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Devon Conway and Blair Tickner have replaced Adi Ashok and Muhammad Abbas in New Zealand’s pool of 20 centrally contracted players for 2026-27, New Zealand Cricket announced on Wednesday. Michael Bracewell and Mark Chapman “both requested not to be ranked in Test cricket and remain on the central contract list as white-ball specialists”.

Kane Williamson, meanwhile, has retired from international cricket – he had been on a casual contract for a year.

While Tickner earned his contract with solid performances across formats over the past few months, Conway comes back into the central list after playing for two years on a casual contract. He has made himself available for all international fixtures during the upcoming contracting period (August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027).

Tickner has claimed four or more wickets in five of his last eight innings in international cricket, and picked up his first international five-wicket haul last month against Ireland in the one-off Test in Stormont.

Speaking to reporters after the news became public, Tickner said, “It’s been a while, so it was awesome news to hear. I’ve been working towards it. So, no, it was just a cool experience, I guess, for me and the family to be back on the list after a few years off. It’s obviously awesome to be around the environment and then to feel like you’re part of the cog going forward is always special.

“I just wanted to play more for New Zealand and put performances in for the team and whatever came of it, came of it. And luckily enough, you know, the contract’s come my way. But it’s just, like I said, awesome to be a part of the team going forward.”

Head coach Rob Walter said of Tickner: “Blair has worked extremely hard over the past few years and added new levels to his game. He’s an excellent team man and has stepped into various roles for the side over the past few months and excelled in them.

“It’s important we continue to nurture that depth in our bowling stocks, especially with a heavy diet of red-ball cricket over the next 12 months, so to have Blair contracted full-time will help maintain that depth.”

On 34-year-old Conway, Walter said, “Devon has been a regular member of the side in all three formats for some time now, even whilst on a casual contract, so it’s great to have a player of his calibre back on the central contract list, especially with the amount of exciting cricket coming up.”

Zak Foulkes and Mitchell Hay have retained their contracts after being included for the first time last year and featuring for New Zealand across all three formats in the past 12 months.

Discussions around casual contracts are underway, NZC said, and “an announcement is expected in the coming weeks”.

New Zealand men’s centrally contracted players

Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitchell Hay, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young.

ATLANTA — Drake Baldwin’s first MLB plate appearance in nearly a month resulted in the longest home run hit this season.

Baldwin crushed a 473-foot leadoff homer against Giants starter Adrian Houser on Tuesday night at Truist Park before the game was suspended in the bottom of the second inning with the Braves trailing 3-2. This was the Braves catcher’s first plate appearance since he strained his right oblique muscle against the Marlins on May 18.

• Braves LED Light Giveaway (First 3,000 Kids) is this Sunday!

“That’s not easy to do, take a month off, or whatever — and with his first swing, literally the first one, he hit it 473 feet,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “Some guys are just different. Drake’s different.”

Baldwin’s 14th home run of the season and third of the leadoff variety, landed in the shrubbery located far beyond the center-field wall. A’s teammates Nick Kurtz (471 feet on Friday in Las Vegas) and Shea Langeliers (467 on April 12 in Sacramento) entered Tuesday as the only big leaguers to hit a 463-plus foot homer this year.

Baldwin was activated from the 10-day injured list on Monday afternoon, just a couple hours after the first 2026 KONAMI eBaseball All-Star Ballot update showed him as the leader among National League catchers.

The Braves outrighted Austin Wynns to Triple-A Gwinnett to create a roster spot. Baldwin will resume his duties as Atlanta’s primary catcher, with Sandy León serving as his backup.

Baldwin, who serves as the designated hitter when he’s not catching, entered play Tuesday hitting .303 with 13 homers and a .932 OPS. His return already appears to be a big boost for the Braves, who have lost four of their last five games. Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a hamstring strain during the first of those five games.

I recapped the Yankees’ incredible 13-run inning against Sacramento, and I was tapped for tonight’s blowout win as well. Should I recap a third blowout, that’s a trend and I’ll be asking my editors for a raise, since clearly I’m having influence here.

The Yankees were down 1-0 three batters into the game, but that was just about the only time it felt like they were in any danger. Two huge innings catapulted them to another win, and they’re now 8-2 in their last 10 — all without Aaron Judge! The 12-2 victory tonight sets them up well for yet another series win against what would ostensibly be called a playoff contender, this time the Chicago White Sox.

Until the third inning, you could make a very good case that Davis Martin would be the runner-up to Cam Schlittler in the AL Cy Young race. We’re still a little under halfway through this season, but those odds certainly took a hit once the Yankees got a second look at the right-hander. He entered play second in the Junior Circuit with a 2.38 ERA. He left ranked 12th, at 3.31.

