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MIAMI, FL — On Friday, before the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies kicked off a four-game set, outfielder/first baseman Griffin Conine was spotted putting his injured left hamstring through various baseball activities. Conine, who is only three weeks removed from suffering a hamstring tear and undergoing surgery, finds himself ahead of schedule in his rehab and has a target date for his reinstatement from the IL. "The one thing I haven't done yet is defensive work outfield-wise, but I'm throwing and hitting again today," Conine told Fish On First. "I'm in a good spot. Just building up, stacking days like this—basically where every day running, we get a little bit faster, the strength just comes back a little bit more." Before landing on the IL, Conine played in 11 games, slashing .273/.360/.591/.951 with two home runs, four RBI and a 160 wRC+. He suffered the injury on April 9 while playing attempt a diving catch in left field. "It sucked, for sure," Conine told Fish On First. "I think the prognosis could have been worse, so I'm trying to look at the positive side. Compared to last year's rehab, this is super easy. It's very basic. I just don't want to get back quicker than the timeline says, which we're on pace to do that." As Conine referenced there, he suffered a dislocated shoulder last season that kept him out for most of 2025. It was originally announced as a season-ending procedure, but he sped through the rehab process and returned in late September. Fortunately, the hamstring tear won't cost him nearly as much time. Barring setbacks, Conine told Fish On First that his goal is to return during the month of May. "I haven't talked to (the Marlins) about that, but just in my head with the timeline that the doctor gave me, I think that's very doable. That means I'm back in a big league game before June, which would mean [begin the rehab assignment] 10-12 days before that. That's what I'm shooting for and I don't know if they're on board with that, but I think that's doable. We're gonna take it week to week and see how it goes." When asked about Conine, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough jokingly said that he "defies modern medicine," then acknowledged that the 28-year-old is "tracking to be back probably to the lower end of the timeline." View the full article

How embarrassing is it when the commentary about a transactions runs longer than the tenure that the transaction effected? Because that is the awkward situation that Mets Roster Central is in right now. Transactions, 5/1/2026 GOING COMING Demoted to Syracuse Activated Infielders Infielders Eric Wagaman Andy Ibáñez R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026) Eric Wagaman was grab bed off waivers and Mets Roster Central assured you he would just be a minor-league placeholder unless a cascading emergency took place. Wagaman was then called up without getting a single appearance in AAA. Mets Roster Central then speculated about what role he could hold. Wagaman was then sent down without getting a single appearance as a Met. And we say, hey! — if you don't get into a game, you can't fail. And that's perhaps not much of a calling card, but it's more than a lot of Mets can claim. Hey, don't blame me! I was in the air at the time! Waggy's demotion is all to make room for Andy Ibáñez — Cuban backup infielder and the new José Iglesias to anybody who cares to pay attention to these things. Godspeed to both. 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 Andy Ibáñez Ronny Mauricio 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 R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 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 Jorge Polanco 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: 1999-11-13 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 right wrist contusion. Infielders Outfielders Eric Wagaman Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Jared Young R/R DoB: 35656 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 With Syracuse With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Disc Hernitaion On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus. Deslgnated for Assignment 5/1/2026 Carl Edwards, Jr. R/R DoB: 33484 DFA'd, 2026-04-30. 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

In the latest move around the edges of the roster, infielder Andy Ibanez joined the New York Mets' roster a day after being claimed off waivers. To make room, first baseman Eric Wagaman was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Ibanez was claimed Thursday off waivers from the A's, who had designated him for assignment. In 11 games for the A's this season, Ibanez was 2-for-17 with three RBIs and two runs scored with a walk and two strikeouts. That resulted in a slash line of .118/.167/.118. Ibanez made his MLB debut in 2021 and has a career .252/.303/.385 slash line with 28 homers and 131 RBIs in 431 games with the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and A's. Wagaman had been called up Thursday when Luis Robert Jr. went on the 10-day injured list with a lumbar spine disc herniation. Wagaman did not play in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. View the full article

There have been several offensive surprises in the first month of this season for the San Diego Padres. Catcher Luis Campusano has a team-leading 1.054 OPS, shortstop Xander Bogaerts is showing why he is being paid $280 million, superstar right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to hit a home run and Jake Cronenworth has one of the worst OPS in MLB among qualified players. Then there is Ty France. The former San Diego State star, born in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey and a West Covina High School alum, had to settle for signing a minor-league contract as spring training began with the team that drafted him in the 34th round in 2015. This came after he won the 2025 AL Gold Glove for first basemen and was part of the World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays after a trade from the Minnesota Twins. But France has made the most out of his second chance with the Padres. As a non-roster invite to spring training, he didn't have a major-league job guaranteed. But he showed a worthy bat, putting together a .306/.352/.510 slash line with two homers and 12 RBIs in 19 Cactus League games. That performance allowed France to take advantage of infielder Sung-Mun Song's oblique injury and snag the final bench spot. Still, he seemed third on the depth chart at first base behind left-handed-hitting Gavin Sheets and right-handed-hitting Nick Castellanos, who had never played first base before as an MLB player but was up for anything after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies. It was France's defense that would get him any playing time. If he could produce offensively, that would be a bonus. He even tried his hand at second and third base in spring training to make himself more valuable. The knock on France was that he doesn't produce the offense expected out of a first baseman. It is typically a power position, but France came into 2026 with a grand total of 81 homers in seven seasons, with a peak of 20 in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, meaning that he averaged about 10 homers a year otherwise. His career slash line entering this year was .262/.334/.400, which made him a slightly above-average hitter with a 108 OPS+. He doesn't walk much, nor does he strike out a ton. This year has been different, though. The 31-year-old, whether he just relaxed and let his play do the talking or became more focused knowing his playing days could be coming to an end, has thrived with the Padres. In fact, France might be the most indispensable player they have had in the opening month. Entering this weekend's series against the Chicago White Sox, France is second to Campusano in OPS with .911, including a slash line of .289/.333/.578. His OPS+ is at a career high of 148. He already has three homers after hitting seven a year ago. In particular, France has been very integral to the offense in the last week. He had three straight multi-hit games entering Wednesday, going 6-for-11 with a walk and seven RBIs. Four of those RBIs came in Monday's series-opening 9-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs, with a two-run double and a two-run triple plus a stolen base. It was his first triple since 2022. That came two days after hitting two solo homers in Mexico City in a 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, just his third career multi-homer game, so France is one of the few Friars in a good groove offensively. He has been valuable when in the starting lineup. Entering Wednesday, he had a slash line of .325/.372/.650 in 12 starts (1.022 OPS), hitting safely in seven of his previous nine starts. That production has proven valuable for a Padres offense that is still waiting on its main cogs, Tatis, Cronenworth and superstar third baseman Manny Machado, to get going. The Padres' .693 team OPS ranked 22nd in MLB after Wednesday's action, a far cry from what they were hoping for entering the season. Still, they rank in the top half in runs per game (13th, 4.63) thanks to the contributions of players like France. While still not having enough plate appearances to officially rate in Statcast categories, you can see that his numbers this year are much better than last year. In particular, his average exit velocity this year is at 92.9 mph, up from 89.5; likewise, his hard-hit percentage is at 56.1%, up from 44.2%. His barrel rate has also increased from 7.7% last year to 17.1% this year. France has been a nice right-handed complement to Sheets at first base, with Castellanos now the bench player in the most vulnerable position on the roster. Castellanos started in left field Wednesday and hit his first homer of the season, which might signal he is finally adjusting to his bench role after being a career starter. Only two of those starts have been at first due to France's presence—Castellanos has mainly been a designated hitter when he has started. When Song, currently at Triple-A El Paso, was brought up as the extra player for the Mexico City Series, there was chatter that Castellanos' time with the Padres could be coming to an end. Song would bring more versatility to the bench as he can play third, second and shortstop. Castellanos, though, had a couple big hits in the Cubs series. But that has been the trickle down from France's good spring and continued contributions through the first month of the regular season. If France can keep this up for the remainder of the season, he'll effectively supply the Friars with what they were hoping to get out of Castellanos, only with better defense. Once Tatis, Machado and Cronenworth get going, France's production may not be as noticeable, but it will make this offense that much better. View the full article

Following another bout with his velocity dropping, Brandon Woodruff is sidelined again. The Milwaukee Brewers placed the veteran right-handed starter on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Right-handed reliever Easton McGee was called up from Triple-A Nashville. Woodruff left his start Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning. That came after a noticeable drop in his velocity in the first inning. In five starts this season, Woodruff had been averaging 92.5 mph on his four-seam fastball, which was down to 85.4 mph Thursday with a high of 86.9. While the Brewers won the game 13-1, there was concern about Woodruff's status. The 33-year-old underwent an MRI exam while the game was still going and it was obvious he was headed for the injured list based on manager Pat Murphy's postgame comments. Woodruff was set to hit free agency after last season, but accepted the qualifying offer of $22.025 million in the offseason to remain for what appears to be his final season with the Crew. He is one of the most iconic pitchers in franchise history. Woodruff underwent major shoulder surgery after the 2023 season, which caused him to miss all of 2024. After some other ailments pushed back the start of his 2025 to July, Woodruff returned almost as if he was never gone. But last season ended early due to a lat strain that caused him to miss the Brewers' postseason for the third straight year. Now the Brewers must decide how to proceed without Woodruff. Left-hander Shane Drohan, who pitched four innings of relief following Woodruff's early exit, is one candidate. Right-hander Logan Henderson, currently at Triple-A Nashville, is another. Still, Woodruff's leadership and presence will be felt in the short term. View the full article

