Tuesday night game thread: at Angels, 9:38

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 18: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles prepares to throw out a runner during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Orioles have won three games in a row several times this season. They are yet to win four games in a row. That could change tonight as the O’s send Shane Baz to the mound in search of their fourth consecutive win in the Los Angeles area. The team took the final two games they played with the Dodgers and opened this series against the Angels with a 6-1 win on Monday night.

While Baz has not been spectacular overall in his first season with the Orioles, his performance has been better recently. Across his last six outings, Baz has a 2.39 ERA and 3.02 FIP over 37.2 innings. Usually, if he limits walks, he has a good night.

Ryan Johnson starts for the Halos. The 23-year-old has 19 total appearances under his belt, and only two of them have been starts. His most recent appearance, on June 18, was the longest of his MLB career. He lasted five innings and allowed five runs on eight hits, two strikeouts, and one walk. Games aren’t played on paper, but you would have to give the Orioles the pitching advantage.

Blaze Alexander and Jackson Holliday are both on the bench, and there was no IL news regarding either one. So it seems like the team isn’t too worried.

Alexander and manager Craig Albernaz both made comments after the Monday night win that suggested he may have been able to get back into the game if they had just a few more minutes. They didn’t, so he was pulled. But they weren’t ready to reinsert him into the lineup today.

Holliday has not played in three days due to his groin injury. Despite a favorable pitching matchup tonight, he misses again. That is a bit concerning. It seems like he wasn’t even an option on Monday, which suggests the Orioles are playing a man down. They can’t do that for much longer, especially if they need to be careful with Alexander.

Orioles lineup

  1. Taylor Ward, LF
  2. Gunnar Henderson, DH
  3. Pete Alonso, 1B
  4. Samuel Basallo, C
  5. Coby Mayo, 3B
  6. Leody Tavares, RF
  7. Colton Cowser, CF
  8. Tyler O’Neill, DH
  9. Jeremiah Jackson, 2B

RHP Shane Baz (4-7, 4.04 ERA)

Angels lineup

  1. Zach Neto, SS
  2. Vaughn Grissom, 3B
  3. Nolan Schanuel, 1B
  4. Jorge Soler, DH
  5. Jo Adell, RF
  6. Oswald Peraza, 2B
  7. Christian Moore, LF
  8. Logan O’Hoppe, C
  9. Jose Siri, CF

RHP Ryan Johnson (0-2, 12.83 ERA)

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Mets' Juan Soto leaves Tuesday's game vs. Cubs with left side back tightness

The hits just keep coming for the struggling Mets

Star outfielder Juan Soto was forced to leave Tuesday's game against the Chicago Cubs in the top of the fifth inning with what the team called left side back tightness. 

It's unknown exactly when the tightness flared up, but Soto did appear to wince after swings in each of his first two at-bats of the night, both of which ended in flyouts. 

Soto was also shown on the broadcast with a heating pad on while in the dugout. 

Jared Young took his place in left field in the fifth, and Mark Vientos came into the game at first. 

Losing Soto for any amount of time would be another huge blow for the Mets, who are expected to have Francisco Lindor back in the lineup at some point in the next few days. 

Lindor, of course, went down with his injury the day Soto returned from his in May. 

The two have played together in just nine of the Mets' 77 games thus far this season. 

Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 22: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres throws to first base on a ground out by Mike Yastrzemski #18 of the Atlanta Braves during the second inning at Petco Park on June 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Atlanta Braves (48-29) at San Diego Padres (40-37), June 23, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan



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Nick Lodolo exits Reds start early after being hit by comebacker

CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 31: Nick Lodolo #40 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park on May 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It has been a brutally unlucky season so far for Cincinnati Reds lefty Nick Lodolo so far in 2026. First, blister issues cost him the first month of the season, and even after he returned he looked a bit lost on the mound – uncomfortable throwing his breaking pitches the way he’d used to given that it was that series of grips that had caused the blisters in the first place.

On Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, though, he finally looked as if he was right again. He held Milwaukee hitless the first time through the order while also facing the minimum, and he was rewarded in just about the most unfortunate way possible in the 4th.

The first ‘hit’ he allowed? A 107 mph comebacker off the bat of Jackson Chourio that hit him square in his left (pitching) wrist.

There is a slight bit of good news here. He stayed in the game, for one, and despite loading the bases eventually finished the inning having allowed nary a run. However, he was still pulled after the inning as a precaution as he needed 32 pitches to get through the inning and odds are he’ll be swollen and bruised the moment the adrenaline begins to wear off.

