Category: Baseball

Dominic Smith has had his share of big moments for the 2026 Atlanta Braves, but with Sean Murphy healthy (for now?), there has been a rising clamor of, “Why don’t we let Murphy catch rather than adding Smith’s bat?” There’s a bit of a point there:

• Sean Murphy has consistently been an excellent defensive catcher;
• Drake Baldwin has been an average-y defensive catcher; and
• Dominic Smith is currently wearing a .313 wOBA / .306 xwOBA, with a pedestrian line against right-handed pitching.

So, at least for tonight, the Braves agree with said clamor, as Sean Murphy is catching and hitting ninth, while Drake Baldwin is ensconced at DH. No Dominic Smith in sight, even with the Mets giving a righty (Christian Scott) the start tonight.

Taking the field at our place 🏡#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/ZkV6NLWoLl

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 10, 2026

Something that’s kind of interesting is that Mike Yastrzemski isn’t starting in lieu of Mauricio Dubon. Aside from the weird game where the Braves started Lane Thomas and Murphy against a righty, Yastrzemski hasn’t missed a start against a righty while on the active roster since April 26. But, he’s giving way to Dubon tonight, at least in the early going. I wonder if he’s got a nagging or stinging ailment of some sort.

Everyone but Murphy has faced Scott in a couple of games so far in Scott’s young career. Michael Harris II and Jim Jarvis have enjoyed their very limited PAs against him so far (wOBA and xwOBA above .500), while Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ronald Acuña Jr. have not (wOBA and xwOBA below .250). The collective line is a .321 wOBA (eh) and a .282 xwOBA (not great), but it’s just 49 PAs.

Here’s the Mets lineup, sans tweet:

Though most of these names are familiar, it is indeed a new lineup for the Mets, who generally haven’t hit Jared Young fifth and Francisco Alvarez ninth in the same array.

It’s funny, you’d think the Mets would be more familiar with Bryce Elder than the Braves with Scott, but not so much — it’s a collective 52 PAs. Only Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty have double-digit PAs against Elder; Lindor has crushed him (.606 wOBA, .496 xwOBA) while Baty has struggled (.279 wOBA, .233 xwOBA). Both Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have really stung Elder in three PAs each. The collective line in those 52 PAs is a .453 wOBA and .398 xwOBA, so there’s definitely a whole suite of improvement available if Elder has his mechanics working tonight.

A busy and fun weekend for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. Let’s get into it!

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

---

News

High-A Eugene shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) has been named the Northwest League Player of the Week! Well deserved.

---

AAA Sacramento (64-47)

Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Round Rock Express 7-1 [box score]
Saturday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Round Rock Express 9-2 [box score]
Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Round Rock Express 10-9 [box score]

The offense was the star in these games, and there were plenty of good performances to go around. Let’s start with someone who is once again the hottest hitter on the planet: outfielder Jonah Cox. Despite only playing in 2 of the 3 games, Cox managed to play all 3 grassy positions, but what stood out was his performance in the batter’s box, where he had a mesmerizing weekend, hitting 5-8 with a home run, 2 doubles, a walk, and a strikeout.

JONAH GOES YARD ⚡️

Cox hits his first home run as a River Cat tonight sharply out to left pic.twitter.com/uE3AuW4CDk

— Sacramento River Cats (@RiverCats) August 9, 2026

Cox was one of the very best hitters in the Eastern League when he was in AA this year prior to his shocking MLB promotion, and he’s been one of the very best hitters in the Pacific Coast League since finally making it to AAA following an injury (his AAA debut came on a rehab assignment, but he has since been optioned). Through 9 games in AAA, Cox is hitting a stunning 20-40 with 5 extra-base hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. There are a few warning signs that the numbers should come down — no one hits .500 forever — and, more importantly, some things to work on despite the massive success. Cox still has some troubles catching up to the high velocity that is the standard in the Majors (he hit 5-24 with 15 strikeouts when not facing position players in his debut MLB stint), and AAA is a great place to work on that. Cox has also been feasting a little on the bad defenses in the Minors … you don’t see many players have a 1.123 OPS and a 224 wRC+ while having some of the worst exit velocities and in-zone contact rates in the league, but that’s exactly what’s happening.

None of this is meant to harsh Cox’s mellow … his season remains one of the best stories in the Giants organization this year, and he’s absolutely killing it in AAA. Keep it up, Jonah, and we’ll see you in San Francisco soon enough!

And of course, we can’t talk about outfielders killing it without talking about center fielder Turner Hill, who also played twice and hit 4-8 with 4 doubles, 1 walk, 1 sacrifice fly, 1 strikeout, and 1 caught stealing.

With that performance, Hill pushed his hitting streak to 24 games, and his numbers during that time are staggering: 44-100 with 14 extra-base hits, 9 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Even in the PCL, those numbers are absolutely outrageous, and they’ve pushed him to a .933 OPS and a 144 wRC+.

24. STRAIGHT. 🔥

Turner Hill ties our franchise record with a hit in his 24th consecutive game! pic.twitter.com/ldhlSaL2Xm

— Sacramento River Cats (@RiverCats) August 9, 2026

While a soft-contact, high-average speedster is always going to see their numbers drop when they move from PCL defenses to Major League ones (there’s no way the hit in the embedded video above is a double in the Majors), there’s a lot that Hill is doing that suggests this performance could translate well, as Hill isn’t just using his legs to feast on bad defenses. The 27-year old is 95th percentile in in-zone contact rate in AAA, and that should translate whenever we see him at the next level.

Pretty good weekends for the trio of notable recent promotees. Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 4-10 with a home run, a walk, a hit by pitch, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, a strikeout, and a caught stealing, boosting his OPS to .974 and his wRC+ to 149 through 21 games. Interestingly, after playing a bit in the outfield in AA, Harber is only playing third base these days. That might just be to simplify his life as he adjusts to a new level, but it might also be due to the fact that Casey Schmitt and Matt Chapman are both presumably out for the year.

Parks Harber with one of his most impressive swings of the year. Takes a 98.2 mph FB up and in and sends a missile 426’ out at 105.2 mph! His 5th in Sac, and 17th on the year. #SFGiantspic.twitter.com/pTNJKU3cnj

— Even Year Dynasty Show (@EYDShow) August 8, 2026

As for the other pair, right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) had identical lines, hitting 3-11 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Davidson is starting to look a lot more comfortable in AAA, though his numbers are still poor (.536 OPS, 50 wRC+ through 21 games), while Velasquez has positively hit the ground running (1.032 OPS, 175 wRC+ through 5 games).

Double time for Davidson ⏰

Bo with another RBI double this weekend! pic.twitter.com/s3f2XTbCa6

— Sacramento River Cats (@RiverCats) August 9, 2026

Outfielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) continued his rehab and hit 0-7 with 3 strikeouts as he searches for his rhythm and timing.

The most notable pitching performance came from Saturday’s starter, RHP Anthony Molina. The 24-year old was the player the Giants received in the Tyler Mahle trade, and the general consensus was that it wasn’t a very good haul for the Giants. Molina has struggled in the Majors and not been particularly good in AAA, either.

Interestingly, the Giants saw all that and not only thought they could make it work, but also thought that Molina should move to the rotation, rather than the bullpen role that he’s been in for years. San Francisco immediately made their plans to develop Molina as a starter public, and after Round 1, I have to say … a point to the Giants, and not to those of us who criticized the trade.

Molina will need some time to get fully stretched out, and only went 3 innings in this one, but he was brilliant in those 3, giving up just 1 hit, 0 walks, and 0 runs, while striking out 4. What a performance! He was a strike-throwing machine, too, with 35 of his 45 pitches being strikes. It’ll be very interesting to watch his development over the rest of the year.

