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Unlike other publications, Padres Mission enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a DiamondCentric account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Padres' top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Padres prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://padresmission.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in the minor league forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Friday, June 19.. View the full article

Daniel Palencia understands how much is on the line right now—how fragile things really are in Wrigleyville. That's why he shook off a twinge in his elbow Monday night to pitch to the end of a scoreless top of the ninth inning, setting up the Cubs' walkoff win to open a homestand. It couldn't be ignored any longer than that, though, and now, Palencia is back on the injured list for the second time this season. Last time, he had a lat strain. This time, it's elbow inflammation. Expect a longer absence than the fortnight he missed in April—and expect, therefore, a real scramble to cover the innings for a team trying to stay in contention. That will only be worsened if Edward Cabrera follows Palencia to the injured list, for what would also be his second stint this season. Cabrera wasn't effective Tuesday night, anyway, but he left in the fifth inning because of a cramp in his right hand, adding injury to insult. Cabrera's previous trip to the shelf was prompted by a blister, which proved a minor problem, and this could be a similar situation. The bigger problem is that Cabrera hasn't been able to rediscover his form from the first handful of starts this year—although, if the cramping turns out to be linked to any other problem farther up the kinetic chain, that could become the main issue in a hurry. Matthew Boyd is, once again, heading out on a rehab assignment, so the Cubs anticipate some relief in their rotation soon. For the moment, though, this team is limping around, hampered by a series of injuries that have been far too damaging for their thin organizational depth to withstand—and by the failures of Colin Rea and Shota Imanaga to keep the ball in the park of late. It's not at all clear what the team can do about this, though. Jaxon Wiggins has a great arm, but is hurt. Brandon Birdsell has had his career utterly derailed by injuries, and hasn't pitched at all in 2026. Brody McCullough is on the injured list for Triple-A Iowa, too. The best healthy starters the team's top farm team could offer them right now are Jordan Wicks (which the team has already tried, despite the experiment obviously being doomed to failure), Will Sanders, Connor Noland and Ty Blach. None of those three guys has an ERA under 5.00, and that's against Triple-A hitters. The Cubs do have six healthy relievers currently on optional assignment with Iowa, even after recalling Gavin Hollowell to replace Palencia on the roster. But the upside in that group is incredibly thin. Ditto for the handful of non-roster relievers also waiting for a chance. With Phil Maton seemingly having a lost season and Hunter Harvey nowhere near a return to the mound, a Palencia-less Cubs pen is as weak as their injury-ravaged rotation. Light on farm system depth, the Cubs will have few options for making a splashy trade over the next month and a half. Instead, they'll have to ride this out and try to find a little bit of help—to stabilize this roster and try to sneak into the postseason, rather than to make any serious challenge to the Brewers for the NL Central crown. There are plenty of problems on the position-player front, but all of those could be survived. The pitching injury crisis, by contrast, is reaching a critical level that looks like it will torpedo the team's season. They don't develop pitching well enough to win without a bit of luck on the health front. Right now, they're getting no such luck. View the full article

In Mason Miller, the San Diego Padres have the best relief arm in baseball coming out of their bullpen. The wild thing is that the above sentiment isn't opinion. It's as objective an idea as possible considering his blend of velocity, strikeouts, and overall ability to prevent runs. As the calendar hits the middle of June, Miller is one of the only certainties the Padres possess on a roster full of questions. Miller's 1.9 fWAR through his first 29 appearances leads all qualifying relievers. As does his remarkable 51.8 percent strikeout rate (Miller has faced 114 hitters as of this writing and struck out 59 of them). His 0.90 ERA ranks fifth among that group, but he's also allowing the least amount of hard contact by a wide margin (14.0 percent) in those rare instances in which a hitter even gets a bat on the ball. Miller's 51.9 percent contact rate is the best in the sport by more than seven percent. His 101.3 MPH fastball velocity also sits at the top of the leaderboard. For an illustrated indicator of just how good he's been, take his Baseball Savant percentile chart. He ranks in the 100th percentile for (i.e., he's the best in baseball at) the following: xERA, xBA, fastball velocity, average exit velocity allowed, barrel rate allowed, hard-hit rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate. Oh, and his chase rate and ground-ball rate also rank in the top 10 perecent among all pitchers league-wide. Given all of that, we didn't necessarily need new reasons to be impressed by Miller. He was already one of the game's top closers upon his arrival in San Diego and has only increased in his dominance in the trips he's taken to the mound since. However, Statcast's new data has given us even more ways in which that dominance can be quantified. The introduction of the swing timing and the miss distance leaderboard unlocks additional insight into the impact of pitches. We now have more of a tangible means to describe just how much certain pitchers can overwhelm the average hitter. The miss distance helps to indicate just that; it's the closest distance (in inches) between the top half of the bat and the ball over the course of a swing. Swing timing, meanwhile, helps to indicate how in front of or behind, above or below, and horizontally centered a swing ends up on a given pitch or pitch type. In Miller's case, that data is illustrated below in a couple of different ways. The red curve is his fastball; the yellow curve is his slider. Let's talk about the fastball first. Hitters are able to keep it centered, sure. A four-seam isn't liable to feature too much horizontal movement to it, after all. What's more notable is in the timing and the vertical components. Hitters are much more liable to be behind. They're not getting completely overpowered given the overall velocity present in the game, but they're much more likely to be behind than directly on time, and they're certainly not going to be early. When you factor in the vertical movement in which a four-seamer moves upward — Miller gets 16.9 inches of induced break — it becomes nearly impossible for a hitter to make quality contact. In Miller's case, the 22.7 percent hard-hit rate he's allowing is more than 25 percent lower than it was last year. The slider is, perhaps, an even more impressive picture. In each of the three areas of the swing, hitters are all over the map. They're off the end of the bat, they're swinging early, and they're swinging over it. A "flawed" swing in the eyes of this new data is a swing in which a hitter fails on all three fronts. Miller's 37 percent rate of flawed swings with his slider isn't just the highest rate among any individual pitch type for any Padres pitcher, but the highest of any individual pitch for any pitcher in the sport. The 60 percent whiff rate with the slider is also atop the leaderboard, while his 67 percent rate of competitive swings is the lowest for any pitch. It's not just that Mason Miller is likely the most dominant reliever in the sport. He also possesses its most dominant pitch in his slider. That four-seam/slider combination is not a modern invention in baseball, but Miller is executing it as well as anybody we've seen in recent memory. The idea itself is not revelatory; Miller was already having an elite season by just about any measure. Statcast's new data is just another perspective to reinforce it. View the full article

Unlike other publications, North Side Baseball enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a DiamondCentric account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Cubs' top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Cubs prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://northsidebaseball.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in the minor league forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Friday, June 19. View the full article

Unlike other publications, Brewer Fanatic enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a DiamondCentric account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Brewers' top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Brewers prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://brewerfanatic.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in the minor league forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Friday, Jun 19. View the full article

St. Lucie erupted for nine runs in the second inning behind Yohairo Cuevas, who homered and drove in two in a 10-3 win, while Antonio Jimenez added two hits and two RBIs. Syracuse rallied for four in the eighth to beat Norfolk 6-3, capped by Ryan Clifford's two-run double. Brooklyn coughed up a 4-0 lead in a 6-4 loss despite Dakota Hawkins striking out five over four scoreless. Binghamton fell 4-1 as R.J. Gordon allowed three runs. Mets Transactions New York Mets activated SS Zack Short. New York Mets designated SS Vidal Bruján for assignment. New York Mets signed free agent OF Nick Lucky to a minor league contract. New York Mets activated RHP Kodai Senga from the 15-day injured list. New York Mets optioned RHP Jonathan Pintaro to Syracuse Mets. Syracuse Rallies For Four In The Eighth To Topple Norfolk Syracuse scored four runs in the eighth inning to erase a deficit and beat the Norfolk Tides, 6-3. Trailing 3-2 entering the frame, the Mets tied it when Jackson Cluff doubled home Christian Arroyo. After a walk to Nick Morabito and a walk to Jihwan Bae loaded the bases, Andy Ibáñez lifted a sacrifice fly to score Cluff for the lead, and Ryan Clifford followed with a two-run double that scored Bae to make it 6-3. Cluff finished with a double, a run, and an RBI, while Clifford doubled and drove in a run. Grae Kessinger homered, scored, and drove in a run, and Morabito singled in a run as the leadoff hitter. Xzavion Curry turned in a strong start, working seven innings and allowing three runs on five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts, though two of those hits left the yard. Adbert Alzolay closed it out with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one to earn the win. Syracuse left four runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 3 1 1 1 1 1 Ji Hwan Bae 3 1 0 0 1 2 Andy Ibáñez 3 0 0 1 0 0 Ryan Clifford 4 0 1 1 0 2 Grae Kessinger 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ben Rortvedt 3 0 0 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 3 1 1 0 0 0 Hayden Senger 2 0 0 0 1 1 Christian Arroyo 0 1 0 0 0 0 Kevin Parada 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jackson Cluff 3 1 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Xzavion Curry 7 5 3 3 0 7 2 Adbert Alzolay 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 Binghamton Held To One Run In 4-1 Loss To New Hampshire Binghamton managed just three hits in a 4-1 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The lone run came in the seventh inning, when JT Schwartz homered to center field. Schwartz accounted for two of the team's three hits, scoring once and driving in one, while Vincent Perozo added the other hit. The Rumble Ponies drew three walks but stranded eight runners and struck out 10 times. R.J. Gordon took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings with three walks and one strikeout, with two of the hits leaving the yard. The bullpen kept it close from there, as Gabriel Rodriguez struck out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Douglas Orellana allowed a run in one inning, and Garrett Stratton finished with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 3 0 0 0 1 1 Jacob Reimer 4 0 0 0 0 1 Matt Rudick 4 0 0 0 0 3 JT Schwartz 4 1 2 1 0 0 Vincent Perozo 3 0 1 0 0 1 Jaylen Palmer 2 0 0 0 1 1 Wyatt Young 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 0 0 0 2 Diego Mosquera 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR R.J. Gordon 4 2/3 4 3 3 3 1 2 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 1/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Douglas Orellana 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Garrett Stratton 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Brooklyn Blows Four-Run Lead In Seventh-Inning Collapse Brooklyn carried a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning but surrendered five runs in the frame and fell to the Wilmington Blue Rocks, 6-4. The damage began with a two-run double, continued with run-scoring singles, and ended on a sacrifice fly that pushed Wilmington ahead 5-4. Daiverson Gutierrez powered the offense with three hits, including two doubles and a home run, scoring three times and driving in one. Mitch Voit drove in a run with a sacrifice fly as the leadoff hitter, and John Bay added an RBI. Dakota Hawkins was excellent, striking out five over four scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and no walks. Tanner Witt followed with three runs on four hits over two innings with two walks. Parker Carlson took the loss after allowing two runs in one inning, and Hoss Brewer struck out two in the final inning, allowing an unearned run. Brooklyn left 10 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 3 0 0 1 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Corey Collins 4 0 0 0 0 2 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 3 3 1 0 1 Yonatan Henriquez 3 0 0 0 1 1 John Bay 3 0 0 1 1 1 Colin Houck 3 0 1 0 1 1 JT Benson 3 1 1 0 1 0 Nick Roselli 3 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dakota Hawkins 4 2 0 0 0 5 0 Tanner Witt 2 4 3 3 2 2 0 Parker Carlson 1 3 2 2 0 2 0 Hoss Brewer 1 1 1 0 1 2 0 St. Lucie Erupts For Nine In The Second In 10-3 Rout St. Lucie scored nine runs in the second inning and cruised past the Daytona Tortugas, 10-3. After falling behind 3-0 in the first, the Mets sent 13 men to the plate in the second. The rally opened on a throwing error, and Chase Meggers delivered a two-run single before Jeremy Rodriguez singled home another run to tie it. Trey Snyder put St. Lucie ahead with a two-run single, Antonio Jimenez followed with a two-run double, and Yohairo Cuevas capped the frame with a two-run home run that made it 9-3. Cuevas finished with two hits, two runs, and two RBIs, Jimenez added two hits and two RBIs, and both Snyder and Meggers drove in two apiece. Conner Ware allowed three runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts over two innings. The bullpen was outstanding behind him, combining for seven scoreless innings, as Zack Mack earned the win with two scoreless innings, Ernesto Mercedes struck out three over two scoreless frames, Joe Charles added two scoreless innings, and Caden Wooster finished with a scoreless ninth. St. Lucie left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 1 0 0 2 0 Trey Snyder 4 2 1 2 1 1 Antonio Jimenez 5 1 2 2 0 1 Yohairo Cuevas 4 2 2 2 1 0 Julio Zayas 3 1 1 1 1 0 Branny De Oleo 3 1 1 0 1 2 Chase Meggers 4 1 1 2 0 2 Simon Juan 4 0 1 0 0 0 Jeremy Rodriguez 4 1 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Conner Ware 2 2 3 3 2 2 0 Zack Mack 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ernesto Mercedes 2 0 0 0 1 3 0 Joe Charles 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 Caden Wooster 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Peña: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K Jacob Reimer: 0-for-4, K Nick Morabito: 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB, K Mitch Voit: 0-for-3, RBI Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-3, BB, K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, K R.J. Gordon: 4 2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 HR View the full article

