Braves predicted to trade for $8.5M All-Star, Silver Slugger winner to replace Ha-Seong Kim originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves had another miserable year at shortstop in a season when they thought they had finally figured out the position. Ever since Dansby Swanson left to join the Chicago Cubs, it has been a brutal nightmare for Atlanta.
The Braves picked up Ha-Seong Kim at the end of September 2025, and he impressed. For that reason, the Braves decided to bring him back on a new contract.
"Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is returning to the Atlanta Braves, agreeing Monday to a one-year, $20 million contract that addressed a major offseason priority for the team. Kim gets a $4 million raise. He had declined a $16 million player option that was in the two-year, $29 million contract he signed in February with Tampa Bay, a deal that paid him $13 million. The Braves announced the new deal with Kim on Monday night," ESPN wrote.
Kim injured himself during the offseason, causing him to miss time. When he returned to Atlanta, he put the Braves in a difficult position because of his lack of production.

#atlanta #seong #year #shortstop

The first Sunday of the NFL season isn't for another week, but that doesn't mean we won't have some hard-hitting action this weekend, as WWE holds Sunday Night's Main Event at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The quasi-PLE will feature two major non-title clashes between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton as well as Oba Femi and Bron Breakker. Both matches should have significant impacts on "SmackDown" and "Raw" for the remainder of the year, respectively.
Uncrowned's Horsemen — Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — are here to break down those matches and the two (or three) others taking place this weekend.
Let's ride!
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are back at it again.

#matches #state

The NFL's waiver claims period has passed, which means teams can start forming their practice squads. For the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, they were not awarded any players off waivers, but they did end up losing one player they might have been hoping to sneak through.
Defensive lineman Jared Ivey, who stayed on Seattle's active roster as an undrafted rookie throughout last year, was claimed by the Atlanta Falcons. Ivey started out as a big edge rusher, but spent a good chunk of training camp and preseason getting work as a more traditional interior defensive lineman.
It's worth noting that the Seahawks were last in the waiver wire order, so if they had interest in any of the 28 non-Seahawks players claimed, they might have been out of luck just by being at the back of the line.
The good news for Seattle is that Michael Dansby, Andre Fuller, Deven Eastern, and Emmanuel Henderson Jr, all players whom they drafted this year but ultimately waived during roster cuts, cleared waivers and are now eligible to sign with the practice squad right this minute.

#Seattle #ivey

Matt Shaw is back with the Chicago Cubs after missing the past two months with a left-hand sprain.
The 24-year-old infielder/outfielder was reinstated from the injured list Friday as the Cubs open a seven-game homestand beginning with the Cincinnati Reds.
Outfielder Kevin Alcántara was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
In five rehab games in with Triple-A Iowa, Shaw batted .316 with 6 hits, 4 RBI and 1 stolen base in 19 at-bats. Prior to his injury, he had 20 RBI and 4 home runs while batting .246 through 56 games with the Cubs.
While in Iowa, Shaw saw time at second base, giving Cubs manager Craig Counsell a potential option in the infield. With Dansby Swanson out until at least late September, Nico ******* ner could remain at shortstop while Shaw gets time at second base.

#base #time #second

The Chicago Cubs are going all in on this season, and they made that abundantly clear at this year's trade deadline, acquiring multiple pieces to give themselves the best chance to win. That included landing right-hander Kevin Gausman in a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Gausman is not having the best season of his career, but his track record speaks for itself as a two-time All-Star. Ahead of his start Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox, the 35-year-old veteran had posted a 4.53 ERA with 138 strikeouts across 139 innings of work.
MORE: Dansby Swanson development comes with silver lining for Cubs
While not excellent, he still brings plenty of postseason experience, which is valuable for a young Cubs squad trying to make a deep October run.
Unfortunately, Gausman left his third start with Chicago early. He suffered a left hand cramp, according to the Cubs on X. Manager Craig Counsell will likely have further updates on Gausman's condition after the game.