Spencer Jones jumped on a ball to tie us up in the second:

Jones paired that with a bases-loaded walk a couple of innings later, and for all my skepticism about his potential as a major-leaguer, being able to cut back on whiffs just a little bit makes him a much more valuable piece of this team. He struck out in the sixth on one of those pitches he has to learn how to take because his levers are so long, but on the whole, well done Spencer.

Now, onto the third inning — and then the fourth.

Ben Rice chose a great time to challenge a called third strike, setting up Cody Bellinger to push the Yankees ahead:

Jones’ walk and José Caballero’s sac fly pushed the lead to four, and Gerrit Cole did exactly what you want your “ace” to do — delivered a shutdown inning and got a weary Martin back on the bump. With one on and one out, Benny Barrels made this a laugher:

And after Benny, New York’s Oldest Man Paul Goldschmidt ended Martin’s night:

But wait, there’s more!

Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Jones worked another walk, while Ryan McMahon continued to build something of a floor for himself with an RBI base hit. Reliever Chris Murphy threw away another run, committing an error trying to retire J.C. Escarra, and that gave the Yankees their 11th run. It wasn’t quite the 13-run inning that we saw against the As, but those two frames today took eons to finish, for very good reasons.

As for Cole, he was solid and certainly seemed to be pitching to the scoreboard, another crafty veteran trait to match the new windup and uhhhh, paunch. Six full innings, two runs allowed, and we saw a little more whiff on his pitches than in his previous start. He did leave an absolute sub to Andrew Benintendi in the first inning and Benintendi did exactly what you’re supposed to do with a pitch like that.

That was really Cole’s only mistake though. He got into a little bit of trouble in the sixth, giving up another run, but if he repeats himself tonight the rest of the way, that vaunted Yankee pitching rotation is gonna be in pretty good shape.

We got a position player pitching in the bottom of the eighth, and of course Caballero took an absolute daddy hack:

I startled my friend with how loudly I laughed at the swing, and the Yankees had a dozen.

It’s nice to start the baseball week with a breeze, and it’s even better when you knock around one of the league’s best arms. Carlos Rodón will look to keep this hot streak going tomorrow in game two against fellow southpaw Anthony Kay, once again with a 7:05pm Eastern start.

The 96th edition of the MLB All-Star Game is right around the corner, and the league’s biggest stars as well as some surprise candidates are making their final pushes toward earning invitations to Philadelphia next month. Not only do we have nearly three months of performance to inform which players warrant a roster spot, but we also have our first round of fan voting results showing which players are in the mix to start July 14 at Citizens Bank Park.

Our latest power rankings look at players on each team who could be first-time All-Stars this year. These are often some of the best stories during All-Star week, whether they are ascendent young talents appearing in their first of many Midsummer Classics or veterans finally getting their first invite later in their careers. There won’t be room for all of them on the leagues’ stacked rosters, but here are some names to look for as potential first-timers.

Jump to a team by clicking on the links below:

• AL East: Yankees | Rays | Blue Jays | Orioles | Red Sox
• AL Central: White Sox | Guardians | Twins | Tigers | Royals
• AL West: Mariners | Athletics | Rangers | Astros | Angels
• NL East: Braves | Phillies | Nationals | Marlins | Mets
• NL Central: Brewers | Cardinals | Cubs | Pirates | Reds
• NL West: Dodgers | Padres | Diamondbacks | Giants | Rockies

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (46-27)

If you were told before the season that a Dodger would be the leading vote-getter among all National League outfielders in the first round of All-Star fan voting, that wouldn’t be a surprise. But you’d probably assume it was marquee free-agent addition Kyle Tucker (an All-Star the past four seasons) or beloved slugger Teoscar Hernández, right? Nope! It’s 25-year-old Andy Pages, and deservingly so. Even if the outsized vote totals are partially a product of his team’s enormous and enthusiastic fan base, Pages would be a worthy inclusion on the All-Star roster. He leads the NL with 56 RBI and ranks 13th among NL position players in fWAR.

2. Atlanta Braves (46-25)

Even with some missed time due to injury, Drake Baldwin‘s outstanding play should earn him his first All-Star invite, and surely not his last. But most intriguing for Atlanta will be whether this is the year Raisel Iglesias finally gets the nod, as the 36-year-old right-hander has never been named an All-Star, despite remarkable consistency in the closer role for multiple teams over the past decade. There are only so many reliever spots available, so Iglesias could fall short again, but his continued excellence (14 saves, 1.16 ERA, 30.4% strikeout rate) on one of baseball’s best teams should not go overlooked.

3. Milwaukee Brewers (43-26)

Brice Turang — a Platinum Glove winner and a member of Team USA but not yet an All-Star — is the best bet to join super-ace Jacob Misiorowski in Philadelphia, and that would be well-deserved considering his ongoing offensive breakout. Among surprise first-half stars, 30-year-old Jake Bauers (his 148 wRC+ ranks seventh among NL hitters) has mashed his way into serious All-Star consideration, though a crowded NL first-base crop (Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper) makes his inclusion less certain.

