PITTSBURGH –– With plastic cups full of sparkling wine raised in the air around him, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts led a toast to Freddie Freeman in the visiting clubhouse at PNC Park on Tuesday night.

First, Roberts congratulated the team’s star first baseman on reaching 2,500 career hits –– the latest distinguished milestone in Freeman’s future Hall of Fame career.

Then, as Freeman later recounted with a laugh during his postgame address with reporters, Roberts turned to the 36-year-old veteran and took a peek down the road.

“You’d better get 500 more,” Roberts joked.

“That’s a challenge, a tall order,” the skipper later added. “But I’m not gonna bet against him.”

Entering this season, that had been Freeman’s plan following a rejuvenating and fully healthy winter: Play three more years. Retire at the age of 40. And, injury- and performance-permitting, join MLB’s exclusive 3,000 career hits club at some point along the way.

He knew it wasn’t a certainty. As he joked this spring, “Father Time is going to catch up.”

What he didn’t expect, however, was for his latest foray into fatherhood to so quickly change his perspective first.

“I would love to get to 3,000 hits. I would love to. I’m not going to deny that,” Freeman said Tuesday night. “But do I know if I’m going to get there? I don’t know.”

Indeed, while 3,000 hits remains a goal for Freeman –– who would be just the 34th player all-time to accomplish the feat –– the journey still required to get there has raised newly conflicting feelings for the nine-time All-Star and former National League MVP.

In April, Freeman and his wife Chelsea welcomed their fourth child and first daughter London Rosemary Joy into the world. In a family of all sons previously, having a baby girl in the house was like stepping into a whole new world for Freeman himself, too.

“We just stare at her all day,” he said upon returning from the paternity list two days after London’s birth. “It’s been special the last couple days. We got to take her home last night. So we had one night with her. And I already miss her.”

Over his 17-year career, of course, Freeman has long become accustomed to the trade-offs of being both a dad and a big-league ballplayer; to all the little moments that get missed, and all the FaceTime calls that only compensate for so much, amid long seasons spent largely at the ballpark or on the road.

Still, this year, the toll of it all has impacted Freeman more than he expected.

“It’s just hard when you’re seeing her growing up on the phone,” he told The California Post later Tuesday night, in a quiet moment of reflection from his locker after the plastic cups had been put away and the bottles of celebratory champagne re-corked. “She’s already moved up to bigger diapers, and I didn’t really get to see it. So that’s the hard part … It weighs on my heart.”

Freeman first noted such emotional complexities in an interview with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal last month.

Unlike with his three sons, who have become fixtures around Dodger Stadium during the slugger’s five-year tenure with the club, he pointed out then how his daughter won’t be old enough to remember his playing days, even if he hangs on until his 40th birthday.

“I’m missing things for something she’ll never know,” he said. “She’s not going to know I missed these things either.”

With each passing week and each new road trip, he reiterated on Tuesday night, that feeling has gnawed at him even more.

“If you would have asked me three days ago, I’d have said, ‘Oh, I’ve got three more years,’ because I had just been home and taking the kids to school,” he said. “But if you ask me [at the end of this trip] against the White Sox on Sunday, after five days on the road, I’d be like, ‘Next year is good.’”

That doesn’t mean the pull of 3,000 hits has gone away.

On Tuesday, when he eclipsed the 2,500 mark with an RBI single in the Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he relished the reception he got from teammates and coaches in the clubhouse, and let his mind wander to what another 500 knocks would mean.

“The next one,” he said, “is the big one.”

The closer he gets, though, the more difficult the pursuit will become.

“When you get up there [in career hits], everyone is talking about it,” he said. “And I get it. I get how special it is, I do. But if that’s the only reason I’m still trying to play and leaving my family every other week, to go get a round number, is that really gonna change how people view it?”

Some of this might wind up being out of Freeman’s control.

