Connect with us

Published

1 year ago

on

  • Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior WriterApr 30, 2024, 11:49 AM ET

    Close

    • ESPN contributor on TV, radio, podcasts, blogs, Magazine
    • Charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame
    • Author of “The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments”

Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: This file has been updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

Astronomical minor league stats

The Houston Astros remain in last place in the AL West heading into Tuesday’s game against Cleveland, even behind the Athletics. While pitching (4.92 ERA) has been a bigger problem than the offense, here comes a jolt of energy in the form of slugger Joey Loperfido, leading the minor leagues with 13 home runs in 25 games (with 28 RBI, 31 runs) for Triple-A Sugar Land. Loperfido, a left-handed hitter who was a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft from Duke, is slugging .713 (1.106 OPS) and expected to earn promotion Tuesday.

Veteran first baseman Jose Abreu, of course, is not slugging anywhere near .713 – he has one extra-base hit in 77 PA, and he is “hitting” .099/.156/.113 – so it seems likely Loperfido will slot into first base. Abreu, 37, has arguably been the worst position player in baseball this season, supplying a minus-1.6 WAR. Alas, Loperfido, 24, cannot slot in as the team’s No. 4 starter, too, but hey, perhaps the Astros can outscore more teams. They scored 20 runs in two games against the pathetic Rockies in the rarified air of Mexico City this past weekend.

Loperfido, due to his gaudy numbers, is one of the most added prospects in ESPN standard leagues, up 4.5% over the past seven days to 5.6%, and this number will precipitously rise in the coming days. He played 21 games at second base last season and carries valuable OF/2B fantasy eligibility, so slide him into that infield position, though the Astros are set there with Jose Altuve. Loperfido may remind some of Cubs OF/1B Cody Bellinger, another tall, rangy, left-handed slugger who excels in center field and at first base, as Loperfido has this season. Loperfido is also 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts. The Astros could play Loperfido in center field, too, giving 1B Jon Singleton — or Abreu — more chances.

The Astros send RHP Hunter Brown to the mound Tuesday against RHP Carlos Carrasco, making potential bettors check the over/under on runs. This should favor the Astros, as Carrasco, 37, has yet to deliver a quality start among his five chances, though Brown, one of the top pitching prospects in the game a year ago, has achieved this only once in 2024. Brown’s 9.68 ERA and 2.49 WHIP are a bit misleading, with most of the damage coming in a frightful first inning at Kansas City on April 11, when he permitted an MLB-record 11 hits (and nine runs) without escaping the first inning. In his other four starts, Brown has a 5.29 ERA. It’s not good, but more palatable.

What you may have missed on Monday

By Todd Zola

  • The Cincinnati Reds played shorthanded again last night with C Tyler Stephenson and 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand both nursing hand injuries. They were both available off the bench, but neither was needed in the Reds’ 5-2 road win over the San Diego Padres. Their availability suggests a return later this week. Santiago Espinal, filling in for Encarnacion-Strand, knocked in a pair of runs. Nick Lodolo continued his dominating start to the season with seven innings of one-run ball, fanning 11.

  • Another hand injury of note befell SS Tim Anderson of the Miami Marlins, who hurt his thumb covering second base on a double by Washington Nationals OF Alex Call in the third inning. Anderson completed the frame but was taken out afterwards. As part of the move, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker removed Jesus Sanchez from the contest for what was deemed, “lack of effort” on Call’s double. Sanchez lost the ball in the lights, but Schumaker wasn’t happy with Sanchez’s effort after the miscue. It was termed a “teaching moment” with Sanchez not expected to receive further “punishment.”

  • Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran is slated to make his 2024 debut today. He was with the club yesterday but was not activated. Manager Rocco Baldelli indicated Duran would join the active roster today, but it isn’t clear if Duran will move right back into ninth-inning duties. Baldelli has been using a closer committee to open the season. Last night, Caleb Thielbar saved the Twins’ 3-2 road win against the Chicago White Sox. Griffin Jax, who leads the team with four saves, pitched the eighth inning to collect the win. Cole Sands and Steven Okert also garnered saves during Duran’s absence.

  • Salvador Perez was scratched by the Kansas City Royals last night. The veteran catcher’s back tightened up, so Freddy Fermin started behind the place with Nelson Velazquez taking over the cleanup spot. Both delivered, with Fermin clubbing a home run and Velazquez contributing a two-out RBI double. Perez pinch hit for Fermin in the ninth inning. He singled, sending Bobby Witt Jr. to third base, but Nate Pearson fanned Michael Massey to seal the Toronto Blue Jays‘ 6-5 victory in the Rogers Centre. Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano had pitched on Saturday and Sunday, so he was unavailable last night.

