Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor (94) during rookie mini-camp practice on May 8, 2026, at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The sun rises in the east, the sun sets in the west and the Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman will miss a large swath of offseason, training camp and preseason.
The Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur is far more forthcoming than Jonathan Gannon was about injuries as he reported fourth round pick Kaleb Proctor has a meniscus issue and could miss a lot of time.
This is another blow to a team who did almost nothing to improve one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and a team that is desperate for healthy reinforcements.
The other concern with a meniscus is that there are not a lot of guys who had meniscus issues, and at Proctor’s size and the way he wins, with explosive movements and quickness, could this be something that hinders him?
More than the Cardinals, although somewhat for the Cardinals, I hope Proctor can be healthy and play at his full potential, because you want to see a player not have setbacks with injuries derail their career.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Drew Rasmussen struck out a career-high 13 and two-hit the Boston Red Sox over seven scoreless innings, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-5 victory Wednesday.
Nick Fortes, Yandy Díaz and Taylor Walls had multiple hits for the Rays, who swept the Red Sox for the first time since 2023.
Rasmussen (6-2) fanned his first four hitters, faced the minimum through four innings and didn’t allow a runner to reach third base. Boston’s 1-4 batters were a combined 0 for 11 with 11 strikeouts against the Tampa Bay righty, who left with a 5-0 lead.
Boston then jumped on the Rays’ bullpen with a four-run eighth, including Ceddanne Rafaela’s three-run homer. Caleb Durbin also homered in the frame to put the Red Sox on the board.
But Fortes answered with his fourth hit, matching a career high, and Cedric Mullins hit a two-run homer off Boston reliever Justin Slaten. Garrett Cleavinger pitched the ninth for his second save, despite surrendering another homer to Durbin.
The small-ball Rays scored in the third when Fortes doubled off the wall, Mullins’ sacrifice bunt moved Fortes to third and Taylor Walls scored him on a sacrifice fly.
Tampa Bay used three infield hits — including an Austin Slater RBI double off the leg of Boston starter Jake Bennett (1-2) — to score three in the fifth.
Díaz, who had three hits and two RBIs, extended the longest on-base streak in the majors to 24 games.
The Rays are 12-0 against the AL East at Tropicana Field, the majors’ longest season-opening home streak against division opponents since 2009.
Up next
Boston returns home to face Texas on Friday with RHP Sonny Gray (7-1, 3.20 ERA) on the mound.
Tampa Bay begins a road trip against the Angels on Friday with LHP Shane McLanahan (6-3, 2.85) scheduled to start. Neither Texas nor Los Angeles has announced a starter.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Kameron Misner #26 of the Kansas City Royals jogs across the field in the second inning against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals have called up outfielder Kameron Misner from Triple-A Omaha and placed Kyle Isbel on the Injured List with a left foot plantar fascia injury. He injured himself diving into first base in last night’s contest against the Rangers.
Misner is a native of Poplar Bluff, Missouri and was a standout at Mizzou. The Marlins selected him in the first round of the 2019 draft, and traded him to the Rays in 2021. He made his MLB debut with Tampa Bay in 2024, and hit .203/.260/.325 with five home runs and eight steals in 79 games over parts of two seasons. He was hitting .276/.373/.547 with 13 home runs and 11 steals in 59 games for Omaha, recently going on a tear where he was recently named International League Player of the Week.
Misner is a 28-year-old left-handed hitter with plus power and speed. What has held him back is an inability to make consistent contact – he had a 34 percent strikeout rate in his time with the Rays. He has gotten that strikeout rate down to 26 percent with Omaha and he does have a patient eye with an ability to draw walks.
Isbel was hitting .244/.298/.354 with three home runs in 56 games with the Royals. He was a Gold Glove finalist last year, and his +4 in Outs Above Average is among the leaders for American League outfielders.
Verstappen one of most outspoken critics of current rules
The key players in Formula One have come to an agreement to settle the proposed changes to the sport’s engines for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. These have been seen as crucial in addressing widespread driver dissatisfaction with the current formula, not least for the four-time champion Max Verstappen who has repeatedly threatened to leave the sport owing to how unhappy he is with the current engine rules.
