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In a boxing match, you don't spend your time waiting and hoping for the chance to land one haymaker. If the other person in the ring were ready to go down and never get back up on the strength of one solid blow, they wouldn't be in the ring with you. Pugilism feels outdated in the 21st century, but there's a reason it was once called the "sweet science": the challenge within it is intricate. You do want to wait and build toward something, but it's the opening to deliver six or seven telling blows, not one. That's how the Twins are turning in a devastating offensive effort so far this year, and especially during the sizzling nine-game heater on which they enter the final game of their series against the Boston Red Sox. They're patient, but they're also opportunistic—and that doesn't just mean hitting mistake pitches out of the park. "Well, I don't know if I expected, you know, multiple seven-run innings or whatever they've been," said manager Derek Shelton on Tuesday. "I think the thing that has been the most impressive is how we've done it. It hasn't been just a homer, a hit, a hit, a hit. There's walks mixed in, I mean, hit by pitches, you cannot control, but the cadence to how we're doing it and to be able to sustain innings, I think has been what's the most impressive thing." Shelton is right. When the Twins scored three runs against former Twin Sonny Gray Tuesday night in the fourth inning, the tallies came on four straight hits to start the frame. One of those was a homer, but it was just the opening volley. They hammered away at Gray while he was reeling, with three more hits. In the first inning Monday night, they scored four times on Garrett Crochet without a home run, and they already had three runs on the board against him in the second before crushing two long homers to put the game away. This is not to decry home runs, which remain a focal point of every modern offense, including the Twins'. As Shelton noted, though, it will have to be more than that, if the team wants to sustain the success they've enjoyed over the last fortnight. "We have to manufacture runs," Shelton said. "Home runs are sexy, but they don’t sustain." He went on to say that his focus within each inning is to get a runner to third base with less than two outs, however that has to be done. He believes the team can apply much more pressure to the pitcher and open holes in the defense by consistently creating those situations within innings. Vital to that endeavor is a shared focus, and lots of communication—both in the dugout, and around the batting cage. Shelton believes new lead hitting coach Keith Beauregard has prepared his charges brilliantly, and that they're able to feed off one another because they've learned to speak the same hitting language and pass information quickly. "The greatest indication is, watch our dugout for two innings [Monday]," Shelton said. "Just the enthusiasm, the excitement, the conversation. I think the thing that is imparted is, you see young players now, Keaschall, Lee, coming back, having conversations with guys on deck, guys in the hole. This is what the pitch does. That comes when you have veteran hitters and they have the ability to communicate. And we were fortunate that we were able to add some guys to our group that really have a good way about them." He's talking—everyone around the Twins is talking—about Josh Bell and Victor Caratini. Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee are polished, smart, self-possessed hitters, and Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers have been leading by example for years, but Bell and Caratini have been welcome additions to a mix of hitters who had underachieved over the past two seasons. When information flows freely through the lineup, so does confidence; so does conviction; and so does production. Some of this is technical, rather than merely a vibe. The Twins have five of the biggest bat speed decliners in the sport so far this season, according to Statcast: Caratini, Bell, Buxton, Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner. In reality, though, those guys are capable of swinging as hard as ever. As Jeffers began doing more frequently last year, they're merely modulating their swings more—not cutting them down, but changing how they start them and how they visualize finishing them. Under Beauregard's tutelage, these guys are anticipating and preparing with a greater sense of surety, which has them starting earlier and knowing what they're looking for in the box. If they get it, they're already on their way to it, and they don't have to rush their barrel, thus losing accuracy with it. If the pitch isn't what they expected, they have the faith in their preparation and in one another to either take it or whiff on it, rather than making an