MIAMI (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies moved right-hander Aaron Nola to the 60-day injured list on Thursday, a week after he injured his ribcage while trying to work himself back from a sprained right ankle.
Nola had been out since early May with the ankle injury. He experienced stiffness in his right side last week in Toronto that wiped out a planned session against live batters, and an MRI showed a stress reaction in his right ribcage.
Nola, who is in the second season of a seven-year, $172 million contract, is 105-86 with a 3.78 ERA in 11 seasons with the Phillies, making six straight opening day starts from 2018-23. He was 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA in nine starts this year before injuring his ankle on May 8 during pregame agility drills.
The Phillies selected the contract of infielder Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Lehigh Valley before Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins and optioned infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson to the IronPigs.
Kennedy, 26, is batting .283 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 61 games for Lehigh Valley this season and was the International League Player of the Month for May. In 54 major league games over three seasons with the Diamondbacks, Tigers and Phillies, he has batted .203 with two homers and 19 RBIs.
Wilson batted .194 with one home run and 4 RBIs in 22 games for the Phillies this season.
The Mets have come to a decision with Frankie Montas.
With his 30-day minor league rehab assignment officially coming to an end, New York has decided that the veteran right-hander will jump into the big-league rotation on Tuesday night against the Braves.
Montas, of course, has been sidelined since spring training with a right lat strain.
After a long recovery process, he was finally able to get back into game action. But things didn't quite go as planned, as he was roughed up over six outings between Triple-A Syracuse and High-A Brooklyn.
His latest appearance came on Wednesday with Syracuse -- he started well but ultimately faltered off, allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings.
That brought his ERA up to an ugly 13.17 over just 13.2 innings of work.
But with no time left on his rehab assignment and a need for healthy arms in the rotation, the Mets have decided to insert him into the mix for his team debut.
"I'm not gonna lie, he got hit around," Carlos Mendoza said. "Look we've seen it before where guys in spring training struggle and get hit around, then once you put them in a big-league game under the lights with a gameplan and making adjustments, they flip the switch.
"He's had success so far at this level, so hopefully that's the case here with a guy who basically treated this rehab process as spring training and he got hit around. But again, we believe in the player and we're going to give him a chance."
Rob Thomson has talked since spring training about managing his starting pitchers a bit differently in 2025.
With the long game in mind and the goal of keeping their workhorses as fresh as possible for October, the Phillies have dialed their starters back ever so slightly. Rather than extend them one more inning when their pitch count is nearing the upper limit, the Phils have played it safer. The fact that they trail only the Braves and Rays in innings per start speaks to the efficiency and overall productivity of one of baseball’s best rotations.
Thomson could have sent Cristopher Sanchez back out for the ninth inning of Thursday’s 2-1 win in Miami but went to Orion Kerkering instead for the save. Sanchez had retired 10 in a row and was at only 91 pitches, but the Phillies’ manager stayed true to his word.
While every starter wants to finish his own work when the opportunity presents itself, Sanchez didn’t seem too bothered by the decision in the dugout after his eighth and final inning. He was terrific, allowing one run on five hits with no walks and picking up 16 of his 24 outs on the ground.
The lefty is 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA through 15 starts and is on pace to exceed 180 innings.
The Marlins gave the Phillies a scare in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a one-out error by Alec Bohm, which extended the inning for Miami to later put runners on the corners. Dane Myers popped up to Bohm to end it as Kerkering picked up his second career save.
The Phillies (45-30) took three of four at loanDepot Park, the dullest venue in baseball. They’ll come home to substantially more energy this weekend against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park, a battle for first place in the NL East. The teams are now tied thanks to six straight Mets losses.
Every bit of Sanchez’ mastery was required in the finale in Miami because the Phillies didn’t score until the seventh inning. They were gifted their first run on a bobble by Marlins third baseman Connor Norby, who still had a force-out at the plate but chose instead to race to third to unsuccessfully attempt a 5-3 double play on Bryson Stott.
Kyle Schwarber tattooed his 23rd home run of the season in the top of the eighth and Sanchez and Kerkering finished off the series win.
The Phillies have responded to a 2-10 stretch by winning six of their last seven. Their ace, Zack Wheeler, kicks off the weekend looking to maintain momentum. The Phils have played poorly against the Mets for a calendar year but have a chance to help themselves out in a big way. It’s an important head-to-head opportunity, one that won’t come up again until the final week of August.
RHP Max Kranick (right elbow strain) was placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to June 16. He last pitched on June 15 against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing two hits over two innings with a strikeout and a walk. Over 24 games this season, Kranick owns a 3-2 record with a 3.65 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 37.1 IP.
