Category: Sports News

The Yankees and Pirates weren’t the only teams to get washed out of play on Tuesday night. In addition to numerous minor-league postponements, the only thing that could apparently stop the streaking Red Sox in their path was the rain. Like the Yankees, they will have a day/night doubleheader on deck today against the Orioles, during which Boston will attempt to tie and then break their franchise record of 14 consecutive wins; Ted Williams’ 1946 pennant-winning club had 15 in a row. The long All-Star break couldn’t slow them down, but maybe the O’s and a minimum 18-inning day can.

Here’s what else was going on around the American League on July 21st.

Tampa Bay Rays (58-42) 12, Toronto Blue Jays (46-55) 2

The Rays added a half-game to their AL East lead on the idle Yankees (2) and Red Sox (6.5) by crushing the collapsing Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Toronto went 54-27 at home during their pennant-winning season last year; they’ve already lost more home games in 2026 (29) before August than they did in all of 2025. The Jays fans booed through the team’s sixth loss in seven games and 16th in 23 since the start of play on June 23rd. No matter how you slice it, it’s been an immensely frustrating year for John Schneider, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and company. Regression is a force.

Because the Blue Jays are falling apart, former ace Kevin Gausman could very well be making his final starts with them. His five-year contract ends after 2026, so if they’re going nowhere, then they will see what they can get for him. If Tuesday was meant to be an audition, then he was certainly off key. Gausman won a 12-pitch battle with Yandy Díaz to lead off the ballgame and got the next batter before running into two-out trouble. Junior Caminero walked, Cedric Mullins doubled, and Jonny DeLuca singled them both in with a flare to right. He swiped second and scored himself on a Chandler Simpson single, granting the Rays a quick 3-0 lead.

The score stayed there until the fourth, when the grinding Gausman departed after recording just 10 outs on 90 pitches, allowing nine hits and two walks. He also had five runs on his record, as a Díaz single and Caminero walk not only ushered his departure but preceded both coming around to score due to a throwing error on catcher Brandon Valenzuela and DeLuca’s second RBI knock.

Although Drew Rasmussen wasn’t particularly dominant for Tampa Bay, he did throw five innings of two-run ball, not allowing any Jays to dent home plate until the score was already 8-0, Rays. Batterymate Nick Fortes got in on the fun with a three-run smash off rookie Lazaro Estrada that really got the boos going. The Rays piled on in the ninth due to the Patrick Corbin Experience, Fortes driving in another and Yandy delivering the haymaker with a three-run shot of his own.

Toronto is six games behind Boston in the Wild Card race, and there are five teams ahead of them. The writing may be on the wall.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (54-48) 5, Minnesota Twins (49-53) 2: The surprising Twins are one of those teams between Boston and Toronto in the Wild Card chase, but they may be running out of steam as well. They’ve now come out of the All-Star break with four consecutive losses, now trailing the Red Sox by 3.5 games and the AL Central leaders by five. Cleveland moved into a virtual tie atop the division with an unexciting-but-clean home win behind 5.2 quality innings from Parker Messick and a well-rounded showing on offense. Because this game was not a thriller, I’m just going to show something that should interest Yankees fans: Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers’ first-inning solo shot.

Texas Rangers (51-50) 10, Chicago White Sox (53-47) 0: Kumar Rocker still hasn’t had the kind of season that was once expected from him as a top-10 draft pick by both the Mets and Rangers. But he had it working last night in Texas, as the 26-year-old blanked the Pale Hose on one hit, two walks, and six strikeouts in six innings. The Rangers’ offense obliterated Noah Schultz, led by Brandon Nimmo’s first-inning homer that began a four-hit night for him, as well as a two-run clout from Wyatt Langford against Tyler Schweitzer. Amusingly, 10-year veteran Marco Gonzales returned from Baseball Siberia to record a three-inning save in his first MLB appearance since August 7, 2024. Texas is a half-game up on Seattle in the AL West; the only downside from Tuesday was leadoff hitter Josh Jung departing early with calf tightness, though the Rangers hope that it will be minor.

Seattle Mariners (51-51) 2, Cincinnati Reds (46-54) 4: The team that the Jays defeated in a dramatic seven-game ALCS is not having as bad a follow-up, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a Mariners fan happy with how 2026 is going. The AL West is awful with those aforementioned Rangers leading at exactly one win above .500 and the M’s have still failed to ever take control. All of their top four hitters went hitless last night at the hands of the admittedly-good (and extended) Chase Burns, and old friend Eugenio Suárez woke up from his own nightmare 2026 with a homer off Burns’ ace predecessor in Cincy, Luis Castillo. Elly De La Cruz had led off the day with a homer against Castillo, and Nathaniel Lowe added a solo shot in the ninth for some insurance after some Julio Rodríguez yardwork.

