Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
The Dodgers ended up with an acute need at the trade deadline after all.
Catcher Dalton Rushing’s elbow injury was diagnosed as a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, as manager Dave Roberts first told AM 570’s David Vassegh.
“It’s a bummer because he has made a lot of strides,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 7-6 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday, which extended the Dodgers’ season-high losing streak to six games. “Even just this right here, you’re talking about over 125 plate appearances that you’re missing out on, and also opportunities to catch major league innings. So I feel for Dalton.”
He’ll be shut down from throwing for four to six weeks, Roberts said. But the plan is for him to resume hitting before then. Asked if Rushing could catch again this season, Roberts said he believed there was a “very small” chance.
“I hope I’m wrong,” Roberts said. “He’s a tough kid, and so for him to go through this speaks a lot. So I think that would be great if he can. Certainly a possibility with the time, but we’re certainly trying to keep the bat alive, for sure.”
Even if Rushing doesn’t return behind the plate, his left-handed bat off the bench could be valuable for the Dodgers down the stretch and even into the postseason. As constructed, the Dodgers don’t have an equivalent for pinch-hitting situations.
Next, Rushing, in conversation with the team and medical staff, will have to decide whether he needs to undergo surgery to repair the ligament. He did not make the trip to Chicago, so he was not available to comment on the situation.
“Over the next couple weeks, I think that we’ll have a better idea of how he’s responding with time,” Roberts said. “I do think that there’s really not much cost, outside of two weeks or whatever, to kind of wait and see how he responds to some treatment and some kind of stuff that they decide to do.”
Depending on the severity of a partial UCL tear, rehab and strengthening the muscles around the elbow can sometimes at least put off surgery. If that’s not a viable option, there are a range of operations to address UCL injuries — from reinforcement with an internal brace, to full reconstruction (Tommy John surgery).
Elbow surgeries tend to come with a lengthy recovery timeline. So, even if surgery becomes inevitable, as long as Rushing can hit and the Dodgers think he can contribute off the bench into the postseason, holding off any operation until the offseason could make sense.
Rushing’s injury will impact not only the catching corps but also the offense, necessitating a shift to defense-first catchers.
Taking on starting catcher duties for nearly two months with Will Smith (neck) on the injured list, Rushing had an .809 OPS when the Dodgers scratched him from the game Sunday with what they initially called minor arm irritation.
“I think that it was something that was there, and then it just showed itself Sunday,” Roberts said.
Though Smith has been at least hitting in the batting cages, he’s had a back-and-forth recovery from an injury the Dodgers initially hoped wouldn’t need an IL stint.
“Everything keeps moving forward, which is a good thing,” Roberts said. “There’s no timeline as far as when he faces pitching, let alone when he goes out on a [minor-leauge rehab assignment]. Then we’ll have more clarity on a projected date of return, but right now I don’t know.”
So, the Dodgers acquired an entirely new catching tandem before the trade deadline Monday. On Tuesday, they activated Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, both catchers who have played for the Dodgers in recent years. They optioned Eliezer Alfonzo and designated Chuckie Robonson for assignment.
Rortvedt, who Roberts said could get the “taking a lion’s share for the foreseeable future,” caught two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in his Dodgers debut Tuesday. Feduccia caught Lauer on Wednesday.
Lauer gave up six runs and 11 hits to the Cubs and lasted just four innings, in his worst appearance as a Dodger. Wednesday marked the Dodgers’ first loss with Lauer on the mound, snapping a streak of nine games.
The Cubs completed a three-game sweep, during which the Dodgers were outscored 22-12. They’ve been swept for two straight series, also dropping all three home games to the Red Sox last weekend. The Dodgers were last swept in consecutive series last year, getting swept by the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers July 4-9.
MVP standoff between Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani gestures towards the dugout after hitting a home run to lead off Wednesday's game. (Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
The frontrunners in the National League MVP race traded leadoff home runs at Wrigley Field Wednesday.
First was Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who notched the 32nd leadoff homer of his career and 29th as a Dodger, breaking a tie with Davey Lopes for the second-most in franchise history, behind Mookie Betts (32). And he made it his first multi-homer game of the season in the eighth inning, with a two-run shot that trimmed the Cubs’ lead to 7-6.
Cubs star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong matched him with a tying blast in the bottom of the first inning. In the fourth, he mashed a two-run blast off the right-field scoreboard for his third multi-homer game of the season.
Roberts irked Cubs fans a week and a half ago when, asked to evaluate Ohtani’s season overall, he said he’ll still be the NL MVP.
“I haven’t followed the race,” Roberts said. “I have followed what Pete’s doing, and he’s figured some things out with the bat. “He’s having a heck of a year. And he has rightfully made it a lot closer than most people expected. He’s had a tremendous season.”
Ohtani was considered the runaway MVP favorite early in the year, while his pitching performance also put him in the Cy Young conversation. But his extended absence from the mound (left knee issue) and Crow-Armstrong’s contributions on offense and defense have made the race more interesting.
Crow-Armstrong entered Wednesday leading the majors in fWAR (7.5), followed by Ohtani (6.4).
Ohtani is expected to begin playing catch in the near future, but Roberts didn’t have a specific day circled for catch play or his return to the mound.
The Dodgers’ rotation depth means he doesn’t necessarily need to build up to a full starter’s workload by the end of the year.
“Any innings we get from him are bonuses, given he’s a two-way player,” Roberts said. “Whether it’s one inning, two innings, three innings, I’m not too concerned about the timeline. … I certainly see him as a starter, but how much he could give us, to then have somebody [piggybacking] behind him, that we don’t know yet.”
Aug 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25) with third base coach Brady Williams (4) in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Rays were looking to complete their sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon while the rest of us were just scratching our heads over the randomness of a 3pm game start time. Oh boy, we can’t wait for the Rays to get back home again. For the final game of the series, they had Nick Martinez starting up against Tomoyuki Sugano for the Rockies.
Right out of the gate, Victor Mesa Jr. got a leadoff triple to start the game. A Jonathan Aranda single then scored the runner, putting the Rays on the board nice and early.
Junior Caminero walked, then a Liam Hicks flyout moved Aranda over to third. A Chandler Simpson single brought Aranda home and the Rays were up by two.
Cedric Mullins laid down a sac bunt to advance the baserunners into scoring position, but the next batter was an out to end the inning. Martinez then came out and got the side out in order.
With two outs in the top of the second, Mesa Jr. got another triple. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be a repeat of the first as another out quickly ended the inning with no runs scored. In the home half, Jordan Beck managed a two-out double, but the Rockies left him stranded.
Junior Caminero wasn’t about to let Victor have all the fun. He came out swinging in the third and got a leadoff home run.
Three outs followed, but it was certainly a fun inning nevertheless. Ezquiel Tovar started the home half with a single. Then, with one out, Jake McCarthy hit into a force out to eliminate Tovar. McCarthy then stole second, but a groundout ended the inning with no runs scored.
The Rays went 1-2-3 for the first time in the game in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning Mickey Moniak singled, then Kyle Karros singled. Good start for those alliterative names. A flyout and a double play ended the inning.
It was another three-up, three-down inning for the Rays in the fifth, but the Rockies did much the same in the home half.
