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Pete Fairbanks ' tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays was one deserving of praise. Seven seasons, 256 plus innings pitched, 90 saves, an ERA below 3, and an American League pennant. So, when he returned to the place affectionately known as "The Trop," now a member of the Miami Marlins, a wave of emotion had to have hit him like a Mack truck. However, when tasked with securing the save in a one-run game headed into the bottom of the 9th, that emotion was substituted for pure adrenaline. Making his first appearance since sustaining nerve irritation in his right thumb on April 27th, Fairbanks recorded the first out by setting Richie Palacios down on strikes. What would follow only added to an already topsy-turvy game on both sides. Cedric Mullins worked a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on an errant Joe Mack throw. With two outs and Mullins now 90 feet from tying the score at two, Nick Fortes , a former Marlin, came to the plate against the former Ray in Fairbanks. In keeping with the proverbial nature that comes with baseball, Fortes would hit a ground ball to third baseman Javier Sanoja that had more spin than your average grounder, ultimately escaping the grasp of Sanoja and allowing Mullins to score and saddling Fairbanks with a blown save. "It's been hard to put together because of the uneven time and being away..but I thought the stuff was great," noted Clayton McCullough, who picked up his 100th managerial win. Just a half inning prior, Sanoja put Miami ahead with an RBI double, a much-needed break for someone who entered play Saturday batting .080 in May. While most blown leads for the Marlins suggest the inevitability of an eventual loss, the bats had other plans come the top of the 10th. Batting around, the Marlins scored eight unanswered runs on six hits, including another run-scoring double courtesy of Sanoja. Liam Hicks reclaimed sole possession of first place in runs batted in, now with 40 entering play Sunday. And though Lake Bachar would cough up a three-spot in the bottom half, Miami held on to take the second game, 10-5. "We hung in there, and certainly didn't have some of our finest moments, but we just have to find a way to win," uttered McCullough. Now 21-25, the Marlins trail the Phillies and Nationals by two games for second place in the National League East. In what would end up being a no-decision, his fourth in as many outings, Sandy Alcantara stymied the Rays' bats to the tune of six innings of one-run ball, striking out six. Alcantara will enter his next start 24 strikeouts shy of 1,000 for his career. In 10 starts this season, Alcantara owns a 3.53 ERA, all while trailing only Christopher Sanchez (who twirled a six-hit, 13 strikeout shutout on Saturday) for the MLB lead in innings pitched. Alcantara has thrown 63.2 innings to Sanchez's 64.1. In four career starts at Tropicana Field, Alcantara owns a sterling 1.67 ERA. "It was one of those games where we never gave up," noted Alcantara postgame. Tampa's lone run off Alcantara came in the bottom of the third when Chandler Simpson singled in Taylor Walls. Overcoming the adversity of a season-high four errors, Miami's offense was held scoreless for the first six innings at the mercy of Nick Martinez , who lowered his season ERA to 1.51. Among qualified pitchers this season, only Cam Schlittler (1.35) has a lower ERA than the aforementioned Martinez. Of the four Miami errors on the day, two came in a fifth inning that could have very easily gotten away from Alcantara and Co. With two outs and the light-hitting Walls batting, Xavier Edwards uncorked an errant throw for his second error of the day. Immediately following him, Chandler Simpson hit a ground ball that Sanoja was unable to corral, turning what looked to be a 1-2-3 inning into one where Alcantara threw 22 pitches. Trailing entering the seventh, Heriberto Hernández, facing the team he spent parts of three seasons with in the minor leagues, blasted a game-tying home run deep into the left field stands. Looking Ahead The Marlins and Rays will close out the series on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match. Eury Pérez (2-5, 4.94 ERA) will look to solve his road woes as he takes the ball for Miami. In 26 career starts away from loanDepot Park, Pérez owns a 5.14 ERA, averaging fewer than five innings per outing, though he has posted a 2.81 ERA in games pitched on artificial turf. Sunday will mark Pérez's first career start against Tampa Bay. Opposing Pérez, Drew Rasmussen (3-1, 3.16 ERA), will make his seventh career appearance against Miami. In 26 career innings against, Rasmussen has pitched to a 2.08 ERA. First pitch from Tropicana Field is slated for 12:15 EST. View the full article

It is one and done again for Coleman Crow. The Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday sent the right-handed starter back to Triple-A Nashville following a spot start Friday. Right-handed reliever Peter Strzlecki was called up from Nashville. Also, the Brewers sent right-handed starter Quinn Priester on a rehab assignment to High-A Wisconsin. This is the second time this season Crow has been called up to make one start and be sent back to the minors the next day. Both of his starts have shown that he has the staying power to remain in the Crew's rotation. But the Brewers are expected to have a bullpen game Sunday in the series finale vs. the Twins to give the starters an extra day of rest going into the big series against the Chicago Cubs. Crow, Brewer Fanatic's No. 16 prospect, on Friday allowed one run on three hits and no walks with three strikeouts over five innings in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. His line was very similar in his MLB debut April 17 vs. the Miami Marlins. Strzlecki will be making his season debut with the Brewers and pitching for the first time in the majors since 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians. He has made 16 appearances at Nashville this year with a 4.12 ERA in 19⅔ innings. He has walked four and struck out 20. Strzlecki made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2022, appearing in 30 games and posting a 2.83 ERA. Priester has been on the IL since March 25 with thoracic outlet syndrome in his right arm. View the full article

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (May 14-May 15) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox): 3-1: Season Record: 22-21 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs Reading Fighting Phils (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-2 Season Record: 21-13 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners): 2-1 Season Record: 15-21 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs Tampa Tarpons (New York Yankees): 1-3 Season Record: 14-23 FCL Blue Jays Week Record: 2-1 Season Record: 9-1 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 20-21 Series vs Worcester Red Sox May 14: On Thursday, Buffalo sent Chad Dallas to the mound to start the game against the Worcester Red Sox. He has quickly climbed the ladder of the Bisons’ rotation and might in fact be the best starting pitcher they have right now. While he won't go deep into games just yet, he continues to build back up after recovering from Tommy John surgery. In Thursday's game, he started out a little shaky, but then finished his outing strong. In the top of the first inning, he gave up a lead-off home run to Nick Sogard, then a single and a walk. He managed to escape the inning without giving any more runs up, thanks to Nate Eaton getting caught stealing after his single. It would be the second inning that got him going. He struck out two and got a flyout for the easy 1-2-3 inning. Buffalo's bat woke up in the bottom half of the inning, dropping four runs on Worcester starter Jake Bennett. The scoring was highlighted by RBI singles from Josh Rivera and Ryan McCarty, and it was capped off by an RBI double to right field by RJ Schreck. Dallas would strike out two more batters in the third inning, on his way to completing a shutdown inning following the scoring barrage from the offense. He would end his day after the fourth inning, only giving up the one run and striking out five. The bullpen came in for him and kept going strong. Devereaux Harrison, Brendan Cellucci, and Jesse Hahn combined to throw four shutout innings and handed it off to Chase Lee for the ninth. Lee struggled, though, surrendering a single and a two-run home run, before getting the final out and earning the save. Buffalo would take the game 4-3 and get back to the .500 mark. May 15: On Friday night, the Toronto Blue Jays finally got a glimpse of Josh Kasevich and what he was supposed to be. After missing a lot of 2025, he has been getting into a groove at the plate, and it all came together for him to help lead the Bisons to a victory. He would finish the night going 3-for-4 and knocked in three runs on three RBI singles. His first came in the bottom of the first, scoring RJ Schreck. The second would come two innings later and knock in Je'Von Ward. Then the last RBI single came in the bottom of the fifth and plated Ward again. Ward wasn't done helping Buffalo, though; his monster game was capped off in the bottom of the seventh, when he launched his second home run of the season. On the mound, Buffalo got a good start from CJ Van Eyk, as he pitched into the seventh inning and only gave up two runs on the night. Tanner Andrews secured the win with a four-out save, while striking out two. Buffalo finally pulled their head above the .500 mark with a 5-2 win. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 21-13 Series vs Reading Fighting Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) May 14: Postponed May 15, Game 1: In the first game of the Friday doubleheader against the Reading Fightin Phils, Gage Stanifer was the starting pitcher for New Hampshire, and he unlocked the next level of his pitching evolution. He went five innings on 76 pitches, 51 of them for strikes. He gave up four hits, two walks, and two runs (one earned), while striking out nine. The unearned run scored in the first inning when Stanifer made an errant pickoff throw, and the second run in the third on a single. Overall, Stanifer was spectacular, though. He mixed his pitches well and quite frequently used his split, which was the best version he has displayed in the minor leagues. He generated 15 whiffs and looked dominant and in control of his pitches throughout the game. On the offensive side, Victor Arias hit his third home run at Double A, this time in the sixth inning to tie the game. In the top of the seventh, an Austin Murr home run gave Reading a two-run lead. New Hampshire would lose 4-2. May 15, Game 2: The second game of the doubleheader didn't go any better for New Hampshire, despite swapping home/away with Reading. Arjun Nimmala went 2-for-3, Jay Harry homered. And Sean Keys had another double. Cutter Coffey supplied the only other hit, as New Hampshire struggled to score. In the fifth inning, Alex Binelas hit a double to center field that would score two runs. Down two, Victor Arias made it closer by driving in a run on a groundout. That would be as close as it got, though, as the Fisher Cats lost this one 3-2. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 15-21 Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners) May 14: Nolan Perry continues to show excellence in his breakout season, striking out double-digit batters for the second time already this season in just five scoreless innings. He did allow three walks and three hits, and he loaded the bases in the fifth but managed to get out of it. The offense also did its job, with Maddox Latta knocking in the first run on a sac fly in the bottom of the second, and J.R. Freethy added another run in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout to make it two to nothing. But the game truly broke open in the fifth inning, as after an Alexis Hernandez single, Carter Cunningham smoked his eighth homer of the season to right field to double the lead. Jacob Sharp had his own RBI groundout in the seventh, and Brennan Orf put the game nearly out of reach with a two-RBI single in the eighth. Juanmi Vasquez had his best appearance of the season, going 2.2 innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three. Eminen Flores allowed two runs in the ninth inning, but Jonathan Todd replaced him and earned his second save of the season to get Vancouver a much-needed win. May 15: Postponed Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 14-23 Series vs Tampa Tarpons (New York Yankees) May 14: It was close for the entire game, as Troy Guthrie took the mound for the Jays and the rehabbing Chase Hampton took it for the Tarpons. The Jays were able to get on the board first with Blaine Bullard scoring Owen Gregg on a groundout, and a Hampton wild pitch allowed Dariel Ramon to score that same inning. The Tarpons answered right back as Guthrie gave up an RBI groundout of his own, before giving up a solo shot to Jackson Lovich to even it up. Guthrie allowed another homer in the fourth to give up the lead, but in the top of the sixth inning, the Jays reclaimed the lead after Yorman Licourt hit an RBI double and Aldo Gaxiola scored him right after with a single. Austin Smith blew the save on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth, and with the score tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, the bullpen faltered again, this time with Jack Eshleman taking the L with Lovich hitting his second homer of the day against him, resulting in a close 5-4 loss for the Jays. May 15: The Jays were able to steal a close one today, as Silvano Hechavarria is still showing some rust after coming back from the injured list. He had a clean first inning despite two walks, and the Jays gave him the lead with an Aldo Gaxiola two-run shot and a Jake Cook sac fly to put them up early. Hechavarria couldn’t get out of the second inning, however, as he loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, a single, a balk, and a walk to start the inning. He got a flyout and a strikeout, but walked yet another batter, leading to Carson Myers replacing him. Myers caught the walking bug and walked in another run before giving up a two-run double to Luis Puello to lose the lead for the Jays. The Jays slowly climbed their way back as Gaxiola got his third RBI of the day on a groundout to bring it within one, and in the fourth inning, JoJo Parker tied it up with an RBI single. Myers was able to pitch well heading into the fifth inning, but was replaced mid-inning by Luis Fonseca, who got out of the fifth inning but allowed a three-run homer in the sixth inning to once again put the Jays in a hole. Juan Rosas inched it closer with an RBI single after pinch-hitting for Edward Duran in the eighth, and a Jake Cook RBI groundout led to an Eric Snow single to tie it up and send it to extras. Josbel Garcia pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in his Dunedin debut, and in the top of the 10th, Gaxiola had RBI number four to give the Jays the lead, and Lluveres Severino was able to prevent the ghost runner from scoring in the bottom of that inning, as the Jays just squeaked by the Tarpons. FCL Blue Jays Season Record: 9-1 May 14: In the Thursday game between the FCL Blue Jays and the FCL Tigers, the game was a slugfest from the start. Cris Rodriguez homered for the Tigers squad in the second inning to put them up by five early. In the third, the Tigers would add home runs from Ronald Ramirez and Steven Madero. Renyel Campos launched a home run for the Blue Jays team in the bottom half of the inning, which was followed up by an Andres Arias RBI single and a bases-loaded walk. Angel Guzman and Pascual Archila would homer for the Blue Jays as well in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively. It wasn't enough though, as the Blue Jays squad would lose this one 11-8. May 15: The FCL Jays got another win on Friday, and it was in part thanks to a one-man show at the plate. Sam White, who the Toronto Blue Jays signed as an undrafted free agent, was the star of the game. He hit two solo home runs, the first came in the fourth inning. The second solo home run he would launch in the sixth, which would prove to be the game winner. In between those home runs, Angel Guzman added a two-run double in the fifth, scoring Pascual Archilla and Keegan Pieternella. The only other hit they would have in the game was a single by Sam Smith. On the mound, Angel Rivero had a nice start. He pitched 3.2 innings, surrendered five baserunners, two runs (none earned), and struck out four. The FCL Jays won 4-3. View the full article

