SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres reacts after giving up a solo home run to JJ Bleday of the Cincinnati Reds during the seventh inning at Petco Park on June 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Michael King has had a perplexing start to the season for the San Diego Padres. The right-hander had a 3.55 ERA heading into a contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium last Friday. That number is not concerning, but the record of 5-7 and the up-and-down nature of his starts has the Friar Faithful wringing their hands.
In his last seven games prior to the start against the Dodgers, King had pitched to a 1-5 record with 5.45 ERA. He pitched 38 innings over the seven starts, allowing 37 hits with 15 walks. King lasted just 3.2 innings and allowed four runs on five hits against the Athletics on May 24 and followed that with a six-inning performance against the Washington Nationals on May 30 where he allowed five runs on five hits. Fans would be excused if they were hoping June would bring about some different results for King, but it was more of the same. He made five starts in June and went 1-3 with a no decision. In all but one of those starts, King allowed three runs or more and he also threw arguably his best game of the season against the Atlanta Braves on June 22 when he did not allow a run on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
That last line of the above paragraph holds the key to solving the consistency problems for King. He did not allow a walk against the Braves. It should be noted King did not allow a walk to the New York Mets on June 5, but he did allow four runs on six hits, two of which were home runs, and the Padres offense was held without a run. In five of the last seven games, King has allowed at least one walk and that came in the game against the Nationals. He allowed four walks to the Athletics, three to the Cincinnati Reds, three to the St. Louis Cardinals and four to the Dodgers. King also hit three batters in those seven games, so it seems apparent that he has to limit if not eliminate the free passes if he is going to have success.
Whether or not King can re-establish his command and limit the walks and hit batters is something only time can tell. He can say he is working on it, but he has to execute in games. San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla can help him work on his control and limiting the walks and hit batters, but again, it will be up to King to execute when he is on the mound and looking to give his team a chance to win a game. King does have a track record of success, which is why Padres fans were happy he re-signed with the team in the offseason, but the confidence in the right-hander seems to be waning and the Friar Faithful are concerned about the rest of the season as we approach the All-Star break.
Brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays walks back to the dugout after he was taken out of the game against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the six inning at Oracle Park on July 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For just the second time in the last week and a half, Yankees fans got to wake up in the morning knowing that their team hadn’t embarrassed them in some grotesque manner the night before. Cam Schlittler was an ace! Ben Rice was an All-Star as well! And of course there was a surprise contributor as well too, with José Caballero delivering a pair of homers despite entering play in an 8-for-50 (.160) slump. They still need to do a little bit more—the three dingers between Caballero and Rice represented their only hits—but every return to form has to start somewhere.
Here’s what else was going on in some of the notable American League action yesterday. Note that since all these teams are classified in “Other Games” for us while the Rays get the most detailed treatment, it’ll be a tidier Rivalry Roundup over the next four days. That’s especially true for this one since the Guardians and Mariners (and White Sox and Rangers) were all off.
Toronto Blue Jays (42-49) 1, San Francisco Giants (38-52) 10: I’ve been pretty persistent about keeping the Jays involved in the Rivalry Roundup all year long since they do remain the defending American League champions and could still well make it to October in an awful AL field. Even now, they’re just 3.5 back in the Wild Card; Texas, Houston, and Minnesota are all ahead of them for the last spot, but would it shock anyone to see those teams falter and bring the Jays back into this? Not really.
But everyone has a breaking point, and I’m almost there with Toronto, at least in terms of expectations. If this continues, it will likely be their last week for the time being. Nothing says “sobering” like getting your teeth kicked in by the disastrous 2026 Giants. Kevin Gausman was OK until faltering badly in the sixth, and the Jays mustered just three hits in eight innings against Landen Roupp. Heliot Ramos went oppo taco into the high right-field seats at Oracle Park and followed it in the eighth with a majestic 434-foot tater.
Houston Astros (45-48) 11, Washington Nationals (47-45) 12: The Astros haven’t been featured in the Rivalry Roundup since early in the season, but we can give them a cameo this morning since they’re in the Wild Card mix and not far off the underwhelming M’s in the AL West. And the Yankees are playing the Nationals after this Rays series, too, so why not?
This 2019 World Series rematch turned into a fun one at Nats Park, perfectly fitting two clubs that have struggled on the mound in 2026. Homers by Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz off Miles Mikolas helped give Houston an early 6-1 lead, but the Nats came storming back because Houston starter Mike Burrows wasn’t any good either. NL All-Star starting shortstop CJ Abrams proved his bona fides with a three-run missile to right in the third, capping a five-run frame that suddenly tied the game. Curtis Mead delivered his third run-scoring hit of the day on a go-ahead solo shot in the fifth, an inning that would not end for the Astros until James Wood delivered a towering, 445-foot grand slam against AJ Blubaugh.
The Nats’ lousy bullpen made this one close again, Houston creeping back into it on the strength of a three-run jack from Brice Matthews in the eighth. It was a one-run game, so rookie skipper Blake Butera called on Clayton Beeter for the four-out save. The erstwhile Yankees prospect obliged, retiring the next four batters in order impressively including the ever-scorching Yordan Alvarez on a strikeout as the potential tying run. The Astros are now three games behind the Mariners in the AL West, in third place with the Rangers a game and a half up in second (Texas also presently holds the last Wild Card(.
