Category: Baseball

Fifteen minutes before first pitch on Sunday, Giants catcher Logan Porter trotted in from the visitor’s bullpen. He’d usually be accompanied by the starting pitcher, which was set to be left-hander Kyle Harrison.

Instead, Porter stood on the first-base line for the national anthem, turned to his left and whispered to his teammates. As they all received the information from Porter — reminiscent of the children’s game “Telephone” — other Giants teammates likely learned one-by-one that Harrison had been traded.

The odd scene at Dodger Stadium was because of a reported blockbuster trade that involved the Boston Red Sox sending infielder Rafael Devers to the Giants in exchange for Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks and two prospects — a move that further bolsters the talent in the L.A.-San Francisco rivalry.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani 'most likely' will make his Dodgers pitching debut this week

San Francisco manager Bob Melvin turned to long reliever Sean Hjelle, who rapidly warmed up for the last-minute start, against a Dodgers offense that had scored 11 runs Saturday night.

It was more of the same from the Dodgers in a 5-4 victory Sunday. The top of the order manufactured a run via an Andy Pages sacrifice fly in the first inning. Tommy Edman hit a solo home run — his 10th — in the second. Pages put a cherry on top in the fifth after Shohei Ohtani (three for three, one walk) and Mookie Betts set the table with singles.

The Cuban slugger’s three-run home run helped the Dodgers (43-29) outmaneuver a Giants (41-31) team to take the series.

On the mound, Dustin May was looking to get back on track.

Read more:Nezza says she sang national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium against team's wishes

May's recent starts left more to be desired from the former top prospect who had been struggling with his command and not tallying many swinging strikes. He had struck out just six batters across his last 11 innings — striking out just one in his last outing.

Although May couldn’t find his strikeout pitch, his start Sunday was the sixth time he had pitched through the sixth inning in 2025. He walked four batters for the second time in as many starts — the only time he’s issued at least four free passes in back-to-back games in his career — and struck out three batters. He didn’t have his best stuff, but showed his mettle in the fifth inning.

Whereas he crumbled in the fourth, giving up a two-RBI triple to Jung Hoo Lee to give the Giants a 3-2 lead, he battled out of a bases-loaded jam to keep San Francisco at bay, inducing Porter into an inning-ending groundout.

After Pages further strengthened his All-Star case with his 13th home run, the Dodgers' bullpen took care of business. Alex Vesia tossed a shutout seventh, while Kirby Yates (one run) and Tanner Scott (zero runs and struck out the side) finished it off in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Rays was a rock-bottom point of the weekend for the Mets, who lost all three games against Tampa Bay (39-32) by a combined 24-9 margin, but National League-leading New York (45-27) is not dwelling on its season-first sweep as it prepares for this week's series at the Atlanta Braves.

"You hate to get swept here at home, but you've got to move on," said Carlos Mendoza. "You've got to turn the page. We've got an off day. And then we've got a stretch here where we're playing the Braves, we're playing the (Philadelphia) Phillies, we've got the Braves again.

"So, again, it's 162 (games) -- you're going to go through stretches where this is going to happen. Obviously, we've got to play better. We didn't execute, we didn't play clean baseball and they made us pay. So, like I said, we've got to turn the page and start -- be ready to go Tuesday."

The sweep marks just the second time this season where the Mets have lost three straight games, with the first and only other instance coming May 18-20 at the Yankees (one) and Boston Red Sox (two).

"I think there are things you take away from it," said Brandon Nimmo, whose first-inning single was the first of only five hits by the Mets in Sunday's shutout. "You try and take it for a learning moment. People will look at this series and see if there's a recipe on how to beat us. And so, I definitely think there's something to learn from it.

"But at the same time, you try and not make it bigger than it is. We've been very good to this point, so you try and build on that. But there's always something to learn, so we will go ahead and look at those small things and learn from that and take 'em into the Atlanta series."

New York enters Atlanta with the Braves (31-39) under .500 since May 22 and fresh off Sunday's 10-1 loss to the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies (14-57).

"We know, when you look at that team on paper, that's a really good team," Mendoza said. "Obviously, they have some struggles. And then the three guys that we're facing, they're elite pitchers. And then you look at their lineup, they're healthy.

"So, yeah -- from the beginning, before the year started, we knew there were some good teams, really good teams in our division and the National League overall and here we are. We've got to get ready and the next 10 days are -- we've got to play well."

