Author Archives: RJ Hamster

I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis. I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God. I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons. I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA. While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon.. In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987). From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting. Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982. I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects. In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston. In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018. Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia. In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey. As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova. Love and God Bless, Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi

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PriceSmart Stock Eyes $220 as Chile Expansion Fuels Growth

Written by Thomas Hughes

PriceSmart (NASDAQ: PSMT) is accelerating growth and outpacing peers in revenue growth, suggesting further upside for its stock price. The risk is its valuation, which, at approximately 36x the current year forecast, is high.

The caveat for bears is that this valuation aligns with peers, pricing in quality and growth, and likely underestimates PriceSmart’s strength. The company is well-positioned as the leading (in some cases) membership club retailer in Latin America. Its warehouse empire spans 12 countries and one U.S. territory, with new markets opening regularly.

The critical detail in 2026, and the operational factor for share prices, is the expected six new clubs by next spring, a more than 10% increase, with at least one in a new market with great potential. The fiscal Q3 results included plans to open the first PriceSmart in Chile. Chile represents a more lucrative market, with a well-established retail industry lacking a membership club, and consumers with greater spending power.

Estimates suggest that as many as five PriceSmarts could be located in Chile, with longer-term growth possible. Country-specific catalysts include a lean toward more economically friendly policies, attracting foreign investment, and its position in mining and green energy. Chile’s dominance in lithium and copper, and its emergence in green hydrogen, are fueling the economic growth and rising incomes that underpin the spending power PriceSmart depends on.

PriceSmart Delivers in Latest Quarter, Outperforms Peers

PriceSmart had a solid fiscal Q3, with revenue growing 12.5% to $1.48 billion. The growth outpaced Costco (NASDAQ: COST), accelerated from the prior year, and beat the analyst consensus by approximately 200 basis points (bps). Strength was seen across the network, with merchandise sales underpinning the strength. Comp sales, a sign of localized strength and organic growth, increased by 10.7% and are expected to remain strong in the upcoming quarters. Region-specific catalysts include rapidly improving industrialization, employment, and consumer health.

Margin new was another factor underpinning the stock price increase posted this year. The company is widening its margin with scale, driving a 14.4% increase in adjusted EBITDA despite foreign exchange and macroeconomic headwinds and cost pressures.

The company does not issue formal guidance, but it showed clear momentum in its results and an optimistic outlook, given its accelerating expansion plans. The likely outcome is that PriceSmart will continue to grow at a robust pace in the coming quarters, with growth accelerating in 2027 as new stores come online.

PriceSmart’s Weak Analyst Coverage Masks High Institutional Support

PriceSmart’s analyst coverage is weak, with only one tracked by MarketBeat, but there are mitigating factors.

The large, 80% institutional ownership, numerous large ownership blocks, lack of regular market-moving news (to drive trading volume), and low market cap are to blame. That said, institutions and long-term oriented funds hold the bulk of shares, while insiders control nearly all the rest. In this environment, the stock price can continue to rise, as institutions have been accumulating, and cash flows give them no reason to exit.

PriceSmart’s cash flow enables it to invest in growth, sustain a healthy balance sheet, and return capital to investors. The capital return is dividend distribution, which, although low in yield, is strong in reliability and growth. The yield is below average, about 0.7% annualized as of mid-July, but coverage is ample, the payout ratio runs below 30%, and annual increases are becoming the norm.

PriceSmart Set Up to Advance in Q3 2026

PriceSmart’s stock price experienced some volatility ahead of the release but stabilized in its wake. The result is that support was confirmed at the $190 level, and a bullish pattern is emerging. The past few weeks’ action amounts to consolidation within an uptrend and is potentially a Bullish Flag. If confirmed by a breakout to the upside, the upside targets correspond to the magnitude of the preceding rally, or about $30. In this scenario, PSMT’s share price can rise to $220 or higher by year’s end.

PriceSmart’s biggest risks lie in its business model, which relies on cross-border dealings. Risks include currency devaluation, as it buys in U.S. dollars and sells in local currency, and currency repatriation. Some markets, specifically Trinidad & Tobago, have faced severe currency shortages that have prevented the repatriation of profits. Geopolitical instability, supply, and import barriers also pose threats. The company mitigates these threats with dynamic sourcing, geographic diversification, regional logistics hubs, and private labels.

