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Transactions: Nashville Sounds released RHP Jacob Waguespack. Wilson Warbirds placed RHP Miqueas Mercedes on the 7-day injured list. Game Action: Nashville Pre-game media notes Nashville and Louisville were postponed on Tuesday and will be replayed as part of a doubleheader on Thursday this week. Biloxi Pre-game media notes Columbus (Braves) 7, Biloxi 4 Box Score As always, you are encouraged to read the official round-up from the team’s site: Miller and O’Rae Tally 3-Hit Nights in Shuckers 7-4 Loss to Clingstones Biloxi dropped a tough one to Columbus on Tuesday night, falling 7-4 for the Shuckers' sixth consecutive loss. The Shuckers had a late lead and some offensive bright spots from Darrien Miller and Dylan O'Rae, but a late charge by Columbus was too much for Biloxi to overcome. Tyson Hardin provided a solid outing striking out six over five innings and allowing just two runs. After falling behind 1-0 in the first Hardin kept his team in the game with his performance, before exiting after the fifth. That’s when the Biloxi offense would finally breakthrough with a two run single from Mike Boeve, courtesy of the Biloxi X account: The Shuckers later took the lead on a Dasan Brown steal attempt and a blooper reel from the Columbus defense: in the top of the 8th, Columbus rallied and took the lead, but in the bottom of the 8th, Darrien Miller tied the score with this blast: Miller collected three hits on the night including that home run. He is currently sporting a massive 1.217 OPS. Columbus responded in the ninth with a three run rally off of Sam Garcia, and then shut the Shuckers down to seal the win. Other notes: Dylan O’Rae continues to be a table-setter, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk. He raised his season average to .311. Top prospect Jesus Made grounded into two double plays and narrowly avoided a third by legging out ground ball fielder’s choice. Made is 6 for 41 (.146 average) since April 24. Tanner Gillis struck out three in two perfect innings of relief after Hardin left the game. The Shuckers were a perfect 5/5 on the base paths. Biloxi will look to snap their losing streak on Wednesday with RHP Jaron DeBerry (2-2, 5.12 ERA) on the hill. Wisconsin pre-game media notes Peoria (Cardinals) 5, Wisconsin 3 Peoria Pounces in Fourth Inning and Pulls Away from Wisconsin Box Score The Timber Rattlers (15-11) fell short against Peoria on Tuesday morning, dropping a 5-3 decision at Dozer Park despite an early lead and some late-inning pressure. Wisconsin jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a solo home run by Josh Adamczewski, his sixth of the season. It was the fifth home run by Adamczewski against Peoria this season, which you can view below, courtesy of the Wisconsin X account: The Chiefs' offense came alive in the middle frames, scoring three in the fourth and adding insurance runs in the fifth and sixth. Starter Chandler Welch (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season, yielding three earned runs over four innings. The Timber Rattlers slithered back with runs in the fifth and seventh inning. The highlights were a Tayden Hall RBI double and a Braylon Payne single with some wonky defense. However, the comeback effort was stifled by a dominant Peoria pitching staff that racked up 16 strikeouts on the day. Josiah Ragsdale, who we highlighted in in a post earlier on Tuesday, went one for three, with a walk, and two stolen bases. We’ll hold our breath as we await word on why Marco Dinges left the game early, as noted by Jim in the minors forum. Looking ahead to Wednesday, LHP Wande Torres (1-1, 5.82 ERA) will look to get the Rattlers back on track. Wilson pre-game media notes Fayetteville (Astros) 6, Wilson 0 Box Score After an exciting homestand last week, the Warbirds offense crashed back to earth on Tuesday in their shutout loss at Fayetteville. The offense managed just two singles by Luis Lameda and Juan Ortuno, while striking out 10 times. Starter Jarrette Bonet allowed season-highs with three homeruns and five earned runs in his 4.1 innings of work. Tanner Perry relieved Bonet and struck out six in 3.2 innings. The only blemish on the ledger for Perry was a solo home run. The Warbirds will look to shake this one off quickly and get back on track Wednesday morning when RHP Carlos Carra (0-5, 11.74 ERA) will take the mound. ACL Dodgers 7, ACL Brewers 3 F/8 Innings Box Score The ACL Dodgers handed the ACL Brewers their first loss of the Complex League season, with a final score of 7–3 on Tuesday night. Starting on the mound for the Brewers’ was 2024 13th round pick Joey Broughton in his professional debut. Broughton had missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John in July of 2024. I dug up this profile on Broughton as well as this rundown on his repertoire for those of you who (like me) may be unfamiliar with the 20 year old lefty. It was a bit of a shaky outing for Broughton (2.1IP 2H 1R 1ER 3BB 2K 2WP), but hopefully smoother sailing ahead now that the debut is out of the way. Offensively, catcher Jonathan Rangel provided the biggest offensive spark for the Brewers, going two for three with a two-run home run in the 7th inning that tied the game. 2B CJ Hughes, an 11th round pick last year, has been off to a hot start in his first two professional games. Hughes didn't record a hit, but he drew two walks, scored a run, and stole his 3rd base of the season. Juan Martinez, one of the standout hitters in the Brewers DSL squads last year, was one base twice and stole a bag as well. Joan Pena put on a dominant display pitching out of the bullpen. Making his stateside debut, he threw 3.1 innings, allowing zero earned runs and striking out six batters. 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

