ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - With almost three months of play through the Major League Baseball season, Elk Grove’s stars continue to compete although not with the best results. 

Dylan Carlson (Cardinals): Of the Cardinals' 70 games, Dylan Carlson has played in 32 games with 70 at-bats that have led to a total of 13 hits. 

Carlson entered this season with injury woes as he struggled with an ankle sprain last year and sprained his AC joint in his left shoulder before opening day this year. 

Carlson was activated off the injured list on May 5 and made his season debut the same day. Carlson is slashing .186/.269/.214 with five RBIs for a -0.7 wins above replacement (WAR) at the time of publication in what’s been a slow start for the Elk Grove High School alumnus. 

J.D. Davis (Athletics): More injury woes for another Elk Grove High School alumnus, as a right adductor (inner thigh) strain sidelined J.D. Davis, which has led him to playing in 39 of the Oakland Athletics’ 74 games. 

Davis was placed on the injured list in mid-April and has split time at first and third base with the A’s while he was the primary third baseman for the San Francisco Giants last season, with 116 games at third and only 15 at first. 

Through his 39 games, he’s slashing .236/.304/.366 for five RBIs with four home runs. Davis has struggled away from the Oakland Coliseum as he’s slashing .140/.275/.163 compared to his .299/.321/.475 at home. 

Davis has 29 hits on the season with 23 coming at home while only six in away games, as well as all his home runs and RBIs occurring at the Coliseum in 22 games. 

Davis was designated for assignment by the A's on June 17, just a few months after being released by the Giants.

Nick Madrigal (Cubs): It hasn’t been a standout season for Nick Madrigal, who batted .221 without a home run and 10 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs in 51 games. 

He was demoted on June 2 by the Cubs to Triple-A Iowa to make way for another player.

 To make matters worse for Madrigal, he suffered a left-hand fracture in his first game on June 5. 

Madrigal was taken fourth overall in the 2018 draft out of Oregon State and since then has not been able to play more than 92 games in a full season at the big league level, excluding the shortened 2020 season. 

Matt Manning (Tigers): In September 2023, Sheldon High School alumnus Matt Manning’s season was ended when the Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton lined a 119.5 mph comebacker to his right foot, causing a fracture. 

It’s been an uphill battle since then for Manning, who started the year in Triple-A and has made five starts for the Detroit Tigers all year. 

In five starts, Manning has an 0-1 record with a 4.88 ERA in 27.2 innings pitched, as hitters have a .287 batting average against him. 

Manning last pitched for the Tigers on May 19 away in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks, although in Triple-A Toledo he holds a 2-1 record with a 4.24 ERA in seven games with six games as a starting pitcher in 34 innings pitched. 

He has shown flashes of greatness, which is part of why he was drafted ninth overall in 2016 by the Tigers.

 His best start this year was his first, which came on April 4 against the New York Mets. 

Manning went 5.2 innings, no hits or runs allowed with three strikeouts in what almost became his second contribution to a combined no-hitter. The Tigers went on to lose 2-1. 

Rowdy Tellez (Pirates): Tellez is he local player with the most games played at the Major League level, although that’s in 58 of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 71 games this season. 

This is not so much due to injury but offensive struggles; Tellez is slashing .224/.284/.292 with two home runs and 17 RBIs. 

In 2022, the Elk Grove High School alumnus hit 35 home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers with 89 RBIs but was sidelined due to injuries in 2023, which led to a drop-off in offensive production. 

So far this year, he’s been met by boos by Pirates fans as he’s posting a -0.2 wins above replacement (WAR). 

Not everything is lost, though, as in June through 10 games Tellez is slashing .419/.471/.581 with a home run and 9 RBIs as he’s looking to shake off these struggles and keep any playoff aspirations alive for his team in the Wild Card race.