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When the Miami Marlins acquired Bradley Blalock over the offseason, expectations for him were modest. After all, this a pitcher who had been designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies. He ranked last among MLB pitchers in 2025 with -1.0 fWAR and had not found success at the minor league level, either. However, the Marlins saw something in him and the right-hander is turning heads during his first year in a new organization. Blalock's 62° arm angle would rank third in the majors right now, behind Toronto’s Trey Yesavage and the Mets’ Tobias Myers. His arsenal is led by a fastball that sits around 94 mph and plays well up in the strike zone. He mixes in a cutter that gives him a different look and can keep hitters off balance. His slider is a solid secondary pitch that he can go to for swings-and-misses, while his curveball adds another layer with more depth and helps change eye levels. He also throws a splitter, which works as his main offspeed pitch and can get hitters to chase when it’s working. Through six starts this year with Triple-A Jacksonville, Blalock has thrown 32 innings, allowing 11 earned runs, six walks, and 31 strikeouts. The long ball has hurt him, as he has allowed seven home runs on the year, but hitters are batting just .190 against him overall. The Marlins' decision to part ways with Chris Paddack shakes up their starting rotation for the first time since Opening Day. Robby Snelling will step into Paddack's spot for now, but Blalock has moved up the depth chart. With a couple more injuries and/or trades, Blalock could find himself back on a major league pitching staff. What has changed? Blalock has made a clear adjustment from 2025 to 2026, lowering his four-seam usage from 52.3% to 41.0% while increasing his cutter usage from 7.5% to 22.1%. His slider has dipped from 16.6% to 13.8% and his splitter from 14.4% to 13.1%, while his curveball has seen a slight increase from 9.2% to 10.0%. Becoming more unpredictable is not the only key to his success so far. Blalock's BB/9 this season is 1.69 compared to 5.19 last year. He is averaging three fewer pitches per inning compared to last year, and his K/BB ratio has more than tripled, rising to 5.17 this year from 1.49 last year. Not only is he throwing more strikes, but he is limiting damage across the board. The ability to get ahead in counts has played a big role in that. In 2025, opponents posted a .400 OBP and .559 SLG (.959 OPS) against him. That has dropped significantly in 2026, with hitters putting up just a .228 OBP and .397 SLG (.625 OPS). Similar to what we have seen with Janson Junk, filling up the zone leads to results. Blalock’s BABIP this season is .190, which suggests some regression may be coming, but if he continues throwing strikes and limiting walks, he will remain effective. View the full article

Andrew Morris was never the flashy, Top-100 name lighting up prospect rankings. He wasn’t the can’t-miss arm generating buzz across the league, and certainly not someone grabbing headlines with gaudy strikeout totals or triple-digit velocity. Even now, at the major-league level, he’s settled into one of the least glamorous roles on the pitching staff: the length reliever. But if you’ve been paying close attention, Morris has quietly been effective, reliable, and (arguably) under-appreciated. Through his first 15 2/3 major-league innings, the surface-level numbers don’t exactly jump off the page. A 5.17 ERA paired with a 1.53 WHIP isn’t going to turn heads, and in today’s game, a 20% strikeout rate falls short of the league average, which hovers around 22%. His fastball, sitting around 95 MPH, is solid but not overpowering. On paper, it’s the profile of a pitcher still trying to find his footing. But the paper doesn’t tell the full story. If you dig a layer deeper, Morris starts to look like a completely different pitcher. Despite the elevated WHIP, largely driven by the number of hits he’s allowed, Morris has been elite at limiting hard contact. Opposing hitters simply are not squaring him up. He has allowed just one barrel all season, and his average exit velocity against sits at 85.3 MPH, placing him in the 92nd percentile among major-league pitchers. So how does a pitcher allow a fair number of hits while still suppressing quality contact at that level? The answer often comes down to variance. Weak contact can still fall in for hits, and through a small sample size, a few seeing-eye singles or bloopers can quickly inflate traditional stats like ERA and WHIP. The Twins' subpar defense isn't helping matters. The underlying metrics reinforce that idea. Morris owns a 3.19 expected ERA and a 3.08 FIP, both of which paint the picture of a pitcher who’s performing far better than his surface-level numbers suggest. If he keeps pitching the way he has, the results should start to catch up. While he’s not missing bats at an elite rate, Morris has found another way to keep hitters uncomfortable, which is getting ahead early and expanding the zone. His 70% first-pitch strike rate is one of the most important indicators of his success so far. It’s a number that cannot be overstated. Getting ahead 0-1 immediately shifts the at-bat in the pitcher’s favor, opening the door for chase pitches and weak contact later in the count. The difference that makes is massive. Take former Twin Ildemaro Vargas, who is currently leading the league in batting average (as we all expected). When Vargas is getting ahead in the count 1-0, he’s hitting an absurd .535. When he falls behind 0-1, that number drops all the way down to .259. That’s the power of a first-pitch strike. Morris is living in the zone early, forcing hitters into defensive counts, and then using his secondary pitches to generate chases outside of it. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective, which is a theme that seems to follow him everywhere. If there’s one area where Morris could still take a step forward, it would be generating more ground balls. His current 34% ground ball rate is definitely on the low side, and increasing that number could help him limit baserunners even further by turning more contact into outs. With that said, addressing it may require adjustments to his pitch mix and/or selection, and when you’re already limiting hard contact this well, it is not necessarily an urgent fix. There is something to be said for sticking with what's working. What’s working right now is a pitcher who understands how to navigate big-league lineups without overpowering stuff. Morris may never be the guy who racks up double-digit strikeouts or headlines a rotation, but that doesn’t diminish his value. Every pitching staff needs someone who can bridge innings, stabilize games, and quietly keep things under control when the spotlight isn’t shining brightest. That’s exactly what he’s done so far. At just 24 years old, Morris is still in the early stages of his development. There’s room to grow, adjustments to make, and potentially another level to unlock. But even in his current form, he’s proving he belongs—and more than that, he’s proving he can be an asset. View the full article

Out with one infielder and in with the next. The Bo Bichette sweepstakes sent baseball into a bit of a frenzy this offseason, but we figured out pretty quickly that Ernie Clement would be next in line, hoping to fill a pretty large vacancy. Obviously, it’s early, but today, I'll be doing an early-season check-up on Clement and how he’s stacking up on an offense that was setting the world on fire last fall. Stats updated prior to games on May 6. Ernie Clement's Background To provide some context, this is Clement’s journey to this point. He was a fourth-round draft pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, when the now Cleveland Guardians selected him 132nd overall. The Rochester, NY native played his college ball at Virginia, and by the time he cracked the majors in 2021, he quickly gained a reputation as a versatile defender with good contact skills. After stints with the Guardians and Athletics, he signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in 2023. In 2023, his batting average topped out at .380 over a 30-game sample. He then settled in as a near-average hitter in 2024 and '25. Meanwhile, over the next couple of seasons, the Jays started to show their hand as to what they’d do with Bo Bichette. Bichette would end up taking his talents to the Big Apple, as he now dons a New York Mets jersey. This opened up plenty of playing time. Enter everyday second baseman Ernie Clement. The Blue Jays' New Second Baseman So, how is the new Toronto second baseman doing thus far? Let’s start with the basics. He’s doing something that not many others can do in a day and age when opposing pitchers are clocking triple-digit velocities with over 12, and sometimes 18, inches of ride: He’s hitting .289. Bichette was well known for hugging the .300 mark in his time with the Jays. If Clement can make a habit of that, it’ll be one seismically important box checked off. Clement has thrived primarily on pull-side contact so far, and the 30-year-old is leveraging that to get on base frequently. He is currently squaring the ball up 35.0% of the time, good enough to be nestled in the 95th percentile among league hitters. The savvy veteran may not hit for a ton of power, but he’s managing to time up the ball extremely well. For another strength, Clement literally does not fall victim to strikeouts. While the league average rate is in the mid-20s, Clement is striking out at a minuscule clip of 6.8%. This puts him in the 100th percentile as one of the toughest strikeouts in all of baseball. Right along with that stat, Clement is hardly whiffing, coming up empty just 14.0% of the time (95th percentile). The next natural question would be whether or not he chases, and this is where his profile becomes extra intriguing. Clement actually has one of the worst chase rates in MLB, fishing out of the zone 43.0% of the time (fourth percentile). Put simply, this is somebody who ventures after out-of-zone pitches, but his bat-to-ball skills are so elite that he still finds a way to make contact and put the ball in play. What Clement Needs To Work On There’s an argument to be made that Clement's plate discipline habits could catch up with him. His walk rate implies that, as he’s sporting a 3.4% walk rate (fourth percentile). This is a middle infielder who trusts his hands to flare out and make contact with anything that looks relatively appetizing out of the pitcher’s hand. Another weakness for Clement is his power, but that simply isn’t a part of his game. While the walk numbers could rise with a slight change in approach, building a power profile may be a bit more difficult for someone who operates with a six-foot, 170-pound frame. Most second basemen aren’t described as mashers anyway, so Clement fits right in with his peers while having a batting average well above the league watermark. Overall, Ernie Clement is showing he can go toe-to-toe with Bo Bichette from a contact perspective. While the 20 home run seasons that fans came to expect from Bichette may not be in the cards, Clement can still do his job as a pesky on-base option in place of one of the better infielders in today’s game. With Clement sliding into the starting second base role, it's up to him (along with his teammates) to make up for the offensive void left by Bichette's departure. How is Clement holding up his end of the bargain to start the 2026 season? We dove into his advanced analytics in the video above! View the full article

Twins System Recap: Mom's letting the Saints stay up late this week. With St. Paul playing out west, tonight's video covers only the other three full-season affiliates. Tonight's discussion features an impressive all-around performance from Yasser Mercedes and plenty of discussion on the 2025 draft class. View the full article