After the 7:15 p.m. starts on SNY across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Atlanta, the Mets' three-game series at the Phillies (42-29) opens Friday.

"Just take it one day at a time," Nimmo said. "The Braves are a very good team -- I don't care what their record says -- very good team that can play very good baseball, pitch very well, hit very well, especially in their home ballpark, so we're going to be going in there expecting a bulldog fight, be ready for Game 1.

"Same thing with Philadelphia -- we know they're an extremely talented team, very, very good, very dangerous at home, great pitching staff. So, tough stretch coming up and we're just going to have to take it one game at a time."

Mets right-hander Griffin Canning allowed a season-high six runs and five walks in Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

While the Rays (39-32) made timely plays, Canning's 50 strikes on 89 pitches over 4.1 IP put New York (45-27) in a tough spot.

"You've got to give them credit," Mendoza said of Tampa Bay, which went on the road and won all three games against the team with the National League's best record and gave the Mets their season-first sweep. "But at the same time, we're giving them too many free passes and we gave them extra outs -- and they're going to make you pay.

"That's a team that I've been saying it -- they're going to put the ball in play, they play the small ball and today was a perfect example. Walks -- they get bunt down, we don't make a play. Before you know it, we're down three. So, yeah, we just didn't play well."

Canning, who is 6-3 in 14 starts with a 3.80 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 68.2 IP, was direct about the struggles.

"Just falling behind guys, walking guys," Canning said. "Probably shying away from contact a little too much, but it's a good lineup with a hot team right now.

"Just can't give them free bases."

Mendoza delved deeper into Canning's issues.

"Ability to throw strikes," Mendoza said. "The walks, we saw it again today -- a lot of arm-side misses with the breaking ball, the fastball, then he gets behind and, when he comes in, they're going to make him pay. So I think it's just strike-throwing ability.

"When he's been on ... he's giving us a chance and giving us solid outings, he's on the attack and staying on the attack with all of his pitches. And I feel like, right now -- we saw it today -- like I said, a lot of arm-side (misses), and the walks are hurting him."

While Canning has been on a downward trend over the totality of his past five starts, he did just throw six scoreless innings of three-hit ball June 4 at the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 6-1 win -- not by coincidence, he walked only one batter while striking out seven and scattering three hits.

"I've just go to get back to trusting my stuff in the zone," Canning said. "My changeup felt pretty good (Sunday). But yeah, just getting back to what makes me good and just trusting it."

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to return to mound as starting pitcher Monday vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the first time in nearly two years, Shohei Ohtani is back where he belongs—on a major league mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Sunday night that their two-way superstar and reigning National League MVP will start Monday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

It will be the first time Ohtani has pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he exited early against the Reds while still wearing the red and white of the Angels.

Twenty-two months and one elbow surgery later, Ohtani is finally ready to toe the rubber again—this time in Dodger blue.

“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. “He’s ready. It’s time to go.”

The plan is for Ohtani to serve as an opener, likely throwing one or two innings before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, who will handle the bulk of the workload. The strategy is as cautious as it is electric. For the Dodgers, it’s less about stretching Ohtani out and more about finally letting the world witness something we’ve all been waiting for.

“He’s going to open for us,” said Roberts of the plan for Ohtani. “The live simulated games have run its course and he’s ready to make his debut on the mound. “It’s great for the game. I’m excited for Shohei”

Ohtani told reporters through a translator after his two-homer performance on Saturday night that he was ready to get back on the mound in a big league game.

A pitcher. A slugger. A $700 million miracle.

It’s not often a Monday night in June becomes appointment television—but when the unicorn returns to the hill, the sport pays attention.

Ohtani, 29, underwent surgery on his right elbow on September 19, 2023, after tearing his UCL for the second time in his career. He had previously undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since signing a historic 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, the Japanese sensation has focused solely on hitting—until now.

His ramp-up began quietly behind the scenes. He paused pitching activities after a mound session in February to focus on Opening Day as a hitter, then resumed bullpens on March 29. Just last Tuesday, in San Diego, he faced live hitters for the first time, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings.

It wasn’t long before he let the team know he was ready for more.

“He said doing the three innings live is taxing on his body,” said Roberts about why the team changed course from their original plan of letting Ohtani ramp up to five or more innings in simulated games with his debut expected to come sometime after the All-Star break. “He’s ready to pitch in a major league game, and he let us know that.” 