#kevin

It has been an especially tough year for the Cubs on the injury front, as they have had to weather a veritable monsoon of ailments throughout the season.
But things had been trending better in that regard over the last few weeks, with multiple key players working toward a return.
And for the most part, the injury woes have hit the pitching staff, while the position player group has been largely healthy throughout the year.
Both aspects have now changed, as the Cubs were dealt a pair of injury blows Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals and will have to spend the next few weeks trying to keep the ship afloat in the aftermath.
The Cubs made a slew of roster moves Monday afternoon, placing shortstop Dansby Swanson on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain and right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL with a blister on his right hand. Rookie James Triantos was also optioned to Triple-A Iowa, with Javier ******* ad, Kevin Alcántara and Owen Miller coming up from the minors.

#Cubs #year #weeks

It's time for both my favorite and least favorite series of the year — the Crosstown Classic! The White Sox will head a few miles north to face the Cubs at Wrigley Field. With both teams doing well this season and the White Sox winning the first-half series, the rivalry feels more competitive this time around than it has in the last few years. The Cubs have lost three of their last four games, barely escaping a sweep by the Cardinals, and just lost Dansby Swanson to injury. The White Sox, on the other hand, are coming off a sweep of the Tigers in Detroit.
Luis Castillo gets his first taste of the rivalry tonight as he takes the mound for the White Sox. Chase Meidroth, who has been the hottest hitter on the team, leads off. Randal Grichuk will DH tonight against the lefty pitcher, and Jake Rogers will catch and bat last.
Shōta Imanaga (8-9) will pitch for the Cubs, who will be without Swanson, with Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off.
First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. CT. You can watch on CHSN or Marquee Sports Network, depending on what you have, or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.

#rivalry #lost

The Seattle Seahawks recently announced their intention to sign free-agent cornerback Terrion Arnold. The former first-round pick was released by the Detroit Lions after news surfaced that he'd be facing eight felony charges for kidnapping and robbery with an armed weapon. **** uming Arnold ends up joining the Seahawks, he'll fill an immediate need that was exposed in Week 1 of the preseason.
The Seahawks were defeated 17-7 by the Dallas Cowboys. Predictably, the cornerback depth was exposed. Depth behind Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe has been questioned by fans all offseason long, and Arnold would represent a pretty big upgrade.
Shemar Jean-Charles especially struggled, allowing four receptions on five targets for 78 yards and a touchdown, per Pro Football Focus. Rookie Michael Dansby was also tagged with allowing a touchdown in coverage. Fellow rookie Andre Fuller gave up three catches on three targets.
The Seahawks do not have in-house solutions should Witherspoon or Jobe be sidelined with injury for any amount of time. If the Arnold signing is finalized amidst his off-field legal troubles, the Seahawks will have a depth cornerback they can rely on (at least on the field). The preseason exposed an issue we knew Seattle had, and Arnold could address that issue.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Terrion Arnold should immediately fill Seahawks need preseason exposed

#exposed #depth #cornerback #terrion

It didn't take long at all for Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson to know that something was wrong after he swung through a 96 mph fastball in the third inning of Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
And now, the Cubs might be without their starting shortstop for an extended time.
Almost immediately after the swing, Swanson tossed his batting helmet out of frustration and leaned forward in pain. He knew right away that it was the kind of injury that could sideline him. And after a brief conversation with the training staff and manager Craig Counsell, Swanson exited the game into the clubhouse.
During the game, the team described Swanson's injury as "left side discomfort." But after the 11-4 loss to the Cardinals, Counsell confirmed that it was an oblique injury for Swanson.
The team placed Swanson on the 10-day Injured List, and he's set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

#Cubs #dansby #almost

Your recap for the Cubs' 11-4 loss to the Cardinals Sunday is basically in the headline. Edward Cabrera returned from injury, got hit hard and didn't have command, and then Dansby Swanson took a swing in the third inning and immediately came out of the game.
I guess I could wrap things here, but… you come here for a complete recap and you are going to get one.
First, I was amused by this sequence of social media posts. When Craig Counsell met with media before the game, here's what he said about the Cubs upcoming rotation:
Five-plus hours later, after Cabrera's disastrous outing, here's what the media heard from Counsell:
Gee, Craig. Ya think?!?!?!