At Twins Daily, we agree with the "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" phrase, but we have been given the OK from both the St. Paul Saints and the Las Vegas Aviators to write about what happens this week at Last Vegas Ballpark this week. And trust me, you're going to want to see what the minor league leading home run-hitting Saints did on Tuesday night. Specifically, check out Aaron Sabato's performance! TRANSACTIONS There was a bunch of movement in the Minnesota Twins farm system in advance of games this week. The St. Paul Saints received OF/1B Hendry Mendez and RHP C.J. Culpepper from the Wichita Wind Surge. They also transferred RHP Grant Hartwig to the Development List and placed OF Walker Jenkins on the 7-day injured list after his crash into the wall at CHS Field over the weekend. RHP Julian Merryweather was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. The Wind Surge received a pitching reinforcement from the Cedar Rapids Kernels in RHP Jacob Wosinski, who had a 2.51 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 19 K’s and 2 BB’s in 14 1/3 innings thus far. Down in the Midwest League, the Kernels were assigned RHP Adam Falinski from the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels to take Wosinski’s place on their pitching staff. On Monday they placed OF Caden Kendle on the 7-day injured list and sent RHP Miguelangel Boadas on a rehab assignment in the FCL. The Mighty Mussels were assigned SS Henry Kusiak, who they just signed from the out of the Atlantic League. He was playing for the Long Island Ducks who are coached by #OldFriend and Twins legend, Lew Ford, before the Twins signed him. He hit .474 with two home runs, two doubles, eight RBI, with two stolen bases and a 1.395 OPS in five games for the Ducks on the season. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 15, Las Vegas 7 Box Score A couple of weird things in this one, as it is an International League team playing a Pacific Coast League one and also coincides with the start of the experiment with the “check-swing challenge” system in the PCL. In addition, about 20 minutes before first pitch, outfielder and leadoff man Kyler Fedko was replaced in the lineup by Kaelen Culpepper as the DH, and Alex Jackson took his spot in left field on defense. Could mean something, could mean nothing. All that said, Aaron Sabato, my friends. That’s it, that’s the summary. I kid. But really, when your first four at-bats in a game have you sitting at 4-for-4 with four runs scored, a double, three home runs, seven RBI, and you have only seen five total pitches, it might as well end there. In the top of the second Sabato got it started for the Saints with a bases clearing double on the first pitch that made it 3-2. Later in the inning Kaelen Culpepper lined a double the other way to bring in Sabato for the 4-2 lead. In the top of the fourth Sabato crushed a first pitch slider 440 feet to left center to lead off the inning. His next time up he took a first-pitch slider for a strike but clubbed the next one that caught more of the plate out to left for his second homer of the night to tie the game at six. After a Ben Ross double in the fourth, Sabato green lit himself again and took the first pitch over the fence in left for his third bomb of the night. The entire Saints lineup then started catching the vibe. Culpepper led off the eight with his seventh home run of the year. Two batters later Gabriel Gonzalez launched a 434-foot shot for his eighth of the season. Two batters after that Alex Jackson launched his fifth homer of 2026. Sabato did go down swinging to end the eighth (with some healthy cuts), but you don’t forget those first five pitches. I guess there was some pitching in the game as well. Ryan Gallagher made his second start with St. Paul and finished the first 4 1/3 innings. He was charged with four runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks. He struck out one. Lefty Kendry Rojas went the next 2 2/3 frames, allowing two earned runs of his own on four hits and a walk while striking out two. Trent Baker finished off the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out two. Four other hitters in the Saints lineup finished with multiple knocks (Culpepper, Gonzalez, Orlando Arcia, and Ben Ross) as they racked up 15 as a team. They were 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left only four men on base. As for Sabato, I’ll leave you with this stat: he started the game with a .754 OPS on the season. He finished it with a mark of 1.018. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 9, Amarillo 4 Box Score The Wind Surge struck first and loudly in the second inning against the Sod Poodles on the road. Appropriate for the team leading the Texas League in home runs early in the season. Kala’i Rosario led off the frame with his sixth home run of the season for the 1-0 lead. After a pair of walks and a wild pitch, Jose Salas made it 2-0 with a sac fly. Ricardo Olivar blasted his eighth home in the top of the third to put Wichita up 3-0. Making the start for the Wind Surge was right-hander Sam Armstrong and he delivered a hitless first four innings. He walked only two hitters and struck out three. He threw 58 pitches in those four innings, with 33 going for strikes (57%). Ricky Castro was the first call to the bullpen, and Amarillo finally got their first hits of the game. Castro finished two innings but was charged with two earned runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out two. In the top of the seventh the Wind Surge used some more power to take control of the game. Salas led off with a double, stole third base, and scored on a sac fly from Jake Rucker to make it 4-2. Garrett Spain followed with a triple, then Kyle DeBarge clubbed his third home run of the season to make it 6-2. Jaylen Nowlin picked up his first win of the season by pitching the seventh inning. He allowed one run on one hit and a walk and struck out one. William Fleming (1 IP, H, ER, BB, K) and Sam Ryan 1 IP, K) finished off the final two innings. Wichita tacked on three more in the top of the ninth to make the final score. Sapin got it started with a double, DeBarge drew a walk, and Olivar hit his second homer of the game to make it 9-4. Check out the tear Olivar is on: The Wind Surge got multiple hits from Spain and Olivar, and DeBarge joined them by scoring two runs apiece as the top 3 hitters of the lineup. Andrew Cossetti (0-for-2, 3 BB, 2 K) and Billy Amick (0-for-3, R, 2 BB) reached base multiple times without a hit. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 2 (10 innings) Box Score The Kernels and River Bandits went to extra innings after most of the game played out as a classic pitcher’s duel. Eli Jones made the start for Cedar Rapids and was solid through the first four innings. He had scattered five hits over those scoreless frames, but a pair of singles in the fifth finally put an end to his outing, and he was on the hook for both runners. An RBI single and wild pitch from reliever Nick Trabacchi led to those runs being charged to Jones. In total, he finished 4 2/3 innings and those two earned runs on seven hits, while striking out four. Cedar Rapids got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third inning when Brandon Winokur delivered a two-out RBI single for a 1-0 lead at the time. In the top of the fifth singles from Winokur and Khadim Diaw and a wild pitch gave them their second run of the game. The score would stay tied at two through the ninth, as Trabacchi (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K), Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2 IP, H, BB, 4 K) kept any further River Bandits shenanigans from occurring. The Kernels had a shot to retake the lead in the sixth after a one-out triple from Jay Thomason, but he would end up being thrown out at home on a double-steal attempt. In the top of the 10th the Manfred Man for the Kernels was Marek Houston, and with one out it was Winokur again who delivered another single to drive in Houston for a 3-2 lead. In the bottom-half Quad Cities moved the ghost-runner up to third with a sac bunt but were unable to move him any further as Christian Becerra retired the final two hitters after an intentional walk. Winokur (3-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB) and Thomason (2-for-4, 3B, K) had multiple hits to pace the offense. Eduardo Tait added his sixth double of the season. Both teams combined to go 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position and left 19 men on base for the game. The win was the Kernels seventh in a row and improves their record to 15-13 on the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 9, Fort Myers 8 Box Score The Tarpons jumped all over Mighty Mussels starting pitcher Eric Hammond in the first, with a leadoff double being followed by an RBI triple for a 1-0 lead before an out was recorded. A wild pitch later in the inning made it 2-0, then in the second errors around a pair of singles and a walk led to three more runs and a 5-0 Tampa lead. Fort Myers got two of those runs back in the bottom of the second thanks to the powerful bat of Quentin Young, who launched a two-run shot the opposite way for his second home run of the season. Hammond went on to finish 3 2/3 innings, being charged with six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks, while striking out three. Brian Zeldin went the next 2 1/3 innings and reeled in the Tarpons, striking out five and allowing his only baserunner on a hit-by-pitch. Down 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Jayson Bass and Harry Genth drew walks to start the inning, executed a double-steal, and then both scored on a wild pitch when the catcher's throw back toward home also went for an error. Tampa was able to pull away again in the top of the seventh against Mussels right-hander Mitch Mueller. In his lone inning he gave up three runs on three hits and a walk to make it 9-4 Tarpons. They needed all those runs as Fort Myers nearly batted around in the bottom half. Genth, Dameury Pena, and Bruin Agbayani loaded the bases with walks. Yasser Mercedes then shot a laser-beam of a single into left field to score the first run of the inning. Ramiro Dominguez followed with an RBI groundout in front of a JP Smith 2-run single to close the lead to one. Michael Hilker delivered two scoreless innings to give the Mighty Mussels chances. He struck out two and walked one. Mercedes delivered a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth to get the tying run in scoring position, but Dominguez grounded out to end the comeback attempt. Mercedes went 3-for-4 with a run scored, double, RBI, walk, and two stolen bases. His three hits matched the total of the rest of his team, but they did draw eight total walks and stole five bases in the game. Unfortunately, their four errors as a defense also loomed large. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Pirates 11, FCL Twins 2 (7 innings) Box Score Twins hitters were unable to find many hits on Monday, being held to just three on the day as a team. Two of those came from Yovanny Duran, who finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and stolen base. Miguel Caraballo added his first double of the season to account for all of them. Santiago Rojas made the start and pitched into the third inning. He was charged with one earned run on one hit and three walks, while striking out three. Hendry Chivilli was the first reliever summoned after two batters reached base in the third, and retired all five hitters he faced, including inducing a double-play ball. Miguelangel Boadas made his first rehab appearance and finished two innings. He allowed four runs (two earned) on two hits and four walks. He struck out two. Omar Montano gave up six earned runs in his lone inning on five hits and three walks. He struck out one. Tuesday: FCL Twins 4, FCL Pirates 8 Box Score Right-hander Julian Merryweather made his first rehab appearance with the FCL Twins by starting this one. He allowed single runs in both the first and second innings and finished 1 2/3 innings total. He gave up three hits and struck out three. Cristian Hernandez took the brunt of the Pirates' damage in the game, allowing six earned runs on four hits and three walks in his 1 2/3 innings, striking out two. Relievers Nick McAuliffe (1 2/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K), Yoel Roque (2 IP, H, BB, 2 K), and Rainer Marin (1 IP) kept the Pirates off the scoreboard over the final 4 2/3. The Twins scored their first runs of the game in the top of the third, tying it two briefly. Miguel Caraballo hit his first home run which also drove in Victor Leal, who had singled earlier. They added one in the fifth on a bases loaded sac fly from Telon Serrano, and their final run in the seventh thanks to a homer from Daiber De Los Santos. He led the way for the lineup by finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Sam Armstrong, Wichita Wind Surge (4 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K) Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar, Wichita Wind Surge (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR (9), 4 RBI, BB, K) Aaron Sabato, St. Paul Saints (4-for-5, 4 R, 2B, 3 HR (5), 7 RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2B, HR (7), 2 RBI, BB #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, 2B #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 2-for-6, R, HR (8), 2 RBI, K #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul): 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB. 2 K, 53 pitches, 34 strikes (64.2%) #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, R, K #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, R, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 K #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 1-for-4, 2 R, HR (3), 2 RBI, BB #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Las Vegas (9:05 PM CDT) - RHP Mike Paredes (1-1, 4.76 ERA) Wichita @ Amarillo (11:05AM CDT) - RHP Ty Langenberg (0-2, 4.08 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CDT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP Matthew Dalquist (0-1, 5.40 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Box Score SP: Taj Bradley 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (96 pitches, 63 strikes (66%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (11) Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Brooks Lee (0.27), Bradley (0.12), Trevor Larnach (0.11) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) The Twins traveled to the nation's capital for a showdown with the team who lives in their old place. Minnesota received good news regarding Joe Ryan's injury, and hoped that this positive momentum could carry into a very winnable series. Fireballer Taj Bradley took the hill for the visiting Twins, while young righty Cade Cavalli looked to match Bradley's heat pitch for pitch. Catching Up to the Heat Both young hurlers lived in the upper 90s throughout the first few innings of the game, but both offenses found a way to break through when they went offspeed. The Nationals struck first in the bottom of the first inning, when Curtis Mead sent a Bradley splitter to the left field wall for a double that placed runners at second and third with only one out. CJ Abrams couldn't handle a Bradley fastball, but his weak dribbler towards Luke Keaschall was too slow to let the drawn-in infielder make a successful throw home to nab the speedy Daylen Lile to put the Nationals up 1-0. The Twins quickly handed Cavalli two outs in the top of the second, but Cavilli got wild and hit Kody Clemens, and Keaschall got his dribbler revenge on a soft roller to third to put runners at first and second. Brooks Lee came up next, and he turned around 97.6 mph in a lead-taking fashion. The Twins weren't done there, as Cavilli ran into trouble toward the bottom of the lineup once again in the top of the fourth. Austin Martin got the start instead of Matt Wallner, and he rewarded his manager's trust with a leadoff single. Clemens solicited a walk, and Keaschall legitimately worked a 10-pitch walk to load the bases with nobody out. Lee came up again in an RBI spot, and this time his contact only traveled 40 feet, but Cavilli booted the ball into foul territory to plate Martin and to keep the bases loaded with nobody out. Royce Lewis, number one pick but number nine in the order, hit one just short of the right field fence for a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1 Twins. Byron Buxton popped straight up to home plate, leaving Trevor Larnach in a position to pile on more runs in preparation for the Twins' bullpen coming in. Trevor fell behind 0-2 on two straight knuckle curves. Cavalli tried one more, though, and Larnach un-knuckled it to the right field gap to up the lead to 6-1. Bradley Gets Back on Track The off day on which the team traveled from Minneapolis to Washington looked to be extremely important, as Bradley needed 51 pitches just to survive the first two innings. However, he managed to rediscover the strike zone, and coerced the Nationals into making outs early in the count. Bradley mowed down eight batters in a row until Lile laced a two-out double in the fifth. Then it was Mead striking again, surviving fastballs, splitters, and cutters until he finally could poke a splitter into left field to creep a run closer, at 6-2. Bradley's night was done after six innings, but he left his team in a great position for victory—as Twins starters have been doing for weeks. Bloops and Bullpens The Nationals turned to righty Andre Granillo to start the top of the seventh, and Ryan Jeffers hit a pop fly to the right-center gap. Both fielders converged, but the ball found grass and rolled away for a gift double. Josh Bell immediately made the Nationals pay by stroking a single into right to plate Jeffers and widen the lead to 7-2 Twins. Before Twins fans could get too excited, the Twins turned to their own bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, and Eric Orze immediately gave up a booming double to Jose Tena. Two batters later, James Wood missed a home run by inches, and his double instead plated Tena to close the gap to 7-3. As fears began to mount, Jeffers rightly challenged what would have been a walk to Mead to put two men on. Then Orze, the Twins bullpen's most consistent workhorse in thick or thin, took that second chance to induce a grounder to himself to end the threat. The Twins' bats also could feel the threat looming, and they took the game back, thanks to the fact that the Nationals bullpen hasn't been much better in this young season. Granillo stayed in for the top of the eighth, and he started the inning by giving up a single to a red-hot Lee, plunking Lewis in the shoulder, then getting hit by a speeding Buck Truck. As the sparse crowd tried to chant "Throw it Back!" while heading for the exits, Buxton rounded the bases for his 11th home run of the season. Anthony Banda is still in the Twins bullpen, and in the eigth inning, he showed why that is by retiring the Nats in order (albeit on 19 pitches). Lee got another RBI on a double in the ninth, thanks to some Orlando Ribalta walks. In the bottom of the ninth, Luis Garcia got the next turn of the May 2 Implosion Redemption Tour, and surrendered a walk but wiped it away with a double play to face the minimum and to end the evening with only smiles. What’s Next? The Twins look to continue their winning ways in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening. Twins righty Bailey Ober (3-1, 3.55 ERA) will attempt to continue to eat six innings of quality mound time in hopes the offense keeps on attacking. The Nationals will counter with the floundering righty Miles Mikolas (0-3, 8.23 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 5:45 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon! Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Orze 33 0 24 0 16 73 Morris 0 0 57 0 0 57 Rogers 8 0 32 0 0 40 Garcia 9 18 0 0 13 40 Banda 0 18 0 0 19 37 Topa 0 10 17 0 0 27 Funderburk 0 14 3 0 0 17 Klein 0 12 0 0 0 12 View the full article

