Category: Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies, June 29, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are back out on the road as they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ashcroft is looking for his third straight victory after wins in back-to-back starts. In his last appearance on June 24 against the Seattle Mariners, Ashcroft pitched six innings, giving up five hits and one earned run while striking out 10 Mariners in an 11-1 rout over Seattle. This is the second time Ashcroft has pitched against the Phillies this season. He also started on May 15 against the Phillies at PNC Park. He pitched 6.2 innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs. The Pirates lost 11-9 in 10 innings.

The Phillies are countering with former ace Aaron Nola, who is in his 12th season with the franchise. So far this season, Nola is 3-4 with a 5.58 ERA. He has not been part of a decision in the month of June, but in his last start against the Washington Nationals on June 24, he pitched five innings, giving up three hits and two earned runs as Philly won 5-4 in D.C. Nola also pitched on May 15 against Ashcraft at PNC Park. The Pirates got the better of Nola as he pitched 3.2 innings, giving up six hits and six earned runs.

Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Braxton Ashcraft (7-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.58 ERA)

BD community, chime off in the comments section below.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Pirates:

Let’s talk about it.

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Through the first couple months of the 2026 MLB season, New York Yankees starting pitching was elite. Cam Schlittler breaking through to become perhaps the best pitcher in the American League thus far is already established, but it was more than just him.

As a unit, their starters led MLB in FanGraphs WAR, with both Will Warren and Ryan Weathers looking sharp and competitive in their bid to remain in the rotation once it’s back to full health (Max Fried has been on the IL since mid-May). And on the subject of health, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón had each pitched well in May since making their long-awaited 2026 debuts.

June, however, has been a bumpier story. Warren and Weathers have regressed, Cole has proved that Tommy John surgery recovery is not an instantaneous process, and though his numbers have been better, Rodón remains a bit of a wild card, prone to innings occasionally spiraling on him.

So just based on your gut feeling, who are you most concerned about? We’ve left Schlttler out since even a regression to modest pitching will mean he’s very good, but there are more reasonable flags on each of the other four arms. Vote in the poll below and we’ll check out the results later in the week.

The White Sox are back at it after a week that went their way, snagging four wins in six tries. Now comes the real test — a three-game set with the Orioles, then straight into Cleveland for four. The catch? The Sox are allergic to road games. Their .375 road winning percentage is dead last among playoff hopefuls, and the bats shrivel up away from Rate Field (.231 on the road, .252 at home). The pitching? A sparkling 3.25 ERA at home turns into a horror show (5.39) on the road. Sure, everyone plays better on their home turf, but if the Sox want to hang around in the AL Central, they have to stop treating every road series like a vacation and start winning more than just one out of three.

Sean Burke gets the nod, rolling in at 5-4 with a 3.71 ERA and a tidy 1.21 WHIP. He’s been nails lately, allowing only two runs over his last 13 2/3, 14 punchouts, and just one walk each time out. The numbers say this isn’t a fluke as Burke’s got a legit breaking ball that’s been a weapon, and his fastball plays up thanks to some sneaky extension. The Orioles can mash, so Burke’s night comes down to fastball command, spinning that breaker in two-strike counts, and not leaving anything up for Baltimore’s big bats to launch. He doesn’t get many grounders, so if Chicago wants to start this series with a win, Burke has to keep the ball in the yard.

Baltimore throws Shane Baz at the Sox, and he’s been a mixed bag, going 4-8 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. The righthander is coming off a clunker against the Angels (five runs, eight hits in five innings). The stuff is there as he can touch 96 mph, but the results are not. His breaking ball and offspeed pitches have been more rumor than weapon, and his whiff rates are nothing special. The South Siders’ game plan should be to make Baz work, put the ball in play, and not go fishing for his fastball. Get him behind in counts, wait for a mistake, and there’s offense to be had.

As far as the bats go, Miguel Vargas has been on a heater, slashing 435/.519/.913 over the last seven days with a 1.432 OPS, and home run number 19 in the books. If the Good Guys want to flip the script on the road and survive this gauntlet, Vargas has to keep the fire burning. Here’s how skipper Will Venable will send them out against Baz.

And the lineup for the O’s.

First pitch is 5:35 p.m. CST. Watch on CHSN or catch the call on ESPN Chicago AM 1000.

