Baseball Wiretap

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin will miss eight to 10 weeks with a left ring finger injury, the team's senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told reporters Tuesday, deepening the club's growing injury concerns.

Griffin had rejoined the Pirates just two weeks earlier following a monthlong absence caused by a right elbow strain. The rookie sustained damage to the sagittal band in his finger, which Tomczyk described as thick fibers that support and reinforce the extensor tendon.

Tomczyk said Griffin will wear a splint for six weeks before doctors reassess his recovery timeline.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony has dealt with a separate finger tendon injury since early May, though Tomczyk noted the cases are not directly comparable. Former White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson offers a closer parallel, having suffered a similar sagittal band injury in 2022 that sidelined him for roughly six weeks.

Griffin has hit .276 with a .736 OPS, 10 doubles and five home runs across 59 games since making his major league debut in early April.

Pittsburgh selected Griffin ninth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Griffin signed a nine-year, $140 million contract extension with the organization in April.

The setback adds to a lengthy injury list for the Pirates (46-45), who currently sit in fourth place in the National League Central and three games behind a wild-card spot. Outfielder Oneil Cruz and first baseman Spencer Horwitz remain sidelined with fractured fingers and a hamstring strain, respectively.

The Milwaukee Brewers promoted outfield prospect Luis Lara to the major leagues Tuesday, roughly a month after he agreed to a seven-year, $31 million contract extension.

Milwaukee made the announcement ahead of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, optioning outfielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A Nashville to clear a roster spot, according to the team.

Lara, 21, signed his extension last month while still competing for Nashville. The deal runs through 2032 and includes club options covering 2033 through 2035.

The Venezuelan outfielder, listed at 5-foot-7, has built a reputation as an elite defender throughout his minor league career. This season, he has also emerged as a legitimate offensive threat.

Lara batted .321 with a .432 on-base percentage and .470 slugging mark across 78 games with Nashville. He added nine home runs, 42 RBIs and 24 stolen bases during that stretch.

Those numbers represent a sharp improvement from last season, when Lara hit .257 with a .369 on-base percentage over 136 games at Double-A Biloxi.

Lara becomes the second Brewers prospect this year to reach the majors shortly after signing a long-term extension. Shortstop Cooper Pratt debuted June 16, less than three months after agreeing to an eight-year, $50.75 million deal.

Pratt, who turns 22 in August, is batting .204 with two RBIs and six steals through 18 games with Milwaukee. Perkins, meanwhile, was hitting just .157 with one homer and 11 RBIs in 53 games before his demotion.

Major League Baseball revealed its 2026 All-Star Game starting lineups Saturday, with Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani topping the fan vote and three teammates joining him in the National League's starting group.

Ohtani will serve as designated hitter for the NL, appearing alongside Freddie Freeman at first base, Max Muncy at third and Andy Pages in the outfield. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Ohtani probably won't pitch in the exhibition after they altered his workload schedule.

Additional NL starters include Juan Soto of the New York Mets, Brandon Marsh of the Philadelphia Phillies, CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals, and Atlanta Braves duo Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin.

American League voting leader Ernie Clement will start alongside fellow Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr., though Guerrero has since withdrawn from the game. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz will replace him after winning the players' vote at that position.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez round out the AL infield and battery. Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Byron Buxton comprise the American League's starting outfield.

This year's contest takes place July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Fans selected the starters, while a combination of league officials and current players, managers and coaches chose the reserves.

The Dodgers, Braves and Phillies each landed a league-best five All-Stars apiece. Five starters, Langeliers, Clement, Baldwin, Marsh and Pages, earned their first career selections, while Freeman and Chris Sale are making their 10th appearances.

Trout returns for his 12th All-Star nod and first since 2023, currently recovering from a hamstring injury but expected to play. MLB will feature players wearing original team uniforms this year rather than specialized event jerseys.

American League All-Stars

Starters
C: Shea Langeliers (ATH)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)
2B: Ernie Clement (TOR)
3B: Junior Caminero (TB)
SS: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC)
OF: Mike Trout (LAA)
OF: Byron Buxton (MIN)
OF: Aaron Judge (NYY)
DH: Yordan Alvarez (HOU)

Reserves

C: Dillon Dingler (DET)
C: Adley Rutschman (BAL)
INF: Travis Bazzana (CLE)
INF: Nick Kurtz (ATH)
INF: Kevin McGonigle (DET)
INF: Ben Rice (NYY)
INF: Miguel Vargas (CWS)
OF: Randy Arozarena (SEA)
OF: Cody Bellinger (NYY)
OF: Riley Greene (DET)
DH: Yandy Díaz (TB)

Reserves

C: Dillon Dingler (DET)
C: Adley Rutschman (BAL)
INF: Travis Bazzana (CLE)
INF: Nick Kurtz (ATH)
INF: Kevin McGonigle (DET)
INF: Ben Rice (NYY)
INF: Miguel Vargas (CWS)
OF: Randy Arozarena (SEA)
OF: Cody Bellinger (NYY)
OF: Riley Greene (DET)
DH: Yandy Díaz (TB)

