MLB Notebook: Dodgers look dangerous in Bellinger's return

This past week featured a major return in Los Angeles, a big move from a team that seems to have woken up following some early struggles, an identity crisis in Gotham, and…a cheese sandwich? Yep, we’re starting to get into the dog days of summer, folks, and we hope you enjoy the first MLB notebook of June!

Bellinger Belts Grand Slam Against Cardinals

L.A. Dodgers star Cody Bellinger has missed most of the season, but is finally back in the lineup and, by all indications, hasn’t forgotten how to swing the bat. Four of his six RBI’s in Wednesday’s win over St. Louis came in one at-bat, when he blasted a fastball over the right field fence.

Bellinger’s return comes as a boon to the reigning champs, who are dueling with both the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres for the top spot in the NL West.

Surging Cubs Rocket Up the NL Central Standings

Earlier this season, I wrote that the Chicago Cubs were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball. However, they concluded a stellar 19-8 month of May with a 7-2 win over the Padres on Memorial Day. That win was the ninth in 10 games for Chicago, which now sits at 32-23 on the year and leads the division by 1 1/2 games over the St. Louis Cardinals (with the Milwaukee Brewers sitting three games back thanks to a recent five-game win streak of their own).

Inconsistency Plagues the Yankees

Not long ago, the Yankees were riding high on a six-game win streak. They took three of four at Texas before sweeping the White Sox at home. How did the Bronx Bombers respond? Not well.

They dropped two of three to Toronto and were swept at lowly Detroit. The AL East is one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, with four teams separated by just 4 1/2 games (sorry, Baltimore).

The Yankees have the talent to do major damage in the regular season and beyond, but they can’t afford stretches like the one they had this past week.

Fyre Festival? Nope, Just The Minors

We’ll finish this week’s notebook off with an unfortunate entry from the Oakland A’s organization. Earlier this week, photos surfaced of the food some minor leaguers were given, and the shoddy sandwiches went viral on social media.

The Athletics have blamed the issues on a vendor they stopped doing business with last month, but this is a bad look for an organization that has had a rough season off the diamond. As we wrote about a few weeks ago, they may potentially be relocating due to stadium issues in the Bay Area.