National Treasure, sans Nic Cage

 Sorry Cage lovers, wrong National Treasure.

The Nationals entered play on Friday losers of each of their last three games, having been outscored 16-3 in those contests. They had slugged an MLB-worst 12 home runs as a team during the month of June. This from a team that was supposed to possess one of the most dynamic offenses in all of baseball.

They seemed to take some of their frustration out on the Phillies on Friday.

Juan Soto

The Nationals blasted seven home runs on Friday as they dismantled the Phillies 17-7. Trea Turner got the party started with a two-run blast, just two batters into the ballgame. Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper, Brian Goodwin and Mark Reynolds also left the yard for the Nationals in the contest. There was one specific young National who stole the show though.

Rookie outfielder Juan Soto crushed an opposite-field two run shot off of Phillies’ starter Nick Pivetta in the first inning, increasing the Nationals’ early advantage to 4-0. He would go on to add a monstrous three-run blast off of Hector Neris in the ninth inning, pouring salt into the wound at that point.

"It feels pretty good," Soto told reporters after the game. "Now, we're back. We come back, I hope we keep doing the same thing. We'll come tomorrow with the same plan and keep doing very good like today."

Aside from the pair of home runs, Soto also singled twice in the ballgame, finishing the night 4-for-6 with three runs scored and five RBI. That’s relevant because it makes him the only teenager in MLB history to have four hits and two home runs in the same ballgame. That’s rarefied air.

He also became the first player in Nationals (and Expos) franchise history to have two multi-homer games within his first 35 career games. If that wasn’t enough though, he became just the fourth player in MLB history to have two multi-homer games as a teenager. The other three players who accomplished that impressive feat? Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mel Ott. That’s some extremely impressive company.

What Soto is doing at the age of 19 may be unparalleled. He’s slashing a monstrous .336/.446/.621 with eight homers, 25 runs scored, 21 RBI and a stolen base in his first 139 plate appearances at the big league level. He has also shown impressive command of the strike zone, posting a 26/23 K/BB ratio.

Keep in mind, entering the 2018 season Soto had played just 83 games in his entire minor league career, none of them above Class-A Hagerstown. He earned his call-up to the Nationals in May after pummelling the baseball for 39 games in the minor leagues this season across three minor league levels. The last stop of those three was for just eight games at Double-A Harrisburg.

It would have been an unbelievable accomplishment for Soto to step into a full-time role with the Nationals and perform as even a league-average hitter given his limited minor league experience. The fact that he’s performing as the best hitter in a loaded Nationals’ lineup is absurd.

Have a Night, Keon!

Brewers’ outfielder Keon Broxton has always been long on potential, but short on consistency. He has shown flashes of his dynamic tools over the years, but has always had far too much swing and miss in his game have consistent success against big league pitching.

He got his first real chance to play everyday in the big leagues during the 2017 season. While his batting average was a bit of a drain, slashing .220/.299/.420, fantasy owners were thrilled ith the power and speed production that he provided. Broxton clubbed 20 home runs and swiped 21 bases in his 463 plate appearances. As I alluded to though, the strikeouts were his downfall, posting a horrifying 175/40 K/BB ratio.That’s a strikeout % of 37.8%. Yikes.

So it wasn’t a complete surprise when Broxton didn’t break camp with the Brewers out of spring training this season. The club had a glutton of talent in the outfield after acquiring Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich, and didn’t even have a starting spot available for Domingo Santana who had smashed 30 home runs for the Brewers in 2017.

So Broxton went to Triple-A Colorado Springs, and that’s where he would remain until finally earning a call-up this week when Lorenzo Cain went on the disabled list. In his 72 games at Triple-A, he proved to be the same style of player that he was with the Brewers during the 2017 campaign, slashing .263/.336/.431 with nine homers, 24 stolen bases (in 28 attempts) and a 105/28 K/BB ratio.

Given the success that Jesus Aguilar and Eric Thames are both having with the Brewers this season, and the fact that Cain, Yelich and Ryan Braun remain on the roster, there’s no clear path to playing time for Broxton once everyone is back and healthy.

That didn’t stop him from stating his case on Friday though. The 28-year-old outfielder had tremendous day in all facets of the game as the Brewers hammered the Reds. Broxton opened the scoring in the game with an RBI single in the second inning. He then added onto that advantage with a solo shot off of Sal Romano on the first pitch of the fourth inning.

After grounding into a fielder’s choice in his third at-bat, Broxton walked in the eighth inning. He then advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, swiped third and came around to score in an impressive rundown.

He came to the plate again the following inning, tagging Jackson Stephens for a two-run homer to cap off the Brewers’ scoring in the ballgame. Then to put the cherry on the sundae of his brilliant game, Broxton laid out to make a spectacular diving catch in right-center field to take an extra-base hit and a pair of RBI away from Scooter Gennett.

All told, Broxton finished the day 3-for-4 plus a walk with three runs scored and four RBI. He’s still likely ticketed for a trip back to Triple-A once Cain returns from the disabled list, but as long as he’s in the lineup he’s worthy of consideration from a fantasy perspective given his upside in both the power and speed departments.

American League Quick Hits: Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal reported that the Red Sox have been letting other teams know that Blake Swihart is “very much available” via trade… The Astros placed Carlos Correa on the 10-day DL with back spasms… Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that the Mariners have had dialogue with the Rangers about a potential deal for Cole Hamels…Red Sox’ first round pick Triston Casas underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb… Chris Archer (abdomen) will begin a minor league rehab assignment next week… Aaron Sanchez has yet to resume his throwing program due to continued soreness in his right index finger… Shohei Ohtani (elbow) took batting practice on the field Friday for the second straight day… Blue Jays’ general manager Ross Atkins said that Roberto Osuna will be the Blue Jays’ closer upon his return from suspension on August 5… Yolmer Sanchez sat out Friday’s game with a bruised left quad… Miguel Gonzalez was pulled back from his rehab assignment due to renewed discomfort in his pitching shoulder… Matt Chapman (hand) is expected to take batting practice on Saturday or Sunday and could be cleared to rejoin the A’s as early as Tuesday if all goes well… Wilmer Font left Friday’s outing with a right lat strain and is expected to land on the disabled list… Joe Mauer homered and drove in five runs in a loss to the Cubs… Marcus Stroman fired seven innings of two-run ball in a victory over the Tigers… CC Sabathia gave up just one run over seven terrific innings in a win against the Red Sox… Greg Bird homered twice to pace the Bombers’ offense in that one… Felix Pena earned his first career victory with 5 ⅓ innings of shutout baseball against the Orioles… Jed Lowrie clubbed his 14th home run as the Athletics beat the Indians… Marco Gonzales pitched the first complete game of his big league career, and came within one out of his first career shutout, in a victory over the Royals… Joey Gallo (19), Nomar Mazara (15), Shin Soo Choo (15), Robinson Chirinos (11) and Rougned Odor (4) all left the yard in a lopsided win over the White Sox… Paul Blackburn struck out five over 6 ⅓ scoreless innings in a win over the Indians… Blake Treinen locked down his 17th straight save in that one.