Despite a very good career, Nick Castellanos will be remembered for a drive into deep left field and for cracking a beer mid-game in his manager’s face. The 2026 San Diego Padres don’t care about that. They just need their unlikely utility man to hit for power. By one metric, he’s doing exactly that. An astounding 39.6% of his batted balls are lifted in the air. If he had enough at-bats, then Castellanos would comfortably be the leader in all of baseball in air pull rate. This is significant because, according to data by MLB Data Warehouse, batted balls pulled in the air are the most likely to be home runs, and it’s not particularly close. Nearly 38% of pulled fly balls are home runs. The percentages are in the single digits to center and to the opposite field. Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak, for example, is ninth in baseball in air pull rate and is tied for sixth, with none other than Byron Buxton, Kyle Schwarber, and Mike Trout, in home runs. Castellanos’ air pull rate is a salve for the Padres’ offense, which ranks among the worst in team OPS. Or rather, it should be a salve. Castellanos has but one home run on the season, and he is, by almost any other metric, one of the least productive players in baseball. Over just 69 plate appearances, he has accrued -0.9 bWAR. His .172/.217/.281 slash line is brutal. His 35 wRC+ even more so. The extent of Castellanos' value so far this season has been that another team, the Philadelphia Phillies, is paying almost all of his salary. Castellanos' stat line this season continues his decline in production. From 2016-2021, hes was one of the best, most consistent hitters in baseball. Only in the Covid-shortened 2020 season did he post an OPS+ lower than 112, and even then it was a bang-on average 100. After a 2021 season with the Cincinnati Reds, in which he slashed an incredible .309/.362/.576, Castellanos signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Phillies. He was disappointing in 2022 and solid in 2023. Factoring in his defense, he has since been more or less unplayable. That is what makes his air pull rate so fascinating and so tantalizing. Castellanos’ career-high air pull rate is accompanied by groundball rates to left and center and air rates to center that are consistent with his career. His K% is slightly down, his BB% slightly up. Castellanos, who never saw a down-and-away slider he didn’t like, even has a lower Chase % than three of his latter seasons. What has changed is his batted balls to the opposite field, which on the ground literally don’t exist. His opposite-field groundball rate is 0.0%. (His career rate is 3.3%.) The air rate to the opposite field is nearly 16 points off his career average. All the while, his average exit velocity is highest since 2023. It feels like Castellanos is an uncle at a backyard whiffle ball game trying to put every pitch onto the roof of the garage. The veteran's stat line is tantalizing because, statistically, it's inevitable that the outcomes will turn around. For the first time since 2019, his expected home runs exceed his actual home run total. After all, the Padres don’t play every game in Petco Park, one of the hardest ballparks in which to hit. And like teammate Jake Cronenworth, Castellanos’ expected batting average is almost 100 points better than his actual batting average. When it comes to Castellanos, the Padres desperately need the law of averages to win out, because their punchless offense is weighing on the club. After an 18-8 start, the Friars are 4-6 since April 26. Of course, baseball doesn’t always comply with theory and it isn’t played on computers. It’s played on the grass, where Castellanos has done little good besides swing for the fences. Like an uncle at a barbecue, he can only keep swinging, hoping past glories are around the corner. View the full article

The Mets' affiliates split 2-2 with two close games. Eli Serrano III's 10th-inning walkoff sacrifice fly capped a 4-3 Binghamton win over Hartford, with Chris Suero and Jose Ramos homering earlier and Zach Peek earning the win. Jack Wenninger spun six two-hit, scoreless innings as Syracuse beat Rochester 3-1 behind Ryan Clifford's home run. Brooklyn fell 8-4 at Bowling Green, while St. Lucie's 5-4 loss at Lakeland came despite Randy Guzman's two-run homer. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Wenninger Tosses Quality Start In Syracuse 3-1 Win Syracuse jumped on Rochester early and rode Jack Wenninger's quality start to a 3-1 win, scoring single runs in each of the first three innings before the bullpen closed it out. Wenninger fired six innings of two-hit, scoreless ball in the start, walking three and striking out five to earn the win. Dan Hammer surrendered a run on two hits in the seventh, while Alex Carrillo struck out two across a clean inning, and Anderson Severino fanned one in a one-two-three ninth. Syracuse opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Nick Morabito singled and came around to score on a Christian Arroyo groundout. The second-inning tally came on a Hayden Senger double that drove in Yonny Hernández, and the third-inning run came on Ryan Clifford's solo home run. Clifford finished 2-for-4 with the home run and an RBI, while Senger went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Morabito added a 1-for-4 line with a run scored, and Hernández chipped in a hit. A.J. Ewing, Ji Hwan Bae, and Jackson Cluff each drew a walk. Cristian Pache struck out three times in four trips. Syracuse drew four walks and struck out eight times as a team, but scored just enough to win. Syracuse Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 3 0 0 0 1 0 Nick Morabito 4 1 1 0 0 1 Ryan Clifford 4 1 2 1 0 0 Christian Arroyo 4 0 1 1 0 0 Ji Hwan Bae 3 0 0 0 1 2 Cristian Pache 4 0 0 0 0 3 Yonny Hernández 3 1 1 0 0 0 Hayden Senger 2 0 1 1 1 1 Jackson Cluff 2 0 0 0 1 1 Syracuse Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Wenninger (W) 6 2 0 0 3 5 0 Dan Hammer 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Alex Carrillo 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Anderson Severino 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Serrano III's Walkoff Sacrifice Fly Lifts Binghamton In Tenth Binghamton rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3 in 10 innings, with Eli Serrano III lofting a sacrifice fly to plate the zombie runner from third with one out in the bottom of the tenth. The Rumble Ponies got a Chris Suero solo home run in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead, but Hartford answered with a two-run third and a single tally in the fifth to go up 3-1. Brendan Girton handed off after 3 2/3 innings of four-hit, two-run work in his start. Brian Metoyer gave up a run on two hits in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, but Douglas Orellana delivered two hitless innings, Saul Garcia struck out three in a clean frame, and Ben Simon allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth. Zach Peek picked up the win with a scoreless tenth. Binghamton scratched a run back in the bottom of the seventh on a Wyatt Young single and a TT Bowens run-scoring effort, then tied things in the eighth when Jose Ramos blasted a solo homer to make it 3-3. The walkoff played out in classic zombie-runner fashion: with Wyatt Young installed at second to start the tenth, Diego Mosquera bunted him over, and Serrano III lifted a fly to the outfield deep enough to score Young from third. Ramos finished 2-for-4 with a homer, an RBI, and a run scored, while Suero went 1-for-4 with the leadoff homer and an RBI of his own. Kevin Parada added a 2-for-4 line with a double, and Bowens drew a walk while reaching base three times in four trips. Serrano III picked up the walkoff RBI on the sacrifice fly. Binghamton drew one walk and struck out nine times, but cashed in when it counted. Binghamton Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 4 0 0 1 0 2 Chris Suero 4 1 1 1 0 1 Jose Ramos 4 1 2 1 0 1 Kevin Parada 4 0 2 0 0 1 Nick Lorusso 4 0 0 0 0 1 TT Bowens 3 1 2 0 1 1 Matt Rudick 4 0 0 0 0 1 Wyatt Young 4 1 1 0 0 0 Diego Mosquera 3 0 0 0 0 1 Binghamton Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton 4 4 2 2 0 0 0 Brian Metoyer 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Douglas Orellana 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Saul Garcia 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Ben Simon 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Zach Peek (W) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brooklyn Falls 8-4 At Bowling Green Brooklyn could not keep pace with Bowling Green's offense and dropped an 8-4 decision on the road, despite a Vincent Perozo solo home run and a good day at the plate from Ronald Hernandez. The Cyclones never led, falling behind 2-0 after the first and chasing the rest of the way. Joel Diaz took the loss after five innings of seven-hit, six-earned-run work that included two walks and five strikeouts. He surrendered runs in each of the first three innings, leaving the Cyclones down 6-3. Parker Carlson stabilized things with a two-hit inning and a strikeout. Hoss Brewer was tagged for two runs on two home runs in his lone inning of work in the eighth. Brooklyn answered with single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings. The third-inning rally featured a John Bay single that drove in two runs after a leadoff Hernandez double and a one-out walk by Trace Willhoite. Perozo took matters into his own hands in the fourth with a solo homer. Hernandez finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, while Bay went 1-for-3 with two RBI, a walk, and a run. Perozo added a 1-for-4 line with the home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Antonio Jimenez drew a walk and scored from the leadoff spot. Brooklyn struck out 11 times and finished with five hits as a team. Brooklyn Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 3 1 0 0 1 1 Yonatan Henriquez 5 0 1 0 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 4 1 2 0 0 1 Corey Collins 3 0 0 0 0 2 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 0 0 1 John Bay 3 1 1 2 1 1 Colin Houck 4 0 1 0 0 2 Vincent Perozo 4 1 1 1 0 0 Yohairo Cuevas 4 0 0 0 0 3 Brooklyn Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Diaz (L) 5 7 6 6 2 5 0 Parker Carlson 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Gregori Louis 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hoss Brewer 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 St. Lucie's Comeback Falls Short In 5-4 Loss St. Lucie nearly erased a four-run deficit but fell 5-4 at Lakeland after the Tarpons answered the Mets' brief tie with a walk-aided run in the bottom of the seventh. The Mets fell behind 4-0 through three innings before mounting their charge. Joel Lara was tagged for four runs across his three innings of work, surrendering three hits and one home run. He gave up a run in the bottom of the first when a leadoff walk and a Branny De Oleo throwing error preceded an RBI groundout, and was hit hard in the third when a one-out single, a triple, and a two-run home run produced three more runs. Conner Ware took the loss after four innings of two-hit, one-run, five-strikeout work, surrendering the deciding run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh after walking the leadoff hitter and a one-out batter. Miguel Mejias opened with a clean inning that included a walk and a strikeout. St. Lucie's three-run sixth was keyed by Randy Guzman's two-run homer to left-center after singles by De Oleo and Elian Peña put runners on the corners. Simon Juan's RBI single in the seventh tied the game at 4-4, but the Mets could not retake the lead. Guzman finished 1-for-2 with the home run, two RBI, two walks, and a run, while De Oleo went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Peña added a 1-for-5 line with a run, two strikeouts, and a stolen base from the leadoff spot. Sam Robertson chipped in a hit. The Mets struck out 12 times and stranded six runners as they came up just short. St. Lucie Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 5 1 1 0 0 2 Edward Lantigua 4 0 0 0 0 2 Randy Guzman 2 1 1 2 2 1 AJ Salgado 3 0 0 0 1 2 JT Benson 4 0 0 0 0 3 Chase Meggers 3 0 0 0 1 1 Simon Juan 4 1 1 0 0 0 Sam Robertson 4 0 1 0 0 1 Branny De Oleo 3 1 2 1 1 0 St. Lucie Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Mejias 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Joel Lara 3 3 4 4 1 2 1 Conner Ware (L) 4 2 1 1 2 5 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 0-for-3, BB Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 2-for-4, R, RBI, HR Jacob Reimer: DNP Jack Wenninger: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (W) Elian Pena: 1-for-5, R, 2 K, SB Mitch Voit: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-4, R, K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 1-for-4, R, RBI, HR, K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 0-for-4, RBI (walkoff SF), 2 K Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-3, R, BB, K R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