MIAMI, FL - Despite the visiting Baltimore Orioles taking an early 3-0 in the top of the first, the Miami Marlins continued to fight back, but fell by a final score of 9-7, dropping to 16-20 on the season. Sandy Alcantara, who made his eighth start of the season, struggled on Tuesday night, going 4 1/3 innings, allowing a season-high seven runs on eight hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Tuesday's start raised Alcantara's overall numbers to a 4.01 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 6.27 K/9 and 3.14 BB/9 in eight starts this season. Not known for allowing a lot of hard-hit balls, Alcantara allowed nine of them, with three of them coming off both of his fastballs (sinker/four-seam). The 47.1% ground ball rate, which for Alcantara, who has a career 49.6% GB rate, was low. In the top of the first inning, the Orioles wasted no time ambushing the Marlins ace, knocking in three runs. The first came on a Pete Alonso two-run RBI double (moved to third on an error). Catcher Samuel Basallo drove Alonso in, capping off a 34-pitch inning for Alcantara. Basallo knocked in two more runs on an RBI single in the top of the third. In the fifth, Basallo hit an RBI triple, making it 6-4. Basallo scored on a fielders choice from Colton Cowser, making it 7-4. In Alcantara's defense, there was some luck involved, as he had a 2.91 FIP in his start. One positive is that his changeup was as dominant as always, generating eight whiffs and four of his five strikeouts came on that pitch. "I think that first inning, the (Dylan) Beavers at-bat just got really elongated," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "Pitch count ran up, Pete (Alonso) hooks the ball down the line for a couple of runs and we have a little trouble handling down there. Get another guy to third base and just some times today where he had some counts in his favor, he just didn't execute well enough with 2k." The Marlins offense was highlighted by Liam Hicks, who finished with a four-hit performance, capped off by a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning, making it a 7-5. His 431-foot shot to the second deck in right field marked his longest home run of the season. Otto Lopez made it back-to-back home runs, cutting the Orioles lead, 7-6. It was his fourth of the season. Joe Mack, who made his major league debut on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, caught Alcantara, but the story was his bat, notching his first major league hit, which was an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning. In the bottom of the eighth inning, he had his second hit of the game. "He's a young catcher with good talent," Alcantara said. "Everybody he been waiting for him for a long time. Now, he's finally here, so you gotta keep working the same way that he was working in Triple-A. Just gotta be out there, enjoy time with us and take advantage of all the opportunities." After Mack got on base, McCullough sent out speedster Esteury Ruiz to pinch-run for Mack. The former stole second, then stole third, but a bad throw from Basallo allowed Ruiz to score and tie the game. So far, Ruiz is slashing .267/.267/.733/1.000 with two home runs and three stolen bases. "I hope this guy leads the league in pinch-running stolen base attempts," McCullough said. "Whoever we had up that inning, first guy to get on base like, we had Ruiz going there. We're down, and certainly felt like his ability to do that and go take a chance to go steal a base there and then he caused them to rush a little bit and was able to tie it up with some aggressive base running. We'll continue to try to find as many ways we can use Ruiz to impact games even when he's not starting." Right-handed reliever Willian Kempner was called-up ahead of Tuesday's game to replace the roster spot that Chris Paddack once held before being designated for assignment. In his major league debut, Kempner tossed a 1-2-3 inning, striking out Colton Cowser. "I think it went well," Kempner said. "I think the best part is that I felt really good out there. I felt like I was just being myself, and that's all I can ask for at this point in my career. I have this promise to myself that I need to be that guy out there that just doesn't care what people think. I did that today and I'm very happy for myself." The Marlins will look to bounce back on Wednesday night with Eury Pérez taking the mound. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View the full article

While Hendry Mendez doesn't generate the same buzz as other Twins outfield prospects, his talent is undeniable, and it's gotten to a point where he feels criminally underrated. View the full article

Always looking for more-more-more MLB-ready relievers, the Mets and teams like them stock up on bullpenners with MLB histories at AAA. Something happened — an injury or a performative downturn — that has kept them from getting MLB deals, but if you stockpile enough, and do it thoughtfully, you are going to find a few guys to help you. The problem is, that the guys who rebound from whatever adversity want to be treated like MLB players, and the ones who don't fall away. Either way, attrition abounds. Transactions, 5/3/2026 GOING Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse Relief Pitchers Carl Edwards, Jr. R/R DoB: 33484 High Level: MLB (2026) Carl Edwards, Jr. pitched two and two-thirds (more) impressive innings on April 29 in an otherwise largely ugly game, stretching himself to keep the Mets from deploying any other pitchers. The very next day the Mets decided they needed fresh arms for the next game more than they needed Carl to stick around and potentially build on his excellent performance to date. Well, they added Austin Warren, who himself has been no slouch despite getting yo-yo-ed between AAA and Flushing, but Warren was not needed, and Edwards DFA was a waste. He cleared waivers, and was sent to Syracuse, but he — quite justifiably — opted for free agency instead, hoping some team will see in his 12 solid big-league seasons and excellent work for the Mets this year that he is still a big-leaguer who deserves to stop getting pink-slipped in exchange for good work. Transactions, 5/5/2026 GOING Retired Relief Pitchers Nick Burdi R/R DoB: 33988 High Level: MLB (2025) Nick Burdi knows a thing or two about being yo-yo-ed. He has been up and down since 2018, back when First Lady Melania Trump was visiting a child detention center while declaring "I DON'T REALLY CARE DO U?" on her back. In all that time, good Nick never logged more than 9 2/3 innings. Bone bruises, UCL surgery, thoracic outlet surgery, the lost season of the Covid-19 epidemic, platelet-rich injections, a second UCL surgery, hip inflammation, more platelet-rich injections, more stuff with his hip ... Nick has seemingly seen it all. What he never got to see was life as a New York Met. Off to a strong start in Syracuse (one run in 4 1/3 innings), he hit the Injured List yet again, and ultimately decided to pack it in. It's tough waiting for a break, when your patience is only giving life one more chance to punch you in the face. His younger brother Zack pitched in parts of three MLB seasons as well, while his older brother Drew was an NCAA quarteback, which leaves them plenty of stories to tell around the Thanksgiving table. Fair play to our lost relievers. May they remember their ephemeral Metliness fondly. Next up, we get to see if Eric Wagaman gets claimed ... . Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Christian Scott R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Craig Kimbrel Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/R DoB: 32291 R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Vidal Brujan Andy Ibáñez MJ Melendez R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Brett Baty Carson Benge Austin Slater Juan Soto Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 R/R DoB: 33951 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 R/R DoB: 34356 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Kodai Senga Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 On 60-Day Injured List with torn right UCL. On 15-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Inflammation With Syracuse With Syracuse On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery. With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib. Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 With Syracuse on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Strained Left Calf On 10-Day Injured List with fractured right thumb. Infielders Outfielders Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Jared Young S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 On 10-Day Injured List with right wrist contusion. With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Disc Hernitaion On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus. Deslgnated for Assignment Eric Wagaman R/R DoB: 35656 DFA'd, 2026-05-02. Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coordinator Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitching Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Practice Pitcher Equipment Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Reconditioning Coordinator Reconditioning Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB:1972-07-17 DoB:1978-??-?? DoB:Circa 1980 DoB:1988-06-23 DoB:1996-??-?? DoB:1987-??-?? DoB:1991-??-?? DoB:????-??-?? DoB:22846 View the full article

Yuki Matsui is finally back with the San Diego Padres. But Jake Cronenworth is out for a brief period. Matsui, the left-handed reliever, who has been out since spring training with a strained left groin, was activated off the 15-day injured list Tuesday, while Cronenworth, the starting second baseman, went on the seven-day concussion list. Left-handed reliever Kyle Hart was optioned to Triple-A El Paso and infielder Sung-Mun Song was called up. Cronenworth's concussion is the most surprising of these moves. He did not appear to be injured in Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants. Matsui had seemed close to being ready for Opening Day during spring training, but he did not appear in a Cactus League game. So he began the season on the 15-day injured list and began a rehab assignment with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas a week later. At El Paso, Matsui made 11 appearances, allowing seven runs on 17 hits with three walks and 14 strikeouts in 17⅔ innings. In two of his final three games, he went two innings. In his two years in MLB, Matsui has a 3.86 ERA in 125 appearances, with an 11.3% walk rate and 24.6% strikeout rate. Song was called up as the extra player for the two-game Mexico City Series two weekends ago, but made only one pinch-running appearance. He was still recovering from an oblique injury at the start of the season and, once healthy, there wasn't room for him on the major-league roster, so he was optioned to El Paso. Now, he will fill in for Cronenworth at second base and make a case for him to remain on the roster. In 25 games at El Paso, Song had a .293/.364/.354 with one homer and 15 RBIs. His homer came in Sunday's game for the Chihuahuas. Hart had a 5.40 ERA in 12 appearances, walking six and striking out 10 in 16⅔ innings. View the full article