National League Quick Hits: The Cardinals and Phillies have each expressed interest in acquiring Mike Moustakas from the Royals… James Wagner of the New York Times reported that Zack Wheeler has drawn trade inquiries from several teams…  Paul DeJong (hand) began his minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis… Christian Yelich sat out Friday’s game due to back tightness… Ryan Braun was forced to leave Friday’s game with back tightness of his own… A.J. Pollock (thumb) began his minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Friday… Yoenis Cespedes (hip, quad) has still yet to be cleared for baseball activities… Caleb Smith will undergo season-ending surgery on his left lat on July 9… Walker Buehler was optioned to High-A Ranco Cucamonga where he’ll get stretched out before rejoining the Dodgers’ rotation… Yu Darvish was diagnosed with a right elbow impingement. He received a cortisone shot and will be re-evaluated in 3-5 days… Tyler Flowers was lifted from Friday’s game with a right hamstring cramp. He’s considered day-to-day… Addison Russell belted a go-ahead grand slam to lead the Cubs past the Twins… Scott Kingery went 3-for-4 with a double and a homer in a loss to the Nationals… Trea Turner homered, stole a base and scored four runs as the Nationals routed the Phillies… Will Smith struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to earn a save against the Diamondbacks. He could be a worth a flier in what has been an unsettled Giants’ bullpen in the wake of the Hunter Strickland injury… Austin Slater went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI as the Giants topped the Diamondbacks… Nolan Arenado blasted his ninth homer in the month of June, and 20th on the season, as the Rockies topped the Dodgers. He’s tied with Bryce Harper for the National League lead in long balls… Rich Hill racked up 10 strikeouts over 6 ⅓ innings of one-run ball in a tough-luck loss to the Rockies… Tyler Anderson struck out eight over eight shutout innings in the win there… Sandy Alcantara picked up his first MLB victory, allowing one run over five innings against the Mets… Joe Musgrove fired seven shutout innings in a win over the Padres… Julio Teheran hurled six scoreless frames in a victory against the Cardinals.

Top Prospects Coming to a Ballpark near you

1. Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros

2018 stats: 69 G, .314/.382/.509, 10 HR, 13 SB, 33 BB, 63 SO at Triple-A Fresno.

This spot would have gone to Nick Senzel again, but unfortunately, Senzel will miss the rest of the year with a fracture in his hand. He has a worthy successor in Tucker. You can't swing the bat much better -- if at all -- than he is right now. In the month of June, the left-handed hitting outfielder has an OPS of 1.060 from a line of .405/.441/.619, and he's seven-for-seven in stolen base attempts in that time frame. Tucker can flat out hit, and his smarts on the bases make up for a lack of "elite" speed. The Astros have said that Tucker has a chance to contribute for them this summer, and he should. Kyle Tucker is the new number one prospect for 2018 in fantasy baseball.

2. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox

2018 stats: 57 G, .317/.373/.555, 11 HR, 0 SB, 21 BB, 41 SO at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte.

It was difficult to choose between Tucker and Jimenez as the top prospect for 2018, and that decision became even more difficult when Jimenez was promoted to Triple-A. So far, the 21-year-old outfielder has handled the promotion well -- albeit in a very small sample size -- with an OPS of .976 over four games. The reason Tucker ranks ahead is that he's slightly more likely to get called up, and he also has the ability to impact the game with his wheels. It's very close -- and you can't go wrong with either -- but I have Tucker with a slight lead for 2018.

 

3. Forrest Whitley, RHP, Houston Astros

2018 stats: 4 G, 3.66 ERA, 16.1 IP, 1 HR, 6 BB, 24 SO at Double-A Corpus Christi.

Whitley struggled for the first time since returning from a suspension, giving up seven earned runs and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He did strike out six, and considering he's 20-years-old and it was just his fourth start of the year, it's tough to complain too much. There's no word on when -- or even if -- Whitley will receive a call, but with his ability to miss bats, it would take a lot more starts like the one he had Sunday to not call him the best pitching prospect for the remainder of 2018.

4. Willie Calhoun, OF, Texas Rangers

2018 stats: 72 G, .274/.319/.406, 6 HR, 0 SB, 17 BB, 36 SO at Triple-A Round Rock.

These numbers may not look elite, but they're not indicative of how well Calhoun has played over the past few weeks. He's making hard contact -- and just as importantly, he's making more contact -- and we're starting to see the plus power he showed in 2017 show up in 2018 as well. There are defensive issues that don't necessarily have much to do with his fantasy value on the surface, and yet they are important because he needs to be at least a competent defender to play everyday at the next level. Calhoun's bat should carry him, however, and it should see him in Arlington soon enough. 

5. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

2018 stats: 13 G, 3.00 ERA, 78 IP, 7 HR, 30 BB, 70 SO at Double-A Altoona.

Keller was outstanding in his start last week, hurling six scoreless innings while allowing just four hits with four strikeouts. While he doesn't have the same type of swing-and-miss stuff that some of the other hurlers on this list have, he certainly misses a decent amount, and he initiates a ton of weak contact in the process. The Pirates are going in the wrong direction in their bid for a playoff spot, and they should give their top prospect a chance to finish the season in the majors. A promotion to Triple-A -- while not necessary -- could be coming soon for Keller.

6. Michael Kopech, RHP, Chicago White Sox

2018 stats: 14 G, 67 1/3 IP, 5.08 ERA, 5 HR, 46 BB, 88 SO at Triple-A Charlotte.

The good news is that Kopech had okay results in his last start, allowing two runs over five innings while striking out six against Colorado Springs. The bad news is that once again, Kopech struggled with walks, walking four in the start. That gives him 21 walks in his last four starts, and 27 in his previous six. You can see from the strikeout totals that Kopech can miss bats with the best of them, but until he throws his arsenal for strikes on a more consistent basis, he's going to stay in Charlotte.

7. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays

2018 stats: 53 G, .408/.457/.667, 11 HR, 3 SB, 20 BB, 21 SO at Double-A New Hampshire. 

We're getting closer to Guerrero's evaluation day, which means we're getting closer to finding out if we're going to see the top prospect in baseball play again in 2018. There's plenty of time for Guerrero to make an impact if he gets the thumbs up to return, but let's remember that this is a 19-year-old, and Toronto has every reason to take precaution with him. If we see him back on the field, he'll jump back to the top of the list, but there are no guarantees that'll happen.

