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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Royals vs Twins - Under 9.5
Price: 52¢ (-109) at Polymarket
It's a getaway game for both clubs, and let's face it, neither offense has looked good out of the break — especially in this series.
The Minnesota Twins have scored four or more runs in just three of their last 10 games. In the other seven, they have combined for only 11, including last night's 4-0 shutout loss.
The Bobby Witt-less Kansas City Royals haven't been much better offensively, but they did get seven strong innings from Randy Dobnak last night — leaving the bullpen fresh.
Minnesota also hasn't needed its high-leverage relievers since the weekend. Even if neither starter goes deep, the late innings should feature the A arms on both sides.
These are two of the coldest offenses in baseball right now, and with fresh bullpens, an afternoon getaway game, and an inflated total, I'm betting the Under 9.5 down to 9 at -110.
The wind blowing in at 11 mph is the cherry on top.
Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: Royals.TV, Twins.TV
Jon Metler's expert pick: Reds moneyline
Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket
I usually break these games down from a baseball perspective, but for Thursday's matchup, I think the biggest edge comes from the price itself.
I like the Cincinnati Reds on the moneyline, but what really stands out is how far Polymarket's number is from the rest of the market. The Reds are trading at 48 cents against the Pittsburgh Pirates, while most sportsbooks and prediction markets have them closer to a 51-cent favorite.
That alone makes Polymarket's price attractive, but I think the value runs even deeper because I make Cincinnati closer to a 54-cent favorite.
In other words, I believe there's value in backing the Reds, but that edge becomes even greater if you can lock in the 48-cent price at Polymarket.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
How to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Reds.TV
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Dodgers moneyline
Price: 59¢ (-148) at Polymarket
The Seattle Mariners send Bryan Woo to the mound, and he's been horrendous away from home — posting a 6.52 ERA while allowing five or more earned runs on five occasions.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been hammering right-handed pitching, ranking fourth in OPS over the past two weeks.
Roki Sasaki is trending up after surrendering just one earned run across his last two starts and now draws a Mariners lineup that ranks a brutal 27th in OPS vs. righties during that two-week span.
Seattle's 15 losses in its last 20 road games only strengthen the case.
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
How to watch: SportsNet LA, Mariners.TV
More MLB best bets for today
Pick
Odds
WAS ML
+133
Read analysis in our Nationals vs Braves predictions
CWS ML
-112
Read analysis in our Yankees vs. White Sox predictions
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 04: A jersey with USA 250 patches hangs in the locker of Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers prior a game against the Detroit Tigers at Globe Life Field on July 04, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, who has been on the injured list since the beginning of the month, is expected to be activated tomorrow when the Rangers start their series in Houston against the Astros, per the beats. In addition, Jordan Montgomery, who has been on the injured list all season as he returns from Tommy John surgery, will make another rehab start on Sunday.
Seager has had a difficult season, going on the injured list in mid-May due to back spasms, returning in June, playing five games, and then going on the concussion injured list and missing two weeks after a home plate collision. He returned and played four games before going back on the injured list due to more back issues. He has played shortstop the past two days for Frisco on a rehab assignment.
Seager is slashing just .182/.292/.374 on the season, but when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best players in baseball, and getting him back in the lineup would provide a shot in the arm for the Rangers — at least, if he can stay in the lineup. Josh Jung, who went on the injured list with a calf issue, is eligible to be activated on Saturday, August 1, though there’s no word yet on whether he’s expected to be ready to go.
As for Montgomery, there was some thought that he could be activated and start a game in the Houston series. The Rangers are instead leaving him out for another rehab outing, and are going with a bullpen game in today’s series finale in Tampa, allowing the team to go with Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Kumar Rocker in Houston. Rangers are 4-6 against Houston so far this season. The Rangers need to sweep Houston to have the tiebreaker over the Astros, who are currently just a game back in the division. Texas, by virtue of winning three of four against Seattle last weekend, hold the tiebreaker over Seattle.
Montgomery, one of the heroes of the 2023 championship team, signed a two year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on the eve of the 2024 season. He had an awful year, putting up a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings, and then needed Tommy John surgery early in 2025. He signed a one year deal with the Rangers for 2026, with the idea being he would be a major league option at some point in the second half of 2026.
Montgomery has made seven rehab appearances, most recently throwing 75 pitches in 4.1 innings for Round Rock on the 25th. His velocity has been down, which is a concern — in his most recent appearance, he averaged just 90.6 mph with both his fastball and his sinker, down a little over one mph from where he was in 2024, and down 2.5 mph from 2023. He has stated that he thinks the velocity will be back when he’s back in the majors and the adrenaline kicks in, but until he shows that, the loss in stuff has to be a concern.
The penalty box is no stranger to the Nashville Predators.
Over the last 10 years, the Predators have racked up the fifth-most penalty minutes in the NHL with 8,534, including this season. The trend has held that Nashville plays some of its best hockey with an aggressive touch.
However, this season was different. The 2025-26 campaign was the Predators' best, going 38-34-8, but they nearly made the playoffs, falling four points short of the Los Angeles Kings for the final Wild Card spot.
In that 82-game stretch, Nashville posted 719 penalty minutes, its lowest PIM total in an 82-game season since the 2018-19 season.
The Hockey News Nashville Predators has spent the entire season tracking the Predators' individual penalties taken from the opening night to the final buzzer in April. In total, the Predators committed 308 infractions for 713 PIM and allowed 42 short-handed goals.
Nashville penalty kill executed at an 85% efficiency, its fourth-best effort over the last 11 seasons. On average, the Predators were in the box nearly four times per game.
Here are the most surprising trends we found.
McCarron, Haula, Stamkos Visited Box The Most
It should come as no surprise that former Predators center Michael McCarron, despite being traded in March, led Nashville in penalty minutes with 73. He led the Predators in interference (four), roughing (six), and fighting (five) infractions.
McCarron tacked on two more fights for a total of seven this season, which is his lowest total since 2022-23, when he had two fights. McCarron was the only player to drop the gloves more than three times, ahead of Nic Hague (three fights) and Ozzy Wiesblatt (two fights).
Despite the most penalty minutes, only one McCarron penalty cost the Predators a goal.
While McCarron had the most box time, center Erik Haula led in the most penalties called with 26. Steven Stamkos and McCarron followed closely with 25 each. Haula tied for the Predators in slashing (five), tripping (six) and high-sticking (five) calls.
Stamkos also had five slashing calls and followed Haula closely with four tripping penalties, four high-sticking penalties and five hooking penalties. Ryan O'Reilly also tied with Stamkos for the most high-sticking calls on the roster.
Hague, Josi Penalties Were Most Detrimental
Apr 17, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; A Dallas Stars fan holds up a sign as Nashville Predators defenseman RomanJosi(59) sits in the penalty box during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nic Hague was one of four players to eclipse 20 or more penalties this season, while Roman Josi fell five short of that margin. However, when both were in the box, the Predators struggled the most.
Of the 15 total penalties taken by Josi, six resulted in goals, which leads the roster. For Hague, in his 20 total penalties taken, five have resulted in goals. Stamkos and Wiesblatt are third on that list with four goals allowed each on penalties taken.