"After the last outing, we had an off day, he complained about some soreness around the elbow area, forearm," Carlos Mendoza told reporters. "Kind of gave him a couple of extra days where we tried to stay away from him, got treatment. Yesterday he played catch, got on the mound, and he was still feeling something. Very similar to what [Tylor] Megill was experiencing on the secondary pitches.
"So he flew back to New York this morning. He got an MRI early this afternoon. We're waiting for the results now."
Mendoza added that Kranick "didn't think this was something too serious," but they'll wait to see what the imaging shows.
With Kranick hitting the IL, New York recalled relievers Dedniel Nuñez and Justin Hagenman from Triple-A Syracuse, while optioning RHP Ty Adcock to Triple-A.
Nuñez had a late start to his season while recovering from an elbow injury, making his season debut on May 5. However, the righty struggled and walked six batters in 3.2 innings of work across five games. He was then optioned down to Triple-A on May 17.
Over 19 games in the minors, Nuñez has gone 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 19.0 IP.
Hagenman is expected to start Friday's game as the opener against the Phillies in Philadelphia. He allowed one run on three hits over 3.1 IP with four strikeouts on April 16 against the Minnesota Twins in his lone major league appearance and owns a 6.21 ERA over 33.1 innings with Triple-A Syracuse.
Adcock let up one run on one hit in Wednesday's loss to the Braves and has pitched to a 3.00 ERA over three games with the Mets this season.
After a week of historically dormant offense, the Yankees mercifully snapped their season-long, six-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over the Angels on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
By salvaging the final game of the series, the Yankees also prevented the Angels from pulling off their first-ever four-game road sweep in the Bronx.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Angels wasted no time drawing first blood for a fourth straight game. With two outs in the first inning, Carlos Rodón grooved a fastball to Mike Trout that landed deep in the left-center field bullpen for a home run, the 390th of his esteemed career. But the Yankees quickly responded in the bottom half with a somewhat refreshing rally against Tyler Anderson. A leadoff double from Paul Goldschmidt, an infield single from Cody Bellinger, and an RBI groundout from Giancarlo Stanton knotted the score at one apiece after one.
-- Rodón couldn't keep the game tied for long, however. In the second inning with one out, he served up another solo homer -- this time to Jo Adell -- that landed in the right-field seats and gave the Angels a 2-1 lead. There haven't been many players hotter than Adell, who has smacked nine homers over his last 18 games. Shortly after Rodón completed the frame, a heavy thunderstorm forced a rollout of the tarp. But before the tarp was even laid out entirely, the grounds crew stunningly picked it up and proceeded to fold it -- one of the strangest rain delays in recent memory.
-- Perhaps the brief rain shower washed away the Yankees' week-long stench at the plate. After a two-out single from DJ LeMahieu in the second, Trent Grisham crushed a fastball into the right-field bleachers for a two-run homer, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Then, two pitches later, Goldschmidt ripped a fastball down the line in left for a solo blast, making the score 4-2. It was the sixth time the Yankees have smacked back-to-back homers this season.
-- The two-run cushion helped Rodón settle in a bit, as he retired six of seven batters during the fourth and fifth innings. But the homer bug nipped him yet again with one out in the sixth, when Taylor Ward took a fastball deep to right-center for a solo shot. The three homers allowed by Rodón bumped his season total to 13, and it was the first time that he gave up three jacks in a game since June 21, 2024. Despite the longballs, the veteran southpaw still earned a quality start -- he struck out seven and walked one across six innings and now owns a 3.10 ERA.
-- In the seventh, the Yankees pushed their lead back to two. After a one-out Grisham double and a LeMahieu strikeout, Bellinger delivered an RBI single to right. But the scoring play also ended the inning, as Bellinger was tagged out trying to stretch his hit into a double. It was the Yankees' second baserunning gaffe of the game -- Anthony Volpe made the final out at third in the sixth due to miscommunication on a steal attempt by Austin Wells at first.
-- The Yankees turned to relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Jonathan Loaisiga for the seventh and eighth innings, and they kept the 5-3 lead intact by retiring six of seven combined batters. A second rain delay arrived in the eighth -- this one lasted 32 minutes -- after a leadoff double from Aaron Judge and a walk to Stanton. When play resumed, Jazz Chisholm Jr. reached first on a bunt single that tricked past the pitcher.
-- The no-out, bases-loaded rally produced two runs on sacrifice hits -- a groundout from Volpe and a flyout from Wells -- that pushed the Yankees' lead to a more-comfortable 7-3. Devin Williams was then called upon to close out the ninth in a non-save situation, and he completed the task by striking out three. In his last 15 games, Williams owns a sharp 1.88 ERA.
