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The Chicago Cubs should be well-rested for Wednesday’s doubleheader opener. Two of Chicago’s last three games have been rained out, so it'll be playing for just the second time since Saturday. 

The New York Mets could be without Juan Soto following his early exit last night, and my Cubs vs. Mets predictions are taking advantage of that.

Find out more in my MLB picks for June 24.

Who will win Cubs vs Mets today: Cubs (-126)

The Chicago Cubs have been streaky all season and are on another hot stretch, winning seven of 10 — including Tuesday’s series opener against the New York Mets. The Mets have lost three straight and five of seven.  

New York's bullpen worked more than five innings last night and has a doubleheader today, so starter Nolan McLean needs to go deep. He’s gone past five just twice in his last three starts, and McLean has a 6.75 ERA late in games with a .294 average against.  

The Cubs are favored, but at the upper limit of when I’d take them. If it gets to -130, I’d cut bait.

COVERS INTEL:Batters are hitting 80 points higher against McLean late in games with an OPS increase of 90 points. 

Cubs vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-115)

The Cubs are being coy about their pitchers for the doubleheader. Shota Imanaga and Javier Assad could start, but they weren’t specifying the order.

Both pitchers are coming off back-to-back strong outings, and the Cubs' pen has pitched four innings since Saturday. Chicago has been hitting, but the last thing a hot team wants is to sit out days.

New York has scored three or fewer runs in five of the last nine games. The offensive boost the Mets hoped to get from Francisco Lindor’s return for the first time since April 22 got muted when Juan Soto left Tuesday’s game with back trouble. 

Play this down to 8.

Cubs vs Mets weather

Sunny skies and temps in the mid-80s ensure no weather delay today. The hot weather could add some more pop to balls, but the wind of 10 mph shouldn't play too much of a factor.

Cubs vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -124 | Mets +106
• Run line: Cubs +1.5 (-290) | Mets -1.5 (+215)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-124) | Under 8.5 (-158)

Cubs vs Mets trend

The Chicago Cubs have hit the game total Under in seven of their last nine away games (+4.85 Units / 50% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Mets.

How to watch Cubs vs Mets and game info

Cubs vs Mets latest injuries

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Manny Machado said it best in his postgame interview – this was a team win.

The San Diego Padres got a walk-off win thanks to a single back through the middle of the infield by Machado that allowed Jackson Merrill to score from second base to give the Padres a 7-6 win over the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings. The winning RBI-single by Machado is another example of the third baseman coming through in the clutch recently. Machado homered in the first game of the series in the bottom of the fourth inning and that led to a 1-0 win for San Diego. He also homered against the Texas Rangers in the top of the 10^th inning last Saturday to give the Padres a 6-4 win. There is no doubt, Machado has not been the offensive player the Friar Faithful have come to expect him to be so far this season, but recent performances could indicate that is about to change.

There was a lot that happened prior to Machado getting his game-winning hit in the 10^th. The Braves jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning only to watch the Padres jump back in front in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 5-4 lead. Atlanta not only tied the game in the top of the fourth but took the lead in the top of the fifth on a solo home run from Mauricio Dubon. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, 6-6 and the San Diego bullpen put up zeros in the final three innings, two of which were thrown by closer Mason Miller.   

The Padres employed an opener once again for Griffin Canning, but the results against the Braves were not as good as they were the last time out against the St. Louis Cardinals when he pitched 4.1 innings and allowed one run. Canning lasted just 0.2 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts against Atlanta. Kyle Hart then pitched two innings and allowed a run, followed by Yuki Matsui, who pitched 2.1 innings and allowed a run. David Morgan pitched a scoreless inning and Adrian Morejon and Miller covered the final three innings to get the win.

The Padres will go for a sweep of the Braves today at 5:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• JP Sears has joined the Padres rotation and Lucas Giolito was placed on injured reserve. Sears is expected to start the final game of the series against the Braves.

• Gavin Sheets has been a pleasant surprise for the Padres and has become a fan favorite. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball looks at why he has been so important to the San Diego lineup.

• Freddy Fermin is done with his stint on the seven-day concussion IL and has rejoined San Diego.

• Robert Suarez, the former Padres closer, was recognized by the team and fans upon his return to Petco Park. Now in a setup role with Atlanta, he says he looks back fondly at the time he spent in San Diego.