While Ohtani hasn’t pitched a single inning this season, he’s still been the Dodgers’ most valuable player—and arguably the face of baseball.

Through June 15, he leads the National League with a 1.035 OPS, while batting .297 with 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He’s made the extraordinary look routine. Moonshot homers. Blistering line drives. Game-winning sprints around the bases. Every time he steps into the batter’s box, there’s a hum in the air.

And now, that hum is heading to the mound.

The timing of Ohtani’s return couldn’t be more crucial.

The Dodgers are scraping together bullpen games just to survive a brutal wave of injuries. Roki Sasaki, the heralded 23-year-old rookie from Japan, hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to a right shoulder impingement and is likely out long-term. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell is battling shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow, arguably L.A.’s ace this season, just landed on the IL with the same diagnosis.

Sasaki’s status, in particular, is murky. He began a throwing program earlier this month but felt discomfort again last week and has since been shut down.

“He’s just not feeling strong,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him.”

With innings at a premium and the postseason picture beginning to sharpen, Ohtani’s return—however brief—offers a glimmer of relief and a whole lot of hope.

This isn’t just about one inning, or even two.

This is about history in real time.

Ohtani’s presence on a big-league mound reminds us of what’s possible when perseverance meets transcendent talent. It’s a story that stretches from the Tokyo Dome to Chavez Ravine, one filled with setbacks, surgeries, speculation, and now—redemption.

“This is very exciting,” added Roberts of Ohtani making his Dodgers debut on the mound. “I’m a baseball fan first. The anticipation here for the game, man it’s going to be bananas.”

Come Monday night, when the No. 17 jersey jogs out from the Dodgers dugout and takes that slow, deliberate walk to the mound, the roar won’t just be for a pitch.

It’ll be for the moment.

A moment 659 days in the making.

A moment worth every second of the wait.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to return to mound as starting pitcher Monday vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

For the first time in nearly two years, Shohei Ohtani is back where he belongs—on a major league mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Sunday night that their two-way superstar and reigning National League MVP will start Monday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

It will be the first time Ohtani has pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he exited early against the Reds while still wearing the red and white of the Angels.

Twenty-two months and one elbow surgery later, Ohtani is finally ready to toe the rubber again—this time in Dodger blue.

“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. “He’s ready. It’s time to go.”

The plan is for Ohtani to serve as an opener, likely throwing one or two innings before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, who will handle the bulk of the workload. The strategy is as cautious as it is electric. For the Dodgers, it’s less about stretching Ohtani out and more about finally letting the world witness something we’ve all been waiting for.

“He’s going to open for us,” said Roberts of the plan for Ohtani. “The live simulated games have run its course and he’s ready to make his debut on the mound. “It’s great for the game. I’m excited for Shohei”

Ohtani told reporters through a translator after his two-homer performance on Saturday night that he was ready to get back on the mound in a big league game.

A pitcher. A slugger. A $700 million miracle.

It’s not often a Monday night in June becomes appointment television—but when the unicorn returns to the hill, the sport pays attention.

Ohtani, 29, underwent surgery on his right elbow on September 19, 2023, after tearing his UCL for the second time in his career. He had previously undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since signing a historic 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, the Japanese sensation has focused solely on hitting—until now.

His ramp-up began quietly behind the scenes. He paused pitching activities after a mound session in February to focus on Opening Day as a hitter, then resumed bullpens on March 29. Just last Tuesday, in San Diego, he faced live hitters for the first time, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings.

It wasn’t long before he let the team know he was ready for more.

“He said doing the three innings live is taxing on his body,” said Roberts about why the team changed course from their original plan of letting Ohtani ramp up to five or more innings in simulated games with his debut expected to come sometime after the All-Star break. “He’s ready to pitch in a major league game, and he let us know that.” 

While Ohtani hasn’t pitched a single inning this season, he’s still been the Dodgers’ most valuable player—and arguably the face of baseball.

Through June 15, he leads the National League with a 1.035 OPS, while batting .297 with 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He’s made the extraordinary look routine. Moonshot homers. Blistering line drives. Game-winning sprints around the bases. Every time he steps into the batter’s box, there’s a hum in the air.

And now, that hum is heading to the mound.

The timing of Ohtani’s return couldn’t be more crucial.