Josi's holding call against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 10 allowed Chicago to score the game-winning goal in a 3-0 loss. Hague's delay-of-game penalty against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 26 paved the way for Dallas to score the game-winning goal in a 3-2 loss.
When it comes to the severity of the penalty taken, Matthew Wood's tripping infraction against the New Jersey Devils on March 26 may have been the most costly of the season.
The call led to the Devils scoring with 5:53 left in the game to break a 2-2 tie. New Jersey added an empty-net goal in the final minute. The loss snapped Nashville's longest winning streak of the season (five games) and led to a three-game losing streak in the final month of the season.
Penalty Kill Stayed (Mostly) Rock Solid
The PK has been a staple of the Predators for a very long time and their 85% efficiency was the sixth best in the NHL.
That ability to play so well with a man down peaked during a five-game stretch in which they committed 30 penalties but allowed just four goals. Against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 29, the PK went 6-of-6 and the following game against the Calgary Flames, the unit was 6-of-7.
Nashville's PK thrived against the Flames this past season, killing off 7-of-7 infractions in a 4-3 win on Jan, 3. In three meetings against Calgary, the Predators were 3-0-0 and killed an impressive 16-of-17 penalties.
From March 28 to April 7, a six-game stretch, the Predators' PK unit was a perfect 24-of-24, which included their second 7-of-7 performance in a 6-3 win over San Jose and a 6-of-6 performance in a 5-0 win over Anaheim, which was Nashville's only shutout win of the season.
Offensively, Nashville had the fifth most goals in the league playing short-handed, with seven. Ryan O'Reilly led in that category with two shorthanded goals. He was also part of a unique situation in a 4-1 win over the Golden Knights on March 21, where his high-sticking infraction saw Tyson Jost score a shorthanded goal and Vegas net a power-play goal.
However, the unit did have its low points. A 3-2 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 4 saw the Predators' special teams unit kill off just 1 of 3 penalties, proving that infractions had cost them the game.
Its worst statistical performance came in a 3-2 loss to the Sharks on April 13, when Nashville posted its only 0% performance of the season, failing to kill its lone penalty of the game.
Nashville Had 12 "Unique" Penalty Calls
Oct 26, 2024;Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators fans make the “fang fingers” sign in celebration of a penalty on Columbus Blue Jackets in the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Casey Gower-Imagn Images
Nearly half of Nashville's total penalties were slashing, tripping, hooking or roughing calls, which is usually the norm around the league. Interference, high sticking and holding were not far behind, making up 25% of the overall total.
However, the Predators were called for seven different penalties a combined 11 times, all of which qualified as unique and made up about 3% of the overall total.
Luke Evangelista sat for three of those infractions, twice for too many men and once for goalie interference. Wiesblatt had the only other goaltender interference penalty.
Josi had the only holding-the-stick penalty of the season; Wiesblatt was the only player to get called for kneeing; and Michael Bunting sat for the Predators' only elbowing penalty of the season. Bunting also had one of the Predators' two embellishment penalties, with the other committed by Fedor Svechkov.
Lastly, Nashville had three boarding calls the entire season.
Predators Penalties By The Numbers
Tripping: 56 (Haula and Skjei - 6)
Hooking: 39 (Skjei - 6)
Slashing: 38 (Stamkos and Haula - 5)
Roughing: 32 (McCarron - 6)
High Stick: 31 (Haula and O'Reilly - 5)
Holding: 27 (Wilsby - 4)
Interference: 22 (McCarron - 4)
Fighting: 15 (McCarron - 5)
Delay of Game: 13 (Hague - 2)
Cross Check: 13 (Perbix - 3)
Misconduct: 6
Unsportsmanlike Misconduct: 4
Boarding: 3
Goaltender Interference - 2 (Evangelista and Wiesblatt - 1)
All in all it was a very successful day down on the farm as multiple teams came away with wins. Above all else, there were plenty of individual performances to highlight.
The bats showed up and showed out in game one of Gwinnett’s doubleheader, beating Durham by a 7-3 final.
The main question from Wednesday’s first game is: will Patrick Clohisy ever cool off? The answer probably trends toward yes, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down since his promotion to triple-A. In 11 games (45 plate appearances) Clohisy has posted a slash line of .488/.523/.829 in addition to pair of homers, six doubles and a triple in the process.
Clohisy was at it once again on fire on Wednesday, going 2-4 with a double and homer to pace the Stripers’ offense in the win. Clohisy’s fourth inning homer was launched to left center field, just out of reach of the Durham centerfielder.
Again, Clohisy will eventually come back down to earth, but he’s been a fun watch and his bat has clearly shown it can compete at the triple-A level, which may move him up a slot or two when it comes to prospects being considered for a big league bench job sometime down the line.
Back to Wednesday’s action, Sean Murphy posted another solid outing in his rehab stint, going 3-4with an RBI and a run scored, in which one of his singles registered an exit velocity of 105 MPH. Overall, Murphy is hitting .286 on his rehab assignment and appears to be close to rejoining the big league club.
Andrew McCutchen has also been a bat on fire since his promotion to triple-A, as he went 3-4 with a pair of doubles on Wednesday to raise his OPS at the level to 1.100 across six games for Gwinnett.
On the mound, Herick Hernandez got his first career triple-A win in the books by tossing five innings of three-run ball, striking out six and walking four in the process. Meanwhile Blake Burkhalter tosses a pair of scoreless frames, scattering a pair of hits and striking out one in his respective outing.
While things went in Gwinnett’s favor in game one, the same couldn’t be said in the final game of the doubleheader as the Stripers fell by a 5-4 final.
Austin Gomber got the start and put up a solid outing, tossing four innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four along the way.
Rowdy Tellez got the scoring started for Gwinnett by launching a two-out, solo homer in the top of the first to put the Stripers on top 1-0. In the next inning, Cal Conley came through with one of his two hits on the day, this one a double, to plate both Jair Camargo and Luke Williams, to extend the Gwinnett lead to 3-0.
The final run of the day came courtesy of Brett Wisely, who also went 2-3 on the day, after he launched a solo homer in the top of the fourth to build the Gwinnett lead to 4-0.
Despite carrying a 4-0 lead through three innings, the Stripers were ultimately unable to hold on.
Following Gomber was Joel Payamps, who gave up three runs in two innings as Durham managed to tie things up. In the bottom of the seventh, Ian Hamilton managed to record one out before giving up an RBI-single that allowed the Bulls to walk off the Stripers and hand Gwinnett the loss.
(44-49) Columbus Clingstones 4, (49-48) Rocket City Trash Pandas 5
Columbus came up on the short end of this one, losing by a narrow 5-4 margin to Rocket City.
Ian Mejia got the start and spun 4.2 innings of two-run ball, striking out two and walking one on the night. It’s a nice change of pace for Mejia who has had a rough go of it at the double-A level, as he’s currently carrying an ERA of 8.54 at the level across 13 appearances (nine starts).
Hopefully he’s able to turn things around in the home stretch.
Back to Wednesday’s action, the Clingstones actually put up a respectable offensive performance, scoring four runs on eight hits on the night.
