Rutgers named Keli Zinn its new athletic director on Wednesday, filling the job after a one-year vacancy.
Rockies at Guardians Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 30
It's Wednesday, July 30 and the Rockies (28-79) are in Cleveland to take on the Guardians (53-54). Kyle Freeland is slated to take the mound for Colorado against Kolby Allard for Cleveland.
The Guardians won game two against the Rockies, 10-4 and evened up the series for a rubber match. The Guardians need one win to reach .500 again and they'll need offense to do so. Luckily, Colorado has allowed at least five runs in five straight games.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Rockies at Guardians
- Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
- Time: 6:40PM EST
- Site: Progressive Field
- City: Cleveland, OH
- Network/Streaming: COLR, CLEG
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Rockies at the Guardians
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
- Moneyline: Rockies (+158), Guardians (-190)
- Spread: Guardians -1.5
- Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rockies at Guardians
- Pitching matchup for July 30, 2025: Kyle Freeland vs. Kolby Allard
- Rockies: Kyle Freeland, (2-10, 5.24 ERA)
Last outing: 6.00 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts - Guardians: Kolby Allard, (2-1, 2.83 ERA)
Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 0 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
- Rockies: Kyle Freeland, (2-10, 5.24 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Guardians
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Rockies and the Guardians:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Cleveland Guardians on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Guardians
- The Guardians have won 4 of their last 5 series
- 4 of the Rockies' last 5 games (80%) have gone over the Total
- Cleveland is 7-5 since the All-Star break
- Colorado is 6-5 since the All-Star break
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Mets prospects Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong strong again in latest starts
Two of the Mets' top pitching prospects were in action on Wednesday afternoon, withNolan McLean starting for Triple-A Syracuse and Jonah Tong getting the ball for Double-A Binghamton.
McLean, who could make his big league debut later this summer -- either in the rotation or in relief -- turned in another strong start.
He allowed two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out six in 6.0 innings. McLean threw 91 pitches (58 strikes).
McLean has limited the opposition to two runs or fewer in 12 of his 14 starts since being promoted to Syracuse, where he has posted a 3.01 ERA.
As far as Tong, he had a bout of wildness during his outing on Wednesday for Binghamton but was also nearly impossible to hit.
In 3.0 innings, Tong allowed one hit while walking five and striking out eight, lowering his ERA for the season to 1.66.
Tong threw 74 pitches (41 strikes).
He has a whopping 146 strikeouts in 92.0 innings this season, as he has mostly toyed with hitters in the Eastern League.
Dodgers at Reds prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 30
It's Wednesday, July 30 and the Dodgers (63-45) are in Cincinnati to take on the Reds (56-52). Shohei Ohtani is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Nick Martinez for Cincinnati.
The Dodgers go for the sweep over the Reds after taking the second matchup of the series, 5-4 on Tuesday. Los Angeles used a ninth inning rally to win the game and can now sweep an opponent for the first time since July 1-3 (White Sox).
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Dodgers at Reds
- Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
- Time: 7:10PM EST
- Site: Great American Ball Park
- City: Cincinnati, OH
- Network/Streaming: SNLA, FDSNOH, MLBN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Dodgers at the Reds
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
- Moneyline: Dodgers (-175), Reds (+147)
- Spread: Dodgers -1.5
- Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Dodgers at Reds
- Pitching matchup for July 30, 2025: Shohei Ohtani vs. Nick Martinez
- Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani, (0-0, 1.50 ERA)
Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 0 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts - Reds: Nick Martinez, (9-9, 4.69 ERA)
Last outing: 3.60 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
- Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani, (0-0, 1.50 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Reds
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Dodgers and the Reds:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cincinnati Reds at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Dodgers at Reds
- The Dodgers are 4-2 when Ohtani pitches this season
- Ohtani has yet to pitch more than 3.0 innings
- The Reds are 7-3 in their last 10 home games
- In the Dodgers' last 5 road games the Under is 4-0-1
- The Dodgers are 5-6 since the All-Star break
- The Reds are 6-5 since the All-Star break
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Could The Flames, Leafs, Oilers, Canadiens And Wild Still Make Moves This Summer?