Iowa Bullpen Shines But Bats Strand Eight In 3-1 Loss The Iowa Cubs collected eight hits at St. Paul but stranded eight runners in a 3-1 loss to the Saints. James Triantos went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Jonathon Long also went 2-for-4 and drove in the team's only run. Charlie Barnes took the loss after five innings, allowing two hits, three earned runs, three walks, and a home run while striking out four. Luke Little, Ethan Roberts, and Tyler Beede combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, with Little issuing two walks, Beede issuing one, and the trio combining for three strikeouts. The Saints jumped ahead in the bottom of the third on a solo home run. Iowa's deficit grew in the bottom of the fifth when, with the bases loaded, a walk forced in the second run and a sacrifice fly drove in the third for a 3-0 lead. Iowa cut the lead in the top of the eighth. With one out, Triantos singled, advanced to third on a fielding error, and scored when Long lined a single to left field. Chas McCormick flied out to end the inning, and the Cubs went down quietly in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman, CF 3 0 1 0 1 0 James Triantos, 3B 4 1 2 0 0 0 Pedro Ramírez, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jonathon Long, 1B 4 0 2 1 0 0 Hayden Cantrelle, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chas McCormick, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 Dylan Carlson, LF-1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Scott Kingery, SS 4 0 0 0 0 3 Christian Bethancourt, C 4 0 1 0 0 2 Justin Dean, RF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Charlie Barnes (L) 5.0 2 3 3 3 4 1 Luke Little 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Ethan Roberts 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Tyler Beede 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Smokies Held To Two Hits In 4-1 Loss At Rocket City The Knoxville Smokies managed just two hits in a 4-1 loss to Rocket City. Jefferson Rojas doubled, and Alex Madera singled. Jordan Nwogu drew two walks and scored Knoxville's lone run, Owen Ayers picked up the team's only RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Andy Garriola and Edgar Alvarez each walked. Grant Kipp took the loss after 1 2/3 innings, surrendering five hits, four earned runs, and three walks while striking out two. The bullpen kept the deficit at four. Luis Martinez-Gomez tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, two walks, and a hit allowed, and Frankie Scalzo Jr. followed with two scoreless frames, allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out two. The Trash Pandas got on the board first in the bottom of the first when an RBI single brought home a run. They tacked on three more in the bottom of the second. A walk preceded a wild pitch by Kipp that allowed a run to score, and a two-run single capped the rally to push the lead to 4-0. Knoxville's only run came in the top of the sixth. With one out, Nwogu walked, Rojas doubled to right field to put runners on second and third, and Ayers lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring Nwogu home. Garriola walked to extend the inning, but Alvarez struck out to leave two runners stranded. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jordan Nwogu, CF 1 1 0 0 2 1 Jefferson Rojas, SS 3 0 1 0 0 1 Owen Ayers, C 2 0 0 1 0 0 Andy Garriola, RF 2 0 0 0 1 1 Edgar Alvarez, 1B 2 0 0 0 1 2 Carter Trice, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Ethan Hearn, DH 3 0 0 0 0 1 Devin Ortiz, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Madera, 2B 2 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Grant Kipp (L) 1 2/3 5 4 4 3 2 0 Luis Martinez-Gomez 2 1/3 1 0 0 2 3 0 Frankie Scalzo Jr. 2.0 1 0 0 2 2 0 Espinoza's Two-Hit Night Lone Bright Spot In South Bend's 6-1 Loss The South Bend Cubs were limited to four hits in a 6-1 home loss to Fort Wayne, with Leonel Espinoza accounting for two of them and the team's only run. Espinoza finished 2-for-2 with a double, a solo home run, and an RBI. Cole Mathis added a single and a walk, Matt Halbach singled, and Reginald Preciado was hit by a pitch before being lifted for Espinoza. Koen Moreno took the loss after 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs, one walk, and a home run while striking out five. The bullpen held Fort Wayne off the board for a stretch. Nate Williams worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, a walk, and a hit allowed. The TinCaps scored single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings, then broke the game open in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run that pushed the lead to 5-0. Espinoza got South Bend on the board in the bottom of the eighth with a home run to left center field that pulled the Cubs within 5-1. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kade Snell, CF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Cole Mathis, 1B 3 0 1 0 1 0 Cameron Sisneros, LF 3 0 0 0 1 0 Matt Halbach, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Reginald Preciado, DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 Leonel Espinoza, DH 2 1 2 1 0 0 Drew Bowser, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 2 Miguel Useche, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 Geuri Lubo, RF 3 0 0 0 0 3 Christian Olivo, SS 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Koen Moreno (L) 4 2/3 7 5 5 1 5 1 Nate Williams 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 Ethan Bell 2.0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Kenyi Perez 1.0 1 1 1 1 2 0 Pelicans Plate Four In Second, Hold Off Columbia 4-2 The Myrtle Beach Pelicans plated all four of their runs in the bottom of the second inning and held off Columbia 4-2 at home. Alexey Lumpuy led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Michael Carico and Eli Lovich each added two hits, Alexis Hernandez tripled and walked, and Derniche Valdez singled, walked, and drove in a run. Jairo Diaz contributed an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Edwardo Melendez delivered four innings of one-hit ball, walking one, striking out four, and allowing one unearned run. Victor Zarraga earned the win after 3 1/3 innings, giving up two hits and one earned run while issuing three walks and striking out six. Braylon Myers picked up the save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two walks while striking out three. Columbia scored an unearned run in the top of the second when a runner came home from third on a groundout that was extended by an error. Myrtle Beach answered immediately. Carico and Lovich opened the bottom half with back-to-back singles, and Hernandez walked to load the bases. Valdez walked to force in Carico, and Diaz lifted a sacrifice fly to score Lovich. After a lineout, Ty Southisene was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, and Lumpuy lined a two-run double to right field to make it 4-1. The Fireflies pulled within two with an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, but Myers stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout to end the threat and retired Columbia in order in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ty Southisene, SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 Alexey Lumpuy, CF 4 0 2 2 0 0 Josiah Hartshorn, RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Michael Carico, 1B 4 1 2 0 0 0 Eli Lovich, LF 4 1 2 0 0 1 Alexis Hernandez, 2B 3 1 1 0 1 2 Derniche Valdez, 3B 3 1 1 1 1 0 Jairo Diaz, C 2 0 0 1 0 1 Edward Vargas, DH 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Edwardo Melendez 4.0 1 1 0 1 4 0 Victor Zarraga (W) 3 1/3 2 1 1 3 6 0 Braylon Myers (S) 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-3, 2B, K Kevin Alcantara: DNP Jonathon Long: 2-for-4, RBI Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 1-for-4, K, SB Kane Kepley: DNP Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-4 James Triantos: 2-for-4, R Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-3, BB Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 0-for-3 Erian Rodriguez: DNP View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (April 28 - 30) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 17-12 Series Opponent: Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals) Series Record: 2-1 April 28: Worcester was blown out in the first game of the series, 10-1, against the Rochester Red Wings. The WooSox bats had trouble getting anything going in this game, especially with runners on base, 0-6 RISP. Worcester’s only run of the game came in the first inning when Anthony Seigler hit an RBI groundout with the bases loaded. Everything else went downhill from there as the pitchers struggled to find any swing and misses. Kristian Campbell had a solid day at the plate, collecting two hits. Campbell showed improvement by hitting the ball hard, a 101.6 MPH lineout to the shortstop and a 102.5 MPH double to center. Jake Bennett was slated to start but was scratched in hopes of possibly making his debut with the big league club. Seth Martinez filled in and did not last very long this game as he threw three innings and gave up four runs. Veteran pitcher Tayron Guerrero continued to look excellent this season after throwing 1 ⅔ innings without giving up any runs to lower his ERA to 0.90. April 29: Postponed, makeup on April 30. April 30: With a busy day for Worcester as they played a doubleheader, the WooSox leaned on their pitching staff in the first game with a 4-3 win over the Red Wings in a 7-inning contest, and afterwards piled up 10 hits and 7 walks in a commanding 7-3 victory over the Red Wings in the second game of their doubleheader. The WooSox struck fast in the 1st, Nick Sogard led off with a single, Mickey Gasper walked, and a fielding error by Rochester loaded the bases with nobody out. Kristian Campbell drew an RBI walk to make it 1-0, and Allan Castro followed with a sacrifice fly to center to push it to 2-0. Worcester loaded the bases again with another walk to Vinny Capra, but Braiden Ward grounded out to strand three runners. The Red Wings hit a solo homer to make it a 2-1 game in the bottom half of the 1st. Matt Thaiss added insurance in the 2nd, launching a solo homer to center field, his second of the year, to extend the lead to 3-1. Worcester hit across one more run in the 3rd. Campbell singled, Tsung-Che Cheng singled to put runners on the corners, and Capra delivered with an RBI groundout to make it 4-1. Starter Alec Gamboa was very solid, pitching 5 ⅔ innings, striking out six, giving up just two earned runs and only one walk on 73 pitches to earn the win and improve to 1-1 on the season. Key Performances: Alec Gamboa: 5 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K Matt Thaiss: HR, R, RBI To start off the second game of the doubleheader, Vinny Capra set the tone immediately, drilling a solo homer to left in the 1st inning to put Worcester up 1-0. Capra was sensational all day, going 3-for-5 with a homer and two doubles, scoring twice. The 3rd inning blew the game open. Braiden Ward led off with a solo shot to right-center, his first homer of the season, which made it 2-0. Capra followed with a double, Kristian Campbell walked, then Anthony Seigler crushed a two-run double to center to push it to 4-0. Worcester kept adding on in the 4th, Jason Delay and Nathan Hickey drew back-to-back walks, and Mikey Romero singled to center to plate Delay for a 5-1 lead. In the 5th, Seigler led off with a triple ripped to right field, and Allan Castro singled him home. Delay followed with an RBI single of his own (deflected off the pitcher), which made it 7-1 to put the game completely out of reach. Key Performances: Angel Bastardo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 K Devin Sweet: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K Vinny Capra: 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 12-12 Series Opponent: Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) Series Record: 1-3 April 28: The Portland Sea Dogs lost a close game 2-1 to the Somerset Patriots. In an uneventful game for Portland, Franklin Arias stayed hot with a multi-hit day and brought in the Sea Dogs' only run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the 7th, tying the game 1-1. Although he suffered the loss, Gage Ziehl had a nice day on the mound. He threw seven innings, struck out three batters, unfortunately, the two runs he gave up were a couple of mistake pitches taken deep from a batter he could not find an answer for. Cooper Adams came into the game and threw a scoreless 8th inning. Key Performances: Franklin Arias: 2 H, RBI, SB Gage Ziehl: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 K April 29: It was a busy day at the office for the Portland Sea Dogs as they played a doubleheader makeup game from 4/5. They got crushed 13-1 in the first game and won the makeup game 6-5. For the first game, it was a nightmare outing for Portland's pitching staff, as the Somerset Patriots pounded out 15 hits and scored in five consecutive innings to run away with a 13-1 blowout in this seven-inning contest. The Sea Dogs managed just 4 hits all game and were never competitive after the third inning. Will Turner provided the lone bright spot, launching a solo homer to right-center in the top of the 3rd, his first of the season, to briefly cut the deficit to 3-1. But that was the only run Portland would muster. Turner also drew a walk in the 7th and finished as the only Sea Dog with an extra-base hit. In the second game (makeup game from 4/5), Portland gutted out a road win against Somerset, tagging a rehabbing Gerrit Cole before holding on late for a 6-5 victory in a seven-inning game. The Sea Dogs were shut down early. Cole looked sharp through three innings, retiring Portland in order in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings. The bats woke up in the 4th, Ronald Rosario broke through with a single, and Johanfran Garcia followed up and jumped on one, launching a two-run homer to left-center, his first of the year, which now flipped the game 2-1. Max Ferguson added another run for Portland with a solo blast to right field in the 5th to extend the lead to 3-1. Just like that, the Sea Dogs tagged Cole for 3 earned runs. Somerset clawed back later in the 5th inning to tie up the game 3-3. The 7th inning was where Portland seized the game, with two outs and nobody on, Nelly Taylor drew a walk to put a baserunner aboard. The bottom of the order would then explode. Ferguson laced a double to right to score Taylor, Will Turner doubled to right to score Ferguson, and Tyler McDonough doubled to right to score Turner. Three consecutive doubles, all hammered to right field. It was a stunning three-run rally with two outs that blew the game open 6-3. The Portland bullpen held on in the bottom half of the inning for a final score of 6-5. Key performances: Max Ferguson: HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI Johanfran Garcia: HR, 2 RBI April 30: Portland clawed back from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game in the top of the 9th, then watched the Patriots crush a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom half to end it 9-6. The Sea Dogs faced Carlos Rodon for his rehab assignment; the bats were quiet until the 8th inning. Miguel Bleis belted his second homer of the year off of Rodon in the 5th to make it 2-1 Somerset. Portland's bats finally erupted in the top of the 8th, Marvin Alcantara reached on a throwing error, Nate Baez singled, and Brooks Brannon unloaded a three-run homer to right-center to slash the deficit to 5-4 in one swing. Just like that, a game that had felt over was suddenly alive. Somerset added another run in the bottom of the 8th to make it 6-4 entering the 9th. The top of the 9th was pure magic. With one out, Ahbram Liendo drew a walk. Boston Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias stepped up and launched a two-run homer to center, his 8th of the season, to tie it 6-6. The comeback from 5-1 down was complete. Sadly, it fell apart in the bottom of the 9th when the Patriots walked it off with a three-run homer, 9-6. High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 13-11 Series Opponent: Hub City Spartanburgers (Texas Rangers) Series Record: 2-1 April 28: The Greenville Drive defeat the Hub City Spartanburgers 12-6 thanks to a seven-run inning. Down two runs entering the bottom of the 3rd inning, Justin Gonzales hit a single while Henry Godbout advanced him to third base with another single. Gonzales would then score due to a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, Jack Winnay tied the game 2-2 with a sacrifice fly. Yoeilin Cespedes stayed hot as he broke open the lead for Greenville with a three-run homer in the 6th to make it a 5-2 game, his fourth home run of the year. The Spartanburgers earned their first lead of the game in the top of the 8th with a four-run inning, 6-5 Hub City. The one-run deficit would not last long as Greenville had a monster seven-run 8th inning, hammering back-to-back-to-back homers. Yophery Rodriguez led off the inning and hit his third home run in the last four games. Gonzales and Godbout each followed up with solo shots to make it three home runs in a row. The Drive loaded the bases after Cespedes hit a single, Gerardo Rodriguez earned his third hit of the game with a single, and Isaiah Jackson. Freili Encarnacion came up to the plate and belted a grand slam to put Greenville on top with a commanding 12-6 lead. Jojo Ingrassia started on the mound and was not too sharp, finding the zone, walking four batters, and throwing 34 of 63 pitches for strikes. Although he had trouble finding the zone, he worked around the traffic on the bases, only giving up two runs in the three innings he pitched. Key Performances: Yophery Rodriguez: HR, 2 R, RBI, 2B, SB Yoeilin Cespedes: HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB Justin Gonzales: HR, 2 R, RBI, BB Freili Encarnacion: HR, 4 RBI, BB April 29: The Greenville Drive rallied for a thrilling 8-7 walk-off victory over the Hub City Spartanburgers in 10 innings. After trailing in the 10th, the Drive clawed back to walk it off. Down 2-0 entering the 2nd, Freili Encarnacion hammered a solo homer, his second homer in two straight days. Adonys Guzman followed up with a homer as well to tie the game and make it back-to-back home runs for Greenville. Yoeilin Cespedes continued to look incredible, hitting a solo shot in the 3rd inning to give the Drive a 3-2 lead. The Spartanburgers tied the game again, but Greenville did not let up as they scored another two runs in the 6th, Jack Winnay hit an RBI double, and Isaiah Jackson scored on a throwing error, 5-3 Drive. Hub City fought back in the 9th, tying the game 5-5 to head into extra innings. The Spartanburgers appeared to seize control in the 10th with a two-run blast, but Cespedes answered with a game-tying two-run homer of his own. Encarnacion then drove in the winning run on a force-out grounder to complete the comeback. Six total home runs were hit in the contest. Alex Bouchard came into the game to pitch the 3rd inning and still looked impressive as he threw 5 ⅓ innings, struck out four batters, and only gave up one run. Key Performances: Yoeilin Cespedes: 4-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI Jack Winnay: HR, 2B, R, RBI Freili Encarnacion: HR, 2 RBI Alex Bouchard: 5 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K April 30th: A frustrating night for Greenville, who were 0-for-12 with RISP in a 6-2 loss to the Hub City Spartanburgers. Gerardo Rodriguez brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to tie the game up 1-1 in the 1st. But the 2nd inning flipped the game. Red Sox 2025 1st round pick Kyson Witherspoon couldn't find the zone, walking two batters. The Spartanburgers then lined a three-run homer to center to give Hub City a 4-1 lead. Witherspoon was wild all night, 5 walks in just 2 ⅔ innings. He took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season. Jack Winnay drew an RBI walk in the 3rd inning to cut the deficit to 4-2 with the bases loaded and two outs. Mason