Category: Sports News

Jimmy Herget’s season looks ordinary until you start pulling it apart.

The ERA says middle relief. The whiffs, strike-throwing, pitch shapes, and post-IL work suggest something more useful. That does not make Herget a hidden star. It makes him a strange, practical bullpen arm with enough deception and control to make the Rockies’ deadline question more complicated than it might look.

Herget does not overwhelm hitters with velocity. He creates discomfort by making different pitches come out of the same unusual window and then move into different lanes.

The pitch-tracking data helps explain how it works. From a flat 5-degree arm angle, Herget’s 85.9 mph slider stays tight, with just 1.6 inches of lateral break. His 77.9 mph sweeper comes from the same look but moves much farther across the plate, with 15.6 inches of horizontal break. Against left-handed hitters, the changeup gives him a third direction, fading 9.6 inches to the arm side at 85.3 mph. He has thrown the changeup 17% of the time against lefties and just 1% of the time against righties.

That is the glitch.

Right-handed hitters mostly have to separate the tight slider, bigger sweeper, and sinker from the same low-slot look. Left-handed hitters also have to account for the changeup fading the other way. The result is not overpowering, but it is uncomfortable: the ball starts from a similar visual place and then refuses to behave the same way twice.

That still has value, even if the results have backed up from last year.

Herget is still useful for the Rockies

Herget’s 2025 season was one of the few clean bullpen wins for the Rockies. He appeared in 59 games, threw 83.1 innings, struck out 81 batters, and finished with a 2.48 ERA.

His 2026 season has been harder to read, but it is also more encouraging than the surface line suggests.

The full line is mixed, but hardly broken: 19.1 innings, a 4.19 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, 23 strikeouts, and three walks. His whiff rate is up from 26.9% to 31.2%, his strikeout rate has climbed from 23.3% to 28.0%, and his walk rate has dropped from 7.5% to 6.1%.

For context, MLB pitchers this season have a 22.1% strikeout rate and a 9.1% walk rate.

Usually, that is the kind of underlying improvement that points toward a cleaner season. But Herget’s 4.19 ERA is nearly identical to the league average of 4.18, and his 1.40 WHIP sits above the league average of 1.31.

Herget has not gotten the cleaner season suggested by the whiffs and command because the contact has gotten louder. His hard-hit rate has jumped from 39.1% to 45.3%, and his barrel rate has climbed from 7.3% to 11.3%. In other words, he is missing more bats and walking fewer hitters, but the mistakes have carried more damage.

The run prevention is ordinary. The baserunner prevention is a little messier. The strikeout-to-walk shape is still strong.

Herget’s season looks better under the hood 

Three outings are doing almost all of the earned-run damage. On April 29 against the Reds, May 3 against Atlanta, and May 8 against Philadelphia, Herget combined to allow nine hits, seven earned runs, one walk, five strikeouts, and two home runs over three innings.

Those three appearances account for seven of his nine earned runs and both home runs he has allowed this season.

That is not an argument to erase the bad outings. They happened, and relievers are often judged by the innings they cannot contain.

But this has not been a slow leak. It has been a mostly functional season interrupted by one loud stretch.

Across those three rough outings, Herget still had five strikeouts against one walk, including three strikeouts and nine whiffs on 16 swings on April 29 against Cincinnati.

The problem was contact quality and timing. Will Benson’shomer on April 29 left the bat at 103.1 mph. Eli White singled at 101.7 mph on May 3. Bryson Stott hit a 106.3 mph two-run double on May 8. Justin Crawford tied that same game with his first career homer.

The mix was still creating empty swings. The walk rate was still under control. But when the mistakes got hit, they did not stay harmless. For a reliever, three loud innings can reshape an entire season line.

There is also a transaction-log layer to all of this, and it should be handled carefully.

Herget was activated from a paternity/restricted-list stretch on April 27. His three loudest outings came on April 29, May 3, and May 8. He went on the bereavement list May 9, returned May 12, and then landed on the injured list May 14 with a right shoulder impingement.

That does not explain everything. It should not be treated like a decoder ring. We do not know the private details behind every absence, nor should we need to. A paternity-list stint, a bereavement-list stint, and a shoulder issue are not things to flatten into a baseball excuse.

But they are context.

The baseball line says Herget hit a rough stretch. The transaction log suggests life was happening in full around it.

Still glitching along 

In his first three appearances after returning from the injured list on June 17, Herget looked much more like himself. He threw 3.1 scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one, struck out six, and picked up a save.