4. New York Yankees (43-27)

With his rib injury likely preventing Aaron Judge from participating in his eighth All-Star Game, Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler should snag the spotlight as the Yankees’ representatives. Two tremendous, homegrown player-development stories, Rice and Schlittler have been co-headlining this Yankees campaign all season, and the All-Star Game might be a precursor to their respective pushes for even more exclusive hardware: MVP and Cy Young.

5. Tampa Bay Rays (41-28)

The most likely first-timer on this Rays roster is 35-year-old right-hander Nick Martinez, whose 2.60 ERA ranks third-lowest among qualified AL starting pitchers. Martinez’s underwhelming underlying peripherals don’t reflect that of one of the league’s best arms, but Tampa Bay still has to be thrilled with what he has provided as a free-agent addition to the rotation.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (39-33)

He hasn’t been an elite reliever for nearly as long as Iglesias, but it’s strange to think that Jhoan Duran also has yet to make an All-Star team, considering how dominant he has been since debuting in 2022. Whether that changes this year remains to be seen, but a near certain first-timer representing the All-Star hosts will be outfielder Brandon Marsh. In fact, Marsh’s terrific season at the plate (133 wRC+) plus the hometown bump in fan voting could make him a starter for the NL.

7. Chicago White Sox (38-32)

Chicago’s lone representative last season was right-hander Shane Smith, a Rule 5 pick who became a reliable rotation option. Smith is a great story, but his selection was reflective of the complete lack of other compelling options to choose from. How times have changed. This season’s upstart White Sox roster boasts several All-Star candidates, all of whom would be first-timers: rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, breakout bat Miguel Vargas and emergent ace Davis Martin would be worthy inclusions.

8. Cleveland Guardians (39-33)

A slow start and recent hamate injury will prevent face of the franchise José Ramírez from making his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance (and eighth overall), so look for a pitcher to represent the Guardians. Closer Cade Smith is MLB’s current saves leader with 23 and trails only Mason Miller among relievers in fWAR; he’s a virtual lock. Right-hander Gavin Williams is another first-time All-Star candidate, as his 28.7% strikeout rate ranks third among AL starting pitchers, behind only Reid Detmers (more on him later) and Jacob deGrom.

9. Seattle Mariners (37-36)

Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Luis Castillo have all been All-Stars before; could it be Emerson Hancock’s turn? Or even Bryce Miller‘s? Hancock has tailed off a bit since a brilliant first month, but he ranks among the top 15 qualified AL starting pitchers in innings pitched (79 ⅔), ERA (3.28), WHIP (1.01) and K-minus-BB% (18.5%). Miller has pitched only 35 innings, but he has been dominant in that abbreviated sample: 1.54 ERA, 0.714 WHIP, 28.8% strikeout rate.

10. St. Louis Cardinals (39-31)

His impressive rookie year as a 21-year-old in 2023 suggested an eventual All-Star appearance was in the cards for Jordan Walker, but his immense struggles the past two seasons clouded that projection. But Walker has gotten back on track in a big way in his fourth major-league season, enjoying a slugging surge that has him at or near the top of the NL leaderboards in homers (18), RBI (56) and OPS (.903). His enormous raw power (99th-percentile average exit velocity, 100th-percentile bat speed) also makes him a strong candidate for this year’s Home Run Derby.

11. Chicago Cubs (38-35)

With Nico Hoerner falling off hard after an excellent April, we might need to look elsewhere in the Cubs’ lineup for a possible first-time All-Star, and Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki appear to be the strongest candidates. Suzuki was one of the biggest All-Star snubs last year, but his production has been more good than great this season, so he’d have to heat up over the next few weeks to warrant consideration. Busch’s production is also down from where it was a year ago, but his .381 OBP ranks seventh among NL hitters.

12. San Diego Padres (37-34)

The Padres’ maddeningly meek offensive output does not offer many All-Star candidates of any genre, let alone first-timers, though Gavin Sheets would be a cool inclusion, considering his career trajectory. On the mound, Michael King has been rock-solid yet nothing special. Things are trending toward Mason Miller rolling solo in Philly.

