Category: Baseball

Today’s Reflections

Today’s Reflections have no one to reflect positively on. I mean, PCA won NLPlayer Of The Week, but even he doesn’t want to talk about it (below). So the players listed in the title are SOME of the problem guys mentioned in the articles below.

The story below about Nico Hoerner’s problems is very interesting, with graphs and stuff. Some people drool in happiness when they see graphs; I just think, “Just tell me what it says.” But this time, I’m going to give this a re-read because it was so well presented and informative. Or at least, a very intriguing viewpoint of his situation.

That’s really all I got, other than the news of Matthew Boyd’s setback that dug the Cubs’ hole a little deeper.

Now, I didn’t jinx the Cubs! But I think it was early May when things were really rolling, I thought, “This is a lonnnggg season. Hurry up and get to the playoffs!” A month later, it’s, “The Cubs’ season is almost over.”

Gotta keep playing.

Before the links, a bit of news (Bluesky link):

---

Reports from Tuesday’s game:

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Cubs {$}): Chicago Cubs put in a big hole early by Colin Rea in 7-3 loss to Colorado Rockies: ‘We just didn’t do enough’. “Tuesday night’s performance certainly failed to deliver an inspiring performance or suggest a turnaround is on the horizon.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs take accountability for slump, but bats stay cold against Rockies. “Pete Crow-Armstrong was not in much of a mood to talk about any personal accolades sent his way on Tuesday afternoon — not when the Cubs as a team are trying to pull out of a persistent cold spell.”

---

Trade Talk:

• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs trade deadline plans have major Alex Bregman, Ian Happ problem. “….. the Cubs’ offense has three of the worst eight batters in RBIs below expectation, with Happ at minus-8.8, along with the two worst in MLB, with Seiya Suzuki at minus-12.7, and Bregman at minus-13.2. Those marks are a good example of the issue plaguing the Cubs right now, and it’s not only their starting rotation.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Jameson Taillon injury update could lead to shocking end to Cubs’ tenure. “Even if the Cubs aren’t a defined seller, if the rest of the pitching staff is in better shape by then, there’s an argument to make that trading Taillon would still be one of the better moves Jed Hoyer can make this summer.”
• Nick Halden (Da Windy City): Cubs should consider calling Braves to solve Dansby Swanson woes. “Atlanta may be one of the few teams capable of taking on Swanson’s contract if Chicago decides to move on.”
• Matt Johnson (Sportsnaut): 4 Trades to Help Rebuild the San Francisco Giants This Summer. “Robbie Ray Traded to Chicago Cubs.”
• Zachary Draves (Clutch Points): Cubs rumors: Farm system collapse could lead to trade of once-promising young star. “The Chicago Cubs may be poised to trade away Matt Shaw as the farm system collapses beneath them and amid underutilization.”

---

Assorted activity, chatter and complaints:

• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Nico Hoerner Has to Get Earlier Again. “It’s been a long, horrid stretch for the Cubs’ newly-minted long-term second baseman. To snap out of this funk, he has to stop settling for solid contact.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Sore shoulder sparks Cubs to ‘back off’ Matthew Boyd’s IL return, Javier Assad likely starter this weekend. “The team’s Opening Day starter won’t make his comeback from knee surgery this weekend after experiencing shoulder soreness during a recent bullpen session, yet another injury-related woe for the Cubs’ rotation.”
• Zachary Draves (Clutch Points): Cubs disappointing season gets even worse with White Sox reality. “The struggles of the Chicago Cubs are very real, compared to that of the White Sox, who are surprisingly strong.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): How Ben Brown Got Hitters Off the Barrel. “Last season, Ben Brown gave up too much hard contact and way too many home runs. He remade himself this winter, and now, he’s not just a bat-misser. He also limits damage.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Understand Job Requirements, Just Can’t Get Work Done. “If the Cubs have a sign tracking the days since their last workplace accident, it hasn’t gotten past two in over a month.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Struggles of Cubs’ offseason additions a major reason for their spiral. “Fans have been begging the team for years to be aggressive and complete a full offseason. But 65 games into the campaign, what looked like the Cubs’ desired path for the winter has not turned into success on the field.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Shaw Activated, Alcántara Optioned, Taillon to IL, Roberts Recalled. A lot of movement on the Northside.
• Zachary Cariola (Yardbarker): Matt Shaw’s return to the Cubs couldn’t come at a better time. “The Cubs could potentially use Matt Shaw at third base with Alex Bregman struggling.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Cubs’ Recent Struggles Have Done Real Damage to Playoff Hopes. “It probably doesn’t come as a shock given the magnitude of their recent woes, but even in early June, the Cubs’ stumbling has their playoff positioning looking quite grim.”
• Jeff Vorva (Chicago Tribune {$}): 3 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ homestand, including Alex Bregman’s self-critique: ‘I’ve been terrible’. “Ryan Rolison is on a roll.”
• Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Charting Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Evolution with the Cubs. “Pete Crow-Armstrong is still growing as a player, but he’s proving the Cubs right for their decision to extend him.”

---

Food For Thought:

Delbert McClinton (born November 4, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist. From his first professional stage appearance in 1957 to his most recent national tour in 2018, he has recorded albums for several major record labels and singles that have reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Rock Tracks, and Hot Country Songs charts.

Four of his albums have been number one on the blues chart, and another reached number two. McClinton has earned four Grammy Awards – 1992 Rock Performance by a Duo with Bonnie Raitt for “Good Man, Good Woman”, 2002 Contemporary Blues Album for Nothing Personal, 2006 Best Contemporary Blues Album for Cost of Living, and 2020 Best Traditional Blues Album for Tall, Dark, & Handsome.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Seth Lugo was cruising along before taking a comebacker off the forehead in the 4th inning last night

In the fourth inning, Royals starter Seth Lugo was struck in the head by a 106.6 mph line drive off the bat of Rangers star Brandon Nimmo. It was a scary moment as both Nimmo and the Royals training staff raced out to Lugo.

Lugo was alert and able to walk off the field on his own power. The Royals would insert right-handed reliever Mason Black into the game.

Later in the game, the Royals did tweet this out on social media.

Seth Lugo is doing well after exiting tonight's game and will undergo the appropriate protocol and testing.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 11, 2026

Before the game, Kyle Isbel was placed on the IL

It wasn’t long after Kyle Isbel exited Tuesday’s game against the Rangers in the seventh inning that the Royals also pulled outfielder Kameron Misner from the Triple-A Omaha game in anticipation of needing their center-field depth.

By Wednesday afternoon, that need was confirmed. Isbel was placed on the 10-day injured list with left plantar fasciitis, and Misner was recalled from Triple-A prior to Kansas City’s 6-4 loss in 10 innings at Kauffman Stadium.

Misner, 28, is slashing .276/.373/.547 in 59 Triple-A games this season and was just named International League Player of the Week after going 10-for-24 during the week of June 1-7. The left-handed batter recorded three doubles, five home runs, two stolen bases and four multi-hit games in the six-game series against Columbus (Guardians).

Jac Caglianone is unstoppable at the plate currently, Kevin O’Brien of Royals Keep talked about it.

