Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Orioles:
Let’s talk about it.
Gamethread 7/31: Phillies at Orioles
Which NBA team Steve Kerr nearly coached instead of Warriors, per Rick Carlisle
Which NBA team Steve Kerr nearly coached instead of Warriors, per Rick Carlisle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
From the moment he took over as coach in 2014, the Warriors have found nothing but success with Steve Kerr at the helm.
The Warriors won the NBA Finals in three of his first four NBA seasons and made it to the Finals in each of his first five seasons. They instantly became one of the sport’s most important dynasties, but as revealed by Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, there was almost a world where Kerr wasn’t the Warriors’ coach.
When appearing on “The Draymond Green Show,” Carlisle shared that he advised Kerr to consider the Golden State job seriously rather than signing on with the New York Knicks.
“I said, ‘What’s going on with the Knicks? I keep hearing you’re going to take the job, but it hasn’t happened yet,'” Carlisle told Green of his conversation with Kerr. “He said, ‘Well, they don’t — they don’t want to do the fourth year.’ Now, this was when it was this was a different regime, and they were they were were quabbling over the fourth year.
“And I said, ‘Steve, do you have any idea how much money that the Madison Square Garden operation has with Cable Vision and all that?’ … He goes, ‘Well, there’s — I don’t know — some reasons.’ I said, ‘I’ve heard your name with Golden State a little bit. … That is a conference finals team, like right now. If you want to go to a team ready to win, that’s the place you should go if you can.'”
While Kerr might have just wanted a listening ear, Carlisle’s pep talk motivated him to head to Golden State, with the Pacers coach revealing that he took the Warriors job two days later.
As for the Knicks, they ended up going through head coaches seemingly every other year after hiring Derek Fisher that same cycle. They ended up going through three head coaches from 2014-19 before finally finding some stability with Tom Thibodeau.
We will never know if Kerr would have been the steady hand for the Knicks had they not balked on the fourth year, but Warriors fans certainly will be grateful for New York’s negotiating blunder.
Giants RB Cam Skattebo is cutting down on backflips. Here's why
New York Giants fans won't be seeing as much of running back Cam Skattebo's acrobatics this year – at least in training camp.
Skattebo told reporters at Giants training camp on Friday, July 31 that he's going to stop attempting backflips off of the field for now. His signature celebration became a hot topic earlier in July after a video of a failed backflip attempt – just months removed from a severe ankle injury – went viral.
"Obviously, I do some dumb things here and there," Skattebo said. "But I learn from it. My coach talked to me, told me how he felt, and I learned from it. Will I go do that backflip again? Probably not. We live and we learn, and we move on."
Spencer Schwellenbach throwing bullpens and targeting September return, per report
A watched stove eventually gets hot, folks. Join us in scratch/hug watch and other trade deadline speculation here as we approach Monday, August 3 at 6 pm ET.
In the meantime, here are some updates coming out of Truist Park per Mark Bowman.
Spencer Schwellenbach
Spencer Schwellenbach is with the team in Cobb County today to throw bullpens as he ramps up baseball activities. Bowman also is reporting that Schwelly is aiming to contribute to the big league club this season.
For context, the recently-returned (and then optioned) AJ Smith-Shawver was throwing bullpens on June 3 ahead of being cleared to face live hitters. He began his rehab assignment on June 30 and activated a month later on July 29 as the 27th man for Game 1 of the doubleheader versus the Mets.
Assuming everything progresses as it should, that does track toward a September return for Schwellenbach after his bone spur removal from his pitching elbow in mid-February 2026. Since we do not yet have the technology to just clone Chris Sale, having Schwelly back (that picks back up where he left off in 2025) would obviously be a huge boost to a rotation hoping to make a deep run in October.
Hurston Waldrep
Speaking of other arms that have made their way back up to the big league club, there’s still no major update on Hurston Waldrep, who hit the Triple-A injured list on July 21. He’s still being evaluated, which doesn’t bode well for the rest of 2025. He pitched 10.2 innings in three games with the Braves this year with an 8.44 ERA.
Ha-Seong Kim
The rehab assignment clock will tick down to 0 tomorrow for infielder Ha-Seong Kim. It looks like the Braves value Jim Jarvis for his valuable defense and decent production at the bottom of the lineup in his 23 games played. We’ll see if Jorge Mateo is a casualty to make room for Kim’s return.
Yankees hit two solo homers, Will Warren dominates in 2-0 win over Cubs
The Yankees defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field.
Here are some takeaways...
-- With their bullpen completely gassed, the Yankees needed Will Warren to step up in a big way, and the young right-hander was more than up for the task. Warren efficiently and effectively cruised his way through the Cubs lineup, mowing them down across 6.2 spectacular innings of work.
Warren faced the minimum over the first few frames, as he quickly erased a one-out single with a double play in the first, then struck out four of the next six batters he faced before allowing a two-out double in the third, which was also pushed aside by a strikeout of Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The youngster continued to cruise, working with a lead for the first time, retiring the next 12 Cubs before giving up back-to-back two-out singles. Paul Blackburn came on in relief and got a replay-confirmed groundout to short to close Warren's book without any damage on his line.
The 27-year-old allowed just four hits while striking out seven over 6.2 scoreless frames.
-- Chicago starter Shota Imanaga did a good job of matching Warren's effort in the early going, but the Yanks got to him in the middle innings. After the lefty retired the first nine hitters he faced, including five strikeouts, Amed Rosario opened the scoring with a two-out solo homer in the fourth.
-- Spencer Jones followed that up with a solo shot of his own an inning later, doubling the slim advantage. The young slugger had gotten off to a bit of a slow start at the plate in his return to the big league level, but he's now homered in two of his last three games.
-- New York managed just two other baserunners against Imanaga across his 6.2 innings.
-- The Yanks had an opportunity to tack on some big insurance runs after working a pair of walks against Chicago's bullpen leading off the eighth, but a botched bunt attempt and back-to-back strikeouts against the top of the order stranded them there.