-- Of course, there was no guarantee of a breakout -- is that the correct word here? -- with Anderson on the mound. The veteran lefty entered Thursday with a 2.05 ERA in four career starts (22 innings) against the Yankees.
Game MVP: Trent Grisham
Grisham's regression at the plate over the last month was inevitable -- his surprising red-hot start to the season just wasn't sustainable. But he gave the Yankees a much-needed jolt with a 2-for-3 day that included a go-ahead homer and a double. He raised his OPS to .823.
The Yankees (43-31) will continue their week-long homestand on Friday night, when they begin a three-game set with the division-rival Orioles. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Max Fried (9-2, 1.89 ERA) is slated to take the mound, while the Orioles have yet to announce their starter.
Around the fifth inning Thursday at Oracle Park, Wilmer Flores walked down the steps of the Giants’ dugout into the batting cage to go through his routine and get his swings in.
Nothing changes for Flores before a game, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench. But on a day like Thursday’s 2-1 win against the Cleveland Guardians when Flores watched the first six innings from the bench, the 33-year-old veteran knows exactly when it’s time to get himself ready for a moment where his number is called.
“I’m always thinking about the process, not the result,” Flores said. “I stay with my process. What do I have to do to have a good result? It’s see the ball early, and try to do that a lot.”
There have been a handful of times where Flores has taken his fair share of practice swings only to never get a real opportunity to make a difference. This wasn’t one of those cases. Giants manager Bob Melvin had a plan. So did Flores.
Each worked as well as the two hoped.
Trailing 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning after another dominant start from Logan Webb, Casey Schmitt took a sweeper low and away for a line-drive single to center field and Jung Hoo Lee walked on four pitches as the first two batters of the inning for the Giants. Melvin went old-school and had catcher Patrick Bailey square for a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt on the first pitch he saw, putting Schmitt and Lee in scoring position with one out.
Former Giants catcher Stephen Vogt, who’s in his second season as the Guardians’ manager, then turned to his bullpen again and brought in right-hander Nic Enright. Melvin had an even easier decision. Flores’ number was called to hit for second baseman Christian Koss, and more magic was created.
Flores was sitting on a fastball or slider middle-in. His at-bat began with a slider in the dirt he spit on before swinging through a fastball and taking one way too high. Flores then fouled off two fastballs to get himself in a 2-2 count.
With the infield in and Schmitt taking his lead down the third-base line, Flores needed a ball he could lift. Instead, Flores sat back on a slider in the zone and hammered a hard grounder down the third-base line and into left field, scoring Schmitt and Lee to give the Giants their first two runs of the game and an eventual win to snap a four-game losing streak, which also avoided a three-game home sweep against the Guardians.
“It’s just such a great feeling to have him up there,” Melvin said. “It’s so hard to do, and we expect so much out of him. We expect him to come through every time in those situations, and he does almost every time. But it’s really, really difficult to do.
“Sit on the bench the entire game, have the biggest at-bat of the game, gets behind in the count, again doesn’t try to do too much – put it in play with the infield in. That’s just what he does.”
Flores now has a league-leading 17 go-ahead RBI this season. His pinch-hit, two-run double snapped a stretch of the Giants going 0-for-22 with runners in scoring position. Flores has 66 at-bats with runners in scoring position this season and is batting .348 (23 of 66) with 44 RBI in 45 games.
There’s a calmness to Flores’ game. The moment he arrives at the ballpark, he already knows what he needs to get done for the day. There’s also an unseen special ingredient that Flores has just enough of that adds another sense of confidence throughout the Giants.
“He’s like maybe sick in the head a little bit,” Webb said. “Some guys are just built for that stuff, and I think Wilmer’s like that. He has done that his whole career, so it’s a pleasure to watch every time he gets to hit.”
For the second time in three games since the Giants pulled off their blockbuster trade of acquiring star slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, Flores began the game on the bench. He played all of the Giants’ loss Wednesday, but had to put his first baseman’s mitt back on, something Melvin would like to avoid.
While Devers was adamant about not playing first base in Boston, he already has shown a willingness to play the new position for San Francisco. He’s extremely early in the process of learning a new position. The Giants are happy enough to have his bat in the lineup.
The real plan, though, is to have Devers and Flores in the lineup together as much as possible once the newest Giants is more comfortable with a foreign area on the field for him.
Webb still remembers the one time he had to face Flores, and Vogt, his catcher that day, warned him he’s someone you don’t want to make a mistake to. The staff ace calls Devers one of the 10 best hitters in baseball and is giddy at the thought of a full squad that should make any pitcher feel an extra boost when steps on the mound.