emergency adjustment that leads to weak contact. Bell was a perfect addition, because he was already doing that before he arrived. "They really haven't asked me to do anything different," Bell said of his approach and his mechanics. "We just talk about what we're looking for and being ready when we get it, and I have no problems with that because the results have been great." For other Twins, the adjustment has been bigger, but the rewards they're now starting to reap make it all feel worthwhile. Kody Clemens gave back the swing speed gains he made in 2025, which allowed him to hit 19 home runs in his first extended playing time in the majors. Unlike Bell, he has ugly numbers so far this year, but he's reached base five times (including hitting a home run) in his last 13 trips to the plate, as he's gotten more used to the marriage between preparation and execution under Beauregard and company. "it’s hard. It’s hard for hitting coaches," Shelton said of his staff's fight to stay on message and keep the hitters onside when the season began with more frustrating days. "And that’s the frustration of hitting coaches. Because players want immediate results. They want immediate success. So the commitment, the conversations, the communication when you’re in the cage is vital. And that’s where that trust is built. And that trust is not built easy." Clemens, at least, had the spring to implement the alterations Beauregard, Rayden Sierra and Trevor Amicone prescribed for his timing. Buxton had no such luck. "For the most part, my swing feels good [now," Buxton said, after breaking out in a massive way Tuesday night after slowly warming for the previous week. "Still a few things to figure out here and there—three weeks, eight at-bats will set you back a little bit." He's referring to his time with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, where he only played sparingly. That also denied him time with Beauregard, Sierra and Amicone, and he admitted to trying to "rush my swing back" in the first days of the season. Now, Buxton is very much in the middle of the Twins' offensive outburst. He not only hit two long homers Tuesday night, but scored the team's first run in the style Shelton seems to prefer. He was on second when Keaschall hit a flared liner to center in the first inning. He initially froze, but saw that Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran got a late break on the ball and turned on the jets. He scored, albeit on a close play after a highly aggressive send. Shelton called the decision to try it "elite," and both the manager and his star chuckled after the game about a shared moment in the dugout later. Buxton asked Shelton whether he thought he should have stayed at third on the play. Shelton said he trusted Buxton, and that he was the one on the field, reading it in the moment. That's the level of trust between the skipper and his offensive leaders, and the level of ownership and energy the lineup is taking, in turn. It won't always be this rosy, but for now, the Twins are rolling, thanks to a corps of hitters playing to their potential under a shaken-up coaching staff and a nice balance of new and old veteran leadership. They have patience, but once the opening comes, they want to land five knockout punches, not just one. View the full article

The San Diego Padres are on something of a roll. After starting the season 1-4, they’ve won 10 of their past 12 and own the second-best record in the National League. Usually, when a team is racking up wins with such ferocity, there is a bit of good fortune at play, but the Padres have gotten off to a 11-6 start despite possessing the least lucky bats in the league. Based on Statcast’s expected statistics, the Padres, as a team, should have a wOBA of .346. That’s the third-best figure in the league, which suggests that this is one of the league’s elite offenses. Well, here’s the thing: Baseball isn’t played in a simulation, and the Padres' actual wOBA is .314, which ranks 17th, and is sandwiched between the Guardians and Angels. While a guardian angel is usually nice company to keep, that’s not the case when it comes to hitting a baseball. So, what the heck is going on here? When Statcast debuted in 2015, the tired excuse of explaining away everything with BABIP finally eased. Make no mistake, hitting them where they ain’t is still a great idea, but exit velocities and launch angles made analyzing hitting as granular as it had ever been. We suddenly knew, with increased precision, the likelihood that any batted ball would be a hit, if it would clear the fence, who was getting hosed by bad luck, and who was really struggling at the plate. However, expected stats are just probabilities based on launch angle and exit velocity. In the real world, you can’t hit 50% of a double; you either get to second and get 100% of it, or