It may feel like many NHL franchises will be in airplane mode over the next few weeks, but don't rule out any action.
Not every franchise will stick with their roster, even after the bulk of free-agent action came and went. In fact, five NHL teams appear to have some business still to do. Let’s look at them below.
Calgary Flames
The Flames were one of the least-busy teams in free agency and trades, mainly adding depth defenseman Nick Cicek and goalie insurance Ivan Prosvetov.
But Calgary GM Craig Conroy has a massive trade chip still to play in experienced two-way defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who's entering the final year of his contract and had 31 points this past season. In a market that is extremely thin at defense, Conroy could command quite the asset package in any deal for Andersson.
What’s holding back Conroy? Well, probably the fact that the Flames would likely take a step backward next season without him. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Calgary doesn’t have the horses to race against the top teams in the Pacific Division, and the most proven method to acquire those young, elite players is to trade veterans for assets and get high draft picks. The Flames aren’t at that stage right now, but moving Andersson would do great things for the team in the long run.
So few will be shocked if Andersson is moved sooner rather than later. He's in his prime years at 28, and the Flames aren't.
Edmonton Oilers
Are the Oilers really going to run it back with their same goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard? That’s the biggest question in Edmonton aside from a Connor McDavid contract extension, and it’s not going to go away simply because the off-season is in the dog days.
Skinner and Pickard brought the Oilers to the Cup final in back-to-back years, so yes, it’s possible that they could help them win it all. But with both goalies recording a sub-.900 save percentage in the playoffs, having somebody else who can be a bit more consistent in the biggest moments could be the difference-maker.
At the same time, it’s difficult to envision the Oilers coming away with a more experienced hand in net.
Alexandar Georgiev, Ilya Samsonov and James Reimer are the top three remaining goalie options on the free-agent front, but the Oilers have only $225,834 in salary cap space, so even if Bowman wanted a change in goal, he’d have to move around other players to free up sufficient cap space to do so.
That said, sticking with the status quo won’t make Oilers fans confident that Skinner and Pickard will be far more consistent than they were this past year and will lead them to a Stanley Cup championship. Bowman may wait until the NHL’s next trade deadline to see what possible goaltending solutions are out there, but it may make more sense to strike now.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild did very little in terms of notable roster changes this summer, adding Vladimir Tarasenki, Nico Sturm and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. In doing so, Minnesota GM Bill Guerin now has about $10.1 million in salary cap space, but looming large over the Wild’s financial future is the status of RFA center Marco Rossi.
The 23-year-old posted career highs in goals (24) assists (36) and points (60) this past year, but Rossi was barely used in the Wild’s playoff series. That suggested Rossi isn’t a long-term piece of the puzzle in Minnesota.
For that reason, we wouldn't be surprised if Guerin pulled the trigger on a trade centered around Rossi. It also wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that Rossi agrees to a one-or two-year contract extension with the Wild and sees if they believe in him more. Regardless, there will be some sort of development between the two sides, and it’s best to make that happen now instead of facing the questions at training camp.
NHL Free Agency: Why Samsonov, Georgiev And Reimer Are Worth SigningOf the NHL’s remaining free agents, goaltenders are the most intriguing position.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens pulled off the biggest trade of the off-season with the acquisition of former New York Islanders star defenseman Noah Dobson. But while Montreal is technically $5.93 million over the salary cap ceiling, that’s only because former star goalie Carey Price’s contract isn’t yet on long-term injured reserve. Once Price’s $10.5 million cap hit is on LTIR, the Habs have about $4.57 million in cap space. That’s more than enough money to improve their group of forwards, which could use as much depth as Canadiens GM Kent Hughes can provide.
Hughes has done terrific work in building his team’s roster up from scratch, and he may choose to hang onto that cap room until holes pop up during the season. But the Canadiens have the expectation of making the playoffs for the second year in a row, and that almost certainly means their brass will spend every bit of cap space to improve by next year’s trade deadline. Whether or not those moves happen in the next few weeks or months is yet to be seen, but the days of the Habs taking a back seat to other franchises in trades are over. That has to be thrilling for Canadiens fans.