Texas Rangers lineup for June 29, 2026 against the Cleveland Guardians: starting pitchers are Tyler Alexander for the Rangers and Parker Messick for the Guardians.

The Rangers continue their long-ass road trip today in Cleveland, where they are playing the first of three. Tyler Alexander is the opener, though newly signed Chris Paddack apparently could be used as the bulk guy behind Alexander. Cam Cauley, just called up, will play in his first major league game. Corey Seager, recovering from a concussion, gets the day off, as does Brandon Nimmo, who has undergone an MRI after crashing into the wall on the final play of last night’s game. Evan Carter and Alejandro Osuna get rare starts against a lefthanded pitcher.

The lineup:

Foscue — DH

Jung — 3B

Duran — RF

Burger — 1B

Higashioka — C

Osuna — LF

Cauley — 2B

Lopez — SS

Carter — CF

6:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +133 underdogs.

If it feels like the Cincinnati Reds just got swept by the Milwaukee Brewers a minute ago, you aren’t wrong. That’s what happened in Great American Ball Park at the end of just last week, Milwaukee eeking out a pair of 1-run wins alongside a 2-0 victory in extra innings.

Though the margins between the two teams were slim in those games, the reality is that Milwaukee is light years ahead of the Reds in the standings. 11.5 games, to be exact. The first place Beers have a +120 run differential so far this year that’s second best to only the Los Angeles Dodgers in the entire sport, and they have owned the NL Central by winning 12 of their 17 contests played within the division this year.

The Reds, sporting just a 4-17 record against the Central, enter the four-game series in Milwaukee today with a -51 run differential that’s the second worst in the National League behind only a Colorado Rockies club that barely exists. Maybe the Reds barely exist at this point outside our little corner of the internet – it would be hard to argue otherwise – and this series might well be their last shot to prove that they actually are tangible for the remainder of 2026.

Four games to make a statement. Four games to dig back into the race. Four games, while currently sitting four games under the .500 mark with the All Star break and trade deadline looming.

These are the biggest four games of the Cincinnati Reds season.

Getting the start for the first one will be lefty Nick Lodolo, whom the Reds desperately need to be the vintage version of himself again. He enters with a ghastly 5.59 ERA across 46.2 IP, though he did look hands down the best he’d looked all year in his most recent start before taking a 107 mph comebacker off his left wrist and being forced to exit early. All signs point to his long-term prognosis being just fine, but we’ll have to cross our fingers that there are no lingering issues with it during tonight’s start.

Going for the Beers will be lefty Robert Gasser, and the Reds have juggled their lineup accordingly. The bad news is that despite a lefty on the mound, Eugenio Suarez is not in the starting lineup after being beaned on the hand by the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday. The good news, I suppose, is that he wasn’t placed on the IL, so hopefully it’s just a day to day thing that he’ll get over quickly.

Elly De La Cruz will DH in this one, while the middle infield will feature the red hot Edwin Arroyo at 2B with Matt McLain back in the lineup at short.

Here’s how the Reds will line up to start tonight, which features a first pitch at 7:40 PM ET:

Not much is going right for the Atlanta Braves at the moment as they’re essentially riding on the excellent pace that they set during the first half of the season as they try to navigate this current rough patch. They certainly need some starting pitching help at the moment and while the following news is defintely good news, it’s not anything that’ll help in the immediate near future.

Still, it’s nice to hear that Spencer Schwellenbach is eying a return for this season. Mark Bowman of MLB.com has reported that Schwellenbach could be heading to the Florida Complex League in the near future and that could be the start of Schwellenbach’s path back to Atlanta’s rotation.

I hate to go full Chip Caray on y’all but if Schwellenbach does indeed make it back for this season and hits the ground running, it would, in fact, be like making a trade after the trade deadline. It would also come at a position of need for the Braves, as the uncertainty that surrounded the rotation heading into this season has finally materialized here in the early second half of the season. Chris Sale and Martín Pérez have emerged as the only truly reliable starters at this particular moment with Spencer Strider injured and inconsistent, Bryce Elder crashing back down to earth and the fifth spot being in complete flux as well.

Before Spencer Schwellenbach went under the knife to end his 2025 season, he was a consistent source of production on the mound as he delivered an ERA of 3.09 (73 ERA-) and a FIP of 3.25 (81 FIP-) and his career numbers over two seasons have been solid as well with an ERA of 3.23 (77 ERA-) and a FIP of 3.27 (81 FIP-). It would be wishful thinking to see Schwellenbach make his return a seamless one but it sure would be nice to see and something that the Braves would gladly welcome — no matter what the rotation looks like once Schwellenbach eventually makes his return.

