Orioles-Angels series preview: The trade deadline hangover series

So… here we are. There’s something cruel about the scheduling gods sending the Los Angeles Angels into Camden Yards the day after the trade deadline. Both of these teams spent Monday afternoon dismantling pieces of their roster, and now they get to spend three days looking at what’s left. If you’re looking for a series with energy, playoff stakes, or even basic competence, look elsewhere. Instead, this looks more like two front offices’ actual public confessions about their 2026 seasons, playing out in real time on a baseball field.

The Orioles enter at 54-58, still technically alive at 2.5 games out of the last AL Wild Card spot, but certainly not feeling like it. Mike Elias shipped out Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox in the single biggest trade of his tenure, a gutting move for this fanbase, but it wasn’t the only one. Taylor Ward got sent to Seattle for three pitchers, Tyler Wells went to Tampa Bay, and Dean Kremer got dealt to Minnesota. The rotation and the middle of the order both look different than they did a week ago. Trevor Rogers is the one significant piece they chose not to move.

The Angels, at 43-69, are comfortably out of it, and interim GM John Mozeliak finally treated them that way at the deadline, dealing José Soriano to Toronto, Jo Adell to Cleveland, Ryan Zeferjahn to Chicago, and Brent Suter to Atlanta. It’s the rebuild the Angels have avoided doing for years, several seasons and several wasted Mike Trout primes too late. What’s left is Reid Detmers, back in the rotation after a year in relief, and Grayson Rodriguez, who Orioles fans will remember fondly even as his numbers in Anaheim have been ugly. The two sides remain linked by the November trade that sent Rodriguez west for Ward, a deal that’s looked worse and worse for Baltimore as Rodriguez has battled diminished stuff and Ward is now a Mariner.

Here’s the part where I’d ordinarily tell you who’s pitching Game 1 and Game 3. But I can’t. Both teams have a TBD penciled in for one game this series, a natural result of trading half the pitching staff 24 hours before first pitch. Baltimore doesn’t have Kremer anymore, and Kyle Bradish just threw Sunday against Philadelphia on shortened rest from a rain delay, so he’s not lined up on turn either. The Angels lost Soriano to the Blue Jays, and Jack Kochanowicz and Yusei Kikuchi are both still on the 60-day injured list. Neither team has announced who’s filling the gaps. Check back closer to first pitch—these might not clear up until a few hours before the game.

Game 1: Tuesday, 6:35 p.m. Eastern

LAA starter: Grayson Rodriguez – 3-3, 7.98 ERA, 36 SO

Rodriguez’s season line is rough. I feel bad for him, although then I think about how he’s a former Oriole first-rounder who once looked like a future ace, and the feelings get a little complicated. Rodriguez dealt with bone spurs earlier, but the Angels say he’s healthy. Then again, a 7.98 ERA doesn’t lie about diminished stuff. If the Orioles can’t do damage against this version of Rodriguez, that’s its own kind of statement about where this offense is right now.

Game 2: Wednesday, 6:35 p.m. Eastern

LAA starter: Reid Detmers – 3-7, 4.03 ERA, 145 SO

BAL starter: Trevor Rogers – 6-7, 4.27 ERA, 89 SO

This is the closest thing this series has to a marquee matchup, and it’s still two left-handers with sub-.500 records and ERAs pushing 4.30. Reid Detmers was most recently in the news for nearly being traded to the Cubs: the return package was already set, apparently, then the deal got nixed at the last minute. So here he, and we are, in a matchup nobody is too excited about. Detmers has exciting swing-and-miss stuff, at least; 145 strikeouts is an impressive number.

Meanwhile, Rogers has been the Orioles’ most trusted arm all year, for better and for worse, and staying off the trade market Monday means Baltimore is banking on him to anchor whatever rotation is left standing.

Game 3: Thursday, 12:35 p.m. Eastern

BAL starter: Brandon Young – 8-2, 3.31 ERA, 85 SO

Young has quietly been the best story in this rotation, which maybe says something about the state of the rotation—but that’s not to take anything away from the big Texan who’s remade his splitter into a true weapon. The Angels’ answer to him is unknown as of this writing.