Lastly, here is your unrelated moment of zen, brought to you by whatever the damn hell J.T. Realmuto was thinking at the end of this Dodgers/Phillies game.

It’s hard to believe that this coming January will mark ten years. I remember when I heard the news. It hit me like a slug hitting a deer. I had to sit for a few minutes, reading and re-reading the story. My brain refused to believe that the news was true, but eventually reality set in.

All of us have different memories and reactions to the death of Yordano Ventura. Things we know for certain: he had one of the best arms the Royals ever signed and developed. His stuff was electric. He had a fiery attitude that we loved and opponents often hated. He had his share of dustups, notably with Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Jose Bautista, and the entire roster of the Chicago White Sox. There was also a tiff with Brett Lawrie that looked personal. Even when he was in the wrong, we stood behind him because he was our guy.

I loved the way he would swing his right leg around after delivering one of his blazing fastballs.

We felt like he was just starting to tap into his massive potential. Then he was gone way too soon.

His postseason appearances were must-see TV. Ned Yost unwittingly used him as a reliever in the 2014 Wild Card Game, which ended in a spectacular blowup. He was brilliant against the Angels in the Division Series, tossing five-hit ball over seven shutout innings. He threw 95 pitches in that game. Twenty-two of those pitches reached 100 mph or more. When you add in his devastating curveball, well, sometimes there’s just no chance for the hitter. He was brilliant against the Giants in the World Series, allowing just two runs in 12.1 innings of work.

He could be wildly inconsistent. He scuffled against Houston in the 2015 Division Series, allowing six runs in seven innings over two starts. The Mets tagged him for five runs in just 3⅓ innings during his only start of the 2015 World Series. Despite that, the Royals always had a chance when Ventura was on the mound.

Ventura’s start with the Royals is the stuff of baseball legend. Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to be an international baseball scout. You look over a dusty field and see poor kids playing ball. Many do not have gloves. Some play barefoot. They play because they love the game. Once in a blue moon, you see something that catches your eye: a live arm or the sound of some kid hitting bombs. You stop to investigate and see whether the youngster has potential.

Ventura was one of those kids. He quit school at the age of 14 and went to work for a construction company. He eventually enrolled in the Royals Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic after being scouted by Pedro Silverio and Rene Francisco. The Royals scouts saw something in that thin frame and electric arm.

Ventura signed with the Royals at the age of 17, then spent the next 18 months training at the Academy, learning baseball fundamentals under the watchful eye of Academy Director Victor Baez.

Former general manager Dayton Moore absorbed a lot of criticism on this site, but one thing he did early in his tenure was revive the Royals’ flagging Latin American operations.

By 2011, the Royals assigned Ventura to Class A Kane County. Everyone agreed that he had star potential but needed to harness both his emotions and that arm. He made 19 starts, covering 84 innings, to the tune of a 4.27 ERA. Decent numbers, but hardly anything that made you stand up and take notice.

This started a quick progression up the Royals’ minor league ladder. He started 2012 at Wilmington, where he made the Carolina League All-Star team. That prompted a promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In 2013, the Royals moved him to Triple-A Omaha.

The Royals rewarded him with a late-season call-up in September 2013. Ace made his major league debut on September 17 against Cleveland at Kauffman Stadium. Ventura got the start and was terrific, scattering five hits over 5.2 innings while allowing just one run. He left with the Royals leading 3-1.

The Royals’ 2013 bullpen was solid, especially compared to the 2026 version, so you had to feel good about their chances to hold on for the win. Will Smith got the final out of the sixth.

Kelvin Herrera came on and coughed up two runs in the seventh to tie the game.

Wade Davis pitched the eighth and gave up a walk and a double to give the Indians a 4-3 lead. Luke Hochevar, not wanting to be left out of the destruction, handled the ninth and surrendered a long home run to Michael Bourn to make the final score 5-3, Cleveland.

2026 Royals fans can relate to that sequence.

Ventura was in Kansas City for good in 2014, posting a 14-10 record over 183 innings with a sparkling 3.20 ERA. It could have been even better. Five of those losses came in one-run games. The Royals went 19-12 in games Ventura started. You could see him beginning to figure things out.

2015 brought similar results: a 13-8 record over 163 innings. His ERA ticked up to 4.08, but his stuff was as good as ever. Then came the postseason and the World Series championship. Ventura was still just 24.

2016 had to be a bit of a disappointment for him. He made a career-high 32 starts and threw a career-high 186 innings, but his record slipped to 11-12, and his ERA climbed again, this time to 4.45. The Royals missed the playoffs but felt like they had the pieces to make it back in 2017.

On January 22, 2017, everything changed.

Ventura, driving a Jeep Wrangler, lost control and rolled over on a curve near the town of Juan Adrián in the Dominican Republic. He was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. There were unconfirmed and disturbing reports that he was found alive, and that his body was later looted, including the theft of his World Series ring.