The Kansas City Royals, whose terrible start to the season triggered early declarations of postseason hopes already dashed, drew within a half-game of the American League Central Division lead by beating front-running Cleveland on Monday and Tuesday. Playing decisive roles were both sides of the resurgent club’s emerging second base platoon — Nick Loftin’s fourth-inning two-run single broke a 2-2 tie and proved the difference in Monday evening’s 6-2 win, and Michael Massey’s two-run homer in the fourth Tuesday night gave KC the lead it never surrendered en route to a 5-3 win. Those were big moments in big games, but did little, if anything, to clarify the long-muddled picture that is second base in Kansas City. Things that were uncertain enough when the season started became even more so when labral surgery ended Jonathan India’s season last month; the question now is whether the job should belong to Massey or Loftin, or whether the platoon manager Matt Quatraro seems to be leaning toward should continue. There may be no easy answer. Should Michael Massey Be the Royals’ Second Baseman? Massey’s major league keystone experience dwarfs Loftin’s. Tuesday's start at second gave Massey 328 appearances at the position, a whopping 270 more than Loftin. But that edge in experience, while important, won’t cinch the job. Massey’s health is, unfortunately, a factor. An assortment of injuries cut deeply into his 2024 and 2025 seasons, sidelined him for much of this year’s Cactus League schedule, and forced him onto the injured list for the first week of the current campaign. The Royals must watch him closely and guard against further long absences. How much time off he’ll require as the season progresses remains to be seen. Massey’s glove leaves little to be desired, but he’s inconsistent at the plate. He hit an okay .259 and posted a 104 wRC+ in 2024, and went on a hot streak of .375/.412/.482 rampage after returning from the IL late last August. But that .259 represents the only time he’s exceeded .244 since debuting with the Royals in 2022, his career OBP through Tuesday was only .281, and he was slashing an ugly .215/.243/.385 in 24 games. He has more power than Loftin, who’s homered only five times in 155 big league games — Massey averaged 14.5 homers in 2023 and 2024, the only two seasons he’s played at least 100 games. Should Nick Loftin Be the Royals’ Second Baseman? Kansas City is a team that needs as much offense as it can get. Proving he can hit major league pitching consistently well is, however, something Loftin hasn’t done — in 1,358 plate appearances covering parts of five seasons, he’s slashing .223/.300/.324 with a subpar .624 OPS and 74 wRC+. Encouraging, though, is the .366 OBP he’s posted and nine runs he’s driven in across 12 games this season. And, he’s walking more (14.6 BB%) and striking out less (7.3 K%). Loftin won’t win any defensive awards at second base, but his career +1 OAA and +2 DRS there suggest he can hold his own without doing damage to the KC cause. Loftin’s real value to the Royals is his versatility — he can serviceably play first, second, and third bases, and during his career has appeared 43 times in left field. Hitting better than Massey, though, could force Quatraro’s hand when it comes to choosing an everyday second-sacker. If that is, Quatraro decides against a platoon… Should Michael Massey and Nick Loftin Share Second Base? That may be the best-case scenario, which appears to be Quatraro’s plan since India’s season ended. And the splits support such an approach. The left-handed hitting Massey, for example, entered Tuesday’s contest batting .154 against lefties and .204 against righties; for his career, he was slashing .242/.283/.389 against right-handers and .234/.270/.345 against left-handers. And remarkably, he's hit only three of his 37 career homers off southpaws. Loftin, a right-handed batter, is hitting .300 against left-handers but 60 points lower against righties this season; for his career, he’s slashing .244/.333/.356 against the former and .212/.284/.309 against the latter. So, for a manager as plugged into splits and handedness as Quatraro, the number of his present second basemen suggests he’ll platoon them. At least, that is, until a better alternative comes along. View the full article

In literature, there are three archetypal conflicts: man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. self. Baseball is just literature in cleats, and over the course of 162 games, every team enters all three types of conflicts. Obviously, much of the early season is spent navigating ugly weather, which becomes true again late in October, but even in between, there is heat and rain and wind to manage—and besides, 'nature' is not only weather, in this case. One must also survive the game itself, with its demanding, explosive movements and the entropy they inflict on the players who execute them. So, for instance, the Cubs' recent hot streak is a bit impressive, simply because they've done it after having lost Cade Horton for the year after elbow surgery; with their top four relievers varying flavors of unavailable; and with Matthew Boyd missing time with a bicep strain. The more obvious conflict in baseball is man vs. man. Every night, there's another team trying to take your precious chance for a win away, and you have to fight them off a majority of the time to be calledf a successful team. We define goodness and greatness in baseball by wins and losses, and those are assigned on a zero-sum basis. When you're pitching, someone is in the box trying to ruin your day with a big hit. This week, for some reason, that's almost always been JJ Bleday. The Reds outfielder opened the scoring both Monday and Tuesday with solo homers, and on Wednesday night, he stroked the game-tying single in the top of the ninth, as things fell apart for the Cubs. Opponents are ruthless, too. Slightly midjudge your proximity to the wall, as Seiya Suzuki did while hauling in Elly De La Cruz's sacrific fly immediately after Bleday's game-tying hit, and you might end up slumped against the barrier as an extra runner streaks home. It's ruthless—not because humans are inherently so, but because sports are where we've agreed that a certain rules-bounded ruthlessness is acceptable, and even admirable. For teams who get very, very good at handling both the man vs. nature and the man vs. man conflicts, though, man vs. self becomes the defining fight. Baseball offers many ways to beat oneself, physically and mentally, and the higher your aims, the more likely you are to succumb to one of those pitfalls. That was certainly on display Wednesday night, as the team improbably pulled out the win to extend their streak to seven wins in all games and 14 straight at Wrigley Field. Their last loss at home came on one of those man-vs.-self days: Matt Shaw messed up the footwork while playing first base; Caleb Thielbar made a bad throw Shaw couldn't handle; the go-ahead run scored; and then, in the bottom of that 11th inning, Seiya Suzuki swung foolishly at a 3-1 pitch with a chance to win, popping out instead. It looked like Wednesday might be a loss of similar shape. Corbin Martin didn't have it, which happens to many a middling middle reliever. In the modern game, good relievers are defined less by whether they can flash decent command of overpowering stuff (because almost all of them can) than by whether they can do so consistently, and Martin has yet to pass that test. He entered with a 4-2 lead, looking for a save, because the Cubs have had to rush Daniel Palencia back from his lat strain and aren't yet willing to use him in back-to-back games. Instead of shutting the door, though, Martin quickly gave up a solo home run and two singles. He fell behind in the count, and he left pitches in the middle of the zone when he needed to avoid falling even further behind. His was a man-vs.-self conflict, but for the Cubs, it was also a matter of man vs. nature: Craig Counsell was managing against the grind of the season and the injuries his team has already suffered, by withholding Palencia. Hoby Milner came on to try to put out the fire, but in a moment eerily reminiscent of Thielbar's folly four weeks earlier, he botched an effort to field a sacrifice bunt. Looking to take down the lead runner, he didn't get the ball cleanly on his first attempt to transfer it from glove to hand, and his throw was late, putting the Cubs in big trouble. As we've already discussed, the Reds pushed across three runs in the wake of that mistake, seizing a two-run lead. Milner did an admirable job on the whole, though. Things could have gotten much worse. They almost finished beating themselves in the bottom of the ninth, but instead, they beat themselves—as in, soared above their own foibles through a sheer exercise of talent. After Michael Busch was retired to lead off the inning, both Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong swung at 3-1 pitches well outside the zone—truly dreadful swing decisions. Kelly fouled his pitch off, though, and then did so with another, closer offering. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Graham Ashcraft (whom Kelly was seeing for a second night in a row) made a mistake with a cutter, and Kelly was able to line a single to right field. Crow-Armstrong whiffed on his 3-1 pitch, and left himself with no choice but to chase a strike-to-ball slider Ashcraft executed well on 3-2. In a laugh-out-roar moment of brilliance, though, Crow-Armstrong hammered that pitch on a line to left field, just clearing the high wall and finding the basket in left-center field, where Wrigley Field remains the most hitter-friendly park in the majors. The wind was blowing in Wednesday night, but the video board in left-center not only blocks that wind, but invites it to curl backward on the other side of it. Thus, Crow-Armstrong's drive got a bit of help from nature, instead of being resisted by it. Even Statcast (which doesn't account for the windscreen or curl, but solely for dimensions) says it would only have been a homer at Wrigley. The game was tied; the ballpark was a madhouse. The rest of the way, a win felt almost certain. That's an insane pitch to hit the way Crow-Armstrong hit it. He's an exceptionally talented player, but in that moment, he was also showing an extraordinary force of will—to conquer his own frustrating mistake with an otherwise impossible feat of acuity and explosiveness. That's how the Cubs' current streak feels, in a nutshell. In the bottom of the 10th, Craig Counsell (sensibly) had Miguel Amaya pinch-hit for Michael Conforto against Reds lefty Brock Burke, but (much less sensibly) then had Amaya lay down a sacrifice bunt to move Nico Hoerner to third base with the winning run. The Reds responded (sensibly) by intentionally walking Alex Bregman, but then (much less sensibly) they also intentionally walked Seiya Suzuki with two outs, loading the bases for Busch. That move by Terry Francona traded the expected batting average of Suzuki (even against a lefty, not higher than .280) for the on-base percentage of Busch (even against a lefty, not lower than .290) as the chances he would lose the game then and there. It was a gaffe; the other man helped the Cubs a bit. Lately, this is how it goes. The Cubs have been getting help, instead of hindrance, from opponents at some crucial junctures. They've been getting help, instead of hindrance, from nature at just the right moments. But those forces are still fighting against them more often than with them, so the team must spend most of its time finding ways to win the battles against themselves. Just when it looks like they've beaten themselves (in a bad way), they find ways to outdo themselves, instead. Such a run can't last forever, so savor it. Crow-Armstrong's game-tying homer Wednesday felt even more miraculous than Busch's slightly earlier tying shot Tuesday or Conforto's walkoff homer Monday. Though Martin stumbled Wednesday night, Ryan Rolison and Trent Thornton have pitched key innings and collected wins in relief this week. The Cubs planned for their battle with the nature of the arm, so they're deeper than they would have been in any of the past several years when facing a similar onslaught of injuries. They've also collected a group of players they feel they can trust in big moments and amid adversity, and players with the raw talent to make up for their mistakes. It's a winning formula. There are harder days and some losses ahead, but the team has already shown that they have the right stuff to overcome opponents of several kinds—even the ones in the mirror. View the full article

