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. Thanks for being here.

When Colton Cowser returned to the Orioles’ clubhouse on Tuesday for the first time in more than two months after suffering a left thumb fracture on March 30, he wasted no time setting the record straight with the assembled media:

“I’m not afraid of shrimp.”

While shrimp do look incredibly creepy — they’re like an alien life form that somehow lives among us without anyone noticing — what in the name of Bubba Gump does this swimming nightmare fuel have to do with the runner-up for the most recent AL Rookie of the Year Award?

As is so often the case in these kinds of things, it all goes back to a fishing story. That, and a one-of-a-kind baseball card.

During some downtime in Spring Training, several Orioles players were on a group fishing trip when Cowser dropped a shrimp that he intended to use as bait to lure in some larger sea creature. It took longer for Cowser to retrieve this shrimp from the boat’s deck than teammate Gunnar Henderson deemed appropriate, which led to the All-Star shortstop signing a personalized baseball card later in the spring with both his autograph and an additional message:

“Cowser is afraid of shrimp.”

A picture of that card made the rounds on Monday thanks to a social media post by Topps, and Cowser felt like he had no choice but to give his side of the story as soon as he got back together with the boys.

“One time, one jumped out of my hand and I had to grab it off the ground, and it took a little bit longer because it was in the crevice of the deck,” Cowser said. “So [Henderson] assumed I was afraid of it.”

“I’m not afraid of shrimp, by the way,” Cowser emphasized, in case there were any lingering doubts. “I will grab the shrimp.”

With that burden finally off of his shoulders, Cowser returned to the lineup with a bang, drilling a 101.4 mph homer to help lift the O’s to a 5-1 win over the Mariners.

— Ed Eagle

• Guardians @ Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): The Yankees got an instant influx of offense with Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s return to the lineuplast night, and they continue to have success against a Guardians team that is haunted by playoff losses to New York, most recently in the ALCS last year. José Ramírez comes in with a 29-game on-base streak, and he’d probably have a real shot at an elusive MVP Award this season if not for that guy on the other side of the field, Aaron Judge.
• Rangers @ Rays (7:35 p.m. ET, FREE on MLB.TV): The underperforming Rangers recently lost their ace, Nathan Eovaldi, to the injured list, but tonight former first-round Draft pick (twice over) Kumar Rocker returns to the mound for the first time since April. He’s been inconsistent in his young career so far, but the Rangers could really use his big arm to make good on all that talent.
• Royals @ Cardinals (7:45 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Jac Caglianone may have gone 0-for-5 in his debut, but it was about as loud an 0-fer as you’ll see. The tantalizingly powerful Royals prospect hit two balls over 112 mph and was robbed of base hits twice. It’s only a matter of time before he finds grass (or the stands), and that time could well come tonight.

Voting is officially open for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. In Phase 1 of balloting, which began this afternoon and runs until June 26, you can pick the most deserving players on the PRO SPIRIT MLB All-Star Ballot (or just go with your faves) and help determine the starting lineups for the 95th Midsummer Classic, set for July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Among the storylines to track as the votes roll in: Will last year’s top vote-getter, Aaron Judge, pace the field again? Will the MLB-best Tigers dominate at the ballot box the way they have on the field? And can Cal Raleigh become the first Mariners catcher to start an All-Star Game? In case you need a refresher on the voting process, here’s everything to know. Vote up to five times in every 24-hour period and make your voice heard.

It’s been a rough couple of months for the Rockies, who began the season 9-50 and endured a managerial change, but this week has brought some brighter moments. The Rox clinched their first series win of the year on Tuesday night in Miami, and today’s win secured their first sweep since last May, when they took care of the Padres, also on the road. So how far can they take this, and who’s up next? The NL East-leading Mets visit Coors Field Friday for the first of three.

A hero has come along for the Cubs this year, and his name is Pete Crow-Armstrong. You might know him for his slick glove, blazing speed and newfound pop, but at this moment we are focused on a style decision he has made multiple times already this season.

Crow-Armstrong has often been spotted wearing a sleeveless Mariah Carey T-shirt, showing the five-time Grammy winner in her iconic outfit from the hit single “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” (You’re welcome for getting it stuck in your head. There is never a bad time to have it stuck in your head.) According to last night’s Cubs broadcast, PCA has had the shirt since high school, adopting it from a friend named Jake. Ever since then it’s been his go-to shirt and become something of a lucky charm (as the shirt was being discussed, Crow-Armstrong laced a double, so it checks out). Everywhere he goes, so goes the Mariah Carey T-shirt.

You might say they belong together.

— Scott Chiusano

That’s right — it’s not out of the ordinary for a softball pitcher to throw several hundred pitches across both games of a doubleheader in a given day, at least according to Montana Fouts, the author of a perfect game in the 2021 College World Series. It sounds impossible, and without a doubt, it requires superlative athleticism. But it also underscores the many differences between pitching in baseball and softball.

As anticipation builds for the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, debuting this weekend in Illinois and Kansas, Anthony Castrovince spoke to a few experts — softball pitchers — to map out what distinguishes their craft from that of their hardball counterparts, and how those differences have ramifications for player health and roster construction. One quirk that might surprise you: Unlike in baseball, pitchers in softball can re-enter a game after they’ve been removed. Read on for five more fascinating tidbits to get you ready for this weekend’s action.

— Tom Vourtsis

Can you guess today’s mystery player using clues like age, league, division, position and place of birth? You’ll have nine tries to get it right. Good luck! Play here >>

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