Initial reports (and simply watching it all unfold) suggest he can’t be injured too badly, but the Reds are obviously going to take this with as many precautions as possible. As a result, Lodolo exited after 4.o IP having allowed nary a run on 2 H with a lone walk and 6 K (75 pitches).

It was the best he’s looked all season, and also the worst luck he’s had all season. Hopefully, this isn’t something that’ll become a bigger problem.

Hero Loperfido: 3-Run Bomb Lifts Astros over Jays 9-7/11

TORONTO, ON - JUNE 22: Joey Loperfido #10 of the Houston Astros looks on after striking out in the fifth inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 22, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It was a day of the long ball, resilience, extra innings and jubilation.   In the end, Houston would hang on in a back-and-forth affair, defeating Toronto by a score of 9-7.     The hero would ironically be a former Blue Jay, Joey Loperfido, who Houston reacquired for moments such as these.   In the bottom of the 11th, Loperfido would launch a 3-run blast breaking the 6-6 tie.  

The longball would serve as the story for Houston at different intervals on this day.    Shane Bieber would run into a buzzsaw during his season debut.   The Astros would tee off on the former Cy Young Award winner in the 4th inning with a barrage of home runs, featuring a trifecta of solo shots from Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith and Taylor Trammell.    Trammell’s 421-foot blast would reach the upper deck, ultimately forcing Bieber to the showers a few batters later.    The last time the Astros hit three homeruns in consecutive fashion was back on July 19th, 2019, versus the Rangers.    The Astros have never lost when hitting back-to-back to-back homers.   They are 8-0 in franchise history.      

After the barrage of blasts, Toronto would respond on their home half of the 4th.    Daulton Varsho, who led things off with a double and would score on a Luis Urias homer, cutting the lead in half at 4-2.   It was Urias’s debut as a member of the Jays.  Peter Lambert would exit in the bottom of the fifth.  In addition to the pair of allowed runs, Lambert would strike out six, walk three, and scatter six hits.    

Prior to the fireworks in the fourth, Jose Altuve began smacking his 12th double of the season.   He’d advance to third on a wild pitch, eventually coming home on Isaac Parades’ 2 out RBI single to center, scoring the game’s first run.   Altuve batted leadoff in place for Jeremy Pena who made an impromptu exit yesterday after sustaining a hamstring cramp in his right leg.    Pena would return as a pinch hitter in the 8th for Trammell and would draw a walk.   That walk would load the bases in the 8th but Brice Matthews, mired in a 1-18 slump, struck out and Raynel Delgado popped out ending any threat.    

Nate Pearson would come on in the 8th and would commit costly mistakes.   After issuing a walk to Springer, Vladimir Guerrero would reach on Pearson’s throwing error.    Kazuma Okamoto would then drive them in.   Okamoto now has 48 rbi’s on the year.   

In the 9th, Altuve, Alvarez, and Paredes would load the bases.   Joey Loperfido would reach on catcher interference which scored Altuve.    Cam Smith would execute a sac fly bringing in Alvarez and once again, things were tied up, this time 6-6.   Josh Hader would come in the bottom of the ninth and rack up a 1-2-3 inning.    In the 11th, the magic happened and now the Astros are in position to win their fourth consecutive series with a win tomorrow.    Logan VanWey earns his first win in relief.    

Mike Burrows returns to the rotation after a brief stint in the bullpen to close out the series tomorrow.   He’ll get the start and is opposed by Trey Yesavage.   First pitch is set for 6:07pm CDT.     

Odds & Ends:

Issac Parades has an 8-game hitting streak.    

Christian Walker went 0-6 on Tuesday with 3 strikeouts.    

One year ago, at the midway point, the Astros record stood at 48-33.   They had a 6 1/2 game divisional lead.  

Mariners Reacts Survey: The Career Crossroad

Jun 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman J.P. Crawford (3), right, is congratulated by right fielder Rob Refsnyder (30) after scoring a run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Authors Note: This post contains sponsored content from Fan Duel Sports Book

By some miracle, despite being just a hair above .500, the Mariners have maintained a tenuous grip on first place in the American League West. If you were a casual observer, you could be forgiven for thinking this Mariners team is actually pretty good, but beneath the surface, the Mariners are muddled in mediocrity. As is tradition across all sports, these types of team performances tend to draw the ire of even the most casual of Mariners fans. The calls for roster changes are certainly being made, and none are louder than those surrounding Rob Refsnyder. Now, Refsnyder was explicitly brought in to hit lefties, and, uh, well, he’s not doing it. As a result, many have begun to question his place on the roster with the hot bat of Dominic Canzone and the imminent return of Randy Arozarena. A part of that could be bad luck, a part of that could be nagging injury, a part of that could just be being a fringe utility player on the wrong end of 35. Regardless of the reason, the Mariners are still left to make a decision. Nick Vitalis discussed the Mariners’ options earlier this week; for the sake of this piece, I’ll keep it simple: Does Reyfsnyder have a place on this team for the remainder of the season? Let us know what you think through the poll and comments below. 