The nightmare start of the 2026 season became even more frightening. Right-handed starter Clay Holmes was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday by the New York Mets with a fractured right fibula. Right-handed reliever Joey Gerber was promoted from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets entered play Saturday with one of MLB's worst records at 18-26 despite having one of the highest payrolls in the game. Holmes was injured in Friday's opener of the Subway Series against the New York Yankees at Citi Field when rookie Spencer Jones drilled the right-hander with a 111.1 mph comebacker off his right leg. Holmes made his way toward first base in an attempt to cover the bag after the ball ricocheted off the bottom of his right leg and into foul territory, but there was no play to be made. Holmes remained in the game for a brief period before being taken out. Holmes is expected to miss a significant amount of time, perhaps not returning until after the All-Star break at the earliest. Holmes is the seventh Mets pitcher to go on the IL this season, including fellow starters Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill. Four of those pitchers are on the 60-day IL. Holmes was converted into a starter last year in his first season with the Mets after a career as a very good reliever with the Yankees. He took to his new role very well, posting a 3.53 ERA in 165⅔ innings, with a 9.3% walk rate and 18.2% strikeout rate, both just a bit below the MLB average(8.5%, 22.6%). He was off to a very fine start this year with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts and 52⅔ innings, registering an 8.4% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate. Gerber came up for one appearance in early April before going on the 15-day IL with a blister on his pitching hand. He had been on a rehab assignment with Syracuse before being activated off the IL last week and optioned to Triple-A. At Syracuse this year, Gerber pitched 11 innings over 10 relief appearances with a 7.36 ERA. The Mets will have to find a rotation replacement for Holmes when his turn comes around next. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS 2025 draft pick Jason Reitz began a rehab assignment in the FCL. So did 2024 draft pick, Michael Carpenter. Cody Laweryson will begin a rehab assignment with the Saints on Saturday. SAINTS SENTINEL Game 1: St. Paul 8, Columbus 5 Box Score Going to the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 1 of a doubleheader, the Saints found themselves down by a score of 4-2. However, they tied it in the bottom of the fifth and added four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the first game. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Kaelen Culpepper led off the home half with his ninth home run of the season. Aaron Rozek started for the Saints. The lefty gave up one in the first inning, but he gave up a total of four runs (just one earned) on four hits over five innings. He had one walk and struck out six batters. The bottom of the fifth began with a Tanner Schobel double. With one out, Hendry Mendez walked. After a fielder’s choice left runners on first and third with two outs, Matt Wallner lined a single off the wall in right to drive in Schobel and make it 4-3. Wallner was then caught stealing, but Fedko was able to score from third to tie the game at 4-4. Kody Funderburk came on and gave up one run on two hits in the sixth inning. Orlando Arcia reached on an error in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gabriel Gonzalez followed with a single. After an out, Ben Ross stayed hot and drilled his eighth double since joining the Saints to drive in both runners and give his team the 6-5 lead. After Schobel walked, a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third. Hendry Mendez lined a single to right field to drive in two more runs and make it 8-5. Matt Bowman struck out the side in the bottom of the 7th inning to claim his third save. Ross was 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI. Gonzalez went 2-for-3. Schobel went 1-for-2 with a walk. Mendez was 1-for-2 with two walks and two RBI. Game 2: St. Paul 5, Columbus 3 Box Score Without the help of a big inning, the Saints swept the Clippers with a solid Game 2 performance They took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Tanner Schobel drove in Ben Ross with a single. In the third inning with two outs, Kyler Fedko was on first base. Orlando Arcia singled. Fedko scored on a single by Gabriel Gonzalez, and Arcia scored when Ben Ross reached on a throwing error to make it 3-0. The fourth frame began with walks to Schobel and Noah Cardenas. Two batters later, Fedko singled to drive in Schobel. Mike Paredes started and tossed four scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and had four strikeouts. Marco Raya came on to start the fifth. The inning started with a Dom Nunez homer. After a strikeout, Maick Collado homered. Next up was Kahlil Watson, and he drilled his eighth home run. The lead was down to just 4-3. Raya got a ground out but then walked a batter before Brian Dinelman turned to John Brebbia. Brebbia got four outs, and then Drew Smith recorded his third save with a perfect seventh inning. The Saints got a little insurance in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Ross walked. He scored on an Aaron Sabato double. Gonzalez was again 2-for-3 in the game. Fedko, Ross, and Schobel each had a single and a walk. Sabato’s double was his sixth of the season. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, San Antonio 10 Box Score This wasn’t a great game for the Wind Surge. Ty Langenberg started and gave up three runs on four hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Spencer Bengard then gave up one run on three hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. Jacob Wosinski gave up four runs on three and four walks in 1 1/3 innings. Jarret Whorff was charged with two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings. Kyle Bischoff tossed one scoreless inning. The Surge scored their three runs on just three hits and two walks. Kyle DeBarge went 2-for-4. Andrew Cossetti hit his third double of the season. Check out the Top 20 Padres Prospects according to our sister site, Padres Mission. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 3, Fort Wayne 12 Box Score After falling to Fort Wayne 11-3 on Thursday, a fictitious sportswriter asked Kernels manager Brian Meyer if things could have possibly gone any worse. Meyer fictitiously replied, “Sure, we could have lost 12-3.” And that’s just what they did on Friday night in Iowa. The Kernels had just five hits in the game. Only Yasser Mercedes, who was 2-for-3 with a walk, had more than one hit. The Kerels scored their three runs in the bottom of the sixth. They were already down 12-0 but kept battling. Michael Ross gave up six in the first inning but was able to give his team for innings. He was charged with eight runs on nine hits (2 homers). He had four strikeouts and no walks. Christian Becerra gave up four runs in one innings on four hits and a walk. He struck out three batters. Yehizon Sanchez gave up two hits and a walk over two scoreless innings. Nick Trabacchia also tossed two scoreless innings. Check out the Top 20 Padres Prospect according to our sister site, Padres Mission. LHP Kash Mayfield started and tossed five scoreless, one-hit innings. He had nine strikeouts and no walks. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Bradenton 3 Box Score The Mussels fell behind 3-0 after one inning but then combined to toss eight scoreless innings. That allowed the Mussels hitters to ease their way back into the ball game. Matthew Dalquist started and was charged with three runs on six hits and a walk. He had four strikeouts. Brent Francisco gave up three hits over three scoreless innings. He struck out one batter. Michael Zeldin earned his third save with two scoreless innings. He had four strikeouts and gave up just one hit. Dameury Pena led the offense. He went 3-for-5 at the top of the lineup. Quinn McDaniel went 2-for-3 despite not starting. Ryan Sprock put the team on the board in the top of the fourth when he hit his second home run of the season. The second run came on a two-out single by Dameury Pena that drove in McDaniel in the fifth frame. In the top of the sixth, JP Smith walked, Jayson Bass walked, and then Ian Daugherty walked to load the bases with one out. Smith scored on a wild pitch that tied the game 3-3. A fielder’s choice and a walk re-loaded the bases. Harry Genth came to the plate and took one for the team. He was hit by a running fastball in the elbow which drove in McDaniel with the go ahead run. The bullpen held on and the Mussels were victorious. COMPLEX CHRONICLE FCL Twins 11, FCL Red Sox 12 (10 innings) Box Score The big story in this game was probably the professional debut of RHP Jason Reitz. The Twins fifth round pick a year ago started this season on the IL with a foot injury. The 6-11 righty gave up just one hit over two scoreless innings. He walked none and had three strikeouts. Cory Lewis came on next to continue his rehab. He gave up three runs on four hits and a walk over 2 2/3 innings. He also hit a batter and threw two wild pitches. He struck out three batters. Jack Wagner, recently signed out of Notre Dame, came on next and got the final out of the fifth inning. However, he gave up one run on one hit, one walk, and one hit batter. He did record his first strikeout. Another rehabber came in next. Lefty Michael Carpenter worked 1 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on one hit and three walks. He had two strikeouts. Yoel Roque gave up a run on two hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. Nick McAuliffe also struck out two batters in 1 1/3 innings. He was charged with two runs on two hits and a walk. Carter Holjes got the final out, but not before giving up three runs (2 earned) on two hits and three walks. One of the walks was intentional, but the two wild pitches were not. Five Twins had multi-hit games. Merphy Hernandez was 2-for-6 with two RBI. Enrique Jimenez DHd in his second rehab appearance. He went 2-for-4 with a walk. Luis Fragoza went 2-for-4 with a walk and his fourth double. Ricardo Pena was 2-for-3. Victor Leal went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Daiber De Los Santos went 1-for-3 and walked twice in the game. Joyner Perez also notched his first double of the season. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Pal): 4-for-6, R, RBI Pitcher of the Day Mike Paredes (St. Paul): 4 IP, H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HB, 4 K, 64 pitches, 36 strikes (56.3%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (left shoulder) #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - Game 1: 1-for-4, HR(9), R, RBI, SB(9) (batted first, played 3B); Game 2: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K (batted first, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (thumb) #4 - LHP Connor Prielipp (Minnesota) - Pitches Saturday. #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, R, 2 K (batted second, DH). #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - Pitches Saturday. #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Play. #8 - RHP Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch. #9 - LHP Kendry Rojas (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch. #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - Game 1: 2-for-3, R (batted sixth, played 1B); Game 2: 2-for-3, RBI (batted fifth, played RF) #11 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 24 pitches, 18 strikes (75.0%) #13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - Game 1: 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI (batted second, played LF), Game 2: 1-for-4, K (batted second, DHd) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play. #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, BB, K (batted first, played SS) #16 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - Pitches Saturday. #17 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch. #18 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - 60 Day Injured List (right elbow sprain) #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B(5), R, RBI, K (batted third, played CF) #20 - 2B/SS/CF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 2-for-4, R, 2 K (batted fourth, played 2B) UPCOMING PROBABLES Saturday, May 16: Columbus @ St. Paul (2:07 pm CT) - RHP Ryan Gallagher (0-0, 4.91 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 pm CT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-2, 9.58 ERA) Fort Wayne @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 pm CT) - RHP Michael Ross (0-3, 4.29 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 pm CT) - TBD FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (11:00 am CT) - RHP Dylan Questad (Rehab), Melvin Rodriguez (Bulk) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 20-25 St. Paul Saints: 23-19 Wichita Wind Surge: 17-19 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 20-17 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 21-16 FCL Twins: 5-5 DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

One left-handed reliever is back, while another will be out for a bit. Matt Strahm was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday by the Kansas City Royals with inflammation in his right knee. Bailey Falter, who had been on a rehab assignment, was activated from the 15-day IL. Falter had inflammation in his left elbow and his rehab assignment, which started April 15, had expired. Strahm has been a big part of the Royals' bullpen thus far. Acquired in the offseason from the Philadelphia Phillies, Strahm has a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances covering 16⅓ innings. Falter had made two appearances with the Royals before going on the IL April 3. He allowed five runs in 3⅓ innings, giving up eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. View the full article

The uneven start to the season for Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story has hit a pothole. Story is reportedly being placed on the 10-day injured list, likely due to the minor groin issue that he has been dealing with most of the season. Infielder Nick Sogard was called up from Triple-A Worcester. Andruw Monasterio is likely to get a bulk of the time at shortstop in Story's absence. The oft-injured Story, coming off his first healthy season since 2021, has struggled at the plate and in the field this year. He has a .206/.244/.303 slash line with three homers and 19 RBIs in 41 games. This comes after a 25-homers, 96-RBI season in which he slashed .263/.308/.433. Sogard will be seeing his first action of the season with the Red Sox after a combined 61 games over the last two years in which he had a slash line of .266/.321/.335 with no homers and 17 RBIs. He was slashing .269/.417/.454 at Triple-A this year with five homers and 23 RBIs. View the full article