The Dodgers are scraping together bullpen games just to survive a brutal wave of injuries. Roki Sasaki, the heralded 23-year-old rookie from Japan, hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to a right shoulder impingement and is likely out long-term. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell is battling shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow, arguably L.A.’s ace this season, just landed on the IL with the same diagnosis.

Sasaki’s status, in particular, is murky. He began a throwing program earlier this month but felt discomfort again last week and has since been shut down.

“He’s just not feeling strong,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him.”

With innings at a premium and the postseason picture beginning to sharpen, Ohtani’s return—however brief—offers a glimmer of relief and a whole lot of hope.

This isn’t just about one inning, or even two.

This is about history in real time.

Ohtani’s presence on a big-league mound reminds us of what’s possible when perseverance meets transcendent talent. It’s a story that stretches from the Tokyo Dome to Chavez Ravine, one filled with setbacks, surgeries, speculation, and now—redemption.

“This is very exciting,” added Roberts of Ohtani making his Dodgers debut on the mound. “I’m a baseball fan first. The anticipation here for the game, man it’s going to be bananas.”

Come Monday night, when the No. 17 jersey jogs out from the Dodgers dugout and takes that slow, deliberate walk to the mound, the roar won’t just be for a pitch.

It’ll be for the moment.

A moment 659 days in the making.

A moment worth every second of the wait.

Brett Baty is day-to-day with right groin tightness, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after New York's third baseman left with right groin tightness in the seventh inning of Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I was going for a foul ball that was flared towards the tarp and I kind of, like, stepped over with my left -- kind of backwards -- and I just felt just a little tightness in my right groin," Baty said.

Ronny Mauricio replaced the seventh-batting Baty with a pinch-hit single to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Mets have Monday off before a three-game series at the Atlanta Braves starts with Tuesday's 7:15 p.m. opener on SNY.

"We're not doing any X-rays or MRI as of right now," Mendoza said. "... We'll see where we're at Tuesday, but that's what I've got so far."

Baty's 0-for-2 performance followed a 1-for-4 effort in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the Rays, which included his third-inning home run.

"I want to see how it feels (Monday) first," he said. "I think what we're going to do is just take it day by day because something like this has happened to me in the past, and I responded well to treatment and stuff, so we're just going to see how it feels (Monday)."

The previous instance was two years ago, Baty said, while "trying to steal a base."

"It was actually my other side, but it was a similar motion -- stepping over and pushing off," Baty said. "... And I responded well to treatment, so we'll see how it feels (Monday)."

Through 54 games this season, Baty is slashing .219/.267/.419 with eight home runs and 24 RBI.

"It feels numb because I've been icing it," Baty said. "But like I said, we're just going to see how it feels (Monday) -- take it day by day."

The Mets lost Sunday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, 9-0, amid right-hander Griffin Canning's worst start of June and the offense's poorest performance in almost a month.

New York is on the wrong side of a sweep for the first time in the 2025 season and enters June's second half with questions that need answers as a six-game NL East road trip looms.

Takeaways

1. Pitching could be a problem. The Mets have depth to potentially withstandKodai Senga's injury, but Canning's latest outing continued a concerning trend. With June 4 at the Los Angeles Dodgers as the exception, four of his past five starts have seen him struggle. After the Rays (39-32) totaled six runs on four hits in 4.1 IP, he has now allowed 10 earned runs and 11 hits (two homers) over 9.2 IP of his past two starts. Before his six scoreless innings at the Dodgers, he logged just 5.2 IP across his May 23 (Dodgers) and May 28 (Chicago White Sox) outings, allowing eight runs (six earned) on four hits while battling walks (eight). Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA) is ultimately heading in the wrong direction at a time when the Mets need him to step up.
2. Even if Canning were to have pitched better, the offense did not give the Mets (45-27) a chance. Aside from Brandon Nimmo, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña and Francisco Alvarez -- who each singled, including Acuña's two -- New York had no answer for opposing starter Shane Baz and Tampa Bay's bullpen.
3. Mauricio -- his knock came during a pinch-hit situation when he led off the seventh inning but went to waste after the Rays subsequently retiredAlvarez, Acuña and Francisco Lindor in order -- has two hits over the past two games, including Saturday's fifth-inning home run. Mauricio replaced an 0-for-2 Brett Baty as the New York lineup's seventh batter and was a bright spot in a game where there were virtually none.
4. The Mets remain in first place in the division with a 2.5-game lead over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies, who are 42-29. Getting swept stings, and New York must reset, but it will soon have a chance to make up direct ground against the Phillies with its matchup later this week.

