Chase DeLauter is swinging a hot bat since returning from the injured list.

The Cleveland rookie will look to extend his torrid stretch on Thursday night when the Guardians open a four-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

DeLauter had an RBI single among his three hits in Cleveland’s 9-4 home victory over Texas on Wednesday. The victory salvaged the series finale vs. the Rangers and allowed the Guardians to move within one game of the American League Central-leading White Sox, who fell 6-1 to the host Baltimore Orioles earlier in the afternoon.

“Bummed about today, but we’ll regroup and be ready for a big series against (Cleveland), which obviously we’re very excited about,” Chicago manager Will Venable said.

The White Sox will need to pitch carefully to DeLauter, 24, who is 8-for-18 (.444) with four RBIs in four games since returning from a rib injury. He also is 16-for-40 (.400) during a 10-game hitting streak.

“I think Chase looks the same as he’s looked all year,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s just fun to have him back.”

Unfortunately for the Guardians, DeLauter was not in the lineup when the team dropped two of three road games against the White Sox from June 22-24.

Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi (4-6, 4.18 ERA) did not pitch in that series either, but he will start on Thursday against fellow right-hander Davis Martin (9-3, 3.00).

Cecconi scattered three hits over six-plus scoreless innings in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. The win was the first for Cecconi since May 18, though he posted a 1.88 ERA across 28 2/3 innings in five starts during June.

“It’s amazing,” Vogt said of Cecconi’s turnaround. “Slade’s such a competitor and he’s so dedicated to his craft. He kept telling us, ‘I’m going to get it. I’m going to get it. I’m going to get it.’ And he is getting better as the season goes on.”

Cecconi, 27, is 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two career appearances (both starts) vs. the White Sox.

Like Cecconi, Martin also is coming in off a scoreless outing. He allowed four hits in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The White Sox won 2-1.

Martin, 29, is 1-3 with a 6.63 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) against the Guardians.

The White Sox had won six of their eight previous games before falling flat on Wednesday.

Sam Antonacci deposited the second pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field. He added another hit, but Chicago mustered just two others in the setback.

“A nice way to start the game with (the home run by) Antonacci there, and then just really couldn’t get anything going,” Venable said. “A couple of pivotal plays, the play by (Baltimore’s Tyler O’Neill, who made a diving catch in right field with two on to end the fourth inning), really big play there by him, a great play. We’d score at least one there, and maybe things look a little different.”

Despite the result, the White Sox aren’t getting down.

“If people are doubting us or thinking this is a fluke, I think all of that should be out of the window since we’re in July now,” Colson Montgomery said, per the Chicago Sun-Times.

–Field Level Media

Dustin May will return to the mound for St. Louis after missing a start with an injury as the Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night in the decisive contest of their three-game series.

The Cardinals recorded a 5-3 victory in the series opener on Tuesday before the Braves ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 win on Wednesday.

The Cardinals skipped May’s last start, against Miami, because of lower back tightness. The veteran right-hander (5-6, 4.30 ERA) will oppose Atlanta’s Hurston Waldrep (0-0, 0.00), who will make his first start of the season.

May will try to rebound from his worst game of the year when he was knocked out after giving up six runs in two innings against Kansas City on June 21. That was a shocking turn of events, as he was coming off a complete-game, one-hit shutout vs. San Diego and had thrown 15 consecutive scoreless frames.

“He’s feeling good,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “He was able to touch the mound again and throw his side a couple days ago. Came out of that feeling really good, so he’s a full go (on Thursday).”

May has not fared well in his career vs. the Braves, going 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against them.

Waldrep, a right-hander, has been recovering from right elbow surgery to remove loose bodies that shut him down early in spring training. He made 10 appearances (nine starts) last season and went 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA. He was expected to be in Atlanta’s rotation this season.

Waldrep did pitch two scoreless innings of relief against San Francisco in his 2026 debut on Friday and is not expected to go deep into his first career outing vs. St. Louis.