It's unfortunately official. Yesterday, manager John Schneider suggested that surgery was "on the table" for right-hander José Berríos. Today, he confirmed that Berríos will indeed go under the knife. The surgery will take place on Wednesday. Berríos has been on the injured list all season with a stress fracture in his right elbow. On Friday, Schneider said he did not believe the issue involved any soft tissue damage: Today, however, he revealed that there could be "some ligament stuff going on" after all: According to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson, Berríos could return within a couple of months in a best-case scenario. But if his surgeons discover any soft tissue damage during the initial procedure, he would surely be out significantly longer. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - May 15 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers): Sounds lead, 4-0 Season Record: 18–24 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 20–17 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lead, 3-1 Season Record: 19–15 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 2-2 Season Record: 18–17 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 18–24 Series Opponent: Nashville Sounds (24–19) Series Standing: Trail, 4-0 May 15: The Iowa Cubs suffered a fourth-straight defeat, and a second-straight one-run loss, with a 5-4 setback on Friday night at First Horizon Park. Pedro Ramírez (0-for-3) got the Cubs on the board in the first with a sacrifice fly and Eric Yang (1-for-5) doubled the lead with an RBI-single in the second. The Sounds halved the deficit in the sixth but Iowa starter Jordan Wicks would induce a double play to end the inning to cap his best outing of the season. While taking no decision, Wicks turned in his first quality start of the year, allowing one run on four hits over six innings of work, whiffing a season-high six batters. Nashville would eventually tie the game in the eighth and the contest would head to extra innings. The two teams traded runs in the 10th, with Chas McCormick (1-for-5) driving in the Cubs’ run with a single. The hosts would hold Iowa scoreless in the 11th and win the ballgame in the bottom of the inning, handing the Cubs the 4-3 loss. Kevin Alcántara and Justin Dean each recorded multi-hit efforts on the night while Luke Little worked a scoreless seventh inning in relief. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 20–17 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (18–18) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 15: The Knoxville Smokies suffered a 6-5 walk-off defeat to the Columbus Clingstones on Friday night at Synovus Park. Jefferson Rojas’ (1-for-5) sacrifice fly in the first gave the Smokies a brief lead as the Clingstones quickly evened the score in their first trip to the plate. Columbus took its first lead of the ballgame with a three-spot in the third but Knoxville would eventually answer back with three runs in the fifth to tie the contest at 4-4. Carter Trice (1-for-2) drove in all three of those runs with his sixth homer of the season, marking the third game in a row that he has gone yard. Alex Ramírez raced home on a wild pitch in the seventh to give the Smokies a 5-4 lead but the Clingstones would go on to score two in the ninth and hand Knoxville the 5-4 defeat. Brook Caple got the start for the Smokies and did not factor in the decision. He allowed four runs on six hits over six innings of work, striking out six. Tyler Ras turned in 1 2/3 scoreless frames in relief, whiffing one. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 19–15 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (20–15) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 15: The South Bend Cubs’ bats continued to stay hot with a dominant 9-0 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to clinch at least a series split. The Cubs have now outscored the Timber Rattlers 50-18 through the first four games of the series. South Bend jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first thanks to a sacrifice fly from Kade Snell (1-for-2) and a three-run blast from Leonel Espinoza. Those four runs were more than enough for Cubs starter Cole Reynolds, who fired five shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out five, to earn his first win of the season. Cameron Sisneros (1-for-3) put the game well out of reach in the seventh by crushing a three-run shot, his fifth of the season, and Justin Stransky (1-for-4) would later bring home a run later in the frame with an RBI-triple to make it 8-0. Kane Kepley (3-for-6) put the finishing touches on the night with an RBI-single in the ninth. Adam Stone earned his first save of the season by working the final three innings of the ballgame, yielding just one hit to go along with four strikeouts. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18–17 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (19–18) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 15: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans evened up their series with the Augusta GreenJackets with a 7-6 comeback victory on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark. Both teams were kept scoreless through the first four innings of play, with Pelicans starter Braylon Meyers turning in four shutout innings on the mound, allowing just two hits and striking out five, to go along with no walks issued. The GreenJackets would score first in the fifth, pushing two runs across and would later make it 3-0 with a run in the seventh. After the stretch, the Myrtle Beach offense erupted for seven runs to take a 7-3 lead. Eli Lovich (2-for-4) doubled in a run and Geuri Lubo (1-for-4) tied the contest with a two-run double two batters later. Jairo Diaz (0-for-3) gave the Pelicans the lead with a sacrifice fly and Alexis Hernandez (1-for-3) and Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-4) added to it with RBI-singles. Three runs from Augusta made it 7-6 heading into the ninth but Jordan Henriquez turned in a 1-2-3 inning to end the game. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Minor League Recap (May 15) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series at Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 1-3 Season Record: 23-19 Worcester fell for the second night in a row 5-2 in a bullpen game. Cade Feeney got the start in his first game since being called up from Double-A Portland. He gave up one run on one hit over two innings, walking two. Kyle Keller took the next two, allowing another run on three more hits. He struck out three and gave up one walk. Jacob Webb took the fifth and sixth innings, giving up one more run and two hits, and striking out three. Wyatt Olds took the final two innings, allowing Buffalo to tack on another two runs on two more hits. It was a rough day all around for the WooSox pitching staff as they struggled to find stability. It wasn’t a very successful night at the plate either for Worcester, who notched just one RBI as they went 2-for-14 with RISP. Jason Delay got the WooSox on the board in the second, driving in Tsung-Che Cheng on a fielder's choice. Worcester's only other run came in the seventh inning when Mikey Romero scored on a wild pitch. Nine batters reached base as Worcester totaled six hits and eight walks, but they struggled to drive runs in. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series at Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 3-1 Season Record: 17-19 Portland won 2-1 behind strong pitching and timely hitting. Danny Coulombe made his first rehab start on Friday, turning in an inning of one-hit ball. John Holobetz took the next five innings, working an excellent outing of his own. He struck out four, allowing one run on a solo homer, and limiting the Yard Goats to three hits. Joe Vogatsky pitched the following three innings, allowing a hit and a walk, He punched out three as he earned his first win of the season. Caleb Bolden earned the save for his inning of relief work, sitting down one batter on strikes as he staved off any chance of a Hartford comeback in extras. Despite having less than ideal numbers with RISP, Portland’s bats were hot. All but one of the Sea Dogs starters got on base at least once, and four batters had multiple hits. Tyler McDonough struck first with an RBI single in the fifth inning, scoring Nelly Taylor. In a 1-1 ball game in the tenth inning, Nate Baez grounded out to second, driving home the winning run in Ahbram Liendo. Max Ferguson was rock-solid at the dish, going 3-for-5 as he bumped up his average, helping Portland to their third straight win. High-A Greenville Drive Series vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays): 0-4 Season Record: 14-23 The Drive lost their seventh straight, getting crushed 10-2. Marcus Philips continued to struggle through the early stages of his professional career on Friday, allowing five runs across just three and ⅔ innings. Philips bumped his ERA to 8.44 as he lost his third game of the year. Shea Sprague took the next three and ⅔, but wasn’t much better. He gave up eight hits, and walked an additional four batters. He allowed four more runs, striking out four. His struggles continued as well as his ERA rose to 5.66. Joey Gartrell took the final inning and ⅓, allowing one more run and three hits. His ERA rose as well, to 6.45. It wasn’t much better for Greenville at the plate. In the third, Natanael Yuten clubbed his fourth homer of the year, a solo shot to center field that put the Drive in the scoring column. The Drive’s other run also came by way of the long ball. In the sixth inning, Yophery Rodriguez hit his tenth homer of the season. He leads the Red Sox organization in home runs. Outside of Rodriguez and Yuten, the Drive were silent when it came to driving runs in. They went 0-for-11 with RISP and left nine runners on base. Freili Encarnacion was the only one to record multiple hits, hitting a triple in the eighth inning. In the ninth, Justin Gonzales, who started at first base instead of the outfield, hit a triple of his own. However, facing an eight-run deficit, it wasn’t enough to bring Salem back into the game. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series at Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): 1-3 Season Record: 17-20 Salem fell 6-5 despite an outstanding performance from Ty Hodge in a close contest. Jason Gilman took the first two and ⅔ innings for Salem, allowing a two-run homer in the first inning. It was the only scoring Gilman allowed as he struck out three batters. Dalvinson Reyes was hit with his third loss of the season for his appearance in Friday's game. Over three innings, Reyes walked three and allowed three runs (one unearned) on just one hit. Griffin Kilander took the next inning and allowed yet another hit on three more runs. The pitching staff finally found some steady ground with Wuilliams Rodriguez, who pitched a flawless inning and ⅓. Ty Hodge highlighted the RidgeYaks offensive efforts on Friday, collecting three RBIs on two hits. However, it was Skylar King who scored the first run for Salem, reaching home on a throwing error in the third inning. Kleyver Salazar followed King up with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, driving in Starlyn Nunez. Later in the inning, Hodge singled to drive in King, tying the game. Facing a three-run deficit in the eighth, Ty Hodge brought the RidgeYaks within one on a two-run double. However, it wasn’t enough as Salem fell by a one-run margin. View the full article

All four Kansas City Royals affiliates fell on Friday night despite individual standouts across the system. Mitch Spence turned in a Quality Start for the Omaha Storm Chasers in a 3-2 loss, and Kendry Chourio fired 4 1/3 strong innings for the Columbia Fireflies. Jack Pineda went 4-for-4 with a triple for Northwest Arkansas, Derlin Figueroa went 4-for-5 with a three-run home run for Quad Cities, and Josh Hammond homered for Columbia. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Edged 3-2 Despite Spence's Quality Start The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Toledo Mud Hens at home, falling just short despite a Quality Start from Mitch Spence. Omaha opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when John Rave doubled to left field with one out. Kameron Misner followed with a sharp groundout to second base, allowing Rave to score and giving the Storm Chasers an early 1-0 lead. Toledo answered in the top of the second with an RBI single to tie the game at one, and the Mud Hens took the lead for good in the fifth on a two-run home run that made it 3-1. The Storm Chasers had one final rally in the bottom of the seventh. Misner singled, Drew Waters drew a walk, and a flyout to right field by Brett Squires moved Misner to third. Dustin Dickerson then flied into a sacrifice double play, scoring Misner from third to pull Omaha within 3-2. The Storm Chasers could not push another runner across in the final two frames. Spence (1-3) took the loss, working six innings and allowing three runs on five hits with two walks, four strikeouts, and one home run allowed across 85 pitches. Jose Cuas, Helcris Olivárez, and Eli Morgan combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief. Rave paced the offense with a 2-for-4 night that included a double and a stolen base. Misner scored a run and drove in another, going 1-for-4. Kevin Newman and Josh Rojas added singles, and the Storm Chasers stranded just two runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 0 1 0 0 1 John Rave 4 1 2 0 0 0 Kameron Misner 4 1 1 1 0 1 Drew Waters 3 0 0 0 1 1 Brett Squires 3 0 0 0 0 0 Dustin Dickerson 2 0 0 1 0 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 0 0 0 1 Luke Maile 3 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mitch Spence (L, 1-3) 6 5 3 3 2 4 1 Jose Cuas 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Helcris Olivárez 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eli Morgan 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Naturals Comeback Falls Short In 11-8 Loss To Travelers The Northwest Arkansas Naturals dropped an 11-8 decision to the Arkansas Travelers at home, falling after surrendering the lead in the late innings. The Naturals broke through with a five-run bottom of the fourth. Colton Becker doubled to right, Spencer Nivens followed with a single to put runners at second and third, and Jorge Alfaro singled to drive in the first run. Daniel Vazquez grounded into a force out that plated Nivens, and Omar Hernandez capped the rally with a three-run home run to center field for a 5-1 lead. Arkansas answered with a seven-run top of the fifth that included a three-run home run, sending the Travelers ahead 8-5. The Naturals rallied back in the seventh, when Carson Roccaforte ripped a two-run double to score Canyon Brown and Justin Johnson, and another run scored on the at-bat that followed to even the game at 8. Arkansas plated three more in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach. Drew Beam took the start and worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Tommy Molsky followed with 1 1/3 innings. Zachary Cawyer fired two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts. Brandon Johnson (0-1) took the loss after surrendering three runs in the ninth. Jack Pineda led the way with a 4-for-4 night that included a triple. Hernandez drove in three on the home run, Roccaforte plated two with his double, and Becker added two hits with a double and a run scored. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 2 2 0 2 Colton Becker 4 1 2 0 0 2 Spencer Nivens 5 1 1 0 0 3 Jorge Alfaro 4 0 1 1 0 3 Daniel Vazquez 4 1 0 1 0 2 Jack Pineda 4 1 4 0 0 0 Omar Hernandez 4 1 1 3 0 2 Canyon Brown 4 1 0 0 0 1 Justin Johnson 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Drew Beam 4 2/3 6 7 7 4 6 0 Tommy Molsky 1 1/3 1 1 1 2 2 1 Zachary Cawyer 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Brandon Johnson (L, 0-1) 1 3 3 3 1 0 1 Figueroa's Four-Hit Night Wasted As River Bandits Fall In Slugfest The Quad Cities River Bandits dropped a 12-9 slugfest in Lansing despite a four-hit, four-RBI night from Derlin Figueroa. Quad Cities grabbed an early lead in the top of the second when Figueroa singled home Austin Charles, and Charles delivered an RBI double in the fourth to score Luke Pelzer for a 2-1 advantage. Lansing answered with a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. Blake Mitchell pulled the River Bandits within one in the fifth with a two-RBI double that scored Tyriq Kemp and Asbel Gonzalez, but Lansing tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to stretch the lead to 10-4. Quad Cities mounted a five-run rally in the top of the seventh. Kemp tripled and scored on an Asbel Gonzalez groundout, Charles delivered an RBI single to bring Mitchell home, and Figueroa launched a three-run home run to right field to pull the River Bandits within 10-9. Lansing pushed across one in the seventh and one in the eighth to seal the result. Josh Hansell (0-4) took the loss as the starter, working four innings and giving up seven runs on four hits with seven walks and four strikeouts. Nick Conte, Ryan Ure, and L.P. Langevin combined for four innings of relief. Figueroa finished 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, and a run scored. Charles added three hits, two runs scored, two RBI, a double, and a walk. Mitchell drove in two with a double and reached base four times. Kemp added two hits, including a triple, with two runs scored. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 5 1 1 1 0 0 Blake Mitchell 3 1 1 2 2 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 0 0 1 1 Luke Pelzer 3 1 0 0 2 1 Austin Charles 4 2 3 2 1 0 Derlin Figueroa 5 1 4 4 0 0 Jose Cerice 3 0 1 0 2 0 Erick Torres 5 0 0 0 0 0 Tyriq Kemp 4 2 2 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Josh Hansell (L, 0-4) 4 4 7 7 7 4 1 Nick Conte 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 Ryan Ure 1 1 2 2 3 3 0 L.P. Langevin 2 1 2 1 2 2 0 Hammond Homer Not Enough As Fireflies Drop Opener To Hickory The Columbia Fireflies fell 8-4 to the Hickory Crawdads at home despite a solid start from Kendry Chourio. The game stayed tight for the first five innings. Hickory took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI double, and Columbia answered in the bottom of the fifth when JC Vanek singled home Stone Russell to even the score at one. Hickory regained the lead at the top of the sixth on a run-scoring double play, then broke the game open in the seventh with a three-run home run to right field for a 5-1 advantage. Josh Hammond responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 5-2. Hickory tacked on two more in the top of the eighth on an RBI single and a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Columbia rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but Hickory closed it out with another solo home run in the ninth. Chourio worked 4 1/3 innings for the Fireflies, surrendering one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts on 67 pitches. Max Martin (2-1) took the loss after working 1 2/3 innings. Brandon Herbold yielded five runs (four earned) in 1 2/3 innings, and Randy Ramnarace finished with 1 1/3 innings of relief. Hammond led the way at the plate, going 1-for-4 with the home run, a run scored, and an RBI. Vanek went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Stone Russell added a hit and a double, while Henry Ramos contributed a single, a walk, and a stolen base. Columbia stranded just two runners on base. Player Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 3 0 1 0 1 0 Yandel Ricardo 4 0 0 0 0 3 Josh Hammond 4 1 1 1 0 1 Brooks Bryan 4 0 1 0 0 2 Hyungchan Um 4 0 0 0 0 2 Stone Russell 4 1 1 0 0 0 JC Vanek 3 1 2 1 0 1 Roni Cabrera 2 1 0 0 1 1 Daniel Lopez 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 4 1/3 4 1 1 2 4 0 Max Martin (L, 2-1) 1 2/3 2 1 1 0 1 0 Brandon Herbold 1 2/3 3 5 4 1 2 1 Randy Ramnarace 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 0 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: DNP Blake Mitchell: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, K Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, BB, K Drew Beam: 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 6 K Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-5, RBI Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, 3 K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

