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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 17: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates after hitting a two-run walk-off home run during the tenth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field on August 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Wednesday notes…
GOING FOR THE SWEEP, PART 1: This is the 18th of the Cubs’ 60 regular-season series against the White Sox in which they won the first two games. There was a third game in 10 of the previous series. The Cubs won five and lost five. The Cubs have won eight straight at home vs. the Sox: the final game of 2023, both played in 2024, three last year and the last two nights. Their previous longest home streak in the rivalry had been only four games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
GOING FOR THE SWEEP, PART 2: This is the 13th of the Cubs’ 42 series in which they have won the first two games. They won the third game as well in seven series, most recently Aug. 3-5 at home vs. the Dodgers, and lost it in five, including last week at Washington. The win over the Dodgers completed their fourth three-game sweep. The others were over the Diamondbacks, Mets and Padres, all at home. They won a fourth game, too, at home vs. the Phillies and Pirates and at New York vs. the Mets. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
IN THE SUNSHINE: The Cubs are only 27-26 in day games, far worse than their 46=27 at night. They finished last season 43-32 in sunshine. They are 17-12 in day games at home, including 10-5 in day games following night games. They were 29-20 and 7-8 a year ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PCA! PCA! PCA!: Pete Crow-Armstrong, 17 games in August: .278/.400/.611 (19-for-69) with four doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 16 RBI, 13 walks, 19 runs scored and five stolen bases (with no caught stealing).
Clay Holmes was lights-out in his last start, last Friday against the Cardinals: 6.2 innings, one hit, one walk, 11 ground-ball outs.
The last time he faced the White Sox was May 26, 2025 at Citi Field and he had a similar outing: 5.2 innings, four hits, one run. Many of those White Sox aren’t on the team anymore and current Sox are a small sample size 3-for-18 against Holmes.
Just keep those ground balls coming.
Once again, the White Sox appear to be using an opener, this time Sean Newcomb. His last outing was Aug. 16 against the Tigers, when he was used to close things, posting his fourth save. He also faced the Tigers as an opener Aug. 14 in Detroit, throwing 1.1 scoreless innings. He hasn’t thrown more than 33 pitches in an outing since June, so expect at most two innings here.
He threw two scoreless innings against the Cubs May 17 at Rate Field and has generally been effective this year, posting a 2.51 ERA and 1.103 WHIP in 46 games covering 68 innings.
You might remember, or choose to forget, Newcomb’s 17 games with the Cubs in 2022, when he posted a 9.33 ERA and allowed seven home runs in 22.2 innings.
The last time Newcomb was an opener, José Urquidy was the “bulk guy,” and that’s the last time Urquidy pitched (Aug. 14), so I’d expect that to happen again today. Fun fact: Urquidy was supposed to come to the Cubs in 2022 from the Astros in a trade for Willson Contreras, but Astros owner Jim Crane personally blocked the deal that had already been agreed to by the teams.
Please visit our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox. If you do go there to interact with Sox fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Aug 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Brett Callahan (34) circles the bases on his first career MLB home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (61-64) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (61-66)
Time/Place: 12:35 p.m., PNC Park SB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 6.23 ERA) vs. RHP Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.88 ERA)
One of the most exciting young pitchers in the game right now is Cleveland Guardians southpaw Parker Messick, who has the highest average strikeout rate on the slate over at Batters-Box. He also owns the No. 1 pitcher rating while facing a San Francisco Giants lineup that has struggled mightily against left-handed pitching.
So far this season, the Giants own a 23.1% strikeout rate, 76% contact rate and 33.4% swinging-strike rate. On the road against lefties, those numbers take a dive, with a 30.8% strikeout rate, 70% contact rate, and 34.2% swinging-strike rate. Over their last 60 at-bats against a left-handed pitcher, only three hitters have a strikeout rate below 13.3%. Everyone else is above 30%.
Messick has posted a near-30% strikeout rate across his last three outings, setting him up in an excellent spot to shove against an ice-cold Giants lineup. He has also recorded 6+ strikeouts in each of his last four starts.
For starters, Conine is the No. 1-rated hitter on Batters-Box's current-season dataset. Across 26 elite-rated matchups this season, he has recorded at least one hit 61.54% of the time.