Liam Hicks got a leadoff walk in the sixth, and that was all she wrote for Sugano, who was replaced by Parker Mushinski. Simpson grounded into a force out to eliminate Hicks, then Chandler stole second. But the Rays were not able to convert the baserunner. McCarthy singled to start the home half, then with two outs Karros singled, bumping McCarthy to third. That was the end of the day for Martinez, his final line to be determined by what happened with Tyler Wells on the mound in relief. Wells got the final out with little issue so Martinez’s final line for the game was 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K on 75 pitches. A nice outing for him, though getting through one more inning would have been ideal.
Juan Mejia came in from the Rockies’ bullpen for the seventh and immediately gave up a walk to Taylor Walls. Walls stole second, then advanced to third on a sac bunt from Nick Fortes. Mesa Jr. then laid down his own sac bunt, scoring Walls.
In the bottom of the inning, Edouard Julien got a one-out walk, but two outs quickly followed to end the threat.
Zach Agnos came in to pitch the eighth and got the Rays out in order. In the home half the Rays brought in Garrett Cleavinger. Cole Carrigg got a one-out walk, but the next two batters were out in order to end the inning.
The Rays went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth. Cam Booser was the man to get the job done in the ninth and hopefully keep the shutout intact. He got the side out in order, though the final strike was challenged, the call on the field was confirmed and the Rays claimed victory for both the game and the series.
May 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – CF Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Jared Young – 1B Francisco Alvarez – C Brett Baty – LF Jorge Polanco – DH Marcus Semien – 2B
Christian Scott – RHP
Guardians lineup
Steven Kwan – LF Chase DeLauter – DH Jo Adell – RF Nathaniel Lowe – 1B Travis Bazzana – 2B Brayan Rocchio – SS Petey Halpin – CF Patrick Bailey – C Angel Genao – 3B
Tanner Bibee – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 6:40 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 24: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Athletics and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Friday, July 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last night, the Athletics opened their first series after the trade deadline with their sixth straight loss, falling 5-4 to the Cincinnati Reds after another bullpen collapse. This time, left-hander Hogan Harris—one of the team’s most reliable relievers this season—took the loss after throwing two wild pitches in the same at-bat, allowing the game-tying and go-ahead runs to score in the eighth inning.
This evening, the A’s will look to avoid a seventh-straight loss as they continue their series against the Reds. Left-hander Jacob Lopez will get the start for the Green & Gold, making his first career appearance against Cincinnati. The 28-year-old enters his 18th appearance and 15th start of the season with a 5-4 record, a 5.79 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP and 61 strikeouts across 70 innings pitched.
Lopez’s performance has improved since returning to the team’s rotation a few weeks ago. He received a no-decision in his last outing against the Boston Red Sox, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out eight over 5 1/3 innings.
Multiple A’s pitchers have struggled with their command this season, and Lopez has been one of the biggest culprits. The 42 walks he has issued are a major reason for his elevated WHIP. However, he has shown improvement lately, walking just two batters in two out of his last three starts.
Against a Reds’ offense that has drawn the seventh-most walks in the league, Lopez will need to pound the strike zone, hit his spots and find ways to retire hitters efficiently. If he cannot, the Athletics could once again find themselves trailing early and forced to rely on the bullpen sooner than expected.
Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup looks today courtesy of manager Mark Kotsay:
Right fielder Lawrence Butler remains in the leadoff spot after making the final out of yesterday’s game, stranding the tying run at second base. The A’s will need more production from Butler moving forward with first baseman Nick Kurtz and catcher Shea Langeliers on the injured list.
Further down the lineup, Henry Bolte looks to follow his three hit performance in the series opener, while shortstop Alika Williams gets his first start of the series with Jacob Wilson moving to designated hitter due to lingering soreness.
Entering professional baseball, Tommy White was viewed as more of a power-over-hit player, but since his call-up, only two of his first 17 major league hits have gone for extra bases. Additionally, his defensive limitations at third base have been exposed. Will “Tommy Tanks” finally hit his first home run, or will the wait continue?
That lineup will face Reds’ right-hander Rhett Lowder, who enters his 20th appearance and 17th start of the season with a 3-7 record, a 5.42 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP and 70 strikeouts across 83 innings pitched.
The 24-year-old, who will be making his first start against the A’s, has been pitching well recently. In his last outing, he turned in a quality start, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The talented young pitcher has the arsenal to give an injury-depleted A’s offense trouble, but he has also been prone to inconsistency and the occasional blow-up outing. If the Athletics are to have success tonight, they will need to capitalize on any mistake pitches the former first-round pick leaves over the plate.
And here’s Cincy’s starting lineup for the middle game of the series:
Lopez will need to be careful when facing the Reds dynamic duo atop the lineup: shortstop Elly De La Cruz and National League Rookie of the Year candidate: first baseman Sal Stewart. Will old friend JJ Bleday make an impact for the Reds, or will the A’s limit the lefty slugger for a second consecutive game?
The Florida Panthers were involved in one of the summer’s biggest moves.
Back in late June, the Panthers made a couple moves in a 24-hour span that reminded everyone in the NHL why Florida was the league’s biggest nuisance.
After acquiring a second first-round selection in this summer’s NHL Draft, Panthers General Manager Bill Zito sent three top picks, along with a future second-rounder, to Ottawa in exchange for their captain, Brady Tkachuk.
It was a move that was met with little surprise, as Tkachuk was long rumored to be interested in eventually teaming up with his older brother Matthew in South Florida.
Earlier this week, there was a report that the younger Tkachuk had previously turned down a blockbuster trade that would’ve landed him in a different location.
According to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Tkachuk rejected a trade that would have sent him to the St. Louis Blues.
According to Rutherford, Tkachuk, “didn’t want to come to St. Louis.”
Jeremy Rutherford: The Senators’ Brady Tkachuk didn’t want to come to St. Louis. There were conflicting reports about whether the Stars’ Jason Robertson was interested - The Athletic (7/18)
This lines up with the idea that Tkachuk’s preferred destination was the Panthers, where his brother is locked into a contract through the end of the 2029-30 season.
For those wondering where the St. Louis connection comes from, both Tkachuk brothers were raised in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis, and the area is where Matthew has a home and spends time during the offseason.
Were you surprised by the news that Brady Tkachuk turned down a trade to St. Louis, or did it seem like a foregone conclusion that he would end up with the Panthers?
Photo caption: Oct 2, 2025;St.Louis, Missouri, USA; Ottawa Senators left wingBradyTkachuk(7) looks on during the third period againsttheSt.LouisBlues at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 05: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field on August 05, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ woes in the month of August continued on Wednesday, as their losing streak reached a season-high six games in a 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Shohei Ohtani got the best of his former WBC teammate Shota Imanaga, as he turned around a center-cut fastball for another leadoff home run. It is Ohtani’s 29th leadoff home run as a Dodger, passing Davey Lopes for the second on the franchise leadoff home run list. Ohtani’s hit streak is now at nine games.
The Cubs would immediately respond against Eric Lauer, as Pete Crow-Armstrong smashed the first pitch he saw over the center field wall to tie the game.
The Dodgers added a pair of singles from Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas in the top of the second inning, but Imanaga got out of the jam as Hunter Feduccia lined out to right field in his first Dodger at-bat since last year.
The Cubs were able to produce with men on base in the bottom of the second inning, as after a leadoff single from Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson drove him home with a double down the left field line to give Chicago a one-run lead. Lauer got Tyrone Taylor to fly out for the second out of the inning, but Crow-Armstrong had his second RBI of the game with a double of his own to extend the Cub lead to two.