8. Francisco Mejia, C, Cleveland Indians

2018 stats: 61 G, .256/.304/.399, 6 HR, 0 SB, 13 BB, 52 SO at Triple-A Columbus. 

Mejia continues to swing the bat well, and has his average above .250 for the first time since April. That may not sound impressive, but considering he struggled so badly out of the gate, it's impressive that the numbers have bounced back to this level. Let's also remember that this was a catcher that showed one of the best -- and most advanced -- hit tools in baseball in 2017, so there's reason to believe that this is the "real" version of Mejia. Be it as a DH, backstop or some combination of both, Mejia is talented enough to help the Indians in 2018, and can help your fantasy team in return.

9. Alex Verdugo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

2018 stats: 49 G, .340/.384/.505, 6 HR, 4 SB, 15 B, 26 SO at Triple-A Oklahoma City; 9 G, .265/.306/.352, 0 HR, 0 SB, 2 BB, 6 SO at Los Angeles

Verdugo is scorching hot with the bat, and unlike like last season, he's showing the ability to drive the baseball while still hitting for an impressive average. He held his own in a cup of coffee earlier this year, and at some point, he should get another chance to improve on his MLB numbers above. The issue with Verdugo for 2018 -- and potentially long-term -- is that there are a lot of mouths to feed in the Los Angeles outfield. Still, if there was an injury or trade, Verdugo should be a more than competent replacement.

10. Keston Hiura, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers

2018 stats: 70 G, .332/.389/.530, 8 HR, 9 SB, 17 BB, 62 SO at High-A Carolina and Double-A Biloxi.

There are three Double-A hitters I considered with this final spot: Hiura, Colorado Rockies shortstop Brendan Rodgers and San Diego Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr. While I think the long-term futures for Rodgers and Tatis are ahead of Hiura's -- with all due respect, of course -- I think Hiura is the more ready prospect right now because of his advanced offensive skill set. The only prospect on this list with a better project hit tool is Guerrero, and as you can see from the numbers above, he isn't just a singles hitter. He's far from a lock to make a trip to Milwaukee in 2018, but if the Brewers do give him the chance, he could excel. At the very least, all three of the names mentioned are worth monitoring.

Sanchez heading to the DL

The Yankees are going to be without one of the big bats in the middle of their lineup for a while. Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone announced after Sunday’s heartbreaking extra-inning loss to the Rays that catcher Gary Sanchez was likely to be placed on the disabled list on Monday.

Sanchez suffered an injury to his right hip/groin area while running the bases during the 10th inning of Sunday’s game, hustling to avoid a double play. He’ll undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury. Boone already noted though that regardless of what the MRI shows, the hard-hitting backstop is ticketed for a trip to the disabled list.

"It's bothering me right now," Sanchez (through a translator) told reporters after the game. "What can I say, that's how baseball is sometimes. You never want something bad to happen to you, but that's part of baseball. Now I'm hoping it's not a long time."

Sanchez has been detrimental to fantasy owners in the batting average department this season, slashing .190/.291/.433. He has still been amongst the tops at his position though with 14 homers, 36 runs scored and 41 RBI. While it’s not quite the production that fantasy owners were expecting when calling his name early in spring drafts, it’s still production that’s going to be near impossible to replace on the waiver wire.

The Yankees plan to recall Kyle Higashioka from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Monday, but that’s just to provide depth behind the plate. This will be Austin Romine’s show while Sanchez is sidelined and should lead to Romine having fantasy value in deeper mixed leagues and two-catcher formats.

Romine, 29, is slashing a robust .305/.370/.524 with four homers and 20 RBI in 92 plate appearances this season.  While he’s excited for the opportunity to play, he expressed his concern for Sanchez after Sunday’s game, "You never want to see your starter go down, especially with a player the caliber that Gary is… He's a big part of the team. I just have to fill in the best I can."

Enrique Hernandez

Dodger Dingers

The Dodgers tied a National League record in Sunday’s 8-7 victory over the Mets in 11 innings at Citi Field, clubbing seven solo home runs. The last team to accomplish that feat was the 2006 Atlanta Braves.

It was also the first time that any opponent had hit seven home runs in a game at Citi Field against the Mets. Sunday also marked just the fifth time in Dodgers’ franchise history that seven home runs had been hit in a single contest. It also marked the first time since 2014 in which the Dodgers had two players have multi-homer games in the same game.

Enrique Hernandez, who makes a living crushing left-handed pitching, led the way for the Dodgers. He started the game with a bang, blasting a leadoff homer off of Mets’ left-hander Jerry Blevins, who was making his first career start after 532 appearances out of the bullpen. In those outings out of the bullpen, Blevins had never surrendered two home runs in a single game, let alone back-to-back homers. That’s exactly what happened on Sunday though, as Max Muncy followed Hernandez with a solo shot to left field.

The third long ball came off of Tim Peterson in the fourth inning, where Cody Bellinger clubbed his 14th home run of the season. Hernandez was back at it again in the sixth inning, this time taking right-hander Chris Beck deep to tie the game at 4-4.

Joc Pederson got in on the action at put the Dodgers ahead 5-4 with his towering blast off of Anthony Swarzak in the seventh inning. Cody Bellinger then doubled down, belting his second bomb of the game, also off of Swarzak, in the eighth inning. That increased the Dodgers lead to 7-4 and seemed to put the game on ice.

That wouldn’t be the case though, as Kevin Plawecki would clobber a three-run homer in the bottom half of the eighth inning to tie the game at 7-7.

The score would remain that way until the 11th inning, where Justin Turner hit the most important of the Dodgers’ seven long balls in the contest. His shot off of Chris Flexen propelled the Dodgers to their 8-7 victory.

Turner talked to reporters about his approach in that final at-bat, "I was just trying to hit the ball on the barrel… t's been a whole road trip of getting beat, getting jammed. What a day, a bunch of home runs and sweep a series against the Mets on the road. It will make for a happy flight going home.

Sale Silences Mariners

The Mariners had brought their hitting sticks with them for their weekend series at Fenway Park, scoring 21 runs to earn a split over the first two games of their weekend set. The Red Sox entered Sunday’s game needing to find a way to silence those red-hot bats.

Challenge accepted.

Red Sox’ ace Chris Sale delivered an outstanding performance, racking up 13 strikeouts while scattering just four hits and one walk over seven shutout innings. He generated a whopping 26 swinging strikes in the ballgame.

It was the second straight start in which Sale has struck out 10+ batters, and the sixth time that he has done so in 17 starts on the season. He also exhibited the highest velocity that we have ever seen from the 29-year-old southpaw, throwing a pair of pitches (both on third strikes to Mike Zunino) over 100.4 mph. His reading of 100.5 on his final strikeout of the night was the hardest pitch that he’s ever thrown in an MLB game.