Blake Mitchell has been a fascinating case study in Quad Cities this season, Mike Gillespie of Royals Keep wrote about it

Preston Farr wrote about the Royals failure to develop hitters

Kameron Misner pinch ran in the 10th last night; however, Caleb Moody of Kings of Kauffman tells us why we should be excited about him as a whole

The White Sox, (yes really), are in first place in the AL Central after beating the Braves again last night

The Giants hit a walk off grand slam yesterday, and it was cool in a couple of different ways

Shohei Ohtani had a rough night in Pittsburgh last night

The New York Knicks overcame the largest deficit in NBA Finals history to go up 3-1 over the San Antonio Spurs

Patrick Mahomes becomes first half a billion-dollar NFL player

The Brendan Sorsby saga continues, here is a complete timeline of the events

Grand Ole Opry icon Bill Cody dies at 67

Today’s song of the day is Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Man. What a season so far, huh? The Chicago White Sox are 35-31 after Tuesday’s victory over the Atlanta Braves. They’re only a half-game back of first place in the AL Central. They don’t just have a wild card spot, no sir, they have a firm grasp on a wild card spot.

There’s plenty of praise to go around the White Sox locker room. Munetaka Murakami’s power. Miguel Vargas’s All-Star leap. Ditto Davis Martin and his fiendish six-pitch mix. But none of those players is the White Sox MVP through the first third of 2026. The most important man on this roster has been a former Banana Baller who was bought with the change between Jerry Reinsdorf’s couch cushions: center fielder and bunting gremlin extraordinaire, Tristan Peters.

After a prolonged and painful will they/won’t they, Chris Getz executed what he believed would be a simple one-for-one trade. He traded his old center fielder, Luis Robert Jr., and acquired Luisangel Acuña as his replacement. Acuña had never played the position before, but the goal was to bring him up to speed quickly. Getz projected a center fielder’s glove onto Acuña’s range and athleticism. I’ll even admit that I can see his vision whenever Acuña fields his natural shortstop position. Center field is a different beast, however, and the early-season returns were disastrous for Acuña.

I only blame him so much. Acuña’s been on base just 29 times, and yet he’s managed to rack up 11 steals, so you can’t call him lazy.  I’m sure he worked hard at it, but he was put in an impossible position. Oneil Cruz struggled with the same transition, and he’s an athletic marvel. Acuña’s failure falls on Getz.

Had it not been for Peters, there’s no telling where the Sox would be in the standings. The Mune/Vargas/Martin Renaissance could have all gone for naught. It’s not a stretch to say that Peters saved the Sox from their opening swoon:

Now, I won’t sugarcoat it; I simply do not believe Peters is an .800 OPS monster. His Savant batting profile ranges from dark blue (bad) to gender reveal blue (respectably bad), except for a 67th percentile strikeout percentage. The one thing he’s shown is a supersized ability to pull the ball when he does launch it, as his pull percentage on fly balls is 8.4% above league average. Beyond that, the real Peters most likely resembles the man we saw in the first six weeks of this season: a respectable .280 average with a few walks, a smattering of extra base hits, plenty of sacrifice bunts, and an OPS+ hovering around the mid-80s.

I’m not mad about that. Peters’ real value comes in two areas that never slump: baserunning and fielding. The Statcast percentiles make that clear enough. As of the end of play on June 9 — henceforth to be known both as Braden Montgomery Day and as the first time Bob Costas got sick of seeing a team bunt — Peters is in the 89^th percentile of baserunning value and the 96^th percentile of fielding run value.

Peters’ baserunning pops off the screen. He makes smart decisions and commits to them full throttle, a perpetual motion machine fine-tuned for the 180 feet between first base and third. I shouted out a play on Sunday against the Phillies that won’t show up in his stats but exemplifies his baserunning skill. With Peters on first and two out, Drew Romo slashed a sharp grounder up the middle that second baseman Bryson Stott knocked down. He recovered in time to throw out Romo by a step. It was a great play by the Phils’ keystone man.

As Stott was still scrambling at the edge of the grass, Peters briefly appeared at the bottom of the TV screen. Peters hadn’t slowed down. In fact, he made the turn around second as though the ball had reached the right field wall. Had Romo managed to beat the throw, Peters would have gone first-to-third on an infield single.

And yet! If we’re ranking Peters’ skills, baserunning would still be in the A-tier alongside sacrifice bunts, drag bunts, and being your dad’s favorite player to the point where it’s a little uncomfortable. Above them all, in the S-tier, is the Gold Glove-level fielding he brings to baseball’s most important outfield position.

Peters has seven outs above average (OAA), according to Savant, ranking him fourth in all of baseball. I went ahead and checked some of the underlying metrics, something I had never done before. Definitions for reaction, burst, and route were oddly difficult to find on Baseball Savant’s website. Still, thanks to a Samford University abstract posted online in 2020 by a high school senior named Jake, I finally tracked down this handy infographic:

With that out of the way, I’ll now show you the top 10 leaderboard for OAA. Fair warning, these numbers are going to seem very complimentary of Peter Crow-Armstrong. I’ll try my best to twist them into a negative:

These numbers show that a good center fielder can go about their business in one of two ways. In both cases, burst is non-negotiable. The difference is in how you use that burst. Some guys use it, along with quick reaction time, to compensate for less-than-stellar routes. Like Crow-Armstrong. Looks like you’re just a fast dummy, Pete!

The second are the guys who may not react quickly, but they read the ball well off the bat and optimize their route to the baseball. That’s the smarter kind of outfielder. It’s the rarer kind. It’s more likely to age well:

Among the top ten, Peters and Steven Kwan are the best route runners. Unlike Kwan, Peters also has an acceptable (not exceptional) reaction time. I can’t help but feel like Robert Jr. for Peters would have been a pretty fair deal.

Hustle? Defense? The ability to make up for Getz’s worst decisions? That’s your 2026 White Sox MVP.

Good morning baseball fans!

The San Francisco Giants are off today, with the Chicago Cubs coming to town tomorrow to begin a weekend series.

In the meantime, I thought we could have some fun with a creative writing prompt. Because sometimes, reality just doesn’t make a lot of sense and it’s more fun to make up silly reasons for things. You know, things like the Giants’ inconsistent offensive capabilities.

So today’s creative writing prompt (which you are all encouraged to participate in down in the comments) is to come up with an explanation for this, but wrong answers only.

I’ll go first. My theory is that Buster Posey attended a farmer’s market with his family during the offseason, and this is what happened.

While his wife and children peruse the produce, Posey’s eye catches on a stand advertising rare and unique treasures. A wisp of an elderly woman sits behind the tables laden with strange and somewhat unnerving items.

She catches his eye and beckons him over, where she begins to pull out a dusty velvet box from underneath the tables.

“I know what you’re looking for, young man,” she insists, nodding to herself, as she pushes the box towards Posey. “Take a look.”

He gives her an appraising look, then carefully opens the box to reveal an amulet. The amulet looks suspiciously like one of his World Series Championship rings, but wrong somehow.

“This grants the wearer the power to make one wish and have it come true,” she says quietly. “I can see in your eyes that you’re looking for something, something that has eluded you for years. Take it.”

Posey looks at the woman dubiously. But she insists, and he figures that it can’t hurt.

Hours later, his puts the amulet on in the privacy of his own home once his family has gone to bed. He thinks to himself, “I wish my team would score more runs this season.”

There’s a flash of light and a burst of heat where the amulet rests on his chest. He finds the experience unsettling in a way he cannot articulate, but shrugs it off and goes to bed and promptly forgets the entire thing.