There’s the threat of a lockout next season, which would likely dash his 3,000-hit dreams if much (or, in a worst-case scenario, all) of the 2027 schedule is wiped out by a work stoppage.

“I’m not gonna be 41 [and still] playing,” he quipped.

There’s also his uncertain long-term contract situation, with the Orange County native –– who has repeatedly stated his desire to retire with his hometown Dodgers –– set to become a free agent at the end of 2027.

“I’m not gonna go play with another team just to chase a round number,” he said.

That’s why, for now, Freeman is simply grateful to still be playing at a high level, to still be competing for World Series titles with a dynasty Dodgers club, and to still be experiencing other milestone moments like Tuesday’s.

“There’s always another goal to get to,” he said. “But to step back and realize how long you have to play, the consistency over that –– to play at a high level over many, many years –– to get there, it does mean a lot.”

As for where it leaves his pursuit of 3,000 hits?

“I’ve been blessed to play a long time, so if it didn’t happen, I would be OK with it,” he said. “I never played for individual numbers to begin with. So if I’m all of a sudden chasing individual numbers, then I’ve lost what baseball means to me. And baseball has meant everything to me. I’ve already accomplished a lot. So if I’m doing it for individual things, then I think I’ve lost what I set out to do this for.”

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Really hoping to salvage this one

With the Phillies finally on track and playing better baseball, it seems clear the fanbase won’t have to endure an All Star Game as dreary as the last one played in Philadelphia.

In 1996, Veterans Stadium was on the verge of falling down. Stray cats ruled the concourses. The scent or urine hung high in the air. All the bunting in the world couldn’t make the dark, cavernous Vet look like it deserved to host the sport’s premier mid-summer event. 

Even worse, the ‘96 Phils were flat-out awful. By June 18, they had fallen into last place in the NL East and never emerged from the basement. They were 37-49 at the break, 16 ½ games out of first place, and would eventually fall 29 games out with 95 losses.

They had one All Star named to the team, closer Ricky Bottalico. 

This time around, the country will be celebrating its 250th birthday, with the stars of MLB centered in the cradle of Liberty. It’s only fitting that the Phillies be well represented at Citizens Bank Park next month.

As of now, there are six Phillies who can make strong cases for a spot on the team – Christopher Sanchez, Kyle Schwarber, Jhoan Duran, Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler and Brandon Marsh.

The problem with saying “Brandon Marsh should be an All-Star” is that, yes, in a vacuum, Marsh is having an All-Star season. There’s no two ways around it. 

By virtually every metric, Marsh’s career year should land him on the NL roster for the Midsummer Classic. But as history has taught us, deserving players get left off of All Star rosters every year.

It’s a numbers game. Each roster will consist of 32 players, 20 position players and 12 pitchers. 

The mandate remains that every one of the 16 teams have at least one representative. There also needs to be a certain number of players at each position to give managers some flexibility. You can’t have 10 outfielders and one first baseman. 

The fans will also have their say. Fans get to vote on who the position player starters will be. This is a wonderfully American and democratic thing, but it sometimes allows players who are having lesser seasons earn an All Star nod they might not otherwise deserve.

So when considering whether a player has a realistic chance at making the team, one must take these factors into consideration.

Let’s take a look at the six Phillies mentioned above and rank them from most likely to least likely to make the All Star squad.

Cristopher Sanchez – LOCK

In his outing Monday night in Toronto, Sanchez gave up two runs. I mean, this kind of decline is really unacceptable. After a 50 ⅔ inning scoreless streak that ran 5th-longest in MLB history was the most for any left-handed pitcher ever, it’s really galling to see him spiral downward like this, isn’t it?

The only real question is whether Sanchez will be named the starter for the NL All Star team. One would think manager Dave Roberts would give Sanchez the nod, given the game is in Philadelphia. Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski is the leading challenger, they are 1-2 in fWAR (3.8 to 3.2), and while Miz edges Sanchez just a bit in ERA (1.50 to 1.54), Sanchez has thrown 93 ⅓ innings to Misiorowski’s 78. 