When the Chicago Cubs signed Alex Bregman this winter, much of the narrative centered around his intangibles. Teams that employ Bregman simply win baseball games. While we may never know the extent to which this effect permeates through the clubhouse, it's hard to argue with the results. As the Cubs have ascended in the standings, though, Bregman's name is one we've heard little about. That brings us to the concrete. From a more tangible standpoint, the book on Bregman was that he'd provide value based firstly on his approach. He doesn't walk a ton, but he doesn't strike out, either. He works a keen eye to hit himself on base, more so than to generate a free pass, with modest power in the offing. Through a touch more than 150 plate appearances, that's exactly what the Cubs have seen. Bregman has struck out just 15.4 percent of the time, which is better than every Cub regular not named Nico Hoerner (even if it is just a touch above his career average of 13.5%). He's walked at a steady 11.5% clip, too. The approach element of his game has remained intact, as Bregman's chase rate (18.2%) is elite and each of the whiff (17.5%) and strikeout rates are just a hair less than that. His 4.01 pitches per plate appearance sits comfortably above league average (3.90) and trails only Dansby Swanson's 4.21 P/PA for the top spot in the group. Yet, one (ok, at least this writer) can't help but feel a sense of disappointment surrounding Bregman's performance in the early going. Perhaps that's something to do with the fact that he's still a below-average hitter by wRC+ (97) and has yet to demonstrate any semblance of power (.110 ISO). There's a touch of misfortune reflected in a .273 batting average on balls in play, but it otherwise feels like there's far more impact to be unlocked from the team's marquee signing of the offseason. A bit of extra elevation may be the key. We already know that Wrigley Field is not a friendly environment for a right-handed hitter looking for power. But Bregman isn't looking for power in the traditional sense. He's looking for the gaps. However, it's hard to find the gaps when you're putting the ball on the ground more than 45 percent of the time, as Bregman has through his 156 plate appearances. Some of that is due less to the zone in which Bregman's swinging, and more to the types of pitches at which he's swinging. For the last four seasons, offspeed pitches yielded Bregman's highest ground-ball rates. That number has grown even higher this season, with a GB% of 64.3 against that pitch grouping. He's also swinging at offspeed stuff 45.5 percent of the time. Not only has he gone for an increase in volume of swings against the offspeed offerings, but he's also swinging less against each of the fastball and breaking pitch groups. There may also be a slight zone issue at play. This is Bregman's zone chart in 2026, illustrating Swing%: It's a decent enough distribution around various portions of the zone, but there's certainly a focus on the inner portion of it. Which becomes problematic when you consider where the groundballs are coming from: There's an easy conclusion to be drawn here: a higher volume of swings in a certain zone is going to beget a higher volume of groundballs. But one doesn't have to lead to the other. When you factor in the number of offspeed pitches at which Bregman is swinging versus his history of outcomes against that pitch type (and get to the fact that he's pulling ground balls at a rate that is currently a career high (24.8%)), it starts to feel like there's something in the approach that's pinning him down. Simply put, he's not in a groove and on time, just yet. While Bregman may very well be offering what the Cubs were hoping to get in the broad scheme of things, there's another level to be attained, and they need to see him attain it. Bregman isn't here to drive the offense from strictly a power standpoint, but eventually, they need him to deliver a bit more power. Once he reaches that point, whether by this adjustment or another, the Cubs will get closer to seeing a fully-realized version of Alex Bregman in their lineup. View the full article

In a perfect world, the Brewers would suddenly start asking DL Hall to do an easier version of his job, and he would simply do it. Hall, 27, is in his third season with the Brewers, and he's enjoying the longest uninterrupted period of health and availability he's had during that span. Injury disruptions slowly took him out of the team's starting rotation plans, and he's become a versatile piece of their bullpen picture this spring. The Brewers have asked him to do everything from bridging gaps between short starts and the high-leverage arms in close midgame situations to sponging up innings in blowouts, and ultimately, he's succeeded in that work. He's even been used for one-batter matchup work a time or two. Now, all the team needs is for him to get three outs at a time, in the seventh or eighth inning. What Hall hasn't yet done, though, is consistently throw strikes with enough of his offerings to be reliable in that role. That was unfortunate when he was working as a roving long man, but now, it's starting to look more like a fatal flaw. Fellow left-handed reliever Ángel Zerpa will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, the Brewers announced Tuesday, making him the second southpaw reliever facing elbow woes. Jared Koenig is trying to rehab his own damaged ulnar collateral ligament, but it's not clear that he'll be back with the team this season, either. The Brewers don't need Hall just to keep them in games and lighten the load of other, better relievers anymore; they need him to be a sturdy setup man. Alternatively, of course, Shane Drohan could step up and claim the same mantle. Drohan, also 27, arrived this offseason in a way similar to the one in which Hall arrived before 2024, and might have a smoother path to a rotation spot—but so far, he's been needed mostly in relief. The two have sufficiently similar arsenals to make either a candidate to complement Aaron Ashby at the back end of the Brewers pen, but each also has the same issue: finding the zone. Hall's sinker and changeup can fill up the zone tolerably well, but his four-seamer, slider and cutter now seem entirely beyond his command. He's not around the zone with his sweeper, either, though he can at least induce some chases from lefties with it when he sets them up for that pitch with well-located sinkers. Drohan, by contrast, throws a four-seamer as his primary fastball, and his changeup is one of the pitches he simply can't command at a big-league level. But he can find the zone with his cutter and slider consistently enough to get by, if he can just pare down to those two pitches and the four-seamer. Right now, the Brewers should be asking both Hall (sinker, changeup, sweeper) and Drohan (fastball, cutter, slider) to streamline their arsenals and prepare for a shorter-burst, standard-issue high-leverage relief role. One of the two is likely to take well to it; the other can be reassigned to the longish, flexible role each has filled at times this year. One way or another, the team needs to replace the work it won't get from Zerpa the rest of the year, and it's not likely that either Koenig or the also-injured Rob Zastryzny is up to the task. Hall and Drohan have the stuff to be above-average one-inning relievers in the big leagues, especially if deployed against left-leaning pockets of opposing lineups. They haven't yet shown they can throw enough strikes to thrive, but that's partially because each has been developed and has prepared each day with one eye on an eventual return to the rotation or the knowledge that they might see a batter a second time or throw 50 pitches on a given day. In this hour of need, the team should see which of them can improve by getting rid of the extra arrows in their quiver and firing the ones with which they can hit the target most consistently. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — The Miami Marlins designated starting pitcher Chris Paddack for assignment on Tuesday following a short and difficult tenure with the club. In seven appearances (six starts), Paddack had an 0–5 record and an ERA above seven. In a corresponding move, Miami recalled right-handed pitcher William Kempner, who is now in line to make his MLB debut during this series against the Baltimore Orioles. Kempner was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in January 2025 in exchange for international bonus pool money. This season with Triple-A Jacksonville, he has posted a 6.46 ERA and a 4.15 FIP, along with an eye-popping 19.96 K/9. His 47.9 percent strikeout rate ranks second in the International League. However, control issues have prevented him from reaching his full potential, as Kempner acknowledged when speaking with reporters. “I get a little erratic sometimes, but I’m working on it. If I can get the strikeouts with the walks, then we’re going to be okay,” Kempner said. In his most recent appearance on May 1, Kempner threw two innings of no-hit baseball with two strikeouts and touched 96.0 mph on his fastball. It was only the third time in 12 games this season that he didn't allow any baserunners. Kempner also shared that he was pranked by his coaches when they shared the news of his promotion to the big leagues. “I was on the phone with my pitching coach [Jerad Eickhoff]. I missed his call, and then I called him back, and he told me to come in and throw a bullpen tomorrow. Then he said he was just messing with me and that I was going to the big leagues. There’s no one I’d rather get that call from than him and our manager, (David Carpenter). Two amazing dudes.” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough spoke highly of Kempner’s arsenal. “I think it’s going to be a tough look for hitters. It’s a big fastball with movement both ways, and he has a very good breaking ball. We know he has the ability to miss bats. He’s shown that in Triple-A. Ultimately, his ability to fill up the strike zone consistently is going to determine how well he performs here.” McCullough confirmed that the Marlins will be calling up a starting pitcher on Friday (most likely Robby Snelling) to fill Paddack's rotation spot. Barring a sudden injury to somebody on the pitching staff, Kempner is the main candidate to go back down to AAA at that time. Between now and then, Kempner looks to fill a role in the bullpen, specifically against right-handed batters. I am optimistic about Kempner as his arsenal has lots of potential, with just walks hindering him. View the full article

With the dawn of each new baseball season comes expectations for how players will perform. Those expectations could be shaped by what they've done in previous seasons or how their raw talents are projected to translate to on-field production. In the early going, randomness runs rampant. Former All-Star Cedric Mullins has an OPS 300 points below his career average and he ranks dead last among all qualified MLB hitters. Veteran right-hander Luis Castillo, who hasn't posted an ERA above 4.00 since 2018, is tied for the most runs allowed in the American League. However, the length of the MLB schedule is immense and regression is inevitable. The impetus for this piece is actually a Marlin: second-year outfielder Jakob Marsee. For a team so long deprived of premium, homegrown talent, the addition of Marsee was a welcome sight to the Marlins and their future. In his 55-game debut in 2025, Marsee slashed .292/.363/.478/.842, all while playing a premium defensive position in center field, where he was worth five total zone runs. The beginning of his 2026 has paled in comparison to his previous year's work. Through 34 games played, Marsee has hit a mere .185/.305/.262/.567 for a paltry 66 wRC+. While the Marlins have shown a willingness to demote (and outright cut) other underachievers this season, Marsee's job doesn't appear to be in any jeopardy as his process should portend better results. Despite his sub-Mendoza line batting average, Marsee is walking in 13.5 percent of his plate appearances. Through play on May 2, only 31 of the qualified 179 hitters are walking at that clip, and only two are hitting below .200. In 2025, merely nine players walked north of 14 percent of the time, a list that included Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani—not to say that Marsee will ascend to those heights, but enough to tell you that his ability to work counts will eventually pay dividends. The 24-year-old has raised his average launch angle from 10.9 to 18.9 degrees, the same as the Dodgers' Will Smith and just below Cody Bellinger (19.1) and Yordan Alvarez (19.2). Marsee's teammate, Xavier Edwards, himself off to a strong start, for context, has an average launch angle this season of 10.8 degrees, reinforcing that a steeper angle correlates to more power potential. Should Marsee sustain this, we could see him knock a few more balls out of the yard in due time. For the time being, the Marlins have taken a small step to lighten Marsee's responsibility within their offense. On Tuesday, he was dropped to the fifth spot in the starting lineup for the first time in 2026. To be consistent, we ought to similarity call out unsustainable success when we see it. Reliever John King is the poster child for that. Inking a 1-year/$1.5M deal, King had proved himself a serviceable middle reliever, sporting a 3.80 ERA in parts of six seasons pitched with Texas and St. Louis to secure a one-year, $1.5 million deal from Miami in free agency. In 17 games since joining the club, King has arguably been the Marlins best pitcher on a per-inning basis, posting a minuscule 0.57 ERA and allowing just a trio of hits across 15 ⅔ innings pitched. King entered Tuesday with a 2.36 xERA, good enough for a 93rd percentile ranking among MLB pitchers. Hitters are seldom squaring him up as reflected in a mere 25.7% hard-hit rate (96th percentile) and a .167 xBA (also 96th). Kevin Barral spoke with King recently about how unpredictability in pitch usage has been vital to his success. However, let's not ignore that King's 3.52 FIP and 3.87 xFIP are closely aligned with his pre-Marlins track record. Scouting reports will catch up to how he has de-emphasized his sinker this season. He's a capable arm in a big league bullpen, not the utterly dominant force he's been to this point. Even if he is what the underlying metrics say he is, Peter Bendix and Co. got a bargain of a deal. View the full article