Baseball News:

• The Philadelphia Phillies mounted a two-out, eight-run rally in the ninth to beat the Washington Nationals.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his fifth home run in his last six games to lead the Chicago Cubs over the New York Mets.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the Minnesota Twins en route to a 12-3 win.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks and the St. Louis Cardinals went down to the wire before the Diamondbacks got the win.

• Sonny Gray recorded 11 strikeouts to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Colorado Rockies.

• The San Francisco Giants beat the Athletics, 3-1.

Jac Caglianone had a huge two-homer night playing near his hometown, writes Jaylon Thompson.

“It was pretty cool,” Caglianone said. “I had one of my best friends pretty close to home plate. So no, I hit it and I knew he was pretty fired up about it. It’s cool. You can see like on the video, he was in the background filming and stuff. So that was a pretty cool moment. Yeah, just knowing I got a bunch of family and friends here is pretty special.”

Nick Loftin also had a good game, writes Brian Murphy.

“We believe in our abilities and what we are capable of doing,” Loftin said. “We’re going to continue to do that every single day, one pitch at a time, one day at a time, and when they come back into the lineup, it’s going to be pretty scary.”

Maikel Garcia landed on the Injured List.

The Royals mulled placing Garcia on the injured list last week. At that time, they opted to give him a few rest days to see if the pain might subside.

“I mean, we kind of set the goal of giving him those three or four days off and see if he could respond to it,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “… We were hoping that if the medicine kicked in and took the pain away and the rest helped a little bit.— we were hopeful for that. But it didn’t happen that way. He’s still in pain.”

Garcia recently noted it’s tough to play at less than full strength.

David Lesky thinks John Schreiber could become a trade asset.

He struck out a batter on May 10 against Detroit, and it was the first strikeout he’d recorded in 27 batters. Since and including that game, he has a 1.62 ERA with 19 strikeouts and four walks in 16.2 innings with just 10 hits allowed. He has given up some home runs, so there are blemishes, but the 19 strikeouts are good for a rate of 31.1 percent, which puts him in elite reliever territory. He is very likely to be traded, and if this velocity and these strikeouts keep up, there’s a good chance he returns more than expected. And I will warn you right now that there’s also a good chance the Royals pursue him as a free agent this winter. So just be ready for that. But if he’s found this new gear, maybe it’ll work out.

Mike Gillespie at Royals Keep writes about the trade deadline risks the Royals cannot take.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits a go-ahead home run and celebrates with lollipops.

Rafael Devers apologizes to Giants manager Tony Vitiello for balking at a pinch runner.

The Phillies were down to their last strike and score eight to come back against the Nationals.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell is irked by a rainout decision.

How ABS has propelled a resurgence for left-handed hitters.

Is a Braves slump a sign of things to come?

Who could the Red Sox trade if they become sellers?

The Giants do not plan to trade pitcher Logan Webb.

Dan Szymborski looks at how MLB’s CBA proposal would cost top players.

MLB clears Dodgers doctor Neal ElAttrache after an alleged PED link to fighter Conor McGregor.

The winners and losers from Day 1 of the NBA draft.

Goals are being scored at a record pace at the World Cup, and it may be because of the ball.

Wendy’s stock soars after a new CEO hire, but is it because of meme traders?

Kansas City restaurants added World Cup gratuity charges, but some now say it hurt more than helped.

Why do only humans sleepwalk?

Your song of the day is Pantera with Walk.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

• Kodai Senga got tattooed, allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings to bury the Mets in an eventual 9-6 loss to the Cubs at Citi Field
• After the game, an exasperated Carlos Mendoza discussed Senga's uncertain future in the rotation
• Juan Sotois day-to-day after leaving Tuesday's game early due to back tightness
• David Stearnsdiscussed the struggling starting rotation
• Stearns also talked about the approaching trade deadline, and when New York might make a determination on how to proceed
• SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes wrote that there's a path, albeit a difficult one, for the Mets to validate Stearns' patience
• Francisco Lindor's impending return is a positive the Mets desperately need right now
• Christian Scott is expected to come off the IL to start this weekend against the Phillies
• Luis Robert Jr. has resumed baseball activities as he works toward a return
• On The Mets Pod, Jim Duquette joined Joe DeMayo to talk starters, selling, and more
• WATCH: What can the Mets get for Freddy Peralta if they become sellers?

