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Josiah Hartshorn has, for good reason, garnered many of the headlines around the Cubs farm system this year. He's the sexiest prospect of the moment for this team. He's the teenager already playing at High-A, and looking utterly dynamic. But he's still not the Cubs' top prospect. For now, that honor remains with Jefferson Rojas, who has had a very strong 2026 campaign in his own right. One reason we may be sleeping on Rojas is that the right-handed infielder wasn't good in his first action in Double-A last year. In his first 39 games in Tennessee (now Knoxville), the former IFA signing struggled to the tune of a 58 wRC+, swatting no home runs and posting just a .041 ISO. It's true that he was just 20 years old, and context should tell us that it's impressive any 20-year-old make it to Double-A, but it wasn't inspiring. Then, spring training happened. Sporting a more athletic frame, the non-roster invitee blasted four bombs in the leadup to the regular season. Now, we should always take a spring training performance with a grain of salt, but mechanical changes and young players sporting transformed bodies are things to note, and so far, Rojas has proven that his spring was a sign of things to come. Another reason people may be sleeping on Rojas; he got off to a bit of a rough start in 2026, despite the great spring performance. Through May 24, the shortstop had just a 95 wRC+—certainly an improvement over his sub-60 wRC+ last year, but not the start that we all dreamed on after March, either. Rojas only had four round-trippers and certainly looked better, but was still leaving something to be desired. A switch flipped on May 26 for the now-21 year old. He went 2-4 with a home run that day, and things seemed to fall into place. Over his last 24 games (107 PA), Rojas has absolutely turned it on. Hitting .383 while blasting seven bombs, Rojas has a sparkling 190 wRC+ over that span, enough to raise his season number to a 136 wRC+ on the year. With a strikeout rate of 18% and walking 9% of the time, he's kind of doing it all at the plate. Making consistent contact while hitting for power: it's impressive. All of this, however, leads us to one important question: Exactly where does Rojas fit into the Cubs' long-term plan? Currently, the Cubs are running a pretty crowded infield crew. With Dansby Swanson only mid-way through a seven-year pact, the Cubs went out over the winter and added Alex Bregman to the infield for the next five seasons. Then, they extended second baseman Nico Hoerner for another six years. This doesn't even factor in former top draft pick Matt Shaw (who's been pressed into outfield duty due to the overcrowding) or breakout prospect Pedro Ramírez. Even for a 21-year-old who probably has another year of marinating to do in the minors, that's a logjam. One possible solution is that Rojas could move positions, which is probably in the cards anyway. While an alright shortstop today, there's a good chance that Rojas will either outgrow the position or never be good enough to play it longer-term at the MLB level. Baseball America describes his defense as follows: "In the field, Rojas is an average shortstop defender. His footwork and hands leave something to be desired and he’s prone to poorly timed dives on extra-effort plays." They go on to point out that he's got a plus arm and could stick at shortstop, but he's got work to do. Instead, a plus arm and his athleticism would certainly allow you to dream of a potential third base, left field, or right field transition. The Cubs, likely blocked at second and third base for the balance of the decade, could see what Rojas's bat would do in the outfield. Prior to 2026, I'm not sure he'd ever showed the pop to feel confident about that transition, but a 136 wRC+ plays anywhere. Right now, rather than a guy who might hit 10 homers a year, he looks like someone who might hit 20 of them. The Cubs do have some outfield prospects in the system (the aforementioned Hartshorn, Kevin Alcántara, as well as 2025 first-round pick Ethan Conrad and second-round pick Kane Kepley, just to name a few), but the team is currently slated to lose both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki in free agency next year. It's a real pathway to cementing himself with the parent club some day. Beyond moving around chess pieces in order to find Rojas a home with the Cubs, Jed Hoyer has another option: trade his top prospect. While Shaw is looking pretty good in right field and Ramírez could conceivably handle left, the shortstop-to-corner-outfielder pipeline is not a common one, and it's probably not the best way to get a ton of slug into the lineup down the road. All three of them have a good amount of overlap in what they do—and because of that, there probably isn't a home for all three at the same time, either. It's unlikely that Rojas will be making any sort of impact in Chicago this year. If you're interested in a mid-year trade, Rojas is the best combination of being able to bring back a haul and not costing you much in the short term. Obviously, Rojas is too good to be sent in a deadline deal for a rental. Twenty-one-year-old infielders who might stick at shortstop with a 136 wRC+ in Double-A don't grow on trees, What he would be able to do, however, is to play a starring role in a trade for a controllable starter (like, say, Reid Detmers?). It might be a tough pill to swallow, but the Cubs are going to have to make some tough decisions moving forward. Prospects are capital, first and foremost, and sometimes that capital needs to be spent via trade. Getting a controlled starting pitcher and continuing to build out the pitching depth (something the organization lacks) could be too good a chance to pass up. If you're unwilling to include Hartshorn in a big trade, perhaps the somewhat-blocked Rojas would be a more palatable loss. The good news is that the Cubs probably don't have to make a decision right now—or even in July—on the future of their big-time prospect. They can choose to go a different route via trade that doesn't involve Shaw, Ramírez or Rojas, or perhaps (if things fall off the rails) they'll stand pat. But a trade to thin this herd will have to happen at some point, either way. No matter what choice they make—either shipping out some of the overlap to give their infielder a free run to the majors or trading Rojas for a piece they feel they could use better—none of these are ultimately bad things. The only reason we're having these kinds of discussions are because he's been darn good. And regardless of what the Cubs end up doing, it seems quite obvious today that Rojas is about to play an important role in the future of the Cubs, one way or another. It will be either as a member of the North Siders, or as a primary trade chip. What would you prefer the Cubs do with Jefferson Rojas? Would you rather trade Matt Shaw or Pedro Ramirez? And what position do you think Rojas will eventually play? Let us know in the comment section below! View the full article

This week at Twins Daily, we’re continuing our series of deep dives into candidates for the number three overall pick in the 2026 draft. It has long been considered a given that UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is a lock to be the first wire-to-wire number one ranked player since Adley Rutschman in 2019. While it's still more likely than not that Cholowsky is the pick at number one (or two), Texas HS shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey have narrowed the gap significantly. Cholowsky is no longer the number one player on every major industry board. The UCLA shortstop recently made it to pick three in a recent Keith Law mock draft. Let’s be prepared and dig into Roch’s profile. Bio and Background Originally hailing from Chandler, Arizona, Cholowsky grew up around baseball. His father was a standout college player at Cal, and played 9 MiLB seasons after being drafted by the Cardinals in 1991, before becoming a long-time scout. Unlike Vahn Lackey, Cholowsky has been on the map as a notable prospect for a long time. Cholowsky was ranked as the 35th player overall by consensus ahead of the 2023 MLB Draft. You’ll remember that draft class was absolutely loaded. In addition to its famous top five (Skenes, Crews, Langford, Clark, and Jenkins), other top-50 notables include Aidan Miller, Kevin McGonigle, and Colt Emerson. The Twins were one of a handful of teams interested in signing Cholowsky as a prep prospect (the White Sox were another) with their Comp A pick. They eventually used that selection on Charlee Soto after Cholowsky would not be dissuaded from his commitment to UCLA. Cholowsky was the highest-ranked unselected player in his class. College Stats Cholowsky played 52 games as a freshman, with around two-thirds coming at third base, and the rest at shortstop. He showed right away why he was such a highly regarded prep prospect. Cholowsky hit .308/.399/.500 (115 wRC+) with 8 home runs (21 XBH) in 235 plate appearances. It was a debut season that put the college baseball world on notice and raised expectations significantly ahead of his sophomore season. As a sophomore, Cholowsky ascended. After taking over as the Bruins everyday shortstop, he managed a .353/.480/.710 line with 23 home runs (43 XBH), a 13.9 BB%, a 9.3 K%, and a 164 wRC+, one of the best offensive seasons in college baseball in 2025. Cholowsky also developed his least discussed superpower, getting hit by 21 pitches along the way. In particular, Cholowsky’s bat-to-ball numbers in-zone improved markedly as a sophomore, as did his approach at the plate. Let’s get to the center of the Cholowsky discourse, his junior season. Was it a fall-off, or is it prospect fatigue? While 2026 wasn’t as exceptional as 2025, it’s a similar trap Drew Burress set for himself after his freshman and sophomore seasons: an almost impossibly high bar. In 2026, Cholowsky hit .320/.452/.636 with 21 home runs (31 XBH), matching 12% walk and strikeout rates, and a 146 wRC+. Not as exceptional as 2025, but not too shabby, either. Cholowsky was hit by a further 25 pitches in 2026. Perhaps it was his (and UCLA’s) uninspiring performance in the postseason, crashing out to St. Mary’s during Regionals, that left a bad taste. Still, I think the narrative of a fall-off might be overthinking it a bit. Unpacking Cholowsky’s numbers further cements his prospect case as fairly unimpeachable. An overall contact rate over 80% (approaching 90% in zone), a chase rate just over 20%, an average EV and EV90 above the 90th percentile in D1 baseball. Roch Cholowsky has a complete offensive profile. Let’s dig into his swing, though, as I do think you can level some minor criticisms here. I don’t love it (who cares?). Cholowsky has, from this seat, some inefficient rotation in his swing, a tendency that might give him some fits against velocity, especially up, or be out in front enough to maximize pulled fly balls. It hasn’t slowed him during his amateur baseball career, but I’d watch out for it as he begins to face better pitching in pro ball. Wood Bat Performance As when we examined Lackey, we should take a moment to examine Cholowsky’s record with wooden bats. Similarly to Lackey, it’s not an extensive history or a particularly impressive one. Cholowsky played for Orleans for a brief stint on the Cape in 2024, managing a .666 OPS in 65 plate appearances. This was immediately following Cholowsky’s freshman college season. While it’d be nice to have Cape performance as a feather in his cap, this run of games was before he’d truly taken off as a collegiate prospect. Defensive Profile There’s been so much discussion and conjecture on Cholowsky as a hitter in 2026, that his defense has been given short shrift. In my write up of Roch ahead of the 2023 draft, I described him as a ‘legitimately excellent defensive shortstop.’ He’s done nothing but cement that sterling defensive reputation in his three years at UCLA. In his sophomore season, Cholowsky was the top college shortstop in the country, amassing +20 DRS (per D1 Baseball). For context, he’s the only shortstop to accrue 20 runs saved or more since D1 began tracking defense using the metric in 2023. While he isn’t the smoothest mover, he’s athletic and explosive at the position. Cholowsky has a history as a high school quarterback and it’s easy to see the parallels in his defensive game at shortstop. He’s particularly adept at making throws on the run, leveraging outstanding body control, a plus arm, and a pinpoint internal clock to augment extremely soft and reliable hands. He’s a lock to stick at the position and Brandon Crawford defensive comps (a player Cholowsky has long admired) are not out of pocket. What Teammates and Coaches Say Cholowsky has earned a reputation as a vocal leader on and off the diamond. Away from baseball, Cholowsky became known at UCLA for finding creative ways to promote team togetherness. "He's always planning things, which is really important as a leader," shared teammate Phoenix Call. "He’ll always make sure everyone (on our team) is there’" Cholowsky developed a close relationship with UCLA Head Coach John Savage in his time in Westwood. Cholowsky credited Savage for sticking with him while he was adjusting to college baseball as a freshman. Savage, in turn, reflected glowingly on having an asset like Cholowsky on his team, remarking that "there’s nothing better than your best player playing the way he plays. He was the offensive player of the year, he was the defensive player of the year (in 2025). That’s a combination you just don’t see’" It remains unlikely that Roch falls out of the top two in the draft. We’re also accustomed to expect chaos in round one. In the unlikely event that he falls, I’d be hard pressed to imagine a scenario where the Twins don’t take Cholowsky, a player they have long coveted, at number three overall. That’s his floor in this draft. View the full article