Every major-league season has natural checkpoints that shape the decisions teams make. Opening Day creates expectations. Memorial Day offers the first meaningful look at the standings. July 4 marks the unofficial launch of trade deadline season. By the end of July, front offices must decide whether to buy, sell, or attempt to thread the needle somewhere in between. For the Minnesota Twins, those decisions carry even more intrigue this summer. This is Jeremy Zoll’s first season running baseball operations, and while he spent years helping shape the organization’s process behind the scenes, this will be his first opportunity to navigate a trade deadline from the lead decision-making chair. That creates plenty of unknowns for both fans and rival executives trying to predict Minnesota’s approach. On a recent episode of Inside Twins, Zoll provided some insight into how teams across baseball are approaching the next few weeks and why the market remains unusually quiet. The Early Trade Deadline Check-Ins While many fans think trade deadline conversations begin in late July, front offices start laying the groundwork much earlier. According to Zoll, clubs have already started preliminary discussions. “You start to get a preliminary set of check-in calls around what you’re thinking for team direction, trade deadline, things along those lines,” he said. Those conversations establish relationships and gauge which teams may eventually become buyers or sellers. However, identifying those categories has proven difficult this season. In many years, several teams have effectively waved the white flag by mid-June. That has not happened in 2026. The American League’s Crowded Race The biggest factor impacting the market is the current state of the American League. Few teams have completely fallen out of contention, creating a league full of organizations still hoping a strong couple of weeks can change their fortunes. That uncertainty has slowed meaningful trade discussions. “And I think the reality is with the state of, especially the state of the American League right now, a lot of teams don’t really have that answer," Zoll said. "So those calls haven’t really picked up.” That reality affects everyone. Potential sellers are hesitant to move veterans because they remain within striking distance of a Wild Card spot. Potential buyers are reluctant to part with top prospects before they know exactly what they need. The result is a holding pattern throughout much of June. Why The Next Few Weeks Matter So Much The calendar is about to force decisions. Teams can spend weeks evaluating their rosters, but eventually the schedule catches up to them. The stretch between now and the All-Star break may be the most important period of the season for many front offices. Zoll acknowledged that most organizations are still waiting for more information. “We’re all generally keeping in touch with each other, but you hear a lot of like, 'I need to let this play out further'," he said. "So ultimately, [we] want to let the results on the field carry the day and see where we’re at.” The timing becomes even more compressed once July arrives. Trade discussion used to pick up in earnest a bit sooner, but the draft moved from mid-June to mid-July in 2020, leaving teams focused on that process until the draft happens at the All-Star break. “But right after July 4th weekend, you got a week of draft meetings, then you have the draft, it’s the All-Star break," Zoll said. "Coming out of the All-Star break, then you hunker down into trade deadline mode and figuring out where you’re at from there.” That sequence creates one of the busiest stretches on the baseball calendar. Front offices are simultaneously preparing for the draft, evaluating major-league performance, monitoring injuries, and building trade scenarios. By the time the All-Star break ends, decisions arrive quickly. The Twins’ Information Problem Minnesota’s situation has become even more complicated because some of the organization’s most important young players have spent significant time on the injured list. The conversation turned to how the Twins expected to know much more about players such as Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins by this point in the season. Rodriguez appeared to be pushing toward the major leagues before suffering a thumb injury, while Jenkins has played only a limited number of games at Triple-A because of shoulder issues. That lack of information matters. Young players can influence trade deadline decisions in multiple ways. They can strengthen a roster internally, provide depth in case of injuries, or become valuable trade chips in negotiations. Zoll acknowledged the uncertainty. “Yeah, I think a host of things have probably made the water a little murky, and hopefully the rehab progressions for a bunch of those guys [clear things up],” he said. The organization is still gathering information whenever possible. “[It would] allow us to get all the information we can get. And also, we think a bunch of those guys can help us at different points along the way.” For a front office trying to determine its options, every game played by a recovering prospect could provide valuable clarity. The Focus Remains on Winning Despite the uncertainty surrounding the deadline, Zoll made it clear that the Twins are not yet focused on selling pieces or planning for next season. The priority remains getting the current roster back on track. “So first and foremost, we want to do everything we can to get the big league team rolling here, obviously," Zoll said. "This last stretch since around Memorial Day hasn’t been the best, but [we] still think there’s a lot of talent in that group.” That belief explains why Minnesota remains in evaluation mode. The Twins know their roster has underperformed for stretches this summer, but they also know the American League standings remain crowded. A strong two-week run could dramatically change the organization’s outlook before the All-Star break. For the Twins, this year’s checkpoints may be more important than most. Once the draft and All-Star break arrive, however, the waiting will end. The calendar will demand answers, and the Twins will have to decide exactly where they fit into the 2026 trade deadline landscape. What should fans expect from Zoll in his first trade deadline? How will he be different from Derek Falvey? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Trading Jonathan Bowlan to Philadelphia for Matt Strahm seemed a reasonable thing to do when the Kansas City Royals pulled the trigger on just that deal back in December. Bowlan had been serviceable, but not consistently remarkable, in parts of three seasons for the Royals, while Strahm had become an accomplished big league reliever after KC, with whom he broke into the majors in 2016, dealt him away to the Padres during the 2017 campaign. A little more than six months after the Bowlan deal and almost three months into the Royals’ all-but-lost 2026 season (Monday’s loss to Washington dropped them 15 games below .500), Bowlan has overcome an early April groin strain and is 2-0 with a 3.92 ERA in 20 games for the Phillies, while an ugly 5.40 ERA mars Strahm’s 23-appearance, 3-1 record through Monday. It's a homecoming with little to celebrate. Bowlan is no longer Kansas City’s concern, but Strahm most certainly is — without improvement, the veteran left-hander could drive the club crazy when the midsummer trade deadline nears. Here’s why. Why Did the Royals Go After Matt Strahm? Kansas City’s interest in bringing Strahm home was understandable. The Royals needed some fine-tuning after a disappointing 2025 season that left them just a few wins short of a second consecutive trip to the playoffs. The bullpen wasn’t free of concerns as baseball’s winter began, and Strahm seemed like someone who could provide immediate help. He’d been quite good for the Phillies after joining them as a free agent after the 2022 campaign, posting an excellent 2.71 ERA across three seasons and 188 appearances. His 0.955 WHIP, 4.94 SO/BB ratio, 30.4 K%, 6.16 BB%, and 160 ERA+ were all good, and he won 17 games and saved 11. And he became an All-Star for the first time when he went 6-2 with a 1.87 ERA to help the Phils roll to the 2024 National League East Division title. But this season, his 11th in the majors, hasn’t been what Strahm and the Royals wanted when they gave up Bowlan to get him. Yes, he’s won three times and lost only once, but he’s surrendered 13 runs in 21 1/3 innings. Concerning, too, is his performance this month — through Monday, he’d given up home runs in each of his last four games and in five of his six June appearances. His ERA for the month was 10.13 (six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings), and opponents were hitting .273 against him. He blew a save by giving Jake Burger a leadoff seventh-inning home run in KC’s June 10 loss to Texas, and blew another Saturday night when, after hitting leadoff man Isaac Paredes in the eighth, he yielded a game-tying homer to Jose Altuve. The Royals lost 8-7. Strahm also had a 5.00 ERA in April. He improved to 3.18 in May, but it was a small sample size month — knee inflammation forced him to the Injured List for 15 days and limited him to just six appearances. And as Royals Keep writer Kevin O’Brien pointed out recently, many of his other 2026 peripherals are troubling. Will Matt Strahm Pose Trade Deadline Troubles For the Royals? Quite possibly. Because this is a contract season for him, Strahm was a likely midsummer trade candidate as soon as he arrived in Arizona for spring training. That he’s a veteran reliever increases the chances he could be moved by this season’s later-than-usual Aug. 3 deal deadline. But J.J. Picollo can’t trade without a trade partner, and unless it gets considerably better, Strahm’s body of 2026 work may well make it hard for KC’s general manager to drum up much interest in him — especially enough to net the Royals strong value in return. Combined with his unflattering stats, his age — 34 now, 35 in November — could also get in the way of any meaningful deal. It is unfortunate that Strahm may not size up as a viable trade candidate when the market heats up next month. Making matters worse is that he isn’t giving the club much reason to bring him back next season — without a trade, they may be left with little to show for giving up Jonathan Bowlan. View the full article

Before being demoted to Triple-A St. Paul a month ago, Royce Lewis was the Minnesota Twins’ primary third baseman, starting at the position nearly every game regardless of the opposing starting pitcher’s handedness. After he was quickly recalled on June 6, however, the 27-year-old was informed that he would be playing a much different role in the field, moving to the right side of the infield, primarily playing second and first base while occasionally mixing in at third. Ten games into his return with the parent club, Lewis has almost exclusively played first base, starting seven games there, two at second, and one at third. He also eventually moved over to first base in two of the three games at other positions. At the same time, Luke Keaschall has continued operating as Minnesota’s primary second baseman, starting seven of the past 10 games at the position. On the surface, this development shouldn’t come as a surprise. Keaschall has been Minnesota’s primary second baseman since early August 2025, and no other infielder has received substantial time at the position during that span. However, when Lewis was preparing to transition to second and first base at Triple-A, Keaschall was partaking in extended pregame work at first base: Despite undergoing pregame work at first, Keaschall has yet to appear at the position, signaling that Minnesota prefers him at second base over Lewis. Should they? Let’s take a look. Last season, Keaschall generated -2 Outs Above Average (OAA) at second base over 156 attempts. The then-22-year-old demonstrated poor range and a weak arm, but he wasn’t a trainwreck, leading club decision-makers to believe he could make the necessary adjustments to blossom into a serviceable-to-slightly above-average defensive second baseman in 2026—especially as he got another year of distance from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in August 2024. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Over 237 attempts at second base this season, Keaschall has netted -4 OAA, continuing to display poor range at the position while sporting one of the worst arms in the sport. Keaschall often struggles to field what should be routine plays to his right: Vndaa09fWGw0TUFRPT1fQlZKUVVWWUJWRkFBRDFFQVZnQUhBZ1FGQUZnRFdsSUFDd2NIQlZBRFZGZFhWbEJY.mp4 And his left: OTdQWFZfWGw0TUFRPT1fRGdGWkFRVUdVd3NBQUFBQUFnQUhCVmNIQUFBQUFGY0FWbHhSVVZZQ0FGY0hWZ0FI.mp4 His poor arm also often negates Minnesota’s ability to turn double plays, shown below: NHlLMUJfWGw0TUFRPT1fVndnQVVWRUFVUUVBWGxaWFhnQUhVRkJmQUFNQ1ZsUUFDd2NDQWdBTkFGWUhVUVFD.mp4 This call was overturned, as Luis Rengifo was confirmed safe at first base. Given how routine the play looked, it is fair to assume most second basemen with serviceable arms would have successfully turned the double play. Keaschall, however, has demonstrated that he is unable to convert routine double plays time and time again. As mentioned earlier, Minnesota moved Lewis off third base, moving him to the right side of the infield. Still, he has barely played second base. Although that’s been the trend to this point, Lewis is probably a better defensive baseman than Keaschall, and could be inserted as an instant improvement at the position, fortifying the club’s middle infield defense alongside plus defensive shortstop Ryan Kreidler. Kody Clemens, Tristan Gray, and Kreidler could also mix in at the position, replacing Keaschall in the aggregate, similar to what the club did with Brooks Lee at shortstop earlier this season. Keaschall has consistently demonstrated poor range, shaky fielding, and one of the worst arms in baseball at second base for nearly a full season, confirming he won’t be the Twins' long-term answer at the position. That being the case, Minnesota would be wise to move him off the position and provide him opportunities in the corner outfield and/or first base, while keeping him in the lineup on a game-to-game basis. (Yes, a noodle arm is a problem in the outfield, too, but most players are capable of throwing better out there, where a crow hop and a longer arm action are often available to them. The difference-making throws on the infield require a quick release and easy power generation that are missing for Keaschall; he could still prove adequate as an outfield thrower.) Keaschall’s bat plays. There’s a strong chance he’s part of Minnesota’s short-, medium-, and long-term plans. Unfortunately, he isn’t a major league-caliber second baseman. That being the case, team decision-makers should be proactive and move Keaschall off second base. They can have him split time in the corner outfield and at first base (and potentially at designated hitter), while providing Lewis, Clemens, Gray, and Kreidler with more opportunities at second. View the full article

