After Friday’s rainout, the Brewers and Pirates are set for a doubleheader today at PNC Park, with Brandon Sproat and Shane Drohan lined up to start for Milwaukee and Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler expected to take the ball for Pittsburgh. The Pirates sit at 47-47, fourth in the NL Central and 12.5 games behind first-place Milwaukee, but a series win over the division leaders would go a long way toward trimming their 4.5-game gap in the NL wild card chase.
The 2026 MLB Draft takes center stage today as the first 135 picks are made, with rounds 5 through 20 coming Sunday. Chicago holds the No. 1 pick, and the White Sox remain the big question mark at the top.
The most common guesses have the first player off the board coming from a group that includes UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, and high school shortstop Grady Emerson, though Chicago could still go off-script and grab someone farther down the board. MLB Trade Rumors will track the first-round selections as they come in throughout the afternoon, starting at noon CT.
Chicago also had a night to remember on the field. The White Sox rolled past the Athletics, 14-1, behind a cycle from center fielder Tristan Peters.
His last two hits both came in the seventh inning, when he launched a two-run homer and later added an RBI triple during Chicago’s eight-run burst in the frame. Peters became the seventh player in White Sox history to hit for the cycle and the second Canadian ever to do it in MLB.
It’s the latest sign of a breakout season for the rookie, who came over in a low-key deal with the Rays last December. After making his big league debut in four games with Tampa in 2025, Peters is hitting .303/.357/.484 across 270 plate appearances and has settled in as Chicago’s everyday center fielder with strong defense.
Boston’s surge keeps getting louder. The Red Sox are 44-48 overall, but they’ve won 12 of their last 14 and stretched their streak to seven games with Friday’s 6-2 win over the Mets.
That victory came after a travel mess that left the club delayed by nearly a full day; Boston didn’t reach Citi Field until around 4 p.m. CT on Friday for a 6:50 p.m.
CT first pitch, and the game had already been moved back from 6:15 p.m. CT to give them more time.
Once they got there, Wilyer Abreu and Anthony Seigler each homered twice, and Sonny Gray held New York to one run over six innings. Gray’s ERA now sits at 2.54 over 95 2/3 innings.
In Other News...
White Sox Deadline Buzz Suddenly Puts Their Rotation In Focus
The White Sox have made no secret of where they want to go as the deadline approaches: toward buying, and toward starting pitching. Chicagos rotation needs help, and the club also has more right-handed hitting outfielders than it can comfortably fit, which gives the front office a potential way to address one problem by dealing from another area of the roster.
Seattle has emerged as a logical place to watch because the Mariners can spare some arm strength even if their lineup could use more punch, especially from the right side. The fit is obvious enough to keep the rumor mill humming, but any deal would still have to clear the hurdle of a veteran starter whose value is complicated by both performance and contract considerations, which is why this one feels like it could move quickly or stall just as fast. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Prospect Suddenly Looks Like The Bat Fans Keep Waiting For
A White Sox farm system that has spent plenty of time waiting for a louder bat got another reminder of why Kyle Lodise has become one of the more interesting names in the lower levels. The No. 10 prospect turned in a huge night for High-A Winston-Salem, going deep twice and showing the kind of impact that can change the feel of a box score in a hurry.
Lodises power surge is only part of the appeal, too. In his first full professional season, he has already piled up 12 homers while also giving the organization speed and patience, ranking near the top of the system in steals and walks. For a player still sorting out his place in the ladder, that blend is exactly the sort of profile that keeps a front office and fan base watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Add Rotation Depth But Bigger Questions Still Loom
The White Sox are taking a low-cost swing on rotation depth, acquiring right-hander Jose Urquidy from the Pirates in exchange for minor league right-hander Felix Doroteo. Urquidy, who was designated for assignment after a rough major league stint this season, has been working as a starter in Triple-A, and Chicago is betting there is still something to coax out of a pitcher with a track record beyond his recent box scores.
Doroteo, a 21-year-old in the Arizona Complex League, gives Pittsburgh a younger arm to develop, while the move gives Chicago another option as it tries to piece together pitching help. Urquidys path back has been complicated by shoulder issues and Tommy John surgery, which have kept him out of much of the big league picture over the past two seasons, so the appeal is obvious even if the bigger question is whether he can stay on the mound long enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]