The Dodgers once again put two on with a pair of singles in the top of the third, including Freddie Freeman extending his hit streak to 15 games, but Imanaga struck out Tommy Edman looking before getting Kyle Tucker to fly out to center to get out of another jam. The Dodgers would put the leadoff man on in the top of the fourth inning, but they would fail to move him over at all.
After a scoreless inning from Lauer in the bottom of the third, the Cubs gave themselves another 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Crow-Armstrong lifted his second home run of the game, giving him four RBI against the Dodger left-hander. Alex Bregman added another two-out RBI to make it a five-run lead for the Cubs.
It’s the first time that Lauer has allowed more than three runs in any game with his new club. It is also the first time he failed to log at least five innings of work since June 2, as his afternoon was done after allowing six runs over four innings while tossing 95 pitches.
Edgardo Henriquez and Kyle Hurt managed to keep Chicago scoreless over the next two innings, but the Cubs added one with an RBI double from Hoerner in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it a six-run lead, the largest they had in the series.
Mookie Betts finished Wednesday’s game going 4-5 with four singles, the first four-hit game he’s had since his two-home run barrage against the Phillies on July 20. His fourth single kickstarted a comeback attempt in the eighth inning, and Max Muncy got the Dodgers back in the game with a three-run home run against Caleb Thielbar. After a single from Miguel Rojas, Teoscar Hernández went down swinging off the bench in Feduccia’s spot. Ohtani decided to match Crow-Armstrong’s home run total on the game, as he went the other way against Ryan Zeferjahn to cut the deficit to just one run. After scoring just two runs over their last 16 innings of offense, they put up a five-spot in the eighth inning.
The Dodgers couldn’t quite cement the comeback, as Jacob Webb retired the side in order to help the Cubs complete the sweep. It is the first time the Cubs have swept the Dodgers at Wrigley Field since May 2021.
Game particulars
Home runs— Shohei Ohtani 2 (26), Max Muncy (22); Pete Crow-Armstrong 2 (26)
The Dodgers are off on Thursday but resume their road trip on Friday as they begin a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks (6:40 p.m. PT). Roki Sasaki goes for the Dodgers, while Arizona has yet to announce their starter.
1906: Chicago Cubs pitcher Jack Taylor’s streak of 202 consecutive pitching appearances without being relieved ended, closing one of baseball’s most remarkable durability records. Among those games were 187 starts.
1932: New York Yankees pitcher Red Ruffing became the first major-league pitcher since 1906 to hit an extra-inning, game-winning home run, beating Washington 1-0.
1933: Gene Sarazen defeated Willie Goggin 5 and 4 to win the PGA Championship, securing his third PGA title and sixth major championship of his career.
1939: The Yankees routed the Philadelphia Athletics 21-0, establishing an American League record for margin of victory in a shutout.
1948: Cleveland Indians rookie Satchel Paige pitched his first American or National League shutout, defeating the Chicago White Sox 5-0 before 51,013 spectators at Comiskey Park.
1962: Minor-leaguer Bert Campaneris pitched ambidextrously in a game for Daytona Beach, an unusual switch-pitching episode.
1967: New York Mets rookie Tom Seaver threw the first shutout of his Hall of Fame career, a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1969: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer completed his comeback from arm trouble by throwing a no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
1979: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lou Brock became the 14th major leaguer to collect 3,000 hits.
2008: Michael Phelps won the 200-meter butterfly and helped the United States capture the 4x200 freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics, raising his career total to a record 11 Olympic gold medals.
2016: Monica Puig defeated Angelique Kerber in the Olympic women’s tennis final in Rio de Janeiro, becoming the first athlete representing Puerto Rico to win an Olympic gold medal.
2016: Michael Phelps swam the butterfly leg for the victorious U.S. 4x100-meter medley relay team, ending his competitive career with a record 23 Olympic gold medals and 28 medals overall.
2016: The New York Yankees released Alex Rodriguez, ending his Yankees playing tenure and effectively closing the career of one of baseball’s most prolific and controversial stars.
2017: Justin Thomas won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow by two strokes for his first major title.
2023: Lilia Vu closed with a 5-under-par 67 and won the AIG Women’s Open by six strokes, earning her second major championship of the season.
2023: Jannik Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur in Toronto to capture his first ATP Masters 1000 championship and become the second Italian man to win a title at that level since it was created in 1990.
— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 05: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros hits a solo home run in the third inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Daikin Park on August 05, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (59-57) were looking to take both this series and the season series from the Toronto Blue Jays (54-61) this afternoon. They had plenty of chances, but in the end squandered their opportunities in a 5-4 loss in 10 innings.
Hunter Brown took the mound today opposite Jameson Taillon, who was making his first start as a Blue Jay. Things seemed to be on the up for Houston, as Brown was dominant early, and had not allowed a hit through 5 innings.
In the bottom of the 3rd, the Astros would open the scoring. With one out, Jose Altuve launched his 13th HR of the season to left field to give Houston a 1-0 lead. Daulton Varsho would follow with a single, and then steal 2nd base for his 10th SB this season. With 2 out, Christian Walker slammed his 24th double of the season, scoring Varsho to make it s 2-0 lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. would drive in Walker with an RBI single to center to give Houston a 3-0 lead.
That lead looked like it would stand up, as Hunter Brown was dominating. He had not allowed a run or hit through 5 innings, walking one and striking out 7. However that would all change in the top of the 6th.
Brown retired the leadoff hitter Andrew Gimenez, but Myles Straw would follow with a double. Brown retired Nathan Lukes on a groundout to advance Straw to 3rd, but now there were 2 out. Uncharacteristically, Brown could not shut the door. A single to center by Kaz Okamoto would drive in Straw to get the Jays on the board at 3-1. After a mound visit, Brown would surrender a 2-run HR to former Astro Jesus Sanchez on a 3-0 pitch that was well above the zone to tie the game at 3. After getting the final out of the inning, Brown was done for the day.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Astros would have 2nd and 3rd with nobody out and looked poised to answer Toronto’s 3 runs immediately, but they failed to score.
In the top of the 10th, the Jays would strike again. Ernie Clement led off the inning with a 2-run HR off Astros reliever Bennett Sousa (L,0-1), driving in ghost runner Luis Urias to put the Jays up 5-3. It was the first HR Sousa had allowed this season in 13 appearances.
In the bottom of the 10th, the Astros would send Yordan Alvarez, Altuve and Varsho to the plate with Jeremy Pena as the ghost runner. Alvarez drilled a liner into right field to score Pena to make the game 5-4 on what should have been an RBI double. However, Yordan did not slide at 2B, and he was ruled out a second on the throw from Lukes in right field to Gimenez covering the bag. The Astros challenged the call, which was upheld, leading to the ejection of manager Joe Espada. Altuve and Varsho would both fly out to end the game.
The Astros are off tomorrow before traveling to San Diego to begin a 3 game series with the Padres on Friday.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has begun “light activity” as he looks to return from the injured list, manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“He’s been cleared to start some light activity in his progression back,” Boone said, adding that the reigning AL MVP is “doing some [upper-body] resistance stuff in the weight room.”
Judge, who has been out of action since May 31 with a right rib stress fracture, was seen running and stretching in the outfield on Wednesday.
The increased activity comes after Judge underwent a scan on Tuesday, which while they did not show the injury had completely healed, made it so that at a point that the next step could happen.