13. Washington Nationals (38-35)

Don’t count on Washington garnering All-Stars beyond the fantastic duo of James Wood and CJ Abrams. But the Nationals aren’t a two-man show. They’ve benefitted from promising steps forward from catcher Keibert Ruiz and instant impact from fresh faces Curtis Mead and Foster Griffin. Any of them being named an All-Star for the first time is unlikely as things stand, but their contributions have been crucial to Washington’s unexpected competitiveness.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (37-35)

Eduardo Rodriguez has carried the momentum from his strong showing for World Baseball Classic champion Venezuela into an impressive first half with Arizona. There has been some good luck involved — he has one of the largest gaps between his ERA (2.55) and xERA (4.83) of any starting pitcher — but the results have been great, and the D-backs are 10-4 across Rodriguez’s 14 starts. Of note: Among active pitchers, only Carlos Carrasco has thrown more innings without making an All-Star Game than Rodriguez.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (36-37)

Not far behind ace Paul Skenes on the pitching fWAR leaderboard is 26-year-old right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, who is quietly enjoying one of the bigger breakouts of 2026. At the same time, this is a continuation of what Ashcraft did in a swingman role as a rookie last season: Among 126 pitchers who have thrown at least 150 innings since the start of 2025, Ashcraft’s 3.03 ERA ranks 15th, tied with Jacob deGrom. Pretty good!

16. Athletics (36-36)

Two no-brainers here. Shea Langeliers is miles ahead among American League catchers in the fan voting and has been arguably the best-hitting backstop in MLB this season. And Nick Kurtz picked up right where he left off after a historic rookie season and just enjoyed a superboost to his statistics by playing six games in Las Vegas — not that he needed help. He might not get the starting nod like Langeliers, but Kurtz will absolutely be on the All-Star roster for the first time in Philadelphia, where he grew up going to games.

17. Texas Rangers (35-37)

No active major leaguer has accumulated more baseball-reference WAR in his career without making an All-Star appearance than Brandon Nimmo, who has been solid in his first year as a Ranger, though probably not quite good enough to remove that distinction from his résumé. Instead, keep an eye on lefty closer Jacob Latz, whose .115 batting average against and 0.60 WHIP are both the lowest marks among MLB relievers.

18. Toronto Blue Jays (34-38)

Dylan Cease exemplifies the flukey nature of All-Star selections, as the right-hander has two top-four Cy Young finishes and a seven-year free-agent contract but no Midsummer Classic on his résumé. That should change in the coming weeks, as Cease has made a wonderful first impression in Toronto, with a 2.91 ERA across 68 innings and an AL-leading 103 strikeouts. On track to join Cease in Philadelphia as a first-time All-Star: Ernie Clement, the leading vote-getter among AL second basemen.

19. Miami Marlins (36-37)

Take your pick: Otto Lopez, leading MLB in hits (97) and batting average (.339) while providing steady defense at shortstop, or right-hander Max Meyer, who has yet to take a loss through 15 starts and is floating on the periphery of the spectacularly loaded NL Cy Young race. Both are huge reasons this young Fish team has surged in June, and both deserve to be in Philadelphia.

20. Cincinnati Reds (34-37)

In the category of über-talented youngsters who could make their first of many All-Star appearances, right-hander Chase Burns — currently fourth among NL starters in fWAR, behind Misiorowski, Cristopher Sánchez and Skenes — fits the bill. But how about JJ Bleday? The former fourth overall draft pick didn’t crack the Reds’ Opening Day roster but has been an impact bat since being recalled from Triple-A. Since April 26, Bleday’s 155 wRC+ ranks ninth among qualified NL hitters.

21. Baltimore Orioles (34-39)

It has been a bizarre first year in Baltimore for outfielder Taylor Ward, but it might be good enough to earn him his first All-Star invite. Ward has started all 73 games while batting first or second for the Orioles and has hit only three home runs, yet his 16 doubles rank fourth in the AL and his .404 OBP ranks third behind only Kurtz and Yordan Alvarez.

22. New York Mets (32-40)

It’s slim pickings here. Rookie Nolan McLean came out of the gate hot and could still pitch his way into the All-Star mix, but his ERA has ballooned to a pedestrian 4.01, and the competition among NL starters is stiff. Mets fans can at least look forward to Juan Soto making his first All-Star Game as a Met (and fifth overall) after being snubbed a year ago.

23. Minnesota Twins (34-40)

A hamate injury has sidelined him since mid-May, but Ryan Jeffers was raking to a ridiculous degree (163 wRC+) over the first six weeks and could have been well on his way to his first All-Star Game. Depending on when he returns, he could be an interesting name to monitor at the trade deadline before he hits the free-agent market as the top catcher available.

24. Houston Astros (33-41)

Among active position players, only Randal Grichuk has hit more career home runs (218) than Christian Walker (192) without ever being named to the All-Star Game. The Astros might not get any additional All-Stars beyond MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez, but Walker’s resurgence (121 wRC+) after a lackluster first season (99 wRC+) in Houston warrants consideration. His 52 RBI are third in the AL behind Kurtz and Alvarez.

25. Detroit Tigers (30-42)

He doesn’t have the same support in the fan vote, but catcher Dillon Dingler nearly matches Langeliers in most offensive categories and is much better on defense, hence his sizable lead atop the fWAR leaderboard (3.2 to Langeliers’ 2.4). Amid a difficult season for Detroit, Dingler’s breakout from stellar starting catcher to all-around star has been a welcome silver lining.