The outfielder has been absolutely destroying the baseball lately. He homered last night, and hopefully he can go deep again, but we only need the floor here. Over his last 10 games, Conine owns an .833 SLG and .433 ISO while generating almost a 60% hard-hit rate and a 22.7% barrel rate.
Nola has been tormented by left-handed hitters at home this season, allowing them to hit .314 with a .583 SLG and .407 wOBA. On top of that, lefties are producing a 56% elevation rate and 36.8% hard-hit rate against him.
If you're not in the juice-paying business, take his hits + runs + RBI prop. However, the hit prop is playable to -160.
It is hard to ignore just how hot Baltimore Orioles slugger Pete Alonso has been over his last 10 games, posting a .947 SLG, .824 xSLG, and .447 ISO while generating a 65.6% hard-hit rate and 22% barrel rate.
Alonso also enters today's matchup with an elite rating on Batters-Box. Across 60 elite ratings over the last three seasons, he has gone Over this prop 68.33% of the time.
Tonight, he draws New York Yankees right-hander Will Warren, who has been allowing a boatload of hard contact to opposing hitters over his last five outings. The last 60 right-handed hitters he has faced are producing a 56% hard-hit rate, 9.3% barrel rate, and 60% elevation rate, all while posting a .479 xBA, .662 xSLG, and .358 ISO.
The trends and recent numbers are too delectable to pass up. Take this down to -140, or grab his 2+ bases at plus money.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 1: Woody WIlliams #19 of the Toronto Blue Jay looks on before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 1, 1997 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today marks the 58th birthday of former Blue Jays pitcher Woody Williams.
I’ll admit, I often confuse Woody Williams with Chris Carpenter. Both left the Blue Jays and eventually landed in St. Louis—Williams with a stop in San Diego along the way. They each found greater success with the Cardinals (though Carpenter excelled even more), and they were teammates during their time there.
Woody was a 28th-round draft pick in 1988 out of the University of Houston (Joey Hamilton was chosen a few spots earlier by the Orioles in the same round). Expectations were likely modest, but he excelled in the minors. In May 1993, the Blue Jays called him up to help in the bullpen, where he pitched in 30 games with a 4.38 ERA.
He spent the next couple of seasons in the back of the bullpen. Then, in August 1996, he finally got his chance in the rotation. Paul Quantrill began the season as a starter, but was moved to the bullpen. With Marty Janzen and Huck Flener struggling, Williams earned a shot. He made 10 starts, going 4-5 with a 4.35 ERA.
The following season, Williams spent a full year in the rotation, finishing 9-14 with a 4.35 ERA. Over 31 starts, he pitched 194.1 innings, allowing 201 hits and 31 home runs (during the height of the PED era), with 66 walks and 124 strikeouts. While not spectacular, he held his own as the third starter behind Roger Clemens and Pat Hentgen. The game has changed a lot in the past twenty years—back then, Woody was a reliable third starter who nearly reached 200 innings.
In 1997, Williams went 10-9 with a 4.46 ERA. Over 32 starts, he pitched 209.2 innings, allowing 196 hits, 36 home runs, 81 walks, and recording 151 strikeouts.
Then came the trade—or, more accurately, the infamous trade. Williams and a few minor leaguers were sent to San Diego for Joey Hamilton. GM Gord Ash trusted the advice of newly hired assistant GM Dave Stewart, who had played with Hamilton and claimed to see star potential in him. Ash signed Hamilton to a three-year, $16.5 million contract (a hefty sum at the time), but Hamilton delivered a disappointing 14-17 record with a 5.83 ERA.
Williams went on to have a solid career. He spent five seasons with the Padres, posting a 51-45 record and a 4.32 ERA. The Padres later traded him to the Cardinals, where he flourished—going 45-22 with a 3.53 ERA over four seasons. His standout year was 2003, when he finished 18-9 with a 3.87 ERA in 34 games (33 starts).
As a Blue Jay, he compiled a 28-34 record with a 4.30 ERA over 166 games (76 starts). Overall, he finished his MLB career with a 132-116 record and a 4.19 ERA in 424 games, 330 of them starts. How many 28th-round picks can claim a career like that?
