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The Dodgers (45-26) go for the series win against the White Sox (37-32) Sunday morning in Chicago.
Emmet Sheehan (3-3, 4.70 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) starts for the Dodgers.
Erick Fedde (1-5, 4.69 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) takes the mound for the White Sox.
Lineups
Sunday game info
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The Boston Red Sox go for the sweep as they host the Texas Rangers for Sunday Night Baseball at 7:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
My Rangers vs. Red Sox prop picks for Sunday, June 14, focus on Connelly Early, Willson Contreras, and Wyatt Langford.
Read on for our full Rangers vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks for this prime-time matchup.
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
 Connelly Early Over 5.5 strikeouts | -115 |
| Willson Contreras to record an RBI | +140 |
 Wyatt Langford Over 1.5 total bases | -105 |
Connelly Early is dealing. The 24-year-old has exceeded his strikeout prop in six consecutive contests, averaging 6.3 punchouts.
I’m betting on his streak continuing against a Texas Rangers lineup with the third-highest K rate (26.2%) against left-handed pitching.
Early has good stuff (102 Stuff+) and has been locating well (101 Location+ in the last month). His six-pitch mix is difficult for opposing hitters to get a read on, and he’s been utilizing it excellently.
Nathan Eovaldi appears to be diminishing before our eyes. He’s been hit around lately (13 ER in his last three starts), and the underlying stats are even more concerning.
He’s matching his season lows in Stuff+ (89) in two consecutive starts. For a pitcher who has been above 100 in that statistic all six years it's been tracked, that’s a steep decline.
You may think that’s fine since the veteran relies more on his control anyway. Think again — his 98 Location+ in his last two starts is six ticks below his career 104 average, and he’s walked multiple batters in four of his last five starts.
Willson Contreras is poised to capitalize with great numbers (91st percentile xSLG, 89th percentile barrel rate). He rakes at home (168 wRC+) and should take advantage of Eovaldi’s decline, especially in hitter-friendly weather (88 degrees, 15 mph winds to left field at the time of first pitch).
Wyatt Langford has depressed numbers this season, but that’s partially to blame on a right forearm strain that kept him sidelined for all of May.
He’s back healthy in the lineup and looks great, going 5-for-9 at the dish through the first two games of this series. The former No. 4 overall pick is a great talent (see: 87th percentile barrel rate and 81st percentile hard-hit rate last year), yet isn’t being respected as such in the betting market.
He’s always hit with more power against lefties (.224 career ISO) than righties (.155), and three of his seven hits against southpaws this season have gone for extra bases.
With beautiful hitting weather in the forecast and a matchup against a lefty who allows loud contact (Early's 12th percentile average exit velocity, 10th percentile barrel rate), here’s betting on Langford getting a big hit or two.
| Location | Fenway Park, Boston, MA |
| Date | Sunday, June 14, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:20 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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The White Sox finally popped a tire on their road to redemption last night, but AAA just showed up with Erick Fedde and a spare.
The metaphor comes from the fact that yesterday’s resounding loss to the Dodgers felt like one of the very few games over the last month and change of unadulterated highway racing into first place in which the Sox truly had no chance. Just like the feeling of all those 2023-25 losses, where it felt like the game was more or less a wrap the moment they fell behind. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is, as we’re now all well aware, capable of damn near winning a team a World Series by himself when he’s got his good stuff, and boy did he ever have his good stuff yesterday. Saying that the wheels on the Sox offense were deflated is probably selling it short.
Delightfully, it seems like that’s becoming the exception more than the norm. Last night’s 7-1 final score was their largest margin of defeat since all the way back on May 23, and only the third time since the start of May they’ve been blown out in such fashion. Yesterday’s loss may have been the first such blowout this year where I didn’t truly think at heart, “here comes the other shoe dropping.” Instead, I actually have some measure of confidence that Bryan Hudson and Fedde can work in tandem to change that tire, and steal a series away from the defending champions.
