A Saguaro Cctus grows through the roof of a home in Tucson, Arizona,on November 19, 2023. The park has the largest concentration of iconic saguaro cacti in the country, approximately two million of the towering desert plants. These resilient cacti that evolved to cope with ultra-arid environments are facing hidden threats as a result of a drought that began around 30 years ago. During this period buffelgrass, began to colonize the park. This invasive weed, introduced from Africa as livestock fodder, fuels fires that have ravaged saguaros in the past, as in 1994 and 1999. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
REDS
DIAMONDBACKS
Elly De La Cruz – SS
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Sal Stewart – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Dane Myers – CF
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Tyler Stephenson – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Eugenio Suarez – 3B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Matt McLain – 2B
Tim Tawa – 1B
JJ Bleday – LF
Jordan Lawlar – CF
Will Banfield – C
James McCann – C
Hector Rodriguez – RF
Ryan Waldschmidt – LF
Andrew Abbott – LHP
Mitch Bratt – LHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 39.
Reinstated from the 15-day injured list: RHP Drey Jameson (right hip inflammation, retro to July 20)
Designated for assignment: RHP Zack Littell
Can’t say this one comes as any surprise. After a surprisingly good first outing for Littell, in his last two outings, we’ve seen precisely why Littell got dumped by the Nationals. No big though. Someone had to pitch those innings, and having thoroughly burned him yesterday – probably saving three “proper” relievers from having to work those innings – now is a good time to make the move. Jameson last threw on the 19th, tossing 34 pitches, but since it was for Reno, it doesn’t show up above. He’d still be good to pitch today, but hopefully Mitch Bratt will be able to go longer than three innings this time.
With the Padres and Phillies both winning yesterday, the loss for the D-backs definitely hurt the team’s playoff chances. While a loss this afternoon wouldn’t be the end of the season, it wouldn’t exactly help. Both San Diego and Philadelphia have been on a tear of late. While Arizona hasn’t been playing badly, they just haven’t been able to keep up. Since July 9, the D-backs are 23-15, the second-best record in the NL over that time. The problem is, the Padres have been better still, at 24-15, and the Phillies aren’t far behind on 21-16. So while we have improved significantly from a 45-47 mark, the amount of ground we’ve been able to make up on that pair is minimal.
The Diamondbacks do have to face both those teams, and I suspect the results there might go a long way to determining the outcome of the campaign. Both season series are very much to be decided, which would be the first tiebreaker in the event of equal records, so if effectively a “+1” on the record for the winning team. But taking care of business also means not dropping series at home to teams like the Reds. With the Phillies losing at time of writing to the Cardinals, victory this afternoon would sure be nice. And please stick around for the guest recap, today brought to you by JustRonn.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 16: Lake Bachar #71 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on August 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, August 23, 2026, 4:10 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are facing off against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game weekend set at Dodger Stadium. The Pirates have held the lead in each of the first two games, but they have been unable to keep it, dropping both of the earlier games in the series by one run.
Now, the Pirates hope to avoid a sweep by sending Lake Bachar to the mound to start what should be a bullpen game for Pittsburgh.
Bachar has made five appearances for the Pirates since being acquired earlier this month in a trade with the Miami Marlins. He appeared in Friday’s contest against the Dodgers, going through one inning but walking three batters in the process. It’s a second start for the Pirates after pitching the first three innings in the team’s 8-3 win against the Boston Red Sox on August 16.
The Dodgers will be countering with two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who is making his fourth start of the season after returning from injury. Snell won his first start of the year in his last appearance on August 17 against the Colorado Rockies, going six innings and giving up two hits and one earned run.
Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Lake Bachar (1-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Blake Snell (1-1, 3.60 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 22: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated by Luis Rengifo #21 after Merrill hit a home run against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning at Petco Park on August 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Twins (63-67) at San Diego Padres (70-60), August 23, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
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DENVER, CO - AUGUST 21: Petey Halpin #0 of the Cleveland Guardians is congratulated in the dugout by Brayan Rocchio #4 after Halpin hit a solo home run in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 19: Matt Wilkinson #71 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for some day baseball, and the San Francisco Giants are looking to salvage one win in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox.
Taking the mound for San Francisco is rookie lefty Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, who makes his second appearance. Wilkinson, a burly 23-year old acquired in May’s Patrick Bailey trade, made his MLB debut last week and pitched two awesome innings against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing just one hit and no runs. It seems likely that Wilkinson will get stretched out more in this game, as the Giants have announced that Adrian Houser will return to the rotation on Tuesday, so Tugboat isn’t just an opener.