He could be paired with Grant Holmes, who could be moved to long relief. The right-hander threw four scoreless innings and allowed only one hit in his last outing against the Giants on Saturday. The Braves lost 5-0.

“We’re not sure yet,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said after Wednesday’s game. “We’ve gotta figure that out. All we know is it’ll be Waldrep tomorrow. I’m not sure after that.”

Holmes has struggled against the Cardinals, pitching to an 11.25 ERA without a decision in three career appearances (one start). That start came last year, and he gave up five runs in three innings.

St. Louis right fielder Jordan Walker, who played at Decatur High School in the Atlanta area, had one of the team’s two hits on Wednesday. He doubled in a run and also threw out the fleet-footed Michael Harris II at the plate.

“He stayed on that ball really well for an RBI, and that throw was on the money, a real strong throw,” Marmol said. “He continues to just take really good steps on both sides.”

The Atlanta offense had some minor victories. Drake Baldwin, who ended an 0-for-36 streak on Tuesday, had a hit and scored two runs in Wednesday’s win. Austin Riley ended an 0-for-17 slump with an RBI single.

“It’s been kind of a Murphy’s Law here for a few weeks, but maybe it’s a sign of the tide turning a little bit,” Weiss said. “Things can snowball in this game one way or the other — and it’s certainly snowballed the wrong direction here recently — but some good signs tonight.”

–Field Level Media

After recording their first series sweep at Yankee Stadium since 2008, the Detroit Tigers will look to carry the momentum into this weekend’s set against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas.

The teams will play three games over four days, beginning on Thursday. The series will take a break on Friday due to the World Cup round of 32 match between Australia and Egypt being played across the street at the home field of the Dallas Cowboys.

Detroit completed a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory after scoring four runs in the 11th inning.

The Tigers’ starting pitchers allowed one earned run on four hits with 26 strikeouts and one walk in 19 1/3 innings during the series.

“We’re getting better,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “We had a productive June and I’m loving how July started. We played relaxed, we played fairly clean, we executed some big at-bats and we’re walking out of here with a sweep.”

The injury-plagued Rangers also have been trending in the right direction in recent weeks, finishing 16-12 in June. Texas had won six straight before losing 9-4 to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list due to lower back inflammation on Wednesday, marking his third stint on the list this season.

Wyatt Langford landed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on Saturday, and fellow outfielder Brandon Nimmo is day-to-day with a sprained left shoulder.

“Here’s what I know about baseball: it doesn’t stop for anybody,” Texas manager Skip Schumaker said. “These guys have a will to win.. … I don’t think anyone’s relying on anybody.”

Even with the injuries, Texas finds itself tied with the Seattle Mariners atop the American League West standings.

“We’re in it,” Schumaker said. “We’re more than in it. We feel like this is who we should have been a couple months ago. This is what you’re hoping for at the midway point. That’s all you can ask for.”

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (8-7, 3.95 ERA) will take the mound for Texas in the series opener. He won his third straight start last Friday, tossing seven shutout innings in a 5-4 road victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Eovaldi, 36, has posted a 2.70 ERA with a 24-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his past three outings, covering 20 innings.

Eovaldi is 5-0 with a 2.54 ERA in eight career starts versus Detroit.

The Tigers will counter with left-hander Framber Valdez (4-5, 4.05), who gave up four runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Houston Astros last Saturday.

The 32-year-old Valdez, who is 9-6 with a 2.80 ERA in 20 career games (17 starts) versus Texas, including 1-1 with a 2.70 mark in three outings last season.

The Tigers will be without reliever Will Vest this weekend after he landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with inflammation in the back of his right elbow.

“He’s a guy that wants to pitch through everything,” Hinch said. “But him not being able to locate pitches, him not feeling great after outings, we’ve got to get this checked out and see exactly what we’re dealing with.”

–Field Level Media