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It's time to check back in with another San Diego Padres mock draft. The MLB Draft is just five weeks away. This class is as muddled as any I've covered, though it's plenty deep in talent. You can find our mock consensus board here. Let's check in on some player profiles it's currently mocking to the Padres with their first few picks in July. Draft aficionados will be used to the concept of a cold weather arms rising throughout the cycle. They don't all look like Brody Bumila, though. The 6'9 two-sport star committed to Texas has been making waves in recent weeks. Padres Mock Draft, No 21: Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan HS, MA As you might expect from such a unique frame, there's unique stuff to match. Bumila relies on a fastball that has been as high as 101 mph. It sits in the high 90s, coming at hitters from a drop-and-drive delivery and a lower launch, with good ride at the top of the zone making it a nightmare for prep hitters in MA. There's plenty of work to do on the secondary arsenal. Bumila relies most heavily on a changeup, thrown in the low 80s, but he'll mix in a slider and a curveball too. This is a size and stuff over polish prep arm in what could be one of the higher risk, higher reward plays of the entire class. Padres Mock Draft, No. 97: Tyson LeBlanc, SS, Kansas LeBlanc has had a sensational year at Kansas after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Louisiana State Eunice. He's a rapid riser up draft boards with a solid blend of skills, tools, and production. Setting up from the right side of the plate, LeBlanc has a marginally open stance with an ear high hand set. He has a modified toe tap in his swing, twisting his foot into the ground before unleashing a swing underpinned by good bat speed. There's a good combination of bat-to-ball skills and batted ball data here. LeBlanc has crushed 24 home runs and counting entering Super Regional play, to go with a 140 wRC+. The only real orange flag on offense is a chase rate higher than you'd like to see, though it's not unmanageable. LeBlanc has solid supplementary tools. He should steal a dozen bases or so a year, with above-average speed. He has good actions in the infield to pair with an above-average arm. While he likely won't stick at shortstop at the next level, he should find a home on the dirt somewhere. He's been one of the most well-rounded college hitters in the country in 2026. View the full article

It's no secret that the New York Mets' 2026 season, thus far, has been defined by a lack of offense. Meanwhile, the pitching staff has done all it can to help the team tread water. Jonah Tong got the opportunity to assist with that mission over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, he provided mixed results and was shuttled back to Syracuse earlier this week. There are only two other arms in the Top 10 of our Prospect Rankings here at Grand Central Mets, both of whom were solid, if unspectacular, during May. A quick dive into the Mets' system's depths, though, gives a glimpse of what could be coming down the pipe. Monthly stats referenced are from milb.com at the player's listed level. Pitchers eligible for inclusion on this list must have pitched at least 10 innings. Prospect ranks are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best MiLB Pitchers in May 3. Jonathan Pintaro - AAA (Syracuse, No. 20 Prospect) Pintaro, who made his MLB debut in June 2025, returned to the MLB roster last month and produced as well as anyone could have hoped. In 3 2/3 innings for the big-league club, he didn't allow a hit, struck out three batters and walked only one. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 8 (0) 10.2 4 6 (4) 17/5 Prior to his promotion, the 28-year-old right-hander was carving up opponents for Triple-A Syracuse. A home run allowed in his first game back with Syracuse sent him tumbling to a still strong 3.38 ERA, and his WHIP (0.84), BAA (.111) and K/9 (14.34) were all excellent. It wouldn't be shocking to see him back in Queens sooner than later. 2. Hunter Hodges - High-A (Brooklyn) The Mets signed Hodges, 23, as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 MLB Draft. The TCU product sparkled as a reliever his final year in college, posting a 1.86 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 13 walks in 19 1/3 innings. He moved from St. Lucie to Brooklyn after 29 appearances in 2025 and absolutely dominated the South Atlantic League this May. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 9 (0) 11.2 4 1 (0) 20/4 Hodges' biggest issue has been command. His BB/9 stood at 6.1 with the Horned Frogs in 2024 and at 7.1 across the minors in 2025. Last month, though, he pulled it down to 3.1. If this proves not to be an aberration, Hodges will be primed to take another step through the organization and could appear on the MLB radar. 1. Channing Austin - High-A (Brooklyn) Austin, like Hodges, was an undrafted free agent in 2024. The former USC Trojan was unlike Hodges, though, in that his final collegiate season lacked flair. His ERA before signing with the Mets was 6.28, with 17 strikeouts and 15 walks in 14 1/3 innings. It's hard to fathom those numbers came from the same person who made mincemeat of opposing hitters last month. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 4 (4) 21.2 10 2 (2) 30/9 Austin, a Brooklyn native, had three starts with 5-plus innings pitched and no earned runs in May. The lone start in which he didn't reach either threshold, he struck out 10 in 4 1/3 innings. His monthly numbers? A patently absurd 0.83 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, .133 BAA and 12.46 SO/9. The 24-year-old's incredible stretch earned him a promotion to Double-A Binghamton on May 26. His final start for his hometown minor league team saw him go 6 2/3 innings with one hit, one walk and eight strikeouts. Austin is quickly gaining steam and is set to become a big name in national circles once he starts treating the Eastern League the same way he treated High-A. Honorable Mentions: Douglas Orellana (AA-Binghamton), Nicolas Carreno (A-St. Lucie) View the full article

In USA Today's Bob Nightengale's latest Sunday Notebook, he reported that the Kansas City Royals aren't ready to become sellers on the trade market just yet. Still, they have been receiving some interest from the Sacramento Athletics in Kris Bubic, which could be an intriguing situation with Bubic set to hit free agency next offseason. Here's what Nightengale said about the Royals (and Minnesota Twins) regarding their decision to be sellers or buyers at the Trade Deadline, even though they have a losing record. However, in his bullet-point list of rumors around the league, he noted that the Sacramento Athletics are interested in acquiring Bubic. An All-Star a year ago, the 28-year-old has seen some regression this year. In 50.1 IP, he has a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.77 FIP, and 12.1% K-BB%. According to TJ Stuff+ summary data, his zone rate and xwOBACON have been slightly below average this season. However, his TJ Stuff+, chase, and whiff rates have all been above average, which explains the buzz he's getting on the trade market. The A's are currently 30-34, having regressed hard after a strong start to the season. Their rotation has been an Achilles' heel for the club, as they rank 27th in starter ERA and 28th in starter WHIP. In terms of what they have in the rotation currently, rookie J.T. Ginn has been phenomenal (2.74 ERA in 65.2 IP), and Jeffrey Springs has been serviceable (4.37 ERA in 70 IP). They also have a promising arm in Gage Jump, who's seen as a Top-100 prospect by multiple outlets. Other than that, however, the starting pitching staff has been thin, especially with veterans Aaron Civale and Luis Severino on the IL. The Athletics rank 26th in K-BB% with a 10.1% mark, so Bubic would boost this rotation immediately. Furthermore, the former Stanford product grew up in Northern California, so he would likely welcome a move to Sacramento, despite the hitter-friendly home ballpark. MLB Pipeline ranked the A's 18th in its Farm System rankings, and they have intriguing top-100 prospects like Jump, pitcher Jamie Arnold, and shortstop Leo De Vries. While it's unlikely that the A's would want to deal a Top-100 prospect for Bubic, this is an A's team that hasn't made the postseason since 2020, during the shortened COVID season. Bubic has been on the 15-Day IL since May 18th due to left elbow soreness. According to a June 4th report by MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers, Bubic is on a regular bullpen schedule. No timetable has been released on Bubic's rehab schedule or probable return to the Kansas City rotation. View the full article