The biggest blows offensively came courtesy of Jordan Groshans and Will Verdung — both of whom launched solo homers on the night — to pace the Clingstones’ offense.
— Columbus Clingstones (@GoClingstones) July 29, 2026
Meanwhile Carson Taylor went 2-5 with a pair of doubles and a run scored as well. On the season, Taylor is hitting .412 with an OPS of 1.268, albeit in five games played for Columbus.
(47-48) Rome Emperors 12, (44-54) Hub City Spartanburgers 1
To say the Emperors absolutely dominated on Wednesday could be considered a vast understatement.
All told, Rome tallied 12 runs on 15 hits — only two of which were for extra bases — while the pitching staff held Hub City to just one run on four hits.
Ethan Bagwell was simply dominant on Wednesday, as the 20-year-old put up arguably his best start at the high-A level. Across seven innings, Bagwell held the Spartanburgers to one run on three hits, while striking out eight batters in the process.
At low-A Augusta, Bagwell made 13 starts, tossing 68 innings of 2.78 ERA ball, striking out 69 in that same span. While it is a smaller sample size, Bagwell has actually improved upon those numbers since making the leap up to Rome.
In five starts (28.1 innings pitched) Bagwell is carrying an ERA of 2.22, along with 27 strikeouts and just four walks to his credit thus far. Regardless of where he pitches, Bagwell continues to maintain his consistency for throwing strikes, while also managing to miss bats at a higher clip this season. When it comes to arms in Atlanta’s farm system to keep an eye on, every conversation should at least include Bagwell’s name.
Getting back to Wednesday’s action, Bagwell didn’t have to worry much about offensive support, as the Emperors provided him with plenty of runs — scoring at least one run in six separate innings in this one.
In the top of the first, Eric Hartman — because of course he did — led off the scoring charge with a two-run shot to plate John Gil and give the Emperors an early 2-0 lead.
The homer hit off the top of the wall, which initially made it look like a double. However, the home plate umpire signaled it was a long ball, awarding Hartman with his first homer of the night. More on him later.
It all looks the same on the box score. 🤷♀️#Braves No.2 prospect Eric Hartman gets us going with a 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/AHVn1ZmKkj
The Emperors tacked on an additional run in the top of the fourth and two more in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-1.
Leading 10-1 headed into the ninth, Hartman once again came through with his second homer of the game — this one was a no-doubt, two-run shot over the right field wall — to extend the Rome lead to 12-1, which held as the final.
For Hartman, his two homers put him within two of the all-time single season Rome record. Barring a cold streak of epic proportions, Hartman will eclipse that record with flying numbers before this season is out.
(53-45) Augusta GreenJackets 8, (51-47) Columbia Fireflies 9
Despite mounting a tremendous comeback in this one, Augusta fell short by a 9-8 final.
Gensi Angeles made his first start for the GreenJackets and it couldn’t have gone much worse. Tossing just 1.1 innings, Angeles gave up eight runs — seven earned — along with six hits and a walk to put Augusta in a deep hole early on.
Trailing 9-0 in the third inning, the GreenJackets got their first run in this one courtesy of a Manuel Campos triple — his first hit at the low-A level — to plate Luis Guanipa.
The biggest offensive blow of the night came in the bottom of the sixth inning, as the GreenJackets scored five total runs to close the gap to 9-6. Luis Guanipa and Conor Essenburg both laced RBI-singles to lead the charge on the night — more on Essenburg later.
Cooper McMurray singled home Cody Miller in the bottom of the seventh to pull Augusta within two runs, while an Essenburg double in the home half of the eighth scored Guanipa to make it a 9-8 game and pull the GreenJackets within one run.
Keaton Anthony of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs reacts during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
In these waning days in the Phillies organization for some players, let’s look at how some minor leaguers performed.
Buffalo 5, Lehigh Valley 4
Keaton Anthony hit a home run for the IronPigs yesterday, which makes me wonder about his trade value. He’s a right handed hitting first baseman that can’t really play in the outfield, isn’t really that great a shakes with the glove and is probably just suited to be a DH. How much value does he actually have? Is he something of a second piece? A third piece? On the pitching side, Alex McFarlane had one innings where he struck out two. Personally, I think he’s headed out the door as a trade piece, no matter that he would probably be a better option than at least one pitcher in the current bullpen.
Binghamton 7, Reading 6
For the Fightin’ Phils, Bryan Rincon had a double and scored two runs, Aroon Escobar had two hits and two runs scored and Wuilfredo Antunez almost copied that line, only he had a double as one of the two hits. Pitching wise, Jean Cabrera allowed four runs in four innings, which wouldn’t have been an issue had Mavis Graves not exacerbated the issue by walking four and allowing two runs in a single inning of relief. In a week, I don’t think this team will look the same.
Jersey Shore/Hudson Valley
Jersey Shore was rained out last night.
Clearwater 16, Jupiter 8
I think the Phillies might want to consider taking some lessons from the Threshers. Continuing their solid season in Low-A, the Threshers put up 16 on the Hammerheads, led by Jonathan Hogart (3-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) and Victor Cardoza (3-6, 3 R). Nolan Beltran and Will Vierling kicked in two hits each, Vierling hitting a home run as part of it. On the mound, Brad Pachecho continued raising his own stock, throwing six innings and only allowing three runs, one of them earned, scattering five hits and striking out seven. He’s starting to be someone to watch for the player development system.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Paul Sewald #38 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on July 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Diamondbacks are going to play the matchups with a bullpen that has been deeper than in previous seasons.
“I’ve made an adjustment,” Lovullo told Diamondbacks broadcaster Todd Walsh on the postgame show. “I’m going to mix up some roles a little bit and get Paul back on his feet. … We’re going to have roles, matchups to get it done.”
Manager Torey Lovullo did note that, for now, the D-backs would likely go based on matchups. But a closer-by-committee tends to be more successful when there is one or two primary closers.
Arizona currently carries eight relievers. They’ve all had some level of success this year and have overperformed as a group.
With the exceptions of Sewald and of right-hander Gerardo Carrillo — who is a rookie, and currently the long man of the bullpen — let’s take a look at the potential closer committee members
The Diamondbacks are only $6-7 million away from facing luxury tax penalties for the first time in franchise history, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported.
The club will not set off those penalties, which include an increasing tax rate and the loss of money it receives from redistribution.
The move was announced minutes before the Angels and Houston Astros were set to start the third game of their series in Anaheim. O’Hoppe, who started behind the plate in the Angels’ 3-2 loss on Tuesday, was not in the lineup.
Skubal made history early in his start on Wednesday. He entered the game with 999 career strikeouts and fanned Taylor Ward, the game’s first hitter, to join the 1,000-strikeout club. Skubal got there in 857 career innings, far and away the fewest in Tigers history. The previous franchise record holder, Max Scherzer, recorded his 1,000th strikeout in 944 ⅔ innings.
As the Tigers (51-58) fade in the AL Central and Wild Card races, Sabathia believes now is the ideal time for Detroit to acquire “all the pieces” it needs to replenish its farm system and MLB roster. A potential deal for Skubal could see the Tigers “run through” a team’s farm, with multiple top prospects and MLB-ready talent likely coming back to Detroit in any deal for the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner.