Boston is also turning to a southpaw pitching in his first season, as they’re using 25-year old lefty Jake Bennett. A second-round pick in 2022, Bennett has made 14 starts in his debut year, and is 7-6 with a 3.46 ERA, a 3.28 FIP, and 61 strikeouts to 17 walks in 80.2 innings. He’s been struggling lately though, and gave up four runs in as many innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start.
CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 18: Andrew Abbott #41 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Colten Strauss/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It will be a battle of southpaws in the Land of the Endless Strip Mall on Sunday afternoon as Andrew Abbott and Mitch Bratt share the mound in Chase Field for the finale of the series between the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Reds turned the tides on the Snakes late Saturday after having been demolished 9-0 on Friday night, the top of the order going nuts on old friend Zack Littell en route to a thunderous 11-5 win. JJ Bleday hit for the cycle, Elly De La Cruz smoked a 450 foot homer, and the vibes were generally good for a change for the otherwise abysmal offense.
Now, the series is officially up for grabs.
Sunday’s game will see its first pitch chucked at 4:15 PM ET, and coverage for the day will be carried by Peacock, so good luck tracking that down.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 14: Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the second inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Sunday, folks. The Red Sox secured a second straight series win with their comeback victory against the Giants last night. Today, Jake Bennett will take the mound after a brief hiatus, attempting to take the series. Solid starts from Sonny Gray and Patrick Sandoval, combined with an off day on either side of this series puts the Red Sox bullpen in a decent spot, though they’ll hope Bennett can get through at least five innings. The Giants are starting Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, a big lefty with a low-90s fastball making his second career appearance. He’s not likely to go more than three or four innings, so San Francisco will be leaning on their bullpen once again.
For the Red Sox to host a playoff series, they’ll need to pass the Yankees in the standings. Every game counts the same, but taking today’s game, plus a couple from the Miami Marlins, would set up a high-stakes series with the Yankees to end August.
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 17:Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on August 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Gavin Liddell/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies have been sputtering lately, losing five straight games and eight overall at home.
They won 13-7 in San Francisco last Sunday, and will look to avoid an 0-6 homestand this afternoon against the Cleveland Guardians. Their eight consecutive losses at Coors Field are tied for the second-longest home losing streak in franchise history, with the record being a nine-game losing streak in 1993 at Mile High Stadium. They have never been swept three series in a row at home, and have been outscored 63-35 during this skid while the pitching staff has posted a 6.96 ERA (9.64 by the starters alone).
Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) will take the mound for the 23rd time this year.
Sugano has been a bright spot for the Rockies and a steady piece in the rotation. Since June 2, he has gone 8-2 across 11 starts, posting a 5.37 ERA with 11 walks and 38 strikeouts since then. His last outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers was a rare clunker, as he allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts across five innings. He also gave up two home runs — a three-run shot to Max Muncy in the third inning and a solo shot to Shohei Ohtani in the fifth. Since June 2, he has allowed 15 home runs (11 solo) and has allowed a home run in his last 10 starts, matching a career-high. This happened from August 25, 2025 through April 17, 2026 (10 GS).
But, with his 12-6 record, Sugano is also the first pitcher to log double-digit wins in his first season with the Rockies since Kyle Freeland in 2017. Sugano has faced the Guardians twice in his career — both in 2025 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles — posting a 1-0 record and 4.22 ERA.
Sugano will face Guardians’ left-hander Foster Griffin, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline.
The 31-year-old was drafted in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft, and he made his debut on July 27, 2020. However, he suffered a UCL injury just 23 pitches into that game and ended up undergoing Tommy John surgery. He had a brief return to the majors in 2022, but ended up heading to Japan and playing alongside Sugano with the Yomiuri Giants for three seasons. Griffin came back stateside ahead of this season, and has had a career renaissance.
Between the Nationals and the Guardians, he has a 14-4 record and 3.18 ERA in 25 starts. He was named to the 2026 All-Star Game as a replacement for Chase Burns. In his last outing against San Francisco, Griffin pitched six innings and allowed just one run (a solo homer) on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts on 101 pitches.
Interestingly, he has never faced the Rockies.
Can the Rockies avoid another sweep while they celebrate Larry Walker’s statue unveiling?