Toronto Maple Leafs
After the Mitch Marner saga came to an end on July 1, the Maple Leafs were flush with cap space. That was an unfamiliar feeling for Toronto fans accustomed to seeing the Leafs spend right to the cap ceiling. But Buds GM Brad Treliving didn’t keep that cap space for very long, instead adding center Nicolas Roy, left winger Dakota Joshua and right winger Matias Maccelli in trades.
Those moves left the Maple Leafs with about $2.93 million in cap space, but some of that money is likely earmarked for young RFA winger Nick Robertson. That said, it’s tough to see a fit for Robertson in the Leafs roster anymore after they added Joshua. He’s the only RFA left who’s scheduled for arbitration. The Leafs could see an option to trade him for some kind of asset at this point.
Whether the Leafs keep Robertson or not, there could be enough to add a veteran forward on a professional tryout contract and then sign them later on. That move paid off for Toronto last season with Max Pacioretty.
But at a time where depth matters for legitimate Cup contenders, the Leafs’ decision on what they do with their remaining cap space will be the source of great debate and discussion among Leafs Nation.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Rays at Yankees Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 30
It's Wednesday, July 30 and the Rays (54-54) are in Bronx to take on the Yankees (58-49). Zack Littell is slated to take the mound for Tampa Bay against Will Warren for New York.
The Yankees won the second matchup of the series, 7-5. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Tuesday before the Yankees surged ahead 7-4 at one point. These opponents have four games remaining against each other on the season, including today's.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Rays at Yankees
- Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
- Time: 7:05PM EST
- Site: Yankee Stadium
- City: Bronx, NY
- Network/Streaming: FDSNSUN, AmazonPV, MLBN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Rays at the Yankees
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
- Moneyline: Rays (+117), Yankees (-140)
- Spread: Yankees -1.5
- Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rays at Yankees
- Pitching matchup for July 30, 2025: Zack Littell vs. Will Warren
- Rays: Zack Littell, (8-8, 3.72 ERA)
Last outing: 7.50 ERA, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 10 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts - Yankees: Will Warren, (6-5, 4.82 ERA)
Last outing: 3.18 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
- Rays: Zack Littell, (8-8, 3.72 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rays and the Yankees
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Rays and the Yankees:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Tampa Bay Rays at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rays at Yankees
- The Yankees have a losing record (12-19) in divisional matchups this season
- The Under is 29-19-1 in the Rays' road games this season
- New York is 5-6 since the All-Star break
- Tampa Bay is 4-7 since the All-Star break
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Mets' Juan Soto feeling 'better,' could be available off bench Wednesday: 'I think we dodged a bullet'
Mets outfielder Juan Soto is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday’s series-finale against the San Diego Padres after fouling a ball off his foot on Tuesday night, but manager Carlos Mendoza said the outfielder is feeling better and could be an option off the bench.
“Better, but still sore,” Mendoza said. “Getting treatment. Let’s see where we’re at. He hasn’t done anything; he’s in the training room. Hopefully he gets in the cages and we see if he’s available or not for the game, but a little bit better.”
In the top of the fourth inning of Tuesday’s loss to San Diego, Soto fouled a ball off the top of his left foot. While X-rays were negative, he was diagnosed with a foot contusion.
While Soto’s status for Wednesday is still up in the air, it sounds like, at the very least, the star outfielder will avoid an IL stint, which is obviously great news for a Mets team in the thick of a division race with the Philadelphia Phillies.
“As of right now, talking to Juan, looking at his face and things like that, I think we dodged a bullet here,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said the hope for Soto, who was feeling sore just walking on his left foot on Tuesday night, is that he is back in the starting lineup on Friday against San Francisco following a team day off on Thursday.
“That’s the hope, that even if he’s not a player for us today, he could be in the lineup on Friday,” Mendoza said. “But again, he’s day-to-day. Let’s get through today and see what we’ve got.”
Gilbert Arenas arrested for allegedly running high-stakes illegal poker games out of his home
Three-time All-NBA player Gilbert Arenas has been arrested, along with five other defendants – "including a suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group" – for allegedly running illegal high-stakes poker games out of a Los Angeles home owned by Arenas.