Ventura’s death was another in a long line of tragedies involving Dominican players. Former Royals pitcher Ambiorix Burgos ran over and killed two women there in 2010. Jose Oliva, Rufino Linares, Jose Uribe, Jairo Capellán, Andy Marte, Andújar Cedeño, and Oscar Taveras all perished in automobile accidents in the Dominican Republic. Andy Marte died on the same day as Yordano. In a strange twist of fate, Marte’s final major league at-bat came as a pinch hitter against the Royals—a strikeout by Greg Holland. Yordano made the start in that game.

For all its natural beauty, the Dominican Republic has the highest traffic-related death rate in the Western Hemisphere at 30 per 100,000 people.

His death was a tremendous shock to the organization and its fans. Ventura had just signed a five-year, $23 million extension after the 2014 season. Those closest to him talked about how focused he was on the 2017 season. He had begun working on adding a cutter to his arsenal. He seemed like he was maturing. He was still just a young man living in a foreign country, trying to figure out his place in the world. He had a huge heart and a soft spot for children, often making unannounced visits to pediatric cancer wards and children’s softball and baseball games.

The saddest part about losing someone so young is the questions you can never answer. Would Ventura have harnessed his immense potential and become a full-blown star? Would he have remained a Royal for the entirety of his career? Instead of mourning his death, would we have been discussing his pending retirement and his place in Royals history?

He was survived by his spouse, Maria del Pilar Sangiovanni. The couple had just married in 2016.

Yordano “Ace” Ventura was just 25.

Ronald Acuna Jr. got seven innings in the field and recorded four at bats for the Gwinnett Stripers, and in that time he looked fantastic. Acuna had a first inning single and two more hard hit balls while also being active on the defensive end. Ha-Seong Kim also had a hit in his rehab appearance.

(48-47) Gwinnett Stripers 4, (42-52) Iowa Cubs 7

Box Score

Statcast

• Ronald Acuna Jr., RF: 1-4, .222/.333/.222
• Ha-Seong Kim, SS: 1-4, 2B, .265/.342/.382
• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 3-4, 2 2B, 3B, RBI, .565/.600/1.130
• Herick Hernandez, SP: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 8.31 ERA
• Hayden Harris, RP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 5.00 ERA

It was a solid day for Ronald Acuna Jr. at the plate and it was also the most he has been tested defensively. Acuna is obviously not putting his best effort out there in the field or on the bases to avoid aggravating his hamstring, but a few times he had to chase down fly balls in right field and he was able to do so safely and with little trouble. He shot a single through the left side of the infield in the first inning, and after a double from Ha-Seong Kim and a ground out from Carlos Santana he was able to come around to score the Stripers first run. He reached on an error in the second inning, then in his final two at bats had similar outcomes. In both cases he hit hard fly balls to center field, but he just got under them both too much and they fell harmlessly for fly outs. Acuna’s timing at the plate looks good and he is making solid contact, and though the Braves have reason to be patient with his return it also wouldn’t be a surprise nor the first time if they made the push to bring him up very soon. Kim hit the ball decently as well, just missing a home run in the second inning on a fly ball that died at the wall in right center field. Patrick Clohisy had another huge day at the plate with three hits — all of them for extra bases — and it’s incredible the start he has gotten off to at Gwinnett. He has hit safely in all six games at Triple-A with four multi-hit games and eight extra base hits, and he is suddenly in the top five in the system statistically. With numbers like that there is clearly an element of luck involved, but Clohisy has just been flat out good even if you take variation out of the equation. Dating to the last month or so of his time in Columbus he has been hitting the ball the hardest he has in his career and really making an impact on the pull side more often. He has managed to make the jump to Triple-A and so far is not having issues with the increase in pitching quality, maintaining the low whiff rates he has had throughout his career, and everything lately seems to be coming off of his bat hard.

For as much positive as there was on the hitting side of things in this game, Herick Hernandez added negatively on the mound. Hernandez didn’t really have command of any of his pitches and was consistently missing his locations up, and for someone who relies on fastballs up in the strike zone that meant a lot of times he was just missing wildly above the zone. This has been the experience with him throughout his professional career, with flashes of brilliance and other days where he can’t find any sort of rhythm with the strike zone. He is one of the few pitchers in the system that has the talent to imagine him in a key rotation roll in a distant future playoff run, and that intrigue carries his profile, but there is so much room to improve his command and so little you could tweak without messing with the quality of his pitches that it’s difficult to see him in a consistent starting position. Even with his problems though he is one of my favorite prospects in this system and a joy to watch work when he is on, and with a team that shuffles through arms the way the Braves do he is going to get his shot.