The other starts went to a pair of LHPs who had breakout seasons in the Eastern League but have struggled to adapt to AAA: Matt Wilkinson and Cesar Perdomo. Wilkinson got the Friday start and went 6 innings deep, but gave up 7 hits (including 1 home run and 2 doubles), 1 walk, and 6 runs, while striking out 4. Perdomo went on Sunday and had a similar outing: 5 innings, 5 hits (including 3 doubles), 3 walks, and 3 runs, with 6 strikeouts.

Wilkinson has a 5.12 ERA and a 5.34 FIP through 9 AAA starts, but his 9.8 strikeouts and 3.0 walks per 9 innings look good. The 7 home runs in 38.2 innings? Not so much. Perdomo has a 7.33 ERA and a 6.00 FIP through 6 starts, and his strikeout and walk numbers (8.3 and 4.3 per 9, respectively), are not very encouraging. Most concerning is that he’s just getting hit, as he’s allowed 41 knocks through 27 innings. But an adjustment period is to be expected!

RHP Braxton Roxby continued his recent surge, throwing 2.1 shutout innings with just a hit and a hit batter, lowering his ERA to 3.78, albeit with a 5.10 FIP. RHP Christian Alvarado made his AAA debut on Friday and was brilliant, striking out 2 batters in a perfect inning; his follow-up performance on Sunday didn’t go as well, with 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs in 2 innings.

AA Richmond (63-43)

Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Reading Fightin Phils 10-9 [box score]
Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Reading Fightin Phils 6-2 [box score]
Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Reading Fightin Phils 6-5 [box score]

The weekend started with excitement for the Squirrels, who used a 5-run rally in the 7th inning to tie Friday’s game, before walking it off in the 9th. It ended with disappointment, after they entered the 7th inning on Sunday with a 5-0 lead that they would blow over the final 3 innings of the game.

The walk-off run was knocked in and scored by a pair of fun players who had nice weekends: second baseman/third baseman Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) led off the 9th with a single, and used his nice speed to score from third base on a fielder’s choice hit by contact-maven left fielder Jose Astudillo, who was playing in his 1st AA game.

JOSE ASTUDILLO WALKS IT OFF IN HIS DOUBLE-A DEBUT!!!

SQUIRRELS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/Ze8ZWM4MZR

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 8, 2026

Ahuna hit 5-12 over the weekend, with 2 doubles, a walk, a stolen base, and, critically, no strikeouts. Strikeouts have been the big issue for Ahuna, both in his career and in this year, but he’s made leaps and bounds lately. Just look at his month-by month splits:

April: 27 strikeouts in 77 at-bats
May: 32 strikeouts in 71 at-bats
June: 37 strikeouts in 74 at-bats
July: 12 strikeouts in 58 at-bats
August: 4 strikeouts in 27 at-bats

Ahuna has also bounced back from quite a slump, and in his last 12 games is hitting 12-37 with 6 extra-base hits, 10 walks, and 5 strikeouts. With that, his OPS has climbed back to .690 and his wRC+ to 89.

Maui makes it two runs in the first with an RBI single 👏 pic.twitter.com/VTDWvBwUjT

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026

As for Astudillo, he received a fairly surprising recent promotion after just 15 games in High-A, which was primarily the result of a chain reaction from Tanner Mally joining Low-A San Jose, but also the result of Astudillo hitting .333 in his brief Northwest League stint. It seems that it doesn’t matter where he is, the 22-year old is going to get hits, hits, and more hits. He went 6-13 over the weekend, with both a stolen base and an outfield assist, and didn’t strike out.

Did I mention that those were his 1st 3 games at the level? Not a bad introduction, kid!

Jose Astudillo’s making Double-A look easy 😤 pic.twitter.com/rhzgam6x0I

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026

Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) continues to adjust very well to the level, as he hit 4-13 with a home run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. What’s there to say about last year’s 3rd-round pick? He has an .804 OPS and a 114 wRC+ through 21 games with Richmond, has 9 stolen bases in 12 attempts, is striking out just 7.4% of the time, and is playing strong defense in the center of the grass. Just a year ago he was a player drafted way ahead of where the mocks and big boards had him; now he’s one of the best prospects in the system.

Nice goin’ Trevor Cohen 💪

TC leaves the yard for the second time in Double-A! pic.twitter.com/G82V3ReRB1

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026

Nice weekends for right fielder Jack Payton and catcher Ty Hanchey. Payton, an 11th-round pick in 2023 who celebrated his 25th birthday on Friday, hit 3-7 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts, and had the hit that moved Ahuna from 1st to 3rd setting up the walk-off. Payton has a .739 OPS and a 102 wRC+ in AA this year. Hanchey, a 26-year old who went undrafted in 2023, went 3-7 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout, raising his OPS to .735 and his wRC+ to 97.

Back-to-back days with an RBI for Ty Hanchey and it’s a 3-0 ballgame! pic.twitter.com/1jybOd7iR4

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 9, 2026

A very uninteresting weekend on the mound. There wasn’t much at all from a starter’s standpoint, as LHP Charlie McDaniel got rocked on Friday (7 hits and 3 runs in 3.2 innings, with 4 strikeouts), while LHP Tyler Switalski avoided damage on Saturday but wasn’t sharp (6 hits and 4 walks, but just 2 runs in 5 innings, with 5 strikeouts). Both players are struggling to adjust to AA (5.01 ERA, 4.38 FIP for the former, and an 8.31 ERA, 7.22 FIP for the latter). Sunday was a bullpen game.

The bullpen performances weren’t that exciting, either. Friday featured a debut though, and it went well, as LHP Esmerlin Vinicio struck out 3 batters in 2 scoreless innings, while ceding 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter. The 23-year old had a strong season in High-A, and nice to see him get a chance in AA. He certainly has some interesting funk.

Welcome to Richmond, Esmerlin Vinicio 🥊

He strikes out the first batter he sees on three pitches for his first Double-A K! pic.twitter.com/bsWG3vMWx6

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 8, 2026

RHPs Marques Johnson and Ryan Vanderhei were excellent on Saturday, as each pitched 2 shutout frames: Johnson allowed a hit and a walk while striking out 4, lowering his ERA to 5.19 and his FIP to 3.92 through 6 games in AA (he spent most of the year in AAA); Vanderhei gave up just a walk, while striking out 3, lowering his ERA to 3.05 and his FIP to 4.11.

High-A Eugene (65-42)

Friday: Eugene Emeralds beat Spokane 4-2 [box score]
Saturday: Eugene Emeralds lost to Spokane 7-6 [box score]

Just 2 games for the Emeralds, as Sunday’s game was postponed due to the poor air quality in the region (the games were in Spokane, where there are some awful wildfires currently). Obviously thinking of everyone in that area and hoping for everyone’s safety.

The weekend was all about the long ball for the Emeralds. They didn’t have a good pair of games from a pitching standpoint, and their offense was extremely home run reliant: they only had 14 hits over the 2 games, but 5 of them cleared the fence.

Having the best performance from that standpoint was, fittingly, the organization’s home run leader, center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL). The just-turned 21-year old from Cuba hit 1-4 with a solo home run in both games, while drawing a walk on Friday and striking out on Saturday. Thanks to the AAA struggles of Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and the injury that Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) is dealing with, that made Diaz the 1st player in the system this year to bop 20 home runs … and then 21 (3 of which came while in Low-A for a brief stint when he couldn’t cross the northern border).

Lisbel Diaz retakes the (active) team lead in HR with 17!

1-1 tie in the third.#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/3sQp9AGQZn

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) August 8, 2026

Diaz is also getting to play center field regularly since Jordan’s promotion, which is exciting because he does have a lot of defensive talent (though it’s hard to tell from watching games if he can stick in center … he certainly has the arm and speed to be a strong corner outfielder, though). His OPS on the year is a glistening .824, though a minuscule walk rate (3.3%) means his wRC+ sits at just 109. Still, that counts as a great season in my books for someone who has his defensive abilities, has a low strikeout rate (16.4%), and is roughly 2.5 years younger than his average peer in the Northwest League.