Arenas is set to be arraigned on Wednesday, charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business, and one count of making false statements to federal investigators, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
Arenas could serve up to five years in prison for each count for which he is convicted.
From the U.S. Attorney's Office:
"According to the indictment returned on July 15 and unsealed today, from September 2021 to July 2022, [suspected organized crime figure from Israel Yevgeni] Gershman, Arenas, and the other defendants operated an illegal gambling business. Arenas rented out an Encino mansion he owned for the purpose of hosting high-stakes illegal poker games. At Arenas’ direction, Arthur Kats, 51, of West Hollywood, staged the mansion to host the games, found co-conspirators to host the games, and collected rent from the co-conspirators on Arenas’ behalf."
The crew allegedly ran illegal "Pot Limit Omaha" poker games, among other illegal games, according to the indictment. Young women were hired and "served drinks, provided massages, and offered companionship to the poker players" in exchange for tips (the women were charged a "tax" on their earnings paid to the organizers. There also were armed security guards, chefs, valets parking cars for the games and more, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The ongoing investigation was a coordinated effort of the Homeland Security Investigations' Northridge Office, the Los Angeles Police Department's Major Crimes Division — Transnational Organized Crime Section, and the IRS Criminal Investigation.
Phillies go big, trading two top prospects for Twins' star closer
Phillies go big, trading two top prospects for Twins' star closer originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CHICAGO – The big arm out of the bullpen that many were clamoring for has been gotten.
A day before Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, the Phillies are acquiring Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.
Duran is a 27-year-old right-hander who throws close to 100-miles an hour, has 16 saves this season with a 2.01 ERA. In his four seasons in the majors, Duran has 74 saves and has struck out 292 in 233.2 innings pitched.
He will fill a back of the bullpen void that was created when Jose Alvarado was suspended on May 18th. Duran was thought to be one of the premier relievers available at the deadline.
The Phillies sent pitcher Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait to Minnesota.
Padres reportedly pushing to trade for star Athletics closer Mason Miller
Padres reportedly pushing to trade for star Athletics closer Mason Miller originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The San Diego Padres reportedly have their sights set on lights-out Athletics closer Mason Miller.
As Padres general manager A.J. Preller pursues outfielders Jarren Duran and Steven Kwan ahead of Thursday’s MLB trade deadline, he also is pushing to acquire Miller, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin reported Wednesday, citing sources briefed on San Diego’s discussions.
Preller would be willing to at least discuss sending top prospects to the A’s in such a deal, per Rosenthal and Lin, with The Athletic reporters naming shortstop Leo De Vries or catcher Ethan Salas as options.
Miller remains under team control for the next four seasons and is making just $765,000 this season while owning one of MLB’s most dominant fastballs. Despite the A’s 47-63 record and last-place status in the AL West, their flame-throwing closer is tied for 11th in the league with 20 saves.
Whether or not Preller could pull off such a trade with A’s GM David Forst is up in the air. While the team previously viewed Miller as “untouchable,” the A’s might be inclined to move on from the former MLB All-Star if they receive a compelling offer from one of the league’s top contenders, Rosenthal reported on July 21.
“The way the A’s see it, only a few teams are bold enough to propose an offer for Miller worthy of consideration,” Rosenthal wrote. “General manager David Forst might engage those teams as the deadline nears. But for now, he appears willing to let them grow more desperate.”
Per Rosenthal and Lin, San Diego’s ability to land either Duran, Kwan or Miller could hinge on their willingness to surrender De Vries.
For now, A’s fans will have to wait and see just how desperate Preller becomes as the second-place Padres make a playoff push.
Giants know recent freefall forced front office's hand with Tyler Rogers trade
Giants know recent freefall forced front office's hand with Tyler Rogers trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — For seven seasons, Tyler Rogers stuck to routines. Given that he would go out to the mound every night with the slowest fastball in baseball, perhaps that’s how he felt it had to be.
Rogers thrived on consistency, and in recent years, other Giants tried to pick up on that. When Ryan Walker broke through, he joined Rogers — and later his twin brother — in preparing for the late innings. Every night at Oracle Park, before the bottom of the third inning, Walker and Rogers would emerge from the dugout and make the long walk out to the bullpen. There they would sit and wait for a chance to help get their teammates to the 27th out.