Though the White Sox will be traveling to New York tomorrow, they don’t have to play a game, and as such, Will Venable is sending out something close to a full-strength lineup, rather than the afternoon getaway day offerings I’ve gotten used to writing up on Sundays:
Here’s the lineup that the juggernaut Dodgers are countering with:
Shohei Ohtani has homered in three straight games from the top of the L.A. lineup, which is probably the best one they’re capable of putting out there despite needing to fly back to the West Coast after the final pitch. Hey, just the fact that teams no longer feel capable of taking a series against the White Sox with a C+ lineup is progress in and of itself!
First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT at Rate Field in Amour Square. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio), like always!
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The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up their stay in Minneapolis with a Sunday afternoon game against the Twins. Michael McGreevy will get the start for the Cardinals while the Twins will send Taj Bradley to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm central time and the game TV broadcast will be available at Cardinals.tv.
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l recently finished reading this book about the history of music composed for television. I cannot imagine a more thorough coverage of the subject than what author Jon Burlingame provided. It got me thinking about some of the baseball TV themes over the years.
A very early sports TV theme was for the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (featuring at least some baseball!)…
Sharp-eared viewers who happened to play a lot of Nintendo in the 1980s will wonder if the creators of Punch-Out paid royalties to Gillette.
A few decades later when baseball became more of a fixture on the TV dial (like the NBC Game of the Week), the This Week In Baseball theme is likely burned into the brains of fans of that era…
Hardball fans in the 1990s and early 2000s will fondly recall the MLB FOX Saturday Game of the Week synth-chords, while specifically for us here in Twins Territory we had the dulcet tones of the Midwest Sports Channel…
Also for those who grew up in the Cable TV Era, the TBS Baseball theme may conjure connections to Game 163’s and early-round playoff clashes.
But of course, they are all usurped by the utterly iconic MLB on ESPN theme. If this doesn’t immediately bring to mind images of Jon Miller & Joe Morgan calling Giants/Dodgers or Yankees/Red Sox clashes…
Of course, there’s only one little ditty that Twins fans want to hear this afternoon. Let’s hope the Target Field sound crew can spin it after a victory over the Red Birds.
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The Royals have lost 4 straight after winning the first game of this homestand. It hasn’t come against stiff competition either. The Rangers and Astros aren’t good teams by any stretch of the imagination. The Royals have lost 2 games because they blew leads late.
Vinnie Pasquantino is now out for an extended period of time after fracturing the hamate bone in his right hand yesterday. John Rave was the one who got called up. So that means for the foreseeable future, Jac Caglianone will play his natural draft position, first base.
Stephen Kolek gets the ball today. His start on Tuesday, while not his best work, is the only game the Royals have won this week. Kolek went 5 innings, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs, just 1 earned, walking 1 and striking out 3 batters. Kolek has never faced the Astros before.
Here are the Royals starters behind Kolek in today’s contest.
As for the Astros, they are 33-39 on the season, after taking the first two games of the series. Right hander Spencer Arrighetti makes the start. Arrighetti is having a fantastic season so far. He is 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA over 57 innings, while striking out 53. Arrighetti made his MLB debut in Kansas City in 2024. He went 3 innings, allowing 7 earned runs.
Here are the Astros starters behind Arrighetti for today’s contest.
The Royals have lost 11 of their last 14 home games. After today, they take a quick trip to the nation’s capital to play the Nationals, before getting the Cardinals at home next weekend. First pitch for today is set for 1:10 p.m. CT and can be watched on Royals.TV.
One of the four Alabama State men’s basketball players ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA earlier this month is disputing his alleged role in a point-shaving scheme.
In an interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal, a part of the USA TODAY network, TJ Madlock said he did not accept payments from gamblers to fix the outcome of his team’s 81-64 loss to Southern Miss on Dec. 5, 2024, adding that "nothing that (the NCAA) put out is true."