THE NUMBER OF THE COUNTING SHALL BE THREE: The Cubs have dropped three games in a row for the first time since May 31-June 3, when they lost at St. Louis, 5-1, then fell twice at home to the Athletics, 2-1 and 5-4 in 10 innings. They are 42-26 since then, a winning percentage of .618. Their last string of four consecutive losses was the final four of a 10-game losing streak, May 23-26. They lost at home to the Astros, 3-0 and 8-5, then were beaten at Pittsburgh, 2-1 and 12-1. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
AVOIDING SWEEPS: This is the ninth of the Cubs’ 43 series in which they lost the first two games. They avoided a sweep by winning six of eight third games. Their only losses were at home, in back-to-back series, to the Brewers on May 20 and the Astros on May 24. They have won the third game of four such series since then, including two on the road, at Pittsburgh on May 28 and at Colorado on June 11. The win over the Rockies started their current 40-22 surge. They won one other third game after two losses on the road, May 14 at Atlanta. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
ROAD WARRIORS: The Cubs are 22-18 in third games of series but only 10-10 on the road. A year ago, they finished 15-11 on the road and 27-23 overall. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs enter the ninth trailing the Padres 4-2. RBIs from Hector Villanueva (on a triple, one of just two he had in his career), a sac fly from Jerome Walton and walk-off single by Mark Grace, lead the Cubs to a three-run ninth and 5-4 win over San Diego. It happened 35 years ago today, Friday, Aug. 23, 1991.
The Mariners lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Mariners lineup. However, there is this clue, after Brendan Donovan was scratched from the Mariners lineup yesterday:
Patrick Wisdom just arrived in the @Mariners clubhouse.
Shōta Imanaga had a really good start against the White Sox last Monday, allowing only two hits and striking out 10. One of the hits was a three-run homer by Randal Grichuk, accounting for all the Sox runs off of him.
Despite that, his numbers over his last 12 starts are still good: 2.67 ERA, 1.099 WHIP over 67.1 innings. Still too many homers — 12 in that span — but only 13 walks.
His only career start vs. the Mariners came April 13, 2024 at Wrigley Field. He threw five innings and allowed one unearned run.
Bryce Miller is having a decent enough year if you just look at his overall numbers, but he was pitching pretty much lights-out until early July and then, thunk: 6.57 ERA, 1.568 WHIP in seven starts since then. He missed the first six weeks of the season with bone spurs, and in his first nine games (eight starts) he had a 33.2 percent K rate. But in those last seven the K rate has dropped to 15 percent. That might suggest some arm fatigue.
Miller’s last start against the Cubs came April 12, 2024 in Seattle and he allowed one unearned run in 6.1 innings. But, if you look at that boxscore link, several of those Cubs aren’t on the team anymore. Alex Bregman has faced him a lot, but is just 3-for-18 (with two doubles).
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Detroit Tigers Eduardo Valencia (32) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Detroit Tigers (61-68) vs. Kansas City Royals (57-74)
Time/Place: 2:10 p.m., Kauffman Stadium SB Nation Site:Royals Review Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: TBA vs. LHP Daniel Lynch IV (4-4, 2.83 ERA)
Left-hander Andrew Sears is expected to be promoted on Sunday to serve as the Tigers’ bulk arm for a bullpen game, but he may have an opener rather than simply making a short start.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 12: Tyler Mahle #54 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Truist Park on August 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a sweep in Minnesota, a win against the Chicago White Sox, and now a chance to avoid a sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers, could Tyler Mahle be the guy to save the Atlanta Braves tonight and get them back on track?
Mahle has had his fair share of quality starts since joining Atlanta’s rotation. And though he didn’t get the results he worked for in his last outing against the Minnesota Twins earlier this week, he’s still on pace for a solid appearance, with an ERA of 1.45 over his last seven outings.
So far, he has a season WHIP of 1.31 and a 4.53 ERA. His five-pitch arsenal is led by his top three pitches: four-seamer, splitter and cutter, but Milwaukee has a thing for right-hand pitchers, and they’re riding a momentum that the Braves’ offense has given them thus far.
For Milwaukee, Shane Drohan is taking the mound. Boasting a 3.86 ERA and a 1.25 season WHIP, Drohan will need to tighten up after allowing 22 earned runs across his last seven outings. And, with the Braves hitting fairly well against left-handed pitchers, this could be the day their bats decide to wake up.