“He’s a man of habit,” Walker said of Rogers on Wednesday. “You can see why he’s so consistent on the mound.”
That routine meant that the two right-handers were still in the clubhouse early in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss when word broke that the Giants were shaking things up. They were sitting at their lockers and watching the game when Rogers joked that he had packed more than usual for the upcoming trip to New York and Pittsburgh.
“You never know …” he said.
A few moments later, he was pulled into an office.
Rogers and Walker will be back on the same field Friday night, but in different bullpens. The Giants traded their longest-tenured reliever to the New York Mets at the start of Wednesday’s game in exchange for reliever Jose Butto and prospects Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. It was Buster Posey’s first big move since he did the complete opposite and swung for the fences with Rafael Devers, and it signaled that a full sale may be on the way.
“It sucks. We lost the last six in a row and haven’t given Buster and the front office any reason to add,” third baseman Matt Chapman said. “We kind of did it to ourselves. It sucks. Obviously you can tell that everybody is pretty upset. It’s not how we saw this thing going.”
The Giants imagined Rogers, who is tied with Sergio Romo for the most holds in franchise history, pitching the eighth in a postseason game. Even in late June and early July, as they struggled, that was the goal.
But they came home last week and lost all six on a homestand for the first time since 1896. They have dropped 12 of 14 and they are under .500 for the first time all season. The latest loss left them six games out of an MLB playoff spot.
It has been a stunning fall. In a quiet clubhouse Wednesday, players felt they had left Posey with no choice.
“It’s not the position you want to be in, but I don’t blame Buster for doing something like that,” right-hander Logan Webb said.
Webb and Rogers live near each other in Arizona and are close friends. They are two of the three Giants remaining from Bruce Bochy’s final year, and they have developed into leaders of the rotation and bullpen, respectively. Webb smiled Wednesday and said he always teases Rogers for being 10 days behind him in service time.
Webb didn’t know about the big trade until after he finished his 5 2/3 innings. He got back to the clubhouse and saw weird looks on the faces of Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander and wondered what they were about to tell him. He soon found out that a key piece was leaving.
“He saved me a lot of times,” Webb said. “He has saved the Giants a lot of times. He has been one of the best relievers in baseball for seven seasons now. The Mets got a good one.”
"The Mets got a good one."
Logan Webb discusses losing one of his "best friends" after Tyler Rogers was traded to New York pic.twitter.com/dtdnycRUT5
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 30, 2025
They followed that up by trading for St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, the kind of all-in move the Giants hoped to make. Instead, they will spend Wednesday night and Thursday morning trying to see how well they can do in what has become a market very friendly to sellers.
Dealing Ray would be the biggest potential move, but there have been no hints that’s coming. Verlander, though, is on an expiring deal, along with others like Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores. Dealing a few veterans would clear some payroll, bring in a few lottery ticket prospects, and open up opportunities for players who are more likely to contribute to San Francisco’s 2026 roster.
As they informed teams that Rogers was available, the Giants also did the same with closer Camilo Doval, who struck out three in what might end up being his final appearance in orange and black. They have set the bar high in negotiations, but given how crazy the reliever market has gotten this week, they might get what they’re seeking. The Rogers deal was an example of that, and the industry consensus was that Posey and the front office did very well.
As players packed up in a somber clubhouse, some expressed hope that this was not the start of something bigger, but it was hard to believe that would end up being the case.
“I don’t know what to expect,” Chapman said. “But when you trade one of your best arms in the bullpen, I think that kind of shows where we’re headed.”
Cubs’ Ian Happ says he won’t need IL stint after fouling a ball off his shin
MILWAUKEE — Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ won’t require a stint on the injured list after fouling a ball off his shin against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Happ wasn’t in the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale but said he could be available if necessary. X-rays taken on Happ’s shin were negative.
“Nothing serious,” Happ said before the game, adding that he did feel “a little sore and stiff.”
The incident occurred Tuesday during the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 9-3 loss to the Brewers and caused him to exit the game. Happ also had said Tuesday he felt lightheaded as a result of the pain coming from his shin.