Months later, as the Giants teeter between scoring 19 runs and being incapable of overcoming the smallest deficits, he has a jolt of panic as he remembers the encounter and his wish.

He digs out the amulet from his bedside table to take a closer look. Only then does he realize that while he first believed it to hold a resemblance to one of his own World Series rings, it was actually one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rings.

He gasps, and races to his car, determined to return it to the woman who gave it to him. He scours the farmer’s market, looking for her. He finally spots her in the back and sprints in her direction but she sees him coming and begins cackling. As he approaches, she changes form before his very eyes, transforming into Dave Roberts.

Posey gasps and falls short, giving Roberts the chance to throw a smoke bomb and disappear into the crowd.

End scene.

Your turn! Give me your best, wrong answer to the cause of the Giants’ offensive inconsistencies this season down in the comments.

Garrett Crochet is not coming to save the Red Sox season. Or at least he isn’t any time soon. After initially saying that his lat strain was so minor that he didn’t even want to call it a setback, the Red Sox ace now says that it “is a lot worse than what we thought” and that “he has “no idea” when he’ll be cleared to pitch. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

But wait! Is his injury actually any worse? After Crochet’s dispiriting comments came out last night, Chad Tracy and Craig Breslow both spoke to the media, providing somewhat contradictory information. “Garrett continues to make good progress with the lat strain,” Breslow said, further stating that there was no new information in terms of the severity in the injury. So no one has any idea what’s going on with the team’s ace and highest paid pitcher. This is what a dysfunctional organization looks like, folks. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Elsewhere in the rotation, you my have noticed that it was Jake Bennett — not Brayan Bello — who got the start for the Red Sox yesterday. But just because Bello’s been relegated to AAA, that doesn’t mean he can’t bounce back. Cliff Lee, for one, once similarly got demoted in the middle of an established bid league career and came back stronger. So what does Bello need to do out in Worcester? “With Bello, the Sox have areas of focus. For much of this year, the arm slot on his foundational sinker had been an average of 6 inches higher than it was last season. From that height, he was losing sink on his sinker and changeup. His locations and pitch shapes became worse.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

But for all the ink spilled about Crochet, Bello, and the rest of the pitching staff, it’s the somnambulant lineup that remains the Red Sox’ biggest problem. “I can’t believe they are content going with so many [Triple-A] players — utility infielders — at the bottom of the lineup,” said one executive from a rival team. “I’m still confused on the Red Sox roster construction and truthfully how they thought it would turn out any different than it has. The holes that were there at the start of the season are still there,” said another. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

Notably, none of those rival executives thought that the Red Sox problem was literally with the team’s bats, rather than the players wielding them. But Mickey Gasper isn’t taking any chances — he put in a new order of bats to try to turn his offensive fortunes around. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

Of course the bats probably aren’t to blame for the team’s terrible plate discipline. In the previous four games entering yesterday’s contest, the Sox had walked just four times total. “It marks only the fourth time since 1994, and the fifth since 1981, that Boston has had four or fewer walks in a five-game span.” (Justin Turpin, WEEI)

No word on whether Caleb Durbin was using a new bat yesterday when he had his first career multi-homer game, and hit his first homer off a non-position player this year. “Honestly, the last couple days felt really good,” Durbin said. “Felt like I was really getting good swings on the ball, and when I was going to hit them, it was going to be good results — not just feeling like I’m putting good swings on the ball, but trusting that the result would be good and trending in the right direction. But obviously still a lot of work to be done.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

But despite Durbin’s power surge, the Sox still lost. It’s going to be one of those seasons where we see historical parallels like this all year long:

The last time the Red Sox were this bad, Titanic was still in theaters. https://t.co/OQXv85u3Ue

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 10, 2026

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: L, 8-5 (10) vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs

SS George Lombard Jr. 2-5, 2 2B— feels like he might be starting to figure it out in Triple-A
RF Jasson Domínguez 1-4, K, SB
LF Kenedy Corona 1-1, RBI, SB
LF Yanquiel Fernández 0-5, 3 k
3B Oswaldo Cabrera 3-4, 2B, BB
1B Seth Brown 1-4, BB, K
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 2-5, HR, 3 RBI
2B Jonathan Ornelas 1-5, 2 K
CF Duke Ellis 1-5, HR, RBI, K
C Miguel Palma 0-2, BB, K
PH Tyler Hardman 0-1, K
C Abrahan Gutierrez 0-1

Angel Chivilli 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K — starting a rehab assignment
Yerry De Los Santos 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Danny Watson 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Rafael Montero 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold)
Zach Messinger 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K (hold)
Dylan Coleman 1.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR (blown save, loss) — yikes, blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth, and gave up three in the tenth
Bradley Hanner 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 0 K

🎙️George Lombard leads off with a Double (15th on the season)

107.5 MPH off the bat#RepBx#Yankeespic.twitter.com/2Jy3Hhm8m2

— YankeesFarm (@YankeesFarm) June 10, 2026

Martinez Mashin' 💪

434 ft. | 103 mph#RepBXpic.twitter.com/xEgNgImZSY

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) June 11, 2026

Double-A Somerset Patriots: W, 3-0 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies

DH Jackson Castillo 2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K — managed three homers in four at-bats including Tuesday
RF Garrett Martin 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB
1B Nick Torres 1-3, BB, SB
CF DJ Gladney 0-3, BB, K
3B Coby Morales 0-3, K
C Manuel Palencia 1-3
2B Connor McGinnis 1-3
SS Owen Cobb 0-3, 2 K
LF Cole Gabrielson 1-3, K, SB

Cade Smith 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K (win) — best start of the year for the right-hander
Kelly Austin 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold)
Ben Grable 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (save)

Cade Smith (@Yankees No. 16 Prospect) matched a career-high 7⃣ innings in a LIGHTS OUT start!

7.0 IP | 3 H | 0 R | 5 K pic.twitter.com/34pIhbFWQg

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) June 11, 2026

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:W, 11-3 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws

3B Kaeden Kent 0-5
SS Core Jackson 0-2, 2 BB, K
C Eric Genther 0-4, 3 K
1B Kyle West 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB, K, SB — 2025 13th-rounder has had a rough year but that’ll do
RF Wilson Rodriguez 3-3, 4 SB
PH Santiago Gomez 1-1
RF Luis Durango 0-0
DH Roderick Arias 1-3, RBI, K, SF
2B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-5, 2 RBI
LF Josh Moylan 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K
CF Camden Troyer 1-3, 2B, BB

Luis Serna 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K (win)
Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Thomas Balboni Jr. 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

KYLE WEST GOES OPPO FOR HIS 2ND HOMER OF THE GAME!!!!🌮🌮🌮 pic.twitter.com/AgpaYtjytw

— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) June 11, 2026

Low-A Tampa Tarpons: Game suspended at Bradenton Marauders

3B Jackson Lovich 0-1, BB
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-2, K
LF Logan Maxwell 0-2, K
C Luis Puello 1-2
CF Willy Montero 0-0, 2 BB
DH Engelth Urena 0-2, K
RF JoJo Jackson 0-1, BB
1B David McCann 0-0, BB
2B Luis Escudero 0-1, K

Thatcher Hurd 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K — unfortunate suspension for the former third-rounder, who was in the midst of one of his stronger starts

Florida Complex League Yankees: Offday.

Dominican Summer League Yankees: Offday.