What the market gets wrong about this stock is that it is neither a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer nor a simple emerging-market play, but rather a highly specialized membership club with durable cash flows and a moat. The membership model, specifically the fees, underpins its profitability, making it more of a subscription service with a 90% renewal rate than a retailer. Additionally, the threat posed by eCommerce giants is mitigated by PriceSmart’s footprint, which enables more cost-effective delivery of bulky items at scale to remote locations. READ THIS STORY ONLINE

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Dollar Tree’s Turnaround Is Starting to Take Root

Written by Jeffrey Neal Johnson

The discount retail space weathered a relentless storm over the past two years. Soaring inflation forced low-income consumers to ruthlessly prioritize essentials, while retail shrinkage and elevated logistics costs steadily eroded operating margins.

Many operators in this space found themselves trapped in a multi-quarter downtrend, punished by a market that demands immediate top-line growth. The high-volume, low-margin business model requires near-perfect execution, and any disruption in supply chains or consumer spending habits quickly translates into severe equity drawdowns. Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) is aggressively defending its valuation floor with a replenished $2.5 billion buyback and a 120-bps expansion in gross margin, defying the broader discount retail traffic slump.

Spotting the Green Shoots Early

When a retailer falls out of favor, the market prices in peak pessimism and assumes operational headwinds will persist indefinitely. Finding an entry point requires looking past the immediate noise to identify structural business shifts before they fully reflect in the share price.

Mispricing occurs when Wall Street focuses entirely on lagging metrics, such as historical foot traffic, out of caution, while ignoring forward-looking capital allocations. Recent capital moves and shifting Wall Street sentiment suggest that the worst of Dollar Tree’s margin compression is in the rearview mirror.

Pruning the Float: A $2.5B Buyback Takes Root

When equity prices face sustained downward pressure, institutional behavior and management capital allocation provide the clearest signal of a fundamental floor. On July 2, 2026, the Dollar Tree board of directors authorized a $2.5 billion share repurchase program. For an enterprise carrying a $23.76 billion market capitalization, this authorization represents a potential retirement of roughly 10.7% of the outstanding float.

This move serves as a standard return of capital, but investors should also view it as an aggressive defense of the current valuation. The $2.5 billion authorization arrived shortly after a significant institutional shift. In June 2026, activist investor Mantle Ridge executed a $500 million accelerated share repurchase via a block trade. Mantle Ridge executed large-volume block trades with major banks, who in turn sold the shares back to Dollar Tree outside of the market to avoid affecting the working share price.

The exit of activist capital, paired with a concurrent reduction in board seats, signals that Dollar Tree is transitioning out of a turbulent restructuring phase and returning its focus to organic operational execution. A block trade clears institutional overhang, allowing the stock to discover its natural price without the downward pressure of a major stakeholder liquidating on the open market. By actively reducing the share count, management mathematically bolsters future earnings per share, creating a protective floor against ongoing top-line volatility.

Trimming Costs to Spark Bottom-Line Growth

The most compelling argument for a turnaround lies directly on the balance sheet. In retail, top-line revenue grabs the headlines, but gross margin pays the bills.

This margin recovery stems from tangible structural tailwinds that are beginning to cascade down the income statement. Dollar Tree successfully secured $110 million in tariff refunds, providing an immediate, unexpected cash injection. Easing logistics and freight costs are further padding the bottom line.

In a high-volume, low-margin business environment, capturing an additional 120 basis points of margin is an operational victory that directly offsets the sluggish consumer environment. If the broader macroeconomic environment worsens, a repaired margin structure provides crucial downside protection.

Wall Street is beginning to reprice these structural improvements. Two prominent analyst upgrades hit the wire in early July. Raymond James upgraded Dollar Tree from Market Perform to Outperform, establishing a $140 price target. Their analysis points to fiscal 2026 guidance being artificially conservative, noting that additional tariff refunds and supply chain efficiencies could yield hundreds of millions in unexpected profitability in the back half of the year.