There’s still time for this to change, of course, but whether Sanchez starts or not, he’s a lock for selection.

Kyle Schwarber – LOCK

Only Shohei Ohtani has been a more valuable DH in the National League than Schwarber, and Schwarbs is the NL’s home run king at the moment. He leads with 23 bombs. The next closest players are Matt Olson, James Wood and Hunter Goodman, with 17. His .573 slugging percentage also leads the league, and his .932 OPS is second.

Plus, you’d think Roberts would want him around in case something like this were to come up again.

Jhoan Duran – LOCK

After converting each of his first 16 saves this season, Jhoan Duran finally blew one.

Yep, he couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead and allowed the first three hitters to reach via singles, leading to a 3-2 Phils loss.

Yet, Duran’s 16 saves are third-most in the National League and, until last night in Toronto, had not allowed a run in any of those 16 opportunities. His overall 2.08 ERA is 3rd among closers and among qualified relievers, his 40.7% strikeout rate is 2nd. 

There’s not much to overthink here. The thought of the Durantula entrance from the bullpen in the 9th inning of the Midsummer Classic at Citizens Bank Park is already giving folks goosebumps. He’ll be there.

Bryce Harper – LIKELY

Harper’s case is less open and shut, but I think there’s a strong chance he’ll be included.

If you look at fWAR, you’d think Harper was having a very “non-elite” season. He’s currently ranked 9th in fWAR (1.1). Here are the players ahead of him entering Tuesday’s action.

• Sal Stewart (1.3)
• Liam Hicks (1.3)
• Spencer Horwitz (1.3)
• Alec Burleson (1.4)
• Michael Busch (1.5)
• Jake Bauers (1.5)
• Freddie Freeman (1.8)
• Matt Olson (2.3)

There’s no world in which Harper is not making the team because Stewart, Hicks, Horwitz, Burleson, or Busch have higher fWARs. Not happening.

Among NL first basemen, Harper’s 14 homers are 2nd-most (Olson, 17), his 41 runs scored are also 2nd, and his .866 OPS is 3rd. But there is a numbers crunch here.

If the National League only takes three first basemen, there’s a chance Olson, Freeman and Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers could be the three to make the team. Bauers’ .911 OPS and 154 wRC+ are tops among all NL first basemen, his 12 home runs are 3rd-most, and he has six more RBIs than Harper.

Of course, there are still a few weeks until rosters are decided, but while I feel it’s likely Harper would get selected ahead of Bauers, Roberts could decide to select Bauers if he feels Milwaukee needs another representative and the Phils are otherwise well accounted for. But then again, can they really tell Bryce Harper he’s not going to play in an All Star Game being hosted by his hometown Philadelphia?

Brandon Marsh – TOSSUP

There is no doubt Marsh is having an All-Star worthy season. His .333 batting average is tops in baseball, and he’s become one of the game’s most lovable young stars. His power is coming around too, with three home runs in his last four games, pushing his total up to 8 for the season. 

But like with Harper, Marsh could be facing a numbers game and, in this case, fan vote could make it very difficult for him to get in.

Marsh’s fWAR ranks tied for 9th in the NL, but that’s not the big worry. Juan Soto, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Kyle Tucker all have lower WARs. Tucker has barely been better than a league average hitter this year (104 wRC+) and Acuna (126) hasn’t been as productive as Marsh (142). Soto, however, has been a touch better (147). All three of these players are exceedingly popular and could all be voted in despite none of them being in the top-10 in NL WAR among outfielders.

There are also other outfielders having as good, if not better, seasons than Marsh. The Cardinals’ Jordan Walker is having a breakout season, too, leading all outfielders in wRC+ (158). That’s tied with Washington’s young superstar James Wood. He’s definitely making the team. Corbin Carroll is third (154). 

Michael Harris II, Andy Pages, Ian Happ, San Francisco’s Casey Schmitt, and Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong are also extremely strong candidates. 