Again, this isn’t anything that’ll move the needle right now (and to be quite honest, the words “could” and “likely” are carrying a lot of weight when it comes to Bowman’s reporting here) but it’s good news for the future. Hopefully things will get to the point in the future where Schwellenbach’s return is a luxury and not a desperate need. We’ll see what happens.

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The Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians begin a three-game set tonight, with the struggling Texas bullpen looking to find its form behind opener Tyler Alexander. 

However, with Parker Messick dominating, my Rangers vs. Guardians predictions and MLB picks are targeting Cleveland to walk away with a victory here. 

Who will win Rangers vs Guardians today: Guardians moneyline (-142)

The Texas Rangers will hand Tyler Alexander the ball tonight, but after working just one inning in each of his last two starts, they'll once again lean heavily on their bullpen. That's a concern, considering Texas' relief corps owns a 5.24 FIP over the last week while allowing a 39.8% hard-hit rate.

The Cleveland Guardians counter with Parker Messick, who has been outstanding lately. The left-hander owns a 2.15 FIP across his last two appearances while striking out 12.63 hitters per nine innings and allowing just 0.66 home runs per nine.

Cleveland holds the clear pitching edge, and I'll play this pick to -150.

COVERS INTEL: This Rangers bullpen has given up 2.57 HR/9 across the last week, compared to just 1.13 overall this season. 

Rangers vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-116)

Parker Messick has been excellent lately, but I don't expect him to completely silence Texas. The Rangers are swinging the bat well, carrying a 45.3% hard-hit rate over their last seven games, and should be capable of scratching out a few runs.

Cleveland's offense hasn't produced consistently, with just a 69 wRC+ over the last week, but this is still a favorable pitching matchup after Tyler Alexander exits early. The Guardians don't need an offensive explosion to cash this Over, and a game in the 5-4 range feels well within reach.

I'll play this pick up to -130.

Rangers vs Guardians weather

Conditions at Progressive Field should provide a slight boost to offense tonight. Temperatures around 90 F and warm summer air could help the ball carry a bit better, while light 4.7 mph winds aren't expected to have much impact. Overall, the weather leans modestly toward hitters and supports a few extra scoring opportunities.

Rangers vs Guardians odds

• Moneyline: Rangers +133 | Guardians -138
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 (-163) | Guardians -1.5 (+156)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-104) | Under 7.5 (-100)

Rangers vs Guardians trend

The Rangers have cashed the Over in 20 of their last 35 games for +5.80 units and a 15% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Guardians.

How to watch Rangers vs Guardians and game info

Rangers vs Guardians latest injuries

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The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners meet tonight, with the dominant George Kirby on the hill. 

Behind the righty, my Angels vs. Mariners predictions eye Seattle to grab a home victory in the series opener. 

Find out more in my MLB picks for Monday, June 29. 

Who will win Angels vs Mariners today: Mariners -1.5 (-103)

The Los Angeles Angels hand Ryan Johnson the ball tonight. He's only made two starts since being recalled, but opponents have still managed a 40.8% hard-hit rate while Johnson has allowed 1.64 home runs per nine innings. That's a dangerous combination against a Seattle Mariners lineup that sees the ball better at home.

George Kirby, meanwhile, has been lights out. Over his last four outings, the right-hander owns a 2.82 FIP while allowing just 0.82 home runs per nine innings. Kirby also sports a solid 3.79 FIP at T-Mobile Park this season.

I'll play this pick to -130.

COVERS INTEL: Seattle's offense has compiled a 109 wRC+ at home compared to just 94 on the road.

Angels vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 runs (-103)

While Ryan Johnson has been vulnerable, Seattle's offense hasn't exactly been rolling either, carrying just a .290 wOBA over the last week. That should help keep this total in check, even if the Mariners find some early success against the Angels' starter.

Both bullpens have also been outstanding lately. Los Angeles owns a phenomenal 1.24 FIP across its last 26 1/3 innings, while Seattle's relief corps has posted a 2.33 FIP over the past week. Both units have done an excellent job limiting damage late in games.