Here’s how Sale explained his increased velocity when asked about it after the game, "I think it's just getting back into a little bit better rhythm… I've been saying the same thing over the last three or four starts -- it's feeling good and getting into that tempo and getting back into a little bit better rhythm than I had been starting the year. I put a lot of work into it. I'm glad where we're at."

Sale now sits at 7-4 on the season with a 2.56 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and American League-leading 153 strikeouts.

With the Red Sox’ victory, and the Yankees loss on Sunday, the two clubs sit in a tie for first place in the American League East. All eyes will certainly be on Sale for his start against the Bombers next weekend.

American League Quick Hits: Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported that Hanley Ramirez is not under federal investigation. Apparently, a friend of his simply dropped his name in an effort to avoid arrest. Ramirez will continue to look for a place to play, no knowing that the cloud over his head from this fiasco is over with and shouldn't negatively impact him… Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that the Rangers have made Adrian Beltre available via trade… Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox are one of the teams interested in Orioles’ left-hander Zach Britton… Jean Segura missed his fourth straight game due to an infection in his arm, though he was able to work out with the team prior to the game and is still expected to avoid the disabled list… Joey Gallo sat out Sunday’s game with a tight left hamstring… Mark Trumbo sat out Sunday’s game due to a sore right knee… Blue Jays’ pitching prospect Ryan Borucki will make his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Astros… Tyler Skaggs has officially been cleared to return to the Angels’ rotation on Monday against the Royals...Garrett Richards (hamstring) will throw a bullpen session on Monday. If all goes well, he could make a minor league rehab start next weekend… Astros’ general manager Jeff Lunhow said Sunday that there’s a “decent likelihood” that top outfield prospect Kyle Tucker will make his MLB debut this summer... White Sox’ pitching prospect Dane Dunning will undergo an MRI on his right elbow after leaving Saturday’s start at Double-A Birmingham with an elbow strain... Edwin Encarnacion homered and drove in five runs as the Indians crushed the Tigers to sweep their weekend series… Francisco Lindor belted his 19th home run and Jose Ramirez crushed his American League-leading 23rd long ball as well in that win… Yoan Moncada homered and plated a career-high six runs as the White Sox routed the Athletics… Jake Bauers clubbed a walk-off homer off of Chasen Shreve in the 12th inning to sink the Yankees… Gerrit Cole punched out eight over five innings of one-run ball in a victory over the Royals… Yuli Gurriel homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs to pace the Astros’ offense in that victory… Kendrys Morales blasted a pinch-hit game-winning homer in the 10th inning against the Angels… Martin Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a double and four RBI in a loss to the Blue Jays… Jose Berrios struck out a career-high 12 batters over seven scoreless frames in an impressive victory over the Rangers… Giancarlo Stanton had the second five-hit game of his career, going 5-for-5 with a homer and two doubles as the Yankees fell to the Rays in extra innings.

National League Quick Hits: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Padres have expressed interest in acquiring third baseman Maikel Franco from the Phillies. Franco then had to be removed from Sunday’s game against the Nationals after he slipped on a wet first base and sustained a possible knee injury… Ronald Acuna (knee) is not expected to return from the disabled list on Monday. He’s still traveling with Triple-A Gwinnett and is expected to play another couple of games there first before rejoining the big league club… Kris Bryant missed a second straight game on Sunday due to a sore left shoulder… The Mets are giving slumping shortstop Amed Rosario a few days off to “work on some things”... Braves’ closer Arodys Vizcaino landed on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. A.J. Minter and Dan Winkler are expected to hold down the ninth inning in his stead… Yu Darvish (triceps) will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Low-A South Bend on Monday… Noah Syndergaard (finger) made it through a 15-pitch bullpen session on Sunday without any issues… Chris Taylor missed his third straight game due to his tight left hamstring… Matt Albers is slated to resume his throwing program on Tuesday… Travis Jankowski was a late scratch from the Padres’ lineup due to soreness in his quad… Brandon Nimmo left Sunday’s game after getting hit by three pitches. He sustained only a bruised right pinkie and is considered day-to-day… Travis Shaw was forced to leave Sunday’s game after aggravating his right wrist injury… Clay Buchholz had to depart Sunday’s start against the Pirates with tightness in his left side… Walker Buehler (ribs) threw a successful bullpen session on Sunday as he continues to work his way back from a microfracture in his rib… Caleb Smith had to leave Sunday’s start against the Rockies in the second inning due to left shoulder tightness. He’s considered day-to-day…  Miguel Rojas will undergo an MRI on his injured left hand on Monday… Kevin Plawecki homered and drove in four runs as the Mets fell to the Dodgers in extra innings… Derek Dietrich went 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBI as the Marlins dispatched of the Rockies… Nolan Arenado blasted his fifth home run in his last six games in a losing effort against the Fish… Daniel Murphy hit a go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the eighth inning, leading the Nationals past the Phillies...Luke Weaver struck out nine over 5 ⅔ innings of two-run ball to beat the Brewers… Brad Hand blew his second straight save, giving up a pair of runs in the 11th inning against the Giants… Hunter Pence came through with a two-run single to lead the Giants to walk-off win over the Padres in the 11th inning.

Stayin Red Hot !

It was an exciting day on the Major League Baseball diamond, as there were several strong pitching performances, especially from a few unlikely sources. In addition, there were multiple grand slams, a few golden sombreros and a bevy of extra-base hits. It was a great day for those in seasonal fantasy leagues and DFS alike. We also saw the return of a big star from the 10-day disabled list, while another pitching star continues to see his offense let him down. There was just one team, an unlikely contributor, to post double-digit runs on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a lot of offense. Let’s get started!




Saturday's Fantasy Five

The Cincinnati Reds have rattled off six consecutive victories, the longest active streak in the National League. They were the only team in double digits, rolling up 11 runs against the Chicago Cubs. Eugenio Suarez was a huge part of the offensive onslaught, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI to extend the longest active hitting streak in the majors to 13 games. He is 18-for-48 (.375) with nine runs scored, five homers and 13 RBI during the impressive run. Suarez is on pace for 34 home runs and 124 RBI, both of which would be career highs. In fact, he has set new career highs in each of his past four seasons.

The Cleveland Indians continue to get tremendous pitching from their outstanding stable of starters. Many times the big performances have been against American League Central foes, one of the weakest divisions in the league. Fantasy owners don’t care who the games are and won’t apologize for their good fortune. He allowed just one earned run, five hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts to improve to 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four starts against the Tigers. He has posted 10 or more strikeouts seven times this season, including five of his past six outings. As such, he pulled into a tie for the American League lead with Boston Red Sox SP Chris Sale for the league lead in strikeouts with 140.