Much of this will come down to who gets voted onto the team. Marsh has a good chance if one of Acuna, Soto or Tucker is not voted to start, and an even better chance if two of them are not. Generally, seven outfielders make the roster, although there have been as few as six and as many as eight in years past.

We discussed Marsh’s candidacy in depth on the latest Hittin’ Season podcast. Check it out!

Zack Wheeler – TOSSUP

Wheeler got a late jump on the 2026 season, but he’s more than made up for it since re-joining the Phils’ rotation.

Wheeler pitched another gem last night in Toronto, giving up just one run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in six innings, lowering his ERA to 2.22. Among NL pitchers with at least 50 innings, that ranks 5th, and he’s allowed opponents to hit just .181 off him. That’s tied for 3rd in the NL among pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched. He’s been extremely good.

Like Marsh, the issue could come down to numbers. You see, it’s an insane year for starting pitching in the National League.

There are four starters with a better ERA right now: Chase Burns, Sanchez, Misiorowski, and Ohtani. Now, Ohtani is getting in as a DH, so we don’t have to count him among the pitchers Wheeler will contend with. Paul Skenes will make the team. Chris Sale is having another phenomenal year. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski have been incredible for the Dodgers. Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez is having his best season, Milwaukee’s Kyle Harrison is 2nd in the NL in K/9, and even the Mets’ Clay Holmes, with only nine starts this year, has a 2.39 ERA.

If he continues to pitch like he did in Toronto on Tuesday night, he may very well get selected, despite missing the first month of the season.

In short, I think the Phillies will be well represented at this summer’s All Star Game.

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This evening, our MLB player props are rolling with Dominic Canzone, Kyle Schwarber and Kyle Stowers, all in matchups that set up well for production.

Let's take a deep dive into why these guys are catching our eye for the top MLB picks for Wednesday, June 10.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Dominic Canzone	Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI	-121
Kyle Schwarber	Home Run/Double	+193 | +353
Kyle Stowers	Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI	+101

Dominic Canzone Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI (-121)

Calzones for everyone, if this cashes! CALZONES!!!

The very first prop I locked in today was Seattle Mariners designated hitter Dominic Canzone to go over his hits, runs, and RBI prop.

Today marks Canzone's 24th elite rating, and he has surpassed this prop in six of his last 10 elite-rated games, per Batters-Box.

Against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Brandon Young, Canzone's matchup wOBA, ISO, hard-contact rate, and fly-ball rate all see significant boosts. Not to mention, he owns tremendous arsenal coverage against Young's pitch mix.

Recently, Canzone has been all over anything left over the plate. Over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, the 28-year-old is producing nearly 60% hard contact with a 27.3% barrel rate, while posting a 1.324 OPS, .857 SLG, and .428 ISO.

On the other side, Young has been getting crushed by left-handed hitters at home, allowing a 40.6% hard-contact rate, a 26.9% ground-ball rate, and a 55.8% fly-ball rate.

If Canzone gets a hold of one tonight, I think it has a good chance of leaving the yard. I'd sprinkle a little on the home run and would play this prop up to -130.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, SEAM

Kyle Schwarber Home Run (+193) | Double (+353)

We are not paying juice on any of Kyle Schwarber's props today. Skip the nonsense, it's home run or double day.

The Philadelphia Phillies slugger finds himself in a great spot against future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, who takes the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays this evening.

Against Scherzer's pitch mix, Schwarber owns a 70.8% arsenal coverage rate while also carrying an elite rating. Across nearly 250 plate appearances with an elite rating according to Batters-Box, the slugger leaves the yard 28.34% of the time.

Scherzer has allowed plenty of hard contact at home this season, surrendering a 20% barrel rate while sporting an 8.51 xERA. Through 53 left-handed hitters faced, opponents have produced a 14.9% barrel rate and a 76.6% elevation rate. Those lefties also own a .311 xBA, .616 xSLG, and .411 xwOBA against him.