Swing and Misses

Herick Hernandez – 6

Hayden Harris – 4

Blake Burkhalter – 3

Connor Thomas – 3

(42-43) Columbus Clingstones, (46-43) Pensacola Blue Wahoos POSTPONED

(43-45) Rome Emperors 2, (55-33) Frederick Keys 10

Box Score

• Tate Southisene, SS: 0-4, RBI, .230/.365/.397
• John Gil, 2B: 1-3, BB, .249/.343/.383
• Eric Hartman, LF: 0-4, .272/.357/.532
• Owen Carey, LF: 2-4, RBI, .262/.328/.439
• Cade Kuehler, SP: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 5.54 ERA

It was a troublesome game for Cade Kuehler even if his issues didn’t fully take form until his final two innings. From the first pitch Kuehler was having trouble commanding anything, and coughed up a leadoff home run after going down 3-0. The next nine outs came under shaky footing and a boatload of missed locations, and in the final two innings his luck wore thin. Kuehler gave up four runs, including a two-run home run that chased him from the game. Kuehler had that promising stretch of play in May that has gone quickly to the wayside as his command just is not good enough to get him the results he needs. He never has blow up games with regards to walks, but the consistency with which he allows baserunner and then makes mistakes over the plate that get hit hard is making good outings hard to come by. Kuehler has good enough secondary stuff to miss bats, but he rarely gets to it due to his issues commanding everything, and he often leaves sliders up in the strike zone that get crushed.

It was a quiet day at the plate for the Rome lineup, though it was only just so in the first inning. The Emperors had two infield singles in the inning that they weren’t able to cash in for runs, even though Eric Hartman barely missed taking advantage. Hartman had a nuke that drifted foul, another hard hit liner that just missed the right field line, and then hit a sharp liner to dead center field that the defender got a great jump on and was able to track down to avoid it falling for extra bases. Hartman would end up hitless in the game, extending his quiet streak at the plate. Though he still shows the power he has all season Hartman hasn’t had multiple hits in a game since June 28th, though if he keeps hitting the ball hard it’s going to happen sooner rather than later. Owen Carey was the only hitter in the lineup who had multiple hits in this game, and though he hasn’t really had a sexy streak of play this month he has been steadily producing for the Emperors. Carey is hitting the ball solidly and still spraying line drives everywhere, and beneath the big numbers of the guys ahead of him he has still produced well for a guy his age in this league. His power is progressing as hoped and Carey’s real remaining issue is that he just isn’t drawing enough walks yet to get on base at a high clip.

Swing and Misses 

Cade Kuehler – 5

Tyler Schoff – 5

(50-41) Augusta GreenJackets 7, (38-52) Salem RidgeYaks 4

Box Score

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-4, RBI .301/.357/.454
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 1-2, BB, 2 RBI, .254/.399/.459
• Alex Lodise, SS: 2-4, 2 2B, .258/.340/.479
• Davis Polo, SP: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 3.84 ERA

It may have been rainy and Augusta may have needed a late rescue by the weather, but they were able to hold on and get the win behind good work from Davis Polo and a big offensive day. Alex Lodise had a couple of big swings in the game, though he also ended his game with two more strikeouts. In the first inning he smoked a single past the shortstop for a base hit, and after the left fielder bobbled the ball Lodise was able to get around to second easily with a double having never stopped at first base. His next time up Lodise hit a missile into center field that would have been a home run in most parks, but with the high walls in Salem he had to settle for just another double. The endpoints on this are arbitrary, but over his past 27 games Lodise is now up to 21 extra base hits following this game. Every bit of contact he is making is hard contact, it’s just that he hasn’t done a whole lot yet to improve on the swing-and-miss issues that have kept him from really breaking out this year. Conor Essenburg had a nice night at the plate with a walk in the first inning and a late-game hard hit single into left field. For a period there Essenburg was cutting back on his swing-and-miss just a bit though that trend has largely leveled out with him still showing extreme whiff rates. His age works in his favor here, but his whiff rates are staying on the wrong side of 30% which is a major concern for him. He draws a ton of walks and has the exit velocities to get away with that, but he is going to remain limited in his projections until he shows a better hit tool. We’re in an era though where guys with his profile are finding themselves much more valued at the plate and some of the top hitters in the league have elevated strikeout rates, but these are not problems you want to see at the Single-A level and typically only start getting worse at upper levels. Essenburg’s raw potential is off the charts and he has the ability to be an impactful hitter, but he’s on the razor’s edge right now where even a small regression in his contact could make a huge difference in his outcomes.