On Sunday, Joe Ryan walked off the mound after just nine pitches, and Twins Territory collectively held its breath. The initial diagnosis was right elbow soreness. With Pablo López already sidelined for the season following Tommy John surgery, concern spread quickly. Minnesota fans have seen this story before, and it rarely ends well. Fortunately, the tone shifted quickly. Imaging revealed no structural damage, and Ryan was back on the field playing catch before Tuesday’s game. A bullpen session Wednesday went well, and there is a real chance Ryan takes his next turn in the rotation. For now, the organization and its fan base can ease their nerves, even if only slightly. “I didn’t feel too much discomfort,” Ryan said. “You never know. The injuries I’ve had in the past have kind of been—it wasn’t this excruciating pain or anything crazy, and then I’ve been optimistic on the other side and had bad results. This time around, having good results definitely was, obviously, a win-win and reassuring. You never know until the imaging comes back.” “There will be a watchful eye,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “The first thing you want with any of your players, or especially your pitchers, is if they feel something, especially in their arm, we want them to communicate it. We want to make sure we’re not going to put him in harm’s way. We will carefully monitor this situation. The one really great thing about Joe is, he is probably in tune with his body as any player I’ve ever been around. He can articulate really well what he’s feeling.” That awareness represents growth. Not long ago, Ryan tried to pitch through an injury, rather than being proactive about communication with the team. In 2023, he took the ball against the Atlanta Braves despite dealing with a groin issue suffered during warmups. The results were brutal (5 homers), and the lingering effects were even worse. He carried the injury through multiple outings, posting an ERA north of 8.00 before finally acknowledging something was wrong. This time, he did the opposite. He spoke up immediately, and that decision may have prevented a far more serious outcome. Still, even a minor scare like this can ripple through a front office. Coming into this season, Ryan looked as important to the Twins' future as anyone on the team—whether he was destined to be physically present in Minnesota for that future or not. His name has surfaced in trade speculation before, including last year when a false report briefly sent him to the Boston Red Sox in the rumor mill. That chatter has not disappeared. If anything, it's growing louder as the deadline approaches. This situation complicates things. On one hand, Ryan’s clean MRI and quick return to throwing should reassure potential buyers. On the other hand, it serves as a reminder of how fragile pitching depth can be. Minnesota has already lost López for the year, and Ryan himself missed significant time in 2024 with a shoulder strain that ended his season early. That track record matters, both internally and in trade conversations. If the team has decided that trading Ryan is the best way to balance their short- and long-term competitive goals, this scare could motivate them to act fast. Waiting until late July won't materially increase his value, and in the meantime, all the injury risk associated with him is the Twins' to manage. An early trade to one of the many teams who weren't so lucky this spring when their ace came up with a barking elbow makes sense. There's also the possibility that this moment pushes Minnesota in the opposite direction. Rather than entertaining offers, the front office could decide that holding onto Ryan is the safer path. Twins ownership has been vocal about the team contending this year, even if the results haven’t matched that narrative. Contending teams rarely subtract stability from their rotation, and even a brief injury scare can reinforce just how important that stability is. The more aggressive scenario would be exploring an earlier move, perhaps in June, once Ryan has reestablished himself. That approach would be unconventional, but it could allow the Twins to maximize return while avoiding the frenzy and uncertainty of late July. Of course, any acquiring team would scrutinize his medical history closely, making this far from a straightforward decision. Ryan’s nine-pitch outing Sunday may not impact the standings, but it could shape the direction of the season. The Twins were given a fortunate outcome this time: clean imaging, quick recovery, and no immediate damage. But it also served as a reminder that plans can change instantly. For a team with an unclear future, that kind of reminder can be enough to rethink everything. Should the Twins consider an early trade deadline deal for Ryan? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

While the major-league club struggled offensively throughout the month of April, the organization saw great performances across their minor league levels. While the young players may still be a year or two away from contributing at the big-league level, their performances were still invigorating and showed what fans have to look forward to in the years to come. The hope is that these players can now build off of a great April and have a strong May before finishing the season in a positive manner. With that, we’ve narrowed this award down to the five best hitters in the Boston Red Sox’s minor-league system. Honorable Mention: Enddy Azocar (Single-A Salem) Azocar is an interesting player as he made his Single-A debut last season and played 71 games, but if you looked at just the stats, it would have appeared that he struggled. However, looking at the fact he was one of the youngest players in the league combined with an impressive 90th percentile exit velocity that rivaled some of the best in the majors, there was a lot to like about Azocar. Now 19 years old and getting his second chance against Single-A pitching, Azocar is showing just how great of a hitter he can potentially become. In 22 games across the month of April, the outfielder slashed .293/.347/.522 with a team-leading seven doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs. He’s also showcased some speed as he’s stolen three bases in the month. The young outfielder is making a case for a promotion to Greenville once an opening becomes available thanks to his strong play. Honorable Mention: Justin Gonzales (High-A Greenville) Gonzales is well known by fans for his tremendous power. While he didn’t tap into it much in 2025 (just four home runs in 93 games), he’s looked different this season as he’s lifting the ball slightly more, up to 23.1% compared to the 21.6% fly-ball rate he had last year. While small, the improvement along with playing in a more hitter’s friendly ballpark has allowed Gonzales to showcase his potential power more. In 20 April games, the outfielder hit .318/.394/.511 with five doubles, four home runs and 18 RBIs. So far, Gonzales has shown an ability to put the ball in play quite often, causing problems for the defense and providing scoring chances for the Drive. #3: Yophery Rodriguez (High-A Greenville) One of the main pieces in the Quinn Priester trade in 2025, it seemed like Rodriguez was going to need a lot of time to develop and adjust to High-A pitching. In 101 games with Greenville last year, the outfielder hit .214/.312/.331 with 81 strikeouts, though he showcased a great eye with 52 walks. That eye remains dominant for Rodriguez in 2026, and now he’s looking like the player that Craig Breslow and the Red Sox traded for just over a year ago. In 19 April games, the outfielder was as hot as a player could be, hitting .310/.380/.662 with seven doubles and being tied for the team lead in home runs with six. He also drove in 12 runs in that span and swiped a base. Rodriguez has showcased good bat to ball skills along with great power that is being taken advantage of with a 43.9% fly-ball rate, along with pulling the ball at a 47.4% rate. He’s also managed to put the ball in play quite often thanks to whiffing on just under 12% of pitches he swings at. Should this play continue throughout 2026, the Priester trade may turn into a steal for Breslow and the Red Sox. #2: Yoeilin Cespedes (High-A Greenville) After spending a year with the then Salem Red Sox and facing affiliate-level baseball for the first time, Cespedes saw his value as a prospect tank. In 110 games last season he hit just .227/.292/.376, which isn’t what you want from a top prospect. There were legitimate concerns with Cespedes and how he might develop, while others thought that the ballpark factors played a role in his struggles. Now in 2026, Cespedes has begun to put any worries about being a bust aside and hitting like the prospect many thought he could be. Through 22 April games with Greenville, Cespedes led the team in multiple categories such as batting average, on-base percentage, doubles, home runs and RBIs and was second in walks. Overall, he hit .319/.394/.637 with 11 doubles, six home runs and 20 RBIs. At just 20 years old, Cespedes has started to put his name back in the conversation regarding top prospects in the system. Now in a more hitter-friendly park, he’s been able to showcase his above-average power by producing many hard-hit baseballs. #1: Franklin Arias (Double-A Portland) There should be no surprise with who the top hitter in the organization was, unless you’ve been under a rock. Arias, who exploded onto the scene last season by going from Salem all the way to Portland despite being one of the youngest players in each league he appeared in, has only gotten better. Appearing in 20 games across April, Arias hit .375/.432/.764 with four doubles and a team-leading eight home runs and 20 RBIs. He also put the ball into play quite often, striking out in just nine at-bats. When he was signed, Arias was always viewed as a defense-first shortstop who could put the ball in play. That much was true during his first few seasons in the organization, but in 2026, he’s managed to tap into newfound power and change his game. Still, Arias hasn’t sold out at the plate and has continued to showcase excellent bat-to-ball skills, offering hope for a true five-tool profile. Where Arias finishes 2026 is yet to be known, but should the young infielder continue hitting as he did in April, he could very well be knocking at the door of the major leagues by the end of the season. View the full article