There were solid fantasy performances outside the great Buckeye state, too. A former Reds hurler, Mike Leake, was doing that thing with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday in Bean town. He was nearly untouchable, allowing just three hits with two walks and five strikeouts over eight scoreless innings to push his record to 8-4 while lowering his ERA to 4.11. He and his teammates cooled off the previously red-hot Eduardo Rodriguez, who coughed up five runs – four earned – and seven hits over four innings to slip to 9-2. Leake is now 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA across five starts in the month of June, posting four quality starts and lasting at least six innings in each of the past seven outings.

J.T. Realmuto, the productive backstop for the lowly Miami Marlins, is likely headed to the All-Star game. On a nightly basis he continues to post eye-popping numbers, best among his peers at a difficult position, although it has barely moved the needle with the voting public. He wasn’t even in the Top 5 in the National League in All-Star voting, which is a crying shame. On Saturday, he belted his 10th home run, finishing 2-for-4 with a walk and four RBI. The catcher from suburban Oklahoma City has posted four homers and 13 RBI in June, a best for any month this season. He has really turned up the intensity lately, too, posting four doubles with three homers and nine RBI over the past seven outings.

Brandon Crawford is picking up extra-base hits at a tremendous pace, and he was busy adding to his totals on Saturday in a 5-3 victory against the Padres. He was a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple, a walk, a run scored and three RBI in the two-run home win. Crawford logged his eighth multi-hit game in 19 outings in the month of June, snapping an 0-for-18 skid in the process. The hits were his first in three contests since coming back from the paternity list. After a couple of days of joy, and a couple of sleepless nights, Crawford was back to himself. The new dad leads all National League shortstops with a .313 average.

Fantasy Game of the Night

Like the Reds, the Texas Rangers are having a resurgence despite their last-place status. They have the longest active winning streak in the majors with seven wins in a row. Future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre continues to post big numbers, going 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored, pushing his average to .314. Robinson Chirinos hasn’t had things going his way this season, but he was hot on Saturday with a two-run homer, a walk, two runs scored and three RBI. While he is still hitting just .197, he is being given a chance to iron out his woes with regular playing time. Shin-Soo Choo continued his on-base streak, which is now at 36 games, the longest active run in the majors. He was 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI, and he has hit safely in seven in a row. Choo is 10-for-28 (.357) with seven runs scored and six RBI during the seven-game hitting streak. While he didn’t light up the fantasy scoreboard, Jurickson Profar was able to reach base three times, all hit by pitch. He tied the team record he just set a couple of weeks ago. The Rangers were very angry on the third hit by pitch, and it might have been a message after he stole second base after reaching base earlier in a 9-2 game. It will be something to watch in Sunday’s series finale. Yovani Gallardo finally looked like a major league-caliber pitcher again, allowing four earned runs, six hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. While he posted the win, he still has work to do with an ugly 7.84 ERA.

It was a pretty decent day to have some Twins on your fantasy roster, too, as long as you didn’t start Jake Odorizzi. He was touched up for six earned runs, six hits and a walk with three strikeouts over just 1 2/3 innings, as his ERA shot up to 4.97 while falling to 3-5 on the season. Eddie Rosario did his best to try and help the home team overcome the poor pitching, going 2-for-5 with his 21st double and his 17th home run, finishing with four RBI. He is rolling along with a .341 average (27-for-79) with six doubles, eight home runs and 17 RBI in the month of June. Mitch Garver stepped up with a three-hit game while adding a run scored in four at-bats. Like Garver, Ryan LaMarre wasn’t likely on very many fantasy rosters. If he keeps hitting he could eventually be someone to consider, as he finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He has hit safely in four of the past five outings while reaching in each of the contests. Logan Morrison belted his eighth homer of the season, but he still has work to do in the average department. He is hitting just .190 overall, but LoMo can still be somewhat valuable for cheap power as a corner infielder.

American League Quick Hits: Blake Treinen continues to build up his trade stock, just in case the A’s decide to move him at the trade deadline. He worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings to pick up his 17th save while lowering his ERA to 0.98. … Stephen Piscotty went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a walk, two runs and two RBI in a win against the White Sox, helping to erase an early 5-0 deficit. … Tim Anderson finished 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and two runs scored, but he is still hitting just .239. … Mark Trumbo continues to make his presence felt, belting a grand slam in the first inning of Saturday’s interleague road win in Atlanta. He is slowly coming around, popping four homers with nine RBI over the past six outings. … Dylan Bundy was outstanding, allowing just two earned runs while scattering seven hits with eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings to move to 6-7. … Wilmer Font was surprisingly effective, allowing no runs with three hits, a walk and four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings with a win against the Yankees. … Willy Adames was helping the Rays from the nine spot, going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI, providing half of the offense in a 4-0 win. It was impressive considering the amount of money and talent in the other dugout. … Jeimer Candelario had a huge game in the middle of the week, but he was wearing the golden sombrero in Cleveland. … Francisco Lindor cracked his 18th home run of the season, as Mr. Smiles continues to produce. … Cody Allen nailed down his 16th save in 17 chances. … Mitch Haniger collected a pair of doubles with three RBI across five at-bats in a road win in Boston. … Nelson Cruz was good for three hits in the win at Fenway, too. He has hit safely in seven straight, and he has multi-hit games in three straight outings. … Whit Merrifield was also sporting the golden sombrero in a road loss in Houston. … Yuli Gurriel swatted his third homer of the season in a win against the Royals. … Ian Kennedy was sharp for K.C. in a no-decision, allowing two earned runs, four hits and a walk with five strikeouts over seven frames. … Dee Gordon went just 1-for-6, but it was good enough to push his hitting streak to 11 games, longest active run in the AL.

National League Quick Hits: Trevor Richards had a surprisingly effective outing at Coors Field, allowing just one earned run, three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings in a win. … Zack Greinke had it going on in Pittsburgh, allowing just two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings to move to 7-5 and lower his ERA to 3.66. … David Peralta went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, a walk, a run scored and two RBI. … Paul Goldschmidt continues to make up for lost time, belting his 17th home run. He entered the month with just seven homers, 19 RBI and a .209 batting average. In June, he is 33-for-84 (.393) with six doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 22 RBI. It’s no surprise Arizona has responded with a 15-6 record in 21 outings in the month. … A.J. Ellis collected three hits in three at-bats with a walk and a run scored. … Manuel Margot continues to pick up plenty of hits, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in San Francisco. He now has four consecutive multi-hit games. … Maikel Franco had four hits in four at-bats, finishing 4-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. … Carlos Santana cracked his 13th homer, as he continues to get acclimated in Philly. … Miles Mikolas yielded two runs, three hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in a win at Milwaukee to run his record to 8-2. … Bud Norris rebounded for his 14th save of the season. … Anthony DeSclafani allowed two earned runs, three hits and four walks with three strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings to shut down the Cubs and move to 3-1. … Matt Kemp had a pinch-hit grand slam in L.A.’s 8-3 win against the Mets. The Dodgers posted six RBI from pinch hitters, as Chris Taylor also had a two-run double replacing Clayton Kershaw in the fourth inning. … Speaking of Kershaw, he was back from the DL, but exhibited a little bit of rust. He allowed two runs, five hits and a walk with four strikeouts over three innings in the return. … Jacob deGrom continues to have very little in the way of support. He allowed three earned runs, five hits and three walks with six strikeouts over six innings. However, he lost again, dropping to 5-3 despite an amazing 1.69 ERA.