Dominican Summer League Bombers: Offday.

Hello, friends.

The Orioles snapped their losing streak last night. Yay! An excellent Brandon Young start was backed up by a comfortable amount of offense, and even when Grant Wolfram stumbled later, there wasn’t enough going on to turn things against the O’s. Check out Stacey’s recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.

In wrapping up the win on MASN, Kevin Brown said that this is the seventh straight Young start where the Orioles have won the game. That one floored me. Not that I doubted my honorary cousin, but I looked it up and sure enough, the O’s have won every Young start going back to May 6. Young himself has been the winning pitcher in three of these games. He’s pitched at least decently in all but one of these seven outings and pretty good in three of them. His 3.04 ERA leads the team’s starters and so does his 1.24 WHIP.

If so much wasn’t going wrong with the Orioles up to this point, Young’s development would be one of the biggest stories. This is the exact kind of thing that has not happened in Mike Elias’s tenure as GM of the Orioles. They have not developed a pitcher they signed as an amateur into a capable major league starting pitcher. They haven’t been doing too well with pitchers they traded for, either, other than Kyle Bradish putting together a brilliant 2023 campaign. Not to take anything away from Young, but it still is just ten starts for him this year. He’s got to keep it going for this to keep being interesting. Still, this is ten more good starts than I thought we’d ever get out of him.

The Orioles have a chance to pull off a split of this four-game series if they can put together a good game against the Mariners tonight. It’s a 7:05 start time and will only be televised on ESPN, so tough luck to the cord-cutters out there. That includes me. Kyle Bradish and Bryan Woo are the scheduled starting pitchers. We need to see a better version of Bradish than was there in his last start.

Before last night’s win turned in an excellent direction, the MASN broadcast spent a little time discussing the situation with Samuel Basallo not having played as a starter for a few days in a row. This is all the more notable because it coincides with Adley Rutschman dealing with some kind of hamstring issue. As the team has placed neither player on the injured list, the Orioles are without their two main catchers and seemingly short on the bench as well, though Basallo has at least been available off the bench.

Manager Craig Albernaz made some remarks that seemed to be critical of Basallo for not being willing to play through some discomfort, apparently stemming from a bony growth in Basallo’s wrist that he has dealt with before. Basallo was asked about the situation by reporters and while he did not directly beef with the manager, he refuted the substance of what Albernaz said.

Kevin Brown asked Jim Palmer for his thoughts on the back and forth during Wednesday’s game, prompting this response from the Hall of Famer:

He’s the manager. He said it’s about accountability. He’s the one responsible for wins and losses. All I know, and I said this Monday night, if you don’t play Adley Rutschman, if you don’t play Samuel Basallo … if I’m one of the Mariners pitchers, I’m elated. I’m joyful. I would send them flowers. If he’s able to play late in the ballgame, I’m surprised he’s not in there, that’s all. I don’t think this is the time, when you’ve lost four in a row, to teach a lesson. I don’t care how young you are. But that’s just my opinion.

I went through every story I could find in the local media outlets about this yesterday and there’s nothing directly attributed to Albernaz about either accountability or teaching a lesson or whatever. Here’s one from Orioles.com; those phrases aren’t in there. Steve Melewski, who also took away Albernaz saying there’s “no disconnect” as his headline about the situation, also doesn’t use those words. You can read between the lines and wonder if something is there.

Apparently, the radio broadcast, which I wasn’t listening to, made comments implying they thought that Basallo not playing was some kind of disciplinary measure and they agreed with it. That’s what was indicated by Camden Chat commenters who were listening. I might have written that off if not for Palmer also addressing the situation in a way that suggested there’s more going on than has been publicly said. The Hall of Famer had a different take as far as whether it is a good idea if Basallo is not playing for manager’s choice reasons. I’m going with Palmer on this one.

For me, this is the first real blemish against Albernaz as the manager. I’ve cut him more slack than a number of people over tactical decisions that didn’t work out because, honestly, the guy is dealing with a lot of bad situations that have no good solutions other than “players magically start playing better.” It’s not that they don’t frustrate me, it’s just that he can’t make Pete Alonso or Gunnar Henderson get the big walkoff hit with the bases loaded.

This kind of stuff, though, this is what Albernaz was supposed to be good at, handling situations with players and not having his young star catcher have to defend himself in the media against stuff the manager said to the media. Whatever is going on, I think Albernaz has failed for it to reach this point. Based on what has trickled out publicly, I think he’s bungling it, but I will concede I have no idea what has transpired behind closed doors.

We can only hope all of this amounts to little more than a bump in the road when the season is all said and done. For now, it doesn’t feel good. Hopefully Basallo gets back in there promptly and shows the manager why not playing him for any reason other than “he’s physically unable to play nine innings at a high level” is a bad idea.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

The Orioles keep getting punched in the mouth and getting back up. They should stop getting punched in the mouth. (The Baltimore Banner)
Jon Meoli hits on an excellent point: Showing some fortitude through adverse circumstances is a plus, but not getting in the adverse circumstances in the first place is even better.

Still waiting for the real Orioles to please stand up, for better or worse (Baltimore Baseball)
This is something I think about multiple times per week. Who ARE these guys? The last several days have seen more bad than good. There may be other turns to come soon.

Orioles reunite with Chadwick Tromp as Rutschman’s health remains uncertain (The Baltimore Sun)
There’s not really any good roster replacement for Rutschman. I hope we don’t have to find out what Tromp has to offer in the 2026 season.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

In their 69th game last year, the Orioles beat the Angels, 6-5, improving their season record to 29-40. Home runs hit by Cedric Mullins and Gary Sánchez put the Orioles on top and they held on the rest of the way. This year’s Orioles are currently three wins better than last year’s guys, an uncomfortably small number of games. They have lost ground since their recent hot streak.

One current Oriole has a birthday today. Happy 27th to Blaze Alexander, who has been looking a whole lot better lately than he did at the start of the season. He is also our only Orioles birthday today. Before he came along, there were no June 10 O’s birthdays.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: composer Richard Strauss (1864), Nobel Prize-winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata (1899), legendary football coach Vince Lombardi (1913), and actor Hugh Laurie (1959).

On this day in history…

In 1429, during the Hundred Years War, the French launched an attack on the English, beginning the two-day Battle of Jargeau. The decisive French victory, following the lifting of the siege of Orléans, paved the way for France recapturing much of the territory that England possessed at the start of that phase of the war. One notable aspect of Jargeau is it was the first battle where Joan of Arc went on the offensive.

In 1776, the Continental Congress appointed five of its members – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman – with the task of drafting a document laying out the reasons demanding American independence from Great Britain. From this committee, Jefferson himself ultimately drafted the now-quite-famous Declaration.

In 1940, Axis powers began a siege of the Mediterranean island of Malta with attacks by the Italian Air Force. Over the next nearly two and a half years, Italian and German forces tried to bomb or blockade the island, never succeeding in getting its defenders to surrender.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on June 11. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!

The Kaelen Culpepper hype train is full speed ahead right now. The Twins have lost 10 of their last 14 while getting very little production out of the shortstop position, both offensively and defensively. Meanwhile, Culpepper just keeps getting better and better this season. He’s batting .357 with a 1.062 OPS so far in June with 4 walks and just 1 strikeout in 33 plate appearances.

Kaelen Culpepper absolutely launches his 13th homer of the season!

