Worldwide Sports News

The Yankees recently returned home from a successful roadtrip during which they swept the Royals and took two out of three from the A’s. The offense awoke from its mid-May slumber, putting up 51 runs across the six games. One of the unlikely contributors at the heart of that scoring outburst was Paul Goldschmidt. Initially re-signed over the winter as cover at first base but more importantly to retain his veteran leadership, the 38-year-old former MVP has been one of the Yankees’ most productive bats, bringing much needed stability to a DH role impacted by the injuries to Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Domínguez.

We join Goldschmidt in the top of the first inning last Friday in West Sacramento. The Yankees are looking to make a first inning statement facing old friend Luis Severino, and have already opened the scoring after Ben Rice reached on a throwing error and scored on an Aaron Judge single. Cody Bellinger followed with a single of his own, he and Judge advancing into scoring position on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. soft grounder. Goldschmidt is a base knock away from making it 3-0, but Severino is also an out away from limiting the damage to one.

Severino starts Goldschmidt with a first pitch sinker at 97 mph, he and catcher Shea Langeliers looking to bust Goldschmidt inside.

Severino executes just the pitch he was intending, the sinker starting over the plate before riding in on Goldschmidt. It requires an impressive take from Goldschmidt given the pitch lands just a few inches from the zone — he starts his swing before recognizing that the movement of the pitch will run it off the plate inside for ball one and stops his swing in time.

Perhaps Severino spots Goldschmidt’s initial temptation to offer at that sinker, because he looks to throw a sweeper down a similar tunnel hoping he can get the batter to chase a pitch that breaks in the opposite direction.

Instead, Severino releases this pitch early, and it sweeps across the inside edge for called strike one. It is clear this is not the location that Severino intended to throw to when you see the target low and away that Langeliers flashes, but he gets the desired result all the same.

Severino next looks to leverage the result of the previous pitch — a sweeper that starts aimed inside and breaks glove-side back into the zone — to try to get Goldschmidt to chase a sinker in off the plate. To Goldschmidt, it should look like a hanging sweeper, and the increased velocity of the sinker means that by the time the hitter realizes what pitch is coming, it should be too late to halt his swing.

Once again, Severino rips of perfect execution of a sinker up and in. He buries this slider in on Goldschmidt’s hands, but Goldschmidt is forced to fight it off given that this one is in the zone. The location and movement of this pitch makes it impossible for Goldschmidt to do anything but fight it off foul.

Now that he has pushed the count to two strikes, Severino goes for the kill with the sweeper, Langeliers again setting a target low and away as the pair attempt to induce a chase and whiff from Goldschmidt over the breaker.

This is such a piece of professional hitting from Goldschmidt. He must have diagnosed the pitch early out of Severino’s hand, because at first glance this sweeper looks like it is aimed at his front hip. He also must have cued in on a subtle deficiency in Severino’s release point with all four pitches sailing up and in. To the eye, it certainly appears that Goldschmidt is hunting a breaking pitch in exactly this location based on what he has seen already from Severino in this encounter as well as the scouting report that reveals Severino’s tendency to throw the sweeper immediately upon reaching two strikes. Look at the way he stays in their despite the pitch exiting Severino’s hand aimed at him before unloading on this hanging sweeper for a three-run homer to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead.

Here’s the full AB:

Goldschmidt’s re-signing was initially derided as representative of the Yankees’ broader run it back approach to the offseason. However, his retention has proven an inspired decision in the wake of the injuries to Stanton and Domínguez. At the time of writing, Goldschmidt boasts seven home runs, 23 RBIs, and a 151 wRC+ in 35 games, which makes him the Yankees’ third-most productive hitter in a limited sample. The fact this home run came off a righty when Goldschmidt was expected to bat exclusively against lefties is also encouraging. Ben Rice has credited him as a mentor in learning the intricacies of playing first base, Goldschmidt giving them a capable defender as a late game substitution or when they want to give Rice half a day off at DH. The Yankees would not be within touching distance of the Rays for first in the division if not for Goldschmidt filling the void at DH, removing a ton of pressure off Stanton and Domínguez as they recover from their injuries.

Due to injuries to both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy, the Atlanta Braves are currently having to dip into their reserve tank for help at the catcher spot. Part of that help had been provided by Chadwick Tromp, who did deliver a walk-off knock not too long ago. With that being said, Sandy León has been getting most of the reps behind the dish since the both of them became the top catchers’ duo in Atlanta and as a result, Tromp is now the latest Braves player to take the uncertain ride on the DFA cycle.

The Braves announced that they’ve acquired catcher Austin Wynns from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for cash considerations. Wynns is clearly taking the place of Tromp on the roster because Tromp has now been designated for assignment.

To put this in the nicest terms possible, Wynns has been very underwhelming at the plate so far this season. He’s had 43 plate appearances with the SacramentoAthletics where he hit .077/.143/.077 with a .285 wOBA, a -40 wRC+ and three runs scored. Wynns had been released by the A’s in mid-May, picked up by the Angels a few days afterwards and stashed at their Triple-A affiliate from then until now, as he’s been acquired by the Braves and subsequently called up from Triple-A as well. With all of that being said, Wynns does play some solid defense and as evidenced by the fact that León is getting regularly playing time seemingly solely due to his defense, the Braves have made their decision as to what they value from the catcher’s spot while Baldwin and Murphy are gone.