Unlike his three teammates who were implicated – Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher and Corey Hines – Madlock did not play in the game in question. Madlock had left the Hornets’ previous game, a 101-72 loss at SMU two days earlier, early in the second half and did not play in their following game, either, a 103-93 overtime win against UT Martin.
"I was added into a group chat, but I never responded to anyone’s texts," Madlock said to the Commercial Appeal. "Why would I respond, knowing I wouldn’t be playing? Also, why would somebody pay me for sitting on the bench? That doesn’t even make any sense."
The NCAA alleged that Madlock and his three teammates took part in a FaceTime call the morning of the game with one of the two known sports bettors involved. It said the players agreed to throw the game and received $2,000 for doing so. The NCAA said in its release announcing the punishment that Madlock had informed the bettor that he was injured and wasn’t going to play that night.
"I’m a little pissed off, honestly," Madlock said to the Commercial Appeal. "It’s like, how could I fix a game I’m not playing in?"
Madlock said he had never spoken to the NCAA over the course of its investigation. The NCAA said Madlock had declined to participate in an interview with enforcement staff. Madlock told the Commercial Appeal that the NCAA had initially sent him an email to an address he no longer uses before reaching out to his father, then-Alabama State head coach and current Memphis associate head coach Tony Madlock, who forwarded the email to Alabama State’s athletic director and compliance director.
Madlock, who had no eligibility remaining after the 2024-25 season, said if he had known the consequences of not agreeing to an interview, he "would’ve 100% talked to them and told them my side."
Madlock has hired sports attorney Don Jackson, who has been in communication with NCAA enforcement staff and will be formalizing a demand for a retraction. Jackson told the Commercial Appeal he will also make direct contact with the NCAA’s general counsel and the head of the Committee on Infractions.
"If it’s not corrected, (Madlock is) going to have no alternative other than to pursue legal action against the NCAA and selected individuals that were involved," Jackson said to the Commercial Appeal.
As a senior in 2024-25, Madlock averaged 13.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for an Alabama State team that won the first NCAA tournament game in program history, a 70-68 victory against Saint Francis in the First Four. He played professionally last season in Germany, where he averaged eight points per game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: TJ Madlock denies role in point-shaving scheme that led to NCAA ban
CHICAGO — If you catch a shot of the Dodgers’ dugout on Sunday, don’t expect to see manager Dave Roberts on the top step.
Roberts is away from the team for Sunday’s series finale against the White Sox, having flown back to California on Saturday night to attend a college graduation ceremony for his daughter, Elle, the younger of his two children.
Bench coach Danny Lehmann will serve as interim manager for the day.
“This is my fourth and last one,” Roberts joked Saturday afternoon of his kids’ graduation ceremonies, with his daughter graduating from Stanford University this weekend.
“I’ve had two high school graduations, two college graduations … I can’t believe it. I shaved today to take away all the grays so I don’t look old. But I’m feeling a day older today.”
While there’s no turning back the clock, Roberts noted how he appreciates the way the culture of the sport has evolved over the years. Once upon a time, it would have been taboo for a manager to miss a game for such an occasion. Now, Roberts said he encourages his staff to be present for similar family celebrations.
“I think that’s one of the good things about the way the world has evolved, to where you do some things for mental health or your family, and it’s not frowned upon that you care less about your job,” he said. “That should be applicable to everyone. It’s good to feel like I can go, and I don’t feel like I’m being judged because I’m going to celebrate my daughter.”
For the sake of travel logistics, it helped that the White Sox scheduled a late-afternoon start time for Saturday’s game.
As soon as the last out was recorded, and the Dodgers slapped hands on the field after Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s near-perfect game and no-hitter, Roberts hustled back to his office, quickly got changed and departed for the airport for a sentimental day off.
“You see it all around baseball,” he said. “People are doing things for their family, and paternity leave, things like that. It’s healthy.”
Miguel Rojas said he left Saturday’s game early after aggravating a lower right shin issue he has been dealing with the last couple days. He downplayed the issue as nothing too concerning.
During the seventh inning, Rojas exited after tweaking the injury while hopping out of the way of an inside pitch.
