CJ Abrams not in Nationals’ lineup on Thursday

No one was robbing Ohtani’s homer off Matt Krook; he hit the ball 112.3 mph and a projected 432 feet to right. He has 18 homers and is up to third in the majors with a .958 OPS, trailing only Yordan Alvarez at 1.031 and Juan Soto at .975. He’s also second with 60 runs scored, though he’s 13 behind James Wood there.

It was a surprise that the Dodgers felt the need to add Lauer last month after a miserable start to his season in Toronto, but he’s more than justified their faith in going 3-0 with a 3.88 ERA in six outings. He’s given up six homers and nine walks in 34 1/3 innings for the Dodgers. He allowed 11 homers and 16 walks while amassing a 6.69 ERA in 36 1/3 innings before the Jays cut him. Lauer figures to start again Sunday versus the Padres.

This was still kind of impressive from Jump. One of baseball’s best offenses certainly got the better of the 23-year-old, but while free passes could have turned this into a true massacre, he didn’t walk anyone and struck out five. Jump is still 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA and a 40/10 K/BB over 40 innings through seven big-league starts. As tough as the situation is in Sacramento, he’s not a lock to remain useful in mixed leagues over the rest of the season. However, he seems well on his way to becoming an excellent major league starting pitcher. He’ll get the Marlins on Sunday.

The first Matchup of the Max Muncies saw the Dodgers’ veteran homer and wind up on the winning side. However, the Athletics’ Muncy got the better on the lone one-vs.-one matchup; he hit a grounder to third in the second that bounced off the bag and over Dodger Muncy’s head for an infield single. Unfortunately, Mookie Betts ultimately handled the ball, so we’re still waiting for our first “Max Muncy grounds out/singles to third baseman Max Muncy” in the box score.

None of Kuroda-Grauer’s hits came on hard-hit balls. In fact, his 93-mph groundout in the third was his hardest-hit ball of the night. Still, he placed everything well. Kuroda-Grauer figures to mostly play against lefties for now, but if he excels, he could tempt the A’s to move on from Jeff McNeil. He should be in the lineup again Tuesday against Justin Wrobleski.

After a nice May, Arenado came into this one having hit just .167/.220/.202 with no homers in his previous 23 games. Tonight’s homer was legit, though, traveling 397 feet to left. He has nine in 79 games on the season, putting him on the same pace as last year, when he had 12 in 107 games.

One would think for Rodriguez to be 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA while sporting the worst strikeout and walk rates of his career, the left-hander would at least have to be producing an extraordinary amount of soft contact. That’s not what’s happening, though. He gave up 12 hard-hit balls tonight, and his hard hit and barrel rates are about a little higher than his career averages. It just hasn’t mattered for a full three months now. He surrendered three barrels tonight, all of which turned into outs. Two were off the bat off Rafael Devers and would have been homers in 17 and six ballparks, respectively. Rodriguez ranks fifth in the majors in ERA. He’ll take on the Brewers next.

Brought into a 5-2 game, Sewald allowed a leadoff homer to Heliot Ramos to start the ninth and then gave up two more hits to score another run before Drew Gilbert and Matt Chapman popped out to end the game. Sewald also gave up three ultimately harmless runs last time out, so his ERA has suddenly jumped from 3.18 to 4.50. Still, he’s blown just one save all year, and until that changes, there isn’t much reason to speculate about his job.

It’s pretty much all or nothing from Mahle this year and more of the latter than the former; he’s pitched scoreless ball in four of his 13 starts and given up at least four runs seven times. Just twice has he allowed one, two or three runs. His velocity and strikeout rate are both up a little from last year, so there’s reason to think he’ll be adequate the rest of the way. It’s just hard to expect more than that. He’d due to make his next start Sunday in Colorado.

Young hit a 412-foot homer off Ryan Johnson in the third and then a 406-foot bomb to right off Match Farris in the sixth. It’s his first career two-homer game. Six of his nine homers this season have come in his last 27 games. His fantasy ceiling remains low while playing in a pitcher’s park and not being much of a basestealer, but he’s been about as effective as any American League second baseman to date this season.