I read that he occasionally threw a knuckleball, though I don’t recall ever seeing it.
According to Wikipedia, Woody has five children and lives in Alvin, Texas.
Happy birthday, Woody. Hope it’s a great one.
Also celebrating birthdays today:
Luis Gómez turns 73 today. He spent two seasons with the Blue Jays (1978–1979), playing shortstop in 1978 and serving as a utility infielder the following year. Gómez hit .227/.276/.282 in 212 games and played eight MLB seasons with the Twins, Jays, and Braves.
Jeff Tam turns 54 today. In 2003, he appeared in 44 relief games for the Jays, marking the end of his six-year MLB career. Tam posted a 5.64 ERA and allowed opponents a .314/.396/.465 batting line. Most of his career was spent with the A’s, though he also played for the Mets and Cleveland.
While Florida doesn’t have anyone in the prestigious 99 Club (congrats, McJesus), there are three Panthers forwards whose overall rankings are in the 90s, and two just outside, coming in at 89.
Leading the way for the Cats is their captain, Sasha Barkov, whose overall ranking was 95, which placed him as the 8th forward on the list. This comes as no surprise, with Barkov known far and wide as arguably the best two-way forward in the world.
While Barkov missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season after tearing up his knee during training camp, the Finnish superstar took the ice during May’s IIHF World Championships and looked like he never missed a beat.
Barkov led Finland to a gold medal while pacing the team with 11 points in 10 games.
Next up on EA’s list is Florida’s scoring specialist Sam Reinhart. His overall ranking is 91, closely followed by Matthew Tkachuk at 90 overall, then his brother Brady Tkachuk and Brad Marchand, each with 89 overall rankings.
Last season, it was Reinhart and Marchand who kept the Panthers afloat scoring-wise while both Barkov and Tkachuk, among others, were out with injuries.
It’s not hard to see any of those players reaching or exceeding point-per-game status next season.
Getting back to the NHL 27 rankings, you don’t have to look much further down the list to find the next group of Panthers players.
In fact, there are four more Cats who are all ranked in the 80s.
They are Sam Bennett, coming in with an overall ranking of 86, Anton Lundell, also at 86, Carter Verhaeghe overall ranked 85 and Eetu Luostarinen at 84.
When diving into the breakdown of each player, some interesting tidbits jump out.
First, of all the aforementioned Panthers on the list, the ones with the highest rated speed at 89 were Marchand and Verhaeghe, followed by Bennett at 88 and Barkov at 87.
Marchand was also an 89 at acceleration, as was Bennett, followed by Verhaeghe at 88 and Reinhart at Brady Tkachuk at 87. For those wondering, Matthew Tkachuk was given an 85 for both speed and acceleration.
In the deking category, which is kind of important for forwards, Barkov came in highest with a 93 ranking. Next-highest was Reinhart at 91 and Marchand at 90.
Barkov and Marchand led the way with 94 rankings in the passing category, but also in the 90s were Matthew Tkachuk (93), Reinhart (92) and Brady Tkachuk (90).
The Panthers player deemed to have the hardest, or best I suppose, slapshot was Brady Tkachuk, the only player ranked in the 90s in that category (right at 90).
Brady Tkachuk also had Florida’s highest wrist shot ranking (91), followed by Reinhart at 90.
To check out the full Panthers forward rankings for NHL 27, click here.
This year’s version of EA Sports’ NHL game has fans excited for some new features, including a brand-new broadcast duo of John Buccigross and Darren Pang.
It’s always been a cool feature of playing videos games when you can lead your team to a championship, but that must have a different feel for Panthers fans lately.
You know…now that they know what it feels like to have the Panthers win the actual Stanley Cup.
Let us know what you think of Florida's NHL 27 rankings in the comments below.
Photo caption: Dec 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida Panthers center SamReinhart(13), center AleksanderBarkov(16) and left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - AUGUST 12: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on at third base during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Zach Gardner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Merrill Kelly Has Another Rough Outing, Offense Still Without Marte Merrill Kelly’s August ERA is problematic and is going the wrong direction at the worst possible time for Arizona. Although, it seems that even Google is having a hard time figuring out the Diamondbacks these days. I was somewhat confused when I tuned in to find this all wrong.