No way to sugarcoat it: this looks to be a downer of a series. Two sellers, three games and a lot of rotation “TBD”s. What are either of these teams playing for at this point? Maybe for the Orioles, at least, it’s the feeling that they’re soon be building back toward the playoffs, even if it’ll have to wait until next year.

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Bowen Yang Will Be Broadway’s Next Oh, Mary!

Bowen Yang officially has his eyes on some bratty curls. The SNL favorite and Wicked film alum will be the next title star in Broadway’s Oh, Mary!, with a 12-week engagement to begin September 15 at the Lyceum Theatre, per a posting on the show’s official Instagram.

“My friendship with Cole has brought me many places over the years: late-night pizzerias, cross-borough social-distance walks, a tough production ofLes Misérables sung in Dutch,” says Yang in a statement. “But being part of their deranged and profound masterpiece, Oh, Mary!, is my favorite one by far. I will spend the rest of my life thanking them for the best Broadway debut a cis gay guy with limited singing ability could ask for.”

Yang will succeed current star Meg Stalter, who began her own run July 6 and is set to continue through September 12. Current cast members Phillip James Brannon as Mary’s Husband, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, and Barrett Foa as Mary’s Teacher are scheduled to remain with the production through December 6, the end of Yang’s engagement. Ryo Kamibayashi, currently appearing as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant, will take his final bow in the play September 13, with original cast member Tony Macht set to re-join the company in the role alongside Yang beginning September 15.

Understudies Hannah Solow, Martin Landry, Julian Manjerico, and Jackie Sanders round out the company.

Tickets are on sale through July 10, 2027. Casting for after Yang’s final bow is to be announced.

Escola’s comedy centers on Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In Escola’s demented take (or as press notes put it, “through the lens of an idiot”), Mary Todd becomes a madcap, cabaret-obsessed alcoholic.

The piece premiered at Off-Broadway’s Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2024 in a run that was extended three times. It then transferred to Broadway later that year, where it’s been breaking box-office records at the Lyceum Theatre; it became the first show in the theatre’s 121-year history to gross more than $1 million in a single week.

The show earned two 2025 Tony Awards: Lead Actor in a Play for Escola and Director of a Play for Sam Pinkleton.

READ: Director Sam Pinkleton on the Art of Recasting Oh, Mary!

Oh, Mary‘s creative team includes scenic designer dots, costume designer Holly Pierson, lighting designer Cha See, composer and co-sound designer Daniel Kluger, co-sound designer Drew Levy, wig designer Leah J. Loukas, and music arranger David Dabbon. Casting is by Henry Russell Bergstein. John C. Moore and Lilian McGrail are production stage manager and assistant stage manager, respectively.

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Reloaded Edition, Big Walk, Signalis – PlayStation.Blog

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Be fleet of foot to survive a post-apocalyptic cityscape alone or with pals, buddy up to walk and talk your way through a pleasant puzzle-filled world, or take a solo trip into a dystopian future for a brooding slice of psychological survival horror with the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for August. Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition, Big Walk and Signalis will all be available to PlayStation Plus members* from Tuesday August 4 until Monday August 31.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the games.

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Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition | PS5, PS4

In Dying Light 2, survival meets action adventure as you attempt to endure a hostile, post-apocalyptic world. Rival factions across The City aren’t the only enemy – a virus has turned a vast majority of the human population into monsters. Take on the role of Aiden Caldwell, a wanderer with the power to change the fate of The City, but your exceptional abilities come at a price. Haunted by memories you cannot decipher, you set out to learn the truth – and find yourself in a combat zone. Hone your skills to defeat your enemies and make allies. Unravel the dark secrets behind those that wield power, choose sides and decide your destiny. Play in up to four-player co-op: host your own games or join others and see how their choices have played out differently than yours.

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Big Walk | PS5

Big Walk is a cooperative multiplayer adventure about teamwork and talking. Set out with your friends through a wide-open world full of challenges, puzzles, and discoveries. You’ll need to work together to find your way around, stay in contact using an assortment of tools and toys, and figure out new ways to communicate when you suddenly find yourself speechless. Adventuring aside, there’s plenty of time to just hang out. Sit and watch the sunset, or steal your friend’s binoculars and kick them into the ocean. Spending time with friends is the best part of a big walk.