  • Fans of pitching were treated to a gem last night with both starters tossing six hitless stanzas. Atlanta Braves southpaw Max Fried was taken out after his six innings while Bryce Miller of the Seattle Mariners lost his no-hit bid on a Ronald Acuna Jr. infield single in the seventh. Acuna stole second and third, then scored on a double by Ozzie Albies. Miller punched out 11 over his seven innings but was on the hook for the loss before Mitch Garver‘s two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth. After four starts, Fried’s ERA was 7.71, but it’s now down to 4.02 after tossing 15 straight scoreless frames.

Everything else you need to know for Tuesday

  • Yesterday’s postponement in Motown will be made up today with the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals playing a single admission doubleheader, with the opener slated for 3:40 PM ET. The Cardinals will send RHP Kyle Gibson and LHP Steven Matz to the hill, limiting the likelihood of any available Tigers batter to play in both games. However, the lefty-swinging Cardinals hitters will face a pair of righties with Detroit handing the ball to Jack Flaherty and Matt Manning. Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman are the primary hitters to target today.

  • Boston Red Sox SS Vaughn Grissom is expected to come off the injured list for Tuesday’s home game with the Giants. Grissom, yet to debut this season due to a hamstring injury, had four hits for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday, and he should slide right into Boston’s second base slot, likely near the bottom of the lineup versus right-handed pitching. Grissom, 23, hit .287 over 236 PA for Atlanta over the past two seasons, and he hit better than .300 in each of the past three minor league seasons. He is available in more than 80% of ESPN standard leagues.

  • Atlanta RHP Reynaldo Lopez brings his remarkable, league-leading 0.72 ERA to Seattle to face Mariners ace Luis Castillo in one of the later games of the day. Lopez has supplied six or more innings in each of his four outings, and he has permitted only two earned runs, though he was won only twice. Sure, Lopez has been a bit fortunate with a .218 BABIP, one of the best among starting pitchers, but a 26.1% strikeout rate shines. Fantasy managers should stop worrying about what happens in August/September, since Lopez last pitched 70 innings in a season in 2019. Things are great today! Enjoy it against a Mariners lineup near the bottom with 3.7 runs scored per game.

  • The Rockies head to Miami for a matchup of last-place teams, and Colorado’s outfield situation warrants attention. Nolan Jones, one of only five players to hit at least .290 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases a year ago, is hitting .170 this season with one home run and two steals. He left Sunday’s loss with back stiffness, after missing a pair of games earlier in the week. It is possible Jones, down to 52.2% rostered, needs an IL stint. If so, OF Jordan Beck is expected to earn his first MLB promotion. The Rockies recently promoted OF/1B Hunter Goodman and OF Sean Bouchard. All three produced excellent numbers at Triple-A. We don’t often recommend Rockies hitters for road games — and we’re not doing it here, either! — but watch how this situation evolves.

  • Betting tip of the day: This one is in Miami, not Denver, but take the over 7.5 runs (-125) when Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner and Marlins RHP opener Sixto Sanchez square off. Feltner has a 6.46 road ERA this season, in case you were thinking he is a viable streamer, and a 5.47 road ERA for his career. Sanchez has a 7.20 ERA this season in 10 innings, but he is not missing bats and will not last long, leaving a struggling Miami bullpen to handle seven innings. Sanchez under 2.5 strikeouts (+225) feels promising and not so risky, too.

Starting pitcher rankings for Tuesday

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Sports

Time to panic in New York? What to make of slumping Yankees and Mets

Published

13 mins ago

on

August 13, 2025

By

Time to panic in New York? What to make of slumping Yankees and Mets

Aug 13, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

When the New York Mets and New York Yankees met in the first Subway Series of 2025 in mid-May, life was good for baseball fans in New York. Both Big Apple teams sat in first place in their respective divisions and both seemed like postseason locks.

But things have recently taken a turn for both N.Y. teams.

First, the Yankees tumbled out of first place in the American League East, faced an injury scare to MVP front-runner Aaron Judge and lost ground in the AL wild-card race. Then the Mets joined the spiral, losing seven straight games and falling from a battle with the Philadelphia Phillies for National League East supremacy to clinging on to the NL’s final wild-card spot.

Are the struggles simply a blip for two playoff-bound teams — or the beginning of an epic collapse? What will it take for each to turn it around from here? And will the Yankees or Mets be the last N.Y. team standing come October? We asked ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Buster Olney, Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers to weigh in.