That’s why Sabathia is adamant about the rare opportunity Detroit has in front of it, saying it “makes no sense” to keep Skubal when the chance to re-tool on the fly is on the table.
Boston Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead is tentatively expected to miss 6-8 weeks due to the wrist fracture he sustained in his first game with the team, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported Wednesday.
The timeline threatens to sideline Mead for most if not all of the remainder of the regular season.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: Logan O'Hoppe #14 of the Los Angeles Angels at bat during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 20, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tarik Skubal seems to think he just pitched his last game in a Tigers uniform yesterday, tipping his cap to the fans as he walked off the mound — a game in which he also recorded his 1,000th career strikeout.
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is back on the injured list with the same hip ailment that has been nagging him for much of the season.
In case you missed it, the Dodgers activated closer Edwin Díaz from the injured list. It’s his first time back on the active roster in over three months after getting surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow.
Chandler Rome at The Athletic told the story of Steven Okert, the 35-year-old left-hander for the Astros who has suddenly become an extremely lode-bearing piece of the Houston bullpen.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 26: Heriberto Hernández #13 of the Miami Marlins at bat against the San Diego Padres in the third inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 26, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Marlins are reportedly listening on their young players and there are three players the Guardians should be in on… so let’s start with their lefty masher, Heriberto Hernandez.
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, Luis Arraez, Shea Langeliers, Taylor Ward, Heliot Ramos, Jo Adell, Ty France and Tyler Soderstrom. Although the Guardians’ greatest need is hitting, the market is aflush with starting pitching so it also may make sense for the Guardians to see if they can find a good value there, as we wrote here and looked at specifically with Jose Soriano.
Hernandez is a 26 year-old right-handed hitting outfielder with a career 129 wRC+ against LHP and a 105 wRC+ against RHP, good for a career 115 wRC+ overall with a 26.4/9.5 K/BB%. Hernandez is probably mostly a left-fielder, slightly below average there by Defensive Runs Saved at -2 and above average by Outs Above Average at +4 for his career. He has a career .457 slugging percentage and Baseball Savant has his career total of 25 homers as being the same at Progressive Field as it has been with Miami as his home stadium, a rarety among right-handed hitters.
It will not be cheap to acquire Hernandez who is about as good a lefty masher as potentially available at this deadline. However, his numbers look good enough where he can be considered a lineup regular here in Cleveland. The Marlins might even be interested in fixing Kyle Manzardo to go along with a top 100 prospect among the Velazquez/Caceres/Doughty/Chourio/Genao/Ingle bunch. Alternatively, one of those prospects with a major league bullpen ready arm like Hunter Gaddis, Franco Aleman or Daniel Espino could push former CTC commenter and Marlins GM Peter Bendix to pull the trigger on a deal.
Acquiring Hernandez would allow the Guardians to field a lineup something like this:
Kwan CF
Jose 3B
DeLauter DH
Hernandez LF
Bazzana 2B
Angel Martinez RF
Manzardo 1B
Bailey C
Rocchio SS
What do you think about doing business with Bendix and landing Hernandez? Let us know in the comments below.
KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 19: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo (67) as seen in the dugout between innings during a MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals on June 19, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There’s been a lot of smoke around the idea of the Royals trading Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. A lot of it has come from the media, including Jim Bowden and Andy McCullough of The Athletic, one who proposed an unlikely trade to the Cubs and the other who said the Royals need to bite the bullet and make it happen. Certainly, Royals Review writers have repeatedlybegged for itto happen.
But one question keeps coming up, including from the Royals’ own front office: If the Royals trade Wacha, who will pitch next season?
Well, there are actually a lot of candidates. They may not all seem appealing at first glance, but well, let’s take a closer look at them, shall we? Here’s a list, courtesy of Suff76’s Feed post (Thanks for doing all that work so I didn’t have to!):
First, I want to mention a few guys that got left off Suff76’s list who could also be options.
Michael Lorenzen has a club option for next year that doesn’t feel particularly likely to be picked up. Yes, he’s been awful this year, but the underlying numbers suggest he’s actually pitching somewhere between as well as he did in 2024 and 2025. If he came back to the Royals, could they help him make the most of what he’s got again? He wouldn’t be projected to be as good as Wacha, but he’d also be cheaper. And he might be comparable to Lugo.
Tatsuya Imaihas an opt-out, or player option if you prefer, after the conclusion of this season. He’s set with an AAV of $18 million and another opt-out after that, so maybe he doesn’t take it this time, considering how poorly his first season with the Astros has gone. But he has also pitched slightly better than his numbers, and his biggest problems have been walks. That’s something he struggled with when he was younger in Japan but had seemed to figure out in the last couple of years. I’d bet on him improving it again, and if the Royals could either sign him or trade for him, I’d like their odds of helping him.
Jordan Montgomeryhasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2024, but he’s currently rehabbing in the Rangers’ system. It hasn’t gone spectacularly, but he’d be someone you could consider on a bounce-back contract for next season.
Now we can jump into the list.
Kevin Gausman isn’t the problem for the Blue Jays this year. He hasn’t pitched poorly, and his metrics suggest he’s pitched better than his numbers with an unusually low strand rate. Even at 36, he’s striking out more than a batter per inning, and while he’s making a lot of money this year, his next contract will probably be for less than Lugo will make. I’d actually be very excited about a one- or two-year deal for him at $12-$14 million per year.
Shane Bieber is 33 and was still really good when healthy last year, but appears to have lost all semblance of command this season. He’s maybe not someone you want to rely on, but if you can get him for seven digits, you can pray for health and a bounce-back. You might get lucky and get the really good Bieber again.
Jack Flaherty was one of the top pitchers dealt at the 2024 deadline and then returned to Detroit on a two-year deal. He’s actually been better than you probably think, and he’s only 30. Like almost everyone else on this list, you don’t want to give him a ton of money, but he’s not a free agent to completely ignore either.
Clay Holmes is on the opposite side of the spectrum from most of the guys we’ve discussed so far. His 2.39 ERA is probably a performance a bit beyond his skis. That said, if you can pay him like the 4.00 SIERA guy he’s actually been, it could work!
Shota Imanaga is probably my favorite target on this list. I’ve long coveted adding a splitter to the Royals’ pitching repertoire, and he brings a good one. He surprised everyone after opting out of his Cubs deal by taking the Qualifying Offer they made, and his ERA is almost identical this season to last, but with more strikeouts and groundballs. At age 32, if you’re looking for someone to be who Wacha and Lugo were when the Royals first signed them, he might be the guy you’re looking for.
Robbie Ray is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. It really just feels like you never know what you’re going to get from him. For that reason, I’d probably pass on him even though he’s in a second straight season with a sub-4.00 ERA. Let someone else pay him and roll those dice.
Zac Gallen took a significant step back in 2025 but was still much better than you probably realized. This year he’s been awful. He’s another guy I might give a small one-year deal to and see if you can fix him, but not a true Wacha/Lugo replacement.
Chris Bassitt is one of the best cases for the Royals trading Wacha and Lugo sooner rather than later. He came into his own in his early 30s as a starting pitcher but fell off a cliff this season at 37. And there’s a reason he struggled to find a contract; everyone else knew that was a strong possibility. Reminder: Lugo will be 37 next year while Wacha will be 36.