you don’t and get 0%. Now, stacking a bunch of probabilities based on real events usually gets you very good results, and it’s why expected stats have steadily grown to almost become the actual stats, which is weird, because one is imaginary, and the other is very, very real, which brings us back to the Padres. The Padres are underperforming their Statcast data by a massive margin. To put human faces to their agony, Francisco Lindor produced a wOBA of .350 last season (right around the Padres' current mark), while Miguel Vargas managed a wOBA of .314. Ask yourself this: would you rather have Lindor come up nine times in a row or Vargas? The simple explanation for this divergence between the expected and the actual is that the Padres are getting unlucky, and their statistics will slowly converge with their expected statistics. While I agree directionally with that notion, it also misses a crucial component. Expected stats are based on all batted balls hit throughout the year, but Petco Park loves to suppress offense, and especially so in April. The Padres have played 11 out of 17 games at Petco, with their other six coming at Fenway and PNC Park. Petco is one of the toughest places to hit, PNC is also a bottom-third hitters' park, and while Fenway is a hitters' park, it is in a very unique way. Fenway suppresses triples and home runs tremendously, but it is the best park in the league to hit doubles. Depending on how you hit the ball, it is feast or famine. Using Baseball Savant’s three-year rolling park factor as our baseline, Petco has a park factor of 97, PNC 99, and Fenway 105. Just on that alone, you’d expect the Padres to underperform their expected stats a tad, but according to research by Kiri Oler of Fangraphs, each of Petco, PNC, and Fenway are 4% less hitter-friendly in April than their overall figure. And on top of that, the time of day can make a dramatic difference in how a park plays. For instance, Petco has a park factor of 99 during the day, nearly league average, but falls to 96 at night, while PNC has a park factor of 97 during the day and 101 at night. Considering the Padres have played seven of their 16 games at Petco at night in April, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see their batted ball results lagging behind their exit velocities and launch angles. With this cocktail of information, we can do back-of-the-envelope math to see what type of park factor the Padres have opened the season with. Using the time of day park factors and inputting the -4% April park factor tax, the Padres, on average, have played in a ballpark with a 94.56 park factor. That’d be the worst park outside of T-Mobile in Seattle (91), which is in a tier of its own. Does this mean the Padres haven’t gotten a little unlucky with their batted balls? Almost certainly not, but the combination of bad luck and a rough-hitting environment is the reason they’re underperforming their expected stats more than any other team. As the weather warms up, so should the Padres’ bats, but in the meantime, maybe try scheduling a few more day games in April. View the full article

In the last decade—and especially on this side of the COVID-19 disruption—we've seen MLB teams move from the traditional starter-backup catching arrangement to one much closer to an even timeshare. The Cubs signed Carons Kelly in late 2024 to accommodate their move toward that very model. With Miguel Amaya establishing himself as (they hoped) the catcher of the present and future, Chicago looked to Kelly to provide stability and keep Amaya's workload relatively low, given his long history of injury trouble. To whatever extent the goal was to keep Amaya healthy, the plan failed. The younger backstop went down with an oblique strain in May, then came back and immediately suffered an ankle sprain in August. Amaya is still dealing with the effects of those injuries, and his track record says he might never be able to carry even an 80-game burden at catcher. Fortunately, though, the Cubs got more than they could reasonably have hoped for from Kelly. A stance and stride adjustment last spring helped Kelly get off to a blazing start at the plate. He struggled after Amaya went down, as his own workload suddenly spiked, but he remained a solid defensive backstop and manager of the game plan on the field. He wasn't a zero in the lineup, either; he just lost the thunder that he showed early in the campaign. Maybe that will happen again this season. The Cubs will be similarly out of good complementary options if Amaya gets hurt again, so the risk that Kelly ends up overloaded remains real. So far, though, he's batting a stellar .333/.455/.467, in 55 plate appearances. Over the last two seasons, he was not only superficially usable at catcher, but genuinely above-average at the plate, according to Baseball Prospectus's DRC+. He