Jul 6, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Drey Jameson (99) high fives third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) after their win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images | Chadd Cady-Imagn Images
Outfielder Max Kepler hit his first home run in a Diamondbacks uniform and racked up four RBIs in Arizona’s 8-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
After bringing in Geraldo Perdomo on an RBI single in the first inning, Kepler took Padres starter Walker Buehler deep with a three-run homer in the third.
The Diamondbacks optioned Pfaadt to Triple-A Reno to both get his pitch count built back up as a starter, but also to try and locate the form that just a year ago had the organization looking at him as a foundational piece.
Pfaadt dominated the Padres’ lineup, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out six as the Diamondbacks rolled to an 8-0 win at Petco Park.
In two starts since returning from Reno, Pfaadt has allowed one earned run over 10 1/3 innings pitched.
Contreras, meanwhile, has been one of Boston’s most productive hitters, batting .284 with 20 home runs, 59 RBIs and a .920 OPS. His combination of power, patience and postseason experience would strengthen Arizona’s lineup.
Adding Contreras would give Arizona another middle-of-the-order power bat to complement the contact and speed throughout the rest of the lineup.
The Brewers are not an easy team to beat, and the Diamondbacks certainly held their own, but they weren’t able to execute quite enough to make it happen. And the road is not getting much easier.
The Diamondbacks will have to head out on the road, without an off day Monday, to face the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers in six straight divisional matchups.
Though the Padres have not been hitting well, they have a strong bullpen (despite some recent injury news), and games between Arizona and San Diego tend to be hard-fought games, regardless of either team’s record.
The Snakes have leaned hard into lefty-hitting high school position players in the past with Kayson Cunningham (last year’s first-rounder), Slade Caldwell (2024 first-rounder), J.D. Dix (switch-hitter; 2024 compensation-rounder), Ivan Luciano (2024 second-rounder), along with other historic picks such as Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas. If he gets to No. 15, I could see Arizona being a floor for Jared Grindlinger, but the other potential fits for the Diamondbacks either don’t appear to be a target of theirs or will go about 10 picks later. LSU outfielder Derek Curiel fits here, but he might not make it to this pick; the board is making it easier to take a pitcher here, even if that isn’t normally what Arizona tends to do with high picks.
The Dodgers announced a few roster moves before tonight’s series opener against the Rockies. As skipper Dave Roberts said last night, Evan Phillips is officially back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Los Angeles also added reliever Carlos Durán to their 40-man roster, though he’ll remain at Triple-A Oklahoma City on an optional assignment.
L.A. optioned righty Paul Gervase to OKC to open a spot in the bullpen for Phillips. They needed to clear a pair of 40-man roster spots, so they released lefty Jake Eder and designated catcher Chuckie Robinson for assignment.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 30: Matthew Boyd #16 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field on June 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been impossible for the Orioles to sustain genuine momentum this season, and … I’m not sure this series, involving three home games against the Chicago Cubs, is going to be the one that does it.
The Cubs come to Camden Yards in second place in the NL Central, six games back of a red-hot Brewers club, and considering their genuinely bad rotation health luck, to be still in second is pretty gritty of them. At 50-40, Chicago has actually won 7 of its last 10, but that’s despite a starting five that’s been held together with duct tape most of the year. (The Orioles, at 42-49 and buried in fourth in the AL East, 12 games back, don’t have the injury excuse in quite the same way.)
The Cubs bring real thump. As a team they’ve got one of the top two offenses in the game, per Fangraphs, with a .244/.338/.409 slash line with 112 home runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been the engine of it, with his .910 OPS with 19 homers and 23 steals, almost an unfair line to be getting from your centerfielder. Dansby Swanson has been so-so for most of the year (.716 OPS) but has caught fire over his last month (.981 OPS). Seiya Suzuki (13 HR, .795 OPS) and Ian Happ (17 HR, .768 OPS) round out a lineup that can change a game with one swing.
On the Baltimore side, the story is uneven as always. Gunnar Henderson has 16 homers but only a .701 OPS. Pete Alonso has quietly been Baltimore’s best hitter (.810 OPS, 19 HR), and Samuel Basallo has shown real thump too, at age 21 (.789 OPS, 14 HR). Coby Mayo, on the other hand, is still searching—a .628 OPS overall, though he’s shown flashes in shorter stretches this year.
Here’s how these two teams match up in each game of the series.
Game 1, Tuesday: 6:35pm Eastern
RHP Shane Baz (4-8, 4.19 ERA, 87 K) v. LHP Matthew Boyd (3-1, 5.08 ERA, 37 K)
Baz has settled in as a legitimate mid-rotation piece since coming over from Tampa, and his recent form has been solid—a sub-.700 OPS against over his last 28 days of work. The one soft spot is the platoon split: he’s been much tougher on right-handed hitters (.667 OPS against) than lefties (.802), and the Cubs lineup has real left-handed power in Busch, Suzuki, and Happ.
