Corey Seager, who was just activated off the injured list ten days ago after spending a few weeks on the injured list with back spasms, has not played since Thursday’s series finale in Kansas City. He has been listed as day-to-day since then due to being generally sore and banged up after a collision at home plate with Royals catcher Carter Jensen on Thursday, though, per the beats, the team is now saying he is dealing with “concussion-like” symptoms as a result of the collision.

Here’s the collision between Seager and Jensen, for those of you who are curious:

The magic phrase “concussion-like symptoms” could be an indicator that the Rangers are consider the seven day concussion injured list as an option for Seager. That would mean that Seager would miss the three games against Minnesota this week, but would be eligible to be activated on Friday, when the Rangers start a series against the Padres. If he went on the 10 day injured list, on the other hand, the soonest that he could be activated would be on Monday, when the Rangers start a series in Miami. Under either scenario, he’d have to be played on the injured list today to be eligible to return on those dates, since i.l. moves can only be retroactive for up to three days.

If the Rangers were to place Seager on the injured list, he’d have to be replaced by a position player, since the Rangers are already carrying the maximum 13 pitchers allowed on the 26 man active roster. The only healthy position player on the 40 man roster who is not in the majors currently is Blaine Crim, though Crim, as a righthanded hitting 1B/DH, doesn’t necessarily make for the greatest of fits with the current needs on the active roster.

The more likely option would seem to be Josh Smith, who was placed on the injured list in early May due to a glute strain, then was hospitalized with a case of viral meningitis. Smith started a rehab assignment with Frisco on June 7, playing in both games of a doubleheader for the Roughriders, and continued that assignment by playing in all six of the Round Rock games this past week. Skip Schumaker on Friday said that Smith would need a little more time than usual on his rehab stint due to the fact that he was coming back from a hospitalization for an illness rather than your usual injury, but after three more rehab games, one would think that Smith would be ready to be activated, particularly if Seager needs a trip to the i.l.

Smith may end up activated today even if Seager doesn’t go on the injured list, and at some point, the Rangers will have to decide who will go down, whether upon Smith being activated if Seager doesn’t head to the i.l., or once Seager is activated if there is an injured list trip. The Rangers only have three true outfielders on their active roster currently, in Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo and Alejandro Osuna, though Duran, Cody Freeman and Josh Smith are all infielders who can also play the outfield. Osuna came up with Michael Helman landed on the injured list with a broken hand, and would seem to be the odd man out when Evan Carter returns (hopefully next week), so Osuna could get sent down now, with some combo of Freeman, Duran and Smith handling left field in the meantime.

Alternatively, either Freeman or Nicky Lopez could be squeezed out. Lopez would seem to be superfluous once Smith returns, as a lefthanded hitting utility infielder, but then, Cody Freeman would seem to be superfluous with Duran here. Freeman can be optioned, while Lopez would have to be put on waivers, so sending Freeman down would correspond with the rule of maximizing your roster flexibility and capacity, but on the other hand, Nicky Lopez is Nicky Lopez, so I’m not sure how much that would matter.

The Cubs went 3-3 on their trip to Colorado and San Francisco. That isn’t great, but… it’s an improvement over recent weeks. They stand 7.5 games out of first place in the NL Central, which with 90 games remaining is far from insurmountable. And they are just one game behind the third wild card spot.

None of that is going to happen unless the team starts to hit again.

Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the six games.

Three up

Pete Crow-Armstrong continues his surge

PCA batted .346/.370/.654 (9-for-26) over the six games with three doubles, a triple, a home run, five runs scored and two stolen bases.

He was NL Player of the Week last week — I don’t think that’s quite enough to win the honor again, but PCA is on an 18-game on-base streak in which he is batting .377/.429/.714 (29-for-77) with six doubles, a triple, six home runs, four stolen bases and 14 runs scored. That has raised his OPS from .673 to .806 and, I think, puts him in the All-Star Game conversation.

Here is his first-pitch-of-the-game homer Saturday in San Francisco, his 12th of the year [VIDEO].