Davis Polo was terrific in this game, and if the weather didn’t become a factor late he very well had a chance to finish the full game. Polo didn’t rack up strikeouts in this game, but that was due to the RideYaks being extremely aggressive on his fastball the first time through the order. Despite the ugly weather Polo was lighting up the strike zone with his fastball and the RidgeYaks kept going after borderline pitches and htiting ground balls, leaving Polo at only 23 pitches through three innings of work. The next three innings were a bit more standard as Polo worked deeper into his bag and had to labor more as the RidgeYaks got some hits, but Polo’s slider was on point throughout the outing and his changeup was as good as its ever been. Relying on those two pitches he was able to escape a couple of tricky situations, but the game got slippery in the seventh inning. An error on a poor through and an infield single on a ball that squirted away from Cooper McMurray at first base ended Polo’s day with only one out, and Kade Woods struggled in relief. Woods gave up a grand slam to take a chunk out of the Augusta lead and then walked the next hitter, though thankfully the rain got too heavy to continue and the GreenJackets weren’t forced to try to pitch even more through unsafe and unfair conditions.

Swing and Misses

Davis Polo – 12

Kade Woods – 3

Happy Wednesday A’s fans!

This afternoon, the Athletics will wrap up a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks before flying to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Twins this weekend.

While there is a chance first baseman Nick Kurtz could return during the second half of this road trip, the A’s will be without hot-hitting rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer for the next several weeks, if not the rest of the season, as he recovers from emergency surgery to repair a ruptured testicle.

It is a significant blow for both the team and the player. JKG’s big-league career was off to a blistering start, with the 23-year-old infielder collecting 25 hits, including his first home run, in 60 at-bats for a .417 batting average.

With Kuroda-Grauer joining fellow infielder Zack Gelof on the shelf, expect Max Muncy and Tommy White to receive playing time at third base over the next several games. Will the A’s defense take a step back with these two less-than-stellar defenders manning the hot corner, or will one—or both—of them impress defensively?

As a result of how the team played going into the All-Star Break, the A’s now face a steep climb back to .500 and playoff contention. As things stand, it seems likely they will do at least some selling ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs and second baseman Jeff McNeil could both be traded, as each can become a free agent at the end of the season if the Athletics decline their club options. Springs has struggled this season, but part of that can be attributed to being a fly ball pitcher in a hitter-friendly home ballpark.

On a team that plays in a more pitcher-friendly environment, Springs could return to the form he displayed last season with the A’s and earlier in his career with the Tampa Bay Rays. At the very least, he could provide value as a bullpen option to neutralize left-handed hitters. Likewise, McNeil could give a contender a valuable utility infielder and veteran bench bat.

There have also been rumblings surrounding the A’s increasingly crowded outfield, as well as catcher Shea Langeliers, who would likely command the biggest prospect return of any A’s player currently mentioned in trade rumors.

With trade season approaching and the club’s 2026 MLB Draft class beginning its professional careers, the Athletics’ farm system is about to receive a fresh infusion of talent. It will be interesting to see how many of those newly drafted players make their professional debuts before the season ends and what levels they’ll be assigned to.

How many A’s players do you think will get traded? Do you think this team still has a realistic chance to turn its season around as the end of July approaches? If so, what needs to happen?

A’s Coverage:

• A’sa fall in extra innings 6-5 to Arizona
• Hot Topic: Who Is The “Real Langeliers”?
• A’s Beat Diamondbacks 5-2
• A’s place rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on injured list with ruptured testicle
• Passan: A’s ‘have zero desire’ to trade Shea Langeliers
• Another ‘step in the right direction’ for Lopez in hunt to regain rookie form
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice
• Thinking out loud: Mic’d up Cease, Langeliers work through 3-K 1st in ASG
• What will the Athletics do leading up to Trade Deadline after cold streak?
• A’s Add Next Wave of Prospects in 2026 Draft
• Athletics Get Hitting Help by Claiming Hot Bat off Waivers
• Former A’s top draft pick Muncy learning outfield with Aviators
• Langeliers’ 5-year journey from top prospect to All-Star starter
• Injuries Providing Cover For Some Inconvenient Truths
• Breaking Down the A’s Alarming Trends Heading into the Break
• Jamie Arnold can’t wait for the A’s future. Triple-A Vegas is another story.
• Langeliers savoring 1st All-Star start; injured Kurtz to enjoy homecoming
• Athletics Select Outfielder Drew Burress With 8th Overall Pick
• Athletics Select Left-hander Mason Edwards With 47th Overall Pick
• Athletics Select Gabe Gaeckle With 73rd Overall Pick
• A’s Select Jacob Dudan With 83rd Pick, Roman Martin With 111th Pick

MLB News and Interest:

• MLBPA calls to preserve draft system after owners’ proposal
• July 21 update! Ranking top 2026 MLB trade deadline candidates
• 10 players on a tear — and boosting their trade stock
• Marlins turn 1st triple play of 2026 in 5 seconds
• July update: 2026 top 10 prospect rankings for all 30 MLB teams
• Dodgers to acquire flamethrowing RHP Halvorsen from Rockies (source)
• Marlins Place Max Meyer On Injured List
• Shohei Ohtani Scratched From Wednesday Start, Won’t Pitch For “Some Time”
• Trade rumors: Padres, Angels starters, Dodgers’ plans, Yanks vs. Rays
• Report: Giants Have Not Discussed Extension With Luis Arraez
• Pirates rookie Esmerlyn Valdez up to 12 homers in 31 games
• Could Smith’s neck injury change Dodgers’ Trade Deadline plans?
• Mets Reinstate Luis Robert Jr. From 60-Day IL
• Padres Place Miguel Andujar On IL With Wrist Fracture
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Get well soon, JKG. His injury should remind his teammates and other MLB players to wear cups to help prevent similar injuries. It will also hopefully lead to him no longer swinging at pitches that are about to hit him.