Zach Thornton tossed six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts as Syracuse routed Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8-2 behind home runs from Yonny Hernández and Ben Rortvedt. R.J. Gordon allowed six runs in Binghamton's 7-3 loss to Somerset, though Jacob Reimer and Chris Suero homered. Noah Hall worked four innings of two-run ball as Brooklyn beat Rome 8-5, paced by Corey Collins and Ronald Hernandez. Cam Tilly's five relief innings could not save St. Lucie from a 9-7 loss. Mets Transactions New York Mets signed free agent LHP Max Green to a minor league contract. New York Mets sent 1B Jared Young on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. New York Mets sent 2B Andy Ibáñez outright to Syracuse Mets. Thornton's Nine Strikeouts Lead Syracuse Past Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Zach Thornton turned in a fantastic start to anchor an 8-2 Syracuse victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Thornton pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out nine. The offense backed him with a three-run second inning. Yonny Hernández opened the scoring with a solo home run, his second of the year. Cristian Pache came around to score on a Ben Rortvedt single, and Nick Morabito followed with a single of his own to plate Rortvedt and make it 3-0. Pache extended the lead with a solo home run in the fourth, his fifth of the season. Syracuse broke the game open with four more runs in the seventh. Rortvedt led off the frame with a solo homer, his first of the year. Christian Arroyo singled home Jihwan Bae, and Hernández reached on a throwing error that allowed Ryan Clifford and Arroyo to score. Morabito led the offense with three hits in five at-bats, driving in one. Pache went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Rortvedt also collected two hits and finished with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Hernández added a home run and an RBI. Luke Jackson surrendered both Scranton runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two walks and striking out one. Mike Baumann and A.J. Minter combined for 1 2/3 scoreless innings to close it out. Syracuse left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 5 0 3 1 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae 4 1 1 0 1 1 Ryan Clifford 5 1 0 0 0 1 Christian Arroyo 5 1 1 1 0 0 Eric Wagaman 4 0 0 0 1 1 Yonny Hernández 4 1 1 1 0 0 Cristian Pache 4 2 2 1 0 1 Ben Rortvedt 4 2 2 1 0 0 Jackson Cluff 3 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Zach Thornton 6 3 0 0 1 9 0 Luke Jackson 1 1/3 0 2 2 2 1 0 Mike Baumann 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 A.J. Minter 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Reimer And Suero Homer In Binghamton's Loss To Somerset R.J. Gordon could not finish the second inning as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies dropped a 7-3 decision to the Somerset Patriots. Gordon allowed six runs, all earned, on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out one. Binghamton struck first when Jacob Reimer led off the top of the first with a solo home run, his third of the season, to put the Rumble Ponies in front 1-0. Somerset answered with a run in the bottom of the first and then sent nine men to the plate in the second, plating five runs to take a 6-1 lead. Gordon was charged with each run before being lifted from the game. After Gordon's exit, the bullpen kept Somerset largely in check. Zach Peek tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings with a strikeout. Max Green followed with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball, walking one and striking out two. Gabriel Rodriguez allowed a solo home run in one inning of work while walking three and striking out three. Saul Garcia closed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 4 1 1 0 0 2 Chris Suero 3 1 2 2 0 0 Jacob Reimer 4 1 1 1 0 3 Jose Ramos 3 0 0 0 1 0 Nick Lorusso 4 0 1 0 0 2 JT Schwartz 4 0 0 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jaylen Palmer 4 0 2 0 0 1 Diego Mosquera 4 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR R.J. Gordon 1 2/3 7 6 6 1 1 1 Zach Peek 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Max Green 2 2/3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 Saul Garcia 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Late Rally Carries Brooklyn Past Rome 8-5 The Brooklyn Cyclones jumped on the Rome Emperors early and tacked on late in an 8-5 win, scoring eight runs spread across four innings. Starter Noah Hall worked four innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits, walking five, and striking out four. Brooklyn struck for two runs in the first when Ronald Hernandez delivered a two-run single. An inning later, Trace Willhoite gave the Cyclones a 3-0 lead with a solo home run, his third of the season, to left field. Rome chipped away over the middle innings to draw within 3-2, but Brooklyn pulled away in the eighth with three runs. Daiverson Gutierrez singled home Corey Collins, Willhoite drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Nick Roselli singled to plate Colin Houck. The Cyclones added two more in the ninth on a solo home run by Collins, his third of the year, and another RBI single from Hernandez. Collins finished 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Hernandez went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Mitch Voit was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk. Houck added a double in the win. Tanner Witt, Dakota Hawkins, Bryce Jenkins, and Hoss Brewer combined for four scoreless relief innings. Joe Charles ran into trouble in the ninth, allowing three runs in 1/3 of an inning before Danis Correa retired both batters he faced to end it. Brooklyn left nine runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 1 2 0 1 2 Yonatan Henriquez 4 0 0 0 1 2 John Bay 5 1 0 0 0 1 Corey Collins 4 2 2 1 1 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 2 2 1 1 2 0 Ronald Hernandez 5 0 2 3 0 1 Colin Houck 4 1 1 0 1 3 Trace Willhoite 4 1 1 2 0 3 Nick Roselli 3 0 1 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 4 4 2 2 5 4 0 Tanner Witt 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Dakota Hawkins 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hoss Brewer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Joe Charles 1/3 2 3 3 3 0 0 Danis Correa 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Benson Drives In Four As St. Lucie Falls To Jupiter JT Benson powered the St. Lucie offense, but the Jupiter Hammerheads outslugged the Mets 9-7. Benson went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and four RBI. Jupiter led 4-0 by the third inning before St. Lucie answered with three runs in the bottom of the third. Simon Juan opened the frame with a solo home run, his third of the season. Francisco Toledo followed by reaching base, and Benson made it a one-run game with a two-run shot to left center, his fifth long ball of the year. The Mets took their first lead in the fifth with four runs. With Francisco Toledo and Elian Peña aboard, Jared Young singled home Toledo to tie the game at four. Benson followed with a ground-rule double down the right-field line, his tenth of the season, plating Peña and Young. AJ Salgado capped the frame with an RBI single to bring home Benson and make it 7-4. Jupiter scored once in the sixth, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth to retake the lead. Cam Tilly logged five innings following Hurtado, allowing one earned run on four hits, walking three, and striking out one. Daviel Hurtado opened with two innings, was charged with four runs, three earned, on five hits, with one walk and two strikeouts. Tyler McLoughlin took the brunt of the late damage, allowing four earned runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings while striking out three. Salgado went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. Toledo was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Juan added a home run and an RBI. St. Lucie left ten runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 1 0 0 1 1 Jared Young 4 1 1 0 0 2 Chase Meggers 0 0 0 0 1 0 JT Benson 5 2 2 4 0 1 Julio Zayas 4 0 0 0 1 2 AJ Salgado 5 0 3 1 0 1 Sam Robertson 2 0 0 0 3 1 Kevin Villavicencio 5 0 0 0 0 2 Simon Juan 5 1 1 1 0 3 Francisco Toledo 3 2 2 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daviel Hurtado 2 5 4 3 1 2 0 Cam Tilly 5 4 1 1 3 1 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1 2/3 5 4 4 1 3 1 Jorge De Leon 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Peña: 0-for-3, BB, K Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-5, K Jacob Reimer: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, 3 K Nick Morabito: 3-for-5, RBI, K Mitch Voit: 2-for-4, BB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, SB Zach Thornton: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-4, 2 K Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: 1 2/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR View the full article