He also made another five-star catch [VIDEO].

Javier Assad was dominant again

After his great emergency outing replacing the injured Jameson Taillon a week ago Sunday at Wrigley Field, Assad shut down the Giants for six innings Friday, allowing no runs and three hits.

Assad’s making a strong case to remain in the rotation even when the Cubs’ injured starters return.

Here are his five strikeouts Friday [VIDEO].

Michael Busch’s numbers are quietly on the rise

Busch goes about his business on the field with little fanfare, and so you might not have noticed he had at least one hit in each of the six games on the road trip.

That extended his hitting streak to nine. On the six-game trip he batted .333/.462/.667 (7-for-21) with a double, two home runs, six RBI, four runs scored, four walks and even a stolen base.

That brought his season OPS up to .789. He leads the team with 42 RBI and I would think he’ll start hitting homers soon — he does tend to do that in bunches.

Three down

What is wrong with Dansby Swanson?

Swanson had a decent start to this season but his OPS has dropped below .600, a real danger zone. Over the six games he batted .158/.273/.211 (3-for-19) with eight strikeouts.

He’s still playing solid defense but… that’s not enough. He got a “reset” by sitting the last two home games before the trip, but it did not seem to help.

Same thing for Nico Hoerner

Hoerner got Sunday off after batting .150/.143/.200 (3-for-20) in the other five games on the road trip. He did strike out only once, but after a hot start Nico is batting just .185/.267/.219 over his last 37 games — 165 plate appearances. That’s a large enough sample size to be worrisome.

There are some here who have mentioned the day Nico was hit in the head by a pitch in San Diego, April 29 [VIDEO] as a possible turning point.

He remained in the game and played the next two days before getting a day off.

Up to April 29: .291/.370/.449, four home runs, 26 RBI, 13 walks, 14 strikeouts (31 games, 146 PA)
Since that date: .197/.275/.243, no home runs, eight RBI, 17 walks, seven strikeouts (39 games, 171 PA)

I dunno. Should he have been examined for concussion protocol? Maybe you guys are on to something.

Ian Happ is quietly sliding

Over the six games, Happ batted .136/.231/.409 (3-for-22). He did hit two home runs, one each against the Rockies and Giants, but had just one other hit for the week.

Overall Happ’s numbers are still decent, but the Cubs could use more production there. Or, just about anywhere. Here’s hoping the bats come alive beginning tonight against the Rockies.

As we close in on the 2026 MLB Draft, the focus on who the Atlanta Braves are looking at for the ninth overall pick has come into focus a bit. Names like Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, and Florida prep lefty Gio Rojas seem to be the names most prominently linked to the club. Massachusetts prep lefty Brody Bumila is also a name that has received some buzz. My goal is to start to break down who these players are and their strengths and weaknesses to prepare you for the newest Braves prospect.

Today we start with Tyler Bell – the highest drafted player in 2024 to make it to college. Bell is among the newest names to become prominently linked to the Braves, and that makes him worth diving into his profile.

TYLER BELL 💣

He was a riser in our latest draft rankings update 👀

🎥 @UKBaseball
pic.twitter.com/hGj40tWkjf

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 31, 2026

Bio

Name: Tyler Bell

Position: Shortstop

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 190

College: Kentucky

High School: Lincoln-Way East HS (Frankfort, IL)

Previously Drafted: 2nd round 2024, Rays. #66 overall

Bats/Throws: S/R

Stats

2025: .296/.385/.522, 17 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 11-16 SB, 24 BB, 59 K in 265 PA over 56 games

2025: .316/.409/.474, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2-2 SB, 2 BB, 6 K in 22 PA over 5 games in Cape Cod League

2026: .343/.510/.608, 9 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 10-13 SB, 30 BB, 36 K in 194 PA over 41 games