Let's take a look at everything happened down on the farm on Saturday. Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 4-1 Season Record: 31-28 Worcester won for the third straight night behind a big sixth inning. Eduardo Rivera was almost perfect in his two-inning starting effort. He allowed one baserunner on a walk and struck out two more as he lowered his ERA to 3.04. Garrett Whitlock made a one-inning rehab stint next, allowing a hit and two walks as he began to work back to his big league return. Things began to unravel for the WooSox as Noah Song entered the game. Song allowed two runs on five hits across two innings, but prevented any further damage. Jacob Webb took the next two innings, allowing one more run on one hit as he K’d three. Webb earned the win despite getting a blown save. Angel Bastardo closed the game with a two-inning appearance. He allowed one more run but sealed the game with his efforts. The WooSox momentum carried over from Friday’s offensive success to Saturday. Allan Castro and Tyler McDonough led the team with two RBIs apiece. McDonough has been on fire recently and he bumped his batting average up to .375 on Saturday with a 1-for-2 performance. It was Matt Thaiss who opened up the scoring for Worcester, doubling in the second and driving in Tsung-Che Cheng. Thaiss then crossed home on a Vinny Capra double later in the first frame. Despite his success in getting on base, McDonough isn’t known for his power stroke. However, in the second inning, he hit his first homer of the year, adding to the lead. With the game tied in the sixth, the WooSox poured on four runs to put the game out of reach. Castro doubled to left field, scoring Thaiss and Capra. Capra was then driven home on a sac fly from McDonough. Braiden Ward joined the party with a soft single to left, advancing to second as he drove in Nathan Hickey. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 2-3 Season Record: 28-27 Portland fell 10-8 behind shaky pitching despite five RBIs from Ahbram Liendo Despite a solid start to the season, Jedixson Paez has run into trouble as of late. The recent struggles continued on Saturday, though he showed signs of improvement. Over 3 ⅔ frames of work, Paez allowed three hits and two runs. However, he didn’t allow a walk and struck out five batters. The Sea Dogs staff really fell apart when Caleb Bolden took the mound in the fourth. Over the next one and ⅔ innings Bolden allowed five runs on four hits before Erik Rivera took over. Rivera couldn’t keep the Yard Goats in check, letting up another three runs (one unearned) on three hits before turning the ball over to Cade Feeney. Feeney put together the best outing for Portland’s staff, allowing two more hits as he finished the game. After driving in four runs during Friday’s contest, Liendo’s hot streak continued as he drove in five more on Saturday. With the bases loaded in the second, Liendo hit a high fly ball to shallow center field that dropped in. He turned a routine pop-out into a double as the ball got behind the center fielder, racing around first and getting into second with ease. Facing a seven-run deficit in the sixth, Liendo struck again. He drove in Nelly Taylor on a sac fly and advanced Miguel Bleis to third. Bleis scored later in the inning on a sac fly from Marvin Alcantara that cut the lead to five. Liendo struck yet again in the eighth, driving in Bleis on an RBI single. Caden Rose, who advanced to third on the single, scored on a pickoff attempt as Portland slowly closed the gap. Nate Baez then drove Liendo in on a single as the Sea Dogs brought themselves within two. It wasn’t enough, however, as the offense stalled in the ninth. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves): 2-3 Season Record: 22-32 Greenville got back into the win column behind another dominant outing from Kyson Witherspoon. Witherspoon earned the first win of his professional career as he continued to build back from a disappointing start to the season. Over 5 ⅓ innings, the longest start of his career so far, Witherspoon allowed four hits and just one run. He sent six batters back to the dugout on strikes as he again showed flashes of his high upside. P.J. Labriola took the next two innings, allowing one more run and striking out three more before turning the ball over to Matt McShane. McShane closed out the final inning and change, allowing two more runs on four hits. He struck out three as he sealed the win for the Drive. Three players had multi-hit games for the Drive’s offense as they wreaked havoc on the basepaths. In the third inning, Jack Winnay hit his tenth homer of the season to tie the game 1-1. Not to be outdone, Mason White then stepped to the plate and hit his tenth of the year as the pair went back-to-back. In the fourth, Luke Heyman drove in Yoeilin Cespedes on a double play. In the seventh, Isaiah Jackson stole third and advanced home on a throwing error as Winnay advanced to second. Ronny Hernandez then joined the home run party, hitting his fourth of the year and establishing a five-run lead. To add some cushion, Enddy Azocar drove in White on a single to bring the final score to 7-4. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Wilson War Birds (Milwaukee Brewers): 1-4 Season Record: 24-32 Salem’s struggles continued on Saturday as they struggled to convert ten hits into runs. Jacob Mayers put together another impressive stat line as he sports a 2.51 season ERA. Over three and ⅔ innings, Mayers allowed two runs on as many hits, striking out six. Christian Foutch took over next, throwing 2 ⅔ innings of no-hit ball. He allowed four walks however, but he struck out three. Nicolas De La Cruz took the mound in the seventh and posted an identical stat line to Foutch, four walks and three strikeouts while allowing no hits. Drew Allmer looked to play the hero as Salem’s offense took the lead in the tenth. However, Allmer fell short. He allowed two singles as Wilson walked it off in the tenth. Andruw Musett recorded the first three-hit game of his season as three others had multiple hits. However, the RidgeYaks fell short when it came time to drive runs in, going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine. Musett put Salem on the board with an RBI single in the first inning. He followed that up with another single, this one to tie the game in the eighth inning. He scored Andrews Opata both times. In the tenth, Stanley Tucker grabbed the lead with a sac fly that scored Starlyn Nunez. Despite the RidgeYaks finding some late life, it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs signed free agent RHP Andrew Wantz to a minor league contract. Chicago Cubs recalled RHP Javier Assad from Iowa Cubs. Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Ethan Roberts to Iowa Cubs. Iowa Breaks Through With Four-Run Third To Top Toledo The Iowa Cubs scored seven runs on 10 hits to beat the Toledo Mud Hens, 7-5. The game was tied 3-3 entering the bottom of the third, when Iowa took control. Ben Cowles singled home James Triantos, Justin Dean doubled to score Ben Cowles and Scott Kingery. Brett Bateman followed with a double that brought in Dean, putting Iowa ahead 7-3. Bateman finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, Triantos went 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Dean went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Matthew Boyd took the start and worked five innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, all earned, including three home runs, while walking one and striking out five. Tyler Ferguson followed with two scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out three. Iowa left four runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman 4 1 3 1 0 1 Matt Shaw 3 1 1 1 1 1 BJ Murray 3 0 0 0 0 0 Owen Miller 3 0 0 0 0 1 James Triantos 3 1 2 2 0 0 Christian Bethancourt 3 0 0 0 0 0 Ben Cowles 3 1 1 1 0 1 Scott Kingery 3 1 1 0 0 0 Justin Dean 3 2 2 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Boyd 5 7 5 5 1 5 3 Tyler Ferguson 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 Jefferson Rojas And Knoxville Pour It On In 14-Run Night The Knoxville Smokies scored 14 runs on 15 hits to defeat the Birmingham Barons, 14-5. After Knoxville trailed early, the bottom of the fifth turned the game into a rout as the Smokies plated eight runs. Carter Trice homered to score Andy Garriola, Alex Ramirez walked with the bases loaded to push home a run, Jefferson Rojas added a sacrifice fly, and Andy Garriola capped the inning with a three-run home run, making it 12-5. Rojas finished 3-for-3 with two home runs, three runs, and three RBI, Garriola went 2-for-5 with three RBI, and Ariel Armas collected four hits. Tyler Schlaffer took the start and pitched four innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, all earned, while walking three and striking out seven. Jace Beck followed with three scoreless innings, walking two and striking out three, and Tyler Ras added two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Knoxville left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alex Ramírez 3 1 0 2 1 2 Jefferson Rojas 3 3 3 3 1 0 Owen Ayers 4 2 3 2 1 0 Andy Garriola 5 2 2 3 0 0 Carter Trice 3 1 1 2 1 1 Devin Ortiz 1 0 0 0 0 1 Edgar Alvarez 4 1 1 1 1 0 Karson Simas 4 2 1 0 1 2 Ariel Armas 5 1 4 0 0 0 Hayden Cantrelle 4 1 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schlaffer 4 7 5 5 3 7 0 Jace Beck 3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Tyler Ras 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 South Bend Launches Four Homers In 13-2 Romp The South Bend Cubs scored 13 runs on 12 hits to beat the Quad Cities River Bandits, 13-2. South Bend blew the game open in the top of the fourth with three home runs. Christian Olivo homered to score Drew Bowser, Josiah Hartshorn followed with a solo home run, and Miguel Useche added a two-run home run to make it 8-0. The Cubs tacked on three more in the seventh, when Drew Bowser walked with the bases loaded, a run scored on a double play, and Kane Kepley singled home another. Hartshorn finished 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Useche homered and drove in two, and Bowser went 2-for-4 with a double. Will Sanders took the start and worked four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking three, and striking out three. JP Wheat added a scoreless inning, and Koen Moreno pitched four innings, allowing six hits and two runs, both earned, with one home run and six strikeouts. South Bend left 11 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 4 2 1 1 2 0 Ty Southisene 5 2 2 0 1 0 Josiah Hartshorn 5 1 3 3 0 1 Cole Mathis 5 2 1 2 1 0 Miguel Useche 3 2 1 2 2 1 Alex Madera 5 1 0 0 1 1 Justin Stransky 4 1 1 1 0 0 Drew Bowser 4 1 2 1 1 0 Christian Olivo 4 1 1 2 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Will Sanders 4 2 0 0 3 3 0 JP Wheat 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Koen Moreno 4 6 2 2 0 6 1 Myrtle Beach Bats Go Quiet In 4-2 Loss At Charleston The Myrtle Beach Pelicans managed just two hits and fell to the Charleston RiverDogs, 4-2. The Pelicans trailed 2-0 before mounting their only offense in the top of the sixth. Alexis Hernandez singled home Edward Vargas, and Eli Lovich grounded out to bring in Darlyn De Leon, tying the game at 2-2. Charleston pulled away with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Hernandez and Darlyn De Leon accounted for the only two hits, and De Leon also drew a walk. Dominick Reid took the start and pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two runs, both earned, while walking one and striking out one. Edwardo Melendez followed with three innings, allowing one hit and two runs, both earned, with one walk and one strikeout. Myrtle Beach left four runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 4 0 1 1 0 0 Eli Lovich 4 0 0 1 0 2 Logan Poteet 4 0 0 0 0 2 Michael Carico 2 0 0 0 2 1 Derniche Valdez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Yahil Melendez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Geuri Lubo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Edward Vargas 2 1 0 0 1 1 Darlyn De Leon 2 1 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dominick Reid 5 5 2 2 1 1 0 Edwardo Melendez 3 1 2 2 1 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 3-for-3, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Kevin Alcantara: DNP Josiah Hartshorn: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 2 BB Jonathon Long: DNP James Triantos: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI Cole Mathis: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 BB Owen Ayers: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Angel Cepeda: DNP Dominick Reid: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: 2-for-5, 1 BB Will Sanders: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Brandon Birdsell: DNP View the full article

Let's take a look at everything happened down on the farm on Saturday. Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 4-1 Season Record: 31-28 Worcester won for the third straight night behind a big sixth inning. Eduardo Rivera was almost perfect in his two-inning starting effort. He allowed one baserunner on a walk and struck out two more as he lowered his ERA to 3.04. Garrett Whitlock made a one-inning rehab stint next, allowing a hit and two walks as he began to work back to his big league return. Things began to unravel for the WooSox as Noah Song entered the game. Song allowed two runs on five hits across two innings, but prevented any further damage. Jacob Webb took the next two innings, allowing one more run on one hit as he K’d three. Webb earned the win despite getting a blown save. Angel Bastardo closed the game with a two-inning appearance. He allowed one more run but sealed the game with his efforts. The WooSox momentum carried over from Friday’s offensive success to Saturday. Allan Castro and Tyler McDonough led the team with two RBIs apiece. McDonough has been on fire recently and he bumped his batting average up to .375 on Saturday with a 1-for-2 performance. It was Matt Thaiss who opened up the scoring for Worcester, doubling in the second and driving in Tsung-Che Cheng. Thaiss then crossed home on a Vinny Capra double later in the first frame. Despite his success in getting on base, McDonough isn’t known for his power stroke. However, in the second inning, he hit his first homer of the year, adding to the lead. With the game tied in the sixth, the WooSox poured on four runs to put the game out of reach. Castro doubled to left field, scoring Thaiss and Capra. Capra was then driven home on a sac fly from McDonough. Braiden Ward joined the party with a soft single to left, advancing to second as he drove in Nathan Hickey. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 2-3 Season Record: 28-27 Portland fell 10-8 behind shaky pitching despite five RBIs from Ahbram Liendo Despite a solid start to the season, Jedixson Paez has run into trouble as of late. The recent struggles continued on Saturday, though he showed signs of improvement. Over 3 ⅔ frames of work, Paez allowed three hits and two runs. However, he didn’t allow a walk and struck out five batters. The Sea Dogs staff really fell apart when Caleb Bolden took the mound in the fourth. Over the next one and ⅔ innings Bolden allowed five runs on four hits before Erik Rivera took over. Rivera couldn’t keep the Yard Goats in check, letting up another three runs (one unearned) on three hits before turning the ball over to Cade Feeney. Feeney put together the best outing for Portland’s staff, allowing two more hits as he finished the game. After driving in four runs during Friday’s contest, Liendo’s hot streak continued as he drove in five more on Saturday. With the bases loaded in the second, Liendo hit a high fly ball to shallow center field that dropped in. He turned a routine pop-out into a double as the ball got behind the center fielder, racing around first and getting into second with ease. Facing a seven-run deficit in the sixth, Liendo struck again. He drove in Nelly Taylor on a sac fly and advanced Miguel Bleis to third. Bleis scored later in the inning on a sac fly from Marvin Alcantara that cut the lead to five. Liendo struck yet again in the eighth, driving in Bleis on an RBI single. Caden Rose, who advanced to third on the single, scored on a pickoff attempt as Portland slowly closed the gap. Nate Baez then drove Liendo in on a single as the Sea Dogs brought themselves within two. It wasn’t enough, however, as the offense stalled in the ninth. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves): 2-3 Season Record: 22-32 Greenville got back into the win column behind another dominant outing from Kyson Witherspoon. Witherspoon earned the first win of his professional career as he continued to build back from a disappointing start to the season. Over 5 ⅓ innings, the longest start of his career so far, Witherspoon allowed four hits and just one run. He sent six batters back to the dugout on strikes as he again showed flashes of his high upside. P.J. Labriola took the next two innings, allowing one more run and striking out three more before turning the ball over to Matt McShane. McShane closed out the final inning and change, allowing two more runs on four hits. He struck out three as he sealed the win for the Drive. Three players had multi-hit games for the Drive’s offense as they wreaked havoc on the basepaths. In the third inning, Jack Winnay hit his tenth homer of the season to tie the game 1-1. Not to be outdone, Mason White then stepped to the plate and hit his tenth of the year as the pair went back-to-back. In the fourth, Luke Heyman drove in Yoeilin Cespedes on a double play. In the seventh, Isaiah Jackson stole third and advanced home on a throwing error as Winnay advanced to second. Ronny Hernandez then joined the home run party, hitting his fourth of the year and establishing a five-run lead. To add some cushion, Enddy Azocar drove in White on a single to bring the final score to 7-4. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Wilson War Birds (Milwaukee Brewers): 1-4 Season Record: 24-32 Salem’s struggles continued on Saturday as they struggled to convert ten hits into runs. Jacob Mayers put together another impressive stat line as he sports a 2.51 season ERA. Over three and ⅔ innings, Mayers allowed two runs on as many hits, striking out six. Christian Foutch took over next, throwing 2 ⅔ innings of no-hit ball. He allowed four walks however, but he struck out three. Nicolas De La Cruz took the mound in the seventh and posted an identical stat line to Foutch, four walks and three strikeouts while allowing no hits. Drew Allmer looked to play the hero as Salem’s offense took the lead in the tenth. However, Allmer fell short. He allowed two singles as Wilson walked it off in the tenth. Andruw Musett recorded the first three-hit game of his season as three others had multiple hits. However, the RidgeYaks fell short when it came time to drive runs in, going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine. Musett put Salem on the board with an RBI single in the first inning. He followed that up with another single, this one to tie the game in the eighth inning. He scored Andrews Opata both times. In the tenth, Stanley Tucker grabbed the lead with a sac fly that scored Starlyn Nunez. Despite the RidgeYaks finding some late life, it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat. View the full article

