MLB Weekly Digest: ICE at Dodger Stadium, Top Prospects Demoted

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This week in MLB featured ICE agents showing up at Dodger Stadium, two young, former top prospects demoted to Triple-A, and Rafael Devers’ first week in San Francisco.

ICE Agents at Dodger Stadium –

The biggest headline in MLB this past week did not involve a player or occur on a field. Thursday morning, ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was spotted near the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. According to the Dodgers X account, the agents requested access to the parking lots and were denied entry by the organization.

This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 19, 2025

However, the official ICE X account responded to this claim, saying, “False. We were never there.”

False. We were never there. https://t.co/ZquYiW0miQ

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) June 19, 2025

In a statement, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”

Pictures were captured and posted on social media of the vehicles, which have caused more debates on whether or not ICE had true intentions of entering the stadium.

Campbell and Alvarez sent down –

Two young, struggling hitters have been sent down to Triple-A.

The Boston Red Sox are sending infielder Kristian Campbell to Triple-A, sources tell ESPN. Campbell, who signed an eight-year, $60 million contract this spring, was hitting .301/.407/.495 at the end of April but is .159/.243/.222 since. He’ll get a chance to reset in Worcester.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 19, 2025

The first was the Boston Red Sox 2B, Kristian Campbell. Campbell broke camp with the Red Sox, making his MLB debut with the club in late March. He got off to a scorching start, with a slash line of .313/.420/.515 for a 161 wRC+ through April. Ever since then, he has slashed .154/.236/.215 and a 25 wRC+.

The Red Sox committed to Campbell before the season started, giving him an eight-year, $60MM extension before he even touched a major league field. He will likely be back with the big league club sooner rather than later, assuming he fixes his struggles and regains his confidence in Triple-A.

Wilyer Abreu was activated from the IL in a corresponding move.

The next young hitter and former top prospect demoted was New York Mets C Francisco Alvarez.

The Mets optioned Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse and called up Hayden Senger.

— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) June 22, 2025

Alvarez, 23, was the former No. 1 overall prospect in MLB as recently as 2022. He started the season with a slashline of .236/.319/.333 in 35 games. He was striking out a third of the time, and some defensive regression was noticed.

“Not an easy decision,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Something we don’t take lightly.”

Just two seasons ago, Alvarez hit 25 homers as a rookie. He endured an up-and-down 2024 season and started this season injured. Throughout his time at the plate this season, he was very inconsistent, which led to him losing starts to C Luis Torrens. The hope for the Mets’ backstop is to regain confidence with everyday ABs in Triple-A.

Devers’ First Week in the Bay –

Following the blockbuster trade made last week between the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants, DH Rafael Devers made his debut for the Giants.

Through a small sample size of six games, Devers is hitting .217 with 5 hits, a homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBI. He has yet to play the field, although it has been reported that he is open to playing first base. This is something Devers refused to do in Boston, and something he has never done in his career.

“I am here to play wherever they want me to play.” -Rafael Devers

Manager Bob Melvin says he’s going to DH and play first base. Devers has not yet played first base in his career

(via @SFGiants) pic.twitter.com/qAbKh1kRum

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 17, 2025

His first Giants home run came against his former team Saturday off of RHP Brayan Bello in the 3rd inning. Devers took an 0-1 fastball opposite field to the bleachers in left.

???? RAFAEL DEVERS HAS HIT HIS FIRST HOME RUN AS A GIANT ???? pic.twitter.com/c6pfMEAjqi

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 21, 2025

A feel-good moment for him and something the Giants hope to see for many years, as they have not had any hitter surpass 30 home runs in a single season since Barry Bonds in 2004.

About Post Author

Michael Bodzenta

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I fell in love with sports from a young age. Whether I was playing them throughout high school or in the yard with my friends, I knew I had found something I loved. Watching them was also a main part of my childhood, as I could name almost every player on all three Cleveland sports teams. Talking about sports is something I can do for hours, so as I got older, I quickly realized that I knew what I wanted to do. I started writing about sports and talking about sports in high school. It was fun and easy for me. My dream goal would be to become baseball analyst, covering breaking news and other stories in the sport. I've written numerous articles about sports including the Browns and the Guardians. I currently write for Kent Wired, where I expanded my knowledge to cover Health and Fitness. I have experience with Adobe Photoshop, Premier, and Audition. I work as the social media manager/representative for the Kent State Club Baseball team creating graphics mostly on Instagram and some on Twitter (X) . The goal of this is to get more engagement for the team, create awareness, and raise money. I also currently coach for a 17u travel baseball organization (Midwest Stars) out of Hudson, Ohio. Through this I have been able to continue my love for the game, give back to the community, and strengthen my leadership qualities. My passion for sports especially baseball remains unquestioned and I strive to continue to report on something I love.

mbodzent@kent.edu

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