When the Twins selected him with the 16th overall pick last July, Marek Houston was seen by most scouts as a lock to stick shortstop with elite defensive talent, but a fringy bat that projects for below average production in the major leagues. Just 27 games into his Double-A tenure, Houston is already producing offense at a high level, boasting a .325 batting average with a 135 wRC+. As he begins to pop up on top 100 prospect lists, there is a growing belief that his bat has a chance to provide some real impact for the Twins.
Standing at 6'3", Marek is a twitchy and fluid athlete. He is a plus runner, nabbing 38 bags so far this season while being caught just 4 times. He has an excellent approach at the plate. Very patient hitter who is running a chase rate around 17% this season with above-average walk rates. His swing mechanics have remained largely unchanged from his time at Wake Forest. The pre-swing hand load and leg kick is a little loud, but he breaks it down with 2 strikes, which has helped him limit strikeouts and put together mature at-bats despite posting average zone contact rates. His raw power is below average, but Houston has continued to tap into more and more juice as the season has gone on. There is quality gap power if he can consistently elevate the ball.
While the offensive ceiling is still limited, any doubt that Marek Houston may not have a major league caliber bat is effectively gone. If he doesn't tap into any more power, his profile is similar to that of Austin Martin or Luke Keaschall, a patient hitter who makes a lot of contact and provides value on the bases. While these guys don't hit for much power and have middling offensive numbers, they do more for the offense than the stats show. Combining that with plus defense at the shortstop position makes for an extremely valuable player and a guy who will find a way to make a positive impact on every game.
Marek Houston is squarely on track for a 2027 debut with an outside chance of making his way onto the opening day roster. He looks like a perfect fit for the Twins as a long-term solution at the shortstop position, where the team's -15 FRV since the start of 2025 ranks 28th in MLB. While he doesn't have a dynamite bat like Walker Jenkins or Emmanuel Rodriguez, Houston is worth getting excited about as one of the system's top prospects and arguably the prospect with the highest chance to be a productive big leaguer. He has been a Minnesota Twin for just over 12 months, but fans won't have to wait much longer to see him suited up at Target Field.

#chance

It's trade deadline season, and though this has been a tame deadline period so far, the continuous swirl of rumors and (eventually) actual transactions will be the focus of much of the baseball world in the coming days. Yesterday, we discussed which players the Yankees were most likely to move, and today, we ask: what weakness do the Yankees most need to address, and which one are they most likely to address?
The answer to this question has been fluid throughout the year. Early on, it seemed obvious to most that the Yankees would need to make big additions to their bullpen, yet here we are at the end of July, and the Yankee relief corps has the second-best ERA in the majors. Paul Blackburn has proven to be the second coming of Luke Weaver, Brent Headrick almost never allows runs, David Bednar has been the top-tier closer the team envisioned, and Matt Blake's latest reclamation project, Angel Chivilli, has looked dynamite since his most recent call-up. Add in the fact that players like Will Warren and Ryan Weathers (and perhaps Carlos Lagrange?) could get shifted to the bullpen if they're not traded, and the unit looks like an area of strength, not weakness.
At other times, the matter of the infield appeared to be most pressing. Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each got off to nightmarish starts, and the shortstop duo of Anthony Volpe and José Caballero has had its ups and downs. But even on the dirt, things don't look nearly as shaky as they did two or three months ago. Since seeing his OPS bottom out at .498 on April 22nd, Chisholm has played exactly as expected, with a .239/.309/.463 slash line and 16 homers plus 21 steals. McMahon has run a roughly .750 OPS over the last two months while bringing his usual quality defense at third base. And despite his penchant for high-profile miscues, Volpe's combination of high-OBP and good range at short has made him a valuable contributor.
Then, there's the most obvious need now, at catcher, with Yankee backstops having combined to "hit" .181/.261/.284. But even adding a catcher comes with major complications, as most teams are loath to make significant changes to their caching room midseason. For as awful as Austin Wells and Co. have been with the bat this year, a catcher's primary job is to catch, to field his position, to manage his pitching staff. The Yankee backstops have done that portion of their job with aplomb this year (it's probably not a coincidence that the Yankees prioritize defense at catcher and have the best team ERA in baseball), and it's not trivial to just add a plus bat to that room without shaking things up on the run-prevention front.
Add it all up, and it leaves the Yankee roster in a weird spot heading into a crucial deadline. The roster has been slammed by injuries and has some seemingly clear places to upgrade, but actually making those upgrades is less straightforward than it might appear. What do you think? Where are the Yankees most likely to make moves in the next four