White lined out, and the inning died. Justin Gonzales was one of the only bright spots, reaching base all five times and scoring both of Greenville's runs. Single-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 12-12 Series Opponent: Wilson Warbirds (Milwaukee Brewers) Series Record: 2-1 April 28: The RidgeYaks shut out the Wilson Warbirds 6-0 in the first game of the series. Salem scored six runs on only six hits, but they showed off the long ball this game. Starlyn Nunez led off the game with a walk, Luke Heyman followed up with a two-run homer to put the RidgeYaks on the scoreboard early 2-0. Andrews Opata gave Salem more breathing room with a sacrifice fly in the 3rd inning to make it a 3-0 game. Enddy Azocar collected two hits, including a solo home run in the 5th inning, to keep his seven-game hitting streak alive. In the 8th, Opata earned his second and third RBIs of the game by hitting a two-run homer. The RidgeYaks pitched excellently, led by Myles Patton and Jacob Mayers. Patton earned the win by throwing five innings, allowing two hits and striking out six batters. Mayers earned a four-inning save, struck out four batters, and allowed only one hit. Key Performances: Enddy Azocar: HR, 2 R, RBI Luke Heyman: HR, 2 RBI, BB Andrews Opata: HR, 3 RBI Myles Patton: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Jacob Mayers: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K April 29: A pitcher's duel through seven innings turned into heartbreak for Salem in the eighth, as the Wilson Warbirds exploded for four runs to pull away with a 5-1 win. The first seven innings were frustrating for the RidgeYaks; they managed just two hits, an Enddy Azocar double in the 1st inning and a D’Angelo Ortiz single in the 3rd. Salem kept shooting themselves in the foot; a strikeout-caught stealing double play killed a rally in the 3rd after Ortiz singled, and Ty Hodge grounded into a double play in the 5th with a runner on base. The RidgeYaks were 0-for-9 with RISP and had 5 LOB, which tells the story of the game for Salem. The real bright spot was starting pitcher Dylan Brown, who was brilliant, throwing 5 ⅔ innings, three hits, one unearned run, and seven strikeouts on 82 pitches. He kept Salem in the game and gave the offense every chance. April 30: The RidgeYaks erupt for 10 unanswered runs to stun the Warbirds 10-5. The first five innings were brutal; Salem's bats were asleep against the Warbirds pitchers. The RidgeYaks managed two singles from Starlyn Nunez and Enddy Azocar in the 1st inning but couldn't score, then went quietly in the 2nd through 5th. Starlyn Nunez tried to ignite the comeback, his solo homer to right in the 6th got Salem on the scoreboard 4-1, but Wilson answered back immediately with a homer to make it 5-1. Ty Hodge kept the pressure on with a solo shot in the 7th to cut it to 5-2. The 8th inning was electric for Salem. Anderson Fermin was hit by a pitch with one out. Nunez would then crush his second homer of the game, a two-run blast, and suddenly it was 5-4, a one-run game. Azocar singled, Heyman singled to put two on, and after a force out, moved runners to the corners with Kleyver Salazar at first. A passed ball tied the game up 5-5, and Salazar walked to load the bases. Hodge came through with a clutch two-run single to give Salem its first lead of the game at 7-5. Salem poured it on in the 9th for good measure. Nunez singled to make it his fourth hit of the game. Azocar singled, and Heyman demolished a three-run homer to left-center to blow it open 10-5. Ethan Walker deserves enormous credit for what he did on the mound. He entered in the 4th with the game at 3-0 and threw 5 ⅓ innings of two-run ball, striking out 9 on 74 pitches. He kept Salem in the game long enough for the bats to wake up and earned the win to improve to 2-1. Key Performances: Ethan Walker: 5 ⅓ IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 9 K Starlyn Nunez: 4-for-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI Enddy Azocar: 3-for-5, 2 R Luke Heyman: HR, 3 RBI Ty Hodge: HR, 3 RBI View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (April 28 - 30) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 17-12 Series Opponent: Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals) Series Record: 2-1 April 28: Worcester was blown out in the first game of the series, 10-1, against the Rochester Red Wings. The WooSox bats had trouble getting anything going in this game, especially with runners on base, 0-6 RISP. Worcester’s only run of the game came in the first inning when Anthony Seigler hit an RBI groundout with the bases loaded. Everything else went downhill from there as the pitchers struggled to find any swing and misses. Kristian Campbell had a solid day at the plate, collecting two hits. Campbell showed improvement by hitting the ball hard, a 101.6 MPH lineout to the shortstop and a 102.5 MPH double to center. Jake Bennett was slated to start but was scratched in hopes of possibly making his debut with the big league club. Seth Martinez filled in and did not last very long this game as he threw three innings and gave up four runs. Veteran pitcher Tayron Guerrero continued to look excellent this season after throwing 1 ⅔ innings without giving up any runs to lower his ERA to 0.90. April 29: Postponed, makeup on April 30. April 30: With a busy day for Worcester as they played a doubleheader, the WooSox leaned on their pitching staff in the first game with a 4-3 win over the Red Wings in a 7-inning contest, and afterwards piled up 10 hits and 7 walks in a commanding 7-3 victory over the Red Wings in the second game of their doubleheader. The WooSox struck fast in the 1st, Nick Sogard led off with a single, Mickey Gasper walked, and a fielding error by Rochester loaded the bases with nobody out. Kristian Campbell drew an RBI walk to make it 1-0, and Allan Castro followed with a sacrifice fly to center to push it to 2-0. Worcester loaded the bases again with another walk to Vinny Capra, but Braiden Ward grounded out to strand three runners. The Red Wings hit a solo homer to make it a 2-1 game in the bottom half of the 1st. Matt Thaiss added insurance in the 2nd, launching a solo homer to center field, his second of the year, to extend the lead to 3-1. Worcester hit across one more run in the 3rd. Campbell singled, Tsung-Che Cheng singled to put runners on the corners, and Capra delivered with an RBI groundout to make it 4-1. Starter Alec Gamboa was very solid, pitching 5 ⅔ innings, striking out six, giving up just two earned runs and only one walk on 73 pitches to earn the win and improve to 1-1 on the season. Key Performances: Alec Gamboa: 5 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K Matt Thaiss: HR, R, RBI To start off the second game of the doubleheader, Vinny Capra set the tone immediately, drilling a solo homer to left in the 1st inning to put Worcester up 1-0. Capra was sensational all day, going 3-for-5 with a homer and two doubles, scoring twice. The 3rd inning blew the game open. Braiden Ward led off with a solo shot to right-center, his first homer of the season, which made it 2-0. Capra followed with a double, Kristian Campbell walked, then Anthony Seigler crushed a two-run double to center to push it to 4-0. Worcester kept adding on in the 4th, Jason Delay and Nathan Hickey drew back-to-back walks, and Mikey Romero singled to center to plate Delay for a 5-1 lead. In the 5th, Seigler led off with a triple ripped to right field, and Allan Castro singled him home. Delay followed with an RBI single of his own (deflected off the pitcher), which made it 7-1 to put the game completely out of reach. Key Performances: Angel Bastardo: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 K Devin Sweet: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K Vinny Capra: 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 12-12 Series Opponent: Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) Series Record: 1-3 April 28: The Portland Sea Dogs lost a close game 2-1 to the Somerset Patriots. In an uneventful game for Portland, Franklin Arias stayed hot with a multi-hit day and brought in the Sea Dogs' only run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the 7th, tying the game 1-1. Although he suffered the loss, Gage Ziehl had a nice day on the mound. He threw seven innings, struck out three batters, unfortunately, the two runs he gave up were a couple of mistake pitches taken deep from a batter he could not find an answer for. Cooper Adams came into the game and threw a scoreless 8th inning. Key Performances: Franklin Arias: 2 H, RBI, SB Gage Ziehl: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 K April 29: It was a busy day at the office for the Portland Sea Dogs as they played a doubleheader makeup game from 4/5. They got crushed 13-1 in the first game and won the makeup game 6-5. For the first game, it was a nightmare outing for Portland's pitching staff, as the Somerset Patriots pounded out 15 hits and scored in five consecutive innings to run away with a 13-1 blowout in this seven-inning contest. The Sea Dogs managed just 4 hits all game and were never competitive after the third inning. Will Turner provided the lone bright spot, launching a solo homer to right-center in the top of the 3rd, his first of the season, to briefly cut the deficit to 3-1. But that was the only run Portland would muster. Turner also drew a walk in the 7th and finished as the only Sea Dog with an extra-base hit. In the second game (makeup game from 4/5), Portland gutted out a road win against Somerset, tagging a rehabbing Gerrit Cole before holding on late for a 6-5 victory in a seven-inning game. The Sea Dogs were shut down early. Cole looked sharp through three innings, retiring Portland in order in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings. The bats woke up in the 4th, Ronald Rosario broke through with a single, and Johanfran Garcia followed up and jumped on one, launching a two-run homer to left-center, his first of the year, which now flipped the game 2-1. Max Ferguson added another run for Portland with a solo blast to right field in the 5th to extend the lead to 3-1. Just like that, the Sea Dogs tagged Cole for 3 earned runs. Somerset clawed back later in the 5th inning to tie up the game 3-3. The 7th inning was where Portland seized the game, with two outs and nobody on, Nelly Taylor drew a walk to put a baserunner aboard. The bottom of the order would then explode. Ferguson laced a double to right to score Taylor, Will Turner doubled to right to score Ferguson, and Tyler McDonough doubled to right to score Turner. Three consecutive doubles, all hammered to right field. It was a stunning three-run rally with two outs that blew the game open 6-3. The Portland bullpen held on in the bottom half of the inning for a final score of 6-5. Key performances: Max Ferguson: HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI Johanfran Garcia: HR, 2 RBI April 30: Portland clawed back from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game in the top of the 9th, then watched the Patriots crush a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom half to end it 9-6. The Sea Dogs faced Carlos Rodon for his rehab assignment; the bats were quiet until the 8th inning. Miguel Bleis belted his second homer of the year off of Rodon in the 5th to make it 2-1 Somerset. Portland's bats finally erupted in the top of the 8th, Marvin Alcantara reached on a throwing error, Nate Baez singled, and Brooks Brannon unloaded a three-run homer to right-center to slash the deficit to 5-4 in one swing. Just like that, a game that had felt over was suddenly alive. Somerset added another run in the bottom of the 8th to make it 6-4 entering the 9th. The top of the 9th was pure magic. With one out, Ahbram Liendo drew a walk. Boston Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias stepped up and launched a two-run homer to center, his 8th of the season, to tie it 6-6. The comeback from 5-1 down was complete. Sadly, it fell apart in the bottom of the 9th when the Patriots walked it off with a three-run homer, 9-6. High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 13-11 Series Opponent: Hub City Spartanburgers (Texas Rangers) Series Record: 2-1 April 28: The Greenville Drive defeat the Hub City Spartanburgers 12-6 thanks to a seven-run inning. Down two runs entering the bottom of the 3rd inning, Justin Gonzales hit a single while Henry Godbout advanced him to third base with another single. Gonzales would then score due to a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, Jack Winnay tied the game 2-2 with a sacrifice fly. Yoeilin Cespedes stayed hot as he broke open the lead for Greenville with a three-run homer in the 6th to make it a 5-2 game, his fourth home run of the year. The Spartanburgers earned their first lead of the game in the top of the 8th with a four-run inning, 6-5 Hub City. The one-run deficit would not last long as Greenville had a monster seven-run 8th inning, hammering back-to-back-to-back homers. Yophery Rodriguez led off the inning and hit his third home run in the last four games. Gonzales and Godbout each followed up with solo shots to make it three home runs in a row. The Drive loaded the bases after Cespedes hit a single, Gerardo Rodriguez earned his third hit of the game with a single, and Isaiah Jackson. Freili Encarnacion came up to the plate and belted a grand slam to put Greenville on top with a commanding 12-6 lead. Jojo Ingrassia started on the mound and was not too sharp, finding the zone, walking four batters, and throwing 34 of 63 pitches for strikes. Although he had trouble finding the zone, he worked around the traffic on the bases, only giving up two runs in the three innings he pitched. Key Performances: Yophery Rodriguez: HR, 2 R, RBI, 2B, SB Yoeilin Cespedes: HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB Justin Gonzales: HR, 2 R, RBI, BB Freili Encarnacion: HR, 4 RBI, BB April 29: The Greenville Drive rallied for a thrilling 8-7 walk-off victory over the Hub City Spartanburgers in 10 innings. After trailing in the 10th, the Drive clawed back to walk it off. Down 2-0 entering the 2nd, Freili Encarnacion hammered a solo homer, his second homer in two straight days. Adonys Guzman followed up with a homer as well to tie the game and make it back-to-back home runs for Greenville. Yoeilin Cespedes continued to look incredible, hitting a solo shot in the 3rd inning to give the Drive a 3-2 lead. The Spartanburgers tied the game again, but Greenville did not let up as they scored another two runs in the 6th, Jack Winnay hit an RBI double, and Isaiah Jackson scored on a throwing error, 5-3 Drive. Hub City fought back in the 9th, tying the game 5-5 to head into extra innings. The Spartanburgers appeared to seize control in the 10th with a two-run blast, but Cespedes answered with a game-tying two-run homer of his own. Encarnacion then drove in the winning run on a force-out grounder to complete the comeback. Six total home runs were hit in the contest. Alex Bouchard came into the game to pitch the 3rd inning and still looked impressive as he threw 5 ⅓ innings, struck out four batters, and only gave up one run. Key Performances: Yoeilin Cespedes: 4-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI Jack Winnay: HR, 2B, R, RBI Freili Encarnacion: HR, 2 RBI Alex Bouchard: 5 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K April 30th: A frustrating night for Greenville, who were 0-for-12 with RISP in a 6-2 loss to the Hub City Spartanburgers. Gerardo Rodriguez brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to tie the game up 1-1 in the 1st. But the 2nd inning flipped the game. Red Sox 2025 1st round pick Kyson Witherspoon couldn't find the zone, walking two batters. The Spartanburgers then lined a three-run homer to center to give Hub City a 4-1 lead. Witherspoon was wild all night, 5 walks in just 2 ⅔ innings. He took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season. Jack Winnay drew an RBI walk in the 3rd inning to cut the deficit to 4-2 with the bases loaded and two outs. Mason White lined out, and the inning died. Justin Gonzales was one of the only bright spots, reaching base all five times and scoring both of Greenville's runs. Single-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 12-12 Series Opponent: Wilson Warbirds (Milwaukee Brewers) Series Record: 2-1 April 28: The RidgeYaks shut out the Wilson Warbirds 6-0 in the first game of the series. Salem scored six runs on only six hits, but they showed off the long ball this game. Starlyn Nunez led off the game with a walk, Luke Heyman followed up with a two-run homer to put the RidgeYaks on the scoreboard early 2-0. Andrews Opata gave Salem more breathing room with a sacrifice fly in the 3rd inning to make it a 3-0 game. Enddy Azocar collected two hits, including a solo home run in the 5th inning, to keep his seven-game hitting streak alive. In the 8th, Opata earned his second and third RBIs of the game by hitting a two-run homer. The RidgeYaks pitched excellently, led by Myles Patton and Jacob Mayers. Patton earned the win by throwing five innings, allowing two hits and striking out six batters. Mayers earned a four-inning save, struck out four batters, and allowed only one hit. Key Performances: Enddy Azocar: HR, 2 R, RBI Luke Heyman: HR, 2 RBI, BB Andrews Opata: HR, 3 RBI Myles Patton: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Jacob Mayers: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K April 29: A pitcher's duel through seven innings turned into heartbreak for Salem in the eighth, as the Wilson Warbirds exploded for four runs to pull away with a 5-1 win. The first seven innings were frustrating for the RidgeYaks; they managed just two hits, an Enddy Azocar double in the 1st inning and a D’Angelo Ortiz single in the 3rd. Salem kept shooting themselves in the foot; a strikeout-caught stealing double play killed a rally in the 3rd after Ortiz singled, and Ty Hodge grounded into a double play in the 5th with a runner on base. The RidgeYaks were 0-for-9 with RISP and had 5 LOB, which tells the story of the game for Salem. The real bright spot was starting pitcher Dylan Brown, who was brilliant, throwing 5 ⅔ innings, three hits, one unearned run, and seven strikeouts on 82 pitches. He kept Salem in the game and gave the offense every chance. April 30: The RidgeYaks erupt for 10 unanswered runs to stun the Warbirds 10-5. The first five innings were brutal; Salem's bats were asleep against the Warbirds pitchers. The RidgeYaks managed two singles from Starlyn Nunez and Enddy Azocar in the 1st inning but couldn't score, then went quietly in the 2nd through 5th. Starlyn Nunez tried to ignite the comeback, his solo homer to right in the 6th got Salem on the scoreboard 4-1, but Wilson answered back immediately with a homer to make it 5-1. Ty Hodge kept the pressure on with a solo shot in the 7th to cut it to 5-2. The 8th inning was electric for Salem. Anderson Fermin was hit by a pitch with one out. Nunez would then crush his second homer of the game, a two-run blast, and suddenly it was 5-4, a one-run game. Azocar singled, Heyman singled to put two on, and after a force out, moved runners to the corners with Kleyver Salazar at first. A passed ball tied the game up 5-5, and Salazar walked to load the bases. Hodge came through with a clutch two-run single to give Salem its first lead of the game at 7-5. Salem poured it on in the 9th for good measure. Nunez singled to make it his fourth hit of the game. Azocar singled, and Heyman demolished a three-run homer to left-center to blow it open 10-5. Ethan Walker deserves enormous credit for what he did on the mound. He entered in the 4th with the game at 3-0 and threw 5 ⅓ innings of two-run ball, striking out 9 on 74 pitches. He kept Salem in the game long enough for the bats to wake up and earned the win to improve to 2-1. Key Performances: Ethan Walker: 5 ⅓ IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 9 K Starlyn Nunez: 4-for-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI Enddy Azocar: 3-for-5, 2 R Luke Heyman: HR, 3 RBI Ty Hodge: HR, 3 RBI View the full article