Garrett Mitchell has been working all season to get his high fastball problem under control bu,t it's cost him in some other areas previosuly considered strong points,. He was making some real strides with this goal as you can see in the graph below, with a rolling swing-and-miss rate that reached league average on May 19th. The problem was, he was still hitting too many ground balls and just not tapping into the benefits that limiting his swing and miss should have brought about for a player of his capabilities. Through that May 19th date, Mitchell had a 101 WRC+, so he was just about a league average hitter, but his overall slash line was propped up with walks as he hit .224/.347/.352. Since that date, despite his whiff rate climbing, Mitchell has slashed .308/.366/.569 for a 159 WRC+, and a strikeout rate that's actually lower than his first month and a half of baseball. How is that happening? The theory was always that if Mitchell could survive against the high fastball, the results could be remarkable. Mitchell knew this. Opposition knew this. It's been a real focus for him this year, and in May he was really beginning to get a hang of it. If we break down his whiff rates by month against each pitch type, we can see some real progression in May against hard pitches: That's bounced back up in June, but not entirely in the way you might think. You see throughout the first two months of the season, Mitchell was demonstrating a lot of patience at the plate. He had an 11.4% walk rate, with a league average swing rate at pitches inside the strike zone and exceptional command of his chase rate. It prevented his swing and miss rate, and his strikeouts, ballooning to genuinely untenable proportions. In June however, he's flipped a switch and is taking off. Mitchell has eschewed plate discipline for earlier swings and more aggressive intent, and the results have been paying dividends. TJstats has a model that can showcase the two in percentile form side by side: By taking less early strikes in the count and swinging more aggressively, Mitchell is actually striking out a lot less at only 25% of the time this month. The one caveat to this is the reduced movement on pitches in both Colorado and Las Vegas. That will have helped Mitchell square up the ball a little more often, and perhaps the offensive environment fed into his desire to swing a little more. That being said, this is a noticeable change, and it seems intentional when we see how exactly he's doing it. Mitchell's bread and butter is that he crushes breaking balls in the zone. Murders them. He's never swung at less than 43% of breaking balls in his career, but that changed in the first few months of 2026. He was swinging less, and he wasn't making the type of contact on those mistake pitches that he's known for in Milwaukee. that is of course, until June came around: Garrett Mitchell was swinging at less than 35% of breaking balls this season through May, but has been firing off at almost 70% of them so far in June, and that's bringing about more chase, but also allowing him to square up those pitches that are inside the strike zone. He's been unfortunate by judging his expected vs his actual results in that period as well, but the process has looked strong. More importantly however is how Mitchell has handled fastballs. Yes he's still swinging and missing more than you would like, but when hitters are missing that high fastball, he's punishing them for it. Mitchell's expected Weighted on base average (xWOBA) of .422 against fastballs would mark the highest of his career in any month in which he faced over 50 pitches, and he's doing it by crushing line drives on anything on the middle or inner thirds. He still struggles up and away from him, but it marks a big transformation in that he's reduced the size of the hole in his swing from the entire top of the strike zone to just one area. Here are his whiff zones against fastballs so far in June: There's still room for improvement, as Mitchell is really struggling against a fastball up and away. What he's also doing however is crushing anything if you drop slightly lower down in the zone, especially against right handed pitchers. His average exit velocity against fastballs by zone are impressive against opposite handed pitchers in June so far: There could be an argument to platoon Mitchell occasionally on this basis, especially against left handers with strong fastballs. He's not doing the same level of damage against southpaws and that bears noting. We can see it in his swing timing as well against fastballs. So far in June (the orange line below) Mitchell is more on time, perhaps even occasionally early for the first time, on fastballs, while being more lined up with the middle of the bat. Overall, Mitchell appears to be slowly shedding some of the concerns he brought into the season. He seems less concerned with how his body holds up in the outfield defensively. He might be beginning to worry less about just his strikeout rate, and being more aggressive early in counts. Relaxation and comfort are massive in any sport, and it's something Mitchell seems to be taking full advantage of right now. He still has adjustments to make. He'd probably like to be chasing a little bit less than he is at present, and there's still a lot of swing and miss to suggest the strikeout rates are a bit of a mirage for now. Most adjustments come from finding an extreme change and dialling that back, and Mitchell has definitely ventured outside of his early season comfort zone to test the boundaries of what he's capable of. He's beginning to find who he is at the plate, and it might result in some cat and mouse with his swing rates as pitchers adjust throughout a season with where and how they pitch him. the good news is, Mitchell seems equally capable of adjusting with them. With a manageable strikeout rate, and actually elevating his hard contact, this version of Garrett Mitchell looks like a force to be reckoned with. View the full article

Hunter Patteson struck out eight over seven innings, but Northwest Arkansas fell 6-5 to Tulsa despite Connor Scott's late two-run homer. Jose Gutierrez worked seven frames as Columbia rolled 7-3, backed by Roni Cabrera's homer and three RBI. Quad Cities fell 11-6 despite Luke Pelzer's three hits and Ramon Ramirez's home run. Omaha managed just two runs in a 21-2 loss at St. Paul, with Abraham Toro homering. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed RHP Carlos Estévez on the 60-day injured list. Left foot contusion. Kansas City Royals traded RHP Denis Samudio and cash to Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Connor Seabold. Kansas City Royals recalled RHP Mitch Spence from Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Eli Morgan to Omaha Storm Chasers. Omaha Buried Early In Lopsided Loss At St. Paul The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 21-2 to the St. Paul Saints, undone by an eight-run first inning before they ever came to bat. Starter Aaron Sanchez recorded just three outs, allowing six hits and eight earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts, and the deficit was insurmountable from there. Ethan Bosacker followed with 2 2/3 innings, surrendering six hits and six earned runs while striking out five. The offense offered little on the Storm Chasers' end. Abraham Toro provided the lone power, homering in the second inning to put Omaha on the board. Outfielder Drew Waters added two hits. Infielder Peyton Wilson singled, walked, and scored Omaha's other run in the third on a Brett Squires single. Omaha left five runners on base and never scored after the third inning. The Storm Chasers went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position against St. Paul. Position player Toro even took the mound for a scoreless inning to spare the bullpen, which shows how south the evening went for the Storm Chasers. They are now 30-39. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 0 0 0 0 1 Peyton Wilson 3 1 1 0 1 1 Brett Squires 4 0 1 0 0 1 Matthew Lugo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Luca Tresh 4 0 0 0 0 3 Abraham Toro 4 1 1 1 0 1 Drew Waters 4 0 2 0 0 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 1 0 0 1 Kevin Newman 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 1 6 8 8 2 2 1 Ethan Bosacker 2 2/3 6 6 6 2 5 1 Anthony Gose 1 1/3 3 1 1 0 2 1 Helcris Olivárez 0 2/3 1 4 4 5 1 0 Génesis Cabrera 1 1/3 2 2 0 0 1 0 Abraham Toro 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scott's Late Homer Falls Short As Tulsa Edges Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals fell 6-5 to the Tulsa Drillers, unable to overcome a three-run top of the tenth. Patteson was excellent on the mound, working seven innings and allowing four hits and three earned runs with no walks and eight strikeouts, though two of those hits left the yard. The game was tied 3-3 entering the tenth before Tulsa pushed across three runs against the bullpen to take a 6-3 lead. Northwest Arkansas answered in the bottom of the inning when Scott homered to score zombie runner Colton Becker and cut the deficit to 6-5, but Carson Roccaforte struck out to end it. Scott finished 3-for-4 with two RBI. Roccaforte led off and went 3-for-5 with a double, and his fifth-inning single scored Scott to bring the Naturals even at 2-2, though he was later picked off and caught stealing second. Northwest Arkansas left just three runners on base and went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The loss brings the Naturals' record to 27-35 for the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 3 1 0 2 Jack Pineda 4 0 1 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 3 0 0 1 0 1 Spencer Nivens 4 0 0 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 4 0 1 0 0 2 Colton Becker 4 1 1 0 0 0 Rudy Martin Jr. 4 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Scott 4 2 3 2 0 0 Canyon Brown 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Patteson 7 4 3 3 0 8 2 Brandon Johnson 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 Zachary Cawyer 2 4 3 2 0 2 0 Pelzer's Three Hits Not Enough As River Bandits Fall To Wisconsin The Quad Cities River Bandits dropped an 11-6 decision to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in their return to Modern Woodsmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, despite a productive night at the plate. The offense pushed across two runs in both the fifth and the sixth innings to stay within reach. In the fifth, Tyriq Kemp's groundout scored Pelzer and Angel Acosta's sacrifice fly brought home Kemp. The sixth saw Pelzer triple home Ramirez, then score himself on a wild pitch after Derlin Figueroa walked. The pitching could not hold, however. The staff struggled with command, and Mason Miller was charged with five earned runs across 1 2/3 innings while Kamden Edge allowed four earned runs in one inning, including a home run. Connor Rasmussen drove in a run with a ninth-inning single, but Quad Cities left three on base and could not complete the comeback. The River Bandits are now 28-33 for the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 3 0 0 0 1 2 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 1 0 0 2 Blake Mitchell 4 0 1 0 0 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 2 2 1 0 1 Luke Pelzer 4 3 3 1 0 0 Derlin Figueroa 2 0 0 0 2 0 Tyriq Kemp 4 1 0 1 0 1 Connor Rasmussen 4 0 2 1 0 1 Angel Acosta 3 0 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cory Ronan 2 1 1 1 4 2 0 Mason Miller 1 2/3 4 5 5 2 2 0 Josh Hansell 1 1/3 1 1 1 3 1 0 Kamden Edge 1 2 4 4 3 0 1 Nick Conte 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 L.P. Langevin 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 Gutierrez Cruises, Eighth-Inning Rally Sends Columbia Past Hickory The Columbia Fireflies beat the Hickory Crawdads 7-3 behind a strong start from Gutierrez, who went seven innings and allowed five hits and three earned runs with no walks and four strikeouts. The game was tied 3-3 entering the eighth before Columbia broke it open with a three-run inning. Josh Hammond and Yandel Ricardo opened the eighth with singles, Stone Russell moved them up with a sacrifice bunt, and Sean Gamble doubled home both runners. JC Vanek followed with a single that scored Gamble for a 6-3 lead. Cabrera fueled the offense all night, finishing 1-for-2 with a fifth-inning home run, two RBI, two runs, and two walks. Hammond reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk and scoring twice. Gamble drove in two, and Vanek had two hits. Henson Leal closed with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out two. Columbia left five runners on base and went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Fireflies improved their record to 33-31 with the victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 5 0 0 0 0 0 Josi Novas 0 0 0 0 0 0 Josh Hammond 3 2 2 1 1 0 Yandel Ricardo 4 1 1 1 0 0 Stone Russell 3 0 1 0 0 1 Sean Gamble 4 1 1 2 0 0 Hyungchan Um 4 0 1 0 0 1 JC Vanek 4 1 2 1 0 0 Angel Ramirez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Roni Cabrera 2 2 1 2 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Gutierrez 7 5 3 3 0 4 2 Henson Leal 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2 K Josh Hammond: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-4, HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 2 K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 3-for-5, 3B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Warren Colcano: 0-for-3 Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