26. Boston Red Sox (29-40)

By far the most likely Red Sox All-Stars are veterans who have been there before: Willson Contreras and Aroldis Chapman. But Ceddanne Rafaela has taken a big step forward with the bat (116 wRC+), a notable development in tandem with his exquisite glovework, which remains elite (+10 Outs Above Average, second among center fielders behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong).

27. San Francisco Giants (29-43)

Count Willy Adames as another one of the most accomplished active position players who has never made an All-Star Game, and his middling production won’t be altering that status this summer. Jung-Hoo Lee is the potential first-timer to watch, as his advanced hit tool has finally started to translate to the highest level in his third major-league season. Lee’s five three-hit games are the most in MLB, with only three other hitters (Crow-Armstrong, Dingler, Ward) having three such performances.

28. Kansas City Royals (29-44)

Does this dismal Royals club deserve any additional All-Stars beyond expected AL starting shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.? No. But sophomore slugger Jac Caglianone has made some encouraging progress (118 wRC+) after a difficult rookie season (46 wRC+) and would be welcome as a dark-horse invite to the Home Run Derby.

29. Los Angeles Angels (29-44)

The All-Star headline in Anaheim is that Mike Trout is in good position to make his 12th All-Star Game, joining the 38 others in MLB history who were invited to a dozen or more Midsummer Classics. The leading first-time All-Star candidates are a pair of pitchers. José Soriano was unbelievable through six starts (0.24 ERA across 37 ⅔ innings) but has been more inconsistent in the nine outings since (4.74 ERA across 49 ⅓ innings), while Reid Detmers has gotten better as the season as progressed and currently ranks third in fWAR among AL starting pitchers, behind Schlittler and Martin.

30. Colorado Rockies (27-46)

In all likelihood, catcher Hunter Goodman (20 HR, 122 wRC+) will head to the All-Star Game as the lone Rockies representative for the second straight year. But how cool would it be if Mickey Moniak — 10 years removed from being selected first overall by the Phillies — returned to Philadelphia as a first-time All-Star? His .607 slugging percentage (third among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances, behind Alvarez and Rice) is eye-catching, but an ankle injury has limited him to just 43 games, and he remains on the injured list, so this scenario might be a bit too fanciful.

A two-start list that looked weak a couple of days ago improved over the weekend, as the Cardinals, Athletics and Mets made rotation shuffles that provided managers with new options. Overall, the list is now an average group that should meet the needs of those who are quick enough to grab the best options.

On the hitting side, the Athletics are by far the best place to look for streamers.

Dustin May, Cardinals, 44% (vs. SD, @ KC): May is clearly the headliner of this group. Following two debacles to open the season, he has been terrific by logging a 2.89 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in his past 11 starts. And his success has been well-earned, as the right-hander has produced a 59:17 K:BB ratio while allowing just three homers over that 11-start stretch. May is a potential game-changer in all head-to-head formats, going up against the teams that rank 30th and 24th in runs scored.

J.T. Ginn, Athletics, 48% (vs. PIT, vs. LAA): Although he faltered in his most recent start (5.2 IP, 5 ER), Ginn has otherwise fared well across 12 starts (2.94 ERA, 1.15 WHIP). The right-hander is far from dominant (65:30 K:BB ratio) but gets plenty of grounders, which allows him to keep the ball in the yard. That skill is essential at his hitter-friendly home park, which is where he will make both of his starts this week. Set to face a pair of strikeout-prone offenses, Ginn could make a notable impact and is one of this week’s few desirable options.

Grant Holmes, Braves, 26% (vs. SF, vs. MIL): By virtue of being an average starter with average matchups, Holmes has some appeal in 12-team leagues. But it’s worth noting that the right-hander hasn’t been at his best of late, as he didn’t make it through five innings in two of his past three starts. His ceiling is mediocre, thanks to an average 8.0 K/9 rate, and he has been taken deep six times in his past four starts. Holmes will be happy to make both starts at home, as he has logged a career 3.18 ERA at Truist Park (4.74 ERA on the road).

Ryne Nelson, Diamondbacks, 51% (vs. LAA, vs. MIN): Nelson has been one of baseball’s most inconsistent starters en route to posting a 5.19 ERA, as he has allowed two or fewer earned runs in half of his 14 starts but also has a trio of outings with 6+ earned runs. The latest disaster came in his most recent start, when the Marlins scored on him seven times. Nelson ranks fourth in baseball with 17 homers allowed, which is the main reason behind his volatility. He has average matchups this week, making him the ultimate boom-or-bust option.