Speaking to reporters before Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider revealed that José Berríos is going for an MRI on his pitching elbow. The right-hander has been on the injured list all season with a stress fracture. Although he claimed to feel fully healthy entering the spring, Berríos was shut down after testing revealed the fracture in his elbow. He started a rehab assignment in mid-April. In four minor league outings, he has given up 17 runs in 14.1 innings, struggling with control and failing to miss bats. His velocity was noticeably down in his latest appearance. Presumably, the team will have more information to offer tomorrow. While we can only speculate what this means for Berríos until we learn the results of his MRI, it seems likely that the Jays will need Eric Lauer for at least one more turn through the rotation. View the full article

Joe Ryan's MRI Sunday came back clean, a Twins source confirmed to Twins Daily Tuesday. As first reported by Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Ryan played catch Tuesday and will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, after which the team will evaluate when he might make his next start. Ryan left his last start Sunday after just two batters faced, with what the team called "elbow soreness". His scan revealed no damage to his UCL, but until he gets back onto a mound and pitches pain-free, the next steps in getting him back into the starting rotation will not become clear. Wednesday is the last day on which the team can make an injured list stint retroactive to Sunday, so the bullpen session will be important. If it goes well (and Ryan recovers from it well), the team might choose to skate by without placing him on the injured list. If, however, there's any lingering discomfort, a stint on the IL is likely. View the full article

It is Stephen Kolek's turn to see what he can do in the Kansas City Royals' rotation. The right-handed starter was activated from the 15-day injured list following an oblique injury and will start Tuesday's home game against the Cleveland Guardians. Right-handed reliever Mason Black was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. The Royals' rotation has had trouble with consistency this season, just one of the reasons the team sits at 16-19. Kolek, acquired from the San Diego Padres at last year's trade deadline in the Freddy Fermin deal, was impressive in five starts for the Royals in 2025. In 33 innings, he had a 4% walk and 16.8% strikeout rate with a .168 opponent batting average. Kolek had a 2.76 ERA in four rehab appearances with Omaha. Black didn't allow a run in his four relief appearances, walking two and striking out five in 4⅔ innings. View the full article

Angel Zerpa won't be pitching again for the Milwaukee Brewers until 2027. The left-handed reliever will undergo UCL surgery on his left elbow next week. The recovery time will depend on whether Zerpa has the internal brace procedure or full-blown Tommy John surgery. The internal brace provides a shorter recovery time as opposed to Tommy John surgery, which is a 12- to 15-month recovery. Zerpa was a big offseason acquisition, coming over in a trade from the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears. Zerpa showed out in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela, pitching 5⅓ scoreless innings over six appearances, allowing three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. That performance raised expectations going into his first season with the Brewers as another potential late-inning weapon. Zerpa didn't allow a run in his first four appearances covering 4⅔ innings, walking two and striking out three. He then allowed runs in three straight and six of his next eight before hitting the 15-day injured list last week. Zerpa has a 5.35 FIP (6.39 ERA) in those 12 games with 10.9% walk and 14.5% strikeout rates, both worse than his career numbers (7.2% and 19.4%). View the full article

Checking in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week: Ethan Salas, C, Double-A San Antonio Season stats: 22 games, .307/.402/.573, 12 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 12 BB, 21 K, 6 SB, 0 CS Why he's hot: The first week of the season was not kind to Salas, as he got off to a 2-for-12 start (.125/.176/.188 slash line). But since April 10, he has hit in 14 of 18 games—two were 0-for-1 pinch-hit appearances—to raise his slash line to where it is now. More recently, the 19-year-old, who is Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, has found his power stroke, having a stretch where he homered in five of the seven games in which he played. All have been pulled homers by the left-handed hitter, who has often been slotted into the leadoff spot. Salas, who made his pro debut in 2023 as a 16-year-old after being the top international free-agent signing, has eight multi-hit games, three of which came this past week against the Tulsa Drillers. He was 7-for-21 with five runs scored, three homers and five RBIs. His stretch of five homers in seven days included going deep in three straight games, then blasts in back-to-back games. Salas also walked five times last week, all coming in the final three games, including three in Sunday's series finale when he went 0-for-2. These developments are obviously very positive considering Salas was coming off a serious back injury that sidelined him for all but 10 season-opening games in 2025. Also, while his defense has been considered elite, his offense has had mixed results. After a very good start to his career at Low-A Lake Elsinore, he finished 2023 with a .248/.331/.421 slash line as a 17-year-old and .206/.288/.311 at High-A Fort Wayne in 2024. While many might be clamoring for a promotion, Double-A often provides the better competition due to the wealth of prospects at the level. Perhaps a June promotion would be in line if his offensive production continues. Sung-Mun Song, 2B, Triple-A El Paso Season stats: 25 games, .293/.364/.354, 14 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 11 BB, 27 K, 1 SB, 0 CS Why he's hot: While Song doesn't fit the typical prospect profile, he is expected to be a big part of the Padres at some point in the near future. Initially sent to the Chihuahuas on a rehab assignment after re-aggravating an oblique injury in spring training, Song was optioned to Triple-A when that assignment expired. He hasn't pouted at the decision. Song, who signed as a four-year, $15 million contract this offseason after a career in the Korea Baseball Organization, has been a steady contributor for El Paso. That includes hitting in all five games last week that he played in, with back-to-back two-hit games and capping the week with his first homer since signing with the Padres. He has hit in eight straight games at Triple-A and only once gone consecutive games without a hit. He had a brief call-up to the Padres as the extra player for the Mexico City Series, but only appeared as a pinch-runner in one game. Song hit a solo homer in the seventh-inning of Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes. That was just his fourth extra-base hit in 25 games and second since a double April 10. He also only has one stolen base. In his last two seasons in the KBO, he had a combined 45 homers and 46 stolen bases (in 48 attempts). His positional versatility—he can play second, third or shortstop—would be beneficial for the Padres, who have played Fernando Tatis Jr. out of position (albeit successfully) at second base six times this year. Clay Edmondson, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne Season stats: 10 games (all in relief), 0-1, 0.75 ERA, 5 saves, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 16 K, 0.75 WHIP, .136 opp. avg. Why he's hot: The 22-year-old, who was a 14th-round draft choice in 2025 out of North Carolina-Asheville, went 3-for-3 in save opportunities last week against the South Bend Cubs. He made those three appearances, going 3⅓ innings with three hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder allowed both of the runs he has allowed this season in his third outing April 7 vs. Lansing, not allowing a run in his last seven appearances. His three walks came in three straight games and hasn't issued a free pass in his last four outings. On Friday against South Bend, he came on in the eighth and struck out all four batters he faced. Edmondson's five saves in as many chances lead the Midwest League. Edmondson made seven appearances after being drafted last year, six at Lake Elsinore and one at Triple-A El Paso at the end of the season. In 12⅔ innings, he gave up six runs on 11 hits with five walks and 11 strikeouts with a .239 opponent batting average. His brief audition at El Paso shows the Padres are keeping a close on on Edmondson, making him a candidate to be a quick mover. Jake Cunningham, OF, High-A Fort Wayne Season stats: 23 games, .325/.391/.636, 17 R, 6 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 7 BB, 22 K, 4 SB, 1 CS Why he's hot: The 23-year-old, drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round out of North Carolina-Charlotte and signed this offseason after being released, has hits in nine of his last 10 games, including five of six last week vs. South Bend. That included driving in a career-high five runs Wednesday in a 7-4 TinCaps win. Fort Wayne was in an 0-for-14 funk with the bases loaded when Cunningham delivered a two-run single for the game's first runs. He added a two-run homer the next inning. Cunningham had two more hits Sunday, his eighth multi-hit game this year, including his team-best sixth homer, a solo shot. After starting the season 0-for-8, Cunningham is hitting .362 with 12 extra-base hits. His six homers are already a career high after hitting eight in 182 games while with the Orioles. He is part of a talented TinCaps outfield that also has Alex McCoy and Kavares Tears (Padres Mission's No. 16 prospect). He dealt with injuries each of the last two seasons that limited him to 92 and 76 games, respectively, but has unlocked more of his potential since joining the Padres. Qrey Lott, OF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Season stats: 8 games, .400/.500/.750, 8 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, 0 CS Why he's hot: Anytime you go 5-for-5 with a pair of homers and six RBIs, you can be considered hot. That is the day Lott turned in Sunday as the Lake Elsinore Storm pulled out a 12-10, 10-inning victory over the Ontario Tower Buzzers. It was his first pro game with multiple hits. The 21-year-old hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning after opening the game with a two-run homer in the second inning. Lott also had an RBI singles in the fourth inning and and seventh inning. He was replaced for the bottom of the ninth as the Storm made defensive changes, otherwise Lott would have come up in the 10th inning with a chance for a third homer. He had 11 total bases in the game. Lott is making his professional debut this year. He joined the Storm roster when outfielder Kale Fountain went down with a season-ending shoulder injury after he crashed into a wall. Initially drafted by the Orioles in the 15th round in 2023 out of high school, Lott didn't sign. He signed with the Padres last year after playing two years of junior college at Northwest Florida State and going undrafted despite participating in the MLB Draft League. View the full article