After Tuesday's game was rained out, the Braves will (weather permitting) close out their 2026 slate of Mets road games with a Wednesday doubleheader which is scheduled to begin at 1:10 p.m. ET.
AJ Smith-Shawver is set to make his season debut at the major league level for the Braves after completing his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery the last few weeks with five outings across Single-A Augusta and Triple-A Gwinnett.
The Braves are largely keeping the same lineup from Monday's series-opening loss, making just one change in the lineup. Mauricio Dubón will play shortstop and hit sixth, while Eli White takes his typical place in left, likely because Atlanta doesn't want Jim Jarvis to play both full halves of a doubleheader.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is back atop the lineup for the second straight game, and Joey Bart is catching the second straight game to divide those duties similarly across the two-game day.
The Juan Soto-less Mets are not playing Luis Robert Jr. — somewhat recently back from an extended IL stint — in the first half of the doubleheader. Carson Benge replaces him in the lineup while A.J. Ewing will hold down his center field spot.

#Braves #second

FRISCO, Texas — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager hit a solo homer and made a nifty defensive play in a rehab appearance for Double-A Frisco after being sidelined all this month because of lower back inflammation.
Seager is on the injured list for the third time this season, and has missed 52 games for Texas — one more than he has played for the AL West-leading Rangers. They are 24-28 without the two-time World Series MVP.
Seager went 1 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout against Corpus Christi, homering in the fifth before being replaced in the field after that inning. The top of the third ended when the shortstop made a backhanded stop in the hole and made a strong throw to first for the out.
His last game had been June 30 at Toronto, when he was removed in the first inning because of back discomfort. The rehab appearance came after Seager took live batting practice the previous two days before Rangers home games.
It wasn't immediately clear when he would rejoin the big league club.

#texas

The NCAA ruled that San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello committed a minor infraction as Tennessee baseball coach in 2022, according to an athletics department document obtained by Knox News through a public records request.
It's a belated decision.
Vitello left UT to become the Giants manager in October 2025. And the violation was committed during his recruitment of Kansas transfer shortstop Maui Ahuna, who now plays for the Giants' Double-A team in Richmond, Virginia.
This was the second violation reported that involved Vitello and Ahuna. The first appeared on a 2022 report, which found that UT booked a flight for Ahuna's recruiting visit before receiving his academic transcript.
The combination of the two violations led to Vitello's three-game suspension in the 2023 season and Ahuna missing eight games before he was ruled eligible.

#ruled #violation

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager hit a solo homer and made a nifty defensive play in a rehab appearance for Double-A Frisco on Tuesday night after being sidelined all this month because of lower back inflammation.
Seager is on the injured list for the third time this season, and has missed 52 games for Texas — one more than he has played for the AL West-leading Rangers. They are 24-28 without the two-time World Series MVP.
Seager went 1 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout against Corpus Christi, homering in the fifth before being replaced in the field after that inning. The top of the third ended when the shortstop made a backhanded stop in the hole and made a strong throw to first for the out.
His last game had been June 30 at Toronto, when he was removed in the first inning because of back discomfort. The rehab appearance came after Seager took live batting practice the previous two days before Rangers home games.
It wasn't immediately clear when he would rejoin the big league club.