“It was something like, if you feel like you’re going to pass out or throw up on the field, you probably shouldn’t continue the at bat,” Happ said before Wednesday’s game.
Happ said he generally doesn’t wear shin guards when he’s at the plate. That likely will change for at least a little bit.
“I don’t love the way they feel,” Happ said. “I don’t like the bulkiness of them, so I try not to (wear them). But when I hit right-handed now for a week or two, I’ll have one on. And then once it goes away, we’ll do it again.”
Although Happ avoided a stint on the injured list, the Cubs did make a move Wednesday by calling up catcher Moisés Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa and designating utilityman Vidal Bruján for assignment. Ballesteros was batting seventh as a designated hitter in the Cubs’ lineup Wednesday.
“It was basically just trying to put the best lineup out there today, essentially,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “In moving on from Bruján, moving forward, we’re probably going to have to make some other changes to the roster just to get more outfield depth. But for today, it made sense.”
Ballesteros, 21, has batted .332 with a .393 on-base percentage, .496 slugging percentage, nine homers, 57 RBIs and four steals in 86 games with Iowa. He went 3 for 18 with three RBIs in five games with Chicago earlier this season.
He said that earlier stint in the big leagues taught him to be more patient.
“As much as we want to get out there and do things too perfect, we’ve just got to stick to what you do and just try not to do too much,” Ballesteros said through an interpreter.
Bruján, 27, hit .222 with a .234 on-bae percentage, no homers, three RBIs and two steals in 36 games.
Braves acquire reliever Tyler Kinley from Rockies for minor league pitcher Austin Smith
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran reliever Tyler Kinley from the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher Austin Smith on Wednesday, one day before the non-waiver trade deadline.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated right-hander Enyel De Los Santos for assignment.
The 34-year-old Kinley has spent the past six seasons in Colorado, where he had a spectacular 2022 season in which he went 1-1 with a 0.75 ERA in 25 appearances. But the right-hander has struggled much of the past three years, and Kinley is just 1-3 with a 5.66 ERA with three saves in 49 appearances this season.
Kinley is in the last year of a $6.25 million, three-year deal that includes a club option for next season.
The 26-year-old Smith is 0-1 with a 2.38 ERA this season at Class-A Rome in the Braves’ farm system.
Mets, Yankees among teams talking trade for Jhoan Duran: report
Twins closer Jhoan Duran could be the most impactful reliever moved ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline, and the Mets and Yankees are among the teams in the mix, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
According to Heyman, the Phillies, Red Sox, and Mariners are also interested in obtaining Duran.
The Dodgers are also involved in the Duran sweepstakes, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Duran, 27, is earning just $4.125 million this season and is under club control and arbitration-eligible in 2026 and 2027 -- meaning the cost to acquire him will likely be relatively massive.
This season for the Twins, Duran has a 2.01 ERA (2.49 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in 49.1 innings over 49 appearances.
In his first four MLB seasons, all with Minnesota, he has a 2.47 ERA (2.77 FIP) and 1.10 WHIP with 11.2 strikeouts per nine in 233.2 innings (223 games).
Duran features a four-seam fastball that has averaged 100.2 mph this season and also utilizes a high-octane splitter along with a curve and lesser-used sweeper.
For the Mets, Duran would give them potentially the best 1-2 late-inning punch in baseball and a hedge in the event Edwin Diaz opts out after the season and signs elsewhere.
For the Yankees, Duran would be a lockdown ninth-inning answer during a season where Devin Williams lost his closer job early on.
Fantasy Baseball Steals Report: Josh Naylor shows speed in Seattle, Mets unstoppable on bases
As stolen bases continue to rise league wide, I’m here every Wednesday to help you track important stolen base trends so you can find more speed for your fantasy teams.
Stealing a base is as much about the opposing pitcher and catcher as it is the actual base runner themself. So, being able to spot which teams and pitchers specifically are being run on most frequently will help you to figure out who can swipe some bags over the next week.
Last week, I talked about Juan Soto’s incredible, newfound efficiency as a base stealer and he took two more this week. The Mets as a team are remarkably efficient on the bases, but more on that later.
Eric Samulski breaks down three rookie starting pitchers to see how interested we should be for fantasy baseball
Eric SamulskiBefore we get to this week’s important trends, here is the stolen base leaderboard over the past seven days.