For the week, Biloxi (3-1) and Wisconsin (3-2) were series winners, Wilson (3-3) managed a series split and Nashville (2-4) came up short. Transactions: (from credible sources) OF Alexander Frias promoted to Low-A Wilson from ACL Brewers LHP Santiago Martinez placed on DSL Brewers Gold’s 7-day injured list Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 10, Nashville 8 Box Score Via the Sounds’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Seven-Run Rally By Nashville Falls Short to Conclude First Half All the factors seemed to line up against Nashville on Sunday, playing on the road against a Memphis team looking to clinch the first half International League title. Further, Memphis knew that title rival Rochester already trailed 6-0 in its contest (MILB – shouldn’t these games have started at the same exact time?), while the Sounds had no starting pitcher available after RHP Brett Wichrowski was placed on the injured list on Saturday. That meant Sounds’ spot starter RHP Will Childers (first start since 2023) was likely to toss a lot of strikes in an attempt to cover more than one inning. Childers succeeded on the first part (26 strikes in 33 pitches), but the Redbirds simply took advantage of it: lead-off double, everybody safe on sacrifice bunt, RBI single, 3-run homer, ground out, solo homer – i.e. a 5-0 first inning lead. Of course, 22-year old DH/INF Luke Adams was undeterred, hitting a ball 91.7mph in the first inning (fly out), blasting a solo homer 384 feet in the 4th inning (to trail 6-1), hitting the next solo homer 437 feet (to trail 10-2 in the 6th inning), missing the chance at a 3-run blast in the 7th inning (pop up to still trail 10-5), then definitely not missing the next one: 404-foot, 3-run homer to cut the deficit to 10-8 with 1 out in the top of the 9th inning. RHP Kaleb Bowman (2 IP, 0 R, 1 K), rehabbing LHP Jared Koenig (2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 Ks) and LHP Mark Manfredi (1 IP, 0 R, 3 Ks) issued blanks over the final frames at least give the offense a chance at a miracle comeback. Unfortunately, Adams’ last blast was the team’s final hit, with Luke (3-for-5, 5 RBIs) accounting for 50% of the team’s base knocks. Koenig’s appearance in consecutive games over the weekend (95.6mph peak velocity on Saturday, 95.0mph on Sunday) is typically a sign that a rehabbing player is ready to be activated by the Brewers. This was also his 12th outing for Nashville since May 29, so let’s see if he’s activated early this week. Sounds’ Extras: Nashville’s 6-man pitching committee only issued 2 walks, but collectively conceded 15 hits, with RHP Junior Fernandez (1 1/3 IP, 4 R, 1 K) putting up a similar line as Childers (1 IP, 5 R, 0 Ks). The Sounds’ offense did draw 9 walks, but went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Adams registered the team’s only extra-base hits. C Ramon Rodriguez (1-for-3, walk), 3B Jett Williams (0-for-3, 2 walks, RBI, 2 SBs) and OF Tyler Black (1-for-4, walk, RBI, SB) each had respectable afternoons at the plate. Next week’s outlook: Nashville comes home to prepare for 6 games against Braves’ affiliate Gwinnett, with the first game scheduled for Tuesday evening. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Final: Biloxi 3, Columbus (Braves) 2 (in 7 innings) Box Score Game Two Final: Biloxi 9, Columbus 4 (in 7 innings) Box Score Via the Shuckers’ website, doubleheader details: Shuckers Clinch South Division in Doubleheader Domination After playing just 2 1/2 out of 6 scheduled contests over the prior 5 days, Mother Nature finally cooperated to give Biloxi the chance to clinch the first half Southern League South division title. The first game was a resumption of Friday’s suspended contest, tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 3rd inning in a game scheduled to go only 7 frames. Despite only leading Pensacola (playing elsewhere) by 1/2 game in the standings, the Shuckers knew that a victory in either end of their Sunday doubleheader would give them the title based on the first tie-breaker. OF Eric Brown Jr. (1-for-2, walk) triggered a rally from a 2-1 deficit in the 5th inning of the first game, reaching on an infield single and aggressively claiming second base on a fly out to center field. RBI singles from 2B Dylan O’Rae (2-for-4) and 1B Blake Burke (1-for-3, walk) followed to give Biloxi the only lead they would require at 3-2. Stellar RHP Cameron Wagoner (2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks) had minimal difficulty closing it out, working around a single in the 6th inning and an 8-pitch walk in the final frame. As you’ve read in the linked game report, the talented Shuckers did not rest on their laurels, with 21-year old RHP Bishop Letson (5 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 4 Ks) delivering his 4th consecutive solid outing before Burke, 3B Andrew Fischer, SS Jesus Made and OF Mike Boeve had fun facing the Clingstones’ relief corps over the final 3 innings: Burke also plays fine defense at the cold corner: Shuckers’ Extras: 20-year old Manuel Rodriguez (2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K) covered the middle innings of the first game, conceding his 17th homer of the season’s first half to commence the 5th inning. The next Clingstone hitter singled and stole second base, but Rodriguez buckled down to strand him, before Brown Jr. started the rally. The Shuckers outhit Columbus 20-11 over the two games, with Made (4-for-6, HR, walk, 4 RBIs) and O’Rae (4-for-7, triple, double, walk, 2 RBIs, SB) leading the way. 25-year old Brown Jr. (.230 AVG, .697 OPS) may not be doing quite what was expected of the 27th overall pick of the 2022 draft, but his .361 on-base percentage and solid defense (center field in these 2 games; also strong in middle infield) may still pave the way to the Show one day. While RHP Travis Smith (1 IP, 3 R, 0 Ks) struggled in his 2nd-ever AA outing, RHP Edwin Jimenez (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) had no such difficulty in finishing out the weekend. Next week’s outlook: Biloxi travels to Montgomery, Alabama for a 6-game set against the Rays’ affiliate, with the series kicking off on Tuesday evening. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Rain Out: Wisconsin at Quad Cities (Royals) Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, rain out details: Rattlers and River Bandits Rained Out For those a bit frustrated that recent High-A graduates Andrew Fischer and Josh Adamczewski faced numerous rain-outs it the AA Southern League this week, aren’t we happy that they were in Biloxi on Sunday instead of resting in Iowa? Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin returns home to play 6 games against Twins’ affiliate Cedar Rapids, starting on Tuesday. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Charleston (Rays) 11, Wilson 2 Box Score Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Charleston Overpowers Wilson in Series Finale Starting 20-year old LHP Joey Broughton followed up his scoreless Tuesday start with a solid first inning here (3 Ks, 2 singles, 0 runs), but exited immediately after that frame. Hopefully it was a planned short outing, but we’ll have to watch his status. Wilson needed to get more than one run out of its 4-walk, 1 single second inning, but an out on the basepaths hurt them before LHP Enderson Mercado (1 2/3 IP, 6 R, 4 H, 4 BB, 1 K) was touched for 5 runs in the next half-inning. After stranding the bases loaded in the 2nd frame, 2B Filippo Di Turi doubled (1-for-3, 2 walks, RBI, SB) home a run to narrow the gap to 6-2 with runners on 2nd and 3rd and nobody out in the 3rd inning, but both baserunners were stranded as part of a 2-for-13 afternoon with runners in scoring position. After a 1B Frederi Montero (1-for-3, 2 walks) single and Di Turi walk to open the 5th inning resulted in zero runs, the RiverDogs managed to push 2 runs across against RHP Thomas Conrad (3 1/3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 K) to essentially put the game out of reach. Warbirds’ Extras: RHP Jose Meneses (2 IP, 0 R, 3 Ks; 2.06 ERA) dominated yet again in relief, though RHP Ismael Yanez (1 IP, 3 R, 2 Ks) struggled. Despite just 2 runs scored, Team Wilson did have 7 hits and draw 10 walks, so there were some additional decent lines in the box score: 3B Juan Ortuno (2-for-5, SB), SS Brady Ebel (1-for-4, double, walk), OF Pedro Ibarguen (1-for-4, walk), OF Handelfry Encarnacion (0-for-2, 3 walks). Next week’s outlook: Wilson make the drive over to Fredericksburg, Virginia for a 6-game series against the Nationals’ affiliate, commencing on Tuesday. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, four rookie level minor league games are on the agenda, including DSL Brewers Blue hosting DSL Red Sox Red in a doubleheader at 9:00am CST. DSL Brewers Gold play at DSL Reds at 10:00am, while the ACL Brewers play at the ACL Diamondbacks at 8:00pm CST. Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Brewers commence their series at the Reds at 6:10pm CST. 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

As a 12-time All-Star, two-time MVP and the last Triple Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera was one hitter that no pitcher looked forward to facing. On this day 20 years ago, the Baltimore Orioles learned that even intentionally walking him wasn’t a sure thing. With the Orioles and Florida Marlins locked in a 5-5 tie in the 10th inning, Cabrera lined an intentional walk pitch that wasn’t far enough outside into centerfield for the go-ahead RBI as Florida completed a memorable comeback, 8-5. After Baltimore scored four runs in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie, the Marlins trailed 5-1 entering the top of the ninth at Camden Yards on June 22, 2006. Florida was able to force extra innings by answering with four runs in the inning. After singles by Cabrera and Jeremy Hermida chased LaTroy Hawkins, Baltimore turned to closer Chris Ray. Ray’s second pitch was hit by Josh Willingham for a sacrifice fly, but it also accounted for the second out. With Ray one strike away from ending it, Joe Borchard belted his 0-2 pitch the other way for a two-run home run to cut the lead to 5-4. Four pitches later, pinch hitter West Helms tied things up with a solo shot to left field. With the score now tied 5-5, Randy Messenger was able to strand the winning run at second in the bottom of the ninth to get the game to extra innings. On the first pitch from Baltimore’s Todd Williams in the top of the 10th, Hanley Ramírez legged out a bunt single. Following a groundout from Mike Jacobs one pitch later, Cabrera came to the plate with the go-ahead run on second and first base open. At the time, free passes were not automatic. Catcher Ramón Hernández stood way outside to signal an intentional walk, but his pitch was lobbed within arms’ reach of Cabrera. The Marlins third baseman stayed back and lined it to center, scoring Ramírez for the go-ahead run. That’s all that Florida would need, but not all it would get. Williams bounced back by striking out Ross before the Orioles turned to lefty Kurt Birkins. Birkins allowed a single to Hermida before plunking Josh Willingham on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases. Borchard followed by grounding one to short, but an errant throw from former MVP Miguel Tejada allowed two runs to score and just like that, the Marlins had gone from down to their last strike to up 8-5. In the bottom of the 10th, Joe Borowski needed just nine pitches to retire the Orioles in order and collect the save. Hermida finished with four hits and two runs scored in the win. Cabrera and Reggie Abercrombie each added two hits in the victory. Hernández had a pair of solo home runs for Baltimore, including a shot to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. After splitting the first two games of the series, the thrilling comeback gave Florida the series victory. Over the course of his Hall of Fame career, Cabrera had plenty of big hits and moments. None, however, were quite like his winning single that came at Camden Yards on this day two decades ago. View the full article

In an organization largely devoid of tenured players, Sandy Alcantara is an anomaly. The 2026 season is his ninth season in Miami, making him just the second player to reach that many years as a Marlins big leaguer, joining Marlins Legends Hall of Fame inductee Luis Castillo. The main reason why Alcantara hasn't changed teams already is the club conveniently inked him to a contract extension right before his 2022 NL Cy Young Award campaign. Now that he's in the midst of the final guaranteed year of that deal, the Marlins find themselves at a crossroads with one of their franchise's greatest hurlers. There are several reasons that support trading Alcantara this summer, as there are compelling ones to hold onto him. Here, we consider both sides of the debate. Case for Trading If there is one thing playoff contenders will seek out come deadline time, durable starting pitching would be near the top of that list. Alcantara is the epitome of this archetype. Despite missing all of 2024 due to recovery from Tommy John surgery, Alcantara's 939 innings in the 2020s rank as the 12th-most in MLB. The only scheduled start he has failed to make post-Tommy John was when he went on the paternity list in April 2025 for the birth of his daughter. Beyond the workhorse mentality, there's the performance on the whole, as Alcantara is one of just 12 pitchers in the decade to throw at least 900 innings and post a sub-4 ERA. Consider it quality volume, if you will. Alcantara's previous playoff experience is another feather in his cap. The right-hander made two starts in Miami's surprise 2020 playoff season, posting a 4.26 ERA over 12 ⅔ innings pitched. Conveniently for the Marlins, there are prospective Alcantara suitors with immensely talented farm systems. The Milwaukee Brewers were ranked No. 1 by ESPN entering 2026. Though they enter Monday fifth in fWAR among starters and fourth in ERA, Milwaukee needs to fill the 157-inning gap left by the void of Quinn Priester, who is set to undergo season-ending thoracic outlet surgery. The Cleveland Guardians have the second-ranked system. They have relied on the same five starters all season thus far, which will not be sustainable considering that three of them have never shouldered a full season's major league workload before. Alcantara is earning $17.3M this season, but the acquiring team would only be on the hook for about $5.4M of that cost if a trade waits until the August 3 deadline. His $21M club option for 2027 reads as a bargain. Should he flop down the stretch for whatever reason, that option could be bought out for a modest $2M. Case for Not Trading Alcantara may be more valuable to the Marlins roster than he would be as a trade chip. Holding steady at 40-38 through their first 78 games played, the Marlins find themselves merely half a game out of an NL Wild Card spot entering Monday. They have shown no signs of slowing down, going a league-best 14-4 in June. Even with Alcantara in the fold, their starting rotation is thin. The club's top-ranked prospect, Thomas White, is questionable to pitch again this season due to a shoulder injury. Second-ranked Robby Snelling has already been ruled out for the rest of 2026 after undergoing UCL surgery. Eury Pérez is nearing his return from a leg injury, but he was posting career-worst numbers through 12 starts, so expectations for him ought to be tempered accordingly. Filling out the rotation alongside Alcantara, Pérez and Max Meyer, Miami has resorted to Ryan Gusto and Tyler Phillips, who have posted a combined 5.51 ERA across 32 ⅔ innings pitched in that role. Alcantara was very much on the trade block in 2025, but stayed put due to reportedly underwhelming offers. Although another year removed from Tommy John, he still has his fair share of red flags that may prevent the Marlins from extracting a massive prospect haul. Alcantara's overall results have been underwhelming with a 4.92 ERA over the past two seasons, nearly 50 percent higher than his 3.32 career mark prior to TJ. The decreased effectiveness of his arsenal is undeniable. While still averaging north of 97 mph on his four-seam and sinking fastballs, hitters largely have not been fooled by the former, hitting .316 with a .526 slugging percentage, and registering a minus-3 run value. Teams pay a premium for swing-and-miss stuff, which does not apply to Alcantara even when he's performing well. Among 187 pitchers with at least 50 plate appearances ending on a four-seamer, his 17.8 percent whiff rate ranks 133rd. The Marlins bullpen has been a bright spot throughout this season. A key to maintaining that will be providing adequate rest for those relievers. For whatever flaws he has, Alcantara can be trusted to help in that department, as he ranks second in MLB in both total innings pitched and quality starts. He's still a valuable complementary piece of this pitching staff. If this is indeed farewell, Alcantara's impact on the Miami Marlins cannot be overstated. The lone Cy Young winner in franchise history, only Josh Johnson accrued more pitching bWAR with the club than Alcantara's 21.7. With at least four strikeouts in his next start, he will take sole possession of the franchise's career strikeout record. By FanGraphs' accounting, his on-field production through the years has been worth nearly three times as much as his contract. The next month and change of Marlins baseball will signal further the direction the ship is sailing in. View the full article