The New York Mets have some top-end prospect names who could be making their Big Apple debut soon. Jonah Tong has one of the better K/9 marks in all of minor league baseball, A.J. Ewing continues to showcase his flashing speed upon his Triple-A promotion, and Dylan Ross looks like he could be a lockdown reliever. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays' pitching staff has been a tale of two extremes. There have been some outstanding performances by the guys in this article, but then there have been absolute snoozefests like Brendon Little and his 24.55 ERA. All the injuries the staff has endured haven't helped matters. Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, Shane Bieber, Yimi García, and Bowden Francis all started the season on the injury list. However, Yesavage made his first start of the season on April 28, and Berríos is making rehab starts with a return to the Blue Jays in sight. Unfortunately, more pitchers have joined the injury list. Cody Ponce suffered an ACL injury in his first start this season, and, more recently, Max Scherzer was added to the injury list with forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. Eric Lauer has been filling in as a member of the starting rotation, but he's struggled with a 6.00 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP, and a 20:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 27 innings. The Blue Jays were so desperate for arms that they signed Patrick Corbin in free agency, a name no Blue Jays fan thought they'd see on the team. His first start was rough, allowing four earned runs to the Minnesota Twins, but he has settled down since then, allowing only four earned runs over three starts. However, that's enough doom and gloom. These were the bright spots on the Blue Jays' pitching staff in March and April. Honourable Mentions Braydon Fisher - 17 IP, 1.59 ERA, 16 K, 6 BB, 4 holds, 3.25 FIP In his second MLB season, Braydon Fisher has been thrust into high-leverage situations at times, converting four holds in 13 relief appearances. His latest high-leverage situation was on April 29 against the Boston Red Sox. He replaced Lauer in the fifth inning of a 5-1 game with the bases loaded and one out. The first batter up was Willson Contreras, who already had homered in the game, but Fisher got Contreras to line into a double play. His four holds are one short of last year's total, when he made 51 relief appearances. The one issue Fisher has had is allowing free passes. He has a 2.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is fewer than his 3.26 ratio last season. However, Fisher has proven to be able to get out of innings with runners on base. Kevin Gausman - 40.2 IP, 3.10 ERA, 40 K, 8 BB, 3.35 FIP Kevin Gausman has been a prototypical ace, delivering dominant performances to start the season. He has thrown six innings or more in four of his seven starts and was able to keep his pitch count under 92 in each of those four games. In three of those, he didn't walk a batter, which supported his low pitch count. The ace accumulated 21 strikeouts through his first two starts, but that was against the Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Over his next five starts, he totaled 19 strikeouts, though he faced some tougher competition: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. March/April Pitchers of the Month #3 - Tyler Rogers - 15.1 IP, 0.59 ERA, 8 K, 4 BB, 7 holds, 2.87 FIP The submariner, Tyler Rogers, has been electric since signing with Toronto in free agency, allowing only one earned run this season. His deceptive arm motion usually leads to a high strikeout-to-walk rate, but this season, his 6.8 percent K-BB% is a career low over his eight MLB seasons. Though the sample is small, this is just the second time that rate has been below 12.5 percent. Rogers was a candidate to close games once Jeff Hoffman was removed from the role, but Louis Varland has seemingly been cemented into the closer role. This setup allows Rogers to continue thriving, entering the game in the eighth inning and helping to hold the lead. #2 - Dylan Cease - 31.1 IP, 2.87 ERA, 49 K, 17 BB, 1.82 FIP Dylan Cease has been worth every penny the Blue Jays gave him in the offseason. He ranks fourth in strikeouts among all MLB starting pitchers, but he's the only one to have thrown 12 strikeouts in a game twice. In fact, there's only been one other pitcher to strike out 12 batters in a game, the Brewers' Kyle Harrison. Allowing walks has always been a struggle for Cease, and this season is no different. He's given up two or more free passes in all six of his starts. With the high walk and strikeout totals, the righty builds up a high pitch count, which means he has only pitched six innings once. However, he's thrown more than 165 innings in five straight seasons, so he should continue to provide a Blue Jays team that's bleeding from injuries with a stable top-of-the-rotation arm. #1 - Louis Varland - 16 IP, 0.56 ERA, 26 K, 4 BB, 3 holds, 4 saves, 0.62 FIP The MVP of the bullpen has been Louis Varland. He has been thrust into games in high-leverage, mid-inning situations and has been outstanding. It's not his first time being used in high-leverage situations, as he had 17 holds for the Minnesota Twins over 49 innings before being traded to the Blue Jays at last season's trade deadline. Though it's come in a small sample, his 43.3 strikeout percentage is a career high over his five MLB seasons. His success has made him the man to take over the ninth inning after Hoffman's struggles got him removed from the closer role. Varland has converted all four of his save chances while allowing only one run and striking out seven in those outings. He has a firm grasp on the role and doesn't look like he'll relinquish his duties anytime soon. View the full article