-- Blackburn struck out the side in the eighth after getting the big out to close the seventh, then David Bednar retired the top of the Cubs' order around a one-out single to close out the victory with his 23rd save of the season.
-- Aaron Boone elected to keep Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of New York's lineup as a precaution after the slugging second baseman left Thursday's loss early due to cramping in his leg, but he was fully active and available off the bench.
Game MVP: Will Warren
The youngster was tremendous, shaking off his struggles on the mound of late.
Highlights
Amed Rosario LONG gone! pic.twitter.com/OYXKTZVk6w
— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 31, 2026
Spencer Jones goes yard! 💥 pic.twitter.com/BZarz9fylQ
— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 31, 2026
What's next
Max Fried (4-3, 2.23 ERA) takes the ball against David Peterson (6-7, 5.80 ERA) as the Yanks and Cubs continue their weekend set on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. on FOX.
Texas Rangers lineup for July 31, 2026
Texas Rangers lineup for July 31, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Hunter Brown for the Astros.
Texas takes on the Astros in the opener of a pretty huge three game series in Houston, the final three games they will play before Monday’s trade deadline.
If they sweep, they clinch the tiebreaker against Houston (they’ve already clinched it against Seattle), and make a pretty decent case for the team to be buying.
If they win 2 of 3, they will be a game and a half up on Houston in the division.
If they win 1 of 3, they will be a half game back of Houston in the division, but with a softer schedule than the Astros have coming up.
If they get swept, well…in that case, I’ll be staying out of the comments here for a while.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Nimmo — RF
Duran — 3B
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Lopez — 2B
Wynns — C
7:15 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +112 underdogs.
Minor League roundup, July 30: Josuar González is That Dude
All six of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball teams that are still in season (the ACL is done with for the year) were in action on Thursday, and there were some tremendous performances to talk about. So let’s talk about them!
Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The only news is that infielder Dayson Croes was demoted from AAA Sacramento to AA Richmond.
AAA Sacramento (58-44)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 6-4
Box score
I remain of the belief that, barring a huge offer, the Giants should not trade Heliot Ramos in the coming days. Part of the argument for why they should trade Ramos has been the large number of outfield options to replace him; my counter is that said options are all unproven. But that doesn’t mean they’re not intriguing. And it doesn’t mean that someone (or ones) won’t emerge as a stellar replacement should the Giants part with their homegrown All-Star outfielder (or, on the other side, Jung Hoo Lee).
One potential replacement? Scott Bandura, who, like a few other players in the system this year, has blossomed from “intriguing prospect” to full blown “good prospect who could be a good Major Leaguer.”
Thursday was another stellar day for the 2023 7th-rounder, who turns 25 on Sunday. Bandura was the star of this game, as the left fielder hit 2-3 with a 2-run home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and a strikeout. What a day!
The lefty is doing exactly what you want: adjusting to a level and figuring it out completely. After a very slow introduction to the level following a promotion in mid-May, Bandura posted a .702 OPS in June. But in July? That mark is a thrilling 1.026, which has given him an .824 OPS and a 118 wRC+ at the level, with 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts. He’s been especially hot lately, with a 12-game hitting streak during which time he’s gone 22-50 with 2 homers, 3 doubles, 8 walks, and 10 strikeouts. Given the Giants injuries and trade candidates in the outfield, and given Bandura’s impending Rule 5 eligibility, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Princeton product is making an MLB debut this season.
Of course, when we speak about outfielders turning from fringy prospects to full-blown exciting ones, the first name that comes to mind is Jonah Cox, and the righty made his 2nd rehab appearance in this game, hitting 2-5 with a triple and a strikeout while being the designated hitter. I’m curious to see whether the Giants option him to AAA (where he’d never played prior to this rehab assignment) or bring him back to the Majors when he’s done rehabbing; I strongly am hoping for the former, but I’ve also beat that horse plenty.
As long as we’re talking about blossoming outfielders, we need to mention center fielder Turner Hill, who has been one of the great success stories on the farm this year. It was just another day at the office for the 27-year old lefty on Thursday, as he hit 2-4 with a double. It was Hill’s 4th straight game with multiple hits, and it extended his hit streak to 16 games. During that hot stretch, the undrafted free agent has gone a scintillating 30-65 with 2 homers, 2 triples, 4 doubles, 6 walks, and just 4 strikeouts. My goodness, man!
That gives him an outrageous 1.119 OPS for the month, and a .916 OPS and a 142 wRC+ on the year. Could we also see him make a debut later this year? He’s doing everything the team asks for, with stunning contact rates, a tremendous slash line, strong defense across the grass, and tons of stolen bases. What a season, and what a player!
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) also hit 2-4 with a double, as he continues to audition for the upcoming role of “Casey Schmitt is out for the year and Luis Arráez is traded and you need someone to play second base.” The lefty now has a .778 OPS and a 108 wRC+ on the season.
Not the best days for the new River Cats, as third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-5 with a strikeout, while right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) went 0-3 with 2 walks.
Also not the best start for LHP Cesar Perdomo, who is really fighting to find his AAA legs following a recent promotion. The southpaw struggled to find the strike zone in this game, and when he did find it, he struggled to miss bats. He threw just 55 of 91 pitches for strikes (which resulted in 3 walks), and in 5 innings gave up 3 home runs (2 of which were hit by former Major Leaguers, Patrick Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni … the Rainiers lineup also featured former Giants Major Leaguers Connor Joe and Stuart Fairchild).