Whatever else can be said about the 2026 Orioles, you’ve got to give this to them: They’re really committed to the bit. The problem for everyone who would prefer if they win games is that the bit the Orioles are committed to is the steadfast refusal to ever go on any kind of extended winning streak. The Orioles failed at their latest attempt – their sixth attempt! – to turn a three-game winning streak into something more with a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Angels on Tuesday night.

This one might have been the most ridiculous of the failures so far. The Angels, who are at a desperation point of “throw any warm body into the rotation,” sent 23-year-old righty Ryan Johnson to the mound for the game. Johnson notably brought a 12.83 ERA into the game after five outings so far this season. Yes, that is an ERA in the double digits.

Or at least, it was in the double digits, because by the time the Orioles offense had their say, or perhaps rather their lack of say, Johnson had taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He struck out a career-high eight batters. The Orioles drew only a single walk in addition to their lone hit in the six innings that Johnson was in the game. He brought the ERA down to a mighty 8.84. This should have gone much better, and it did not, for no apparent reason. This is a regular feature of the 2026 Orioles.

To give the Orioles a chance to win in the face of that futility, the O’s own starter, Shane Baz, would have had to be perfect. He wasn’t perfect. Three batters into the bottom of the first, the Angels already had all of the offense they would need to win the game. Their shortstop, Zach Neto, led off with a single, and with one out, first baseman Nolan Schanuel hit a “that was barely a home run” kind of home run. Those still count, too, even the ones that are only a home run in 3/30 ballparks, as long as you’re in one of the three.

If this was the only blemish on Baz’s night, you could credit it as a tough luck loss. It was not the only blemish. Although Baz rebounded and kept the Angels off the board for a few innings, he ran into trouble again in the fifth. The trouble is just that he suddenly couldn’t get anyone out. The Angels jumped on him for four hits in a row… wait a minute, four in a row? Why does that sound familiar? Anyway, four hits in a row capped off by a sacrifice fly at the end brought three more runs across for the Angels.

That’s a clunker on the season tally for Baz. Five runs allowed on eight hits and a walk. His ERA is up to 4.31. Baz has had some good games along the way, but I hoped for much better after the Orioles gave up such a haul of prospects for him and then gave him a five-year contract extension before he ever threw a pitch for the team. He had been better recently. He wasn’t good enough last night.

That is the story of the Orioles season. They just aren’t good enough. They are now at the halfway point of the 2026 season and they are on a pace to win exactly one more game than the 2025 Orioles did. All of the moves that were made, all of the noise they made about how they would be better, and that’s the pace they’re on. They’re not better. If they finish in the vicinity of 76 wins, there should be changes not only to the roster but to the front office that sets the roster.

Some of the reasons the Orioles are failing are familiar and others are new. A number of things are going right but many more are going wrong. Getting three hits in a game that was started by Ryan Johnson is just one more example of games where it’s the wrong stuff that is dominant. This is a mess. Manager Craig Albernaz actually deployed a variant of one of my all-time least favorite loser lines in his post-game presser with reporters, saying, “Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposing pitcher, and he was on tonight.” He pulled out this line about Ryan Johnson. I’m experiencing second-hand embarrassment.

The west coast road trip comes to a close with one final game on Wednesday afternoon. The Orioles and Angels are scheduled to start their series finale at 4:07 Eastern time. If the Orioles pull off a win, we can maybe talk ourselves into feeling okay about a 5-4 road trip. If they don’t, then they’ve once again squandered the opportunity to build on a small stretch of success. Trey Gibson and José Soriano are the scheduled starting pitchers. Soriano has actually been good this year. It won’t be easy for the Orioles hitters.

It’s impossible to tell the story of the 2026 Orioles without mentioning injuries. The same can be said about the 2025 Orioles, the 2024 Orioles, and really every other team. Injuries are always part of baseball, but sometimes they play a larger role than others.

Jordan Westburg will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 13. Zach Eflin made only one start before undergoing the same procedure on May 8. These two will not recover in time to make an impact this year, but other Baltimore players will. Can any of those players give this team the boost it needs to make a real playoff push?

There’s a few banged up players that (hopefully) do not fall into the long term category. Adley Rutschman made his way to the 7-day injured list after a freak play in Seattle. Rutschman will be eligible to return this weekend. It’s unclear whether he’ll come of the injured list as soon as possible, but the Orioles obviously need a healthy Rutschman to achieve any of their goals this season.