Verstappen has been particularly outspoken, declaring the rules “anti-racing”, but he has been far from alone. The FIA, teams, engine manufacturers and F1’s owners have since been in discussions looking at ways to address the issue. Notably their resolution does not reach the minimum scale of improvement Verstappen believed was needed until 2028.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JUNE 10: Nick Fortes #40 of the Tampa Bay Rays with a leadoff double in the bottom of the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field on June 10, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a fine afternoon for baseball, because the weather is always great when you’ve got a dome. The Rays were looking to sweep their series against the Red Sox, and to get the job done, they had Drew Rasmussen on the mound. He was up against Jake Bennett for the Sox.
Rasmussen got things started by doing what Drew does best, and he got the side out in order. In the bottom of the inning, the Rays did the same, though, so not an ideal way to get things going.
It was another 1-2-3 for the Red Sox in the top of the second, but once again, the Rays also didn’t get a baserunner on.
Caleb Durbin broke the hitting dry spell for the game with a leadoff single in the top of the third. Isiah Kiner-Falefa then grounded into a force out to eliminate Durbin. Once on first, IKF stole second, but he got greedy trying to steal third and was tagged out. The Rays finally managed to get their offense working in the home half with a leadoff double from Nick Fortes. A sac bunt from Cedric Mullins moved Fortes to third, then a sac fly from Taylor Walls brought him home and put the Rays on the board first. Love to see a little small ball action.
The Sox went three-up, three-down in the fourth. Does Drew Rasmussen have somewhere to be? Love the efficiency. In the home half, Junior Caminero singled. One out later, Jonathan Aranda joined him with a single. With two runners on, though, they weren’t able to bring anyone home.
Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch to start the fifth. Then, with one out Masataka Yoshida singled. Rasmussen got himself out of the jam, though, collecting the next two outs of the inning. Nick Fortes decided he was going to have himself a game and opened the home half with another double. Then, with one out, Walls singled to push Fortes to third. A Yandy Diaz single brought him home. Then Austin Slater doubled to score Walls, putting the Rays up 3-0.
They weren’t done quite yet, though. Caminero was intentionally walked, which evidently Ryan Vilade took personally, because he hit a sac fly to score Diaz.
If the Red Sox were hoping for a comeback, they sure didn’t show it, going 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth. That was all she wrote for Bennett, who was replaced by Ryan Watson. Fortes continued to dominate, getting a one-out single in the bottom of the inning. Then, with two outs, Walls singled, bumping Fortes to third. A Yandy Diaz single brought Fortes in to score for the third time in the game. Walls then stole second, and a wild pitch allowed Diaz to advance, but the Rays had to settle for just the one run.
With two outs in the seventh, Mickey Gasper walked, but he was soon walking right back to the dugout as Rasmussen got out of the inning. The Rays didn’t do anything to add to their lead in the bottom of the inning.
Rasmussen was done after seven, with a final line of 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB and an INSANE 13 K on 97 pitches. He was replaced by Cole Sulser, and the first thing Sulser did was give up a solo home run to Durbin. Then Kiner-Falefa walked. After getting an out, Sulser was done, replaced by Steven Matz. Jarren Durran singled, then Ceddanne Rafaela homered, bringing the score to 5-4. With two outs in the inning, Matz was replaced by Casey Legumina, who got the final out. If I was Drew Rasmussen, I’d be pretty annoyed. Justin Slaten was the new pitcher for the Red Sox, and with one out, Fortes singled again. Chandler Simpson came in to run for him, and then Cedric Mullins hit a home run to recover a few of those runs.
Yandy Diaz singled, and the Sox dipped back into their pen for Greg Weissert who got the final out of the inning.
Garrett Cleavinger came on for the Rays in the ninth and with two outs, gave up another home run to Durbin. Those extra runs were certainly looking extra nice right about now. Kiner-Falefa walked after challenging his call, and the took second on defensive indifference. Cleavinger did manage to get the final out and the Rays walked away with both a game and series win.
Life is good if you’re a fan of the Florida Panthers these days.
Back-to-back championships, three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances and a roster built to continue contending for years to come will have that effect.
But while the 2020s have been the best decade, by far, of Panthers hockey, there was a massive gap in franchise success that ran from the late 90s until Florida’s newfound string of success.
For those who remember, the Panthers were actually a success story in their earliest of seasons.
Florida completed its inaugural 1993-94 campaign as the NHL’s most successful expansion franchise, setting league records for wins and points by a first-year franchise.
In each of their first two seasons, the Panthers missed qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a single point, which was unheard of for a team still in its infancy.