There was also some shuffling going on elsewhere on the roster that corresponded with this move. Outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. reportedly had an opt-out in his contract where if he wasn’t added to Atlanta’s major league roster by a certain date, he could elect free agency. Well, apparently the Braves didn’t want to lose Keirsey to an opt-out because they called him up to the bigs and then immediately sent him back down to Triple-A. Congratulations on your return to the big leagues, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., we hope you enjoyed your time while it lasted.

Anyways, in order to make roster space for all of this to happen, Sean Murphy has now been transferred to the 60-day IL. This was always going to happen once the Braves needed a roster spot since Murphy’s going to be out for a significant period of time with that fractured finger. This doesn’t change anything with his recovery timeline but it does mean that the Braves can now maneuver with him being on the long-term IL instead of taking up a roster spot on the short-term IL.

So there you have it! There’s some more roster shuffling for you. What do y’all make of all these moves?

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 1:35 p.m. ET

The Red Sox and Orioles will compete in the rubber match of their three-game series on Thursday at Fenway Park.

Brayan Bello, who has been absolutely phenomenal as a bulk reliever, will return to the starting rotation with the hope that he can keep that form without the help (or lack thereof) of an opener. Jovani Morán and Tyler Samaniego, the two men who have opened for the veteran right-hander, have combined to allow nine runs in four innings across their four starts, while the should-be starter has a 0.71 ERA in 25.1 innings of relief in 2026.

It’s just a matter of bringing that same mentality and execution to his original role…

Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Willson Contreras will remain as the first four in the order, with Andruw Monasterio, Carlos Narváez, and Connor Wong slotting back into the lineup after missing the 8-1 victory on Wednesday. Marcelo Mayer, Masataka Yoshida, and Mickey Gasper are out.

Yes, Wong is the DH…

The O’s will essentially run things back, with Leody Taveras and Colton Cowser replacing Tyler O’Neill and Blaze Alexander. Trevor Rogers will get the start.

Worcester: L, 0-12 (BOX SCORE)

Simply put: the WooSox got carved up by the Bison (Blue Jays AAA) pitching staff. Former Ray pitcher Josh Fleming pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and retired 16 consecutive batters en route to an easy win. To say Eduardo Rivera and Angel Bastardo out of relief couldn’t keep up with this lack of offensive firepower would be an understatement; the WooSox couldn’t find the strike zone all night, walking fourteen Bison throughout the day while allowing them seven hits with runners in scoring position. It got to the point where Nathan Hickey, a first baseman, pitched the ninth and gave up a tater.

Portland: W, 10-7 (BOX SCORE)

No, Franklin Arias, did not hit a home run, though he did get a knock against Hartford (Rockies AA). Johanfran Garcia hoisted a ball into the seats, making a 7-6 game a 9-6 game in a shot that’d make all the difference. While the Sea Dogs pitching allowed three homers, the offense answered with three of their own and got them where it matters. And it wasn’t just home runs that made a difference in this game: the Sea Dogs had just a 12% chance of winning the game entering the fifth, but Abhram Liendo’s home run followed by a Nelly Taylor bases-clearing pop up just outside the infield certainly shifted matters.

Greenville: W, 9-3 (BOX SCORE)

While Jack Winnay’s ninth home run in High-A put a pebble in Rome (Braves High-A) pitcher Cedric DeGrandpre’s armor, the Drive hitting him around to start the sixth to the tune of five runs and boosting a tie game into a 7-2 lead. Despite committing three defensive errors, all it took was that one rally in which they hit around the lineup, and it completely changed the complexion of an otherwise close game.

Salem: L, 1-2 (BOX SCORE)

Seen enough of the Red Sox’s offense wasting good pitching starts? Well, it happened in A-ball as the RidgeYaks hit 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position against the Warbirds (Brewers A). Jason Gilman, the 23-year-old from Staten Island and a former Division III player (certainly a rarity…) looked incredible, making it through six innings with 64 pitches, allowing just two hits and no walks, striking out ten, even retiring one runner who reached base via a double play. But Salem just couldn’t pull a winnable game in, stranding 11 and getting caught stealing three times, even one of which would have been crucial.

Have a thunderous Thursday.

Here are the lineups for the series (and season) finale against the Padres. Let’s discuss!

For the Phillies:

For the Padres:

With the calendar now having flipped to June, it’s only natural to start thinking about other events looming on the baseball horizon (well, outside of the potentially apocalyptic event that’s awaiting everybody once this offseason officially gets underway). One of those is the Trade Deadline, which is set for August 3 this season.

As such, Jeff Passan of ESPN has decided that since we’re just under two months away from that always-fateful day in the baseball season, now’s the time to start figuring out what each team is going to be up to at the deadline. Some teams have more modest goals than others and some teams should be attempting to swing for the fences. Jeff Passan has our Atlanta Braves as one of the teams that should absolutely be going for it at the deadline and honestly, I’d agree with that notion.