“Until we get Raffy up to speed it’s going to kind of be half-half,” Melvin said. “But to be able to come off the bench in those type of situations is really valuable.”
The Giants now have a MLB-leading nine wins this season when trailing going into the seventh inning. They’ve played 33 one-run games, which also leads the majors, and improved to 18-15 in such games. Flores is the closer with a bat in his hands, and the lineup will only become that much more complete when he and Devers are mainstays, as well as Matt Chapman being healthy enough to return from a right hand injury.
In the meantime, the Giants gladly will take another episode of late-game heroics from Flores.
The Yankees revealed on Thursday that reliever Luke Weaver was in position to be activated from the 15-day injured list as soon as Friday, and sure enough, they put that plan into action at the anticipated time.
After missing two-plus weeks with a left hamstring strain, the Yankees reinstated Weaver on Friday afternoon, marking a speedy recovery for an ailment that initially carried a month-plus timetable. The right-hander will be back in the bullpen while the team hosts the Orioles for a weekend set.
When asked about the closer role before Friday's game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters the job will belong to Weaver "on some nights." He'll be sharing ninth-inning opportunities with Devin Williams, who's resembled his old, All-Star self of late with a laudable 1.88 ERA in last 15 games.
How long the Yankees will go with the closer-by-committee approach with Weaver and Williams remains to be seen. In the meantime, Boone said the plan is for Weaver to avoid back-to-back games while ramping up to his regular workload. Matchups will determine their appearances, too.
"I look at him and Devin like we've got two elite guys back there," Boone said. "With Devin, you're always pretty much going to keep him to an inning. With Weave, he's kind of that fireman... On the nights when they're both available and we're in the eighth inning with a save situation, I'll probably match it up with how I think they line up best..."
Weaver has been an invaluable back-end arm for the Yankees. This season, he's registered a sharp 1.05 ERA and 0.70 WHIP across 25.2 innings (24 appearances) with 24 strikeouts and eight saves. He's also held opponents to a career-low .128 average.
But Williams' reliability in high-leverage spots while Weaver was on the shelf can't be ignored either. After a disastrous spring, in which he posted a 6.53 ERA and lost closer duties, he's bounced back with a 1.35 ERA in seven June appearances. He's also converted four saves and struck out 10.
"This has been over a month of some excellence. He's going to close a lot of games," Boone said of Williams. "That's the reality. I want to put him, Weave, the rest of the guys in the best position to be successful. So, that'll mean Devin closing a lot of games. But there will be those given nights where I use him in the eighth."
Earlier in the week, Boone indicated a rehab assignment wasn't even necessary for Weaver. The 31-year-old veteran faced hitters in live batting practice on Tuesday for the first time since injuring his hamstring, and Boone described the session as "excellent."
"Any time you add someone like Luke, it just makes the entire thing better, on top of what he brings," Boone said before Thursday's win. "Maybe a little [surprised by the recovery], just based on the initial readings. But that being said, I know he felt good right away.
"Even the few days after, he got the PRP in there, I knew based on his throwing program right away. His ability to get right back on the mound was big. He was throwing a side, however many days in, had a few sides, the live. Looks really good, so it's all been encouraging."
While the Yankees are welcoming Weaver back with open arms, their bullpen hasn't been helpless without him. The unit owns a 2.63 ERA since June 3, the day Weaver was placed on the injured list. It's the seventh-best mark in all of baseball.
The Boston Red Sox’ “Big Three” will temporarily become the Big Two.
The Red Sox are sending infielder Kristian Campbell back to Triple-A Worcester, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday. Outfielder Wilyer Abreu is expected to return from the injured list and join Boston’s active roster in a corresponding move, per multiple reports.
Campbell entered the 2025 season as the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox organization — behind Roman Anthony and ahead of Marcelo Mayer — but made the Opening Day roster as the team’s starting second baseman, while Anthony and Mayer began the campaign in Worcester.
Campbell validated the Red Sox’ decision out of the gate, slashing .301/.407/.495 through the end of April while earning American League Rookie of the Month honors. He’s been mired in a major slump since then, however, slashing .159/.243/.222 in May and June while struggling mightily in the field.
(His seven errors are tied for the second-most in the American League, and he ranks 49th among 49 qualified MLB second basemen with an Outs Above Average rating of negative-8, per StatCast.)
The 22-year-old agreed to an eight-year contract extension with Boston in early April, so he’s not going anywhere. But Campbell’s demotion is a reminder of the challenges that face young prospects when they reach the MLB level, and the Red Sox are hoping that a reset in Worcester can help him get back on track.