Columbia overcame an early deficit for a 6-3 victory behind Roni Cabrera and Michael Lombardi, while Frank Mozzicato fired 4 2/3 scoreless innings before Northwest Arkansas was suspended with the Naturals leading 1-0. Omaha dropped a 3-2 decision on a late home run despite Kevin Newman's two hits, and Quad Cities was overwhelmed 13-2 as Erick Torres and Angel Acosta each collected three hits in the loss. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Newman's Two Hits Not Enough As Omaha Drops 3-2 Decision The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 3-2 to the Columbus Clippers despite a strong relief effort from the bullpen. Newman led the offense with two hits, including a double, and an RBI, and Peyton Wilson added two hits and a run batted in. Drew Waters reached base twice with a hit and a walk and scored a run. Omaha trailed 1-0 entering the fifth, when Newman doubled to right field to score Abraham Toro and tie the game. The Storm Chasers took the lead in the seventh, as Wilson singled to center to bring home Waters for a 2-1 advantage. The lead did not hold. In the bottom of the seventh, Columbus answered with a two-run home run to left center that scored the go-ahead and winning runs. Oscar Rayo turned in the most effective outing on the mound, working 2 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out four. Ben Sears opened the game with two innings, surrendering one run on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Eric Cerantola allowed two runs on one hit in the seventh, including the decisive home run. Omaha left five runners on base and went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Peyton Wilson 4 0 2 1 0 1 Matthew Lugo 2 0 0 0 1 1 Kameron Misner 3 0 1 0 0 1 Luca Tresh 3 0 0 0 0 2 Brett Squires 3 0 0 0 0 2 Abraham Toro 3 1 1 0 0 2 Drew Waters 2 1 1 0 1 0 Luke Maile 3 0 1 0 0 2 Kevin Newman 3 0 2 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ben Sears 2 2 1 1 1 3 0 Oscar Rayo 2 1/3 1 0 0 1 4 0 Luke Jackson 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Eric Cerantola 1/3 1 2 2 1 0 1 Mozzicato Tosses Scoreless Innings As Naturals Lead 1-0 In Suspended Game The Northwest Arkansas Naturals led the Midland RockHounds 1-0 when the game was suspended after 4 1/2 innings. It will continue on Sunday afternoon, with Sunday's scheduled game starting 35 minutes after the suspended game is completed. The offense managed just two hits to that point, but it was enough for the lead. Jack Pineda doubled and drew a walk, and Daniel Vazquez added a single. Sam Kulasingam reached base twice on a walk and scored the game's only run. The lone run came in the fourth inning. Kulasingam came around to score on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Spencer Nivens, who picked up the run batted in to put the Naturals ahead 1-0. Mozzicato kept Midland off the board, allowing just one hit over 4 2/3 innings before the stoppage. He walked six and struck out four while working around traffic. The former first-round pick also showed some excellent defense with a diving play made on a failed bunt right before the rain delay hit. Northwest Arkansas left two runners on base and went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. The Naturals are hoping to close out the game on Sunday and collect their 25th win of the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 2 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Pineda 1 0 1 0 1 0 Sam Kulasingam 1 1 0 0 1 1 Spencer Nivens 1 0 0 1 0 1 Daniel Vazquez 2 0 1 0 0 0 Omar Hernandez 2 0 0 0 0 0 Rudy Martin Jr. 1 0 0 0 0 0 Connor Scott 1 0 0 0 0 1 Alberto Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Frank Mozzicato 4 2/3 1 0 0 6 4 0 Torres And Acosta Collect Three Hits Each As River Bandits Fall 13-2 The Quad Cities River Bandits were beaten 13-2 by the South Bend Cubs. Torres and Acosta each tallied three hits to pace the offense, and Derlin Figueroa supplied both Quad Cities runs with a home run. Ramon Ramirez added a hit and scored a run, and Blake Mitchell drew two walks. South Bend built the game open in the fourth inning, plating four runs on a pair of home runs and a two-run shot to push the lead to 8-0. The visitors continued to add on, scoring three more in the seventh and another in the eighth. Quad Cities finally got on the board in the eighth when Figueroa homered to right field to score Ramirez and cut the deficit to 12-2. Blake Wolters struggled in his start, allowing eight runs, all earned, on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked four, struck out three, and surrendered three home runs. Nick Conte provided the lone bright spot from the staff, retiring all his batters over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. The River Bandits left nine runners on base and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Quad Cities will be looking to salvage the series on Sunday, hoping to win their 25th game of the year against the division-leading Cubs. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 5 0 1 0 0 2 Blake Mitchell 3 0 0 0 2 1 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Luke Pelzer 3 0 1 0 1 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 1 1 2 0 1 Jose Cerice 4 0 0 0 0 1 Tyriq Kemp 4 0 0 0 0 2 Erick Torres 4 0 3 0 0 1 Angel Acosta 4 0 3 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Blake Wolters 3 2/3 8 8 8 4 3 3 Nick Conte 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Ure 1 1 3 3 2 0 0 Mason Miller 1 1/3 2 2 2 2 0 0 Diego Guzman 0 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Cabrera Drives In Two As Fireflies Rally Past Fayetteville 6-3 The Columbia Fireflies rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6-3. Cabrera led the way with two hits and two runs batted in, and Henry Ramos drove in two runs. Yandel Ricardo and Jhosmmel Zue each added two hits, and Zue scored a run. Trailing 3-1 in the sixth inning, Columbia took control. Cabrera singled to right to score JC Vanek and bring the Fireflies within one, and Ramos followed with a single to center that scored Connor Rasmussen and Cabrera, putting Columbia ahead 4-3. The Fireflies tacked on two more in the seventh, as Hyungchan Um walked with the bases loaded to force in Ricardo, and Vanek delivered a sacrifice fly to score Zue for the 6-3 final. The Fireflies also got some solid defense in the win, highlighted by some sensational glovework by 2025 first-round pick Sean Gamble. Lombardi started and allowed three runs, all earned, on three hits over four innings, walking four and striking out five with one home run allowed. The bullpen slammed the door as Dash Albus, Hunter Alberini, Brandon Herbold, and Jhon Reyes combined for five scoreless innings. Columbia left eight runners on base and went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Columbia now has 26 wins for the season and will look to earn win No. 27 on Sunday. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 5 0 1 2 0 2 Josh Hammond 5 0 0 0 0 3 Yandel Ricardo 5 1 2 0 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 4 1 2 0 1 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 0 0 0 1 Hyungchan Um 3 1 1 1 1 0 JC Vanek 3 1 0 1 0 1 Connor Rasmussen 4 1 1 0 0 0 Roni Cabrera 4 1 2 2 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Michael Lombardi 4 3 3 3 4 5 1 Dash Albus 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Hunter Alberini 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Brandon Herbold 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jhon Reyes 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 0-for-4, 1 K Blake Mitchell: 0-for-3, 2 BB, 1 K Josh Hammond: 0-for-5, 3 K Ramon Ramirez: 1-for-4, R Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-5, 2 K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-2, 1 K Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-5, R, 1 K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: 3 2/3 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR Michael Lombardi: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 HR Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: 4 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 4 K Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-2 Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

Matt Wallner had posted a slash line of .167/.259/.292 when he was sent to St. Paul last month. It was a deserved demotion and was immediately justified when he struggled to begin his time in Triple-A. More recently, he’s looked a lot more like the hitter he was expected to be, and it’s possible he finds himself back with the big-league club very soon. As recently as May 24th, Wallner was hitting .171/.250/.229. Then he had a 10-game hot streak during which he put up a .275/.383/.500 line with the Saints, and that was before crushing three homers on Thursday night. More encouraging was that he had posted a 21.3% K rate in that stretch, as the whiffs had become untenable at the big-league level. Even in the friendly confines of CHS Field, Wallner’s production has been noteworthy. Through Saturday, he's hit in each of his past seven games. In that stretch, he is 13-for-31 (.419) with a double and five home runs. The first five of those games were multi-hit games. Overall, he is hitting .275/.359/.538 (.897) with six doubles, five homers in 20 Saints games. It’s not the greatest feather in his cap that Matt Wallner has had to be sent down for a similar reset before, but it’s worth something that he’s done so in the past and returned to the big leagues able to carry over his production. Whether his adjustments can last is a real concern, but at 28 years old, there isn’t much reason for the Twins to keep him in Triple-A if he’s producing like this. Making matters easier for the Twins, the big-league roster hasn’t done much to keep Wallner stuck in St. Paul. Austin Martin’s production was cited as a driving factor in Wallner’s demotion. He’s backed up the Twins’ decision by going .149/.203/.230 since he became a full-time player on May 14. Martin may be best served as a short-side platoon player, and while Wallner’s struggles were widespread, his numbers were undoubtedly dragged down by facing lefties. The ideal scenario may be a straight platoon pairing these two players to bring out the best in each. Wallner’s defense has become a major problem this season, but there should be at-bats available in the DH spot now that Buxton is playing center field again. Josh Bell has posted a .635 OPS and has no chance of being a part of the Twins’ future. Either he turns things around and is traded, or the Twins cut bait at some point. Either way, there’s plenty of opportunity on the horizon for Wallner to get another shot. Matt Wallner has done his part by working in St. Paul and putting up encouraging numbers. The MLB roster is struggling, and other outfielders who were also in the minor leagues being injured have kept the door open for him. He’ll always be a streaky hitter, and both fans and the Twins themselves will likely look at him more questionably moving forward, but as for right now, he’s likely earning himself another opportunity. How long should Matt Wallner need to continue tearing up Triple-A before he earns another shot? Should the Twins give us one at all? Let us know below! View the full article

As the Brewers have weathered a slew of injuries to their starting rotation, roles have become less defined by necessity. Shane Drohan has been the poster child for that flexibility, posting a 2.87 ERA, 2.79 FIP, and 74 DRA- in outings ranging from two batters to four-plus innings. "He's been terrific for us," Pat Murphy said last week. "He's really unassuming, humble. I think he's a major-league pitcher. I think we got very, very lucky." A starting pitcher for most of his minor-league career, Drohan excelled as a multi-inning reliever last month, but did so with a starter's pitch mix. Since Logan Henderson joined Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff on the injured list near the end of May, Drohan is back to starting. It's unclear how long he'll hold a rotation spot – his future role may have more to do with the club's needs than his own performance – but the Brewers believe he's equipped to be a traditional starter. "No doubt," pitching coach Chris Hook said. "I have no issue with him being able to [start], and just having the wherewithal to know what pitch to throw in certain counts. I mean, he can throw any pitch in any count, and that's just the mark of a starter, being able to do that and feel comfortable." That wasn't always the case. For most of his career, scouts and prospect evaluators projected Drohan as a reliever. His control wasn't good enough in the minors. He didn't consistently reach his best velocity. He threw five pitches, but didn't always sequence them well. Once the Brewers acquired him, they quickly addressed those shortcomings. They noticed that Drohan's arsenal and mechanics limited him to pitching mostly to one side of the plate. Last season in Triple-A, he leaned predominantly on his four-seamer, cutter, and two breaking pitches. With those offerings, he played the north-south game effectively -- fastballs up, breakers down -- but all to the glove side. When he threw something to the arm side, it was rarely a competitive pitch in the strike zone. Eliminating half of the strike zone makes things much easier for big-league hitters. For Drohan's stuff to play at the game's highest level, the Brewers knew he needed to give opponents more surface area to protect. "We want to balance the plate out a little bit," Hook said. As it usually does, Milwaukee's pitching development team started by working on Drohan's mechanics. Instead of rigidly veering his body toward the glove side, they wanted him to rotate more efficiently while working through the arm side. "It was just trying to get his body moving a little bit more, so we could get free and clear to the arm side," Hook said. "I think he's getting squared up a little better, on time, and his body is just moving a little cleaner through that side of the plate." Drohan generates enough backspin on his four-seamer for it to average 12 inches of arm-side run, but for him to use that side of the plate more effectively, the Brewers wanted a pitch with even more horizontal movement. That used to be his changeup, but since Drohan underwent surgery in 2024, his reinforced shoulder now guides his hand toward the outside of the baseball. That supinated motion is the healthier, more natural release for most pitchers, but it means Drohan can no longer pronate a traditional changeup effectively. In spring training, the Brewers helped Drohan add a one-seam sinker to obtain that arm-side movement. It doesn't have a remarkable shape, averaging 9.1 inches of induced vertical break and 15.8 inches of run, but it has more horizontal movement than his four-seamer. Because it's designed to add variety to his arsenal rather than be a great pitch on its own, Drohan has used it roughly 20% of the time against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. "It's just a different look off of the four-seam," Drohan said. "It makes them have to respect something hard going – a righty, going away from them, or a lefty, coming back in to them." With the sinker in tow, Drohan is now a three-fastball pitcher, and his pitch locations are more balanced. He throws the cutter to his glove side to jam right-handed batters, the sinker to his arm side, and the four-seamer to both sides of the plate. Instead of just pitching up and down, he's pitching up, down, in, and out. "Everything was kind of glove-side, and incorporating the [sinker] in spring training, getting him comfortable with that, we start seeing him be able to do a little bit more arm-side stuff," Hook said. The mechanical work has also unlocked more velocity. Drohan's two main fastballs now regularly exceed 95 mph, and his breaking pitches are firmer and tighter. That's not just a product of pitching in shorter relief outings, either. He threw 68 pitches in his last start, and his four-seamer averaged 95.8 mph. "Even though the velo has picked up so much, I feel like my perceived effort level has gone down," Drohan said. "It just tells me I'm moving really efficiently. I'm exploding in my delivery at the right time. It's just working up the chain, throwing everything harder. It's awesome." "When we first saw him, it's like, 'Man, I got to get him a little bit freer,'" Hook said. "I mean, he was so stiff. Now you start seeing some freedom and some looseness, and being on time and through the baseball more often." Drohan's mix still isn't as complete as he and the Brewers believe it can be. He replaced his old changeup with a kick change but has struggled to find a feel for locating it. The Brewers also want to see more glove-side cut on his cutter, which often backs up and instead has a few inches of arm-side movement. It's still distinct enough from his other fastballs to keep hitters honest, but right-handers have slugged .625 against it. "I don't let it get too much into my head, because I know that I have enough run on the four-seam and the two-seam that even if it technically backs up an inch or two, it's still a perceived cut to the hitter," Drohan said. "I've been able to flash cutters that are 92-93 and really cutting, and so it's like, 'That's it.' That's a really good pitch, so obviously you want that. But it's always something you're working on." Hook believes that driving his body through the arm side will also help Drohan's cutter by forcing him to stay on the ball longer. When his body drifts toward the glove side, his arm falls behind. That leaves the ball popping out while his hand is still further behind it, before he has a chance to get toward the outside of a cutter and finish it. "He's been so glove-side-oriented that he kind of gets there, and he almost forces that pitch in there instead of allowing his body to travel," Hook said. "That's where you get these backups, because the ball just kind of spins out. And for him to stay on [the ball], and then for him to be able to get to the arm side, I know that he's going to be able to get through the cutter." The Brewers will rarely declare any pitcher a finished product. Drohan is no different, but he has come a long way in a relatively short time. He's a more balanced pitcher than he was mere months ago, and he'll need those newly acquired skills to navigate Coors Field in his third career start on Sunday. View the full article