This has not looked like a reinvention. It has looked like Herget with the damage turned back down.

On June 17 against the Cubs, he allowed two hits, but none of the three balls in play were hit harder than 83 mph. On June 20 against Pittsburgh, he mixed six sweepers, six sliders, and six sinkers over 1.1 scoreless innings. On June 24 against Boston, he tightened the mix even more, leaned on the slider, and struck out two in an 11-pitch save.

Friday night’s loss in Minnesota technically ended the scoreless post-IL run, but it did not change the read much. In his fourth appearance back, Herget entered the bottom of the 10th with the automatic runner already on second and issued an intentional walk. After Royce Lewis fouled off a sinker, Herget yanked a sweeper for a wild pitch, moving the winning run to third and forcing the infield in. On the next pitch, Lewis reached out and rolled a slider off the plate through the drawn-in infield. The contact was not especially hard — 89.3 mph off the bat with a -12 degree launch angle — but it was enough to end the game. Herget was charged with an unearned run and the loss, but it does not tell us nearly as much as the larger post-IL trend.

The Rockies have a real question 

That is what makes Herget a real deadline question.

He is striking out more hitters, walking fewer, and still getting whiffs. His rough stretch was loud, but also short and concentrated. Since coming back from the injured list, he has been sharp.

On the Rockies, that creates a real roster question: is Herget more valuable to Colorado on the team, or traded off of it?

He is not a pure rental. Herget is making $1.55 million this season, avoided arbitration for 2026, and can be retained through arbitration again in 2027 before reaching free agency. That gives the Rockies some control and some flexibility.

That is why this is not a “trade him just to trade him” situation. The Rockies still need bullpen innings, and they will need functional relief arms again next year. Herget is affordable, flexible, and experienced.

There are reasons to listen, too. Antonio Senzatela is the more obvious bullpen trade piece, and Brennan Bernardino has left-handed supply-and-demand appeal. But Herget may be one of Colorado’s better practical relief pieces beyond that group: a weird right-hander with strikes, whiffs, role flexibility, and another year of arbitration control.

If the market sees a 4.19 ERA and a useful middle-relief depth arm, the Rockies may be better off keeping him. If another team sees the 31.2% whiff rate, 28.0% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate, concentrated three-outing damage, sharper post-IL return, and extra year of control, the conversation gets more interesting.

Herget is useful enough to trade, but also useful enough not to give away.

For now, the better read is simpler. Jimmy Herget had a loud, messy stretch in the middle of an interrupted season. Outside of that stretch, he has looked much closer to the pitcher who gave the Rockies real value a year ago.

Do not adjust your screens.

The Human Glitch is still working.

On the Farm

Triple-A: Salt Lake Bees 6, Albuquerque Isotopes 0

The Salt Lake Bees improved to 41-37, while the Albuquerque Isotopes dropped to 41-38 after being shut out 6-0 at Isotopes Park.

Ryan Miller opened with 2.0 scoreless innings before exiting, and Eiberson Castellano kept Albuquerque in it for a while before the game got away from him. Salt Lake broke through for five runs in the seventh, helped by a throwing error from Richie Martin Jr., and Castellano finished with 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K in the loss.

The Isotopes managed just three hits, went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, and left six on base. Conner Capel had two hits, Adael Amador added a single, Jordan Beck went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, and Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Albuquerque turned three double plays, but the offense never found a way back into the game.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 4, Portland Sea Dogs 3

The Hartford Yard Goats improved to 41-31 with a late 4-3 comeback win over the Portland Sea Dogs, who fell to 37-35.

Hartford trailed 3-1 after Portland built its offense around a pair of solo homers, but the Yard Goats answered with two runs in the seventh and the go-ahead run in the eighth. Zach Kokoska delivered the key hit, a two-run single in the seventh to tie the game. Kokoska finished 2-for-2 with a double, a walk and 2 RBI, pushing his season line to .290 with a .932 OPS and 30 RBI.

Dyan Jorge helped set up the winner in the eighth, singling, moving to second on an error, advancing to third on a wild pitch, and scoring on an Andy Perez sacrifice fly. Jorge went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Perez added his 28th RBI of the season.

Connor Staine gave Hartford length, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits over 7.0 innings with 4 strikeouts, bringing his ERA to 4.06. Fidel Ulloa was sharp behind him, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts to earn the win and lower his ERA to 2.63.