#counsell #sunday

Matthew Liberatore was his best self Friday afternoon as the St. Louis Cardinals entered the gauntlet of Wrigley Field to play the Cubs for the start of a crucial weekend series. The problem was that Cubs starter Clay Holmes was even better. The first 2/3 of the game was a scoreless and nearly hitless duel. Wheels would start to come off for the Cardinals in that last third of the game, though.
There are no offensive highlights to share with you from the first half of the game. However, there were a couple of defensive gems provided by the middle infield of the Cardinals. In the bottom of the 4th inning, Pete Crow-Armstrong was robbed by Masyn Winn. ROBBED!
The very next batter Suzuki was also denied base access, this time by future Gold Glove second baseman JJ Wetherholt. ROBBED AGAIN!
The Cubs would threaten to break through the scoring drought in the bottom of the 6th inning when Liberatore handed out a leadoff walk to Taylor. Dansby Swanson singled to center which gave Chicago runners at first and third with no outs. Matthew was able to get PCA to foul out to third for the first out, but that would be the end of Liberatore's strong outing Friday. George Soriano was brought in to face Suzuki. During his at-bat, Swanson stole second giving the Cubs two runners in scoring position. The stolen base wouldn't matter as Suzuki connected on an 88 mph changeup as it cleared the wall in left field traveling 390 feet and giving Chicago a 3-0 lead.
The Chicago Cubs 6th inning wasn't over yet as Soriano followed the Suzuki homer with a walk to Alex Bregman and a single to Michael Busch still with just one out. Fortunately, JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn combined on a double play on a grounder from Nico ******* ner to end the inning with the damage already being done. The final stat line for Matthew Liberatore would look less impressive than the eye test where he looked extremely sharp for the first 5 innings. Matthew tossed 5 1/3 innings striking out 6 and only walking 1, but those 2 earned runs that crossed the plate along with the 1 Soriano was responsible for were a killer.

#matthew #suzuki #cardinals #inning

Clay Holmes looked much more like the pitcher that the Chicago Cubs hoped they were getting at the MLB trade deadline after acquiring him from the New York Mets.
Holmes began his second start for the Cubs with five perfect innings versus the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. Perhaps even more impressive, he did so by only striking out two batters. Otherwise, Holmes recorded groundouts on seven of his first 15 outs.
The Cardinals got their first hit with one out in the sixth on a José Fermín single. But Holmes kept St. Louis off the board by getting César Prieto on a forceout to second base, followed by a JJ Wetherholt groundout.
Holmes eventually finished with 1 hit allowed in 6 2/3 innings. He was relieved by Ryan Rolison after walking Jordan Walker with two outs in the seventh inning.
Matthew Liberatore matched Holmes with four perfect innings to begin his start. He gave up his first hit with one out in the fifth on a Nico ***** ner single. Liberatore lasted until the sixth when he allowed a leadoff walk to Tyrone Taylor and Dansby Swanson single.

#holmes #cardinals

The Nats got their second sweep of the season this weekend. Now they will look to build off that this week. That will be tough against a Cubs team that has been playing great baseball the past couple of months. Pete Crow-Armstrong in particular is performing at an absurd level.
With a lefty on the mound, the platoon heavy Nats have a lot of righties in the lineup. Dylan Crews will lead off while Andres Chaparro hits second and plays first. After not playing much this weekend, Andrew Pinckney will get the start in left field. Brady House and Harry Ford also return to the lineup. Jake Irvin will be on the mound tonight for his first home start since mid-May.
As mentioned, Pete Crow-Armstrong has been a monster at the top of the Cubs lineup. However, there is also plenty of depth as well. The likes of Seiya Suzuki and Alex Bregman feature in the middle of the order. Even at the bottom of the order the Cubs have an established veteran in Dansby Swanson. The Cubs have **** anese lefty Shota Imanaga on the mound.
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#armstrong #second

It's a Seattle Seahawks (preseason) game week, which also means we get to see the team's first unofficial depth chart for the 2026 season.
Ahead of Seattle's preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys, the Seahawks unveiled their 90-man roster in depth chart form. Have a look for yourself!
A couple of things to note when reading the Seahawks depth chart:
Nick Emmanwori is now off of PUP after passing his physical, so this time next week the depth chart will look different. The unofficial depth chart was obviously finalized before Tuesday morning.
If you want to know about ordinal ranking on a depth chart, read from left to right by row. For example, the cornerback room behind Devon Witherspoon would read: Nehemiah Pritchett, Shemar Jean-Charles, Michael Dansby, and Andre Fuller.