Boyd is the wild card of the series. He was an All-Star a year ago, but a biceps strain and then knee surgery have limited him to just five starts in 2026. So far, the numbers (6.00 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) reflect a pitcher still finding his rhythm. If the old Boyd shows up, this is a real problem for Baltimore. If not, the Orioles’ lineup should have chances.
Game 2, Wednesday: 6:35pm Eastern
RHP DeanKremer (1-1, 3.18 ERA, 20 K) v. RHP Colin Rea (6-5, 4.74 ERA, 68 K)
Kremer’s return has been one of the few unambiguous bright spots for Baltimore lately. In three starts since returning from a quad strain, he’s flashing a strikeout rate well above his career norm (10.6 K/9), and the results to match. Whether that holds up over a longer look remains the question, but for now he’s given the rotation exactly the lift it needed.
Rea has been a steadying presence for a Cubs staff that’s had arm after arm hit the injured list (Cabrera, Brown, Taillon, Boyd have all missed time this year) and he’s pitched well in his last three starts specifically, with just three earned runs in 15.1 IP. With one of the worst fastballs in the game by expected run average, he’s not going to overpower anyone, but he’ll compete, and given how thin Chicago’s depth has been, that’s valuable.
Game 3, Thursday: 6:35pm Eastern
LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.70 ERA, 65 K) v. LHP David Peterson (4-7, 4.28 ERA, 68 K)
Rogers has been the definition of matchup-dependent this year: brutal against right-handers (.779 OPS against) but nearly unhittable against lefties (.526 OPS against). The Cubs lineup skews right-handed outside of Busch, Conforto, and Crow-Armstrong, which doesn’t play to Rogers’s strength the way a lefty-heavy lineup would.
David Peterson has one good thing going for this season: he’s a lefty. Traded from the Mets, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017, at the end of June, Peterson was struggling in Citi Field and continues to struggle at Wrigley, allowing 12 runs in 9.1 innings so far. Maybe the O’s lately-producing righties—Rutschman, Alonso, Mayo and O’Neill recently—can give the struggling lefty more problems.
The Cubs have a strong lineup, but an injury-riddled rotation. These are winnable games, on paper, for a team that badly needs some. Will the Orioles find enough offense to make it count? What do you think, Birdland?
Jul 12, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (center) gets set to tag out Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (right) attempting to steal second base in the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
The New York Mets (38-53) are back home for one final series before the All-Star break as they host the Kansas City Royals (37-54) for three games at Citi Field. The Mets took two out of three from the Royals in Kansas City last year, and took two out of three the last time these two teams squared off at Citi Field back in 2024. All time, the Mets are 14-16 all-time against the Royals, which includes their World Series loss in 2015.
The Mets earned a hard-fought split with the Braves to complete a 3-5 road trip. It was a tale of two halves of a series for the Mets in the Braves, which started with two losses (-3 loss on Friday and 14-3 on Saturday) that were dominated by the Braves and incredibly sloppy affairs by the Mets. New York rebounded for two one-run victories, 10-9 win on Sunday (a game that, quite frankly, felt like a loss after they allowed six runs in the ninth to almost snatch defeat from the jaws of victory) and 7-6 on Monday in extra innings. The latter was the team’s second victory when trailing after eight innings this year, a feat they accomplished exactly zero times in 2025.
The main focus around the club continues to be the trade market and trade value for some of their best assets. With the team clearly being sellers, the team appears open to business. Trade rumors have been swirling, and every player on an expiring contract seems to be available. The team will almost certainly look for someone to take Freddy Peralta, AJ Minter, and Brooks Raley, while guys like Clay Holmes and Bo Bichette could also draw some interest. It’s unfortunate that the only things we have to look forward to at this juncture of the season are trade returns and draft prospects, but the club appears to be treating the deadline as a chance to retool rather than rebuild, with their eyes set on competing once again in 2027. This will be David Stearns’ chance to at least gain some points in the eyes of the fanbase if he can really nail the returns on the trades he orchestrates.
One of the lone bright spots continues to be Juan Soto, whose three-run homer on Monday gave New York a two-run lead in the ninth (a lead Devin Williams would eventually relinquish before the team jumped ahead for good in the tenth). Soto was voted in as a starter for the NL squad in the upcoming All-Star game. Soto leads all NL players in OPS (.984) and wRC+ (168) and is ninth among hitters with a 3.0 fWAR. He is also ninth in home runs with 19, tied with Shohei Ohtani, whom he will be battling with for NL MVP honors later this year. While so much has gone wrong for New York this season, Soto has continued to perform at his usual incredible pace, even with the early-season injury that kept him out of the lineup for a little bit. In even the worst of seasons, it’s always a joy watching Soto play baseball for your team.
This series is shaping up to be a race to the bottom of the standings, as both the Mets and Royals are in the bottom-five of records in the league and could be competing to help their lottery odds this week. The Mets currently find themselves one game better than the Royals heading into play today. The Royals, like the Mets, enter this series on a two-game winning streak after taking the final two games of their series against the Phillies. Prior to that, they dropped four in a row and eight of their previous nine.