Asked if he was still feeling the injury, Judge said, “Well, I got a broken rib, so you’re gonna feel it.”
“But it’s healing up, that’s the progress we want to see so we can start doing some more and kinda test it and see where we’re at,” he said. “Because we’re running out of days, we got 52 days left, 53 days left. We gotta get back out there.”
Boone said this was an “important part of his progression” when asked about how big of a step this was in Judge’s rehab: “It’s good to see him with his pinstripes on and in cleats and headed out onto the field in the afternoon, certainly.”
However, that was the extent of what he is allowed to do at the moment, with Boone adding that his actions now will “roll into, slowly but surely, hopefully starting baseball activities.” But on the positive side, any future scans will be “more symptom-based now as he starts to introduce things,” Boone said, indicating a level of confidence in how the injury is healing.
“We’re at the point now to where,” Judge said, “hopefully, you add a couple more new things into the program, it won’t bother it too much and keep healing.”
In 59 games before the injury, Judge tallied 17 home runs and 38 RBI with a .248/.375/.533 slash line, good for a .908 OPS (151 OPS+, 149 wRC+). But he's now had over two months out of action completely, which could mean a long ramp-up once he clears his next hurdle and can begin taking swings, but Boone believes he will have time to clear those benchmarks.
Of course, the “ultimate test” of the injury will be hitting, Judge said: “That’s the most violent of it all, more than running or lifting or stuff like that.
“Once we keep progressing and everything’s feeling great, we take another scan, see where it’s at, hopefully add in hitting and throwing and all that down the road,” he said.
Brian Cashman was asked on Monday after the trade deadline if it was possible that Judge would not return this season, and the GM admitted that while it is “always possible that things don't go the way you want, but we currently are still very optimistic that he's going to return.”
While Cashman said he couldn’t “rule out any of it,” he did add that it is a “pretty high likelihood” that Judge “fits that timeframe for him to get back and joins us."
Judge did not express any doubts about returning this season on Wednesday: “Oh, I’ll be back this season, I don’t know why I wouldn’t be.”
“That was always the plan to come back sooner than later, definitely,” he said. “But I never had a thought of not playing [again] this year.”
However, Judge did not offer any timeline on a return to the lineup.
Clarke Schmidt update
Schmidt, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, is getting closer to a return to the field and a potential rehab assignment.
“We feel like he’s probably good to go,” Boone said. “Got a lot of treatment on [Tuesday]. The doc didn’t seem overly concerned. Today was a no-throw day after his outing yesterday.
“Expecting him to play catch [on Thursday] and then hopefully do his side at some point this weekend and roll through it, but obviously, we gotta get there. But feel like we got encouraging news on him.”
Boone confirmed that Schmidt’s live BP was interrupted by cramps.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 05: Cody Bradford #61 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Globe Life Field on August 05, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the San Francisco Giants scored zero runs.
The Rangers won today’s game. It was their first time taking consecutive games since conquering the Seattle Mariners at the end of last month before the terrible, no good, very bad week that they seem to have finally escaped from (fingers crossed!).
To accomplish today’s victory, Texas turned Cody Bradford for the first time in 679 days. When last we saw Bradford on a big league mound it was late September 2024. The Rangers beat the Athletics in the second to last ever game at Oakland Coliseum. Sandro Fabian was the team’s left fielder. Leody Taveras took two at-bats and struck out twice, which I’m sure the comments section of this website took in stride.
The lefty was finishing up his first season as a starter after relieving for the Rangers during their run to a world championship the year prior. Bradford’s 2024 season was encouraging as he appeared to have turned the corner and become a rare homegrown starter, but injuries cropped up both in that season and after and wiped out nearly the next two full seasons.
In his first game back, after having ramped up to nearly 60 pitches in a handful of rehab outings in the minors, Bradford tossed 4.1 shutout innings on five hits and a couple of walks. Bradford struck out five and kept the Giants off the board in 70 pitches.
Perhaps a fire sale-depleted San Francisco squad was the perfect opponent to ease Bradford back into life on a big league mound, but he aced his first test in his first outing back. While Bradford was successfully making his return, the Rangers put together a crook number in the bottom of the third as four runs crossed the plate.
The outburst was highlighted by a two-run triple by the not especially fleetfooted Justin Foscue. It was the first career triple for Foscue. Brandon Nimmo and Elias Diaz also had RBI hits in the inning. A couple of innings later, Nimmo would smack his 12th home run of the year, and a few innings after that Nicky Lopez would drive in the sixth and final run on an RBI single in the eighth.
After a forgettable week, and flubbing the opener of this series, the Rangers rebounded and took the series to climb back to within a game of .500 and it looks like they might actually have some reinforcements.
Oh yeah, and the Astros lost.
Player of the Game: Bradford certainly deserves a tip of the hat for pitching well after working his way back from a long absence. But also, Nimmo went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored, and drove in two of Texas’ five runs.
Up Next: The Rangers have a day off tomorrow for the first time in what feels like months. They will remain at home however and welcome another seller at the deadline to The Shed with the Baltimore Orioles arriving in Arlington for a series beginning on Friday night.
A large part of the San Francisco Giants' lackluster season can be chalked up to injuries. It's a common theme in sports that teams don't reach their fullest potential in a particular year because they've been battered.
Ask their fellow Bay Area neighbors from other sports. The Golden State Warriors faced injuries during the 2025-26 season that marred what they could've accomplished. The San Francisco 49ers have had a devastating injury that derailed their season or championship hopes every year seemingly dating back to 2020.
The Giants currently have 13 players listed on the 10-day or 60-day injured list including rotation pieces such as Harrison Bader, Casey Schmitt, Trevor McDonald, Matt Gage, Victor Bericoto and Matt Chapman.
McDonald, Bader and Schmitt are out for the remainder of the season with expected return dates in 2027. Chapman could be next to join them.
Matt Chapman injury update
Chapman hasn't played since June 30 after aggravating a lingering abdominal strain that forced him to leave the Giants' 8-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth inning.
He was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 1 and was expected to return in the back portion of the season. Chapman underwent a second MRI exam on Aug. 3 and imaging confirmed a lingering core muscle injury.
He is expected to receive a full evaluation next week, where it's possible he could have surgery for the injury, according to MLB.com. There's speculation that the injury, let alone surgery, could keep Chapman out for the remainder of the season.
Giants first-year skipper Tony Vitello told reporters Aug. 4 that there's a chance Chapman doesn't play again this season. Giants' general manager Zack Minasian shared an update on Chapman during an Aug. 4 appearance on Bay Area sports radio station 97.5 The Game.
"Still going through some of the medical," Minasian said. "[Chapman] was going through hitting progression, running progression. Some of those things just weren't responding the way he wanted to so just doing some more testing, reviewing that."
"Yeah, there is a possibility we don't see him. Don't want to speak on it too soon, but yeah it sounds like a real possibility we might not see [Matt Chapman] the rest of the year."
A team spokesperson on Aug. 5 told USA TODAY Sports the Giants didn't have an update on Chapman's status“We won’t have another update until he meets with Dr. Meyer next week,” the spokesperson said.
Prior to the injury, Chapman batted a .235 average with 72 hits, seven home runs, 42 RBIs and 35 runs in 84 games.