How concerned are you about the Mets after their recent slump?

Castillo: Somewhat concerned, because that starting rotation is a problem. Since June 13, Mets starters rank 28th in ERA (4.99) and 29th in innings pitched. (David Peterson is the only Mets starter to complete a six-inning start since June 7.) Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga have not been the front-line performers the Mets projected since coming off the injured list. Clay Holmes, a converted reliever, hasn’t recorded more than 16 outs in an outing in more than two months. Frankie Montas, with a 6.38 ERA, has seemingly pitched himself out of the rotation.

Why just somewhat concerned? First of all, Tylor Megill and Paul Blackburn could provide boosts when they are activated from the injured list, as could Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, two right-handed pitching prospects who have excelled in Triple-A and could receive a call to Queens soon. But mostly because the lineup is too good to struggle for much longer, and it’s hard to imagine the Cincinnati Reds or St. Louis Cardinals surpassing the Mets to seize the third wild-card spot. And in the end, teams can win in October with weaker starting rotations and strong bullpens (see: 2024 Dodgers).

Olney: Concerned, for sure, because of the strength of the National League, and the depth of the Mets’ issues — the struggling lineup, the slumping rotation, the inconsistency of the bullpen. The Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies are the standard for the league these days: The Brewers have a high-end defense, a good rotation and roster depth, and the Phillies have that exceptional rotation, maybe the best closer in Jhoan Duran and a lineup of experienced hitters. Lately, the Mets don’t come close to measuring up to that standard, as we saw with a sweep by Milwaukee last weekend.

Passan: Not terribly concerned. Just as I wasn’t overly bullish when the Mets won seven consecutive games … less than two weeks ago. Yes, some of the Mets’ flaws have been laid bare for all to see. Their lineup is thin. Their starting pitching, too. But outside of that first loss in the streak, the Mets have been outscored by 10 whole runs in six losses. It’s not the sort of thing one typically sees from a team with as deep of a bullpen as New York’s, nor is it likely to continue. They’ve had the worst strand rate among relievers since Aug. 1, and that will even out. They’ve had awful production from the bottom half of the lineup, but at least they’re not striking out. The Mets might not be a world beater, but this is a team that has spent more days in first place this year than not. The notion that it would all disappear over two weeks doesn’t give them enough credit.

Rogers: It depends on what you mean by concerned. They won’t fall out of a wild-card spot, but they’ve essentially lost the division with this skid. The offense’s slump has lasted way too long, and the rotation is on shaky ground — though they’ve actually outperformed my expectations. In any case, the Mets are too good to rank last in OPS since the All-Star break. That will turn.

Fortunately, New York gobbled up a lot of first-half wins to withstand this slump. The Mets will be playing in October but it’ll be the first few days of October instead of getting a bye into the division round.

How concerned are you about the Yankees after their second-half struggles?

Castillo: Extremely concerned. My take on the Yankees has been that they would make the postseason as long as Aaron Judge stayed healthy, because he is good enough to help mask their deficiencies in a weak American League. Well, Judge is dealing with a flexor strain that forced him to miss nearly two weeks, has kept him out of right field since returning and has undoubtedly affected his ability to produce in the batter’s box. Judge being limited to DH has forced the Yankees to play Giancarlo Stanton in right field or keep Stanton, one of their best hitters, out of the lineup altogether.

Now about those deficiencies. The Yankees’ starting rotation has not been good enough since Clarke Schmidt was lost for the season and Max Fried began his downhill turn when the calendar flipped to July. The bullpen, even after a deadline makeover, has faltered too often at the wrong times. The offense has become too reliant on the home run. And the Yankees’ mind-blowing propensity to play sloppy baseball only exacerbates the issues. The Yankees have the talent to compete for a World Series, but they might not have that opportunity if they don’t stop the bleeding. The Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers are within striking distance in the wild-card standings.

Olney: The Yankees are three-quarters of the way through their schedule and Aaron Boone is still trying to figure out his bullpen — a tough place for any team to be in a pennant race, let alone the defending AL champions. But we can look back at the ’21 Atlanta Braves and the ’23 Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks for this reminder: It is possible to find yourself late in the season. It is possible to have a turnaround. And the landscape in front of the Yankees might be as friendly as we’ve ever seen for a pennant contender.

They have the easiest finishing schedule for any club, per FanGraphs; they finish their season with consecutive series against the Minnesota Twins, who have been the Yankees’ version of the Washington Generals over the past 25 years; the Baltimore Orioles, who are playing out the string; the Chicago White Sox, who are getting better but are still years away from contending; and then the Orioles again. Don’t be surprised if the Yankees finish the regular season with a flourish, and at least defer some of the big-picture questions that always hover over N.Y. teams.

