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PHILADELPHIA — It’s too late at this point for Austin Wells to do anything to keep the Yankees from looking to add a catcher before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Wells is having another rough season at the plate, and the organization knows it needs an upgrade at the position.

He insisted Saturday that the situation isn’t weighing on him as the deadline approaches.

“It’s not because I can’t control anything that happens there,’’ Wells said before homering for the third time in nine games in a 3-1 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “All I can do is go play and try to win. I feel that being behind the plate for our staff and the guys is giving us the best chance to win. I tell myself that. I can’t control anything other than that.”

His success at becoming a solid defensive catcher has continued to surprise scouts who saw him in college and in the minors.

But Wells’ lack of production at the plate has bewildered them even more.

“He doesn’t look like the same guy,” one American League scout said.

It’s why, as The Post’s Joel Sherman has reported, the Yankees continue to be interested in Minnesota catcher Ryan Jeffers.

For now, though, Wells is splitting time with Ali Sánchez and getting some results.

The home run, which came off right-hander Brian Keller with two outs in the third inning, was his seventh of the year.

Wells entered Saturday having reached base in four straight plate appearances, then homered and walked.

After his OPS dropped to an MLB-worst .468 on July 8, the lefty hitter has been better.

In his previous eight games entering Saturday, he was 6-for-21 with a pair of homers, four walks and four strikeouts.

“It feels good to contribute on both sides of the ball,’’ the catcher said.

That’s after he recovered from the cervical headaches that landed him on the IL earlier in the year.

“I feel like I’m seeing the ball better, honestly,’’ Wells said of the recent uptick. “I’m just generally seeing the baseball better.”

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He’s still not sure if that’s a result of being healthy.

“It could be,’’ Wells said. “I’ve been feeling much better.”

Wells also credited the hockey-style mask he’s worn since returning.

“I’m still doing better every day,’’ the catcher said. “I never dealt with something like this before and there’s not a lot of research on this kind of [injury].”

He’s hoping he’s turned a corner at the plate.

Even with that improvement, Wells entered Saturday with the worst batting average (.163) of any player in the majors with 220 plate appearances this season.

His .262 on-base percentage and .524 OPS are also the second worst of the 241 hitters with that many plate appearances.

“Obviously, we expect a lot more of him offensively, but he knows he can hit,” Aaron Boone said. “He knows he’s a better hitter than he’s shown this year. It’s tough to deal with, but he’s also mature enough and advanced enough in his career that he understands the importance of being behind the plate every single day and the role of limiting runs and helping the pitching staff. He’s done a really good job of separating it.”

“That’s my No. 1 job: being able to lock in on defense and focus to have great games with our pitchers,’’ Wells said. “That takes a lot of the weight of the results off the hitting side away, but I know I can hit better than I’ve shown.”

TONIGHT’S GAME: Tonight, the Astros and White Sox play the 2nd game of this 3-game series at Rate Field in Chicago…RHP Hunter Brown (1-1) starts for the Astros as he takes on White Sox RHP Sean Burke (7-4).

ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the 2nd game of a 6-game road trip for the Astros, during which they are scheduled to play 3-game sets vs. the Chica- go White Sox (Fri.-Sun.) and Los Angeles Angels

(Mon.-Wed.)…the Astros are 18-12 (.600) on their last five road trips combined and are 24-18 (.571) on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season.

ROAD SLUGGING: The Astros are T-1st in the AL in road HR (73) while ranking 2nd in road OPS (.746)
and road SLG (.421) and 3rd in road runs scored (252).

BROTHER BROWN: RHP Hunter Brown will make his 9th start of the season and his 7th since return-
ing from a lengthy stint on the IL with a right shoulder strain…Last Start: Took the loss on 7/19 vs. BAL (4.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 BB, 4 SO.

FOUR-FOR-FOUR: Brown is 4-0 in his 4 career starts vs. the White Sox with a 2.92 ERA (8ER/24.2IP) with 29 K’s…Top Rate: He is 3-0 in 3 career starts at Rate Field with a 3.57 ERA (7ER/17.2IP) with 23 K’s…his last start vs. the White Sox was an 8-3 win on May 3 at Rate Field (6 IP, 3 ER, 9 SO)…Last Season: Finished 3rd in the
AL Cy Young voting after posting a 12-9 record with a 2.43 ERA and 206 strikeouts.

VS. THE CHISOX: The Astros are facing the White Sox for the 1st time in 2026…they were 3-3 vs. CWS last season, going 2-1 at home and 1-2 here in Chicago…the Astros are 21-13 (.618) vs. CWS over the past 6 seasons (2021-26), posting winning records in each of the past 5 seasons…HOU is 54-46 all-
time vs. CWS…the Astros are now 4-0 in Chicago in 2026 (swept the Cubs at Wrigley, May 22-24).

ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have recalled LHP Bryan King from Triple A Sugar Land and have placed RHP Spencer Arrighetti on the 15-day Injured List due to right foot nerve irritation…King will join the Astros today in Chicago.

TODAY’S AVAILABILITIES: The Astros clubhouse will be open to approved media at Rate Field from 3:15-4:05 p.m. CT…Astros Manager Joe Espada will be made available in the Astros dugout at approx. 4:05 p.m.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, July 25, 6:10 p.m. CT

Location: Rate Field, Chicago, IL

TV: SCHN

Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

We’re just going to pretend like that one never happened, right? The Sox held the Astros scoreless in seven of the nine innings they played yesterday, and allowed just one in one of the others. We can leave it at that, I think.

At the very least, the Sox have the advantage of sending their hottest starter to the hill to make a fourth straight series win still salvageable, as Sean Burke looks to continue his stretch of looking like one of the best pitchers in baseball, bar none. His 1.40 ERA since June 18th is a top-six mark in the majors, with well-more than a strikeout per inning to boot. He has been the beneficiary of an abnormally-low BABIP and abnormally-high left-on-base percentage, which means there’s been some sequencing luck involved in his success.

That being said, there’s also this, which you can’t attribute to batted-ball luck in the slightest:

There’s also this fun little nugget I came across: Burke has hit 98 mph 16 times since June 18 alone, and his six fastest pitches of the year have all resulted in strikeouts. When he’s got a hitter in the hole and needs some extra oomph, Burke is pretty dang good at reaching back to get it.

Only once since Covid-19 have the Sox had a pitcher reach 180 innings, much less 200, which was last accomplished by James Shields in 2018. Burke and Davis Martin are both on pace to challenge the 180 threshold, and we’ll see tonight whether Burke can maintain his six-plus innings per start pace of the last month and change.

Unfortunately, the Astros are also throwing their best tonight. Hunter Brown finished third in Cy Young balloting last year but hasn’t quite looked himself since returning from injury in mid-June, and he’s got a pedestrian 4.08 ERA heading into this one. He also seems to have lost a handle on his control as of late, walking 15 against 11 strikeouts over 14 2/3 innings in his last three starts. The Sox are one of the more patient teams in the league, so this does have the potential to be an explosive one for their offense. Nonetheless, Brown’s fastball/curveball combination remains relatively intact, so this one could swing on Chicago’s ability to not swing at pitcher’s pitches and make Brown beat them with his less-dangerous slider and changeup.

Here’s the lineup that Will Venable hopes can break out of the South Siders’ second-half semi-power outage. It’s pretty much the best they got, until the hot stove starts burning:

Meanwhile, Joe Espada pushes back with the following:

If the Sox can stop Yordan Alvarez from beating them like they did yesterday (1-for-4 with a walk and two runs, so it’s all relative, but nonetheless!), I’m willing to take my chances that they won’t let Jeremy Peña, José Altuve and LaMonte Wade Jr. beat them on their own again. Whether it matters will be in the hands of Sox hitters.

First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. CT from Rate Field in Armour Square, with standard broadcasts on CHSN (TV) and ESPN 1000 AM (radio). We’ll see you there!

Well. This series certainly didn’t get off to the start the Mariners had hoped for. Bryan Woo takes the mound tonight to try to help turn things around for the Mariners.

Lineups:

J.P. Crawford returns from wrist soreness and rejoins the lineup, but Cole Young remains in the leadoff spot.

Today’s game information:

TV: FOX

Radio: 710 Seattle Sports

NEW YORK — Another day, another new twist in Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury saga.

The Dodgers’ two-way star did not throw a bullpen session as originally expected Saturday, after having what manager Dave Roberts described as “regression” with his left knee issue following a 31-pitch bullpen session earlier in the week.

“[He] just doesn’t feel 100%, because I think that the last ‘pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression,” Roberts said. “So we want to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”

On Wednesday in Philadelphia, Ohtani threw off a mound for the first time in two weeks — and the first time since he had a lubricant injection in his ailing knee during the All-Star break.

Initially, the team said that session went well. But both Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior noted that the training staff would be monitoring how Ohtani felt in the following days, wanting to maintain a “fluid” plan with the four-time MVP’s knee recovery.

On Friday, Roberts said that if Ohtani –– who has continued to serve as the Dodgers’ designated hitter, since his knee problem hasn’t impacted his swing –– felt good on Saturday, he was expected to throw another bullpen.

However, he evidently didn’t, leaving his next steps as a pitcher unclear for now.

