REPORT: DODGERS MORE INTERESTED IN SKUBAL WITH OHTANI NOT PITCHING
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ interest in acquiring Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has increased due to Shohei Ohtani being unavailable to pitch, reports MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
However, the Dodgers are unlikely to include top prospect Josue De Paula in a deal for Skubal, Morosi adds.
Adding Skubal to the rotation would provide the Dodgers with a solid replacement for Ohtani, whose availability to pitch remains unknown due to knee and biceps soreness that becomes bothersome when he throws.
While Los Angeles doesn’t have a glaring need to acquire Skubal, bringing him on would offer the club a better chance at becoming the first team to win three straight World Series since the New York Yankees in 1998-2000.
The Dodgers expect Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to return before the end of the regular season, but both of them come with injury concerns. Additionally, Roki Sasaki (4.71 ERA) remains a work in progress, and All-Star Justin Wrobleski has already exceeded his previous major-league high in innings.
On Wednesday, Skubal entered his potential final start as a Tiger with a 2.70 ERA and 11.0 K/9. The pending free agent reached 1,000 career strikeouts during the outing.
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SHOHEI OHTANI EXPECTED TO PITCH AGAIN THIS SEASON, BUT DODGERS IN NO RUSH
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers expect Shohei Ohtani to pitch again this season, but they’re not rushing the two-way superstar back to the mound because of concern about him overcompensating while his left knee heals.
Andrew Friedman downplayed Ohtani’s right biceps soreness, too.
“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now,” Friedman said Wednesday. “We didn’t want to put him in a position where he was altering his mechanics to try to protect the knee in any way.”
The team’s president of baseball operations said Ohtani is keeping his right arm active with plyometric throws using a medicine ball that takes the strain off constantly landing on his left leg.
“It keeps getting better,” Friedman said. “Does he feel 100% in his arm? No, but neither does any pitcher in late July.”
The team wants Ohtani’s knee to feel as good as possible before he begins a throwing program on flat ground or off a mound.
“I feel confident that relatively soon he’s going to start getting out and start ramping up for catch-play and bullpens and getting him back,” Friedman said.
That belief is based on the progress Ohtani says he’s felt so far and an MRI done on his knee during the All-Star break that came back clear. That’s also when he had a lubricant injection in his knee.
In the meantime, Ohtani will continue serving as the designated hitter. He has said his knee doesn’t bother him when he’s hitting.
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RANGERS ACQUIRE C LOGAN O’HOPPE, RHP CHASE SILSETH FROM ANGELS
The Texas Rangers dealt for catcher Logan O’Hoppe and relief pitcher Chase Silseth on Wednesday, sending the Los Angeles Angels minor league prospect Angel Arredondo in return.
O’Hoppe, 26, has appeared in 386 games over the past five years with the Angels. He owns a .227 career batting average, though he is hitting just .209 with four homers and 23 RBIs in 75 games this season.
His best season at the plate came in 2024, when he batted .244 with a .303 on-base percentage, a .409 slugging percentage, 20 homers and 56 RBIs in 136 games.
The Rangers, who are 55-53 and in first place in the AL West, were in significant need of a catcher following injuries to Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka, who both currently reside on the injured list.
Jansen, out since early June with an elbow injury, has been mulling elbow surgery, which would shut down his season. As part of the Wednesday roster dealings, he was moved to the 60-day injured list.
Higashioka is dealing with a flexor strain in his right elbow, an ailment that sent him to the IL a week ago.
In their absence, the Rangers have rotated between Elias Diaz, who is more of an asset on offense, and Austin Wynns, a better player on defense.
Where O’Hoppe fits into the mix remains to be seen, as the Rangers optioned him to Triple-A Round Rock immediately following the deal.
Silseth, like O’Hoppe, has seen a lot of action in 2026. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 3-2 record with a 2.72 ERA over 47 appearances (39 2/3 innings).
Silseth will join Texas’ active roster.
Arredondo is a 19-year-old infielder from Mexico. He has rotated between third base and shortstop for Class-A Hickory this season, batting .247 with eight homers and 47 RBIs in 87 games.
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O’S RALLY TO RUIN TARIK SKUBAL’S POSSIBLE DETROIT FAREWELL
Jackson Holliday drove in three runs, Colton Cowser knocked in the winning run and visiting Baltimore rallied from a seven-run deficit for a 10-9, 12-inning win, spoiling what may have been Tarik Skubal’s last start as a Detroit Tiger.