Passan: Not nearly as concerned as my brethren. Beyond Buster’s point about the cakewalk at the end of the season are the impending returns of Fernando Cruz, Ryan Yarbrough and Jonathan Loaísiga to bolster the pitching staff and the ability of the Yankees lineup to mash home runs. This is not to suggest the Yankees are a championship-caliber team. Compared to their peers, they don’t look the part. This slump is not an anomaly; the Yankees have lived somewhere between mediocre and bad for the better part of two months. The AL is a mess, though, and the Yankees still look like the best of a bunch of good-enough options.

Rogers: Very concerned. The Yankees feel so one-dimensional that it comes down to this for them: If the middle of their lineup can stay on the field, they might be OK. But if Judge or Giancarlo Stanton miss many more games, things could get even worse. The Yankees also need Max Fried & Co. to find their groove again. New York ranks 26th in ERA since the break.

The Rangers and maybe even the Guardians feel like better all-around teams right now, even though they still trail the Yankees in the standings. They might not be looking up at New York for long.

What will it take for each New York team to turn it around from here?

Castillo: Both teams overhauled their bullpens and didn’t acquire a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, balking at the cost to land a front-line starter. Now both teams need their starting rotations to perform better to ease the pressure on their bullpens and offenses.

Olney: In the spring, we thought the Mets would have a dynamic circular lineup, threats from 1 to 9. That needs to develop down the stretch, because unlike the Yankees, the Mets won’t be rescued by their future schedule. They have one of baseball’s tougher slates the rest of the way. Whether it’s Cedric Mullins, who might be adjusting to his new surroundings, a resurgent Francisco Lindor or Francisco Alvarez, someone from that group needs to take charge. And look, the rotation that was so good back in April and into the middle of May has to be better, getting deeper into games to take some pressure off the bullpen.

Passan: The Yankees need to stop walking hitters — they’ve issued the most free passes of any staff since Aug. 1 — and stop giving away outs on defense and the basepaths. For a team with playoff aspirations, they play an undisciplined brand of baseball. Oh, and Judge, who doesn’t have an extra-base hit since returning, must recapture his swing.

The Mets need one player to step up in each of three areas: lineup, rotation, bullpen. Because of the depth David Stearns has built — not a backlog of stars, but the sorts of players who can go on two-week-long heaters — there are plenty of options to carry the mantle. Whether it’s Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Mark Vientos or Mullins on offense, Kodai Senga or Sean Manaea among starters or Ryan Helsley or Ryne Stanek in a relief role, the Mets have too much talent to roll over for Cincinnati.

Rogers: No reason to dig deep on the Yankees: Their starters need to get it together. Since the All-Star break, that group ranks 24th in ERA. Fried and Carlos Rodon — so good in the first half — just haven’t had the same production in the second. Perhaps Luis Gil can find his groove and give them a jolt — he’s slowly looking better and better — but the former two players need to lead the Yankees down the stretch. Conversely, the Mets stars have to act the part at the plate, beginning with Lindor, who is well under the Mendoza line since the break. Mets hitters need to play it loose and free — hard to do in New York — and stop squeezing their collective bats so tight. Odds say they will turn it around — it’s so bad, it’s hard to imagine it will continue.

Which New York team will be playing deeper into October?

Castillo: I’ll go with the Mets because they can work around their rotation weakness in October with aggressive bullpen usage. Judge’s status remains a concern for the Yankees.

Olney: The American League is absolutely wide open, which gives the Yankees an inherent advantage late in the year. The Yankees are competing against teams like the Guardians and Rangers to get into the playoffs, and if they can do that successfully, they’d have to get through the likes of Toronto and Seattle, who don’t have a lot of postseason experience.

The Mets, on the other hand, face a gauntlet of baseball’s best teams: the Brewers, Phillies, San Diego Padres, Dodgers. It’s as if the Mets have to run a double marathon and the Yankees are doing a corporate fun run. The Yankees have a better shot of lasting because the challenge is simply not the same.

Passan: If the playoffs started today, the Yankees would face a banged-up Houston Astros team — always a tough series, yes, but a winnable one. The Mets, on the other hand, would be lined up against Los Angeles, a series strongly tilted toward the Dodgers. At the end of the day, I believe the Mets are a slightly superior team to the Yankees, but because of the competition in each league, the Yankees’ chance of advancing slightly exceeds that of their crosstown rivals.