There was a moment, not too long ago, when Kyle Harrison seemed trapped between two different versions of himself. The first was the electric prospect who tore through the minor leagues with a lively fastball and a natural ability to generate whiffs. The second was the young starter who arrived in the majors only to discover something nearly every young pitcher eventually learns the hard way: having stuff does not automatically mean knowing how to pitch. Drafted into the San Francisco organization in the 2020 MLB Draft, Harrison could survive some nights simply by attacking hitters at the top of the zone and trusting his talent to handle the rest. But Major League Baseball rarely allows long careers built purely on electricity. Hitters learned to sit on the fastball, punish the slurve whenever it stayed up, and constantly force him to work from behind in the count. The swing-and-miss ability was there, but not on consistent display. The strikeouts were there, too. But so was the damage. Too many home runs. Too many extended innings. Now, in Milwaukee, something has changed. And the most important difference does not live only in the ERA or the strikeout totals. It lives in the rhythm of his starts. For the first time in his career, Harrison looks like a pitcher who understands exactly how he wants to attack a lineup. The first seven starts of each season tell part of the story. Team Span Started Span Ended W L GS IP ERA H R ER HR BB SO BF SFG 22/8/2023 1/10/2023 1 1 7 34 ⅔ 4.15 29 19 16 8 11 35 147 SFG 29/3/2024 2/5/2024 2 1 7 38 3.79 39 16 16 5 10 38 159 SFG 6/5/2025 4/6/2025 1 1 3 18 ⅔ 4.34 17 9 9 2 7 19 79 MIL 30/3/2026 9/5/2026 3 1 7 33 ⅔ 2.41 28 9 9 3 13 41 140 The difference in what Harrison is accomplishing now is substantial: not only is Harrison allowing fewer flyballs to leave the park (8.8% in 2026, versus 10.3% in 2025 and 12.3% in 2024), but he's also allowing fewer flyballs (36.6% in 2026, versus 39.0% in 2025 and 40.3% in 2024). But even then, the real transformation appears once the at-bat starts getting complicated. Just one year ago, falling behind in the count practically tilted the entire plate appearance toward the hitter. In 2025, opponents hit .414 against Harrison when he worked from behind, and once he lost leverage, the at-bat often unraveled quickly. Today, the story looks completely different. His first-pitch strike rate has jumped from 60.3% to 70%. Once he gets ahead, the direction of the matchup now tilts heavily in his favor in most situations. Count Situation 2025 AVG Allowed 2026 AVG Allowed 2025 K/9 2026 K/9 Behind in Count .414 .296 4.8 8.5 After 2-0 Count .333 .091 6.0 18.9 0-2 Counts .154 .087 14.2 20.7 That probably explains the most important part of his entire evolution: Harrison no longer looks like a pitcher surviving pitch by pitch. Now he looks like someone controlling the entire geometry of an at-bat. Even after falling behind 2-0 — situations that once felt like automatic damage — Harrison continues finding ways to regain leverage. And when he gets ahead early, many plate appearances end before they ever fully develop. His first-pitch strike percentage has climbed to 70%, the best mark of his career, and that single detail completely changes the structure of a start. With leverage in counts, the new Harrison has generated 15.1% more chase on pitches outside the strike zone. Hitters are now missing on 16.5% of their swings, 7.1% more than in 2024. For the first time in the majors, Harrison appears to be pitching that way. And that probably explains why his fastball and slurve have finally started working together. For much of his time in San Francisco, both pitches almost existed independently from one another. The fastball had life, but not enough deception. The slurve showed depth, but also became vulnerable whenever it failed to finish its break. Eventually, hitters found the pattern and waited for mistakes. In 2024, Harrison allowed 26 extra-base hits against his four-seam fastball: 15 doubles and 11 home runs. But that was not even the worst part. The .432 xSLG allowed was actually slightly higher than the real .425 slugging percentage. The damage was entirely legitimate. Now the entire sequence looks different. Harrison’s fastball is generating chase outside the zone like never before in his career. Two years ago, hitters chased his four-seamer only 22.7% of the time. In 2026, that number has exploded to 43.8%. And once a fastball begins generating that kind of uncomfortable decision-making, the entire arsenal changes around it. Especially the slurve. The Evolution of Harrison’s Slurve Year Run Value HR/FB IFFB% 2025 -4.6 25% 0–12% 2026 3.8 0% 55.60% The difference is not simply that the home runs disappeared. It is the type of contact he is producing now. Before, too many fly balls against Harrison ended up traveling into the seats. Now, many of them simply die in the air. That detail sounds small until you understand what it really means: Harrison is not necessarily generating more ground balls or reinventing himself as a completely different pitcher. What he has done is transform dangerous fly balls into automatic outs. And that is often one of the biggest differences between a talented arm and a starter who can consistently work deep into games. That is also where Milwaukee’s influence starts to appear. Many young pitchers spend too much time insisting on mediocre pitches because they feel the need to prove they have depth in their arsenal. Harrison did the opposite. The cutter has completely disappeared this season. Milwaukee apparently understood that simplifying the arsenal carried far more value than continuing to add pieces to it. Now everything feels connected around one central idea: attack early with the fastball and use the slurve to finish at-bats once the hitter has already lost comfort. And perhaps that is the most interesting part of this entire evolution. Kyle Harrison no longer looks like a prospect trying to prove how many pitches he owns. Now he looks like a pitcher who finally understands which pitches he actually needs to dominate in the major leagues. The season is still young. Adjustments will come. There will be bad starts. Hitters will eventually respond. That always happens. But the important change here does not feel accidental. Because the difference no longer lives only in the ERA. It lives in the way innings unfold. It lives in how at-bats begin, belonging to him from the very first strike. It lives in the way talent has finally started coexisting with intention. And when a 24-year-old left-hander finds that balance point, the ceiling stops feeling like a distant promise and starts looking dangerously real for the rest of the National League. View the full article

It is prospect update time here at Padres Mission and, boy, do we have some updates. Padres Mission Top 20 Prospects List (May 2026) Ethan Salas, C Kash Mayfield, LHP Miguel Mendez, RHP Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP Ryan Wideman, CF Jorge Quintana, SS Ty Harvey, C Kale Fountain, OF-1B Braedon Karpathios, OF Lamar King Jr., C Jagger Haynes, LHP Alex McCoy, OF Truitt Madonna, C Tucker Musgrove, RHP Garrett Hawkins, RHP Michael Salina, RHP Eric Yost, RHP Rosman Verdugo, SS Bryan Balzer, RHP Deivid Coronil, SS No, that doesn't mean that someone has supplanted catcher Ethan Salas as San Diego Padres' top prospect. He remains a clear No. 1, a position he has more than solidified with his start to the 2026 season. But there was movement among the Padres Mission's Top 20 prospects, which includes four new entries. Those players joining our list are outfielder Braedon Karpathios (No. 9), outfielder Alex McCoy (No. 12), right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove (No. 14) and shortstop Rosman Verdugo (No. 18). Two other players previously ranked came back onto our list with right-handers Michael Salina (No. 16) and Bryan Balzer (No. 19). You can check out the previous scouting reports on Salina and Balzer. As far as movers, shortstop Jorge Quintana, acquired at the trade deadline last year from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Brandon Lockridge trade, jumped six spots to No. 6, while center fielder Ryan Wideman climbed four spots to No. 5 and catcher Truitt Madonna also went up four notches to No. 13. Right-handed reliever Bradgley Rodriguez graduated from prospect status, while Humberto Cruz was dropped from the list following his recently reported legal issues. Let's take a deeper look at the newcomers: No. 9 Braedon Karpathios, OF, Double-A San Antonio Missions Bats-throws: Left-Left Age: 22 Acquired: Signed as undrafted free agent in 2022. The soon-to-be 23-year-old has been a developmental win for the Padres. Signed in 2022 as an undrafted free agent after one season as a two-way player at Hartford Community College in Maryland, Karpathios has been a solid if unspectacular contributor while in the Padres' system, but continues to climb the ladder. The biggest calling card for Karpathios (5-foot-11, 186 pounds) is his patience at the plate. While topping out at a .252 batting average in 2024 at Low-A Lake Elsinore, he has had walk totals of 44 in 42 games in 2023 at Lake Elsinore, 95 in 119 games in 2024 while playing a full year at Low-A and 73 in 124 games between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio in 2025. That doesn't mean he doesn't swing and miss. While not chasing a great deal (19% chase rate), Karpathios struck out 145 times in 2024 and 146 times in 2025 as he has trouble against pitches that aren't fastballs. When he does make contact, he at least hits the ball hard. In 2025, Karpathios ranked in the 90th percentile in exit velocity at 105.8 mph, helping him nearly double his home run total from eight in 2024 to 15. He also has shown an ability to hit to all fields. Karpathios put together a .249/.357/.413 slash line last year. Karpathios was invited to the Arizona Fall League in 2025, where he had a .211/.333/.298 slash line with no homers and five RBIs. This year, Karpathios has a slash line of .217/.311/.357 through May 13, with two homers and 12 RBIs. He has 16 walks and 41 strikeouts in 33 games. While not blessed with speed, Karpathios has the ability to play all three outfield spots, but his strong arm—still around from his days as a pitcher—makes him best-suited for right. Karpathios will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason if the Padres don't put him on the 40-man roster. No. 12 Alex McCoy, OF, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Bats-throws: Right-Right Age: 24 Acquired: Signed as undrafted free agent in 2024. After four years of college, no one took a chance on the well-built McCoy (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) in the 2024 draft, so the Padres pounced and signed him as an undrafted free agent. His 2021 season at Maryland-Eastern Shore was wiped out by the pandemic, but he showed an ability to hit the ball in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Hofstra for his senior season, playing for former MLB infielder Frank Catalanotto. He hit .306 with 11 homers, 44 RBIs and 22 steals in 56 games. His hit tool has continued to shine since joining the Padres' organization. Making his debut in 2025 at Low-A Lake Elsinore, McCoy put together a season slash line of .315/.393/.521, hitting seven homers and driving in 40 while stealing 14 bases in 17 attempts over 58 games. His 2025 included a stint on the seven-day injured list as he dealt with hamstring and quad injuries, missing more than two months, and a brief rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League. Moving up to Fort Wayne this year, McCoy has kept chugging along. He has a .293/.359/.560 slash line following Wednesday's game with six homers, 17 RBIs and five steals in 32 games. McCoy hasn't unleashed his power yet, which might be the best in the Padres' system and reportedly reaching a peak exit velocity of 118 mph last year, but that could come as the season progresses. His hitting ability can be attributed to a short and controlled swing that allows him to attack pitches. McCoy had a 21-game on-base streak this season, which included a 15-game hitting streak. He was named the Midwest League Player of the Month for April with a .354/.386/.683 slash line. While McCoy's power ranks a 60 (well above average) on the 20-80 scouting scale, his running, throwing and fielding ability rank just below average. Left field is probably his best positional fit, but a move to first base is also possible. He played the position some in college. No. 14 Tucker Musgrove, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Bats-throws: Right-Right Age: 24 Acquired: Seventh-round draft choice in 2023 out of University of Mobile (Ala.). After having Tommy John surgery following his selection by the Padres in the seventh round of the 2023 draft and missing all of 2024, the right-hander made his pro debut in late-April 2025. Armed with a triple-digit four-seam fastball and a sinker that sits in the 97-98 mph range, Musgrove is one of the arms to keep an eye on. He was drafted as a two-way player, but has since ditched the hitting part of that to focus on pitching. The Friars were very cautious with Musgrove's workload in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He appeared in just 14 games, throwing 20 innings overall, going three innings just once and didn't have more than 43 pitches in any outing. In fact, only three of his appearances lasted more than 30 pitches. Still, he gave glimpses of what the Padres hoped they would be getting, as he struck out 26 in those 20 frames. The 6-foot-1, 174-pounder also has a sharp-breaking sweeper, as well as a slider and a curveball. He is looking to develop a changeup, too. He has nearly seven feet of extension, which gives hitters less time to figure out which pitch he is throwing and how to react. Musgrove has made nine appearances thus far in 2026, never throwing more than 34 pitches, with his longest outing 1⅔ innings. No. 18 Rosman Verdugo, 2B, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Bats-throws: Right-Right Age: 21 Acquired: Signed as an international free agent in January 2022. The 21-year-old doesn't do anything that great, but he does a lot of things decently. The Padres have moved Verdugo off shortstop, playing him at second base this season after working mostly at third base in 2025. Both seasons have been spent at High-A Fort Wayne, which indicates that Verdugo isn't doing a lot to make himself noticed in the Padres' system. Since debuting as a 17-year-old in the Arizona Complex League, Verdugo has a .223/.329/.370 slash line with 38 homers and 206 RBIs. That includes a .218/.310/.376 slash line this year through Wednesday, with five homers and 15 RBIs in 29 RBIs. He doesn't steal much, either, with 15 of his 32 career thefts coming in 2022 with Lake Elsinore. He can draw walks, receiving a career-high 72 free passes in 2025, but he also strikes out a lot with a career-worst 158 last year. He has a short, compact swing that could produce more power—Verdugo had a career-high 13 in 2025—which would make his slash line a lot more palatable, but that power potential is dependent on improving his approach at the plate. Defensively, his arm strength is probably more suited for second base. Considering he is repeating a second full season at Fort Wayne, this feels like an important season as to whether Verdugo progresses in the system or stagnates. View the full article

Top prospects Kaelen Culpepper and Emmanuel Rodriguez continue to push for their shot in Minnesota, while Ryan Gallagher is rapidly forcing his way into the conversation as well. Which Twins prospect is actually closest to getting the next call-up? View the full article