High-A: Spokane Indians 3, Tri-City Dust Devils 2

The Spokane Indians improved to 32-41 with a 3-2 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils, who fell to 39-34.

Tri-City jumped ahead in the first on a two-run homer from Adrian Placencia, his third of the season, but Spokane chipped away from there. Jacob Hinderleider tripled in the third and later scored, Jacob Humphrey tied the game with his ninth double of the season in the fourth, and Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP) supplied the difference with a solo homer in the sixth, his eighth of the year. Hedges finished 2-for-4 with the homer, while Jack O’Dowd went 2-for-4 and is now hitting .364 with a 1.129 OPS.

Everett Catlett settled in after the early damage, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits over 7.0 innings with 6 strikeouts, improving to 5-4 with a 4.63 ERA. Hunter Mann handled the final two innings, allowing just one hit with 2 strikeouts to earn his third save and bring his ERA to 4.99. Spokane went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, but the pitching staff held Tri-City scoreless after the first inning.

Single-A: Fresno Grizzlies 10, Lake Elsinore Storm 4

The Fresno Grizzlies improved to 40-33 with a 10-4 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm, who fell to 40-33.

Fresno built an early lead and kept adding on, scoring twice in the second, twice in the fourth, twice in the sixth, three times in the seventh and once more in the ninth. Kyle Fossum led the way, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, 2 RBI and a hit-by-pitch, raising his season line to .285 with an .868 OPS. Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) also had a big night, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored, while Jesus Freitez went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI.

Tanner Thach opened the scoring with his 22nd double of the season and finished 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored, pushing his OPS to .959. Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) added his seventh triple of the year, and Carlos Renzullo drove in a run while adding his sixth stolen base.

Ethan Cole gave Fresno a strong start, allowing just 1 unearned run on 2 hits over 6.0 innings with 4 strikeouts, improving to 4-5 with a 5.45 ERA. Manuel Olivares allowed three runs over the final three innings but still earned his third save. Fresno finished with 13 hits and went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

Weekly Pebble Report: Ethan Hedges got the hard part out of the way | purplerow.com

In this week’s Weekly Pebble Report, Eli Whitney checks in on Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP), Colorado’s 2025 third-round pick who has turned last year’s rough Spokane introduction into something useful. Hedges is still settling into his first full pro season, but the early lesson is encouraging: he already met the slump, learned from it, and looks more like the polished USC bat the Rockies drafted. The report also runs through a busy week across the system, including big performances from Nic Kent, Conner Capel, Jack O’Dowd, Tanner Thach, and more.

Colorado’s Fireballing Phenom Will be Regular in Rockies Rotation Soon | SI.com

Ryan Boman at Sports Illustrated looks at Brody Brecht’s (No. 3 PuRP) path toward becoming a real part of the Rockies’ rotation picture. Brecht is still more upside than finished product, but the early shape is easy to see: premium velocity, big strikeout totals, and enough starter intrigue to make his command the developmental question that matters most. If the control keeps moving forward, could Colorado have one of its more fascinating young arms pushing toward Denver in 2027?

Our experts tag-team the latest mock draft from the Combine | MLB.com

MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Brendan Samson take their latest run through the 2026 mock draft, and the Rockies land on a familiar draft lane at No. 10: a college outfielder. This time it is LSU’s Derek Curiel, with Callis noting that Colorado appears to be looking strongly at college hitters.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks! 

Today’s Reflections

After Dansby Swanson’s four RBI in Wednesday nightcap of the double-header with the Mets, PCA’s RBI double in the 10th inning gave the Cubs a 4-3 win and a four-game sweep of the Mets. Yes, it was the Mets. But this was much needed momentum going into the Brewers’ series.

A lot writers have been writing about Swanson’s historic double-header and the week he’s had. This speaks for itself:

Keep it up, Dansby.

There have been several articles written on BCB by our writers, so, along with the articles below, there’s not much for me to add. Good move with a potential innings eater in front the Cubs’ defense.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Stories from Thursday’s game:

• Bill Ladson (MLB.com): PCA’s late heroics cap Cubs’ 4-game sweep. “Pete Crow-Armstrong haunted the Mets once again.”

• Jerry Beach (Chicago Tribune {$}): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s RBI double in 10th gives Chicago Cubs a 4-game sweep of New York Mets with 4-3 win. “The Cubs, who have won six of seven, went 7-0 against the Mets this season, outscoring them 51-24.”
• Anthony Kerr (Da Windy City): Matthew Boyd looks sharp in his return as Cubs complete season sweep of the Mets. “After several IL stints, the best version of Matthew Boyd may finally be alive at the perfect time for Chicago.