— Arizona Diamondbacks | Stats & Info (@DbacksStatsInfo) August 19, 2026
Marte Back in Phoenix After Boston No-Show Marte’s agent, Charisse Espinosa-Dash, told MLB Network on Wednesday that her client is continuing to deal with a personal matter and will have an MRI on his knee in Phoenix on Thursday.
Marte Looking Forward to Return Calling Team Support Unwavering Whatever is going on with Ketel Marte, may things improve soon an may everything work itself out in a positive fashion. While he did not go into the stands and batter a fan, the rest of this seems incredibly appropriate at this moment in time for the team.
Tatis Has a Night Fernando Tatis robbed a grand slam and swatted two home runs of his own as the Padres put a bit of space between themselves and the Diamondbacks in the Wild Card race.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 30: Jorge Polanco #11 of the New York Mets in action during the game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on July 30, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Mets won 4-2. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets have placed Jorge Polanco on the IL with left ankle bursitis. The first baseman/DH will undergo surgery and is done for the season, according to Andy Green. The team’s skipper noted that Polanco “can’t get freedom from the pain”, which he has been playing through.
The team signed Polanco to a two-year, $40 million to serve as the first baseman, but injuries have derailed his season. He originally landed on the IL amid the team’s 12-game losing streak in April with a right wrist contusion, and the bursitis he experienced plagued him throughout the year, leading to his rehab assignment being temporarily shut down in June. He eventually returned on July 7 but was a shell of a hitter the team expected. Prior to his injury, he was hitting .179/.246.286 with one homer and a 51 wRC+ in 61 plate appearances across 14 games. Those numbers were worse since his return, as he hit .123/.169/.190 with one homer and a -1 wRC+ in 84 plate appearances across 23 games. During the latter stretch, he endured a career-worst 0-for-26 stretch. Polanco has one more year left on his contract, though it remains to be seen what role he will play with the club.
The Mets made a couple of additional roster moves around Polanco’s IL placement. To replace his bat, the team called up Eric Wagaman. They also sent down Jack Weisenburger, who pitched in last night’s game, and called up right-handed reliever Chayce McDermott to join the bullpen.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 18: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with David MacIas #46 after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (68-59) at New York Mets (57-70), August 19, 2026, 10:10 a.m. PST
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Feb 19, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Robert Stock (89) poses for a photo during media day at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-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 – DH Brett Baty – LF Marcus Semien – 2B Luis Torrens – C
SP: Robert Stock – RHP
Padres lineup
Fernando Tatis – RF Jake Cronenworth – 2B Manny Machado – DH Ty France – 1B Jackson Merrill – CF Luis Rengifo – LF Luis Campusano – C Xander Bogaerts – SS Sung-Mun Song – 3B
SP: Michael King – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 1:10 PM ET TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
NEW YORK — Fernando Tatis Jr. favors robbing homers over hitting them.
Tatis’ glove and bat were on display in a 5-2 win over the Mets, as the 27-year-old robbed New York’s Francisco Lindor of a grand slam in between hitting two homers.
“Tough challenge,” Tatis said following his 14th career two-homer game, which ties him for second in franchise history. “But robbery today was more fun.”
Tatis hit the first pitch from New York’s Zac Thornton 452 feet into the second deck in left field before adding a two-run homer off Thornton in the fifth. He has 15 homers after opening the season without a longball in his first 238 at-bats.
But Tatis’ biggest contribution in the game came in the field during the second inning, when he reached over the wall in right field and pulled back Lindor’s potential slam.
“It’s amazing — he’s seriously one of the most athletic fielders I’ve ever seen,” said Padres pitcher Robbie Ray, who loaded the bases with three walks. “What he’s able to do out there, just to be able to be in that spot to make that catch, was incredible.”
Tatis, Ray and manager Craig Stammen all were surprised as Lindor’s fly drifted toward the wall on an night with minimal wind.
“I knew it was going to be a play at the wall,” Tatis said. “Just great timing — prepare myself to launch and go for it.”