There's something unusual on Freddy Peralta's FanGraphs page. His Stuff+ sits at just 95, a mark below league average and one of the lowest among the Mets' primary starters. For a pitcher whose reputation was built on the quality of his arsenal, that number immediately stands out. At first glance, it looks like the profile of a pitcher with an ordinary repertoire. The results, however, suggest something more complex—a contradiction that becomes easier to understand when examining Peralta's four-seam fastball. For years, that pitch served as the foundation of everything he did on the mound. It wasn't the hardest fastball in baseball, but it consistently played above its velocity, generating swings and misses and helping establish Peralta as one of the National League's toughest pitchers to square up. The numbers now point to a clear shift. Season Peralta's Four-Seam Stuff+ 2021 107 2022 103 2023 103 2024 100 2025 100 2026 96 The trend is difficult to ignore. A pitch that once graded comfortably above average now falls below that threshold. What's notable is that the rest of Peralta's arsenal has not experienced the same decline. His slider still carries a 102 Stuff+ grade. His curveball sits at 109, one of the strongest marks in his repertoire. Even his changeup remains largely in line with previous seasons. Rather than reflecting a broad deterioration across his pitch mix, the drop in Stuff+ is concentrated almost entirely in the fastball. Part of the explanation, as it is for any 30-year-old pitcher, is velocity. After averaging 94.8 mph on his four-seamer in 2025, Peralta is averaging 93.8 mph this season. A one-mile-per-hour drop may not sound dramatic, but for pitchers who depend heavily on fastball effectiveness, even modest losses can alter how a pitch plays against major league hitters. The swing-and-miss metrics tell a similar story. Peralta posted a 39.7% whiff rate in 2020. In 2026, that figure has fallen to 28.1%. His whiff rate ranking has also dropped, from the 83rd percentile to the 72nd percentile in just one season. Hitters are making more contact, and pitch-quality models are reflecting that reality. The more important question is what those changes mean. If the fastball explains much of the decline in Stuff+, why is Peralta still able to perform (on most night, at least) like a frontline starter? The answer becomes clearer when looking beyond raw pitch quality. Season Stuff+ Location+ Pitching+ 2023 102 107 108 2024 99 102 100 2025 99 108 106 2026 95 104 101 These numbers describe a pitcher whose success depends less on pure stuff than it once did and more on how effectively he deploys his arsenal. While his Stuff+ now sits below league average, his execution remains strong. That distinction helps explain why his overall performance has remained stable despite the decline in pitch quality. Many pitchers experience a gradual loss of stuff. The ones who remain effective are typically those who find other ways to compensate, and Peralta appears to fit that description. Despite the drop in Stuff+, his fastball continues to produce positive results. Opponents are hitting just .227 against the pitch and have generated only a .294 wOBA. It no longer earns elite grades from pitch-quality models, but it remains an effective weapon within his overall mix. Earlier versions of Peralta could overwhelm hitters with the raw quality of his pitches. The current version relies far more on execution, location, sequencing, and an ability to maximize every offering in his repertoire. As a result, the margin for error is smaller than it once was. The performance, however, has remained remarkably consistent, which is why a 95 Stuff+ requires additional context. Yes, hitters are making more contact. Swings and misses are less frequent. The models see a less dominant arsenal than they did a few years ago. Yet the overall results remain largely intact. That is the real story behind Peralta's evolution on the mound. It's the story of a pitcher preserving his value through execution, command, and a deeper understanding of how to leverage the stuff he still has. View the full article

Lost in this uneven season has been how deliberately the Blue Jays have constructed a roster that keeps replenishing with contributors. Through targeted transactions, pro scouting and a development pipeline, the quiet work behind the scenes has done a lot of lifting, not just this year but over the last few seasons, creating a team that might bend but doesn’t break. Beneath the surface, this has been one of the organization’s most successful years in aligning player development and pro scouting, two areas that are effectively working in tandem rather than in parallel. As a result, the team is deeper, more adaptable, and far more resilient than its up-and-down record might suggest. The Jays are identifying the right players, not just in their organization but across baseball, and then putting them in positions to succeed almost immediately. For years, this has been the difference between contenders who sustain success and those who fluctuate year to year. When the Jays acquired Louis Varland, it wasn’t with a lot of fanfare. Initially a starter for the Twins, he had only transitioned into a more flexible role in recent seasons. Prior to being fully leaned on in this role, he showed swing-and-miss ability that the Blue Jays believed could play up in shorter outings. The Jays managed to pick him up along with infielder Ty France in exchange for outfielder Alan Roden and pitching prospect Kendry Rojas. Last season’s contributions with the Jays, especially in the postseason, showed his ability to handle leverage, and that has carried into this year. With the exception of Saturday afternoon’s blown save, Varland has been unstoppable. He is carrying an ERA and WHIP under 1.00 with double-digit saves. He has allowed just a handful of earned runs over more than 37 innings while striking out nearly 50 batters, placing him among the most effective relievers in the American League. Roden has been injured for much of this season, while Rojas was recently called up to the Twins and is 1-0 in 5 games with an ERA of 1.26 in 14.1 innings. He has 14 strikeouts but has walked 10. Alongside Varland in the bullpen is Braydon Fisher. Another leverage arm that manager John Schneider doesn’t hesitate to call upon. Acquired in a relatively low-cost move, Fisher has turned into a legitimate force in the bullpen. His 3.38 ERA across 36 appearances, paired with 40 strikeouts in 37.1 innings, reflects not just effectiveness but trust from the coaching staff in meaningful situations. In exchange for utility player Cavan Biggio and cash considerations, Fisher arrived from the Dodgers in June 2024. He signed a one-year, pre-arbitration contract with the Jays prior to this season for just under $800,000. After one appearance with the Jays so far, it looks like Simeon Woods Richardson might be another example of the front office taking a low-risk look at a familiar arm. With the Twins, he struggled to a seven-plus ERA this season. It is his second time with the organization, as originally, he was acquired in the Marcus Stroman trade with the Mets before being moved in the José Berríos deal. Even in a limited sample, the appeal remains innings stability rather than upside alone. It isn’t just pitching. On the position player side, the Nate Pearson trade in July 2024 has become a defining example of organizational clarity. Rather than continuing to wait on unrealized upside, the Blue Jays redistributed that risk into multiple pieces, most notably Yohendrick Piñango. The early returns in 2026 have been impressive for Piñango. He is hitting around .290 with an OPS near .800, adding four home runs and 18 RBIs in a relatively small sample. That level of immediate contribution from a development acquisition is exactly what modern roster building is supposed to produce. It is not just about future value, it is about accelerating that value into major league impact. What about the Jays’ most All-Star-worthy contributor, Ernie Clement? He was acquired on a minor league contract in 2023 after being released by the Athletics. So far this season, he is hitting just over .300 with an OPS close to .800, alongside seven home runs and 28 RBIs. His 83 hits place him among the most consistent contact hitters in the league this season. That type of production, especially from a player once viewed as a utility option, underscores how well the Blue Jays are maximizing player profiles. Catcher Brandon Valenzuela forced the Jays to DFA Tyler Heineman, as he has excelled since being called up. Valenzuela seemed like a secondary acquisition when the team acquired him from the Padres in exchange for Will Wagner. When you trace it back, it becomes part of a much larger chain of decisions, a domino effect that illustrates exactly how this front office is creating value. The path to Valenzuela begins with the Yusei Kikuchi trade. In that deal, the Blue Jays acquired Wagner, a bat-first infielder who represented a controllable and flexible asset. Wagner was acquired both for his offensive profile and his potential as a movable piece. The trade that flipped Wagner for Valenzuela was done to address an area of need: catching depth. Valenzuela was deemed not quite ready in the offseason, so the Jays tendered Heineman a contract. An extended look in spring training identified some development that needed to be done before he’d be ready. Those adjustments in the minors paid off once he was called up after Alejandro Kirk got injured. Valenzuela was a long-term plan that has worked out ahead of schedule, while Jesús Sánchez represents the front office’s willingness to make a direct, calculated bet on upside and trust its development infrastructure to extract more from a player than his most recent results might suggest. The Jays acquired Sánchez in February 2026, sending Joey Loperfido back to Houston in a one-for-one swap that carried both financial and roster implications. Loperfido was also part of the Kikuchi deal. Toronto took on Sanchez’s $6.8 million salary and gave up a more flexible, optionable player in Loperfido, who could move between Triple A and the majors. The team was looking for an impact bat and, for the most part, that’s what they have gotten. Through 66 games, Sánchez is hitting .287 with seven home runs, 29 RBIs, and an OPS of .787. Those numbers represent a clear jump from his 2025 production and align directly with what the Blue Jays believed they could unlock. His production has provided balance to a lineup that has needed consistent left-handed offense. None of these players were big acquisitions, but each has been part of keeping the team competitive during a rough start to the season. The costs, in almost every case, reflect a front office not fixated solely on the here and now but instead looking to the future. Take one or several of those players out of the mix, and this season could be even more frustrating. Instead, the Jays remain competitive in a season that has not been smooth. They are only two games out of the Wild Card. In a season when their top players have not played to expectations, the team’s middle layer has kept them competitive. The front office deserves as much credit for that as the players executing it on the field. Statistics updated prior to games on June 16. View the full article

Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers sent RHP Brandon Woodruff on a rehab assignment to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. SS Eduardo Garcia assigned to Nashville Sounds from Biloxi Shuckers. RHP Ayendy Bravo assigned to ACL Brewers from Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Game Action: Memphis (Cardinals) 12, Nashville 5 Box Score Nashville Outslugged in Memphis - Sounds Drop Fourth Straight The Nashville Sounds’ pitching staff, which has been so good all season long, ran into a buzz saw in their series opening loss to first half champion Memphis. That buzz saw’s name was Joshua Baez. Baez homered four times off three different Sounds’ pitchers, and drove in seven runs, en route to a 12-5 thrashing that had the Sounds singing the blues in Memphis on Tuesday night. Not to be outdone, a couple Brewers’ top prospects also flashed some power. Jett Williams hit two solo home runs, one of which Spencer Michaelis captured on his X account: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The rest of the offense was supplied by Jeferson Quero, who also homered, a two-run shot, and drove in three runs on the night. It looks like there were some video issues on the night, so enjoy this rendering of Queso’s homer from the Sounds’ X account: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Luis Lara went 0-for-5 on the night and his .322 average at the end of the night is his lowest mark since May 10. For the month of June, Lara is just 5-for-25 with his last extra-base hit coming on May 28. There were not many positives for the pitching staff, which you can see with all the crooked numbers in the box score. Jake Woodford pitched a clean inning. That’s it. Brett Wichrowski continued his brutal season. After allowing Baez’s first two home runs, Wichrowski has now allowed 16 long balls in 61.2 innings across AA/AAA this season. No official probables for the series without any pre-game media notes, but it should be Thomas Pannone in game two of the series on Wednesday. Biloxi pre-game media notes Bilioxi’s game – plus the debuts of Andrew Fischer and Josh Adamczewski at the level – was postponed on Tuesday due to rain. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve being told Santa’s sleigh was delayed. The forecast for the rest of the week doesn’t look any more promising. Wisconsin pre-game media notes Wisconsin 11, Quad Cities (Royals) 6 Box Score Wisconsin Wins with Contributions from Woodruff and Payne In Game One of the AFA (After Fischer and Adamczewski) Era, the Rattlers did not miss a beat, winning handily by the score of 11-6 at Quad Cities. Without the aid of their 20 homer slugger in Fischer, the whole lineup chipped in, as the team pounded out 10 hits and drew a flabbergasting 15 walks. Every Rattler in the lineup, save for designated hitter Tayden Hall, scored at least one run. Luiyin Alastre drove in a run with a single and was on base five times. Braylon Payne, featured in the third spot in the lineup in this new look Rattlers offense, provided the power, courtesy of the Wisconsin X account: Payne also had an RBI single. Not to bury the lead, but we got a rehab start from Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff looked good and more importantly, he pitched into the 6th inning, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk. You can check out his six strikeouts here: Braylon Owens picked up his second save of the season, working the last three innings and allowing just one run while striking out three. RHP Josh Knoth (0-0, 2.19) will take the mound for the Rattlers on Wednesday. Wilson pre-game media notes Charleston (Rays) 5, Wilson 4 Box Score Charleston Defeats Wilson; Clinches South Title Wilson suffered a narrow defeat on Tuesday night, falling 5-4 to Charleston at Wilson Ballpark. Wilson’s pitching staff got off to a stellar start as starting pitcher Joey Broughton tossed four scoreless innings, scattering just three hits and striking out four. It was Broughton’s second outing in full-season ball with Wilson. The Warbirds broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead, courtesy of an RBI single from Luis Lameda. However, the game completely unraveled in the top of the sixth. Enderson Mercado struggled mightily, surrendering five runs on five hits and three walks across just 1.2 innings. Despite the deflating sixth inning, the Warbirds refused to go quietly and mounted a late-game comeback. Wilson chipped away with a run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double from Kevin Garcia. Then trailing by three entering the final frame, the Warbirds put together an inspired ninth-inning rally. Down to their final strike, Brady Ebel delivered a clutch, two-out, two-RBI single to pull Wilson within a single run. Ultimately, the comeback fell just short, with two runners left stranded in the ninth leaving the Warbirds with a tough 5-4 loss. Joshua Quezada (3.1 IP 1H 0R 0BB 4K) was the unsung hero of the game for the Warbirds, putting together a lights-out performance out of the bullpen to give his team a fighting chance. RHP Hayden Robinson (1-1, 9.39) will take the mound for Wilson on Wednesday. ACL Brewers 8, ACL White Sox 0, seven innings as scheduled Box Score The ACL Brewers (17-17) put together a complete performance at the American Family Fields of Phoenix, shutting out the ACL White Sox. Facing blistering 107-degree weather, the Brewers’ bats heated up early, while the pitching staff kept the White Sox wandering the desert in search of offense. The Brewers didn't waste any time getting on the board, striking for two runs in the bottom of the 1st inning thanks to a two-out, two-run blast by shortstop Juan Martinez, his 4th HR of the year. The Brewers played aggressive, small-ball baseball to manufacture runs in the middle innings. Kenny Fenelon swiped two bags (bringing his total to 18 on the season) and scored twice. Alexander Frias stayed scorching hot, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, raising his average to an absurd .404. One has to wonder how long before we see Frias in Carolina. Left fielder Engel Paulino provided the late-game insurance, launching a solo shot in the bottom of the 6th inning (his 5th HR of the year) to cap off the 8-run night. Paulino also added a stolen base. On the mound, Joan Pena set the tone with a brilliant start, earning his second win of the season. Pena baffled White Sox hitters over five innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out six. It was Pena’s best and by far longest outing of the season. The rehabbing Michael Fowler closed the game out with two scoreless innings in relief. DSL Brewers Blue 12, DSL Orioles Black 3 Box Score The DSL Brewers Blue put on an offensive clinic, routing the DSL Orioles Black 12-3 on Tuesday. The Brewers’ bats were locked in from the opening frame, launching a relentless 11-hit attack that included five home runs. The power surge was led by third baseman Leanders Matos and center fielder Gerlyn Payano, who both had big days at the plate. The 16 year-old Matos turned in a perfect 4-for-4 performance, including a solo shot in the third inning. Matos now sports a 1.328 at the conclusion of play Tuesday. Payano provided the definitive fireworks by blasting two separate solo home runs—one in the sixth and another in the seventh. Shortstop Jose Rodriguez also hit a solo homer of his own in the third and later added a triple, while catcher Sebastian Franeites cracked a two-run homer during a decisive four-run sixth inning. Starting pitcher Carlos Galindo earned the win after a solid five inning performance, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out four. Galindo also issued four free passes (three walks and one HBP). Lukas Gonzalez stepped in to lock down a four-inning save, keeping the Orioles at bay to close out a dominant team victory. While the Brewers' lineup was explosive, they were also heavily aided by an incredibly sloppy defensive showing from the Orioles, who committed a dumbfounding six errors over the course of the game. The Brewers left 11 runners on base and technically went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, but their extra-base power the line kept moving. With the victory, DSL Brewers Blue improve their early-season record to 8-2. DSL Orioles Orange 5, DSL Brewers Blue 2 Box Score In the other half of their showdown with the Orioles, the Brewers Blue was not as successful as their Gold counterparts. The Brewers' pitching staff struggled mightily with command all morning, combining to issue 10 walks over eight innings. German-born starting pitcher Paul Hoff kept things competitive through 4.1 innings, allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out four, but his performance was marred by four walks and three wild pitches. Offensively, the Brewers actually out-hit the Orioles six to four, while jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, but struggled to cash in when it mattered most, finishing 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men stranded on base. Left fielder Angeni Fernandez was a bright spot at the top of the lineup, turning in a 2-for-4 performance and causing havoc on the basepaths with two stolen bases. Center fielder Manny De Los Santos also flexed his speed, drawing two walks and swiping three bags on the day. The Brewers’ only runs came courtesy of an RBI single by catcher Francisco De Marchena in the second inning, and a sacrifice fly from Jefer Lista in the fifth. With the loss, the Brewers Gold slide further down the DSL Central standings, dropping their record to 3-9 on the early season. On Wednesday, Nashville's game at noon Central is MiLB's free game of the day. The other full-season affiliates have traditional early-evening starts, though be safe, Biloxi, things look ominous. There's one Dominican League game this AM, as the 8-2 Brewers Blue squad hosts a 9-3 Astros team. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-1 with a rainout as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas rolled Reno 6-1, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were washed out, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell 4-3 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm edged San Jose 2-1 to claim the first-half championship. Padres Minor-League Transactions RHP Bernard Jose assigned to San Antonio Missions from ACL Padres. San Antonio Missions sent SS Wyatt Hoffman on a rehab assignment to Fort Wayne TinCaps. Fort Wayne TinCaps placed SS Jonathan Vastine on the 7-day injured list. SS Dawson Willis assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres. Carlos Rodriguez Runs Hit Streak to 21 in Chihuahuas' Victory Carlos Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 21 games as he was one of four players to drive in a run in a five-run third inning that sent the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas to a 6-1 victory over the Reno Aces. Rodriguez also has a 25-game on-base streak. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Jhony Brito went five innings, the third time in four starts he has gone at least that long, allowing just three hits and a run with a walk and four strikeouts. Right-hander Evan Fitterer took things from there, pitching four scoreless innings with three hits, three walks and three strikeouts. The big third inning by the Chihuahuas started with a pair of strikeouts. Dylan Grego, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, began the outburst with a double and scored on Rodriguez's only hit of the game, a line single to center, to tie it 1-1. Rodriguez stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before Mason McCoy walked. Nick Pratto, in his first full week with the Chihuahuas, singled home Rodriguez with McCoy going to third, then scoring on a wild pitch that saw Pratto go from second to third. Pratto then scored on a wild pitch. Marcos Castanon walked and Nick Schnell drove in Pratto with a single for a 4-1 lead. Clay Dungan walked to load the bases and Nate Moundou also got a free pass to make it a five-run inning. McCoy made it 6-1 in the fourth inning when he singled home Grego, who was promoted for Low-A Lake Elsinore last week. EP_0616.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carlos Rodríguez 3 1 1 1 0 0 Mason McCoy 3 1 1 1 1 2 Nick Pratto 3 1 1 1 1 2 Marcos Castañon 3 1 0 0 1 1 Nick Schnell 4 0 1 1 0 3 Clay Dungan 3 0 1 0 1 2 Nate Mondou 3 0 0 1 1 1 Victor Duarte 4 0 0 0 0 3 Dylan Grego 4 2 3 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jhony Brito 5 3 1 1 1 4 0 Evan Fitterer 4 3 0 0 3 3 0 Missions' Series Opener Against Hooks Rained Out Game 1 of the Double-A San Antonio Missions' six-game series against the Corpus Christi Hooks was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Wednesday, with both games being seven innings. TinCaps Claim Early Lead, But South Bend Battles Back To Win The host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps scored three early runs, but watched as the South Bend Cubs chipped away, including scoring the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, en route to dropping a 4-3 decision to the Cubs. The TinCaps have lost three straight and 11 of their last 12. Alex McCoy, Padres Mission's No. 12 prospect, smacked his 11th homer of the season and Jack Costello drove in a pair for the TinCaps, who managed just four hits. McCoy hadn't homered in his last 13 games. After scoring three runs in the second inning, none of the final 25 TinCaps batters could get a hit. TinCaps right-handed starter Matthew Watson went a career-high 5⅔ innings, giving up three runs on eight hits with no walks and four punchouts. Left-hander Igor Gil was perfect for 1⅓ innings, left-hander Braian Salazar gave up a run on two hits in one inning and right-hander Clay Edmondson struck out three of the four batters he faced. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 3 0 0 0 0 1 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Lamar King Jr. 4 0 1 0 0 2 Alex McCoy 4 1 1 1 0 1 Jake Cunningham 3 1 1 0 1 2 Rosman Verdugo 3 1 0 0 1 1 Kavares Tears 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Costello 2 0 1 2 0 0 Zach Evans 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 5 2/3 8 3 3 0 4 1 Igor Gil 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Braian Salazar 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Clay Edmondson 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 Storm Capture Division Title Behind Winyer Chourio The Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm clinched the California League's South Division first-half championship on the strength of a two-run first inning and six strong innings from right-hander Winyer Chourio for a 2-1 victory over the host San Jose Giants. The division title is the first since the Storm (37-27) won both halves in 2024 before falling in the Cal League Championship Series. There are two games left in the first half. Kerrington Cross homered, had two hits and two stolen bases, while Jose Verdugo also had a pair of hits with a steal and also scored. Cross hit his 10th homer of the season with one out in the top of the first, then Verdugo single, stole his 17th base and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher on the play. After Luke Cantwell walked, Yoiber Ocopio struck out and Cantwell broke for second. He got into a rundown as Verdugo streaked home before Cantwell was tagged out, giving the Storm a 2-0 lead. Chourio pitched the clincher like the staff ace he has been all season. Pitching six innings for the second game in a row, matching his career high set in 2024, Chourio struck out five while allowing one run on four hits and two walks. Two of the hits Chourio gave up came in the fifth inning as the Giants scored their only run. Right-hander Daison Acosta, on a rehab assignment from Triple-A El Paso, made his Storm debut with a perfect seventh inning that included two punchouts, while right-hander Brandon Langley allowed a walk but faced the minimum over the final two innings for his second save and setting off a celebration. LE_0616.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 3 0 0 0 1 2 Kerrington Cross 3 1 2 1 2 1 Jose Verdugo 5 1 2 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell 2 0 0 0 2 1 Yoiber Ocopio 3 0 0 0 0 1 Truitt Madonna 3 0 0 0 1 2 Jorge Quintana 3 0 1 0 1 0 George Bilecki 2 0 0 0 2 1 Conner Westenburg 4 0 1 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Winyer Chourio 6 4 1 1 2 5 0 Daison Acosta 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Brandon Langley 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-3, 2 K Jorge Quintana: 1-for-3 Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-4, 2 K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-4, HR, K Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, 2 K Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-3, K Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP FW_0616.mp4 View the full article