#appearance

A beloved player amongst the Detroit Tigers players, coaches and fanbase had to make way for another on Tuesday, July 28.
The Tigers reinstated shortstop/center fielder Javier Báez from the 60-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Detroit had to clear a roster spot on both the 26-man and 40-man roster since Báez was removed when he was placed on the 60-day list in June.
On Monday night following an 8-5 loss to the Orioles, manager A.J. Hinch and president of baseball operations Scott Harris sat down with backup catcher Jake Rogers and let him know he would be designated for ***** ignment.
Rogers, 31, has been a member of the Tigers' organization since he came over in the trade package for Justin Verlander from the Houston Astros in 2017. He made his major league debut with Detroit in 2019 and proceeded to appear in 362 games across six different seasons.
"Jake has been here as long as I have been here," Hinch said. "Scott, Jake and I met last night and did everything to walk down memory lane to just explain the timing and how decisions get made."

#orioles #list

Well this is a peculiar first move for trade deadline season. Jake Rogers, the longest tenured Detroit Tigers player, has been designated for ***** ignment. Eduardo Valencia was recalled on Sunday and will be taking over the backup catcher duties. Rogers' roster spot will go to Javier Báez, who returns from a three-month absence after suffering a high ankle sprain at the end of April.
The 31-year-old Rogers made his major league debut with the Tigers back on July 30, 2019 after coming to the Tigers in the trade that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros in August of 2017. He finally became the Tigers primary catcher in 2021 before tearing his UCL and requiring reconstruction surgery that cost him all of the 2022 season. In 2023 and 2024 Rogers put together good seasons based around his defensive ability, plate discipline, and the occasional burst of home run power. He was worth 4.7 fWAR across those two years, but since that point his offensive contributions collapsed as Dillon Dingler took over the everyday catching role. This season, Rogers' defense finally showed real signs of cracking as well. He's hitting .161/.266/.301 for a 60 wRC+ which ranks him 48th out of 59 catchers with 100 plate appearances or more this season.
Despite his struggles, two part-time White Sox catchers, and numerous others, are even worse offensive players than Rogers. It won't be a surprise if he gets claimed, but it's too bad no one would flip a lottery ticket prospect to acquire him. The problem is that Rogers defensive numbers have declined this year and he's finally grading out a little below average as a defender. Whether that's partly the result of lack of playing time is hard to say, but hopefully he'll be claimed somewhere. If he clears waivers and is outrighted the Tigers will still be on the hook for the rest of his $3.05M salary for 2026.
Valencia is far and away a better hitter than Rogers, so that should provide a little support to the offense. On the other hand, Valencia isn't that good behind the plate, particularly in terms of holding opponents' running game in check. Still with Rogers defensive numbers in decline, perhaps Valencia won't do worse.
Getting Báez back could be pretty helpful to the Tigers although it's just funny to look at Báez as a way to trim strikeouts in the lineup by taking over some of the workload from James Outman. It will be interesting to see how he's deployed. With Kerry Carpenter out with a foot injury, the outfield needs help. It needed help anyway. We'll see if Báez is back to full speed and can get back to playing a solid enough center field. If he's back to 100 percent, that also gives the Tigers options, with Báez getting some time at shortstop and around the infield to get another right-handed bat into the lineup. Either way, it's good to have Javy Báez back, and hopefully further support for the outfield isn't too far away as Max Clark will be available to be called up without spoiling his 2027 rookie eligibi

The New York Yankees offense is struggling right now, and Cody Bellinger's injury only makes things worse.
The Yankees are currently without Aaron Judge, Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton. On top of that, they seem to have no actual solution for third base and shortstop, where Anthony Volpe and Ryan McMahon continue to struggle. Knowing Judge, Bellinger and Stanton could return soon, the Yankees are unlikely to add a superstar outfielder or designated hitter. However, adding an infielder could do wonders for the offense if that infielder were Luis Arraez.
Luckily for the Yankees, the San Francisco Giants will be sellers at the deadline, and Arraez is a rental they could look to deal away. He is hitting .326 with an .811 OPS on the year. He has improved his slugging while maintaining a high average. Not to mention, he is having an elite year defensively at second base. Defense was always seen as a downside for Arraez, but that is not the case this year.
How would Arraez fit in on the Yankees? Well, for starters, he would slot in at second base. That would allow the Yankees to move Chisholm to third base or shortstop, getting rid of either Volpe or McMahon as a regular. McMahon has already started to lose at-bats, so perhaps it's time the Yankees make a permanent change.
Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!

