys that are coming back,” Friedman said. “We’re able to approach this July with a very opportunistic mindset because at least the way it’s tracking, we don’t feel like we’ll have an acute need.”

Their offense leads the majors in OPS, and Mookie Betts has looked like an All-Star-caliber player over the last couple of weeks. Their bullpen has performed better than expected in Diaz’s absence. And if Snell and Glasnow return, their rotation will have the same pitchers it did last October.

If a bargain presents itself, great. If it doesn’t, no problem. The Dodgers won’t have any problems heading into the postseason with the players they already have.

For how bad the Kansas City Royals have been, for how disappointing they have been, they have nothing on the New York Mets. Not only have the Mets been equally as bad as the Royals, but the Mets have done so with a whopping $354 million Opening Day payroll—more than double the Royals’ payroll. Yikes!

Why? Well, a lot of that dead money is going towards Bo Bichette and future Hall of Famer Francisco Lindor, and both have hit below average this year. That’s not good. And the rest of their lineup has combined to put together the fourth-worst team wRC+. That is not good, either.

What is also not good is the Royals moving Jac Caglianone out of the top four and Salavador Perez back into the top four. But hey, Kansas City scored 15 runs with a weird, suboptimal lineup yesterday. Maybe they’ll do it again today.

Mets 7/7 lineup

Back at @CitiField 🏡 #LGMpic.twitter.com/Ftbxo6z2JY

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 7, 2026

Royals 7/7 lineup

Lugo takes the mound to start the road trip. pic.twitter.com/Vdjc59ljdq

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 7, 2026

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: TIBN, FOX9 KMSP, Gray Media

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App

Know thine enemy:Covering The Corner

Some bad news before the game, as Byron Buxton will be headed to the IL with his hip injury he re-aggravated on Sunday. That means he will unfortunately miss the All Star game. Alan Roden will be called up as a replacement, and he’s been hitting very well in St. Paul with a .272/.397/.512 batting line.

Is it fair to say this is the most important series of the year so far? With the Twins 3 games behind the Guardians in the division/wild card race, a sweep would bring them back to .500 and could put the Twins in a wild card spot.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

📍Cincinnati#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/oAcWZjB4Gs

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 7, 2026

For the Reds:

First of three with the Phillies.

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/Wmbv3Re756

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 7, 2026

Let’s talk about it.

Interim Mets manager Andy Green provided some injury updates prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Royals… 

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Plan for Polanco

For the first time since April 14, Jorge Polanco is back in the big leagues.

Polanco has been sidelined for the majority of the season with Achilles and wrist issues, but he’s been grinding his way back in the minors over the last few weeks. 

After his latest rehab games with Syracuse, the club deemed him ready to return. 

Polanco immediately jumps back into the starting lineup, batting sixth and serving as the DH for Tuesday’s meeting with former Met Seth Lugo.

“We’re all excited to have him there,” Green said. “He had some nice games in rehab, homered in his last game, so we think he’s ready to DH for us and ready to get going here.”

Polanco’s playing time will be based on how he responds on a daily basis, but he’s expected to be available off the bench on the days he doesn’t start.

His bat is the big thing Green values at the moment, but the team will see if he can get into the field at first base depending on how he feels. 

“We have guys we can slide to first, somebody is going to have to DH,” he said. “We’re just happy to have his bat, and if he gets to first in the near future, we’ll be thrilled about that.” 

Next steps for Robert Jr. 

Robert Jr. had his rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday, where he’ll continue to play to see exactly how far off he is. 

The outfielder won’t be in the Rumble Ponies’ lineup Tuesday as he takes the day to workout, but the hope is that he’ll be back out there Wednesday. 

He reached base just twice across 10 at-bats over the past week with Syracuse. 

Green hasn’t figured how the team will handle the outfield mix when Robert is ready to return, but he continues to be impressed by youngsters Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing. 

Plus, a Marcus Semien update

Green said that Semien is progressing well in his recovery from a hip flexor strain. 

The veteran ran up to 80 percent on Monday, and was spotted running and taking grounders again Tuesday. 

Semien, still however, remains without a timeline for a return.

“He’s a baseball player, he wants to be on the field,” the skipper said. “He’s doing everything humanly possible to make that happen as fast as possible -- he’s progressing very well.”

Semien’s reported timeline called for him to miss at least 4-to-6 weeks. 

Fresh off a sweep by the suddenly resurgent Miami Marlins, the Athletics take on the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit today. The Tigers enter the game with a 40-50 record and sit in fourth place in the American League Central, while the visiting A’s are 41-49 and are also in fourth place, but in the AL West.

The A’s will welcome Jacob Wilson back from a short stint on the Injured List (IL) today with an inflammation in his right thumb. He’ll re-enter the lineup batting fifth and playing his usual shortstop position.

J.T. Ginn will get the start today against the Tigers. Ginn is 7-4 with a 3.04 ERA in nineteen 2026 appearances. He has 82 K’s in 94.2 innings of work. He’ll go up against reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal for Detroit. The 29-year-old lefty is 4-4 this season with a 3.15 ERA in an injury-shortened sixty-five innings of work.

Skubal, the most coveted name tossed around as a trade deadline mover, will face this lineup for the Athletics this afternoon:

Ginn, who has emerged as the team’s ace this season will go up against this lineup for the Tigers today:

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

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