The Royals enter play with a 95 wRC+ as a team, which is 21st in baseball, and a .708 OPS, which is 20th. Meanwhile, their 384 runs scored are 20th in MLB (no doubt that both numbers were aided by their 15-1 outburst against the Phillies yesterday). On the pitching side of things, their rotation sports a 4.52 ERA (23rd in MLB) and a 4.33 FIP (20th). Their bullpen is by far their biggest weakness, as their relievers enter play tonight with a 5.21 ERA (29th), and a 5.15 FIP (30th), so if you can keep the game close heading into the late innings, you stand a good chance against them.
Bobby Witt Jr. remains one of the best players in the league despite the team’s struggles. Witt Jr. enters play today slashing .292/.364/.467 with a 128 wRC+ and a 4.7 fWAR in 85 games. He has 12 home runs to date and also has 30 stolen bases already, which is tops in the American League and second only to Nasim Nuñez of the Nationals in all of baseball. On the other end of the spectrum, veteran Salvador Perez is having a miserable year, hitting .209/.249/.347 with a 59 wRC+ and a -1.3 fWAR in 83 games. The nine-time All-Star and lone holdover from the 2015 World Series-winning club has the worst fWAR among all position players in baseball, as his career may finally be reaching its end.
Tuesday, July 7: TBD vs. Seth Lugo, 7:1o PM EDT on SNY
TBD
The Mets have not named a starter for Tuesday’s game. It’s likely Kodai Senga could factor into the game in some capacity, but he pitched on July 3, so he may not be ready to pitch on Tuesday.
Lugo is failed to reach the heights of his 2024 campaign, when he finished second in AL Cy Young voting and 15th in AL MVP voting. Despite that, he’s still been a mostly-solid pitcher for the Royals over the past two years. He’s picked up a loss in each of his last two outings, both against the Rays. His last time out, he allowed three earned runs on nine hits over six innings, and before that he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits over five innings. This is the right-hander’s first start against his old club, whom he last played for in 2022.
Wednesday, July 8: Christian Scott vs. Stephen Kolek, 7:10 PM EDT on SNY
Scott was handed his first loss of the year in his last outing, going four innings and giving up three earned runs on two hits to the Braves. He walked four and surrendered two home runs, two things that have plagued him as of late. Specifically, he’s allowed six home runs in his last three starts after allowing just one in his previous eight outings.
Kolek got off to a strong start, earning a win in three of his first four starts, including a complete game shutout in his fourth start of the year. He’s fallen on hard times lately, failing to go beyond the second inning in each of his last two starts. His last time out, he returned from the Family Emergency List to pitch two innings. He allowed three earned runs on four hits in the outing as he picked up the loss to the Rays.
Thursday, July 9: Sean Manaea vs. Michael Wacha, 1:10 PM EDT on SNY
Manaea got hit pretty hard in his last start, allowing six earned runs over five innings against the Braves. It was tied for the most earned runs he’s allowed in a game this season, and the most he’s given up since getting bumped up to the rotation. It was a discouraging step back after a pretty strong stretch for the left-hander, but with no better options, Manaea will remain in the rotation as the club searches for better outings from their starting pitchers.
Wacha is in his 14th major league season and still performing very admirably. The former Met, who is in his third season in Kansas City, leads the AL in innings pitched and has pitched into the sixth in all but two of his 18 starts this year. In his last start, he went six innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits in a loss to the Phillies. It was the sixth time he’s allowed four earned runs or more this year, and he allowed a season-high three homers after allowing 10 in his previous 17 outings.
Of those 13 pitchers, at least three (Cade Horton, Shelby Miller and Porter Hodge) aren’t expected to pitch at all the rest of this season. The status of Hunter Harvey, Riley Martin and Justin Steele to throw any pitches for the 2026 Cubs is still uncertain. We also don’t know when Ben Brown will be back — and if he is this year, he could be limited to relief work.
About the six others:
Jameson Taillon made a rehab start Sunday and might start this weekend in Cincinnati
Edward Cabrera will need a rehab assignment, so he’s likely not back until August
Daniel Palencia could be back by the end of July
Phil Maton, same, perhaps back by the end of this month
Ethan Roberts’ timeline for return is unclear, though he officially began a rehab assignment on Friday
Hoby Milner should return from having his appendix removed sometime in August
So there are pitching reinforcements returning from injury. And the Cubs still could make a deal for a starter, a reliever, or both.
What I wanted to talk about here are the guys replacing all the pitchers listed above.
Jed Hoyer traded for David Peterson, who had his moments in New York but apparently wore out his welcome. He’s had one good start and one bad one for the Cubs so the proverbial verdict is still out on him. Some of the other pitchers who have put up innings for the Cubs this year, woof. Bryse Wilson? Jordan Wicks? Corbin Martin? I mean, yes, each of those guys had at least one good game for the Cubs but my question here is: Why don’t the Cubs have the parade of 98 mile per hour guys that seem to be coming out of every other team’s system? There don’t seem to be relievers like that in the Cubs organization.
Except… there were some guys like that, pitchers the Cubs let go for nothing. I’m thinking specifically of Trevor Megill and Jeremiah Estrada, pitchers who can throw 98+ consistently and have had success elsewhere. Megill has been the Brewers closer (mostly, though was briefly demoted this year) for most of the last three seasons and has posted a 2.93 ERA and 1.110 WHIP in 165 games in Milwaukee, with 206 strikeouts in 163 innings. Estrada has made 160 appearances for the Padres over the last three years with a 3.26 ERA and 1.119 WHIP, and 225 strikeouts in 154.2 innings.