TRANSACTIONS In Triple-A, SS Kaelen Culpepper was placed on the 7-day injured list with a left hip strain. RHP Eduardo Salazar was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. C Ian Daugherty was also activated from the Development List. The Wichita Wind Surge activated IF Jose Salas from the injured list and were assigned RHP Chris Vallimont. RHP William Fleming was placed on the 7-day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 2, St. Paul 21 Box Score The St. Paul Saints tied a franchise record with 21 runs on 18 hits against the Omaha Storm Chasers Tuesday night. The margin of victory was their largest ever recorded. While the final score certainly shows a lopsided victory, the brutal truth for Omaha is this one was over just as quick as it started. Mick Abel took the mound at CHS Field in his second rehab start, and the Storm Chasers got blown away by him before they even knew an offensive tornado was touching down. The right-hander was scheduled to throw about 65 pitches, and Abel’s efficiency in this one meant that was (more than) enough for him to finish five innings and pick up the win. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, walked nobody, and struck out five. If not for an error that led to a couple of extra batters, he could have finished six innings with that modest cap. Instead, he needed just 61, with 44 of those going for strikes (72%), including eight swings and misses. Four of his five K’s were of the looking variety, as he dotted his 95-97 MPH fastball on the edges of the zone all game. But that tornado I alluded to? By the time Abel’s outing was done the Saints were up 15-2. They batted around in the first and third innings. The returning Alan Roden was a triple shy of the cycle by the fourth inning and scored four runs. He homered and singled in the first inning. Aaron Sabato finished with his 19th double and 13th home run with the Saints, and has 27 extra-base-hits in his last 35 games. He drove in four total. Matt Wallner has 20 RBIs in his last 11 games. He only singled twice. Every hitter in the Saints starting lineup had at least one hit, and Harry Genth added his first hit in Triple-A with a two-run double as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Tanner Schobel added a home run, his third with the Saints. The only Storm Chaser pitcher who didn’t give up a run, was ironically a position player. Be sure to take in the entirety of the box score linked above, it is a thing of beauty. Ty Langenberg was also excellent in piggy-backing Abel’s start. For reasons which would hold absolutely no merit in any situation, manager Brian Dinkelman left him in to start the top of the ninth only to pull him after getting one out. Just let him finish or don’t even put him out there at that point, what are we doing? But I digress. He pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, scattering three hits and one walk, while striking out four. Marco Raya threw seven pitches to get the final two outs. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 3, Wichita 7 Box Score The Wind Surge got a strong start from Sam Armstrong and big hits from the middle of their lineup to come out on top in this one. Through four innings the only baserunner the Cardinals had was from a hit-by-pitch in the top of the first. Armstrong retired the next 11 men in a row before an error led off the fifth inning. That runner would score on a single for Armstrong’s only blemish on the night. He picked up his second win of the season with five one-hit innings. The lone run was unearned, and he struck out five compared to just one walk. 47 of his 71 pitches went for strikes (67%). Wichita got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third when Andrew Cossetti launched his seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot. In the bottom of the fifth Kala’i Rosario delivered a bases loaded single to score two more, making it 4-1 Wind Surge. They added their final three insurance runs in the seventh when Billy Amick hit his 17th home run of the season to make it 6-1, then a pair of singles from Rosario and Garrett Spain along with a wild pitch put their final tally on the board. The bullpen duo of Darren Bowen (2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K) and Kyle Bischoff (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 K) held off the Cardinals to back up Armstrong. Amick (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K) and Rosario (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB) led the way with two hits each. McDaniel drew four walks from the nine-hole in the lineup, stole two bases, and scored three runs KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 12, Cedar Rapids 19 Box Score The Minnesota Twins’ old Midwest League affiliate and their new one combined for 31 runs on 31 hits, including 11 home runs in this slugfest at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Ivran Romero started for the Kernels and after two innings the Sky Carp led 7-2. But his lineup wasn’t about to let him suffer for a rough start. Romero would finish three innings total, allowing seven earned runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out four. Cedar Rapids answered Beloit’s three runs in the top of the first with two of their own in the bottom half. Walker Jenkins started his rehab stint with the Kernels by hitting a home run in his first at-bat with the Kernels since the 2024 season. Two batters later Eduardo Tait clubbed his 12th home run of the year. This would portend the theme of the night. Tait hit his second homer of the game in the third inning. Enrique Jimenez joined the party in the fifth with his first homer for the Kernels. Caden Kendle followed with a two-run shot that made the score 10-9 in favor of the Sky Carp. Jenkins led off the sixth with a single, then two walks and an RBI single from Jay Thomason tied the game up at ten. Kendle added a sac fly to give the Kernels their first lead of the game. Beloit took that lead back in the top of the seventh, but Tait’s RBI single knotted them up again after seven. Then the Kernels put the game away in the eighth. Doubles from Thomason and Kendle put them up by one, but Graham Brown’s three-run shot, and Jimenez’s second blast of the game made it 19-12 Cedar Rapids. Nick Trabacchi (2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K), Michael Ross (W, 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K), and Sam Rochard (1 IP, H, BB, 3 K) combined to pitch the final six innings. Every batter in the Kernels lineup had at least one hit and scored at least one run. Tait finished 3-for-6 with two runs scored, two homers, and five RBI. Thomason racked up four hits in six at-bats. Kendle was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBI, and two runs scored. Jenkins finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Tampa 15 Box Score The Mighty Mussels scored first in this one after Dameury Pena led off the game with a single. He proceeded to steal second base, then on an attempt to steal third drew a throwing error that allowed him to score. Unfortunately for Fort Myers, the Tarpons answered in the bottom half with a grand slam off starter Hendry Chivilli and never looked back. Chivilli did deliver two scoreless frames after that but got hit for three more earned runs in the fourth to end his outing. He finished 3 2/3 innings and was charged with seven earned runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out three. Relievers Merit Jones (2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB 5 K) and Jake Murray (1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) didn’t fare much better. The lineup at least did not go cold. In the top of the third they pulled within one thanks to a two-run homer from Ramiro Dominguez. In the fifth Merphy Hernandez led off with a homer, before Dominguez followed with another two-run shot to make it 7-6. Down by five in the eighth, Quintin Young joined the home run party with a 112.6 MPH blast. Later in the inning a double steal added their eighth run. Young added a sac fly in the top of the ninth to give them their final total on the scoreboard. Pena led off and led the way with hits in all five of his at-bats. He scored four runs and stole a base. Dominguez had four RBIs and a walk thanks to his two homers in five trips to the plate. Jayson Bass (2-for-5, R, K) and Irvin Nunez (2-for-4, K) also collected multiple hits. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 9, FCL Orioles 10 (7 innings) Box Score A back-and-forth 7-inning affair came down to the final inning on Tuesday in the Florida Complex League. Down 1-0 in the top of the third, the Twins used doubles from Yovanny Duran and Jhomnardo Reyes along with three walks, a balk, and a wild pitch to take a 4-1 lead. The Orioles answered with three runs in the bottom half to tie it, before the Twins went back ahead in the top of the fourth thanks to a triple from Daiber De Los Santos, who was able to score on the play thanks to an error. The Orioles scored four in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 8-5, but the Twins answered in the top of the sixth. A pair of walks, an RBI double from Teilon Serrano, sac fly from Reyes, and RBI double from Carlos Taveras tied it up at eight. The teams then traded single runs that made it 9-9 heading to the final Orioles at-bat. A one-out single included an error, and then a stolen base put the winning run 90-feet away. A single then brought it in to end the game. Twins pitchers included the rehabbing Eduardo Salazar who served as an opener. He allowed one earned run on two hits and struck out one in his lone inning. Omar Montano delivered a one-tow-three second, including a K. Cristian Hernandez got the bulk of the work, pitching four innings but being charged with eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and three walks. Three of those hits were home runs, but in stat lines you don’t see every day, 11 of the 12 outs he recorded came on strikeouts. Pablo Castillo was the final pitcher, recording one out in the seventh before the Orioles pushed the winning run across. The Twins had only six hits as a team, but nine walks combined with five of those hits going for extra bases turned into their nine runs. De Los Santos finished 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, a triple, and a homer. Duran and Serrano each scored two runs. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 11, DSL NYY Yankees 25 Box Score In what seems to be a developing theme in the Dominican Summer League, the Twins and Yankees organizations again combined to put up an NFL score. Unfortunately, the Twins weren’t on the good side of this one. The Yankees racked up 19 hits and 12 walks, scoring in seven of their eight at-bats including multiple runs in six of those. They batted around three times. The Twins had 17 hits and six walks, led by Juan Holmann (3-for-3, 3 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and Enmanuel Merlo (3-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K) with three hits apiece. Four other batters had two hits. Only one of the Twins six pitchers escaped without allowing a run, and that was Fabian Ulloa who gave up just one hit in his inning. Enmanuel Mena, Yosangel Braffit, Jeremy Jimenez, Juan Germosen, and Ashwar Sprok combined to give up everything else. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Sam Armstrong, Wichita Wind Surge (W, 5 IP, H, R (0 ER), BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Eduardo Tait, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-6, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (Cedar Rapids, rehab): 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, K #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-6, 2 R, 2 HR (13), 5 RBI #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2 R, K #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 K #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Austin Voth (1-2, 2.90 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (0-2, 4.57 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-1, 4.32 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (4:00 PM CDT) - RHP Justin Mitrovich (1-1, 1.08 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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The Miami Marlins series win streak is snapped at four as they fell to the Philadelphia Phillies by a final score of 8-2, dropping to two games under .500 and three games out of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. Tyler Phillips, a recent addition to the Marlins starting rotation, surrendered eight runs on six hits (three home runs) in four innings of work. Seven of the eight runs allowed came in the bottom of the first and second innings. Phillips, who was a reliever to begin the season, was put into a starter's role after Robby Snelling, Eury Pérez and Janson Junk all went down with their respective injuries. Tuesday's game nearly doubled his season ERA, from 1.86 to 3.10. The only two starters that remain from the original Marlins rotation are Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer, who have been placed under more pressure as Alcantara is pitching on the day before a bullpen game and Meyer pitches on the day after. Both need to provide length to conserve the other arms on the staff. Although the move to have Phillips start games hasn't been a bad one per say, the organization should've looked for an outside option once they saw Braxton Garrett's struggles and the injuries of both Eury Pérez and Janson Junk pop up. Trying to get through the next month before the All-Star game with bullpen games and continuing to stretch relievers out into starters just isn't sustainable through the course of multiple months. If the Marlins were serious about contending for a Wild Card spot, they would've gone outside the organization to bring a starter that could help with team right now. That unfortunately has not been done and doesn't seem like it will be done. Prior to the game, the Marlins optioned William Kempner to Triple-A Jacksonville and recalled left-handed pitcher Dax Fulton from Triple-A. In two innings of work, Fulton didn't allow a hit, but did walk one and struck out two. For a second straight night, the Marlins offense already had to climb out of a hole, and it would be even tougher with former Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits, two walks and struck out nine. In the top of the seventh inning, Esteury Ruiz took Luzardo deep for a second time this season. It was his fourth home run of the season, making it 8-2. That would be the only run of the night. Ruiz's is now slashing .238/.329/.540/.869 with four home runs, nine RBI, 12 stolen bases and a 135 wRC+, all career-best marks for the 27-year-old that was acquired over the offseason from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Wednesday afternoon at 1:05 pm as the Marlins look to salvage the series. View the full article

Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews - 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (93 pitches, 68 strikes (73%)) Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (4), Kody Clemens (11) Top 3 WPA: Matthews (0.14), Larnach (0.12), Byron Buxton and Clemens (0.11) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins came into Tuesday night's contest in Arlington, Texas with a couple of unique scenarios in play. First, they were aiming to win their third game in a row for the first time since mid-May's trip to Fenway Park. Second, both teams have an off day looming mid-series,setup with the World Cup coming to Arlington on Wednesday. With a sporadically tough young righty in Kumar Rocker on the hill for the Rangers, Zebby Matthews had an opportunity to vault Twins Territory into a happy off-day with a solid performance. All of the suspense and setup of this paragraph were happily erased by the fourth inning, though. Here's how a much neemuch-neededded laugher unfolded in Minnesota's favor for once. Twins Cash in Early and Often When Derek Shelton moved Byron Buxton into the second spot of the order last week, his goal was to get more runners on base for the slugging center fielder. Trevor Larnach torpedoed his manager's plan to start the game, but this time fa,ns still had something to cheer about. 1-0 Twins on the second pitch. Buxton didn't let Larnach's insubordination deter him, as he quickly reached first on an infield single. The next two batters got out, but managed to advance Buxton to third. Josh Bell then kept his RBI streak rolling with a single to deliver a 2-0 lead. Things moved along with little fanfare until the top of the third inning, when Rocker again faced a leadoff Larnach, who singled this time. Buxton walked to set the stage for tonight's right fielder, Kody Clemens. Clemens broke the game open with one Texas-sized swing. The Twins stacked a Brooks Lee double and a Luke Keaschall walk after that in the third, but they wouldn't strike again until the top of the fourth. This time i,,t was Alex Jackson in the nine spot who got the leadoff knock with a ringing double to left. Larnach couldn't keep the cycle train moving, but Buxton got a two-base gift from Brandon Nimmo and the Twins found themselves back in scoring position. That play ended Rocker's night, as Cal Quantrill got the call to put out the fire. Clemens got intentionally walked with one out, so that Royce Lewis got a bases lobases-loadedaded opportunity. The Rangers had heard that Lewis was prone to trying to yank outside off-speed pitches into double play grounders. They forgot that Lewis learned the power of station-to-station hitting on Sunday afternoon, and he laced an outside cutter into center for a casual, ho-hum, two-run single. 7-0, and the rout was on! What happens when the former number one pick keeps the line moving for his teammates? Bell just keeps raking, that's what. Bell sent a double into the right-field corner, and Nimmo struck again with a throw that bounced into the infield allo,wing Lewis to score as well to make it 9-0. A Keaschall single eventually plated Bell, and Matthews had a 10-0 lead before he ever got the rock for the bottom of the fourth. The Zebby Show Rolls Through the Seventh While the announcers went to B-roll material to try to maintain a level of interest in the blowout, Matthews kept on cruising through the Texas lineup. He surrendered single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but he escaped damage and completed seven solid frames for the fourth time in seven starts this season. The defense came to play, Matthews didn't walk anyone, and the business that needed to get taken care of when you get spotted such a large early lead got taken care of. No tense bullpen moments tonight. In fact, the Twins tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth just to be sure. Indeed, a fully rested and newly inspired team will take the field on Thursday in search of their first four-game winning streak since mid-April. What’s Next? The Twins will cheer for soccer and such on Wednesday, and then attempt to sweep their way out of Texas. Twins righty Joe Ryan (4-3, 3.17 ERA) looks to provide the knock-out start, while former number two overall pick Jack Leiter (3-6, 4.86 ERA) looks to salvage the finale for the home team. First pitch is scheduled for 1:351:35 pmpm CDT on Thursday. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Laweryson 32 0 0 0 20 52 Adams 0 0 37 0 13 50 Morris 0 9 0 17 0 26 Gómez 0 15 0 10 0 25 Lawrence 0 0 24 0 0 24 Rogers 0 22 0 0 0 22 Banda 0 9 0 11 0 20 Orze 0 16 0 0 0 16 Paredes 0 0 0 0 0 0 View the full article