Tyler Mahle was always pitching over his head last year, but has actually improved in several key ways this year, including K-BB% despite having significantly worse results. At 31, he reminds me of 2023 Lugo/Wacha with less health and more walks. He’s probably not a great target to replace them, but the Royals will need pitchers in addition to replacements for them with Ryan Bergert, Cole Ragans, and Stephen Kolek shelved until midway through next season at least.
Brady Singer could be a reunion target. But his ERA has been on a steady rising pattern since his terrific 2022 season. He still has no offspeed pitch, and unless he’s finally willing to actually work on one, the Royals should probably pass.
Zach Eflin had Tommy John surgery at the start of the year. He might be back to start next season, but I’m not writing his name in pen anywhere, especially not in the Royals rotation.
Trevor Rogers is the second Oriole on this list, and he’s right up there with Imanaga on my list. He had a breakout 2025 season, and the Orioles were counting on him to be an ace this year. Unfortunately, he regressed a bit and hasn’t been nearly as good. Still, he’ll only be 29, and the Royals would be one of the teams I think could help him find his 2025 form again.
David Peterson is yet another guy with some secondary metrics that suggest he should have had better results than he’s shown. Certainly worth a look for his age-31 season next year.
Matthew Boyd has been very good when healthy, but he’s had a really hard time staying healthy with a pair of IL stints already this year. The Royals already have a really good lefty who can’t stay on the field; they probably shouldn’t mess with Boyd. But if he could be had for cheap, I don’t mind adding him – just not as a Wacha/Lugo replacement.
Taijuan Walker was so bad that the Phillies decided to cut him. He’s currently a free agent. The Royals might consider him to replace Lugo and Wacha this year because they need the innings, but he’s not someone I’d consider for next season without an astonishing finish to 2026.
Jameson Taillon is our third of three Cubs pitchers. A lot of his underlying metrics say he’s the same guy he was last year, but this year, when batters hit the ball, they hit it hard. You can probably pass on him.
Jeffrey Springs was one of the guys helping to power the Athletics to their surprising start, but he fell off and he fell off hard. I’m not saying there’s no value to be had with him, but if I were a GM, I think I’d only go to him as one of my last resorts.
Dustin May is a really interesting guy. He’s having a career year at age 28, seeming to have finally put all the pieces together in St. Louis. But he also has a 4.59 ERA thanks to a really rough July that appears to have been kick-started by his awful performance in Kansas City on June 21. He rebounded in his last start. He might be fun, but I think with his pedigree and the bounceback, someone will want to pay him a lot, and I don’t trust him enough to do that myself. If you can pay him like Wacha, though, sure, do it.
Nick Martinez is one of the weirdest pitchers I can think of. He rarely gets any respect during the season, but he gets paid every offseason and puts up respectable numbers. I don’t want to be the one holding the bag when it all crashes around him, though.
Zack Littell appears to have already fallen off the cliff at age 30. He’s a guy you can sign to be a Lorenzen-esque swingman, but he’s no Wacha/Lugo.
Lucas Giolito can’t stay healthy, and he’s walked more than he’s struck out when he’s been on the mound this year. Pass.
Before we even get to the summary of all that, I want to talk about how the Royals have spoken of Lugo and Wacha. The team has argued that if they trade either of those guys, they’ll need to find a replacement in free agency. That’s true; they don’t have anyone close to ready in their farm system. But it also relies on the faulty assumption that Lugo and Wacha will be at least as good next year as they are this year. Refer back to my comments on Chris Bassitt. There simply is no guarantee, or even a likelihood, that Lugo and Wacha will be quality pitchers next season. If the Royals aren’t going to be willing to carry large payrolls, they can’t afford to pay guys like Lugo and Wacha to be bad. They should get rid of those salaries now and find cheaper replacements from the above list.
Speaking of the list. Yes, there are some absolute duds on there. But there are some dudes, too. None of these are top starting pitching free agents. As Suff76 notes, the Royals probably won’t be involved in the bidding for Tarik Skubal, Michael King, Casey Mize, or even Freddy Peralta. By my math, that still leaves five or six guys that the Royals could target to replace Wacha and Lugo. I don’t think any of them would cost more; several could cost less. Even without dumping Lugo and Wacha’s salaries next year, the Royals are set to spend about $60 million less than they are this year, according to Roster Resource.
Consider that both sides of the current CBA negotiations are aiming toward some sort of spending floor/encouragement, the Royals might find themselves needing to spend even more than that next year. They’ve got room to spend on multiple pitchers. They could even sign several of those guys that I was less sure about with the idea that everyone can compete for the rotation and whoever doesn’t make it goes to the bullpen. The team has done a much better job scouting starter talent than reliever talent, so maybe that’s how they can do an end-around on the problem.
If you’re curious, here is my list of guys I’d consider adequate Lugo/Wacha replacements at similar or lower salaries, acknowledging that I don’t know what the coaching and scouting staff know about who would need what help, whether the team can provide that help, or whether any of them would be interested in pitching for KC:
Shota Imanaga
Trevor Rogers
Kevin Gausman
Jack Flaherty
Dustin May
David Peterson
Tatsuya Imai
Here’s the list of guys I’d take a look at for the rotation after replacing Lugo and Wacha:
Shane Bieber
Zac Gallen (He’s right on the edge, though, if the Royals think they can fix him)
Robbie Ray
Jordan Montgomery
Clay Holmes
Nick Martinez
And here, just for fun, is a StatCast comparison of all of the potential replacement pitchers from above in 2026 to how Wacha and Lugo were pitching in 2023:
There’s a lot of blue on that image, to be certain, but none more than Lugo (except maybe Peterson, yikes!) That said, it seems like people have forgotten that Lugo and Wacha were not considered amazing pitchers before they came to KC. They weren’t awful, but no one thought they’d end up being All-Stars in Kansas City. Certainly no one figured either would get Cy Young Award votes. If the Royals could do it with Lugo and Wacha, they can do it again. Randy Dobnak is somehow a serviceable starter and getting better every time out for KC after not throwing as many as ten big league innings for FIVE YEARS since 2021. Don’t look me in my face and tell me they can’t work some magic with some or even many of these guys.
And if they can’t do it again, then none of it matters anyway because even if Lugo and Wacha are good next year and the year after that (big ifs), they won’t be good forever.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 19: Eury Pérez #39 of the Miami Marlins throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 19, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New York Mets (46-63) welcome the Miami Marlins (55-54) for a four-game series at Citi Field. The Marlins, coming off a sweep of the Phillies, had lost 12 in a row before then. In fact, the last seven series the Marlins have played have been sweeps in either direction.
The Mets had a chance to sweep the Braves last night at Citi Field, but instead fell 1-0 in a very well pitched game between Chris Sale and Christian Scott. Scott was tagged by an RBI single off the bat of Matt Olson, the only blemish in the game. The Mets won a one-run game in the matinee of Wednesday’s doubleheader as well, but the two games that preceded the pair of one-run affairs were routs with the Mets defeating two first-place teams by sizable margins.