In all, Perdomo was tagged for 8 hits and 4 earned runs, though he did strike out 5 batters. It’s still been an excellent year for the 24-year old, who had a breakout season in AA, posting a 3.98 ERA, a 3.53 FIP, 11.1 strikeouts per 9 innings, and 2.7 walks per 9, before a recent promotion. It’s been a tough adjustment to AAA though, as tends to happen with pitchers … he has an 8.62 ERA and a 6.48 FIP through 4 starts, and has allowed nearly 2 hits per inning pitched. Still, I think he’s shown enough to form an intriguing triad with fellow LHPs Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) and Matt Wilkinson, and there are reasonable arguments for preferring any of those 3 over the others.
Nice relief appearances from RHPs Tristan Beck and Spencer Bivens, who each pitched 2 scoreless frames with 2 strikeouts. Both players have a somewhat tenuous grip on their 40-man roster spot, seeing as how San Francisco needs to dramatically upgrade their bullpen … Beck in particular, as this is his final year with options.
AA Richmond (58-39)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 4-2
Box score
Not the most interesting game for the Squirrels. Catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) had his best game since a recent promotion, though, which was great to see. The 21-year old righty had a great game, hitting 2-3 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout, while also having the only RBI of the game for Richmond. Villarroel had been scuffing since getting promoted — he was hitting 1-15 entering this game — but adjustments are expected, and that’s a small sample size.
Ultimately, Villarroel’s 1st season in the organization (he came over in February’s Kai-Wei Teng trade) has been a smashing success: despite getting a late start to the season with an injury, he post an .856 OPS and a 128 wRC+ in High-A, has earned praise for his defensive abilities, and is now already in AA, where he’s nearly 3 years younger than the average hitter. He’s really turned himself into an intriguing prospect, and the clear-cut best catching prospect in the system outside of the trio of rookies currently holding it down in the Majors.
A day after stealing 3 bases, third baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) stole 2 more, while hitting 1-4 with a strikeout. It’s now 23 stolen bases in 27 attempts for the 22-year old switch-hitter, to go along with an .809 OPS and a 122 wRC+. He’s made emphatic gains in his 3rd pass through the Eastern League, and I’d say it’s firmly time for him to see how his development fares against AAA pitchers.
Second baseman Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) had another nice game, hitting 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout. A big pair of days has helped Ahuna in his quest to turn his season around … after posting just a .454 OPS in June, the 2023 4th-round pick has had an .815 OPS in July, bringing him back to a .676 OPS and an 85 wRC+ in AA, albeit with a 33.1% strikeout rate. He’s starting to learn second base and third base now, in addition to his natural home at shortstop, where he’s mostly been forced off by the arrival of Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL).
Kilen had one of his few bad days in AA, though, as he went 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) was a bit better, as he hit 2-5, though he was caught stealing.
A so-so start by RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL), who pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs, but struck out 6 batters. That’s not a bad start, per se, but it came after back to back dominant outings, so it was a slight step backwards for the Dominican, who turns 23 in a little over a week. Overall, it’s been a very exciting stint in AA: through 10 starts he only has a 4.47 ERA, but he is sporting a 3.93 FIP, with 10.1 strikeouts and 3.0 walks per 9 innings. He’s giving up too many hits and home runs, currently (not in this game, though!), but there sure is a lot to like. He’ll be a fascinating Rule 5 decision this winter.
RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout, and threw 9 out of 12 pitches for strikes. It’s been a tough year for Bednar, who was an NRI and was ticketed for AAA, but was quickly returned to AA where he’s spent the bulk of the year. His velocity and strikeouts are both notably down this year (though he still has 11.6 Ks per 9), but the walks remain nearly as high as a year ago (6.1 per 9), and he has a 3.96 ERA and a 4.31 FIP. Just as last year, though, he’s making gains on that front late in the year: in his last 9 games, he’s issued only 5 walks in 12.1 innings, with 18 strikeouts.
High-A Eugene (61-38)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 13-2
Box score
There were a lot of great offensive performances to highlight in this game … but we’ll talk about them later, because the real star of this game was on the mound. It was yet another sensational start for LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), who seems to make it his weekly challenge to put out a strong case as best non-Jackson Flora pitching prospect in the system.
Thursday was one of his strongest arguments yet, as Bresnahan pitched 7 marvelous innings, allowing just 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, while striking out 9 batters. My goodness!!
Bresnahan was quite efficient, as he needed just 85 pitches to get through those 7 innings, which is extremely impressive given the high strikeout total. He lived in the zone, throwing 61 of those 85 pitches for strikes. His lone hiccup was allowing a home run to Randy De Jesus (who later homered off of RHP Mauricio Estrella), one of the Northwest League’s top home run hitters.
This was the 6th time in his last 7 starts that Bresnahan has allowed 0 or 1 runs. In those 7 starts he’s pitched 41.1 innings, and allowed just 23 hits, 10 walks, and 7 runs, with 52 strikeouts. In fitting with the color of the Emerald’s jerseys, holy guacamole!
It’s funny. Bresnahan got a late start due to injury, and then took some time finding his rhythm (after his 1st start of June he had a 4.97 ERA). And I kept repeating the same line: it’s gonna be hard for him to earn Pitcher of the Year honors in his league for the 3rd straight season.
But now? Among the 36 Northwest League pitchers with at least 50 innings thrown this year, Bresnahan is 1st in ERA (2.93), 5th in FIP (3.98), 8th in strikeouts per 9 innings (10.9), 15th in walks per 9 (3.6), 1st in WHIP (1.07), and 1st in batting average against (.185). At this point, the only thing that might keep him from that Pitcher of the Year threepeat is that the southpaw, who only just turned 21, might get promoted to AA soon!
Okay, now we can talk about the hitters, who had 12 hits, 6 walks, and 13 runs. It was a great offensive day, with 4 players who particularly stood out.
Third baseman Walker Martin continued his recent hot streak, hitting 2-3 with a 3-run home run, 2 walks, and 5 runs batted in. My word what a day!
Martin had quite a summer slump, but in his last 11 games is 13-46 with 5 home runs, 1 double, and 6 walks, albeit with a terrifying 19 strikeouts.