Both those pitchers were let go for nothing. So was Jason Adam, who was non-tendered after 2021 because he was reportedly going to get $900,000 in arbitration. Then the Cubs signed Daniel Norris for more than that, and Norris was released after posting a 6.90 ERA in 27 games. Meanwhile, Adam has posted a 2.12 ERA and 0.965 WHIP in 298 games for the Rays and Padres since then, with 317 strikeouts in 289 innings.
Caleb Kilian is another example. The Cubs tried him as a starter and he failed at that. During Spring Training 2025 he was throwing 98 miles per hour and likely would have made the Opening Day bullpen last year if he hadn’t been injured. He pitched in a handful of games at Iowa after returning from the injury and the results weren’t good and he was let go after the season. Now he’s a useful reliever for the Giants, with a four-seamer averaging 97.
I could probably come up with some more examples of this sort of thing, but you get the idea. The Cubs either don’t evaluate pitchers properly, or a perceived money issue gets in the way of keeping a useful pitcher like Adam.
Instead, the Cubs sign retread after retread, trying to get pitchers to re-capture something they had three or five years in the past.
Next up on that list will be Liam Hendriks and Aaron Bummer, both now toiling for Triple-A Iowa. Hendriks, who is 37, was last effective in the big leagues in 2022. Then he missed most of 2023 and all of 2024 with Tommy John surgery, then hip issues shortened his year with the Red Sox last year. He has made three appearances in the Cubs system, one in the Arizona Complex League and two for Triple-A Iowa, all scoreless. Could he be effective? Maybe, but it would have been smarter to keep Hendriks in December 2013, when the Cubs claimed him on waivers from the Twins. Ten days later the Cubs tried to sneak him through waivers and he got claimed by the Orioles, and then, of course, had multiple successful seasons elsewhere.
As for Bummer, he had two pretty good years for the Braves in 2024 and 2025, but a lower K rate, a higher walk rate and a 7.63 ERA in 19 games this year got him released by Atlanta in May. The Cubs signed him and he’s made four appearances in the system, two scoreless ones in the complex league, two others at Iowa with a 4.50 ERA. I suppose we’ll see him in the Cubs bullpen at some point this year.
And at some point, I hope Cubs pitching development will focus more on drafting and developing guys who can throw the 98+ fastballs that are becoming de rigeur in baseball today. Otherwise this beleaguered pitching staff will keep falling behind.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 12: Sebastian Walcott #1 of the Texas Rangers looks on during the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park on Saturday, July 12, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Congratulations to Sebastian Walcott, who has been named the #1 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving almost 90% of the vote.
Moving on…
Because there has been a history of vote-spamming shenanigans in the rankings, I used Google Forms for the last several of community rankings, and it worked out well, so we will use it again. You will need to include your LSB user name when you vote. If you don’t have an LSB user name, you need to use some sort of identifier. While this won’t eliminate the possibility of vote spamming, it will make it harder.
So who is the #2 prospect in the Rangers system right now?
The Boston Red Sox have won three consecutive games and are -125 favorites to extend that streak to four tonight.
My Red Sox vs. White Sox predictions and MLB picks expect Boston's in-form offense and starting pitching advantage to lead to another victory in Chicago.
Who will win Red Sox vs White Sox today: Red Sox moneyline (-125)
Noah Schultz is having a rough go. He's allowed at least three runs in five consecutive starts, only completing five innings once.
He allowed a homer in four of those games and issued 3+ walks three times. He's giving up power, and he's giving up a ton of unnecessary baserunners.
The Boston Red Sox are sixth in wOBA and fourth in ISO vs. lefties since June 1. They’re in a great spot to score in bulk and make life easier on Payton Tolle, who hasn’t been as sharp lately.
Red Sox vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-105)
The Red Sox have a great power profile against left-handed pitching, ranking eighth in OPS, fourth in ISO, and first in fly ball rate over the last five weeks.
Schultz sits in the 10th percentile in xERA, and the White Sox have several lefty relievers in their bullpen, making it a real possibility that six or seven innings are pitched by lefties.
Temperatures in the mid-70s are expected with slight winds blowing inwards. Small boost to the offenses.
Red Sox vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Red Sox -125 | White Sox +105
Run line: Red Sox -1.5 (+135) | White Sox +1.5 (-155)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)
Red Sox vs White Sox trend
The White Sox have cashed the Over in 30 of the last 50 games for +10.30 units and a 19% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. White Sox.
How to watch Red Sox vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
First pitch
7:40 p.m. ET
TV
NESN, CHSN
Red Sox starting pitcher
Payton Tolle (4-6, 3.39 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Noah Schultz (2-5, 5.86ERA)
Red Sox vs White Sox latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Aug 25, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn (70) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Morning A’s fans!