It was in year three that the Panthers really put their stamp on the NHL, reaching the playoffs as a four-seed and taking down the top two teams in the Eastern Conference en route to a shocking appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
The gritty, underdog Panthers were turning heads, reaching the mecca of the sport despite fielding a roster with no superstars to speak of, just a grizzled group of hard-working veterans and a talented, young players still cutting their teeth at that high of a level.
Unfortunately for Florida, the Stanley Cup Final did not go particularly well for them, as they were dropped in four straight games by the Colorado Avalanche.
Still, the Panthers did not go out without one hell of a fight.
With their backs against the wall, Florida would not give in to the high-powered Avalanche, holding them scoreless well into multiple overtime sessions.
Finally, at the 4:31 mark of the third overtime, Avs defenseman Uwe Krupp beat Panthers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck with a long slapshot to the blocker side.
The defeat was crushing, but at the end of the day, it was still extremely cool that the third-year Panthers were receiving the consideration and respect rarely offered to a franchise so young.
Also, the game itself was epic.
Watching Vanbiesbrouck and Patrick Roy go save-for-save with the Stanley Cup on the line was pure cinema.
Check out some of the vintage action in the videos below:
Photo caption: June 1996; Miami, FL; USA; FILE PHOTO; Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy (33) and forward Valeri Kamensky (13) in action against Florida Panthers forward Rob Niedermayer (44) during the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals at Miami Arena. (RVR Photos-Imagn Images)
The Braves are looking to force a rubber match tomorrow with a win tonight behind Chris Sale.
Chicago waited until the last second to confirm it, but they will indeed send Davis Martin to the mound to face the Ronald Acuña Jr.-less Braves. Upside for us, downside for his teammates? More time for pranks, maybe.
Even though the role of RAJ was played by Eli White on last night’s great outfield assist, it will be Michael Harris II batting leadoff. Ozzie Albies will hit second, and then we’ll go from small to tall with Matt Olson in the three-hole. Dominic Smith will hit in the cleanup spot, followed by Mauricio Dubon making a start in left field. Austin Riley (sixth) and Mike Yastrzemski (seventh) aren’t surprising to see. Walt Weiss rounds out the lineup with Jorge Mateo at shortstop and Austin Wynns catching and batting ninth for a second straight start.
Atlanta isn’t the only one shaking things up – the White Sox have reengineered their whole lineup to face a southpaw. The only constant from last night’s lineup is Luisangel Acuña playing SS and hitting eighth.
Last night’s walkoff hero Braden Montgomery remains in right field but moves up a spot to bat fifth. What a great story for your major league debut… just wish it didn’t have to happen to us. But that’s baseball!
New face Edgar Quero will start instead of Drew Romo to catch and bat cleanup. Randal Grichuk, who came in late last night as a pinch-hitter, will DH and bat second behind Chase Meidroth. As mentioned in the preview, Grichuk has the most history versus Sale. Miguel Vargas drops a spot to bat third and play third. Derek Hill will man left field and bat fifth. Jacob Gonzalez remains at first base but will bat seventh, and following Acuña in the nine-hole will be center fielder Tristan Peters.
Jun 10, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) slid into third base with a triple during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Getaway games can never just be normal, can they?
Carlos Rodón’s second pitch of the game was hit out of the park, Angel Martínez played right field like he was doing shots in between innings, Trent Grisham had one of the most consequential ABS challenges of the year … this game had a bit of everything. Despite all the chaos, the Yankees got exactly what they needed — a sweep of the Cleveland Guardians, and it wasn’t some one-run affair this time.
Pour one out for the Yankee starter with that opening home run, but the Yankees did well to get right back in the game. A pair of leadoff singles had them in business early, just in time for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to crack another big hit, not waiting for the eighth inning this time:
That hit helped push Jazz officially over 100 wRC+ on the season, and the keystoner is warming up with the weather. The Yankees benefitted from a Guardians error one batter later, with Chisholm coming home to make it 3-1.
Rodón had kind of a funky day, up and down almost along with the inning count. The first inning wasn’t very good, with the aforementioned leadoff home run, a walk, and soft single allowed. A clean second inning followed and a clean third would have to if Anthony Volpe was a major-league-caliber shortstop, but I am becoming increasingly convinced he is not:
Would have been tough to get him at first, but Volpe rushes the throw way too much and it gets away. pic.twitter.com/z1DBIThwQ2
Carlos was able to work around what was officially scored a single and error, sparing Volpe any more venom than he rightfully received for the misplay. The fourth inning was once again trouble for the southpaw though, as he issued two leadoff walks and Austin Hedges made him pay with a double that plated one of those runners, and a followup sac fly tied the game at three. And then Good Rodón was back, icing the Guardians through the fifth and sixth, finishing a full frame deeper than I thought he would based on his pitch count in the fourth.