After a 12-game losing streak at the beginning of the season, the New York Mets have still been unable to dig themselves out of that hole, and questions about the upcoming trade deadline loom. The Mets have less than two months to better their record of 34-44, third-worst in the National League, lest they face a roster overhaul at the deadline. Similar to 2023, this roster has largely underachieved and David Stearns would not be shy to shed payroll and acquire players for the future like Billy Eppler did, especially with a 2027 lockout on the horizon. This is not a roster that have been around each other for years, so gutting the clubhouse will not be an issue here. If the Mets can not right the ship come August 3, there is a good chance most of these trade candidates will be moved. Ranking Mets Trade Chips We'll rank these players by group, starting with those who are almost certain to be gone if the Mets wind up as sellers. Will Be Traded SP Freddy Peralta Expiring Contract 2026 stats: 85.2 IP, 83 K, 4.83 ERA, 3.85 xERA Peralta was dealt to Queens for SP Brandon Sproat and IF Jett Williams during this past offseason. The results have not been stellar (his latest start, a 10-run blow-up against the Phillies, didn't help) but name value alone should get him moved for a decent prospect package. His 2025 season was the best version of himself to date, logging career highs in wins, innings pitched, and ERA+. Teams will look to get that version of Peralta into their rotation in hopes of a postseason run. Teams like the Cubs, Cardinals, White Sox, Rays and A’s will come calling for the 30-year-old All-Star. RP Brooks Raley Expiring Contract 2026 stats: 30 G, 2.00 ERA, 207 ERA+, 10.3 SO/9 Raley has been reliable and dominant for the Mets out of the bullpen this year. The ninth-year veteran has been largely reliable over his career, especially since arriving in New York prior to the 2023 season; in four years with the Mets, he has a 2.36 ERA with a 177 ERA+. Teams would love to bring in a veteran southpaw who is on a expiring, low-AAV deal to bolster their bullpen. RP Huascar Brazoban Under Contract Through 2029 2026 Stats: 32 G, 1.91 ERA, 216 ERA+, 0.956 WHIP Brazobán’s value could potentially be bigger than people may think. He has been largely reliable in his Mets tenure and is under contract until 2030. There is nothing more that teams love than controllable arms and if the price is right, the Mets could end up with a quality prospect or two in exchange for the 36-year-old right-hander. RP A.J. Minter Expiring Contract 2026 Stats: 9 G, 0.00 ERA, 7 K, 0 BB Minter’s season has just begun after recovering from a severe left lat tear that sidelined him for over a year. In eight innings so far, Minter has yet to give up an earned run. Like Raley, Minter’s track record over the years is good for him to be wanted at the deadline by southpaw-needy teams. Could Be Traded RP Luke Weaver Under Contract Through 2027 2026 stats: 30 G, 2.25 ERA, 184 ERA+, 33/8 K/BB Luke Weaver has not given up an earned run since April 30 — the phones will ringing for him. However, with another year on the books for Weaver with the Mets, they could just hold onto him and try to contend again next year. The right-hander has proven with both New York teams that the spotlight does not harm his talent, and you can be sure that David Stearns will take that into account come the deadline. Suitors will line up for Weaver, and it will be fascinating how Stearns handles his market. RP Devin Williams Under Contract Through 2028 2026 Stats: 27 G, 11 SV, 5.18 ERA, 14.1 SO9 Devin Williams has had a shaky season to say the least. He has had some streaks of dominant performances but has been largely unreliable for the Mets. A return to a smaller-market team would work wonders for Williams, but the Mets would have to eat some of his contract to get the return they would want. SP Clay Holmes Expiring Contract, 2027 Player Option 2026 Stats: 9 G, 2.39 ERA, 172 ERA+, 1.101 WHIP Holmes is currently recovering from a fractured right fibula but is scheduled to throw July 1 and could be in line to return to the Mets prior to the deadline. Holmes is under arguably one of the best contracts in baseball and is Stearns' best signing to date with how well he has performed. Should Holmes return to being healthy and dominant prior to the deadline, teams will flock to acquire him. View the full article

Welcome back to Blue Jays Clutch Plays, a recurring post that highlights the six most pivotal plays (three pitching, three hitting) from the past week of Blue Jays baseball, according to MLB's win probability model. Click here to read last week's edition. The past few days marked the beginning of a stretch in the Blue Jays' schedule that they must take advantage of in order to firmly insert themselves into the playoff picture, and they've seized the opportunity so far. The sweep of the Red Sox in Boston marked their first road sweep of the season and their first since opening weekend against the A's. The weekend at Wrigley Field began with a Cubs rout, but a huge comeback on Saturday evened the series before a Sunday rainout cut things short. Toronto is one game under .500 after a 4-1 week, with a 10-game homestand on the horizon. Pitching 3. Spencer Miles: Nate Eaton Groundout, Bot 5, 6/17 (+10.8% WPA) The Red Sox had a week to forget in the clutch-hitting department. They left 26 men on base and went 1-for-24 with RISP over the 3 games, and their most consequential missed opportunity came with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's contest. Spencer Miles came on in relief of Mason Fluharty in what was yet another bullpen game for the Blue Jays and got Nate Eaton to chop a grounder to first. Eaton turned on the afterburners up the line, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dove to touch the bag with the ball in his glove and end the threat. 2. Louis Varland: Michael Busch Flyout, Bot 8, 6/20 (+11.3% WPA) After the Jays roared back with eight unanswered runs to take the lead on Saturday afternoon, Fluharty got into a world of trouble, loading the bases and failing to record an out in the eighth. You know what that means? A lot of pivotal plays for Louis Varland. Shortly after a run scored on a groundball to the infield, Michael Busch came up as the go-ahead run with two outs. Varland fell behind 2-0, but Busch popped a changeup up to the left side. Myles Straw didn't have much room near the foul line but jumped up and made the catch against the wall to get out of the inning. 1. Louis Varland: Seiya Suzuki Strikeout, Bot 8, 6/20 (+13.5% WPA) One batter before Busch, it was the dangerous Seiya Suzuki up with men on the corners and one out. Even a sac fly would've sufficed for the Cubs here, and things got sketchy for Varland when he found himself down 3-1 in the count to the Chicago outfielder. He ran things full by inducing a foul ball and then got one of the uglier swings you'll see from Suzuki, who half-heartedly flailed at a knuckle curve in the dirt. This clutch pitching play of the week is the Jays' 20th-most pivotal on the season. Within that top 20, nine belong to Varland. Hitting 3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: RBI Single, Top 8, 6/20 (+17.4% WPA) Alejandro Kirk brought the lineup one step closer to tying things up on Saturday before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went up and got to a fastball above the zone and punched it into center field for a base hit. George Springer scored with a head-first slide for Toronto's second run of the inning. For all the discussion about Guerrero's lack of power this season, he continues to show up in big moments for the Jays. He's been a better hitter with men on base than with the bases empty and has a 214 wRC+ in high-leverage spots. 2. Kazuma Okamoto: 3-run HR, Top 8, 6/20 (+33.9% WPA) Okamoto's 16 homers lead the team by a lot, but his go-ahead three-run blast on Saturday is the biggest of his career so far. He got a 2-1 fastball up in the zone and didn't miss it, launching it over the ivy and into the fifth row of Wrigley's famous left field bleachers. The Blue Jays haven't been coming back in games as frequently as they did a year ago, but this blast punctuated a brilliant response to what had been a tough series to that point. Sunday's rainout means they'll be able to ride its momentum for a little while longer into the coming week. 1. Brandon Valenzuela: RBI Double, Top 9, 6/18 (+39.1% WPA) If the Blue Jays truly do turn their season around, this at-bat will be talked about for a while. Brandon Valenzuela worked a nine-pitch double off the monster to score an already-in-motion Ernie Clement from first, breaking a 3-3 tie in the ninth and helping the Jays clinch the sweep. Valenzuela didn't see a single pitch slower than 98.8 mph this entire at-bat, and the one he got was a 100-mph sinker in on his hands. For his career, opponents are slugging .234 off Aroldis Chapman in full counts. Valenzuela, just moments after being on the receiving end of a fortuitous gust of wind that caused a playable popup to drop foul, became one of the few to have ever done damage on a payoff from one of the best closers ever. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 2-4 Runs Scored Last Week: 16 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 19 Standings: 5th in AL East 14.5 GB First Place Transactions: 06/16/26: Boston Red Sox sent 1B Romy Gonzalez on a rehab assignment to Portland Sea Dogs. 06/17/26: Boston Red Sox sent LHP Patrick Sandoval on a rehab assignment to Portland Sea Dogs. 06/20/26: Boston Red Sox recalled 2B Anthony Seigler from Worcester Red Sox. 06/20/26: Boston Red Sox placed 2B Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19, 2026. Left forearm inflammation. Scores: Game 70: BOS 1, TOR 6 Game 71: BOS 0, TOR 3 Game 72: BOS 3, TOR 4 Game 73: BOS 6, SEA 2 Game 74: BOS 5, SEA 1 Game 75: BOS 1, SEA 3 Series Breakdown/Highlights Blue Jays Series: My mother always told me if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Unfortunately, we have to talk about this putrid series. In game one, Payton Tolle wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t great. He tossed five innings of three run baseball while striking out six and issuing two walks. He seems to have hit a bit of a wall in June, pitching his way to a 3.71 ERA for the month so far. That’s not bad, but it’s a full earned run more than what he had been bringing to the table earlier in the season. Still, he’s a rookie and he’s finding his footing at the MLB level. He’s going to be a stud for this team for years to come. Offensively, this game was a joke. The Red Sox had eight hits but could only plate one run on a garbage time Jarren Duran home run. In game two, it was more of the same. The team had seven hits but was unable to plate any runs, despite the fact that they had ducks in the pond seemingly every inning. Jake Bennett’s line looks worse than his performance on the field, but he did give up two of Toronto’s two earned runs. Maybe the lone bright spot was that Tyron Guerrero continues to light up the radar gun and is likely jumping up trade boards across the league. Game three seems like it was close but if you watched it, it wasn’t. The wind wreaked havoc at Fenway Park during the entire time. Sonny Gray tossed seven innings of three-run baseball while striking out four. Somehow, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin came through to tie the game in the eighth inning, but defensive miscues extended the top of the ninth to allow the Jays to score and ultimately charged Aroldis Chapman with the loss. The bottom of the ninth was typical Red Sox baseball — it was over in five pitches. Not even five pitches from top-tier closer Louis Varland; five pitches from Mason Fluharty. Mariners Series: Much like the rest of the season, the Red Sox played better on the road than they did at home. The pitching matchups didn’t favor the Sox; they were seeing the top of the Mariners’ rotation, but they had mostly patient at-bats that made the multiple top arms of Seattle pay. In game one, Ranger Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The offense erupted for six runs and Caleb Durbin stayed hot with another homer. Greg Weissert looked solid but Ryan Watson allowed two earned runs. Marcelo Mayer was originally not in the starting lineup due to illness but was a last minute addition and provided three RBIs. Carlos Narvaez put some good swings on the ball in hopes of getting more playing time. Game two saw Connelly Early start off shaky but he ended up striking out seven over six innings, allowing only one earned run. Wilyer Abreu got the party started for the Sox with a huge two-run homer while both Mayer and Durbin provided one RBI each. This game saw Ceddanne Rafaela get a much needed rest as the team gears up to head to the giant outfield of Coors Field to kick off next week. Guerrero was his usual flamethrowing self out of the bullpen, while Garrett Whitlock and Danny Coulombe both worked clean innings. Unfortunately, game three didn’t complete the West Coast sweep. The offense managed just one run on a Nate Eaton second deck solo shot. It was Abreu’s turn for a rest day on Sunday, only his second one of the season. Tolle pitched his way into and out of a couple of jams, going six innings with two strike outs, two walks, and three earned runs. He was the victim of some defensive lapses though, and looked mostly solid throughout his start. Coulombe and Watson both pitched well to keep the game within reach out of the bullpen. Website Highlights Ranking Red Sox’s Best Closer Candidates if Aroldis Chapman is Traded by Ben Lofy The Definitive Case for the Red Sox to Trade Jarren Duran by Alex Mayes Ceddanne Rafaela is Succeeding by Breaking One of Hitting’s Most Basic Rules by Yirsandy Rodriguez Looking Ahead 06/22/26: Red Sox (Jake Bennett) @ Rockies (Ryan Feltner): 8:40 PM EDT 06/23/26: Red Sox (Sonny Gray) @ Rockies (Sean Sulivan): 8:40 PM EDT 06/24/26: Red Sox (Ranger Suarez) @ Rockies (Kyle Freeland) 3:10 PM EDT 06/25/26: Yankees @ Red Sox: 7:10 PM EDT 06/26/26: Yankees @ Red Sox: 7:10 PM EDT 06/27/26: Yankees @ Red Sox: 1:10 PM EDT 06/28/26: Yankees @ Red Sox: 7:20 PM EDT Sunday Night Baseball View the full article

One of the San Diego Padres' most coveted arms has earned a promotion. Right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, has been promoted to Double-A San Antonio, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. At Low-A Fort Wayne this season, the 6-foot-1 24-year-old has appeared in 19 games and posted a 3.79 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 13 walks in 19 innings. Musgrove pitched in his final game for the TinCaps on Sunday, retiring all four batters he faced, including two strikeouts. Musgrove has tantalizing stuff, reaching triple-digits with his four-seam fastball and sinker just a few ticks below that. He also mixes in a sweeper and a slider. Musgrove was a seventh-round draft choice in 2023 and had Tommy John surgery shortly after signing. View the full article

Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF staffer Jeremiah Geiger is currently atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Tyler Phillips (MIA) vs. RHP Kumar Rocker (TEX) on Monday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. TBA (TEX) on Tuesday TBA (MIA) vs. RHP Jacob deGrom (TEX) on Wednesday The Marlins rank 19th in MLB with a 97 wRC+ and ninth in MLB with a 3.94 FIP. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have a 26-16 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Josh Ekness (60-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Liam Hicks (10-day IL), Janson Junk (15-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Andrew Nardi (60-day IL), Eury Pérez (15-day IL) and Robby Snelling (60-day IL). The Rangers rank 18th in MLB with a 98 wRC+ and 15th in MLB with a 4.19 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 18-22 record on the road this season. The following Rangers players are on the injured list: Carter Baumier (60-day IL), Jalen Beeks (15-day IL), Cody Bradford (60-day IL), Evan Carter (10-day IL), Robert Garcia (60-day IL), Michael Helman (60-day IL), Jack Leiter (15-day IL), Chris Martin (15-day IL), Jordan Montgomery (60-day IL) and Corey Seager (7-day IL). View the full article