Who's the MVP?

Baz, who walked four Mets but struck out six and allowed only three hits while throwing 60 strikes on 106 pitches in 6.2 scoreless innings.

Highlights

Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña turn the 4-6-3 double play! pic.twitter.com/D5mSQW7CqE

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 15, 2025

Four strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings for Ty Adcock pic.twitter.com/A2NcAOguxA

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 15, 2025

What's next

The Mets get Monday to regroup before a three-game series at the Braves (31-39) Tuesday through Thursday.

Left-hander David Peterson (5-2, 2.49 ERA) and Spencer Schwellenbach (5-4, 3.11 ERA) are projected to start Tuesday's 7:15 p.m. opener on SNY.

New York subsequently stops in Philadelphia for a three-game set with the Phillies next Friday through Sunday before returning to Citi Field and playing Atlanta four more times.

Rafael Devers, Buster Posey, Bob Melvin to discuss star's immediate Giants fit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LOS ANGELES — Rafael Devers has been one of the biggest stories in baseball since the spring, but not because of his .900 OPS and 15 homers. Devers’ path from everyday third baseman to everyday designated hitter has been a complex one, magnified by the fact that he plays in Boston. 

On Monday, Devers will fly to San Francisco, where he’ll find himself playing with a third baseman even more talented defensively than Alex Bregman. Matt Chapman has the position locked down in San Francisco for years to come, and the Giants weren’t necessarily aching at DH, with Wilmer Flores turning in a shockingly productive first half.

That all leaves some questions as the dust settles on a blockbuster deal completed Sunday, and for now, the Giants are waiting to answer them. Both president of baseball operations Buster Posey and manager Bob Melvin said they want to wait until they speak with Devers before giving details about where he might play as a Giant. 

“I think that’s a conversation that we’re going to have to have with him,” Posey told beat writers Sunday night. “As much as anything, as I’ve told you guys, I want to do my best to be upfront and transparent with these guys and make sure we’re on the same page. That’s a conversation for myself, Zack (Minasian) and Bob to have with him.”

Devers made 951 appearances at third base for the Red Sox coming into this season, but the Red Sox chased defensive upgrades all winter and ultimately signed Bregman. Devers wasn’t thrilled about that move making him the DH, and when Triston Casas got hurt and management asked Devers to play first base, he said he wanted to remain a DH. It became such a story in Boston that ownership reportedly met with him.

In San Francisco, it’ll be more cut and dry long term. Chapman is the third baseman and Flores is a free agent at the end of the year, and the Giants can turn that spot over to Devers through 2033 — the end of his deal — if they want to. They also could revisit first base, a position that was such a black hole that Posey signed former Red Sox teammate Dominic Smith a couple of weeks ago, although Bryce Eldridge is preparing to play there long-term. 

The situation is slightly complicated right now by the fact that Chapman will miss most of the rest of the first half with a sprained hand, and backup Casey Schmitt — who has played well — came out of Sunday’s loss with a contusion on his ankle. X-rays were negative, but Schmitt twice fouled balls off his left leg in the Dodgers series. 

Devers hasn’t played third all year, but he has got more experience there than any currently healthy Giant. He has never played first base as a professional, so if Devers does not fill in at third initially, it seems likely that he’s the DH.

The Giants did not want to push Flores physically by having him play first too often, but everything changed Sunday. They don’t need to put as much on Flores’ plate over the next four months, and if Devers is the everyday DH, they could play both Flores and Smith at first. 

That’s all to be determined, but Posey said he wasn’t turned off at all by all of the stories that came out of Boston earlier this year. For the Giants, that just allowed them to acquire a superstar hitter. Posey said he spoke to Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow about all that was being said publicly. 

“(Breslow said) that some of the stuff that has been in the media was a bit unfortunate,” Posey said. “The reports that I’ve gotten from other people across the industry are that Raffy is a great teammate, loves to play the game, and I’m excited to be able to have those conversations with him and figure out how he’s going to best fit into our lineup, defensively and offensively.”

Both Smith — a former teammate in Boston — and Willy Adames — a friend for the last decade — said Devers will have no issues fitting in with the Giants and in the clubhouse. They described him as hard-working and someone who loves to play the game. As a DH, Devers leads the majors in games played.