It’s hard to know how to feel about Martin’s season. When the Giants drafted him out of high school with their 2nd round pick in 2023, he was touted as an ultra-athletic, ultra-powerful shortstop. But the power didn’t play all that much early on, and contact issues abounded.
Now the power is starting to play. Martin is up to 15 home runs and a .190 isolated slugging percentage, numbers that are easily the best in his young career … and rank 5th and 24th, respectively, out of the 74 Northwest League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this year. But the contact issues remain dramatic: among those 74 hitters, Martin is 57th in batting average (.232), 68th in strikeout rate (32.8%), and 73rd in swinging strike rate (19.4%). The overall package is a .739 OPS and a 94 wRC+ … a lot to work with, but perhaps even more to work on.
Speaking of players who are hitting home runs but still don’t have the best line, center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) went 3-5 with a 2-run home run and 3 runs batted in. Diaz is tied with Martin for 5th in the Northwest League with 15 home runs, and tied for 2nd in the Giants organization with 18 (he has a trio of dingers in Low-A, where he had to play when the Emeralds were in Canada). Despite those home runs, Diaz has just a 101 wRC+.
Unlike with Martin, Diaz’s issue isn’t with contact: he’s striking out just 17.5% of the time, and has a .275 average. No, the advanced metrics are really dinging Diaz for his lack of walks, as his 3.0% rate is last among those aforementioned 74 Northwest League hitters. That said, I don’t care quite as much about not drawing walks when it doesn’t come with a bunch of strikeouts … ultimately, Diaz is 19th out of those 74 hitters in average, 12th in strikeout rate, 17th in isolated slugging (.220), and 35th in OPS (.794). Those are pretty solid numbers for center fielder who just turned 21 less than 2 weeks ago.
Rounding out the dinger party was second baseman Zander Darby, who hit 2-4 with a home run, a double, a walk, and a strikeout. Like Martin, Darby is struggling mightily with strikeouts, as he has a 32.0% rate. But he’s still maintaining a .270 average despite that, and the 2024 12th-round selection is up to an .800 OPS and a 111 wRC+ on the year. A strong season for him, even if there’s a big hole in the swing to fix.
Right fielder Jose Astudillo continues his breakout campaign, and continues to fit right in with Eugene. He had another swell day, hitting 3-5 with a double, a stolen base, and an outfield assist. The 22-year old just can’t stop hitting: through 11 games since his promotion, he has a .386 batting average, and has struck out just 3 times in 50 plate appearances. He has a .904 OPS and a 149 wRC+, and has also already stolen 6 bases in just 7 attempts. It’s time to start talking about him!
One final note: shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) did not play, and has not played since July 26. I believe he’s got some dents and dings, but nothing serious going on.
Low-A San Jose (56-43)
San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 9-7
Box score
The Baby Giants are must-see TV these days, thanks to the arrival of teenage shortstop super prospects Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL). So I was mightily excited to watch Thursday’s game, as they were set for their biggest challenge yet: a game against rehabbing Major Leaguer Yusei Kikuchi, a 2-time MLB All-Star.
González, who was the DH in this one, led off the game and looked overmatched striking out against Kikuchi. Can you blame him? The 18-year old switch-hitter was playing in just his 34th stateside game, and just his 4th A-Ball game (where he’s more than 3 years younger than the average player) … and was facing a Major Leaguer.
But my goodness did he ever take that as a learning experience. When González came up for his next at-bat — still facing Kikuchi — he jumped on the 1st pitch he saw, and hit a home run so mesmerizing that I’m not sure if that ball has even come down yet. You want to see an impressive home run? Then let’s roll the tape. Then watch it a 2nd time and watch how the left fielder doesn’t even move a muscle. That ball is GONE.
That swing was so damn impressive that it would have been a great day for González even if he struck out in all his other plate appearances. But he didn’t! He finished the day 3-4 with a walk, though he was caught stealing once (he might have been safe with replay, I’m not sure … it was close). What a performance!
The Baby Giants have 33 more games, plus the playoffs. Is there any chance that González could play so well that he opens next year in High-A? I have no idea, but I’m going to have a whole lot of fun watching and finding out!
While González justifiably was the main attraction due to A) his age, B) his prospect pedigree, and C) the ungodly length of that home run, the Baby Giants actually had 3 different prospects take Kikuchi deep. Third baseman Dario Reynoso went 1-5 with 2 strikeouts but popped a 2-run shot off the All-Star, while center fielder Oliver Tejada went 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and got the scoring started with a 3rd-inning solo blast.
For Reynoso, that broke a streak of 17 straight games without a home run, after he had been on quite a flurry earlier in the year. Even with that, he’s having a strong season, as the 21-year old has a .903 OPS and a 127 wRC+. That 31.9% strikeout rate looms large, though, and is the answer to the question “why hasn’t he been promoted?”
As for Tejada, he’s struggled since a recent promotion … except when it comes to hitting big flies. He has just a .217 average and a 35.8% strikeout rate, but still has a .754 OPS and a 90 wRC+ thanks to 3 home runs in just 20 games with San Jose. One would expect those strikeouts to course correct as he adjust to the level … after all, he’s only 19 years old, and he had just a 19.3% strikeout rate in the ACL this year before his promotion.
As for González’s running mate, it was a fairly quiet day for Hernández, who hit 1-4 with a walk and a strikeout, while committing an error at shortstop. Then again, that ain’t bad for someone more than 4 years younger than the average player in the Cal League!
An uninteresting and uninspiring pitching performance for San Jose. LHP Ricardo Estrada got the start and was mediocre, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 2 earned runs in 5 innings, while only striking out 2 batters. Estrada has a 3.67 ERA on the year, but his FIP is 5.78, and he’s not doing much from a strikeouts and walk standpoint.