After an extended rehab period, the Mets get a frontline starter back, but whether his rehab is complete, and whether they particularly wanted him back at all, is still up for debate. Transactions, 6/16/2026 GOING GOING NEUTRAL COMING COMING Demoted to Syracuse Designated for Assignment Transferred from Rotation Ended Rehab Assignment and Activated from IL Claimed off Waivers from DET, Not Yet Assigned Relief Pitchers Infielders Relief Pitchers Starting Pitchers Infielders Jonathan Pintaro Vidal Brujan Tobias Myers Kodai Senga Zack Short R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 High Level: MLB (2026) S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 High Level: MLB (2026) L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 34848 High Level: MLB (2026) Kodai Senga last pitched in an MLB game on April 26. It was the butt-end of a doublle-header, and lest it go unsaid, the results — 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings, with 3 walks and only one strikeout — weren't pretty, throwing 50 pitches against the lowly Rockies and walking off into rehab limbo. And when the team finally came up with a diagnosis — lumbar pine inflammation — it too wasn't pretty, reminding one of the spinal stenosis that ultimately ended David Wright's career prematurely. You hate to say the guy's done — 9.00 ERA aside. We've all seen bursts of hopeful indicators, in the majors and minors — elevated volume setting up that devastating forkball. But usually an inning later, the velocity and control disappear, and you get the guy they have been getting. That's life, but what seems like it was meant to be avoided was the rehab ending today. David Peterson was rested enough to be today's starter or bulk reliever or whatever, but he was forced into mopup duty in yesterday's rout, and Kodai is forced forward today. All our best to him. And maybe he is ready. Maybe, maybe. We blew all of our Zack Short facts in the last post, but it's curious that Vidal Bruján has been sent to DFAville. He certainly was unproductive, but playing every eight to ten days, primarily in low-leverage situations, he hardly has been a difference maker, and to look at Shorty's career, he is unlikely to provide more, as the 2024 Mets were one of the teams he has played himself off of. But maybe their scouts see something that isn't coming through. Maybe he's Luis Torrens 2026, with a singular tool set waiting for a team that can isolate him in the right spots. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán A.J. Minter Cionel Pérez Jonathan Pintaro Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/L DoB: 35176 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Brett Baty Marcus Semien Zack Short R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 34848 Infielders Outfielders Mark Vientos Eric Wagaman Carson Benge A.J. Ewing MJ Melendez Juan Soto Jared Young R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Starting Pitcher Clay Holmes Tylor Megill Christian Scott Zach Thornton Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Daniel Duarte R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1996-12-04 Relief Pitchers Catchers Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 Infielders Outfielders Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Tyrone Taylor S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 R/R DoB: 1994-01-22 Designated for Assignment Infielders Vidal Brujan S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coord. Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitch. Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Equip. Manager Bullpen Catcher Bullpen Catcher Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Recond. Coordinator Recond. Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? DoB: 1962-07-19 View the full article

When the Chicago Cubs signed Alex Bregman this past winter, there was an immediate thought that pushing Matt Shaw to the bench and, subsequently, into a utility role, would help to boost a reserve group that had been quite lackluster during Jed Hoyer's term as president of baseball operations. That sentiment itself was something of an oversimplification, but 2026 has shown us that it had at least a kernel of truth embedded within it. Hoyer's time atop the Cubs' front office has been anything but black-and-white. While the choices made under his stewardship merit their own lengthy discussion, he's largely been adept at finding value for certain spots, like Michael Busch at first base or a host of reclamation arms for the bullpen, while struggling in other respects. One of those latter components has been his consistent inability to build out a bench. Consider, for a moment, some of the players we've seen on the pine at Wrigley Field since 2023: Mike Tauchman (751 PA, 109 wRC+) Patrick Wisdom (476 PA, 97 wRC+) Miles Mastrobuoni (255 PA, 57 wRC+) Trey Mancini (263 PA, 75 wRC+) Justin Turner (191 PA, 71 wRC+) Jon Berti (107 PA, 42 wRC+) David Bote (48 PA, 104 wRC+) Vidal Bruján (47 PA, 42 wRC+) There was also a smattering of small-sample names like Edwin Ríos, Garrett Cooper, Willi Castro, Gage Workman, Carlos Santana, and two turns of Nicky Lopez at various stages. To say nothing of the rotating cast of characters that have been utilized as depth behind the plate (Tucker Barnhart, Tomás Nido, Luis Torrens, etc.). Context and associated mileage varies for each — Tauchman, for example, was closer to a regular than a true bench player — but it otherwise lands as a wide net of past-prime, post-hype names from which the Cubs were hoping to get some level of contribution and got very little outside of defensive versatility. That's an important note within all of this, too. Hoyer and company have often sacrificed production from their bench in favor of movable pieces that lacked offensive tools. There's a certain logic in that mindset when you're utilizing maybe the last piece or two on your roster, but when the collective reserves over the last handful of years are mutually exclusive with any notable offensive contribution, you run into the types of problems which this organization has experienced. The good news to all of this is that those issues appear to be at least moderately behind the Cubs in 2026. There are four names now locked into bench roles for at least the short-term: Shaw, Miguel Amaya, Michael Conforto, and Pedro Ramírez. From a logistical standpoint, that's a group that covers the top objective in your reserves in that they're able to cover each position on the field. More importantly, though, it's a quartet that provides actual value off the bench. From your reserves, you're not necessarily looking for loud offensive production. You want players who can help the team to remain stable defensively while keeping them afloat offensively in the event of an injury or a starter's singular off day. With Seiya Suzuki staving off a longer-term injury over the weekend, the Cubs are finally in a position where they appear to have that. Shaw is central to this given his increasing flexibility around the diamond. He's logged time at first base, second base, third base, and each of the three outfield spots, including 16 appearances in right field. While his bat remains a relative deficiency, his penchant for at least avoiding strikeouts has his wRC+ afloat at 105. It's not a completely dissimilar profile from someone like Ramírez, whose first 40-ish plate appearances have yielded identical 8.1 percent walk and strikeout rates and a 108 wRC+. The real offensive value off the bench has come in the form of Conforto and Amaya. Conforto's June is off to a rough start, but he's still turned in a .216 isolated power figure and a 118 wRC+ across more than 100 plate appearances to date. He's also walked at a 14 percent clip, which has compounded with his power output to compensate for a strikeout rate over 30 percent. Amaya, meanwhile, has an on-base percentage over .350 and a 109 wRC+ when stepping in for Carson Kelly behind the plate. That's a group that Craig Counsell can work with. Save for someone like Tauchman in the last few years, the Cubs have been forced to deploy an extensive collection of bodies capable of handling a glove but not so much a bat. Even if hasn't come together with complete intention — Ramírez was called up upon an injury to Shaw, Conforto emerged from a group of four potential throw-it-at-the-wall candidates in the spring — the result is a bench that finally looks respectable in comparison with what the Cubs have worked with in the past few seasons. Jed Hoyer doesn't have a ton of recent wins to his name considering the state of the pitching staff and absence of early returns on Alex Bregman, but the bench is certainly something for him to hang his hat on. View the full article