I expect Seattle to score enough to win behind George Kirby, but runs could be difficult to come by after the starters exit.

I'll play this to -120.

Angels vs Mariners weather

Conditions at T-Mobile Park should have little impact on tonight's matchup. Temperatures around 70°F with light 8.1 mph winds create a fairly neutral environment, offering minimal assistance to either hitters or pitchers. The game is more likely to be decided by the starting pitching and bullpen matchups than by the weather.

Angels vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Angels +194 | Mariners -203
• Run line: Angels +1.5 (-113) | Mariners -1.5 (+104)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-108) | Under 7.5 (+104)

Angels vs Mariners trend

The Seattle Mariners have hit the game total Under in six of their last eight games (+3.80 Units / 43% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Mariners.

How to watch Angels vs Mariners and game info

Angels vs Mariners latest injuries

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The San Diego Padres visit the heavily favored Chicago Cubs (-150) at Wrigley Field to start a three-game set Monday, June 29.

My top Padres vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks call for the Chicago lineup to pull away and take the series opener tonight.

Who will win Padres vs Cubs today: Cubs -1.5 (+129)

The wind is forecast to be blistering out at Wrigley Field, and the Chicago Cubs have paced the majors with 6.6 runs per game during their 12-4 heater while also ranking fourth in wOBA and seventh in xwOBA.

So, with the San Diego Padres sending righty Griffin Canning to the bump tonight, I’m anticipating another big night from the Chicago lineup.

Canning has surrendered a 52.1% hard-hit rate, which is tied for the lowest mark in the majors among pitchers with 40 innings.

Of course, the Padres also rank 29th in baseball against left-handed pitchers, so I’m expecting Chicago southpaw Shota Imanaga to hold the San Diego bats in check enough for the Cubs to pull away tonight.

COVERS INTEL: Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga boasts a high-end 30.3 whiff percentage and 14.5 swinging-striking percentage, which positions him to both keep the San Diego Padres off balance at the plate while paving the way to Chicago covering the run line and keeping the number Under the inflated total.

Padres vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 11.5 (-126)

The wind is forecast to be blistering out at Wrigley Field tonight, so we’re receiving an inflated total. 

In addition to the noted struggles the Padres have had against lefties this season, they also rank 24th in overall xwOBA while averaging just 3.9 runs per game in June. 

Plus, San Diego has played to the Under in 26 of its past 45 road games (+6.20 Units / 13% ROI), and the Padres have only hit the Over in 21 of their last 50 games (-11.10 Units / -20% ROI).

Padres vs Cubs weather

High temperatures reaching 90°F paired with a strong 12-to-16 mph wind blowing straight out to left field will create favorable hitting conditions at Wrigley Field tonight.

Padres vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Padres +130 | Cubs -150
• Run line: Padres +1.5 (-145) | Cubs -1.5 (+125)
• Over/Under: Over 11 (-110) | Under 11(-110)

Padres vs Cubs trend

The San Diego Padres have hit the Under in 26 of their last 45 away games (+6.20 Units / 13% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Cubs.

How to watch Padres vs Cubs and game info

Padres vs Cubs latest injuries

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The powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers are small -115 favorites over the Athletics in the series opener.

While it's rare to get the Dodgers at such an enticing price, my Dodgers vs. Athletics predictions and MLB picks believe the home team is set up for success Monday night.

Who will win Dodgers vs A's today: Athletics (-105)

Gage Jump has posted a 2.56 xERA or lower in four of six starts, including three in a row.

He should make life difficult on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who surprisingly rank 24th in wOBA and 26th in average vs. lefties since May 1.

Although Eric Lauer has pitched better since being scooped up by the Dodgers, he has benefited from luck. He owns a 2.83 ERA over the last month despite a 5.17 xFIP.

Regression should set in against an Athletics attack sitting first in home wOBA and SLG against lefties.

Back the Athletics to -115.

COVERS INTEL:Gage Jump ranks in the 88th percentile in Pitcher Run Value and xERA.

Dodgers vs A's Over/Under pick: Over 10.5 (-110)

Lauer is sporting a sky-high 51% fly-ball rate and has allowed 2.23 homers per nine innings.  

He profiles as the exact kind of pitcher who will struggle mightily against a powerful Athletics offense in a very hitter-friendly ballpark. 