This doesn’t mean anything for the Mets’ postseason hopes, dashed as they are, but it is nice to see contributions from players who will either be a part of the team’s future or will be traded in the next five days for players who, hopefully, will be a part of the team’s future.
On that note, the big story of this weekend for the Mets is their players that may be moved before the trade deadline on Monday. The spotlight will be on Freddy Peralta on Friday, for he’s the most high-profile player on the block. The Mets traded two of their top prospects for Peralta (and Tobias Myers), but it seems unlikely that they’ll get a similar package back. Not that one Peralta gem will suddenly shoot his stock through the roof, but it may be enough to nudge a little more out of the return.
This weekend is a tricky balance of highlighting those potentially moving players while also not risking them getting hurt and tanking their trade value. It remains to be seen who the Mets actually move, but it wouldn’t be shocking if the Mets moved more than five players off the active roster before Monday night’s game. This weekend is going to be your last shot to see some of these players in blue and orange, so soak up your A.J. Minter and Tyrone Taylor moments now.
As mentioned earlier, the Marlins are having a weird season. They’re hovering around .500 while in third place in the NL East, but had a magical June and a fairly disastrous July, bookended by some big wins. Their best pitcher, Max Meyer, is currently out, but the team is getting contributions up and down their roster. Griffin Conine, since coming off the IL, has been a bit of a spark for the club, and Sandy Alcantara is looking more like the stud he was always projected to be.
This is a team that has stymied the Mets on their postseason runs too many times, and while most of those players no longer play in Miami, the Otto Lopezes and Xavier Edwardses of the world are reminders that it isn’t always the superstars who come back to bite you. This team is pesky, resilient, and coming off a sweep of the Phillies. It’s going to be a tough series.
Thursday, July 30: Nolan McLean vs Eury Pérez, 7:10pm EDT on SNY
Six straight quality starts are what McLean is bringing into his start with the Fish tonight. McLean hasn’t looked quite as sharp as he did last year at a few times this season, but he’s on a really nice run right now that is starting to harken back to his 2025 greatness.
Still not quite back to his pre-injury success, Pérez has been a solid pitcher for the Marlins this season. His last four starts have all been quality ones and he’s starting to get his strikeouts back up. In his July 19th start against the Brewers, he limited them to just one hit and three walks while striking out nine. He fared worse against the Padres in his next start, but still went seven innings of three-run ball.
Friday, July 31: Freddy Peralta vs Janson Junk, 7:10pm EDT on SNY
Friday will almost certainly be Freddy’s last start as a Met, and that brings with it mixed emotions. On one hand, he was nowhere near the pitcher the Mets thought they were getting when they traded for him, and so there is a bit of ‘good riddance’ attached to his departure. But on the other, Peralta represents what could’ve been for the Mets this year had the chips fallen differently. He joins Justin Verlander as recent half-season Met starters who couldn’t help get the team to the postseason.
It is far too easy to call Junk a junk baller, but for a dude who doesn’t strike out a ton of guys, lives on weak contact, and can sometimes lose the strike zone. it would be unprofessional for me not to make the joke. Junk missed six weeks between May and July and, since he returned, he’s had two fairly good starts and one disaster, but all have been short outings.
Saturday, August 1: Zac Thornton vs Tyler Phillips, 4:10pm EDT on SNY
Thornton continues to impress in his most recent stay in the majors, even if a lot of his success has come from getting excellent defense from the players behind him. His most recent start against the Braves was his worst since his second call up, but was still a quality start. A sub-3.00 ERA is probably not a realistic long term goal for the rest of the season, but if Thornton can pitch well enough to be penciled in as the Mets’ fourth or fifth starter in 2027, that would be a very good thing.
A Jersey native, Phillips has been used as a starter, an opener, a closer, and as middle relief this year for the Fish. As a starter, he had two excellent appearances at the end of June where he pitched six and seven and a third innings, respectively, against the Rangers and Cardinals. Since then, he’s been up and down in terms of success, but hasn’t gone very deep into games.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 5: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers handshake after the game on February 5, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Two years ago, Joel Embiid found himself envious of Jayson Tatum.
At the time, Tatum and the Boston Celtics were fresh off winning the 2023-24 NBA championship. The Celtics took advantage of a few CBA loopholes to build an unsustainably deep team (as the past two offseasons have coldly demonstrated), and Embiid took notice.
That summer, Embiid’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, said the big fella gave him “trouble” about Tatum.
“Well, yeah, he’s got a superteam,” Hanlen said while impersonating Embiid. “If I had a superteam too, I would win too, you know?”
Embiid, who was sitting right next to him, chimed in: “I mean, I tell him the same thing. Like, if I go 5-for-20, we get blown out.”
Joel Embiid speaks on Jayson Tatum’s super team. 👀
Tatum’s former teammate, 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, is now in Philadelphia. He wasn’t the Sixers’ only blockbuster acquisition this offseason, either. The Brown trade helped convince LeBron James to finish his career in the City of Brotherly Love on a two-year, veteran-minimum contract. (It’s been nearly a week and that last sentence is still hard to comprehend.)
Between LeBron, Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers arguably have the most star-studded starting five in the NBA. However, championships aren’t won on paper. The Sixers have plenty of work to do over the next year (or two) to figure out their new hierarchy.
Embiid will be key in that.
Embiid’s role on the new-look Sixers
Due to Embiid’s lengthy injury history, the Sixers already spent the past season pivoting away from revolving around him. The arrivals of Brown and LeBron should only accelerate that.
The Sixers no longer need Embiid to average 30-plus points per game for them to have a chance most nights. If anything, they need Embiid to take a hard turn in the opposite direction. They need him to focus on more of the traditional big-man responsibilities.
Last season, Embiid averaged a career-low 7.7 rebounds per game, and the Sixers were 17th in rebounds per game and 14th in rebounding percentage. This offseason, they effectively swapped Andre Drummond, one of the generation’s best rebounders, for Ariel Hukporti, who served as the New York Knicks’ third-string center last season. They also lost Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr., who were fourth and fifth on the team in rebounds per game last year, respectively.
Adding Brown and LeBron should help make up for the departures of George and Oubre in the rebounding department, but Hukporti and Adem Bona aren’t likely to gobble up rebounds like Drummond did. The Sixers need Embiid to hone his box-out techniques and limit opposing teams’ chances of grabbing offensive rebounds.
Embiid also needs to focus more on screen-setting offensively instead of standing at the elbow and demanding the ball. During the regular season last year, Embiid was tied with Lakers center Deandre Ayton for sixth leaguewide in screen assists per game (3.7), and he was tied with Celtics center Neemias Queta for fourth in screen assists points per game (8.8). In last year’s playoffs, he was third in both screen assists (4.6) and screen assist points (10.7) per game, trailing only Oso Ighodaro and Rudy Gobert.
Given the amount of offensive talent on this Sixers roster, Embiid should make it a goal to lead the league in both categories this year. The co-stars in his supporting cast could help make that a reality, too.
Since Embiid no longer has to average 30-plus points per game every night, he can reserve more of his energy for defense, rebounding and screen-setting. He doesn’t need to command the ball on most offensive possessions anymore. LeBron and Maxey figure to be the primary conductors, while Edgecombe and Brown will chip in as well.