Tatis was one step from the wall when he jumped and grabbed the ball just as it began to clear the wall. The converted shortstop used his hands to break his fall as his hat fell off and bounced behind him.
Tatis stood straight up and stared toward the infield, which left everyone on the field and the crowd of 35,508 wondering if he’d made the catch.
“Just taking off a grand slam right there, that’s a game changer,” Tatis said.
Tatis then raised his glove, after which Ray raised his arms and put his glove on his head.
“He does it with a flair,” Stammen said. “And that’s who makes Fernando who he is and why we love watching him.”
Ray walked a few more steps with his glove on his hat, grinning in disbelief as he gazed at Tatis, who jogged in with his mouth agape before he exchanged low fives with centerfielder Jackson Merrill.
“I kind of blacked out in the moment,” Ray said with a grin. “Just a really cool — it was just an incredible play.”
Ray allowed just two baserunners over his final four innings.
“It’s up there as one of the most impactful games he’s had as a Padre, for sure,” Stammen said. “You look at how many runs he created and then how many runs he took away. That’s a pretty big number.
“They talk about plus/minus in the NBA and hockey and stuff like that. That was a big plus/minus game for ‘Tati’ tonight.”
St. Louis (65-62) and Cincinnati (60-66) meet for the fourth game of their five-game series. St. Louis is up 2-1 thus far after a 3-0 win on Tuesday. Entering this matchup, the Reds are 1-4 over the last five games, while the Cardinals are 4-1 in that same span.
The Cardinals find themselves 3.0 games back of the final. NL Wild Card spot trailing the Cubs, Phillies, Padres, and Diamondbacks. St. Louis is hitting .254 in August (10th) with the seventh-most runs scored (81) over 17 games. The pitching rotation ranks second in ERA (2.94), fifth in WHIP (1.18), and fourth in OBA (.224).
Chase Burns takes the mound for Cincinnati as he sports the second-most wins in baseball at 14. The Reds are 17-6 when Burns pitches and won nine of his last 11 starts. In August, the Reds pitching staff owns the 22nd-ranked ERA (4.53), while the offense ranks dead-last in batting average (.193).
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Cardinals at Reds
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time: 6:40 PM EST
Site: Great American Ball Park
City: Cincinnati, OH
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Peacock offers one of the most comprehensive live sports streaming lineups available today, bringing together the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, Premier League, NCAA football, NCAA basketball, golf, motorsports, and major global sporting events in a single service.
Odds for the Cardinals at the Reds
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: St. Louis Cardinals (+131), Cincinnati Reds (-140)
Spread: Cardinals +1.5 (-182), Reds-1.5 (+150)
Total: 8.5
Probable starting pitchers for Cardinals at Reds
Wednesday's pitching matchup (August 19): Chase Burns vs Matthew Liberatore
Jordan Walker is hitting .344 in August (21/61) with nine RBI
Alec Burleson is hitting .333 in August (21/53) with six home runs and 21 RBI
JJ Wetherholt is hitting .169 in August (10/59) with 14 walks and 11 strikeouts
Sal Stewart is hitting .277 in August (18/65) with three home runs and seven RBI
Elly De La Cruz is hitting .143 in August (9/63) with nine walks, nine RBI, and 21 strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cardinals at Reds
St. Louis is 69-58 ATS, ranking fifth-best
Cincinnati is 65-61 ATS
St. Louis is 70-50-7 to the Under, ranking second-best
Cincinnati is 65-50-2 to the Over, ranking eighth-best
St. Louis is 34-27 ATS on the road, ranking eighth-best
Cincinnati is 31-35 ATS at home, ranking ninth-worst
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cardinals and the Reds
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Cardinals and the Reds:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Reds on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Reds at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.5
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GB’s Josie Nelson in third, Italy’s Chiara Consonni second
Lorena Wiebes took victory in the first stage of this year’s Tour of Britain. The opening stage started and finished in Cockermouth on a circuit spanning 158.9km in Cumbria.
Wiebes powered to victory in a thrilling sprint finish, where the Team SD Worx-Protime rider narrowly pipped her rivals over the line. Italy’s Chiara Consonni finished in second, while Great Britain’s Josie Nelson claimed third.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jacob deGrom checked out OK after a bullpen session, and the Texas right-hander and could start the series finale against Washington a week after lasting just two innings against the Los Angeles Angels due to right triceps fatigue, manager Skip Schumaker said.