I don’t know about you, but I woke up on Friday with a new sense of vigor around the Chicago Cubs. I am not really a believer in momentum when it comes to sports. At the same time, Thursday was a massive come-from-behind win for the struggling club. Edward Cabrera was set to return on Friday to fortify a starting rotation badly in need of reinforcements. Plus, the Giants, one of the worst teams in baseball, were coming in to play three games at Wrigley Field. This was the perfect storm to right the ship. It didn’t take long for that vigor to disappear. A rain delay, coupled with the Giants immediately taking a 2-0 lead, put a small dent in my psyche. Then, a Matt Chapman grand slam in the fourth inning completely obliterated my excitement, and suddenly, I found myself watching college baseball instead. Cabrera, who was returning from a stint on the injured list with a blister, ended up with his worst line as a Cub: 3.2 innings pitched and eight earned runs given up on eight hits and three home runs. I am not going to sit here and tell you that Cabrera was actually good in this game. What I will do is give you a “the glass is one percent full” spin on the matter. The right hander’s strikeout rate on the day was 30 percent, and that is his single highest strikeout rate in any game this season. Where did those extra strikeouts come from? Well, for one, his velocity was up considerably from where it has been all season. All stats via FanGraphs: Fastball Velocity Sinker Velocity Slider Velocity Curveball Velocity Changeup Velocity Season Average (Before IL stint) 95.7 mph 95.9 mph 88.5 mph 84.5 mph 92.6 mph 6/5 vs. Giants 97.3 mph 96.9 mph 90.4 mph 86.5 mph 93.8 mph That is a full one or two ticks on every pitch that Cabrera throws. His Stuff+ ratings, which measure the physical characteristics of a pitch, increased accordingly. For this start, his Stuff+ rating of 99 was bested only by his April 28 start earlier this season. This is what makes Cabrera so tantalizing. When he is on, he is getting Matt Chapman to swing through a beautifully executed slider: cabrera.mp4 And following that up with a changeup that breaks the opposite direction from the slider: cabrera 1.mp4 So, what was Cabrera’s issue on Friday? According to FanGraphs, he threw first pitch strikes on just 35 percent of his plate appearances. That’s his lowest rate this season by over 10 percentage points. Prior to Friday’s start, hitters were slugging .493 on pitches from Cabrera in the strike zone, per Baseball Savant. Over 14 percent of those balls in play were barreled, i.e. balls that were hit with an ideal combination of exit velocity and launch angle. On Friday? Hitters slugged 1.286 on pitches in the zone and 27.3 percent of those balls in play were barreled. Cabrera simply was falling behind way too many hitters, and when he came into the zone, they were ready for it. If we’re looking for a bright side, and we all know that we desperately need it, I’d say that it’s clear Cabrera is healthy. The increased velocity says to me that he is feeling no ill effects from his blister. Still, he was acquired to be better than this. Whether it’s because he was falling behind hitters or not, he has to get better results when he pitches in the strike zone. The stuff is there. The results, like everything else for the Cubs right now, really lagged behind on Friday. View the full article

Both Biloxi and Wilson hosted their Star Wars nights, but Luke's magic was present in Jacksonville in a Skywalker-worthy blast, where Adams provided a last-gasp go-ahead two-run homer for Nashville. Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers selected the contract of LHP Drew Rom from Nashville Sounds. Nashville Sounds activated RHP Gerson Garabito from the 60-day injured list. Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 2, Jacksonville (Marlins) 1 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Adams Lifts Sounds to Win with Late Home Run - Nashville Flips Script on Jumbo Shrimp With so little activity on the basepaths, you'd think piecing together a detailed game summary might be a challenge. Kudos again to Cory Hilborne of the Sounds' staff, giving us a sense of the drama throughout this taut contest. Hope you enjoyed the read and watching the big Luke Adams bomb. Now when Cory includes this tidbit, you know that was an invitation to the wayback machine for us - keep in mind this now reads as "Wilson Warbirds", but was posted via the "Carolina Mudcats" moniker at the time, August 2023: "It was Luke Adams' second career go-ahead home run in the ninth inning with his first coming via a walk-off three-run home run to help Low-A Carolina beat Delmarva 6-3." That's also a reminder that as fans we have been blessed with excellent minor league announcers over the years. Chris Edwars is excellent for Wilson, and his predecessor Greg Young was so smooth before choosing to detour from his broadcast career. As long as we're talking broadcasters, here's another look at Adams' big swing - props to the Jumbo Shrimp play-by-play man for making the moment sound as big as it was, despite it impacting his own club negatively - Really rooting for RHP Garrett Stallings, 28, to get his first big-league opportunity. Manager Rick Sweet has rightly sung Stallings' praises often. I'm aware we made our pitch for LHP Thomas Pannone to be the next man up if needed in the big-league rotation roulette, but Stallings would be a great story. Do you remember how Stallings was acquired? Kudos to you if you remember the details of this trade. The young prospect in the deal barely touched full-season ball with his new organization and is now released. Even the one run scored by Jacksonville hardly registered on the exit velocity scale. Tyler Black and old friend Bradley Blalock were ejected prior to the game. Guessing that's the nonsense where there's a standoff after the national anthem and they won't leave the field. If that was the case, great job removing yourself from the bench options in this one, Tyler. Not a great night for the Cooper Pratt - Jett Williams watch, Pratt 0-for-4 with two GIDP's, Williams 1-for-4, again in center field. Williams looped a soft liner (86.1 MPH) to left for his base knock. Luis Lara missed a 4th straight game, and sorry, no clear answers for your questions about it. Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Manager Mike Guerrero's Friday night chat is among those listed Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Suspended in the bottom of the 6th in Biloxi: Montgomery (Rays) 0, Biloxi 0 Box Score and Game Log (Thus Far) Blake Burke is at the plate, Matthew Wood at second base after a leadoff walk (his third walk of the game, OBP .418) and a wild pitch during the Burke at-bat. Pre-game: Darrien Miller is the DH for this game, doubled and singled in two trips. His own OBP is .462, and he and Wood have formed a super-productive offensive catcher tandem. Did you know the 25-year-olds were born eight days apart? Wood is the elder statesman. Talk about burying the lead - Jaron DeBerry is still really, really good, folks, only at 74 pitches thru six scoreless. My fellow Link Reporter "Ro" will take you through the completion and the regularly scheduled game in Sunday's report (if weather allows). Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link) Final: Cedar Rapids (Twins) 7, Wisconsin 6 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: Kernels End Wisconsin’s Win Streak with Late Comeback - Rattlers hit four homers in 7-6 loss You better believe all four T-Rat tater videos are within Chris Mehring's linked report. To view some of the pitches thrown by Jason Woodward and to a greater extent, Wande Torres threw to Cedar Rapids batters, here's the Kernels' 'X' feed. If Wande was hoping to get his name plastered across multiple lines in the box score, well, mission accomplished: Torres pitched to 2 batters in the 8th inning. WP: Torres. Balk: Torres. Disengagement violations: Torres. HBP: Diaw (by Woodward); Genth 2 (by Torres, by Torres); Winokur (by Torres). What was up with the 3rd pickoff attempt that led to the eventual winning run? Luis Pena, Josiah Ragsdale, Tayden Hall among those on the very full Wisconsin bench for this one. If no Rattlers are on a plane after Sunday's game (Biloxi moves on to Birmingham, Alabama this coming week), well we won't riot, but we'll raise an eyebrow or two or three. No, wait, eyebrows max at two. Easily lost in the shuffle was the job RHP Garrett Hodges did in the bottom of the 8th - two on, nobody out upon entering for Torres. Nine pitches and two at-bats later, GIDP and strikeout, on to the 9th within reach. And this was posted on Saturday before another Fischer power display: Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 4, Salem (Red Sox) 3, 10 innings Box Score and Game Log Wilson Wins on Second Consecutive Walk-off - Di Turi Plays Hero Like, seriously? Didn't we just name the Warbirds "Walk-Off Birds of Prey" just yesterday? And again, in extra innings? Don't ever leave a game early, Wilson fans. Early offense on Star Wars night - The walk-off doesn't happen without this Pedro Ibarguen down-to-the-team's-final-out RBI single to tie things. Roll the credits, George Lucas (aka Filippo Di Turi). Wilson baters drew 12 walks and were plunked once. Warbirds' opponents simply can't throw strikes, and it's bearing out in every series, as evidenced by these Carolina League walk totals. Incredible patience being displayed by the young (very young) Warbirds. Pay attention whenever the Brewers sign a pitcher (it's always a pitcher) out of Mexico. They're always advanced in the mature aspects of mound work (hello, Manuel Rodriguez, now in Biloxi at age 20) and are assigned aggressively. It doesn't always lead to future success (the odds are stacked, after all), but it's worth noting. Hello, Carlos Carra. Looking forward to Sunday's Warbirds starter. Final: ACL Brewers 5, ACL Royals 4, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log Keep feeding us walkoffs! Three in the final inning in Maryvale: With one out: Brailyn Antunez singles on a 94.7 MPH line drive to left fielder Noah Barber. Kenny Fenelon homers (5) on a 98.3 MPH fly ball to left field. Brailyn Antunez scores. Alexander Frias homers (4) on a 102.5 MPH fly ball to right field. Great day in Maryvale. Your box score review will show that even for a shortened game, everyone in the lineup contributed and the two Brewers pitchers, teenage RHP's Dariel Jaquez (working his way back from a lost-to-injury 2025 after a strong 2024 DSL season) and Diustin (don't forget the extra "I") Mayorquin, each had solid games. Final: DSL Brewers Blue 11, DSL Dodgers Mega 2, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log Team Blue rode 12 free passes (nine walks, three HBP's) along with nine hits, to victory, The three XBH's were doubles, two by first-year outfielder Enrique Lovera, who won't turn 18 until next February. Lovera was the DH here, assigned the cleanup spot. The Brewers were 6-for-6 in SB attempts, committed only one error which did not lead to an unearned run. Consider coaching staff pleased. Now here's a professional debut for you - 18-year-old Alejandro Bustamante out of Cuba with the no-hit scoreless four-inning start (four strikeouts, three walks). Here's the pitch mix report from last December. For minor league prospect diehards, the payoff comes with big-league debuts and big-league value provided. But part of the overall passion for what we do is the details in the origins and the travels all along the way. Great fun! Final: DSL Brewers Gold 12, DSL Cubs Blue 6, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log The 1-4 Gold-Plated Brewers find the perfect opponent for their first win in five contests to date. Gold scored in each of the first four frames to lead 10-2 after four. The first pro hit for RF Ruben Revost was his two-out three-run home run in the 2nd. Infielder Osiris Ramirez, DH'ing in the cleanup spot, has already homered twice in his first 15 pro AB's and added two singles as well. Second-year OF Carlos Done, a RH bat, clubbed his first home run of 2026 (6th in his career). Once again, all position players chipped in. the team was 4-for-5 is SB attempts, and 5-for-10 with RISP. More pleased coaches on site. 6'3" 17-year-old RHP Adrian Belo made his pro debut in middle relief. The Dominican native allowed two hits, two walks and two earned runs in his initial effort. Shortstop Ricki Moneys is the only DSL Gold player to appear in each of the team's five games. Moneys had a busy day, walking three times, stealing his 4th base of the season (yet to be caught), but also committed two errors (one fielding, one throwing), giving him three on the season. Five games on Sunday, with the rookie levels idle as always. One of the five games is the completion of the Biloxi suspended game, and they kick off their day later than the other affiliates, with a 3:05 Central scheduled start time. Have a great late spring Sunday, everyone! 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