With the game on the line Monday night, Craig Counsell placed his trust in Carson Kelly—not because he gave them the best chance for a game-breaking hit, but because there would be more outs left to get, either way. It looked like a decision that might cost the Cubs the game, but the team pulled it out, after all, so the only major takeaway from the sequence is what it revealed about where Counsell's mind runs as he considers his current roster. The bases were loaded with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Cubs trailing 4-3. Graham Ashcraft was on the mound for the visiting Reds. Counsell had a choice. Kelly's place in the batting order was due, but left-handed batter Michael Conforto was still available on the bench. Ashcraft is a nightmare of a matchup for Kelly, given the former's stuff and the latter's swing path. Conforto, however, is a good option against what Ashcraft throws. Specifically, the big Reds righty was using a cutter that sat around 97.5 MPH Monday night, with good carry—12 inches of induced vertical break (IVB). He also throws a slider that sits just above 90 MPH, playing off that cutter. Here are the run values per 100 pitches seen for both of the hitters Counsell had available for that moment since the start of 2025, on offerings fitting those criteria from right-handed hurlers. Conforto: 1.39 Kelly: -2.10 Given an average at-bat lasting four pitches, that means that Conforto was likely to be worth about 0.14 runs more than Kelly in that moment. If you take a little air out of that to account for the pinch-hit penalty (whereby most players perform worse when pinch-hitting than they do the rest of the time), we can all it 0.10 runs. That sounds small; it isn't. Managers design entire gameplans around the chance to increase their run expectancy by 0.1 runs in late, close situations. In reality, of course, runs will either score or not, but the results we see are the result of each side making dozens of choices to nudge the probabilities in their direction. A 0.1-run boost in an at-bat that had a Leverage Index of 7.91 (according to FanGraphs) is astronomical; it's a no-brainer to pursue that. Counsell didn't pull the trigger on the move, though. Kelly struck out on three sliders from Ashcraft, looking thoroughly overmatched, and the Reds had escaped the jam with the lead intact. In a vacuum, that's a managerial blunder. In a broader context, though, it's easy to understand. You just have to put yourself in Counsell's mindset—which is to say, you have to trust Kelly a lot more than Miguel Amaya behind the plate, and you have to badly want days off to be full days off for the latter. Whether Kelly or Conforto had batted (and whether or not they had delivered), the Reds had one turn left to try to add to their four runs. Counsell had to think a bit about the cost of pinch-hitting Conforto for Kelly there, because if he did so, his bench would be depleted, and Amaya would have to catch whatever was left of the game. That's a potential problem, for two reasons: Counsell clearly trusts Kelly much more as a defensive catcher right now, in addition to leaning into the veteran's second straight strong start at the plate. Kelly has caught 186 innings this season; Amaya has only caught 116. When the season began, it looked like the two would share time pretty evenly. Already, Kelly has seized as regular a starting gig as almost any catcher enjoys in the modern game. With high-leverage defensive outs left to get, Counsell would prefer his stronger backstop be in there. Monday's was the fourth of 10 straight games for the Cubs, and the midpoint of a seven-game homestand sandwiched between two demanding road trips. Days off are precious, and any player who gets one at a demanding position (like catcher) is best served if they get the full day. Using Amaya to finish out the game would have compromised his rest, in the middle of a rough schedule patch. Thus, Counsell chose to let Kelly try to collect the key hit. The strategy failed, but thanks to a great at-bat by Pete Crow-Armstrong to lead off the bottom of the ninth, the other reason why it made sense to withhold Conforto came tidily into view. Counsell was able to take down right-hitting Matt Shaw (who had pinch-run for Moisés Ballesteros) and send up Conforto against the Reds' Emilio Pagán, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. This was actually a much lower-leverage situation. With nobody on base and two down, the odds of scoring were poor; the game was likely to go to extra innings. Pinch-hitting Conforto was a pronouncement of real faith in his hitting ability, even in the pinch, because the team needed him to spark a game-winning rally to make the move worth it. If he'd been retired (or even if he'd reached, but been stranded), the Cubs would have started the bottom of the 10th with a much slower runner on second base than Shaw would have been if he'd simply made the last out of the ninth. It looks like a bit of a paradox, on the part of Counsell—like he should have trusted Conforto in the eighth, if he was going to trust him in the ninth. That Conforto hit the walkoff homer to cash in a longshot bet isn't what redeems or explains the move, though. Rather, it's the question of Kelly vs. Amaya, and of managing rest during what looks like a trying segment of the schedule. We know much more about how Counsell views his roster and his team's progress through this season now than we did in the middle of the eighth inning last night. The signals were subtle, but real. More importantly, of course, we also have new evidence to incorporate as the team moves forward: that Kelly really does get overmatched by many tough righties, but also that Conforto still has meaningful pop left in his bat, and that Kelly's defensive value to the team is worth deploying him at times when it seems not to make sense, just as it's worth doing so with Crow-Armstrong during his slumps at the plate. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the best defensive teams in the league. While they didn't claim a third straight Gold Glove Team Award last season, they led the majors in Baseball Savant's Fielding Run Value. Infielders Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez turned tough plays into easy outs and impossible plays into highlight-reel moments. Outfielders Daulton Varsho and Myles Straw covered every inch of center field ground, and plenty of right and left for good measure. Catchers Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman were in complete control behind the plate. The 2026 Blue Jays haven't looked quite as impenetrable. Catching remains their biggest strength, with rookie Brandon Valenzuela stepping up (or crouching down) admirably in place of an injured Kirk. Past home plate, the everyday defense hasn't been quite as spectacular as we've come to expect, whether you're judging by traditional stats, advanced metrics, or the eye test. However, that doesn't mean we haven't seen some darn good plays. I was hoping to have this piece finished sooner than five days into May, but life gets in the way, and I think that's okay. After all, there's never a bad time to re-watch diving catches, behind-the-back throws, and bang-bang plays. Five Stars for Barger Addison Barger is best known for his artillery arm, but he didn't need to use it here. The right fielder recorded the first out of this game with a spectacular catch. According to Statcast, the ball had a catch probability of just 25%, making this the Blue Jays' first (and so far only) "five-star" grab of the season. Lukes Gets the Credit, but Giménez Gets the Out The Blue Jays finished second in the majors with 31 outfield assists in 2025. So far in 2026, they only have two, and one of them deserves a big fat asterisk next to it – it started with one of the costliest errors of Toronto's season. The other assist was credited to right fielder Nathan Lukes, who also earned the Jays' only outfield throwing run of the year on the play. However, his throw was short, and if it weren't for a great read and an even better dive by Giménez, Geraldo Perdomo would have slid into second base safely. Well, It Looked Impressive The award for "play that technically should have been routine but turned into a diving catch" goes to this effort from Davis Schneider. While the ball shot off Jarren Duran's bat at 104.4 mph, Statcast tells us that Schneider was already so well-positioned that a better read and a faster jump could have prevented the dive that sent him sliding onto the warning track. While this catch didn't boost his metrics, it sure looked cool, and it earned him a nice ovation from the Blue Jays bullpen behind him. More Points for Style I'm not convinced Clement needed to flip this one behind his back, and the execution wasn't perfect. Still, the Jays got the out, and I do appreciate the effort, even if it wasn't as pretty in practice as it sounds in theory. Infield Superman It's usually outfielders who make Superman-style leaps. Typically, when an infielder jumps, he's either going straight up or moving laterally and staying close to the ground. Of course, if anyone knows how to be a superhero, it's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The first baseman got some serious air on this tag play to retire a sprinting Joey Ortiz. Everything Working As It Should Andrés Giménez is so damn cool. On the first double-play ball to shortstop in his first full season at the position, Giménez looked like he's been doing this his whole career. He started a run-saving double play with a spin as smooth as butter in a game the Jays went on to win in extra innings. Talk about a pivotal play. The Okamoto Show Scouting reports were mixed on Kazuma Okamoto's third base defense before the season started, and the picture hasn't gotten much clearer. He's made a few costly errors, and Statcast suggests he's been a net negative in the field. Yet, no Blue Jay made more highlight-worthy plays in the first month of the season than Okamoto. He can run in, he can dive to either side, he can make tough throws, and, most importantly, he reacts with the kind of speed that the hot corner demands. I've put together a compilation of some of his best defensive moments from March/April. The final two clips in the compilation show him catching the two hardest-hit balls a Blue Jays infielder has had to handle this season. Any Blue Jays defensive moments from March and April that you think I missed? Please share them in the comments below! View the full article