It is Jake Bennett's day. The Boston Red Sox called up Bennett, a left-hander, from Triple-A Worcester to make his MLB debut as the starter in Friday's game against the Houston Astros. Infielder Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday. Bennett, Talk Sox's No. 12 prospect, was acquired from the Washington Nationals in the offseason in a trade for another top prospect, right-hander Luis Perales. In five starts at Worcester, Bennett had a sparkling 0.86 ERA in 21 innings, allowed just three runs (two earned) on 12 hits with three walks and 16 strikeouts. He has a chance to stick in the rotation with the recent injury to ace Garrett Crochet. Bennett was a second-round pick of the Nationals in 2022 out of Oklahoma. Bennett missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2023. He returned in 2025 to appear in 19 games (one in relief) and compiled a 2.27 ERA in 75⅓ innings with 19 walks and 64 strikeouts. View the full article

Jeremiah Estrada's stay on the injured list wasn't very long. The right-handed reliever was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday by the San Diego Padres, who formally announced right-handed reliever David Morgan being optioned to Triple-A El Paso, which happened Thursday. Estrada, a vital piece of the Friars' bullpen, had been on the IL since April 10 with tendinitis in his right elbow. He made just two rehab appearances, one last Friday for Low-A Lake Elsinore and another Tuesday for El Paso. Estrada pitched one inning in each appearance and didn't allow a hit or a run, walking one and striking out two combined. Estrada's velocity, which in part led to his IL placement, was back to its regular upper 90s after being about 5 mph slower before going on the IL. Activating Estrada still leaves left-hander Yuki Matsui on the verge of returning from his strained left groin. Matsui's rehab assignment started April 4, meaning it runs through this weekend before expiring. View the full article

The Mets' odorous play of late (and beyond late, at this point) hasn't really been the result of health mishaps, but injuries are starting to mount. Interestingly, they have been bringing in a series of veteran reinforcements in the infield department, both at the MLB and minor-league levels. The redundancy has led to speculation in the Mets Roster Central Ranks. Is this all simply to fill in gaps for injured players or is some dealing in the works? Transactions, 4/27/2026 COMING Signed away from Veracruz (Mexican League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Binghamton Infielders TT Bowens R/R DoB: 1998-05-27 High Level: AAA (2026) Joining Binghamton will be new shortstop TT Bowens. While his name speaks of some legendary Nashville picker of the Ryman Auditorium stage, TT (Terry) hails from Connecticut by way of an extended tenure with the Orioles organization. His Baby Bird career was marked by alternating seasons of excellence and disaster. Really — he'd have seasons of OPSes in the .800s followed by campaigns in the .300s. Let's hope his glove was enough to keep his career going in those lean times — although he mostly plays corner spots. Scouts agree that he's big and strong (6'4", 240) and has excellent teeth. Transactions, 4/29/2026 COMING COMING Signed away from Southern Maryland (Atlantic League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to St. Lucie Cleared Waivers, Assigned to Syracuse Infielders Outfielders Jamari Baylor Tommy Pham R/R DoB: 2000-08-25 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 32210 High Level: MLB (2026) Oft-observed here is that Tommy Pham never really got a pre-season, and while his failures as 2026 Met are certainly noted, he kind of was set up to fail. So it's good to see him clear waivers and get a chance to get some work in. If he joins the big-league club again, hopefully it is with his game honed. MLB injuries creating a sucking effect throughout the minors. When a guy is promoted from AAA to fill in for Flushing, somebody has to be promoted from every level to fill in at the level above, often pushing someone beyond their depth. But never fear, St. Lucie has added 25-year-old shortstop Jamari Baylor, exile from three MLB organizations and two Atlantic League clubs. Jamari hadn't had an employer yet this season, so his stay at St. Lucie is probably a temporary assignment to get in shape for a stint in the upper minors that may or may not come. Jamari profiled through most of his career as a plus runner who worked counts well and avoided strikeouts, but last year in The Atlantic League, he started aiming for the fences, and while his strikeouts ballooned to 100 in 98 games, he became one of the league's top hitters with an eye-opening .303 / .421 / .552 // .973 line, slugging 21 homers and driving in 77. Fun Fact: One of Jamari's teammates with The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs was 2016 Met Alejandro De Aza, still grinding it out at 41 years old! Transactions, 4/30/2026 GOING GOING NEUTRAL COMING COMING Designated for Assignment Added to 10-Day Injured List Retroactive to April 26 with Lumbar Spine Disc Herniation Transferred from Infield Promoted from Syracuse Claimed off Waivers from SAC, Not Yet Activated Relief Pitchers Outfielders Outfielders Relief Pitchers Infielders Carl Edwards, Jr. Luis Robert, Jr. Brett Baty Austin Warren Andy Ibáñez R/R DoB: 33484 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 High Level: MLB (2026) L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026) COMING Promoted from Syracuse Infielders Eric Wagaman R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026) As the Mets closed out a disastrous (disastrous!) April, the organization made a pile changes to the player roster as all eyes looked to manager's office. Luis Robert, for whom an extended outage is expected, has been replaced by backup corner infielder Eric Wagaman, who tends to hit like a backup shortstop, and we had falsely expected was to reside in Syracuse until a BREAK GLASS alarm went off, but these times are perhaps more alarming than expected. This seemingly pushes underperforming (as if that is a distinguishing characteristic) infielder Brett Baty back to the outfield. Robert, it must be noted hits the Injured list having done and impressive job of finding his level in a small sample size: 2024: .657 OPS and 86 OPS+ in 425 PA 2025: .661 OPS and 85 OPS+ in 431 PA 2026: .655 OPS and 87 OPS+ in 98 PA One is tempted to make a cheap crack about water finding its level. But cheap is cheap and Luis ain't water. Please heal up and come back and stick it to the haters, Lu. Astounding no one, Carl Edwards, Jr. surrendering one paltry run in six innings while striking out 11 (!!) has ironically but predictably earned him a ticket on DFA train. Odds are high that he will have a new employer this time next week. We are happy to see the equally impressive Austin Warren back in uniform but will always deplore this depraved game of Reliever Roulette. After yesterday's debackle deboccle debacle, the Mets made a waiver claim on yet another infielder — Andy Ibáñez, who had struggled in sporadic use with the Athletics this year, but had a serviceable career going with the Tigers before that. A corresponding move is on the horizon, as Andy is out of options, so expect the Mets to (a) throw him right back on the waiver wire, (b) demote Ronny Maurcio, or perhaps (c) announce a deal (with Mauricio's contract being one of their more tradeable commodities). The remains of the day will tell us much, but it is clear that Ibáñez brings a strong diacritical markings game — with an accent acute followed by a tilde recalling fond memories of the back of Rey Ordóñez' jersey. But here at Mets Roster Central, we are seeing a strategy even more subtle than the Mets nakedly ambitious attempt to put lovers of punctuation in the seats. We are seeing a throwback to 2024 when the team added a late-career Cuban reserve secondbaseman at a similar point in the schedule and turned their season around. You heard it here first. Start saving for playoff tickets NOW!!!! 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 Ronny Mauricio MJ Melendez Marcus Semien 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: 2001-04-04 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 Infielders Outfielders Mark Vientos Eric Wagaman Brett Baty Carson Benge Austin Slater Juan Soto Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 R/R DoB: 35656 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 Andy Ibáñez Francisco Lindor 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 R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 With Syracuse on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse Not Yet Activated On 10-Day Injured List with Strained Left Calf Infielders 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 Carl Edwards, Jr. R/R DoB: 33484 DFA'd, 2026-04-30. 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

After a brutal start to the year, Kody Clemens is starting to find his footing. While he's not a household name, his skill set is one that this Twins team could use in the lineup every day. View the full article