Marlins right-hander Tyler Zuber speaks with the media about finally recording his first career save on Saturday after entering in a bases-loaded jam and striking out Junior Caminero.View the full article

Jackson Chourio was the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospect just a couple of years ago. Now, in his third season as a big leaguer, he's unlocking a level of his game that could make him worth far more than the team-friendly contract extension he signed a pair of seasons ago. View the full article

After his start against the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan seemed disgruntled with the team's game plan. Despite six solid innings, the coaching staff seemed to have him attack hitters differently, given it was his second consecutive start against the divisional rival. Was he right to be upset? View the full article

Jonathan Santucci spun 6 2/3 strong innings to lead Binghamton past Reading, while Jack Weisenburger fired 5 1/3 scoreless to back a Syracuse shutout. Daviel Hurtado struck out five over 5 1/3 as Brooklyn rolled, and Joel Lara opened St. Lucie's win with four scoreless. Mitch Voit homered and drove in two for Brooklyn, Ryan Clifford went deep for Syracuse, and Nick Lorusso collected three hits with a homer for Binghamton. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Syracuse Rides Early Power To Shut Out RailRiders The Syracuse Mets blanked the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 5-0, behind a deep and efficient pitching effort. Jack Weisenburger, who earned the win, allowed three hits and one walk while striking out four over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Nate Lavender opened with 1 2/3 scoreless, striking out four, and Jonathan Pintaro closed with two scoreless innings. Syracuse built its lead with the long ball. Jihwan Bae homered in the first to open the scoring. In the third, Christian Arroyo singled and came around when Ryan Clifford homered to right field for a two-run shot and a 3-0 lead. The Mets added single runs in the sixth and seventh, with Yonny Hernández scoring on a Cristian Pache double in the sixth. Pache finished with two hits and an RBI, and Clifford drove in two. Syracuse left eight runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 5 0 1 0 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae 3 1 1 1 1 1 Christian Arroyo 4 1 1 0 0 1 Ryan Clifford 4 1 1 2 0 2 Andy Ibáñez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Yonny Hernández 4 1 1 0 0 0 Cristian Pache 4 0 2 1 0 1 Kevin Parada 4 0 1 0 0 1 Matt Rudick 3 1 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nate Lavender 1 2/3 3 0 0 0 4 0 Jack Weisenburger 5 1/3 3 0 0 1 4 0 Jonathan Pintaro 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Santucci, Two Homers Carry Binghamton Past Reading The Binghamton Rumble Ponies beat the Reading Fightin Phils, 4-1, behind a strong start from Jonathan Santucci. Santucci earned the win, working 6 2/3 innings and allowing one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Saul Garcia recorded a hold with a scoreless inning, and Guillo Zuñiga closed out the save, striking out two over 1 1/3 scoreless. Binghamton scored in each of the first three innings. Chris Suero scored on an Eli Serrano III sacrifice fly in the first. Vincent Perozo homered in the second to make it 2-0. In the third, Nick Lorusso hit a two-run homer that scored Serrano and pushed the lead to 4-0. Lorusso finished with three hits and two RBI, Perozo added two hits, and Wyatt Young also collected three hits. Binghamton left 10 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 4 1 1 0 1 2 Eli Serrano III 3 1 1 1 1 0 Jose Ramos 4 0 0 0 0 1 Nick Lorusso 4 1 3 2 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 1 2 1 0 1 Jaylen Palmer 4 0 0 0 0 1 Wyatt Young 4 0 3 0 0 0 TT Bowens 4 0 0 0 0 3 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Santucci 6 2/3 3 1 1 2 5 0 Saul Garcia 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Guillo Zuñiga 1 1/3 2 0 0 0 2 0 Brooklyn Erupts For Big Innings In Rout Of Jersey Shore The Brooklyn Cyclones routed the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, 12-4, with three multi-run innings. Daviel Hurtado earned the win, allowing one run on one hit with one walk and five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Tanner Witt, Cristofer Gomez, and Gregori Louis followed out of the bullpen. Brooklyn broke through in the third. Trace Willhoite doubled, and Mitch Voit walked, then Grae Kessinger doubled home both runners and Ronald Hernandez doubled in another for a 3-0 lead. It continued in the fourth. With two on, Jamari Baylor doubled home two runs, Voit followed with a two-run homer, and a bases-loaded walk to Hernandez capped a five-run frame for an 8 to 0 lead. Brooklyn added four in the eighth on run-scoring doubles by Corey Collins and Willhoite. Voit drove in two, while Kessinger, Hernandez, Collins, Willhoite, and Baylor each finished with two RBI. Brooklyn left 11 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 2 1 2 1 0 Grae Kessinger 2 3 1 2 3 0 Ronald Hernandez 4 1 1 1 2 1 Corey Collins 5 1 1 2 1 3 Yonatan Henriquez 6 0 1 0 0 2 John Bay 4 1 1 0 1 2 Colin Houck 4 1 1 0 1 2 Trace Willhoite 4 2 2 2 0 1 Jamari Baylor 4 1 1 2 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daviel Hurtado 5 1/3 1 1 1 1 5 0 Tanner Witt 1 2/3 1 1 1 2 1 0 Cristofer Gomez 1 1 2 2 2 1 0 Gregori Louis 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 St. Lucie Pulls Away Late To Beat Clearwater The St. Lucie Mets beat the Clearwater Threshers, 5-1, pulling away in the late innings. Joel Lara set the tone with four scoreless innings, allowing one hit while walking three and striking out four. Franyel Diaz earned the win, Christian Rodriguez recorded a hold with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts, and Luis Alvarez closed out the save with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts. St. Lucie scored first when Yohairo Cuevas doubled home Trey Snyder in the first. The decisive stretch came late. In the sixth, Antonio Jimenez singled home Elian Peña to restore the lead at 3-1. The Mets tacked on two in the eighth, with Yohairo Cuevas driving in a run and Trey Snyder scoring on a wild pitch during a strikeout. Jimenez finished with two hits and an RBI, and Snyder added two hits and two stolen bases. St. Lucie left three runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 2 1 0 1 1 Trey Snyder 4 2 2 0 0 0 Antonio Jimenez 4 0 2 1 0 2 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 1 1 1 1 Simon Juan 4 0 0 0 0 3 Chase Meggers 3 1 1 0 0 0 Branny De Oleo 3 0 1 0 0 2 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jackson Hauge 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Lara 4 1 0 0 3 4 0 Franyel Diaz 1 1 1 1 2 2 0 Christian Rodriguez 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Luis Alvarez 2 0 0 0 2 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Pena: 1-for-3, BB, R, K, SB Mitch Voit: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB Nick Morabito: 1-for-5, 2B, K Jonathan Santucci: 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Chris Suero: 1-for-4, 2B, BB, R, 2 K, SB Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, R Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 K, 2 SB R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

Overview: Position: RHP Height: 6’1″ Weight: 185 pounds School: Ole Miss Cade Townsend is a 6’1”, 185-pound right-handed pitcher who plays for the University of Mississippi. Townsend has risen a bunch throughout the 2026 season. Townsend is also one of the top draft-eligible sophomores in the 2026 draft class. Coming out of high school, Townsend was an elite-level prospect from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Aliso Viejo, California. On Perfect Game, Townsend was the 100th-ranked prospect and the 28th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the Class of 2024. He was also the eleventh-ranked prospect and the second-ranked RHP out of the Golden State. Burress went undrafted and honored his commitment to Ole Miss. During his freshman season, Townsend was one of the most active arms for the Rebels but didn’t have a great season. Townsend made fifteen appearances and eight starts. He posted a 1-0 record with a 6.35 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and an 11.4 K/99. In the 2026 season, Townsend has had a huge breakout season and is pitching like a potential first round selection. Townsend has fourteen appearances and starts. He has posted a 5-3 record with a 3.94 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, and a 12.4 K/9. Townsend was named Second Team All-SEC. On the mound, Townsend possesses a five-pitch arsenal including his fastball, curveball, slider, cutter, and changeup. His fastball sits 93-95 mph and has been clocked at 98 mph this spring. Both of his breaking balls are his best pitches due to its high RPMs and whiff rate. Townsend has also mixed in a low-90s cutter and a low-80s changeup that has some quality depth. While his command isn’t great, Townsend has improved his control and improved his BB/9 from 5.3 to 3.1 this season. On ESPN, Townsend is the 16th-ranked prospect and the fourth-ranked collegiate right-handed pitcher in the 2026 MLB Draft. On MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, Townsend is the 27th-ranked prospect in the 2026 draft class. Strengths Five-pitch mix Two plus breaking pitches Above-average fastball with nice carry Improved control Weaknesses Suffered a shoulder injury during the season Command still needs to be improved ERA above 5.00 versus SEC offenses Pro Comparison: Hurston Waldrep Projection: Top 20 pick Bottom Line The Marlins will have the 14th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and should be able to grab one of the top prospects in this draft class. Pitching has become a major need for the Marlins all of a sudden due to their injuries. While the Marlins first round pick won’t make an immediate impact in MLB, they do need more quality depth in their farm system. Townsend is a young pitcher who knows how to pitch but could use a little more development. View the full article

It's time to check back in with another Royals mock. The MLB Draft is just five weeks away. This class is as muddled as any I've covered, though it's plenty deep in talent. You can find our mock consensus draft board here. Let's check in on some player profiles it's currently mocking to the Royals with their first few picks in July. With the #6 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech Burress has been one of the most consistently productive college hitters since he set foot on campus at Georgia Tech. There's no arguing the track record, but there's a limited catalog of impact bats in the big leagues who stood 5'9. Burress has a ton of moving parts in his swing that can get a little convoluted and may be problematic against higher-quality pitching in professional baseball. It's good (not outstanding) bat-to-ball skills with tremendous quality of contact that have resulted in 44 home runs in his first two collegiate seasons. Burress rarely expands the zone and has walked significantly more than he struck out in his first two seasons in Atlanta. Burress has strong supplementary tools. A plus arm and above-average speed and defense give him a chance to stick in centerfield, at least in the infancy of his pro career. He'll need to be astoundingly productive in 2026 to allay fear around his size and physicality (and a poor track record with wooden bats, albeit in small samples). However, in 2026, Burress is a sure-fire first-rounder. With the #30 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Bo Lowrance, 3B, Church Episcopal HS, SC Lowrance has been one of the sharpest risers on the prep side in the 2026 cycle. What stands out most about the Virginia commit is his size; at 6'5, 200 pounds, there's current physicality and projection remaining in the frame. Lowrance hits from the left side of the plate and has a smooth, controlled left-handed stroke, particularly for someone his size. There's a good mix of strong bat-to-ball metrics and extra base impact here, and Lowrance controls both the strike zone and his at-bats effectively. It's a third base profile as a pro. Lowrance has above-average arm strength, certainly enough to handle the corner at the next level. He's a good athlete with solid average wheels and a good glove, enough to support a well-rounded offensive profile. Lowrance is the type of prospect who could develop into a 30 home run bat in the right system. He's trending towards the top 40. With the #56 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Will Brick, C, Christian Brothers HS, TN Brick is another reclass originally part of the 2027 draft class who is currently committed to Mississippi State. Prep catching (and catching in general) is notoriously difficult to prognosticate, but Brick has well-rounded skills and tools that give me a greater level of optimism than most prospects in this demographic. Hitting from the right side of the plate, Brick has a clean swing and put up some of the best bat speed numbers on the 2025 summer showcase circuit. While he hasn't accessed more than average in-game power yet, Brick's swing and frame have the ingredients to get there. This is supplemented by good bat-to-ball skills and a solid approach, a combination of offensive skills that may eventually get Brick to above-average hit and power tools. Defensively, he's a strong prospect. It's a massive arm, with additional skill (sub 1.9 pop times) in controlling the running game. His receiving game (and defense in general) is as praised as his leadership capabilities and other intangibles. Prep catching is not a demographic that inspires confidence, but Brick is one of the few I'd bet on to make an impact as a pro. With the #91 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Matt Ponatoski, SS/RHP, Archbishop Moeller HS, OH Matt Ponatoski is a two-sport high school athlete currently committed to the University of Kentucky for both baseball and football, a fact that undoubtedly clouds his draft status. On the diamond, there are plenty of skills and tools that set him up as a T100 prospect in the class. Ponatoski is a left-handed hitter who sets up with a fairly significant barrel tip in his stance. He had an unbelievable summer in 2025, putting up some of the best hitting numbers in the country with the bat, demonstrating particularly good bat-to-ball skills backed up by an excellent approach in which he walked plenty and rarely expanded the zone. While he doesn't have the explosive athleticism to stick at shortstop, Ponatoski has a double-plus arm (as you might expect from an elite quarterback). He's been over 100 mph with throws from the infield, and in the mid-90s as a right-handed arm off the mound with a big curveball to boot. He's a profile who may accelerate when he focuses solely on baseball, but a split focus remains possible given his quarterbacking responsibilities. View the full article

