DENVER, CO - JUNE 22: Assistant bench coach Ronnie Gideon #53 of the Colorado Rockies and interim third base coach Chad Epperson #81 of the Boston Red Sox talk during batting practice prior to the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday, June 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In a true race to the bottom, two teams tied for the fewest wins in the entire sport are set to square off in Coors Field tonight with the Red Sox taking on the Rockies. If the Red Sox lose and the Giants beat the A’s later this evening, Boston will stand all alone as the team with the fewest wins in baseball.
On the mound is Sonny Gray, who has actually proved to be the guy most capable of cooking up wins for the Sox this year. He enters the proceedings with an 8-1 record, and the team is 9-4 overall in his 13 starts. If they win tonight, Gray will be responsible for just shy of a third of all the team’s victories this season. (What an amazing acquisition by our fearless leader Craig Breslow!)
For the Rockies, it will be Boston native Sean Sullivan taking the mound. He brings with him a 10.29 ERA and also some history of being at the 2004 Red Sox victory parade as a two-year-old. In other words, on paper this matchup seems to heavily favor the Red Sox, But if you’ve watched this team attempt to play baseball all year, you know that underperforming what’s supposed to happen on paper is kind of the Red Sox’ main thing, so I’m bracing myself for more of that tonight.
Today’s Lineups
RED SOX
ROCKIES
Nate Eaton – LF
Jake McCarthy – CF
Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
Mickey Moniak – LF
Wilyer Abreu – RF
Hunter Goodman – C
Willson Contreras – 1B
TJ Rumfield – 1B
Jarren Duran – DH
Tyler Freeman – RF
Caleb Durbin – 3B
Willi Castro – 3B
Andruw Monasterio – SS
Troy Johnston – DH
Connor Wong – C
Ezequiel Tovar – SS
Anthony Seigler – 2B
Edouard Julien – 2B
Sonny Gray – RHP
Sean Sullivan – LHP
⚾️ First Pitch: 8:40pm — Coors Field, Denver Colorado
Busch stadium in downtown St. Louis Missouri viewed from top of the Gateway Arch. Gateway Arch National Park is beside the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Visitors can ride a tram to the top of the arch for a view of the river and city below. This view includes Busch Stadium, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. (Photo by: Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
CARDINALS
Ketel Marte – 2B
JJ Wetherholt – SS
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Ivan Herrera – DH
Corbin Carroll – RF
Jordan Walker – RF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Lars Nootbaar – CF
Pavin Smith – 1B
Nelson Velazquez – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Jose Fermin – 2B
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Alec Burleson – 1B
LuJames Groover – DH
Blaze Jordan – 3B
Tommy Troy – CF
Pedro Pages – C
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Kyle Leahy – RHP
To be fair, yesterday’s defeat wasn’t too bad, as these things go. It was a one-run loss on the road, to a team ahead of us in the standings, and was entirely due to the absence of any clutch hits – not something over which it’s generally believed a team has much control. As noted in the recap comments, the “Deserve to Win” was skewed massively in favor of the Diamondbacks. It was certainly better than getting thumped at home by the Twins. But moral victories only go so far, and Arizona find themselves at risk of falling below the .500 mark, for the first time in over a month.
The last time the D-backs dipped under an even record was in mid-May. Victory on May 17 in Coors Field pulled them up to 22-23, and kick-started a five-game winning streak for the team. Modest, but Arizona hasn’t had one any longer than that since August 2024. Since then, the team has dipped to .500 on a couple of occasions, before and during the series in Cincinnati. However, the Diamondbacks won on both occasions, to avoid slipping to a losing record. The Cardinals promise to be a tougher opponent, but the team does have their ace, Eduardo Rodriguez, going this afternoon.
The turnaround in E-Rod is remarkable. Over the four seasons combined previous to this one, he made 82 starts, and was worth a total of four bWAR. The great bulk of that (3,2) came in 2023. But he’s already at 2.8 bWAR, and we’re not even quite at the half-way mark in 2026. I am a little bit nervous, since he seems afflicted by the K-phobia which has impacted many of our pitchers (most notably Merrill Kelly). Rodriguez’s strikeout rate is a career low 6.6 per nine innings, and he’s benefiting from a .256 BABIP, also a career low. That’s despite a 27% line-drive rate, exactly in line with his figure each of the previous three seasons. Fingers crossed, because given our rotation, the last thing we need is regression.
Sean Burke is coming off an excellent 7 1/3 inning outing against the Yankees with a 3.89 ERA on the year. | (Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
Coming off of Monday’s roller coaster of a game that ended in a walk-off win, the South Siders look to take another game over Cleveland in the AL Central Division race behind righthander Sean Burke. The righty was lights out in one of the best starts of his career against the Yankees last week, tossing 7 1/3 innings to complete the game, allowing just one run and a walk while striking out eight along the way. This will be Burke’s 12th actual start, but his 16th appearance of the season as Chicago has opted for an opener a few times given Burke tends to struggle through the first when he starts. As much as I tend to hate the “opener” idea, the numbers back up Will Venable’s decision as Burke’s stats are stronger as a reliever than as a starter.