Speaking of players who are very young for the level, 19-year old shortstop phenom Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) also left the yard, with a massive 3-run blast on Saturday. That was Level’s only hit of the weekend, as he didn’t play on Friday and went 1-5 with 2 strikeouts on Saturday … but sometimes you just need 1 swing.

Jhonny Level power stroke, two-run shot, batting average in High-A back to just a tick under .300! pic.twitter.com/czu4QZsNX9

— Giant Prospective (@giantprospectiv) August 9, 2026

The switch-hitter is on quite a heater right now, as he’s 9-16 with 3 extra-base hits and 6 walks over his last 4 games. It’s kind of staggering how well Level has adjusted to life in High-A, considering how young he is. There are 60 hitters in the Northwest League with at least 200 plate appearances this year, and Level is 4th in batting average (.296), 21st in on-base percentage (.358), 21st in isolated slugging (.194), 14th in OPS (.848), and 12th in wRC+ (123). He’s been flying up prospect rankings and I’m here to say he should be flying up them even further!

Rounding out the dinger party were right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL), who went 2-7 with a solo homer, a walk, and 2 strikeouts, and second baseman Zander Darby, who hit 3-8 with a solo blast and 2 strikeouts. Those were Maldonado’s 1st 2 games in High-A, as the 2025 7th-rounder was just promoted following a decent stint in San Jose. As for Darby, he continues to have a strong season but a big strikeout issue: the 23-year old has an .819 OPS and a 115 wRC+, but a 31.1% strikeout rate.

Ems fans, get used to MASSIVE Cam Maldonado Home Runs!

The newest Emerald smacked his first High-A HR 3/4 of the way up the foul pole. 4-2 Ems#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/rNNZtc5k2y

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) August 8, 2026

Not very good stuff on the mound. LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL) continued his struggles with the strike zone, walking 5 batters in as many innings, while giving up 4 hits and 4 runs. It just wasn’t a sharp day for LDLT, who also had 2 wild pitches and 2 balks, threw less than half of his pitches for strikes, and only had 3 strikeouts on the day.

De La Torre is one of the names I’m most fascinated to discuss when we rank prospects again this winter. There are 62 pitchers in the Northwest League who have thrown at least 40 innings this year, and he’s 15th in strikeouts per 9 (11.1), and 6th in batting average against (.193). Dudes just can’t hit him! He’s also 59th out of those 62 in walks per 9 (7.2), which is a terrifying figure for someone who will turn 23 next month. What to make of that?

RHP Nate Nabholz pitched for the 2nd time since getting promoted and it went swimmingly, as he tossed 3 shutout frames with a hit and a strikeout, while throwing 22 of 29 pitches for strikes. It was just the 10th career game for Nabholz, a 25-year old whom the Giants acquired from the Frontier League recently. So far, so good, though he’s not getting many strikeouts.

Low-A San Jose (60-48)

Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports 9-0 [box score]
Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports 10-4 [box score]
Sunday: San Jose Giants lost to the Stockton Ports 14-7 [box score]

Here’s a pretty wild thing to say. I think shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) might be too good for Low-A. It’s wild to say because González, at 18 years old, is more than 3 years younger than the average Cal League player. And it’s wild to say because González, who dealt with multiple hamstring injuries this year, played just 30 games in the Arizona Complex League.

But it’s certainly not wild to say if you follow the box scores or watch him play. González had another sensational weekend, hitting 6-13 with a triple, 2 doubles, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts.

Josuar Gonzalez with a triple for his second hit of the night! pic.twitter.com/loQCAwz6Jq

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) August 8, 2026

The sample size is still small, as González has only played 11 games with San Jose, and there may be bumps and bruises incoming (which is half of why you keep a player at a level, despite what he currently looks like). Still, you want to know how impressive the defensively-brilliant switch-hitter has been? All you have to do is drop down the playing time requirements in the league and see where he sits on the leaderboard. Which I’ll now do for you.

There are 143 players who have had at least 50 plate appearances in the Cal League this year. González is 2nd in batting average (.357), 5th in on-base percentage (.462), 20th in isolated slugging (.238), 29th in walk rate (15.4%), 35th in strikeout rate (19.2%), 3rd in OPS (1.057), and 2nd in wRC+ (161). Again: those numbers will probably drop, but they contextualize just how dominant his opening run in the league is.

Stay hot kid! After that RBI double, Josuar Gonzalez now has seven hits and seven RBI in his last four games. pic.twitter.com/J5dZmJIinh

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) August 10, 2026

Shortstop/third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) continues to lag well behind, understandable given that he’s more than a year younger and this is his debut season. Hernández hit just 3-15 with 7 strikeouts and an error, lowering his OPS to .599 and his wRC+ to 47. It’ll come. These things take time.

Right fielder/center fielder Tanner Mally made his professional debut on Friday, as the 17th-rounder from Central Michigan became the 1st player from the team’s 2026 draft class to get into a game. And goodness gracious did he ever fit in! The 21-year old righty collected hits in all 3 games, going 6-12 with a triple, a walk, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. That’ll play! Welcome to the pros, Tanner … may your future days be as good as the opening act was!

WHAT A CATCH! Tanner Mally most definitely made it to the theater to watch a Brand New Day. pic.twitter.com/I2xfj2KPNF

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) August 10, 2026

Second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) continued his tear, hitting 6-14 with a home run, 2 doubles, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. With that, Meola is now tied for the Minor League lead with 35 doubles this year … brilliant!

3-RUN HOME RUN off the bat of Lorenzo Meola! pic.twitter.com/yPqV9ExFjh

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) August 9, 2026

Last year’s 4th-round pick has really gained momentum over the summer, as he’s hit 44-134 with 6 home runs, 2 triples, 16 doubles, and 13 walks since the start of July. Great to see him start to put together such good at-bats, after he had really struggled earlier in the year. It’s really been a tale of two seasons for Meola, and the result is, fittingly, a line that’s right down the middle: .803 OPS, 98 wRC+.

Also homering was corner outfielder Broedy Poppell, who went 2-7 with a 3-run home run, 2 walks, and a strikeout. A 13th-rounder a year ago, Poppell has really struggled to find success in A-ball, where he has just a .697 OPS and an 80 wRC+, with a 28.2% strikeout rate. So it was nice seeing him have such a good weekend!

Broedy Poppell goes oppo for his third home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/B5xsJLGaNz

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) August 10, 2026

Some really good pitching performances, starting with Friday’s starter, 23-year old LHP Jordan Gottesman. It was a fantastic start for the 2025 6th-rounder, who tossed 5.2 shutout innings with just 4 hits and 1 walk allowed, while striking out 6 batters, and throwing 57 of 88 pitches for strikes.

It’s those hits and strikeouts that really have stood out for the Northeastern product, as he has 9.7 strikeouts against just 2.9 walks per 9 innings this year. Despite that, he has just a 4.34 ERA and a 5.00 FIP, the result of ceding 83 hits and 11 home runs in 87 innings. Sometimes there’s a price to pay for living in the strike zone! But great to see Gottesman have such a good game after getting rocked in his last outing.

Following him was the recently-promoted RHP Samir Chires, who threw 3.1 scoreless innings with just 1 hit allowed, while striking out 2. Chires has been really strong during his short Low-A stint, as he has a 2.81 ERA and a 3.85 FIP, with 14 strikeouts to just 2 walks in 16 innings.