Starting Pitchers

RHP: Dylan Cease (TOR)
LHP: Parker Messick (CLE)
RHP: Drew Rasmussen (TB)
RHP: Joe Ryan (MIN)
RHP: Cam Schlittler (NYY)
LHP: Ranger Suarez (BOS)
RHP: Michael Wacha (KC)

Relief Pitchers

RHP: Bryan Baker (TB)
LHP: Aroldis Chapman (BOS)
LHP: Jacob Latz (TEX)
RHP: Cade Smith (CLE)
RHP: Louis Varland (TOR)

National League All-Stars

Starters
C: Drake Baldwin (ATL)
1B: Freddie Freeman (LAD)
2B: Ozzie Albies (ATL)
3B: Max Muncy (LAD)
SS: CJ Abrams (WSH)
OF: Brandon Marsh (PHI)
OF: Juan Soto (NYM)
OF: Andy Pages (LAD)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (LAD)

Reserves

C: William Contreras (MIL)
C: Hunter Goodman (COL)
INF: Luis Arraez (SF)
INF: Bryce Harper (PHI)
INF: Otto Lopez (MIA)
INF: Matt Olson (ATL)
INF: Sal Stewart (CIN)
OF: Corbin Carroll (AZ)
OF: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC)
OF: Jordan Walker (STL)
OF: James Wood (WSH)
DH: Kyle Schwarber (PHI)

Starting Pitchers

RHP: Chase Burns (CIN)
RHP: Max Meyer (MIA)
RHP: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL)
LHP: Eduardo Rodriguez (AZ)
LHP: Chris Sale (ATL)
LHP: Cristopher Sánchez (PHI)
RHP: Paul Skenes (PIT)
RHP: Logan Webb (SF)
RHP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

Relief Pitchers

RHP: Jhoan Duran (PHI)
RHP: Raisel Iglesias (ATL)
RHP: Mason Miller (SD)
RHP: Dylan Cease (TOR)
LHP: Parker Messick (CLE)
RHP: Drew Rasmussen (TB)
RHP: Joe Ryan (MIN)
RHP: Cam Schlittler (NYY)
LHP: Ranger Suarez (BOS)
RHP: Michael Wacha (KC)

Relief Pitchers

RHP: Bryan Baker (TB)
LHP: Aroldis Chapman (BOS)
LHP: Jacob Latz (TEX)
RHP: Cade Smith (CLE)
RHP: Louis Varland (TOR)

Aaron Judge is approaching four weeks since going on the injured list with a stress fracture of his right rib, but the New York Yankees captain has yet to have updated scans.

"I've got nothing for you," Judge said Wednesday before the Yankees faced the Tigers. "You know how it goes around here -- guys can feel good, feel bad, but you've got to wait on images. I'll give you a good update when we get some imaging."

Dave Roberts became the fastest manager in MLB history to reach 1,000 career wins after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Athletics 9-3 on Tuesday night.

Roberts is the 69th manager to reach 1,000 wins and the quickest to do it. Roberts achieved his milestone victory in 1,606 games, all but one with the Dodgers.

Cap Anson, the next fastest, needed 1,641 games and won his 1,000th in 1893.

When the last-place New York Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza last week, a follow-up question inevitably surfaced: Would president of baseball operations David Stearns follow Mendoza out the door? The answer from Mets owner Steve Cohen is an emphatic no.

Cohen told the New York Post on Wednesday that he is not considering dismissing Stearns, who is in the third year of a five-year contract, despite a second straight disappointing season.

"We'll figure out what changes that need to be made," Cohen said. "But the change that's not gonna be made is moving David out at this point. I'm just not gonna do it."

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will skip his scheduled pitching start Wednesday against the Athletics to get some extra rest, manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers are in the midst of playing 13 games in 13 days, and Roberts said he wanted to make sure that the Japanese sensation got a break. Ohtani is slated to pitch in San Diego on Friday.

The Yankees' losing streak reached a season-long six games in a 9-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night with a blueprint that has become maddeningly familiar: falling behind big early as the short-handed offense sputters.

This time, in a showdown between two of the best starting pitchers in the majors, the Tigers tallied four runs on three homers with two outs in the first inning off Cam Schlittler, who logged the worst start of his All-Star-caliber season. On the other side, Tarik Skubal recorded his best start since returning from his unprecedented elbow surgery earlier this month, holding the Yankees to two runs (one earned) on one hit with nine strikeouts over six innings.

"This week's been rough," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "There's no sugarcoating it."

Kyle Schwarber became the first major leaguer to reach 30 homers this season with a two-run shot in the seventh inning that sent the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-4 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.

The Phillies squandered an early 3-0 lead and fell behind 4-3 before Schwarber hit a 408-foot drive to center field off Kodai Senga (0-7), who was making the first regular-season relief appearance of his big league career.

John Mozeliak has a lengthy to-do list as interim general manager for the Los Angeles Angels, but the hiring of a new manager to replace Kurt Suzuki is not among his priorities.

"I met with Kurt and most of (the coaches) this morning, and I told them they're all fine for this year," Mozeliak, the former St. Louis Cardinals' baseball operations head, said at a news conference before Saturday night's game against the Athletics.

"There's nothing they have to worry about. ... They all have jobs moving forward. There's no reason for massive change right away."