ran a 106 in his 2024 season, divided between the Detroit Tigers and Texas. In 2025, that figure held firm, at 104. This season, that figure is up to 118. He's been a weapon in a lineup that has needed him, as some of the players on whom the team expected to rely more heavily have gotten off to slow starts. Shortening his stride unlocked some power for Kelly, but the bulk of his changes came in 2024, before the Cubs got ahold of him. He got more aggressive in the strike zone, without chasing more, and he made more contact on those in-zone swings, to boot. He's held onto those improvements in his first year-plus with the Cubs, taking his offensive game to a new level. Kelly has always had a good eye at the plate. His 10.1% walk rate since the start of 2024 is the same as the one he posted from 2021-23. His strikeout rate has come down, though, from 21.4% to 18.1%, even as he's hit the ball harder. Now that we have bat-tracking data, it's fairly easy to see just how well Kelly's hand-eye coordination serves him. It's not just about making contact; he's squared the ball up on over 28% of his swings since the start of 2024. (The definition of squaring a ball up, for these purposes, is getting at least 80% of the possible exit velocity out of a given swing, based on the velocity of the incoming pitch and the speed of the swing.) This year, although the sample is far too small to assume it will hold, that number is over 38%. The league averages just under 26%. Kelly's bat speed is nothing special, but because he consistently hits it solidly, he doesn't need that lightning-fast rotation. As he's come to understand that about himself, he's gotten better at making good swing decisions and putting the ball in play. He's also been a star behind the plate. Last season, he excelled at blocking pitches in the dirt and preventing runners from advancing on them. He doesn't have an especially strong arm, but as is true of his lack of plus bat speed, he makes up for deficient talent with a surfeit of skill; he's one of the most accurate throwers in the game. He's a slightly below-average pitch framer, but this season, he's found a way to overcome that—and then some. Kelly has challenged nine called balls behind the plate this year, and gotten seven calls overturned. Statcast's model gives him 13 expected challenges, meaning there were some called balls (because he's not a great framer, especially along the lateral edges and at the top of the zone) he could plausibly have also challenged. However, the same model only suggests he should have won 7 of those challenges, so he's merely saved four expected confirmations (and four lost challenges for the Cubs) by being judicious. When hitters have challenged calls against Kelly, meanwhile, they've paid a dear price. Opposing batters are just 3-for-12 when challenging called strikes with Kelly catching this season. In one knot at the very bottom of the zone, he's induced five bad challenges by hitters. The Pirates wasted their challenges as a team on Sunday by challenging two near-identical pitches on which Kelly caught the ball somewhat snatchily, but which turned out to be legitimate strikes. Here's one of them, right away in the first inning: NnlNNzNfWGw0TUFRPT1fVWxCUVZWUlJVRkVBRGdjS1VRQUhDQVJXQUZoUVV3TUFCQVlNQXdSUUFBWUhCQW9B.mp4 And here's the other, in the seventh, just before the Cubs got some momentum and came back to win the game. NnlNNzNfVjBZQUhRPT1fVkFCVEJnRUVYd0VBWEZJQ0FnQUhDUUJTQUFCV1dsa0FWd2NIVVFzQUJGRlhVVkJm.mp4 It might look inelegant, but this style of framing works, and this year, it's become even more valuable than it was in the past. When Kelly catches a ball like that and the umpire makes the right call, there's still one party left who might be fooled: the poor hitter. After what they felt was an especially good take, watching the ball almost into the mitt, many hitters feel overconfident about their own zone judgment, especially when a catcher moves their mitt in an obvious way. Coaxing batters into bad challenges that cost their team the right to appeal decisions later in games is one new way catchers can create value under the ABS system, and lo, Kelly is doing it. He'll be most productive if the team continues to use Amaya as close to half the time as possible. Even if that does continue, he won't have an OPS near 1.000 all season. Kelly has made real and tangible improvements, though, and he's one of those players whose makeup and a key adjustment or two allows them to enjoy a later prime than others. You'll never hear him talked about as an All-Star, let alone an MVP candidate, because constraints on volume make him more effective. Like the 6th Man of the Year in the NBA or the Relief Pitcher Award coming to the BBWAA awards suite this season, though, an award for players who provide value by giving a team length, strength and depth while also playing at a near-elite level during their limited time on the field might ought to exist. If it did, Kelly would be a candidate for it. He's been that good since joining the Cubs, and he has a chance to be even better in 2026 than he was in 2025. View the full article