Second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader:

• Jerry Beach (Daily Herald): Dansby Swanson caps monster doubleheader as Cubs sweep Mets. “Dansby Swanson had a go-ahead RBI triple and four RBI to cap a monster doubleheader performance and help the Chicago Cubs sweep the reeling New York Mets with a 10-5 victory Wednesday night.”
• Field Level Media (Deadspin): Dansby Swanson comes up big again as Cubs sweep Mets in doubleheader. “Dansby Swanson had the go-ahead RBI for the second time in a matter of hours Wednesday night.”
• Lou Landers (The Big Lead): Cubs’ Dansby Swanson has insane 48 hours at the plate. “Dansby Swanson put together one of the most productive offensive days you’ll ever see in MLB.”

Trade talk (with a trade):

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs trade for David Peterson, banking on the lefty’s upside to boost a rotation decimated by injuries. “Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer had spent the last six weeks in discussions with the New York Mets about left-hander David Peterson.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Adding David Peterson is first step as Jed Hoyer tries to solve Cubs’ pitching woes. “The Cubs brought in Peterson on Thursday to help their ailing rotation and believe he could succeed with their defense behind him. But it’s just the start of the front office’s attempt to deal with a torrent of pitching injuries.”

• Anthony Kerr (Da Windy City): Chicago Cubs may have found the perfect fit in David Peterson. “The left-hander’s ground-ball profile could become even more valuable behind Chicago’s dramatically improved infield defense.”
• Max Ralph (MLB.com): Cubs bring back veteran lefty Pomeranz on Minor League deal. “This is the second straight year the Cubs have acquired Pomeranz in an under-the-radar move.”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs best trade target might be $56M Marlins righty, not Tarik Skubal. “This team needs another starter this summer by the August 3 trade deadline.”
• Sean Sears (Chicago Cubs On SI): 3 More Bounce-Back Trade Targets for the Cubs After the David Peterson Trade. “The Cubs may need to look at reclamation projects to solve their pitching needs.”

Assorted stories:

• Steve Adams (MLBTradeRumors.com): Ben Brown Diagnosed With Stress Reaction In Neck; Cubs Continuing To Seek Rotation Help. “When the Cubs placed righty Ben Brown on the 15-day injured list earlier this week, the injury was initially announced as a “neck strain.”
• Phil Maton’s also on the IL (Bluesky link):

• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports.com): Dansby Swansons June Hot Streak Could Turn His 2026 Season Around. “Dansby Swanson had been dealing with a rough start to the season, and many fans had become frustrated with him. However, recently, he has caught fire and has looked like the best version of himself.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong Plays Hero Once Again, Even as the All-Star Voting Snubs Him. “PCA is a star. A total star. A complete star. But not an All-Star.”
• Michael Canter (Cubs Insider): The Rundown: Streaky Cubs Running Into Milwaukee Gauntlet, Hoyer Searching High & Low for Pitching. “Did Joe Maddon have anything about living nine lives in his book of idioms? “Never let the pressure exceed the pleasure” is probably pretty close. “You have to have a little crazy to be successful” also works.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs’ Pedro Ramirez plays through sadness, worry as countrymen deal with aftermath of Venezuela earthquakes. “The 22-year-old infielder played the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader after learning of devastating earthquakes in his home country and communicating with his family to see if they were OK.”
• Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Josiah Hartshorn Could Be the Best Prospect in the Chicago Cubs Pipeline. “You’re supposed to struggle when you play at a higher level than is typical for your age. You’re supposed to have a harder time when you move up to a new, harder level. Don’t tell Josiah Hartshorn any of that.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs find emergency rotation help from former Phillies gamble. “They had to do something.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Hoby Milner, Provider Extraordinaire of Volume and Stability for Cubs Bullpen. “Hoby Milner had a strong start to the year but some concerning underlying trends. Now clear of the chaos, he’s settled right back into the pitcher the Cubs hoped he’d be.”

Food For Thought:

Slow Blow Fuse is a Dutch contemporary and rock-influenced “power-blues” band formed in 1999. Known for a hypnotic, groove-driven style, their music blends traditional blues with rock and soul, drawing inspiration from artists like Muddy Waters and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The band is best known for their raw, high-energy live shows. Their influences include legendary figures like Muddy Waters and Albert Collins, as well as modern acts such as The Fabulous Thunderbirds and The Hoax.