The club is hitting the road for the final two series of the first half, starting with a trip to Detroit to take on the Tigers then heading back west to Chicago for three against the White Sox. At the begining of the year if you had told someone that Chicago would be in first place in the AL Central while the Tigers are preparing to sell, you’d have had a hard time getting anyone to take you seriously. But here we are, with the White Sox’s 47-42 record giving them a one-game lead in the division while Tigers, at 40-50 and seven back in the Central, look likely to begin taking offers for their best players, with one pitcher in particular set to force a bidding war.
The A’s will have the honor of facing that very pitcher tonight in their first game outside of California in almost a full month. It’s Tarik Skubal going for the Tigers tonight, set for his 12th start of the year. It’s incredible that the 29-year-0ld is even pitching right now considering he just only underwent elbow surgery on May 6th. He hasn’t been quite his usual dominant form, as his 3.15 ERA is a far cry from the sheer dominance the two-time Cy Young winner displayed over the previous two seasons. He’s still having an overall fantastic year and with his track record he’s going to be the hottest commodity on the trade market over the coming weeks.
Before he departs Detroit however the A’s have to take him down. The right-hander has generally dominated the A’s in his career, like so many other teams. In 10 career starts against the Green & Gold Skubal owns a pristine 2.81 ERA, though that’s still only gotten him four wins compared to three losses. He’ll be running into the A’s at the right time though as the squad is really struggling to remain competitive and stay afloat in the AL playoff race.
The club comes into today on a three-game losing streak after getting swept by the Miami Marlins at home. They’re just 3-11 over their past 14 games, which has dropped them to 41-49 and now 5 1/2 back of the division lead and four back of the final wild card spot with five teams to leap over. The team has generally floated around the .500 mark this year but this is the current low point for the squad and things will need to turn around fast if the A’s want to get back into the playoff hunt. Getting a few wins before the All Star Break would go a long way towards that goal.
Taking on Skubal tonight is the emerging J.T. Ginn. He’s actually having a better statistical season than his opponennt tonight as the first-year full-time starter has a 3.04 ERA in his 19 games this year. And taking out the three relief appearances he made in April that number drops lower to 2.87 in 16 starts. It wasn’t exactly unsurprising that Ginn didn’t earn an All-Star nod but still disappointing for A’s fans who have seen an emerging ace blossom before our very eyes. He’s coming off a strong performance last time out (6 IP, 1 ER) and the A’s could certainly use more of that tonight to help snap this losing streak.
After tonight’s contest the middle game tomorrow will be a matchup between lefty Jeffrey Springs and right-hander Troy Melton. Melton has been borderline unhittable in his seven starts for Detroit as he’ll bring a 2.07 ERA into tomorrow’s game. He’s only ever faced the A’s once in his short career, firing three shutout innings in relief last season so tonight will be his first start against the Green & Gold. Springs meanwhile has gotten hit hard in recent outings, allowing six runs last time out against the Los Angeles Dodgers. His 5.79 ERA is hard to stomach and at this point in the season it’s starting to get frustrating to see manager Mark Kotsay continue to ride him. There are younger options that might actually be around for the next A’s playoff team and it’s time to start getting them some experience, even if that means sending Springs into relief.
Then we wrap up the series on Thursday in the finale, where it’ll be a battle between young righty Jack Perkins facing veteran Framber Valdez. The longtime Astro lefty isn’t having the dominant year the Tigers were expecting when they shelled out that huge contract for him this offseason but he’s managed to be serviceable all the same. Perkins meanwhile continues to struggle in his extended look in the starting rotation. Overall he’s sporting a 8.10 ERA in six starts, including arguably his worst appearance ever last time on the mound when he allowed seven earned runs to the Marlins. Perkins is one of those young arms A’s fans want out there getting his feet wet but even that’s tough to swallow. Hopefully Kotsay knows what he’s doing and isn’t destroying the 26-year-old’s confidence.
Morris heading down to Triple-A. Who takes his spot on the roster?
RHP Kade Morris to LV RHP Michael Kelly released IF Zack Gelof off A’s IL C Brian Serven to A’s IF Darell Hernaiz/1B Joey Meneses/RHP Geoff Hartlieb to LV LHP Matt Krook claimed off waivers by WAS RHP M.Leiter off A’s IL LHP J.Suarez off A’s paternity listhttps://t.co/joKXkyUAPy
— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) July 7, 2026
Do the A’s need to shake up the coaching staff with regards to the pitching?
A’s have not developed pitching for quite along time due to Emerson. The one pitcher I wished that turned into something for the A’s was Jesus Luzardo https://t.co/goMpUyw4Xh
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara plays catch during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
UPDATE: The Brewers made the move official late Tuesday morning, optioning outfielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A Nashville.
Lara signed a 7yr/$31M extension with Milwaukee last month.
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) July 7, 2026
Lara will join an outfield rotation that also includes Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, and Jake Bauers.
Lara, 21, signed a seven-year, $31 million contract in early June that includes club options for an additional three years. A speedy outfielder who has always had a good glove, Lara turned heads this season when he tore up Triple-A through the season’s first two months. Even after a bit of a cooldown, Lara is batting .321/.432/.470 in 78 games with the Sounds, good for a 143 wRC+, and he’s got nine homers this season — almost as many as he’d hit in his three previous minor-league seasons combined (10). After a bit of a lull after he signed his contract in June, Lara has ticked up again lately: in 11 games going back to June 23, Lara is hitting .366/.469/.610 with two homers, two doubles, and a triple. Lara is currently ranked as the No. 47 overall prospect by Baseball America and No. 67 by MLB Pipeline.