Critical was that perfect sixth inning, a shutdown affair as the Yankees picked the top half to be their breakout frame, kicked off by Grisham’s keen eye:
We don’t get WPA for turnovers, but by that metric this has to be one of the bigger swings of the season. Grisham going down would have left the Guardians two out, nobody on, in a tie ball game.
Fallacy of the predetermined outcome and all, but José Caballero’s subsequent fly ball would have ended the inning instead of giving the Yankees the lead — although Grisham does deserve additional credit for one heck of a slide:
We got that big inning from Carlos, and the Yankees added two more runs in the seventh to push the lead to five. Brent Headrick and Ryan Yarbrough teamed up after Rodón’s six innings, and while Yarbrough did allow a run to cross in the ninth, a pair of nifty defensive plays from the left side of the infield was enough to seal the game, series, and sweep.
The Yankees did what they had to to keep pace with the Rays, who finished off their own sweep of the Red Sox at the Trop. There’s truly no salve like the AL Central, and now the team will enjoy an off day in June in Toronto, which is a pretty good deal for anyone. Ryan Weathers is expected to get the ball against the Yanks’ now-familiar nemesis Trey Yesavage on Friday night to kick off a three-game series with the Blue Jays, so we’ll see you all for the 7:07pm first pitch.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 10: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a fly ball to left field for a home run in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field on June 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland leads 1-0. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pretty embarrassing series start to finish, especially on the heels of taking 2 out of 3 from this same team in the Bronx. Starting pitching was an absolute mess, furthered today by Messick giving up a career-high 5-runs against a Judge-less Yankees lineup. The bullpen was, again, an embarrassment. Festa came on in relief of Messick and gave up a run and Heuer gave up 2 runs only recording 2 outs. On the bright side, Will Dion pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 3!
The game started well, at least, with Martinez hitting a leadoff homer.
This last month-ish of mediocre baseball from the Guardians (paired with the White Sox seemingly being a team of destiny) is going to make the trade deadline much more difficult than it looked early on. This team has gaping holes in the rotation (whether it’s an abject lack of depth or an inability for the non-Gavin-and-Parker starters to establish themselves as the SP3), in the bullpen (even with a healthy Sabrowski), and in the lineup. Getting tossed around by a Yankees team — when you didn’t have to face their best starter or the best hitter on the planet — is an embarrassment. This team desperately needs another injection of youth into the 26-man roster, and I just don’t see how the front office can neglect the bullpen (with Aleman still waiting in the wings and an external addition absolutely necessary) and lineup (with Valera, Ralphy, Ingle, and Watson all raking in AAA) much longer.
The Guardians will host a hot Detroit team this weekend, with Skubal perhaps making his return at some point during that series. The White Sox now hold a share of first place in the division (with the chance to own it alone tonight) for the first time in 4 years.
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 8: The sneakers worn by Sam Hauser #30 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the New York Knicks on March 8, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 09: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a goal against Colton Sissons #10 and Carter Hart #79 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period of Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In what could be considered a must-win game for the Carolina Hurricanes, heroes, new and old, emerged.
Brandon Bussi, making his first career playoff start in Game 4, turned away 18 of 21 shots to earn the victory. He is the third goalie in the expansion era to make his first career playoff start in the Stanley Cup Final, joining Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jussi Markkanen. Bussi joined a more exclusive club by becoming the third goalie in NHL history to win that first career playoff start in a Stanley Cup Final.
Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and Taylor Hall each returned to the scoresheet and were the best line on the ice. Stankoven and Blake’s goals during the first 3:28 minutes of the game were the Hurricanes’ second-fastest two goals to start a playoff game.
But once again, Jordan Staal was the center of this epic chapter of Hurricanes and hockey history.
The Captain scored twice, including the eventual game-winner with 13:28 to play in regulation. Carolina’s 5-3 victory over Vegas evens the series at two games apiece and returns home-ice advantage to the Canes.