Blast from the past. One of this historic franchise’s all-time great players.

Will Mark Leiter Jr.’s latest hip injury change the Athletics’ trade deadline strategy? If so, how aggressive do you think they’ll be when it comes to buying or selling?

A’s 2026 first-round pick Drew Burress is already integrating himself with the team.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

It is the time of year when baseball sites, including Gaslamp Ball, try to predict or look ahead at what could be in store for various teams around MLB. The San Diego Padres have had a confounding 100-plus games this season. At times, the starting pitching appeared to be carrying the team, while at other times it, albeit on fewer occasions, it seemed the offense was carrying the team. This inconsistent play has led the Padres to a game below .500 with a record of 50-51. That is not exactly the position the Friar Faithful hoped to find their favorite team at this point in the season, but it still has San Diego within striking distance of a Wild Card berth.

With that being said, the MLB Trade Deadline is just around the corner on Aug. 3 and the path for the Padres is anything but clear. One thing is for certain; president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller is not one to sit idly by at the deadline. He is always in conversations with various teams around the league about any number of players. Of course, he also listens to offers on his own player, but recent seasons have seen Preller focus on adding to his club.

The 2026 season and deadline may be one of the rare occasions where Preller is forced to sell. It is not something he seems to want to do no matter the situation, but it is something a prudent front office executive will have to do from time to time. Preller may have to part with pieces to build up his minor league system. It has been rumored he could look to move a major player like Mason Miller in hopes that he could attach an albatross contract like Xander Bogaerts in an effort to get some salary relief. However, he also has his top minor league prospect in Ethan Salas who could fetch a fair trade should the Padres convince Preller to go all-in at the deadline.

The Padres Reacts Survey poll question this week on Gaslamp Ball focuses on those two players. Miller is arguably the best player on the San Diego roster and is already rumored to be the crown jewel of the trade season and Salas could be a unicorn as a switch-hitting catcher who is better on defense with his offensive skills steadily improving. It is not hard to imagine Miller or Salas being moved in a trade and they could be moved for very different reasons. Who has the most value? Miller or Salas. Which player, if traded, would be more difficult to lose? There is nothing set in terms of how Preller will approach the deadline but these questions may become very real very fast depending on the remaining games before the deadline.

Brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

Good morning friends and happy Wednesday!

The Mariners failed to get their offense going last night against Chase Burns and the Reds, dropping the middle match 4-2.

How have you felt watching Eugenio Suárez find success during this series? I can’t help but be happy for him, even if I think letting him walk was the right decision for Seattle.

In Mariners news…

• Unsurprisingly, Miles Mastrobuoni cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.
• Make sure to mark your caLLendars for the fifth annual Tim Cantu MemoriaLL SoftbaLL game on September 20!
• Kate Preusser talked to Cole Young about the changes he made with Edgar Martinez to fuel his mid-summer hot stretch.
• Zach Mason broke down the first few outings for left-hander Gabe Speier since he returned from the injured list, which has seen increased velocity but decreased results.
• The Mariners were reportedly among the teams recently scouting Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos and utilityman Casey Schmitt.

Around the league…

• The MLBPA presented a proposal to the league concerning MLB Draft rules, with changes including opening up draft eligibility for college sophomores and a bonus pool increase for teams that make the playoffs the prior year.
• The Angels are reportedly keeping an open line with teams regarding top controllable players including shortstop Zach Neto and starting pitchers Reid Detmers and José Soriano.
• The Angels fired a pro scout who calls himself “The Baseball Spy” after he was caught filming Rockies coaches with his phone while in the stands. Brittany Ghiroli and Sam Blum at The Athletic have the report. ($)
• Longtime ESPN baseball announcer Karl Ravech was laid off from the company just hours after calling his last game for them.
• The Rangers have called up former Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales.
• They’re not the only division rival newly employing an old friend…

• The Tigers placed right-hander Jack Flaherty on the injured list with flexor inflammation.
• White Sox catcher Kyle Teel is expected to miss 6-12 weeks with a high ankle sprain.
• Yankees ace left-hander Max Fried will be activated from the injured list today to make his start against the Pirates. Fried has been on the shelf since mid-May with a bone bruise in his throwing elbow.
• Rob Mains at Baseball Prospectus uncovered whether fast center fielders are reliably better at defense than their slower counterparts. ($)
• Ben Clemens at Fangraphs released No. 31-40 in his annual trade value series with a pair of Mariners making the cut.