That isn’t to say that the Sixers should pivot away from Embiid entirely and turn him into a glorified DeAndre Jordan. It would be a waste of his talent not to take advantage of his 1-on-1 post scoring and his improved passing vision. But neither Embiid nor the rest of the team should ever feel compelled to play hero ball. They have enough talent in their starting five to routinely generate great shot attempts.
The “there’s only one ball!” concern-trolling isn’t going away, at least not until we see these new-look Sixers in action. If Embiid were younger, healthier and in the midst of his MVP prime, perhaps it would be more of a legitimate worry. But Embiid should be at a stage of his career where his individual production no longer matters to him. He’s earned generational wealth and a host of individual accolades. The one thing he still hasn’t done in the NBA is go on a deep playoff run, much less win a title.
The additions of LeBron and Brown this offseason will give Embiid his best-ever chance of doing that. There’s no guarantee of how long that lasts, though. LeBron signed a two-year deal, but he’s turning 42 in December. The Sixers are suddenly smack-dab in a win-now window that appeared all but closed a month ago.
Taking advantage of that will require major sacrifice from everyone, not just Embiid. But for Embiid—the crown jewel and last remnant of the Process—buying into a reduced role and a sharper focus on the little things could make all the difference for the new-look Sixers.
Tarik Skubal's name continues to loom over the 2026 MLB trade deadline, even as questions remain about whether the Detroit Tigers have any real interest in moving their ace.
Skubal threw 6⅔ scoreless innings with six strikeouts during his start against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, July 29. He left with the Tigers leading 7-0, but the Orioles rallied for a 10-9 extra-innings win. It was a gut-punch of a loss that caused some to believe it will be Skubal's last start in a Tigers uniform.
With contenders across baseball searching for front-line pitching, Skubal – who has won the past two American League Cy Young Awards – obviously stands out as one of the most impactful players who could potentially become available. Detroit heads into Thursday with a 51-58 record, six games out of first place in the American League Central, and 4½ games out of the final wild-card position.
Follow along here for the latest reports, rumors and news surrounding Skubal's trade market as the deadline approaches.
When is the MLB trade deadline?
Teams must have their trade details finalized and submitted to the league office by the deadline in order for any acquired players to be eligible for the playoffs. After that, players on 40-man rosters can't be traded.
The Tigers led 7-0 entering the seventh inning and blew it.
It not only resulted in a 10-9, 12-inning loss to the Baltimore Orioles, but left the Tigers no choice but to trade the two-time Cy Young Award winner.
It leaves the Tigers five days to find the best trade partner for Skubal before the Aug. 3 deadline.
Before Tarik Skubal's start against the Orioles on Wednesday, USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale said he believes there was at least an 80% chance of the Tigers trading Tarik Skubal before Monday's deadline.
"I just think with the way they have played, being six games under .500, they have no choice," Nightengale said Wednesday while appearing on "Foul Territory." "I think they'll try to thread the needle here and say, you know what, tell teams we'll trade him but we need a starter back that can fit in the rotation right now and get some help for the future."
Nightengale also named his top contender for Skubal's services: "I still think the Dodgers are the No. 1 fit."
While appearing on SportsCenter on Wednesday night, ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan said he had no doubt about Tarik Skubal's future.
"Yeah, Tarik Skubal is going to be traded," Passan said. "The Tigers haven't gone to teams that are interested in him and said as much at this point, but the expectation is that's going to happen within the next day or two.
"And frankly everyone has been expecting it when you see how the Tigers have played recently, and certainly their game Wednesday was a perfect encapsulation of their season, they understood that they needed to go on a really big run in order to have Tarik Skubal stick around. And they didn't do it."
Passan went on to name the top contenders to land Skubal.
"Milwaukee Brewers, who have a tremendous farm system, and of course the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the favorites at this point, and frankly have been since the possibility of Tarik Skubal getting traded first surfaced a couple months ago," Passan said.
Shohei Ohtani had a setback in his recovery from a left knee injury, delaying his scheduled bullpen session on July 25 in New York.
Tyler Glasnow (back injury) is expected to return some time in August from the 60-day IL. The 32-year-old pitcher was cleared to resume throwing off the mound in early July and was scheduled to face live hitters last week.
Blake Snell is also taking steps toward a return. The 33-year-old southpaw is expected to make his third minor league rehab start at Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 29. — James Williams
BRADENTON, FL - MARCH 20: Max Clark #31 of the Detroit Tigers looks on after batting in the sixth inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Thursday morning, Emily Waldon of Baseball America and Just Baseball Media reported that the Detroit Tigers plan to call up top prospect, center fielder Max Clark, in advance of their series with the Athletics in Sacramento starting Friday night. Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic Detroit confirmed that report later.
With outfielder Matt Vierling seemingly headed to the injured list after suffering a lower body injury, and left-handed hitting center fielder James Outman struggling mightily at the plate, the Tigers have decided the time is right for Clark’s major league debut. It’s certainly a tricky time for the Tigers as they head out west with reports that Tarik Skubal will be traded soon swirling, and only the Tigers themselves fully knowing what course they’re plotting into Monday’s trade deadline. So, Clark will immediately be thrust into tumultuous time for the franchise.
The 21-year-old was already on his way after catching fire in July at the Triple-A level. Clark currently holds a 1.086 OPS for the month of July, with five home runs after hitting six total from April to June. As we’ve noted in our scouting reports on him all year, the sign we were looking for to declare him ready to go was starting to tap into his above average raw power, and Clark has followed through on that request. He’s hit three homers just in the past week, and importantly, has balanced his splits perfectly with an .802 OPS from either side of the plate, though he does strikeout more against left-handed pitching.
Clark rarely swings and misses. His swinging strike rate for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens is a miniscule 5.3 percent. He also holds an excellent chase rate of 22.2 percent and Clark has walked in 11.9 percent of his plate appearances this season. His strikeout rate is just 15.3 percent. His contact rate on swing in the zone is an extremely good 94.1 percent. Those numbers aren’t terribly dissimilar from his friend Kevin McGonigle’s work, although obviously Clark is at an easier level of pitching. The big step for Clark will be driving the ball more consistently in the air to the pull field at the major league level. That will probably take some time.
Clark will take some called strikes waiting for a pitch he likes, but he has a strong two-strike approach and can put together really pesky at-bats that wear on opposing pitchers. He’s also quite fast and generally gets out of the box well. Clark will beat out his share of infield hits and he can handle the bat and drop a bunt down as well. A true contact hitter, he’ll need time to acclimate and to find the power stroke at the major league level, as has been his pattern at each level of his development. Expect him to spray line drives and ground balls to all fields early on, with gap and then over the fence power following as he settles in.
What the Tigers will get offensively from Clark is a true leadoff hitter type who runs the bases well and has improved his reads on pitchers and ability to steal bases this year. He has 21 stolen bases for the Hens this season, having been thrown out just twice. He’ll eventually hit for average power in my opinion. It may just take until next year for him to start putting many balls in the seats once he’s learned the league.