When the Twins signed Orlando Arcia to a minor league deal this spring, the move barely registered beyond camp depth chatter. Minnesota already had multiple infield options on the 40-man roster and younger players with more upside occupying the spotlight. Arcia looked like organizational insurance, the kind of veteran every Triple-A club carries through a long season. A few months later, the equation is starting to look different. Arcia entered camp competing for one of the final bench spots on the Opening Day roster. The Twins ultimately chose roster flexibility and younger depth pieces instead, assigning the veteran infielder to Triple-A St. Paul. At the time, it felt like the logical decision. Arcia was coming off one of the worst offensive seasons of his career and had bounced between the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies in 2025 while struggling to provide impact at the plate. The numbers painted a bleak picture. Across 214 plate appearances last season, Arcia hit just .202/.238/.291 with a 33 wRC+, the lowest mark of his career and the second-worst among players with at least 200 plate appearances last year. Once viewed as a dependable everyday shortstop with strong defense and occasional pop, Arcia looked more like a player nearing the end of his major league opportunities. That is what makes his 2026 performance at St. Paul so fascinating. Through 36 games, Arcia is slashing .324/.377/.577 (.954) with eight home runs and 10 doubles while posting a 140 wRC+. Even in the hitter-friendly environment of the International League, those numbers stand out. More importantly, the quality of contact has looked noticeably improved. Arcia is driving the baseball again and consistently punishing mistakes instead of merely surviving at the plate. For the Twins, the timing matters. Minnesota’s roster construction has emphasized versatility and defensive flexibility under Derek Shelton. Arcia checks both boxes. While he built his reputation as a shortstop during his years with Milwaukee and Atlanta, his defensive profile has evolved. This season with St. Paul, he has already made 21 starts at second base, 10 starts at shortstop, and four starts at third base. Last season in Colorado, he even logged the first innings of his career at first base. That type of positional versatility becomes valuable over a 162-game season, especially for a team that has already dealt with injuries and inconsistency around the infield. The Twins also know exactly what they would be getting from Arcia. He is not a prospect needing everyday reps or developmental patience. He is a veteran with postseason experience who understands how to handle irregular playing time and clubhouse responsibilities. Teams often underestimate how important that can be for a bench role until injuries begin testing organizational depth. There are still valid reasons for skepticism. Arcia’s major league decline was not a small sample fluke. His offensive production cratered over the past two seasons, and his defensive metrics have slipped closer to average after years of being viewed as an above-average defender. At 31 years old, it is fair to question whether this Triple-A surge is sustainable or simply a hot stretch against minor league pitching. The Twins do not necessarily need Arcia to become an everyday contributor, though. What makes him interesting is the possibility that he could stabilize the bottom of the roster when a need arises. If he can provide competent defense at multiple positions while offering even league-average offense in limited duty, that suddenly becomes a useful player for a team trying to stay on the edges of contention. Minnesota has spent much of the last few seasons searching for reliable depth pieces who can survive injuries without becoming automatic outs. Arcia may not be the All-Star-caliber player he briefly looked like earlier in his career, but the current version might still hold value. At the very least, he is forcing the organization to pay attention. Triple-A performances from veteran players are easy to dismiss until roster needs start piling up. The Twins have younger names with louder long-term projections, but organizations often lean on unexpected veterans over the course of a season. Arcia is reminding Minnesota that experience still matters and productive depth can emerge from unlikely places. If he keeps hitting like this in St. Paul, the Twins may not have much choice but to give him another opportunity before the 2026 season is over. What will it take for Arcia to play for the Twins this season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Manny Machado, who has accumulated 375 career home runs, is off to a sluggish start in 2026. While the power has been there in spurts, his .190 batting average and decreased hard-hit indicators may show a cause for concern. Where is Machado falling off, and can he still salvage the same power-oriented game he's had for 15 years? We break it all down in this video! View the full article

There were unique and surprising circumstances in the 11th and final inning in Nashville Friday night, and Manager Rick Sweet foretold things last Sunday. We'll explain. First up, our daily log of player moves involving the Crew's affiliates: Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers recalled RHP Coleman Crow from Nashville Sounds. Milwaukee Brewers optioned LHP Brian Fitzpatrick to Nashville Sounds. Milwaukee Brewers sent LF Akil Baddoo on a rehab assignment to Nashville Sounds. C Andrick Nava assigned to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from Nashville Sounds. C Eric Martinez assigned to Nashville Sounds from Wilson Warbirds. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers placed SS Luis Peña on the 7-day injured list retroactive to May 14, 2026. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers placed RHP Bryce Meccage on the 7-day injured list. C Rylan Mills assigned to Wilson Warbirds from ACL Brewers. As much as Coleman Crow dazzled (again) for the big-league Brewers Friday night, the headliner here is the Luis Pena news, and Adam McCalvy was among those reporting on the young man's status: At this time, we don't know anything specific about Bryce Meccage's injury status. The 2024 2nd round pick out of a New Jersey high school had made his first four starts through April 24th and had been faring well enough, with progression to a five-inning, two-run outing with just two walks on that night. However, Meccage was not effective at all in a home start on April 30th, which was the last time we saw him on a mound - 1.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 7 R, 5 BB. He threw 52 pitches (only 23 strikes), and at the time, there was no reason to think his early exit was injury related. Here we are two weeks later with an IL stint. Rylan Mills is an exciting promotion to full-season ball, as we noted in our forum transaction thread here. Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 4, Iowa (Cubs) 3, 11 innings Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Murray Walks Off Iowa for First Win as a Pitcher - Sounds Win Fifth Straight, Take Series from I-Cubs in Extras OK, please let me stop you right there. I'm going to more than encourage and tell you (politely) to view that game report linked above, like right now. See Cooper Pratt's home run. See Cooper Pratt's almost home run (a double). See how the game ended. Read amazing stuff on Craig Yoho. OK, you're back? We can proceed. Jake Lyman, a prominent broadcaster in Nashville, filled in very capably for usual Voice of the Sounds Jeff Hem Friday evening, and had himself quite a game to call. Back to Jeff for a moment, as we will ask you to now listen to last Sunday's pre-game interview with Rick Sweet - we'll save you a couple of minutes by having you begin at the 03:30 minute mark, Spotify, or if you prefer, Apple Podcast. Having heard Sweet on the state of his pitching staff, none of us, including those in the Brewers front office, should be surprised that Ethan Murray ended up with a night to remember. One video not included in the game summary shows us how Murray's scoreless frame ended: Each team scored once in the 10th inning, and we'll give Freddy Zamora his video props for tying the game with none out in that 10th. Tyler Black's grounder moved Zamora to third base, but Pratt fanned in a big spot for the second out, and Brock Wilken grounded out to send things to the 11th. So, we congratulate Pratt on his two extra-base knocks, but without that strikeout, Murray would not have had the night to remember for the rest of not only his pro career, but his life. I went to the game archive video to try and learn why Sweet pulled starter Tate Kuehner so early. Kuehner allowed one run in the 1st, as an opening double would come around on a sacrifice fly. OK, no big deal. Kuehner retired the first two men in the 2nd, but it took 13 pitches to do so, then it was walk, stolen base, RBI single, HBP, walk. The bases were thus loaded, still two down, but Kuehner was at 36 pitches for the inning, the last six of those pitches all out of the zone. The video confirmed Kuehner's exit was not injury-related, as Easton McGee was not awarded extra warm-up time. The parade of arms thus began, and we can't wait to hear Sweet talk about this in this Sunday's pre-game chat. Oh yeah, in addition to making that catch, Luis Lara reached base four times (two singles, two walks) and now sports a .344/.456/.523 line (.979 OPS). He doesn't turn 22 until November. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Biloxi 9, Montgomery (Rays) 7, 11 innings Box Score and Game Log Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives Via the Shuckers, game details: Coley II’s Grand Slam Spotlights Shuckers Extra-Innings Victory - Shuckers Secure Series Split in Extra-Innings Thriller with Biscuits More extra-inning drama! Might as well start discussing things with ghost runner implications. Neither team scored in the 10th in this Biloxi road contest. Jesus Made did double earlier in the game but was only 1-for-5 on the night when the Biscuits chose to walk him to open the 10th, joining speedster Dylan O'Rae on the basepaths. Blake Burke lined out to right, moving O'Rae to 3rd. Like Cooper Pratt in the Nashville game, an otherwise strong bat in Damon Keith then struck out in a big spot. Mike Boeve flied to center to close the chance. Bottom of the 10th, southpaw Mark Manfredi, Sr. remained in the game for his second inning of work. Old friend Jadher Areinamo sacrificed the ghost runner to 3rd base, but Manfredi struck out a RH bat for the huge 2nd out, walked another RH bat, and then: That set up: What a night for Coley, the newcomer as of mid-April after his release by the Marlins. Also, what a relief for Coley who had only one base hit in his last 28 at-bats (six walks) prior to Friday. Starting RHP Brett Wichrowski's 2026 game log and now 1.60 WHIP reflect plenty of traffic, and on Friday, he allowed six hits (including a home run and double), walked three and hit a batter. But the damage was limited for the most part, and the 23-year-old gave Manager Mike Guerrero 5.2 innings on 88 pitches, fanning seven. You'll find more video highlight via the Shuckers' "X" feed, including the previously noted Made double. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link) Final: South Bend (Cubs) 9, Wisconsin 0 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: South Bend’s Fast Start Slows Rattlers Just eleven pitches into RH starter Travis Smith's night, it was 4-0. As the game summary noted, Smith settled down nicely, but if you had a friend or family member who was delayed and didn't arrive at the ballpark until the 7th inning Thursday but came back Friday night, then that friend just watched four innings of a 23-0 whitewash, though we'll note six tallies with a position player on the mound. There was some defensive kudos thrown Juan Baez' way in that highlight package. Baez has seen a ton of action give Luis Pena's absence, hasn't taken advantage at the plate, but playing time is playing time. Andrew Fischer reached by HBP but was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. It was the 15th time in 31 games played this season where Fischer has struck out at least twice. In seven of those 15 games, he has K'd at least three times. The incredible .574 SLG and duly noted swagger will only overcome so much of that issue as the ladder is climbed. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 5, Hill City (Guardians) 1 Box Score and Game Log Pitching Powers Wilson Past Hill City - Walther Home Run Secures Victory Respectable attendance in the new ballpark, they saw a quick one to get to the postgame fireworks - T: 2:09. Att: 2,755. That game summary did a nice job spotlighting the only two arms Manager Eddy Morgan would need on this night. Southpaw Enderson Mercado only turned 19 years old in March. It's too bad the offensive output came one inning too late to get Mercado his first win since 2024 in the Dominican Summer League. He has an 0-9 record since, but clearly the Brewers are looking way past (as should we) that mostly meaningless mark. From the start of his pro career, the organization has given Mercado opportunities to start, and Friday was a wonderful showing for the Venezuelan native. Like recently-promoted-to-Wisconsin RHP Garrett Hodges, 23-year-old RHP Tanner Perry is deserving of his own bump. Fun fact: Perry's dad Pat Perry had a nice big-league career, a southpaw 1978 2nd round pick of the Astros, with 182 relief appearances over six seasons, seeing action with the Cardinals (he had been released by Houston), then Reds, Cubs and Dodgers. The Anderson and Walther blasts: Not sure if Jose Anderson can match Wisconsin's Andrew Fischer in confidence (we'll let Anderson's teammate Handelfry Encarnacion wear that mantle), but the power vs. strikeout profile is there. Two more K's here, and Anderson, who will play at age 19 all season, is at a 43.7% K rate. It stinks to note this on the night of a big Warbird win, but since he only sees sporadic action (no doubt contributing to his troubles), OF Nick Monile is now 1-for-39 in his pro career. As my fellow Link Reporter Daniel has pointed out on our forum, Monile, an undrafted signing, hit .340 with 84 walks and 42 Ks in his last two college seasons (at Niagara and North Florida) to catch the Brewers' eyes. Now, Monile has walked in 20.4% of his 49 plate appearances with Wilson, but I had to locate that lone hit. A scorching line drive, perhaps? (It's likely a few of those have been caught this season). No, it was a bunt base hit pushed to 3rd base that contributed to a two-run rally within a 5-3 victory back on April 19th. Final: ACL Guardians 17, ACL Brewers 8 Box Score and Game Log The A-Crew fell into a 7-0 hole after just an inning and a half but then scored seven runs of their own in the bottom of the 2nd, highlighted by a Malachai Halterman two-run double and a three-run home run off the bat of left fielder Kenny Fenelon. It was only the 5th game played for Halterman, who was the designated hitter. Continuing a theme for the night, Fenelon's blast was his lone hit and despite impressive season slug (.485), he struck out three times (41.4 K rate), though that sample is small here in 2026. Soon-to-be 19-year-old RHP Hayden Vucinovich's first career start (2nd appearance) did not go well. The 8th round draft pick out of a Minnesota high school allowed two runs in the 1st and was replaced prior to the inning ending. Under Arizona Complex League rules, Vucinovich was allowed to re-enter in the 2nd, but retired only one of the five batters he faced in that frame, with his night ending on his own throwing error handling a throw from the outfield. You would think one of the eight Maryvale pitchers to see action would have a line to be a bit proud of, but that's not the case, as your box score review will indicate. There were six Brewers errors, though only two of the 17 runs allowed were unearned. Brewer pitchers walked 17 and plunked two. The lone attempted Maryvale stolen base attempt failed. Given his power bat, we hope Jonathan Rangel can stick at catcher, though he had two passed balls Friday, giving him nine in 16 pro games behind the plate, and Guardian baserunners stole ten bases in 11 tries. Tough night... The Maryvale boys need to shake that contest off, as there is a day game Saturday. The Timber Rattlers front office loves scheduling their Saturday matinees, and that's the lone day game among the full-season squads. Hope everyone enjoys a fine spring day, thanks for reading. 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