Assuming the ball club keeps this up this incredible form, this could shape up to be Atlanta’s best chance in years at making a legitimate World Series run and one of the best ways to make sure that this team is continuing to pull in the right direction for the long haul is to give the squad an adrenaline injection around late-July/early-August with an impact addition or two.

In fact, Passan is suggesting that the Braves should make what would likely be the biggest impact addition of the deadline by adding All-World starting pitcher Tarik Skubal into the fold. Here’s a snippet from Passan’s article where he’s talking about what the Tigers should do at the deadline:

2026 unquestionably will be The Skubal Deadline. Provided the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner returns from his elbow scope healthy and effective, he will be the focus for every contender. It doesn’t matter that he’s a free agent after the season. The deadline is largely about contenders shoring up pitching staffs, and there’s no better bulwark than the best pitcher in the world. And, no, the prorated amount — around $10 million of his $32 million salary — will not be an impediment. If you can get Tarik Skubal, you get Tarik Skubal.

Here’s where Passan brings the Braves into it:

Hurston Waldrep, is on a rehab assignment. Another, Spencer Schwellenbach, is throwing. And A.J. Smith-Shawver, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, is ramping up bullpens. It’s not out of the question for all three to rejoin Atlanta by the end of the season.

So why Skubal? Because he’s Skubal. And because all those young arms — not to mention J.R. Ritchie and Cam Caminiti in the minor leagues, and Didier Fuentes at the big league level — give them the firepower to get him. To beat the Dodgers, teams need to assemble a wrecking crew that can go toe-to-toe with the first back-to-back World Series champions in a quarter-century. Starting a series with Skubal and Chris Sale — and having Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder to fill out the rotation — is quite a place to begin.

Now granted, it’s not like Passan is doing any type of actual reporting here — he’s just simply suggesting that the Braves should aim high when it comes to their Trade Deadline aspirations. He also has Skubal as the best fit for basically every team that’s currently flying high in the standings, so it’s also not like he’s exclusively linking Skubal to the Braves, either.

With that being said, I can see the vision. Sure, the Braves will have most of their planned rotation back in action by the time the second half of the season is in swing. They also have some encouraging pitching prospects on the farm that could potentially make some noise as well. Passan mentioned them in his clip and we’ve seen already with Didier Fuentes just how electric he can be when his stuff is really working.

Still, I like to relate this type of thing to that one episode of Family Guy where Peter Griffin and his wife Lois are talking with a sleazy salesman and deciding between receiving a gift of a boat or a mystery prize. While Lois is smartly suggesting that they should just take the boat, Peter is thinking “Yeah, it’s a boat but the mystery prize could be anything! It could even be a boat!” Then the mystery prize turns out to be tickets to a local comedy show while the couple returns home to watch all of their neighbors zooming around the neighborhood in their boats.

So while Ritchie, Caminiti and Fuentes and throw whoever else you want into this fold are all exciting prospects, they’re still mystery boxes at this point compared to the golden boat that is Tarik Skubal. If there’s any possibility of the Braves potentially getting Tarik Skubal and bringing him into the fold, no matter what the cost is, the Braves need to choose the boat in this scenario.

Even if the prospects turn out to become boats themselves, the Braves might be in need of a boat right now more than ever. If you look at the Braves and their “championship window,” you could say that they’re currently in Year 9 of that window after breaking through to win the NL East and return to the Postseason back in 2018. More-than-likely, the Braves are closer to potentially having to rebuild (or at least do a serious retool) than they are to having this window open much longer.

Chris Sale is still fantastic but he’s also 37. Matt Olson is still producing at the plate but he’s going to be 33. Ozzie Albies’ contract is going to be up soon. Sean Murphy may never be the same after his hip injury. Atlanta’s a year-or-two away from potentially having to answer a $500 million question about Ronald Acuña Jr. and his future. Left field is still a revolving door after Jurickson Profar made some pretty dumb decisions. Things are back on track right now but Alex Anthopoulos is going to have a tricky juggling session in the future when it comes to either extending this window or deciding to go in a different direction at some point in the relatively near future.

As such, this does seem like one of those years where if the Braves are in position to go for it, they should. If Tarik Skubal is available (which he likely will be) and Atlanta has any chance of swinging a deal with Detroit, they should be pursuing that with everything they’ve got. It’s one of those things that sounds like a wacky lil’ trade proposal that you’d see anybody cook up on social media because they’re bored and think that this is MLB: The Show but at the same time, when you have guys like Passan talking about it, the possibility of this happening is at least non-zero. That’s better than zero!

I’d like to once agin stress the fact that this isn’t reporting and this is just pure speculation from everybody involved. Alex Anthopoulos did indicate during a pregame interview on this past Sunday that the team would be active at the deadline in order to keep the foot on the pedal but there’s still nothing tangible linking the Braves to Tarik Skubal. With that being said, if there’s even the slightest possibility that Detroit is coveting what Atlanta has in terms of trade assets, there should be no hesitation from the Braves as to what they should do — at least in my opinion. We’ll see what happens.