#preseason #look

The Cubs made a flurry of deals before Monday's Trade Deadline, and one of Jed Hoyer's primary aims was to add quality starting pitching to the team.
And in acquiring Kevin Gausman, he appears to have done so. Gausman was as advertised (after a bit of a shaky first inning), throwing seven strong innings and allowing two runs, helping lead the Cubs to a 6-4 win over the Royals, their fifth straight victory.
That first inning for the Cubs' new right-hander included a walk and then a single by Salvador Perez that went off Gausman's foot for a hit. A double by Isaac Collins scored a run to give KC a 1-0 lead.
Gausman stayed in the game and after that was nails, including four strikeouts and inducing weak contact on his excellent splitter.
The Cubs then put together a four-run rally in the second that began with two out and no one on base. Carson Kelly and Pedro Ramirez singled and Dansby Swanson walked to load the bases. Pete Crow-Armstrong then singled and two runs scored [VIDEO].

#gausman #first #inning #scored

The Chicago Cubs denied the Los Angeles Dodgers' late comeback attempt on Wednesday, completing a three-game sweep over the World Series champions.
Shohei Ohtani hit his 29th leadoff home run as a Dodger to kick off the game, rising to No. 2 in the Dodgers' all-time leaderboard. He now only trails Mookie Betts by three homers in that ranking, and will certainly catch up to him if he maintains his spot at the top of the order.
Eric Lauer started the game for the Dodgers, looking to maintain his spotless record since becoming a Dodger, but didn't do himself any favors, allowing six runs during his four-inning outing.
The Cubs immediately tied the game in the bottom of the first inning, as Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff homer of his own. They scored two more times in the bottom of the second inning, as Dansby Swanson and Crow-Armstrong both hit RBI doubles to take the lead.
Crow-Armstrong got to Lauer again in the bottom of the fourth, hitting his second home run of the day—this time scoring two runs to make the score 5-1. Lauer allowed a double to Seiya Suzuki immediately after, and Alex Bregman singled him home to further extend the lead.

#home #inning #Cubs

The Dodgers' woes in the month of August continued on Wednesday, as their losing streak reached a season-high six games in a 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Shohei Ohtani got the best of his former WBC teammate Shota Imanaga, as he turned around a center-cut fastball for another leadoff home run. It is Ohtani's 29th leadoff home run as a Dodger, passing Davey Lopes for the second on the franchise leadoff home run list. Ohtani's hit streak is now at nine games.
The Cubs would immediately respond against Eric Lauer, as Pete Crow-Armstrong smashed the first pitch he saw over the center field wall to tie the game.
The Dodgers added a pair of singles from Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas in the top of the second inning, but Imanaga got out of the jam as Hunter Feduccia lined out to right field in his first Dodger at-bat since last year.
The Cubs were able to produce with men on base in the bottom of the second inning, as after a leadoff single from Nico ***** ner, Dansby Swanson drove him home with a double down the left field line to give Chicago a one-run lead. Lauer got Tyrone Taylor to fly out for the second out of the inning, but Crow-Armstrong had his second RBI of the game with a double of his own to extend the Cub lead to two.

#home

Tarik Skubal pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time on Tuesday, and many fans loved watching Dansby Swanson hit a homer off him.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Tuesday night matchup against the Chicago Cubs was the big draw of the week's MLB games. The reason for this is obvious, it marked Tarik Skubal's debut for his new team.
Skubal going to LA in a trade angered many baseball fans. With the Dodgers already boasting a team stacked with superstars, this move only added to the feelings of unfairness that already existed.
It's no surprise, then, that fans were 'hate-watching' the 2-time Cy Young Award winner when he made his debut. And for his haters, there was one perfect moment that they absolutely loved.
Photo by George Gaza/MLB Photos via Getty Images

#skubal #tuesday

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs spoiled Tarik Skubal's debut with the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, posting a 5-1 victory behind key RBI singles by Nico ******* ner and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Dansby Swanson connected for a solo homer as Chicago won for the third time in four games.
Skubal permitted two runs and four hits over six innings in his first start since he was acquired in a trade with Detroit on Saturday night. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner threw 85 pitches, 51 for strikes.
Kyle Tucker homered for Los Angeles, which finished with four hits in its fifth consecutive loss. It's the longest slide for the Dodgers since they also dropped five in a row in early September last year.
With two out and runners at the corners in the sixth, ******* ner hit a high chopper to the right of the mound. Alex Bregman scampered home on the infield single, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead.