It's time to check back in with another Red Sox mock. The MLB Draft is just five weeks away. This class is as muddled as any I've covered, though it's plenty deep in talent. You can find our mock consensus board here. Let's check in on some player profiles it's currently mocking to the Red Sox with their first few picks in July. With the 20th Overall Pick, the Red Sox Select: Ace Reese, CI, Mississippi State Reese has raked for Mississippi State since transferring from Houston ahead of his sophomore campaign. He's one of the better dual hit/power threats in the class, with any ceiling on his value being placed by an uncertain defensive home and limited supplementary tools. Reese stands 6'4, 220 pounds and has primarily played third base and first base in college. It's a solid arm, but fringe-to-average run and fielding tools. That might mean a long-term home at first base, which requires a greater level of offensive production. Offensively, Reese shines. It's good bat speed and excellent raw power. He can homer to any part of the park (21 in 2025). Reese displays good bat-to-ball skills, both in and out of the strike zone, and he takes plenty of walks. A slightly elevated strikeout rate is rooted in his propensity to chase and expand the zone. If he can reign that in, he'll be a nightmarish at-bat. Reese is near the top of D1 baseball in barrel percentage, EV90, and his ability to pull the ball in the air. His approach and defensive home remain the only questions in an excellent offensively driven profile. With the 67th Overall Pick, the Red Sox Select: Cooper Harris, RHP, Flower Mound HS, TX Harris is one of my favorite prep pitching prospects in the class. He's on the younger side, and will have just turned 18 by the time day one rolls around. It's a good frame at 6'3, 200 pounds, with plenty more room to add size and strength. It's a clean, rhythmic delivery from Harris, who throws from a higher three quarter slot that generates some steepness and angle to his arm stroke. His fastball has been as high as 96 mph, but will sit in the 93-94 mph range currently, with more in the tank. Harris has two distinct breaking balls, a two plane slider he throws in the low 80s, and a depthier curveball in the high 70s. There's also a burgeoning changeup in the mix with good fade. Harris is how you draw up a prep pitching prospect. Young and projectable, with good stuff and the ability to throw plenty of strikes. In a year where the prep pitching talent wasn't so abundant, he'd be ranked quite a bit higher. With the 96th Overall Pick, the Red Sox Select: Caden Bogenpohl, OF, Missouri State Caden Bogenpohl is one of the most physically imposing hitters in the entire class at 6'6, 240 pounds. Raw power is the calling card here. Bogenpohl has generated exit velocities north of 117 mph in 2026, figures among the very best in the class. He pulverizes fastballs and pitchers on the inner third of the plate but has a much tougher time when pitched away with secondaries or up with velocity. There are doubts about the hit tool with Boegnpohl, who's posted a whiff rate north of 27% in 2026 against primarily mid-major competition. In terms of supplementary tools, it's a solid profile. He's played plenty of center field, with good speed for his size and above average arm strength. It's a profile best suited for right field, if he can hit enough. View the full article

With the Detroit Tigers sitting near the bottom of the American League standings, it has become increasingly clear that Tarik Skubal will be one of the biggest names available before the August 4th MLB Trade Deadline. The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner has already become the subject of countless trade rumors. National outlets have spent weeks projecting landing spots, debating prospect packages, and speculating about which contenders will ultimately win the bidding war for one of baseball's best pitchers. Skubal's recent stint on the injured list has done little to slow the conversation. Expectations are that he will make a rehab appearance next week and return to the Tigers' rotation shortly thereafter. That should leave plenty of time for contenders to evaluate him before the deadline arrives. Trade Suitors for Skubal (and Ryan?) Recently, The Athletic identified seven potential suitors for Skubal, including the Dodgers, Rays, Cubs, Yankees, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays. That list illustrates exactly how strong the market could be for a frontline starter. It also creates an interesting opportunity for the Minnesota Twins. While Skubal is expected to headline the pitching market, Joe Ryan may be the best starting pitcher available after him. If one club ultimately lands Skubal, there will be several disappointed contenders left searching for an ace-level arm. Those teams could quickly pivot their attention toward Minnesota and Ryan. In some ways, Ryan's market could become directly tied to Skubal's. Every team involved in the Skubal sweepstakes will likely have a prospect package prepared. Once Skubal comes off the board, those same organizations could redirect their resources toward Ryan. A bidding war that starts with Detroit could easily spill over into Minnesota. Joe Ryan's Trade Value There is even a legitimate argument that Ryan could generate a stronger return than Skubal. That statement might seem surprising given Skubal's accomplishments. He owns two Cy Young Awards and has established himself as one of the most dominant starters in baseball. However, trade value is about more than talent. Control matters. Skubal is scheduled to become a free agent after the season and will be looking for one of the largest contracts in baseball history when he hits the open market. Any acquiring team would be paying a premium for roughly two months of regular season starts and a potential postseason run. Ryan, meanwhile, remains under team control through the 2027 season via arbitration. That extra year is significant. Ryan will earn a raise through arbitration, but his salary will remain far below what an ace-level starter would command on the open market. Teams place enormous value on cost certainty, particularly with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement looming this winter. If baseball moves toward a salary cap and floor system, affordable impact players could become even more valuable. Why the Twins Would Trade Ryan The Twins have hovered around the .500 mark for much of the season and remain within striking distance of a playoff berth. However, that positioning says as much about the state of the American League as it does about Minnesota's performance. The reality is that the Twins have struggled to establish themselves as a true contender. That reality is what makes Ryan such an intriguing trade candidate. At 30 years old, Ryan is pitching some of the best baseball of his career. Through his first 13 starts (70 1/3 innings), he posted a career-best 136 ERA+ and 2.76 FIP with 79 strikeouts and only 14 walks. Those numbers follow a breakout 2025 campaign in which Ryan earned his first All-Star selection. After spending multiple seasons on the fringe of All-Star consideration, he finally received the recognition he deserved. He finished last season with a 125 ERA+ and 194 strikeouts across 171 innings while cementing himself as one of the American League's most reliable starters. For a contender seeking rotation help, Ryan checks nearly every box. He misses bats, limits walks, stays relatively healthy, and comes with an additional year of control. That combination is rare. The Twins may ultimately decide to keep Ryan and continue their pursuit of a postseason spot. There is certainly an argument for retaining one of the organization's best players. There is also an opportunity for the Twins to extend Ryan so they could get closer to the proposed MLB salary floor. But if Minnesota chooses to sell, Detroit's decision on Skubal could have a major impact on the Twins' return package. The first domino on the pitching market is likely Skubal. Once it falls, Ryan could become the most coveted starter available. And if enough teams are left empty-handed after missing out on Detroit's ace, Minnesota may discover that Ryan's market is every bit as strong as Skubal's. It becomes a supply-and-demand situation. That possibility is exactly why the Twins should be paying close attention to what happens in Detroit over the next several weeks. Can Ryan get a larger trade package than Skubal? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

It's time to check back in with another Blue Jays mock. The MLB Draft is just five weeks away. This class is as muddled as any I've covered, though it's plenty deep in talent. You can find our mock consensus board here. Let's check in on some player profiles it's currently mocking to the Jays with their first few picks in July. With the 39th Overall Pick, the Jays Select: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M Sorrell was a good prep prospect in 2023 but opted to attend Texas A&M. Fast forward three years, and he's looking increasingly like a first-round pick. Sorrell's offensive skill set is geared towards damage and loft, a potent combination. It's excellent bat speed from the left side of the plate, and Sorrell was a productive hitter in both of his first two collegiate seasons, despite being derailed by some nagging injuries. There are some weaknesses to exploit, offensively. Sorrell does have some bat-to-ball issues, which, when combined with his propensity to chase, can lead to him racking up significant strikeout totals. It hasn't impeded his production in 2026, however, as he has 17 home runs (29 extra-base hits) through his first 33 games of the season. Sorrell has a plus arm and is an above-average runner. It's likely a corner profile long term, but with those additional tools, he has a chance to be a plus right fielder. If he continues to mash in the back end of SEC play, he'll cement his status as a worthy top-30 pick. With the 103rd Overall Pick, the Jays Select: Maddox Molony, SS, Oregon Maddox Molony was in my pre-season T30 draft prospects and has picked the wrong time to have his worst collegiate season to date. A shortstop at Oregon who has strong all-around tools, Molony put up back-to-back 128 and 120 wRC+ figures in his first two collegiate seasons. Hitting from the right side of the plate, it's a profile characterized by good bat-to-ball skills and a high on-base floor, thanks to his propensity to control the strike zone well in his plate appearances. While he's always had fringy power, Molony has gotten to double-digit home runs in each of his three seasons for the Ducks. There's good actions in the field, a plus arm, and above-average speed that give Molony a chance to stick at shortstop as a pro. He hasn't hit enough in 2026 and will likely continue to slide down the board a bit prior to draft day. View the full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-2 Saturday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas dumped Sugar Land 11-2, the Double-A San Antonio Missions edged Wichita 4-2, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to Lake County 7-3 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm watched an early lead evaporate in an 8-6 loss to Fresno. Padres Minor-League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Jhony Brito. El Paso Chihuahuas sent RHP Daison Acosta on a rehab assignment to ACL Padres. Nate Mondou Drives In 4, Bullpen Overcomes Injury As Chihuahuas Roll Nate Mondou doubled twice and drove in four runs, while the bullpen stepped up with a huge game after an injury to right-handed starter Francisco Sanchez as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas cruised to an 11-2 victory over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Sanchez left after recording just two outs with an undisclosed injury. Mason McCoy, Nick Schnell and Blake Hunt each had three hits, with McCoy matching Mondou's pair of doubles. Hunt drove in two and scored twice, while Schnell scored three times and drove in a run and McCoy scored twice with an RBI. Nick Solak and Marcos Castanon each had a pair of hits. McCoy, Schnell, Hunt and Mondou were the bottom four in the order and reached base 15 out of 20 trips to the plate. Sanchez was injured when hit by a line drive off the bat of Joey Loperfido that deflected to Castanon at third base, who threw to first for the out. Right-hander Sean Boyle was the first of four relievers to come on. Boyle set the tone by striking out seven and allowing just two hits in 3⅓ shutout innings. He did walk three. Right-hander Miguel Cienfuegos followed with two perfect innings and four punchouts, with right-hander Ethan Routzahn allowing an unearned run in his one inning. Left-hander Kyle Hart covered the final two innings, giving up a run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. The Chihuahuas had two big innings early. They scored four in the second inning when Hunt was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Mondou, the No. 9 hitter, cleared the bases with his first double. In the third, McCoy had an RBI double, Schnell a run-scoring single and Reyes a two-out RBI single for a 7-0 Chihuahuas advantage. They made it 9-0 in the fifth as Hunt and Mondou had back-to-back RBI doubles. EP_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes 4 0 1 1 1 0 Clay Dungan 4 0 0 0 1 1 Nick Solak 5 1 2 1 0 0 Marcos Castañon 5 1 2 0 0 0 Will Wagner 5 1 0 1 0 3 Mason McCoy 4 2 3 1 1 0 Nick Schnell 4 3 3 1 1 1 Blake Hunt 4 2 3 2 0 1 Nate Mondou 4 1 2 4 1 2 Totals 39 11 16 11 5 8 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Fernando Sanchez 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sean Boyle 3 1/3 2 0 0 3 7 0 Miguel Cienfuegos 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 Kyle Hart 2 4 1 1 1 3 0 Totals 9 7 2 1 4 15 0 Jagger Haynes Shines, Offense Comes Through Late As Missions Win Left-handed starter Jagger Haynes threw 5⅔ strong innings, Albert Fabian's eighth-inning sacrifice fly broke a tie and Brendan Durfee homered in the ninth to provide insurance as the Double-A San Antonio Missions pulled out a 4-2 victory over the host Wichita Wind Surge. Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect, allowed two runs on just three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. The Wind Surge only got one more hit the rest of the way. Braedon Karpathios was on base five times with two hits and three walks, scoring once and driving in a run, while Carson Tucker had three hits and scored twice out of the leadoff spot. Those two opened the game with singles, with Tucker going to third on Karpathios' hit and scoring on Romeo Sanabria's double-play grounder. Wichita scored in the bottom of the first and it stayed 1-1 until the Missions came up in the top of the sixth. It was again Tucker and Karpathios doing the damage as Tucker doubled to center and scored on Karpathios' single. In the bottom of the sixth, Haynes gave up a leadoff double and a one-out single before notching a strikeout to his final batter of the game. Right-hander Andrew Thurman came on and gave up a tying single. Karpathios led off the eighth with a walk, went to second on Sanabria's single and to third on Tirso Ornelas' groundout for first. Fabian followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right-center that snapped the tie for a 3-2 lead. Durfee provided some cushion with his first homer of the year with two outs in the ninth. Durfee was activated off the injured list, where he had been all season, Wednesday. Right-hander Sadrac Franco pitched a scoreless eighth and Andrew Moore struck out the side in the ninth, finishing with a 100 mph fastball for his first save of the season and sixth of his career. SA_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 5 2 3 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 2 1 2 1 3 0 Romeo Sanabria 5 0 1 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 1 Albert Fabian 3 0 1 1 0 0 Ryan Jackson 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo 3 0 1 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna 4 0 1 0 0 0 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 0 2 Brendan Durfee 3 1 1 1 1 1 Totals 32 4 10 3 4 5 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 5 2/3 3 2 2 3 3 0 Andrew Thurman 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Sadrac Franco 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Andrew Moore 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals 9 4 2 2 4 9 0 Pair Of Homers Are Not Enough For TinCaps Rosman Verdugo and Zach Evans went deep, but the bullpen again couldn't keep it close as the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to the Lake County Captains 7-3. Lake County scored three runs over the last two innings. Verdugo was the lone TinCap with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 as Fort Wayne had six hits to the Captains' 13. Four of the TinCaps' hits came from the top three hitters in the order: Justin DeCrisco, Verdugo and Lamar King Jr. The other two came from the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Evans and Kasen Wells. TinCaps right-handed Abraham Parra went three innings, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with a pair of strikeouts. Right-handers Kleiber Olmedo, Isaiah Lowe and Will Varmette each went two innings, with Lowe allowing a run in the seventh and Varmette three runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Fort Wayne scored in the first as Alex McCoy had a sacrifice fly to bring in DeCriscio, then the Captains went up 3-1 with two in the second and one in the fifth. Verdugo homered leading off the bottom of the sixth, his ninth of the season before the Captains came right back with a run in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 lead. Evans hit his second homer of the season, a solo shot, with two outs in the seventh to pull the TinCaps within 4-3. Lake County created some breathing room with two runs in the eighth and another in the ninth. FW_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 4 1 1 0 0 0 Rosman Verdugo 4 1 2 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 4 0 1 0 0 1 Alex McCoy 2 0 0 1 0 0 Jake Cunningham 4 0 0 0 0 3 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jack Costello 3 0 0 0 1 2 Zach Evans 3 1 1 1 0 0 Kasen Wells 3 0 1 0 0 0 Totals 31 3 6 3 1 9 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 3 5 2 2 4 2 0 Kleiber Olmedo 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 Isaiah Lowe 2 1 1 1 2 2 0 Will Varmette 2 6 3 3 2 2 1 Totals 9 13 7 6 11 6 1 Storm Blow Early 5-Run Lead, Fall To Grizzlies Yoiber Ocopio homered as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm jumped out to a 5-0 after three innings, but the host Fresno Grizzlies used a four-run fifth inning to surge to an 8-6 victory. Ocopio went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Bradley Frye had a hit and two walks with two RBIs and two runs scored. Right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt gave up four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 4⅓ innings. Right-hander Joseph Herrera followed with 1⅔ innings, giving up three runs on four hits with no walks and a strikeout. Ocopio hit a two-run homer in the first inning before the Grizzlies countered with a run in the bottom of the first. In the third inning, Frye had a two-run triple to bring in Kerrington Cross and Ocopio, then scored on Dylan Grego's sacrifice fly for a 5-1 lead. Fresno then put up a pair of runs in the fourth inning to make it 5-3 and took the lead with a four-run fifth inning and a 7-5 advantage. Qrey Lott would bring the Storm within 7-6 when a run came in as he hit into a double play in the sixth inning, but Fresno got that run back in the seventh. But that started a streak of 11 straight Storm batters retired to end the game. LE_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kerrington Cross 3 1 0 0 1 2 Jose Verdugo 3 1 1 0 1 1 Yoiber Ocopio 4 2 2 2 0 0 Bradley Frye 2 2 1 2 2 0 Dylan Grego 3 0 1 1 0 0 Yimy Tovar 3 0 0 0 1 0 Qrey Lott 4 0 0 0 0 1 Conner Westenburg 3 0 0 0 0 2 Totals 29 6 5 5 5 8 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schmitt 4 1/3 7 4 4 2 3 0 Joseph Herrera 1 2/3 4 3 3 0 1 1 Vicarte Domingo 2 1 1 1 1 4 1 Totals 8 12 8 8 3 8 2 Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, 2 K Jorge Quintana: DNP Ty Harvey: On injust list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-2, 3 BB Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-4, K Jagger Haynes: 5⅔ IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Alex McCoy: 0-for-2 Truitt Madonna: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 2-for-4, 2B, HR Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View the full article