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.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

It’s nice to be back home, isn’t it? The Orioles returned from their nine-game trek to the West Coast — their longest road trip in two years — with a solid victory against the Nationals on Pride Night to begin a six-game homestand. While one win over a reeling Nats team doesn’t erase the ugly way that the Birds’ road trip ended, it’s something the Orioles desperately needed. Check out Andrea SK’s recap of the Orioles’ 3-1 win.

That’s not to say the Birds played a mistake-free game. They simply don’t do that. The loss featured yet another baserunning blunder, with Blaze Alexander inexplicably getting thrown out at third base for the final out of the fourth inning just before Jackson Holliday crossed the plate, denying the O’s a run. It’s the second time this month that Alexander has made that exact baserunning mistake to wipe a run off the board, which suggests that the Orioles didn’t properly address the issue the first time. It’s this kind of constant foolishness, even in an O’s victory, that makes fans skeptical that the Orioles can go on any kind of an extended hot streak.

But there was plenty to like about last night, too. Firstly, there aren’t any Orioles players who got themselves into hot water on Pride Night like some Giants pitchers did recently, so that’s a plus. And as for on-field performance, Trevor Rogers delivered one of his most dominant outings of the year, notching a season-high eight strikeouts. If Rogers is back to being a capable pitcher, we’re almost at the point where O’s fans can feel reasonably confident in four of the club’s five starters, and a rehabbing Dean Kremer is on the horizon to fill that fifth spot soon. It was also nice to see the Orioles’ bullpen rebound from their ugly road trip by tossing 2.2 perfect innings last night.

The Orioles are still just 1.5 games out of the final wild card slot, and there are the pieces on this roster for a potential contending team. I’m going to need to see a lot more than this before I believe they’ve got any real shot at October baseball, but a homestand-opening win is a nice start.

Links

Rogers holds down Nationals and bullpen finishes 3-1 win (updated) – School of Roch

Besides Rogers, one of last night’s stars was Coby Mayo, who had his first career two-double game. Coby really needs to decide whether he’s a good player or a lousy one, because his constant back-and-forth is confusing me.

Orioles should not trade Adley Rutschman | MAILBAG – Rich Dubroff

I probably wouldn’t consider trading Adley during the season. But this offseason, all bets are off.

Kremer, Povich make 2nd rehab starts as O’s rotation reinforcements near return – MLB.com

Swapping in Kremer for Trey Gibson will be a nice upgrade for the Orioles’ starting staff. But I don’t really see any rotation spot available for Povich, at least until the next inevitable O’s injury.

Samuel Basallo is showing ‘daily growth,’ and the Orioles will benefit from it – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Basallo is already the Orioles’ most impressive hitter, and you’re telling me he’s only going to get better? Maybe the O’s can have nice things after all.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Six former Orioles were born on June 27, including righty Jim Johnson (43), infielders Óscar Salazar (48) and Jackie Gutiérrez (66), outfielders Jeff Conine (60) and Nelson Simmons (63), and the late right-hander Lou Kretlow (b. 1921, d. 2007), a member of the inaugural 1954 Orioles.

On this date in 1964, the Orioles’ Boog Powell single-handedly defeated the Washington Senators, blasting three solo home runs to provide all the O’s offense in a 3-1 win. Boog went deep off Senators starter Jim Hannan in both the first and fourth innings, then added an insurance run in the ninth with a blast against reliever Ron Kline.

In 1967, the Birds’ Frank Robinson was injured in a second-base collision with Al Weis of the White Sox, causing him to miss 28 games with double vision. The injury perhaps cost Robinson a chance at a second straight Triple Crown season, as he was hitting .337 with 21 homers and 59 RBIs before the injury but batted .282 with nine dingers and 35 RBIs afterward.

And in 2022, the Orioles hit back-to-back homers in back-to-back innings for the first time in their history, all against rookie Mariners starter George Kirby. Fellow rookie Adley Rutschman went back-to-back with Ryan Mountcastle in the top of the third, and Anthony Santander and Austin Hays followed suit in the fourth. The home run barrage powered the O’s to a 9-2 win.

Aaron Boone didn’t have the same outburst as Willson Contreras, but he didn’t shy away from calling out the Red Sox first baseman for his reaction to an inside pitch that led to the benches clearing Friday night.

