Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
Welcome to July, the most consequential month on the MLB calendar other than October. We have the All-Star Game, the Futures Game, the draft, and the trade deadline. Oh, and don’t forget the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Don’t worry, there are games that count in the standings, too, which will determine which teams are buyers and sellers at the trade deadline.
Don’t forget to watch every game with the Pitcher List community on Playback!
Today’s Headlines
Guerrero Leads Blue Jays Past Yankees
If the Toronto Blue Jays are playing the New York Yankees, you can bet Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is going to come through. That latest chapter in this saga took place as the Jays opened a big three-game home series with a 5-4 win over the Yankees. Guerrero drove in three runs, including a go-ahead two-run single to cap a four-run sixth inning. That trimmed the Yankees’ lead in the AL East to 1½ games over the Tampa Bay Rays and two games over the Jays. The Yankees held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth when Nathan Lukes had an RBI single and Ernie Clement singled to short to tie the game 3-3. After George Springer reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases, Guerrero hit a rocket single past third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s glove into left to score a pair. Jays right-handed starter Max Scherzer allowed two runs over five innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk.
Wheeler Deals Again
There is just something special about watching a star pitcher carve up an MLB lineup. And when it is a pretty good lineup, you relish the experience even more. That was what it was like to watch right-handed starter Zack Wheeler do his thing against the San Diego Padres. Wheeler struck out 10 over eight innings as the Phillies beat the Padres 4-0. Wheeler scattered six hits to finish off a superb June, in which he posted a 0.58 ERA over five starts. This one was his third with no walks and 10 or more strikeouts this season, tying Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants, and Spencer Schwellenbach of Atlanta for the most in MLB. Wheeler is 8-3 with a 2.27 ERA this season. Nick Castellanos homered to pace an opportunistic Phillies offense, which only had six hits but also drew six walks.
Abreu Hits Grand Slam, Inside-The-Parker
Wilyer Abreu was in a groove. He crushed a grand slam as part of a seven-run first. Then he hit a drive headed for the triangle, where homers go to die. Only this one hit off one of the angled walls and caromed away from the fielders, sending Abreu on an inside-the-park homer journey. He provided the bulk of the highlights in the Red Sox’s 13-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Abreu became the sixth player in MLB history with a grand slam as well as an inside-the-park homer separately in the same game, the first since Roger Maris in 1958. Trevor Story also hit a two-run homer, and Jarren Duran also went deep for the Red Sox. The seven-run first-inning explosion came in the second MLB start for top Reds prospect Chase Burns, who only got one out.
Raleigh Hits 33rd, Arozarena Goes Deep Twice
It doesn’t matter a whole lot what his Seattle Mariners teammates do; if Cal Raleigh homers, it will supersede whatever else they do. Randy Arozarena hit a pair of homers, including the 100th of his career, and Raleigh hit his MLB-leading 33rd of the season as the Mariners dispatched the Kansas City Royals 6-2. Raleigh’s 33 homers are tied for the third-most through June in MLB history, behind Barry Bonds‘ 39 in 2001 and Mark McGwire’s 37 in 1998. Raleigh is just one homer shy of his career high of 34 set last year.
Orioles Win Wild One
And now for today’s entry in crazy baseball. All we will say for now is that the starting pitcher for an AL team had two at-bats. But that was the type of night it was as the Baltimore Orioles scored three times in the 10th, then had to come back and score four in the 11th before securing a 10-6 triumph over the Texas Rangers. Luis Vázquez, the last position player available for the Orioles, snapped the tie in the 11th with an RBI single that withstood a video review, and Gunnar Henderson added a two-run double. That was enough to put a stake into the Rangers, who survived home runs from Henderson and Colton Cowser in the top of the 10th thanks to Adolis García’s emotional three-run homer. What about the starting pitcher hitting? That happened when Chadwick Tromp became the latest Orioles catcher to go down with an injury, this one being back tightness in the third inning. Backup catcher Gary Sánchez was serving as the designated hitter, forcing the Orioles to go the rest of the game without the DH as Sánchez went behind the plate. That meant Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers had to bat twice, becoming the first MLB starter to hit since the DH became universal in 2022.
If you're looking to catch a vibe this summer, Gunnar Henderson has you covered 😎
Adolis García is FIRED up 🔥
Futures Game Rosters Unveiled
The stars of tomorrow will be on display on July 12 in Atlanta during the Futures Game. The rosters for the AL and NL teams were released, with 31 of the 50 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list and 30 from Baseball America’s Top 100. What makes the Futures Game great is that these aren’t just players on the cusp of making their MLB debut. They are the top prospects regardless of age or level they are playing at. That is why you will see Padres shortstop Leo De Vries, who is 18 and playing at High Class A, as well as Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jesus Made, the youngest player in the game (he turned 18 in May) who is in his first full season of pro ball and is in Low Class A. Other key prospects include Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter and Colorado Rockies first baseman-outfielder Charlie Condon.
Best Moments From Yesterday
With Friends Like This …
This young fan got to attend a Pittsburgh Pirates fan on his birthday, surrounded by friends. Regardless of whatever other presents he gets, one will be treasured for a lifetime.
From First To Home
Texas Rangers center fielder Michael Helman notched his first career stolen base when he swiped second. He also scored on the play.
Jackson Theft
As mentioned previously, the Padres lost to the Phillies 4-0. It could have been much worse had Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill not robbed this potential three-run homer by Max Kepler in the third inning.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Phillies star first baseman Bryce Harper was activated from the 10-day injured list following a bout with inflammation in his right wrist.
⚾ Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña went on the 10-day injured list due to a fracture to one of his ribs. The injury isn’t expected to sideline Pena much more than the 10 days, depending on how he responds to treatment and how severe the pain is.
⚾ Baltimore Orioles right-handed starter Zach Eflin was placed on the 15-day IL with tightness in his lower back.
⚾ The Athletics promoted outfielder Colby Thomas to make his MLB debut. Thomas, a third-round pick out of Mercer in 2022, is the A’s No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
⚾ The Colorado Rockies will be calling up outfielder Yanquiel Fernández to make his MLB debut today. Fernandez is the Rockies’ No. 5 prospect.
⚾ Two-time Gold Glove-winning catcher Tucker Barnhart is retiring from playing at age 34. Barnhart played eight of his first 12 MLB seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and saw action in eight games with the Texas Rangers this season.
Articles You Should Read
Manfred’s plan: Tell players they lost billions to build trust in himself — Evan Drellich, The Athletic
Brewers’ Misiorowski is the Nth-best pitcher in MLB — Daniel R. Epstein, FanGraphs
VR training is booming in baseball, but the Nationals haven’t bought in — Spencer Nusbaum, Washington Post
Kershaw’s Dodgers teammates in awe as he approaches 3,000 strikeouts — Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