It's a loaded word — rehab. It's certainly conceived as a promising step for all who need to get back to where they were, but it's become associated with chemical dependency and criminal deviation. When all you're trying to put behind you is a strained calf (The Official Injury of the 2026 Mets!), the word may sound more dramatic than necessary, but when a team is still trying to find themselves on June 21, the hint that they may be able to soon reassemble their best roster can't help but resonate — at least a little.. Transactions, 6/16/2026 GOING COMING Released Signed away from Lancaster (Atlantic League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Binghamton Infielders Outfielders TT Bowens Nick Lucky R/R DoB: 1998-05-27 High Level: MLB (2026) L/R DoB: 1995-12-25 High Level: MLB (2026) Dropping a curtain the TT Bowens act — coming only 49 days after the Mets signed him out of The Mexican League — has to be considered a disappointment. You can't not root for a guy with the name of an '80s action star, but after a few laps around the track, a guy needs more than a cool name to justify himself, and a .135 batting average isn't going to cut it in any league. The Mets have recently added a few more journeymen to Binghamton to take his place and frankly, Bingo fans have recently gotten Lucky. More specifically, they're getting a chance to root for organizational newcomer Nick Lucky. Nick doesn't tend to arrive like a comet, but he's the sort of guy who makes patience pay off. He went to school at Coastal Carolina, in The Sun Belt Conference, and wouldn't you know it, but he got better every year. YEAR PA BA OBP SLG OPS 2019 82 .234 .346 .344 .690 2020 65 .271 .431 .333 .764 2021 234 .279 .368 .500 .868 2022 268 .297 .422 .455 .877 2023 292 .307 .441 .570 1.012 That's a sweet pattern, but it didn't get him drafted, as he had originally been out of high school. After a brief run in indy ball, he joined the Twins organization, but was released (they felt no need for Luckyness) after only 60 games. It was back to indy ball, and over three seasons in The Atlantic League, the old pattern of progressive improvement re-asserted itself. YEAR PA BA OBP SLG OPS 2024 131 .281 .359 .421 .780 2025 500 .293 .380 .512 .891 2026 213 .339 .441 .548 .989 Nick Lucky is now 26. And affiliated ball, of course, does not afford a player the luxury of repeating a level several years in a row in order to master it (unless/until he reaches MLB, of course) — but the pattern is intriguing, and with three hits in his first 11 at-bats for Bingo, he may have already outproduced TT Bowens. Transactions, 6/18/2026 COMING COMING Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse Sent to St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment Infielders Infielders Vidal Brujan Ronny Mauricio S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 High Level: MLB (2026) S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 High Level: MLB (2026) Two Dominican infielders. One arrives in Syracuse having been exiled in favor of Zack Short, while the other arrives in Syracuse to get in shape in order to avenge his countryman's honor and take out Zack Short. We suspect there is a lot of talk about Zack Short in the Syracuse clubhouse Transactions, 6/21/2026 COMING COMING Sent to Syracuse on Rehab Assignment Sent to Syracuse on Rehab Assignment Infielders Outfielders Francisco Lindor Tyrone Taylor S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1994-01-22 High Level: MLB (2026) And really, if a rehabbing Ronny Maurcio can't un-Short-ify the Mets roster in the near future, a rehabbing Francisco Lindor certainly can. If a healthy Francisco returns to his familiar everyday shortstop role, Bo Bichette returns to third, Brett Baty returns to the utility role he was supposed to take on this year, and Zack — barring an unexpected offensive outburst or another (Heaven forfend) injury to a teammate — presumably returns to the waiver wire. With rehabbers rehabbing, it's about to get pretty tight for reserve Mets. Tyrone Taylor's expected return puts Eric Wagaman (and possibly Mark Vientos) on notice. And those that survive this purge might find themselves counting the days until Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert, Jr. return. Or — and this is our suggestion — they can start slugging the snot out of the ball and let the chips fall where they may. Rehabilitation — it is a word with a lot of varying connotations, but it is a mark of a healthy society. And the Mets could sure stand to start representing a healthy society. Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán A.J. Minter Cionel Pérez Jonathan Pintaro Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/L DoB: 35176 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Brett Baty Marcus Semien Zack Short R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 34848 Infielders Outfielders Mark Vientos Eric Wagaman Carson Benge A.J. Ewing MJ Melendez Juan Soto Jared Young R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Starting Pitcher Clay Holmes Tylor Megill Christian Scott Zach Thornton Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Daniel Duarte R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1996-12-04 Relief Pitchers Catchers Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 Infielders Outfielders Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Tyrone Taylor S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 R/R DoB: 1994-01-22 Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coord. Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitch. Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Equip. Manager Bullpen Catcher Bullpen Catcher Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Recond. Coordinator Recond. Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? DoB: 1962-07-19 View the full article

Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Sunday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelist Kevin Barral. The following topics were covered: Taking care of business in sweeping the San Francisco Giants The end of Christopher Morel's Marlins tenure How Griffin Conine fits with the current roster Liam Hicks (low back strain) lands on injured list Skip Schumaker and Jake Burger making first visits to loanDepot park since leaving Marlins Scotland's "Tartan Army" buying up all of the tickets to Monday's game Previewing and predicting the next series against the Texas Rangers You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be Wednesday at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Rangers series finale. View the full article