The Dodgers haven’t fared all that well against lefties of late, but there is no doubt they have the talent to be much better. Jump has also allowed at least three runs in two of three home starts, with a putrid Angels team being the lone exception.

Both offenses should chip in plenty. Bet the Over to -125.

Dodgers vs A's weather

Temperatures in the 90s are expected with slight winds blowing outward. Perfect conditions for the offenses to hit for power.

Dodgers vs A's odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -115 | A's -105
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+135) | A's +1.5 (-155)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-110) | Under 10.5 (-110)

Dodgers vs A's trend

The Athletics have hit the game total Over in 10 of the last 17 home games (+3.35 units, 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. A's.

How to watch Dodgers vs A's and game info

Dodgers vs A's latest injuries

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The San Diego Padres continued their trend against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, winning Game 1 before dropping the next two. It was an electric first game followed by two depressing contests against L.A. The club’s biggest struggle was its starters. Randy Vásquez and Michael King combined to surrender 11 runs between their two outings.

In hindsight, it’s easy to say that manager Craig Stammen could have pulled both earlier with plenty of the bullpen available. That said, in the moment, both starters have proven they deserve a longer leash, and the Friars should have been able to put together more run support for King in the series finale. The lineup went a measly 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They’ll need to do much more against the Chicago Cubs before facing the Dodgers again this weekend.

Taking the mound

Shota Imanaga (CHC) v. Griffin Canning (SD)

The left-hander returned to the Cubs despite a song-and-dance routine this offseason that saw him decline a $15 million player option before accepting a qualifying offer from Chicago. He’ll be a free agent at the end of this year but hasn’t done much to boost his stock.

Imanaga owns a 4.40 ERA on the season, continuing to shown signs of regression since his stellar rookie campaign in 2024 (2.91 ERA, 173.1 IP). He struggled in his last outing against the New York Mets, surrendering four runs in 5 1/3 innings, but has a good history against the Friars. The Padres will need to jump on his mistakes to end their current losing streak.

Canning, like most of the Padres’ rotation, has been woefully inconsistent this season. He just had his worst outing yet against the Atlanta Braves, going just 2/3 of an inning while giving up four runs. Hopefully, the right-hander can bounce back from the tough start and deliver San Diego a much-needed win.

It was rumored that Germán Márquez could be a part of the Friars’ pitching plans today, but the club announced he’ll be making another rehab start on Tuesday in El Paso. He’ll likely be activated later this week to replace either Canning or JP Sears.

Batter up!

It’s hard to pinpoint just where the Friars’ offensive switch-up came, but Samad Taylor was certainly a problem. After being a spark plug for the San Diego offense, Taylor would go a dismal 0-for-10 against L.A., with four strikeouts in the series finale alone. That being said, he took his walks (four BBs), but found himself in the first slump of an otherwise incredible start to his Padres tenure.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Samad Taylor, RF
3. Jackson Merrill, CF
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Gavin Sheets, LF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Miguel Andujar, DH
8. Ty France, 1B
9. Freddy Fermin, C

Andujar has the most success against Imanaga, albeit in a smaller sample size. In four at-bats against the lefty, he’s gotten two hits including a solo home run for a 2.000 OPS. The slugger has been mired in a slump since breaking out in early May and has struggled to get out of it. Perhaps tonight will be the night.

Relief corps

Thankfully, King was able to make it through four solid innings of work before reaching trouble in the fifth. He tried to pitch through it but couldn’t, with the Padres calling on Yuki Matsui to get him out of the jam. He recorded two strikeouts and pitched the sixth inning as well. Jason Adam twirled a one-hit seventh before Wandy Peralta finished out the game with two perfect innings.

That saves the Friars’ ‘pen for tonight’s series opener. If the Padres can manage to put together some runs against Imanaga, the ‘pen will have no shortage of arms to turn to. Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and David Morgan will each be available for San Diego.

If two weeks ago was a mixed bag for the Yankees, this past week was a outright tumble. They did manage to narrowly win a series against the Tigers to start off, but the offense’s lackluster performance outside of a couple key moments came home to roost in their trip up to Boston where they got swept in a four-game series against their archrivals. A humiliating result on several levels, New York got pummeled by the last-place team in their division giving the Rays the opening they needed to close the gap and retake first place while also looking lifeless for significant stretches offensively — they scored just seven runs outside of extra innings across those four games facing nothing but lefty starters and nearly got no-hit by the last of them in former Yankee Sonny Gray.