After the Mets lost closer Edwin Diaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the offseason, they made a splash and signed Devin Williams to take his place. He’s under contract for three seasons, but hasn’t gotten off to a great start. Williams earned the honors of National League Rookie of the Year back in 2020 and was made two All-Star rosters while with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers are heavily driven by analytics and are considered to be one of the best teams year in and out with roster construction, especially when it comes to pitching. Ever since getting shipped out of Milwaukee, Williams hasn't been the same. Part of this could be as a result of him dealing with a back stress fracture during the 2024 season that limited him to just 22 games. In December that year, the Brewers sent him to the New York Yankees in a deal that would bring back Caleb Durbin and Nestor Cortes. The profile on Williams is simple: He doesn't have elite velocity, but will miss bats with his stuff and limit hard contact. His nasty changeup allowed him to fetch excellent ground ball rates during his best years. While he has maintained his ability to strike out a surplus of batters, his ability to get batters to hit the ball on the ground has seen a decline with the Mets this year. Why Is Devin Williams Generating Fewer Groundballs with the Mets? Williams’ changeup constantly has graded out to be well above average according to Stuff+. From 2020-2025, his changeup has graded as high as 140 and as low as 114 according to FanGraphs Stuff+. This year, it’s taken a significant and concerning dive down to 82. Diving into the traits of his changeup, it lost a noticeable amount of vertical drop this year. That offering had an incredible 44.3 inches of vertical drop last year which is his career best, but has sat between 40 and 42 inches throughout his career. So far in 2026 with the Mets, his changeup is only averaging 38.9 inches of vertical drop. That has led to Williams having the lowest groundball percentage of his career; his groundball rate has averaged 46.9%, but he's down to 37.9% in 2026. This is reflected very clearly if you look at Williams’ run value on off-speed pitches, which only accounts for his changeup. It currently has a run value of -2 (8th percentile), but it’s been as high as 15 during the 2023 season. Batters are whiffing less against it and it has not been as effective at putting opponents away. Williams’ changeup has drawn a 40.4 swing-and-miss rate which is down from where it’s sat between 43% and 48% in the past. That figure is still pretty elite, but margins like these are the difference between an All-Star closer and a middling reliever. Will Devin Williams Return to Elite Form? For a guy who’s relied heavily on his changeup for success, it’s definitely concerning to see decline in the effectiveness of his best pitch. During his best years, he went to his changeup between 57-63% of offerings. This year is the first time in Williams’ career that he’s used his four-seamer more than his changeup. Williams hasn’t seen great results when batters put his changeup in play. Opponents are hitting .357 against the pitch with a .424 xSLG and .410 xOBA. While the expected batting average against his changeup is lower at .257, batters are still crushing the pitch with a .500 slugging percentage. He’s been a tad unlucky thus far through 11 innings of work. While his 6.55 ERA doesn’t look good, Williams has a 3.49 xERA and a 2.69 FIP. Seeing his FIP under three is what’s encouraging with Williams. He owns a career 2.46 mark in that category because of his high strikeout rate while not allowing many home runs. It might be the Mets wanting him to use his fastball more, or maybe he’s just not confident with his changeup right now. There is still plenty of time left in the year for Williams to figure things out, but it’ll be important to monitor how effective his "airbender" will be going forward. View the full article

Addison Barger is coming back on Friday, and the Blue Jays are heading straight into a roster decision that feels uncomfortable precisely because it is not performance-based. On paper, this should be easy. In reality, it is anything but. The player most fans would least like to see sent down is likely the one who ends up back in Buffalo. That player is Yohendrick Pinango. The immediate reaction to any potential Pinango demotion should be frustration, and that reaction would be justified. Since his major league debut on April 26, Pinango has made an impact. In his first nine MLB games, he is slashing .400/.423/.440 across 26 plate appearances. He has struck out three times in 26 plate appearances for a strikeout rate about half the league average (roughly 22 percent). His contact rate has been elite, and the at-bats do not look fluky or rushed. FanGraphs credits Pinango with 0.2 WAR already despite incredibly limited playing time. He is not just collecting singles; he is adding value through defense and strong situational at-bats. Between Pinango and Brandon Valenzuela, the Jays' recent call-ups have made an impact. The rest of the major league roster, aside from Kazuma Okamoto, has been a bit stagnant during the last skid. The result is that Pinango and Valenzuela have been looking like regulars as opposed to wide-eyed rookies. But front offices don't just look at the stat line. They have to look at a 26-man puzzle. Pinango’s true value is not as a bench piece. His minor league track record makes that clear. Across Double A and Triple A last season, he posted a .361 on-base percentage with a 13.1 percent walk rate and a contact rate just over 80 percent. He is at his best when he plays every day, sees velocity regularly, and can maintain timing. Sitting four days out of five would do more harm than good. The Jays have seen a similar issue with Davis Schneider early in his career with the big league team. When Barger returns, Pinango would become a bench piece. Without the experience of Myles Straw or Schneider, he’d be forced to sit and wait for opportunities. Barger is not coming back to sit. Before the season, FanGraphs Depth Charts projected him for a 109 wRC+ over a full MLB season in 2026 with roughly two wins above replacement. In 2025, Barger hit .243 with a .301 on-base percentage, a .454 slugging percentage, and 21 home runs across 502 plate appearances. That production translated to a 107 wRC+ and 2.2 fWAR, numbers that comfortably clear the bar for regular playing time on a team searching for offense. (However, keep in mind that he was sitting at a .053 average before his injury.) It is still early, but the Blue Jays desperately need Barger to return to his last season form. That means that he needs reps against major league pitching, and that cannot happen from the bench. His return immediately tightens the roster and reduces available at-bats for left-handed hitters like Pinango. The logical fan response is to point elsewhere. Schneider is usually the first name brought up. On the surface, he feels expendable when the average dips. But the underlying numbers tell a more nuanced story. Schneider is still running a .313 on-base percentage in 2026 despite hitting .132, supported by a walk rate over 20 percent. He brings legitimate right-handed power, with 33 career home runs in 889 plate appearances. More importantly, Schneider is a right-handed bat on a roster that cannot afford to give up that balance. Toronto already leans left, and removing Schneider further limits late-game matchup flexibility. Lenyn Sosa is another option, but that has its own problems. Sosa has no minor league options remaining. Designating him for assignment would mean losing a right-handed infield depth bat outright. In 2025, Sosa posted a .727 OPS with 22 home runs over a full season. Even in 2026, despite a slow start, he owns a slugging percentage near .400 since joining the Blue Jays. His history of competence against left-handed pitching and versatility around the diamond means he still has value as injury insurance. Front offices rarely burn depth unless they are forced to. There is a theoretical path in which the Jays drop a pitcher instead, especially if an optionable reliever like Joe Mantiply is merely soaking up low-leverage innings. The problem is timing. With the bullpen's recent workload and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the rotation, Toronto is far more likely to protect arms than trim them right now. Ultimately, you're left with the same uncomfortable reality, and it explains why the answer feels wrong even though it is right. Pinango does not deserve a demotion based on his performance so far. However, he does deserve everyday playing time. Sending him to Buffalo would allow him to continue playing daily, maintain the approach that has defined his early success, and remain the first call-up should injuries or underperformance hit the outfield mix again. Keeping him in Toronto to ride the bench would undercut the very development that makes him intriguing. This decision would not be a statement about Pinango’s future. If anything, it would reflect how highly the organization values him. Optionable players with upward trajectories are often used to stabilize rosters in the short-term, even when they are doing everything right. Addison Barger comes back on Friday. Davis Schneider stays because the roster needs his right-handed plate discipline and power. Lenyn Sosa likely stays because depth still matters across a whole season. That leaves Pinango. It will be frustrating for him, for sure. But in terms of maximizing value for the player and the organization, it remains the most defensible outcome. And when Pinango’s next call comes, it is unlikely to feel temporary. View the full article