Tonight’s matchup is anyone’s game. It’s going to be hard to predict a clear-cut winner when Atlanta’s offense could be an outlier, and Milwaukee’s pitching is questionable. Either team could decide to show up in this finale.
The Braves are looking to avoid a sweep and get back to business before heading home and the Brewers are looking to bring out the brooms.
Munetaka Murakami has a prime matchup this afternoon, facing the walk-prone Nolan McLean. | MLB Photos via Getty Images
OK, we got the Luis Robert Jr. revenge game out of the way. Phew. Nothing more to say, except for perhaps the hope that today may be Luisangel Acuña’s turn.
I’m not holding my breath. If I was holding my breath, I would probably lose my life, because Acuña isn’t even in the starting lineup today. If the Sox want to take this series, it’ll have to be through the good, old-fashioned, regular brand of revenge, much-angsted-over offseason trades aside.
The Acuña-less lineup will have its work cut out for them, because they’re getting a look at Nolan McLean today, the fireballing 25-year-old who’s encountered some consistency issues in his first full season in The Show but has generally been outstanding, working to a 3.02 ERA with 219 strikeouts over 33 career starts dating to around this time last year. A stocky righthander whose fastballs sit in the upper-90s and are complemented by (count ’em) at least six secondary pitches, he’s given up no more than two runs in 18 of his 25 starts to begin this campaign.
Jake Rogers is the only Sox hitter who’s ever seen McLean, having struck out in two tries against him with the Tigers earlier this year. For a glimmer of hope, McLean hasn’t been nearly as consistent as those numbers might have you think. He’s had his share of blow-ups, allowing 5+ earned runs on four other occasions this year, and he’s walked at least two hitters in 20 of those 25 starts, only once going without issuing a free pass.
Given that the White Sox draw walks about as well as anyone in the American League — what a concept! — it seems likely that, unless McLean is hopelessly locked in, they’ll have at least a few free baserunners to make hay with this afternoon. If the Sox can break with their worrying second-half trend of leaving hitters on base and failing to punish mistakes, there is a very reasonable path to taking this game, the series, and entering the final leg of this brutal no-days-off stretch with a secure hold on the AL Central.
Naturally, just as much will depend on the opener-bulk combo of Sean Newcomb and Erick Fedde, both of whom were absolute nails in identical spots against the Cubs earlier this week. This will be Newcomb’s fourth turn as an opener in 2026, and he’s been nearly untouchable in the role, throwing 6 1/3 hitless innings. And we can only hope that if Fedde manages to turn in another 4 2/3 shutout innings of bulk work, it won’t go down in a losing effort like it did at Wrigley.
It’s a typical Sunday matinee matchup, with first pitch from Rate Field coming in at 1:10 p.m. CT. Standard broadcasts will be available on CHSN (TV) and ESPN 1000 AM (radio). We’ll see you there!
Skubal produced the longest outing of his Dodgers tenure on Saturday, going seven innings and tallying 11 strikeouts against the Pirates in a 4-3 victory. It marked his first official win with Los Angeles since getting traded from the Tigers a few days before the deadline.
Los Angeles Dodgers Tarik Skubal during the first inning of the regular season MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (ZUMAPRESS.com) ZUMAPRESS.com
He’s also finding his place in Los Angeles’ clubhouse, which is shown by his new “Scooby Doo Pa Pa” nickname that Miguel Rojas has given him.
“Absolutely,” Skubal said postgame when asked whether he likes being “Scooby Doo Pa Pa.”
Dodgers utilityman Kike Hernandez commented, “SCOOBY DOO PA PA!!!” on one of Skubal’s recent Instagram posts, which brought this new nickname to everyone’s attention.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I think it’s great,” Skubal added. “I think it’s funny, lighthearted. I think that [Rojas is] really good at those types of things… Especially with starting pitching, he kind of orchestrates a dance thing before the guys go. So he’s a ton of fun to be teammates with. It came right to his mind when we were on the bus, so yeah. It stuck.”
“They play it for every strikeout, too, which I think is funny, too. And I got some video of my boys dancing to it before the game today, too, so that’s pretty funny. Yeah, it’s good.”
Tarik Skubal is a fan of his new nickname “Scooby Doo Pa Pa” that Miguel Rojas and the Dodgers gave him:
“It’s funny, lighthearted… he’s a ton of fun to be teammates with. It came right to his mind when we were on the bus so it stuck.”