Cowser’s two-out single off Drew Sommers (0-2) drove home Taylor Ward after the teams each scored twice in the 11th.
Coby Mayo reached base four times and scored two runs while driving in two more. Ward added two RBIs.
Grant Wolfram (4-2) collected the win, and Andrew Kittredge got the final out for his fourth save.
Skubal recorded his 1,000th career strikeout and shut the Orioles out through the first six innings. The subject of constant trade rumors all season, Skubal departed in the seventh with a six-run lead, but the bullpen couldn’t hold it. He was charged with three runs and four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Baseball coverage
Marlins 8, Phillies 6
Griffin Conine hit a two-run pinch homer in the eighth inning as Miami completed a three-game sweep of visiting Philadelphia after rallying from a six-run deficit.
Miami entered the series riding a 12-game losing streak — the longest in franchise history — but got well against Philadelphia, which is now 3-9 since the All-Star break. The Marlins rallied from a 6-0 hole in the fifth inning. Tyler Zuber (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Trea Turner homered for the Phillies, while Bryson Stott knocked in a pair of runs. Jesus Luzardo surrendered six runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings while squandering the big early lead.
Giants 16, Brewers 3
Daniel Susac belted the first two home runs of his career, Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos stroked four hits apiece and San Francisco captured the season series over National League Central-leading Milwaukee.
Susac finished with three runs and four RBIs, while Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee collected three RBIs apiece. Susac’s first homer — a three-run blast in a scoreless game — came in the second inning and was all the Giants’ scoring until the sixth, when a seven-run uprising turned a one-run margin into a 10-2 lead.
Brice Turang had two hits and two RBIs for the Brewers, who hadn’t allowed more than 14 runs in any previous game this season. Jake Bauers also had a pair of hits for Milwaukee, which was out-hit 17-8.
Royals 4, Twins 0
Randy Dobnak threw seven stellar innings against his former team and Tyler Tolbert homered to help Kansas City post a shutout victory over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Dobnak (1-0), who appeared in 39 games (21 starts) with the Twins from 2019-25 and was traded away on July 28 of last year, allowed four hits. Tolbert, Nick Loftin and Jac Caglianone each had two hits and an RBI for the Royals, who improved to 8-4 since the All-Star break.
Joe Ryan (6-7) allowed four runs on eight hits across six innings for the Twins, who had won three straight games and five of their last six.
Astros 7, Angels 4
Yainer Diaz went 4-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored as Houston rallied from a three-run deficit to complete a three-game sweep of Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Hayden Wesneski (1-0), making his first major league appearance since May 6, 2025, after Tommy John surgery, allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Jeremy Pena homered, Jose Altuve had two hits and scored a run, and Cam Smith added a two-run double for Houston, which won for the eighth time in nine games.
Jo Adell went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Wade Meckler doubled and singled, and Vaughn Grissom had two RBIs for Los Angeles, which lost for the sixth time in seven games. Mitch Farris (0-3) allowed three runs on two hits in one inning of relief.
Red Sox 4, Athletics 2 (10 innings)
Andruw Monasterio capped a three-hit outing with a two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning, leading Boston to a victory over the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Jahmai Jones also homered, and Caleb Durbin had three hits for the Red Sox, who posted their 19th victory in the past 22 games. Nick Sogard had two hits and an RBI while Ceddanne Rafaela also had two hits for Boston.
Jonah Heim had a home run among his three hits and Lawrence Butler homered and doubled for the Athletics. Jeff McNeil added two hits for the A’s, who have lost 25 of their past 32 contests.
Cardinals 3, Cubs 2 (10 innings)
Ivan Herrera capped a three-run rally with a walk-off two-run double in the 10th inning and St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over visiting Chicago.
Pete Crow-Armstrong broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning against Luis Gastelum (2-1) before the Cardinals rallied in the bottom half against Trent Thornton (3-4).
With runners on the corners and no outs, Thornton walked JJ Wetherholt to load the bases before a run scored on Jordan Walker’s forceout. Herrera followed with a two-run double to left field.
White Sox 6, Yankees 5 (12 innings)
Edgar Quero blooped a walk-off RBI single to center field in the 12th inning after the White Sox bullpen delivered six innings of one-run ball, lifting Chicago to a victory against visiting New York.