Dominican Summer League Black (26-16)
DSL Giants Black lost to DSL Arizona Red 8-5
Box score
Not a lot to discuss in this game, except that 2 hitters who keep on hitting … well … kept on hitting. Left fielder Franco Willias hit 3-5 with a double, though he also had a strikeout and was caught stealing. Willias, a 21-year old in his 3rd season, has a 12-game hitting streak, during which time he’s 23-48 with 1 home run, 7 doubles, and 5 walks. He’s now up to a stunning 1.075 OPS and a 161 wRC+ on the year, marks that rank 10th and 9th, respectively, out of the 408 DSL hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year. Looks like we’ll be seeing him in Papago next year!
Shortstop Keiberg Camacaro hit 1-3 with a double and a stolen base. After a subpar 3rd DSL campaign last year, the 19-year old has exploded this season, with a 1.040 OPS and a 157 wRC+, and more walks than strikeouts. Just a stellar season for another person we’ll likely be seeing in the states in 2027.
Dominican Summer League Orange (24-18)
DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL NYY Yankees 7-6 (7 innings)
Box score
Drama for the Giants Orange squad, which used a 5-run 7th inning to overcome a 6-2 deficit and walk it off. Incredible! And it happened in extremely DSL fashion: after they tied the game on a home run, they loaded the bases with 2 walks and a single … and then got a walk-off walk. Naturally.
A trio of players hit home runs, and those were the stars of the game. Right fielder Brandon Vasquez was the hero, as he hit 1-3 with a walk and a game-tying 3-run blast in the final inning. The 19-year old has made huge strides this year, and has an .810 OPS and a 107 wRC+. In his 3 years in the DSL he’s seen his strikeout rate drop from 16.5% to 14.6% to 8.3% … and, subsequently, his average rise from .187 to .241 to .306.
The other dingers belonged to center fielder Yoxander Benitez, who hit 2-4 with a solo shot, and second baseman Leonardo Vargas, who went 2-3 with a solo home run. Benitez, a 19-year old in his 3rd season, has also made huge strides this year, with an .833 OPS and a 116 wRC+, numbers that tower over his prior years. Vargas, a 17-year old from Mexico, has really been struggling through 10 games in his debut season, so this was a nice moment to see.
Home run tracker
18 — Lisbel Diaz — [15 in High-A; 3 in Low-A]
15 — Walker Martin — [High-A]
12 — Zander Darby — [High-A]
12 — Dario Reynoso — [Low-A]
8 — Scott Bandura — [5 in AAA; 3 in AA]
4 — Oliver Tejada — [3 in Low-A; 1 in ACL]
3 — Josuar González — [1 in Low-A; 2 in ACL]
1 — Leonardo Vargas — [DSL]
1 — Yoxander Benitez — [DSL]
1 — Brandon Vasquez — [DSL]
Friday schedule
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT at Somerset (SP: Charlie McDaniel)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Tri-City (SP: Niko Mazza)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
Rays place Shane McClanahan on the IL, recall Alex Cook
After exiting his start following three innings of work on Thursday, Shane McClanahan has been placed on the Injured List due to the southpaw experiencing some soreness in his back.
McClanahan made his return to the Rays in April after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and missing the entirety of the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to setbacks in his recovery. It didn’t take McClanahan long to showcase his top of the rotation arm once returning to the Rays, but the team has taken it slow in allowing him to pitch deep into games.
The former first round pick has produced excellent numbers, posting a 3.09 ERA | 3.37 FIP but is averaging under 5 innings per start, having only pitched into the 7th inning once (July 8th against New York). Still, McClanahan has allowed 2 ER or less in 14 of his 20 starts and 1 ER or less in 10 of his 20 starts.
The Rays are expecting McClanahan’s stay on the IL to be brief and for the rotation to turn around twice in his absence.
Taking McClanahan’s spot on the rost is 25-year old Alex Cook.
Cook was the Rays 12th round selection in the 2022 draft and once he makes his debut, he will be the 5th player from the team’s draft class to have appeared in the Majors joining Chandler Simpson, Trevor Martin, Drew Sommers, and Duncan Davitt. Since making his professional debut in 2023, Cook has been one of the top relievers in the Rays system, with his 31.1 K% ranking 4th in the organization among hurlers with at least 100 IP.
The Rays initially tried Cook as a starting pitcher in 2024 with excellent results but suffered a right shoulder strain. When he returned, the Rays moved him to the bullpen and Cook dominated down the stretch in Double-A. Last November, the Rays added Cook to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Rays Assistant General Manager Kevin Ibach had this to say following the placement.
“He showed a lot of the same stuff that we saw initially out of the Draft, and I think that he’s a guy that can help the big league club sooner than later0 Another guy, just like the other two (Dominic Keegan and Jadher Areinamo and , that there’s always trade interest in. Certainly want to make sure that he makes his debut in our uniform.”
He entered Spring Training with an outside shot of making the Opening Day roster but would be optioned to Triple-A after a couple of weeks.
Cook would open the year with Durham but went on the Injured List in May with an intercostal strain that cost him the majority of the month. When Cook has been healthy and on the mound, the results have been great. Cook has had scoreless outings in 24 of his 29 appearances and currently has a 3.78 ERA | 4.03 FIP with a 28.5 K% & 9.2 BB% over 33.1 IP. According to FanGraphs, Cook has a fastball that reaches the upper 90’s and has “remarkable arm speed.” His fastball is complimented by a cutter/slider and a change-up, but his fastball is his lone plus pitch.
The Rays needed a fresh arm for their pitching staff as they used seven pitchers during Thursday’s series finale against the Texas Rangers. Tonight, the Rays will begin a three-game series against the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox.
3 Blackhawks Who Will Find It Difficult To Crack Opening Night Lineup
The Chicago Blackhawks, for the first time in a while, are going to be a difficult hockey team to make out of camp if you're a bottom-six forward.
This team isn't a lock to get out of the basement of the Central Division, let alone make the playoffs, but the expectation is another year of improvement. The development of their young stars, plus the new additions to the team, will make them much more difficult to beat on a nightly basis.
