The Major League Baseball season heads into the second week of June, and here are five things to watch this week.

Big week for White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are one of baseball’s feel-good stories of 2026.

The White Sox are 34-31 and in second place in the American League Central, two games behind the Cleveland Guardians. This comes after the White Sox lost 101 games in 2023, an MLB-record 121 in 2024 and 102 last season.

This week, the White Sox can measure their progress against two of the best teams in the major leagues at Rate Field. The National League East-leading Atlanta Braves (45-21) visit for a three-game series starting on Tuesday night, then the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers (42-24) come to town for three games beginning Friday night.

The White Sox plan to pitch Davis Martin, Erick Fedde and left-hander Anthony Kay against the Braves. Atlanta is expected to counter with Grant Holmes and lefties Chris Sale and Martin Perez.

Athletics heading "home"

The Athletics won’t move into their currently under-construction stadium in Las Vegas until 2028. However, they will give Sin City fans a sneak peek this week.

Temporarily based at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., the Athletics have a six-game homestand this week at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of their Triple-A affiliate in suburban Henderson. The Athletics have three-game series against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies.

Las Vegas fans will miss Brewers pitching phenom Jacob Misiorowski, who is scheduled to start Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Family Field in Milwaukee.

Tigers' big chance

The disappointing Detroit Tigers might have their best chance to get back into the AL Central race this weekend when they visit the Guardians at Progressive Field for a three-game series that begins Friday night. The Tigers are 9.5 games behind the division-leading Guardians and tied with the Kansas City Royals for last place.

There is a chance the Tigers could get left-hander Tarrik Skubal, winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards, back for this series. Skubal is making a rapid recovery from the noninvasive procedure that removed a loose body in his elbow that had sidelined him since April 30.

Skubal made his first minor-league rehab start on Sunday and pitched five scoreless innings for Low-A West Michigan.

Yankees try to withstand Judicial leave

The New York Yankees are going to have to learn to live without slugging right fielder Aaron Judge. The reigning AL MVP has a fractured rib and won’t be reevaluated for a month.

The Yankees are 2-3 since Judge was hurt. Also on the injured list for the Yankees are designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (strained right calf) and catcher Austin Wells (cervical headaches).

Despite the injuries, the Yankees are just percentage points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. The Yankees are on the road this week, visiting the Guardians for three games starting Monday, then playing a three-game weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Dansby Swanson looks to break slump

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell held shortstop Dansby Swanson out of the lineup on Saturday and Sunday against the San Francisco Giants in the hope that the break would snap the shortstop out of a 6-for-46 slump. Swanson is hitting .180/.285/.332 in 62 games this season.

The Cubs have three-game road series' this week against the Rockies and Giants. Coors Field is certainly a ballpark made for slump-busting.