#stanton #volpe #offense

Once again on Monday night, New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe came under immense scrutiny regarding his defensive miscue. However, the Chicago White Sox failed to make a comeback out of it.
In the ninth inning with one out remaining and the Yankees leading by five runs, Volpe dropped a routine fly ball off Colson Montgomery. As a result, White Sox's leading runner, Sam Antonacci, came around to score as the game continued. Yankees reliever Camilo Doval was taken out of the game, and David Bednar had to walk in to get the final out. In the end, the Yankees won 9-5.
Despite Volpe's error not impacting the result of the game significantly, the Yankees shortstop received harsh treatment from fans.
"The never ending proof of why he should be nowhere near the majors. HE IS NOT FIT FOR THIS LEVEL OF BALL Yankees!!!" one fan wrote. "Can somebody, ANYBODY, send him down for good or trade him already?!?!? What's it gonna take?!?!?"
"He had no business trying to catch that. Jazz [Chisholm Jr.] should've been there or an outfielder. This is ridiculous," another added.

#game #volpe #ball #leading

The Red Sox made an initial strike on the trade market this weekend when they made the 1-for-1 deal that sent lefty starter Connelly Early to the Nationals for breakout star Curtis Mead. It appears they aren't done, either. Here's what we're hearing on Boston's plans ahead of the trade deadline, which is Monday (August 3) at 6 p.m. ET.
º The Red Sox are keeping an open mind ahead of Monday, but according to major league officials, they're targeting three main needs. First, the club — like every contender this time of year — is interested in adding pitching depth, not just at the back end of the rotation but also in the bullpen. Secondly, catching upgrades remain on the table. Lastly — and perhaps most surprisingly — the club is in the shortstop market.
The addition of Mead at second base hasn't stopped Breslow from continuing to look for an infield bat and one rival evaluator said the belief is that the Red Sox are looking for a "long-term" option at shortstop. The market is rich with big-name candidates who may or may not move, including the Angels' Zach Neto, Houston's Jeremy Peña, the Mets' Francisco Lindor and Washington's C.J. Abrams. Considering the potential pending lockout — and a very poor position player class in free agency this winter — Boston may be looking at this deadline as an opportunity to settle that position.
That search comes with its complications. Landing a shortstop would signal the Red Sox waving the white flag on Trevor Story, whose Red Sox tenure has been defined by injuries but also a massive amount of respect for the leadership he brings. Adding Mead and a shortstop makes the pathway to regular at-bats much less clear for Marcelo Mayer moving forward. And perhaps most strikingly, it further clogs the pipes ahead of the arrival of top prospect Franklin Arias, who was just promoted to Triple-A.
"Not sure why (they're in that market) with Arias coming," said one rival scout.

#market #mead

Yankees predicted to trade for Mets star Francisco Lindor to solve major issue originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees could use an upgrade at shortstop.
The New York Mets could consider trading Francisco Lindor.
Could there be a Big Apple match to be made?
That's what ESPN's Jorge Castillo wrote as part of a new article on Tuesday. He predicts that the Mets could trade Lindor to the Yankees.

#sporting

Chicago White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth laced a liner to the left field wall.
Down a run with two outs in the seventh inning, Colson Montgomery attempted to score from first base. New York Yankees left fielder Max Schuemann made a one-hop throw to shortstop Anthony Volpe, who threw out Montgomery at the plate.
"There were two outs, we all know (Justin Jirschele), I think he's one of the best third-base coaches — he gets really good reads," Montgomery said. "I feel like I got a pretty good jump off it. Lefty (Brent Headrick) on the mound, I felt I couldn't really get too far off first base. I thought I got a pretty good jump and I thought I was going to score. They're good players, too, and made decent relays."
The Yankees added some breathing room with four runs in the eighth, featuring a three-run home run by Ali Sánchez, and defeated the Sox 9-5 in front of 22,357 at Rate Field on Monday.
The Sox saw an early three-run lead evaporate on the way to dropping the opener of the four-game series.