Entering the game out of the bullpen, Burke has posted a 1.80 ERA and a .174 opponent batting average while walking less batters – 6.5% walk rate vs 9.3% – and striking them out at a higher rate: 28.3% K% compared to 22.4% as a starter. To be fair, he has thrown 56 frames to start a game while having an opener for 25 innings, but his first inning 6.55 ERA and 1.45 WHIP are the highest against the rest of his inning splits. He last started a game against the Dodgers a couple of weeks ago and allowed four earned with two bombs, five walks, and six strikeouts, but the game before that, he did have an opener but still gave up three with two homers and five walks. Baseball can be a weird game.
The good news for Burke is that the Guardians team batting average against right-handed pitching ranks 28th in baseball, with just a .685 OPS, the fifth-worst in the league. Despite that, rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana has been excellent all season for Cleveland, slashing .274/.373/.469 and amounting to an .842 OPS. He has also been on a heater for the last seven days and in 21 at-bats, Bazzana’s 1.577 OPS is the third-best in MLB and he trails only Yandy Díaz with a .577 on-base percentage, even reaching base three times Monday and scoring twice against the South Siders. Bazzana will hold down the leadoff spot for the Guardians, but Burke will need to be ready for additional batting threats in Kyle Manzardo and Brayan Rocchio, with the latter knocking three hits last night.
With lefthander Parker Messick on the mound for the Guardians, the South Siders are rolling with a righty-heavy lineup for Tuesday’s matchup. Messick has been one of the top pitchers in the league pretty much since he was called up last season, and ranks third in the American League (ninth in MLB) with a 2.70 ERA in his 86 2/3 innings. Thankfully for the Good Guys, they rank fourth in MLB with a .764 OPS against left-handed pitching while leading all of baseball with 37 home runs. With that, Miguel Vargas will lead off while still holding down first base, and though Chase Meidroth is usually the go-to in the leadoff spot, he will be batting third behind our right-handed DH king: Randal Grichuk. Yesterday, Grichuk mashed his eighth bomb and third pinch-hit homer of the season, and his .858 OPS on the year definitely gives the Sox some power to round out the lineup.
Kyle Teel will get some rest after his first game back in the majors, with Drew Romo taking over behind the plate. Tristan Peters will also have the day off as Junior Perez platoons into center with the left-handed matchup.
It is once again a beautiful night for some baseball, and ideally we see a much better night from the bullpen … unless Burke wants to go ahead and toss a complete game, that would be fine too. Game time temperature will be right around 70º with sunny skies, and first pitch will take place at 6:40 p.m. CT on the South Side. Tune into the TV broadcast on CHSN or listen in on the radio at ESPN Chicago AM 1000. How about a series win?
Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec (17) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils traded Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, getting draft picks for the 22-year-old defenseman.
In new general manager Sunny Mehta’s first major roster transaction, the Devils received two future conditional first-round picks, as well as No. 35 overall this year and prospect Etienne Morin for Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov.
There had been buzz in recent weeks that Nemec was interested in a change of scenery. The right-handed shooting Slovak is just 22 years old and 159 games into his NHL career since New Jersey selected him with the second pick in the draft in 2022.
The first-rounders are top-10 protected, with Calgary potentially parting ways with one in each in some combination of 2027, ‘28 and ’29.
Morin, 21, is a left shot defenseman who spent last season in the minors.
Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec (17) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils traded Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, getting draft picks for the 22-year-old defenseman.
In new general manager Sunny Mehta’s first major roster transaction, the Devils received two future conditional first-round picks, as well as No. 35 overall this year and prospect Etienne Morin for Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov.
There had been buzz in recent weeks that Nemec was interested in a change of scenery. The right-handed shooting Slovak is just 22 years old and 159 games into his NHL career since New Jersey selected him with the second pick in the draft in 2022.
The first-rounders are top-10 protected, with Calgary potentially parting ways with one in each in some combination of 2027, ‘28 and ’29.
Morin, 21, is a left shot defenseman who spent last season in the minors.
AS Roma owner Dan Friedkin meets the player Stephan El Shaarawy during the training session at Centro Sportivo Fulvio Bernardini on October 08, 2025 in Rome.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that could include the NHL’s footprint in the Lone Star State.
The NHL is exploring the expansion process in Texas, as Houston and Austin are being eyed as potential cities to land a franchise. The matter was discussed at the NHL’s board of governors meeting in Manhattan on Tuesday.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters that the league has been in conversations with the Friedkin family about a potential expansion team in Houston or Austin for two years, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.