Walbert Ureña, Angels, 41% (@ ARI, @ ATH): Ureña has been fortunate to log a 2.44 ERA, as he has walked at least three batters in seven of his 10 starts. His 4.02 FIP and 1.36 WHIP are better indicators of someone who is an average starter at best. Ureña’s matchups are reasonable, as the Diamondbacks struggle against righties and his groundball lean could help him to survive his outing against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Those in points leagues can consider him.

Jack Perkins, Athletics, 3% (vs. PIT, vs. LAA): Perkins has an intriguing skill set but can’t figure out a role. He was briefly the team’s closer in late April and is now being tried as a starter. His 6.25 ERA will scare most managers away, but his 3.68 FIP and 10.8 K/9 rate show that there is some upside here. Perkins has allowed eight earned runs over eight innings since moving back to the rotation, which is enough reason to avoid him in category leagues. But those in points formats should give the righty a look, as his strong swing-and-miss skills line up well against the two teams that lead the majors in whiffs.

Jared Jones, Pirates, 42% (@ ATH, @ COL): In the long run, Jones may be the most interesting hurler in this article. However, he hasn’t been at his best in three starts since missing all of 2025, as he finished the fifth inning in just one outing. With reasonable matchups, I would recommend taking a chance on Jones and his substantial skill set. But with starts at the two toughest parks in baseball — especially against an Athletics team that leads the majors in home OPS — Jones is too risky this week.

Brandon Young, Orioles, 19% (@ SEA, @ LAD): Mostly due to a 53-point BABIP improvement, Young has enjoyed better success in his second season. The right-hander has been especially effective of late, notching a quality start and pitching into the seventh inning in each of his past four starts. With better matchups, Young would be an interesting dice roll in a scoring period with poor two-start options. Unfortunately, the Dodgers and Mariners rank first and eighth in OPS against righties. He’s too risky in a category league, and his poor strikeout skills limit his ceiling in points formats.

One-Start Streamers

In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.

• Gage Jump vs. LAA (Thursday, 31%)
• Noah Cameron vs. STL (Thursday, 46%)
• Randy Vásquez @ TEX (Friday, 35%)
• Trevor McDonald @ TEX (Friday, 10%)
• Zebby Matthews @ TEX (Tuesday, 15%)
• Stephen Kolek vs. STL (Friday, 36%)
• Merrill Kelly vs. LAA (Tuesday, 45%)
• Jack Leiter vs. MIN (Thursday, 32%)
• Griffin Jax vs. WSH (Friday, 32%)
• Tatsyui Imai vs. CWS (Friday, 36%)
• Keider Montero vs. CWS (Saturday, 9%)
• Michael McGreevy @ KC (Friday, 42%)
• Jeffrey Springs vs. LAA (Friday, 24%)
• Kumar Rocker vs. MIN (Tuesday, 10%)

Favorable Monday-Thursday hitting matchups

Athletics vs. Pirates, Angels: Although they will face a respectable quartet of starters, hitters on the Athletics have a chance to use volume to their advantage during four games at their hitter-friendly home park. And with all four starters throwing from the right side, the streamers are obvious. Carlos Cortes (8%) should hit high in the lineup every game, which makes him the top option. In deeper formats, Henry Bolte (7%) and Zack Gelof (33%) can be considered.

Royals @ Nationals, vs. Cardinals: The Royals could get their underwhelming offense going when they play four games over the next four days, without an ace opposing them in any contest. With three lefties and one right-hander on the schedule, Lane Thomas (1%) is worth mentioning, as he could hit leadoff in the three games started by southpaws.

After a weekend of watching their bullpen struggle and squander multiple leads in a series loss to the Twins, the Cardinals found a way to neutralize that issue in their first two games against the Padres.

One night after Dustin May threw the first complete-game shutout of his career to give the bullpen the night off, Andre Pallante was perfect for 4 1/3 innings and limited the Padres to four hits and two earned runs over a season-best seven innings as the Cardinals edged San Diego 3-2 at Busch Stadium.

“The last two nights, these (starting pitchers) understood the assignment and executed extremely well,” manager Olivert Marmol told Cardinals. TV, referring to May and Pallante. “It allowed us to hit the reset button on our ‘pen, and everybody will be full-go tomorrow, which is awesome. That’s huge for us because Pallante did a really, really nice job.”

Pallante’s stellar work meant the rested bullpen only had to cover two innings, and Ryne Stanek and closer Riley O’Brien blanked the struggling Padres’ offense. The win gave the Cards another series win and a season series victory after the two teams split four games in San Diego in mid-May.

Pallante, who continues to flourish following a dreadful 2025 where he didn’t win any of his final 10 starts, retired the first 13 batters he faced. Pallante’s strong start meant that Cardinals’ pitchers retired San Diego hitters in order in 12 of their first 13 half innings of the series.

San Diego speedster Samad Taylor broke up the perfect game bid with a chopper off Pallante’s glove that shortstop Masyn Winn nearly turned into an out off the deflection. Winn, who made two spectacular plays on Monday to help preserve May’s shutout, barehanded the ball off Pallante’s glove and used his electric arm to make it a bang-bang play at first base.