A pair of awesome relief outings on Saturday, after a tough start from promising 20-year old LHP Leandro Rodriguez. First it was RHP Fernando Vasquez, who struck out 5 batters in 2.2 scoreless innings, with 3 hits, 0 walks, and a hit batter. Vasquez really struggled with run prevention early on, giving up 16 earned runs in 12.2 innings across May and April. But since then, he’s allowed just 9 earned runs in 24 innings. After making that adjustment, he’s moved on to a new one: setting straight his strikeout and walk numbers. Through the end of July, Vasquez had 44 strikeouts to 41 walks in 41 innings. But in his pair of August outings? 10 strikeouts to 1 walk in 5.2 innings. Much better!

Then it was a sight for sore eyes: RHP R.J. Dabovich, who kicked off a rehab assignment. A 27-year old taken in the 4th round in 2020, Dabovich has had a brutal time with injuries in his career, and has thrown just 19.1 innings over the last 4 seasons combined. He was shut down after 2 appearances with AA Richmond this year, but finally returned after 4 months on the sidelines. That’s all that matters, but the performance was great too, as he allowed a hit in a shutout inning, while striking out the side.

Unfortunately, the good vibes ended on Sunday when RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) got positively destroyed, giving up 6 hits, 3 walks, 8 runs, and 7 earned runs, while only recording 3 outs. That’s an ERA buster for Martinez, who has a 5.40 ERA and a 5.22 FIP a year after his breakout campaign. There’s so much to love about Martinez, who is incredibly electric and hard to hit. As evidence, there are 109 pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings in the Cal League this season, and Martinez is 7th in strikeouts per 9 innings (13.2) and 21st in batting average against (.223). He’s just walking too many hitters and giving up too many long balls.

Dominican Summer League Black (31-18)

Friday: DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Nationals 9-2 [box score]
Saturday: DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Mets Blue 5-0 (7 innings) [box score]

Well, some excitement and not the good kind, as the Giants Black squad got no-hit on Saturday. Oops!

Some good performances on Friday though. Second baseman Keiberg Camacaro hit 2-5 while bashing a grand slam, which is always great to see. Camacaro, who also struck out in the game, then went 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout on Saturday. He’s getting accustomed to second base after getting moved off of shortstop by Joniel Hernandez, the thrilling 17-year old that the Giants acquired in the Robbie Ray trade. Camacaro now has a 1.040 OPS and a 147 wRC+ as his sensational 4th pass through the DSL continues. Hernandez, meanwhile, hit just 1-7 with a walk and 2 strikeouts, lowering his OPS to .970 and his wRC+ to 130. Still, a brilliant debut season for the righty, who should be in Minor League camp stateside next spring when he celebrates his 18th birthday.

Center fielder Djean Macares hit 0-5 with 2 strikeouts over the pair of games, but on Friday drew 3 walks and stole a base. He has an .826 OPS, a 123 wRC+, and 22 stolen bases in his 2nd DSL season, and the recently-turned 18-year old should see himself playing in Arizona next year.

RHP Luis Hernandez, a 20-year old in his 3rd season, tossed 5 scoreless innings with just 2 hits allowed, though he walked 3, hit a batter, and only struck out 1. He’s had a tough year, with far more walks than strikeouts. RHP Lender Bracho had 4 strikeouts and 0 walks in 3 scoreless innings, with 2 hits. The 21-year old has a 2.08 ERA but a 5.15 FIP in his 3rd season.

Dominican Summer League Orange (27-22)

Friday: DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Blue Jays Blue 8-4 (7 innings) [box score]
Saturday: DSL Giants Orange lost to DSL Arizona Black 6-1 (7 innings) [box score]

Quite a debut we got to witness in these games! Israel Alfonse, a 17-year old from the Dominican Republic, made his professional debut on Friday while playing designated hitter, and went 1-3 with a home run and a strikeout. On Saturday, in his 2nd career game, he played shortstop and went 1-2 with a stolen base, though he also had a strikeout and an error. That’s a great career start!

RHP Kelvin Silva, a 20-year old in his debut season, struck out 2 batters in an inning of work, while only allowing 1 baserunner on a hit by pitch. He has a 3.12 ERA and a 4.11 FIP through 7 career games.

---

Home run tracker

21 — Lisbel Diaz x2 — [18 in High-A; 3 in Low-A]
17 — Parks Harber — [5 in AAA; 12 in AA]
12 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A]
9 — Broedy Poppell — [6 in Low-A; 3 in ACL]
8 — Jonah Cox — [1 in MLB; 1 in AAA; 6 in AA]
6 — Keiberg Camacaro — [DSL]
5 — Aeverson Arteaga — [3 in AAA; 2 in AA]
5 — Trevor Cohen — [2 in AA; 3 in High-A]
1 — Israel Alfonse — [DSL]

The Houston Astros announced they have claimed OF Nelson Velazquez off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. To clear a spot for him on the 40-man roster, they have designated UT Shay Whitcomb for assignment.

Velazquez, 27, is a right-handed hitting outfielder with experience at all three outfield spots. He was batting .216 with a .289 OBP and .722 OPS for the Cardinals, albeit in only 74 AB. He posted 4 doubles, 4 HR and 12 RBI. In his time at Triple-A Memphis, he batted .232 with a .344 OBP and .764 OPS.

For his career at the MLB level, Velazquez has hit .213 with a .287 OBP and .719 OPS with 35 HR and 99 RBI in 626 AB.

Whitcomb, 27, has never been given any kind of a real opportunity with the Astros. Whitcomb only has 96 MLB AB across 57 games spanning 3 different seasons in Houston. This season at Triple-A Sugar Land, he is batting .274 with a .338 OBP and .758 OPS. He has 9 HR and 52 RBI, he has also stolen 23 bases in 25 attempts.

Whitcomb’s lack of opportunity at the MLB has negatively impacted his numbers, as he has less than double the number of AB as he does games played, indicating he is often only getting 1 AB in a game late. This year for the Astros he was only 3 for 23, but with 2 HR and 5 RBI, across 17 games.

Whitcomb’s lack of opportunity in both being called up and in getting playing time clearly demonstrated he was not a part of the team’s vision. The fact he was not recalled while Zach Dezenzo struggled so badly reiterated that fact.

Fresh off of the Trade Deadline, the Yankees have had an interesting week. They dropped a series to the Cardinals where their offense exploded in the opener only for the bullpen to have a rare disappointing performance and then disappeared for the next two games, bringing them into a series with a red-hot Atlanta team that probably didn’t inspire much confidence. The offense again failed to show at times, scoring nine runs total, but they walked away with a series victory thanks to excellent starting pitching and some timely rallies late on Friday.

The biggest headliner surprisingly hasn’t been either of the two players brought over via trade, but the Yankees’ top prospect: George Lombard Jr. Called up on Tuesday, the 21-year-old shortstop has supplanted Anthony Volpe as the starter and run with the opportunity thus far, slugging a pair of home runs and making defensive plays that haven’t been seen in the Bronx for a while. Combine that with signs of life from Austin Wells’ bat this month and the aforementioned additions in Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos, and there’s the promise of potential offense now, even if it isn’t consistent yet. Do the Yankees have enough to get their offense in gear and survive the stretch run, or are they going to need more turnarounds from the bottom of the lineup? Can the rotation continue to hand in stellar turns through their order, and is the bullpen starting to show cracks or just coming down to Earth from an unbelievable past few months? 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 August 13th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Mea culpa for the delay in getting to the rest of the “By the Numbers” series for a busy Cubs trade deadline. While the deadline was moving fast and furious, I was moving out of my old apartment of 10 years and into a new place a few blocks away. Something had to give to get all the boxes packed in time. It was a good reminder that every trade is accompanied by a physical move for players and their families. Let me tell you, the stress of all of that is real, and we should have some grace for young guys making big moves on the field and off of it.