109 MPH off that bat and he’s really knocking on the door right now. pic.twitter.com/3d8nXfgjEr

— Aidan O’Brien (@AidanOBrienMN) June 3, 2026

Since being drafted with the 21st overall pick out of Kansas State in 2024, Kaelen Culpepper has quickly climbed through the minor leagues. In 113 games between High-A and Double-A last year, he posted a 138 wRC+ with 20 homers and 25 stolen bases. In his first taste of Triple-A this season, he is on pace for career highs in home runs, RBIs, walks, and stolen bases while posting a continuously improving 123 wRC+. Poor swing decisions and a tendency to chase leave some level of concern, but he has a sweet swing that produces impressive contact skills mixed with a power tool that has pushed into average territory.

The bat possesses plenty of talent, but Culpepper can also be an asset on the bases and in the field. He stole 25 bags last season in 29 attempts and has picked up 14 more steals already this season while being caught twice. Defensively, he may not have elite, gold glove-level tools but is a good athlete with a good arm and has developed into a reliable defender. This season, Minnesota ranks 30th in defensive runs saved and 29th in outs above average at the shortstop position. While the Twins ultimately hope for 2025 first round pick Marek Houston to become the long-term shortstop, Culpepper should be a significant improvement for the time being.

Waiting patiently to see Kaelen Culpepper in a Twins uniform pic.twitter.com/VS2j7aBkXg

— Pete Maki Burner (@PrimeMaki) May 10, 2026

The Twins’ 3rd ranked prospect is ready for the show, and it is no secret that they could really use him right now. With the losses piling up, the fanbase needs something to get excited about and the team needs a jolt of energy from a talented young prospect. The summer is in full swing, and all signs are pointing to a Kaelen Culpepper debut in just a matter of days.

Good morning and happy Thursday everybody. Ders is still out of town so you get a double-dose of Nick links this week. The Mariners got trounced 7-2 by the Orioles yesterday but have a chance to bounce back in the series finale with Bryan Woo on the mound at 4:05 PST on ESPN.

I know it is maybe a little main-charactery of me to say this, but I really feel like every time I put together the links there’s always more injuries to report on than normal. Spoiler alert but there’s SIX (6) links today about various players either getting hurt or getting placed on IL yesterday. Do I actually believe that my reporting on the news and notes is leading to more injuries in the league? I’m not confident enough to answer that question right now. Anybody else tangentially convinced they’re cursed in a hyper specific way?

In Mariners news…

• The Mariners greeted us all with a litany of roster moves yesterday, with the headline being reliever Matt Brash is going back to the IL with a lat strain. Miles Mastrobuoni is returning to the M’s and taking Ryan Bliss’ spot, while Domingo González is coming up to fill in for Brash.
• Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Mariners to go to the All-Star game this year in Philadelphia! It’s your civic duty to vote. Don’t make me come over to your house to make you vote. I’ll do it. I know where you live. I’ll march right in. Won’t even knock. You might not like it, but if that’s what it takes to get you to vote then so be it.

Around the league…

• Max Scherzer was activated by the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday morning to make his first start since April and got his 3,500th career strikeout against the first batter he saw. Scherzer is the eleventh man in MLB history to reach 3,500 strikeouts, and is now just twelve away from tying Walter Johnson at 10th all-time.

Max Scherzer notches career strikeout No. 3,500 🤩

He's the 11th pitcher EVER to reach that mark! pic.twitter.com/xLCCjxULZI

— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2026

• Scary moment in Kansas City yesterday when Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo hit a 106.6 mph line drive that bounced off starting pitcher Seth Lugo’s forehead. Nimmo raced over to the mound to check on Lugo immediately, who stood up and walked off the field under his own power. If you watch the clip, you can actually watch the bump on Lugo’s forehead grow in real time.
• Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media after their game last night that they will be placing All-Star catcher Will Smith on the IL. Smith hasn’t played in a game since last Friday while he’s been suffering from neck stiffness.
• The Pittsburgh Pirates placed outfielder Oneil Cruz on the IL with a broken left hand. He will miss at least a month.
• Former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is going to the IL with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Acuña left Tuesday’s game early after coming up lame trying to beat out a ground ball.
• The Philadelphia Phillies announced that outfielder Johan Rojas, who was only just beginning to work out for his return from PED suspension, will now miss the full 2026 season with a UCL strain in his right elbow.

• Los Angeles Angels backup catcher Sebastián Rivero exited the game on Tuesday in significant pain after fouling off a ball. The team put him on the IL yesterday with a broken hamate bone and announced he will be out for about a month.
• Speaking of the Angels, Brent Maguire at MLB.com made the case for Reid Detmers being one of the best pitchers available at this year’s upcoming trade deadline, behind Skubal of course.
• In a game where the Giants stormed back from an eight run deficit to ultimately win on a Bryce Eldrige walk-off grand slam, this diving play by the ball dude down the right field line is the play of the day.

Not even joking this might be the play of the Giants' season pic.twitter.com/97F2pfOUby

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 10, 2026

Nick’s pick…

• The New York Knicks were once down by 29 before storming all the way back to win 107-106 in an absolute thriller in The Garden last night. Absolutely electric series so far.
• Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight at 5 pm PST from Raleigh. The Hurricanes are looking for their first lead of the series, while the Golden Knights want to take a 3-2 lead back to Vegas.
• Auburn University athlete Ja’Kobe Tharp set a new world record in the 110m hurdles yesterday becoming the first athlete to set a world record at the NCAA Championships since Dwight Stones in 1976.

The Detroit Tigers have been on fire this month, but on Wednesday night they cooled off a bit, taking their second loss of June against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, 6-4. Framber Valdez struggled, surrendering a pair of home runs, while the offense just did not have enough juice to keep up.

However, Kevin McGonigle had a great performance in the field to go with his three-walk, two-run effort at the plate — the kid did everything he could with the glove and the bat.

With a third-straight series win still in reach, right-hander Keider Montero will get the start on Thursday afternoon looking to continue his solid efforts on the mound. The 25-year-old’s last outing was lackluster, however, giving up four runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk over five frames in a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Montero has not seen Minnesota since 2024, when he faced the American League Central rival twice, with vastly differing results. One was a 6-plus inning quality start that resulted in his first win of that season; the other was a five-inning effort that saw him contribute six runs to a 9-6 loss.

Fellow righty Zebby Matthews will toe the rubber for the Twins in his sixth start of the season after opening the campaign in Triple-A. The 26-year-old has been solid since his mid-May call-up, including his most recent outing against the Kansas City Royals, in which he gave up two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out a pair over seven innings to earn the win.

He faced the Tigers twice last year, allowing three runs on 10 hits (one home run) and five walks while striking out 12 over nine innings of work, earning a win along the way.

Here is a look at how the two starters match up in Thursday’s afternoon matinee.

Detroit Tigers (28-40) vs. Minnesota Twins (31-38)

Time (ET): 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 69: RHP Keider Montero (2-4, 3.95 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (2-3, 4.15 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Montero	12	66.0	16.7	6.1	34.5	4.16	1.0
Matthews	5	30.1	21.3	6.6	38.8	4.52	0.3

MONTERO

MATTHEWS

The Phillies have an off day today before traveling for a rather big series in Milwaukee this weekend. The Brewers sit atop the NL Central and are one of only five teams to have eclipsed the 40-win mark. If that wasn’t enough of a test, the Phillies will get to face Jacob Misiorowski right out of the gate on Friday.