“I think that’s what he does a lot,’’ Boone said of Contreras’ reaction after the 6-1 Yankees’ loss, their second straight to begin this four-game set at Fenway Park. “His arms hang over the plate, so I don’t know where we’re supposed to go. I think there’s probably a method to what he’s doing, probably wants that. Obviously, nothing’s going on. We probably needed to do a better job of getting the ball in on him tonight and didn’t. The warnings and the barking seemed kind of ridiculous.” 

The throwback moment to the heated days of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry happened in the top of the fifth inning with the Red Sox leading, 4-0.

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Contreras had already tagged Warren for an RBI single and a solo homer when Warren fired a 1-0 pitch high and inside, before a 3-2 pitch again came close to Contreras.

The Red Sox first baseman flipped his bat and then began jawing at Warren, who said he responded, and the benches eventually cleared.

No punches were thrown nor were any players ejected.

Contreras downplayed the event, saying it’s “part of the game,” but the Yankees’ starting pitcher indicated some frustration, saying “no comment” when asked if he was surprised to hear remarks from Contreras.

“I’m making a pitch, being competitive,’’ Warren said. “He said something, so I said something back. I’m just trying to make a pitch.”

He added: “I’m trying to get in the zone, he’s playing games in the box.”

Both teams received a warning from home plate umpire Tyler Jones, with Boone unsure if the benches meant that a warning had to be issued.

Either way, he indicated he clearly disagreed with the ruling.

“I don’t know if it’s automatic, I kind of understand. I don’t know, 2026,” Boone said with a laugh. “I mean, honestly. Geez.”

Boone eventually shut down the line of questioning about Contreras when asked for a third time.

“I think we all see how ridiculous it was,” a then-testy Boone said, “let’s just leave it alone. Seriously.”

The Yankees have not played well to start this four-game set in Boston, losing the first two games against southpaws before facing a third straight Red Sox lefty Saturday afternoon in Jake Bennett.

Gerrit Cole looks to rebound after a bad start last time out against Detroit.

When it comes to stolen bases, José Caballero ranks among the best in the business. In each of the past two seasons, the speedy shortstop/utilityman led the American League in steals, with 44 with Tampa Bay in 2024 and 49 between the Rays and Yankees last season. He accomplished this feat despite playing in only 265 games across the two seasons (roughly 80 percent of the available games).

To start this season, Caballero played the role of “elite basestealer” perfectly, successfully advancing on his first ten stolen base attempts to start the season. In the third inning on April 24th, however, Cabby was thrown out trying to steal third after successfully stealing second; since that play, he’s been downright bad, having been thrown out eight times in his last 15 attempts.

Now, the fact that Caballero is getting thrown out isn’t all that unusual. While he is fast, he lacks the overwhelming speed of players like Bobby Witt Jr. and Jorge Matteo, as his 28.3 ft/sec sprint speed ranks 105th in the league (the 76th percentile). Between that and his aggressiveness on the basepaths, he typically finds himself near the top of the caught stealing leaderboards. His 16 failed attempts in 2024 topped baseball (tied with Elly De La Cruz, who led baseball with 67 stolen bases), and his 11 failed attempts last year trailed only Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson.

What is strange this time around, though, is how streaky Cabby has been. After his first 10 successful attempts, he was nabbed in four of his next five attempts. Since then, he’s pretty much gone one-for-one, never going more than two successes or two failures in a row. For someone whose career stolen base percentage heading into the season was almost 80 percent, this seemed a little unusual, so I dove into the MLB Film Room to look at each of Caballero’s recent stolen base attempts. From this, I was able to categorize Caballero’s failed stolen base attempts.

Twice this season, Cabby successfully beat the throw, only to overslide the bag and get tagged out after he came off.

Caballero tends to slide to the center field side of the second base bag, as it increases the distance the ball needs to travel by a foot or two, and thus makes it more difficult for him to be thrown out. The flip side of this, though, is that only friction from the ground is slowing him down; if he starts his slide too late, or the dirt is particularly slick, his momentum will carry him past the bag, because let’s be honest, one hand covered in an oven mitt will not be able to latch onto a flat slab all that easily.

Unfortunately, this is going to happen. Elite base stealers do this to varying degrees. See, for example, this stolen base by Jazz Chisholm Jr. from back in April:

Even though Chisholm goes more directly at the bag than Caballero does – perhaps the result of his slightly faster sprint speed (28.5 ft/sec) – he still leans to the center field side of second base. Maybe Cabby could find a little bit more success if he does this more often, but at this point, if that extra few feet on the throw makes up for a handful of overslid bags during the season, you’ll take it.