Transactions: Nashville Sounds transferred C Andrick Nava to the Development List. Game Action: Nashville Pre-game media notes Louisville (Reds) 6, Nashville 4 Box Score As always, you are encouraged to read the official round-up from the team’s site: Quero, Lara Home Runs Not Enough in 6-4 Loss to Louisville The Sounds dropped their Wednesday morning affair at Louisville after an eighth inning rally by the home team. Jeferson Quero paced the Sounds with three hits, including his fourth home run of the season to open the scoring in the second inning. Highlight courtesy of the Sounds X account: In the bottom half of the inning, the Bats sandwiched two singles around a triple to tie the game off of Robert Gasser (4IP 4H 2R 2ER 0BB 3K). Gasser’s four innings of work were his most since throwing 5.2 shutout innings on Opening Day. He also looked to have more control, as this was his first outing of the season without a walk while tossing 35 of 53 pitches for strikes. After Louisville pushed across the go-ahead run against Easton McGee (2IP 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 2K) in the bottom of the fifth, Luis Lara responded in the sixth with a solo shot: Lara’s .980 OPS is good for seventh in the International League this season. We are running out of superlatives for the young outfielder. If he keeps performing at this level into summer, the Brewers may have no choice but to find a spot for him in the majors. The remained tied until the bottom of the eighth, when the Bats roughed up journeyman reliver Junior Fernandez for two home runs and three runs. The Sounds mounted a rally in the ninth but ultimately left the bases loaded when Cooper Pratt (0 for 5) grounded out to end the threat. Other notes Jett Williams had two singles and now sports an OPS over .700. It feels like he is inching his way toward the big leagues. A few more weeks of steady progress and he could put his name in the conversation for a call-up. Brock Wilken extended his on-base streak to 23 games with a double. However, Wilken was subbed out after fouling a ball off his leg later in the game, so we will await word on his status. Reiss Knehr chipped in with a scoreless inning and now has a tidy 1.35 ERA in 6.2IP this season. RHP Coleman Crow (3-1, 5.40 ERA) is slated to take the mound in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday. Columbus (Braves) 8, Biloxi 7 Box Score O'Rae Continues Peachy Performance, Shuckers Fall to Clingstones The Shuckers are finding new, frustrating ways to lose during their seven game losing streak. After surrendering Tuesday’s game with late multi-run rallies in the final two frames, Biloxi looked to have recovered early in Wednesday’s tilt. The first three men of the game reached base with a walk to Dylan O’Rae, single from Jesus Made and then Blake Burke’s RBI single. After the next two men went down in order, Darrien Miller continued his early season surge with an RBI double. Miller now has a team-best 1.168 OPS on the season. After a walk to Dasan Brown, Matthew Wood crushed a grand slam to center, courtesy of the Bilxoi X account: In a bullpen game for the Clingstones, the first man to step into the breach could not finish the first inning. However, not even a six run lead would be enough for the Shuckers to get off their slide. Columbus responded with two runs in the top of the second to cut the lead 6-2. Blake Burke responded with a long opposite field blast to restore the lead to five: Things fell apart for Biloxi starter Jaron DeBerry in the third. After a two out solo home run cut the lead to 7-3, DeBerry got a shallow pop fly that should have got him out of the inning. Unfortunately Brown called off O’Rae on the can of corn and it ended up dropping in between them for a two-out “single.” The flood gates opened after that gaffe. DeBerry loaded the bases and then got hit by a comebacker that also could have been out three. That ricochet infield single made it 7-4. Then a bases-clearing double brought in three runs and the six run lead had evaporated. DeBerry (3IP 8H 7R 7ER 4BB 1K) did himself no favors with the lack of control, but some tighter defense could have spared him a lot of extra work in that third frame. With the lead gone, so went the Shuckers’ offense, as they managed just three walks and only one hit after the third inning. The Shuckers did admirable work to keep the game tied once DeBerry exited. Four different relivers worked one or more scoreless innings. In the top of the eighth, Columbus took an 8-7 lead on a solo home run of Cameron Wagoner, who was making just his second appearance of the season after missing all of 2024-2025. What first looked impossible, now seemed probable as the Shuckers seemed destined to once again feel the agony of defeat. The Shuckers had one last gasp in the bottom of the 8th. In that inning, Mark Coley walked and O’Rae singled, but both Made and Burke came up empty with the tying run in scoring position. RHP Manuel Rodriguez (1-2, 5.64 ERA) will look to turn the tide on Thursday. Wisconsin pre-game media notes Wisconsin 8, Peoria (Cardinals) 5 Box Score Wisconsin Blasts Four Homers in 8-5 Win at Peoria The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Peoria Chiefs 8-5 at Dozer Park on Wednesday night, powered by a dominant display from some of their sluggers. Wisconsin, the Midwest League leader in home runs, got solo shots from Tayden Hall, Andrew Fischer, Josh Adamczewski and Josiah Ragdsale. Behold their majesty below, courtesy of the Wisconsin X account: Earlier in the game Fischer just missed another homerun when he opened the scoring with a two-run double of the rightfield wall. Ragsdale was one base four times, scored three runs, and stole two bases. Over the last 15 days, Ragsdale has been the Rattlers best player, leading the team with 14 hits, an 1.165 OPS, five doubles, and five steals. Braylon Payne also had an RBI single for Wisconsin. Jack Seppings earned the rare three inning save by working scoreless in relief of starter Wande Torres. RHP Braylon Owens (1-0, 3.38 ERA), who gave everyone free Frosties with his 11K performance last Friday, will take the mound on Thursday. Wilson pre-game media notes Wilson 5, Fayetteville (Astros) 3 Box Score Warbirds Bounce Back with Win at Fayetteville Wilson rebounded from their flaccid offensive performance on Monday with a complete team victory on Wednesday. Handelfry Encarnacion homered for the fourth time in five games to give the Warbirds an early 1-0 lead. Starter Carlos Carra looked like the pitcher we saw in the final week of the 2025 Carolina League season on the mound Wednesday. Carra (6IP 2H 1R 1ER 2BB 6K) made the Encarnacion homer and a steal of home hold up in his best start of the season. @Spencer Michaelis captured all the Ks for your viewing pleasure on his X account: Kevin Garcia added a late two-run home run for some insurance. It was Garcia’s first hit of the season (16 at-bats) and first homer in full-season ball after hitting five in Complex League play in 2025. Here’s the home run courtesy of the Wilson X account: Everyone chipped in for the Warbirds offense, as they pounded out eight hits and also drew eight walks. Brady Ebel was on base twice, scored twice, and stole two bases. Frederi Montero reached base five times (single, double, three walks) and scored two runs. Can a Low A team have an ace? Well if so, RHP Tyler Renz (1-1, 2.78 ERA) is your man. In a season with a lot of bloated ERAs among the system's top pitching prospects, Renz has been one of few bright spots so far. He’ll to get the ball in game three of the series on Thursday. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

TRANSACTIONS RHP Sam Armstrong placed on 7-day IL (AA Wichita) RHP Grant Hartwig activated from development list (AAA St. Paul) OF Emmanuel Rodriguez placed on 7-day IL (AAA St. Paul) INF Harry Genth promoted from A Fort Myers to AAA St. Paul RHP Christian Roa DFA’d Saints Sentinel St. Paul 11, Las Vegas 2 Box Score SP: Mike Paredes: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: Orlando Arcia (6), Ben Ross (2), Aaron Sabato (6) Multi-hit games: Orlando Arcia (2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI), Aaron Sabato (2-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI) They say the PCL is a hitter’s paradise. Well, this amorphous “they” might be on to something. The Saints scored in three consecutive innings, as Orlando Arcia homered, Ben Ross homered, and Aaron Sabato… singled, giving St. Paul a trio of runs early. Then, the floodgates. All that was dammed and protected broke free in a furious seventh. Sabato started the frame with a homer—because the power-hungry first baseman had gone all of a few hours without doing so and felt a need to punish—before a Ben Ross walk started the sequence. A Kaelen Culpepper walk, and a Ryan Kriedler single stuffed the bags full. Gabriel Gonzalez brought in a run on a walk. Arcia doubled. Hendry Mendez and Alex Jackson brought the run total to 10; Ross then capped the flurry by reaching on an error. The Saints bullpen pitched five shutout innings with six strikeouts and one hit allowed. They did not walk a batter. Sabato entered the game with a .679 slugging percentage on the season. Hendry Mendez reached base three times in his Triple-A debut. The tremendously named Henry Bolte is the Athletics' fifth-ranked prospect. He homered once in five at-bats. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 1, Amarillo 3 Box Score SP: Ty Langenberg: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge struggled mightily on offense on Wednesday. They actually took the first lead, plating a run in the second with the aid of a Sod Poodles error. That was it. If a Wichita Lineman were listening in the wires for another score, he would be disappointed. Maybe he should take that small vacation, after all. Instead, Wind Surge hitters suffered through a whiff-fest that would eventually grow to 17 punchouts. They had two hits and walked twice. Once again, this author finds himself fascinated by Alejandro Hidalgo. He’s allowed an unfathomable six homers in his 14 ⅔ innings in 2026, yet he’s also struck out 27 batters. Once the home run rate stabilizes, we could be looking at a breakout for the 22-year-old. Sod Poodles third baseman Jansel Luis ranks as the 13th-best prospect in the Diamondbacks system. He singled once in three at-bats. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 4 Box Score SP: Riley Quick: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Brandon Winokur (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) The Kernels couldn’t pull themselves out of a deficit on Wednesday. So, Riley Quick is human, after all. The righty entered the game with a 0.00 ERA, perhaps believing he may never allow a run again. The leadoff hitter sent his second pitch out of the park. So, it goes. Quick surrendered another score in the second. His season ERA is now 1.13. Unforgivable. The Kernels’ first run of the game arrived in the fifth, when Eduardo Tait and Brandon Winokur smacked back-to-back doubles. The sixth-frame run was a Jacob McCombs special: the outfielder singled, stole second, then stole third and trotted home when catcher Blake Mitchell presumably fired the ball wildly into center field attempting to nab Rayne Doncon running for second (this author can’t speak for certain, as the highlight only shows a camera statically stuck on McCombs trotting home with ease.) The aforementioned Mitchell is ranked as the 63rd-best prospect in MLB. He walked twice in four plate appearances. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 3, Tampa 4 Box Score SP: Matthew Dalquist: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K HR: Yasser Mercedes (5) Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (2-for-4, RBI, BB), (Ryan Sprock 2-for-2, R, 2 BB) The Mighty Mussels stumbled late on Wednesday. Starter Matthew Dalquist had his best start in the Twins system. The 5’10” hurler danced through five quality innings, whiffing four while allowing just one run. The start chopped almost a full run off his season ERA and dropped his WHIP from 1.80 to 1.53. The vibes were great for the 18th-rounder out of UC San Diego. Fort Myers started quickly with a rocket off Yasser Mercedes’ bat, his fifth homer of the season. Returning in the fourth, Dameury Pena singled to left, plating Ryan Sprock before Mercedes took over the game once more. He warped the entire fabric of the match around his speed. The outfielder stole second, swiped third (without a throw), then broke for home and slid in safely, even allowing Sprock to reach second on the play. That’s four bases, and a run he created with just his speed and madman baserunning. Players went 0-4 on ABS challenges in the game. Starter Mac Heuer is the 24th-best prospect in the Yankees system; he went 2 ⅔ innings with one earned run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Matthew Dalquist Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Yasser Mercedes PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 0-4, R, 2 BB, K #4 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B, R, 2 K #7 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-4, R, RBI, BB, K #11 – Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - ⅔ IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K #13 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2B, RBI, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-3, BB, K #15 – Marco Raya (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K #16 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K #17 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-3, BB, 2 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 3 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Las Vegas (9:05 PM) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Wichita @ Amarillo (6:35 PM) - RHP Jose Olivares Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM) - RHP Jason Doktorczyk Tampa @ Fort Myers (5:35 PM) - RHP Merit Jones FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD View the full article