Jays Centre is counting down the top 20 prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Check out prior entries in the series here: No. 20 to 16 No. 15 to 11 No. 10 No. 9 No. 8 No. 7 No. 6 No. 5 No. 4 No. 3: LHP Ricky Tiedemann It has been a long time since we have seen Ricky Tiedemann pitch in a game. The once top prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays has had setback after setback with an arm injury, as he last pitched on June 10, 2024. Although the talent is undeniable, the question regarding his health remains ever the issue. Tiedemann was added to the 40-man roster prior to the Rule 5 draft in order to protect him from getting selected by other teams, but that has now started the clock for him, and the Jays need to see real production out of him before he runs out of option years, The easiest way for Tiedemann to do that is to show that he’s healthy and that his stuff remains as nasty as it was pre-elbow surgery. Unfortunately for Tiedemann, every time that it has felt like he would have a chance to show his skills, he has instead faced a setback. He was unable to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, and despite a full offseason of rest, he had another setback before spring training, forcing him to miss that as well. Before the injury, Tiedemann showed two plus pitches. His fastball sat in the mid-90s and touched 98 mph, with solid ride and a lot of run. He also threw a sweeper with nasty break as his main secondary pitch, but recent reports say that he’s now throwing a different type of slider that will have more velo and have less break in order to reduce injury risk. His changeup was his best pitch out of JuCo, but it took a step back compared to his other pitches as he progressed. Tiedemann is still a physical specimen, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing over 250 lbs, and his whippy arm action creates a ton of deception out of his lower slot. He showed decent command in 2022 and 2023, but as injury concerns popped up, so did walk issues. A lack of reps will most likely cause him to struggle even more with command when he comes back, as he’ll need to regain a feel for his delivery. Tiedemann started the 2026 season on the 7-day injured list, and given his injury history, the Jays are rightfully starting him slowly. He’ll be used mostly in a bulk relief role; his potential as a strong mid-rotation pitcher is tantalizing, but the lack of a clean bill of health and all the time he's missed mean his injury risk is high. If the Jays want to prioritize winning now, they might use him as a reliever in the final stretch instead of focusing primarily on his development. If Tiedemann can stay healthy, however, he may finally showcase the potential that he flashed when he last pitched nearly two years ago. View the full article

The Brewers have received a lot of national attention for their farm system, with top prospects Jesus Made, Luis Pena, Jett Williams, Cooper Pratt, Brandon Sproat and Andrew Fischer all ranking in the top 100 prospects, according to MLB.com. In addition to all the wealth the Brewers have at the top, their No. 12 prospect, Luis Lara, is having an extremely hot start to his season at Triple-A Nashville. Is it sustainable, and when could we see Lara in Milwaukee? Lara was signed by the Brewers for $1.1 million in 2022, and the native Venezuelan entered this year after spending the entirety of last season at Double-A Biloxi. In that pitcher-friendly environment, he hit .257/.369/.343, with 32 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs in 612 plate appearances. Notably, Lara struck out only 99 times, while walking 86 times. His speed is also a factor: he stole 44 bases in 2025. He played in 136 games, 126 of them coming in center field, with the other 10 coming as the designated hitter. A switch-hitter, Lara has had fairly balanced splits in his brief pro career. Lacking power from both sides, he put up similar overall numbers at High-A Wisconsin in 2024, regardless of the handedness matchup. Last season, though, that changed. He hit .260/.382/.343 in 482 plate appearances as a lefty, while hitting .248/.323/.342 in 130 plate appearances as a righty. He generally shows better plate discipline from the left side, but pulls and lifts the ball more often when swinging right-handed. Unfortunately, he's always shown so little power on both sides of the plate that the more optimal contact profile from the right side didn't yield much value for him. He was much better, last season, as the more patient version of himself, batting