Long Shot

Jesus Aguilar was a longshot to make the Brewers’ Opening Day roster this spring. With a strong showing in Arizona though, he managed to crack the crowded 25-man roster, at the expense of Keon Broxton. With Eric Thames and Ryan Braun expected to platoon at first base, he was really set to be used primarily as a pinch hitter, providing right-handed power off of the bench.

After all, Aguilar had done a nice job in his first real exposure to big league pitching in 2017, slashing .265/.331/.505 with 16 homers and 52 RBI in 311 plate appearances.

The Brewers are certainly glad that they kept him around.

When Thames went down with a torn UCL in his left thumb early in the season, Aguilar was left to pick up the slack at first base. That he has done. Entering play on Friday, the sweet-swinging 28-year-old was slashing .301/.364/.580 with 14 homers and 47 RBI.

On Friday, the Brewers ran into the buzzsaw that was Cardinals’ rookie right-hander Jack Flaherty. Through six innings, Flaherty had not surrendered a hit. He had only allowed three baserunners, a pair of walks and a hit batsmen.

It was still a close game though, as the Cardinals’ offense was only able to scratch out one run against Junior Guerra and company. With one out in the seventh inning, Aguilar broke up the no-hitter in impressive fashion, crushing a game-tying solo homer to left-center.

That would be the only run that Flaherty would allow on the day, matching his career-high with 13 strikeouts over seven impressive innings of one-run baseball.

In the eighth inning, tensions ran high between the two sides, as the Cardinals took exception to a hard slide by Eric Sogard into shortstop Yairo Munoz.Both benches emptied and bullpens cleared, but no punches were thrown.

Once things calmed back down, Aguilar went back to work. He strode to the plate in a 1-1 game in the bottom of the ninth and annihilated a Bud Norris offering into the seats in right-center for a walk-off home run, sending the Brewers’ home faithful into a tizzy.

According to Elias Sports, Aguilar became the first player in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to break up a no-hit bid of five-plus innings with a home run and hit a walk-off homer in the same game.

With his 2-for-4 effort on Friday, Aguilar is now hitting a robust .305/.366/.609 with 16 homers and 49 RBI in only 224 plate appearances.

The Return of the Claw (Part Two)

Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts announced on Friday that star left-hander Clayton Kershaw will indeed return to the Dodgers’ starting rotation on Saturday against the Mets.

The original plan had been for Kershaw to make a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, but they’re playing in Omaha where heavy rain is in the forecast for Saturday. So instead, he’ll jump right into big league action into a premium matchup against the Mets and right-hander Jacob deGrom.

Kershaw has been limited to just one start since May 1. He first landed on the disabled list at the beginning of May due to tendinitis in his left biceps. He battled his way back to make one five-inning start on May 31, before landing right back on the disabled list the following day with a strained lower back.

Through eight starts this season, the 30-year-old southpaw posted a 2.76 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 53/11 K/BB ratio over 49 innings. While those numbers are certainly good, they’re not quite on the level that we’re used to seeing from the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner.

Given the fact that he has thrown a total of five innings over the last seven weeks, the Dodgers are going to monitor his pitch count during Saturday’s start. Because of that, fantasy owners may want to wait and see how he looks before inserting him right back into lineups. Pay close attention to his velocity, as he had displayed the slowest marks of his career during his last outing before heading back to the disabled list.

Bringing the Hammer Down

Major League Baseball announced it’s punishment for Blue Jays’ right-hander Roberto Osuna on Friday, and it was a hefty one. He was suspended for 75 games, without pay, for violating the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

The suspension is retroactive to his arrest date of May 8, when he was charged and placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball.  That means that he'll be ineligible to return until August 4. The 23-year-old hurler has agreed to accept his suspension and will not appeal the decision.

Also, as a condition of the Major League policy, Osuna will participate in a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program supervised by the Joint Policy Board.

Osuna's next scheduled court date is on July 9 where he plans to plead not guilty. He has been working out on his own in Florida while he has been away from the team on administrative leave.

Blue Jays’ skipper John Gibbons understood MLB’s decision, telling reporters, "You take what MLB does, trust that and live with it… Let everything go through its course. You knew something was coming down. ... Hopefully that all gets worked out, both sides, and everybody gets the help they need and everything works out fine for all involved."

Ryan Tepera will continue to fill in as the Blue Jays' closer for the time being. He has converted each of his first five save chances since assuming the closer’s role on May 25. He’s worth owning and deploying in all mixed leagues for as long as he’s the primary guy in the ninth inning for the Jays.

Cruz Control

Nelson Cruz had quite the day at the plate in a losing effort against the Red Sox on Friday.

The 37-year-old slugger blasted a three-run homer off of Red Sox’ knuckleballer in the first inning, opening the scoring in what would be an extremely high-scoring ballgame. That blast, which traveled an estimated 465 feet, was the longest home run hit by any Mariners’ player this season.

He added on an RBI single in the second inning to give the M’s the lead back at 6-5.Cruz then clobbered another three-run shot off of Wright, this time in the fourth inning, to increase the Mariners’ advantage to 10-5. That would be the extent of their scoring in the game though, and the Red Sox would battle all the way back to win 14-10.

According to Rotoworld’s  own Matthew Pouliot, Cruz is the first player since J.P. Arencibia (July 29, 2014) to drive in seven runs in a game his team lost.

As for Cruz, he finished the impressive evening 4-for-5 with seven RBI. He’s now hitting .266/.351/.562 with 20 homers and 48 RBI. He has been especially locked in as of late, hitting .349 with 12 homers and 26 RBI over his last 23 contests.

High Five!

Phillies outfielder accomplished something pretty impressive on Friday, homering for the fifth consecutive game in a rout over the Nationals.

Herrera tagged Nationals’ starter Tanner Roark for the two-run blast in the third inning. He finished the day 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBI. He’s hitting an impressive .308/.362/.507 with 13 homers and 43 RBI on the season.

No player in Phillies’ history has ever homered in six straight contests. He’ll attempt to be the first when he does battle against Erick Fedde and the Nationals on Saturday.