Boston is in the midst of a nine-game West Coast road trip that continues Friday in San Francisco against the Giants. So, it’s likely that Campbell remains in Worcester at least until the Red Sox return home the following Friday (June 27) to face the Toronto Blue Jays.
David Hamilton has started the previous two games at second base and could see more playing time while Campbell is in Worcester.
SAN FRANCISCO – On a picture-perfect beautiful day where the seats were filled at Oracle Park, the Giants found life late to avoid a three-game sweep and beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Thursday.
Starting pitcher Logan Webb continued his campaign of a second straight bid for the MLB All-Star Game. Webb for the most part found his way out of the few jams he faced as the Guardians scored one lonesome run off him. Webb racked up nine strikeouts and six groundouts to earn his seventh win of the season.
The Giants’ offense looked like they were going to let him down as they have far too often. They only had two hits and were scoreless through the first six innings. But they found their juice after the Seventh Inning Stretch with Wilmer Flores being the hitting hero of the day thanks to a pinch-hit go-ahead double in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Casey Schmitt was the only Giant to have multiple hits, and six starters went hitless.
Over the final two innings, Randy Rodriguez and Camilo Doval didn’t allow a hit or walk, striking out three and sending the Guardians away with a loss.
Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ win.
Another Webb Gem
Halfway through his seventh season in the big leagues, and with 161 games already to his name, Thursday was a first for Webb. Outside of the Giants, the Guardians were the last team Webb had yet to face.
His day started with some tough luck when Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan beat Webb to first base on an infield single. Webb rebounded by striking out the next batter, and the inning ended on a diving catch from left fielder Heliot Ramos to prevent at least one run scoring. But trouble caught up to Webb in the third inning when a bloop to left field from Jose Ramirez scored the first run for either team.
The Guardians never scored again off Webb.
Knowing how badly the Giants needed a win, Webb certainly did his job. Webb lasted seven innings and though his seven hits allowed were his most this month and the third-most he has given up this season, he struck out nine and did walk a single batter. When Webb walked off the mound to end the top of the seventh inning, he officially was tied with Chris Sale for the second-most strikeouts in the National League at 114.
Jung Hoo’s June Gloom
Manager Bob Melvin made a noticeable lineup change Wednesday when Jung Hoo Lee was slotted into the six-hole. Lee was even lower one day later, batting seventh. Neither change helped the struggling Lee.
After going 0-for-4 with a strikeout, two groundouts and a pop out, Lee on Thursday was 0-for-2 with groundouts to first base. Lee’s swing doesn’t look free and easy right now. He’s moving all over the place and appears to be overcompensating trying to catch up to velocity.
This isn’t a one or two-game problem for Lee. In 16 games (14 starts) this month, Lee now is batting .185 (10 of 54) and only has three RBI. Lee is in a clear slump, but there was a big positive of his that led to the Giants’ win.
The Plan Works
Undoubtedly, the best sight of the day for the Giants was seeing Gavin Williams in the Guardians’ dugout when San Francisco came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Giants only mustered two hits off Williams in six innings, walking three times but striking out twice as much.
Schmitt roped a single to center field to open the bottom of the seventh off reliever Matt Festa, and Lee followed by walking on four pitches. Melvin then went the small-ball route of bunting Schmitt and Lee into scoring position, turning to Flores off the bench to hit for Christian Koss.
Now that Rafael Devers is wearing Giants colors, Melvin gets to use Flores as a weapon off the bench in clutch situations. On the sixth pitch Flores saw, he turned on a slider for a double down the third-base line that scored Schmitt and Lee to get the Giants on the scoreboard and ahead of the Guardians.
The first six innings were an eye-sore offensively. Getting Lee’s speed on the bases and Flores’ clutch genes coming through were exactly what the Giants needed to avoid a series sweep.
Dodgers owner Mark Walter, left, and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, right, stand for a photo with Shohei Ohtani at Ohtani's introductory news conference in December 2023. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers are getting a new owner. And in Los Angeles, he’s already a familiar name.
Thirteen years after buying the Dodgers and transforming the team into a juggernaut in Major League Baseball, billionaire businessman Mark Walter is in line to become the new majority owner of the Lakers.
Suddenly, the once anonymous Chicago-based investment manager is about to have both of the Southland’s most prominent professional sports teams in his portfolio.
For Lakers fans, Walter’s arrival will mark a massive shift following decades of family ownership of the team by the Buss family. But, they won’t have to look far to find examples of how Walter has operated another iconic Los Angeles sports brand.
"He's really committed to the city of Los Angeles in various ways," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday, after the stunning news of Walter's impending purchase of the Lakers first emerged. "He's going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year, and make sure the city feels proud of the Lakers and the legacy that they've already built with the Buss family."