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Hit 50/55

A switch-hitter, Bell came into Kentucky and had a very strong true freshman season, though he did hit slightly below .300 with a 22.3% strikeout rate. Although he missed time this year following an injury on the opening weekend, he did show real growth there. Bell raised his average by nearly 50 points, walked six more times over 71 less plate appearances, and cut his strikeout rate to 18.6%. It is worth noting that he was solid against right-handers, but he was elite against lefties

His data suggests that he makes his best and most frequent contact in the middle of the plate and having that stretch out to cover both sides of the plate. He can be beaten low, especially around the two sides of the plate. on the positive side he also seems to be able to hit almost any kind of pitch, with changeups being the pitch he struggles the most against – he also had some lower numbers against cutters, but we have a very tiny sample size – but he was still productive against changeups. Velocity isn’t much of an issue for him either, as he had his lowest exit velocities against 94-97 MPH pitches, but did slash .316/.409/.474 and he did record high exit velocities in the tiny sampling against 97+ MPH pitches.

High speed look at a couple swings from SS Tyler Bell (@UKBaseball)… @PG_Drafthttps://t.co/cPGfFbWEDRpic.twitter.com/AsWft6cNSQ

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 25, 2026

Power 50

Bell has solid power production for a middle infielder. After hitting 10 homers as a freshman, he was just one short in 15 fewer games than last year. Still his power projects more average than plus, and he is the kind of hitter who will put the ball into the gaps for doubles and even triples power often.

Bell’s exit velocity data suggests that he actually outperformed his expected power numbers this season. It is worth noting that all nine of his homers came against pitches than were under 91 MPH, though five of his nine doubles came against pitches 91 MPH or above.

A consensus T5 prospect entering the season, Tyler Bell has played through an injury this spring.

Still OPS'ing over 1.100 with a 38% LASwsp and a 17% BB rate, it's one of the most fascinating draft profiles.

Can he still be a first-rounder? Story👇pic.twitter.com/8r4Y4nTf08

— Over-Slot Baseball (@OverSlot_) May 27, 2026

Speed 50

Bell is only an average speed guy, though does make up for that in other ways like a quick first step and good instincts. He should have the speed to be able to handle shortstop defensively, and while he isn’t a guy who will lead the league in stolen bases, he is a guy who will be a threat on the bases when he gets on.

Glove 50/55

Bell is a guy who should be able to stick at shortstop longterm with an average to slightly above glove thanks to his quickness, instincts, and arm. He does also bring some experience at both second and third base, so the fallback option of being a versatile utility guy is on the table for him if he can’t reach his ceiling.

Quick defensive look at #Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell (‘26 elig./Soph.). Well rounded skill set that projects him in the first round of the @PG_Draft. Smooth actions defensively w/ athleticism + the ability to stick up the middle. Simple operation from both sides of the plate.… pic.twitter.com/SzVE5kJyDN

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) June 3, 2026

Arm 55

Bell has a strong arm, which will grade out around above average.

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Overall

Bell is a productive player who plays hard. He gutted through this season with his injured shoulder that he knew would require surgery after his season, so it does seem likely that he won’t make his pro debut until the 2027 season.

It’s important to note that there isn’t anything plus about Bell’s tools, but he is average or slightly better across the board. He reminds me a little of Tate Southisene from last year, with a little more power and a little less speed. The comparison is that these are two hard working kids who know how to hit and run, and while they do have power it isn’t the standout tool. Both players are grinders who will do whatever it takes to win and succeed.

Bell’s realistic ceiling probably gets him to borderline All Star, as he is a guy who could hit .270-280 with 20 homers and good on base ability as a shortstop. If he doesn’t reach his ceiling his floor could be a quality super utility guy that plays everywhere and contributes with the bat.

If the Braves were to draft Bell, I would count on not seeing him in a game until 2027, and potentially in Rome to open the season. I would believe he’d have a chance to reach Atlanta by some point in the 2028 season. He would rank behind prospects like Cam Caminiti, Eric Hartman, and probably Tate Southisene in the Braves system, but could rank as high as #4 upon being drafted.