#four #night

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs spoiled Tarik Skubal's debut with the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, posting a 5-1 victory behind key RBI singles by Nico ******* ner and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Dansby Swanson connected for a solo homer as Chicago won for the third time in four games.
Skubal permitted two runs and four hits over six innings in his first start since he was acquired in a trade with Detroit on Saturday night. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner threw 85 pitches, 51 for strikes.
Kyle Tucker homered for Los Angeles, which finished with four hits in its fifth consecutive loss. It's the longest slide for the Dodgers since they also dropped five in a row in early September last year.
With two out and runners at the corners in the sixth, ******* ner hit a high chopper to the right of the mound. Alex Bregman scampered home on the infield single, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead.

#four #Dodgers #hits #since

Tarik Skubal had a perfectly fine Dodgers debut with six strikeouts in six strong innings. But the Dodgers couldn't score much at all, while the Cubs offense did just enough off Skubal then teed off on the bullpen in a 5-1 win at Wrigley Field, the season-worst fifth straight loss for the Dodgers.
Skubal allowed a home run to Dansby Swanson in the third inning, his only hit allowed the first time through the order. He struck out six, finishing off two of them with changeups, two more with four-seam fastballs, and one each with his sinker and curveball.
Dodgers defenders made several sharp plays behind Skubal, including two sliding catches in the outfield by Andy Pages and one by Kyle Tucker through the first three innings.
But in the sixth inning, a fly ball to deep right field by Alex Bregman that Tucker appeared to have a beat on simply dropped behind him for a double instead of an out. That put two runners in scoring position with one out. Tommy Edman with the infield in snagged a grounder and threw home to prevent a run from scoring, but a Baltimore chop in the infield into no-man's land behind the mound to second base fell for a Nico Horner single to score the go-ahead run.
Skubal was only at 85 pitches through six innings, but that was it for him, albeit after a stressful sixth inning, even with the bottom of the Cubs order due up in the seventh.

#innings #field #score #allowed

CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly and Kevin Alcántara each hit a two-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs handed the Los Angeles Dodgers their fourth consecutive loss with a 10-5 victory Monday night.
Michael Busch drove in three runs against his former team, helping Chicago improve to 2-2 on a seven-game homestand. The Cubs also pulled within 5 1/2 games of NL Central-leading Milwaukee, which lost 4-3 to Pittsburgh.
Los Angeles has dropped six of eight overall after it was swept by Boston over the weekend. Tarik Skubal takes the mound Tuesday night for his first start with the NL West leaders since the ace left-hander was acquired in a trade with Detroit.
Tommy Edman hit a three-run homer for the Dodgers, and Teoscar Hernández also went deep. Justin Wrobleski (11-3) was tagged for seven runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings in his first loss since May 22.
Suzuki connected for his 19th homer in the first, driving in Pete Crow-Armstrong after a leadoff single. Alcántara gave the Cubs a 4-3 lead with his first career homer in the second, a two-out shot to left-center after Dansby Swanson walked. Kelly added his seventh homer in the third.

#Cubs #suzuki #kelly

August is kicking off with a bang as WWE hosts SummerSlam across two nights this weekend in Minnesota. It marks the second time WWE has shifted its second-biggest PLE of the year to a two-night format, and the show has big shoes to fill after last year's surprise-filled show.
As usual, the Uncrowned Horsemen — Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — are here to break down the entire event, answer burning questions and make predictions for the 12-match card. Let's ride!
CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship headlines Night 1.
Kel Dansby: I haven't been genuinely excited for a Roman Reigns ****** le match in a long time, so Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk wins by default.
It has everything you want in a SummerSlam main event: two of WWE's biggest stars, a strong story, and several believable directions depending on who leaves as champion. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins, on the other hand, feels like it's leaning heavily on Shield nostalgia. If we're being honest, we're right back to Reigns relying on Bloodline interference to keep the ****** le. At this point, it doesn't feel like Rollins has much of a chance to dethrone him.