Goldman Sachs also adjusted its stance, moving from Sell to Neutral and bumping its price target to $125. The shift from a bearish to a neutral rating from a major institutional desk often forces large portfolio managers to reevaluate their short exposure, potentially triggering a steady unwinding of bearish bets. With short interest hovering around 7.66%, representing over 13 million shares, any string of operational beats creates the conditions for a sustained technical reversal.

Watering the Roots: Value Perception Precedes Traffic

To analyze the setup objectively, investors should examine the lingering bearish arguments. Top-line foot traffic remains the primary headwind. In Q1, Dollar Tree reported a negative 1% traffic comp, indicating that the core low-income demographic is still visiting stores less frequently than in previous years.

Rival operators like Dollar General (NYSE: DG) continue to aggressively expand their real estate footprint, while big-box giants like Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) and Target (NYSE: TGT) use deep price rollbacks to fiercely defend their market share. Dollar General’s strategy of blanketing rural America with new store openings keeps constant pressure on Dollar Tree to maintain its competitive footing. The competitive environment is brutal, and waiting for traffic to turn positive before initiating a position often means missing the largest segment of the equity recovery.

This is where leading indicators become vital. The Goldman Sachs upgrade relied heavily on proprietary sentiment data. This specific data set tracks consumer perception of price and value. According to their findings, value perceptions among low-income households are finally beginning to stabilize and turn positive. Consumer perception serves as a leading indicator, as shoppers must believe a retailer offers superior value before they change their driving habits and foot traffic patterns.

If value perception is indeed stabilizing, the negative traffic comps should begin to flatten out over the next two quarters. Because Dollar Tree already fixed the margin structure, any eventual return of positive foot traffic will drop cleanly to the bottom line without being absorbed by elevated supply chain costs.

The Harvest: Is Dollar Tree Ripe for the Picking?

The current financial metrics fit a classic value-investing framework. Dollar Tree trades at a deeply compressed trailing price-to-sales ratio of 1.22x and a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 17.66. The market is valuing Dollar Tree as if the peak margin compression of 2024 and 2025 is a permanent fixture, entirely discounting the 120-bps margin expansion reported in the most recent quarter.

Navigating the retail sector requires identifying businesses that can engineer their own profitability regardless of macroeconomic traffic slumps. The combination of easing logistics costs, substantial tariff refunds, and a management team willing to retire over 10% of the float creates an asymmetric risk profile.

Investors seeking exposure to the discount retail turnaround might watch the upcoming Q2 earnings release for signs of continued gross margin stability. Those comfortable with near-term volatility may view the current valuation multiples as an opportunity to build a position before consumer foot traffic officially catches up to the newly repaired balance sheet. READ THIS STORY ONLINE

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Sitting 18 miles north of Tonopah in the same district that produced over 15 million ounces at Kinross Gold’s Round Mountain Mine, this explorer carries historic drill intercepts of 30 meters at 2.5 g/t gold and surface samples exceeding 100 g/t. With a market cap under $15 million and drills ready to turn in H2 2026, the window may be narrow.GET THE FULL STORY ON THIS DRILL-READY NEVADA GOLD EXPLORER

Why Levi’s Digital Strategy Is Paying Off in a Big Way

Written by Thomas Hughes

Levi’s (NYSE: LEVI) turnaround story is one that could be written about in books. The company, an endearing, entrenched, iconic legacy brand, has embraced the modern era, delved deeply into technological advancement, and is now experiencing a virtuous cycle tied to AI.

Indeed, Levi’s is now a retail AI story, as its direct-to-consumer (DTC) shiftnot only improved sales and margins but also enabled proprietary data, driven by a solid eCommerce presence, and data is what AI is all about.

Now, Levi’s is capitalizing on its growing data set, strengthening its network as it leans into higher-margin business, loyalty membership, and comp store growth.

To fully comprehend the change, investors must consider where Levi’s was. Struggling with in-store merchandising and an obvious wholesaling failure, Levi’s made the DTC shift, which unlocked a retail bottleneck.

Consumers who wanted Levi’s products couldn’t easily find them at 3rd-party retailers; DTC solved the issue.