“He’s a guy you plug in there every day,” Logan Webb said. “I don’t know where he’s going to hit but I don’t think it really matters. The guy is a stud, plain and simple.”

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The Yankees fell flat at the plate as the Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of their AL East rivals with a 2-0 win at Fenway Park.

New York squeezed out just five hits, but went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, left six runners on base in the final, and struck out 11 times on the afternoon. The Yankees, swept for the first time on the year, never led in the series and fell to 42-28 as the Red Sox improved to 37-36.

Max Fried pitched well, scattering six hits over seven frames, but a pair of two-out extra-base hits proved to be his side’s downfall. 

And while it was Father’s Day, as the game progressed, it became evident Sunday was also Pitcher’s Best Friend Day as the two teams combined to bounce into five double plays.

Here are the takeaways...

- Aaron Judge struck out the first three times he came up against Boston starter Brayan Bello: swinging when he couldn’t hold up on a cutter off the plate with a runner on second in the first, swinging through a fastball on the outside corner with a runner on first in the third, and swing at a down-and-in sinker to leadoff the fifth.

His biggest chance of the game came with runners on first and second and one out in the top of the eighth. After swinging through a 96.7 mph fastball above the zone from Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock, Judge rolled over on a slider to hit into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play. 

He finished the series 1-for-12 with nine strikeouts. The one hit, was a solo homer in the ninth of Friday night’s loss.

- Anthony Volpe booted a grounder on the second pitch of the game for his eighth error of the year. But he made up for it by fielding a 6-3 double play on the very next pitch. He made another good play, picking a short hop on a 96.5 mph hit starting at 6-4-3 double play to end the fourth. 

At the plate, things didn’t go his way: He grounded out the first three times he was up, including a 6-4-3 twin killing in the fourth and struck out swinging for the game’s final out.

- An error on the bases cost the Yanks for the second straight day. With runners on first and second and two out in the third, Ben Rice was caught off second by Bello and nabbed at third to end the inning.

- Up 2-0, Boston went to the bullpen for the eighth, and Aaron Boone went to his bench. At first, the Yanks’ manager got the edge when Paul Goldschmidt (batting for Oswald Peraza) singled on the first pitch reliever Brennan Bernardino threw. And after Trent Grisham singled to bring the go-ahead run to the plate DJ LeMahieu (for Rice) went down looking at a 3-2 sinker right over the plate before Judge couldn’t capitalize.

- Fried needed three pitches to get two outs in the first, pitching around an error with a double-play off Rafael Devers’ bat. Romy Gonzalez then lined a triple into the corner in right as the ball bounced past Cody Bellinger. (Gonzalez stayed in the game despite face-planting on his head-first slide.) The lefty made a good pitch to Trevor Story, but he muscled the ball off his hands just into the left field grass for a two-out RBI single. A slow curve to Abraham Toro for strike three ended the inning.

Fried got Jarren Duran swinging on a 96 mph sinker and Ceddanne Rafaela swinging at a 95.7 mph fastball in a 1-2-3 second. After the 11-pitch inning, the lefty issued a leadoff walk on a 10th pitch to start the third. Rob Refsnyder's first-pitch single through the left side gave Devers a big opportunity, but the Sox’s slugger bounced into another double-play, this time 5-4-3. After walking Gonzalez to put two on, pitching coach Matt Blake was out for a visit. But Fried’s slow curve froze Story to strand two runners on his fourth strikeout of the afternoon.

Fried allowed a pair of singles to right sandwiched around a strikeout in the fourth, but got another double play on a hard-hit ball to end the threat. After getting the first two in the fifth on eight pitches, Devers finally cracked the Yanks' lefty, driving a 369-foot home run that just snuck over the Green Monster. Fried's first-pitch 93.6 mph fastball down and over the plate was jumped on for Devers' 15th of the season to the opposite field. A homer in just two parks, Wrigley Field the other.

Fried retired his final seven batters after the dinger to finish the day with a final line of 7.0 innings, two runs, six hits, two walks, nine strikeouts on 106 pitches (72 strikes). He got 15 whiffs on 56 swings and another 16 called strikes on the day.

- Grisham clanked a double off the Green Monster scoreboard in left center to lead off the day, but he was left stranded. He finished the day 2-for-4, reaching on error with two down in the fifth, as well.

Rice popped out to short in the first with a runner on second, and cracked a one-out single in the third through the right side of the infield before his costly base running mistake. He went 1-for-3. 

