Top News:
MLB.com:
2026 Draft starts Saturday! Here's what you need to know — Once again, the MLB Draft will coincide with All-Star Week, which makes it easy to draw a connection between the two tentpole events. Look at the initial All-Star rosters, and you'll notice 20 first-round picks and another 16 players selected in the first five rounds.
Discussion:
The Athletic, Bluebird Banter and DRaysBay
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David Schoenfield / ESPN:
Handing out 2026 midseason grades for all 30 MLB teams — It's time for first-half grades, so let's just get right to it — especially since we've technically passed the halfway point, as teams are reaching the 90-game mark of the 2026 Major League Baseball season. — After all, we had a World Cup game to watch!
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Royals speedster ties MLB record with hit in 12 straight plate appearances — NEW YORK — After scoring 15 runs against the Phillies on Monday, the Royals had their hitting shoes on once again Tuesday — this time against the Mets — and won a slugfest, 16-12, at Citi Field.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, sports.yahoo.com, BaseballNow.com and baseballmusings.com
Jackson Roberts / Sports Illustrated:
Francisco Lindor to Red Sox? Mets Superstar Reportedly on Trade Block — Let's discuss this purely hypothetical trade proposition... It's not something nearly anyone would have considered before the season. But we now have a report of the New York Mets trying to trade their five …
Discussion:
BaseballNow.com and Over the Monster
The Athletic:
Manchester United reach agreement to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea — Manchester United have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Andrey Santos. — United will pay a fee worth £48million plus £2m in easily achievable bonuses, with Chelsea set to retain a 10 per cent sell-on clause for the midfielder.
Discussion:
Football Today, sports.yahoo.com and The Peoples Person
Justin Verlander / The Detroit News:
Justin Verlander announces retirement plans. Read his message to fans — I want to thank the Commissioner for the incredible honor of being selected to the All-Star game. The opportunity to attend once again is something I'll cherish, and it will be an incredibly special moment for me and my family.
Discussion:
USA Today, Detroit Free Press, MLB Trade Rumors, New York Post and sports.yahoo.com
Sonja Chen / MLB.com:
Shohei hits another milestone with 300th HR, but there are loftier goals in mind — LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani's very existence is in rarefied air. With every career milestone he reaches, the two-way superstar establishes that he is a player unlike any we've seen in baseball.
Discussion:
New York Post, The Athletic, Los Angeles Times, sports.yahoo.com, True Blue LA and USA Today
Broderick Turner / Los Angeles Times:
Lakers land their backup center in veteran Kevon Looney — 2 min Click here to listen to this article … The Lakers got their backup big man when Kevon Looney signed a one-year, $3.9-million deal on Tuesday, people not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.
Discussion:
sports.yahoo.com, USA Today and Bleacher Report
The Athletic:
Mets injury notes: Austin Warren to the IL, Marcus Semien's regret and optimism — NEW YORK — The New York Mets' beleaguered pitching staff is taking another hit. — The Mets are putting right-handed reliever Austin Warren on the 15-day injured list, according to people familiar …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors and sports.yahoo.com
Aiden Stepansky / MLB.com:
3 homers, 10 RBIs ... by the 6th inning!? What a night for O'Hearn — PITTSBURGH - Thirty-two-year-old Ryan O'Hearn never experienced a curtain call before. He was always hesitant to do it in the past, only considering the honor “if the fans really wanted it.”
Discussion:
USA Today, Associated Press, BaseballNow.com, Bucs Dugout, New York Post, The Athletic and sports.yahoo.com
ESPN:
Yankees strike out 17 times vs. Rays for 2nd straight game — The New York Yankees can't stop striking out. — In a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Florida, New York whiffed 17 times to become the first team in American League history whose batters hit that mark in consecutive nine-inning games.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Yahoo Sports, BaseballNow.com and Bleacher Report
Pete Caldera / NorthJersey.com:
Ben Rice will represent Yankees at 2026 Home Run Derby — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Ben Rice will be swinging for the fences in Philly. — Via a social media post, the Yankees' lefty-hitting first baseman/DH confirmed his participation for Monday's Home Run Derby during All-Star week at Philadelphia.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Pinstripe Alley and sports.yahoo.com