Needless to say, the vibes aren’t great after that road trip. While June hasn’t been an outright bad month for them, they’ve played to an even .500 record and suffered from some streaky play within the rotation for the first time all year while the offense can’t find its groove. On top of that, the defensive alignments have regressed significantly with Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Ryan McMahon all out: José Caballero hasn’t taken to time in the outfield well, Ben Rice has had a rough showing when he’s manning first base instead of slotting in as the DH, and Amed Rosario is still prone to some maddening errors. Combine all this, and it’s easy to see how frustrating the month has been despite the overall record not being too damning. And as our own Michael Zeno pointed out in his analysis of the so-called June Swoon, the real catalyst for an oncoming slide is a poor performance in Fenway during the month. Buckle up and get ready to see if that trend holds true.

With all of that in mind, there’s still plenty of season left to play and a trade deadline now on the horizon as we approach July. Much can change in a matter of weeks, and as we get into the new month even day-to-day rumors should start to bubble up as the trade market forms. Will an overhaul of the team be on the horizon to buff out the rough edges, or will the front office target a key player or two hoping that one big fix brings relief across the board? How aggressive do you think the Yankees will be in dealing from their prospect pool? Can they avoid considering getting back their injured players as a “deadline acquisition” this time around? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of July 2nd will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Following Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets optioned right-hander Tobias Myers to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled RHP Joey Gerber in a corresponding move.

The decision came after Myers pitched three innings in a bulk relief role in the series finale and allowed three earned runs on six hits which raised his ERA to a season-high 6.21. 

In fact, since Myers was recalled from Triple-A after getting optioned in late May, he has not pitched well at all. In four appearances this month, the right-hander has allowed 14 earned runs on 17 hits (two home runs) and five walks in 8.2 innings for an unsightly 14.54 ERA.

Myers was optioned to Triple-A the first time due to bullpen necessity and flexibility because the 27-year-old had options remaining. Still, it came on the heels of a few rough outings after he had been exceptional early on in many roles out of the bullpen for New York -- he had a 2.05 ERA through May 2.

However, lately Myers has been unable to recapture his early-season form or even pitch to his career numbers (3.71 ERA in 230.2 IP) and has been optioned once again to try and find his groove.

Meanwhile, Gerber is getting recalled by the Mets for the fourth time this season. In limited action this year, the right-hander has a 1.80 ERA in five innings and has a career 3.24 ERA in 25 IP between three clubs. He last pitched for New York on June 9 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Yankees will try to leave behind their ugly sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox starting on Monday, kicking off a three-game set at home against the Detroit Tigers. They will do so with a new face in the bullpen or, rather, an old friend getting another shot: Jake Bird.

The right-hander was sent to Triple-A on June 20th, when the Yankees needed a roster spot for an Elmer Rodríguez start. He was recalled from Scranton on Monday, as the Bombers placed closer David Bednar on the paternity list. The team announced the transaction via their social media channels.

It’s unclear who will act as the Yankees’ primary ninth-inning option while Bednar is gone, but right-hander Fernando Cruz and southpaw Brent Headrick figure to be part of the mix depending on matchups. If Cruz is called upon, he’ll need to quickly erase the memory of how the Yankees’ recent sweep at the hands of the Red Sox came to a close.

Bird last pitched in the majors on that June 20th game against the Cincinnati Reds, tossing a scoreless inning and allowing one hit in the process. He has thrown 24 frames for New York this year, with a 4.88 ERA, seven walks, and 27 strikeouts.

While he has been much better than in his short 2025 cameo in pinstripes, Bird remains susceptible to the long ball, surrendering 1.5 homers per nine innings. His swing-and-miss ability, however, is an asset, particularly against right-handed hitters. Bird pitched just one game in Scranton in his most recent stint there, on June 24th, completing 1.1 scoreless innings and striking out two.

On the other hand, the new father has left behind a somewhat rocky start to the season and currently owns a rock-solid 3.09 ERA as the Yankees’ closer, with a 2.67 FIP, 16 saves, and a 27-percent strikeout rate in 35 frames in 2026. Bednar will be missed for as long as he’s gone, but should be back in a few days. After throwing two innings last night, he probably would’ve sat today against Detroit regardless. We send our best to his family on a safe delivery.