Okamoto hits 22nd homer of season vs. Padres

It’s the third straight week that Contreras has gotten a breather on a Sunday. If you’re going to get a day off though, doing so against Paul Skenes isn’t the worst idea in the world. Gary Sanchez will start in his place behind the dish and bat fifth for the Brewers on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

The Brewers needed to clear a spot on their active roster for Braden Shewmake on Sunday and unfortunately for Jones he drew the short straw this time around. The 28-year-old outfielder has gone just 2-for-23 (.087) with a 10/0 K/BB ratio in his limited action with the Brewers this season.

The 28-year-old infielder had been designated for assignment by the Astros on Friday. He’ll be active and in uniform for the Brewers for Sunday’s first-half finale against Paul Skenes and the Pirates.

While the Brewers have yet to provide an update after Woodruff received a second opinion on his injured shoulder, the fact that he’s being moved to the 60-day injured list doesn’t bode well. He won’t be eligible to return until early September, and it seems increasingly likely that Woodruff has already thrown his final pitch for the Brewers this season.

Crow had been on a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville already after missing more than a month’s worth of action due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. With Brandon Woodruff shelved, there’s a chance that he’ll get an opportunity to pitch out of the Brewers’ rotation shortly after the All-Star break.

Oliva had been designated for assignment on Thursday and passed through waivers unclaimed. The 30-year-old outfielder has hit just .232/.289/.290 with zero homers, five RBI and 10 stolen bases in 60 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. He’s now free to explore other opportunities.

The 26-year-old right-hander was claimed off of waivers from the Red Sox on Saturday. He’ll begin his Twins’ tenure at Triple-A St. Paul where he’ll serve as extra rotation depth for the Twins. Anderson holds a 4.81 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 51/21 K/BB ratio over 58 innings in 16 appearances (11 starts) at the Triple-A level this season.

France broke a 7-7 knot with a homer to left field to give San Diego the 8-7 lead and ultimately the victory. The 31-year-old has been a surprising source of power for the Padres in 2026, as he’s up to 11 homers on the campaign with an excellent .490 slugging percentage. Skepticism is understandable, but don’t forget that France was a solid option not that long ago. It’s not insane to think he’s refinding that form in his return to his first organization.

Guerrero’s three-run homer tied the game at 7-7, and was a towering shot over the left-field wall off Bradgley Rodriguez. That’s just the sixth homer of the season for Guerrero, but it’s the second time in three games, for those looking for hope heading into the break. Guerrero is as good of bet as any disappointing hitter in baseball to bounce back with a big second half after the All-Star break.

Miller did put the tying run on base, but he was able to work around that knock without trouble while fanning a pair. It’s been nothing short of a dominant first half for the 27-year-old; one that has seen him save 24 games with a sparking 0.93 ERA. In a different era, Miller would likely be in the Cy Young conversation.