In Clark, the Tigers will also get an upgrade defensively in center field over Outman, Vierling, or Javier Báez. Clark has the speed to cover a lot of ground, and while he hasn’t always had the most refined approach in his route running, that too has been a focus for him this season and he’s cleaned up some of the rough edges in his defensive game as well, rarely making any mistakes, and showing off an accurate throwing arm with six assists this season.
Clark would have retained rookie eligibility for 2027 had the Tigers waited until August 15, but the incentive picks for promoting a prospect for a full season and having them win Rookie of the Year might not even survive the new collective bargaining agreement. Of course, the 2027 season could potentially not survive the new collective bargaining agreement either, so it’s an interesting decision to go ahead and start his service time clock right now. Probably neither speculative factor really moved the needle on the decision either way.
It is a bit peculiar that the Tigers didn’t already call Clark up in place of Outman if they weren’t concerned with the rookie eligibility issue. Presumably, like all the prospect watchers out here, they were just waiting for him to heat up at the plate and look in full control of the Triple-A level before the next challenge.
Max Clark will be the 6th high-schooler (and 50th player overall) from the 2023 draft to reach the majors. He joins:
Bryce Eldridge Kevin McGonigle A.J. Ewing Colt Emerson Cooper Pratt
Expect that whatever the Tigers do in the trade market over the next few days, they’re going to insist that they’ll continue to push for a wild card spot in the postseason. Max Clark in center field certainly helps them do that more than any of the Tigers other options. This isn’t going to be a fullscale teardown and tank job. Putting their prized rookies in that situation is no way to start them off in the league anyway. Instead, they’re more likely to simply accept the reality of the Skubal situation and their modest postseason odds and make a trade or two to acquire young, controllable talent, without really putting the rest of the team up for bids. If they could get the backend of their bullpen sorted out, they’d still have a decent shot anyway, but that’s been the story all season long without remedy.
Clark was the Tigers first round pick, and third overall, in the 2023 amateur draft. He’s moved very quickly through the system and found success at early level consistently ranking among the top few outfield prospects in baseball. A few months younger than Kevin McGonigle, Clark will actually reach the major leagues at the same age. Don’t expect him to immediately rake the way McGonigle has, but the duo will make for a talented 1-2 punch atop the Tigers order for a long time to come, and Clark will bring a lot of energy and speed to the Tigers lineup and outfield defense.
Welcome to the Show, Max Clark. This should be fun.
Fort Myers, FL - February 11: Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. The Boston Red Sox held their second day of Spring Training at JetBlue Park on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
There are so many cracks on this Red Sox roster, it’s hard to pinpoint a top priority to address, but if we keep it broad I think we can focus on five general areas of need.
Significantly more offense in left field, where the Red Sox have the second lowest OPS of any team in the American League at the position.
A solution in the middle infield, where over the next six weeks they’ll have some combination of Andruw Monasterio, Nick Sogard, Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Romy Gonzalez available, but no obvious path forward.
Another arm in the rotation to combat injuries, the trade of Connelly Early, and the fact both Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett are set to blow by career highs in innings pitched.
Multiple seventh inning options in the bullpen to slot into the same general tier as Justin Slaten and Tyron Guerrero. (Once you get beyond those two guys, it’s a real game of pick your poison to get to Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman.)
An upgrade at catcher, because there’s just no ceiling there with Connor Wong and Carlos Narvaez.
Here’s the problem: I don’t know what I want the Red Sox to do about these holes because I don’t know the September status of Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, and Curtis Mead.
On the flip side, I know exactly what I really, really DON’T want the Red Sox to do, and that’s take a significant stab trying to upgrade about half of these needs before getting to the heart of September and realizing Crochet, Anthony and Mead are fully out of the picture.
To put it mildly, this is quite a pickle. I firmly believe a roster with Crochet, Anthony and Mead can make a very deep run in October, and if you look at those five areas of weakness highlighted above, those three guys fully solve two and a half of them. In other words, there are scenarios in the deck where Boston gets good news on the injury front and is only a couple of pieces away from going to the World Series as constructed right now.
Unfortunately, we have no idea if we’re living in that world. This is like being asked to bet on a poker hand without being able to look at your cards. How confident are you there’s an ace sitting under there?
Despite their absence the last three months, Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony remain the two most important championship building blocks for this team over the next five years. They’re young, they’re locked up long-term under contract, and they each have extraordinarily high ceilings. You can build a playoff team without them, but I’m not sure you can build a championship team without them unless you’re willing to completely mortgage the future, and this is where the calculus gets really sticky.
If these guys are truly done for 2026, the Red Sox are sailing blind into a waterfall. They could royally screw themselves for the next five years by making the wrong moves in next five days. All they have to do is give up significant pieces that could help them in 2027 and beyond and not have Crochet, Anthony and Mead available down the stretch. In that scenario, you’re probably getting quickly bounced this fall, and then have much less firepower to work with in a year where Crochet and Anthony actually are vying for Cy Young and MVP awards.
Adding more fuel to this fire is the playoff format. Right now, the Red Sox find themselves seven games off the division lead, and would also need to leapfrog the Yankees to get there, who are 4.5 games ahead. This is all another way of saying that the Red Sox are probably going to end up in that Wild Card round no matter what they do.
Even if they do nothing else this deadline, I think they still get into the Wild Card round given the ridiculously bloated playoff format at this historically awful American League. They could probably even sell a piece or two and still get there — that’s how much the other middling teams in the AL suck! On the flip side, is there anything the Red Sox could realistically do at the deadline that will dramatically improve their chances of winning the division?
Even if you believe the Red Sox can become the best team in the AL by October with a healthy return of Crochet, Anthony and Mead — and I do — those guys wouldn’t enter the picture until late in the proceedings. In other words, start booking your vacation days for Tuesday, September 29th through Thursday October 1st.
Given this dynamic, I’m petrified of what the Red Sox might do over the next handful of days. The fan in me wants them to buy, but I also realize you’re pretty much building this whole thing for a three game Wild Card series where the two most important players to your franchise may or may not be available. Does that sound like a solid investment?
Perhaps the real play here is to go for the long-term options. Guys under control for multiple years so you get a shot a both the 2026 World Series and others beyond it. But then again, that’s only going to cost more, potentially further damaging your ability to build around the core going forward.
Can you see why I’m nervous yet? Why every step forward here could lead to a trap door? Let’s hope the Red Sox know a little more about the timelines of Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony internally than they’re letting on, because if they don’t, they may cost themselves the 2027 or 2028 World Series trying to capture an unwinnable game in 2026.
Coming into the ninth, the Rumble Ponies were barely hanging on, holding a slight 6-5 lead, looking to take the first game of the series. With two men on and one out, Garret Stratton bungled a chopper hit to him, throwing away the ball and turning what should’ve been a game ending double play into a game ending throwing error.
Twin four-run innings evened up the series for the Cyclones. The first, in the sixth, saw Antonio Jimenez, Colin Houck, and Trace Wilhoite string together a few hits. The second, in the bottom of the ninth, saw Randy Guzman drive in a run and Daiverson Gutierrez walk things off with a two-run homer.
Josh Inglis: KC/MIN - Under 9.5
Jon Metler: CIN ML
Joe Osborne: LAD ML