#summerslam

Thursday's afternoon game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs can be described with two words: missed opportunities. Runners in scoring position not realized would be a problem for both the Cardianls and Cubs. Andre Pallante kept the Cubs relatively quiet, but would he get enough offensive support for a win? So many questions.
The St. Louis Cardinals were the first to score Thursday in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn drew one-out walks. That brought up Bryan Torres who singled to left scoring Nootbaar and giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. That run would unfortunately be all St. Louis could manage in the bottom of the 2nd as Blaze Jordan and Nathan Church left runners in scoring position.
The Chicago Cubs tied the game in the top of the 4th inning when Alex Bregman slammed a one-out double. He would score when Lars Nootbaar forgot there was only one out when Ian Happ flew out to right allowing Bregman to score. File this under mistakes the St. Louis Cardinals cannot afford to make, but stuff happens and that tied the game at 1-1.
Both the Cardinals and Cubs would have opportunities to score in the middle innings, but no results until the top of the 7th inning when Dansby Swanson drew a one-out walk. That would end Andre Pallante's day. By the way, if you didn't see Masyn Winn's play in the top of the 7th inning on a ball to deep short, it might be his best play of the year so far.
George Soriano would enter the game and be greeted by Swanson stealing second base. After Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out (a moment all of Cardinals Nation enjoys), Suzuki walked followed by a two-out single by Michael Busch scoring Swanson and giving the Cubs a brief 2-1 lead. Very brief.

#inning #Chicago

The St. Louis Cardinals entered Monday night's game against the Chicago Cubs with an urgent need to turn their recent downward spiral around. The Chicago Cubs and specifically their bats seemed determined to not allow that to happen.
Matthew Liberatore started the game for the Cardinals who planned to piggyback his start with Hunter Dobbins for the final half of the game. David Peterson, who the Cardinals hit hard in their last encounter, made that seem like a distant memory as he held St. Louis and their struggling offense to a minimum of opportunities.
The Cubs scored on Matthew Liberatore in each of the first 3 innings. In the top of the 1st inning, Liberatore walked Pete Crow-Armstrong, but then picked him off of first to the delight of the "Tarps Off" crowd in right field. Chicago got the last laugh, though, as Suzuki and Bregman hit back-to-back doubles giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
Chicago would score again in the top of the 2nd inning as Nico ****** ner led off with a single. After Ian Happ struck out, Dansby Swanson singled giving Chicago runners at first and second with just one out. Amaya then smacked a single to right doubling the Cubs lead to 2-0.
The Cardinals would get one run back in the bottom of the 2nd inning when José Fermín would become the Fermínator muscling up for a 407 foot shot into Big Mac Land reducing the Cubs lead to 2-1.

#liberatore #game #lead

The 2026 MLB season has reached the All-Star Game. This season has shown many players and teams having sensational seasons. Following the All-Star Game, the second half of the season will be in full swing. Here are the top 10 shortstops at the midway point of the season.
MORE: MLB Rankings: Top 10 catchers at the All-Star break
Jun 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits an RBI triple during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Swanson has tapped into his potential thus far in 2026. His average has struggled, but he's seeing many ****** leave the ballpark. He must continue producing as the season progresses.
Duran is having the best season of his career. A veteran utility player, Duran has put together a strong season. By the end of the season, he will have career highs across the board.

CINCINNATI — Alex Bregman described the Chicago Cubs' first half of the season Saturday as a time of "some high highs and some low lows," which sounds about right.
It was highlighted by a pair of 10-game win streaks, an MVP-caliber performance by Pete Crow-Armstrong, the emergence of Ben Brown as a primetime starter and the continued defensive excellence that has been the team's hallmark under manager Craig Counsell. Ten walk-off wins, a 23-run outburst featuring eight home runs and a PCA cycle were all binge-worthy moments.
The low points included the devastating loss of Cade Horton, the nonstop march of pitching injuries, the 10-game losing streak, a prolonged offensive slump by Dansby Swanson and an early power outage by Bregman, the team's biggest offseason acquisition.
There was even a cameo appearance by a well-fed rat at Wrigley Field in April, which forced a team spokesman to **** ure fans the Cubs "take the health and safety of our guests seriously." Rat aside, the mental health of Cubs fans was almost always in question, thanks to a team that went from ridiculously good to unquestionably bad and then back to good again.
The Cubs finished things up Sunday with a victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark, ending the first half with a bang.