On Saturday afternoon in Wichita, the Wind Surge management announced that following the 2026 season, the team will be rebranded as the Wichita Turbo Tubs. It isn't a completely new name. The team has used the name and unique uniforms for select games over the past four or five years. Wind Surge GM Matt Hamilton said, "This is more than a name change. It's a celebration of who we are and where we're headed. The community asked for this, and we have made the bold change!" He continued, "Baseball should be fun, memorable, and uniquely tied to our community. The Turbo Tubs captures that energy in a way that fans of all ages can rally behind." The decision makes no sense to me. I get that minor league teams have been switching names to strange names that make little sense. Who are some of your favorites? I like the Rocket City Trash Pandas and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. I bet some #OldFriends from the New Britain Rock Cats days are still working for the Hartford Yard Goats. If they hadn't moved to Wichita in 2021, the Twins Double-A affiliate would most likely be the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Personally, I don't get it. So, I'll let the Wichita media relations staff try to explain it, and what makes it so perfect for a team from Wichita. "The Turbo Tubs identity is a direct tribute to Wichita with distinct identifiers specific to the city. The wind sail and jet engines propel the porcelain bathtub onward, paying homage to the tub races once seen in the Arkansas River. The jet engine pays homage to the aerospace industry here in Wichita. The troll found along the water walk, near the Keeper of the Plains, takes charge as captain, bringing to life the fable tales heard by young and old throughout the community. The branding also includes a color palette of the one-of-a-kind sunsets uniquely present in the Midwest geographical region. The Tubs logo represents many things Wichitan’s love about this great city while incorporating the playful side of MiLB." What are your thoughts? And before we jump to the rest of today's minor league report, a reminder that the College World Series bracket is being filled. On Sunday, Troy University became the first team with 30 losses to earn a spot in Omaha. And how cool is this tradition at West Virginia who earned their first trip to Omaha. TRANSACTIONS With an afternoon game, the Twins announced early-ish on Saturday morning that James Outman has been DFAd, and Royce Lewis is back. Alan Roden began a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins on Saturday morning. Henry Kusiak was assigned to the Saints from the Mussels. Wichita moved RHP Jacob Wosinski to the Development List. The Twins signed RHP Zach Vennaro and assigned him to Wichita. The 6-6, 220 pound, 30-year-old has been working this season with pitching coach Frank Viola and the High Point Rockers. In 13 relief appearances this year, he has tossed 14 1/3 innings. He’s given up seven runs on 13 hits, but he’s got 19 strikeouts and just three walks. He has pitched for High Point since 2024. A native of Utica, New York, he first went to Monroe Community College before spending a season at the University of Mount Olive. He went undrafted in 2018, and in June of 2019, he signed with the Brewers. He spent 2021-2023 with Double-A Biloxi, though he did pitch in three games for Triple-A Nashville. After signing on Friday, Halton Hardy was assigned to the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Indianapolis 6 Box Score They needed to work a little overtime, but the Saints ended a nice week hosting Indianapolis with an 11-inning win. They won four of five games in the series with one more to play. Aaron Rozek made the start and was again very solid. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on four hits, two walks, and a hit batter. He struck out four batters. Alejandro Hidalgo struck out two batters over two perfect innings. Drew Smith walked one and had two strikeouts over 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Raul Brito worked the next 1 2/3 innings and gave up only a solo home run. Trent Baker came in and pitched the 10th and 11th innings. He pitched a scoreless 10th inning and gave up the unearned run in the top of the 11th. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Kyler Fedko launched the seventh pitch he saw to left center, 398 feet from home plate, to tie the game at 1-1. It was his 14th homer of the season. In the second, Aaron Sabato and Tanner Schobel singled. Noah Cardenas walked to load the bases. Kaelen Culpepper was hit in the left hand by a pitch, taking on a little pain for the RBI and the 2-1 lead. Indianapolis scored their second run in the top of the third. Then things went quiet. In fact, it remained 2-2 until the ninth inning. Esmerlyn Valdez led off the top of the ninth inning with his 12th home run of the season to give the Pirates affiliate the 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Aaron Sabato hit a double with one out. Ben Ross followed with a line drive to center to drive in Sabato with the tying run Cardenas was important in the 10th inning. In the top of the inning, he threw out the Manfred Man attempting to steal third base. In the bottom of the inning, his sacrifice bunt moved the Saints Manfred Man to third base. Unfortunately, they were unable to bring him in from there. In the top of the 11th, Termarr Johnson led off by singling in the go-ahead run to give them a 4-3 lead. Trent Baker came up big at the point with a strikeout and a double-play ball. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Kyler Fedko started the inning at second base. Matt Wallner led off with a double to tie the game at 4-4. Gabriel Gonzalez was asked to and successfully sacrificed himself to get Wallner to third. Aaron Sabato played hero again with a walk-off, two-run homer. Sabato went 3-for-5 with his 15th double, 11th home run and two RBI. Ben Ross was 2-for-4. Noah Cardenas walked twice, threw out one would-be base stealer and picked off two runners including one at third base. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, San Antonio 4 Box Score This was a good game of back-and-forth, until it wasn’t. San Antonio scored a run in the top of the first inning. With one out in the bottom of the first, Kyle DeBarge’s 12th double of the season drove in Kala’i Rosario to tie the game at 1-1. Sam Armstrong, acquired from the Cubs with Ryan Gallagher in the Willi Castro trade, made the start for the Surge. He gave up one run on three hits and a walk over five innings. He had two strikeouts. Spencer Bengard came on and gave up one run on four hits and a walk over two innings. He gave up a run in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of that inning, Rosario led off with a double. With one out, Billy Amick was jammed but strong enough to drop it in just the right spot to record an infield hit and move Rosario to third. With two outs, there was a pitching change. Andrew Cossetti came to the plate and lined a single to left to drive in Rosario and tie the game at 2-2. William Fleming gave up a run in the eighth inning. The Wind Surge went scoreless. Kyle Bischoff gave up one run on two hits and a walk in the top of the ninth. The Wind Surge went scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to fall 4-2. Wichita scored their two runs on just four hits and four walks. Kala’i Rosario went 1-for-2 with his third double and two walks. He scored both of the team’s runs. DeBarge’s RBI double was his 12th of the season. He also stole his 16th base. He was 1-for-3 with a walk. The Wind Surge have lost nine of their last 10 games. They are 3-13 in their past 16 games. They have lost three straight series. The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Be sure to check out one of our DiamondCentric sites, Padres Mission. Also, check out how many of these Missions players appear on the Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Rankings. 22-year-old outfielder Braedon Karpathios went 2-for-2 with three walks. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 6 (Six. Seven.) Box Score The Timber Rattlers roster is loaded with prospects, some pitchers but the lineup has a lot of potential big leaguers. Be sure to go to our sister site, Brewer Fanatic, and check out how many of their top prospects play for Wisconsin. Lefty Cesar Lares made his first career Midwest League start. He’s missed time the last couple of seasons with elbow issues and eventually had Tommy John surgery. He did well though. He gave up two runs on four hits over four innings. The reality is he gave up two runs on just two of those hits. 2024 top pick Braylon Payne led off the game with a homer, and 2025 top pick and MWL Home Run leader Andrew Fischer (both left-handed hitters) hit his 18th home run. Lares had five strikeouts and, maybe most importantly, zero walks! Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Marek Houston led off with a walk. Eduardo Tait singled to left. With one out, a passed ball put runners on second and third, but then Khadim Diaw was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jay Thomason flew out to left, deep enough to drive in Houston with the team’s first run. Quinn McDaniel followed with a single to right to drive in Tait with the tying run. Fischer’s home run tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning. The bottom of the fourth inning started with two outs. Harry Genth was hit by a pitch. Houston singled him to second. Tait singled to right to drive in Genth. Brandon Winokur stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run shot to the deepest part of the ballpark and give the Kernels a 6-2 lead. (see below, he was joyous) Adam Falinski came in and tossed a scoreless fifth frame. However, he gave up a three-run homer to Eric Bitonti which tightened things at 6-5. In the bottom of the seventh, Winokur was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He moved to second base on a disengagement violation. He was still on second with two outs, but McDaniel picked up his teammates with a line drive, RBI single to right field for an insurance run. Xavier Kolhosser came on and had 1-2-3 innings in the seventh and eighth innings. He got the first out of the top of the ninth, but Luis Castillo knocked a solo home run to cut the lead to just 7-6. But Kolhosser responded by getting a pop out and a strikeout to end the game. Houston went 2-for-3 with two walks. Tait went 2-for-5. McDaniel went 2-for-4. The only other hit was Winokur’s three-run homer. Winokur and Diaw were also hit by pitches. Genth was hit twice by pitches. The Kernels have gone 8-13 in their past 21 games. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Lakeland 0 Box Score For the second time in three games, the Mussels pitching staff tossed a shutout in Lakeland. Merit Jones struck out six batters over the first four scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and walked on batter. Lefty Jake Murray tossed two shutout innings and gave up just one hit. Eric Hammond, fresh off the injured list, gave up just one hit and one walk over 2 2/3 innings. He left the game with one out remaining and two runners on base. Mike Hilker came on and got the final out, preserving the shutout. The Mussels scored what proved to be the winning run in the top of the first inning. Dameury Pena led off with his seventh double of the season. Ryan Sprock followed with a single. Pena scored on a double-play ball. With one out in the top of the fourth inning, Jayson Bass lined a single to right. Graham Brown then drilled a two-run home run to make it 3-0. The top of the sixth began with a Quentin Young walk. He stole second and went to third on a Brown single to left. With two outs, Irvin Nunez lined a two-run double off the tip of the diving center fielder’s glove. Graham Brown went 2-for-4 with his first home run in affiliated ball. He scored twice and drove in two runs. Dameury Pena went 2-for-5 with his seventh double. He also stole his 16th base. The Mussels have now won nine of their past 10 games. Before that stretch, they had lost five in a row. COMPLEX CHRONICLE FCL Twins 4, FCL Red Sox 8 Box Score The Twins scored four runs over their seven innings on Saturday morning. The Red Sox scored four runs in the second inning, and then four more runs in the fourth inning to take the win. The TWins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Miguel Caraballo led off with a walk. The rehabbing Alan Roden followed with a walk. Following two strikeouts, the runners were successful on a double steal. Caraballo scored on a throwing error. Melvin Rodriguez got the start for the Twins, and he had a terrific start. In the first inning, he struck out the side on 13 pitches. Daiber De Los Santos led off the top of the second with a single. Darwin Almanzar took over at first base after hitting into a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Caraballo advanced Almanzar to third with a double. Showing good patience, Roden walked for a second time. With the bases loaded, Jhomnardo Reyes drove in two runs with a double. Melvin Rodriguez struck out three batters in the bottom of the second inning too. Of course, the inning started with three singles and after the first strikeout. The Red Sox scored on a double steal, a single, and a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3. A Liosward Marin homer gave the Red Sox the 4-3 lead. Rodriguez threw a scoreless third inning with one strikeout. He began the fourth inning with two walks. Carter Holjes came into the game in relief with runners at first and third base. Holjes threw a wild pitch to make it 5-3. After a strikeout and a walk, Franklin Primera hit a three-run homer that made it 8-3. Rodriguez’s final line shows he gave up six runs on six hits. He walked three and had seven strikeouts in three innings. Holjes gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over two innings. He struck out three. Brad Rudis struck out one batter in a perfect inning. The Twins scored one more run in the top of the seventh. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, and with one out, Almanzar walked to drive in a run. The Twins scored their four runs on six hits and 12 walks. They had more chances but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 12 on base. Pablo Castillo had two of the team’s six hits. Reyes went 1-for-4 with his two-run double. It was his fifth double of the season. Caraballo hit his sixth double and walked twice. He also stole his sixth base. Carlos Taveras and Teilon Serrano each walked twice. Alan Roden went 0-for-1 with three walks. He had a stolen base and played the whole game in right field. DSL Twins 5, FCL Angels 9 Box Score Well, I guess you can’t score 21 runs every day. Through four innings on Saturday, the Twins were kept scoreless. Sebastian Echavarria made his pro debut. He gave up one run in the first inning. He faced four batters in the top of the second inning. When he was removed from the game, he had already given up four runs. He struck out the final batter he faced, but it got by the catcher and he reached base. Manuel Meza came on in relief. He threw two wild pitches which scored the inherited runner and ended the Echavarria line. He was charged with five runs on two hits and three walks in one inning. He also hit two batters. Meza worked two innings and gave up three of his own runs on two hits and two walks. He had three wild pitches. He struck out two. Juan Quinones worked the final four innings. He gave up only an unearned run on five hits and three walks. He also had five strikeouts. The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning. Friday’s hero, Abel Sosa, walked. He went to second on a passed ball and to third on a single by Jeferson Abreu. Sosa scored on a double play groundout. The bottom of the sixth started with walks by Jendy Martinez and Daiyer Barboza. Jhon Gonzalez reached on an infield single to load the bases. Enmanuel Merlo came to the plate and drilled his first professional home run, a grand slam that turned the game from a 9-1 blowout to a 9-5 game where you still need another grand slam to tie it up. Merlo, as you recall, was the Twins top international signing in January. A consensus Top 40 in the international class, he received a $1.5 million bonus. Gonzalez had two of the team’s five hits. Merlo had the grand slam and one of the team’s eight walks. Martinez and Barboza were both 0-for-1 with three walks in the game. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter(s) of the Day Aaron Sabato (Saints): 3-for-5, 2B(15), HR(11), 3 R, 2 RBI. Marek Houston (Kernels): 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R Pitcher(s) of the Day Sam Armstrong (Wichita): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 52 pitches, 36 strikes (69.2%) Merit Jones (Mussels): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 64 pitches, 41 strikes (64.1%) Juan Quinones (DSL Twins): 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, HBP, RBI, K. (batted first, played SS) #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI(batted second, played catcher). #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, E(9) (batted first, played SS) #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 2 K, SH (batted fifth, played LF) #13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, IBB, 2 K (batted second, played DH) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, R, SB(5) (batted fifth, played SS) #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, HBP, HR(7), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 K (batted third, played 3B) #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, HBP (batted fourth, played CF) #20 - 2B/SS/CF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(12), RBI, K, SB(16) (batted third, played SS) UPCOMING PROBABLES Sunday, June 7: (Six, Seven!!) Indianapolis @ St. Paul (3:07 pm CT) - RHP John Klein (1-1, 6.17 ERA) San Antonio @ Wichita (1:05 pm CT) - RHP Cory Lewis (0-1, 6.52 ERA), Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 pm CT) - LHP Garrett Horn (0-0, 1.50 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Lakeland (11:00 am CT) - RHP Ramiro Villanueva (0-1, 2.66 ERA) Monday, June 8: FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (11:00 am CT) - DSL Angels @ DSL Twins (10:00 am CT) - CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 30-35 (3rd place (of 5) in AL Central, 6.5 GB)) St. Paul Saints: 33-28 (4th place (of 10) in IL West Division, 4.0 GB)) Wichita Wind Surge: 22-32 (5th place (of 5) in TL North Division, 12.5 GB)) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 28-28 (4th place (of 6) in MWL West Division, 7.5 GB)) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 33-23 (2nd place (of 6) in FSL West Division, 2.0 GB)) FCL Twins: 12-13 (4th place (of 6) in FCL South Division, 4.5 GB)) DSL Twins: 1-4 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers picked up some bullpen depth Saturday by trading for Athletics right-hander Joel Kuhnel in exchange for cash. Kuhnel was with the Brewers twice in 2024, but did not appear in a game. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed starter Quinn Priester was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Priester, who has been on the IL since March 25, is currently on a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League. The 31-year-old Kuhnel was designated for assignment by the A's on Friday. The Brewers open a three-game series against the A's in Las Vegas on Monday. A move regarding the Brewers' 26-man roster will need to be made as Kuhnel is out of minor-league options. Kuhnel last pitched for the A's on Thursday, giving up four runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning. For the season, Kuhnel has a 3.97 FIP (4.21 ERA) in 25 games and 25⅔ innings, with four saves and four holds. He has a terrific 5.6% walk rate but a below-average 13% strikeout rate. He had allowed seven runs in his last four outings. Kuhnel spent 2025 in the minors with the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. He was with four organizations, including the Brewers, in 2024. View the full article