With control over its stores, Levi’s can ensure product and merchandising quality while also realizing higher retail margins. Within that, digitalization enabled not only data collection but also full-scale merchandising—consumers no longer have to dig through a pile of messy, picked-through jeans to find the style and size they need; they are now within easy reach. And the impact on the business has been staggering.

Levi Strauss Accelerates Turnaround With Beat-and-Raise Quarter

Levi Strauss posted a solid Q2, with revenue up 8% to $1.56 billion. This was an acceleration over the prior year, outperforming consensus by more than 540 basis points (bps) on strength across all markets, channels, and categories. DTC grew by 11%, underpinned by eCommerce, while wholesale grew at a more modest pace. Worth more than 50% of the revenue, DTC’s growth was driven by a 6% comp and a 19% increase in eCommerce. Regionally, the Americas were strongest at up 9%, underpinned by a 5% gain in the U.S., while Asia grew by 10% and Europe by 4%.

Margin was another strength driven by the DTC business. The company posted improvements at the gross and operating levels, driving a 35 bps improvement in operating margin and a 70 bps gain in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). Bottom-line results reflect strength, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) up 27% year over year (YOY) to 28 cents, 4 cents above MarketBeat’s reported analyst consensus.

As good as the Q2 results were, it is the guidance that will keep Levi’s market advancing this year. The company increased its targets for revenue, margin, and earnings, lifting the high ends and tightening the ranges.

Levi’s guidance aligns with consensus forecasts, affirming confidence, and is likely to be cautious. CEO Michelle Gass says the company is in the earliest phases of its DTC growth and has more ways to win than ever, including a larger addressable market.

Levi’s Raises Dividend, Signaling Confidence in Outlook

Levi’s solid Q2 report was accompanied by a 14% increase in the dividend distribution. While the increase was not unexpected, the size was above average, signaling confidence in the outlook. Investors should consider distribution safety, which ranks well with a payout ratio below 40% and a robust growth trajectory. Future increases may not be as large but are likely, as are share buybacks. Q2 activity, including the impact of an accelerated share repurchase authorization, reduced the count by an average of 2.35%.

Analysts responded optimistically but noted that the guidance failed to impress. Although solid in light of past results, analysts had hoped for more, setting the stage for a stock price correction. In this scenario, Levi’s may see a post-release stock price pullback, potentially moving as low as $22, but in the longer term, the forecasts remain very bullish.

The consensus of 16 analysts tracked by MarketBeat is a Moderate Buy, with an 81% Buy-side bias; no Sell ratings are tracked, and price targets have been rising. Consensus, which was up 35% YOY ahead of the release, forecasts a modest double-digit increase relative to the pre-release closing price, with the high end pointing to a fresh all-time high.

Institutional activity suggests the downside risks are limited as of early July. While the trailing 12-month activity includes significant selling in prior quarters, the balance reverted to accumulation in Q2 and has sustained a robustly bullish pace in early Q3, suggesting the Q2 strength was anticipated. The likely outcome is that any post-release price pullback will trigger more buying, underpinning technical support for this market. Levi’s biggest risks include tariff uncertainty and foreign exchange headwinds, but the company appears to be navigating the environment well. READ THIS STORY ONLINE

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NASCAR THIS WEEKEND!

Save time at the gate – get tickets ahead of time

After massive fan support on their debut, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series & ARCA Menards Series return to Lime Rock Park for a Battle at the Bull Ring. Plus, the LRP debut of USF Juniors!

Click the names of the series above to read more about them, and get your tickets today at the button below.GET TICKETS – LIUNA 150

Get The Daily Rev Ahead of Time

Event Schedule | Map | Entry List | Featured Articles & more

The Daily Rev is your guide to all things NASCAR Weekend at Lime Rock Park — click below to access your copy now!GET THE DAILY REV

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Set to Open Paddock On Friday of NASCAR Weekend!

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Get Up Close & Personal with the NASCAR Trucks Garages

For the first time this season, NASCAR fans attending a national series event will be able to step inside the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series garages without a separate pass, bringing Lime Rock Park’s longstanding open paddock tradition to the series.