#good #made

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday the signing of four players from the 2026 First-Year Player Draft.
The newly signed players include second-round pick and shortstop Aiden Ruiz, third-round pick and right-handed pitcher DeCaro, fourth-round pick and outfielder Andruw Giles and 11th-round pick and left-handed pitcher Spencer Evans.
All four players will begin their professional careers ******* igned to the Florida Complex League. With these signings, the Pirates have now secured 15 of their 21 total selections from the 2026 draft class.
Ruiz was highly rated by Baseball America as the No. 31 prospect and by MLB Pipeline as the No. 32 prospect in the draft. Baseball America also tabbed him as the No. 10 high school player in the draft. Perfect Game recognized Ruiz as the top prospect in New York and the No. 9 prospect in the country.
During his senior year at the Stony Brook School in New York in 2026, Ruiz had a .403 batting average, a .547 on-base percentage and a .625 slugging percentage. He recorded six doubles, two triples, two home runs, 17 RBI, 21 walks and 23 stolen bases in 23 attempts, striking out only eight times in 95 plate appearances.

#york

The Detroit Tigers have signed another draft pick.
Shortstop Tyson LeBlanc signed with the Tigers for a $1.6 million bonus – approximately $85,000 over the slot value – as first reported by MLB.com's Jim Callis. The Tigers drafted LeBlanc in the second round of the 2026 MLB Draft at No. 61 overall on July 11.
LeBlanc was first-team All-Big 12 in his only season with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2026, slashing .341/.425/.706 with 25 home runs and 69 RBIs. He was named the 2026 Big 12 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after marking 7 RBIs in three tournament games.
ON THE FIELD: Tigers takeaways: A.J. Hinch doing whatever it takes for needed wins
LeBlanc was one of Detroit's three remaining undecided draft picks as of Friday, with right-handed pitcher Jack Byers (17th round) and right-handed pitcher Will Zielinski (20th round) still having yet to sign. First-round pick Cameron Flukey, a right-handed pitcher out of Coastal Carolina, signed with the Tigers on July 15.

#tigers #leblanc #draft #right

The Detroit Tigers have signed another draft pick.
Shortstop Tyson LeBlanc signed with the Tigers for a $1.6 million bonus – approximately $85,000 over the slot value – as first reported by MLB.com's Jim Callis. The Tigers drafted LeBlanc in the second round of the 2026 MLB Draft at No. 61 overall on July 11.
LeBlanc was first-team All-Big 12 in his only season with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2026, slashing .341/.425/.706 with 25 home runs and 69 RBIs. He was named the 2026 Big 12 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after marking 7 RBIs in three tournament games.
ON THE FIELD: Tigers takeaways: A.J. Hinch doing whatever it takes for needed wins
LeBlanc was one of Detroit's three remaining undecided draft picks as of Friday, with right-handed pitcher Jack Byers (17th round) and right-handed pitcher Will Zielinski (20th round) still having yet to sign. First-round pick Cameron Flukey, a right-handed pitcher out of Coastal Carolina, signed with the Tigers on July 15.

#leblanc #first #right #july

Braves insider says bringing Ha-Seong Kim back will create a disconnect within the clubhouse originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves have some important decisions to make in the near future. Ronald Acuña Jr. is nearing a return from his second hamstring injury of the season, which will force the team to make some difficult roster decisions.
The Braves have players such as Brewer Hicklen, Dom Smith, and Jorge Mateo who could be on the chopping block. However, it cannot be forgotten that Ha-Seong Kim is also nearing a return.
“Not far behind the former MVP is the $20 million shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. We all know the story of Kim's struggles thus far in 2026, but reports out of Gwinnett mention HSK is finding more consistent hard contact during his rehab outing,” HTHB’s Chase Owens wrote.
While Kim has been sidelined, the legend of Jim Jarvis has continued to grow in Atlanta. This time last year, the Braves acquired Jarvis in a move that did not seem significant at the time. Now, he has emerged as a legitimate challenge to Kim for playing time.