“Obviously not ideal, him throwing his last bullpen and going backwards, essentially,” Roberts said. “That’s disappointing, because you throw a bullpen to continue to build up.”

Roberts did reiterate that he “absolutely” expected Ohtani to pitch again this season, and said that long-term, “as far as worry, concern, we don’t have any of that.” He also set a soft target of having Ohtani return to the rotation at some point in August, though didn’t offer any further specifics for his timeline.

“Everything is kind of fluid,” Roberts said. “Just trying to figure out what’s best.”

Ohtani has not made a pitching start since July 3, and has been battling his knee injury –– which is believed to have been caused by flaws in his mechanics that put added force on his front landing leg –– since mid-June.

The 32-year-old had a pitching start before the All-Star break scratched, in preparation for his lubricant injection, and has been out of the Dodgers’ rotation ever since. He has not personally addressed reporters since before the All-Star break, either.

“[He feels] better than before the break,” Roberts said. “But again, you think that you take the break and then you come back and throw your ‘pen, then you can still build up … The thought was he’d throw one [bullpen session earlier this week] and throw another one today, but it just wasn’t to be.”

Roberts was asked if a break from hitting (and running the bases, where the two-way star has been notably aggressive in recent days) might also benefit Ohtani’s knee, but indicated that wasn’t a current consideration.

“From his words, the hitting, the running, as he has done the last couple nights, doesn’t affect him,” Roberts said.

Pitching, however, still does, leaving his status on the mound an ongoing question.

“We’re not going to move forward until he feels 100% confident, we feel 100% confident that we should do it,” Roberts said. “So right now we didn’t do it.”

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Join us and discuss tonight’s game below as the Braves go for a series win behind Bryce Elder at 7:05 PM ET in Atlanta on BravesVision and MLBTV!

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

Saturday, July 25, 2026, 6:15 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / FOX)

The Shed

RHP Bryan Woo vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi

Go Rangers!

Mets lineup

1. A.J. Ewing – LF
2. Francisco Lindor – SS
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Carson Benge – RF
5. Luis Robert – CF
6. Jorge Polanco – DH
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Brett Baty – 1B
9. Francisco Alvarez – C

SP: Nolan McLean – RHP

Dodgers lineup

1. Shohei Ohtani – DH
2. Andy Pages – CF
3. Freddie Freeman – 1B
4. Max Muncy – 3B
5. Mookie Betts – SS
6. Tommy Edman – 2B
7. Kyle Tucker – RF
8. Teoscar Hernandez – LF
9. Dalton Rushing – C

SP: Y. Yamamoto – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:15 EDT
TV: Fox
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

The Colorado Rockies secured their biggest post-All-Star break win on Friday with a massive series-opening victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee was 5-1 coming out of the break prior to last night’s loss, compared to the Colorado’s 2-4 record in that span. Their records on the year are essentially inverted, with the NL Central leading Brewers carrying a 64-39 mark to the Rockies’ 42-63.

Yet the resilient Rockies found a way to hang in there, chipping away at the Brewers and controlling the game on the way to a 5-2 win. The Rockies will have two more chances to prove that the first win wasn’t just a Sugano-fueled anomaly and steal a series from one of MLB’s top teams.

For game two, the Rockies will rely on Ryan Feltner. Feltner is 3-4 through 14 starts, carrying a 5.48 ERA and a 1.416 WHIP. His last outing, a 9-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, was his roughest of the year. He only lasted 2.1 innings and gave up eight runs on seven hits including three home runs surrendered. He also struggled to find the zone, walking four in his short outing.

The good news is that Feltner has bounced back from bad outings reliably well this year (knock on wood). After giving up six runs in a loss to the San Diego Padres back in April and another six to the Chicago Cubs in June, he followed each of those starts with four straight outings giving up two or fewer runs. Feltner will try to continue that trend against a tough foe today.

Robert Gasser gets the start for Milwaukee, carrying a 2-4 record, a 4.91 ERA, and a 1.208 WHIP across 10 starts. On the other side of the spectrum, Gasser had arguably his best start of the year in his last appearance. In a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins, Gasser allowed just three hits and a solo homer, dishing out five strikeouts with no walks in 5.0 IP. The Brewers carry one of the league’s best home records this season (34-20) and will look to Gasser to avenge Friday’s loss and get back on track at American Family Field.

First Pitch: 5:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Brewers SB Nation Site: Brew Crew Ball

Lineups:

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COOPERSTOWN — Nearly 27 years later, Mets fans still shudder at the thought of Andruw Jones’ bases-loaded walk-off walk against Kenny Rogers in the 11th inning of the Braves’ series-clinching win in Game 6 of the 1999 NLCS. 