lefty. This couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the 21-year-old, though. Through his first 13 games with the Sounds, Lara hit .367/.456/.551 in 57 plate appearances. He's already matched his homer total from last year (2). He has 8 walks and 8 stolen bases, and has only struck out six times. His 90th-percentile exit velocity is 102.6 MPH, and while that's still a low number, it hints at a bit more pop than he's shown in the past. He's doing all of this at a young age, given that he's playing in the highest level of the minor leagues. How much thunder he can find in the stick will determine how far Lara goes in the majors. Just 5-foot-7, he doesn’t have the prototypical build of a power hitter—or any big-league hitter, for that matter. Brewers right fielder and sparkplug Sal Frelick is famously small, but he's two inches taller and 23 pounds heavier than Lara. Any player performing well in Triple-A at such a young age is close to the major leagues. Lara feels relatively far away, because the Brewers have so much outfield depth already on their 40-man roster, but with Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich hurt, the door is open a crack. Lara has been an elite defender throighout his climb through the minors. He won a Minor League Gold Glove Award last year in the outfield. That, too, will be subject to testing and observation once he reaches the big leagues, where size can matter more even in the field, but if he keeps playing the way he has so far and playing time opens in center field this summer, Lara could arrive in the majors ahead of schedule. He's doing everything he can to position himself for that opportunity, at the very least. View the full article

For all of the concerns that we might have had around the starting pitching for the San Diego Padres, the rotation has actually been quite solid in the early going. Their collective 1.3 fWAR ranks 12th among all starting staffs while also sitting in the top 12 in ERA (3.82) and strikeout rate (24.2 percent). It's been imperfect, but it was always going to be. A potential long-term injury to Nick Pivetta, however, reignites concerns over the shape of this staff in 2026. This year's Opening Day starter, Pivetta was an anchor for the rotation in a career year in 2025 (3.7 fWAR). After a shaky outing on Opening Day against Detroit (three innings, six earned runs), Pivetta was flawless for five against San Francisco and held Pittsburgh to two runs in five more frames in his third start. His fourth start on Sunday against Colorado was shaping up to be another solid outing before "elbow stiffness" ended his day early. Details are murky and Pivetta dealt with arm fatigue in spring training, but any sort of elbow injury for a starting pitcher begets concerns for the long-term. In the event that Pivetta remains out, the team has Michael King, Randy Vásquez, Walker Buehler, and Germán Márquez already on the active roster. King has been steady and Vásquez has been excellent, while each of the latter two have been a bit of a mixed bag thus far. An injury would surely lock at least one of them in for a continued rollercoaster, if not both. Bigger picture, the Padres do have Joe Musgrove and Griffin Canning on the mend. However, the timeline between the two has the potential to vary quite a bit. Musgrove has been slow to ramp back up in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and has endured multiple setbacks in attempting his return. Canning, meanwhile, has made his first rehab start off an Achilles tear and looked decent. His impending return feels like more of a sure thing at this stage than Musgrove's. There's a third injured starter with the potential to fill a role in the form of Matt Waldron. He's made a trio of rehab starts in his return from an infection with a 0.00 ERA across 12 innings. And we shouldn't forget about JP Sears, who is in the minors via an option and not an injury. He's made three starts and has struggled with his command, though. Assuming that gets settled as we progress into April, he's another possibility. If the Padres are able to weather the storm without Pivetta for a time, any one of Waldron or Canning or Sears would slide in fairly easily from an on-paper standpoint. Reality, though, is a different beast. Like Buehler and Márquez, the results from each of Waldron, Canning, or Sears have the ability to vary wildly. Waldron was on shaky ground before suffering his setback and Sears was optioned for a reason, while the other three among that quintet have their own checked histories with both injury and performance. The good news, at least, is that there's volume. It's a lot of abstract value given the variables unique to each arm, but they won't have to pull from the relief corps to cover innings like other teams might be forced to. It's important to