CJ Abrams turned on the jets with seven stolen base attempts, at least three more than every other player in the league. The key to stealing a base is first attempting to do so.
The Mariners stole 13 bases this week to lead all teams and were only caught once. Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena were at the center of that with eight combined.
It would be a huge addition to Naylor’s fantasy arsenal if he can get himself over 20 steals this season.
Now, here is the overall stolen base leaderboard on the season.
Oneil Cruz has stormed back ahead of José Caballero for the league-lead.
Still, Cruz has barely been a top-50 hitter according to FanGraphs’ Player Rater because that .219 batting average is tearing down his whole profile. If he can get that back to the near-.260 mark from last season with this speed, he’ll return first-round value.
Next, here are some players that we’d hoped would be more aggressive or efficient on the base paths.
So much inefficiency from players we expected to rely on for stolen bases.
Bruce Turang has already been caught stealing more times than he was all of last season with over 30 fewer successful tries.
Stealing three bases this week without being caught has helped Zach Neto salvage his efficiency some. At least we’re seeing the aggressiveness. There’s almost no doubt he puts up a 30-30 season at some point in his career.
Now, let’s go over the most important stolen base trends over the past week.
Fantasy Baseball Stolen Base Targets
The Minnesota Twins allowed a jaw-dropping 13 stolen bases in just six games over the past week. Up until that point, they’d only given up 74 all season. That means nearly 18% of all the stolen bases against them have come in just their last six games.
Eight of those 13 steals came in two games: one against the Nationals and one against the Red Sox. CJ Abrams took three as part of his six-steal week, but the rest were dispersed fairly evenly among opponents.
Among the Twins’ pitchers, Jhoan Duran was on the mound for most – three – of these stolen bases. That isn’t anything we can use to help us stream stolen bases though because while Duran has never been excellent at holding runners on, practically none reach base against him anyway so there are few chances to steal a bag. Strangely, all but two of these stolen bases came with Twins’ relievers on the mound.
If there was any trend to spot from this disastrous week, Christian Vázquez was behind the plate for 10 of the 13 stolen bases. Yet, oddly enough, this has never been a pronounced issue for Vázquez before.
The league-wide caught stealing rate is 23%. Even after this cataclysmic week where he caught one runner and 10 were successful, Vázquez has caught 28% of would-be base stealers this season. His pop time is better than league average and he has years worth of a good defensive reputation, besides last season.
Perhaps someone spotted something in Vázquez or this Twins’ bullpen to exploit. It will be a fun trend to keep track of this coming week to figure out whether we can attack it moving forward.
Mets Efficiency Unmatched
Somehow, the Mets continue to steal bases without being caught. They took six more this week (without being caught) to push their season total up to 87, ninth-most in the league.
That’s come with being caught just 10 times. That’s tied with the Tigers for fewest times caught in the league and Detroit has stolen 40 fewer bases.
With that, the Mets’ nearly 90% success rate is by far the best of any team. Interestingly enough, they’re also the second-slowest team by average spring speed according to Baseball Savant.
They’ve stolen 29 consecutive bases successfully since the last time someone was caught. That was all the way back on June 17th, six full weeks ago, against the Atlanta Braves. Funny enough, that ‘caught stealing’ was by Juan Soto when he took one of his patented walking leads and was picked off.
Many players on the team have heaped praise onto first base coach and former speedy outfielder Antoan Richardson for their success. He’s apparently a savant when it comes to pick-off moves and pitcher tells. The data supports this, since the Mets base runners have taken the largest secondary leads in the league.
The results do too. Heading into a matchup against the Mets this past Friday, opposing base stealers were 4-for-7 with Logan Webb on the mound this season. The Mets took three in that game alone and executed another successful hit-and-run. They made it look easy.
Francisco Lindor is pacing for another nearly 30-steal season. Soto has already set a career-high with 15. Brandon Nimmo is just three bags off his career high with 12. Luisangel Acuña and Tyrone Taylor have chipped in 12 and 11 respectively in part-time roles. Brett Baty has even managed five. Players are running up and down this roster without being caught.