The cupboard is not quite stocked with pitching for the Chicago Cubs. Per Baseball America, just five pitchers rank among the top 20 prospects for the Cubs, with just one in the top 12. Brandon Birdsell (14th), is not expected to pitch this season after elbow surgery. Jaxon Wiggins (third) hit the IL on April 15th with elbow soreness. No one on the following list is in the upper minor leagues, so this is a system that will require patience on the pitching side. With April officially in the books, which prospects stood out and increased their stock? Honorable Mention: Brooks Caple (RHP) — South Bend Taken in the ninth round in 2024, Caple made his debut in 2025 with a good seven-start stretch in Myrtle Beach before getting promoted to South Bend and turning in 14 starts to finish his season. Back to South Bend to start 2026, Caple had a quality month on the bump. In his four April starts, Caple posted a 24-to-3 strikeout:walk ratio while limiting opponents to just six runs on 12 hits in 18.2 innings. Near the top of the Midwest league in WHIP and strikeouts, Caple has both increased his strikeout rate and lowered his walk rate, an excellent combination. Third Place: Edwardo Melendez (RHP) — Myrtle Beach An older international signing at 20 years of age out of the Dominican Republic, Melendez made his debut stateside in 2025 with stops in Arizona and Myrtle Beach after a year in the Dominican Summer League. While consistently posting high strikeout numbers and limiting hits, Melendez has paired that with extremely high walk rates that led to unimpressive box score lines. He looks to have potentially unlocked something so far in 2026 as he walked just seven in his 15.2 innings between the bullpen and the rotation in Myrtle Beach, a huge improvement. That, combined with 23 strikeouts and just seven hits allowed, has led to a 1.15 ERA in April for the 22-year-old that should open some eyes. Runner-up: Dominick Reid (RHP) — Myrtle Beach With Jostin Florentino (15th) and Kaleb Wing (17th) not yet debuting in affiliated ball this season, the only Cubs top-20 prospect entering 2026 to qualify for this list winds up the runner up. Drafted in the third round of last season’s draft out of Abilene Christian in Texas, Reid did not make his professional debut until this season. Starting the season in Myrtle Beach, Reid made five starts for the Pelicans in April. In 18.1 innings, he struck out 21 while allowing 10 runs on 19 hits and 7 walks. Reid opened the season with nine scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against just one walk. The average ERA in the Carolina league is 5.38, so his 4.91 ERA looks better with that context. The hope is that as the season progresses Reid can settle in a bit and find the middle ground between his first nine innings of the month and the last nine innings. Winner: Mason McGwire (RHP) — Myrtle Beach You may have heard, Mark McGwire’s son is racking up strikeouts on the mound for the Cubs. An eighth-round pick out of high school in 2022, Little Mac is pitching for the first time since 2024 due to injuries, and he is turning some heads. He started the month in the bullpen and finished with two starts, striking out 18 and allowing just two runs on five hits in 12 innings. His velocity looks to be up higher than it was pre-injury and he has doubled his strikeout rate and cut his walk rate in half in his return to the mound. While the 22-year-old looks to be years away from Wrigley, the thought of Big Mac’s son pitching in Cubbie blue is pretty entertaining. View the full article

Not every prospect arrives with hype, signing bonuses, or a clear path to the majors. Some take the scenic route, winding through back fields, small schools, and relative anonymity before forcing their way into the conversation. John Klein fits that description perfectly. After a breakout 2025 season, he is no longer flying under the radar. A Minnesota native from Brooklyn Park, Klein’s baseball journey started without much fanfare. He went undrafted out of Iowa Central Community College in 2022, eventually signing with the Twins as a free agent after showing promise in the Northwoods League. At the time, he looked like organizational depth: a tall right-hander with projection, but limited present stuff. What has happened since then is a steady and impressive climb. Klein spent the next two seasons quietly working his way through A ball, refining his mechanics and building strength. In 2023, he moved from Rookie ball to High-A. He posted a 4.17 ERA, with a 23.9 K% and a 9.0 BB% across 58 1/3 innings. Minnesota had him return to Cedar Rapids for the entire 2024 season. In 100 1/3 innings, he posted a 4.57 ERA with a 20.4 K% and an 8.6 BB%. He wasn’t overpowering or putting himself on the prospect radar. That changed in 2025, when everything started to click. Pitching for Double-A Wichita, Klein posted a 3.12 ERA with 95 strikeouts across 80 2/3 innings, establishing himself as a legitimate arm in the system. A late-season promotion to Triple-A brought mixed results, but he still managed 33 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings against more advanced competition. The transformation is not just statistical. At 6-foot-5 and now around 225 pounds, Klein has added noticeable strength to his frame. Early in his pro career, he sat around 90 mph with his fastball. By 2025, that number had climbed into the mid-90s, averaging 94 and touching 97. The Twins’ development system deserves credit here—particularly their velocity programs, which have unlocked more from previously modest arms. Klein’s delivery adds deception, allowing the fastball to play up even further. His arsenal has grown alongside the velocity. What once was a limited mix has evolved into five distinct pitches. The biggest development has been his curveball, now sitting around 80 mph with sharper break and the potential to miss bats when located well. He's also worked in a splitter in the mid-80s and an upper-80s cutter, giving him multiple looks against hitters from both sides of the plate. That said, there are still questions about his long-term role. While Klein has the repertoire of a starter, he doesn't yet possess a consistent put-away pitch. The curveball flashes that potential, but can be inconsistent, and without a true swing-and-miss offering, he may struggle to turn lineups over multiple times at the highest level. Some within the organization believe his stuff could tick up even more in a bullpen role, where shorter outings might allow everything to play at peak intensity. Even with that uncertainty, Klein has already forced his way into the Twins’ plans at the highest level. After being added to the 40-man roster this offseason, he didn't have to wait long for his opportunity, making his big-league debut on Saturday. The early look confirmed what the organization has believed for a while now: that his development has put him in a position to contribute in a meaningful way. There's something fitting about Klein’s trajectory. A local kid who grew up a short drive from Target Field now is pitching there, not as a highly touted draft pick, but as a player who earned every step along the way. Whether he settles into a rotation spot, a swingman role, or a multi-inning relief job, Klein has already exceeded expectations and reshaped his outlook. For an organization constantly searching for pitching depth, stories like this matter. And for Klein, the next chapter could be the most meaningful yet. View the full article

Gary Sánchez has challenged 14 called strikes this season. No other batter in the majors has challenged more than 11. Sánchez should probably challenge less often, based solely on the fact that he's only 6-for-14. He thinks he knows the outside edge of the strike zone, but he's wrong. Thirteen of the 14 challenges he's mounted came on pitches on that side of the zone. Sánchez, an extreme pull hitter trying to get a pitch up and on the inner half to generate damage, wants to stop pitchers from stealing strikes on him in a sector where he can't do much, anyway. That makes sense in a vacuum, but he's cost the Brewers one of their challenges several times. In fact, Sánchez has challenged 17.7% of all called strikes against him this season. That number is an outlier for any group; only Josh Naylor and Mark Vientos have higher challenge rates. However, it's especially notable given the subgroup to which Sánchez belongs, within the broader population of hitters: catchers. For as long as there has been a strike zone, catchers have tried to shape and expand it, and that has always been (in part) a political endeavor. Yes, there are vital physical aspects to pitch-framing, but catchers also work umpires with conversations between pitches and the long, slow development of relationships. That's not to say that umpires consciously favor catchers they like; it's just a reflection of reality. Good communication with the ump helps them understand what you're trying to do, and what you're not trying to do (i.e., bamboozle them). Listen to any color commentator over the last 40 years (many of them former catchers!), and you'll hear talk about a catcher being more deferential than most batters when they're at the plate. Why? Because they want that call for their pitcher, too. It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that catchers challenge pitches less often than any other position group under the ABS system. It's a noticeable gap, too. Here's the share of all initially called strikes challenged by hitters, split by defensive position. Catcher: 2.65% First Base: 4.54% Second Base: 3.34% Shortstop: 4.16% Third Base: 3.63% Outfield: 3.87% Designated Hitter: 4.19% It's not just blather from old, leathery baseball men anymore. Here is concrete evidence that when catchers take their turns in the batter's box, they're still politicking for their pitchers. They might see the ball and understand the edges of the zone a bit better than some of their counterparts at other positions, too, but inarguably, catchers are trading some potential offensive value at the margins for the odd call when they're working the zone themselves, behind the dish. Even Sánchez feels this pressure. Of those 14 challenges, three came when he was playing first base, and another nine came on days when he was serving as the Brewers' DH. Only twice has he challenged a call on a day when he was actually catching, and one of those came on a pitch that missed the zone by the width of a baseball—one egregious enough that Sánchez dared not even dream of getting the call himself on a consistent basis. QndSNnJfWGw0TUFRPT1fVlFnRUJseFJYbFlBV1FRRUFnQUhCQVpRQUZsV1ZsY0FCMTBCQVFNRVZBWUJCQVlI.mp4 That's a fascinating insight into the nature of this dynamic. If a player sometimes catches but is serving in a different capacity that day, what drives them to be more challenge-prone? Is it a greater sense of pressure to deliver value offensively? Is the understanding between catchers and umps deep and tangled enough that a batter-catcher knows their zone at the plate is truly tied to the one they'll get behind it, in a way that doesn't transfer to the same player on days when they're not the backstop? Either way, it's interesting that Sánchez is opting out of any efforts at diplomacy—but only when he's not the catcher for that day. Unwritten though they might be, rules are rules, and there are real, unwritten rules growing around ABS. For one, catchers have agreed not to waste the ump's time or challenge their acuity as eagerly when they're in the batter's box, instead of the catcher's box. Sánchez is defying those frameworks, but even he can't flout them outright—at least, not when it's his turn to catch. View the full article