David Shields and Drew Beam led a strong day on the mound for the Royals' affiliates. Shields struck out six over five scoreless innings as the Quad Cities River Bandits completed a doubleheader sweep of Wisconsin, and Beam tossed a quality start in Northwest Arkansas's 4-2 win over Springfield. Ramon Ramirez homered in game one and added two RBI in game two. The Omaha Storm Chasers walked off Louisville, and the Columbia Fireflies lost. Royals Transactions: No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Walk Off Bats With Two-Out Ninth-Inning Rally The Omaha Storm Chasers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Louisville Bats, 8-7. Trailing 7-5 entering the final frame after Louisville plated three unearned runs in the top half, Omaha mounted a two-out rally. With two outs, Tyler Tolbert singled, and Kameron Misner followed with a game-tying RBI single. Cleanup hitter Drew Waters then delivered the walk-off RBI single to bring home the winning run. Leadoff hitter John Rave got Omaha on the board first with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Waters reached base three times, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Luca Tresh provided the biggest blow before the ninth, launching a three-run homer in the eighth to put Omaha in front 6-4. Misner finished 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a stolen base, while Tolbert went 2-for-5 with a stolen base of his own. Abraham Toro added a triple, and Luke Maile drove in a run. Ryan Ramsey started and worked five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Shane Panzini gave up a two-run homer in his only inning of work. Anthony Gose and Chazz Martinez each tossed a scoreless frame. Steven Cruz earned the win despite blowing the save when his throwing error opened the door for three unearned runs in the ninth. Omaha left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave, RF 5 1 1 2 0 1 Tyler Tolbert, SS 5 1 2 0 0 1 Kameron Misner, CF 4 2 1 1 1 0 Drew Waters, LF 4 1 2 1 1 1 Luca Tresh, DH 4 1 1 3 0 1 Abraham Toro, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 0 Luke Maile, C 3 1 0 1 1 1 Josh Rojas, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Kevin Newman, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan Ramsey 5 4 2 2 4 2 0 Shane Panzini 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 Anthony Gose 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chazz Martinez 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Steven Cruz 1 3 3 0 0 2 0 Naturals Hold Off Cardinals Behind Beam's Quality Start The Northwest Arkansas Naturals defeated the Springfield Cardinals 4-2 behind a quality start from Drew Beam and timely two-out hitting. Beam tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits with two walks and a strikeout to earn his first win of the season. The Naturals broke through in the fourth inning. Brett Squires singled, Spencer Nivens followed with a double, and Canyon Brown's RBI groundout drove in the first run. Justin Johnson then delivered an RBI double to make it 2-0. Springfield got one back with an RBI single in the fifth, but Northwest Arkansas answered in the seventh with a two-out rally. Justin Johnson drew a leadoff walk, and after two strikeouts, Sam Kulasingam and Squires drew walks to load the bases. Nivens then ripped a two-run single to break the game open at 4-1. Nivens led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Justin Johnson finished 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Colton Becker reached base twice with a double and a walk, and Squires reached three times with a hit and two walks. Leadoff hitter Carson Roccaforte added a walk and a stolen base. Beam earned the win with his quality start. Dennis Colleran Jr. struck out two in a hitless seventh for the hold. Zachary Cawyer surrendered a run on two hits in the eighth, and Brandon Johnson struck out three to earn the save in a two-walk ninth. The Naturals stranded eight runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte, CF 2 0 0 0 1 2 Rudy Martin Jr., RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Sam Kulasingam, 2B 2 1 0 0 2 0 Brett Squires, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 2 Spencer Nivens, LF 4 1 2 2 0 2 Canyon Brown, C 4 0 0 1 0 2 Connor Scott, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 Colton Becker, SS 2 0 1 0 2 1 Justin Johnson, 3B 3 1 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Drew Beam 6 2 1 1 2 1 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Zachary Cawyer 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Brandon Johnson 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 River Bandits Pound Out 11 Runs With Four-Homer Second Inning In Game One The Quad Cities River Bandits exploded for 10 runs across the first two innings on their way to an 11-5 victory in game one of the doubleheader, hammering four home runs in a six-run second inning alone. After a four-run first capped by Derlin Figueroa's three-RBI double, Quad Cities turned the second into a homer derby. Tyriq Kemp led off with a solo shot. Cleanup hitter Ramon Ramirez followed with a three-run blast, scoring Nolan Sailors and Blake Mitchell. Austin Charles added a solo home run, and Figueroa capped it with a solo homer of his own. Figueroa finished 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and a walk. Charles went 2-for-3 with a triple, a home run, two RBI, three runs scored, and a walk. Cleanup hitter Ramirez added a 1-for-3 line with the three-run shot, two runs scored, and a walk. Kemp went 1-for-3 with the homer and a walk. Leadoff hitter Sailors added a double in a 1-for-5 line. Mitchell drew three walks and scored twice. Asbel Gonzalez walked twice, scored a run, and stole a base. Mason Miller started but exited after 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run on a hit with five walks and three strikeouts. Cory Ronan recorded one out and earned the win. Aiden Jimenez closed it with three innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, with two strikeouts to record his first save. The Quad Cities left five runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors, RF 5 1 1 0 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez, CF 2 1 0 0 2 0 Blake Mitchell, C 1 2 0 0 3 1 Ramon Ramirez, DH 3 2 1 3 1 0 Luke Pelzer, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 Austin Charles, SS 3 3 2 2 1 1 Derlin Figueroa, 3B 3 1 2 4 1 0 Jose Cerice, 1B 4 0 1 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp, 2B 3 1 1 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mason Miller 3 2/3 1 1 1 5 3 0 Cory Ronan 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Aiden Jimenez 3 7 4 4 0 2 2 Shields, Bullpen Combine For Two-Hit Shutout In Game Two David Shields was dominant on the mound as the Quad Cities River Bandits cruised to an 8-0 victory in game two of the doubleheader, completing a sweep of the Timber Rattlers. Shields fired five scoreless innings, scattering two hits with six strikeouts and two walks to earn his second win. Quad Cities scored in three different innings. Trevor Werner singled to start the third, Asbel Gonzalez and Blake Mitchell drew back-to-back walks, and Ramon Ramirez singled home Werner. Cleanup hitter Jose Cerice followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Gonzalez, and Luke Pelzer added an RBI single to score Mitchell. In the fifth, Cerice ripped a two-run single to plate Mitchell and Ramirez. The Bandits added three more in the sixth, when bases-loaded walks plated three runs after Charles, Werner, and Diego Guzman set the table. Cleanup hitter Cerice led the offense, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and a walk. Ramirez finished 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. Pelzer added two hits and an RBI. Austin Charles went 2-for-4. Mitchell reached base three times with a hit, two walks, two runs, and an RBI. Werner went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Gonzalez walked twice and scored. Behind Shields, Kamden Edge worked a hitless inning with a strikeout, and Yimi Presinal closed it with a walk-aided scoreless ninth. The trio combined for a two-hit shutout. The Bandits left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez, CF 2 1 0 0 2 2 Blake Mitchell, DH 2 2 1 1 2 0 Ramon Ramirez, C 3 1 2 2 1 0 Jose Cerice, 3B 2 0 1 3 1 0 Luke Pelzer, LF 4 0 2 1 0 1 Austin Charles, SS 4 1 2 0 0 0 Erick Torres, RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Trevor Werner, 1B 3 2 1 0 0 0 Diego Guzman, 2B 3 1 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 5 2 0 0 2 6 0 Kamden Edge 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Yimi Presinal 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Fireflies Fall To Pelicans After Four-Run Second Inning The Columbia Fireflies dropped a 4-2 decision to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, unable to recover from a four-run second inning that put them in an early hole. Columbia struck first at the top of the second. Yandel Ricardo doubled, Roni Cabrera walked, and Jhosmmel Zue's groundout drove in Ricardo for the early lead. The Pelicans answered with four runs in the bottom half. Hiro Wyatt was pulled mid-inning with the bases loaded after issuing a hit-by-pitch that forced in a run. All four runs were charged to him as earned. The Fireflies didn't get back on the board until the eighth, when leadoff hitter Henry Ramos reached and cleanup hitter Hyungchan Um lifted a sacrifice fly to plate him. Columbia couldn't muster anything in the ninth. Ricardo led the offense, finishing 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a walk. Josh Hammond added a hit in a 1-for-3 line with a walk. Zue went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Ramos walked, scored, and reached once. Cabrera drew a walk and stole a base. Wyatt took the loss after 1 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on two hits with two walks. Henson Leal stabilized things with 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with a strikeout. Brandon Herbold and Max Martin combined for three additional hitless and scoreless innings, striking out four batters between them. Columbia left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos, LF 3 1 0 0 1 0 Sean Gamble, CF 3 0 0 0 1 2 Josh Hammond, 3B 3 1 0 1 2 Hyungchan Um, C 3 0 0 1 0 1 Yandel Ricardo, SS 3 1 1 0 1 0 Stone Russell, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Roni Cabrera, RF 3 0 0 0 1 3 Jhosmmel Zue, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 1 Ivan Sosa, DH 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hiro Wyatt 1 2/3 2 4 4 2 0 0 Henson Leal 3 1/3 2 0 0 0 1 0 Brandon Herbold 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 Max Martin 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 Top-20 Royals Prospect Performances Carter Jensen — DNP Blake Mitchell — Game 1: 0-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K | Game 2: 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB David Shields — 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, W Kendry Chourio — DNP Ben Kudrna — DNP Sean Gamble — 0-for-3, 1 BB, 2 K Josh Hammond — 1-for-3, 1 BB, 2 K Ramon Ramirez — Game 1: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB | Game 2: 2-for-3, 1 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB Drew Beam — 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, W (Quality Start) Asbel Gonzalez — Game 1: 0-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB, SB | Game 2: 0-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K Yandel Ricardo — 1-for-3, 1 R, 2B, 1 BB Felix Arronde — DNP Luinder Avila — DNP Daniel Vazquez — DNP Steven Zobac — DNP Carson Roccaforte — 0-for-2, 1 BB, 2 K, SB Blake Wolters — DNP Michael Lombardi — DNP Warren Calcaño — DNP Frank Mozzicato — DNP View the full article

Coming off a gutsy road series win against the reigning World Series champions, AJ Ramos, Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout bring you the 100th episode in Fish Unfiltered history. They cover a ton of ground on this one, including Xavier Edwards' game-clinching double play on Wednesday, how the Miami Marlins will navigate high-leverage situations while Pete Fairbanks is on the shelf, putting Liam Hicks' breakout in historical context and what to expect from Don Mattingly as Philadelphia Phillies interim manager. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Next up for the Fish, they host Mattingly and the Phillies for a rare four-game wrap-around series, beginning on Friday and continuing through Monday. Last season, the Phillies went 9-4 against Miami in head-to-head competition. View the full article

Welcome to the season's first installment of Minor League Starting Pitchers of the Month here on Jays Centre! While Toronto's farm system hasn't exactly been at the top of the league for a few years now, things definitely appear to be trending upward, especially on the pitching side. Lately, the Blue Jays have acquired and developed arms like Trey Yesavage, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher in short order. Now, thanks in part to the work of key figures in the front office such as veteran amateur scouting director Marc Tramuta and pitching director Justin Lehr, their prospect pool is full of intriguing starters, especially in the lower levels of the minors. Here's who stood out from the first month of games in 2026. Honourable Mentions Richard Gallardo, RHP (AA): 4 GS, 17.0 IP, 1.06 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 4.77 xFIP, 24.4% CSW The underlying numbers suggest the 24-year-old Gallardo's microscopic ERA is a bit of a red herring, but he has still been the centerpiece for a New Hampshire rotation that doesn't currently have anyone else with an ERA under 4.20. The Blue Jays took him from the Cubs in the minor league portion of the 2024 Rule 5 draft, and he missed all of 2025 with an elbow injury, but he has come back strong. Thanks to his ability to pound the zone with a mid-90s sinker, he's running a 60% groundball rate for the Fisher Cats, and opponents are hitting just .176 against him. Landen Maroudis, RHP (A+): 5 GS, 16.0 IP, 1.69 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 5.07 xFIP, 24.2% CSW After losing more than a calendar year due to elbow surgery, the 2023 fourth-round pick has fared well in his first stretch outside the player development complex in Florida. FanGraphs gave him 55 future value grades on his sinker, changeup, and slider, and the fact that his walk rate is down to ~7% after control issues plagued him following his return from injury is a good sign. He's not overpowering and gets hitters out in a variety of different ways, although a next step for him would be to keep the ball down, as opposing hitters are elevating, hence the bloated xFIP. Still, this is a promising development for a pitcher coming off a major injury who wasn't quite himself upon his immediate return. Hitters are 5 for their last 32 against him. Top 3 #3. Daniel Guerra, RHP (A+): 5 GS, 24.1 IP, 2.22 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 3.50 xFIP, 32.6% CSW Signed as an 18-year-old minor league free agent from Venezuela back in 2022, Guerra has quickly become a riser on the edges of Toronto's system and a workhorse for the Vancouver Canadians. He first broke out last season with a solid year in Dunedin, and his promotion to the Northwest League, where he's still younger than the average pitcher, has been quite the success so far. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 230 lbs, he's striking out 34.7% of opposing hitters so far, armed with a powerful high-90s fastball. He failed to crack FanGraphs' preseason top 40 Jays prospects list due to his underdeveloped secondaries and high walk rates, but he's turning heads after an excellent start that included an 11-strikeout performance on April 16 and an 18-whiff outing on the 27th. #2. Johnny King, LHP (A+): 5 GS, 14.1 IP, 0.63 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 3.29 xFIP, 33.1% CSW It's been a while since the Blue Jays have drafted and developed a lefty starter. The jury's still out on whether hot draft commodities Ricky Tiedemann and Brandon Barriera can make the leap, but it's looking more and more like Johnny King could be that guy. The 2024 third-round pick out of high school jumped all the way to No. 4 in Baseball America's latest preseason ranking of the Jays' top 30 prospects, with BA diagnosing him as a viable mid-rotation option once he gets to the big leagues. He's walking too many batters at the moment but has been effective thanks to a 38.6% K rate in Vancouver. In Dunedin last year, his mid-90s fastball averaged 17.6" of iVB from a low slot, making it a swing-and-miss pitch thanks to its deceptive flight path. He doesn't even turn 20 until late July, but he already looks like the class of the pitching prospect pool now that Yesavage is back in the big leagues. #1. Nolan Perry, RHP (A): 4 GS (5 G), 21.0 IP, 1.71 ERA, 2.43 FIP, 2.58 xFIP, 33.0% CSW The unanimously unranked Perry is bursting onto the scene with Dunedin in 2026. If this keeps up, it'll be a remarkable player development victory for the Blue Jays, who drafted him out of high school in the 12th round in 2022 and signed him to a bonus worth only $200,000. He had Tommy John surgery late in 2024 and has taken off since his return, with a ludicrous 38.7% K-BB% so far. The movement on his 94-mph fastball might be even more deceptive than King's at the moment, with 18.1" of iVB from a similarly low slot on the other side of the mound. His mid-80s slider and massive high-70s curveball are both running swing-and-miss rates over 50% on the young season as well. We're still quite early into his ascension, but making the most out of late-round picks is a hallmark of a successful front office. Let's hope Perry continues to dominate. View the full article

Modern defensive metrics aren't particularly kind to Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. He's decidedly...average, if you believe what they say. Do you? Does it matter? I'm not sure if you heard...or remember...the Twins made a couple deals last summer at the deadline. The whole thing seemed to fly under the radar, almost unnoticed. So it might be time to look back at one of those deals, Louis Varland to Toronto. Thoughts on this largely unnoticed transaction? Narratives. They can change, but they sure drive perceptions. Time for your take. Get your comment on! View the full article