However, he described the decision as more of a precaution, not wanting to risk playing at less than 100% given Yamamoto’s push for a perfect game.
Rojas said he would be available off the bench Sunday.
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TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (33-39) will conclude their six-game trip with the final game of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals (28-43) today at Kauffman Stadium.
May AL Pitcher of the Month, RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-1, 2.21 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Stephen Kolek (3-1, 3.14 ERA) and the Royals. The Astros are 3-2 on this road trip.
HOT SPAGHETTI: Today’s Astros starter RHP Spencer Arrighetti made his season debut on April 15 and has since gone 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA (14ER/57IP) and a .185 opponent average while allowing one-or-fewer earned runs in seven of his 10 starts. Among AL pitchers with 50+ innings pitched, he’s posted the lowest opponent average, while ranking second in ERA and tied for fourth in wins.
PITCHER OF THE MONTH: RHP Spencer Arrighetti was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for May after going 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA (3ER/29IP) and a .165 opponent average (16×97) in five starts in the month. In May, he posted the lowest ERA and opponent average among AL starters, while ranking tied for third in wins.
VS. THE ROYALS: The Astros and Royals are facing each other for the first time this season. The Astros went 3-3 against the Royals last season, including a 1-2 record at Kauffman Stadium. The Astros own a 60-49 record all-time record against the Royals, including a 31-24 record at Kauffman Stadium.
PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has recorded a 2.67 ERA (29ER/97.2IP) with 88 strikeouts, a 1.03 WHIP and a .184 opponent batting average. Among AL teams since May 15, the Astros bullpen ranks first in opponent batting average, first in WHIP and first in ERA…the Astros are also 16-11 during since May 15.
MAKING THE PLAYS: The Astros are tied for the fewest errors in the AL (28) with the Athletics. Houston has posted the best fielding percentage (.989) in the AL, topping the Athletics (.989), Royals (.988) and Yankees (.988) by a few percentage points.
UPCOMING HOMESTAND: Following today’s game, the Astros will travel back to Houston for a six-game homestand that will feature two three-game series against AL Central opponents in the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians. The Astros are 16-19 at Daikin Park this season and went 4-5 in their last homestand.
HIT PAREDES: IF Isaac Paredes is one double away from recording his 100th career double…is looking to become just the 4th Mexican-born player in MLB history with 500 career hits, 100 doubles and 100 home runs, joining IF Vinny Castilla, IF Jorge Orta and IF Aurelio Rodríguez.
ON THE LEADERBOARD: DH Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in OPS (1.093), SLG (.658) and total bases (169) and is tied for the Major League lead in home runs (24). In the AL, he ranks first in RBI (54), first in extra-base hits (37), first in hits (84), first in batting average (.327), second in OBP (.435), fourth in walks (46) and fourth in runs (49).
HOMER HAPPY: DH Yordan Alvarez hit two home runs, including a grand slam in the first inning of Fri. night’s game vs. KC. He became the third player in franchise history to record two home runs in a single inning, joining Lee May on April 29, 1974 and Jeff Bagwell on June 24, 1994.
RIBEYE STEAK: DH Yordan Alvarez also recorded six RBI in the first inning of Fri. night’s game, becoming the first player in franchise history to record at least six RBI in a single inning, the last player in MLB history to record at least six RBI in a single inning was LAD OF Cody Bellinger on June 2, 2021 vs. STL. He’s also the 17th player in MLB history to do so.
YORDAN’S SLAM: DH Yordan Alvarez hit his sixth career grand slam on Fri. night at KC. Alvarez now ranks tied for fourth in franchise history in grand slams, trailing only 2B Jose Altuve (7), 3B Alex Bregman (7) and OF Carlos Lee (7).
AIR YORDAN: DH Yordan Alvarez is on pace to hit 54 home runs, which would set the single-season franchise home run record, passing IF Jeff Bagwell’s 47 home runs in 2000. Alvarez’s single-season career-high in home runs is 37, which he recorded in 2022.