This move creates a bit of a roster crunch. You would expect that the Brewers would want Lara to play, but there’s no real way for him to do that without taking playing time away from Frelick — Mitchell is one of the hottest players in the league, and Chourio is a star.
It also means that the Brewers will have no choice but to start both Joey Ortiz and Cooper Pratt against right-handed pitching, assuming David Hamilton hits the IL after exiting early on Monday. If no further move is made, the Brewers will be operating without a backup infielder who has any experience playing anywhere other than first base.
Andrew Vaughn notably appeared at one game as a third baseman earlier this year, but that was for one inning and not something I’d expect to see with any regularity whatsoever. It’s hard for me to believe that the Brewers would return to the “Frelick-at-third-base” experiment that was rumored during spring training in 2024, but if there were ever a time to try it, this would be it.
The Brewers didn’t have any great options with which to replace Hamilton on the big-league roster. Triple-A Nashville didn’t have a single left-handed infielder, so there was no internal platoon option for Ortiz at the highest level of the minors. Skipping Triple-A and going to Double-A Biloxi for a Hamilton replacement would’ve been a bold move, which the Brewers are not particularly known for; there are no shortage of exciting players at Double-A who bat left-handed (Josh Adamczewski, Mike Boeve, Andrew Fischer, Jesús Made, and Dylan O’Rae are all either left-handed or switch-hit and could hall conceivably play third base) but none has ever appeared above Double-A.
We’ll see if the Brewers are comfortable operating with nothing beyond an emergency backup in the infield. If Hamilton’s injury is minor and they expect him back right after the All-Star Break, the Brewers will likely just ride out the week. But if Hamilton is out for an extended period, they’ll likely start canvassing the league.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is defended by Miles McBride #2 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks during the second quarter in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, Shams Charania reported that Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker.
BREAKING: Cleveland Cavaliers All-NBA star Donovan Mitchell has agreed on a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker, CAA's Co-Head of Basketball, Austin Brown, tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/7gfOG4n5l1
So, the Cavaliers aren’t losing their franchise player anytime soon. Any lingering speculation about Mitchell eventually reaching the open market or forcing his way elsewhere can be put to rest. Cleveland has put its faith in the championship potential of its core: Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. And there’s potential for bringing back their favorite son.
This summer, Harden declined his $42.3 million player option for 2026-27 to become an unrestricted free agent. He and the Cavs are actively working on a new multi-year contract that would bring him back, with expectations of a deal worth roughly $30-38 million annually, likely spanning two to three years. That would provide the team with improved salary cap flexibility while securing an extended stay in Cleveland for the soon-to-be 37-year-old. Don’t worry about Jim, he’ll still make enough to cover his monthly supply of Just For Men beard dye.
Mitchell could have waited another year to become eligible for an even richer contract, reportedly worth roughly $80 million more over five years, but instead chose to commit now, after leading Cleveland to the Eastern Conference Finals (where the Knicks swept them handily).
We remember well 2022’s Summer of Donovan, when the Knicks aggressively pursued a trade for the Utah Jazz star, a New York native, reportedly offering packages centered around RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, and multiple first-round picks. Talks stalled over Utah’s high demands, including Quentin Grimes, whom New York refused to include. Mitchell landed in Cleveland instead, a move that proved to be a blessing in retrospect. You may have heard that the Knicks won the championship?
Unsurprisingly, Spida has been the franchise’s cornerstone. Over his first four seasons with the team, he has averaged 26.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 264 games while earning multiple All-Star selections, All-NBA honors (including First Team in 2025), and setting a Cavaliers franchise record with a 71-point, 11-assist performance. He has led Cleveland to strong regular-season finishes and multiple playoff appearances.
On the first day he was eligible, Donovan Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension with the Cavaliers that includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and also a trade kicker.
The extension locks the Cavaliers in as one of the most expensive teams in basketball as they attempt to lure LeBron James back to Cleveland for his third and final stint with the team.
Donovan Mitchell signed a massive contract with the Cavaliers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
ESPN reports that Mitchell would be happy to join forces with James as they hope to compete for a title in Cleveland after being bounced last season by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Cavaliers are already locked in as a second-apron team, making most roster moves nearly impossible, including trades and other signings.
James will be meeting with teams in the coming days and weeks as the Cavaliers hope to be among the lucky teams to land an all-time great on a league-minimum contract.
Mitchell will make $60.1 million in his first season with the new contract, beginning in 2027-28.
Could LeBron James join Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland? IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He will then make $65.8 million, $70.6 million, and $75.5 million in his player-option season in 2030, respectively.
Mitchell’s statistical contributions are rarely questioned, as he averaged 27.3 points per game on 47.5 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from 3-point range in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Cavaliers were swept in that series, and three of those games were double-digit losses, including a 37-point blowout in Game 4 against the Knicks.
James could help reverse those fortunes for the Cavaliers, although entering his age-42 season, Cleveland will need role players like Evan Mobley to step up and James Harden to reclaim prior glory.
