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.

Hours before the 2024 Little League Classic, Jazz Chisholm Jr. slid into a shuttle bus seat on the tarmac at Williamsport Regional Airport in Pennsylvania and began chatting with a young player named Russell McGee, who was awestruck to be meeting his favorite MLB star. The two clicked instantly. Feeling like he’d just met a little brother, Chisholm wasn’t about to let the bond end when the bus ride did.

McGee, now 12 years old, said Chisholm has kept his promise to keep in touch. As Bryan Hoch detailed here, the friendship between Chisholm and McGee has continued to grow over the past year.

“He said he’s always going to have my back,” McGee said. “He wants to make me the best possible baseball player I can be. He wants me to go far one day.”

Chisholm sent McGee boxes of baseball gear in the months that followed, and the two also frequently link up to play NBA 2K. The pair even attended the Las Vegas Grand Prix together, watching Formula 1 cars race down the Strip from VIP seats. Afterwards, Chisholm spent the evening hanging out with McGee and the boy’s father.

Those who have watched Chisholm play know that few big league stars better embody the spirit of Little League Baseball than the ebullient Yankees infielder, so it should come as no surprise that he is doing his part to pass that joy onto the next generation.

“I like to give back to the future, especially to someone with high hopes,” Chisholm said. “He’s a great kid. Being around him makes me feel like a better person and a better player. It makes me feel like I can help the future in some way.”

-- Thomas Harrigan

• Astros @ Tigers (6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): The Astros added another big name to their impossibly long list of injured players last week, with closer Josh Hader unlikely to return before October. Yordan Alvarez, however, is starting a rehab assignment and could suit up for Houston this weekend for the first time since May 2. Until then, we can enjoy a potential postseason preview between the clubs with the slimmest (Houston) and largest (Detroit) division leads in the AL.

• Blue Jays @ Pirates (6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Long before their win streak was snapped at 14, the Brewers nudged Paul Skenes' ERA back above 2.00 in his last start, which was tied for his shortest of the season at 4 IP. Tonight's assignment isn't much easier: The AL-best Jays have won a Major League-leading five games by 12 or more runs this year.

• Brewers @ Cubs (8:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): If the Cubs are holding out hope of catching the Brewers for the NL Central lead, a five-game series between the rivals could drastically reshape the race, which Milwaukee leads by eight games. The series opener at Wrigley is underway now (MLB Network and MLB.TV); will Milwaukee avoid dropping back-to-back games for the first time since July 25-26?

• Coors Field brought out the best in Corbin Carroll, whose 474-foot homer yesterday was the longest of his career and the third longest by any Major Leaguer this year.

• Players' Weekend was a huge success, from colorful custom bats and charity support to throwback fun at the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa.

• The Astros retired newly inducted Hall of Famer Billy Wagner's No. 13 in an emotional pregame ceremony Saturday, as Brian McTaggart writes.

• The O's, who took two of three in Houston, gave fans a glimpse of the future by calling up slugging prospects Samuel Basallo (ranked No. 8 overall) and Dylan Beavers. Jake Rill has more on the club's encouraging debuts.

• With wins over Japan and Chinese Taipei, USA Softball claimed its fourth consecutive World Games gold medal. After winning an AUSL title with the Talons, Megan Faraimo spun a shutout in the gold-medal game.

Dodgers rookie Jack Dreyer impressed his veteran teammates during Spring Training by solving a Rubik’s Cube in under 20 seconds, and then creating a “painting” of Shohei Ohtani entirely out of Rubik’s Cubes. His latest clubhouse-pleasing feat? Creating his own crossword puzzles.

Dreyer, who has gone 2-2 with a 2.83 ERA and two saves in 50 games out of the bullpen for Los Angeles, made a crossword puzzle earlier this season that was such a hit for his teammates and other Dodgers personnel that they requested another. Dreyer not only obliged, he shared it with MLB.com and our readers. Give it a shot here.

Summer is flying by, and with that, it's time to head back to school. To help alleviate the scaries for students, the Royals have a pair of promotions that any junior scholar would covet. For tonight's game against the Rangers, the first 5,000 fans 14 & under will get a Food Thermos. And for tomorrow night's matchup with Texas, there's a Lunch Box giveaway. The practical and portable promos are emblazoned with Royals mascot Sluggerrr doing his thing, and they're sure to make any kid a lunchroom luminary. If you're in the Kansas City area, you can get tickets for those games right here.

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