The Weekly Rundown: 6/30/24 - 7/6/24
All-Star starters announced, the first cycle of 2024, and much more.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
We’re just over a week away from the All-Star break with several intriguing storylines developing. The AL East is a dogfight between the Yankees and Orioles with the Red Sox (7.5 GB) quietly surging. Will they finally buy at the deadline?
Much like last season, the Astros have bounced back from their slow start and appear poised to win yet another division title. The Phillies are pulling away in the NL East despite injuries to Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber. The Cardinals are in a Wild Card spot after a dreadful 2023 campaign. Both Wild Card races are tight.
There’s more where that came from, and we’ll get to it all in this week’s rundown…
All-Star Starters
Here are the winners of the fan vote for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, which is set for July 16 in Texas.
Note: Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bryce Harper are currently on the injured list.
American League
Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Orioles
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
Second base: Jose Altuve, Astros
Third base: José Ramírez, Guardians
Shortstop: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Outfield: Juan Soto, Yankees
Outfield: Steven Kwan, Guardians
Designated hitter: Yordan Alvarez, Astros
National League
Catcher: William Contreras, Brewers
First base: Bryce Harper, Phillies
Second base: Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks
Third base: Alec Bohm, Phillies
Shortstop: Trea Turner, Phillies
Outfield: Christian Yelich, Brewers
Outfield: Jurickson Profar, Padres
Outfield: Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres
Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
All-Star pitchers and reserves will be announced today at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Home Run Derby contestants
Gunnar Henderson and Alec Bohm will participate in this year’s Home Run Derby. The rest of the field will be announced over the next week, so check out next week’s rundown for that update.
Langford Cycle
Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford hit the first cycle of the 2024 season. It’s the 11th cycle in Rangers history.
Dominant on the Bump
Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 8 K, 2 BB vs. Chicago Cubs
Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers
7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB vs. San Diego Padres
Joey Estes, Oakland A’s
9.0 IP (CG), 5 H, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB vs. Los Angeles Angels
Jake Irvin, Washington Nationals
8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 8 K, 1 BB vs. New York Mets
Nick Pivetta, Boston Red Sox
7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 10 K, 2 BB vs. Miami Marlins
Justin Steele, Chicago Cubs
9.0 IP (CG), 2 H, 1 ER, 7 K, 2 BB vs. Los Angeles Angels
Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels
8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 10 K, 0 BB vs. Chicago Cubs
Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds
7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 2 BB vs. Detroit Tigers
Big Bombs
The Brewers’ Brice Turang belted a grand slam vs. the Cubs.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith tallied three homers vs. the Brewers.
Padres star Manny Machado crushed a walk-off bomb vs. the Diamondbacks.
Masataka Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela both hit clutch homers to lead the Red Sox to victory over the Yankees.
Brewers slugger Rhys Hoskins hit a grand slam against the Dodgers.
Twins star Carlos Correa hit a grand slam vs. the Astros.
Yankees rookie Ben Rice hit three homers vs. the Red Sox in the Bronx.
Web Gem of the Week
Kevin Pillar made an insane grab to rob the A’s of a homer.
Welcome to the Show
James Wood, the Nationals’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 2 prospect in MLB, made his debut on Monday vs. the Mets. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI single.
On Saturday, Wood recorded his first big-league homer.
Twins top shortstop prospect Brooks Lee (No. 13 MLB prospect) went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his debut Wednesday vs. the Tigers.
Notable Injuries
The Blue Jays placed infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the 10-day injured list with a left knee sprain.
The Diamondbacks placed lefty Jordan Montgomery on the 15-day IL with right knee inflammation.
The Brewers placed infielder Joey Ortiz on the 10-day IL with neck inflammation.
The Pirates placed right-hander Jared Jones on the 15-day IL with a right lat strain.
The Angels placed infielder Luis Rengifo on the 10-day IL due to inflammation in his right wrist.
Rapid Fire
The Diamondbacks designated catcher Tucker Barnhart for assignment.
The Nationals DFA’d outfielder Eddie Rosario. The Braves later signed Rosario to a minor league deal.
The Marlins DFA’d infielder Tim Anderson.
The Brewers acquired right-hander Aaron Civale from the Rays for infield prospect Gregory Barrios.
The Mets released outfielder Trayce Thompson.
The Nationals DFA’d third baseman Nick Senzel.
The Padres placed right-hander Yu Darvish on the restricted list. Manager Mike Shildt said Darvish is stepping away from the team while he deals with “a personal matter involving his family.”
The Twins’ Jose Miranda tied a record with hits in 12 consecutive at-bats.
Rafael Devers recorded his 1,000th career hit on Saturday vs. the Yankees.
The Rumor Mill
It’s time to bring back the rumor mill with the trade deadline just a few weeks away on July 30. Here’s what’s boiling on the hot stove…
The Mariners plan to be “aggressive” in bolstering their lineup ahead of the deadline. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that they have already begun exploring possible trades and are prioritizing the addition of an everyday hitter as well as bullpen help.
The White Sox recently discussed a contract extension with young ace Garrett Crochet, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. However, there is no optimism that an agreement will be reached, so Crochet is expected to be traded ahead of the deadline.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets are planning to buy at the deadline with the bullpen as their primary area of focus.
The Rockies will entertain offers for starting pitchers Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber, according to Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.
The Angels are gauging interest from contending teams on closer Carlos Estevez, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.