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (May 2-May 4) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 2-4 Season Record: 15-18 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets): 5-2 Season Record: 15-10 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks): 2-4 Season Record: 11-16 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs Jupiter Hammerheads (Miami Marlins): 2-4 Season Record: 11-16 FCL Blue Jays Week Record: 2-0 Season Record: 2-0 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 15-18 Series Opponent: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) May 2: Saturday's game against the RailRiders was a true team win. All across the diamond, players did their part to take down one of the better Triple-A teams. The offense was paced by newly cemented lead-off hitter Ismael Munguia. He had two hits in the game, a double in the first and an RBI single in the third to get the scoring started for the Bisons. After a double by Rafael Lantigua to begin the sixth, Munguia laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him over to third base. Josh Kasevich cashed in the run with a single to left field, tying the game up at two. All eyes would turn to the bullpen when CJ Van Eyk exited in the sixth. Van Eyk pitched relatively well; he went five innings, gave up six hits and two earned runs, walked two, and struck out six. His only real blemish was giving up a home run to Yanquiel Fernandez in the bottom of the third. Once the bullpen came into the game, the arms were relentless, not surrendering a single run the rest of the game, and that included two extra frames. In the 11th, Munguia was the ghost runner that started at second base. He moved to third on a Kasevich single and then scored on an RJ Schreck sacrifice fly. The next batter, Willie MacIver, would knock in Kasevich with a single, giving the Bisons a 4-2 lead. That would eventually be the final score, as Tanner Andrews came into the game and recorded two groundouts and a strikeout to earn the save. May 3: José Berríos was on the mound, completing another rehab start. The outing had a lot of ups and downs to it, as Berríos started the game off by surrendering a monster blast to the second batter he faced, Spencer Jones. It had an exit velocity of 117.4 mph and went 422 feet to right field. From there, Berríos would work through the next 10 batters with relative ease, only giving up a single and three walks. In the bottom of the fourth, it all unraveled quickly for Berríos. He gave up a two-run home run to Seth Brown and then loaded the bases up for Jones. Berríos left a sinker over the middle of the plate, and Jones hammered it for his second home run of the game, this one a grand slam. In the fifth, Josh Fleming came into the game and pitched flawlessly, only giving up one walk, zero hits and striking out four. The lead was too much for Buffalo to come back from though, as they only recorded six hits on the day. Their lone run came on a Je'Von Ward RBI single in the top of the second, scoring Charles McAdoo. Buffalo fell 7-1 in a game that was decided by Berríos and his inability to keep the ball in the park. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 15-10 Series vs Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets) May 2: Suspended May 3, Game 1: New Hampshire and Binghamton started the day completing Saturday's game that had been suspended. New Hampshire had taken the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run home run to left field by Nick Goodwin. In the fourth, a sacrifice fly by the Rumble Ponies brought the game within one. Eddie Micheletti Jr. changed that in the sixth though, with his fourth home run of the season. In the ninth inning, Binghamton made it close by scoring two runs on an RBI single and an RBI double. Conor Larkin finished the game by getting the last out on a line drive to right field. It was good for the save and the 4-3 win for the Fisher Cats. May 3, Game 2: In the Sunday finale and the second game of the doubleheader, New Hampshire never really got going. Adrian Pinto continued a good start to his season with New Hampshire by getting on base four times on two singles and two walks. Sean Keys had a single, and Cutter Coffey added a single as well, but neither of them brought in any runs. Jackson Wentworth pitched well, but surrendered two runs in the first inning. Binghamton would add a sacrifice fly in the seventh and go on to win. New Hampshire only managed four hits and four walks in this one and lost a pitching-dominant game, 3-0. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 11-16 Series vs Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks) May 2: It was a big comeback for the Canadians, as Vancouver went down early. With the bases loaded, Kendry Chirinos made a throwing error to home, allowing the first run to score. Slade Caldwell knocked in the second run for the hops on an RBI single off the wall, but got hung up in between first and second. Dub Gleed made a great tag to get Caldwell out, then threw out the runner at home for a crucial double play to stop the bleeding. Landen Maroudis pitched well heading into the fifth inning, but allowed a single and a walk before getting replaced by Gilberto Batista, who gave up a three-run homer. He then gave up a walk to Caldwell, and two wild pitches allowed him to score as well, giving the Hops a six-run lead. Gleed once again made a big play, this time with his first homer in the Jays organization, to get two runs. Arjun Nimmala added another run on an RBI double, bringing the Canadians within three runs. Batista gave up his second homer in the seventh inning, but the Canadians once again fired back in the bottom of the same inning, with Jacob Sharp hitting his first homer of the year to bring it within two. Vancouver was still down going into the ninth inning, but patient approaches prevailed, as four of the first batters walked, and Manuel Beltre hit a walk-off single to win the game after being down by six. May 3: The Canadians once again went down early after an error from Manuel Beltre allowed two runs to score in the first. Peyton Williams got a run back with an RBI single, and in the fifth inning, Dub Gleed tied it with an RBI single of his own. Vancouver’s bullpen woes continued with Juanmi Vasquez and Eminen Flores walking seven batters and allowing three runs to score. Matt Scannell was able to score on a balk in the seventh, but the Canadians couldn’t complete the comeback. Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 11-16 Series vs Jupiter Hammerheads (Miami Marlins) May 2: The D-Jays took it to extra innings, with Troy Guthrie having another decent start, allowing only two runs in over four innings. The Jays got to an early lead off an Aldo Gaxiola RBI single and an error to put them up three. Guthrie did give up a two-run homer, but the Jays were still up one. In the seventh and eighth, things changed, as the bullpen would give up two more homers. Austin Smith hit a clutch homer to tie the game in the ninth, and in the 10th inning, Blaine Bullard hit a walk-off single for the first time in his career. May 3: Silvano Hechavarria finally made his return, working his way back in a rehab start in Dunedin, where he pitched four perfect innings before handing it off to the 'pen. Addison Barger also made his return to game action, hitting a two-run homer in the fourth, which helped Dunedin get out a bit earlier. The Jays bullpen could not hold on to the lead though, as shaky command led to 10 walks and eight runs scored against just the bullpen in five innings of work. Dunedin scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to make it interesting, but the Jays lost once again, along with the series. FCL Blue Jays Season Record: 2-0 May 2: The FCL Blue Jays kicked off their season on Saturday against the Phillies' Rookie ball team. The Phillies squad took the early lead on a wild pitch, but 2025 draftee Tim Piasentin brought home the tying run in the bottom of the first on a groundout. David Guzman put the Blue Jays team up two with an RBI double in the third, which was followed by a Piasentin RBI double. Franklin Rojas had an RBI groundout to put the Blue Jays up four. Angel Guzman singled home a run in the sixth, and again Piasentin drove in another run with a groundout. Andres Arias would cap off the scoring with an RBI single, giving the Blue Jays eight runs. The Phillies would make it close, scoring on a few singles and groundouts of their own in two three-run innings, but fell short, as the Blue Jays won this opener 8-7 May 4: The Rookie ball team was in action again on Monday afternoon and looked good for a second straight game to open the season. Giacomo Taschin was on the mound for the Jays, and he was lights out in his first professional start. He went four innings, struck out three, walked one, and only gave up two hits. He kept the opposing team off the scoreboard entirely after a rough first inning, in which he coughed up a single, a walk, and a double, but no one scored. He had three 1-2-3 innings after the trouble and handed it off to the bullpen with a 5-0 lead. The scoring for the Jays came off of an Angel Guzman RBI single in the second, before Owen Gray added a run on a balk. Gray drew a bases-loaded walk in the third, which was followed by Pascual Archila driving in a run on a fielder’s choice. Their fifth and final run came on a Guzman sacrifice fly. Tim Piasentin was hitless on the day, with two strikeouts. The Jays won 5-1 over the Phillies' Rookie ball team. View the full article

There was a time when a first start of the season coming against the Chicago White Sox would've represented as soft a landing as possible. But with the San Diego Padres having dropped the first two of three against a Sox team that has been surging over the past week, Griffin Canning didn't quite get the calm welcome of a bad team standing opposed to him. Nevertheless, he managed. Sunday afternoon was Canning's first start in a Padres uniform after signing a one-year deal late in the offseason. After working through five rehab starts following last year's Achilles injury, it was an opportunity for the team to get someone else in the mix given the struggles of the Walker Buehler, Germán Márquez, Matt Waldron contingent in the latter portion of the starting five. If Canning's first start was any indication, some of that trio could be on the outs in fairly short order. Canning worked five innings (73 pitches), allowing three hits and three walks while striking out seven. He allowed one run on a Drew Romo solo homer, but did enough to leave with the lead (which was later surrendered by Adrian Morejon). Craig Stammen was intentional with how he used the deployed the newest Friars starter, limiting both his pitch count and his amount of turns through the order. Canning, for his money, was smart about usage, too. The changeup was his most frequently used pitched of the afternoon (40 percent) with the four-seam following it up at 34 percent (his slider/sweeper comprised the rest of his distribution). The first time through the order, though, Canning was heavy on the four-seamer (48 percent) before pivoting to the off-speed (47 percent) & breaking (26 percent) pitches more the second time through. Here is how things broke down for Canning in the start: The stuff played, to be sure. Canning was able to generate consistent whiffs with all three pitches and generated a fair bit of chase with the changeup and slider. The former was particularly effective given the volume of its usage and the raw number of whiffs he was able to garner with it. The location breakdown also offered reason for optimism surrounding his presence in the rotation: The fastball worked up, the changeup primarily worked down, and the slider moved around horizontally. For a starting pitcher making his first start of the season against a team on a bit of a run, it's not a bad looking distribution. If this is the version of Canning that the Padres are going to get moving forward, then he's absolutely someone who can offer the stability that the back end of the rotation has lacked. As easy as it may be to remember Canning as the starter who never realized his potential with the Los Angeles Angels, it's also easy to forget that he was beginning to break out with the New York Mets in 2025. In 16 starts, he'd posted a 3.77 ERA, a solid whiff rate, and an elite groundball rate. If he's going to simplify the arsenal so that his changeup and slider — pitches which have graded out as his best in his career by Stuff+ — are his primary offerings to play off the four-seam, then there's reason to think he could build on that small sample from Queens. At the same time, it's only one start. The Padres have had a tough time stabilizing their rotation with the volume approach. With Canning now in the mix and Lucas Giolito on the way, the former's first start is as good a reason as any in recent weeks for some optimism on that front. View the full article

Less than three months after signing Chris Paddack in free agency, the Miami Marlins designated him for assignment on Tuesday, as first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The veteran right-hander has been the glaring weak link in an otherwise effective Marlins starting rotation. In 30 ⅔ innings pitched this season, Paddack has a 7.63 ERA and 5.00 FIP. This past Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies was rock bottom (2.2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 K). In addition to being completely ineffective, his four-seam fastball velocity plummeted to 91.3 mph, the lowest average velo he's ever had in a game across part of eight MLB seasons. The Marlins on Monday evaluated Paddack for a potential injury, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but ultimately did not find anything to justify an IL stint. Instead of moving forward with an untrustworthy arm, they are turning the page. Unless another pitcher-needy team values the 30-year-old enough to claim him off waivers and take responsibility for what remains of his $4 million salary, the Fish are on the hook for it. The Marlins won on April 5 when Paddack served as the bulk guy out of their bullpen against the New York Yankees, but they lost all six of his traditional starts. To fill Paddack's active roster spot for Tuesday's game, the Marlins will recall right-handed reliever William Kempner from Triple-A Jacksonville, according to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. Kempner owns a bonkers 47.9% strikeout rate this season, but he's struggling with his control, hence a 6.46 ERA in 15 ⅓ innings pitched. Kempner is a placeholder until the Marlins bring up a new starter in the coming days to fill Paddack's rotation spot. That job will go to either Braxton Garrett or Robby Snelling. The latter is not yet on Miami's 40-man roster, but the DFA has created an opening for him to be selected. View the full article