Kansas City Royals masher Jac Caglionone seems to be turning the corner with a much improved slash line compared to the one he put up in 2025, but his advanced analytics show that he's on the cusp of breaking out in 2026. In this video, we dive into his bat speed, and how he's used it to translate spikes in exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard-hit rate and more. We also touch on what he needs to improve on in order to make that next leap as a power hitter in today's game. View the full article

The opening month of the season ended on a high note, with the Brewers trouncing the Diamondbacks. There have been plenty of injuries to start the year, but there is still so much to look forward to in May. Here is a recap of three of the best community thread topics from the end of April: Brewers: 2026 Brewers Optimism! There are plenty of places on the internet for snark and cynicism, but not here. The optimism thread is where Brewer Fanatic shares unbridled enthusiasm for the current season. It is easy to find reasons to be excited when your glass is more than half full. For example, one poster noted Milwaukee went 76-40 after last season’s cribbage board giveaway night. This week, a group of intrepid fans tested American Family Field’s spaghetti policy. The result? A series win. Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio are both expected back from injuries this week. Tyler Black and Gary Sánchez will certainly maintain their 157 OPS+ until Yelich returns. Milwaukee already leads the division in run differential. It is only a matter of time before the Brewers retake the division lead. Optimism! Rumors: 2026 Trade/Waiver Targets Every fan dreams of becoming a general manager. This thread is the place to identify players the Brewers should consider claiming or trading for. Would acquiring Jeremy Peña from Houston to fill a near-term need at shortstop be brilliant or unwise? Peña already costs $9.4 million and becomes a free agent after next season. Is it too late for Trevor Megill to regain enough value for other teams to be interested? What about all of our first basemen? Could another team be interested in Bauers, Black, or Vaughn? Lastly, it seems like Milwaukee’s prospects are burning a hole in our collective pockets. As always, it would be fun to exchange surplus minor leaguers for big league help. Come share your ideas. Who would make the Brewers better? Minors: ACL Starts Saturday! The Arizona Complex League season starts tomorrow. This is where recent draft picks and international prospects make their stateside debut. There is plenty of buzz surrounding a number of players, but the clear consensus centers on the hype around Brailyn Antunez. Antunez is an 18-year-old outfielder from Maracaibo, Venezuela. The Brewers have seen impressive results with similar outfielders. Other names to watch include Alexander Frias, Kenny Fenelon, and Diustin Mayorquin. If you do not feel old enough today, most of Milwaukee’s ACL roster was born after Ryan Braun made his major league debut. It is a great day to be a Brewers fan at Brewer Fanatic! View the full article

Jack returns to the show as he and Spencer discuss the concern level for Angel Zerpa and Brandon Woodruff, who could step up on the pitching staff, the significance of how the Pirates pitched Garrett Mitchell, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

The Mets' affiliates posted a 4-1 night with a Syracuse doubleheader sweep of Lehigh Valley. Jack Wenninger fired five and two-thirds shutout innings in the 7-0 opener, and Ben Rortvedt's walkoff single scored Jihwan Bae in a 4-3, nine-inning nightcap. Binghamton beat New Hampshire 6-3 behind Kevin Parada's three hits and a Ben Simon save, and Brooklyn edged Frederick 2-1 on Antonio Jimenez's steal of home. St. Lucie fell 8-5 in Tampa. Mets Transactions New York Mets designated RHP Carl Edwards Jr. for assignment. New York Mets placed CF Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 27, 2026. Lumbar spine disc herniation. New York Mets claimed 2B Andy Ibáñez off waivers from Athletics. New York Mets recalled RHP Austin Warren from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets recalled 1B Eric Wagaman from Syracuse Mets. Wenninger Spins Five-Plus Shutout Innings In Syracuse Romp Syracuse jumped on Lehigh Valley early and rode dominant pitching to a 7-0 win in the doubleheader opener. Christian Arroyo, hitting cleanup, went 3-for-4, and Jihwan Bae went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Vidal Bruján added a double, two RBI, and a stolen base. The Mets opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, when A.J. Ewing led off with a hit, took third on Nick Morabito reaching base, and scored on Arroyo's single for an early 1-0 advantage. The decisive blow came in the bottom of the third, when an Arroyo single, a Bruján double aided by an IronPigs fielding error, and a Hayden Senger two-run single produced a four-run rally. Two more runs in the fifth came on a Bruján double and a Senger groundout. Jack Wenninger took the mound and dominated, holding Lehigh Valley to four hits across five and two-thirds innings while striking out seven, walking none, and allowing no runs. Jonathan Pintaro followed with one and one-third clean innings, fanning two without surrendering a baserunner to lock down the combined shutout. Ewing finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Bae went a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run. Senger drove in two of his own. Ryan Clifford and Morabito were both held hitless but reached base. Syracuse drew just one walk, struck out six times, and stranded six runners, but capitalized on every Lehigh Valley mistake to roll to the win. Syracuse Hitting (Game 1) Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 4 2 2 0 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 1 0 0 0 1 Ryan Clifford 3 0 0 0 1 2 Christian Arroyo 4 1 3 1 0 1 Vidal Bruján 3 2 1 2 0 0 Ji Hwan Bae 3 1 3 1 0 0 Cristian Pache 1 0 0 0 0 0 Hayden Senger 3 0 1 2 0 1 Jackson Cluff 3 0 0 0 0 1 Syracuse Pitching (Game 1) Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Wenninger (W) 5 2/3 4 0 0 0 7 0 Jonathan Pintaro 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Rortvedt's Walkoff Single Caps Syracuse Sweep In Extras Syracuse completed the doubleheader sweep with a 4-3 walkoff in nine innings, Ben Rortvedt punching a single up the middle to score Jihwan Bae from third base for the winning run. Bae had been installed at second base as the zombie runner to start the bottom of the ninth, and a Cristian Pache sacrifice bunt advanced him to third before Rortvedt's heroics closed it out with two outs. The Mets opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth, when Bruján singled, and Bae doubled him in. They added another run in the fifth on Ewing's single and a Nick Morabito double. Lehigh Valley pulled even with two runs in the top of the sixth before each side traded a zombie-aided run in the eighth, with a Bruján double driving home Morabito to lock things at 3-3. Daniel Duarte and Dan Hammer combined for four scoreless innings of one-hit pitching to open the game. Ryan Lambert spun a clean fifth, while Dylan Ross was charged with two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning during the sixth-inning Lehigh Valley rally. Alex Carrillo struck out four across one and one-third strong innings, and Mike Baumann earned the win with two innings of one-run, no-earned-run work that included two strikeouts and a walk while holding the zombie runner damage to a single tally in the eighth. Bruján, hitting cleanup, went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Bae also went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a stolen base. Ewing matched that 2-for-4 line at the top of the order, and Morabito went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Syracuse struck out 12 times as a team but stranded only seven, capitalizing on the timely hits when they came. Syracuse Hitting (Game 2) Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 4 1 2 0 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 1 1 1 0 1 Ryan Clifford 4 0 0 0 0 3 Vidal Bruján 4 1 2 1 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae 4 1 2 1 0 1 Cristian Pache 3 0 0 0 0 3 Yonny Hernández 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ben Rortvedt 4 0 1 1 0 1 Jackson Cluff 3 0 0 0 0 1 Syracuse Pitching (Game 2) Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daniel Duarte 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Dan Hammer 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Lambert 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Dylan Ross 2/3 1 2 2 2 1 0 Alex Carrillo 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 4 0 Mike Baumann (W) 2 1 1 0 1 2 0 Binghamton Powers Past New Hampshire In 6-3 Win Binghamton broke through with a three-run fifth inning to seize the lead and tacked on insurance late, beating New Hampshire 6-3. Kevin Parada, hitting cleanup, anchored the offense at 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. TT Bowens added a 2-for-5 line with two doubles and a stolen base of his own. The Mets fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first on a leadoff home run, and the deficit grew to 2-0 when an extra-base hit and an RBI single in the third put the Fisher Cats up by two. Binghamton pulled one back in the top of the fourth on Parada's double, a Nick Lorusso single, a Matt Rudick walk, and a Wyatt Young sacrifice fly. The decisive frame came in the top of the fifth: Eli Serrano III and Chris Suero drew walks, Jose Ramos lashed an RBI single to plate Serrano, Parada singled in Suero, Bowens reached on a fielding error, and Rudick added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 4-2. Brendan Girton allowed two runs across his four innings of work, surrendering a leadoff homer in the first and a run in the third while striking out three and walking none. Zach Peek and Douglas Orellana each tossed a clean inning, Matt Turner spun two scoreless frames in the middle while striking out four and walking two, and Ben Simon worked the ninth for the save, allowing one run on two hits. Binghamton padded the lead with two more runs in the eighth, when Young was hit by a pitch, Diego Mosquera singled, Serrano III drove Young home with a single, and Suero forced Mosquera home on a fielder's choice. Serrano III finished 1-for-3 with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored, and the Rumble Ponies drew eight walks while striking out 14 times in the win. Binghamton Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 3 1 1 1 2 1 Chris Suero 4 1 0 1 1 2 Jose Ramos 5 1 1 1 0 2 Kevin Parada 5 1 3 1 0 1 Nick Lorusso 4 0 1 0 1 2 TT Bowens 5 0 2 0 0 2 Matt Rudick 2 0 0 1 2 1 Wyatt Young 1 1 0 1 2 1 Diego Mosquera 4 1 1 0 0 2 Binghamton Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton (W) 4 7 2 2 0 3 1 Zach Peek 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Matt Turner 2 0 0 0 2 4 0 Douglas Orellana 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Ben Simon (S) 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Jimenez Steals Home For Brooklyn In Tight 2-1 Win Brooklyn won a 2-1 pitcher's duel at MCU Park on a daring eighth-inning steal of home by Antonio Jimenez and a group pitching effort that limited Frederick to one earned run. Irving Cota fired five scoreless innings to start, allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out three. Cristofer Gomez delivered two innings of one-run relief while fanning three, and Dakota Hawkins closed out the win with two clean frames that included two strikeouts and no walks. Frederick broke through first in the top of the sixth, when a leadoff walk and a single set up a sacrifice fly that put the Cyclones behind 1-0. Brooklyn answered in the bottom of the seventh: Daiverson Gutierrez doubled to lead off the inning, Trace Willhoite drew a one-out walk, and Kevin Villavicencio lined a one-out double down the line that brought Gutierrez home to tie it. The eighth produced one of the more memorable plays of the night. Jimenez led off with a single, advanced to third on a John Bay groundout, and stole home during a Ronald Hernandez at-bat that ended in a strikeout, putting the Cyclones up 2-1. Hawkins handled the final two innings without trouble, locking down the one-run lead. Villavicencio finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI, the only multi-hit game on either side. Jimenez went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and the run scored, and Bay added a double of his own. Brooklyn drew just one walk, struck out 10 times, and stranded five runners, but the pitching staff held Frederick to one run despite issuing three free passes to keep the Cyclones in front through the late frames. Brooklyn Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 4 1 1 0 0 1 John Bay 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 1 Trace Willhoite 1 0 0 0 1 1 Vincent Perozo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 2 1 0 0 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 0 0 0 2 Brooklyn Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Irving Cota 5 2 0 0 2 3 0 Cristofer Gomez 2 1 1 1 1 3 0 Dakota Hawkins (W) 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 St. Lucie Falls 8-5 At Tampa St. Lucie ran into trouble early at Tampa and could not climb back, falling 8-5. The Mets jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the first when Randy Guzman launched a two-out solo home run to left, but Tampa answered with a three-run bottom half on a leadoff hit-by-pitch, an RBI double, and a two-run home run. The Tarpons added three more in the second on three hits and a wild pitch, including a two-RBI single that pushed the lead to 6-1. R.J. Gordon was tagged with the loss after surrendering five earned runs on four hits in one and one-third innings, including the two-run home run during the second-inning rally. Joe Scarborough started and worked two scoreless innings, walking two but allowing only two singles. Tyler McLoughlin followed with one and two-thirds innings of one-run, three-strikeout work, and Joel Lara wrapped up with three innings of two-run, two-strikeout relief. St. Lucie chipped away with single tallies in the third, fourth, and fifth, and added a final run in the top of the eighth on AJ Salgado's two-out solo home run. Sam Robertson, Elian Peña, and AJ Salgado all turned in multi-hit games. Robertson went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, Peña went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored, and Salgado finished 2-for-4 with the home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. Guzman, hitting third, went 2-for-3 with the early home run, an RBI, and two walks. Newly recalled Jamari Baylor went hitless but drew a walk in his three trips. The Mets out-hit Tampa 10-9 but committed early defensive mistakes that proved costly. St. Lucie Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 2 2 0 0 1 JT Benson 4 0 0 1 0 1 Randy Guzman 3 1 2 1 2 0 Julio Zayas 5 0 1 0 0 1 AJ Salgado 4 2 2 1 0 0 Simon Juan 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jamari Baylor 3 0 0 0 1 2 Sam Robertson 4 0 3 1 0 0 Branny De Oleo 4 0 0 0 0 0 St. Lucie Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joe Scarborough 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 R.J. Gordon (L) 1 1/3 4 5 5 0 2 1 Tyler McLoughlin 1 2/3 1 1 1 2 3 0 Joel Lara 3 2 2 2 2 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 4-for-8, 3 R, SB Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-7, BB, 5 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Jack Wenninger: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (W) Elian Pena: 2-for-4, 2 R, SB, K Mitch Voit: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-6, 2B, RBI, SB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, K Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Dylan Ross: 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-4, R, SB, K R.J. Gordon: 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR (L) View the full article