All general admission ticket holders will have access to the NASCAR garage on Friday, July 10, from 2-4 p.m., offering fans the opportunity to get up close to the teams, drivers and trucks that make up the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.READ MORE – OPEN PADDOCK

Stay Local, Eat Local During NASCAR Weekend with our Hotel & Restaurant Partners!

As part of our continued focus on enhancing the guest experience, we’re proud to expand our hospitality and dining partnerships with a curated group of local restaurant inns, hotels and boutique properties across the region.

These partnerships offer a range of nearby accommodations, from historic inns and lakeside resorts and cabins, to modern hotels and elevated boutique stays, paired with local dining spots that capture the character of the Northwest Corner. Each provides a unique experience, giving guests the flexibility to tailor their Lime Rock Park weekend to fit their style.

Tap the button below to learn more & book your stay today!Learn More – Hotel & Restaurant Partnerships

UPCOMING DRIVING EVENTS

Test the limits of yourself & your car in a controlled environment with Autocross Lapping Days, or get a taste of both the LRP Circuit & FCP Euro Proving Grounds with Track Tapas!

Looking to learn to drive like the pros do? Our Intro to Racing pairs you with professional instructors in both a classroom & on-track setting, getting you your first real steps into racing.

& don’t forget Kart the Park, our arrive & drive karting program where you can race your friends on the FCP Euro Proving Grounds! Take home the ultimate bragging rights with one of our upcoming sessions at the link below.LEARN MORE & REGISTER – DRIVING PROGRAMS

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All-Star’s epic homer on far side of the world

Thursday, July 09

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Junior Caminero hit his longest home run in Australia

Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s newsletter is brought to you by David Adler.

Junior Caminero has hit plenty of monster home runs right here in the big leagues. That’s why he’s in the Home Run Derby.

But his most monstrous home run of all? He hit that one on the other side of the world. Matt Monagan has the story.

On the southwest coast of Australia is a tiny stadium called Empire Ballpark. That’s where a 19-year-old Caminero crushed one of the longest home runs any Aussie baseball fan had ever seen.

Why was the Rays All-Star even there? Well, after he was traded from the Guardians to the Rays in November 2021, Tampa Bay sent the young slugger to play for the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League for the 2022-23 winter season.

On the night of Nov. 12, 2022, Caminero — thousands of miles from Tampa or his native Dominican Republic — treated a new continent to true light-tower power.

Beyond the center-field fence at Empire Ballpark is a big old shed. To the base of the shed is 400 feet, and the building goes back another 60-70 feet beyond that.

Caminero cleared it.

His home run instantly became the stuff of legend in Perth. How far did it go? 470 feet? 480? 500???

We’ll never know exactly where that ball landed, because no one would dare venture out into the Australian wilderness beyond the center-field shed to retrieve it.

“There are snakes everywhere out there in that field,” Heat broadcaster Paul Morgan said. “You’re taking a risk to get that home run ball.”

All we know is, Caminero better hit some more moonshots like that in the Derby on Monday.

DERBY FIELD AT 5 WITH BREAKOUT SLUGGER

Jordan Walker is the fifth player headed to the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

Walker will join Junior Caminero, Ben Rice, Jac Caglianone and Willson Contreras in the Derby on Monday in Philadelphia (8 p.m. ET, live on Netflix).

That leaves three more Home Run Derby contestants to be announced. Keep track of the updated Derby field here.

Walker will be the first Cardinals hitter to participate in the Home Run Derby since Albert Pujols in 2022. No Cardinal has ever won the Derby. Pujols came closest when he finished as the runner-up to Garret Anderson in 2003.

The 24-year-old is a first-time All-Star this season. Walker is having a breakout year with 21 home runs and a Major League-leading 70 RBIs.

He has one of the fastest swings in the Major Leagues — Walker’s average bat speed of 79.1 mph is second only to Caminero this season — which hopefully means lots of Home Run Derby blasts are incoming.

GAMES OF THE NIGHT

For info on how to watch every game this season, go to MLB.com/Watch.

Mariners at Marlins (6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)

The streaking Marlins have now won five games in a row and pulled even with the Phillies for the second NL Wild Card spot. Miami is 51-42, including an MLB-best 25-8 since the start of June. The Marlins go for the sweep of the Mariners tonight, but they’ll have to go through Bryce Miller, who’s been awesome so far in 2026 (1.71 ERA in nine games with 62 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings).