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Signalis | PS4

Awaken from slumber and explore a surreal retrotech world as Elster, a technician Replika searching for her lost partner and her lost dreams. Discover terrifying secrets, challenging puzzles, and nightmarish creatures in a tense and melancholic experience of cosmic dread and classic psychological survival horror.

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MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls PlayStation Plus Pack

Starting August 6**, all PlayStation Plus members can acquire a MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls PlayStation Plus Pack from PlayStation Store. This pack contains two sets of items:

Five Avatars inspired by characters from MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, featuring Captain America, Storm, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, and Ghost Rider.

A set of in-game Result Screen Character Poses featuring 20 characters, including Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, Peni Parker and more.

The pack will be available in the PlayStation Plus section of PlayStation Store on your PS5 or PS4 console or PlayStation Plus web page, starting August 6*. PlayStation Plus members need to redeem and download the pack to access its contents. The Avatars will appear in the Avatar section of your profile page on your PS5 or PS4 console. The Result Screen Character Poses are accessible and selectable in the PS5 version of MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls once the game and pack are downloaded onto your PS5 console.

*PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day for more information.

**MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls PlayStation Plus Pack is available until August 6, 2027.

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Trade deadline, then four games in Arizona

San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks

Game 1: 6:40 p.m. Monday (Padres.TV)
Game 2: 6:40 p.m. Tuesday (Padres.TV)
Game 3: 6:40 p.m. Wednesday (Padres.TV)
Game 4: 6:40 p.m. Thursday (Padres.TV)

In the standings

San Diego Padres (58-54, 3rd in NL West)

The Padres have won eight of nine to pull to within a game of a wild-card spot, behind both the Diamondbacks and Phillies as the current second and third wild-card spots. That’s lifted the Padres’ playoff odds at fangraphs.com from as low as 7% after the first two series of the second half to 31.1% as the trade deadline arrives on Monday.

Arizona Diamondbacks (59-53, 2nd in NL West)

The Diamondbacks’ postseason odds are at 46.2% at fangraphs.com. They are tied with the Phillies in the NL wild-card race, four games behind the No. 1 Cubs, and 10 games behind the Dodgers. The D-backs and Padres have split their first six games this season—two in Mexico City and four at Petco Park.

San Diego: The Padres rank 16th in run differential (minus-12), 24th in OPS (.696), 27th in rotation ERA (4.66) and sixth in bullpen ERA (3.65). OF Jackson Merrill has six homers and a 1.203 OPS over his last 14 games. Three other Padres also have an OPS over .900 over the last two weeks—INF Luis Rengifo (1.056 OPS, 2 HRs), 1B Ty France (1.042 OPS, 4 HRs) and OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.903 OPS, 2 HRs)—while SS Xander Bogaerts has a .594 OPS over the same stretch.

Arizona: The D-backs rank 14th in run differential (plus-2), 22nd in OPS (.705), 15th in rotation ERA (4.29) and 18th in bullpen ERA (4.16). Both 3B Nolan Arenado and SS Geraldo Perdomo have two homers over the last two weeks, with Arenado’s .842 OPS over that stretch leading the team’s qualifiers. Perdomo (.824), OF Corbin Carroll (.805) and OF Max Kepler (.801) all have an OPS over .800 over the last two weeks, while 2B Ketel Marte has a .603 OPS over the same stretch.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Pitching matchups

Monday

Padres RHP Michael King (6-7, 3.38 ERA) | He went at least five innings in five starts in July (2.79 ERA) and turned in quality starts in three of those starts. King is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in five career starts against the Diamondbacks, including two this year (12 IP, 3 ER, 3 BBs, 12 Ks).

Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 4.00 ERA) | He has a 1.85 ERA in six starts—all wins for the Diamondbacks—since returning from a minor league assignment aimed at stretching out as a starter. He has struck out 18 against four walks over those 34 innings. Pfaadt has a 4.25 ERA in 59 ⅓ career innings against the Padres, including two appearances (8 IP, 4 ER) this year.