As one key member of the 2019 Raptors title team returns, another is saying goodbye to the sport.
Veteran guard Kyle Lowry announced his retirement Tuesday morning with an Instagram video, ending a 20-year run that included nine seasons with Toronto.
Lowry, 40, appeared in 14 games with the 76ers this past season, and said in a video Tuesday that he will be retiring with Toronto, which he called his “home.”
Kyle Lowry announces his retirement Tuesday. @raptors/X
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play this game for two decades,” Lowry said.
“I’m retiring as a Toronto Raptor, 20 years and one day. Seven (his jersey) forever.”
It’s only fitting that Lowry will end his career with the Raptors since he enjoyed his best years with the team from 2012-21 and helped the franchise — alongside Kawhi Leonard, who is re-joining Toronto after being acquired in a recent trade with the Clippers — win its only championship.
The former Villanova star began his career with the Grizzlies and Rockets before being traded to the Raptors ahead of the 2012-13 season.
Lowry blossomed with Toronto, averaging 17.5 points per game across 601 games and making six straight All-Star teams from 2015-20.
Kyle Lowry in 2023 with the Raptors. EPA
He enjoyed his best season of his career in 2015-16 when he finished 10th in MVP voting and earned Third-Team All-NBA honors.
During the team’s championship run in 2019, Lowry averaged 19.2 points to down the Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals and 16.2 points per game against the Warriors in the Finals.
“We knew what we were playing for,” Lowry said of the 2018-19 title team. “The city of Toronto and the country of Canada.”
Kyle Lowry celebrates winning the NBA title in 2019. Getty Images
Lowry eventually moved on from the Raptors, joining the Heat for two-plus seasons before finishing his career with two-plus season with the 76ers, mostly as a reserve.
For his career, Lowry averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds across 1,187 games.
His Instagram video Tuesday included him thanking his brother, mother, grandma, wife and children — along with Villanova coach Jay Wright and his ex-Raptors teammates and coaches.
Lowry took pride in what his No. 7 jersey meant to him and others during his career.
“That represents me. It represents my family, it represents everything I’ve gone through, the growth, the maturity, the everything I put into the game of basketball,” he said. “It just represents Kyle Lowry.
“It’s hard work, grit, passion and, of course, a champion.”
Milwaukee (56-33) beat St. Louis (47-41), 4-3, thanks to a four-run seventh inning. The Brewers are 11-4 in their last 15 games and 5-1 versus the Cardinals this season with five-straight wins.
Jacob Misiorowski will pitch for the Brewers and that's normally been good news. The 24-year-old is the current Cy Young favorite and dealt two or fewer earned runs in 11 consecutive starts. Milwaukee is 6-2 in his last eight starts. The Brewers have started July with a 4-2 record and the pitching staff ranks fourth in ERA (2.45).
The Cardinals' pitching staff, like the Brewers, are top five in ERA (2.42), plus ranks top six in WHIP (1.12) and OBA (.214). St. Louis has now dropped two straight as they've started the month 3-3. The Cardinals have lost both of their past two games with a collapse in the sixth inning or later.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Brewers at Cardinals
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 2:15 PM EST
Site: Busch Stadium
City: St. Louis, MO
Network/Streaming: MLB TV / ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Brewers at the Cardinals
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Moneyline: Milwaukee Brewers (-198), St. Louis Cardinals (+162)
The Brewers’ William Conteras is hitting .291 with 95 hits, 9 home runs and 51 RBI over 326 at-bats
The Brewers’ Joey Ortiz is hitting .209 with 39 hits and 39 strikeouts over 187 at-bats
The Cardinals’ Jordan Walker is hitting .290 with 96 hits, 20 home runs, and 67 RBI over 331 at-bats
The Cardinals’ Pedro Pages is hitting .218 with 31 hits and 37 strikeouts over 142 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Cardinals
Milwaukee is 49-40 ATS, ranking fifth-best
St. Louis is 51-37 ATS, ranking fourth-best
Milwaukee is 48-39-2 to the Under, ranking fourth-best
St. Louis is 46-37-5 to the Under, ranking third-best
Milwaukee is 22-17 ATS on the road, ranking sixth-best
St. Louis is 25-20 ATS at home, ranking sixth-best
Expert picks & predictions for today's game between the Cardinals and the Brewers
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Cardinals and the Brewers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Brewers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brewers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
The deal includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker. With this new deal, Mitchell won't join the star-studded free agent class next season, which includes Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Mitchell's previous contract included a 2027 player option worth $53.8 million.
The 29-year-old Mitchell averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds last season for the Cavaliers, who got to the Eastern Conference Finals before they were swept by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship. He was named a second-team All-NBA selection.
The Cavaliers might not be done with the offseason as they try to retool their roster, and they are thought to be among the favorites to land free agent LeBron James, who informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would not be returning for a ninth season.
Mitchell, a seven-time NBA All-Star, was originally traded to Cleveland from the Utah Jazz for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, a 2025 first round pick, a 2026 first round pick, a 2027 first round pick, a 2028 first round pick, and a 2029 first round pick
COVERS INTEL: Payton Tolle is enjoying a strong rookie campaign, 