Phillies at Reds (7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network / MLB.TV)

Jesús Luzardo takes the mound after being named an All-Star for the first time on Tuesday — giving the host Phillies an MLB-high six players in the All-Star Game. Luzardo, who replaced the Marlins’ Max Meyer on the roster, ranks third in the NL with 125 strikeouts, behind only fellow All-Stars Jacob Misiorowski and teammate Cristopher Sánchez.

Angels at Rangers (8:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)

Mike Trout returned to the lineup with a bangyesterday (aka, his 18th home run of the season), on the 15th anniversary of his MLB debut on July 8, 2011. Now the Angels superstar has his sights set on his 12th All-Star Game — the most of any active player. If all goes well this week, Trout will be set to start the game in the outfield for the AL, and he’s a two-time All-Star Game MVP.

SONNY DAYS AHEAD IN ATLANTA?

We’ll be bringing you all the latest trade rumors up to the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. Here’s what’s happening today:

Braves interested in Gray

Sonny Gray would be one of the top trade chips for the Red Sox if they decide to sell at the Deadline, and he’s already drawing interest from many teams — including the NL East-leading Braves, who have a handful of starting pitchers on the injured list as they try to hold off the Phillies and upstart Marlins.

Will Miller be traded … again?

The Padres’ trade for Mason Miller was one of the biggest blockbusters of last year’s Deadline. Could San Diego pull another stunner this year by trading Miller again? MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand asked rival executives what they think. If Miller were available, contenders like the Phillies, Cubs, Brewers and Yankees could all be landing spots.

Astros looking at outfielders

The Astros are reportedly showing interest in Rockies outfielders Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy, which makes a lot of sense considering Houston’s lack of offensive production from its outfield this season. Both Moniak and McCarthy are having strong years.

Read more here >>

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Here’s the news and notes from around the Majors.

• White Sox star rookie Munetaka Murakami could return to the lineup tomorrow after missing more than a month with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. The lefty slugger has 20 home runs and a .938 OPS in 57 games in his first season in the Majors. The White Sox open a series against the A’s in Chicago tomorrow (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV).

• Yankees superstar Aaron Judge will have his fractured right rib reimaged during the All-Star break. The Yankees hope the results will help provide a clearer timetable for the reigning AL MVP’s return. Judge has been on the injured list since June 5.

• Junior Caminero just smashed his 27th home run of the season today against the Yankees — and his recent home run binge has lifted him almost to the top of our latest Hitter Power Rankings.

• With Justin Verlander set to retire at the end of the season, here’s a look back at the defining moments of a Hall of Fame-caliber career. From no-hitters to Cy Young Awards to World Series rings to the 3,000-strikeout club, Verlander did it all.

• Dylan Cease came oh-so-close to ending the Blue Jays’ 36-year no-hitter drought yesterday, but his bid against the Giants was broken up in the ninth inning. Dave Stieb threw Toronto’s only no-hitter on Sept. 2, 1990 — although, memorably, he also lost three no-hit bids with two outs in the ninth inning before he finally finished the job. Cease does have a no-hitter already, but that was with the Padres in 2024.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong became the first 20-20 player in the Majors this year after hitting two more home runs yesterday. It’s his second straight season with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases (last year he went 31-35). The only other players who are anywhere close to 20-20 right now are James Wood (25 homers, 15 steals), CJ Abrams (20 homers, 15 steals) and Oneil Cruz (14 homers, 21 steals).

MLB.TV ALL-STAR SALE

The All-Star Game is right around the corner, and it’s time to bring in midsummer savings to your wallet. For a limited time only, MLB.TV is now only $47.99! Stream every out-of-market game live or on demand.

Subscribe to MLB.TV Seasonal for $47.99

New subscribers who purchase MLB.TV can get a free one-month trial of ESPN Unlimited. Subscribers will receive an email to redeem their trial. Rest of season pricing offer valid through 7/12/26. After initial purchase, ESPN subscription is not required to maintainMLB.TV subscription. Blackouts & terms apply.

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