“He’s so good that even when I’m trying to sabotage him, he can still make a play close,” Pallante gushed. “He’s amazing there at shortstop and we’re lucky to have him.”

Cardinals’ standout rookie JJ Wetherholt had three hits. Catcher Ivan Herrera was plunked by pitches twice, making it the third time this season he’s been hit multiple times in a game. No other MLB player has been hit twice in a game more than once this season. His 18 instances of being hit by pitches lead MLB, and they are the tied for the third most in MLB history through 71 games.

The Cards grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning when the much-improved lower half of the lineup came through again. Blaze Jordan, who was promoted to take over at third base for a struggling Nolan Gorman, drilled a double into the left-center gap to score Lars Nootbaar, who had reached on a walk. Then, Nathan Church, who replaced Victor Scott II as the every-day center fielder, followed with another double to plate Jordan.

Jordan, who was drafted in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft before spending six years in the Minor Leagues, needed just five MLB games to hit for a theoretical cycle. He singled twice in his first game, homered in his second game, tripled in his third game and doubled on Tuesday night.

The Padres finally started to figure Pallante out in the fifth inning when Taylor singled off the right-handed pitcher’s glove. Taylor, who later stole second, came around to score when Ty France singled back up the middle.

Pallante, who has posted a stellar 2.88 ERA over his last six outings, didn’t allow the loss of the perfect game to rattle him.

“I think it all comes back to me being confident in my pitches,” said Pallante, who struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. “I know that my stuff plays, especially when I’m attacking to my best spots. As long as I have confidence to keep doing that, I’ll have success.”

A half-inning later, the Cards boosted that lead back to two runs on Lars Nootbaar’s 200th career RBI – which was a good thing considering that Fernando Tatis Jr. singled and scored from first base on a Jackson Merrill double in the sixth inning.

Pallante rallied after giving up the hits to Tatis Jr. and Merrill by striking out Manny Machado on a check-swing strike three to get out of the sixth inning. In the seventh, Pallante came back and struck out Xander Bogaerts and Ben Sheets looking — both off successful pitch challenges by catcher Ivan Herrera.

“No part of (Pallante) was sped up there and he’s able to take a deep breath and a step back and focus on executing the next pitch,” Marmol said. “In the past, he’s thinking about what just happened and allowing that to impact his next pitch — and it usually didn’t go his way. We’re seeing a different version of him now and it’s one that’s very steady.”

Chicago Cubs starter Edward Cabrera left Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies with one out in the fifth inning after manager Craig Counsell and a team trainer came to the mound.

Ryan Rolison entered to relieve Cabrera with Colorado leading 3-2 and allowed two more runs that were charged to Cabrera.

Cabrera finished the day allowing five runs on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 4 1/3 innings pitched.

There was no indication as to why Cabrera exited early, but the Cubs did place him on the 15-day IL on May 24 due to a blister issue.

With Daniel Palencia going on the IL earlier Tuesday, Chicago currently has nine pitchers on the various injury lists.

PHOENIX — Lefty Reid Detmers has been on a remarkable run for more than a month and kept it rolling against the D-backs while Zach Neto and Mike Trout both went deep in an impressive all-around effort for the Angels.

Detmers threw seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits with no walks while Neto went 2-for-4 with a homer and a triple and Trout went 2-for-4 with a homer, a double and three RBIs in a 7-0 win on Tuesday at Chase Field. It was a nice bounce-back for the Angels after dropping two in a row.

“It was fun to watch,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “Obviously, Det set the tone on the mound, attacking guys, putting guys away, putting up zeros. And then the offense, pretty consistent, every inning getting baserunners on, putting pressure on them, putting runs across. So, good team effort.”

Detmers has been a strikeout machine over his last five starts, posting a 1.36 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 33 innings. But he was efficient and mostly pitched to contact against Arizona, getting just three strikeouts, while improving to 3-5 with a 3.68 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 88 innings this year.

He said the D-backs don’t whiff often, so it was part of the game plan to mix things up and have them put the ball in play.

“They don’t swing and miss a whole lot and put a lot of balls in play, so just work off them putting everything in play,” Detmers said. “Just trying to keep the ball down and pick and choose when to go up. Other than that, just stuck to our game plan of keeping the ball down and making them hit on the ground, put it in play.”

He gave up his first hit on a bloop single to center to Adrian Del Castillo to open the third, but erased him by getting LuJames Groover to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Otherwise, Detmers didn’t give up a hit again until he allowed back-to-back singles to Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo with two outs in the sixth. But Detmers struck out Corbin Carroll for his 100th strikeout of the season to get out of the jam.

