MLB Player News

Kerr is expected to undergo season-ending surgery, either Tommy John or the internal brace procedure. He was sent down June 15 after posting a 5.64 ERA in two starts and eight relief appearances for the Braves.

The rest of the Giants’ starting rotation for that first series after the All-Star break has not been confirmed, but we know Verlander will get the ball on Friday, which sets him up for a Wednesday start next week against the Braves.

The Athletics will then follow with Luis Severino on Saturday and Jeffrey Springs on Sunday, which means Jacob Lopez will start on Monday against the Rangers. The Guardians are a platoon-heavy team, so getting two left-handed starters on the weekend means hitters like Nolan Jones and Kyle Manzardo are likely to be on the bench.

This is a procedural move since Gerber has already thrown 26 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season, but he was not on the 40-man roster and had an opt-out. The Rays have now added him to the 40-man and moved Hunter Bigge from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to make space.

Rosenthal says that Rays are reluctant to trade players who signed team-friendly extensions, which includes Díaz, who has a $12 million option exercised for 2026 and also has a $10 million club option for 2027. It would be far more likely that the Rays trade Brandon Lowe or Pete Fairbanks, who only have one year of a club option remaining on their respective deals.

Posting a .189/.275/.322 slash line with nine homers, 34 RBI, and 22 stolen bases has dampened Robert’s trade value, but Rosenthal says there’s “virtually no chance of the team exercising Robert’s $20 million option for 2026.” That means the White Sox would need to move him at the deadline or lose him without getting anything back this off-season.

The Braves will then follow with Grant Holmes on Saturday and Bryce Elder on Sunday. As of now, Davis Daniel and Hurston Waldrep will start the first two games of the series next week against the Giants, but that section of the Braves rotation is less defined.

The Pirates will then follow with Mike Burrows on Saturday and Andrew Heaney on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, and then Mitch Keller and Paul Skenes will start the first two games of next week’s series against the Tigers.

The Nationals will then follow with Mitchell Parker on Saturday and MacKenzie Gore on Sunday, which means Jake Irvin will start on Monday against the Reds. This pitching matchup doesn’t set up well for Padres’ left-handed hitters like Gavin Sheets, who will get two left-handed pitchers over the weekend.

The Astros will then follow with Lance McCullers Jr. on Saturday and Framber Valdez on Sunday, which means Hunter Brown and Colton Gordon will start the first two games of next week against the Diamondbacks. Walter has been solid in seven starts for the Astros this season and finds himself in a good streaming situation while pitching in T-Mobile Park.

Rosenthal also made it clear that the Orioles are unlikely to deal either one, but they aren’t going to rule anything out if the right offer comes their way. Bautista is 30 years old and is arbitration-eligible for two more years after that, so there is no rush for Baltimore to move on. He’s had a strong first half of the season, but he’s also posting his lowest swinging strike rate and K-BB rate of his career, so perhaps Baltimore has some questions about his long-term upside following Tommy John surgery.