American League Quick Hits: Michelle McPhee of ABC News reports that Hanley Ramirez is "being eyed in connection with an ongoing federal and state investigation." The Red Sox deny any knowledge of this incident and maintain that he was released solely for baseball reasons… Jean Segura missed a second straight game on Friday due to an infection in his forearm. He’s expected to return to the Mariners’ lineup on Saturday… Francisco Liriano (hamstring) will rejoin the Tigers’ rotation on Saturday against the Indians… Carlos Carrasco (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session early next week… Ervin Santana (finger) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Friday. He could be cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week… Tim Beckham is expected to return from the disabled list and rejoin the Orioles on Monday… Tyler Skaggs (hamstring) is expected to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. If all goes well, he could be cleared to return on Monday… Xander Bogaerts was forced to leave Friday’s game with a sprained finger. He’s expected to sit out on Saturday and return to the lineup on Sunday… Sean Manaea struck out seven over seven innings of one-run ball in a victory over the White Sox… Franklin Barreto blasted a pair of three-run home runs, driving in a career-high six runs as the A’s took the first game of Friday’s doubleheader from the White Sox… J.D. Martinez went 4-for-5 and clubbed his 23rd home run, leading the Red Sox past the Mariners in a slugfest. He also drove in five runs and stole a base… Shane Bieber racked up nine strikeouts over seven shutout innings in an impressive victory over the Tigers… Yonder Alonso hit a grand slam to help pace the Tribe’s offense in that rout… Tim Hill recorded the first save of his career in a 1-0 win over the Astros… Shin-Soo Choo crushed his 14th home run as the Rangers demolished the Twins… Manny Machado belted a go-ahead two-run homer in the 15th inning to beat the Braves.

National League Quick Hits: Nationals’ general manager Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio that he’s not willing to meet the Marlins’ asking price on catcher J.T. Realmuto… Michael Wacha’s MRI on Thursday revealed a moderate strain of his left oblique. He’s still expected to miss at least a month, but it’s encouraging news… The Phillies signed Danny Espinosa to a minor league contract… Chris Taylor missed his second straight game due to tightness in his left hamstring… The Braves placed Mike Soroka on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation… Yoenis Cespedes (hip, quad) isn’t expected to begin baseball activities until early next week… Mike Foltynewicz (triceps) is on track to return to the Braves’ rotation on Monday… Addison Russell sat out Friday’s game due to renewed soreness in his middle finger… Arodys Vizcaino was unavailable on Friday due to shoulder soreness... Jose Peraza swiped three bases in a win over the Cubs… Cody Bellinger clobbered a grand slam, propelling the Dodgers past the Mets… Ivan Nova struck out eight over eight shutout innings in a tough-luck no-decision against the Diamondbacks… Patrick Corbin matched his career-high with 12 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings on the other side of the diamond in that one… Nolan Arenado left the yard for the fourth straight game, and the 17th time on the season, as the Rockies crushed the Marlins…Carlos Santana homered and plated four in a lopsided victory over the Nationals... Jon Gray punched out 12 batters over seven innings of one-run baseball in a dominant win over the Marlins.

Phillie Cheese Steak

Forget Manny Machado (for now). The Phillies are reportedly also interested in an older third baseman who can still hit but would come much cheaper.
That would be Rangers 3B and future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Beltre, according to MLB's Jon Paul Morosi.
"The Phillies also have interest in Beltre, sources say, as much for his professionalism as his production," Morosi wrote. "The Phils have the youngest group of position players in the Majors, and team officials see long-term value in Beltre's influence on an emerging core."
Beltre turned 39 in April and has been on the DL four times in the last two seasons, including twice this season with hamstring strains. Still, he's remained one of the better all-around third basemen in the majors, hitting .304 with an .877 OPS the last three seasons. He'd be an unquestioned upgrade at third over Maikel Franco, who has talked over the years about how much he admires Beltre's game.
Beltre is in the final year of his contract and is owed $18 million. The deal includes a full no-trade clause and Beltre would need to waive it to potentially join the Phils. The Phillies are a fringe contender but the Rangers are already out of it at 32-44 and 18 games back in the AL West.
This week, Phillies GM Matt Klentak said he is not opposed to trading for a rental player so long as the Phillies hang around the playoff picture in the next month. Royals 3B Mike Moustakas is another player to monitor in that regard.
Of course, this doesn't mean the Phillies are out on Machado but trading for him midseason would be much more complicated and there's little chance he'd re-sign before first testing the free-agent market.

If the Phillies do trade for him, they just have to make sure everyone in the clubhouse knows the rules about touching his head.

The Other Guy

Left Hook

Hunter attacks Harper

 Always lead with your left hook.


They say elephants never forget. And apparently, neither does Hunter Strickland.

The Giants closer boasts a high-90s fastball, but what you won’t find on the scouting report is that he also has a photographic memory when it comes to players who have wronged him (at least in his mind). Flashback to the 2014 playoffs when Strickland served up a pair of tape-measure home runs to Bryce Harper in the Giants’ first-round series against Washington. Rather than take the L and move on, Strickland waited three whole years to plot his revenge, plunking Harper when the Nats returned to San Francisco in 2017. Naturally Harper charged the mound (he also threw his helmet, though not accurately), leading to one of the more spirited brawls in recent memory.

Strickland’s beef with Harper appears to be dormant, but that doesn’t mean he’s turned over a new leaf. Far from it. You’ll be relieved to hear that our man Hunter is still beefing with the best of them. Enter 24-year-old Lewis Brinson, a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Marlins outfielder who was pretty jazzed to hit a game-tying sac fly off Strickland last week in what ended up being a 16-inning win for the Giants.

As fate would have it, Brinson and Strickland crossed paths again Monday night in San Francisco. As retribution for showing him up a week earlier, Strickland threw one high and tight at his new nemesis. Unfazed, Brinson returned the favor with a game-tying single, handing Strickland his fourth blown save of the year. Words were exchanged—many of the unprintable, four-letter variety—as the closer left the field, bested once again by the proud owner of MLB’s lowest on-base percentage. Deciding to embrace his inner Kevin Brown (or LeBron James, if you’d prefer a more current reference), a supremely frustrated Strickland punched a door, leaving him with a broken hand.

Hey man, it happens. We all lose our cool from time to time. Just ask Phil Mickelson. But Strickland seems to fly off the handle more than most and now he’s paying a steep price for it. The right-hander faces a 6-8 week recovery, putting him out at least through the All-Star break and probably for much longer. San Francisco is in the midst of a pennant race in a tighter than expected NL West—why would he waste energy feuding with Brinson, a .181 hitter on a last-place team? Strickland just couldn’t let it go.