There was a lot of confusion around the league when the Boston Red Sox inked Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one year, $6 million contract late in the offseason. The thought was that he didn’t make much sense as a veteran addition to a team that had rookie Marcelo Mayer, Caleb Durbin, Nate Eaton, and an injured Romy Gonzalez already under contract for the season. Sure, he’s a veteran presence in a very young clubhouse, but at what cost? Mayer needs to be playing at second every day, even against left-handed pitchers, and Gonzalez is looking to return in just over a month if Chad Tracy still believes that Mayer needs a platoon partner at the keystone. In other words, it’s time for the Red Sox to cut their losses and move on from Isiah Kiner-Falefa. If we just look at the numbers, they paint the picture of a veteran who is past his prime and struggling with the looks he’s given. He’s only played in 20 games with 44 plate appearances. He’s currently slashing .200/.256/.200 with a zero fWAR and a 27 wRC+. When he’s at the plate, he’s striking out just 18.2% of the time, but his walk rate is an abysmal 6.8%. His chase rate is 45.0% and he’s only barreling 3.1% of the pitches he puts in play. He’s as close to an automatic out as you can be at this point in his career. He’s starting against left-handed starters as Mayer is eased into the role of an everyday big leaguer, but Mayer has looked at least competent against most southpaws he’s been allowed to face. Any at-bat that Kiner-Falefa is taking from Mayer is doing a disservice to the top prospect's growth and the future of the organization. There was some hope, before the news of Garrett Crochet’s injury broke, that when Nate Eaton was called up at the end of April that maybe Kiner-Falefa would be DFA’d, but that wasn’t meant to be at the time. The saving grace in all of this is Romy Gonzalez is nearing his return to the club. He’s responded well to his shoulder surgery and has been playing catch and taking grounders during the most recent homestand. While he’s not close to game action yet, he’s started baseball activities and that means the next step should be a rehab assignment with a minor-league club. Once Gonzalez is big league ready, it’s likely safe to assume that a Kiner-Falefa DFA would be the most logical corresponding move. Gonzalez has been a contributor to this team in recent seasons and has both a higher floor and ceiling than Kiner-Falefa possesses at this point in his career. He mashes left-handed pitchers and plays valuable defense at all infield positions. His skillset makes Kiner-Falefa a redundant, and expensive, bench piece that will only see his playing time decrease once the season heats up in late June. Kiner-Falefa’s skillset is obviously diminishing, and he’s taking time away from younger players who need more exposure to at-bats in major-league action. It’s rare for Craig Breslow to admit when he made a mistake, but he can save a bit of face by releasing Kiner-Falefa the second Romy Gonzalez is ready to join the club. View the full article

On April 26, after being designated for assignment by the Marlins, Austin Slater signed with the New York Mets. Given the team's struggles at the time of his signing, it made all the sense in the world to bring in a veteran like Slater. For most of his 10 year career, his number one priority has been to hit well vs LHP. The only problem is, he has not done so since 2023. Before 2024, Slater had consistent playing time for the San Francisco Giants. With consistent appearances brought consistent numbers versus left-handed pitching. Since then, Slater has bounced around. In 2024, he was an Oriole and a Re; in 2025, he was with the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. In his free agency, Slater was told he was the Sox's “top target” in their attempt to improve vs. southpaws. Since his departure from the Giants, Slater has struggled mightily with the platoon advantage. So far this season, in 38 at-bats vs LHP, Slater is batting .184 with 14 strikeouts. Slater has found most of his time this season in a platoon with MJ Melendez. When Manager Carlos Mendoza was asked why Slater would pinch hit for Melendez, who currently sports a 132 OPS+, Mendoza said, “he is here to hit lefties. obviously”. Some of the problems can be attributed to his struggles versus the fastball. When Slater was hitting well with the Giants, the fastball was the pitch he hit the best, consistently netting a +3 or above in run value. This season, his run value versus fastballs is a -3. As a team, the Mets rank 29th in fastball runs above average, hence why they hoped Slater would be able to help in that regard as well. Slater has also not shown much power at the plate. Within his nine hits this season, only one has been a true barrel. He has one extra-base hit on the season and yet to hit one out of the park. Slater’s hard-hit rate and slugging percentage are both near the bottom of the league as of the start of the Subway Series. To partner all of that with Slater never being a plus defender in the outfield, you start to question what value he brings to the roster. Barring a turnaround, it could be time for the Mets to take a look at Nick Morabito in Triple-A Syracuse, who currently sports a .333 batting average vs. left-handed pitching. For Slater to continue his time with the Mets, he'll have to rediscover a form that's seemingly been lost to time. View the full article

Over his eight years in the big leagues, pitcher Burke Badenhop had just three hits. On this day 15 years ago, however, he had the biggest hit of the night. Also the winning pitcher for the evening, Badenhop came through with the winning hit in the top of the 11th. His single up the middle lifted the Florida Marlins to a 2-1 win over the New York Mets. A solo home run by Giancarlo (then known as Mike) Stanton in the seventh inning had accounted for all the scoring for Florida as the contest at Citi Field went to the 11th on May 16, 2011. Against Ryota Igarashi, Stanton opened the top of the 11th with a single up the middle. Igarashi retired Brett Hayes and Omar Infante but after Emilio Bonifácio singled to put the go-ahead run in scoring position, the Marlins had a decision to make. Without any available position players, Badenhop was left in to hit. After working a scoreless 10th on the mound, the right-hander worked the count full at the plate before lining one up the middle to score Stanton and give Florida its first lead of the night. In the bottom of the 11th, Juan Carlos Oviedo, then known as Leo Núñez, opened the frame by retiring the first two Mets he faced. With New York out of position players, it had to turn to a pitcher to hit. Like Badenhop, Jon Niese worked the count full before belting a triple to centerfield to give the Mets life. Oviedo, however, was able to settle in and strike out All-Star José Reyes to end the game. Both teams finished with nine hits in the contest. Infante had three for Florida while Stanton added two and scored both Marlins runs. Reyes and Justin Turner each had two hits for the Mets. As for Badenhop, the victory would serve as his final road win as a member of the Marlins. His heroics at the plate accounted for the final RBI of his career. It came in the 11th inning on this day 15 years ago. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays have had unfortunate, unexpected bad luck with their starting rotation's health. José Berríos was expected to return to Toronto soon, but he has suffered a setback with his elbow injury. He recently met with Dr. Keith Meister, a renowned elbow surgeon, and they are continuing to discuss what approach they will take. Cody Ponce suffered an ACL injury in his first start back in MLB after four seasons overseas. Shane Bieber has been out all season recovering from elbow inflammation. He has thrown a few bullpens and is expected to face live hitters soon. This progress will allow his expected return in late May or early June, provided he continues taking steps in the right direction. Max Scherzer has made only five starts, and they were a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs. He's now on the injured list due to forearm tendinitis and swelling in his ankle. He received cortisone shots for both to see if he can return sooner rather than later. A timetable will be established once the team sees how his body reacts to the shots. Bowden Francis underwent UCL surgery in the offseason and won't return until next season. Eric Lauer was filling in the rotation void, but his performance was hideous. He has since been designated for assignment. There are no clear answers to address the opening in the rotation at the moment. The Blue Jays already hit the free agent market and added Patrick Corbin because they had no prospects that were ready to be called up. Ricky Tiedemann looked like an option for promotion during spring training, but he was shut down with elbow soreness. He's started throwing on a mound, but he's being eased in after missing all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Tiedemann is unlikely to return until later in the second half of the season. However, there may be a solution to the rotation void currently on the Blue Jays roster. That option is Spencer Miles, who has been working as a long reliever this season. He's performed well in his rookie campaign, posting a 3.00 ERA over 21 innings with an 18:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 3.36 FIP (entering play on May 15). Miles got the start on May 10 against the Los Angeles Angels, though he was really more of a "long opener" in that game. He threw 38 pitches over three scoreless innings, while allowing two hits and striking out two. The Blue Jays' coaching staff will have to tightly monitor his workload, as the Rule 5 draft pick only pitched 7.1 innings in each of his two seasons in the minors (2022 and '24). Miles missed the 2023 season due to back surgery and the 2025 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery. With his success this season, Miles is the obvious choice to become the fifth starter, even if it's only for a few innings each outing before he turns things over to the bullpen. However, with his limited experience and production, the righty will need to be closely monitored. There have already been too many injuries to the starting rotation that the coaches and front office have had to try to solve. The season hasn't started the way the Blue Jays expected after a World Series trip last fall, but the beauty of Major League Baseball is that there are 162 games on the schedule, so the Jays have plenty of time to get their issues figured out. View the full article