Columbus Clippers 13, St. Paul Saints 2

Clippers improve to 51-45

Nearly everyone got involved in this offensive eruption.

Angel Genao led the way, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two walks.

Cooper Ingle also reached base safely four times, going 2-for-4 with two walks, as did Kody Huff, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two walks.

George Valera went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks and Milan Tolentino went 2-f0r-4 with a home run and a walk. Juan Brito blasted a three-run home run and Bo Naylor went 2-for-6. Alfonsin Rosario doubled and Ralphy Velazquez walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

Starting pitcher Trenton Denholm was rock solid, allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings to earn the win.

Steven Perez and Daniel Espino were both superb out of the bullpen. Perez tossed 1.2 scoreless innings and Espino had a perfect eighth inning with a strikeout. Tanner Burns pitched around a solo home run to close out the win in his return from the injured list.

Akron RubberDucks 7, Altoona Curve 8

RubberDucks fall to 42-48

Tim Herrin’s rehab outing did not go smoothly. The southpaw was used as the opener Tuesday and he was lit up for three runs on two walks and a hit while only getting one out.

Offensively, Angel Martinez continues to perform well in his rehab assignment. This time, he blasted a home run and a double in four plate appearances.

Nolan Schubart went 2-for-4 with a walk while Jacob Cozart went 2-for-5 with a home run.

Jose Devers and Christian Knapczyl added doubles.

Matt Jachec impressed out of the bullpen with 2.0 scoreless innings. Cam Walty also had a scoreless apppearance.

Lake County Captains 4, Dayton Dragons 5

Captains fall to 50-37

Lake County looked like it had this one in the bag after jumping out to a 6-0 lead, but Michael Kennedy thought otherwise.

Harrison Bodendorf was tremendous in his High-A debut, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, one walk and two hits allowed.

Kennedy was fine finishing the fifth inning, but then he gave up a run in the sixth, another in the seventh, three more in the eighth before allowing the tying run to score in the ninth. Conner Zsak then allowed the walk-off winner.

Offensively, Juneiker Caceres had his best game since being promoted to High-A, going 3-for-5 with a triple.

Tommy Hawke walked three times and stole a pair of bases. Jonah Advincula singled, walked twice and stole two bases as well and Welbyn Francisca went 2-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base while catcher Ty Howard singled and walked twice.

The lone position player left behind at High-A from last year’s draft class, first round pick Jace LaViolette showed there was a reason he didn’t get promoted to Akron by going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.

Hill City’s game was postponed due to weather.

If your offense is struggling, you know what they say, “Trade for another catcher.”

You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer and Luis Arraez. Today, we look at Sacramento Athletics’ star hitter, Shea Langeliers.

I am about to bury the lede about Langeliers, so let’s talk about his hitting. He has a 111 wRC+ for his career, 123 wRC+ this season with a .359 xwOBA, with a 129 wRC+ for his career vs LHP and 105 wRC+ vs. RHP. He offers a lot of slugging as part of his offensive profile, with his slugging percentage over .500 for the last two seasons. Langeliers has been reported to have turned down a contract extension with the A’s and is only under team control through 2028 while about to turn 29 years old by the end of the season.

Why would the Guardians acquire a catcher, you may ask? Langeliers is not a good defensive catcher by the metrics with -30 Defensive Runs Saved and -32 Fielding Runs Value for his career. He appears to be having his best defensive season, currently, and will almost certainly resist being asked to move positions. If a team wants to acquire Langeliers as a starting catcher, I suspect they will beat any offer Cleveland makes. I think Cleveland would try to move Langeliers into a part-time catcher role, working on teaching him first base and having him DH. One potential selling point for Langeliers might be the way to prolong his career and increase his offensive output may be to play catcher less often and add first base defense to his toolbox. Langeliers isn’t a good pitch framer but this skill is not as important with ABS challenges instituted (and full ABS likely not far behind).

Admittedly, just like with most right-handed hitters, Langeliers’ home run output would be affected by the 19-foot wall at Progressive Field. His career 110 homers would be more like 93 with Cleveland as his home part according to Baseball Savant, but that still amounts to around 27 home runs in a season of full-time at-bats here. There simply aren’t many right-handed hitters out there who wouldn’t see some homers turned into doubles with Cleveland as their home park.