Four years ago, the Vancouver Canucks made their first first-round selection since 2019, picking Jonathan Lekkerimäki 15th-overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Including Lekkerimäki, Vancouver made a total of six selections at the 2022 Draft, five of which remain within the team’s system. The lone 2022 draft prospect no longer with the Canucks is Jackson Dorrington, who was traded as part of the package sent to the New York Rangers alongside J.T. Miller. Here’s how the 2025–26 season went for the five remaining Canucks prospects drafted in 2022.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki
2022 R1, 15 OVR
Vancouver Canucks, NHL and Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
For a decent stretch of time after he was drafted, Lekkerimäki was the Canucks’ most intriguing prospect. The forward, best known for his shot and goal-scoring effort, split time between Vancouver and Abbotsford in 2024–25 after making his NHL debut on November 12, 2024 against the Calgary Flames.
Lekkerimäki was one of the players who looked like they would contend for an NHL roster spot in 2025–26 and put up a strong enough effort during the pre-season and training camp to make the team’s opening-night lineup. He scored his first goal of the season on opening night against the Flames and remained in the Canucks’ lineup until an injury sustained on October 19 sidelined him for a month. From then on, he made a couple of appearances for Vancouver, but ultimately skated in a grand total of 13 NHL games in 2025–26.
While he managed to put up consistent offensive numbers in the AHL, scoring 13 goals and seven assists in 21 games with Abbotsford through the season, Lekkerimäki’s injuries ended up keeping him out for the majority of the year. A shoulder injury cut his season off in February, with the forward’s final game of the year taking place on February 18 against the Ontario Reign.
Lekkerimäki has been a player that has gained headline attention as of late, with discourse circulating around what to do with the 22-year-old prospect heading into the 2026–27 season. While his role will ultimately be decided on a variety of roster factors, health being the biggest one, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the forward make Vancouver’s opening night lineup yet again.
Elias Pettersson
2022 R3, 80 OVR
Vancouver Canucks, NHL
Pettersson, the defenceman, may have been the Canucks’ most surprising player from the 2024–25 season. In his first stint in North America, the defenceman played himself into an All-Star nod in the AHL before earning an NHL call-up and eventually a full-time role, replacing veteran Carson Soucy. He didn’t end up back in the AHL until later on in 2025–26.
While Pettersson did play himself into a full-time role in 2025–26, this particular season was a little trickier for the defenceman. Though he did play in 70 games for Vancouver, registering three goals and seven assists, Pettersson was sent down to Abbotsford for a few games after a couple of rough stretches on the blueline. Those didn’t last long, however, as he only ended up playing in three AHL games in 2025–26.
The 2025–26 season was, of course, rough for virtually every member of the Canucks. Regardless of that, Pettersson was still able to be effective, bumping his average TOI of the season from 12:49 minutes in 2024–25 to nearly 15 in 2025–26. Depending on how 2026–27 goes, that average may only go higher.
At this point, Pettersson feels like a shoe-in for a roster spot in 2026–27, especially given the changes Vancouver has made to their blueline in trading Marcus Pettersson and acquiring mentor-like players in Luke Schenn and Jamie Oleksiak. The most likely spot for the defenceman would be on Vancouver’s third-pair, possibly alongside Schenn.
Daimon Gardner
2022 R4, 112 OVR
St. Cloud State University, NCAA
The 2025–26 season was Gardner’s third year in the NCAA and his second as a member of St. Cloud State University. The 22-year-old center set a collegiate career-high in points the season prior with five goals and nine assists in 32 games but wasn’t quite able to replicate that this time around. In 26 games this season, Gardner scored two goals and two assists, marking a new career-low throughout his NCAA career.
As a whole, the 2025–26 season was subpar for St. Cloud State. The Huskies went 16–19–1 on the season, including a record of 9–14–1 in-conference. They lost both of their games against the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the first-round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, with Minnesota-Duluth ultimately losing in the NCHC championship round to eventual 2026 NCAA-champion University of Denver.
Gardner will play for the third NCAA team of his collegiate career come the 2026–27 season, as the forward has transfered to Minnesota State University (Mankato).
Ty Young
2022 R5, 144 OVR
Abbotsford Canucks, AHL and Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL
Young entered the 2025–26 season looking to build off a rookie pro season that saw him make starts at both the AHL and ECHL level. He played in a total of 33 games, registering a .904 SV% in the AHL and .926 SV% at the ECHL level.
The goaltender’s sophomore pro season went differently, though it started with a bit of a whirlwind.
At the beginning of November, with only three AHL games under his belt for the season, Young was forced into the starter’s role after injuries to both Vancouver and Abbotsford’s lineup left the AHL Canucks with only Young available to play. The rough start resulted in Young not notching his first AHL win of the season until his ninth game of the year, after taking a near three-month stint back in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings.
Once March came around, bounces finally seemed to start going in Young’s way at the AHL level. The goaltender won his first three starts of the month with Abbotsford, also ending the year with a personal three-game win-streak. As a result, he finished the year with a record of 6–10–1, a 3.36 GAA, and a .884 SV%, also recording two shutouts.
Where Young plays next season will be heavily dependent on how Vancouver chooses to approach their goaltending situation. Nikita Tolopilo will be the player in net to watch, as if he stays up in the NHL with Vancouver, there will be more room in Abbotsford’s crease for players like Young and Koskenvuo.
Photo Credit: Kaja Antic-THN
Kirill Kudryavtsev
2022 R7, 208 OVR
Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
Kudryavtsev made his pro hockey debut in 2024–25 and has only seemed to impress since then. The defenceman played his way into a full-time role in his rookie AHL season and made himself effective during Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run in 2025. He also made his NHL debut in that same season, skating in his first game on April 14 against the San Jose Sharks.
The 2025–26 season was yet another reflection of how impressive Kudryavtsev has been throughout the past couple of years. With Abbotsford’s D-core heavily depleted after the 2025 off-season, as well as movement with the NHL club, Kudryavtsev found himself taking on sizable minutes as a sophomore. While he did end up being named Abbotsford’s representative at the AHL All-Star Challenge, an injury took the defenceman out of competition for two months.
Kudryavtsev returned to Abbotsford’s lineup in March, skating with the team for about a month before he was called-up to Vancouver and made his season debut at the NHL level. He scored his first NHL point on April 12 against the Anaheim Ducks, finishing his season’s NHL run with two points in three games. At the AHL level, Kudryavtsev’s 2025–26 season ended with the defenceman potting two goals and 18 assists in 44 games.
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Monday's MLB Trade Deadline featured over 30 unique trades. Even so, the name you heard discussed the most in the days that followed was a 21-year-old starting pitcher with only 30 professional starts to his name. Yet, Anthony Eyanson was one of the highest-ranked prospects traded at the deadline and the headliner in a shocking six-player trade that sent Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox.
It's been a quick and surprising path for Eyanson from starting pitcher at LSU to headline prospect in the biggest trade at the MLB deadline.
After transferring from UC-San Diego to LSU in 2025, Eyanson struggled to begin the collegiate season. However, he seemed to find his footing in the final two months of the season and eventually was a key contributor on a Tigers team that won the national championship. At the end of the season, he ranked third in NCAA Division I in both wins (12) and strikeouts (152 in 108 innings), and worked as a reliever to close out LSU's final game in the NCAA regionals and then earned a win in the final games in the super regional and College World Series. Yet, some questions remained about his MLB future given that he had only one season at a top college program.