“I don’t think I have an anger problem, but sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me,” Strickland admitted Thursday in his first remarks since the incident. The 29-year-old said he planned to apologize to his teammates, but that won’t make his hand heal any faster. Now minus a shutdown closer, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy will be tasked with restoring order in the ninth inning. Sam Dyson got the first crack at replacing Strickland earlier this week but was yanked after allowing hits to four of the six batters he faced on Wednesday.

Mark Melancon fared better in his audition, pitching a scoreless ninth to preserve Thursday’s 3-0 win over the Padres. The Giants paid a hefty sum for Melancon in free agency—at the time, his four-year, $62 million contract was the largest ever for a bullpen arm—but injuries have hampered him since his arrival in 2017. Nonetheless, Strickland’s blunder could give Melancon the opening he needs to reclaim his position among fantasy’s elite closers. Another equally plausible alternative would be for the Giants to employ a ninth-inning committee featuring some combination of Melancon, Reyes Moronta, left-hander Tony Watson and, if the mood strikes, Dyson. Obviously that divide-and-conquer approach would not be as big a hit with fantasy owners.

Strickland may have been the instigator, but it was Dereck Rodriguez (son of Hall of Famer catcher Ivan Rodriguez) who escalated the matter by plunking Brinson in his first at-bat Tuesday night. Marlins starter Dan Straily retaliated soon after by beaning Giants backstop Buster Posey, leading to his prompt ejection. Straily didn’t have to wait long for punishment to be handed down as the right-hander received a five-game suspension from MLB and was fined an undisclosed amount while manager Don Mattingly was also assessed a one-game ban. Surprisingly, no Giants were disciplined. Like most players do under similar circumstances, Straily will keep pitching—his next start is scheduled for Monday against the Diamondbacks—until the league hears his appeal.

Baseball has undergone a substantial transformation in recent years as teams have used analytics to stay ahead of the curve. Through the use of instant replay and restricting mound visits, the game is slowly but surely evolving for the modern times. But one area of improvement the league continues to ignore is player safety, especially when it comes to players policing each other for violating the sanctity of baseball’s “unwritten rules.” Was it really necessary for Strickland to lash out at Brinson just because he got a few hits off him? And must every perceived slight or display of emotion end with a star like Posey ducking for cover?

In Thursday’s game between the Red Sox and Twins, Rick Porcello asserted himself as the alpha male by drilling Eduardo Escobar a half inning after Kyle Gibson backed J.D. Martinez off the plate with an inside fastball. Some of the baseball-watching population, perhaps the majority, will applaud Porcello for being “old school,” but does he really deserve an “atta-boy” for subscribing to baseball’s outdated justice system? Aren’t there better ways to prove you’re a good teammate than injuring an exciting player like Escobar, who had to leave the game after getting hit?

Here’s an idea for how you can be a better teammate—put zeros on the board. I love rivalries and baseball drama as much as the next guy, but when players like Strickland and Porcello go out of their way to enforce the unwritten rules, sometimes to the detriment of their own team (I’m sure Posey didn’t appreciate being used as target practice), it becomes EXHAUSTING. Even in its old age, baseball still has a lot of growing up to do.

Tyler Skaggs

 

AL Quick Hits: It was a rough night for starting pitchers in Anaheim. Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs was scratched from his scheduled start due to hamstring tightness while Blue Jays hurler Aaron Sanchez lasted just one inning after bruising his right index finger … Mike Trout was diagnosed with a sprained right index finger on Thursday, though the two-time MVP was still able to DH against Toronto and expects to be patrolling center field again within a few days. Thursday marked Trout’s 1,000th MLB appearance … Colby Rasmus was activated from the DL Thursday after missing two months with a strained hip flexor. He went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in Baltimore’s loss to Washington … Trey Mancini sat out Thursday’s game against the Nats with a stiff neck. O’s manager Buck Showalter is optimistic he’ll be back in the lineup for Friday’s series opener in Atlanta ... Chris Davis will return from an eight-game absence Friday against the Braves. The 32-year-old slugger ranks last among qualified hitters in batting average (.150), slugging percentage (.227), OPS (.454) and wins above replacement (-2.1) … Don’t look now but the Padres, of all teams, are showing trade interest in Orioles SS Manny Machado. The Phillies and D’Backs have also checked in on Machado, who will hit the open market as a free agent this offseason. When he does, the 25-year-old will become one of the highest-paid players in MLB … Blue Jays manager John Gibbons admitted that Jaime Garcia could be in danger of losing his spot in the starting rotation with Marcus Stroman (shoulder) set to return this weekend. The left-hander has had a lousy year, contributing a sluggish 6.16 ERA over 13 starts for Toronto … According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Phillies are interested in acquiring Adrian Beltre from Texas. The 39-year-old recently passed Ichiro Suzuki to become MLB’s all-time hits leader among foreign-born players … Jean Segura sat out Thursday’s series finale against the Yankees due to an infection in his right forearm. His .334 average ranks third in the American League behind only Jose Altuve (.347) and Mookie Betts (.344) … Eddie Rosario was scratched from Thursday’s game against the Red Sox because of right shoulder soreness but expects to play Friday against Texas. The 26-year-old has had a breakout year in Minnesota, leading the Twins in hits (89), runs (52), homers (16), batting average (.320) and slugging (.579).

Juan Soto

NL Quick Hits: On Thursday, Juan Soto became the first teenager to bat cleanup in a major league game since Cesar Cedeno in 1970. The 19-year-old plated the go-ahead run with an RBI double in Washington’s 4-2 win over Baltimore … Ronald Acuna will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday. Widely considered the game’s best prospect, the 20-year-old has been out with a sprained ACL since late last May … Johnny Cueto will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. Cueto is slated to throw about 40 pitches on Saturday and will likely need at least three rehab starts before he’s ready to rejoin the Giants’ starting rotation. A sprained elbow has sidelined the right-hander since late April … Brandon Crawford was activated from the paternity leave list on Thursday. He went 0-for-4 in San Francisco’s win over the Padres, but still sports a .310 average for the season, which ranks seventh in the National League … Wil Myers went 0-for-3 with a walk in his return from the disabled list Thursday against the Giants. It took him almost two months to recover from a strained oblique … The Cardinals placed Michael Wacha on the disabled list with a strained oblique. He’s headed back to St. Louis for an MRI. Daniel Poncedeleon, Dakota Hudson and John Gant are all candidates to start in Wacha’s place Monday against Cleveland … Lorenzo Cain bowed out of Thursday’s game with a right hamstring cramp but should be ready to go on Friday. The 32-year-old went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a steal and two runs scored in Milwaukee’s 11-3 win over St. Louis …Ryan Braun was absent again Thursday against the Cardinals. The Brewers left fielder is still nursing a thumb injury he suffered earlier this week.