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

With the All-Star game quickly approaching, I wanted to get an idea of how other people voted in this thing. Frankly, most of the time I forget to vote for the All-Star game. Most of the time I can’t even be bothered to watch these days because the All-Star Game is on some new slop streaming service that I’m not gonna pay for. I have MLB TV I should be able to watch whatever game I want. But whatever, that’s a conversation for another time. Now we did want to know who you wanted to see at the All-Star game, and the results came back as a surprise to me: 

It seems Cole “Cole Young” Young has captured the hearts of Mariners fans everywhere. I did not expect his to eclipse Julio at all. Seems like Young’s rise as aface-of-the-franchisee type player for the Mariners is just getting started. 

I also wanted to know how other people vote. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of when fan bases stuff the ballot boxes and we get all of one team in the infield or something like that. It dilutes the overall purpose and experience of the game. I have no interest in seeing Brandon Belt take at-bats in the All-Star Game. I want to see the stars; that’s what the starting spots should be for! Most of you seem to agree with me: 

Now don’t get me wrong, I always vote for all Mariners at least once, but I definitely mix in a few ballots of who I actually think deserves to go…unless they’re a Yankee or Astro. 

NBA Draft grades: Real-time analysis for every 2026 first-round pick

Follow along for every pick of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

It's finally time for the 2026 NBA Draft, which means players such as AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson will finally hear their names called as they begin their professional careers.

After months of anticipation, we will soon have answers about the future of the top prospects in basketball. Like with any draft, it is impossible to predict exactly which pick will make a front office look smart down the road and which could potentially cost someone their job.

But we still are going to make a valiant effort to try, so that's exactly what we are here to do. We've given our predictions about where each player will land, we've read all of the experts. We've even interviewed some of the biggest names like Caleb Wilson, Keaton Wagler, and Mikel Brown Jr. as part of the pre-draft process.

Now, it's time to offer up our best attempt at analyzing how each player is going to fit with their new teams:

The Washington Wizards are officially first on the clock to announce their decision at No. 1 overall.

1. Washington Wizards

(This section will be filled out after the Wizards make their pick.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NBA Draft grades: Instant analysis for every first-round pick

Colorado Rockies vs. Boston Red Sox game discussion: Sonny Gray vs Sean Sullivan

Jun 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Sean Sullivan (45) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies have won three of four games so far on their current home-stand, and all three of those games have come with late innings hijinks. After two ninth-inning nail-biters against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Rockies decided that more shenanigans were in store for their series opener against the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Down by two runs in the top of the eighth, the Rockies strung together four straight singles and failed to score a run due to base-running mishaps. However, they came back to walk the Red Sox off with another four straight hits in the bottom of the ninth. Two singles, a bunt single, and a bases clearing triple by Jake McCarthy came against one of the best closers in Major League Baseball.

Tonight the Rockies will look to cement a series win against the Red Sox… Hopefully without causing their fans a lot of undue stress in the late innings.

Rookie lefty Sean Sullivan will be making the third start of his young Major League career, and ideally it will go a bit better than the first two. In his first start, a visibly ill and laboring Sullivan pitched just three–albeit solid–innings. In the second, he gave up eight earned runs in four innings of work with two walks and two strikeouts. Seven of those runs came in just one inning. If Sullivan can take the best parts of his two performances so far, the third time might just be the charm.

On the bump for Boston is the three-time All-Star and 14-year right-handed veteran Sonny Gray, who is making his 14th start of his first season with the Red Sox. Through his first 13 starts and 69.1 innings, Gray has a 3.12 ERA with 55 strikeouts.

Gray has surprisingly little history against the Rockies, having made just two starts with 11.2 total innings. In those starts he has allowed four earned runs on seven hits with seven walks and 14 strikeouts. He has not given up a home run. The 36-year-old has a very well-balanced arsenal of pitches consisting of a cutter, a low 90s four-seam fastball, a sweeper, a curveball, and a sinker.