When it comes to the forward position, additions like Patrick Kane, Roman Kantserov, and Cole Smith, along with a full-time role for Anton Frondell, eliminate multiple spots that might have been available to internal candidates before the off-season moves.
These players, who all played NHL games in 2025-26, are going to find it difficult to crack the lineup because of the team's newest additions:
Andrew Mangiapane
Andrew Mangiapane came to the Chicago Blackhawks in a 2026 trade with the Edmonton Oilers. The Blackhawks had the cap room (and roster space) to take him on to better their return in the deal.
Magiapane ended up playing 10 games down the stretch with Chicago, but the scoring touch that allowed him to score 35 goals back in 2021-22 seems to be completely gone.
If he wants one more attempt to find his game, it may be best for him to get to another team. It doesn't seem like he is in their plans as they create their NHL forward roster, and he is not even the best option as a 13th forward.
The one thing that Mangiapane did in his career was scoring, so if he doesn't bring that as a smaller forward, there isn't another reason that they have to play him.
Jordan Greenway
Jordan Greenway seemed like a good fit for the 4th line when he was first acquired in the Bowen Byram trade. Since then, however, the organization has added more, which makes it look less and less like a guarantee for him.
Playing Ryan Greene is a better idea than Greenway, and they didn't pay Cole Smith to bench him. Greenway is a great candidate to play while Connor Bedard is absent or as a 13th forward rotating in and out in the early going, but there are 12 better forwards on the team when they are fully healthy.
Landon Slaggert
Landon Slaggert is a solid depth piece who can bring a high-energy game with no warning. However, he had a hard time cracking the lineup in 2025-26, and now the team is even better. He is not considered a prospect anymore, and it's hard to imagine that he does enough to force coach Jeff Blashill to play him.
With the team getting stronger and more experienced with every passing day, Slaggert isn't the guy that they are banking on to be an impactful player out of the gate.
What they do have in Landon Slaggert is a forward who has shown a willingness to be that healthy scratch who comes in now and again.
He, like everyone on the list, may make the team out of camp, but dressing on Opening Night is going to be incredibly difficult. Will playing for the Rockford IceHogs be an option for any of them if they clear waivers? Well, that's up to them.
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The Tigers are breaking up. Jake Rogers didn't get a chance to say goodbye.
BALTIMORE — The Detroit Tigers are breaking apart, bit by bit; a backup catcher likely giving way to a franchise icon and, perhaps, most of a starting rotation.
Life is coming at them fast on Woodward Avenue, to the point Jake Rogers didn't even get to bid Tarik Skubal goodbye.
The two-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher and his longtime personal catcher met at the alternate site during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, grew up through Rogers' career-high 21-homer season until the emergence of All-Star Dillon Dingler pushed Rogers to the margins and, finally, resulted in his getting designated for assignment Tuesday, July 28.
A day later, Skubal made perhaps his final start as Detroit Tiger before the club likely deals him in a blockbuster move before the trade deadline. The ace got emotional when discussing Rogers.
Finally, the two exchanged text messages and then, come Friday, July 31, Rogers found himself back in a pennant race, activated by the Baltimore Orioles before a huge series against Philadelphia.
He's reunited with the man who drafted him, Oriles president and former Houston Astros scouting director Mike Elias, who says Rogers is "going to be catching a lot here in the next few days" as Orioles catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo recuperate from injuries. Rogers came through the Astros system but was shipped to Detroit in the 2017 deal for future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, and he'd been ensconced in the D since then, a handy part of a catching timeshare and a key clubhouse guy.
With that in mind, the wounds in Detroit are still a little raw after Rogers was designated for assignment to make room for Javier Baez's return form the injured list.
It's possible Rogers and Skubal are reunited on a ballfield at some point. Yet certain ends come so quickly.
"I love Skoob to death," Rogers said Friday at Camden Yards. "He made it known that he was going to miss me, and I made it known I was going to miss him. It’s going to happen eventually. To happen the way it did was a little iffy. It’s all a business and they had to do it.
"I feel like I’ve grown up with him. Met him for the first time at the alternate site. We just had such a good relationship since then. Just a really good human and a hardworking human."
Skubal's fate was likely sealed after he left Wednesday's game against, oddly enough, Baltimore, when the Tigers blew all of a 7-0 lead and lost 10-9 in 12 innings. Their apparent teardown gained momentum Friday when the club announced former All-Star Casey Mize was scratched from his start at West Sacramento, the better to keep him and his balky groin healthy before the trade deadline.
That's what happens when a team loses 22 of 28 games in May, sits at 51-58 three days before the deadline and has apparently lost all faith from the front office they can eventually get it going.
Rogers was there in 2024, when the club sold at the trade deadline – most notably, starter Jack Flaherty, who won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers – and then finished 34-19, sneaked into the postseason and upset the Houston Astros in the AL wild card series.
"Hey look, that team has been in that situation before," says Rogers. "In ’24, we sold everybody and all of a sudden made an incredible run. Baseball is an incredible sport where anything can happen in any clubhouse. Their expectations for this year – obviously the month of May they had was tough and put them in a hole they are now.
"They know it’s a business, just like I did."
Then again, that team had Skubal. In a few days, he'll likely be gone – along with several others.
"They know it’s possible to get traded, too,' says Rogers. "Maybe it’ll hurt for a couple days, but they’ll get over it."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Tigers are breaking up. Jake Rogers didn't get a chance to say goodbye.
Former Sabres Still Unsigned Free Agents – Evander Kane
As the National Hockey League enters the second month of free agency, a number of former Buffalo Sabres still remain unsigned. At this point of the offseason, players who have not latched on with an NHL club might consider playing in Europe, or taking a short-term deal or professional tryout to earn a one-year deal.
