MLB

• Rangers SP Jacob deGrom out for season due to Tommy John surgery
  • Just about everything has gone right for the Rangers this season aside from deGrom’s health. Texas is 39-20 and isn’t in any danger of falling out of the postseason race or anything, but losing an ace like deGrom caps the club’s ceiling for this year. From a player perspective, deGrom hasn’t pitched a full season since 2019 (2020 if you count the shortened 60-game season), and it seems unlikely the 34-year-old will accomplish that feat again. In year one of a five-year pact, the union between the Rangers and deGrom already feels like it’s heading towards failure.
• Phillies 1, Tigers 0
  • Spencer Torkelson’s rookie season didn’t go quite as planned, and year two hasn’t been much better. The first baseman is slashing just .227/.309/.356 in 2023, and while it’s early in his career, it seems as if Torkelson will never be the elite bat some expected him to become.
• Marlins 6, Royals 1
  • I still don’t think that Luis Arraez does the unthinkable and hits .400, but after a short hot streak and two hits in this game, the second baseman is batting .401. It’s June 7th and even today it doesn’t feel real looking at Arraez’s stats. Pehaps it should, though. Fifteen years ago from this date, Chipper Jones was hitting .421 for the Braves. Incredible player.
• Rays 7, Twins 0
  • I had doubts about the Rays signing Zach Eflin to a three-year, $40 million contract before this season, but he’s been lights out in his first year with Tampa Bay. After throwing 6 2/3 scoreless frames yesterday, Eflin is 8-1 with a 2.97 ERA.
  • Christian Vasquez was hotly pursued last winter by numerous clubs, and the teams that missed out are probably feeling some relief at the moment. The catcher has zero homers through 124 at-bats, and while Vasquez isn’t known for his hitting prowess, some additional slug would benefit the Twins.
• Diamondbacks 10, Nationals 5
  • Unless he gets injured or another rookie has an unbelievable final four months, Corbin Carroll should be a lock for National League Rookie of the Year. Carroll has 10 home runs, an .897 OPS, and stole his 17th base in this game. There may be a few 30-30 seasons in the rookie’s bright future.
  • Washington received a huge haul in exchange for Juan Soto, but the CJ Abrams segment of that transaction hasn’t gone well to this point. After going 0-4 yesterday, the shortstop is slashing .232/.281/.395. Abrams will deservedly be given plenty of time to improve and right the ship, though.
• White Sox 3, Yankees 2
  • The odds that Seby Zavala would be not only the difference, but the dominating force in this game were extremely low. Against all odds, though, Zavala went 2-3 with two home runs and three RBIs.
  • Losing and falling further back into third place is bad enough, but the Yankees placed Aaron Judge on the 10-day IL with a toe injury last night. It’s only June, but the Yankees are a pretty solid bet to be playing in the Wild Card Series.
• Athletics 11, Pirates 2
  • The A’s are obviously terrible, but Brent Rooker and Ryan Noda deserve some praise. The duo combined for a home run and three RBIs in this game. Additionally, both have been well above average as hitters this season.
  • Many people may have jumped the gun with Mitch Keller earlier this season. Keller has been scuffling in his past three starts, as the 27-year-old has seen his ERA jump to 3.60. Keller is a quality starter, but he’s probably not an ace.
• Blue Jays 5, Astros 1
  • Kevin Gausman is ridiculous. Toronto’s ace punched out 13 Astros last night across seven dominant innings. I can see the Blue Jays catching the Yankees in the division race sooner rather than later, as Toronto is just three games back of New York.
• Red Sox 5, Guardians 4
  • Masataka Yoshida was an excellent addition by Boston. The Japanese import’s adjustment to MLB pitching has basically been seamless, as Yoshida is hitting .319 after going 3-5 last night. If the Red Sox improve their pitching, look out; offense isn’t the issue.
• Reds 9, Dodgers 8
  • This was a perfect night for the Reds to have an electric, walk-off victory. Cincinnati is sneaking its way into the NL Central race, and now will have uber prospect Elly De La Cruz around to help. The 21-year-old went 1-3 with two walks in this game, and could be a deadly force in Cincinnati’s lineup for a long time.
• Rangers 6, Cardinals 4
  • The Rangers just don’t stop. 12 more hits and six more runs for Texas yesterday, a game in which Marcus Semien upped his RBI total to 50.
  • At some point, the 2023 Cardinals will have to stop living off projections and start actually winning games. Now 25-37, St. Louis has tons of ground to make up.