#Braves #nearing

Donald Trump hosted the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at the White House on Thursday for the team's second trip to the White House in two years.
The team gave the president a custom jersey and a World Series championship ring during a ceremony at the Rose Garden. Four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, star first baseman Freddie Freeman, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and manager Dave Roberts were among those in attendance, while several players – most notably star shortstop Mookie Betts and utility man Kike Hernández – opted not to attend.
Related: As Dodgers head to White House, loyal fans are conflicted: 'Trump is tearing this city apart'
"Special winners, unbelievable," Trump said. "I would not be surprised to see them back here again."
In remarks that also included lengthy tangents on former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and the renovation of the Rose Garden, Trump complimented several Dodgers players while also confusing the roles of some others. He made a lengthy comparison between Ohtani and legendary slugger Babe Ruth, and praised Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers ace who pitched an inning of last year's epic World Series Game 3 win over the Blue Jays in 18 innings.

#series #star

The Kansas City Royals find themselves on the outside looking into the American League playoff race, facing a myriad of concerns amid a lackluster 43-60 campaign, despite the efforts of Bobby Witt Jr. The superstar shortstop has emerged as one of the top players in MLB over recent years, with production that has translated to the fantasy baseball diamond.
The third-time All-Star has finished inside the top four among AL MVP candidates in each of the last two seasons, and has been on track to maintain such a trend this season. Through 94 games, he's slashing .279/.350/.450 from the plate, with 103 hits, 51 runs, 13 homers and 39 RBIs, leading the AL in both WAR (4.9) and stolen bases (39).
Throughout his five-year career in the big leagues, he's been one of baseball's most consistent players, suiting up in at least 150 games in each of the last four seasons. Now in year five, Witt is slated to hit the Injured List for the first time in his career, hampering his fantasy output over the short term.
Witt has dealt with back tightness and was ultimately deemed unable to maintain his level of play, forcing the team to rest him on the 10-day IL. He'll work to return to the diamond sooner than later, but his absence will certainly have an immense impact on fantasy baseball over the next few weeks.
He's cemented his case as one of fantasy's most sought after ****** ets, but with his absence, fantasy baseball players will be forced to fill the void of his production. Players could look for outside options in the trade market to supplement this output, but his absence will be felt regardless of the replacement player.

#four

New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero was involved in a heated interaction with the umpire at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees suffered a 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates, which saw Caballero warned following a pitch-clock violation.
Frustrations were apparent as Caballero pleaded his innocence to umpire Quinn Wolcott after the sixth inning crack down.
This is not the first time Caballero has been warned of the pitch-clock violation after being spoken to against the Toronto Blue Jays just last month.
The MLB are looking to crackdown on Caballero’s routine, which involves the 29-year-old not acknowledging the pitcher until just before the clock reaches eight seconds.

#jose

The writing was on the wall for Joey Ortiz and the Milwaukee Brewers. He knew it. The team knew he knew it. So, a while back after the team signed his eventual replacement at shortstop to an extension, he sat down and addressed what it meant.
More importantly, the Brewers wanted to make it clear what it didn’t mean.
With Ortiz struggling offensively going all the way back to the second half of 2024 and Cooper Pratt knocking on the door as the incumbent shortstop long-term in Milwaukee, the Brewers wanted to reassert to Ortiz their belief in him because of his defensive abilities while he figures the bat out.
“We gave him some examples of players,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
The primary name Murphy put in front of him: Miguel Rojas.