Week in a Nutshell It wasn't a great start for the Kansas City Royals last week. They lost their first two games against the Washington Nationals in D.C. However, the Royals salvaged the series against Washington with a win in the third game and went on to win two straight against their I-70 rival back at Kauffman Stadium. While they were unable to complete the sweep over the weekend, the offense came alive with 10 runs and had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Royals' offense was the most potent in baseball over the past week. They tied for second in home runs and ranked first in OPS over the past seven days. Unfortunately, they ranked 28th in ERA and 27th in WHIP, which explains their .500 record in this most recent stretch of games. Record this Week: 3-3 Run Differential for the Week: +5 Record for the Year: 32-46 Run Differential for the Year: -44 Standing: 5th in the AL Central One Sentence Game Summaries Game 73: WSH 7, KC 3 Mitch Spence, predictably, is not sharp enough in the series opener against the Nationals. Game 74: WSH 6, KC 4 Former Royal Foster Griffin and Nine-hole hitter Nasim Nunez carry the day for the Nationals. Game 75: KC 6, WSH 2 Luinder Avila strikes back in the Nation's Capital. Game 76: KC 14, STL 6 Royals bombard Cardinals pitching early, and Salvador Perez becomes the new HR King of Kauffman, but Bobby Witt Jr. is injured. Game 77: KC 6, STL 5 Cardinals nearly come back in the ninth, but Alex Lange closes it out. Game 78: STL 12, KC 10 It's all about runs and home runs, baby! News and Notes The week started out with an acquisition, as the Royals acquired some much-needed pitching depth on June 15th. Kansas City traded low-level Minor League reliever Denis Samudio for Toronto's Connor Seabold, who was recently designated for assignment. Additionally, the Royals also promoted Spence to make the start on Monday against the Nationals. After Spence's start, the Royals promptly optioned him to Omaha and called up the recently acquired Seabold to add depth to the Royals bullpen. A Minor League move that got some attention was the promotion of No. 1 Royals prospect Kendry Chourio to High-A. Chourio posted a 1.88 ERA in Low-A Columbia as an 18-year-old. In his Quad Cities debut, Chourio gave up seven runs (five earned) in 4.2 IP, but he struck out 10 hitters. Those strikeouts are nice to see, even if the High-A debut was mixed. The Royals continued to add to their pitching depth this week with a couple of acquisitions of arms. On June 17th, Kansas City added former Twins pitcher Randy Dobnak, who was pitching in the Seattle Mariners organization. The Mariners received cash in exchange for the 31-year-old pitcher who is currently in Omaha (he made his Storm Chasers debut on Friday). On June 20th, the Royals signed left-handed pitcher Matt Moore to a Minor League deal. Moore was once a top prospect in the Rays system who made an All-Star team with Tampa Bay. He also found success as a reliever with the Giants and Angels. However, he hasn't pitched since 2024 due to arm injuries. Lastly, after going on the 7-Day IL for concussion protocol after getting hit in the head by a line drive, Seth Lugo made his return to the Royals rotation on Friday, April 19th. Mason Black was optioned to Omaha to make room for Lugo on the active roster. In the Royals' 6-5 win over the Cardinals, Lugo went six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks with no strikeouts. He not only produced a quality start but also earned the win. The worst Royals news of the week came on Thursday, as Witt tweaked his knee during a tough play in the hole with the bases loaded. On Friday morning, it was reported that Witt had suffered a grade 1 MCL sprain. Manager Matt Quatraro kept Witt out of the lineup on Friday and Sunday against the Cardinals, but they have not added Witt to the 10-Day IL. They want to continue to monitor him and re-evaluate before the trip to Tampa Bay, especially since he's walking around okay. The Royals play against the Rays on Monday. Thus, it's likely that they will announce a decision with Witt in the morning, whether it's an IL stint or just regular days off in between games until he's 100 percent. Highlights Like last week, the Royals' offense carried the club over this past week of games. Kansas City thrived in nearly every offensive category as a team over the past seven days. Their .956 OPS was tops in the league this week. Their .313 batting average was the second-highest mark by a team this week, and they also tied for second in home runs with 13 (only the Angels had more, and they played this week in Sacramento). The Royals also ranked third in runs scored with 43, and their 38 strikeouts were the seventh-fewest in baseball over the past seven days. There has been a much more aggressive approach in June, but it still seemed to pay off in a decent number of walks and a solid OBP this week. Their 20 walks were the 10th-most in baseball, and their .375 OBP ranked 4th as well. While the Royals certainly received a ton of grief earlier in the year for their struggles and inconsistency, they have put that behind them in June, despite the injuries. For context, over the past 30 days, the Royals rank 11th in OPS, are tied for 2nd in batting average (with Milwaukee), are tied for 9th in runs scored, rank 4th in stolen bases, and rank 8th in OBP. The only downside for this team has been home runs, as they rank 23rd in home runs over the past 30 days. However, they certainly added to that total on Sunday with four against the Cardinals. Individually, it was the Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone Show this week. Jensen had the best week overall, with 10 hits in 20 at-bats, good for a .500 average. He also posted a 1.515 OPS, a .565 OBP, and launched two home runs, including one on Sunday against St. Louis lefty JoJo Romero. In addition to power, Jensen flashed an excellent eye at the plate this week. He had three walks to only two strikeouts. The former Park Hill High School product is looking more comfortable in the leadoff spot. He is currently slashing .279/.333/.554 with an .877 OPS in 68 at-bats at leadoff. Cags had a great week in our last Week In Review, and it was more of the same from him in the past seven days. In 25 at-bats this week, the former Florida product had eight hits, the second-most of any Royals hitters this week. He slashed .323/.393/.840 with 1.233 OPS. That included four home runs, seven runs scored, and seven RBI. On Sunday, Caglianone launched two bombs, with both home runs making their way into the fountains. His second home run of the game got the Royals within three and came off of Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien, who's been struggling over the past two months with ERA marks of 6.30 in May and 7.71 in June. With Vinnie Pasquantino on the IL and Witt and Maikel Garcia going through their own injury issues, the Royals are depending on Caglianone to keep up this production in the No. 3 spot in the batting order. He is now hitting .275 with an .829 OPS in 272 plate appearances, and he has 12 home runs to boot. Furthermore, his Statcast percentiles have been impressive this year, especially in barrels, exit velocity, and hard-hit rate. Nick Loftin also had a strong week for the Royals, primarily filling in at third base with Garcia still going through some issues with his hand. In 22 at-bats, he hit .318 with a 1.036 OPS, and he launched his second home run of the year on Sunday against the Cardinals. Lane Thomas has also been trending in the right direction offensively. He had two home runs in the Nationals series (his former team), and he hit .269 with a .922 OPS in 26 at-bats. He also had three walks to three strikeouts, continuing to show the plate approach that this Royals lineup needs. Lastly, Salvy made history this week with his 10th home run of the year on Thursday against the Cardinals. His homer made him the all-time leader in home runs at Kauffman Stadium. He was previously tied with Hall of Famer George Brett. It hasn't been the best year for Salvy, but it seems like his power is finally coming around (.462 slugging this week), which means that he could be closing in on being the Royals' all-time home run champ sooner rather than later. Lowlights Notice how I didn't mention any pitching in the highlights? That's because it was a brutal week for the Royals pitching staff as a whole. Stephen Kolek had a nightmare outing on Sunday, as he gave up nine runs on nine hits (including three home runs) and one walk in 1.2 IP. When looking at his TJ Stuff+ from his outing against the Cardinals, nothing went right for Kolek: he couldn't find the strike zone, he couldn't generate chases or whiffs, and his stuff, which rated as subpar (95 TJ Stuff+), got hit hard. On a positive note, Avila had a nightmare outing on Friday, June 12th, at home, and he ended up having a great outing against the Nationals on Wednesday (5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K). Let's hope that this was just an example of a bad outing on a hitter-friendly day (May for St. Louis only lasted two innings as well and allowed six runs). Matt Strahm's freefall continued this week. In three outings and 2 IP, he allowed four runs on five hits and two walks. While he didn't give up any home runs, he didn't generate any strikeouts, and his TJ Stuff+, chase, and whiff rates this week looked pretty paltry, according to TJ Stuff+ data. Strahm didn't give up a run on Sunday, but he didn't look too crisp either. He allowed one hit and one run and had runners in scoring position. While he got out of the jam, his command struggles continued to varying degrees on Sunday (he had two wild pitches). Daniel Lynch IV also had a tough week on the mound for the Royals. In two outings, he gave up three runs on two hits (one home run) and two walks. He had only one strikeout, an ERA of13.50, and his WHIP was 2.00. The TJ Stuff+ wasn't too out of character for him this week, but he struggled in all the major categories, including zone rate, chase rate, whiff rate, and xwOBACON. Lynch remains one of the Royals' best trade chips. That said, he's seen his ERA go from 0.87 in April to 3.00 in May to 4.15 in June. He's not been trending in the right direction, and he's showing that he may not be able to handle those "closer" opportunities either, as Quatraro has preferred Lange in ninth-inning spots. Looking Ahead The Royals hit the road again for seven games in seven days, a tough stretch that will test their pitching depth (which wasn't helped today by the Royals only getting 1.2 innings from Kolek). Kansas City first visits the Tampa Bay Rays, who are second in the AL East with a record of 43-31. The Ratys rank last in the league in home runs, but they rank third in batting average and fourth in OBP. Despite high totals, runs have been inconsistent. They rank 18th in runs scored. Nonetheless, they have some talented hitters in the lineup, such as Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz. The Rays' pitching staff is solid, and the Royals will face Drew Rasmussen and Shane McClanahan to begin the series. They don't strike out a ton of batters (they rank 20th in K%), but they don't walk batters (they rank 4th in BB%), and they take advantage of their stellar defense. The Rays' .273 BABIP is fourth-lowest in the league. An Achilles' heel for this pitching staff is its propensity to allow the long ball. They are allowing a 1.21 HR/9, which ranks 20th. Hence, if the Royals can continue to hit the ball hard as they did against St. Louis, they could put pressure on this Tampa Bay pitching staff. After a four-game series with the Rays, the Royals travel to the South Side for a three-game series against the White Sox. Chicago is having a breakout season. They are 39-37, good for second in the AL Central. They don't hit for a high average (23rd), but they draw walks (13th in OBP) and hit bombs. They rank second in the league in home runs, and they have two players with 20 home runs this year already (including one on the IL). That said, the White Sox pitching staff isn't much better than the Royals'. They rank 20th in ERA and 21st in FIP. Furthermore, their 4.47 FIP is only four points better than the Royals' FIP. Thus, it could be a case of which pitching staff breaks first this weekend at Rate Field. While the Royals won two of three this past weekend, the White Sox were swept by the Tigers in Detroit, who are 33-44 and second-to-last in the AL Central. Thus, the White Sox are trending in the wrong direction after building so much momentum earlier in June. That gives an opportunity for the Royals to surprise in Chicago, especially if the White Sox can't make up any ground in a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians from June 22nd to the 24th at the Rate. 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The Weekly Nutshell: The Twins have battled their way back to relevance. Twelve days ago they were 30-38, seemingly slipping into also-ran territory, but they've since won eight of 11 to charge back into the wild-card picture and even the AL Central contention mix. The past week saw Minnesota take five of six behind dominant offensive showings in Texas and Arizona, moving within a few games of first place while complicating their status six weeks ahead of the trade deadline. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 6/15 through Sun, 6/21 *** Record Last Week: 5-1 (Overall: 38-41) Run Differential Last Week: +24 (Overall: -18) Standing: 3rd Place in AL Central (3.5 GB) Latest Game Results Game 74 | MIN 4, TEX 2: Pitchers Pull Through in Bullpen Game, Buxton and Bell Homer Bell: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI Game 75 | MIN 12, TEX 2: Twins Notch Season-High 17 Hits in Front-to-Back Blowout Clemens: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI Game 76 | MIN 9, TEX 3: Offense Keeps Adding to Early Lead, Securing 4th Straight Win Larnach: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI Game 77 | ARI 9, MIN 5: Sloppy Play in the Middle Innings Leads to Streak-Snapping Loss Adams: 1.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K Game 78 | MIN 16, ARI 8: Twins Separate with 10-Run 4th Inning in Another Lopsided Rout Lee: 4-6, 3B, 2 RBI Game 79 | MIN 4, ARI 2: Late Offensive Surge Turns the Tides and Locks Up Series Victory Jackson: 2-3, RBI NEWS & NOTES With a pair of successful rehab outings in the books, Mick Abel appeared on track to return to the Twins rotation. He was lined up to make Sunday's start in Arizona. Then ... the dreaded setback. Abel experienced renewed elbow soreness following a Friday bullpen session, and now will go for an MRI on Monday when the Twins are back in town. A brutal turn of events with ominous implications. The pitching staff did however receive a different boost on Sunday, with Kendry Rojas being activated from the injured list. He slots back into the bullpen and will likely resume the multi-inning role he was filling before going down. In order to make room on the roster, Justin Lawrence was designated for assignment after allowing 12 earned runs in six innings as a Twin. That's a massive upgrade in talent, and the Twins would love to see some more flashes from Rojas as Louis Varland lights the world on fire as Toronto's bullpen ace. HIGHLIGHTS It was a monster week for the Twins offense, which produced some of its most prolific performances of the season in close succession. They set a season high with 17 hits in Tuesday's 12-2 demolishing of Texas, then surpassed that total within the first five innings of Saturday's game against Arizona, a 16-run onslaught. Plenty of hitters got in on the action, including a few who loudly broke out of extended slumps: Trevor Larnach was batting .176 with just one RBI in his past 12 games before notching four hits, including a long home run, on Tuesday night against the Rangers. He added three more hits and another homer in Thusday's series finale, posted two hits and a walk on Saturday, and sprinkled on two more doubles Sunday. Overall, the 12-for-24 week raised Larnach's OPS by 76 points. Victor Caratini's bat is coming alive here in June. He entered the month with a .538 OPS but is now up over .700 after going 7-for-11 with a homer, four RBIs and three walks in three games last week. He went deep just once in his first 45 games but has now launched three homers in his past 11, lifting his slugging percentage by more than 100 points in the process. Fellow free-agent signing Josh Bell is also finding his groove, with multiple hits in five of his past six starts. He finished the past week 10-for-22 with two home runs, two doubles and eight RBIs. It looks like we're getting the typical Bell experience: lackluster production through the first couple of months, followed by a midsummer breakout. If last year was any indication, he's only getting started. Brooks Lee enjoyed a four-hit night on Saturday and finished the week with two doubles, a triple and a homer. He's got five walks and two strikeouts in his past 12 games. Luke Keaschall went 8-for-22 with four walks and is batting .310 over the past month. Ryan Kreidler drove in four runs as part of a three-hit game on Saturday, then singled three times on Sunday; he's got a .920 OPS through 89 plate appearances and is making a strong case to be the regular at shortstop. Byron Buxton hit two more homers, including a grand slam, and with 24 on the season he trails only Yordan Alvarez (by one) in the American League. Buxton is building a case as a legit MVP contender. Everywhere you looked, up and down the lineup, hitters were clicking. As a team, the Twins scored 50 runs on 74 hits in these six games, and that tends to be a pretty safe winning formula. Among American League teams, only the Yankees have scored more runs (389) than the Twins (388), and in fact no one else is even remotely close to those two. (The Orioles are third, with 369.) Pitching took a back seat in this stretch but there were a few notable showings from the staff. Zebby Matthews fired seven innings of two-run ball on Tuesday and Yoendrys Gómez solidified his grasp on the closer role with three scoreless appearances, including his seventh save in seven attempts. Mike Paredes is quietly getting the job done as a fill-in at the back of the rotation, and that should not be overlooked. He came out of nowhere to deliver some really valuable innings for this team. Shades of Randy Dobnak? (Now a Kansas City Royal, by the way.) LOWLIGHTS Tough to know what to make of Royce Lewis. On the one hand, he homered, doubled and tallied a two-run single, settling into his new role as primary starter at first base with the occasional big swing. On the other hand, he was 1-for-22 with nine strikeouts otherwise, including a 4-K game on Thursday that included some really baffling swing decisions. The power is certainly still there, but Lewis continues to look like a guy who's guessing his way through at-bats, hoping to run into a mistake rather than forcing one. That said, there's no reason not to stick with the current script and see if he can eventually develop some improved control of the zone. His overall numbers since returning to the majors remain good, and Derek Shelton is demonstrating a striking amount of confidence by routinely batting Lewis fourth or fifth in the lineup, a departure from his early-season tendency. The biggest rough patches from the past week came in the form of relief landmines. Lawrence was disastrous before getting designated for assignment on Sunday, surrendering seven earned runs in just 1 ⅔ innings of work. He came into Saturday's contest with a 14-run lead and proceeded to walk the bases loaded, allowing five runs and compelling the Twins to burn extra relievers. It was ugly. Now that he's been sent out, we'll see if he makes it through waivers and heads to Triple-A — very possible given his $1.2 million guaranteed salary. Maybe there's something there, but we didn't see it during this initial stint with the club. Friday night's game got away from the Twins under Travis Adams' watch. Shortly after the offense drew within one on solo homers from Bell and Lewis, Adams gave up a three-run triple to Corbin Carroll to blow the game open. Adams was arguably left in too long, throwing 42 pitches while facing nine batters, but it's really just a sign of how short this bullpen is on credible options in close games. Rojas re-entering the mix could give the relief corps a little more firepower to work with. TRENDING STORYLINE Has the Tristan Gray experiment run its course? He's not showing the kind of power or patience you want to see in a lineup regular, and his defense at shortstop has been quite unimpressive. Gray homered and drove in five runs against the White Sox on June 1st, but since then he has one extra-base hit (a double) and a 10-to-1 K/BB ratio in 38 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Kreidler has looked legitimately great on both ends. It seems noteworthy that Kreidler got the starting nod against right-handed starters on both Saturday and Sunday. He helped his case by contributing three hits in each game. In the field, Kreidler has made plays at short that are simply out of Gray's range of capability. I find myself in agreement with Gregg Masterson: let's see what Kreidler can do with some extended run. Of course, this all might be window dressing, because the real question is when Kaelen Culpepper will enter the mix. He was on the verge before suffering a hip injury that landed him on the injured list last week, but Culpepper appears to be on the mend with all signs pointing toward a relatively short-term absence. Once he's healthy, I see little reason to have him spend much more time at Triple-A before getting a big-league audition. From there, Kreidler can still play a valuable bench role thanks to his defensive aptitude and versatility. As for Gray? I'm not sure where he will fit in at that point. LOOKING AHEAD Fascinating week ahead. You won't often see this much of a talent differential in consecutive opponents. First, the Twins will host the Dodgers, who unsurprisingly have the most wins in baseball with their ultra-expensive, star-studded roster. Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to start Wednesday's game, making it a priority ticket for fans. Following Los Angeles into town over the weekend will be the Colorado Rockies, who conversely have the fewest wins in baseball. A good opportunity for the Twins to measure themselves against the very best and the very worst competition that MLB has to offer. If they can go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers in these next few days, it'd make a statement. MONDAY, JUNE 21: DODGERS @ TWINS — LHP Eric Lauer v. RHP Zebby Matthews TUESDAY, JUNE 22: DODGERS @ TWINS — LHP Justin Wrobleski v. RHP Joe Ryan WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23: DODGERS @ TWINS — RHP Shohei Ohtani v. LHP Connor Prielipp FRIDAY, JUNE 25: ROCKIES @ TWINS — RHP Tomoyuki Sugano v. RHP Taj Bradley SATURDAY, JUNE 26: ROCKIES @ TWINS — RHP Michael Lorenzen v. RHP Mick Abel SUNDAY, JUNE 27: ROCKIES @ TWINS — RHP Ryan Feltner v. RHP Zebby Matthews View the full article