- Bellinger took a four-pitch walk in the first and nabbed an infield single off the pitcher’s glove with two down in the third. Finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk.

- Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to second to strand runners on first and second in the first, worked a walk to start the fourth, struck out looking at a sinker on the inside corner to end the sixth, and was caught looking again in the ninth. 

- Jasson Dominguez Jr. went 0-for-3 with a strikeout swinging on a down-and-in cutter to end the fourth.

- J.C. Escarra came a half foot from a double into the left-field corner, but worked a walk with two out in the second. Finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk.

- Giancarlo Stanton worked out at Yankee Stadium on Sunday and faced the Angels’ pitching staff on the Trajekt machine, Boone said before the game. The expectation is that Stanton will be back in the lineup on Monday or Tuesday.

Game MVP: Brayan Bello

Bello allowed just three hits and three walks over seven innings with eight strikeouts on 114 pitches (72 strikes).

What's next

The Yanks return to The Bronx for a four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels.

Right-hander Clarke Schmidt (3.60 ERA, 1.236 WHIP in 55.0 innings) will climb the hill for his 11th start. He will go against José Soriano (3.86 ERA, 1.500 WHIP in 79.1 innings), making his 15th start of the season for the visitors.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to return to mound as starting pitcher Monday vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For the first time in nearly two years, Shohei Ohtani is back where he belongs—on a major league mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Sunday night that their two-way superstar and reigning National League MVP will start Monday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

It will be the first time Ohtani has pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he exited early against the Reds while still wearing the red and white of the Angels.

Twenty-two months and one elbow surgery later, Ohtani is finally ready to toe the rubber again—this time in Dodger blue.

“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. “He’s ready. It’s time to go.”

The plan is for Ohtani to serve as an opener, likely throwing one or two innings before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, who will handle the bulk of the workload. The strategy is as cautious as it is electric. For the Dodgers, it’s less about stretching Ohtani out and more about finally letting the world witness something we’ve all been waiting for.

“He’s going to open for us,” said Roberts of the plan for Ohtani. “The live simulated games have run its course and he’s ready to make his debut on the mound. “It’s great for the game. I’m excited for Shohei”

Ohtani told reporters through a translator after his two-homer performance on Saturday night that he was ready to get back on the mound in a big league game.

A pitcher. A slugger. A $700 million miracle.

It’s not often a Monday night in June becomes appointment television—but when the unicorn returns to the hill, the sport pays attention.

Ohtani, 29, underwent surgery on his right elbow on September 19, 2023, after tearing his UCL for the second time in his career. He had previously undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since signing a historic 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, the Japanese sensation has focused solely on hitting—until now.

His ramp-up began quietly behind the scenes. He paused pitching activities after a mound session in February to focus on Opening Day as a hitter, then resumed bullpens on March 29. Just last Tuesday, in San Diego, he faced live hitters for the first time, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings.

It wasn’t long before he let the team know he was ready for more.

“He said doing the three innings live is taxing on his body,” said Roberts about why the team changed course from their original plan of letting Ohtani ramp up to five or more innings in simulated games with his debut expected to come sometime after the All-Star break. “He’s ready to pitch in a major league game, and he let us know that.” 

While Ohtani hasn’t pitched a single inning this season, he’s still been the Dodgers’ most valuable player—and arguably the face of baseball.

Through June 15, he leads the National League with a 1.035 OPS, while batting .297 with 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He’s made the extraordinary look routine. Moonshot homers. Blistering line drives. Game-winning sprints around the bases. Every time he steps into the batter’s box, there’s a hum in the air.

And now, that hum is heading to the mound.

The timing of Ohtani’s return couldn’t be more crucial.

The Dodgers are scraping together bullpen games just to survive a brutal wave of injuries. Roki Sasaki, the heralded 23-year-old rookie from Japan, hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to a right shoulder impingement and is likely out long-term. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell is battling shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow, arguably L.A.’s ace this season, just landed on the IL with the same diagnosis.

Sasaki’s status, in particular, is murky. He began a throwing program earlier this month but felt discomfort again last week and has since been shut down.

“He’s just not feeling strong,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him.”

With innings at a premium and the postseason picture beginning to sharpen, Ohtani’s return—however brief—offers a glimmer of relief and a whole lot of hope.

This isn’t just about one inning, or even two.

This is about history in real time.