As Walter's ownership of the Lakers prepares to begin, here are four things to know about his stewardship of the Dodgers over the last decade-plus.
Money is (almost) no object
When Walter’s Guggenheim Baseball group bought the Dodgers in 2012, the once-proud franchise was mired in embarrassment and mediocrity.
Under Frank McCourt’s ownership, the team was in bankruptcy. It had not fielded a top-10 MLB payroll three years running. And it had won the National League West only three times since the turn of the century, seemingly miles away from ending what was already by then a decades-long World Series drought.
But then came Guggenheim — making huge infusions of cash, followed by a sudden return to contention.
Since 2013, the Dodgers have exceeded MLB’s luxury tax threshold (the closest thing baseball has to a soft salary cap) eight times and topped the league in spending seven times.
They’ve splurged repeatedly on star talent, from lucrative extensions for Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier and Kenley Jansen; to blockbuster acquisitions of Adrián González, Hanley Ramírez and Zack Greinke; to the more recently transformative arrivals of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani.
And in that span, they’ve never once missed the playoffs, won their division 11 of the last 12 seasons, and reached the World Series on four occasions — finally breaking through with championships in 2020 and 2024.
“He wants to win,” Roberts said of Walter. "He feels that the fans, the city deserves that."
Walter’s Guggenheim group has made major outlays beyond the roster as well. They invested in what has become one of the most renowned farm systems in the sport. They have built a robust analytics department in the front office. They’ve made multiple major renovations to Dodger Stadium, upgrading fan areas and the players’ clubhouse facility.
There have been moments when the team has shown financial constraint, most notably when it strategically stayed under the luxury tax in 2018 and 2019 — to the chagrin of some fans at the time.
But in the last two offseasons, the Dodgers have spared almost no expense, this year becoming the first team in MLB history to boast a $400-million luxury tax payroll.
“The commitment from our ownership group from the minute I got here has been incredible,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this offseason. “It has always been, ‘Hey let’s push. Let’s go. Let's get better.’”
Business is booming
Shohei Ohtani, center, gestures to teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left, as Roki Sasaki, right, looks on during a news conference in Japan in March. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For all the money the Dodgers have spent, they’ve had little problem super-charging revenue streams at the same time.
Shortly after Walter’s Guggenheim group bought the team, it struck a ground-breaking 25-year, $8.35-billion television deal with Time Warner Cable, leading to the creation of a Dodgers-exclusive SportsNet LA cable channel (albeit, one that many fans could not access through their television providers until the 2020 season).
In recent years, the team has also sought to expand its brand internationally — an effort that was significantly amplified by the $700-million signing of Ohtani in December 2023.
For years leading up to Ohtani’s free agency, the Dodgers had identified an opportunity to capture the Japanese baseball market. They saw the chance to sign him, as well as other Japanese stars such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, as a way to become that nation’s most popular MLB team.
That reality came to fruition at the start of this season, when the Dodgers opened their season in Tokyo in front of sellout crowds painted almost entirely in shades of Dodger blue apparel.
According to Sportico — which valued the Dodgers at $7.73 billion this year — the team was estimated to have also eclipsed $1 billion in revenue during the 2024 season, with Ohtani’s arrival leading to an influx of Asian sponsorship agreements, skyrocketing merchandise sales and even a team-run fan club based in Japan.
Stability in leadership
When Walter’s Guggenheim group first came into the picture, the Dodgers didn’t make sweeping personnel moves right away.
Stan Kasten was inserted as team president, but preexisting general manager Ned Colleti and manager Don Mattingly maintained their posts all the way through the 2014 season.
Changes did eventually come in the front office and the dugout. Friedman, then seen as the most promising young executive in the sport, was hired ahead of the 2015 campaign. Roberts replaced Mattingly a year later.
But ever since then, leadership in the organization has remained largely the same.
Rather than rock the boat in times of trouble, Walter has practiced patience when it comes to personnel decisions.
Roberts’ 10-year managerial tenure has best epitomized that preference for stability. At multiple junctures, factions of the fan base have called for his firing — such as after the Dodgers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2019, or won just one postseason series in the three years after their 2020 title.
But the Dodgers stuck the course with Roberts, who was then hugely influential in guiding the team to last year’s unlikely run to a championship, navigating his way around a rash of pitching injuries.
Now, Roberts is the highest-paid manager in baseball in annual salary, and will be under contract for four more seasons after this year.
A hands-off approach
Other than the money his Guggenheim group has spent, the defining trait of Walter’s ownership of the Dodgers might actually be the hands-off style with which he has run the team.