#knew #shortstop #joey

The writing was on the wall for Joey Ortiz and the Milwaukee Brewers. He knew it. The team knew he knew it. So, a while back after the team signed his eventual replacement at shortstop to an extension, he sat down and addressed what it meant.
More importantly, the Brewers wanted to make it clear what it didn’t mean.
With Ortiz struggling offensively going all the way back to the second half of 2024 and Cooper Pratt knocking on the door as the incumbent shortstop long-term in Milwaukee, the Brewers wanted to reassert to Ortiz their belief in him because of his defensive abilities while he figures the bat out.
“We gave him some examples of players,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
The primary name Murphy put in front of him: Miguel Rojas.

#brewers #shortstop

It's been a season of frustration for former Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello as he navigates his first season managing the San Francisco Giants. On July 22, he was ejected for the third time this year.
Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino slid into second base after hitting a double down the right-field line at Kauffman Stadium, but his momentum caused a stumble as he tried to stand up. Giants shortstop Willy Adames quickly tagged Pasquantino, claiming he came off the base.
To the Giants' shock, second base umpire Mike Estabrook not only called him safe, but indicated that the play was dead because Pasquantino had been pushed off the bag by Adames.
Vitello was visibly frustrated after being told the play was not reviewable. After continuing to argue as he walked back to the dugout, he was ejected by third base umpire Lance Barrett.
"Obviously disagreed with the call," Vitello told reporters postgame. "Just asked if it couldn't be corrected. I don't know what the response was, but I just said it was a big call."

#season

It's been a season of frustration for former Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello as he navigates his first season managing the San Francisco Giants. On July 22, he was ejected for the third time this year.
Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino slid into second base after hitting a double down the right-field line at Kauffman Stadium, but his momentum caused a stumble as he tried to stand up. Giants shortstop Willy Adames quickly tagged Pasquantino, claiming he came off the base.
To the Giants' shock, second base umpire Mike Estabrook not only called him safe, but indicated that the play was dead because Pasquantino had been pushed off the bag by Adames.
Vitello was visibly frustrated after being told the play was not reviewable. After continuing to argue as he walked back to the dugout, he was ejected by third base umpire Lance Barrett.
"Obviously disagreed with the call," Vitello told reporters postgame. "Just asked if it couldn't be corrected. I don't know what the response was, but I just said it was a big call."

#first #Third

NEW YORK – Jose Caballero’s year-long pitch clock saga took a weird turn Wednesday.
During the Yankees’ 10-inning first game loss to the Pirates, Caballero had an automatic strike called against him, apparently for deceiving the pitcher.
It occurred during one of the shortstop’s usual stall-to-the-max tactics, but the Yankees were not previously informed of a new MLB interpretation of the rule.
“Doesn’t make sense…I’m not trying to trick (anyone),’’ Caballero said after going 0-for-4 in Pittsburgh’s 5-3 win. “I do the same thing over and over, you can check…my last 100, 150 at-bats.
“If you’re going to make a change in the rule, at least notify us before the game, not (during) the game.’’

#jose

The Yankees came oh so close to completing another late comeback, only to stall out after Ben Rice’s game-tying three-run homer and eventually lose in extras. They still have a chance to split the doubleheader and win the series as they take the field less than three hours after the final out of Game 1, and they’ll do so as Max Fried makes his long-awaited return from injury.
Max Fried last pitched on May 13th against the Orioles, and had to depart after three innings with noticeably lowered velocity on all his pitches. It was later revealed that he had suffered a bone bruise in his left elbow and was shut down for over a month. He made just one rehab **** ignment start last Friday for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks on 52 pitches. Rather than make a final rehab start, the doubleheader convinced the Yankees to activate Fried off the IL to start the nightcap, where he will be on a pitch count of around 60. At the time of his injury, Fried was 4-3 in ten starts, with a 3.21 ERA (132 ERA+), 2.71 FIP, and 50 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.
Fried will face off against Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler. The 23-year-old righty isn’t very subtle, mainly trying to blow you away with a four-seamer that averages 99 mph. He backs up that heater with a slider and a changeup. Expect the Yankees to have a patient approach against the pitcher with the highest walk rate (13.1-percent) of any starter in baseball. In 18 starts, Chandler is 3-8 with a 4.77 ERA (92 ERA+), 4.59 FIP, and 85 strikeouts in 94.1 innings.
The Yankees make three changes to the line from the day game. Anthony Volpe replaces José Caballero at shortstop which should ease tensions with this umpiring crew after the incident involving his pitch clock manipulation earlier today. Paul Goldschmidt gets the start at first moving Ben Rice to DH and Spencer Jones to the bench. Ali Sánchez replaces Austin Wells behind the plate.
The Pirates also make three changes to their lineup with the lefty Fried on the mound. Marcell Ozuna comes in to DH, moving Ryan O’Hearn to first and Tyler Callihan to the bench. Jared Triolo replaces Jacob Gonzalez at shortstop despite the latter homering off Gerrit Cole while Rafael Flores Jr. subs in for Henry Davis at catcher.