Kash Mayfield fired five innings of one-hit ball with nine strikeouts in Fort Wayne's 12-3 win, and Kruz Schoolcraft tossed three scoreless for Lake Elsinore in a 14-0 rout. Jorge Quintana, Ty Harvey, and Kerrington Cross each drove in multiple runs for the Storm. Omar Cruz struck out nine over 3⅓ innings as San Antonio cruised 10-3. El Paso fell 10-5 in Salt Lake despite Mason McCoy's three RBIs. Padres Transactions San Diego Padres recalled RHP Alek Jacob from El Paso Chihuahuas. Pablo Reyes' Streak Ends As Chihuahuas Bitten By 6-Run Seventh Inning Mason McCoy drove in three runs and Nick Schnell homered, but the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were doomed by a six-run seventh inning in a 10-5 loss to the host Salt Lake Bees. The Chihuahuas had a 5-4 lead when the Bees erupted in the decisive seventh. Pablo Reyes went 0-for-5 as his on-base streak ended at 30 games, every game he had played this year before Friday, for the Chihuahuas. Anthony Vilar had two hits and a walk for the Chihuahuas. The Chihuahuas jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Samad Taylor walked and Will Wagner and Nick Solak singled to score Taylor, putting runners on the corners. After Solak stole second, McCoy lofted an opposite field single to score Wagner and Solak. It stayed 3-0 until the Bees scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, but Schnell got one of those back with a leadoff homer to open the sixth, his seventh blast of the year, for a 4-2 edge. Salt Lake, however, tied it with two more in the bottom of the sixth. The Chihuahuas reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh. Wagner walked, Solak sacrificed him to second and McCoy delivered a go-ahead single to center. But things unraveled for the Missions in the bottom of the seventh with a six-run outburst, which included a grand slam. Missions left-handed starter Jackson Wolf went five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. EP_0515.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes, DH 5 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Dungan, 2B 4 0 0 0 1 2 Samad Taylor, RF 3 1 0 0 2 0 Will Wagner, 3B 4 2 1 0 1 0 Nick Solak, LF 4 1 1 1 0 0 Mason McCoy, SS 4 0 2 3 0 0 Nick Schnell, CF 3 1 1 1 1 0 Marcos Castañon, 1B 3 0 1 0 0 0 Anthony Vilar, C 3 0 2 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jackson Wolf 5 5 2 2 1 2 1 Garrett Hawkins 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 Logan Gillaspie (L) 1 5 6 6 1 0 1 Justin Yeager 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Missions Strike Out 20 In Blowout Victory Over Wind Surge Left-handed starter Omar Cruz struck out nine and combined with three relievers to fan 20, while Ryan Jackson drove in three runs as the host Double-A San Antonio Missions rolled to a 10-3 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. Tirso Ornelas had three hits, while Jackson, Carson Tucker, Leandro Cedeno and Braedon Karpathios each had two of the Missions' 16 hits. Romeo Sanabria reached base three times and scored three runs. The Missions also drew nine walks. Cruz made his first start of the season after 10 relief appearances between Triple-A and Double-A and allowed just one hit over 3⅓ innings, walking one and giving up a pair of unearned runs. His nine strikeouts were a season high and one shy of his career best, accomplished four times. He had not pitched more than two innings this year. Right-hander Sadrac Franco pitched 1⅔ hitless innings, striking out three, while right-hander Josh Mallitz struck out three in two innings, allowing a run, and right-hander Francis Pena finished by striking out five in two perfect innings. The Missions grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third inning. With two outs, Cedeno walked, Ornelas doubled him to third and Sanabria walked to load the bases. Karpathios drew a bases-loaded walk for a 1-0 lead, then Jackson singled home a pair for a 3-0 advantage. After Wichita scored twice in the top of the fourth, Cedeno had an RBI single in the fourth and a single and three walks in the fifth made it 5-0. Another Wind Surge run came in the sixth, but the Missions blew this one open with a four-run bottom of the sixth. Ethan Salas drew a leadoff walk and stole second with one out, his eighth steal of the year, before taking third on Ornelas' single. Sanabria, Karpathios and Jackson had consecutive RBI singles to make it 9-3. Ornelas capped the scoring with a run-scoring single in the seventh. SA_0515.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker, SS 5 2 2 0 0 1 Ethan Salas, C 4 1 1 0 1 0 Leandro Cedeño, DH 2 1 2 1 1 0 Kai Murphy, DH 2 0 0 0 0 2 Tirso Ornelas, RF 5 2 3 1 0 0 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 3 3 1 1 2 1 Braedon Karpathios, CF 3 1 2 2 2 1 Ryan Jackson, 3B 4 0 2 3 1 0 Francisco Acuna, 2B 3 0 1 1 2 0 Albert Fabian, LF 5 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Omar Cruz 3 1/3 1 2 0 1 9 0 Sadrac Franco (W) 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Josh Mallitz 2 2 1 1 1 3 0 Francis Peña 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 Kash Mayfield Scintillating As TinCaps Mash Kernels Left-handed starter Kash Mayfield struck out nine and allowed one hit over five innings, while Kavares Tears homered, had three hits and drove in four runs as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps cruised to a 12-3 victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Mayfield retired the first 13 batters of the game. Kasen Wells finished 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Rosman Verdugo joined Tears by homering and having a three-hit night. Verdugo scored three times and drove in a pair, with Alex McCoy and Lamar King Jr. each having two hits. For King, it was his third straight two-hit game, extending his on-base streak to 26 games, the longest for the TinCaps since 2019 by Dwanya Williams-Sutton. In lowering his ERA to 1.52, this was the second outing in a row where Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, went five shutout innings and allowed just one hit. It is also the fifth time in his seven starts this year that he has not allowed a run, allowing one hit or less in those same five outings. Mayfield has not allowed a run in his last 12 innings after starting the season with a 15-inning scoreless streak. Mayfield's nine strikeouts tied a career high, set last season with Low-A Lake Elsinore. He had 16 swings and misses, including all nine of his strikeouts. His ERA is second in the Midwest League. Mayfield got more than enough support thanks to the TinCaps scoring six runs before he took the mound. Zach Evans led off the game with a single and went to third on Verdugo's double. After an out, McCoy doubled off the third baseman, his Midwest League-high 12th two-bagger, and into left field to make it 2-0. After King singled McCoy to third, Tears hit a towering blast to right-center to make it 5-0. The three-run shot was his third homer this year. Jack Costello kept it going with a double and Wells followed with a two-out double for a 6-0 advantage as the TinCaps sent 10 hitters to the plate. Verdugo added a two-run homer in the fourth to put the TinCaps up 8-0, while Tears got his fourth RBI of the night in the fifth when he doubled home McCoy, who had singled and stolen second. In the sixth, Kasen Wells singled, Evans walked and Verdugo singled to load the bases. Rodriguez had an RBI groundout and a wild pitch made it 11-0. Following a walk to McCoy, King singled home Verdugo, giving the TinCaps a dozen runs. With Mayfield out of the game following a very efficient 56 pitches, including 43 strikes, the Kernels scored three in the bottom of the sixth. FW_0515.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Zach Evans, 3B 4 2 1 0 1 0 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 5 3 3 2 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez, C 5 0 0 1 0 0 Alex McCoy, LF 4 2 2 2 1 1 Lamar King Jr., DH 5 1 2 1 0 1 Kavares Tears, RF 5 1 3 4 0 1 Jack Costello, 1B 5 1 1 0 0 3 Jonathan Vastine, SS 5 0 0 0 0 2 Kasen Wells, CF 4 2 4 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kash Mayfield (W) 5 1 0 0 0 9 0 Braian Salazar 1 3 3 3 2 2 0 Will Varmette 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 Luis Germán 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Storm Pitchers Blank Quakes While Hitters Erupt Kerrington Cross came off the bench to drive in three runs and four other players drove in a pair as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm blew things open with a six-run sixth inning to subdue the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 14-0. Storm left-hander starter Kruz Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, pitched three hitless innings, but he did walk five and struck out four. Schoolcraft has allowed just one unearned run over his last seven innings to lower his ERA from 13.50 to 8.15. LE1_0515.mp4 Three relievers followed to complete the four-hit shutout. Right-hander Nick Falter, right-hander Vicarte Domingo, and left-hander Joseph Herrera combined for the final six innings, walking one and striking out four. The Storm slowly built a 5-0 lead through five innings. Ty Harvey doubled in a run in the first, Qrey Lott singled a run in the second and another in the fourth and Truitt Madonna doubled home a pair in the fifth. But the real fireworks came in the sixth. Four of the first five batters walked to bring in a run, then an error plated another before Cross finally got the first hit of the inning, a run-scoring single to make it 8-0. A wild pitch brought in another and Jorge Quintana capped the inning with a two-run single. There was one more outburst for the Storm. That came in the eighth as Cross hit a two-run homer, his second blast of the year, and Conner Westenburg had a bases-loaded single to make it 14-0. Jorge Quintana had three hits, while Harvey and Lott each had two hits and two RBIs and Westenburg two hits and an RBI. Ryan Wideman had a hit and stole his 28th base of the season while scoring twice. LE2_0515.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Bradley Frye, 3B 4 2 0 0 2 0 Ty Harvey, C 3 1 2 2 1 0 Yoiber Ocopio, C 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Wideman, CF 4 2 1 1 0 0 George Bilecki, RF 1 1 1 0 0 0 Luke Cantwell, 1B 2 1 0 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross, 1B 2 2 2 3 0 0 Truitt Madonna, DH 5 0 1 2 0 3 Jorge Quintana, SS 5 2 3 2 0 1 Jose Verdugo, 2B 3 1 0 0 1 0 Dylan Grego, 2B 0 0 0 0 1 0 Qrey Lott, LF 4 1 2 2 0 1 Conner Westenburg, CF 4 1 2 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 3 0 0 0 5 4 0 Nick Falter (W) 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 Vicarte Domingo 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Joseph Herrera 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-4, BB, R, SB Kash Mayfield: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K (W) Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K Ryan Wideman: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 R, SB Jorge Quintana: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, K Ty Harvey: 2-for-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI Kale Fountain: DNP Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 RBI, K Lamar King Jr.: 2-for-5, RBI, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, K Truitt Madonna: 1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 K Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K (BS) Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View the full article

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Although the Miami Marlins fell to the Tampa Bay Rays in the Citrus Series opener by a final score of 7-2, Joe Mack has been a bright spot defensively for the Marlins. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Mack threw out Chandler Simpson trying to steal second. Simpson, who entered Friday's game in the 98th percentile in sprint speed, had only been caught stealing four times, tied for second least in baseball. Thankfully for Mack, he had crossed paths with him in Triple-A last season and had some prior preparation. "I just know that he's going to be a guy that you have to look out for," Mack said postgame. "He's a very, very fast athlete. It's just something that you got to prepare for and be ready for at all times." Mack's pop time on the throw was 1.80 seconds, the fastest amongst any Marlins catcher this season and the seventh fastest this season in baseball. Mack also holds the three quickest pop times of the Marlins season, and he has only played in 10 games. The throw was clocked at 81.7 mph. "That throw tonight was impressive," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "The exchange and the accuracy that he was able to get on it. Even though the one that Mullins stole, he did all he could. He made a good throw off the line and (Mullins) just beat it." Through 10 games in the majors, Mack already holds the 12th quickest average pop time in MLB. He is quickly climbing the Statcast leaderboards for Blocks Above Average and Catchers Caught Stealing Above Average as well. The Marlins may be struggling as a team, but ever since Mack joined the big league club, defense behind the plate has seen a massive improvement. The only downside has been the bat, slashing .200/.226/.300/.526 with two RBI. His biggest issue has been the strikeouts, with already eleven on the season and two more on Friday. "I know my bat can definitely wake up a little bit more," Mack said. "I definitely haven't shown much on that aspect. Maybe it's just trying to do too much, but other than that, defensively I feel pretty confident within my ability to receive, block and throw the ball, It's something they obviously brought me up for, and showing that off is a good thing. The bat I think just needs to wake up a little bit. When that starts to roll, then we just go." For Janson Junk, it is now back-to-back starts where he has struggled. On Friday night, Junk went 5 2/3 innings pitched allowing seven runs on 10 hits (two home runs) while walking three and striking out four. "I think everything that could have happened wrong, happened," Junk said. "It was very frustrating. I was trying to battle, and it just didn't go my way tonight." In the bottom of the first inning, Junk surrendered a first-pitch homer to Yandy Diaz, marking his sixth of the season to give Tampa an early 2-0 lead. For Diaz, it was his 105th homer as a member of the Rays, moving him past Carl Crawford on the Rays all-time home run list. Junk allowed the home run on a sweeper that he left middle-middle. The second home run that Junk allowed came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when free-agent signing Cedric Mullins hit his third of the season to right field. This time, Junk threw a slider which landed towards the top of the strike zone, but Mullins took advantage of it, extending the Rays lead, 7-2. "That one leaked a little," Junk said. "I think that was more out of frustration. I got to be better in that moment after the ball hits whatever that is up there. Just seeing that I kind of affected me a little bit." Rays manager Kevin Cash made the decision to have lefty Ian Seymour start the game as an opener. With the Marlins struggling against left-handed pitching (.666 OPS going into Friday), Tampa becomes the second team to use this strategy, with the Washington Nationals doing it during the weekend series at home. Unlike the first time when Washington did this, it did not work early on, as Connor Norby took Seymour deep for his fourth home run of the season, making it a 2-1 game. The ball left the bat at 105.1 mph and went 412 feet to left field. After struggling to start the season, Jakob Marsee finally seems to be turning a corner, as he notched his second three-hit game of the season, capped off by a solo homer in the top of the sixth inning. He is now slashing .190/.307/.294/.601 with three home runs, 14 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a 76 wRC+. With the loss, the Marlins drop to a season-worst five games under .500 at 20-25. Sandy Alcantara takes the mound tomorrow for Miami. Last time he pitched inside Tropicana Field, he tossed a complete game during the 2023 season. First pitch is at 4:10 pm. View the full article

Box Score Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Andrew Morris (-.500), Josh Bell (-.340), Luke Keaschall (-.100) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The border battle. The Midwestern rivalry. The matchup of two teams in two separate leagues, whose effect on each other is minimal beyond the outcomes of the few games they play every year. Whatever description you favor. We here at Twins Daily don’t judge. Joe Ryan started for the Twins. The eccentric righty shook off his elbow problems from two starts ago to put forth a Joe Ryan-y outing in Cleveland, working around the typically plucky Guardians for one earned run spread across six innings. Friday should be more of the same. A pitcher named Coleman Crow started for the Brewers. Though his name is more in line with a 90’s singer-songwriter, the righty possesses some spunk; he allowed just two earned runs over 5 ⅓ innings in his previous start. The game started inconspicuously for Minnesota, with Jackson Chourio jumping on a first-pitch fastball—how rude of him—for a double to center. He soon scored on an infield single deflected into the outfield by a diving Brooks Lee. The 25-year-old Crow proved an impressive force for the Twins’ batters. His finesse was overwhelming; soft contact and easy outs abounded, as batter after batter failed to reach base. Minnesota didn’t earn their first base hit until the fifth inning—and even he was quickly erased in an attempt to steal second. But runs did appear, even if the early efforts were meager. James Outman and Austin Martin singled off Crow to start the sixth; the lead-running Outman reached third. That was enough to call Pat Murphy from the dugout to change pitchers. The new hurler, Aaron Ashby, coaxed Brooks Lee into a run-scoring double play to tie the game, a bittersweet outcome for the Twins. Minnesota then took the lead outright in the seventh on an RBI single by Royce Lewis, possibly aided by Kody Clemens distracting the infield into cutting off the throw to home. Then, the drama. No, not the recent Robert Pattinson movie; rather, this drama was confusing and unresolved. With runners on second and third, William Contreras grounded a ball to short. Lee fielded and threw to Royce Lewis, as the runner had hesitated a step, allowing for a possible out. So it was. Lee nabbed the runner. Until the umpires conspired and sent the runner home on an obstruction call, believing that Lewis had blocked the bag with his foot in an unfair manner. Derek Shelton lasted about 10 seconds before being ejected. Was the call correct? That’s your call. Milwaukee added on with an RBI double by Jake Bauers to take the lead. The sudden change of fate proved deflating for the Twins, who succumbed to Abner Uribe in the eighth before coming up empty against Trevor Megill in the ninth to lose the game. Notes: Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Brewers play again on Saturday at 6:10 PM, with Logan Henderson set to pitch against Connor Prielipp. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Rojas 0 0 0 0 41 41 Topa 0 0 35 0 0 35 Adams 0 0 29 0 0 29 Morris 0 0 0 0 24 24 Rogers 0 0 0 0 23 23 Garcia 0 0 18 0 0 18 Banda 0 0 0 0 8 8 Gómez 0 0 0 0 7 7 Orze 0 0 0 0 0 0 View the full article