ON BASE MACHINE: OF Yordan Alvarez is on a 20-game on-base streak. During the streak, he’s batting .389 (28×72) with 19 runs, two doubles, nine home runs, 23 RBI, 15 walks and a 1.286 OPS. It is his second-longest on-base streak this season, behind a 22-game on-base streak from April 4-28. It is the second time in his career, he’s recorded two 20-game on-base streaks in the same season, also did so in 2023 with on-base streaks of 30 games and 36 games.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: In the AL, 1B Christian Walker ranks second in RBI (52),behind only teammate OF Yordan Alvarez (54 RBI). Also ranks, fifth in extra-base hits (32), tied for fourth in home runs (18), fifth in total bases (135) and 11th in SLG (.506). In the field, Walker has not committed an error in 70 games.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1996 – 1B Jeff Bagwell ties a Major League record and sets the franchise high with four doubles in the Astros 9-1 win at San Francisco. Bagwell also ties the franchise record for the most extra-base hits in a game.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, June 14, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Add it to the trophy cabinet.
After leading his Knicks to an NBA championship and being crowned Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson has received yet another accolade: being called the “greatest Knick of all-time” by Kendrick Perkins.
The ESPN analyst and former NBA big man, who won a championship with the Celtics in 2008, has been a longtime fan of the Knicks guard and even coined his “Big Body Brunson” nickname.
And after the Knicks’ Game 5 clincher, Perkins took a moment to praise the 29-year-old superstar.
“This man has become the greatest Knick of all time. Yes, I said it,” Perkins said on SportsCenter, placing Brunson ahead of the likes of Patrick Ewing and Willis Reed.
“This man has become the greatest Knick of all time.”
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 14, 2026@KendrickPerkins after Jalen Brunson dropped 45 points to lead the Knicks to an NBA Finals victory
pic.twitter.com/eVtKE3KN8Y
“He will never spend another dime on another meal, another drink, I don’t know if he’s even gonna have to pay his mortgage in the city of New York.
“This is Mr. New York. He is the new Derek Jeter of this generation.”
Brunson averaged 32.6 points per game in the series, and saved his best performance for last as he scored 45 in San Antonio to will the Knicks to another comeback win.
While Brunson joined an exclusive list of Finals MVPs on Saturday, Perkins has been a longtime admirer of the former Maverick, who first joined New York on a four-year, $104 million deal.
The former Celtic sparred with ex-WNBA star Becky Hammon in 2023, when she declared that the Knicks did not have a “1A” dude and that Brunson was too small.
“They do have that dude,” Perkins fired back. “Jalen Brunson.”
Perkins was emphatically proven right throughout this postseason, and especially on Saturday night, and don’t expect his victory lap to end any time soon.
Mike Brown now has been part of 5 NBA championship runs. The Knicks got this one right originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Mike Brown didn’t seem to be the New York Knicks’ first choice to take over as coach last spring, when the team fired Tom Thibodeau and was linked to at least a half-dozen other candidates who held various jobs around the NBA.
In the end, he clearly was the right choice.
Brown is now a five-time NBA champion coach — four of those rings won as an assistant, the fifth coming as head coach of the Knicks. He joins only Red Holzman on the list of those who won titles as coach of the Knicks, and fittingly, he did it on June 13.
There’s a banner in Madison Square Garden that says “Holzman 613” to commemorate his win total with the franchise. Brown won this title on 6/13.
“I’m pretty good at trying to control what I can control,” Brown said. “I had zero control over who else was interviewing, who was denied permission. I had zero control over that. I just did the best I could in the interview process. I went about my business and waited until it was either going to progress or end. … I was pretty nonchalant about it as time went on. I just let it unfold the way it unfolded.”
Brown speaks fondly of his days with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, a place his family still calls home — and the place where the Knicks captured this title after topping the Spurs in five games. He raves about his years coaching with Steve Kerr in Golden State as well.