I can’t say I see Cleveland expending more resources on acquiring a catcher with defensive questions, given that they just traded for Patrick Bailey. However, on the outside chance that Langeliers indicates willingness to move positions, I am offering this potential trade for your consideration. To get Langeliers, I believe it would require one of the Guardians’ top prospects in Angel Genao, Ralphy Velazquez, Juneiker Caceres or Braylon Doughty. I am not here to tell you that Cleveland SHOULD part with one of those or to choose which one, but I am willing to say that Langeliers is one of those rare right-handed sluggers for whom I would consider such a move, especially as I do think his hitting will improve if he is not wearing his body down with catching. In my mind, this opportunity is a chance to get in on a “Willson Contreras”-type hitter early, if Langeliers is open to moving positions/playing DH more full-time. I would like the Guardians to consider their DH role less as a way to get players off their feet (give them more days off, instead) and use that lineup spot to find an actual slugger. So few sluggers are available but I do believe Langeliers will be available… for a healthy return of prospects for the young and constantly rebuilding/retooling A’s.

A post-Langeliers trade lineup might look like:
1. Kwan CF
2. Jose 3B
3. DeLauter RF
4. Langeliers DH
5. Manzardo 1B
6. Rocchio SS
7. Martinez LF
8. Hedges C
9. Bazzana 2B

Let me know what you think about this slightly unorthodox trade target for the Guardians in the comments below!

Don’t look now, but the Red Sox are 1.5 games away from having the third-best record in the American League. That mark is currently held by the co-leaders in the AL Central, with the Chicago White Sox (53-47) and Cleveland Guardians (54-48) in a virtual tie for first place.

The problem with having the third-best record in the American League is, of course, being in the same division as the two teams with the best records in the American League. That would leave you with the #5 seed in the American League playoffs, which would send Boston on the road for all three games of the Wild Card series. That is the exact spot that the Red Sox found themselves a year ago — on the road playing at Yankee Stadium (currently the #4 seed). While some might argue that being on the road isn’t a bad thing, given the Red Sox road vs. home splits (away: 29-21, home: 22-27), the playoffs are a whole different animal.

Therefore, I’ve shifted away from focusing on the wild card for the time being and started looking above us in the American League East. Going 7-0 against the Yankees and the Rays over this recent stretch of 19 wins in 21 games will do that to a person.

In the loss column, the Red Sox are six behind the Rays and four behind the Yankees, as we enter this pivotal doubleheader against the Orioles on Wednesday. Catch one team and the #4 seed, and a home series is yours. Catch both, and you’ve got a bye and home field throughout the playoffs. Is that too lofty of a goal?

In terms of head-to-head remaining, Boston plays three games at Tampa (Sep 18-20) and four games at New York (Aug 28-30). The Yankees notably postponed a game on June 6th and rescheduled it as a doubleheader in late August, presumably when they’d have Aaron Judge (and others) back on the active roster. Be careful what you wish for.

What is a reasonable goal for the rest of the season, with 63 games to go? Discuss in the comments and be good to each other.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Philadelphia Phillies once again tonight, with Eric Lauer looking to add to Philly's struggles against left-handed pitchers. 

My Dodgers vs. Phillies predictions are eyeing the visitors, who are slight -116 favorites, to give Aaron Nola some trouble, while Lauer will keep the host bats at bay. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Wednesday, July 22. 

Who will win Dodgers vs Phillies today: Dodgers (-116)

Eric Lauer takes the mound this evening for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he owns a 3.60 xERA over his last three outings while allowing just 1.00 HR/9.

Lauer has also held opponents to a mere 24.6% hard-hit rate during that span, and he’ll face a Philadelphia Phillies lineup that has struggled against lefties, posting a .150 ISO and 87 wRC+.

On the other side, Aaron Nola has a 5.85 FIP over his last five appearances while giving up 2.63 HR/9.

Neither offense is thriving, but Nola’s recent home run issues give the Dodgers a clear path to generate enough offense.

I’ll play this pick to -130.

COVERS INTEL: Nola has allowed 2.23 HR/9 at home this season compared to a 1.84 mark on the road.

Dodgers vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 runs (-107)

There may be stars on both teams, but neither club is swinging it particularly well. The Phillies have an 86 wRC+ across the last two weeks, while Los Angeles has posted just 67 wRC+ during that span. 

While both bullpens also have FIPs right around 5.00, it's hard to overlook the clear offensive struggles.

Philadelphia also has a .169 ISO over its last 10 games, while Los Angeles sits at a .126 ISO in its previous nine. 

Power is a path to more runs, and it simply isn't there right now. 

I'll play this pick to -130. 

Dodgers vs Phillies weather

Conditions should be warm and mostly dry at Citizens Bank Park tonight, with temperatures around 83 degrees early before falling into the upper 70s. Winds will be light, dropping from roughly 9 mph to 3–5 mph later, while rain chances stay low. Weather should have minimal impact, though the warm air could slightly help carry.

Dodgers vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -113 | Phillies +108
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+138) | Phillies +1.5 (-144)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-104) | Under 9.5 (-100)

Dodgers vs Phillies trend

The Dodgers are 6-0 in Lauer's last six starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Phillies.

How to watch Dodgers vs Phillies and game info

Dodgers vs Phillies latest injuries

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