On to the links.

Phillies News:

• Johan Rojas (remember him?) is still serving his 80-game suspension for PED use, but it turns out he won’t play this year even when that ban is over due to a torn UCL that will require an internal brace.
• ICYMI, Adolis Garcia left last night’s game with a pulled shoulder muscle in the seventh inning after making a throw on a sacrifice fly.
• Boyertown native Trey Yesavage may never have been a member of the Phillies organization, but that won’t stop the Reading Fightin’ Phils from giving away a Yesavage bobblehead featuring the Blue Jays’ young starter in his high school jersey for Boyertown day. ($)

MLB news:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. is heading back to the injured list, this time with a strained left hamstring. He had previously missed some time in May with a strain in the same hamstring.
• Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo pushed back on a report from over the weekend that included claims that Ketel Marte is frustrating other members of the organization.
• Mock Draft season is in full swing, so in accordance, here’s The Athletic’s second version. ($)
• Has the ABS system led to more catchers being hit in the groin? Yes, you read that correctly. ($)

The high school season has wrapped up, almost every college team has packed and punched out and portaled, and now Major League Baseball’s draft evaluation period quiets just a bit – even as some of the most important work remains.

As the men’s College World Series arrives, pitting the final eight teams against each other (and this year’s group is, relatively speaking, not bursting with potential high-round draftees) the next phase has begun. MLB’s draft combine begins June 22 in Phoenix, where skills will be measured but perhaps more important interviews and personal evaluations will occur, a key time for clubs and players alike to determine how well they match up.

And while it won’t really affect the first round, the MLB draft league is up and running, giving prospects of all ages a Statcast-able platform to buoy their stock or at least get on the 2027 radar.

With that, USA TODAY Sports takes another stab at projecting the first 30 picks when the draft commences July 11 from Philadelphia:

1. Chicago White Sox: SS Roch Cholowsky, UCLA

We’re rolling with consistency here. While much has and can and will change over the next five weeks, Cholowsky still represents the best fusion of current value and impact. While Cholowsky’s season ended as quietly as his team’s – two singles in 12 at-bats in the No. 1 Bruins’ stunning regional elimination - he still did nothing to betray the notion he’s not the best option atop this draft.

2. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Grady Emerson, Fort Worth Christian HS

Now the consensus national high school player of the year, Emerson’s also the lone prep player named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist; he batted .532 during his regular season with seven homers and 31 stolen bases.

3. Minnesota Twins: RHP Jackson Flora, UC Santa Barbara

Easily the nation’s leader with a 1.06 ERA (No. 2 was 1.98), Flora ran through the tape in his junior season, winning his last seven starts and posting a 30-4 strikeout-walk ratio in his final three. Lots of positional temptations but Flora represents a slam dunk foundational piece.

4. San Francisco Giants: C Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech

We’ll see how far north Lackey’s arrow points. It’s just gotten harder to see him slip this low, where Buster Posey can sell a building block catcher for an organization that needs one. Lackey finished his season with 20 homers and a 1.291 OPS in 61 games.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Jacob Lombard, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) HS

Still a chance he goes higher, and hard to conceive this isn’t his floor. Lombard’s speed-power profile nearly matches Emerson’s and his 6-3 frame and athleticism is perfect to play shortstop a long time in the big leagues.

6. Kansas City Royals: CF Eric Booth Jr., Oak Grove (Miss.) HS

Lots of college impact bats still available but the Royals go prep outfielder for the second year in a row, opting for Booth’s power-speed potential.

7. Baltimore Orioles: OF Drew Burress, Georgia Tech

Produced a .358/.473/.657 slash with 16 home runs, not an effusive platform year but one that will keep him near the top of the round, where the Orioles never met an SEC/ACC outfielder they didn’t like.

8. Athletics: SS Justin Lebron, Alabama

With Burress gone the A’s go with the more dynamic skill set while brushing off Lebron’s suboptimal platform season, especially in SEC play. Yet the 6-2 shortstop should benefit from the advanced college players who have already beat a quick path to Yolo County.

9. Atlanta Braves: LHP Gio Rojas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS

A perfect match between an organization that excels at nudging prep pitchers toward the majors and a 6-4 lefty who pairs a fastball that touches 98 mph with a devastating sweeper.

10. Colorado Rockies: RHP Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina

The Rockies’ semi-successful Coors pitching project will get a readymade Patient One to mold from the start of a professional career. Flukey’s 6-6 frame and bat-missing ability (11.6 strikeouts per nine in three seasons) give them a lot to work with.

11. Washington Nationals: OF Derek Curiel, LSU

After revamping their offensive apparatus, the Nationals do themselves a favor and draft a guy already gifted with excellent swing decisions. Curiel struck out 43 times and drew 34 walks in 58 games and had a .452 OBP across two seasons in Baton Rouge.

12. Los Angeles Angels: RHP Liam Peterson, Florida

He has a lot to clean up, and the Angels usually like their rush-to-the-big-leagues guys close to finished products when they draft them. But Peterson’s big stuff will be too much to ignore for a regime that will already ponder how soon the 6-5 prospect can get to Anaheim.

13. St. Louis Cardinals: INF Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M

Not really sure what his future position will be but the Cardinals know what to do with another plug-and-play guy who can keep the line moving and perhaps grow into more power. If not, no biggie.

14. Miami Marlins: OF Sawyer Strosnider, TCU

Three years into Peter Bendix’s tenure should give us a better idea this innovative club’s draft approach. In this scenario, a potentially elite bat from the college ranks falls to them.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Arizona Diamondbacks: C Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas

The Diamondbacks haven’t used their top pick on a catcher since 2012 (where art thou, Stryker Trahan?) but Helfrick is too good a value to pass on here after his 18-homer, .979-OPS final season in Fayetteville.

16. Texas Rangers: OF AJ Gracia, Virginia

A steady left-handed collegiate bat with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Gracia could move quickly toward Arlington.

17. Houston Astros: INF Ace Reese, Mississippi State

We’re now at the point where every pick can go in so many different directions, but the Astros opt for the former Houston Cougar with power to all fields; Reese smacked 24 home runs in his final year in Starkville.

18. Cincinnati Reds: SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky

A switch-hitting sophomore-eligible shortstop who may require shoulder surgery, Bell may eventually develop an elite offensive profile but for now is a steady player with excellent plate discipline, drawing 30 walks to just 36 strikeouts in earning first-team All-SEC honors.

19. Cleveland Guardians: LHP Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan (Mass.) HS

An excellent senior season and the lure of a lefty topping 100 mph with the athleticism that comes with being an elite basketball player, Bumila will puncture the top 20. While the Guardians prefer college arms, they did OK in 2024 with prep lefty Braylon Doughty, now in high Class A.

20. Boston Red Sox: LHP Hunter Dietz, Arkansas

At 6-6, 235 pounds, Dietz can stand eye-to-eye with Garrett Crochet and also touches 98 mph with his fastball. Still in need of polish but struck out more batters than anyone in the SEC, punching out 13.76 per nine innings.

21. San Diego Padres: LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS

He doesn’t turn 18 until April 2027 and Grindlinger’s drafting team has the luxury of workshopping him as a pitcher or hitter. Here’s guessing the mound wins out, especially as Grindlinger’s frame fills out.