Staal’s first period goal was another history-maker. He is the first player in 44 years, and the fourth player in the expansion era, to score a goal in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final. Staal’s four-game goal streak is tied for the second-longest in franchise history, trailing Stankoven’s record-setting five-game goal streak earlier in the playoffs.
Staal’s first of the game came on the power play. Much has been said about the size of the Golden Knights, and Staal winning the battle out front demonstrates just how important it is that the big man is on the man advantage. The Canes now have power play goals in three straight games.
True to the pattern of this series, Vegas roared back in the second period, scoring twice to knot the game at 3-3 heading into the third. But for the third straight game, Carolina found another gear after the second intermission.
The decisive sequence came with less than seven minutes in the third. After Vegas turned the puck over on a botched breakout, Seth Jarvis was alone in the slot, had a backhander stopped by Carter Hart, and battled to retrieve his own rebound behind the net versus four Golden Knights. Jarvis worked the puck free to Nikolaj Ehlers, who poked it across the slot to a falling Staal. With a desperate reach, the Captain lifted the puck over Hart’s glove and into the net for what would be the eventual game-winner.
This goal will be in the Carolina highlight reel from now until eternity. Staal’s determination and desperation epitomized the Canes’ effort for most of the game.
Of course, Staal was not just a factor on the scoresheet. The Hurricanes dominated in the faceoff circle, holding a 57-43 advantage over the Golden Knights. Staal won 12 of 16 faceoffs, with his 75 percent win rate leading all centers in the game.
Staal was matched up against Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel for much of the game, and each failed to tally a point.
Perhaps Staal’s only blemish was in the process of a line change during Vegas’s first goal. The Golden Knights did not convert on any of their three power plays, of which Staal was on the kill for each.
Here’s what Sebastian Aho said about Staal on Wednesday morning before departing Las Vegas. Via NHL.com:
In our room, he’s always had his spotlight. He does so much for us. We all know in our room how big of a player he is for us. He’s taken a lot of draws, he’s killing all the penalties, he’s very hard to play against. It’s just his presence; he’s obviously our leader, our captain, and he’s so big. Obviously, now he gets more attention probably from [the media], but like I said, he does so much for us, and he has always gotten that attention from us.
The Hurricanes flew back to Raleigh on Wednesday to prepare for Game 5, set for Thursday, June 11, at 8:00 p.m. at the Lenovo Center.
Victor Wembanyama starred in Game 3, to the chagrin of New York Knicks fans and to the joy of folks who want to see a long series.
If the San Antonio Spurs are going to even the NBA Finals, they likely need more of the same from Wemby.
These Victor Wembanyama odds and NBA picks do not so much doubt Wembanyama’s offense as they expect his defense to be more necessary in Game 4 on Wednesday, June 10.
Victor Wembanyama prop pick for Game 4
Victor Wembanyama best bet: Under 27.5 points (-115 at bet365)
This is not meant as a knock on Victor Wembanyama’s offense. If anything, it is a knock on Karl-Anthony Towns’s offense in Game 3.
Towns was not aggressive in the first New York Knicks’ loss since April. He did not take a 3-pointer in the first three quarters, and removing that threat allowed Wembanyama to expend less energy defensively. No wonder he played his most efficient game of the NBA Finals thus far.
The Knicks coaching staff has undoubtedly pointed out to Towns the compound effect that comes with his offensive reluctance. If they want to put the San Antonio Spurs on the brink, then KAT needs to make Wembanyama stress on defense.
Doing so should cut into Wemby’s offensive output, a reward almost as helpful as every point Towns scores.
Victor Wembanyama same-game parlay
While Wembanyama went 2-for-4 from long range in Game 3 to help spur his 32 points, the most notable number should be that he attempted only four 3-pointers. He has always been more hesitant to shoot from deep when on the road.
He took just five 3-pointers per road game this season, compared to 5.9 per home game.
And that gap has furthered this postseason, Wembanyama now taking 6.4 threes per home game (excluding Game 2 of the first round, when a concussion sidelined him after just 12 minutes) compared to 4.25 per road game (excluding Game 4 of the second round, when an ejection sidelined him after just 12 minutes).
That reluctance should cost Wemby both from deep and in scoring overall.
And it should hold true even though Wembanyama should handle the ball even more. Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox have been a bit too loose with the ball in this series, while the Spurs’ first win came in no small part because Wemby turned over the ball only once in nearly 39 minutes. That helped create six assists.
Putting the ball into Wembanyama’s hands more will help San Antonio in multiple ways, partly simply by protecting the ball.