“Carroll’s a really good hitter, but we knew he was going to be swinging,” Detmers said. “So we went slider, curveball, then fastball on top to finish off. We just wanted to keep him off-balance; we knew he was going to be swinging.”

The Angels gave him plenty of run support, including Neto connecting on a solo blast in the third inning off right-hander Merrill Kelly. Neto came into the game in an 0-for-10 skid and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a double play on Monday. But he rebounded in a big way with his 14th homer of the year and his first since he homered in three straight games from June 6-8.

Neto also just missed a solo homer in the fifth but had to settle for a triple off the top of the wall in center field. Trout, though, followed with a two-run blast that just cleared the center-field fence for his second straight game with a homer and his 17th of the season.

“With Trouty, it always feels like he’s always swinging the bat good,” Suzuki said. “It’s just a matter of things falling for him. He’s been pretty consistent throughout the whole season.”

The Angels would love to see Neto and Trout get going at the top of the lineup, however, as they’ve both had some struggles this month. Neto has been strikeout prone while Trout scuffled in early June before turning a corner over the last week.

“It felt good,” Neto said. “Any day we get a win, it always feels good. Starting to feel a little better in the box, but I’ve got to do a better job of swinging and missing less on balls off the plate. I’m a way better hitter when I’m swinging at strikes.”

Trout also ripped an RBI double to left off reliever Ryan Thompson in the sixth, as the Angels kept adding runs. Every Angels starter had a hit except for Nick Madrigal, while the bottom of the lineup also produced, as Denzer Guzman, Logan O’Hoppe and Donovan Walton combined to go 7-for-12 with two doubles.

“It was fully from top to bottom,” Suzuki said. “The pressure was constant, pushing forward with these guys. It was fun to watch.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Norway’s prolific striker Erling Haaland bagged two goals in his maiden World Cup appearance on Tuesday to guide his team to an opening 4-1 Group I victory over Iraq, and put down a marker for the tournament.

The 25-year-old, one of the most exciting forwards in world football, was in the spotlight long before the match, and he lived up to his big-name billing on his debut on the biggest of stages, as Norway returned to the World Cup after a 28-year absence.

After a cautious start, Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in Europe, opened his World Cup goal account in the 29th minute, beating his markers and stabbing in a David Moller Wolfe low cross at the far post.

“It was not easy to be a debutant, you’re nervous, and to win on a not-so-good day is great,” Haaland told reporters. “To win 4-1 on an average day is absolutely huge for all of us. It’s fantastic and I’m proud of all of us.”

“This is the most difficult thing you can do,” added the forward. “The next games will be much tougher than this. We have to play even better.”

It was always going to be an uphill struggle for Iraq, who returned to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years after grabbing the last available World Cup place with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in their intercontinental playoff in March.

But they had been battle-hardened by 21 qualifying matches and they kept their composure, snatching a stunning equaliser 10 minutes later, with Aymen Hussein, whose goal against Bolivia had sent them to the World Cup, rising higher than three Norwegians in the box and heading in an Amir Al Ammari cross.

Their joy, however, was short-lived when Haaland pounced on a weak back pass to Iraq’s Jalal Hassan.

The keeper hesitated before trying to clear the ball but instead hit Haaland, with the ball bouncing off his knee into the net for his 57th goal in 51 international matches.

The forward, who looked to have benefited from some rest given by Manchester City at the end of the English Premier League season and by Norway in the run-up to the tournament, needed just 11 touches in the first half to score twice and give his team their first lead at halftime of a World Cup match.

Iraq refused to give up, repeatedly coming close in first-half stoppage time as both teams, with a combined World Cup absence of 68 years, delivered a scintillating opening 45 minutes.

The pace dropped somewhat after the break but Norway struck again in the 76th, sealing their win with substitute Leo Ostigard’s glancing header, before under-pressure Hussein scored an own goal deep into stoppage time.

“I think three points will get you through to the next phase,” said Iraq coach Graham Arnold. “We got two more games to go. You know, I thought the boys did exceptionally well in the first half, but … a couple of mistakes hurt us badly.

“But what a great occasion this has been for Iraq and so many fans here. So, it’s a special night.”

The Norwegians next play Senegal, who lost 3-1 to France earlier. Iraq take on 2018 World Cup winners France in their second group game.

—Reuters

June 17 : American Noah Lyles took a quarter of a second off the world’s best time to clinch victory in the rarely-run 150 metres at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Lyles, the Olympic 100m champion and four-times 200m world champion, clocked 14.67 seconds to better Jamaican Kishane Thompson’s mark of 14.92 set earlier this year.

“It was about time,” the 28-year-old said.

“This feeling – it’s nothing new. It’s very hard to get used to running from a staggered 150 start. We do it in practice, but that’s without blocks. But all in all, I think that it was really good.”

South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile finished second in 14.78, while Australian teen sensation Gout Gout took third in 14.96.