Four attempts, meanwhile, required perfect throws from the catcher, and in three of them, for the play to be challenged by the defense. Two of them, furthermore, were in the same game, on April 25th against the Astros.

About these four, there’s not much that I can say with the footage we have. Maybe he got a bad jump? At this point, I wouldn’t know. All I can say is, sometimes, the defense makes a great play, and you tip your cap to them.

There is, in truth, only one play here that I am overly concerned about, and it’s this one:

The MLB Film Room labels it “Nick Martinez Pitchout to Ryan McMahon.” It’s not a traditional pitchout, which typically sees the ball thrown in the opposing batter’s box and the catcher jumping out to get clear of potential obstruction from the batter. But it is clear that the Rays knew Caballero was going to be running on the play. The catcher starts in a position to pop up and is moving well before the ball reaches home plate. Now the Yankees did acquire Caballero from the Rays, so they’re certainly familiar with his thinking, but honestly, I find Cabby predictable at times – and if I can find him predictable, I’m sure other teams can, too. This is, of course, anecdotal evidence, and I don’t like to make conclusions off anecdotal evidence, but in the absence of an easy way to reliably look at teams’ scouting reports, there’s not much else to do.

But is Caballero’s possible predictability a reason for concern? Honestly, not really. Of these seven times he was caught stealing, he was successful but fell off the bag twice, and was close enough three other times that, had the other team been out of challenges, he would have notched a stolen base. Based on what we can tell from our living rooms, it seems to me that Cabby is primarily a victim of sequencing: had all seven of his failed attempts been scattered among all 18 of his successful attempts, rather than bunched up within the last eight, then this wouldn’t be a story.

Yesterday was quite the bust day, wasn’t it? Lots of news, lots of great baseball being played. It was a great day for baseball. Right?

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Sam Fuld is going to be at the forefront of the Phillies in some capacity or another. The TV deal is likely his biggest piece of business ($).
• You won’t believe one of the names Jon Heyman mentions in this piece as a possible trade target for the Phillies.

MLB news:

• The biggest news of the day is the Mets doing away with Carlos Mendoza as their manager, hiring Andy Green on an interim basis.
• The Angels tried to one up them by firing their general manager and hiring an old one from the Cardinals on a consulting basis.
• The Player’s Association offered up a proposal to ban player prop bets to help with threats against the players.

The Detroit Tigers evened up their four-game home series with the Houston Astros on Friday night with an 8-0 blowout victory over the visitors. Keider Montero tossed seven innings of shutout ball and the offense rallied behind home runs by Kerry Carpenter and Colt Keith.

Climbing the mound for the Motor City Kitties on Saturday afternoon looking to take the series lead is left-hander Framber Valdez, who has had a strong June after a rough May. The 32-year-old has allowed just one run in three of his four starts this month and posted a 2.45 ERA and a 4.01 FIP over that stretch with two wins and a loss to show for.

One of those gems he threw came against the Astros the last time he saw them, surrendering an unearned run on six hits and three walks while striking out six in a no-decision at Daikin Park that Detroit ultimately lost, 4-2.

For Houston, right-hander Kai-Wei Teng will make his 10th start of the season as he comes off his second-best outing so far. The 27-year-old held the Cleveland Guardians to just one run over six innings of work on four hits and a walk while striking out four to earn his fourth win in a 4-2 final at home.

However, his prior start against the Tigers was not a pretty one. The native of Taiwan coughed up five runs on six hits (three home runs) and three walks while striking out a whopping nine — and hitting a pair of batters — to earn his sixth loss in a 9-3 final in Houston.

Here is a look at how the two match up on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Detroit Tigers (35-47) vs. Houston Astros (40-44)

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

Game 83: LHP Framber Valdez (4-5, 3.91 ERA) vs. RHP Kai-Wei Teng (4-6, 4.03 ERA)

VALDEZ

TENG

Toledo Mud Hens 13, Worcester Red Sox 1 (box)

The Hens continue to beat up on the Red Sox, thumping them for their fourth straight and a series vicotry on Friday night. Carl Edwards Jr. handled a bulk role with ease, and the big bats did damage in this one.

Max Anderson sparked a two-out rally in the top of the first with an opposite field double. Eduardo Valencia singled him in, and Gage Workman and Corey Julks followed with a single and a walk, loading the bases for Jace Jung. Jung unloaded them with a grand slam to right center field.

Brenan Hanifee was the opener, and he allowed a run in the first. Edwards then dealt five innings of socreless ball, allowing just two hits and a walk.