Walter is typically seen in-person around the club on only a handful of occasions over the course of the regular season. He delegates much of the organization’s day-to-day operations — on the business and baseball fronts — to Kasten, Friedman and their respective lieutenants, including chief marketing officer Lon Rosen and general manager Brandon Gomes.
Roberts framed that approach as a positive on Wednesday.
“I think a good owner in my eyes is a person that lets the people that he hires do their jobs,” Roberts said. “[Walter] does a great job of letting Stan and Andrew and Gomer, all those guys, Lon, do their jobs, right? But also kind of holding us all accountable and also providing resources when we need it.”
Under that system, however, the Dodgers have nonetheless run into occasional controversies — from the signing and suspension of Trevor Bauer in 2021, to the decision to rescind, then reinstate, a Pride Night community award to a trans-rights group amid public backlash in 2023.
Even this past week, the Dodgers came under fire for their delayed response to recent immigration raids that have unsettled the city, though the team was expected to announce plans for assistance to immigrant communities on Thursday.
In each of those situations, Walter refrained from offering any public comments. And generally, he has been reclusive with the media ever since buying the Dodgers, having rarely been made available to reporters to answer questions about the state of the club.
The Mets are calling up right-handed pitcher Justin Hagenman from Triple-A Syracusefor Friday's game against the Phillies in Philadelphia, reports Mike Puma of The New York Post.
Per The Post, it's possible Hagenman will be used after an opener.
Earlier this week, manager Carlos Mendozacharacterized Friday's TBA starter as a one-and-done situation.
Hagenman acquitted himself well during his major league debut earlier this season.
Pitching in relief against the Twins in Minnesota on April 16, Hagenman allowed one run on three hits in 3.1 innings while walking none and striking out four.
Hagenman has struggled for Syracuse this season, with a 6.21 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 33.1 innings (six starts, four relief outings).
Beyond Hagenman, the Mets had a host of options they could've called on to pitch Friday against the Phillies.
Top prospects Nolan McLean (in line to pitch for Syracuse on Friday) and Brandon Sproat (in line to pitch on Thursday) could've been used. But neither pitcher is on the 40-man roster. And in the case of Sproat, he has yet to master Triple-A.
Blade Tidwell, also with Syracuse, is on the 40-man roster after making his big league debut earlier this season. But he was hit hard in his last start in Triple-A, allowing six runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings.
Weston Wilson hasn’t been hitting and has played sporadically over the last two weeks so the Phillies are shipping him out for a hotter hand.
They optioned Wilson to Triple A Lehigh Valley on Thursday afternoon and selected the contract of right-handed-hitting Buddy Kennedy.
Kennedy, who played eight games late last season with the Phillies, has hit .283/.388/.447 for the IronPigs with eight home runs and 40 RBI in 268 plate appearances. The majority of his 60 starts have come at first base (33) and third base (15). He’ll be another corner infield option against lefties behind Alec Bohm and Otto Kemp as the Phillies await Bryce Harper’s return from right wrist inflammation.
The Phils played Kennedy some in the corner outfield in spring training but he hasn’t played there at all in Triple A so it would be surprising to see them use him out there.
The 26-year-old Millville, NJ native has already had a few moments with the Phillies. He walked in front of a Kody Clemens walk-off hit last September and hit a game-tying double in the eighth inning of a win over the Mets the next week.
The Phillies freed up a 40-man roster spot for Kennedy by transferring Aaron Nola to the 60-day injured list. Nola has been out since May 15, first with a right ankle sprain and now with a stress fracture in his right rib.
The move to the 60-day IL officially ends Nola’s first half but he wasn’t coming back before the All-Star break anyway. August appears more likely given the number of boxes he’d have to check — multiple bullpen sessions, live batting practice, multiple rehab starts — before rejoining the Phillies’ rotation.
The Mets carried a 5-1 lead into the sixth inning against the Rays at Citi Field. But a fatigued Clay Holmes (who was feeling run down after his start at Coors Field) was pulled before the inning started, and Paul Blackburn (who isn't a reliever) had a disastrous relief outing as New York blew that lead and lost.
Now let's go back in time to Tuesday against the Braves in Atlanta.
The Mets carried a 4-1 lead into the eighth inning at Truist Park, but poor execution from the players and a few questionable decisions by Carlos Mendoza conspired to turn that into a 5-4 loss in 10 innings.
Why do we bring these games up?
Because had the Mets won them, they would be -- at worst -- in the midst of a 2-3 stretch that people would be shrugging their shoulders at in an unbothered fashion.