Evander Kane is the most prominent of the unsigned ex-Sabres. The 16-year NHL veteran played three seasons in Buffalo after being the main part of a massive deal with Winnipeg in 2015, but the 34-year-old winger has made a habit of wearing out his welcome for a variety of reasons.
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Talent has never been an issue with Kane. He was a fourth overall pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, and has scored 20 or more goals nine times, but durability has been a problem recently, as he played 43 and 41 games in the first two seasons with Edmonton in 2022 and 2023, and missed the entire 2024-25 season with a series of injuries before returning for a playoff run with the Oilers.
Edmonton traded Kane to Vancouver after their second straight Cup loss to Florida to clear his $5.125 million salary, and for his hometown Canucks, he scored 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 71 games. Having something left in the tank may not be the issue. At this point in his career, most clubs may believe that his talent and contribution would not outweigh the distraction that he could potentially cause.
Outlook
Kane, at most, will get a one-year deal from a team needing to fill out their roster, which might allow them to trade him as a rental before the trade deadline if he has a bounce-back year, but if he hopes to latch on with a contending club, it will likely be on a PTO.
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Landon Harmon has the chance to be the Washington Nationals next great pitching prospect
While the Nats were on National TV against the Braves, one of their top pitching prospects was putting on a show of his own. In his third outing since coming back from injury, Landon Harmon threw 3.1 scoreless innings with one hit, 0 walks and three strikeouts. He reminded Nats fans why he was such a prized pickup in last year’s draft.
When the Nats drafted Harmon in the third round, it felt like a real bargain. While Harmon may not have gotten taken in the first two rounds, he sure got paid like it, receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus. Harmon was known for his projectable frame and electric fastball.
Since entering pro ball though, his profile has changed a little bit. While he throws in the mid-90’s, he has not been some strikeout monster like Miguel Sime. Harmon has been succeeding due to his command and the sharpness of his breaking balls. On the season, Harmon has just 17 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. However, the 19 year old has only walked six hitters and batters are hitting .169 against him.
At this point in his career, Harmon is a guy who relies on being very tough to square up. The fastball is a big part of that, having heavy cutting action. He can generate a ton of soft contact and breaks plenty of bats. It is not a true cutter, but Harmon’s 95 MPH heater is somewhere between a fastball and a cutter.
A lot of organizations really value pitchers who cut the baseball like that. The cutter-like shape on the fastball is only one reason for that though. Pitchers with natural cut tend to be able to spin a variety of different breaking ball shapes. Foster Griffin and Cade Cavalli are two pretty good examples of this. Both have some cut to their heaters and as a result they are able to throw three different breaking ball shapes with cutters, curveballs and sweepers.
Right now, Harmon has a harder, shorter slider as well as a sweeper. He has the ability to locate both at a solid level, which is rare for a teenager. Being able to spin the ball this well at a young age is rare. A good example of a guy who can really spin it is former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.
If Harmon hits his ceiling, hopefully he reaches those levels. However, he has a long ways to go. Harmon is still just in Low-A, and has not thrown a ton of innings this year. He missed about two months with an oblique injury, but is back now.
As we head down the stretch of the season, one thing I want to see from Harmon is a little bit more swing and miss. It is not a total necessity, but it is a good indicator that you are dominating the level. A guy with Harmon’s stuff should be getting at least one strikeout per inning.
However, he is still having plenty of success even without being a whiff monster. Harmon has all the raw tools to be a top 100 pitching prospect for me. All he needs to do is stay healthy and get a bit more whiff.
The combination of stuff, command and feel for spin is very impressive for a 19 year old. While he is having a good year this season, I think next year will be when Harmon truly bursts on to the scene. This time next year, people around the world will know Landon Harmon’s name, but you heard it here first.
Transaction Tracker: The landscape of the Pacific Division
The landscape of the NBA is quickly shifting. It’s been an offseason for the ages, and it’s not finished yet.
LeBron to Philly. Giannis to Miami. LaMelo to Minnesota. Kawhi back to Toronto. Ja to Portland. Brown to Philly. Bridges to Phoenix. Kessler to the Lakers. Randle to the Nets. Ingram to the Clippers. Herro to the Bucks. The list goes on and on.
But what’s happened in our territory? Let’s break down where the Pacific Division stands right now.
Phoenix Suns
In: Miles Bridges (trade, Hornets, plus a 2029 first and 2027 second), Koa Peat (Draft, No. 30, traded up with Dallas), Luke Kennard (2 yrs, $13M, player option), Mark Williams (re-signed, 3/$38M fully guaranteed), Collin Gillespie (re-signed, 4/$48M), Jordan Goodwin (re-signed, 3/$19M)
Out: Grayson Allen (Hornets), Royce O’Neale (Hornets), 2033 first-round pick
A clean sweep of the priority free agents, a trade that swapped two undersized shooters for a 6’7″ forward who plays downhill, and the local kid Peat staying in Arizona at 30. Kennard, who led the league in three-point percentage at 47.8, is the shooting patch, and Phoenix did all of it while keeping its books flexible under the second apron. The Athletic and ESPN both handed the summer a B-range grade, with the only real hesitation being how Bridges fits the culture.
Golden State Warriors
In: Yaxel Lendeborg (Draft, No. 11), Kristaps Porzingis (re-signed, 2/$40M), Al Horford (re-signed), Charles Bassey (re-signed), Draymond Green (re-signed, 1/$27M)
Out: Quinten Post (offer sheet unmatched, Grizzlies)
Draymond opted out specifically to clear the runway for a LeBron signing and an Anthony Davis trade, an all-in swing to give Curry one last shot. You can kiss that dream goodbye. LeBron picked Philadelphia. What’s left is a run-it-back roster that leaned into size, bringing back Porzingis, Draymond, Horford, and Bassey around a bigger-than-usual front line. It’ll be interesting to see if that’s a plan or just the fallback. There has to be something else up their sleeves, right? RIGHT?!