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)

Red Sox SB Nation Site:Over the Monster

Lineups:


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Buster Posey faces the music as Giants struggles, controversies mount

Buster Posey sat in the San Francisco Giants dugout Tuesday, June 23, surrounded by cameras and microphones, ready to take the heat for his hand-picked manager getting disrespected by his hand-picked superstar.

Yet the franchise legend and current president of baseball operations and the organization were thoroughly unprepared to address the Oracle Park-sized elephant in the room – three pitchers scrawling Bible verses on hats to commemorate the club’s June 12 Pride night, prompting a tepid response from the organization.

Remarkably, it is now a 12-day story, a sequence that initially angered the team’s LGBTQ-friendly fan base, prompted a Department of Justice investigation into the team’s response and inspired Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to respond to Sen. Josh Hawley that the club’s communications before the event were “inadequate and not clear.”

Posey opted to read a prepared statement on the Pride dust-up and then fell back on answering “baseball questions only,” a decision that frustrated the gathered media and likely will only further disappoint large swaths of the Giants’ fan base.

“I understand that there's strong feelings on this topic,” Posey said in his statement regarding pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker scrawling a Bible verse that infringed on the rainbow SF logo on their cap, and reliever Sam Hentges not wearing the hat altogether. “There's differing perspectives, and out of respect to everybody involved, it's not something that I'm going to revisit.

“I understand that some fans are upset and frustrated, and I can promise you this is something that we've talked about a lot internally and will continue to do so.”

But certainly not externally.

Asked if the club talked to Vitello, the former University of Tennessee coach in his first job in professional baseball, and the clubhouse to explain the import of Pride night to the demographic, Posey said: “I’m not going to revisit. I’ll answer baseball questions.”

Asked to defend the club in the wake of Manfred’s comments, Posey said: “I’ll answer baseball questions,” the three-time World Series champ and future Hall of Fame catcher growing increasingly uncomfortable.

After two more queries, a team staffer threatened to end the press conference if the line of questioning continued.

And there was plenty more to discuss.

Defending his guy

The Giants are 31-46 in Posey’s second year helming baseball operations, and he hired Vitello with the hope the fiery former Volunteers coach could provide a boost after four seasons in which the Giants hovered between 79 and 81 wins.

Instead, the bottom has fallen out, aided and abetted by Posey’s roster construction.

Posey guaranteed shortstop Willy Adames $182 million and traded for Devers – still owed more than $200 million – before and during the 2025 season; both are barely performing above replacement level, with Adames batting .223 with a below-average 94 adjusted OPS.

Posey-signed starter Adrian Houser was recently moved to the bullpen. Fellow signee Tyler Mahle posted a 6.04 ERA before landing on the IL.

It’s been a grim season, and the June 21 flareup between Devers and Vitello epitomized the frustration.

Two days prior, Devers told Vitello his hamstring was a bit tender, but not enough to take him out of the lineup. When the Giants trailed 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning at Miami, that’s why Devers believed Vitello sent in pinch runner Jonah Cox when Devers drew a key leadoff walk.

He wagged his finger vigorously at Vitello, screamed into his helmet and gave bench coach Jayce Tingler the brushoff when Tingler aimed to pat him on the back upon return to the dugout.

Tuesday, Devers addressed the media and said he apologized to Vitello.

“I just thought he was taking me out of the game because of my hamstring and if he felt I was disrespecting him, that’s why I went into his office and apologized,” Devers said via club translator Edwin Higueros in the Giants clubhouse. “I know the type of person I am, I know the type of person he is.”

Buster Posey's Giants squad entered Tuesday 15 games below .500.

It might have looked worse than it was, but the incident nonetheless produced worthy questions regarding Vitello’s command of the clubhouse. This was a 100% Posey pick, a significant risk given the move’s unprecedented nature and the potential blowback if it went sour.

And Sunday looked awfully sour.

“I feel like Tony has the clubhouse, has the respect of the players in the clubhouse,” Posey insisted Tuesday. “Everything’s going to be heightened when our record is what it is. There’s no concern on my part that he doesn’t have the respect of the clubhouse.”

He said Vitello and Devers had a good conversation after the game.

“We’re all prone to have missteps at times,” Posey said.

Meanwhile, Posey has a potentially large task ahead of him: Selling off parts at the trade deadline should the losing continue. He said Tuesday he has not yet approached veterans Matt Chapman and Adames regarding their no-trade clause, nor will he trade starter Logan Webb.