#rice

Yankees get wild Francisco Lindor trade prediction that includes Anthony Volpe originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With the New York Mets as obvious sellers, the Francisco Lindor trade rumors are starting to heat up.
SNY's Chelsea Janes reported that the possibility of a Lindor trade is "not off the table" for the Mets.
Trading the organization's longtime shortstop would be a drastic shift from the current core of New York's roster, outside of Juan Soto.
If the Mets do wind up trading Lindor, would the New York Yankees be a fit?

#trading

The Kansas City Royals' disappointing 2026 MLB season has taken another devastating turn. On Wednesday morning, the Royals announced that superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. will be placed on the injured list after exiting Monday night's game with a back injury.
While the team has not yet provided a timetable for his return, the decision to place him on the IL indicates the injury is significant enough to sideline one of baseball's brightest young stars. For a team already buried in the standings, losing Witt is the last thing Kansas City needed.
MORE: One player every MLB team will trade at the 2026 trade deadline
Apr 29, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) flips his bat after hitting a single against the Athletics in the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Witt has been one of the few bright spots for the Royals over the past couple of seasons, making this latest injury particularly concerning.

#kansas #team

Mets get Francisco Lindor trade update that includes the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees and Braves originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It would be crazy to see the New York Yankees ever make a move for Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets. However, the Mets have also made it known that they are more than willing to move on from certain players over the next few weeks. Whether that means they actually move a superstar like Lindor remains to be seen, but nothing has suggested they won't.
Right now, the Mets just have to shed some salary, and the Yankees could benefit from that. However, according to the latest from ESPN's Jeff Passan, there are many other teams who could be potential fits, including the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves.
"Lindor is 32 and is off to a slower start this season, but most of that is hit luck as his expected wOBA last year and this year are almost identical; he is two points better this season. His raw tools aren't the selling point, either: His arm strength, sprint speed and bat speed are all average to below and have been for a couple of years.
"The ability to be good at everything while playing an elite shortstop has been the key to his career, and those things are still alive, even if a bit diminished so far this year. It's very likely we'll see positive regression from the rest of the season, and I'm not even worried about the next few years, but mapping his career out until 2031 is a different question altogether. Best fits: Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Braves," Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote.

#yankees #season

Blue Jays and Yankees could win AL East by making this one trade, but one has to show they want it more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Heading into the Major League Baseball trade deadline, there are many teams that could use a shortstop, including the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays perhaps might not be as aggressive as the Yankees.
The Yankees absolutely have to try to win over the next year or two, as there really isn't enough young talent to suggest they have a real opportunity to remain one of the better teams in baseball over the next decade, once Aaron Judge and others start to slow down with age.
At the same time, the Blue Jays have continued to show that they'll press the right ****** ons when needed. Just because they've struggled at times this year due to injuries doesn't mean Toronto isn't looking to improve on both sides of the ball.
That's why it's interesting that Jeff Passan recently named the Yankees and Blue Jays as fits for C.J. Abrams, the Washington Nationals shortstop.

#jays #show