El Paso erased a six-run deficit and beat Tacoma 11-10, as Pablo Reyes launched two home runs and Mason McCoy delivered the eighth-inning, go-ahead single. Fernando Sanchez struck out eight over five scoreless innings for San Antonio in a Missions loss. Fort Wayne split its doubleheader, with Matt Watson and Isaiah Lowe combining to shut out Beloit and Zach Evans driving in three. Lake Elsinore fell 3-2 despite Jesus A. Castro's seven strikeouts. Padres Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Justin Yeager from the Development List. Chihuahuas Erupt For 7-Run Fourth, Score Twice In Eighth For Win Pablo Reyes drilled a pair of homers and Mason McCoy snapped an eighth-inning tie with a go-ahead single as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas used a seven-run fourth inning for an 11-10 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. McCoy capped a three-hit day with two outs in the eighth by grounding an RBI single to left to score Rodolfo Duran, who had just doubled in Clay Dungan with the tying run. Tacoma had taken a 10-9 lead in the top of the eighth. McCoy has a career-high 14-game hitting streak. EP1_0506.mp4 Samad Taylor had a homer and a Little League homer, while Jose Miranda also homered for the Chihuahuas, who have won six of eight games vs. the Rainiers this year. Tacoma jumped out to a 6-2 lead when the Chihuahuas came up in the bottom of the fourth. McCoy had a leadoff double and Miranda belted his fourth homer of the season to pull El Paso within 6-4. Marcos Castanon, Carlos Rodriguez singled and Taylor laid down a sacrifice bunt that turned into a Little League homer when the first baseman threw the ball into right field, scoring all three and putting the Chihuahuas up 7-6. Will Wagner walked and Reyes greeted the new reliever by drilling the second pitch for an opposite-field homer to right to make it 9-6. It was Reyes' fifth homer of the season and extended his on-base streak to all 24 games he has played this year. Reyes also hit a homer Tuesday, giving him three in two games. But the Rainiers tied it with a three-run fifth inning. Chihuahuas left-handed starter Marco Gonzales lasted just three innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Triston McKenzie followed by allowing three runs on two hits and four walks and three strikeouts in 1⅓ innings. EP2_0506.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Samad Taylor 4 2 2 1 0 1 Will Wagner 2 1 1 0 3 0 Clay Dungan 0 1 0 0 0 0 Pablo Reyes 5 2 2 3 0 0 Nick Solak 4 0 0 0 1 1 Rodolfo Durán 5 1 1 1 0 0 Mason McCoy 5 1 3 1 0 1 Jose Miranda 5 1 1 2 0 1 Marcos Castañon 2 1 1 0 2 0 Carlos Rodríguez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Marco Gonzales 3 5 6 3 2 3 1 Triston McKenzie 1 1/3 2 3 3 4 3 1 Justin Yeager 1 2/3 2 0 0 1 1 0 Misael Tamarez 2 2 1 1 0 0 1 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Fernando Sanchez's 8 K's Wasted As Missions Fall To RockHounds Left-handed starter Fernando Sanchez was sterling in five shutout innings, striking out eight, but the bullpen imploded by allowing a pair of four-run innings as the Double-A San Antonio Missions dropped an 8-3 decision to the Midland RockHounds. Carson Tucker went 3-for-4, while Kai Roberts and Romeo Sanabria—the top two hitters in the lineup—each had two hits and Francisco Acuna drove in a pair of runs. Sanchez went a season-high five innings while making his third straight start and five relief appearances. He allowed three hits with three walks and the season-high eight strikeouts. Sanchez has two six-strikeout games, one in relief and another in his previous start. He has allowed eight hits in 12⅓ innings as a starter with 18 strikeouts. The Missions took a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Sanabria doubled home Roberts, who had singled and stole second, to begin the bottom of the first. In the second, Tucker and Acuna had back-to-back doubles for a 2-0 lead. Ryan Jackson and Albert Fabian drew one-out walks in the fourth and Tucker singled to load the bases. Acuna made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. After Sanchez left, left-handed reliever Harry Gustin gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning in the seventh as Midland took a 4-3 and right-handed reliever Sadrac Franco coughed up another four in the top of the ninth. SA_0506.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kai Roberts 5 1 2 0 0 0 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 2 1 1 0 Leandro Cedeño 3 0 0 0 1 0 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ryan Jackson 2 1 0 0 2 0 Albert Fabian 3 0 0 0 1 0 Carson Tucker 4 1 3 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna 2 0 1 2 1 0 Chris Sargent 3 0 0 0 0 0 Ethan Salas 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Fernando Sanchez 5 3 0 0 3 8 0 Josh Mallitz 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Harry Gustin 2/3 3 4 3 0 0 1 Michael Flynn 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Sadrac Franco 1 2 4 3 2 1 1 Matt Watson's Scoreless Start, Zach Evans' 3 RBIs Give TinCaps Split Right-handed Matt Watson threw four scoreless innings in his first professional start, while Zach Evans homered and drove in three as the High-A Fort Wayne Tin Caps blanked the Beloit SkyCarp 5-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. Beloit won the nightcap 4-2, snapping the TinCaps' six-game winning streak. Watson, a 13th-round draft choice in 2024 who had Tommy John surgery after being selected, had made three relief appearances before his scheduled start against Beloit. He gave up just two hits, while walking one and striking out one, throwing 31 of his 48 pitches for strikes. Isaiah Lowe finished with three hitless innings, walking two and striking out three. Evans was the surprise offensive star. He entered the game with a .188/.263/.232 slash line and just one RBI in 18 games this year. With two outs in the second inning, Carlos E. Rodriguez singled and Evans doubled down the left-field line for a 1-0 lead. Kavares Tears followed with an RBI single to put the TinCaps up 2-0. Jake Cunningham drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and Evans crushed a 1-1 pitch for a two-run homer, his first of the year. In the second game, the TinCaps managed just four hits, including two by Jake Cunningham. Cunningham had a bases-loaded single in the third inning that plated a pair of runs to tie the game 2-2. Beloit, which scored twice in the second, took the lead back with a run in the top of the fourth and added another in the sixth. TinCaps right-handed starter Maikel Miralles had second encouraging outing after back-to-back rough starts. Miralles allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in four innings. His five strikeouts were the most since he had nine in his season debut. Right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove struck out three in 1⅓ innings, allowing a run, and left-handed reliever Braian Salazar allowed one hit and a walk in 1⅔ scoreless innings, striking out one. FW_0506.mp4 FIRST GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 3 0 0 0 0 0 Rosman Verdugo 3 1 1 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 1 0 0 0 2 0 Alex McCoy 3 0 0 0 0 2 Jake Cunningham 2 1 1 0 1 0 Carlos Rodriguez 3 1 1 0 0 1 Zach Evans 3 2 2 3 0 0 Kavares Tears 3 0 1 1 0 0 Jonathan Vastine 2 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 4 2 0 0 1 1 0 Isaiah Lowe 3 0 0 0 2 3 0 SECOND GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 3 1 1 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 2 1 0 0 1 0 Lamar King Jr. 2 0 0 0 1 1 Alex McCoy 2 0 0 0 1 0 Jake Cunningham 3 0 2 2 0 1 Jack Costello 3 0 0 0 0 3 Zach Evans 3 0 0 0 0 0 Dylan Grego 3 0 0 0 0 0 Oswaldo Linares 3 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Maikel Miralles 4 7 3 3 2 5 0 Tucker Musgrove 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 3 0 Braian Salazar 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Jesus Castro Strikes Out 7, But Storm Fall Short Right-handed starter Jesus A. Castro struck out a season-high seven, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm couldn't muster enough offensively in a 3-2 loss to the Inland Empire 66ers. Bradley Frye, Jorge Quintana and Kerrington Cross each had two hits for the Storm, who outhit the 66ers 9-5. Cross scored both of the Storm's runs and had his first stolen base of the season. Castro, an 18-year-old who made his pro debut last season in the Dominican Summer League, also set a season best by going 5⅔ innings. He struck out a career-best eight in 4⅔ in a game last year and fell one out short of matching his longest out of 2025. Castro allowed four hits and didn't walk anyone. The score was tied 1-1 when he left in the sixth after retiring the first two batters and hitting the third. Daichi Moriki came on and gave up a walk and a two-run double for a 3-1 66ers lead. Cross led off the top of the third inning with a double, stole second base with one out and scored on Frye's single to center for a 1-0 Storm lead. The 66ers tied it in the bottom of the inning. The Storm got their only other run in the top of the eighth. With one out, Cross tripled to dead center and scored on pinch-hitter Ryan Wideman's groundout to short. Right-hander Nick Falter turned in two scoreless innings for the Storm, walking one and striking out four. Player AB R H RBI BB K Bradley Frye 4 0 2 1 0 0 Jose Verdugo 4 0 1 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 4 0 1 0 0 0 Victor Duarte 4 0 0 0 0 0 George Bilecki 3 0 0 0 0 3 Luke Cantwell 1 0 0 0 0 0 Jorge Quintana 3 0 2 0 0 1 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 0 1 Kerrington Cross 3 2 2 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 2 0 1 0 0 1 Ryan Wideman 1 0 0 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jesus A. Castro 5 2/3 4 2 2 0 7 0 Daichi Moriki 1/3 1 1 1 1 0 0 Nick Falter 2 0 0 0 1 4 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 0-for-1 Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 2-for-3, 2B, K Kale Fountain: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-1, RBI Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, 3 BB, K, SB Romeo Sanabria: 2-for-4, 2B, BB, RBI Truitt Madonna: 1-for-4 Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: 1-for-3, RBI Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP LE_0506.mp4 View the full article

MIAMI, FL — Just like the night before, the Marlins found themselves in an early hole after falling behind 3-0 to Baltimore in the first inning following a three-run home run by Pete Alonso. Eury Pérez, making his eighth start of the young season, did not have his best outing. The right-hander allowed five earned runs across five innings while giving up four hits, walking five, and striking out six. His ERA rose to 5.01 on the season. Control was the biggest issue for Pérez throughout the night, as he struggled to consistently locate his pitches, issuing five walks and also hitting a batter. While it’s unlikely Miami considers sending him down, it may be time to temper expectations early in his career. “A bad one. A lot of learning situations that I had in the game,” Pérez said postgame through an interpreter. “The slider, I was throwing it with more velocity after the first few innings, and I was able to get through the fifth.” Manager Clayton McCullough still pointed to positives from Pérez’s outing. “I think the sliders were probably the best they’ve been all season,” McCullough said. “Some of the velocity he was throwing those at got into the 90s.” Baltimore jumped on Miami immediately in the top of the first. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch to Adley Rutschman, Alonso launched a three-run homer to give the Orioles an early advantage. Baltimore continued to apply pressure throughout the night on its way to a 7-4 victory, with Rutschman contributing two doubles. Similar to Tuesday night, Miami answered quickly despite the early deficit. Jakob Marsee delivered an RBI double as he continues to heat up following a slow start to the season. However, outside of Marsee’s double and singles from Owen Caissie and Xavier Edwards, the Marlins struggled to build sustained offense and never fully threatened after tying the game early. Prior to the game, Miami recalled left-hander Dax Fulton while optioning William Kempner following his own MLB debut. Unlike Kempner, Fulton has been with the organization since being selected in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft. He has long been viewed as one of the club’s more intriguing pitching prospects until having major elbow surgeries. Fulton provided valuable innings out of the bullpen, tossing four innings while allowing two earned runs on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Although the appearance likely means he’ll return to Triple-A afterward, he helped preserve a taxed Marlins bullpen moving forward. “Just keep pushing,” Fulton said postgame when reflecting on his journey to the majors. “Whatever comes at you, whatever gets thrown at you, just keep going. You’ll get there as long as you have perseverance. I’m just glad to be here.” Fulton also discussed adjusting to a relief role after spending most of his career as a starter. “It’s the same mindset—go up there and get guys out,” Fulton said. “Whether it’s five or six innings as a starter or two or three innings out of the bullpen, whatever they need from me, I’m going to do everything I can to help the team.” The Marlins will look to snap their four-game losing streak Thursday night when Max Meyer takes the mound in the series finale. View the full article