MIAMI—An announced attendance of 12,443 took to their feet, while a confident Pete Fairbanks roamed the mound in the ninth with two outs, a runner on first and a three-run lead. For all intents and purposes, Saturday afternoon's penultimate Citrus Series matchup between the Marlins and visiting Rays was just about over. Alas, the story didn't end there. A rare mix of chaos and collapse instead created destiny for a certain Marlins reliever. Prior to this week, Tyler Zuber was an unremarkable member of Triple-A Jacksonville's bullpen. He has spent parts of nine professional seasons in five different organizations, scratching and clawing for a consistent major league role and a certain moment at the top of his bucket list. With the "help" of a Pete Fairbanks meltdown and because Miami's other high-leverage arms had been deployed in earlier innings, Zuber got the opportunity he'd been craving. He was tasked with picking up his teammate opposite young phenom Junior Caminero and the bases loaded in what had devolved into a one-run ballgame. "It's the epitome of kind of what I want to be a part of as a team—just if someone doesn't get it done, it's a 'next guy up' type situation," said Zuber postgame. "I want them to have my back if I'm ever in that situation, so everyone just has each other's backs and just fights for each other." After dropping five in a row in Toronto and New York, Clayton McCullough's group has banded together just like they did a year ago, now winners in four of their last five. V0FXTHFfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVFOV1ZBWlJBQUlBQ0ZOUVZBQUhVQTRIQUFBQVZGTUFWd0VOQlFZQkFRSURDRk5l.mp4 Zuber left little doubt, as a five-pitch strikeout of Caminero ignited a yelling celebration and revival of the crowd as Miami held on for a 4-3 nail-biting win. "My whole pro career, I've closed a lot, but this is like one of those things that I wanted the most. I'm still shaking right now. I'm shaking now more than I was in my debut, so that tells me that this means a lot." “I just got ready as fast as possible, and it happened,” the 30-year-old continued. "It happened real quick. It was kind of like that one moment, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is it. I can see it. I can see it.'” As for the long awaited ball, it’ll have a home with Zuber’s parents. “Let them have it, put it somewhere in the house. It’ll be a good conversation starter,” he joked. If not for Zuber's heroics, super utilityman Javier Sanoja would be receiving a well-deserved spotlight. "El Chiquito" notched his fourth third-hit performance of the season, dropping down a pinpoint bunt in his first at-bat before blasting his second homer for Miami's first runs of the series. Additional RBI from Sanoja, Joe Mack (his sixth in five contests) and Liam Hicks rounded out a 10-hit day for Miami's bats. For the second time in four games, a group effort from the Marlins bullpen worked a combined no-hitter into the sixth inning. Although a flare single off the bat of former Fish Victor Mesa Jr. put the bid to rest, Rays hitters struggled to create much of anything before the aforementioned ninth. Hitless outings from Lake Bachar—who started the contest and gave Miami three innings—Anthony Bender and John King set the tone early before Calvin Faucher, Michael Petersen, Fairbanks and Zuber navigated the final frames. As noted on Marlins.TV, the Fish have won 173 consecutive games when leading by three runs or more entering the ninth inning. Sunday's rubber match features Marlins ace, Sandy Alcantara, succeeding an encouraging seven-inning evening in Washington. Alcantara goes opposite Griffin Jax at 1:40 EST. View the full article

The return of Brian Fitzpatrick to the majors lasted just one day. The Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday placed the left-handed reliever on the 15-day injured list, only listing it as a left arm injury with no other detail on the official announcement. Left-handed reliever Drew Rom was called up from Triple-A Nashville to make his Brewers debut. Fitzpatrick was called up Friday when fellow left-hander DL Hall went on the IL with a pectoral strain. Fitzpatrick was injured while warming up for the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies after he pitched a scoreless sixth. He immediately grabbed his elbow area and headed for the clubhouse. Friday was his fifth appearance for the Brewers, including his MLB debut. He has thrown 6⅔ innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Rom last appeared in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023, when he made eight starts and compiled an 8.02 ERA in 33⅔ innings. He signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers this offseason and has strictly been in a relief role after primarily being a starter in the Cardinals' organization. In 22 appearances over 26⅔ innings at Nashville, Rom had a 3.04 ERA with nine walks and 39 strikeouts. View the full article