While Schwarber is batting just .240 over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, he continues to square the ball up at an impressive rate, posting 61.5% hard contact. On the season, he owns a 13.51% barrel rate and a 52.94% hard-hit rate against righties.

If we're expecting Schwarber to elevate the baseball in Toronto tonight, let's attack the elevation props and grab the better value.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SN1, NBCSP

Kyle Stowers Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI (+101)

Big day to be a Kyle, as we’re also backing Miami Marlins young buck Kyle Stowers to go over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI at even money.

The 28-year-old checks in with an elite rating on Batters-Box, and he’s been nothing short of consistent in these spots. Across 28 elite-rated games, he has cleared this number 57.14% of the time. He’s also recorded multiple hits in nearly 40% of those contests and has left the yard 21.43% of the time.

The Marlins outfielder gets a matchup against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson, who enters with poor ratings in both matchup ISO and hard contact allowed. Left-handed hitters have given him plenty of trouble this season, posting a nearly 71% elevation rate alongside a .541 expected slugging percentage and .356 xwOBA.

Stowers also has strong arsenal coverage against the fastball-heavy righty. On top of that, he’s seeing the ball extremely well right now, hitting .296 with a .901 OPS and .556 SLG over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching. During that stretch, he’s produced a 56.3% hard-hit rate and a 12.5% barrel rate.

I’d do my best to grab this prop at plus money. Getting an elite-rated hitter at plus money to go over 1.5 HRR feels like a gift.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MIAM, ARID

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Dalton Rushing’s reputation for playing old school baseball added another chapter Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.

The Dodgers rookie catcher was called for interference during the fifth inning of a game against the Pirates after attempting an aggressive takeout slide into shortstop Jared Triolo while trying to break up a double play.

With nobody out and Rushing on first base, Alex Freeland hit a ground ball to the right side that appeared destined to become a double play Rushing veered well away from the bag and crashed into Triolo as the Pirates infielder attempted to complete the turn.

Although Freeland initially beat the throw to first, umpires reviewed the play and ruled Rushing’s slide illegal under Major League Baseball’s “bona fide slide” rule, awarding Pittsburgh the double play.

The play immediately reignited criticism surrounding Rushing, who has already found himself at the center of similar controversies this season.

Back in April, San Francisco infielder Luis Arraez criticized Rushing after a hard slide into Giants shortstop Willy Adames.

“For me, that’s not good baseball. It’s not clean baseball,” Arraez said at the time. “It’s dirty, but for me, this is baseball.”

Still, those who know Rushing insist the 25-year-old is not trying to build a reputation as baseball’s newest villain.

Speaking with The California Post last week, Rushing acknowledged that several viral moments have created an image he doesn’t want attached to his name.

“You never want to be viewed as a guy like that from opposing teams,” Rushing said. “You want guys to hate playing against you because of the player that you are and how great you are on a baseball field. Not because of the verbalized things you say.”

Rushing said he has been trying to better manage the competitive fire that has occasionally landed him in headlines this season.

“I’m gonna continue to compete, I’m gonna continue to play with an edge,” he said. “But obviously we can hone back a little bit on things that can get you in trouble in this media world.”

That competitive edge was evident again Tuesday.

While older generations of baseball fans might view the play as a throwback takeout slide, MLB’s rules changed in 2016 following Chase Utley’s infamous postseason collision with Ruben Tejada.

Under the current standard, runners cannot alter their path to initiate contact with a fielder, making Rushing’s slide an easy call after review.

The timing is notable for the Dodgers.

Starting catcher Will Smith has missed three consecutive games because of neck stiffness, and Los Angeles is reportedly considering a stint on the injured list. If Smith misses additional time, Rushing will see an expanded role behind the plate.

Rushing’s power potential remains intriguing, but as his playing time increases, so does the spotlight. And right now, Rushing is drawing attention for much more than his bat.