But the numbers that inspired those moves are still highly relevant so today let’s take a closer look at the stats that sent former first round draft pick Braxton Garrett to Chicago:

The Chicago Cubs are acquiring left-hander Braxton Garrett in a trade with the Miami Marlins, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 3, 2026

The team context numbers haven’t shifted much since I wrote up the Kevin Gausman early last week, so refer to this piece for the Cubs ranks offensively and among starters/relievers. One number that has moved considerably is the Cubs playoff odds at FanGraphs. Those improved from 93.5% the night before the Gausman addition to 98.8% today:

While those numbers have shifted slightly for the better with the addition of Gausman, they (mostly) still explain the Cubs making a move for Marlins lefty Braxton Garrett.

Garrett had Tommy John UCL revision surgery (similar to what Justin Steele is trying to work his way back from) in December 2024. His original surgery was in June 2017, shortly after he was drafted as the seventh overall pick. He’s not a free agent until 2029 and does have an option remaining. This is a solid addition to the Cubs longer term plans, but may not be an impact arm for 2026. The Cubs recalled Garrett on August 6 but optioned him back to Iowa without using him in a game.

The arsenal and stats

It’s a little tricky to speculate on Garrett’s current pitch mix given the lack of innings he’s thrown in the big leagues since 2024, when he only threw 37 MLB innings and 34.2 MiLB innings before being shut down in September and ultimately getting surgery in December. He’s only thrown a full season in the majors once in 2023, when he put up an impressive 159.2 innings with a 3.66 ERA off a 3.68 FIP while striking out 23.7 percent of the batters he faced and walking just 4.4 percent of batters.

With that caveat, when last we saw Garrett pitch he had a five pitch mix with a sinker he throws 31.7 percent of the time at 90.5 MPH, paired with an 82.8 MPH sweeper he threw 26 percent of the time (32 percent of the time to lefties), an 87.5 MPH slider he threw 18 percent of the time (21 percent of the time to righties). He pairs those offerings with an 84.1 MPH change-up and 77.6 MPH curveball he throws 8.8 percent and 8.3 percent of the time, respectively. He also mixes in a fourseam about 7.5 percent of the time. You can get an idea of what that looked like a few years ago below:

It’s a deep arsenal that allows him to tailor his pitches to lefties and righties. In 2023 it resulted in a 49.1 percent ground ball rate which would play nicely with the Cubs defenders behind him.

Garrett has made just two MLB starts this season, both of them in May. That resulted in 4.1 innings pitched with mixed results that sent the southpaw to the Marlins Triple-A team where he’s thrown 77.2 innings total in 2026, 46.1 of them since he was sent down in May. That body of work resulted in a 3.30 ERA off a 3.68 FIP along with a 26.6 percent strikeout rate and a 7.3 percent walk rate.

Unfortunately, that body of work needs a caveat the size of Lake Michigan on it, because his last two starts have looked pretty disastrous. You can see his game logs from FanGraphs since May 27 below:

Date	Team	Opp	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	TBF	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	HBP	WP	BK	SO
2026-07-30	MIA (AAA)	STL	1	0	1	13.50	4	20	7	7	6	2	1	0	0	2	0	3
2026-07-23	MIA (AAA)	@BOS	1	0	1	23.62	2.2	19	8	7	7	0	2	0	1	1	0	3
2026-07-18	MIA (AAA)	@WSN	0	0	0	0.00	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2
2026-07-08	MIA (AAA)	TBR	1	1	0	1.50	6	24	5	2	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	6
2026-07-01	MIA (AAA)	@MIL	1	1	0	0.00	8	27	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	8
2026-06-24	MIA (AAA)	STL	1	0	0	0.00	4	19	3	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	4
2026-06-17	MIA (AAA)	@TBR	1	1	0	0.00	6	22	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9
2026-06-10	MIA (AAA)	ATL	1	1	0	0.00	6	22	1	0	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	6
2026-06-03	MIA (AAA)	MIL	1	0	0	1.93	4.2	18	3	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	5
2026-05-27	MIA (AAA)	@CHW	1	0	0	4.50	4	17	2	2	2	1	3	0	0	0	0	5
	MIA (AAA)		9	4	2	3.30	45.4	192	37	20	17	4	14	0	5	3	0	51

It is possible that Garrett could throw impact innings for the Cubs in 2026, but it’s also just as likely he could not. It’s also unclear to me if they view him as a starter or reliever for the final two months of the season, but I imaging they are hoping for him to work out the kinks in Des Moines and consider any innings he gives the Cubs this season a bonus.

The Return

Jonathan Long is a solid right-handed hitter who turned 24 in January and is blocked indefinitely by Michael Busch. To give you an idea of how much they believe in Long’s bat, the Cubs had him taking reps at third base last season when Matt Shaw was struggling at the plate. In a full season at Triple-A in 2025 he slashed .305/.404/.479 with 20 home runs in 607 plate appearances. In 2026 with the Cubs he hit .283/.365/.455 with 12 home runs through 452 plate appearances. There are rumors he could be called up imminently by the Marlins. Jace Beck is a 26-year old right handed reliever with a solid fastball that sits around 96 miles per hour. He pairs that with a slider, splitter and curve according to Brooks Baseball. He made his Triple-A debut for the Marlins yesterday and it was a rain-shortened, four-inning no-hitter.

Takeaways

Controlled pitching was extremely expensive this trade deadline so the Cubs pivoted to the shore up their rotations in the future. This is an excellent flyer on a formerly elite prospect. If the pitch lab can figure out what’s been ailing Garrett in his last few outings and keep him healthy this deal could be outstanding over the next three seasons, even if Long is mashing at the plate and Beck is dazzling as a middle reliever for the Marlins.

For players to retain their all-important rookie eligibility, they must meet not exceed the following thresholds in a previous season:

• 130 ABs for position players
• 50 IP for pitchers
• 45 days on an active ML roster for position players and pitchers

It can be relatively simple to manage a player’s workload so they don’t exceed 130 ABs or 50 IP, but the time requirement of 45 days can be trickier. For that reason, many teams will wait to call-up rookies until it would be mathematically impossible for them to accrue 45 days of active series time. That cut-off date this season is August 13th. The reasons for wanting a player to retain rookie eligibility in a subsequent season are driven by limiting service time to ensure that player doesn’t burn through any pre-arb years before they’re able to consistently contribute in the majors. Waiting for this cut-off date helps ensure a player doesn’t earn “Super Two” status in which they would get to arbitration one year faster.

This isn’t something that just the Rays or small market teams engage in; all teams do it. The league has tried to incentivize teams to get their young players up to the majors with their prospect promotion incentives (PPI) in recent years, but that really only applies to the best talent. There are at least a handful of guys in every organization who could be decent role players on that team’s ML roster, but there isn’t much incentive to promote them to the majors and potentially exhaust an arbitration year when that same role could be filled by a veteran waiver claim.

The Rays have a few players who are in Durham that could find themselves joining the ML roster once August 13th rolls around. There isn’t a ton of impact potential waiting in Durham, but there are a few guys who could fill a supporting role as the team looks to win the division. Some of these players would also make sense to fill a roster spot when we get to September and rosters expand.

Here are my top four candidates:

• RHP Ty Johnson: He began the year in Durham’s rotation but was moved to the bullpen in late July. His velocity has jumped a couple ticks on both of his pitches in a relief role and could be a solid multi-inning weapon or high-leverage arm in the majors. Johnson would need a 40-man spot to join the ML club.
• RHP Alex Cook: It’s been an up and down year for Cook who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason. He pitched a few innings already, so he would need to join the team a few days after the 8/13 cut-off in order to retain his rookie eligibility for 2027. The Rays like his strike-throwing and mid 90s fastball from a lower release height, and he could carve out a nice role near the back of the bullpen.
• RHP Alexander Alberto: Alberto has been a slow-burn development project in the farm, but he appears to have unlocked another gear with his command this season. A ground-ball machine, he features an upper-90s cut-fastball from an outlier release. Alberto would need a 40-man spot to join the big league club, and he would become a minor league free agent if he isn’t on the 40-man roster by the end of the season. It’s a potential high-leverage arm if he can maintain his command gains.
• RHP Evan Reifert: Similar to Alberto’s situation, Reifert is set to become a minor league free agent at the end of this season. His command and health have kept him in AAA for two seasons now, but his breaking ball is one of the better put-away pitches in the minor leagues – it’s one of just three pitches with a wOBA under .200 and a whiff% above 50% in AAA this season. It’s a high-leverage profile if he can continue to throw strikes the way he has over the last month.