Box Score Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober - 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (82 pitches, 52 strikes (63.4% strikes)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (4) Bottom 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Ober (-0.31), Byron Buxton (-0.09), Brooks Lee (-0.08) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Coming off an offensive outburst in game one of the series, the Twins handed the ball to Bailey Ober to face the Nationals and veteran starting pitcher Miles Mikolas Wednesday night. Ober was coming off three straight quality starts. Mikolas was struggling coming into the game, and has been struggling for multiple seasons, really. Both Ober and Mikolas started with two perfect innings, so it was starting to look like a potential pitcher’s duel. The Twins got the first baserunner on a leadoff check-swing double by Luke Keaschall in the top of the third inning, his eighth double of the season. In the very next at-bat, Matt Wallner hit a 106-MPH single, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. The Nationals finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning, on a CJ Abrams one-out double to tie the game. The tie didn’t last long, as the Twins took the lead in the top of the fifth on a Wallner solo home run. You may not believe me, but I was talking to my dad on the phone and I called the homer. (I guess, maybe, you'll believe me this one time, since Mikolas was pitching.) The Nationals responded in the bottom of the fifth, though, on a Drew Millas two-run home run, after a leadoff single by Jacob Young. Ober was chased from the game in the sixth inning, after giving up back-to-back doubles to Abrams and Brady House, giving the Nationals a two-run lead. Jose Tena greeted Andrew Morris with a double of his own, stretching the lead to three runs. The Twins rookie wasn’t able to get out of the inning after giving up a two-out triple to Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez, making it 6-2. The Twins were into their pen, and the rout was soon on. The Nationals added insult to injury on a House two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Justin Topa. Topa and Luis García went to pieces, and the game turned from that taut early battle into a bruising blowout by a bad team. Tena didn’t want to be left out of the home run party, adding a solo shot of his own and giving the Nationals a 15-2 lead. Former Twin Zak Kent made his debut with the Nationals by pitching a scoreless ninth inning. The Twins will look to forget about this game and move on quickly in the final game of the series in DC. What’s Next? The Twins and Nationals will face off on Thursday afternoon in game three of the series. The Twins will send Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 6.49 ERA), while the Nationals will counter with Minnesota native Jake Irvin (1-4, 4.93 ERA). Woods Richardson will look to get on track after struggling for much of the year thus far. In his most recent start, he threw 4 2/3 innings and gave up four earned run in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. After tomorrow’s game, the Twins will travel to Cleveland to face the Guardians in a three-game series. SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Orze 0 24 0 16 0 40 Morris 0 57 0 0 14 71 Rogers 0 32 0 0 0 32 Garcia 18 0 0 13 14 45 Banda 18 0 0 19 0 37 Topa 10 17 0 0 32 59 Funderburk 14 3 0 0 17 34 Klein 12 0 0 0 0 12 View the full article

The San Diego Padres have plenty of star power to go around as the 2026 season kicks into gear. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from Ty France, the steady veteran presence of Xander Bogaerts, and the resurgent bat of Miguel Andujar. But if we’re talking about pure, unadulterated efficiency, one name stands above the rest: Luis Campusano. Despite making fewer appearances than some of his teammates, Campusano hasn’t just been good, he’s been essential. While sharing time behind the plate with Freddy Fermin, he has maximized every trip to the plate. When looking at the numbers and his overall impact, the Padres' backstop has earned our title of Hitter of the Month. It’s rare to see a player lead the team in almost every major offensive category while playing a limited schedule. He is the definition of making it count. When Campusano is in the lineup, the energy shifts. He isn't just filling in; he is punishing the baseball. His .348 ISO (Isolated Power) is the gold standard for this roster. For context, Ty France had a stellar month and sits in second at .289. Campusano’s power isn't just a local phenomenon, either—it’s the 2nd best ISO in the entire National League (min. 50 PA). The numbers look like something out of a video game. Campusano currently leads the Padres in nearly every metric that measures offensive destruction. A 192 wRC+ means Campusano has been 92% better than the league-average hitter this month. When you combine that with a 5.6 Off (Offensive Value) and three home runs, you’re looking at a player who is essentially a one-man wrecking crew behind the dish. As impressive as the moonshots and the .326 average are, there is still a higher ceiling for the young catcher. If we’re being candid, the "all-gas, no-brakes" approach comes with a price. Campusano is currently rocking a 26% strikeout rate alongside an 8% walk rate. While you can live with those numbers when a player is slugging .674, finding more consistency in his plate discipline will be the key to turning this hot streak into a perennial All-Star campaign. Moving into May, the Padres' offense is cooking. With France, Andujar, and Bogaerts all finding their rhythm, this lineup is becoming a nightmare for NL West pitching staffs. And if Luis Campusano continues to utilize his playing time this effectively, manager Craig Stammen might find it impossible to keep him out of the lineup, regardless of the limited role he started with. View the full article

Owen and Jesse get it all out on the table and rant about all of the things that have been going wrong for the Blue Jays. They talk about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s bad week, George Springer playing injured, and the lack of production throughout the lineup. They finish by previewing the upcoming must-win series against the Angels. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Just when you thought things might have been turning around for the Chicago Cubs' injury situation, it took a dramatic turn for the worse. Left-hander Matthew Boyd, the Opening Day starter, was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Cubs on Wednesday after injuring his left knee at home. Right-handed reliever Trent Thornton was called up from Triple-A Iowa. Left-handed reliever Charlie Barnes was designated for assignment to make room for Thornton on the 40-man roster. Boyd is slated to have surgery to repair his meniscus. There is not a timetable for his return. Boyd had just returned April 22 from left biceps tendinitis. The rotation is also down two other notable starters in right-hander Cade Horton, who is out for the season after having elbow and flexor tendon surgery, and left-hander Justin Steele recently had a setback in his recovery from UCL revision surgery. Boyd makes it 10 Cubs pitchers who are currently on the IL. Still, the Cubs entered the day atop the NL Central at 24-12 and a seven-game winning streak. Thornton signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs in the offseason and made four appearances at Iowa, including one start. In 5⅔ innings, he had allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. View the full article

The bullpen shuffle continues for the Kansas City Royals. Right-hander Eric Cerantola was called up from Triple-A Omaha to make his MLB debut and right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who started Tuesday, was sent back to the Storm Chasers. Also, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was sent to Omaha to begin a rehab assignment. He has been out since April with a left foot contusion. Kolek was called up to make a spot start in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians. He went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Cerantola was a fifth-round draft choice in 2021 out of Mississippi State and has posted a 3.59 ERA in 133 games, including 24 starts. This season at Omaha, Cerantola appeared in 12 games and had a 1.42 ERA with six walks and 18 strikeouts in 12⅔ innings. View the full article

Looking for any solution in the bullpen, the Minnesota Twins have made another addition. The Twins on Wednesday acquired right-handed reliever Yoendrys Gomez from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations. Right-handed reliever Christian Roa, who was at Triple-A St. Paul, was designated for assignment to make room for Gomez on the 40-man roster. Another move will have to be made in the next day or two to add Gomez to the 26-man roster. Gomez had been DFA'd by the Rays after making nine appearances and posting a 6.23 ERA in 17⅓ innings, walking 10 and striking out 13. He allowed runs in seven of his outings, ironically not in his last game a week ago Wednesday when he went two scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians. Roa had been claimed off waivers April 23 by the Twins following being DFA'd by the Houston Astros. In three appearances at St. Paul, he allowed two runs on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 2⅓ innings. That came after seven games with the Astros in which he allowed five runs in 8⅔ innings with seven walks and six strikeouts. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — Left-handed pitcher Robby Snelling will be called up by the Miami Marlins on Friday, manager Clayton McCullough has confirmed. He'll start against the Washington Nationals on Friday in what will be his major league debut. Snelling, 22, was one of four players acquired from the San Diego Padres in the trade that sent relievers Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing the other way in 2024. At the time he was acquired, Snelling was struggling, posting a 6.01 ERA at the Double-A level with Padres. When he arrived with the Marlins, he finished his AA stint with a 4.00 ERA and 2.76 FIP, showing some signs of improvement. Snelling performed even better throughout the 2025 campaign, particularly following a promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville. He led all Marlins minor leaguers in both innings pitched (136) and strikeouts (166). Through six starts this season with Jacksonville, Snelling has a 1.86 ERA, 2.92 FIP, 13.66 K/9 and 4.66 BB/9. He currently leads AAA baseball in strikeouts, while being second in ERA, opponent batting average and WHIP. His final outing was on May 1, where he went five hitless innings with 9 Ks. Fish On First ranks Snelling as the second-best prospect in the Marlins organization behind only fellow southpaw Thomas White. By designating Chris Paddack for assignment on Tuesday, the Marlins created an opening for him to take. A corresponding 26-man active roster move still must be made, with the expectation being that the Marlins will send down one of their relievers. View the full article

It was indeed a short stay in the injured list for Sonny Gray. The right-hander was activated from the 15-day injured list by the Boston Red Sox so he could start Wednesday's series finale vs. the Detroit Tigers. Gray had been sidelined since April 21 due to a strained right hamstring, meaning it was exactly a 15-day absence. Left-hander Alec Gamboa was sent to Triple-A Worcester. Gray's return to the rotation comes at a time when ace left-hander Garrett Crochet is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation and left-hander Ranger Suarez's status is up in the air as he deals with tightness in his right hamstring. Before the injury, Gray had made five starts with a 4.49 FIP (4.30 ERA) with a very nice 5.1% walk rate and a below-average 13.1% strikeout rate. Gray had a 26.7% strikeout rate a year ago. Gamboa was called up Monday and made his MLB debut Tuesday, pitching a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts. View the full article

The two areas the Twins need stronger defensive depth are second base and third base. Will they use their number three overall pick to bolster those positions in the org? View the full article