Schumaker said deGrom wouldn’t start the middle game against the Nationals but had a chance to be on the mound the next game.
The 38-year-old, who already had been dealing with a left hip and glute injury since the All-Star break, escaped a first-inning jam but gave up two runs and five hits during a 32-pitch second in the Rangers’ 7-0 loss to the Angels.
The oft-injured deGrom has a chance to match last season’s total of 30 starts, the first time he had reached that number since making 32 in each of his Cy Young Award seasons with the New York Mets in 2018-19.
The early departure against the Angels forced deGrom to wait at least one more start before reaching 2,000 strikeouts. He needs two to become the second-fastest in both starts and innings to reach that milestone.
There have been more struggles than usual this season for deGrom, who is 8-8 with a 3.95 ERA that is currently the worst in his 13 big league seasons. The five-time All-Star has made 23 starts.
The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles play the second of a three-game set tonight, with the visitors as -115 favorites.
Chris Bassitt makes his second start since coming off the 60-day injured list, while Will Warren arrives with a 7.71 ERA and three home runs allowed across 9 1/3 innings this month.
My Yankees vs. Orioles predictions target a total that moved a half-run and still has not caught up to either starter. Read my MLB picks for Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Who will win Yankees vs Orioles today: Orioles moneyline (+105)
His 5.11 ERA is a .335 BABIP problem, not a contact-quality one. He grades in the 92nd percentile in barrel rate and the 72nd percentile in ground-ball rate, and has allowed just six home runs in 61 2/3 innings.
What beats him is a lineup stringing balls in play, and the New York Yankees are the worst team in MLB at that, sitting at a .273 BABIP with the third-worst contact rate at 72.2%.
Their offense is homers or nothing, and the homer is the outcome Bassitt suppresses best.
This is a coin-flip game for me, and I'd play to +100.
COVERS INTEL:Will Warren's sinker has stopped functioning as a contact-management pitch. He throws it 26.8% of the time, and hitters have posted a .302 average with a 48.2% hard-hit rate against it, his highest mark on any offering, for a negative-5 run value.
Yankees vs Orioles Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+105)
The Yankees walk at a 9.8% clip, the fourth-best in MLB, and Bassitt cannot end an at-bat, grading in the second percentile in strikeout rate, the third in chase rate, and the fifth in xBA at .285. That is a 1.62 WHIP built on singles and free passes rather than barrels.
I noted that the Yankees offense will likely have to piece together multiple hits to really get after Bassitt. While they may struggle to do that fully, they should do enough to push this Over.
The Birds are a real crooked-number threat, too. Baltimore hit 40.5% of their batted balls in the air into Warren's sixth-percentile average exit velocity and 22.0% home run per fly ball rate.
I'd play this to 10.
Yankees vs Orioles home run prediction: Gunnar Henderson (+529)
Gunnar Henderson gets the pitch Warren cannot control. Warren's sweeper grades in the first percentile by breaking-ball run value, with hitters slugging .681 against it on 19.0% usage and a .542 xSLG. Warren has allowed 11 home runs in 66 2/3 innings to left-handed hitters.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 44-43, +1.90 units
Over/Under bets: 50-37, +14.49 units
Yankees vs Orioles weather
A high landing in the upper 80s with a slight wind blowing out should help the ball carry
Yankees vs Orioles odds
Moneyline: Yankees -115 | Orioles +110
Run line: Yankees -1.5 | Orioles +1.5
Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9
Yankees vs Orioles trend
The New York Yankees have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 34 of their last 50 games (+16.05 Units / 26% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Orioles.
How to watch Yankees vs Orioles and game info
Location
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Date
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026
First pitch
6:35 p.m. ET
TV
Amazon Prime Video, MASN
Yankees starting pitcher
Will Warren (8-6, 4.42 ERA)
Orioles starting pitcher
Chris Bassitt (4-4, 5.11 ERA)
Yankees vs Orioles latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Parker Messick
Griffin Conine
Pete Alonso 
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