The nickname is clearly because Skubal’s last name sounds like “Scooby,” which then brings the iconic cartoon dog “Scooby Doo” to mind. The “Pa Pa” part must have stemmed from Rojas’ unique creative flair.
Any ballplayer getting a nickname from teammates is a sign of affection. Perhaps this affection from Rojas and the rest of the Dodgers’ roster will get Skubal fully settled with his new squad.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 18: Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV #41 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the 1st inning of the game against the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium on August 18, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Kansas City Royals are the hottest team in the MLB currently, and no it’s not a typo. They have ripped off seven straight victories and won 8 of their last 9 games. The Royals are now 57-74 on the season. They sit 11 games back of the White Sox and 7.5 games out of the final wild card spot. The 2024 Tigers made a crazy run, the Guardians made a crazy push late last season to win the division from the Tigers, is it the Royals turn this year? (Highly unlikely, but a slim chance right?)
Daniel Lynch IV will start today; it’s been a mixed bag with his three starts so far. Against two really good teams in the Cubs and Dodgers, Lynch wasn’t great, but his last outing against the Athletics was rather good. He went 4 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 run, walking a pair and striking out a batter.
Here is the Royals lineup behind Lynch. Jac Caglianone was in the initial lineup, but was scratched due to the lingering ankle soreness. John Rave takes his place.
UPDATED LINEUP:
3B Nick Loftin SS Bobby Witt Jr. 1B Vinnie Pasquantino DH Salvador Perez LF Isaac Collins RF John Rave 2B Tyler Tolbert C Luke Maile CF Kyle Isbel
The Tigers were supposed to be starting Framber Valdez this afternoon, but from what I’ve read it seems like extra rest, they are pushing his start back, so it’ll be a bullpen like game for the Tigers.
Jacob Waguespack will be their opener; Waguespack is a right hander. He has pitched twice against the Royals this season, totaling 2 innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 run, with a strikeout. That hit and run was the go-ahead solo homer from Nick Loftin in the 9th inning, in a 3-2 Royals win.
Andrew Sears is expected to come in after Waguespack and be the bulk guy from the reports I’ve seen. Sears is a 23-year-old lefty, who will be making his MLB debut. He only made two appearances in Triple-A in his career. The 2023 10th round draft pick for the Tigers has some decent numbers. He has recovered from a fractured bone spur in his left elbow earlier this season. He will not overpower and has a solid slider/sweeper and has worked on a split-change.
Here is the Tigers lineup for Sunday’s contest.
Tigers 8/23
G. Torres 2B H. Lee 3B K. McGonigle SS E. Valencia C S. Torkelson 1B C. Julks DH B. Malgeri RF M. Clark CF J. Báez LF
The Royals are off tomorrow and will hit the road opening a three-game set on Tuesday in Toronto. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. the game can be watched on Royals.TV. The Royals are looking to go a perfect 7-0 on the homestand, they are also 6-6 against Detroit this season, so this is a big one for a multitude of reasons.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 11: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after a collision with Ezequiel Tovar (not pictured) during the sixth inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 11, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This morning following the unveiling of the new Larry Walker statue, the Colorado Rockies announced a series of roster moves.
The Rockies announced today the following transactions: – Placed INF Kyle Karros on the 7-day concussion IL. – Recalled INF/OF Ryan Ritter from Triple-A Albuquerque. – Reinstated INF/OF Tyler Freeman from the 10-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A.
— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) August 23, 2026
Kyle Karros had just returned from the Injured List before leaving last night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians after the fifth inning. As manager Warren Schaeffer said in the postgame, “[He had] symptoms similiar to his concussion. So we had to take him out.”
In his place, the Rockies have recalled infielder/outfielder Ryan Ritter. Ritter has had his own injuries to contend with this season, but is back with the Rockies as Eli Whitney reported this morning.
Ritter is slashing .325/.424/.459 in 52 games with the Isotopes with 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 25 RBI. He has played 37 games at shortstop, 11 games in left field, three at second base, and two at third.
Perhaps most surprising is the Rockies decision to option Tyler Freeman to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Freeman has been a regular in the Rockies lineup since joining the team last season in a trade with the Guardians. He has been on the IL twice this season, and recently went 1-for-4 with a walk as the designated hitter in his third rehab game with Triple-A Albuquerque.
