Brian Keller’s dream to pitch in the major leagues is expected to become a reality on Saturday evening when he makes his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies against the visiting New York Yankees.

Keller has made eight starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2026, going 0-1 with a 2.23 ERA. Across two levels of the minors this season, the 32-year-old right-hander has a 2.06 ERA. Those numbers look pretty good to the Phillies now, as they have struggled to find production at the end of their rotation.

Thus, the team is expected to promote Keller to make Saturday’s start — or perhaps to pitch in bulk relief following an opener. In either case, it will be quite a moment for Keller, who has endured a roller coaster over the past decade.

“I wanted this so bad, a chance of playing in the big leagues,” he said recently. “I was not ready to give that up.”

Keller’s journey to the majors began in the Yankees’ farm system. He was a 39th-round pick by New York in the 2016 MLB draft. Since then, he also has pitched in the minors for the Boston Red Sox and Phillies, plus a stint in Japan and a long recovery from Tommy John surgery.

When he likely makes his MLB debut, he’ll face a Yankees team that has won four of its last five games. New York nipped Philadelphia 1-0 in Friday’s series opener as Cam Schlittler struck out 12 over 7 1/3 innings.

“They’ve got a great lineup,” Schlittler said. “They’re going to make you battle, and you’ve got to make the right pitches.”

Paul Goldschmidt’s solo homer in the fourth inning accounted for the only run of the game. New York totaled only three hits, while Philadelphia was limited to four.

The Phillies are 2-5 since the All-Star break and have scored more than one run in a game only three times during that stretch.

“We’ve been playing good teams,” Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “And we definitely would like to be playing better baseball. I think we’re just a little inconsistent right now throughout the lineup, not scoring enough runs, to be quite frank. Obviously the talent’s there. We feel good about our team. We’re not playing our best baseball right now.”

The Phillies will aim to bounce back against left-hander Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.40 ERA), who lasted only 4 2/3 innings Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates — and needed 99 pitches to record 14 outs. He gave up five runs, seven hits and a pair of walks in his team’s 8-5 victory.

“Wasn’t a great one for him; got hit around early on a night we’re up against it pen-wise,” New York manager Aaron Boone said of Weathers’ last start, “but I love the fact that he hung in there.”

Weathers has appeared in three games (two starts) against Philadelphia in his career, going 0-3 with a 9.53 ERA. He has given up six homers in 11 1/3 innings in those outings, including a homer to Kyle Schwarber in each of his last two games against the Phillies.

–Field Level Media

Catcher Nick Fortes has emerged as an unlikely force for the Tampa Bay Rays, who will continue their three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Fortes is 11-for-19 during a five-game hitting streak, including four hits with two RBIs in an 11-3 win over the Guardians on Friday.

The Rays reportedly are in the market for a catcher with the trade deadline approaching on Aug. 3, but Fortes’ play might change their plans.

“I’m just trusting the work and staying consistent with it,” said Fortes, who has a .281 batting average, four homers and 27 RBIs this season. “There’s going to be ups and downs, but you’ve got to continue with the same approach and routine, and that’s just kind of where I’m at right now.”

Tampa Bay owns the best record in the American League at 60-43 and is a major-league-best 36-15 at home.

Ryan Vilade hit a two-run homer and Richie Palacios added a three-run blast on Friday for the Rays, who pounded out 15 hits.

Cleveland trailed 5-1 after four innings and lost its third straight game. Right fielder Chase DeLauter extended his season-high on-base streak to 16 games with a first-inning walk before lining a double to right field in the fourth.

“I thought early in the game … we were getting some momentum going there,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “I thought we had some good at-bats. We just weren’t really able to get much, and then they kind of stretched the game out.

“Just kind of took the wind out of our sails. But, again, tough night. These nights happen. We’ll flush it and be ready to go tomorrow.”

Before Friday’s game, Cleveland activated outfielder/infielder Angel Martinez and left-handed reliever Tim Herrin from the injured list and optioned utilityman Daniel Schneemann and left-hander Will Dion to Triple-A Columbus.

Saturday’s pitching matchup will feature a pair of right-handers as Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee (4-9, 3.86 ERA) opposes Tampa Bay’s Nick Martinez (9-2, 2.59).

Bibee, 27, allowed two runs over six innings in a 13-4 home win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday. After going 0-7 with a 4.57 ERA to start the season, Bibee is 4-2 with a 2.88 ERA in his last eight starts since the beginning of June.

Yandy Diaz is 4-for-13 (.308) with a home run in his career against Bibee, who is 1-3 with a 3.82 ERA in five career starts vs. Tampa Bay.

The Rays will counter with Martinez, who tossed six innings of one-run ball in a 7-1 road win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

“He’s been huge for us all season long,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Martinez. “We needed a really good start, he gave us one. Pitched out of a couple jams there early on but then got on a roll where he was just super efficient, throwing all his pitches and letting the defense play behind him.”

Martinez, 35, has allowed three earned runs or less in 18 of his 19 starts this season.

Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez is hitless in eight at-bats against Martinez, who is 2-2 with a 5.66 ERA in seven career games (three starts) vs. Cleveland.

-Field Level Media