LEADING OFF
A look at what’s happening around the majors on Saturday:
YOU AGAIN? Justin Verlander makes his fifth start of the season against Seattle, and aims for his major league-leading 13th win.
The 39-year-old Houston ace has been dominant in his return from Tommy John surgery, going 12-3 with a 1.89 ERA. He was picked for his ninth All-Star team but didn’t pitch Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Verlander has won four straight starts, allowing just two earned runs in 27 innings. He’s 3-1 against the Mariners this year going into this appearance in Seattle.
Right-hander Logan Gilbert (10-3, 2.76) starts for the Mariners.
NEW YORK NEWCOMER:
The NL East-leading Mets added a much-needed bat at designated hitter, getting former All-Star Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade for rookie reliever Colin Holderman.
The burly Vogelbach is a lefthanded hitter who was batting .228 with 12 home runs, 34 runs batted in and a .769 OPS in 75 games with the rebuilding
Pirates.
New York has gotten little production at DH from J.D. Davis and injured Dominic Smith. At the time of the trade, Davis, a right-handed hitter, was batting .234 with three homers, 19 RBIs and a .670 OPS in 62 games. A left-handed hitter, Smith was batting .194 with no homers, 17 RBIs and a .560 OPS in 58 games.
The 26-year-old Holderman is 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 appearances covering 17 2/3 innings for New York.
AILING CHISOX: Hoping to make a push in the second half, the Chicago White Sox will be minus center fielder Luis Robert after putting him on the 10-day injured list because of blurred vision.
General manager Rick Hahn said the team is “cautiously optimistic” the slugger and Gold Glove winner will be ready to return when the White Sox open a three-game home series against the Oakland Athletics on July 29.
Robert exited Chicago’s win at division leader Minnesota on July 15 in the second inning because of lightheadedness. He was having trouble seeing from a distance and getting jumps on balls, Hahn said.
Robert then missed the final two games before the All-Star break.
Robert is batting .301 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 74 games.
Robert also missed time in May of this season because of COVID-19. But Hahn said he would “hate to speculate” whether these symptoms stem from his bout with the coronavirus.