Bettman said that Houston and Austin would need new arenas as part of any expansion bid and the expansion fee would be a whopping $3.5 billion if it happens in either city.
AS Roma owner Dan Friedkin meets the player Stephan El Shaarawy during the training session at Centro Sportivo Fulvio Bernardini on October 08, 2025 in Rome. NHLI via Getty Images
The NHL will take its time before making a decision and Bettman said it would take a six-month process to make up its mind whether it will go forward with expansion in one of those markets. Dallas has been home to the Stars since the franchise relocated from Minnesota in 1993,
Canadiens owner Geoff Molson, a member of the NHL’s board of governors executive committee, told reporters, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, that expansion in Texas is “just an exploration at this stage and it’s an important decision.”
Dan Friedkin, whose net worth is estimated at $10.3 billion per Bloomberg, emerged as a possible ownership option last year when he was written about by ESPN.
Friedkin is the CEO of The Friedkin Group, a conglomerate that has its hands in everything from Toyota distributors to award-winning resorts, according to the company’s website.
The company is based in Houston and Friedkin already has a growing portfolio of sports assets through Pursuit Sports, which is a company dedicated to TFG’s sports properties.
AS Roma owner Dan Friedkin meets the player Stephan El Shaarawy during the training session at Centro Sportivo Fulvio Bernardini on October 08, 2025 in Rome. AS Roma via Getty Images
The company owns Italian soccer club AS Roma in Serie A and The Friedkin Group took majority control of Premier League club Everton.
“Pursuit Sports, our family’s global sports ownership and operating platform, has reached an agreement with the NHL that provides us with the exclusive rights to bring an expansion NHL team to the State of Texas, with a primary focus on both Austin and Houston as potential markets,” the Friedkin family told the Houston Chronicle in a statement.
“Each city brings unique attributes that would make a new team a huge success — both have the infrastructure, passionate fan bases, and economic strength needed to support a championship-caliber franchise for years to come.
“We have wanted for some time to bring an NHL team to Texas, and we are excited that the process has now begun. Selecting a new market for an NHL franchise is a special and important responsibility, and we are grateful to the league for their faith in us and their support. Working with Commissioner [Gary] Bettman and the NHL, we will undertake a principled, disciplined, and methodical process to ensure we find the right long-term home for this new franchise.”
Houston is the biggest market in the United States or Canada that does not have a pro hockey team, and was home to the American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros until the team relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, in 2013.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 18: Parker Messick #77 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at American Family Field on June 18, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies talks with medical staff in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said today that pitcher Chase Dollander underwent internal brace surgery on his right elbow on Monday. Schaeffer described the procedure as successful.
“Everything went well,” Schaeffer said. “Everything seemed to have gone well.”
Depending on the type of tear, an athlete may be better served by having a surgeon repair the ligament and adding support for the elbow.
The Rockies confirmed that Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas performed the procedure.
One clear benefit of UCL repair with an external brace allows the athlete to return to playing faster. UCL surgery typically requires one year of rehabilitation.
May 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com
Joe Ryan was going to start today, but he’s got some sort of illness, so Kendry Rojas gets the unenviable task of pitching to the Dodgers.
The Dodgers will trot out Justin Wrobleski, a lefty with a 2.72 ERA in 12 starts this year. He features a fastball, a slider, a sinker he primarily throws to lefties, along with a change-up and a curve-ball.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin began a rehab assignment on Tuesday night with Double-A Altoona, the club said.
Griffin has been sidelined since May 31 with a right forearm strain. He made his major league debut with the Pirates on April 3 and was signed to a nine-year, $140-million contract five days later.
Griffin, 20, is hitting .270 with four home runs, 22 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 51 games this season. The Pirates do not have a timetable for when Griffin will be activated from the injured list.
“We’re going to take it day by day and just see how he’s responding to everything,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said before Tuesday night’s game against Seattle. “Sounds like yesterday and today went well with the challenging throws on relays and stuff in the hole. Just get him back into game action and see how he’s doing with the arm, rhythm and timing of the at-bats. Look to get him back up here soon, hopefully.”
Further imaging on right-hander Jared Jones’ right elbow revealed no damage. Jones left Sunday’s game in the third inning after he was hit on the elbow by a line drive from Colorado’s JT Rumfield.
If Jones gets through a bullpen session without incident on Wednesday, he will start against Cincinnati on Saturday, the team said.
Joe DeMayo and guest co-host Jim Duquette deliver the latest episode of The Mets Pod, as the Mets deliver another uninspiring week of baseball.
Joe and Jim break down what's broken with Freddy Peralta, David Peterson, and the starting rotation, plus look towards the lineup after the return of Francisco Lindor.