In my personal opinion I wouldn’t say Bell would be my favorite option at #9, but I also wouldn’t say I dislike him as the potential pick. I would definitely be hoping to see the pick come in a little underslot, with the more under he is, the more I like the pick – though he isn’t likely to be significantly underslot either. He could be the Braves longterm answer at short, and is a player who could move quickly.

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. I trust that this edition of Monday Stat Party will be the biggest New York sports party of the week.

TUESDAY

Jordan Walker hit two batted balls with an exit velocity of 114 mph or higher. Prior to Walker, only one player in the Statcast era (since 2015) had hit multiple balls at 114+ mph against the Mets in a single game: Giancarlo Stanton, who did it on two occasions at Marlins Park (July 23, 2016, and September 18, 2017).

The Mets suffered their seventh shutout loss of the season, tying them with the Cubs, Padres, and Phillies for the second-most in MLB. Only the Giants (8) have more.

WEDNESDSAY

The Cardinals recorded 13 batted balls with an exit velocity of 100 mph or higher, matching the most the Mets have allowed in a game this season (April 15 against the Dodgers). What could make the Cardinals’ feat even more impressive? The day prior, they recorded 9 batted balls with a 100+ mph exit velocity, tied for fifth-most against the Mets this season.

THURSDAY

Juan Soto’s solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning was his second go-ahead hit in the sixth inning or later this season. The other came on April 1, 2026, when he hit…another solo homer against the Cardinals.

The Mets surrendered three homers at a projected distance of 400+ feet for the second consecutive day. It’s the first time they’ve allowed a trio of 400+ foot home runs on back-to-back days since June 19-20, 2018 at Coors Field. Prior to Wedneday night, the Mets hadn’t allowed three 400+ foot homers since August 11, 2024 in Seattle. 

Thursday marked just the eighth game in the expansion era (since 1961) where two teams combined to homer in at least five of the game’s first 14 plate appearances. (source: Sarah Langs / MLB)

Christian Scott generated 13 whiffs, his most in a game this season. 11 of those whiffs came via fastball, tying Freddy Peralta (May 12 against the Tigers) for the most whiffs on a Met’s fastball in a game this season.

FRIDAY

The Mets hit multiple home runs in the first inning for the second time this season, having done so for the first time the day before against the Cardinals.

The Mets hit back-to-back home runs for the first time since Opening Day, when Carson Benge and Francisco Alvarez did it. (source: Apple TV broadcast)

Bo Bichette tallied six RBI, matching his career high set on August 4, 2025 at Coors Field.

Bichette also became the first player to hit two home runs within the first two innings of a game twice in his Mets career, whether in the same season or not. He had previously done so on May 19 at Nationals Park. (source: Sarah Langs / MLB)

The Mets hit two first-inning home runs in a second consecutive game for the first time in franchise history. (source: SNY broadcast)

Devin Williams earned his first four-out save as a Met, and his first save of four outs or more since May 28, 2023.

Cionel Pérez’s 1-2 fastball to Michael Harris II in the top of the fifth inning was clocked at 99.4 mph, marking the fastest pitch thrown by a Met this season. A 99.2-mph fastball thrown by Kodai Senga at Busch Stadium on March 31, 2026 was the team’s previous high.

SATURDAY

Sean Manaea completed six innings for the first time since October 8, 2024, when he went seven against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS.

The Mets scored two runs or fewer through nine innings for the 34th time, giving them the most such games in MLB this season. The 1967 Mets (36) and the 1965 Mets (35) are the only teams in franchise history with more such games through the first 70 games of a season.

SUNDAY

The Mets recorded 13 hits, matching their season-high at Citi Field this season (set on May 12 against the Tigers).

Juan Soto and Brett Baty each recorded two hits and two walks. In MLB this season, they are just the fourth pair of teammates to record multiple hits and multiple walks in the same game. The first to do it were the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe, in a game against the Mets at Citi Field on May 17.

Soto, Baty, and MJ Melendez each drew two walks. It’s the first time the Mets had three different players in their lineup walk multiple times since Carson Benge, Francisco Lindor, and Jorge Polanco did it on Opening Day against the Pirates.