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The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians, winning Wednesday's matinee by a score of 8-4.
Here are the takeaways…
-- A big moment came in the top of the sixth, with the game tied 3-3. After Trent Grisham was initially called out on strikes (the call was challenged and overturned), he then laced a ball over the head of Angel Martinez in right, good for a one-out triple. Grisham came around to score on a Jose Caballero sac fly to left, thanks to a great slide into home plate. And the rally would continue from there.
-- Anthony Volpe had a fielding mistake earlier in the game, throwing one away at first base in the third inning on what was ruled a Jose Ramirez infield single. Ramirez advanced to second on the wild throw, but luckily for the Yankees, the Guardians didn’t score in that inning. It was Volpe’s second error since being called up.
But the young shortstop made up for it in the bottom of the sixth, roping a double to left to put the Yankees up 5-3. Paul Goldschmidt followed up with another RBI hit to right to extend the lead to three runs.
--Carlos Rodon, who owned a 2.88 ERA coming into the game, allowed a leadoff home run to Martinez, who smoked the second pitch of the game 406 feet for a solo shot. But from there he was fairly solid on the bump.
Rodon allowed two more earned runs in the fourth after walking the first two batters, but he ended up turning in a quality start. The lefty went six innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.
-- Jazz Chisholm Jr. had another big hit against a lefty, roping a two-run triple to right in the second inning off of Guardians starter Parker Messick. Chisholm drove in three runs and scored a pair of runs on the afternoon.
Grisham, meanwhile, had a pair of hits and scored three runs.
Well, June was a rough time for the Guardians in 2025 and it is shaping up that way again.
Parker Messick didn’t have it today and Matt Festa and Codi Heuer continue to be bad. Festa was good in 2025. He is not now.
The Guardians actually scored 3 runs off of Carlos Rodon. A minor miracle. Angel Martinez may very well become our first outfielder to hit 20 homers since Elmer Flick. At least it feels that way.
I hate when they play the Yankees. I hate that the Yankees won those first two close games and then blew them out today. I find myself looking at the Columbus box score and hoping that Kahlil Watson and Cooper Ingle sitting today means they are getting a call up for Detroit, but doesn’t that just mean Grant Fink and co. will fail to finish developing them?
Bring me Watson, Ingle, and have Franco Aleman and Andrew Walters join them in the Uber. Or, don’t and just make Friday’s delightful surprise Gabriel Arias for Stuart Fairchild and some more sacrifice bunts. That’s cool, too, I guess.
The game isn’t even over so I can’t tell you the score. The Yankees are up 8-3 but it’ll probably get worse. Let’s hope the Tigers fall apart in Cleveland again.
The Braves placed their franchise outfielder on the 10-day IL Wednesday, June 10 with a strained left hamstring. It is the second time this season that same injury has put him on the IL. He left Tuesday night’s game against the White Sox after trying to beat out a ground ball to third base, the kind of play he used to make look effortless.
The Braves had been hopeful he would not need a trip to the injured list this time, and Acuna told reporters he didn’t think it was as bad and he had no pain.
Still, before Wednesday night’s series finale in Chicago, Acuna was back on the shelf.
His history of injuries is getting long.
He had a torn right ACL that ended his 2021 season. A torn left ACL ended his 2024 season after just 49 games. He opened 2025 still finishing that rehab, added a calf strain in July and played just 95 total games. Now in 2026, he has hit the IL twice with the same left hamstring issue. That is five lower-body IL stints across five seasons.
The Braves can absorb this, for now.
Michael Harris II is having the best season of his career, hitting .308 with 13 home runs. He is the reason Atlanta’s outfield does not feel depleted right now. Beyond Harris, the depth runs thin. We'll see Mike Ystremzeski in a platoon role and more Eli White, who replaced Acuna the moment he limped off Tuesday night.
Rowdy Tellez was added to the roster with Jhancarlos Lara designated for assignment to open the spot on the 40-man roster.
In between his injuries, Acuna has shown flashes of stardom. In 2023, his last full season, he hit 41 homers, scored 149 runs and stole 73 bases, becoming the first 40/70 player in MLB history.
This year, he's hitting .253 with a .380 on-base percentage and a .441 slugging percentage. He has seven home runs and 12 stolen bases in 53 games played.
The Braves own the best record in baseball going into Wednesday’s games at 45-22.