The Red Sox selected him in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft, at 87th overall. Then immediately got to work on the key question that many had for Eyanson: his velocity.
"When I was first drafted, it was more so just continuing to live in the zone with all my pitches and really just focus on the velocity for me," revealed Eyanson at this year's Futures Game. "That was a big one...Just working to throw harder and throw everything harder in the zone more often."
That velocity training covered a few different areas for Eyanson, including simply adjusting to a more demanding professional baseball schedule.
"For me, it was just a mix of throwing more," reflected Eyanson. "I threw twice in college: in the bullpen and in the game, so hardly ever. Then just throwing a lot harder more often, just getting my body used to those higher outputs. Then pairing that up with training room stuff. You know, I'm in there about four, five times a week, and you know, weight room, just crushing the weights. That's always been my thing, but just pairing those better with one another."
That training led to crucial gains for Eyanson early in 2026. According to Ian Cundall, a prospect writer for Baseball America who focuses on Red Sox prospects, "Eyanson’s fastball velocity spiked into the high 90s this spring, and he touched 100 mph in the Spring Breakout game." Considering Eyanson has a strong build at 6'2" and 210 pounds, and is "a very good athlete, moves well and has a controlled, repeatable delivery," the added velocity seemed like the missing piece.
In 16 appearances and 15 starts between High-A and Double-A this season, Eyanson has a 1.32 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 94/26 K/BB ratio in 68.1 innings. However, the development has not been fully linear.
According to Cundall, "In the regular season, [Eyanson's] velocity has been down closer to where it was in college, as he’s sitting 92-95 mph and has maxed out at 97.1 mph." As a result, "his strikeout totals declined in June, and his control came and went, but he righted things in July, striking out 30 in 17.2 innings." He has a 12.4% walk rate in 48 innings at Double-A and a 32% strikeout rate, which is great, but not quite the 48% rate he posted in Single-A.
As Cundall noted, even at a lower velocity, Eyanson's fastball still shows above-average bat-missing ability, but his ceiling becomes infinitely higher if he can find a way to hold that upper-90s velocity. Just because he hasn't been able to do it in his first full professional season doesn't mean he won't be able to do it in the future. Particularly because Eyanson is also continuing to grow in terms of his understanding of the game and pitching mechanics.
"I think I'm mentally just in a different space [than at LSU]," he reflected. "I'm able to understand it more, with having more familiarity with it. I was kind of just worried about velo and vertical break when I was at LSU, but now there's an understanding of the underlying factors that go into making a pitch nasty... For me, being a higher slot, I'm really pretty much just looking at my tilt, and how high I can get my arm up there in the slot, and that's going to help me optimize my shapes for sure...I think I just had to increase my information and knowledge on that."
Increasing his knowledge of his arm tilt and how he can optimize his pitch shapes has helped him round out his arsenal beyond his fastball. In Cundall's scouting report, he noted that "Eyanson’s secondaries are quite impressive and the best part of his arsenal. His mid-80s gyro slider is his best pitch and has a whiff rate above 50%. He uses it almost as much as his fastball and has an advanced feel for it. He can command it in and out of the zone depending on the situation, and hitters struggle to square it up. His high-70s curveball also shows premium bat-missing ability, but is more of a chase pitch that is effective when used to finish off at-bats. His splitter also plays best when ahead in the count, as it has a strike rate around 50%, but when he lands it competitively, it’s hard for hitters to lay off it as it looks like a strike until falling off the table late."
In his own words, developing that splitter has been a big focus for Eyanson: "I think that's something that I've taken good strides in first at High-A and also at spring training."
Yet another piece of the puzzle for Eyanson is the introduction of a new cutter, which is a staple pitch in the Red Sox organization. Eyanson laughed when asked if all of the pitchers were asked to throw one, but he did acknowledge that it's a pitch he thinks has been a good weapon for him.
"I've had some good results with that [cutter], so that's been going pretty well. I'm just continuing to hammer that down...For me, it's something that's helped me have a medium between the fastball and the slider, and just make every pitch a little bit better because you can't sit on four, you have to sit on five. So that's pretty much how I see it."
A true five-pitch mix with a repeatable delivery and a bat-missing fastball is certainly the profile of a pitcher any team would be excited to have, and the caliber of talent it would take to land a player like Adley Rutschman. All of that gives Eyanson the profile of a mid-rotation starter. However, if the Orioles can find some way to get the 21-year-old to maintain the velocity he flashed in the spring, his ceiling would be even higher. That would be a pretty major win for an Orioles organization that has struggled to produce a difference-making starting pitching prospect.
EVERETT, WA - JUNE 07: Pitcher Hunter Dryden #52 of the Eugene Emeralds pitches during a game between the Eugene Emeralds and Everett AquaSox on June 7, 2026 at Funko Field in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Apologies for not having a weekend Minor League Baseball roundup. With the San Francisco Giants being so active at the deadline, I just wasn’t able to find the time to cover the weekend’s games.
But I’m here to talk about what went down on Tuesday! Just five games for the Giants affiliates, as AA Richmond had their game postponed. They’ll play a doubleheader tomorrow.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The big news on the farm, of course, is the infusion of talent that the Giants got at the trade deadline, which featured 6 prospects, plus 2 young rostered players. You can catch up on all the moves here. If you want to know where the new guys rank, well … ask 10 people and you’ll get 10 different answers. But MLB Pipeline has already adjusted their Giants top 30 to include the new prospects, and 5 of the 6 made the cut (it’s worth noting that the Pipeline top 30 doesn’t yet have the 2026 draftees).
LHP Ramon Marquez tops the list at No. 7 (the highest-ranked pitcher with Jackson Flora not yet included), with LHP Henry LaLane No. 9, RHP Miguel Mendez No. 14, shortstop Joniel Hernandez No. 21, and infielder Kaeden Kent (Jeff’s son!) No. 22. Hernandez has been assigned to the DSL Giants Black team, while Marquez, Lalane, Mendez, Kent, and RHP Marty Gair have been assigned to High-A Eugene. Rostered RHP Anthony Molina was optioned to AAA Sacramento.
In more exciting news, second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) has, at long last, been promoted from AA Richmond to Sacramento. Very, very deserving. Outfielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) is beginning a rehab assignment with Sacramento, while center fielder Jonah Cox was activated off the IL and optioned to Sacramento.
A pair of RHPs were released: Eugene relief prospect Austin Strickland, and Sacramento veteran Michael Fulmer.
AAA Sacramento (62-44)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Round Rock Express (Rangers) 6-4 Box score
Tuesday was center fielder Jonah Cox’s birthday, and it was perhaps a mixed bag of a cake day for him. On the downside, he was optioned to AAA after being officially activated off of the Injured List. On the upside, he had a lovely day at the outdoor office, hitting 3-5 and stealing 2 bases.
Tuesday’s roster moves — the Giants not only optioned Cox, but purchased the contract of Eddys Leonard, who is normally an infielder, to be the 4th outfielder in the Majors — paint a pretty clear picture that the team wants more development out of Cox. That really shouldn’t be even remotely surprising given that he was called up directly from AA, the result of numerous injuries and a desire for a right-handed hitting center fielder. The Giants presumably never felt Cox was fully ready for the Majors, or he wouldn’t have been in AA to begin with, especially as his teammate, Scott Bandura, had been promoted ahead of him.