The guys also discuss both buying and selling at the trade deadline, go Down on the Farm to check in on an improving Kevin Parada, and answer Mailbag questions about a specific strategy for David Stearns at the deadline, and the practice of favoring left/right splits in lineup decisions.
Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 22: Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Max Muncy (13) hits a double during the eighth inning of a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers on June 22, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the seventh consecutive Wednesday, Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound for the Dodgers, to close out the series against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.
Right-hander Joe Ryan, who was originally tabbed to start on Friday, will be on the mound for the Twins in the series finale.
Jun 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
After escaping with an extra-inning win by the skin of their teeth yesterday, the Brewers will have a chance to secure a third straight victory tonight in Cincinnati. Brandon Sproat will get the ball for Milwaukee opposite Nick Lodolo.
Sproat is an immensely talented pitcher, but has struggled to put it all together in his first year with the Brewers. He’s allowed at least three runs in six of his seven last appearances, the lone exception being his start against the A’s on June 10th (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 K). Hopefully Sproat can bounce back against a Reds lineup that is set to welcome Elly De La Cruz back from the injured list.
Lodolo, though more established than Sproat at the major-league level, is in a similar position. He was worth nearly five WAR last season, posting a 3.33 ERA and 1.079 WHIP across 29 starts, but has struggled to a 6.12 ERA through eight starts this season. In his last appearance, he gave up eleven hits and seven runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Mets.
With the left-handed Lodolo on the mound, Garrett Mitchell (.545 OPS vs. LHP, .820 OPS vs. RHP), Sal Frelick (.438 OPS vs. LHP, .681 OPS vs. RHP) and Christian Yelich will get the night off. Yelich has historically performed much better against right-handed pitching, though he’s actually posted stronger numbers against southpaws this season (albeit in a limited sample).
Regulars Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras make up the top of the lineup, followed by certified lefty masher Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers. Gary Sanchez (.968 OPS vs. LHP) will catch and bat sixth. Rounding out the bottom of the order are Blake Perkins, Cooper Pratt, and Joey Ortiz.
Finally, a couple of roster notes from this morning:
RHP Peter Strzelecki is back in the Brewers’ organization on a minor-league deal after electing free agency when Milwaukee designated him for assignment on May 17. Strzelecki briefly signed with the Yankees, but opted out of that deal last week and has now returned to the Brewers.
INF Luis Rengifo (-0.4 WAR in 57 games this season) has officially been released after going unclaimed on waivers.
As always, you can catch tonight’s game on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m.
May 21, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith (8) celebrates after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
As an offensive slump continues for the Braves, Tuesday’s lineup reflects a team trying a number of different things to try and figure things out in the second game of Atlanta’s series at the San Diego Padres.
Michael Harris II, who hit fifth in each of his three games since returning from another brief absence due to lower back discomfort, is back atop the lineup for Tuesday’s 9:40 p.m. EDT game at Petco Park.
Mauricio Dubón, who has been atop the lineup, takes Harris’ fifth spot in the lineup and will hold down the shortstop spot.
The Braves also moved Drake Baldwin, who is 1-for-25 with 15 strikeouts since homering in his first at-bat off his injured list stint, down from his customary second spot in the lineup to sixth while he works his way out of the slump.
Additionally, Rowdy Tellez will make his first start with the Braves as the designated hitter in the No. 8 lineup spot after he made five pinch-hit appearances in his first five games with Atlanta since he was promoted earlier this month.
That is happening because the Braves are playing a usual DH candidate in Dominic Smith in the field. He’ll hit cleanup and make his first start in left field since he was with the Mets in 2021.
The Padres are using Wandy Peralta as an opener, but are expected to use right-hander Griffin Canning (1-5, 6.64 ERA) as their bulk pitcher Tuesday.
Most of the Braves’ lineup hasn’t faced Canning much, considering he’s made just two career starts against Atlanta. Harris and Austin Riley are each tied for the second-most at-bats on the roster against Canning with four apiece.
Matt Olson, though, has extensive experience against Canning, dating back to each of their time in the American League West. Olson is only 4-for-19 (.211) against Canning, but has two homers, a double and three RBIs. Those are the only two Braves homers against Canning, but other batters have had more success against him, with a combined .303 batting average and .488 slugging percentage against him.
The Padres made less sweeping changes to their lineup, but did move Samad Taylor up from ninth in the order to second. Gavin Sheets replaces Ty France at first base after DHing Monday, and Sung-Mun Song is in at second base and hitting ninth.
No Padres hitters have faced Braves starter JR Ritchie, who is making his eighth career appearance (seventh start) and his second in a row against a National League West team.
It seems like runs may be a bit easier to come by this time on both sides with the pitching matchup at play. Does that work in the Braves’ favor to force a Wednesday rubber match?
BOSTON, MA - MAY 07: Members of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, May 7, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