Brown was an assistant on the 2003 Spurs title team, then was with the Warriors for three more title runs. He was the NBA’s coach of the year while with Cleveland in 2009; the Cavaliers wound up firing him. He was the NBA’s coach of the year again while with Sacramento in 2023; the Kings wound up firing him, too.
But in New York, he’s a legend for life now.
“Mike was invaluable to this run,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “He understands what it is to be a champion. He understands how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position. We’re so grateful, so thankful to have him at the top. He kept us even so many times. He’s brought the best out of us, as people first. I’m so happy for him. He’s the reason why we’re here. He’s the reason why we’re here, and we’ve got love for him.”
Brown kept the mood light throughout the postseason push, didn’t blink when the Knicks were down 2-1 in Round 1 to Atlanta after a pair of one-point losses, and always seemed to be the calm in the eye of the storm. Social media was blowing up with how Brown wasn’t the right coach for the job when the Knicks trailed the Hawks.
New York went 15-1 from there. And a 53-year wait between titles is now over.
“I am so tired. I mean, I’m gassed,” Brown said. “You know, this stuff is harder than what you think.”
Maybe so, but he makes it look easy.
Mike Brown now has been part of 5 NBA championship runs. The Knicks got this one right originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Mike Brown didn’t seem to be the New York Knicks’ first choice to take over as coach last spring, when the team fired Tom Thibodeau and was linked to at least a half-dozen other candidates who held various jobs around the NBA.
In the end, he clearly was the right choice.
Brown is now a five-time NBA champion coach — four of those rings won as an assistant, the fifth coming as head coach of the Knicks. He joins only Red Holzman on the list of those who won titles as coach of the Knicks, and fittingly, he did it on June 13.
There’s a banner in Madison Square Garden that says “Holzman 613” to commemorate his win total with the franchise. Brown won this title on 6/13.
“I’m pretty good at trying to control what I can control,” Brown said. “I had zero control over who else was interviewing, who was denied permission. I had zero control over that. I just did the best I could in the interview process. I went about my business and waited until it was either going to progress or end. … I was pretty nonchalant about it as time went on. I just let it unfold the way it unfolded.”
Brown speaks fondly of his days with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, a place his family still calls home — and the place where the Knicks captured this title after topping the Spurs in five games. He raves about his years coaching with Steve Kerr in Golden State as well.
Brown was an assistant on the 2003 Spurs title team, then was with the Warriors for three more title runs. He was the NBA’s coach of the year while with Cleveland in 2009; the Cavaliers wound up firing him. He was the NBA’s coach of the year again while with Sacramento in 2023; the Kings wound up firing him, too.
But in New York, he’s a legend for life now.
“Mike was invaluable to this run,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “He understands what it is to be a champion. He understands how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position. We’re so grateful, so thankful to have him at the top. He kept us even so many times. He’s brought the best out of us, as people first. I’m so happy for him. He’s the reason why we’re here. He’s the reason why we’re here, and we’ve got love for him.”
Brown kept the mood light throughout the postseason push, didn’t blink when the Knicks were down 2-1 in Round 1 to Atlanta after a pair of one-point losses, and always seemed to be the calm in the eye of the storm. Social media was blowing up with how Brown wasn’t the right coach for the job when the Knicks trailed the Hawks.
New York went 15-1 from there. And a 53-year wait between titles is now over.
“I am so tired. I mean, I’m gassed,” Brown said. “You know, this stuff is harder than what you think.”
Maybe so, but he makes it look easy.
Game #72. A win would be nice.
No Vlad and no Andrés today. Hopefully they will be back quick.
CHICAGO — Turns out Shohei Ohtani actually does have a theory about what caused his recent left knee inflammation, after all.
After returning to the Dodgers’ lineup on Saturday — and promptly hitting a leadoff home run before later drawing three walks — Ohtani spoke to reporters for the first time since Thursday, when he left the team’s game in Pittsburgh early with swelling in his knee that would keep him sidelined on Friday, as well.