Ohtani’s presence on a big-league mound reminds us of what’s possible when perseverance meets transcendent talent. It’s a story that stretches from the Tokyo Dome to Chavez Ravine, one filled with setbacks, surgeries, speculation, and now—redemption.

“This is very exciting,” added Roberts of Ohtani making his Dodgers debut on the mound. “I’m a baseball fan first. The anticipation here for the game, man it’s going to be bananas.”

Come Monday night, when the No. 17 jersey jogs out from the Dodgers dugout and takes that slow, deliberate walk to the mound, the roar won’t just be for a pitch.

It’ll be for the moment.

A moment 659 days in the making.

A moment worth every second of the wait.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to return to mound as starting pitcher Monday vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For the first time in nearly two years, Shohei Ohtani is back where he belongs—on a major league mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Sunday night that their two-way superstar and reigning National League MVP will start Monday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

It will be the first time Ohtani has pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he exited early against the Reds while still wearing the red and white of the Angels.

Twenty-two months and one elbow surgery later, Ohtani is finally ready to toe the rubber again—this time in Dodger blue.

“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. “He’s ready. It’s time to go.”

The plan is for Ohtani to serve as an opener, likely throwing one or two innings before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, who will handle the bulk of the workload. The strategy is as cautious as it is electric. For the Dodgers, it’s less about stretching Ohtani out and more about finally letting the world witness something we’ve all been waiting for.

“He’s going to open for us,” said Roberts of the plan for Ohtani. “The live simulated games have run its course and he’s ready to make his debut on the mound. “It’s great for the game. I’m excited for Shohei”

Ohtani told reporters through a translator after his two-homer performance on Saturday night that he was ready to get back on the mound in a big league game.

A pitcher. A slugger. A $700 million miracle.

It’s not often a Monday night in June becomes appointment television—but when the unicorn returns to the hill, the sport pays attention.

Ohtani, 29, underwent surgery on his right elbow on September 19, 2023, after tearing his UCL for the second time in his career. He had previously undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since signing a historic 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, the Japanese sensation has focused solely on hitting—until now.

His ramp-up began quietly behind the scenes. He paused pitching activities after a mound session in February to focus on Opening Day as a hitter, then resumed bullpens on March 29. Just last Tuesday, in San Diego, he faced live hitters for the first time, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings.

It wasn’t long before he let the team know he was ready for more.

“He said doing the three innings live is taxing on his body,” said Roberts about why the team changed course from their original plan of letting Ohtani ramp up to five or more innings in simulated games with his debut expected to come sometime after the All-Star break. “He’s ready to pitch in a major league game, and he let us know that.” 

While Ohtani hasn’t pitched a single inning this season, he’s still been the Dodgers’ most valuable player—and arguably the face of baseball.

Through June 15, he leads the National League with a 1.035 OPS, while batting .297 with 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He’s made the extraordinary look routine. Moonshot homers. Blistering line drives. Game-winning sprints around the bases. Every time he steps into the batter’s box, there’s a hum in the air.

And now, that hum is heading to the mound.

The timing of Ohtani’s return couldn’t be more crucial.

The Dodgers are scraping together bullpen games just to survive a brutal wave of injuries. Roki Sasaki, the heralded 23-year-old rookie from Japan, hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to a right shoulder impingement and is likely out long-term. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell is battling shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow, arguably L.A.’s ace this season, just landed on the IL with the same diagnosis.

Sasaki’s status, in particular, is murky. He began a throwing program earlier this month but felt discomfort again last week and has since been shut down.

“He’s just not feeling strong,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him.”

With innings at a premium and the postseason picture beginning to sharpen, Ohtani’s return—however brief—offers a glimmer of relief and a whole lot of hope.

This isn’t just about one inning, or even two.

This is about history in real time.

Ohtani’s presence on a big-league mound reminds us of what’s possible when perseverance meets transcendent talent. It’s a story that stretches from the Tokyo Dome to Chavez Ravine, one filled with setbacks, surgeries, speculation, and now—redemption.

“This is very exciting,” added Roberts of Ohtani making his Dodgers debut on the mound. “I’m a baseball fan first. The anticipation here for the game, man it’s going to be bananas.”

Come Monday night, when the No. 17 jersey jogs out from the Dodgers dugout and takes that slow, deliberate walk to the mound, the roar won’t just be for a pitch.

It’ll be for the moment.

A moment 659 days in the making.

A moment worth every second of the wait.