Valencia cracked a solo shot in the third for his 13th on the year. In the top of the fifth, Max Clark singled and then stole second base. A wild pitch got him to third, and after Anderson walked, Valencia plated Clark with a sacrifice fly. Workman doubled in Anderson, and it was 8-1 Hens.

Matt Seelinger spun two good innings out of the pen, while Tanner Rainey closed it out.

The Hens tacked on five more runs in the top of the eighth to complete the rout. Two-out walks to Andrew Navigato and then Clark set the stage, and Trei Cruz singled in Navigato. Anderson singled in Clark, and Valencia crushed a three-run shot to left center field to make it 13-1.

Valencia: 4-4, 3 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR

Anderson: 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B, BB

Clark: 1-4, 2 R, BB, SB

Edwards Jr. (W, 3-6): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 4:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday as the Hens push toward a sweep.

Erie SeaWolves 6, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 0 (box)

Kenny Serwa was sharp, and Andrew Jenkins landed the big blow in this one as the SeaWolves bullied the Ponies on Friday.

The SeaWolves also stole six bases in this one, three of them by Peyton Graham, who now has a hilarious 42 stolen bases on the year. Right from the jump, Seth Stphenson walked and Graham singled. Graham stole second, and a balk scored Stephenson. A ground out from Thayron Liranzo brought in Graham for a 2-0 lead.

In the second, Max Burt led off with a walk and stole second base. He eventually scored on a ground out to make it 3-0 SeaWolves.

Serwa had it from there. The right-hander walked three over 5.2 innings of work, but Binghamton couldn’t square him up, notching just two hits while striking out four times.

Yoniel Curet and Tanner Kohlhepp took over from Serwa and were solid, with Kohlhepp earning his fourth save. Andrew Jenkins bashed a three-run shot in the eighth off former Tigers’ relief prospect Max Green to end Binghamton’s hopes of a comeback.

Graham: 2-3, R, BB, 4 SB

Stephenson: 1-3, R, BB, SB, CS

Jenkins: 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR

Serwa (W, 3-6): 5.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start in Erie on Saturday with the SeaWolves up 3-1 in the series.

West Michigan Whitecaps at Dayton Dragons (postponed)

They’ll look to play two in Dayton on Saturday, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET after they were rained out on Friday.

Daytona Tortugas 5, Lakeland Flying Tigers 3 (box)

Cale Wetwiska got a nice rehab outing in on Friday, but with Edian Espinal and Jordan Yost getting a day off, the offense didn’t quite have the juice to overcome a messy fourth inning.

Wetwiska is still building up his innings, but he gave the Flying Tigers 2.1 scoreless frames in this one. He only punched out one, but he looked at full strength and came out firing 97 mph repeatedly in the first inning.

The Flying Tigers opened the scoring when Jude Warwick and Beau Ankeney singled with Jesus Pinto already on first. He scored on Ankeney’s knock for a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, Antonio Florida walked three of the first four hitters in the bottom of the fourth. A Jude Warwick throwing error at shortstop prolonged the inning, and the Tortugas put up four runs to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

In the top of the sixth, the Flying Tigers did make a little push. Ankeney singled with one out, and after Carson Rucker struck out, Zach MacDonald walked, and a swinging bunt from Nick Dumesnil was thrown away by the Tortugas catcher, scoring two runs to make it 4-3 Daytona.

That was as close as they’d get, as Pedro Garcia allowed a solo shot in the eighth.

Ankeney: 2-4, R, RBI, K

Dumesnil: 2-4, RBI, K

Warwick: 2-5, 2 K, SB

Wetwiska: 2.1 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, K

Coming Up Next: Daytona leads 3-1 in the series. It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Saturday night.

FCL Blue Jays 5, FCL Tigers 4 (box)

The Tigers struck first with three runs in the first, as Steven Madero had a sacrifice fly and then Jose Dickson came through with a two-run double. Unfortunately, Paul Wilson leaked two runs in the second inning. Martin Tamara singled in Josue Quinonez in the third to make it a 4-2 Tigers lead, but they couldn’t tack on more runs.

Ryan Hall fired 1.2 innings of scoreless ball as he builds up after spending the first half on the injured list. Frenny Grant allowed three runs in the bottom of the seventh as the Blue Jays walked this one off.

Dickson: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2B, BB, K

Madero: 1-2, RBI, BB

Wilson: 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Hall: 1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K