Now Cox gets to develop at the appropriate level, and so far, so good. Through 5 games at the level, he’s 9-22 with a triple, a walk, and 4 stolen bases. Keep it up, Jonah … and if you do, we’ll see you in San Francisco again soon.
Left fielder Turner Hill — who was perhaps upset at being passed over for Leonard (though not surprising as that would have given the Giants 4 outfielders, all of whom are lefties), had another nice game, hitting 1-2 with 2 walks and a stolen base.
With that, Hill now has a stunning 20-game hitting streak, albeit one that was really helped out by the defense, as the video evidence reveals. His numbers during that time are fairly eye-popping: 36-82 with 8 extra-base hits, 8 walks, and just 6 strikeouts. He can’t stop hitting! The 27-year old is up to a .908 OPS and a 141 wRC+, with 23 stolen bases in 27 attempts. He continues to be one of the Pacific Coast League’s premier contact hitters: among the 125 PCL hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this year, he’s 4th in average (.343), 3rd in strikeout rate (8.3%), and 3rd in swinging strike rate (3.6%). What a season he’s having … perhaps it will end with an MLB debut.
20. Games. Straight. 🫨
Hill’s single marks a 20-game hit streak, the 4th longest in the PCL this season, and 3rd longest in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/NF5wXT1twU
Second baseman Thomas Gavello had a nice game, hitting 1-3 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. He continues to be the do-everything player for Sacramento: he’s loved by coaches and players, and plays all over the diamond. The numbers aren’t very good for the Antioch native: he has a .191 average, a .645 OPS, and a 74 wRC+. But he’s a valuable piece to have in AAA.
Not great days for the higher profile players on the roster, as right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) went 0-2 with 2 walks and a stolen base; third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-4 with a strikeout; and Bandura, the designated hitter, went 0-4. But catcher Adrián Sugastey hit 2-4, as he continues to perform well in his 1st AAA stint.
LHP Cesar Perdomo had a kind of funny start. He went 6.1 innings into the game, which is the deepest he’s gone since getting promoted, and a rarity for a pitcher in the Giants system. That said … he wasn’t particularly strong, giving up 7 hits (including a home run to former big leaguer Jarred Kelenic), 3 walks, and 4 runs, and only striking out 2 batters.
The adjustment to AAA continues to be a struggle for Perdomo, who had a bit of a breakout in AA this year prior to his promotion. Through 5 starts in the PCL, the 24-year old has a 7.77 ERA and a 6.57 FIP, with just 19 strikeouts to 10 walks in 22 innings, and 5 home runs allowed. There’s a lot of work to be done, but then again, that’s what Minor League Baseball is all about!
The bullpen was perfect, as RHP Wilkin Ramos retired all 3 batters he faced, with a strikeout, while RHP Spencer Bivens set down all 5 hitters, with 3 strikeouts.
A fantastic game for the Emeralds, who had great performances from seemingly everyone who stepped onto the field.
It started with a tone-setting performance on the mound from RHP Hunter Dryden, who had his 2nd phenomenal outing in a row. It’s been a tough 2nd season for the 2024 17th-rounder, who has a 4.98 ERA and a 5.50 FIP on the year. The low point was, hopefully, a July 23 start in which he gave up 12 baserunners and 9 earned runs while making it through just 3.1 innings.
But in his next start? 5 shutout frames with just 5 baserunners and 7 strikeouts. And this game? 6 brilliant innings with just 3 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run allowed, plus 5 strikeouts. What a showing!
Dryden needed just 81 pitches to get through those 6 innings, throwing 51 strikes along the way. His lone hiccup was a solo home run allowed, which has been his kryptonite this year: after ceding just 3 long balls in 93 innings in his debut with Low-A San Jose last year, Dryden has already given up 14 home runs this year, in 81.1 innings. He’ll need to work on that, as well as on his walks, but there’s certainly something intriguing in there, and he has 10.4 strikeouts per 9 innings this season.
An encouraging performance from RHP Liam Simon, who threw 20 of 32 pitches for strikes while recording 2 shutout innings, with 1 hit, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Simon is still really struggling with finding the strike zone, so this was at least a step in the right direction. His stuff is nastier than nasty, as the 53 strikeouts in 36 innings suggests … but also wilder than wild, as evidenced by the 33 walks.
Now, onto the hitters. The biggest day belonged to third baseman Zander Darby, who hit 2-4 with a 2-run home run, while also drawing 2 walks and striking out once. Remarkably, Darby was 1 of 4 Emeralds hitters to draw multiple walks, as the team registered a whopping 12 on the day.
Darby, a 23-year old who was taken in the 12th round of the 2024 draft, has been red hot lately following a dismal June and a slow start to his July. In his last 16 games, the lefty is 22-66 with 8 home runs, 5 doubles, and 8 walks, albeit with 20 strikeouts. That remains the issue with Darby’s game: he has a .272 batting average and a .200 isolated slugging mark, leading to an .818 OPS and a 116 wRC+ … but he has a 32.0% strikeout rate.
Second baseman Zane Zielinski had a nearly perfect game, reaching base in all 5 of his plate appearances, with 2 singles and 3 walks. The only stain on his resume was that he was caught stealing. Zielinski, who just turned 25, is back in Eugene after being returned to High-A from AA Richmond following the promotion of Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL). Zielinski has done quite well with the Emeralds, but really struggled with Richmond.
A fantastic game for shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who hit 2-3 with 2 walks and a sacrifice fly. That’s a great recovery for Level, who had hit 0-10 with 7 strikeouts over his prior 2 games. In all, Level has been struggling a bit to find hits lately: in his last 10 games, the 19-year old switch-hitter is 8-40 with 9 strikeouts. But he’s finding other ways to do damage: 3 of those 8 hits were home runs, and he’s drawn 8 walks during that time span. There will always be bumps and bruises for someone so much younger than his peers … but on the whole, it’s a .781 OPS and a 106 wRC+ for Level, and those numbers are pretty awesome.
A pair of players with limited High-A experience hit well, as first baseman Hayden Jatczak went 2-5 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout, while left fielder Jose Ramos hit 1-2 with a double, 2 walks, and a sacrifice fly. Jatczak, a soon-to-turn 25-year old righty, has an .854 OPS and a 132 wRC+ through 9 games with Eugene; Ramos, a 23-year old righty, has an .891 OPS and a 153 wRC+ through a dozen games at the level.
Low-A San Jose (58-45)
San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 5-4 Box score
An exciting game for the Baby Giants, who used a 2-run 9th inning to come from behind and walk off the Ports. And they did it in extremely exciting fashion: after 2 outs were recorded, third baseman Dario Reynoso, who hit 1-4 with 2 strikeouts, drew a walk to bring the winning run to the plate. That winning run was first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins, who planted a ball over the wall to send everyone home happy.
IT'S A WALK-OFF! Taking their first lead of the game when it mattered most, Jeremiah Jenkins launches one deep into the San Jose night as the Giants win 5-4. pic.twitter.com/2LdexPzzxo
That swing had to feel great for Jenkins, who went 1-4 with a walk and a strikeout. Not only was it his 1st hit of the day, but it was his 1st hit in his last 6 games … He had 5 straight donut games, and was nearing a 6th when he instead walked it off. That’s how you turn things around!