Blaze Alexander has been red hot since May 1. Alexander and Jackson Holliday are both considered day-to-day but have yet to hit the IL.

The true candidates for this exercise have missed a significant chunk of the first half. Dean Kremer and Cade Povich qualify, and both started rehab appearances last weekend.

In a surprising move, the Orioles left Kremer off the Opening Day roster to make room for Eflin and Chris Bassitt in the rotation. Kremer made his season debut on April 13, and he delivered a quality start against Cleveland in his second outing. Unfortunately, Kremer went down with a right quad strain. The righty eventually made his way to the 60-day IL and remained on the shelf for two months. Kremer limited his opponent to one run on two hits, two walks and five strikeouts over 3.2 innings for Triple-A on Sunday.

Povich also failed to make the roster out of camp, but the Orioles recalled the lefty in early April after Eflin and reliever Yaramil Hiraldo went down. Povich made his first appearance out of the bullpen with 5.2 innings of bulk relief in Pittsburgh, but he tossed a gem a week later. Povich held San Francisco to one run over 6.2 innings before returning to Norfolk. He rejoined the Orioles at the beginning of May and made two short starts before suffering from elbow inflammation.

Povich tossed 3.1 innings of one-hit ball for Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday.

Could either of these two be our guy? Shane Baz, Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers are all cemented in the rotation. Brandon Young has pitched his way into some job security with a phenomenal first half, but there’s still room in the rotation right now. Trey Gibson appears to have the chops to make it as a major league pitcher, but the rookie holds a 5.81 ERA through six appearances. Gibson has yet to complete six innings in a big league start, and it feels like the Orioles are treading water on days that he takes the mound.

When healthy, Kremer should replace Gibson as the fifth starter. Kremer holds a career 4.26 ERA over seven seasons. He may not wow anyone, but he’ll raise the floor of the rotation. With the Orioles currently sitting under .500, every game counts. Kremer should provide stability and some much needed length to help a struggling bullpen.

Speaking of the ‘pen, the Orioles could use Povich down there. The front office may decide to keep Povich in Norfolk’s rotation, but don’t rule out the club working the lefty into its mix of relievers.

The same can be said for Bassitt whenever he returns. Bassitt didn’t exactly ingratiate himself to Orioles fans in his first season with the club. The 37-year-0ld holds a 5.27 ERA through 12 appearances, and the O’s have yet to provide a timetable for the veteran after he went down with back tightness on June 5. Bassitt played a significant relief role for the Blue Jays team on their way to a World Series appearance last season. A healthy Bassitt would bump Gibson from the rotation, but the team could decide to roll with Kremer moving forward.

What about the offense? The Orioles are somehow carrying three catchers right now even without Rutschman. With respect to Sam Huff and Chadwick Tromp, there’s room for some better bench bats.

Dylan Beavers is working his way back from a right oblique strain. The rookie began a rehab assignment at Double-A last week and is currently at Triple-A. Beavers holds a career .354 on-base percentage over his first 213 at bats. Colton Cowser has come on over the last month, but Leody Taveras is trending down. There’s definitely room for Beavers bat in this lineup, and the 27-year-old could provide a spark from the bottom half of the order.

While we’re mentioning struggling outfielders, the Orioles used Tyler O’Neill as its designated hitter last night. O’Neill is slashing .186/.276/.271 this season, and he’s the guy the Orioles designated to hit. With respect to O’Neill and his 55 OPS+, almost any healthy player would represent an improvement.

Ryan Mountcastle fits that profile. The Orioles kept Mountcastle around after signing Pete Alonso, but the first baseman broke his foot on April 11. Mountcastle isn’t expected back until July or later, but the slugger could make an impact as a bench bat and occasional DH after the All Star break.

The real wild card is Félix Bautista. The Orioles closer underwent surgery last August to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum last August. Bautista was scheduled to throw his first bullpen yesterday, but confirmation had yet to be provided by the time of this writing. The Mountain has a long way to go before rejoining the team, but it’s incredibly exciting to think about what Bautista could add to the bullpen late in the season.

Bautista holds the highest ceiling of any of the injured players, but don’t underestimate what shoring up the rotation could do for this team. The offense could benefit from another quality bat, and the bullpen could use some help with middle relief.

Which injured Orioles player do you think will make the biggest impact this season? Let us know in the comments below.