Beyond the rookies they could bring up from Durham, the Rays do have a few others who could help the team in September when rosters expand. The following players are already on the 40-man roster, making them logical additions for the major league side:

• C Kenny Piper: He earned his ML debut last week when the Rays needed a catcher while they waited for Liam Hicks to get to Colorado. Piper is the best defensive catcher in the system; he’s a plus receiver and excellent at controlling the run game – posting caught stealing rates at of 37% this season in Montgomery and 42% in the Dominican Winter League this offseason. He’s unlikely to impact the game offensively, but he has shown a knack for pulling the ball in the air.
• INF Oliver Dunn: A LHB who can play multiple positions on the dirt (including SS), Dunn has shown plus power metrics with above-average plate skills and just enough contact ability to make it work in-game. He’s already on the 40-man and has seen some time in the majors with the Rays this season.
• RHP Joe Boyle: The command has fluctuated this season, but his stuff is as good as ever – especially since adding a breaking ball this spring and cutting some vert from his offspeed pitch. Boyle would likely be limited to a relief role while he continues to develop his feel for his secondaries – potentially as a multi-inning guy who can turnover a lineup.
• RHP Mason Englert: Maybe the inverse profile of Boyle, Englert fills up the zone with fringy stuff and has excellent feel for his offspeed pitch. His plus command has served him well as he has transitioned to a starting role. Englert could eat some innings in the Rays rotation if they need someone to come in and throw strikes.
• RHP Hunter Bigge: After adding a new offspeed pitch this offseason, Bigge has struggled at times to find the zone. His upper-90s fastball still plays and his stuff is sharp across the board, but his command has kept him in Durham for most of this season. He has shown solid command since the start of July however and could contribute in the majors down the stretch.
• RHP Trevor Martin: He made his ML debut this season and performed well in his six appearances. Martin isn’t going to blow anyone away with his stuff, but his lower release and solid command helps his arsenal play up a bit. Martin will throw a lot of strikes and could work as a middle reliever.

There are also some players in Durham that could add some flexibility to the Rays roster, but wouldneed a 40-man spot:

• C Logan Driscoll: He showed some promise on both sides of the ball a few years ago in the majors before an injury took away his 2025 season. He was released, but re-signed and worked his way back to Durham. He’s a LHB with solid plate skills and plus receiving.
• INF Nick Madrigal: A similar defensive profile to Dunn, Madrigal is a high-contact, high-ground ball RHB the Rays signed and sent to Durham in June. His skillset fits the Rays offensive identity well, and he has nearly 1,000 PAs in the majors, plus a 135 wRC+ in Durham thus far.
• OF Jack Suwinski: Suwinski underwent a swing change this offseason that has helped him reach a new level. It’s easy plus power from the left side with an improved hit tool that should allow him to be an above-average offensive contributor in the majors if he were to get the opportunity. His fringy defensive profile will likely limit him to a corner OF role, but his impact with the bat should be more than enough to make up for any defensive shortcomings.
• LHP John Rooney: Rooney is a bit of a wild card as he has missed a large portion of this season due to injury. He features a low 90s fastball from a lefty side-arm slot and a big sweepy breaking ball around 80mph. His deception and stuff could help him put away LHB with ease, but his command and limited arsenal have given him trouble against righties.

The Rays have plenty of internal options they could call on to supplement their roster as we approach the end of the regular season. While it is a possibility that we could see someone in AA make the jump to the majors (Piper technically did it despite having already spent time in AAA), I don’t think any of those players are ready for an opportunity in the majors, even if it’s just a cup of coffee.

All of the potential call-up guys in Montgomery have lots of development left: Theo Gillen struggles to consistently get the ball in the air and is still working on his defensive game, Caden Bodine has a chase rate near 40% and is allowing runners to steal bases at a 90% success rate in AA, Jadher Areinamo also has a chase rate near 40% and has dealt with some injuries throughout the year, and Jackson Baumeister has struggled to find the zone on and off all season. I don’t have many concerns about most of these profiles long term, but they simply don’t look like they’re capable of filling a major league role this season.

I’m looking forward to seeing what decisions the Rays make when they have the opportunity to add some talent from AAA to the big league roster.

Maybe this will be the week Major League Baseball’s playoff logjam finally breaks. (Note: It won’t be).

Alas, there’s decent potential for a little more separation within the packs of several playoff races, even as the week begins with 21 teams within 3½ games of a postseason berth, and 24 within 5½.

It’s an awful lot of mediocre baseball for one year, though perhaps this is how it’s all supposed to work out, what with almost every series carrying at least a scintilla of meaning (sorry, Rockies-Giants). With that, a look at five series this week that could significantly impact the races:

Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays

When: Monday-Thursday, Rogers Centre

Key matchup: Wednesday – Red Sox LH Ranger Suarez vs. Blue Jays RH Jose Soriano

Outlook: No, the defending AL champions aren’t dead yet, entering the week 3½ games out of a wild-card spot. They’re also coming off three consecutive series victories over St. Louis, Houston and Philadelphia, if we don’t count a makeup loss to the Cubs. A four-game sweep would pull them within four of the Red Sox, though they’d certainly need more help to reel them in.

As for the Red Sox, they finally dropped a series for the first time since July 1 when the Athletics won a pair at Fenway Park, just as Boston closed within a half-game of the Yankees for the No. 2 wild card. Is there hope for a division title? Probably a key moment for Boston to validate that its 32-5 run was the mark of a good team, not a streaky one.

Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers

When: Thursday-Sunday, Dodger Stadium

Key matchup: Saturday – Brewers RH Jacob Misiorowski vs. Dodgers LH Tarik Skubal

Outlook: Hey, you can’t spend your whole life parsing which 82-win team will land on the proper roulette space come late September. Here we have four games with the two best teams in the National League (apologies to Atlanta), though Milwaukee is trending up and the Dodgers are experiencing their annual late-summer malaise.

Ready for Referendum No. 10,836 On The Game Absolutely Needs/Doesn’t Need A Salary Cap? Surely these four games will speak symbolic volumes. While we’re not guaranteed the dream matchup of The Miz vs. Skubal come Saturday – the Dodgers are folding Blake Snell into the rotation Tuesday – it’s lining up as such. Be nice to have such a get-your-popcorn moment during a final two months that’s more a march to mediocrity. And what a seven-day trip for the Brewers, taking on the red-hot Padres before heading north.

Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers

When: Friday-Sunday, Comerica Park

Key matchup: Saturday – TBD vs. Tigers RH Troy Melton

Outlook: Otherwise known as the series where Detroit very likely could slide into first place.

Say what? If you devote your life to Baseball Transactions Minutiae you might have missed the fact that the Tigers have won seven of their past nine games since Tarik Skubal’s final start, thereby making the trade of Skubal regrettable and embarrassing. The Tigers are a very good bet to win the AL Central at this point and then look around in October like, "Geez, we could sure use another ace for these short playoff series."

Right now, that guy is Melton, who has been dynamite since returning from elbow inflammation May 24, with a 1.46 ERA in 13 starts. The White Sox have occupied first place for 47 of the past 48 days and fended off the challengers by taking two of three from Cleveland during the weekend. Yet they’ve lost five of their last eight, and the drumbeat that their joyride might be nearing an expiration date will only grow louder.