Jenkins, a 23-year old taken in the 14th round of the 2024 draft, oozes power but struggles with contact. His .241 isolated slugging ranks 12th out of the 94 Cal League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this season, and his 14 home runs are tied for 8th. He also has a 16.7% walk rate that ranks 10th. A whole lot to love!
The contact brings it down quite a bit, though. Jenkins has just a .237 average and a 30.1% strikeout rate, which gives him an .850 OPS and a 111 wRC+. Not bad numbers, but not great ones for someone who is nearing the 700 plate appearance mark in Low-A.
As previously mentioned, Jenkins’ 14 homers are tied for 8th in the league. And the person they’re tied with? His teammate, right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL), who hit 2-3 with a solo blast and a walk. Maldonado, who was a 7th-round pick last year, really struggled when he returned from an IL stint in late July. In his 1st 9 games since coming back from injury, the righty hit just 3-33 with 1 home run, 0 doubles, 5 walks, and 16 strikeouts. But in 3 games since then, he’s recovered to hit 5-8 with 2 homers, 2 doubles, 3 walks, and 0 strikeouts. That’s much more like it! Still, he’s only floating around league average after that slump, as he has an .838 OPS and a 102 wRC+.
CAM GOES BOOM. Cam Maldonado skies one out down the left field line at a 39 degree launch angle! pic.twitter.com/4p20je5aEk
Second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) continued his doubles surge, as he went 2-5 with a pair of doubles and a strikeout. That gives him 32 doubles on the year, which is 3rd among all Minor Leaguers. Not 3rd among Cal League hitters or 3rd among Giants prospects … 3rd among all Minor Leaguers. And 1 of the 2 names ahead of him is another Giants prospect, Kilen! 13 of those doubles have come since the start of July, when Meola has been extremely hot (he has 36 hits and 20 total extra-base knocks during that time). Despite all of that, Meola is still hitting at a below average clip on the year, which is why he’s been passed over as the team has made so many promotions. He has a .785 OPS and a 94 wRC+ on the year.
Lorenzo Meola doubles, and Josuar Gonzalez flies around the bases to plate the first run of the game! pic.twitter.com/3zE2sUp11l
A quiet day for the team’s super prospects, as Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) got the day off, while shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) went 0-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and an error. A nice game for center fielder Andy Polanco, though, as he hit 2-4 with a strikeout and stole 2 bases. The 2024 11th-rounder, who is 21, has just a .680 OPS and a 68 wRC+, but has stolen 31 bags.
A great strikeout day for the pitchers. It was a hot-and-cold start for RHP Trey Seeley, a recently-turned 24-year old taken last year in the 14th round. Seeley had a sensational strikeout-to-walk ratio, punching out 8 batters in just 4 innings, while only walking 1. But in those 4 innings he gave up 5 hits … 3 of which cleared the fence, tagging him for 4 runs.
Those home runs are, unfortunately, nothing new: Seely has given up a staggering 13 of them in just 24 innings with San Jose in his debut year (plus 1 in 9 innings in the Complex League). 13 of his 27 A-ball hits allowed have left the yard! You don’t see that every day. The strikeouts remain promising, though, as Seeley has K’d 13.1 batters per 9 innings with the Baby Giants. That’s about the only positive, though, as he has a 9.00 ERA and a 10.06 FIP. Might be bullpen time.
Speaking of bullpens, RHP Fernando Vasquez was sensational, striking out 5 batters in 3 no-hit innings, while only issuing 1 walk. Those numbers were great to see for the 24-year old, who has really struggled with his strikeout-to-walk ratio this year: prior to this game, he had 44 strikeouts to 41 walks in 41 innings. Vasquez has a 5.11 ERA and a 6.16 FIP, but this is just his 2nd season since returning from 3 years lost to injury.
Dominican Summer League Black (30-16)
DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Cubs Red 6-1 (7 innings) Box score
A trio of excellent games on offense for the DSL Black team. Let’s start with the new guy, shortstop Joniel Hernandez, who came over in the Heliot Ramos trade. Hernandez, who signed this year for a $1.4 million bonus, has had a stellar year, and it hasn’t stopped since swapping teams. He made his debut for the organization in this game, and all he did was go 2-3 with a double, a walk, and 2 stolen bases. The right-hander, who turned 17 in March, has a .973 OPS and a 131 wRC+, with more walks than strikeouts, and 8 stolen bases. This is a name worth being excited about, folks … the organization’s abundance of riches at shortstop just grew!
The biggest hit, though, belonged to right fielder Vinicius Dos Santos, who only went 1-3, but smashed a home run, was hit by a pitch, and stole 2 bases (he was also caught stealing once). The recently-turned 19-year old has made some improvements this year, but is still really struggling in his 3rd year.
And rounding out the hitting was left fielder Boris Sarduy, who hit 2-4 with a pair of doubles and a strikeout. Like Dos Santos, Sarduy isn’t having a great year … he has a .735 OPS and a 104 wRC+, but has struck out 31.6% of the time.
A really nice outing on the mound from RHP Santiago Guerrero, a just-turned 19-year old in his debut season. Guerrero tossed 4 shutout innings with just 1 hit allowed, and struck out 5 batters … though he also walked 4 and hit a batter. Through 10 games, Guerrero has a 3.48 ERA and 10.5 strikeouts per 9 innings … but a 6.25 FIP and 9.3 walks per 9.
Dominican Summer League Orange (25-21)
DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL Rangers Blue 13-6 (7 innings) Box score
This game was called a little early due to lightning, but it was one-sided regardless. A pretty brutal day on the mound, though we’ll give some props to RHP Omar Calcurian, who gave up 2 hits and an unearned run in 2 innings of work, with 2 strikeouts. Calcurian has a nice 3.94 ERA on the year, but his FIP is 5.10, he’s only striking out 7.9 batters per 9, and he’s a 21-year old in his 3rd season.
Good hitting games for right fielder Brandon Vasquez and catcher Andrés Rivero. Vasquez, a 19-year old in his 3rd season, hit 2-4 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout, giving him an .829 OPS, a 113 wRC+, and 5 stolen bases. Rivero, a 17-year old in his debut year, went 1-3 with a double and a walk, though he struck out twice. Rivero has had a very difficult 1st season, with a .512 OPS and a 34 wRC+.
Los Angeles' Shohei Ohtani and Chicago's Pete Crow-Armstrong ended up with two home runs each in the 7-6 Cubs win.
Ohtani started the show at Wrigley Field as the first player at bat. He took six pitches from Chicago's Shota Imanaga and then watched a four-seam ball fly into the top of the strike zone and smacked it away. The ball flew into right field and Ohtani casually trotted the bases for his 25th home run of the season.
Then, it was Crow-Armstrong's time to shine. All he needed at the top of the order for the Cubs was a single pitch from Eric Lauer to even the score. Lauer wound up and tossed the ball into the right of the strike zone and PCA smashed it above everyone's heads into center field. He raised his hand to the roaring crowd as he took his turn rounding the bases and made the score 1-1.
The Cubs took a 6-1 lead after another home run from PCA. This one came in the fourth and also sent Tyrone Taylor home, and the 2025 Golden Glove winner had a second-inning RBI double. Dansby Swanson hit his own RBI double in the second inning and Alex Bregman had a single in the fourth that scored their last run.
The Dodgers, trailing 7-1 in the eighth inning, pulled to within one run when Max Muncy hit a three-home home run and Ohtani hit a two-run home run. But Los Angeles wasn't able to tie the game.
