MLB Baseball 3 Days

Last updated: July 2, 2026, 8:31 PM ET

Player News & Suspensions

A concerning trend of player injuries and suspensions continued to ripple through MLB. Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko faces a "lengthy" recovery after a severe back injury sustained in a collision Tuesday, with the outfielder posting his outlook on social media Thursday faces lengthy recovery. In Oakland, the season-ending surgery for two-time All-Star Brent Rooker, due to a cartilage tear in his knee, further depletes the team's roster undergo season-ending surgery. Meanwhile, a benches-clearing incident at Fenway Park resulted in significant penalties. Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli and Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras each received seven-game suspensions for their roles in the altercation, with Miles Mikolas also handed a five-game ban suspended seven games. Cavalli later apologized for shouting "sit down, boy" at Contreras during the scrum ill will meant, though Contreras had been ejected for a second straight game following the heated exchange charges Nats mound. Contreras, mindful of his native Venezuela amidst earthquake recovery efforts, homered and performed a bat flip bat flip unveils concern.

Pitching Performances & All-Star Status

The road to the All-Star Game presented scheduling conflicts for some top pitchers. Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski's potential start on the Sunday before the break would make him ineligible for the All-Star Game itself, casting doubt on his participation ASG status doubt. In a less fortunate outing, Pirates ace Paul Skenes struggled against the Phillies, lasting only four innings and surrendering a season-high seven earned runs in a 10-6 defeat lit up Phils. On a positive note for the Yankees, starting pitcher Max Fried took a step forward in his recovery, throwing approximately 30 pitches over two innings in a simulated game Tuesday Fried 'really sharp'.

Team Standings & Performance

The Tampa Bay Rays continue to impress, with third baseman Junior Caminero becoming the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six consecutive games homers sixth straight game. Caminero also committed to the All-Star Home Run Derby bringing sweet swing. The Rays also climbed to the top spot in the AL in the latest power rankings Rays, Marlins bring Florida. Elsewhere, the Miami Marlins closed out June with their franchise-best 20th win of the month, a 14-3 rout of the Rockies, powered by multi-homer efforts from Javier Sanoja and Owen Caissie Marlins crush Rockies. The Marlins' strong performance has propelled them into the top 10 of the MLB Power Rankings Rays, Marlins bring Florida.

In contrast, the New York Yankees are mired in a significant slump, having lost seven consecutive games, their longest skid in three years Yanks drop 7th straight. Their offense has struggled mightily, managing only four hits in a recent 9-3 loss to the Tigers bats cold agai. Yankees captain Aaron Judge is awaiting further scans on an injured rib that has sidelined him awaiting more scans.

Managerial Milestones & Player Transactions

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts achieved a significant career milestone, becoming the fastest manager in MLB history to reach 1,000 wins after a victory over the Athletics fastest 1,000 career wins. In player transactions, the Braves recalled infielder Jim Jarvis from Triple-A Gwinnett and designated veteran first baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment bring back IF Jarvis. The Giants placed third baseman Matt Chapman on the 10-day injured list with an abdominal strain goes on IL, an injury that also saw him exit Tuesday's game early exits abdominal strain. Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was also placed on the injured list due to lower back inflammation returns to IL, having been removed from Tuesday's game before his at-bat with discomfort exits before bat. Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena is returning to the injured list with a mild calf strain heading back IL. Reds outfielder Dane Myers was placed on the 10-day IL with a bruised left shoulder after crashing into an outfield wall put Myers IL, an incident that saw him carted off the field carted off after crashing. Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger will be shut down for several more weeks due to a stress reaction in his back return Jays delayed.

League-Wide News & Initiatives

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association announced a joint $1 million donation to aid in recovery efforts following devastating earthquakes in Venezuela MLB, MLBPA donate $1M. The league also saw its attempt to trademark the phrase "Play Ball" denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which deemed the phrase too commonplace 'Play Ball' trademark quest. Special July 4th uniforms featuring stars-and-stripes designs will be worn by all teams during games on the holiday special MLB July 4. The MLB Players Association's latest labor proposal includes provisions for increased roster sizes and enhanced protection against demotions during the season labor offer eyes roster.

Prospect Watch & Future Outlooks

Prospects continue to draw attention, with Eric Karabell identifying several players fantasy managers should monitor as the season progresses into July prospect stock watch. Nationals shortstop Eli Willits, the top overall pick in last year's amateur draft, was among the 50 players selected for the All-Star Futures Game Futures picks. For those the Dodgers lead the odds to win the 2026 World Series, with the Phillies and Brewers also showing strong futures win 2026 World Series.

Other Notable Stories

Mets owner Steve Cohen has stated he is not considering dismissing president of baseball operations David Stearns, despite the team's struggles Cohen firing Stearns. The tradition of "Bobby Bonilla Day" continued, with the Mets still paying the former player $1.19 million on July 1 why New York Mets. Cubs slugger Pete Crow-Armstrong has declined an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game Crow-Armstrong won't Derby. Guardians rookie Cooper Ingle lost track of the outs and tossed a live ball into the stands, allowing a run rookie tosses ball. The Milwaukee Brewers honored longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker with a large downtown mural honors Uecker with mural.