San Diego Padres at Cleveland Guardians

When: Friday-Sunday, Progressive Field

Key matchup: Friday – Padres RH Michael King vs. Guardians RH Gavin Williams

Outlook: Just call this one the Naylor Bowl. Perhaps the Quantrill Qup. The Franmil Fiesta. The frequent trading partners now meet at a crossroads for both clubs. The Guardians have tumbled since adding Foster Griffin, Jo Adell and others at the trade deadline, losing five of six. Yet like the Tigers, they’re holding a pair of tickets that could be cashed at year’s end, still lurking four games behind the White Sox in the Central and 1½ out of a wild card. They start the week with three at Detroit.

The Padres have no such luxury: It’s wild card or bust and now they’re just a game back of both Philadelphia and Arizona. And they are coming on strong: Jackson Merrill has eight homers and a 1.127 OPS over his past 21 games, while trade additions Casey Mize and Robbie Ray, though stumbling in their first starts, add needed rotation stability.

Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros

When: Friday-Sunday, Daikin Park

Key matchup: Friday – Mariners RH George Kirby vs. Astros RH Peter Lambert

Outlook: We hesitate to include this one, as the designation "AL West champion" best be ignored this year, given that there’s a decent chance the winner might be .500 or worse. Yep, there’s a lot of time left but the coming week looks very make-or-break for the Mariners, who start with three games at Yankee Stadium. Bryan Woo has been terrible on the road – a 6.71 ERA vs. 1.96 at T-Mobile Park – and he’s slated to start twice this week.

The Astros enter the week with a half-game lead over Texas and 3½ over the Mariners. They also have the presumed MVP, Yordan Alvarez. Time for some separation? Nah, this is the 2026 AL West.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Everyone's still alive: 5 MLB series that could impact the playoff chase

Texas Rangers lefthanded starting pitcher Dalton Pence has been named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 3-9. Pence threw five shutout innings for the Round Rock express in their game at Sacramento — a notoriously hitter-friendly park — while allowing just two hits and one walk, striking out six.

Pence was the Rangers’ 11th round pick out of the University of North Carolina in 2024 as a redshirt sophomore who had worked almost exclusively in relief in his two seasons pitching for the Tar Heels after missing 2022 due to Tommy John surgery. The Rangers, seeing him as a potential rotation candidate, inked him to a $350,000 bonus and had him make his professional debut in 2025 at low-A Hickory, where he generally threw two to three innings per appearance. He moved up to high-A Hub City half way through the year and in the final couple of months of the season started getting stretched out to something closer to a starter’s workload.

Pence has taken a big step forward in 2026. He started at Hub City, but was promoted after just five starts there, striking out 30 of 98 batters faced while walking just five and putting up a 2.59 ERA. 11 appearances for Frisco, covering 55 innings, so Pence log a 2.77 ERA with 61 strike outs, though his walk rate rose a little, as he issued 23 free passes. Pence had a rough go of it in his first start for Round Rock, allowing three runs in 1.2 innings against Reno, but clearly bounced back strong.

Pence came into the season as the #16 prospect on the Baseball America Texas Rangers list, and has moved up to #13 on the most recent rankings. MLB Pipeline has Pence at #8, though they haven’t included this year’s draftees on their most recent rankings.

1959
White Sox infielders Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio appeared together on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The headline read, “Magic Up The Middle, Fox And Aparicio.”

---

1960
A 6-0 whitewash ended a three-game set with the Yankees at Comiskey Park on a sour note, losing two of three and falling to 61-47. That said, this three-game set, a Monday-Wednesday series no less, set the all-time Comiskey Park and Chicago attendance record for three games: 144,840. The Sox drew 48,323 to a 9-1 trouncing of New York on Monday night, lost 7-4 in front of 48,408 on Tuesday night, then wound things up with this day game, with 48,109 in the stands.

---

1978
Kevin Bell provided all the offense for the White Sox in a 7-3 loss at Toronto. Bell slammed home runs deep and out to left field at Exhibition Stadium, a solo blast in the fifth inning and a two-run shot in the seventh. It marked the first time that a White Sox player had ever homered twice from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

It was also Wilbur Wood’s final start in the major leagues (he would relieve in one more game after this), and not one he was happy with: seven innings, seven hits, five earned runs, six walks, three Ks and a homer. Wood fell to 10-10 with the loss, and the White Sox a season-worst 20 games worse than .500, at 46-66.

---

1981
The White Sox brought the most significant work stoppage in MLB history at the time to an end with a 7-1 win at Boston. Harold Baines doubled in Ron LeFlore in the first inning and the White Sox never trailed. Future 1983 heroes Richard Dotson and LaMarr Hoyt started and ended the game, but it was middle innings-eater Dennis Lamp who earned the win.

In the bastardized, split-season format used only in 1981 due to the strike, the White Sox were tied for first, at 1-0 — in the “true standings,” at 32-22, they were just 1 1⁄2 games behind first-place Oakland.

---

1990
The odds had to be a million to one. For two of the smallest players in Major League Baseball, the impossible happened.

In the second inning of a doubleheader nightcap at Comiskey Park, Craig Grebeck and Ozzie Guillén hit back-to-back home runs off of hard-throwing Nolan Ryan. It was part of a four-run inning in a 5-1 win and a sweep of the two games.

Making matters even more incredible was that both Grebeck and Guillén pulled their shots. Craig reaching the left-field seats and Ozzie right field! It was Grebeck’s first career home run, and the only one he’d hit in 135 plate appearances in his rookie year.

---

1993
With his career fading, the White Sox dealt franchise all-time saves leader Bobby Thigpen to the Phillies for pitcher José DeLeón. Thigpen saved a then-major league record 57 games in 1990 but was never the same afterwards, posting lower and lower save numbers in the years after the mark was set.

---

2009
In an aggressive move that ultimately backfired, the White Sox claimed two-time All-Star Alex Ríos off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Rios was hitting .264 at the time, with 14 home runs, 62 RBIs and 1.5 WAR — but was also due $58.6 million through 2015.

Rios’ tenure with the White Sox was a mixed bag, playing poorly after being claimed in 2009, and in the ballyhooed 2011 “All-In” season (-2.5 WAR combined) but flashing the talent that got him claimed by GM Ken Williams in the first place in 2010 (3.3 WAR) and 2012 (4.8 WAR).

Rios was off to a so-so start in 2013 (1.4 WAR) before the White Sox dealt him to Texas for Leury García. The deal off-loaded more than $20 million the White Sox were on the hook for, but overall, doling Rios out $37.2 million to produce 7.0 WAR in his career on the South Side was a significant overpay.

García went on to play 10 seasons on the South Side, producing 4.4 WAR for the club.

---

2024
With another loss to the Cubs, this one 3-1 at Sox Park, the White Sox were now underwater as a franchise, at 9,581-9,582. It marked the first time since Aug. 14, 1956 that the White Sox carried a losing record as a franchise.

To add insult to injury, by falling to an unfathomable 28-91 on the year the White Sox now were in sole possession of the second-worst start to a season in AL-NL major league history, trailing only the woebegone 1915 Philadelphia A’s.

Tarik Skubal will take the mound at Dodger Stadium on Monday, Aug. 10, with a lot more at stake than anticipated.

It will be a chance for the dominant pitcher to win over fans during his first home start in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. But it’s more crucial than that.

Skubal, the two-time Cy Young Award winner acquired by the Dodgers this month, has a team to help rescue.

Since acquiring the lefthander, the Dodgers have lost so much that Skubal might have thought he had been traded back to the Detroit Tigers. Actually, while the Dodgers have lost eight of nine games, the Tigers have won six of eight games.

Yes, Dodgers world has spun off of his axis.

That is why Skubal needs to be more than a great pitcher. As the Dodgers begin a three-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals, he needs to function like a superhero, minus the cape perhaps.