Rogers: The Mets, because I’m not sure the Yankees make it. And that bullpen they added in Queens at the deadline will come in handy in October. Don’t count the Mets out. They have a run in them.

Continue Reading

Sports

‘Era of Orange’: Panthers, Flyers top NHL teams acknowledging Swift’s new album

Published

57 mins ago

on

August 13, 2025

By

'Era of Orange': Panthers, Flyers top NHL teams acknowledging Swift's new album

A new Taylor Swift era is among us as the Grammy Award-winning artist recently announced her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

The news came as Swift teased her appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend. The episode releases Wednesday and marks the first time Swift will be on the podcast.

NHL teams reacted accordingly to Swift’s album news. The league even posted its own picture of Swift and Kelce on the ice.

The pop star is no stranger to the hockey scene. Swift and Kelce attended Game 4 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. Kelce is a noted Chicago Blackhawks fan, but welcomed Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk on a “New Heights” episode in February. The two also partied together in July 2024.

A plethora of squads creatively acknowledged Swift’s announcement.

Winger Jarome Iginla, a Hall of Famer, rocked No. 12 for the Flames from 1996 to 2013. With “The Life of a Showgirl” being Swift’s 12th album, Calgary featured Iginla on a cover with orange glitter, a nod to Swift’s website that features a similar color.

The Hurricanes opted for two posts, but it was their most recent one that gained steam on social media. They posted an email from “our VP,” asking why they haven’t collaborated with Swift. Maybe it’s their end game?

With the NHL season inching closer, the Blue Jackets decided to tease their own next era with an album cover. The orange color is a nod to the theme of Swift’s latest album.

Florida had its detective caps on as it pointed out that Swift’s necklace in the “New Heights” teaser was a Panthère de Cartier pendant. The Panthers also identified a “T.S.” in red in the back and included a picture of Swift and Kelce at a Stanley Cup Final game.

The Wild showcased their No. 12 left winger, Matt Boldy, who had a career-high 73 points last season.

Swift’s history with the Nashville Predators dates to the late 2000s, when she appeared in a commercial for the franchise. Nashville tapped into that history by posting photos of Swift rocking a Predators sweater while performing.

The Devils referred to a previous Swift lyric to highlight their captain, Nico Hischier. They created their own album cover with the title: “The Life of a Captain.”

The Islanders’ orange and blue color scheme fits with Swift’s theme, and they made sure to tap into it.

Swift shared her album news at 12:12 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning, and Ottawa acknowledged their own No. 12 — center Shane Pinto.

The Flyers used the glittery orange color to edit a photo to have defenseman Travis Sanheim rocking a similar look. Their second picture includes more of the color scheme with the Flyers’ logo and “See you next era …” written below.

The Penguins tapped into the glitter theme as well, but in their black and yellow colors. The look is similar to what appears on Swift’s website as a placeholder for the album cover.

St. Louis’ logos are on full display with blue glitter, another nod to Swift’s webpage.

Fans spotted Maple Leafs winger William Nylander at one of Swift’s concerts in November, therefore, it only makes sense that he’s highlighted ahead of the album release.

Winnipeg had its own No. 12 in defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who wore the number during the 2019-20 season after being traded to the franchise. DeMelo now rocks No. 2, but the Jets still acknowledged his old number.

Continue Reading

Sports

OU’s Mateer denies gambling, was ‘inside joke’

Published

3 hours ago

on

August 13, 2025

By

OU's Mateer denies gambling, was 'inside joke'

  • David PurdumAug 12, 2025, 11:27 AM ET

    Close

    • Joined ESPN in 2014
    • Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008

Oklahoma starting quarterback John Mateer, after screenshots of past references to “sports gambling” on his Venmo account surfaced online Monday, denied ever being involved with gambling, saying Tuesday it was instead “inside jokes” with his friends.

School officials became aware of the screenshots late Monday night and are looking into the situation, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer posted to X on Tuesday. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends.

“I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”

Screenshots posted online Monday night showed Mateer allegedly twice included “sports gambling” in memos for transactions on Nov. 20, 2022, while he was a freshman at Washington State. Both transactions were allegedly made to a Venmo account for Richard Roaten, believed to be a teammate at Washington State at the time.

College athletes are prohibited from betting on any sport offered by the NCAA, with penalties up to loss of eligibility.

OU Athletics issued a statement saying it “takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situation of concern.” The school said its “unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”

Mateer, the No. 1 overall player in ESPN’s portal rankings, transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State this offseason. He passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, his third with the Cougars.

Oklahoma is ranked 18th in the first Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Sooners open their season at home Aug. 30 against Illinois State.

Continue Reading

Trending