Week in a Nutshell The Royals came back to Kauffman this week to face the two Texas teams from the AL West: the Rangers and the Houston Astros. After a solid stretch in Cincinnati and Minnesota, Kansas City was hoping to build on that momentum and put on a good showing back home this week against two winnable opponents. While the Royals won the first and last games of the homestand, they lost four in a row in the middle, including two losses to Texas and two to Houston. However, while another losing homestand was difficult enough, the Royals were also beset by multiple injuries to key players this week, which only makes their slim playoff chances appear even bleaker. Record this Week: 2-4 Run Differential for the Week: -1 Record for the Year: 29-43 Run Differential for the Year: -49 Standing: 5th in the AL Central Game 67: KC 5, TEX 3 Game 68: TEX 6, KC 4 Game 69: TEX 4, KC 2 Game 70: HOU 10, KC 8 Game 71: HOU 8, KC 7 Game 72: KC 4, HOU 0 News and Notes In addition to the losses, the Royals' injuries piled up this week. In addition to many key players going on the IL, Kansas City also called up several players from Omaha to fill their spots. On June 9th, Stephen Kolek was activated off the Family Emergency list, and in a corresponding move, the Royals optioned Josh Rojas back to Omaha. Because Rojas has more than five years of service time, he had to accept an option to Triple-A. He decided to take the assignment back to the Storm Chasers rather than opt for free agency. Also on June 9th, pitcher Kris Bubic began a rehab assignment in Omaha. It was a rough outing for Bubic, as he gave up eight runs on nine hits in 1.2 IP. After the rehab outing, manager Matt Quatraro remarked that Bubic didn't recover well, as he was experiencing shoulder soreness. As a result, Bubic was taken off the rehab assignment and underwent further tests, which have been inconclusive so far. During the Royals' win over the Rangers on Tuesday, Kyle Isbel injured himself while rounding first base on a base hit. Tests revealed that he had a grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fasciitis. As a result, Isbel will miss quite a bit of time, as reported by Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. In his place, the Royals promoted Kameron Misner, whom the Royals acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason. Misner has gotten off to a solid start in Kansas City this past week, as he collected six hits in 12 at-bats. On Wednesday, the Royals had a major scare as Seth Lugo was hit by a line drive batted ball by former Mets teammate Brandon Nimmo. Lugo was taken out of the game and placed on the 7-Day Concussion Protocol IL. CT scans were encouraging, but he was experiencing some headaches and worsening symptoms, which explained why he was placed on the IL. The Royals called up Eli Morgan to replace Lugo's spot on the roster. That said, Morgan was optioned back to Omaha on Sunday, and it is reported that Mitch Spence will replace Morgan. Spence, a starter acquired from the Athletics this offseason, is listed as the probable starter for Monday's road game against the Washington Nationals. Lastly, the Royals got another huge injury blow on Saturday, as Vinnie Pasquantino was removed from Saturday night's game after an awkward swing. It was reported that Pasquantino suffered a hamate bone injury. On Sunday, the Royals announced that he had a right hamate bone fracture and would miss approximately 4-6 weeks. John Rave was called up on Sunday to replace Pasquantino on the active roster, but Jac Caglianone is expected to receive a majority of the at-bats at first base. He made the start on Sunday at first base in the Royals' 4-0 win in the series finale against the Astros. Rave hit .196 with a .590 OPS, four home runs, and seven stolen bases in 72 games and 175 plate appearances with the Royals last year. Highlights Even though the Royals lost four games this week, the offense actually held its own. Kansas City's .293 team batting average was the 4th-best mark in baseball over the past week (unsurprisingly, the Rockies and the Athletics were the top two thanks to the hitter-friendly conditions of Las Vegas). They also scored 30 runs and were only outscored by one run. In the Astros series alone, they outscored Houston 19-18 over the three-game series (too bad it's not an aggregate scoring like soccer). The Royals also showed some ability to come back in spots this week, especially over the weekend. They nearly tied the Astros on Friday in their 10-8 loss, despite giving up nine runs in the top of the first. Furthermore, they had a 7-5 lead on Saturday before Jose Altuve tied things up with a two-run home run in the 8th before the rain delay. Individually, Caglianone was the Royals' top offensive performer. He collected 10 hits in 23 at-bats and hit .435 with a 1.239 OPS and two home runs and five RBI. He seemed to be key with runners on base, as he had a lot of moments in this homestand where he drove in runs, something he wasn't doing earlier in the year. The only blemish for Cags was the swing-and-miss this week. The former first-round pick had eight strikeouts, which led all Royals hitters this week. While Caglianone was the Royals' top performer offensively in this homestand, Bobby Witt Jr. wasn't far behind. The Royals shortstop had 9 hits, the second-most this week by a Kansas City hitter. He also hit .360 with an .847 OPS, stole three bases, and only struck out once. Witt particularly had a good game on Sunday, which also happened to be his 26th birthday. Maikel Garcia has been beset by injuries recently, but he started to get back into form in this homestand. He hit .286 with a .747 OPS and had a three-hit performance on Sunday, which included a couple of key RBI base knocks. Misner had a great Royals debut, and he's hitting .500 with a 1.038 OPS. The former Mizzou product also stole a base and had three RBIs. He will likely get a lot of opportunities in centerfield against right-handed starting pitchers with Isbel on the shelf due to his foot injury. Lastly, after a slow start at the leadoff spot, Carter Jensen had a strong week at the K. In 21 at-bats, he hit .286 with a .794 OPS, four doubles, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Manager Matt Quatraro has opted to utilize Jensen as the Royals' leadoff hitter against right-handed starting pitchers, and it seems like he's getting more comfortable in the spot with each start. Jensen also had a clutch double on Saturday night that helped the Royals overcome a 5-4 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning. On the pitching end, it was another strong week from Stephen Kolek. He posted a 0.73 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 12.1 IP with seven strikeouts to two walks. Kolek gave up a lot of hits, with 13 hits allowed, but he was able to escape trouble with runners on base. He only allowed two runs total in his two starts and only one earned run to boot. On Sunday, he had another masterful performance at the K, allowing no runs and only five hits in 7.1 innings of work in the victory over Houston. Safe to say, Kolek has emerged as the Royals' most valuable starter since the beginning of May. After a rough start to the season, which included getting optioned to Triple-A Omaha, Steven Cruz emerged as the Royals' most dependable reliever this week. In four outings and 5.0 IP, Cruz didn't allow a run, and he posted a 0.60 WHIP and 1.75 FIP. He also produced a 29.4% K% and a 23.5% K-BB% with a 72.4% strike%. When looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary from this week, not only did Cruz have excellent TJ Stuff+ marks, but he also flooded the strike zone, induced a lot of chases and whiffs, and limited hard contact, as evidenced by his xwOBACON. With the Royals' bullpen so shaky right now, Cruz may start to get more high-leverage opportunities in the future, especially with his ability to generate excellent stuff and a lot of whiffs, which is key in those pressure-packed situations. Another key reliever for the Royals this week was John Schreiber, who may be the Royals' best trade asset at this time. In three outings and 3.1 IP, he posted a 2.70 ERA, a 0.60 WHIP, struck out five batters, and didn't walk a single batter. The TJ Stuff+ wasn't as good as Cruz's, and his xwOBACON was slightly below average. That said, Schreiber was generating strong chase and whiff rates this week, which is encouraging. With many teams looking for bullpen help, Schreiber could be a key asset that could net the Royals some good value in return by the Trade Deadline. Lowlights While Kolek, Cruz, and Schreiber were strong contributors to the Royals pitching staff this week, it wasn't the best homestand for this group, especially the bullpen. The pitching staff gave up 10 home runs, which was the seventh-most by a pitching staff this week. The worst offender in this category was Matt Strahm. Not only did he give up three home runs this week, but he has also given up a home run in his last four outings and in six of his last eight appearances. In three outings and 2.1 IP this week, Strahm posted a 15.43 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. In addition to three home runs allowed, he gave up four earned runs and blew two save opportunities (i.e., he lost the lead for the Royals). While Strahm threw strikes this week and generated a strong chase rate, his whiff rate, xwOBACON, and TJ Stuff+ were all lackluster, as illustrated in his TJ Stuff+ summary below. The worst Royals pitching performance of the week probably belonged to Luinder Avila, who absolutely imploded in his Friday start against the Houston Astros. Avila failed to get out of the first inning, as he only went 0.2 IP. In that small sample, he allowed eight earned runs on five hits and three walks. He didn't record a strikeout, and he allowed two home runs, including a two-run bomb to Yordan Alvarez, who had two in the inning (with his other being a grand slam). In his TJ Stuff+ summary, nothing went right for Avila. He didn't throw strikes. He couldn't generate many chases. He got hit HARD. He did post a solid whiff rate, and his TJ Stuff+ wasn't bad considering the number of pitches he threw in the inning (49). That said, it was an outing to forget for the talented, but inconsistent Venezuelan pitcher. With Bubic and Cole Ragans on the IL and not a lot of reinforcements in Omaha (Ryan Bergert is also on the IL), Avila will continue to get starts. Hopefully, he can put this horrid outing behind him and bounce back in this short road trip against the Nationals (he's projected to start on Wednesday). Noah Cameron had a tough outing this week, as he allowed seven hits and four earned runs in 4.1 IP. Cameron didn't walk any batters, but he only had one strikeout, and he gave up two home runs. Looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary, it just wasn't a good day for Cameron, as his TJ Stuff+, zone rate, chase rate, whiff rate, and xwOBACON were all subpar. Lucas Erceg looked a little better this week, as he had a 3.86 ERA in three outings and 2.1 IP. However, his WHIP was 1.71, and he allowed three walks, hit a batter, and only struck out one. The chase, whiff rate, and xwOBACON were all encouraging this week, but his zone rate numbers were lackluster, and his K% was 8.3%, which resulted in a -16.7% K-BB%, not something Royals fans want to see from a pitcher who's supposed to be in high-leverage spots. On the hitting side, it was another brutal week for Salvador Perez. In 22 at-bats, he hit .182 with a .364 OPS, and he struck out five times while only walking once. All four of his hits were singles, and not only is he not producing in the power category, but he looks off-balance in the box as well. Whether it's nagging injuries or pressure from trying to break the Royals' all-time home run record, Perez just hasn't looked right in the box this year, and his Statcast percentiles only confirm that. Another Royals position player with a tough week was Nick Loftin. The former Baylor product hit .125 with a .597 OPS in eight at-bats. However, his biggest issue was a throwing error on Saturday night that gave the Astros the lead and, eventually, the win. Loftin has been atrocious in the field, especially at second base. He has a -8 OAA at second base, which is one of the worst OAA marks in all of baseball. Loftin is only hitting .221 with a .688 OPS this year in 116 plate appearances. While he can draw a walk (12.1% BB%), he doesn't provide much pop (32.9% hard-hit rate). Thus, his offensive profile is average at best, and his defense is a major liability. The Royals may be more apt to give new acquisition Matthew Lugo a chance in his spot, especially with Lugo absolutely tearing up Triple-A pitching. At 27 years old, Loftin doesn't have a whole lot of time to prove that he can be a long-term option in Kansas City. He may only have a couple of more weeks to prove himself in Kansas City, especially with the Royals 14 games under .500 and clearly building for 2027 at this point in the year. Loftin will be out of Minor League options next year, which makes him a non-tender candidate next offseason. Looking Ahead The Royals have a split week coming up with three games in Washington, D.C., against the Nationals and three games back at home against their I-70 rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Due to the World Cup game on Saturday at the Truman Sports Complex, the Royals-Cardinals series will be played on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Though expectations weren't high in the preseason, the Nationals are 37-35 and in third in the NL East. They have a dynamic offense, as they are first in runs scored, second in stolen bases, fifth in OPS, and seventh in home runs. The offense has been led by James Wood and CJ Abrams, who had wRC+ marks of 162 and 150, respectively. Wood hit his 20th home run of the season on Sunday. The pitching has been a little weaker for the Nationals, as their rotation ranks 24th in starter ERA and their bullpen ranks 26th in reliever ERA. However, the Nationals have a profile similar to that of the Astros, who just took two of three from the Royals at Kauffman Stadium this past weekend. The Cardinals took two of three from the Royals in St. Louis back in Mid-May, though the Royals only lost both games by a combined three runs. St. Louis is a balanced team with a solid offense (12th in OPS; 13th in runs scored), a strong rotation (11th in ERA), and a decent bullpen that has a mediocre ranking in reliever ERA (17th), but has one of the game's more dynamic closers. Riley O'Brien has a 3.86 ERA and 17 saves this year in 30.1 IP. However, he's been shaky in June with a 7.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, and -3.7 K-BB% in 5.0 IP. If the game is close, the Royals could perhaps get to the rattled closer at Kauffman. O'Brien has still generated chases and whiffs, but he has gotten hit hard and has struggled to find the strike zone. The Royals' approach has been much better as of late, and they are working pitchers better than a year ago, as evidenced by their 9.2% BB%, which ranks 13th in baseball. Getting to O'Brien, in front of a Kauffman crowd that will be at least half Cardinals fans, could be the momentum boost this Royals team needs. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS LHP Kendry Rojas returned to Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 12, Omaha 15 (12 Innings) Box Score Trent Baker: 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Alan Roden 2 (6, 7), Matt Wallner (11), Orlando Arcia 2 (9, 10) Multi-hit games: Alan Roden (4-for-6, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI), Orlando Arcia (2-for-6, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI), Aaron Sabato (2-for-6, R), Ben Ross (2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB) The Saints lost a high-scoring affair on Sunday. You don’t see many games where a team with a nine-run inning loses. Then again, there was nothing ordinary about what occurred in this game. St. Paul racked up 12 runs across 15 hits, had two players crack two homers, and lost in the 12th after sending Tanner Schobel to the mound as a human white flag. Pitching in a game that was tied. These things happen in the minors. Alan Roden led off the game with a homer, which served as the team’s lone run until their vigorous fourth inning assault on Aaron Sanchez. And what a frame it was. Matt Wallner and Orlando Arcia bombed back-to-back, and Ben Ross drove in two with a single. A short two-out sequence threatened to cut the rally short, yet the Saints continued to clobber, as Gabriel Gonzalez plated two more with a double before Arcia concluded things with a three-run homer, his second long ball of the inning. That proved to be the zenith of the game. The Saints’ pitching simply couldn’t hold up. Five of the team’s “pitchers”—we’re air-quoting the word because it includes Tanner Schobel’s gift of an outing—allowed at least two runs, as St. Paul’s lead slowly whittled away until it became Omaha’s lead. Roden cracked a second homer in the eighth off former Saint Dan Altavilla. He’s slashing .333/.463/.632 at AAA this year. Storm Chaser Abraham Toro hit for the cycle in the game. No member of the Royals’ Top 20 prospects (per Royals Keep) list played in the game. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Springfield 5 Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: Jaime Ferrer (2) Multi-hit games: Khadim Diaw (2-for-5, RBI), Jaime Ferrer (2-for-3, HR, 2B, R, RBI) The Wind Surge failed to find much offense on Sunday. Jaime Ferrer collected the only two extra-base hits for the team, a double in the fifth, and a homer in the ninth. That’s quite the opposite-field shot; even Ferrer was probably surprised that left the field. Has Cory Lewis figured something out? The righty owns a 2.25 ERA in the month of June, though that comes with a 1.40 WHIP, fueled in part by 12 walks in 20 innings. The sustainability of a stretch like this is perhaps dubious, but the deflated ERA after being pulverized to start the season is probably a nice respite. Jose Olivares collected two scoreless innings in his second appearance out of the Wichita bullpen this season. 2026 has been a struggle for him. The walk bugaboo that has followed him throughout his career morphed into a full-blown walk monster; he’s offered 28 free passes over 33 2/3 innings with the Wind Surge this year. No walks were offered on Sunday, though. The Cardinals played MLB’s 22nd-ranked prospect, catcher Rainel Rodriguez. He singled once in five at-bats. Kernels Nuggets Rain follows where Walker Jenkins goes. Why Mother Nature has beef with the top Twins prospect is unclear. The Kernels will make up this game on July 18th. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 13, Tampa 3 Box Score Hendry Chivilli: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: Jayson Bass (8), Luis Fragoza (6), Byron Chourio (3) Multi-hit games: Ryan Sprock (2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Quentin Young (2-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB), Luis Fragoza (2-for-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB), Byron Chourio (4-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) Inspired by the parent club, the Mighty Mussels rode a fifth-inning crooked number to a blowout win. And what a frame it was. Fort Myers entered with two already on the board. A Byron Chourio single and a Merphy Hernandez hit by pitch started the onslaught. Innocuous enough. Ryan Sprock cracked a long double to center to score both men. The Mighty Mussels then loaded the bases and pushed across their fifth run when Quintin Young took four pitches outside the zone for the easiest RBI of his life. At this point, the DNA of this rally was of an ordinary ilk. Simply a few runs. Nothing unusual in the context—especially in the minors where momentum and avalanches are commonplace. But then, Luis Fragoza stepped to the plate, took a mighty hack, and walloped a hanging slider for a grand slam. Oh, and Chourio tacked on a solo shot. Oh, and they concluded the inning with a final run scored off a double steal/throwing error combo. Hendry Chivilli enjoyed his best outing as a Mighty Mussel, tossing four shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts, a mammoth improvement over his woeful appearances on May 23rd and June 16th. Chivilli might be the most unique story in the Twins system this year: Minnesota handed him over $2 million as a part of their international haul in 2023, and after a pair of dreadful seasons at the plate, moved him to the mound where he has pitched shockingly well. He carries a 3.77 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings this year. The Tarpons are a part of the vaunted Yankees farm system. A talented bunch, they did not reveal so in this game, as no member of their Top 30 prospect list appeared in the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Hendry Chivilli Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alan Roden PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI, BB #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-5, RBI #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K #19 – Billy Amick (Wichita) - 0-3, BB, K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, 3 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Rays @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Miami @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM) - TBD View the full article

Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Mike Paredes: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (75 Pitches, 47 Strikes, 62.6%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Alex Jackson (0.42), Yoendrys Gómez (0.14), Josh Bell (0.12) Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant): , The Twins are cooking offensively, and as a result, they have a 7-3 record in their past 10 games. Their 384 runs scored are second to the Yankees in the American League, and they are 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Royce Lewis posting a .900 OPS since his return from a demotion has certainly helped, but Brooks Lee, Trevor Larnach, Luke Keaschall and Kody Clemens have also played out of their minds to support a pitching staff that has been neither healthy nor effective. On that note, Mike Paredes made his third career start today, against the Diamondbacks, and was in trouble from the jump, pitching behind in counts and unable to control his sweeper. He emerged from the first inning unscathed after walking Corbin Carroll and allowing a single to Geraldo Perdomo, but wasn't so lucky in the second. He walked Nolan Arenado to start the frame, then walked Ildemaro Vargas. After a sacrifice bunt (a charitable gesture from Arizona manager Torey Luvullo), Paredes struck out rookie Tommy Troy on a backup sweeper. One out away from escaping yet again, however, the unheralded rookie made one mistake too many. Ketel Marte struck a hanging sweeper pure out to the right-center field gap to score the game's first two runs. Meanwhile, the Twins were having all sorts of issues with Jose Cabrera, a right-handed starter making his major-league debut. He stayed in the zone and commanded a nice changeup and sweeper, spiced with a plethora of different fastball shapes. The first six Twins hitters went down easily, and it didn't get much better from there. A hit-by-pitch to Alex Jackson and a bloop double from Larnach put two on for Byron Buxton, but he flailed away at sweepers to keep the Twins scoreless. Paredes scuttled along, taking advantage of a weak back half to the Diamondbacks order. Facing Marte for the third time in the fifth, he allowed a laser single to lead off the inning. Perdomo then grounded sharply to Lewis at first, and Lewis made a great relay to second to start a key double play—especially key because Carroll and Gabriel Moreno both singled thereafter. Fortunately, Pavin Smith lined out to left field to end the threat. Somehow, Paredes ended up just giving up the two runs while completing five innings, something all of us would have signed up for. Cabrera was done after allowing a leadoff bunt single by Twins catcher Alex Jackson in the sixth. Facing lefty Brandyn Garcia, Larnach also attempted a bunt, a curious decision but one he almost beat out. After Buxton grounded out on the first pitch, Clemens struck out, and the Twins had nine outs to figure out something against the D-Backs bullpen, the strength of their team. These Twins aren't super talented, but they are gritty. Facing 100 MPH heat from reliever Juan Morillo, the Twins followed a Lewis single with two quick outs, with Lee striking out on a fastball at his eyes. Ryan Kreidler singled, though. Then Josh Bell pinch-hit for Kyler Fedko and singled to the gap, scoring Lewis. Jackson reached base for the third straight plate appearance, singling through the right side to score Kreidler. Bell tried for third base for some reason, and the throw from Carroll hit Bell's hand, kicking the ball out of play and allowing Bell to score the go-ahead run. Andrew Morris got the seventh against the top of the Arizona lineup. He allowed a rocket off the bat of Marte that Clemens made a leaping catch on in center, then walked Perdomo. But Perdomo was caught stealing on a great throw from Jackson, and Carroll struck out to end the inning. The Twins got Buxton and Lewis in scoring position in the eighth, but Keaschall was unable to capitalize with two outs, grounding out weakly to keep the lead at one run. This was, of course, no issue for Yoendrys Gómez, who pitched around a leadoff walk to retire the middle of the D-Backs order. He's beginning to look like a revelation. Kreidler led off the ninth with a single, followed by a failed Austin Martin pinch-hit bunt attempt in which Kreidler was cut down at second. No matter, as with two outs, Larnach roped a hanging slider into the right-center field gap to score Martin for a much-needed insurance run. Anthony Banda was given the save chance, sat 96-97 MPH, and threw strikes for the most part. He's looked a lot better since early May. Stuff I'm Tracking: Larnach made such a good diving play to end the second inning, I wanted to mention that his defense isn't great but is serviceable, and he isn't a total butcher out there. Then he misplayed a liner in the sixth that almost led to a crucial third run. In any case, his OBP is .377, and his move to the leadoff spot has paid dividends. Jackson is hitting .317 and contributed the biggest hit of the game. He also caught Perdomo stealing in the eighth, which may have been an even bigger play. Maybe he was worth the half-lavish contract he got, because he's turning out to be more than the emergency backup warm body that contract seemed to buy. Keaschall made a number of diving stops at second base and converted most of them into outs. Hard to say whether he gets better as he gets more reps, or if he will lose range as he gets older. He has posted an OBP-heavy .790 OPS in both May and June, though, and that plays. Kreidler had three more hits, lifting his OPS back above .900. You kinda have to start him every game at this point. If Paredes' game plan was to not touch the zone with anything, he succeeded, and the Diamondbacks had no counter-punch. The only ball that really said "hit me" was the sweeper to Marte. Maybe Paredes has some guile to his game; he'll need it. What’s Next: The Twins welcome the World Series champion Dodgers to Target Field, as Zebby Matthews (3-4, 4.78 ERA) faces lefty Eric Lauer (2-5, 5.37 ERA). Lauer has been pretty good since being acquired by L.A. in May, after burning bridges on his way out of Toronto. Matthews has had some encouraging starts and some clunkers, typical of his career thus far, and he will have his work cut out for him facing the Dodgers, who have scored the second-most runs in all of baseball (The Nationals are first??). Postgame Interviews: Coming Soon Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Paredes 0 0 0 0 75 75 Lawrence 0 18 0 40 0 58 Laweryson 20 17 5 0 14 56 Adams 13 0 42 0 0 55 Orze 0 12 0 24 0 36 Gómez 0 0 0 7 20 27 Morris 0 8 0 0 17 25 Banda 0 0 0 12 10 22 Rogers 0 15 0 0 0 15 View the full article

Just as the San Diego Padres' offense appears to be picking up steam, they get back one of their key bats. Designated hitter Miguel Andujar was activated off the 10-day injured list Sunday by the Padres, with outfielder Nick Solak designated for assignment. Andujar missed the minimum time while dealing with a minor strain of his left hamstring. Andujar, a key right-handed bat, was slashing .254/.288/.418 with five homers and 17 RBIs when he went on the IL. His 12 doubles are just one off the team lead, shared by Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Gavin Sheets, despite playing 20 fewer games than two of those players. Solak came up from Triple-A El Paso when Andujar went on the IL. He appeared in four games and went 1-for-7 with a walk and an RBI. View the full article

The setback sustained by right-hander Mick Abel has a trickle-down effect. The Minnesota Twins on Sunday activated left-hander Kendry Rojas from the 15-day injured list, with right-handed reliever Justin Lawrence designated for assignment. Rojas, Twins Daily's No. 9 prospect, had been out since May 29 with inflammation in his left elbow. Abel, on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation, threw a bullpen session Friday in anticipation of him starting Sunday, but woke up Saturday with a sore elbow, forcing the Twins to come up with an alternate plan. That will be right-hander Mike Paredes starting the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rojas could be a relief option for Sunday. He has made five appearances (one start), including his MLB debut, and been very good. Rojas has a 1.26 ERA in 14⅓ innings, walking 10 and striking out 14. Lawrence has been DFA'd for the second time this season. The Twins acquired Lawrence for cash considerations from the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 2 after he was DFA'd. His brief time with the Twins did not go well. In six innings across seven appearances, Lawrence had an 18.00 ERA, getting tagged for 12 runs on 10 hits with nine walks and 12 strikeouts. This came after a 5.32 ERA in 22 games with the Pirates. View the full article

Gavin Sheets has always possessed one trait that can change a game in an instant: the ability to impact the game with one swing. His combination of size, strength, and barrel control allows him to turn pitches that other hitters might only put in play into hard, productive contact. When he finds the right location, Sheets does not need many opportunities to show the offensive value of his bat. The challenge for a hitter with that profile comes when those ideal pitches become harder to find. Pitchers know they cannot simply attack him with fastballs in the strike zone. Instead, they throw the kitchen sink at him. During May, Sheets found an answer to that problem. The improvement was not just reflected in his offensive numbers; the biggest difference came in the quality of his at-bats. He maintained his power while adding a skill that changes the way opponents must approach him: improved recognition and better discipline against secondary pitches. His season has unfolded in three distinct phases. The difference between May and the surrounding periods was not only the final production, but the way Sheets created those results. During March and April, he was already a dangerous hitter, but he still depended heavily on finding the right pitch to maximize his impact. His raw power kept his offensive value high, but pitchers could still exploit certain locations and velocity patterns to limit his best opportunities. May showed a different version of Sheets. His walk rate climbed significantly, and his expected metrics reflected a real improvement in his decision-making. A 149 wRC+ indicated a true evolution as an offensive weapon. The question was whether that version could survive once opponents adjusted. May’s production map showed a hitter with greater control of the strike zone. Sheets had multiple areas where he could consistently generate offense, reducing the number of locations pitchers could attack with confidence. The clearest evidence came against the pitch types typically used to disrupt the rhythm of power hitters. During May, Sheets turned several secondary pitches into opportunities. Against sliders, a pitch often designed to disrupt timing and induce weak contact, he produced a .396 xwOBA. The changeup showed an even more significant transformation. After limiting him earlier in the season, the pitch became something Sheets could punish in May, as he hit .385 with a .615 slugging percentage against it. That was the biggest step forward of the month: pitchers no longer had a simple formula built around changing speeds and waiting for a mistake. Now, here in June, we've seen a reversion of course. The offensive decline this month is not simply a matter of results. The biggest issue appeared in the same pitch types where Sheets had gained an advantage during May, when he was consistently winning those battles. The most important warning signs came against sliders and changeups. Against sliders: May: .222 AVG, .667 SLG, .396 xwOBA. June: .000 AVG, .000 SLG, .168 xwOBA. Against changeups: May: .385 AVG, .615 SLG, .375 xwOBA. June: .000 AVG, .000 SLG, .125 xwOBA. Pitchers regained the ability to use those offerings as tools to disrupt his approach. And yet, that adjustment does not mean Sheets suddenly became vulnerable to velocity. Against four-seam fastballs, the evolution has been: The following chart provides a clearer look at how Sheets’ swing has performed inside the strike zone throughout the first half of the season. When he receives a fastball in a favorable location, Sheets still has the ability to produce impact. His strongest xwOBA results remain concentrated inside the strike zone, with success against pitches over the middle, on the inner half, and even toward the outer edge. The difference comes on pitches where he must identify the pitcher’s intent earlier. Once he lost his timing against sliders and changeups, the fastball became significantly more effective within the overall pitching mix, contributing to a notable decline in his power production. June’s struggles are also accompanied by a drop in contact quality. His most dangerous batted balls became less frequent, and his expected production declined. May revealed a version of Sheets capable of controlling his at-bats and punishing a wider range of approaches. June has shown that this progress still needs to hold against game plans specifically designed to disrupt him. If Sheets continues improving his discipline against sliders, changeups, and other secondary offerings, his offensive profile could continue trending upward. May revealed the level he can reach. June has become the next challenge in proving that version of himself can last. View the full article

Let’s check in on Saturday’s action from the Boston Red Sox affiliate teams. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-3 Season Record: 35-35 Worcester lost 4-3, its third straight loss, falling to .500 on the season. Osvaldo Berrios has made five appearances for Worcester in the month of June, and it wasn’t until Saturday that he allowed his first run to score. The righty opened Saturday’s contest with two innings of one-run ball, striking out three. Eduardo Rivera took the next two innings, allowing one more run to cross home. He struck out two before turning the ball over to Alec Gamboa. Gamboa completed the longest stint of the night for Worcester, turning in three innings. He let up one more run and struck out three. Kyle Keller took over in the eighth and quickly allowed the go-ahead run to score. Wyatt Olds took the final two outs of the eighth, allowing one more hit but keeping the score the same. Worcester’s bats were on fire, led by Allan Castro’s three hit night. However, the bats faltered with runners in scoring position. Going just 1-for-10 with RISP, the WooSox left seven runners on base as they squandered plenty of opportunities. Mikey Romero put the WooSox on the board with a first-inning sac fly, scoring Braiden Ward. Allan Castro collected an RBI of his own, hitting his sixth homer of the season, a solo blast, in the fourth. Later in the inning, Tyler McDonough drove in Tsung-Che Cheng on a line drive single to grab a brief lead. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 4-1 Season Record: 35-32 Portland won in walk-off fashion, collecting its sixth win in the last eight games by a score of 7-6. John Holobetz took the mound to start Saturday’s contest for the Sea Dogs. However, he saw mediocre results. Over four innings, Holobetz allowed four runs on seven hits as his consistency struggles persisted. He struck out six before Jedixson Paez took over. Paez was better, but not by much. Over the next four innings Paez allowed two more runs on five hits, striking out two. Cooper Adams took the ninth inning for Portland, allowing one hit but sealing the one run victory. Franklin Arias made his first start of the season at second base on Saturday, leading the way for the offense with a 3-for-5 performance. Whether or not the position change was due to Romy Gonzalez’s injury or perhaps preparation for a more permanent role is yet to be seen. Additionally, Johanfran Garcia extended his recent hit streak to 13 games and his on-base streak to 20 games. It was Brooks Brannon who sparked the offense, hitting a solo homer in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Down by two runs in the third, Caden Rose scored on a wild pitch to lessen the deficit. In the fourth, Matt Fraizer drove in Nelly Taylor with his first double of the season, cutting the lead to one. Down by three in the ninth, Brooks Brannon got drilled with the bases loaded, scoring Arias. Garcia stepped to the plate next and nearly hit a walk-off grand slam, instead settling for a game-tying two-RBI single that scored Will Turner and Miguel Bleis. With the game in reach, Marvin Alcantara smoked a ball to the shortstop who bobbled the flip to second as Ahbram Liendo raced around third. Liendo crossed home safely as Portland capped off the three-run comeback. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies): 3-2 Season Record: 28-37 Greenville rode two dominant pitching performances to victory, winning 4-1. Alex Bouchard claimed his first win of the season for his performance on Saturday. It was well deserved as Bouchard turned in an excellent five-inning performance. He allowed one run on three hits, striking out five in one of his best starts of the season. Ben Hansen took the final four innings, turning in a gem of his own. He allowed just one hit and two walks but prevented Jersey Shore from scoring again. He struck out an additional five batters as he sealed Greenville’s second straight victory. Justin Gonzales got the offense going early, crushing his eighth homer of the season. It was a two-run shot that scored Enddy Azocar as well. Gonzales scored again in the fifth on a fielding error to widen the lead. Mason White drove in Greenville’s final run in the eighth on an RBI single that scored Isaiah Jackson. Despite the win, the Drive went an abysmal 1-for-15 with RISP and left nine runners stranded. Still, it was an encouraging game for a team that has struggled in close games throughout the season. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): 3-2 Season Record: 26-41 Salem’s season-long woes continued on Saturday night as the RidgeYaks fell 10-2. Christian Foutch lost his fifth game of the season, starting the night for Salem. Over a short two-inning outing, Foutch walked five and allowed four runs on three hits. Foutch was quickly replaced by Yermain Ruiz, who wasn’t any better. Over the next three innings Ruiz allowed five more runs on four hits and four walks before turning the ball over to Griffin Kilander. Kilander was the best pitcher of the night for Salem by far. He allowed three hits and an unearned run over two and ⅔ innings, but he struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced. Nicolas De La Cruz took the final ⅓ inning of the night, allowing a walk but shutting the Nationals down before the score got any worse. Salem collected eight hits, but didn’t do enough damage to challenge Fredericksburg. Kleyver Salazar, Louis Andujar, and Anderson Fermin had two hits apiece, and Ilan Fernandez and Justin Barry accounted for the RidgeYaks runs. The runs came late and with little impact. In the sixth, Barry drove in his first RBI for Salem, driving in Andujar on a single to left field. In the eighth, Fermin scored on a Fernandez groundout. It was a sharp turnaround for Salem, who scored at least seven runs in its last two games. View the full article

Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs designated LHP Luis Peralta for assignment. Chicago Cubs sent LHP Matthew Boyd on a rehab assignment to South Bend Cubs. Houston Astros traded RHP Jayden Murray to Chicago Cubs for 1B Cameron Sisneros. Late Indianapolis Rallies Sink Iowa In 7-4 Loss The Iowa Cubs battled back to tie the game before the Indianapolis Indians pulled away late in a 7-4 home loss. Ty Blach turned in the longest outing, working five innings and allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Iowa drew even in the sixth inning, when Ben Cowles scored on a Brett Bateman groundout and Moisés Ballesteros came home on a bases-loaded walk to Owen Miller. Iowa then took the lead in the seventh, when Bateman doubled to right field to score James Triantos and Cowles. The advantage did not hold. Doug Nikhazy struggled in relief, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks, three strikeouts, and two home runs across 2 2/3 innings, taking the loss. Indianapolis erupted for three runs in the ninth inning, capped by a two-homer sequence and an Enmanuel Valdez double, to break the game open. Bateman led the offense with three RBI, and Ballesteros added two hits. Triantos doubled and scored a run, while Cowles reached three times and scored twice. Iowa left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman 5 0 1 3 0 1 Moisés Ballesteros 4 1 2 0 0 2 BJ Murray 4 0 2 0 0 1 Owen Miller 2 0 0 0 1 0 Chas McCormick 3 0 0 0 1 0 Jonathon Long 4 0 1 0 0 2 James Triantos 4 1 1 0 0 1 Casey Opitz 4 0 0 0 0 2 Ben Cowles 3 2 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ty Blach 5 6 3 3 1 1 1 Antoine Kelly 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Doug Nikhazy 2 2/3 5 4 4 2 3 2 Tyler Ferguson 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kipp And Cantrelle Lift Knoxville Past Chattanooga The Knoxville Smokies edged the Chattanooga Lookouts 3-1 at home, getting a strong start and a timely late hit. Grant Kipp set the tone over four scoreless innings, allowing no hits, walking none, and striking out two. Knoxville built its early lead in the first inning. Jefferson Rojas singled and Owen Ayers walked ahead of an Alex Ramírez double that scored Rojas, and Andy Garriola followed with a groundout that brought home Ayers for a 2-0 edge. The score held until the eighth inning, when both clubs traded runs. After Chattanooga answered with a solo home run in the top half, Knoxville responded in the bottom of the inning, as Hayden Cantrelle singled to right field to score Edgar Alvarez and restore the two-run cushion. Tyler Santana closed it out over the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out one to pick up the win. Rojas led the offense with two hits, a run, a walk, and a stolen base. Ramírez, Garriola, and Cantrelle each drove in a run. Knoxville stranded eleven runners on base but did enough early to hold on. Player AB R H RBI BB K Karson Simas 3 0 0 0 2 1 Jefferson Rojas 4 1 2 0 1 0 Owen Ayers 2 1 0 0 2 1 Alex Ramírez 4 0 1 1 0 0 Andy Garriola 4 0 0 1 0 3 Edgar Alvarez 3 1 1 0 1 2 Carter Trice 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ariel Armas 3 0 1 0 1 0 Hayden Cantrelle 4 0 1 1 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Grant Kipp 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 Tyler Santana 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 Marino Santy 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 Evan Taylor 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eighth-Inning Rally Doomed South Bend In 3-2 Loss The South Bend Cubs carried a lead into the late innings before the Fort Wayne TinCaps rallied for a 3-2 home win. Matthew Boyd was excellent on a rehab assignment, throwing four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out seven. South Bend grabbed the lead in the sixth inning. Kane Kepley singled and scored on a Ty Southisene triple, and Southisene then came home on a sacrifice fly by Josiah Hartshorn for a 2-0 edge. The bullpen could not hold it. Alfredo Romero entered and surrendered three runs on four hits with one walk in one inning, taking the loss and blowing the save. Fort Wayne struck for all three runs in the eighth inning, when a Kasen Wells single scored two and a Lamar King Jr. single drove in the go-ahead run. Nazier Mulé was sharp in his three innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Kepley led the way with three hits and a double. Southisene tripled and drove in a run, and Hartshorn added a hit, a triple, and an RBI. South Bend left four runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 4 1 3 0 0 0 Ty Southisene 4 1 1 1 0 1 Josiah Hartshorn 2 0 1 1 1 1 Matt Halbach 4 0 0 0 0 1 Angel Cepeda 3 0 0 0 1 1 Jose Escobar 4 0 0 0 0 0 Justin Stransky 3 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Madera 1 0 0 0 2 0 Christian Olivo 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Boyd 4 2 0 0 0 7 0 Nazier Mulé 3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Alfredo Romero 1 4 3 3 1 1 0 Delmarva Jumps Early To Bury Myrtle Beach 8-1 The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell behind early and never recovered in an 8-1 road loss to the Delmarva Shorebirds. Pierce Coppola took the loss after a difficult start, allowing four runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts over three innings. Delmarva jumped on Coppola in the first inning, scoring three runs on a two-run triple and a run that came home on a wild pitch. The Shorebirds tacked on another in the second inning. Edwardo Melendez steadied things with two scoreless relief innings, allowing one hit while striking out three. Myrtle Beach got on the board in the sixth inning, when Logan Poteet homered to left field. Henry Cone then ran into trouble over his three innings, surrendering four runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts, as Delmarva pulled away with late runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Poteet led the offense with two hits, a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Alexis Hernandez and Derniche Valdez each added two hits. Myrtle Beach stranded ten runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 4 0 2 0 1 0 Eli Lovich 5 0 0 0 0 2 Logan Poteet 4 1 2 1 0 1 Michael Carico 2 0 0 0 2 2 Derniche Valdez 4 0 2 0 0 0 Jairo Diaz 4 0 1 0 0 1 Geuri Lubo 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ezequiel Pena 4 0 0 0 0 1 Darlyn De Leon 3 0 1 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Pierce Coppola 3 4 4 4 3 4 0 Edwardo Melendez 2 1 0 0 2 3 0 Henry Cone 3 4 4 3 2 6 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 2-for-4, R, BB, SB Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Kevin Alcantara: DNP Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-2, 3B, RBI, BB, K Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 3-for-4, 2B, R Jonathon Long: 1-for-4, 2 K James Triantos: 1-for-4, 2B, R, K Cole Mathis: DNP Owen Ayers: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB, K Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Angel Cepeda: 0-for-3, BB, K Dominick Reid: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: 1-for-4, 3B, RBI, K Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View the full article

MIAMI, FL—Sources tell Fish On First that the Miami Marlins are designating Christopher Morel for assignment in advance of Sunday's game. The club has yet to make the news official and no corresponding move has been made. Morel, who the Marlins signed to a one-year deal worth $2M, suffered an oblique strain in the hours leading up to Opening Day, delaying his regular season debut until April 28. Once reinstated from the injured list, he slashed .162/.219/.206/.425 with one RBI in 22 games. His 18 wRC+ was the fourth-lowest among all MLB hitters with a minimum of 70 plate appearances this season. Speaking about Morel on June 10, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough acknowledged that" it's been a bit of a struggle to this point...Chris is a real pro. He's continued to work and trying to problem solve and get himself going." However, Morel never played another game for the Marlins after that day despite remaining on the active roster and the club matching up with multiple left-handed starting pitchers. In 2023 with the Chicago Cubs, Morel clubbed 26 home runs and posted a 120 wRC+. He slugged below .400 in each of the next two seasons, though, and the Marlins bought low on Morel after he had been non-tendered by the Tampa Bay Rays. Along with hoping to find a bounce-back candidate offensively—the Marlins moved him to first base, a position he had never played in his professional career—trying to see if maybe a less stressful position would benefit him. Very early on in spring training, he actually looked fine at the position, but as the sample size grew, he struggled with both the physical elements and intangibles. Used exclusively at first base during his Marlins tenure, he finished with a minus-two Outs Above Average, but plus-one Defensive Runs Saved. Morel will now go through waivers. The Marlins are on the hook for the remainder of his $2M salary unless another team surprisingly claims him. In all likelihood, he will clear waivers, get released by the team and enter free agency. View the full article

Health has become a little less of a concern for Byron Buxton in recent years. After spending much of the previous decade navigating injuries, Buxton has played more than 100 games in back-to-back seasons and is on pace to do it again in 2026. Please find the nearest piece of wood and knock on it immediately. Still, Father Time remains undefeated. The good news for Minnesota is that Buxton's offensive profile has evolved in ways that should help him age gracefully. Last week, I wrote about how his declining bat speed may have actually contributed to some of the best power production of his career. He can still handle premium velocity, but he's also doing a better job adjusting to breaking balls and offspeed pitches. Unfortunately, aging doesn't just impact players in the batter's box. It eventually shows up everywhere else. One area where the decline is becoming increasingly noticeable is Buxton's throwing arm. The Numbers Tell a Clear Story For most of his career, Buxton possessed one of the most complete defensive skill sets in baseball. His elite speed allowed him to cover massive amounts of ground, and his arm gave runners a reason to think twice before taking an extra base. That second part is becoming less true. In 2024, Buxton averaged 90.3 mph on his throws from the outfield, ranking in the 88th percentile across baseball. His arm value measured one run above average, placing him in the 74th percentile. The following season, his average arm strength dipped to 88.6 mph, still a respectable mark that ranked in the 77th percentile. His arm value, however, fell to exactly average. This season, the decline has accelerated. Buxton is averaging 85.1 mph on his throws, which ranks in just the 57th percentile. His arm value has dropped to -1 run, placing him in the 19th percentile. Those aren't catastrophic numbers, but they represent a dramatic change from the player Twins fans have watched for most of the last decade. Opposing Teams Have Noticed Baseball teams are exceptionally good at identifying weaknesses, especially in a world where organizations have seemingly unlimited data at their fingertips. When a pitcher loses velocity, opponents attack. When a hitter struggles against breaking balls, pitchers adjust. The same principle applies to outfield arms. Runners are becoming increasingly aggressive against Buxton. He has been worth -3 runs on baserunner advances this season after posting a -6 mark in 2025. Opponents have challenged him 49 times this year, and he has yet to record a single outfield assist. That doesn't necessarily mean Buxton has become a liability. It does mean the intimidation factor is gone. For years, runners often looked at the name on the back of the jersey and slammed on the brakes. Now they're testing him and finding little reason not to keep going. How Does the Rest of His Defense Stand Up? Before anyone starts preparing a farewell ceremony for Buxton in center field, it's important to remember that his overall defensive performance remains solid. Statcast credits him with three Outs Above Average this season, indicating he's still making plays that many center fielders cannot. Defensive Runs Saved paints a slightly less favorable picture, grading him at minus-one run overall. The biggest culprit is his throwing arm. Buxton's arm has cost him two Defensive Runs Saved this season, the second-worst mark among major-league center fielders. Only Miami's Jakob Marsee has graded lower at -3 runs. What's notable is that the decline isn't coming from his range. The athleticism is still there. The reads are still there. The closing speed remains above average. The arm simply isn't the weapon it used to be. What Does This Mean for the Future? The timing is worth monitoring because Minnesota's long-term outfield picture is beginning to take shape. Walker Jenkins is back in action at Triple-A after recovering from a shoulder injury and could make his major league debut sometime in 2026. Emmanuel Rodriguez remains sidelined with a thumb injury, but he also has significant experience in center field and possesses the athleticism to handle the position. Neither player is pushing Buxton out of center field today. However, both represent future options should the Twins eventually decide that Buxton's best fit is in a corner outfield spot. That's not a conversation Minnesota needs to have immediately. Buxton's speed and instincts still allow him to provide value in center. But it is becoming easier to envision a future in which preserving his health and maximizing his remaining skills mean asking him to cover a little less ground. How Worried Should the Twins Be? The answer is probably somewhere between "not at all" and "slightly." Buxton's arm strength decline is real. The numbers support it, opposing teams have recognized it, and the defensive metrics reflect it. At the same time, this isn't a player whose overall defensive value has collapsed. He's still making plays in center field that few players can make. His legs remain more important than his arms, and those legs continue to carry significant defensive value. What we're seeing is likely the first visible sign of the aging curve beginning to arrive. That's normal. It happens to every player, even the special ones. Kirby Puckett and Torii Hunter moved from center to a corner outfield spot in the later years of their career. Father Time eventually collects his debt from everyone. For Buxton, it appears he has started by taking a few miles per hour off the radar gun in center field. The encouraging part for the Twins is that, for now, that's all he's taken. Should the Twins be worried about Buxton’s decline in arm strength? Will 2026 be his final year in center field? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article