As expected, the San Diego Padres have one of the best corps of relief pitchers in Major League Baseball. Their 4.15 ERA ranks surprisingly in the middle of the road, but a strikeout rate (23.1 percent) that sits in 11th place and an 9.1 percent walk rate that serves as the 12th-best mark in the league is more indicative of their talent. Their 53.4 percent groundball rate tops the league, and their 27.1 percent hard-hit rate is also in the top three. But it hasn’t all been perfect. Particularly in the matters of one Adrian Morejon. One of the issues that this bullpen faces is some misfortune in the batted ball game. Their .308 BABIP allowed to opposing hitters is one of the seven highest averages in the league, leaving a strand rate (70.5 percent) that’s floating more around the middle of the pack rather than what many of the other underlying figures might peg them to be. Morejon has been a sort of microcosm of these trends. Morejon’s surface numbers look rough. Through 16 innings of work, he’s pitched to a 5.63 ERA and a 55.6 percent strand rate. His 16.7 percent homer rate is abnormally high, too. Only Ron Marinaccio’s ERA sits higher, and Jeremiah Estrada (and his minuscule sample) is the only pitcher with a lower LOB% than Morejon (40.0). For a member of the contingent that was supposed to be the late-inning bridge to Mason Miller – alongside Estrada, Jason Adam, and, to a lesser extent, David Morgan – the output thus far has not been what you want. An observer who lives off the box score rather than a realistic portrayal might begin to have doubts about Morejon’s standing in the bullpen. Even at this early stage, the ERA alone is cause for concern. At this point, however, we know that ERA doesn’t tell the whole story, especially for a reliever. Interestingly, nor do any of the other factors through which Morejon is apparently struggling at present. This is Morejon’s percentile distribution through his 16 innings of work thus far: The xERA alone is indicative of a pitcher who doesn’t particularly deserved the results he’s received to this point (for what it’s worth, he also has a 2.74 FIP). He’s always lived in something of a paradox where the stuff is excellent and the whiffs are high, but the strikeouts are not. Morejon has furthered those trends throughout his small 2026 sample. Each of the chase and whiff rates look strong, with barrel, hard hit, and walk rates that are indicative of a pitcher who is in command of his stuff. It’s been more a matter of misfortune than anything. That misfortune works against Morejon both in strict outcomes (.354 BABIP) but also in the sample. Fourteen appearances comprise those 16 innings. On April 7 in Pittsburgh, Morejon allowed four runs in just one-third of an inning, with another two allowed against Colorado on April 10. Since that point, Morejon hasn’t allowed a run in six of eight appearances. He’s also struck out 12 hitters, walked only three, and hasn’t allowed a hit in five of those appearances. Suffice it to say, the version of Morejon that exists in reality is the one that was expected to lock down the late innings ahead of Miller. A pitcher with a combination of upper-tier stuff that induces plenty of whiff and the gaudy 65.3 percent groundball rate he’s posted thus far is one that is a nightmare for opposing hitters. If all hope is abandoned as an opposing hitter when Miller steps to the mound in the ninth, it’s not as if much room for optimism exists an inning or two earlier. That was the expectation coming into the year, and it remains reality. Regardless of what the ERA or other surface-level data may indicate, Morejon has been every bit as good as expected. Once the sample size grows, the numbers should easily illustrate such without the need for all of this extra analysis. View the full article

Before we turn the page to May, let's honor the Stars of the Month for March/April. The star hitter goes to Kaelen Culpepper of the Saints, and the star pitcher is Eli Jones of the Kernels. I wouldn't go with these two in a more traditional player/pitcher of the month voting, but that's the fun of having this star scoring system. Here's tonight's system recap, along with some info on the star scoreboard. View the full article

Sorry this is posted so late. I spent nearly 90 minutes online with MLB dot TV customer service as I have not been able to watch a Twins game on Twins dot TV for four days in a row. And after 90 minutes, we still have no resolution. Frustrating. TRANSACTIONS RHP Travis Adams saw his rehab stint come to an end as he was optioned to the Saints where he’ll continue to work to return to 100% and return to the Twins. The Saints also activated RHP Raul Brito from the development list. Fort Myers activated RHP Justin Mitrovich, their ninth-round pick from the 2025 MLB Draft. Get to know more about the Elon alum in his Twins Spotlight. Finally, RHP Angel Castillo was released from the DSL roster. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Iowa 1 Box Score The Saints had just two hits in this game but four a way to earn a win at home against Iowa. One big reason, of course, is pitching. Let’s start there. Matt Bowman played the role of the opener in this game. He tossed two scoreless innings despite giving up three hits. Mike Paredes played the role of the bulk pitcher. He tossed five scoreless innings and struck out four batters. He gave up two hits and a walk. He earned his first Triple-A win. Raul Brito was charged with an unearned run in the eighth inning, and Drew Smith earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning. With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Noah Cardenas knocked his first home run of the season to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. The Saints used a bit more creativity to score their next runs. With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Orlando Arcia reached on an infield single. Aaron Sabato followed with a walk, and Tanner Schobel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cardenas walked to make it 2-0 Saints. Kaelen Culpepper was next. He flew out to right, deep enough for Sabato to score the third run. On the relay, Schobel was thrown out at third base to end the inning. Infielder James Triantos went 2-for-4 and is now hitting .317. He’s a Top 10 Cubs prospect. Former Gophers star Brett Bateman led off and played center field for the Cubs. He was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double. Jonathan Long is also a Top 10 Cubs prospect, and he was 2-for-4. The Saints had six walks, and Emmanuel Rodriguez accounted for half of them. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Arkansas 11 Box Score The Wind Surge had a rough game on Thursday night, right from the start. Sam Armstrong gave up two runs in the first inning. The Surge evened it up in the bottom of the inning, but Arkansas scored five in the top of the second inning. Armstrong was charged with seven runs on five hits, two walks, and two hit batters. He gave up four home runs. Jarrett Whorff came in for the third inning. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk over two innings. Darren Bowen wired two innings. He gave up one run on a solo home run. Kyle Bischoff tossed two scoreless innings, and Luis Quinones added a zero in the ninth inning. In the bottom of the first inning, Kyle DeBarge reached on a throwing error by the pitcher and got all the way to third base. Kala’i Rosario walked. Hendry Mendez reached on an infield single to shortstop which loaded the bases. With one out, Ricardo Olivar lined a single that drove in two runs. The other Wichita run came in the third inning. Billy Amick and Olivar walked to start the inning. Jose Salas got in by an infield single to load the bases. Andrew Cossetti came up and flew out to center field. Amick scored. All three base runners tried to advance, but Salas was thrown out at second. Wichita managed their three runs on just three hits, but they also had seven walks. Rosario had three of those walks. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 7, West Michigan 5 Box Score West Michigan jumped out to a fast start. They scored five runs over the first two innings. From that point, it was all Kernels. They scored at least once in the next five innings and the final seven runs of the game. Eli Jones started and gave up five runs on eight hits over the first three innings. It’s nice to see that he ended his day with a scoreless innings (little things). He had six strikeouts and no walks. He struck out the last two batters he faced. After that, however, Cole Peschl threw two scoreless innings. Ivran Romero had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. Eston Stull struck out six batters over the final three innings to record his first save of the season. Rayne Doncon and Andy Lugo led off the bottom of the third inning with a walk and a single, respectively. Jaime Ferrer drove in Doncon with a double. With one out, Eduardo Tait drove in Lugo with a single. Rayne Doncon knocked his third homer of the season with one out in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 5-3 game. Brandon Winokur led off the fifth inning with his fifth double. Khadim Diaw walked. After Danny De Andrade reached on a force out, Jay Thomason singled in Winokur with the Kernels fourth run. De Andrade scored on a Doncon sacrifice fly to tie the game a 5-5. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Marek Houston hit his third home run of the season to give the Kernels’ their first lead of the game. Doncon continued his productive game with an RBI single to drive in Khadim Diaw with the seventh run. Doncon went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs, and three RBI. He had a sacrifice fly and a homer. Diaw went 2-for- with two walks. Houston was 2-for-4 with a walk and a homer. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 24, Daytona 8 Box Score This is one of those games that you can never expect. Seemingly every season, every team will have one of those games where the offense scores a huge number of runs. Good teams and bad teams. But 20 is something different. The franchise’s previous high in runs scored was 22 runs in August of 2012. Since 2020, the Mussels have reached 19 runs once. It is the third time that the Mussels have scored 15 or more runs. In addition, they had 21 hits which is also a Mussels record. Of the nine starters, only Yasser Mercedes went hitless, but he walked three times. All nine batters reached base at least two times. Bruin Agbayani reached base five times. He was 4-for-6 with a walk. He scored five runs and drove in three. Byron Chourio went 4-for-6 in this game. Irvin Nunez went 3-for-6 with his first triple and first home run of the season. He had six RBI and three runs scored. Jayson Bass went 3-for-6 with a walk, his third homer, three runs and five RBI. Ramiro Dominguez had two doubles and two walks in the game. Quentin Young had two hits. JP Smith had one hit and two walks. He scored four times. Harry Genth went 2-for-4 with two walks and a double. He scored three runs. Oh, and he needed just three pitches to get the final two outs. Matt Dalquist started for the Mussels. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on five hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts. Brent Francisco gave up three runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts. Jake Murray gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. Harry Genth came on and got the final two outs of the game. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Bruin Agbayani (Fort Myers): 4-for-6, BB, 5 R, 3 RBI Irvin Nunez (Fort Myers): 3-for-5, BB, 3B(1), HR(1), 2 R, 6 RBI, K Jayson Bass (Fort Myers): 3-for-6, BB, HR(3), 3 R, 5 RBI, K Rayne Doncon (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-2, BB, HR(3), 2 R, 3 RBI Pitcher of the Day Mike Paredes (St. Paul): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 68 pitches, 43 strikes (63.2%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - Did Not Play. #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, SF RBI, K (batted first, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 0-for-1, 3 BB, CS(2) (Batted second, played RF). #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, RBI, K, E(3) (batted second, played C) #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 2 K (batted third, played 1B) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, BB, HR(3), R, RBI, K, E(3), CS(1) (batted leadoff, played DH) #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 19 pitches, 13 strikes (68.4%) #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, 2B(5), R, 3 K (batted third, played CF) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-7, R, 3 K (batted fifth, played 3B) #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch. #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 1-for-4, K (batted third, played DH) #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-for-5, R, 2 K (batted first, played 2B) #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch. #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-2, 2 BB, R (batted fourth, played DH) #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - 60 IL (right elbow sprain) UPCOMING PROBABLES Friday: Iowa @ St. Paul (6:37 pm CT) - RHP John Brebbia (0-0, 3.95 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (6:35 pm CT) - Ty Langenberg (0-1, 3.80 ERA) West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Michael Ross (1-1, 5.73 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Daytona (5:35 pm CT) - RHP Merit Jones (0-1, 1.93 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 14-18 St. Paul Saints: 13-16 Wichita Wind Surge: 13-11 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 11-13 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 16-8 FCL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, May 4) DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article