22. Detroit Tigers: RHP Cade Townsend, Mississippi

The Tigers generally prefer higher-ceiling prep players but go for a little more certainty with Townsend, a draft-eligible sophomore with a powerful profile in his repertoire.

23. Chicago Cubs: SS Eric Becker, Virginia

A steady choice, Becker is a technically sound player with gap-to-gap power who should move methodically through a minor league system.

24. Seattle Mariners: OF Trevor Condon, Etowah (Ga.) HS

Condon brings high energy and elite speed, along with the profile to stick in center field. A long-term investment for a club with the luxury to wait.

25. Milwaukee Brewers: OF Aiden Robbins, Texas

Now slashing .342/.435/.720 for the Omaha-bound Longhorns, Robbins boosted his homers from six to 24 in transferring from Seton Hall to Austin.

26. Atlanta Braves: RHP Jensen Hirschkorn, Kingsburg (Calif.) HS

A 6-7 frame that already produces a mid-90s fastball, Hirschkorn is another pitcher with basketball athleticism and tons of projectability. Two picks in the top 26 should help Atlanta keep Hirschkorn away from LSU.

27. New York Mets: OF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M

Quite a skill set, as Sorrell produced 23 homers, 11 steals and a 1.177 OPS – all in a center fielder’s package - in his final year in College Station.

28. Houston Astros: OF Zion Rose, Louisville

A career 1.023 OPS at Louisville, Rose stole 24 bases in 27 attempts and had a .491 OBP in his final season. Strong 205-pound frame could produce more power than he’s shown.

29. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia

We’re just going to assign Buster Posey catchers with Georgia connections until he’s had his fill. Jackson transferred from Wofford to become a Bulldogs legend, ripping 31 homers to key their CWS run.

30. Kansas City Royals: RHP Logan Reddemann, UCLA

They’re buying low on Reddemann after arm issues slowed a platform year that seemed to push him closer to the top 10. Reddemann hasn’t pitched since April 17 but posted a 0.97 WHIP and 12.7 strikeouts per nine before he was idled.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 MLB mock draft, top prospects entering College World Series

St. Paul Saints 12, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

Justin Verlander was shelled for four home runs, and the Hens couldn’t put much together at the plate against Twins’ starter Mick Abel and the Saints’ bullpen on Wednesday.

Well, Justin Verlander appears healthy, so I don’t know how much longer the Tigers can keep him on the injured list. He also looks incapable of starting successfully in the major leagues right now. Enjoy that dilemma, Scott Harris.

The right-hander allowed four solo shots in 5.2 innings of work, and there were several other very sharply hit balls in play in this outing. What there was not, was much swing and miss. Verlander threw 86 pitches, recording six whiffs, four of them on the fourseam fastball, which averaging 92.9 mph with below average extension. The riding action is still good, and he topped out at 95.5 mph, but we would’ve liked to see him sitting more comfortably around 94 mph. He worked on his slider for much of the outing but it wasn’t very sharp.

Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko recorded the first two homers in the second and third innings, respectively. Verlander settled in for a couple of innings, but in the sixth, Matt Wallner crushed a slider and Gabriel Gonzalez a fastball back-to-back to finish Verlander’s outing on a pretty sour note.

Ben Malgeri hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth for the Hens only run.

Ben Malgeri rips a solo homer over the wall to get Toledo on the board. That’s his 8th home run of the year, and it raises his slash line against left-handed pitching to .375/.478/.750 pic.twitter.com/zXBM1b08eA

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 11, 2026

Things got even rougher for the future Hall of Fame set when Kenley Jansen took over the in the seventh. He quickly gave up three runs on a walk and two hits, striking out one, and Yoniel Curet had to take over with two outs. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up three more runs of his own, and Konnor Pilkington gave up two more before this came to an end.

Cruz: 3-4, 2B, 3B

Malgeri: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K

Verlander (L, 1-1): 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Jansen: 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, B, K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start time on Thursday with the series tied at a game apiece.

Tigers have acquired RHP Jacob Waguespack from the Brewers in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.

Waguespack currently has a 1.66 ERA and 13.7 K/9 in Triple-A.

The 32-year-old has a 5.11 ERA in 105.2 career MLB innings, most recently with 2024 Rays

— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) June 10, 2026

Erie SeaWolves 8, Akron RubberDucks 6 (box)

Carlos Peña was hit hard in this one, but the SeaWolves fought back and then seized control in the middle innings to win on Wednesday.

Justice Bigbie cracked a solo shot in the bottom of the second to open the scoring, but Peña was knocked around for four runs in the third, and another in the fourth.

So it was 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when the SeaWolves started turning this game around. Thayron Liranzo led off with a walk and was wild pitched to second. Bigbie singled home Liranzo, and Chris Meyers singled as well. After a pair of strikeouts, E.J. Exposito finally cashed in the runners with a double to left, and it was 5-4 Akron.

Unfortunately, Peña wild pitched a run home in the fifth, and so the task was again more difficult down 6-4.

Brett Callahan kicked started the final push with a solo shot to right field for his 11th home run of the year in the bottom of the fifth. That was Callahan’s fourth homer in five games, and the well rounded outfielder is starting to make a serious push toward Toledo.

Brett Callahan hit this ball a long way for his team-leading 11th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/4acaico1fJ

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 11, 2026

In the sixth, Meyers led off with a single and stole second base. He eventually scored on throwing error, while Exposito walked and Seth Stephenson singled. Stephenson stole second base, and a swinging bunt toward third from John Peck scored Exposito as Peck beat out the throw to first. Stephenson never stopped running and tore around third base and home under a tag at the plate for an 8-6 lead.

Dariel Fregio and Tyler Owens were each excellent in relief, throwing a pair of scoreless innings apiece.

Callahan: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K (.913 OPS on the year)

Bigbie: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Stephenson: 3-5, R, 2B, SB

Peña: 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the SeaWolves up 2-0 in the series.

West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Lake County Captains 4 (box)

Ben Jacobs was a little wild in this one, which made for another relatively short outing, but he allowed just one run while his teammates went off at the plate.

Jacobs struck out the side in the bottom of the first, and in the top of the second, Clayton Campbell singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch. Luke Shliger flew out, but Cristian Santana drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Juan Hernandez singled in Campbell, and Caleb Shpur singled in Santana for a 2-0 lead.

Jackson Strong, Garrett Pennington, and Bryce Rainer all walked in the third, but Pennington was thrown out in a double steal attempt with Strong taking third, and they couldn’t push across a run.

Jacobs walked the first two hitters in the fourth, and wild pitched a runner to third. A single scored the run before Jacobs dug in for a strikeout, pop up, and a ground out to escape the inning.

So it was 2-1 Whitecaps, and it was quickly 3-1 when Woody Hadeen and Strong doubled back-to-back to start the fifth. In the seventh, Shpur singled, and Strong walked before Pennington mashed a three-run shot to left center field for a 6-1 lead.

Logan Berrier gave up a run to the Captains in the seventh to make it 6-2. he gave up a two-run shot in the eighth as well.

However, Strong launched a two-run shot to right in the top of the ninth to make it 8-4 and put this one away. After a solid but unspectacular first two months, Strong is suddenly scorching hot. The strikeout rate is still way too high, but he’s homered four times in five games and may be turning the corner a bit.