The White Sox added a potential cornerstone player by selecting UCLA shortstop Daniel Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, with the toss-up between Cholowsky and prep SS Grady Emerson apparently lasting deep into Saturday morning.
But that all turned out to be a ruse, as Cholowsky admitted that the White Sox informed him on Thursday that he was their pick, easing some of his anxiety about having lost out on the team he wanted to land with (as well as a record signing bonus — it won’t be the full $11 million-plus designated for the slot, but it won’t be a mere nine figures, either).
So, the rest of us still were stirred when word “broke” from MLB’s Jim Callis right before the pick announcement that Cholowsky — the presumptive No. 1 since the end of the 2025 draft — would join the White Sox. Minutes later, commissioner Rob Manfred made it official, welcoming Rob “Cha-lew-sky” (sic) to Chicago.
In doing so, Cholowsky becomes just the third college shortstop ever selected first overall, joining Bill Almon (1974) and Dansby Swanson (2015). Although neither player went on to a Hall of Fame career, that’s rare company, and another indication of just how highly Cholowsky is regarded.
“Drafting Roch today adds another standout talent and person of impressive character to this organization at absolutely the right time,” GM Chris Getz said in a press release announcing the pick. “Roch, his family and his support structure impressed us throughout the entire process, and his experience at UCLA certainly prepared him to take the next step as a professional. An outstanding defensive shortstop, Roch brings an impact bat to any lineup, and he is a leader on the field as well as in the clubhouse. He has more than lived up to very high expectations, and we cannot wait to get him into our organization, get started and see him continue his growth and success.”

The White Sox added a potential cornerstone player by selecting UCLA shortstop Daniel Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, with the toss-up between Cholowsky and prep SS Grady Emerson lasting deep into Saturday morning. But word broke from MLB's Jim Callis right before the pick announcement that Cholowsky — the presumptive No. 1 since the end of the 2025 draft — would join the White Sox. Minutes later, commissioner Rob Manfred made it official, welcoming Rob "Cha-lew-sky" (sic) to Chicago.
In doing so, Cholowsky becomes just the third college shortstop ever selected first overall, joining Bill Almon (1974) and Dansby Swanson (2015). Although neither player went on to a Hall of Fame career, that's rare company, and another indication of just how highly Cholowsky is regarded.
Cholowsky also becomes the fifth UCLA player selected No. 1 overall in a pro draft, a group that includes Gerrit Cole, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Troy Aikman and
As the draft came closer, some of the conversation for No. 1 overall has shifted to the other prime prospects, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey and Emerson. That turned out to be a case of overall draft fatigue and prospect evaluators rationalizing their professions, as Cholowsky has been at or near No. 1 overall in mock drafts for essentially a solid year now. The right-handed hitter entered the spring with a reputation for elite bat-to-ball skills and polished defense, then strengthened his case by continuing to produce throughout the 2026 season.
Cholowsky as Chicago's pick indicates the White Sox went with the prospect many evaluators considered the most complete position player in the class. Cholowsky offers an advanced offensive approach, dependable defense at shortstop, and the kind of all-around game that gives him both a high floor and an equally enticing ceiling.

Braves' latest roster move is bad news for struggling Ha-Seong Kim with All-Star break looming originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves are trying to solve a glaring issue that has persisted at the same position since Dansby Swanson left. The team has struggled to find a shortstop who can consistently swing the bat.
Over the winter, the hope was that Ha-Seong Kim would be the answer for this season. That is why Atlanta showed so much faith in signing him to a one-year, $20 million contract.
“Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is returning to the Atlanta Braves, agreeing Monday to a one-year, $20 million contract that addressed a major offseason priority for the team. Kim gets a $4 million raise. He had declined a $16 million player option that was in the two-year, $29 million contract he signed in February with Tampa Bay, a deal that paid him $13 million. The Braves announced the new deal with Kim on Monday night,” ESPN wrote.
So far, Kim has just five hits on the season despite being in the lineup since May. The Braves have tried to remain patient, but his bat has been virtually non-existent.