Previously, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had said the cause of Ohtani’s injury was unknown, speculating only that it might have occurred while he was running the bases Thursday night.
But on Saturday, the two-way star offered a different explanation, pointing back to his 6 ⅔-innings pitching start Wednesday as the potential source of the issue.
“There wasn’t one incident in which it suddenly happened,” he said in Japanese. “I think it’s because in my last start [pitching], the way I threw wasn’t very good.”
In that start against the Pirates, Ohtani gave up a season-high four runs (three earned) while throwing 102 pitches. Results aside, however, he indicated it was flaws in his mechanics that led his knee to swell up the next day — when he remained in the Dodgers’ lineup as designated hitter instead of getting an off day as he had following his previous four pitching starts.
The good news for the Dodgers is that Ohtani’s knee problem appears to be behind him, at least for now.
Medical imaging he got on his knee Friday came back clean, according to Roberts. And on Saturday, Ohtani said he “felt good” when he woke up and is “pretty confident that I’ll be able to stay healthy,” with the swelling he was experiencing in the back of his knee having finally dissipated.
The slugger certainly didn’t seem hampered at the plate Saturday, when he led off with his 14th home run of the year.
And as things stand, he is still on track to make his next scheduled pitching start Wednesday, after testing out his knee in some flat-ground catch play on Saturday morning.
“It wasn’t 100% today,” Ohtani acknowledged. “But with the next three, four days, I feel pretty confident, with enough recovery, that I should be able to make the next start.”
The only concern moving forward is whether Ohtani’s pitching could continue to aggravate his knee.
The last time he had knee troubles was in 2019, when a rare congenital condition in his kneecap — called bipartite patella, where the bones of the kneecap don’t fuse together at birth — flared up on him as he went through a pitching progression during his return from Tommy John surgery, ultimately requiring an operation to address the problem that September.
The Dodgers don’t believe this situation is related, and Roberts said the club wasn’t planning to change its usage plan with the two-way star.
Still, it will be something for the Dodgers and Ohtani to monitor, starting with the next time he takes the mound for his scheduled outing Wednesday.
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The Boston Red Sox are short home favorites against the Texas Rangers, but I’m taking the near-pick’em road side.
Connelly Early’s contact profile gives Texas the better matchup path, while Nathan Eovaldi’s chase, whiff, and ground-ball traits give the Rangers more ways to survive. I’m also leaning Under, as both offenses carry modest scoring baselines.
Read all about it in my Rangers vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, June 14, 2026.
It’s a coin-flip game that's not being priced like one, and that’s mostly the edge. I’m grabbing the Texas Rangers here and would play them to -110.
I’m a long-term fan of Boston Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early, but he’s young, raw, and has work to do.
His contact profile for this matchup isn’t ideal. He’s yielded a barrel rate of 11%+ along with a hard-hit rate in the Bottom 20th percentile.
This Rangers lineup can be erratic, but one thing it has is plenty of power, with six in the lineup having a hard-hit rate over 40%.
Give me Texas for a two-unit play.
COVERS INTEL: Nathan Eovaldi owns 99th-percentile offspeed run value, key against a team that struggles against them.I’m taking the Under because Nathan Eovaldi’s Top-20 percentile chase and whiff rate create a run-prevention path, and the market is pricing up two offenses with modest scoring baselines
Early’s contact quality is the concern, but Texas can do damage and still keep this Under if Eovaldi controls Boston’s chase-heavy approach.
His elite ground-ball rate, in addition to the strikeout stuff, is the key separator in a game I project closer to 8.1 runs.
Play to -130.
The Texas Rangers have hit the Game Total Under in 26 of their last 50 games (+4.50 Units / 8% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Red Sox.
| Location | Fenway Park, Boston, MA |
| Date | Sunday, June 14, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:20 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
| Rangers starting pitcher | Nathan Eovaldi (5-7, 4.26 ERA) |
| Red Sox starting pitcher | Connelly Early (5-4, 3.30 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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