Los Angeles Clippers
In: Rui Hachimura (2 yrs, $28M), Keaton Wagler (Draft, No. 5, via Indiana), Baba Miller (Draft, No. 36). Pending the Kawhi trade: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected 2031 and 2033 firsts, a 2027 swap, and two seconds from Toronto
Out: Bogdan Bogdanovic (option declined, signed with Houston), Bradley Beal (declined player option, free agent). Pending: Kawhi Leonard (agreed to Raptors)
The Kawhi era is ending, but it hasn’t ended yet. The Clippers and Raptors agreed to the deal on June 30, then hit pause on July 9 while the NBA finishes its probe into whether the team circumvented the cap by funneling money to Leonard through his endorsement deal with the now-bankrupt company Aspiration. The fact-finding phase is reportedly wrapped, and the league is now deciding whether to hand down discipline to Leonard, the Clippers, or Steve Ballmer, a call that could still go to an arbitrator. Until it resolves, Kawhi is technically still a Clipper, and Ingram is technically still a Raptor.
On paper, the return is a genuine haul: a top-five pick in Wagler, real young talent, and unprotected picks. It’s the smartest sad trade of the summer. On the calendar, it’s in limbo, and that makes the Clippers the West’s most fascinating in-betweener, whether the deal clears or not.
Los Angeles Lakers
In: Walker Kessler (sign-and-trade, Jazz, 4/$130M), Quentin Grimes (4 yrs, $60M), Sandro Mamukelashvili (4/$52M), Collin Sexton (2 yrs, $19M), Kevon Looney (1 yr, $3.9M), Cameron Carr (Draft, No. 24, traded up with the Knicks), Austin Reaves (re-signed, new max deal)
Out: LeBron James (signed with Philadelphia), Deandre Ayton (trade, Wizards, for Jaden Hardy and two seconds), Rui Hachimura (Clippers), Marcus Smart (Rockets), Luke Kennard (Suns), Jaxson Hayes (Jazz), unprotected 2031 and 2033 firsts plus two swaps to Utah
LeBron is gone to Philadelphia, and the response was mortgaging the pick cupboard to build a deep defensive roster around Luka. The last thread still dangling is Jonathan Kuminga, now a free agent after Atlanta declined his $24.3M option, with a backup center still on the shopping list. Getting Kuminga above the minimum means a sign-and-trade routed through the Hawks, which is where the Lakers are stuck.
They moved up for Cameron Carr, the exact 7-foot-wingspan Baylor wing this fan base spent draft season dreaming about, and watching Ayton get flipped for spare parts closes that chapter for good. They acquired some sneaky role players who their fan base will surely overrate.
Sacramento Kings
In: Darius Acuff Jr. (Draft, No. 7), Alex Karaban (Draft, No. 29, traded up), Emanuel Sharp (Draft, No. 45), Precious Achiuwa (re-signed, 2/$11.5M)
Out: DeMar DeRozan (waived), Devin Carter (trade, Hawks)
LaVine opted into his $49M, DeRozan got waived, Sabonis is openly on the trade market, and Sacramento is chasing a Jalen Duren sign-and-trade that Detroit reportedly wants no part of, with the Pistons holding firm that they won’t move Duren that way. Classic Kings: the biggest move of their offseason hasn’t happened yet, and it probably never will.
My way too early predictions for the Pacific Division, ranked in tiers:
- Tier 1: Lakers, Suns
- Tier 2: Clippers, Warriors
- (significant gap)
- Tier 3: Kings
Austin Riley returns to the lineup for the Braves against the Nationals
During Thursday night’s 5-4 win for the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals, Austin Riley spent the entirety of that contest watching from the dugout as Mauricio Dubón came down from the outfield to play third base. Walt Weiss stated in Thursday’s pregame press conference that “the best way to slow the game down is to have [Riley] watch it from the bench.”
Hopefully the game has slowed down enough for Riley after he watched a full one from the bench, as he’s now back in the starting lineup and playing third base for Friday’s contest against the Nationals.
Here’s Atlanta’s full lineup:
At this point, I can say that it might be safe to assume that we’ll be seeing Ronald Acuña Jr. lead off against lefties while Drake Baldwin gets the nod at the top of the lineup against right-handers. Foster Griffin is a left-hander, so Acuña’s up top. Baldwin has also been the DH every time the Braves have faced left-handers lately, which means that Joey Bart is starting at catcher and batting eighth. Now that Riley is back in the lineup, Mauricio Dubón is back in the outfield and playing left. Most of the usual suspects are in their familiar positions, so there’s that.
Here’s how the Nationals are looking:
Brady House came in as a pinch-hitter during Thursday’s game but he’s starting tonight against Bryce Elder. Daylen Lile moves down to sixth in the lineup as a result. Additionally, Harry Ford is in at catcher instead of Keibert Ruiz and José Tena gets the start at second base instead of Nasim Nuñez. Jacob Young gets the nod in center as Dylan Crews moves to right field, while James Wood moves to the designated hitter spot to lead off this evening’s contest.
Tonight’s game is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. ET. Tap in with us in the chat and discussion thread later on this evening but if trade speculation is more of your thing, we’ve got you covered with our Feed thread. Either way, keep it right here for the time being, folks.
Rumor: Guardians in on Taylor Ward
Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic has listed the Guardians as one of four teams interested in acquiring Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles.
While this doesn’t mean the Guardians will acquire Ward, it is good news that they are at the table in those discussions as it indicates an active approach to improving their offense before Monday’s 6pm ET trade deadline.
You can read our full write-up of the rental outfielder Guardians Trade Target: Taylor Ward | Covering the Corner https://share.google/1aWFpFpLkebYPa0WK. Ward has a 118 wRC+ with a .248/.383/.350 slashline. His career slugging percentage is .426 so an acquiring team may be hoping for some regression to past norms, there.
What do you think of Ward as a potential acquisition for the Guardians?