Strong: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB, K, SB

Campbell: 2-5, R, K

Pennington; 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, 2 K

Jacobs: 4.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied heading into a 7:00 p.m. ET start on Thursday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 10, Clearwater Threshers 1 (box)

Cash Kuiper put together a solid start and the bats were hot as the Flying Tigers built an early lead and then poured it on to take a 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday.

Kuiper wasn’t getting a ton of whiffs, but he spun five innings of one run ball.

The offense took over in the top of the second as Carson Rucker walked with two outs. Singles from Nick Dumesnil and Jack Goodman followed for a 1-0 lead. Anibal Salas doubled in both runs, and then scored on a Jordan Yost double for a 4-0 lead.

Jordan Yost with a nice inside-out RBI double to left that put Lakeland up 4-0. pic.twitter.com/sgjTQktBWi

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 11, 2026

In the fifth, Jesus Pinto, Beau Ankeney, and Edian Espinal all singled with one-out. That scored one run, and Rucker drew a two out walk to load the bases. Dumesnil was hit by a pitch to make it 6-1, but that was all they’d get.

However, in the top of the sixth, Salas was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, and Yost then went deep to right field with a 102.3 mph shot for his first home run of the season. 8-1 Lakeland.

Congratulations to Jordan Yost, who launches a 2-run blast to right for his first professional home run. Left his bat at 101.2 MPH and went 384 feet. pic.twitter.com/PitNF3nhbI

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 11, 2026

Later in the inning, Espinal doubled and scored on a Jude Warwick single. Yost was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to make it 10-1.

Win Scott, Andrew Pogue, and Eliseo Mota were all solid in relief, allowing just two baserunners over the final four innings.

Yost: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K

Espinal: 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, 2 BB

Salas: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, K

Kuiper (W, 1-2): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday as the Flying Tigers look to run their winning streak to four.

It’s less a question of “if” than “when” as it pertains to whether the Yankees will add to their bullpen this year. Though the consternation over the club’s relief unit has been overblown (the bullpen does have the third-best ERA and best expected ERA in the American League right now), it’s clear the Yankees plan to make some sort of alterations to a group that contains a few question marks.

As of now, there’s probably only two guys out there that fans would pencil in with relative confidence as late-inning guys, in David Bednar and Fernando Cruz. That pair, barring injury, will almost certainly factor into the Yankees’ high-leverage plans throughout the year. After that, it’s anyone’s guess how the hierarchy will shake out.

Outside of Cruz and Bednar, which Yankees reliever are you most optimistic about? As shaky as the group has felt at times, there are some decent choices to pick from. Maybe the most obvious choice is Camilo Doval, whose 100-mph cutters and sinkers force one to wonder how it’s even possible that he’s not a dominant reliever. Doval has looked better lately after a terrible first couple of weeks of the season, but he’s still got an unimpressive 5.47 ERA and 3.99 FIP for the year.

Perhaps you’ve bought into Brent Headrick, who actually leads the Yankee bullpen in fWAR and narrowly trails Cruz in rWAR. Though he won’t run a 2.03 ERA all year, Headrick has done an admirable job missing bats and limiting homers, sitting 94-95 mph from the left side. There’s also Paul Blackburn, whose quietly been excellent at managing contact this year, and has seen his fastball velo tick up toward 95 mph, the hardest of his career.

There’s of course Tim Hill, the early-season hero who’s numbers have taken a hit after a few bad outings lately, but still has the look of a good contact-manager. There could ostensibly be some Jake Bird believers out there, with the right-hander posting totally cogent fielding-independent numbers. One could even cape for the flame-throwing Yovanny Cruz, who impressed in a cup of coffee with the Yankees, but whose control problems (he walks 4.5 per nine in the minors) have likely kept the team from committing to him.

Look up and down the bullpen, and the Yankees really have managed to coax fine production from most of their relievers this year, but there just aren’t many that inspire iron-clad confidence. If you had to choose one, which of the Yankees’ relievers that aren’t fully in the Circle of Trust now would you bet on to ascend there by season’s end?

---

It’ll be a relatively light day, as we all catch a breather while the Yankees travel back from Cleveland. In the morning, John wonders whether Paul Blackburn can take the Luke Weaver route to a high-leverage relief role, and Andrew recaps Wednesday’s American League action. Later, Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series highlights Dan Topping, and Andres analyzes the dismal production the Yankees have gotten from their catchers at the plate the last few weeks.

Today’s Matchup

Offday.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): Many worried how the Yankees offense would suffer in the absence of Aaron Judge as he recovers from a broken rib, and while they will always be a better team with him in the lineup, they have to feel encouraged about the sweep they just completed over the Guardians scoring 18 runs across the three games. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt in particular stepped up in Cleveland and the hope is that they can continue to lead the team into the summer.

Also contained within this series takeaway was a nugget that Ryan Weathers was seen warming up in the bullpen in the fourth inning on Wednesday and was “in play” as a reliever according to Aaron Boone despite being scheduled to start against the Blue Jays on Friday. It offers an insight into the Yankees’ rotation plans as Max Fried makes progress in his elbow injury rehab, Weathers perhaps now the first name on the chopping block for a move to the bullpen.

Yahoo! Sports | Jordan Shusterman: Gerrit Cole labored through his Tuesday night start against the Guardians, though it is interesting to note that he threw his first 100 mph fastball in an MLB game since September 28, 2022. Cole offered some insights into the possible cause of the bump in velocity, noting the hot, humid weather and a very elevated heartbeat up to what he felt was around 185 BPM. He did admit that he was completely gassed by the 29-pitch third inning where the Guardians scored two runs, but also felt encouraged that he was able to complete four innings and limit the damage to two.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: As Anthony Volpe neared his season debut from offseason shoulder surgery, Aaron Boone promised the media and fans that José Caballero had played well enough that he would not lose the starting job at short should Volpe hit better than him upon returning. Well, it turns out that is exactly what happened, Volpe riding a ten-game hot streak to start his campaign to effectively steal the starting shortstop job from Caballero. Volpe has gone cold since then with a 78 wRC+ in 20 total games yet continues to receive the lion’s share of starts at short despite several notable fielding blunders and non-competitive at bats. To be fair, Caballero has gotten starts in the outfield with Judge injured, but that is also taking playing time away from guys like Spencer Jones and Max Schuemann, both of whom have been more productive hitters than Volpe in limited playing time.

New York Post | Ryan Dunleavy: Jasson Domínguez is nearing his return from a shoulder injury and has been learning a new position in his Triple-A rehab assignment. Domínguez manned right field in his two outings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre despite playing just one game there in the minors and none in the majors. The idea is that it will give him the opportunity for more reps between right and DH with Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined. Once Domínguez has completed his rehab assignment, Spencer Jones is the most likely to be optioned to make room on the major league roster, though Boone did not guarantee an immediate call-up and committed to playing it day-by-day based on the performances of Domínguez and Jones.

NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: In addition to overlapping on the report of Domínguez’s position change, Miller provides an update on Carlos Lagrange’s progress transitioning to a bullpen role. Lagrange tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball while striking out seven in his first relief appearance as the bulk guy to follow and opener before giving up a run on three hits and a walk in 2.2 innings his next time out. He had five days of rest in between those relief appearances and the plan now is to reduce the time between outings. The Yankees still believe his long-term future is as a quality big league starter, but the hope this year is that he can reinforce the struggling big league bullpen with his triple-digit heater.