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. This mid-June edition of the Fish On First Prospects Report might be our most detailed of the year thus far, including some key injury updates near the bottom of the article. This report covers the games played from June 9-15. Triple-A Jacksonville Although the walks do remain an issue, Karson Milbrandt had a strong second start in Jacksonville on Saturday, going five innings, allowing one run on three hits, three walks and struck out seven. His fastball topped out at 97.0 mph and averaged 94.3 mph. He had five whiffs on that pitch and three of his seven strikeouts came on the fastball. Milbrandt generated three of his strikeouts with his sweeper and also threw his slider and curveball. In a recent interview on the Call-Up Podcast, Milbrandt said that he has added a kick-change to his arsenal, though he has yet to use it in Triple-A. Since being optioned to Jacksonville, Graham Pauley is slashing .254/.361/.535/.897 with four home runs, 10 RBI and a 135 wRC+. Marlins third basemen this season at the big league level have combined for a 43 wRC+, the worst in baseball. Pauley's defense has never been the question, but he needs to hit at the highest level so he can be playable. Another opportunity should be coming for him soon if he maintains this pace. A third baseman coming out of the MLB Draft, Gage Miller has mostly been bumped to second base to make room for Pauley. He is now slashing .313/.421/.469/.890 with one home run, six RBI and a 144 wRC+ in Triple-A. Andrew Pintar is quietly having a great season. After a slow start, Pintar is now hitting .260/.366/.420/.786 with six home runs, 31 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 114 wRC+. Outfield depth in the organization is as good as it's been in years, so for Pintar to receive a call-up this season may require an injury to either Jakob Marsee or Esteury Ruiz. Double-A Pensacola Behind solid starting pitching from some unheralded arms, the Wahoos enjoyed a successful week. After having their opener rained out, Pensacola split a doubleheader before taking three of the next four against the Clingstones to improve to 32-31. They are now within one game of the lead in a tightly contested Southern League South division. During the week, Pensacola starters gave up just 10 runs in 30 ⅓ innings (2.99 ERA). On the season, the Wahoos staff as a whole owns a 4.42 ERA, third-lowest in the Southern League. In today’s baseball reality, soft-tossing lefties are becoming a thing of the past. Luis Palacios represents one of few surviving members of this craft and it was on full display this week against Columbus. He worked five innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two and inducing nine ground outs. All of that was accomplished on just 53 pitches. The longest-tenured member of the Marlins organization, Palacios has been doing his thing, throwing strikes and getting ground balls since 2017. Simply put, the guy doesn’t walk anyone. Year over year, he is one of the best arms in MiLB at commanding the strike zone. This season, Palacios has uncharacteristically walked 25 batters in 51 ⅓ innings. This can perhaps partially be attributed to completely missing spring training due to visa issues. Despite the early-season woes, he bounced back well and is keeping his walk rate more than manageable. He’s doing the same with his ERA, which sits at 2.18 (seventh-lowest in the Southern League). When he’s at his best, Palacios profiles as an innings-eating machine capable of shutting down opposing offenses at a lightning-fast pace, but with limited velocity and swing-and-miss stuff, there is little room for error in his game. Despite being the complete and polar opposite of the Marlins’ archetype pitcher, the 25-year-old southpaw has performed well so far this season. Especially in an organization struggling for pitching depth, he at least deserves an extended look at the Triple-A level. As he comes up on another year of minor league free agent eligibility, Palacios getting a cup of coffee in the majors would certainly be a feel-good story for a player who has spent his entire professional career with the same team. It was another good series for Juan Matheus. The 22-year-old infielder who continues to project plus power from within a small package. In this series, the 5’9”, 155 pounder went 5-for-18 with two home runs and seven RBI. His team-best OPS rose to .830. Offensive success has been sporadic at times this season for Matheus, but overall, his translation to the upper minors is going pretty well. He’s swinging a lot both at strikes and at balls out of the zone, but his ability to get the bat around with lightning quickness has allotted him longer ABs and caused opposing pitchers to come further in the zone. Matheus continues to favor his pull side but he’s also found some success up the middle with the Wahoos as he is going through the box at a 30.8% clip. He hasn’t walked much against Double-A stuff but his penchant for contact more than makes up for it. Thought to be a distant third piece in the trade that sent Ryan Weathers to New York, Matheus has quickly made a name for himself with a loud bat that has looked the part more often than not against the toughest competition he’s ever faced. This is a name that is continuing to trend up in the organization. High-A Beloit It was another tough week for the Sky Carp in the standings. After opening their series against Quad Cities with a win, the team dropped four of their next five including their last three straight. Particularly painful was Saturday’s game in which they squandered an early 6-0 lead and lost 12-6. Beloit’s pitching continues to be a nightmare: their team ERA has now swelled to 5.97. They own a minus-26 run differential. A 22-year-old infielder capable of playing multiple positions, Emilio Barreras has done nothing but hit since coming to Miami as an eighth-round pick last year. Promoted to the High-A level on June 3, he is slashing .395/.432/.553 with the Sky Carp. This past week, Barreras went 10-for-17 and ran his hit streak to nine games en route to being named our Prospect of the Week. Coming out of the draft, Barreras was highly touted for his bat-to-ball skills which allotted him a .311/.399/.402 slash as a three-year starter at Grand Canyon University. Early in his pro career, he is proving that skill set can translate. With a patient approach and slashy bat built for a good average, Barreras can go with any pitch type and hit to all fields. He is also perfectly content taking a walk, which he has done more than he’s struck out so far this season. Scouts see in Barreras the hands, range and footwork to stick at shortstop, or the very least, the ability to hold down second base, keeping him at a premium position. Barreras isn’t slow, but needs to work on his timing mechanics while on the bases. If he’s able to develop in that capacity, he will add another layer to his game. So far this season, he has stolen three bags and been caught six times. Overall, Barreras, the self-described “pest,” could carve out a nice career as a top-of-the-order run to be driven in or a bottom-of-the-order guy who will turn the lineup over. If he keeps doing what he’s doing as he moves through the levels, he is a safe player. As such, the floor is decently high. Brandon Compton, the Marlins’ second-round pick last season, needs to find offensive consistency to carry him to a potential ceiling of a starting corner outfielder. After a disappointing May in which he recorded just 13 hits, Compton has been absolutely on fire to start June. The latest exports from Compton’s bat were a 10-hit series against the River Bandits and he is beginning to turn raw power that he was highly touted for when drafted into game power. Four of his salvos during that span were home runs, bringing him to seven on the season. With great raw strength, he is showcasing an ability to turn on virtually anything and drive it to his pull side. Compton has also been very selective against High-A stuff, proven by an extremely high 24% walk rate. The only thing inhibiting Compton’s game is an equally high K rate of 34%. A man of extremes, Compton isn’t swinging at bad pitches, but he is trying to force pull-side contact often leading to overzealous hacks and a bit of unbalance in his follow through. Simplifying his mechanics and being able to cover more plate will be paramount for the 22-year-old as he continues to develop. For now, this was an extremely encouraging week and span for Compton. If he can limit the swings-and-misses and start to use more of the field, he'll access the best version of himself. Low-A Jupiter After a hot start in the FCL, Edgardo De Leon was promoted to Low-A, where he is doing a lot of the same, slashing .350/.400/.700/1.100 with two home runs, six RBI and a 174 wRC+. He has six total home runs this season between both levels. In 2025, he struck out 28.8% of the time, but so far, he has cut down the strikeout rate to 17.8% between both levels and is walking 16.8% of the time. De Leon, 19, was the third piece acquired in the trade that sent Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs this past offseason. Obviously, all players are in different stages of their career, but based solely on production, De Leon takes the cake. If he keeps producing at this level, De Leon should eventually crack into our FOF Top 30 list. Luis Arana, also promoted to Low-A with De Leon, has gotten off to a great start as well. In 11 games, he is hitting .341/.491/.512/1.003 with one home run, 11 RBI and a 180 wRC+. He has stolen 17 bases between both levels. Defensively, Arana has played shortstop the most, but has gotten a fair share of reps at third base. Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela for $30k in 2025, he projects as a shortstop long term. Carter Johnson is quietly making the case for a promotion, now slashing .250/.370/.438/.808 with seven home runs, 31 RBI and a 122 wRC+. A lot of the production should be taken with a grain of salt as this is his second full season at the level, but at this rate, he has nothing left to prove. Manuel Genao, a 20-year-old right-handed pitching prospect, has a 3.50 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 9.67 K/9 and a 2.33 BB/9 in 13 games (11 starts) this season. In his most recent start where there was Statcast data available, Genao's sinker topped out at 96.1 mph and averaged 94.6 mph. He also throws a slider, curveball, cutter, changeup and a four-seam fastball. PJ Morlando, the top pick of the 2024 Marlins draft class, has not been able to get it going, now slashing .176/.317/.283/.601 with four home runs, 22 RBI and a 77 wRC+. He is striking out 27.4% of the time. Going down to the complex league for a bit as a 21-year-old would be a tough pill to swallow, but that has to be on the table soon if he continues to show no signs of progress. FCL Marlins Another week of rookie ball brought more unusual storylines, highlighted by the FCL Marlins throwing a no-hitter and still losing the game. Jonas Uzcategui made three appearances this week and looked like the Uzcategui we have seen for most of the season in two of them before running into trouble on Monday. In his first appearance, he threw an inning without allowing a hit, though a walk eventually came around to score. Three days later, he tossed four innings and allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out two. Monday got away from him a bit as he allowed six runs on three hits and three walks. Unfortunately, that is the nature of rookie ball—one rough outing can overshadow several quality appearances because of how short the season is. Even with that start, Uzcategui has made some really big strides from last year. After a rough first month since coming stateside, Almen Tolentino has started to look like the player we saw last year in the DSL when he hit .301 with six home runs and 20 stolen bases. Over the last week, he went 5-for-16 (.312) and stole three bases, including one in each of his last three games. As the season goes on, the consistency should start to show. If it does, the Marlins could start seeing the same version of Tolentino that made such a strong impression a year ago. DSL Marlins & DSL Miami Catcher Carlos Martinez has had a very weird season, but he has made the most of every opportunity he has gotten. He has appeared in only seven games and has just 10 at-bats, but he is hitting .400 with a home run and only one strikeout. He appeared in four games this week but only received four at-bats, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. The opportunities have been limited, but he continues to produce whenever his name is called. Last week, Evan Da Souza made his debut and ran into some trouble, but managed to escape without any damage. This week, he put that outing behind him and threw three scoreless innings while striking out five, walking two, and hitting a batter. Through his first two appearances, the control has been inconsistent, but the upside is obvious. He is definitely a player worth keeping an eye on. David Shirley entered the season as a career .297 hitter in the minors and has continued to swing the bat well, hitting .333 to start the year. This week, he went 5-for-13 (.385) with a home run. The strikeout rate has been a little high at 29%, but it is still a very small sample size. It will flatten out as he gets more at bats. He has arrived. After a rough first week of professional baseball where he hit .176 and struck out nine times in five games, Santiago Solarte broke out in a big way this week. He went 5-for-11 (.455), with most of the damage coming on Monday afternoon. The game included several firsts. He recorded his first career three-hit game and hit his first professional home run. Since that opening week, he has struck out just twice. Solarte continues to be a nightmare for opposing pitchers on the bases as well. He already has 11 stolen bases on the season and, before Monday, had stolen a base in four consecutive games. The tools that made him one of the organization's most exciting international signings are starting to show up consistently, and it looks like he is beginning to settle in after that slow start. Injuries/Rehab Kemp Alderman is back with Jacksonville after missing about a month due to a left elbow sprain. He served as their designated hitter on Tuesday. Griffin Conine and Eury Pérez are both rehabbing with the Jumbo Shrimp this week. Conine hopefully will rejoin the Marlins active roster following the series in Durham. For Pérez, he is scheduled to make multiple AAA rehab starts beginning on Thursday, when he is expected to go three to four innings and about 50 pitches. Noble Meyer (right shoulder strain) will make his second rehab start with Jupiter on Thursday. PJ Morlando exited Tuesday's Hammerheads game early soon after making a diving catch in the outfield. No word yet on the severity of the injury. This week's schedule Triple-A Jacksonville at Durham Double-A Pensacola vs. Birmingham High-A Beloit at Cedar Rapids Low-A Jupiter vs. Palm Beach FCL Marlins, DSL Marlins and DSL Miami vs. various opponents View the full article

For the second time this season, the Chicago Cubs are down their closer. Right-hander Daniel Palencia was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday by the Cubs with inflammation in his right elbow. Right-handed reliever Gavin Hollowell was called up from Triple-A Iowa. Palencia went on the 15-day IL on April 16 with a mild strain of his left oblique. It was a short stay there as he returned to the Cubs on May 3. Palencia appeared in Monday's game, pitching the ninth inning of the Cubs' 5-4 walk-off victory over the Colorado Rockies. He walked one and struck out three. The 26-year-old has a 3.46 FIP (2.70 ERA) in 19 games and 16⅔ innings, with a walk rate of 8.5% and a strikeout rate of 26.8%. Hollowell is up for the second time this season. In a one-day call-up, he appeared in the May 7 game against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching 1⅔ innings, giving up two runs on two hits, including a homer, with four walks and a strikeout. In 15 games at Iowa this year, he has a 3.63 ERA with 14 walks and 27 strikeouts in 17⅓ innings. View the full article

Fish On First LIVE discusses the atrocious production that the Marlins have been getting from Christopher Morel and Leo Jiménez and several of the internal options to take their roster spots. View the full article

The Cooper Pratt Era (such as it may be) will begin in earnest Tuesday night. The Brewers plan to start Pratt at shortstop for his major-league debut, and in making room for him on the active roster, they designated infielder Luis Rengifo for assignment. That it's Rengifo's place on the team Pratt is taking is no surprise, but it's of some interest that the veteran has been told to pack his bags, rather than being stashed away on the injured list. It looked as though Rengifo might have an injury worthy of a stint on the shelf, necessitating and facilitating Pratt's promotion. That would have kept the team's powder dry, holding onto Rengifo and keeping him in the mix with incumbent infield options Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton and Pratt, depending on how things develop from here. Instead, Rengifo is now effectively gone. That makes this move a bit more commital than it looked at first glance. Pratt is, effectively, taking over at shortstop, making (semi-)permanent the platoon of Ortiz and Hamilton at third base. This locks everything into place a little more than we might have anticipated. A roaring surge or a calamitous slump by either Ortiz or Hamilton could still change the equation. So could Jett Williams turning it on at Triple-A Nashville. Tentatively, though, it sure looks like the team plans to proceed from here with their freshly extended rookie at short and two players working in a complementary role next to him. There's a little risk here that wasn't there if and when one envisioned Rengifo landing on the injured list. It's not as easy, now, to foresee the team optioning either Ortiz or Hamilton if their performance demands it. The front office is gambling a bit, because this can no longer be an audition of a few weeks or a month. The Brewers need some mileage from Pratt, and their hopes for stabilizing the bottom end of the batting order now rest on the trio of Pratt, Ortiz and Hamilton. Rengifo could pass through waivers, given the money still owed to him, but it's unlikely that he'll have interest in going to Nashville. At this point, it seems like the Brewers can hope only to save a morsel of the money they still owe to Rengifo after signing him for $4 million over the winter. They're jettisoning him in the name of making the runway from which Pratt's career will take off as clear as possible. It was already exciting to see Pratt called up. Now, it's also intriguing, and a little bit risky. The upside for his team just rose considerably. Its floor might have dropped a bit, though. The club will hope the latter never comes into play. View the full article

The return of Kodai Senga couldn't have come at a better time for the New York Mets. The right-hander was activated from the 15-day injured list by the Mets to start Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Right-handed reliever Jonathan Pintaro was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse and infielder Vidal Brujan was designated for assignment to make room on the 26-man roster for infielder Zack Short, who was claimed off waivers the day before. Senga has been out since April 28 with lumbar spine inflammation. He had made five starts with a 9.00 ERA before landing on the IL, including 13 walks in 20 innings. He made four rehab appearances, posting a 4.00 ERA with six walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 innings. Senga's return comes a day after the Mets placed right-hander Christian Scott went on the 15-day IL and a rough start by right-hander Tobias Myers that night in a 12-0 loss to the Reds. Pintaro had been called up Monday in a bullpen shuffle and pitched 3⅔ innings, allowing two runs on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts. View the full article