Tuesday

Padres TBA | New LHP Robbie Ray (10-6, 3.08 ERA) would be on regular rest. RHP Randy Vásquez (6-6, 4.45 ERA) pitched in bulk relief in this spot in the rotation on Thursday.

D-backs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3, 2.48 ERA) | He’s allowed two earned runs or less in all but five of his 22 starts. Rodriguez has a 3.74 ERA in four career starts against the Padres, but has not faced them since allowing nine runs in 10 innings across two losses last year.

Wednesday

Padres TBA | RHP Germán Márquez (4-2, 4.67 ERA) pitched in bulk relief in this spot, throwing five scoreless innings for his first career save on Friday.

D-backs LHP Mitch Bratt (0-1, 5.23 ERA) | The 23-year-old rookie has walked (15) more than he’s struck out (12) through his first five starts (20 ⅔ IP). He has yet to throw more than five innings in a game in the majors. Bratt had a 2.41 ERA in 52⅓ innings this year at Triple-A Reno

Thursday

Padres RHP Walker Buehler (6-5, 5.18 ERA) | He’s got a 9.23 ERA in six starts since the beginning of July. He’s struck out 22 against 18 walks over those 26⅓ innings. Buehler has a 2.59 ERA in 87 innings in his career against the Diamondbacks, but he allowed seven runs in five innings in a loss this year.

D-backs LHP Kohl Drake (0-0, 4.85 ERA) | The 24-year-old rookie is making the fourth start of his career. He has struck out 12 against five walks over 13 innings and has allowed three home runs so far. Drake had a 6.92 ERA in 66 ⅓ innings this year at Triple-A Reno.

Qualifying leaders

OPS: Padres—OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.753), 3B Manny Machado (.722), 1B Gavin Sheets (.711); D-backs—OF Corbin Carroll (.822), C Gabriel Moreno (.818), 2B Ketel Marte (.751).
HRs: Padres—Machado (23), 1B Ty France (16), OF Jackson Merrill (16); D-backs—Marte (19), Carroll (16), 3B Nolan Arenado (15).
RBIs: Padres—Machado (65), Merrill (52), Tatis (49), France (49); D-backs—Marte (62), Carroll (52), Arenado (51), 1B Ildemaro Vargas (51).
Steals: Padres—Tatis (26), Merrill (22), SS Xander Bogaerts (15); D-backs—SS Geraldo Perdomo (17), Carroll (15), DH Jose Fernandez (7).
Saves: Padres—RHP Mason Miller (28-for-29, 0.76 ERA); D-backs—RHP Paul Sewald (24-for-27, 6.45 ERA).
Holds: Padres—LHP Adrián Morejón (17, 3.00 ERA), RHP Jason Adam (17, 2.51 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (16, 3.91 ERA); D-backs—LHP Brandyn Garcia (13, 2.10 ERA), RHP Juan Morillo (13, 2.62 ERA), RHP Taylor Clarke (12, 2.12 ERA).

Training room

San Diego: RHPs Joe Musgrove (elbow) and Nick Pivetta (flexor) are expected to start rehab assignments on Tuesday with low Single-A Lake Elsinore. RHP David Morgan (knee) threw Sunday for Triple-A El Paso. RHP Lucas Giolito (elbow) and OF Samad Taylor (oblique) are rehabbing in Arizona. RHP Jason Adam (shoulder) is not back to throwing yet but eyeing a late-August return. INF Miguel Andujar (wrist) should return from the 10-day injured list at some point this season.

Arizona: RHPs Justin Martinez (Tommy John) and Michael Soroka (glute) and LHP Blake Walston (Tommy John) are expected to be on rehab assignments this week. RHP Corbin Burnes (Tommy John / Teres major strain) is nearing mound work as he looks to return in September. The pitching staff is also without RHPs Zac Gallen (elbow), Drey Jameson (hip), Cristian Mena (Teres major) and Ryne Nelson (flexor/UCL) and LHPs A.J. Puk (shoulder) and Andrew Saalfrank (shoulder). The lineup is missing OF Jordan Lawlar (hamstring), OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (adductor) and OF Tommy Troy (AC joint).