It will be the second consecutive summer Posey will sell at the deadline amid a disappointing season, though this should be a more vigorous fire sale, with bigger names and better parts. Most notably, four-time batting champ Luis Arraez – a Posey success – should draw some return.

“I think with where we're at, unfortunately, we’ve got to have everything on the table,” says Posey, “and hear out different thoughts, from not only internally but from other teams as well, and try to right the ship.”

Right now, the ship is listing. And Posey is looking more and more like a very uncomfortable captain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buster Posey press conference highlights Giants' struggles, controversies

Dodgers vs. Twins game chat

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 22: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats and hits a home run against the Minnesota Twins on June 22, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Three solo home runs accounted for all of the scoring on Monday. Let’s see how the Dodgers and Twins come to their offense on Tuesday.

Tuesday game info

  • Teams: Dodgers at Twins
  • Ballpark: Target Field, Minneapolis
  • Time: 5:05 p.m. PT
  • TV: SportsNet LA, TBS (out of market)
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Kyle Schwarber scratched from Phillies lineup. What we know about injury

WASHINGTON – Kyle Schwarber's epic first half was paused Tuesday, June 23, when the Philadelphia Phillies slugger was scratched from their lineup with lower back tightness.

The indomitable DH, whose 29 home runs lead the major leagues, entered this series against the Nationals on a significant heater, combining with teammate Bryce Harper to go 12 for 17 with six home runs over two games Saturday and Sunday against the New York Mets. He now has 369 homers for his career.

But shortly before game time against Washington, Schwarber was scratched from his No. 2 spot in the lineup; the Nos. 3-7 hitters all moved up a spot with Edmundo Sosa inserted in the eighth spot at DH.

Kyle Schwarber leads the major leagues with 29 home runs.

Phillies manager Don Mattingly said the decision to scratch Schwarber came seven minutes before the game, when his back tightened up. He attempted to swing and could not do so effectively. But Mattingly said Schwarber "said he was feeling better already," as the game went on, and that Schwarber has managed such tightness in the past.

He is considered day-to-day.

Sosa went on to drive in five runs, including a two-run double in the Phillies' eight-run ninth inning, in their wild 14-9 victory over the Nationals.

Schwarber has played in 75 of the Phillies' 79 games. He played in at least 155 games in his first four years in Philadelphia, including 162 last season, hitting a National League-best 56 home runs before signing a five-year, $150 million contract over the winter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Schwarber injury: MLB home run leader removed from Phillies lineup

ESPN’s final 2-round NBA Mock Draft has concerning update on Jayden Quaintance

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - JANUARY 07: Jayden Quaintance #21 of the Kentucky Wildcats jogs across the court in the first half against the Missouri Tigers at Rupp Arena on January 07, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Round 1 of the 2026 NBA Draft is set to tip off tonight, and while one former Kentucky Wildcat is expected to hear his name called, it’s not a done deal.

When Jayden Quaintance first declared for the draft, many mock draft projections had him safely in Round 1, and some even had him going in the lottery.

However, as draft day has drawn closer, many projections have barely had Quaintance cracking the first round, and that’s holding true leading into Day 1.

At ESPN, Jeremy Woo’s final 2-round mock draft has Quaintance going 28th to the Brooklyn Nets, while fellow Wildcat Otega Oweh did not hear his name called.

In addition, Woo reports that NBA teams actually think Quaintance’s previous knee issues could cause him to miss time in what would be his rookie season.

“Teams have remained unclear about Quaintance’s floor, with some speculation he could slip out of the first round due to health,” Woo writes. “He did not earn a green room invitation as teams continue to express concern about the state of his injured knee, which multiple team sources fear could cause him to miss time next season. He had knee surgery in March 2025 after tearing an ACL at Arizona State, and he was able to play in just four games at Kentucky last season due to precautions around that injury.

“Still, teams love his talent and physical tools as a vertical spacing 5-man and see major upside if he can get back to full strength. Where Quaintance lands will depend on individual teams’ comfort level selecting him. There remains enough enthusiasm around his ability that it’s hard to see him falling all the way out of Round 1. Brooklyn could have the patience and developmental runway to roster him.”

That would be a brutal development for Quaintance, as many assumed the knee issue that plagued him at Kentucky was minor and would not affect his rookie season.

Perhaps that belief was incorrect and Quaintance does have some sort of lingering issue that could affect his availability for the 2026-27 NBA season. Here’s to hoping that is not the case and he goes on to have a healthy career in the pros.

Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday

Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) reacts after hitting a one run double against the San Diego Padres during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals continue their streak of 7 home games-in-a-row with game 2 against the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night. Kyle Leahy gets the start for the Cardinals while the Diamondbacks are scheduled to start LHP Eduardo Rodriguez. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium and the broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv. Note that JJ Wetherholt is at shortstop tonight and Jose Fermin is at second.

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Dodgers game to start 30 minutes late; give updates on Kyle Tucker and Dalton Rushing

Dalton Rushing sits in the dugout during a game against Baltimore last week.
Dalton Rushing sits in the dugout during a game against Baltimore last week. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is planning for right fielder Kyle Tucker to be out for the rest of the series against the Minnesota Twins, after he left Monday’s game with low back spasms.

Roberts hopes to write Tucker into the lineup Friday, when the Dodgers open a three-game series in San Diego, after three days off, plus most of the game Monday.

“Hopefully he [can take] advantage of this, obviously to get right, but also kind of a mental reset,” Roberts said. “Hopefully the four days will suffice.”

Tucker, who said he felt a little better Tuesday but still sore, especially when rotating, is “pretty confident” that he’ll be able to avoid the injured list. And if he can take swings on Wednesday, he’ll probably be on track for that Friday return.

“But if he doesn’t, then we’ll have probably a tougher decision on Friday,” Roberts said.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Twins, but lose Kyle Tucker and catcher Dalton Rushing

Tucker, who has a .707 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage this season, has had a slow offensive start to his Dodgers’ tenure. He wasn’t ready to make any declarations about the potential benefits of time off to reset.

“Maybe,” he said. “We’ll see after I get back. We’ll see how that goes.”

The news on catcher Dalton Rushing, who exited Monday’s game to rule out a concussion, was more straightforward.

Rushing hadn’t yet gone through the second round of concussion testing needed to clear him to play when Roberts addressed the media Tuesday afternoon. But Rushing had told Roberts he was ready to play.

Read more:Dodgers great Justin Turner answers your questions, names his favorite baseball guy

“That doesn’t carry too much weight until I hear from the medical staff,” Roberts said. “But it is good to know that he said he’s good to go. My hope is that he’ll be available off the bench in some capacity.”

As a downpour hammered the tarped field early Tuesday evening, it was unclear when exactly the Dodgers would be playing. But despite plenty of rain in the forecast Tuesday evening, the teams and Major League Baseball identified a window for the game.

The Twins announced an estimated 5:05 p.m. PDT first pitch, representing a 25-minute rain delay.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Capitals acquire Jordan Kyrou from the Blues as trades ripple across NHL ahead of draft

The Washington Capitals acquired right winger Brandon Kyrou in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, keeping the player movement around the NHL spinning ahead of the draft later this week and with free agency on the horizon.

Washington sent veteran forward Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin and the 16th pick to St. Louis for the 28-year-old Kyrou, who is under contract for the next five seasons at a salary cap hit of $8.125 million.

Capitals general manager Chris Patrick foreshadowed making a move like this after doing more selling than buying at the deadline in March. Kyrou gives the team another player in his prime to join a core around Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard and Logan Thompson — whether or not Alex Ovechkin returns.

“We believe he is an ideal fit for our team both now and for the long term,” Patrick said. “Jordan is an exceptionally talented and dynamic offensive player who will make an immediate impact on our club. His skill, creativity and ability to generate offense at an elite level will be a tremendous addition to our group.”

Kyrou had 18 goals and 28 assists in 72 games with St. Louis last season, producing below expectations for someone signed to be a key contributor. He is a three-time 30-goal scorer, reaching that mark consecutively from 2022-23 through 2024-25.

McMichael, 25, had 46 points in 78 games with the Capitals last season.

Gastrin, 19, was the 37th pick in the draft last year. Washington still has the 18th pick Friday night as part of the deal that sent longtime defenseman John Carlson to Anaheim in March.

In other trades Tuesday:

— The San Jose Sharks dealt William Eklund and forward prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to the Ottawa Senators for the ninth pick. The Sharks now have the Nos. 2, 9 and 27 picks in the first round of the draft Friday night. Ottawa got the No. 9 pick over the weekend as part of the return for sending Brady Tkachuk to Florida in the offseason’s biggest blockbuster so far. The Senators also received a pair of picks the Panthers got from Seattle for Mackie Samoskevich, along with a 2029 first-rounder.

— The New Jersey Devils sent Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for two future conditional first-round picks, as well as No. 35 overall this year and prospect Etienne Morin.