What did the soon-to-be Hall of Famer think of the moment? 

“I couldn’t believe he walked me. I try not to walk, ’cause I strike out a lot,” Jones said at his pre-induction news conference Saturday. “So when he walked me, I was shocked.” 

The 1999 NLCS sent the Braves to face the Yankees in the World Series, and the Yankees promptly swept Atlanta to claim their second of three consecutive world championships.

The Braves led the Mets 3-0 heading into Game 4, but the Mets clawed back to make the series 3-2, losing by a hair in Game 6. 

“I think if we would’ve lost that game … it could’ve gone the other way,” Jones said. “The Mets and Yankees fans would’ve seen an earlier Subway Series.” 

The following season, that scenario came to fruition, as the Mets and Yankees met in the Fall Classic for the very first time in 2000.

The Yankees won the title in five games, marking a three-peat for their 26th ring. 

“[The NLCS] was a tough series. It drained us, to be honest with you,” Jones said. “By the time we went to play the Yankees, we got swept. We had no juice left to go play them. … The Yankees had a great team that year.” 

Jones joins several legendary Braves in the Hall of Fame on Sunday, finally gaining entrance on his ninth ballot. 

The 1996 Braves have eight members in the Hall now that Jones joins Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones and Fred McGriff, as well as manager Bobby Cox and general manager John Schuerholz. 

“They always kept saying, ‘Hey, be patient, you’re gonna be there.’ … Being on a ballot for nine years, you kind of watch from afar, but you’re not thinking about it, because life keeps going, you know?” Jones said. 

“If I made it, this is a great honor. One of the toughest Halls of Fame to go in … but if it didn’t happen, I would have been the same person. You would have seen me walk on the street and have this joy that I always had.” 

Chipper Jones talked about his joy for his longtime teammate at a Hall of Fame signing event Friday.

The Joneses were teammates in Atlanta for 12 years, from 1996-2007. 

“It’s been really fun to see him go through the week and the whole process. I think he had to wait a little too long to get here, but hey, you’re here now,” Chipper Jones said. “We took great pride in knowing that if people wanted to come into Atlanta and beat the Braves, they had to get the Jones boys out in the three and four hole. … Hope he’s not the last, but we’ve had a good contingent over the last 10, 15 years.”

COOPERSTOWN — Carlos Beltrán will become just the third player to represent the Mets in the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, joining Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza in the small but mighty group. 

Before Beltrán’s six years in Queens, he began his career in Kansas City after being drafted out of high school in the second round of the 1995 draft.

At his pre-induction press conference in Cooperstown on Saturday, he opened up about the reception he got in each city.

Beltrán would get another taste of New York when he went to the Yankees for two years in the twilight of his illustrious career. 

“If you don’t understand the process, sometimes it could be overwhelming. For me, it was,” Beltrán said. “Coming from Kansas City, playing in New York, at the beginning, I didn’t understand why the fans were getting on me, while I played in Kansas City and never got booed. So all of a sudden, I’m in New York, they boo me the whole month. 

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I just signed here for seven years and these people, they have no patience with me,’ ” Beltrán continued to laughter. “[New York is] a city where the fanbase supports their team, but at the same time, they expect excellence out of the players, and they understand the game … they know how much money you’re making, so they want you to earn every single penny.” 

One of the most significant memories from Beltrán’s early career came alongside perhaps the most legendary Royal in 1999, when George Brett got his moment in Cooperstown with his induction alongside Nolan Ryan and Orlando Cepeda. 

“[1999] was my first full year in the big leagues. I haven’t been able to show what I’m capable of,” Beltrán said. “I was so excited to come [to Cooperstown] because not only were we supporting George Brett, I was going to be able to meet Orlando Cepeda, who was inducted that year also. 

“I have a baseball, and I’m approaching Cepeda for him to sign my baseball, and George said to Cepeda, ‘Cepeda, I’ve introduced you to the next Hall of Famer from Puerto Rico. His name is Carlos Beltrán.’ And I’m going like, what is he doing? I haven’t played a game, and you’re introducing me as a Hall of Famer. I don’t think that’s a good statement, George, and George said, ‘Well Carlos, everything is possible in life. If you play hard and if you continue to play good and you continue to develop yourself, this is an opportunity.’ ” 

Needless to say, Beltrán did nothing but seize that very opportunity, especially as a five-time All-Star with the Mets. 

“I end up getting to the Hall of Fame, but I fail 72 percent of the time,” Beltrán said. “It’s a lot of pain, but at the end of the day, I have to say that New York is a great place … most of the most meaningful relationships I built in the game, I did it wearing the Mets uniform.”