Soto recorded his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, his most in a row since July 10-13, 2024, while with the Yankees.

Baty reached base four times in a game for the first time since August 22, 2025, also against the Braves.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

On May 9, 1973 — the day before the Knicks won the NBA Finals — the Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves at home by a score of 8-1. 

On June 14, 2026 — the day after the Knicks won the NBA Finals — the Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves at home by a score of 8-1.

The Mets have only defeated the Atlanta Braves at home by a score of 8-1 on two other occasions in their 65-year history (June 12, 1970, and July 17, 2005).

The Jays have an off day today, which I’m ok with. After yesterdays loss, I could go for a week of off days. But then, tomorrow I’ll be sitting in front of the TV, ready to get punched in the gut again.

I often say that no one, including umpires, understand the balk rule. Yesterday was a good example.

John Schneider on his ejection:
"I was upset at the balk initially, then upset about some other things. It's not why we lost, but Hoff(man) has a good inside move.. done it quite a bit this year. It's what I was relaying to them (ump crew), and didn't think it was a balk" (1/2)

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) June 15, 2026

So the balk was called because Hoffman did a ‘good inside move’ to make the pick off throw to second. Which he does on occasion. Which isn’t a balk. But, sometimes a good move will surprise an umpire and, occasionally, if something surprises an umpire, he’ll decide it is against the rules.

I’m sure if plate umpire Steven Jaschinski saw it on TV he would have thought nothing of it. But it was in front of him and it surprised him and, if it surprises him, it can’t be legal. Generally, if an umpire calls balk, the other three will also say it, because when a ruling is iffy, it is best you show a united front (and the umpires want to say ‘yeah, I saw it too’ whether they did or not’. Yesterday it was just Jaschinski.

It is the sort of thing, especially with a long argument delaying things further, that can throw a pitcher off. Moving a go ahead runner to third on the whim of an umpire, adds a fair bit of pressure. But Hoffman got a couple of strikeouts and all was good. For a moment.

And then there was this: I rarely buy into the ‘MLB favours the Yankees’ stuff, but the plate umpire let Caballero delay the game for a long time and the plate umpire never seemed to say ‘that’s enough’. Schneider comes out to argue something that was really worth arguing, and he got tossed quick. Of course, he may have said ‘key words’ that get you tossed. But it definitely seemed that Jaschinkis had a lot more patience with Caballero. I shouldn’t have used the word ‘seemed’, he definitely had a lot more patience with Caballero. I do think that umpires have a lot more patience for crap from Yankees’ players or managers.

"Thought maybe put as much attention on that play as they did in the 10 minute conversation with Jose Caballero, who seems to have a problem with the pitch clock. That's when I got a little bit upset. That was it." (2/2)

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) June 15, 2026

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I keep hoping that, with us not having couple of bullpen days, every time through the rotation, that we could ease the strain on the bullpen, but Corbin only went 3.2 innings and Scherzer went 3.1 last Wednesday, so we really aren’t going all that much better than a bullpen days quite often.

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There was a lot to complain about in Yesterday’s game, mostly RISP stuff. But it was nice to see Nathan Lukes get hitting again, after a few lesser games. And George Springer and Kazuma Okamoto seem to have figured out how to make hard contact with the ball again. And Davis Schneider had two hits. After his time in Buffalo, where he seemed to be waiting for pitchers to walk him, I’m happy to see that. One game isn’t a trend, but it doesn’t hurt.

On the flip side, Yohendrick Piñango, Charles McAdoo and Jesús Sánchez all had a rough time with RISP. There are going to be days like that, but they did look like they were over matched.

I’m not really sure that McAdoo is that much of an upgrade on Lenyn Sosa, though it isn’t fair to judge him on 24 PA. I would feel better if he would take the odd walk. I guess he hasn’t shown MLB pitchers that they have to work off the edges yet. Sosa got 87 PA, McAdoo should get a similar number before we write him off.