White Sox reliever Jordan Hicks (1-1) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 12th. Sam Antonacci and Munetaka Murakami hit back-to-back home runs for the White Sox to tie the game at 4-all in the eighth.
Spencer Jones went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer for the Yankees. Ryan Yarbrough (2-1) surrendered the decisive run in the 12th.
Dodgers 4, Mariners 2
Andy Pages delivered a home run among his three hits, Eric Lauer gave up one hit over six scoreless innings and Los Angeles finished off a victory over visiting Seattle.
Lauer (6-5) improved to 5-0 with a 2.96 ERA since joining Los Angeles in May. Edwin Diaz came off the injured list and got his fifth save despite allowing a run in the ninth.
Cole Young had two hits and an RBI for the Mariners. Emerson Hancock (6-5) gave up three runs on eight hits over five innings.
Blue Jays 5, Nationals 2
Right-hander Trey Yesavage pitched a strong 6 2/3 innings and visiting Toronto defeated Washington.
Yesavage (5-5) allowed one run and three hits in the rubber match of a three-game series. Right-hander Louis Varland allowed a walk and a single in two innings to earn his 23rd save. Kazuma Okamoto had three hits with a two-run double for the Blue Jays.
Washington took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. CJ Abrams led off with a walk, advanced to third on two groundouts and trotted home when Jacob Young looped a double to left. Starter Zack Littell allowed no runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Diamondbacks 3, Pirates 0
Eduardo Rodriguez threw eight scoreless innings, and Gabriel Moreno hit a go-ahead two-run home run to propel Arizona to a potentially crucial shutout of host Pittsburgh.
Arizona won two of three against Pittsburgh and is tied for second in the National League wild-card race. The Diamondbacks also secured the season tiebreaker against the Pirates, who are one of multiple teams in contention for a postseason berth.
The Pirates went 2-4 over their past six games at home against the Chicago Cubs and Diamondbacks, who are two of those contending teams.
Mets 3, Braves 2 (Game 1)
Carson Benge had two hits, including the go-ahead run-scoring double in the seventh inning, as host New York edged Atlanta in the first game of a split doubleheader.
The Mets never trailed, taking a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Francisco Alvarez and a sacrifice fly from A.J. Ewing. Sean Manaea allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, Huascar Brazoban (5-2) worked a scoreless seventh, and Devin Williams worked around a two-out single to register his 15th save.
Matt Olson’s sixth-inning homer, his 28th, knocked in the only runs of the game for the Braves. A.J. Smith-Shawver surrendered two runs on four hits over 4 1/3 innings in his season debut after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. Dylan Dodd (1-1) allowed two walks in the seventh before giving up Benge’s double.
Braves 1, Mets 0 (Game 2)
Chris Sale and a trio of relievers combined on a two-hitter for visiting Atlanta, which beat New York to earn a doubleheader split.
Matt Olson snapped the scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning. Sale (12-6) gave up two hits, walked none and struck out nine in six innings. Raisel Iglesias tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save.
Christian Scott (3-3) allowed the one run on five hits over a season-high six innings as the Mets had their three-game winning streak end.
Guardians 6, Reds 1
Kyle Manzardo homered and drove in two runs, and Travis Bazzana had two hits, a run and an RBI as visiting Cleveland defeated Cincinnati.
Gabriel Arias went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI for the Guardians, who unleashed a 12-hit attack to clinch a series win in the Ohio Cup matchup. Cleveland reliever Erik Sabrowski (4-2) struck out the only two batters he faced.
Reds starter Brady Singer (5-10) allowed four runs, all unearned, on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Cincinnati’s Noelvi Marte hit an RBI single.
Padres 5, Rockies 1
Six pitchers combined on a six-hitter, while Jackson Merrill knocked in a run during a three-run fourth inning that lifted San Diego to a win over visiting Colorado, which ran its winning streak to five games.
Bulk Padres reliever Griffin Canning (2-9) earned the win after tossing three shutout innings, yielding only one hit. Mason Miller recorded his 28th save in as many chances. Luis Renfigo tacked on an RBI groundout, and Gavin Sheets capped off the only inning San Diego scored with a sacrifice fly.
Gabriel Hughes (0-3) absorbed the loss for the Rockies, allowing six hits and three runs in five-plus innings. Brett Sullivan was the only player with multiple hits and provided Colorado’s lone RBI with a run-scoring single in the seventh. The Rockies have lost 14 of their last 15 games at the Padres.
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