Instead, they have lost five games in a row, and lost 4.0 games to the Phillies in the NL East standings in the process.
The strange thing about the losing streak, though, is that it has much more to do with things that weren't mentioned above.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas - Imagn Images
Specifically, there are three glaring issues with the Mets right now. And there don't seem to be any quick fixes...
Since then, Tylor Megill has hit the IL due to an elbow injury and Frankie Montas got battered in his final rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse.
Meanwhile, Blackburn did not inspire confidence during his return to the rotation on Wednesday against the Braves, when he was jumped for three runs in the first inning and lasted just 3.2 frames.
That means the Mets' starting rotation right now consists of Holmes, David Peterson, Griffin Canning, and two question marks.
Sean Manaea should be back soon, which will be a massive boost. He's starting for Syracuse on Friday, and will likely have one or two more rehab starts after that before being activated from the IL.
In the immediate, the Mets need a starter for Friday against the Phillies (likely to be a spot starter called up from the minors) and have to decide what to do with Montas. Their choices are to activate him and use him in the rotation, activate him and use him in the bullpen, or leave him on the IL due to an injury.
New York Mets pitcher Frankie Montas (47) pitches during a Spring Training workout at Clover Park / Sam Navarro - Imagn Images
It's possible a prospect like Nolan McLean is ready to seriously contribute soon, and that Jonah Tong -- who hasn't yet pitched above Double-A Binghamton -- could debut at some point this summer.
For now, though, the Mets aren't in an advantageous spot.
Third base is a giant question mark
With Mark Vientos nearing a return but still needing a handful more rehab games, the Mets' third base situation isn't great.
Brett Baty, who caught fire after being called up from Syracuse in early May and looked to have perhaps turned a corner offensively, is again scuffling.
In Baty's place, Ronny Mauricio has been getting starts at third base. But Mauricio, who was hurried back to the majors when Vientos went down, has looked mainly overmatched at the plate.
He's run into a few homers, but not done much otherwise, with only seven hits in 41 at-bats.
It's fair to believe Vientos will be inserted back as the starting third baseman upon his return, which should help the offense a bit. But Vientos' defense at the hot corner (he is in the first percentile in Outs Above Average) has been a serious detriment.
The catching situation is unsettled
On Tuesday against the Braves, Francisco Alvarez made two glaring mistakes in the 10th inning that helped cost the Mets the game.
Jun 17, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) walks against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis - Imagn Images
First, he lazily backhanded a ball in the dirt, allowing it to trickle away. He had Luke Williams caught between second base and third base, but strangely threw to second -- allowing Williams to advance to third and score the winning run on a sacrifice fly.
After the game, Alvarez seemingly still didn't understand what the right play (throw to third or run toward the runner with the ball) should've been. Couple that with his 85 OPS+ and the Mets have an issue.
Luis Torrens started in place of Alvarez on Wednesday and didn't inspire confidence, either.
He balked when he used his catcher's mask to pick up a ball that got a way from him -- leading to two Braves runs in the first inning. Torrens had a passed ball later in the game that cost New York another run.
***
Despite everything covered above, the Mets are 45-29 and in first place in the NL East.
They remain a very good baseball team, and should be just fine.
And it's fair to believe that David Stearns, who has done a stellar job since taking over as president of baseball operations, is already knee deep when it comes to exploring how to address the team's issues.
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Its Thursday, June 19 and the Phillies (44-30) are in Miami to take on the Marlins (29-43).
Cristopher Sánchez is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Edward Cabrera for Miami.
Philadelphia took the third game of this four-game series last night, 4-2. Bryson Stott paced the attack with a three-run home run. Ranger Suarez allowed just a single run over seven innings to earn his sixth win of the season.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Phillies at Marlins
Date: Thursday, June 19, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: LoanDepot Park
City: Miami, FL
Network/Streaming: NBCSP, FDSNFL
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Phillies at the Marlins
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Phillies (-179), Marlins (+149)
Spread: Phillies -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Marlins
Pitching matchup for June 19, 2025: Cristopher Sánchez vs. Edward Cabrera
Phillies: Cristopher Sánchez (5-2, 3.05 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 vs. Toronto - 7IP, 2ER, 0BB, 5Ks
Marlins: Edward Cabrera (2-2, 4.10 ERA) Last outing: 6/13 at Washington - 3IP, 2ER, 2H, 2BB, 5Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Marlins
The Marlins have lost 12 of their last 20 games
The Under is 4-1 in the Marlins' last 5 matchups against divisional opponents
Xavier Edwards is 6-13 through 3 games of this series
Trea Turner is 5-13 through 3 games of this series
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Marlins
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Phillies and the Marlins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
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