In his first start for the Dodgers, Skubal gave up two runs in six innings against the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles lost 5-1 at Wrigley Field. Skubal struck out six, walked two, gave up a home run and said he liked his stuff.

That stuff’s not good enough for now.

Over the past nine games, the Dodgers have failed to score three runs or more four times and are averaging 3.22 games per games. During that same stretch, the Dodgers opponents have scored 5.7 runs per games.

Skubal needs to handcuff the Royals and spark the Dodgers.

Now.

Tarik Skubal blunders during interview

On Aug. 7, Skubal appeared on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take’’ and blundered. The host pointed out how difficult it must have been for Tigers fans to lose Skubal.

“And it sucks for me too,’’ Skubal said. “This wasn’t the way the season was supposed to go…

“I would love to play my whole career in Detroit. You know, I would love to. And hopefully those negotiations can pick back up in November once the playoffs are done.’’

Los Angeles doesn’t need its prized acquisition publicly entertaining the idea of returning to Detroit, much less before making his first start at Dodgers Stadium since the trade.

Over the past 24 games, Los Angeles is 9-15. And over the past 42, the Dodgers are 21-21, an extended stretch over which they have not played like favorites to win their third consecutive World Series title.

The Dodgers need a spark. It should come from the mound Monday from a pitcher who's focused on his new home.

Welcome to Los Angeles, Tarik Skubal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal will make Dodgers home debut at crucial time

The Toronto Blue Jays probably win the 2025 World Series a good number of times if you keep replaying those last few innings of Game 7. But 2026 has, so far, not been the redemption tour anyone had in mind. Sure, you can have your team go on a historic run including a 15-game winning streak to get right back into the playoff mix, but that’s easier said than done. These 2026 Jays are 6-3 against the Boston Red Sox and this four-game series could still decide their season series. After the Jays swept Boston in June they probably figured the season series was safe. But the Sox still have a path to seven wins.

Sonny Gray shut down the Chicago White Sox last time out and is working on his lowest ERA since 2015. His FIP is higher, but then again his FIP in 2015 was 3.45. He’s pulled off the better ERA trick before. He’s faced Toronto twice this season: a 7.0 inning, 3 run outing in June and a 5.0, 5 run game in July. Jameson Taillon has made one start with the Jays since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs. His season in Chicago, where he’s been since 2023, was rough. He had a 5.92 ERA / 6.72 FIP in 76 innings while allowing career high homers-per-9 (25 total!). In 2025, Taillon allowed 24 home runs in 129.2 innings. His one start back in the American League (at Houston) was a 4.0 inning, 3 run performance with 4Ks and 2 BBs. He allowed a 26th home run. We’ve seen some high-ERA guys settle down against Boston before but Taillon has pretty much struggled regardless of the team. If Gray can keep the Sox in this they’ve got a chance to quickly forget about the A’s.

Patrick Sandoval turned in 5.0 solid innings against the White Sox during a rout. He held Toronto scoreless for 4.2 innings back on July 29th. He too will need to keep the Sox in the game because of his opposing pitcher, Dylan Cease. The potential American League Cy Young Award winner for 2026, Cease has been excellent. His last time facing Boston, Cease tossed a complete game shutout. With, uh, 12 Ks, his season high. This will be the fourth time Boston has had to face Cease this year (which is just not fair but is random) and the Jays have won two of his three starts coming into this one. On April 27th the Sox scored 4 runs in 5.2 innings off Cease. A big night for Sandoval and the bats would really take the wind out of Toronto’s sails as they enter the series 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Ranger Suarez labored through three innings against the Chicago White Sox in that thrilling 13-inning win last week. He hasn’t quite bounced back from his IL stint. He’s been limited to 4.0 innings (against the Jays), 4.2 innings, and that early exit against the White Sox. It’s hard not to think of his April 27th start in Toronto where he held them scoreless for 8.0 innings in dominant fashion. A highlight of the pre-streak Sox. He’ll face off against new acquisition José Soriano. The righty, recently acquired from the Los Angeles Angels who play in the city of Anaheim, had a 0.84 ERA headed into May. He then put up two months of 5.34 ERA ball until bouncing back with 5 solid starts in July and August, including his first with the Jays. He hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs since June 24th. Despite the really hot run to begin 2026, he’s right in line with previous seasons in terms of his hits, walks, and strikeouts for the season as a whole. He is leading the league in walks with 60 in 127.2 innings. Force him to make pitches might be the strategy here for some guys.

The finale is New Hotness vs Old and (somewhat) Busted. That’s right: Payton Tolle against Max Scherzer. Tolle is coming off a 14 strikeout performance against the A’s. The old man has accomplished this feat 5 times in his career. Plus 6 more starts with more than 14 Ks, including a 2016 performance with 20 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. Mad Max Scherzer has only made 9 starts this year and while several have been dreadful, he’s been solid as of late. His last two outings total 11.1 innings with just 3 runs allowed against the Phillies and Cardinals. Before that he allowed 1 run in 2.2 innings against the Nationals. He put together a bit of a run in the 2025 playoffs and fresh from the IL he might be doing the same over his recent starts. If this is the end it’s an impressive career. The Sox didn’t face him this year given his multiple IL stints. He’s only good for about 80-85 pitches this year. It could be a great one for the history books that the future Hall of Famer faced off with young Tolle and people will be amazed they played at the same time.

Adley Rutschman will travel to Toronto with the team but will not be activated on Monday.

Vlad still doesn’t have a home run at home. He’s also hit just 7 total. A far cry from 2021’s total of 48.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday, August 10: Sonny Gray (2.78 ERA /3.52 FIP) vs. Jameson Taillon (5.96 ERA / 6.67 FIP)

Tuesday, August 11: Patrick Sandoval (3.38 ERA / 4.00 FIP) vs. Dylan Cease (2.28 ERA / 2.20 FIP)

Wednesday, August 12: Ranger Suarez (3.32 ERA / 2.71 FIP) vs. José Soriano (3.24 ERA / 3.78 FIP)

Thursday, August 13: Payton Tolle (3.20 ERA / 3.25 FIP) vs. Max Scherzer (7.25 ERA / 6.89 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Monday, August 10: 7:07 PM ET on NESN

Tuesday, August 11: 7:07 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday, August 12: 7:07 PM ET on NESN

Thursday, August 13: 3:07 PM ET on NESN

When Tarik Skubal last took the mound at Dodger Stadium, he did so for the first time as a Cy Young winner for the Tigers in the Dodgers’ home opener back in 2025. That wasn’t one of Skubal’s finest moments, allowing four runs in just five innings in what turned out to be a one-run loss against the reigning champs, and here he is, now on the other side. When Skubal was traded to the Dodgers at the deadline, the term embarrassment of riches never felt so appropriate, yet his immediate role is one not many envisioned for the standout lefty.

As you might see being the case with other big-name acquisitions at the deadline, Skubal is now being asked to put an end to the Dodgers’ worst form in the 2026 campaign—having lost eight out of their last nine games—dropping series against the Red Sox, Cubs, and Diamondbacks. It’s relevant to point out those specific teams not only for their quality but also that each of them is in the middle of very productive stretches.

However difficult to come by, wins have been as of late; it wouldn’t be easy to handpick a more appealing outlook than to have your most talented starting pitcher at home against a team that finished the month of July getting swept by the Colorado Rockies—one of four in the big leagues with already 70 or more losses.

If there is something to be wary about in this Monday matchup, it is that while the Royals may not be in top form, their starter Noah Cameron is. The talented left-hander who finished last season in the top 5 for the AL Rookie of the Year voting has completed eight innings in back-to-back starts and has allowed just one run and five hits over his last 23 frames. Struggling against left-handers has been a common theme for the Dodgers as of late, hoping to change that at home.

Monday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Royals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)