consider, though, that Pivetta's time in San Diego has come with a certain sense of reliability. Even amid such volume, the spectrum of outcomes for the two currently in the rotation and the two with imminent returns is massive. Would the Padres find money in the budget to bring in someone like Lucas Giolito? Or Tyler Anderson? There are a handful of others available, but money may be a sticking point no matter what. Those already in the organization may be what the organization has to work with to cover the innings lost by Pivetta, regardless of time. Of course, all of this discussion and concern assumes some type of long-term absence in the first place. We still don't know the shape of the injury and, as such, the length of time for which he'll be out. Perhaps it pops as a scare and Pivetta misses a day or a start, with just an individual outing or so in need of coverage. Should it manifest as something more serious, though, there's a volume of depth here that the Padres spent the latter part of the offseason building. They probably hoped they wouldn't have to use it this early (and for this starter), however. UPDATE: Nick Pivetta has been placed on the 15-day IL with an elbow inflammation designation. View the full article

Sneaker heads have been spoiled in recent years, with vintage shoes and throwback styles making waves. Some people invest significant money in a hobby tied directly to what they wear every day. Collections grow, deadstock pairs become prized possessions, and nostalgia often drives the market, as much as style. For Minnesota Twins fans, there aren't many shoes tied directly to the organization. The crossovers between baseball and sneaker culture have always been relatively sparse compared to basketball or streetwear. However, there is one unique pair that many fans have likely forgotten about. I still lace them up from time to time, even as they have started to yellow with age after more than 15 years. Back in April 2011, Joe Mauer teamed up with Nike and PlayStation for a collaboration that feels even more ahead of its time in hindsight. The Nike Zoom Huarache TR Low PlayStation Joe Mauer edition was launched as part of the promotional push for MLB 11: The Show, for which Mauer served as the cover athlete. This was not just a quick branding exercise, either. Mauer had already become synonymous with the franchise, and landing back-to-back covers for the PlayStation exclusive baseball series cemented his place as one of the faces of the sport at the time. To celebrate that achievement, Nike and Sony PlayStation delivered a limited release that blended baseball, gaming, and sneaker culture into one package. The design itself leaned heavily into that identity. The trainers featured an obsidian leather upper paired with a varsity red inner sleeve and a crisp white outsole, mirroring the Minnesota Twins' color palette. PlayStation branding appeared on the tongue, tying the shoe directly to the gaming world, while the finer details rewarded those who looked closer. There was baseball stitching around the toe box, a subtle but effective nod to the sport Mauer dominated. Inside, the insoles showcased artwork from the video game, giving the pair a collectible feel beyond just the exterior design. One of the more personal touches came in the form of Mauer’s ‘7M’ logo, stitched onto the inner tongue of the right shoe. It was a reminder that this was not just a themed release, but something tied directly to the player himself. Nike and PlayStation made sure the shoes were front-and-center from Day 1. A launch event was held at the Mall of America, where Mauer made an appearance to promote both the game and the sneakers. For Twins fans in the area, it was a rare chance to see their hometown star connected to a product that extended beyond the field. Availability was limited from the start. The shoes dropped at select retailers, including Nike Mall of America, Eastbay, and a handful of locations across Minnesota and Chicagoland. They were positioned as premium trainers and often viewed as Player Exclusive releases, which only added to their long-term appeal. That scarcity is a big reason why they have become something of a hidden gem. Online retailers are selling them for $300+, if they're new in the box. While they may not carry the mainstream recognition of signature basketball shoes, they represent a unique intersection of baseball culture and sneaker collecting. For Twins fans, they are even more specific. They capture a moment when Mauer was not just an MVP-level player, but a national figure tied to one of the most popular sports video game franchises. Looking back now, it's easy to forget just how cool this collaboration was. In an era where athlete branding has become more common across different industries, this felt like an early glimpse of what could be possible. A hometown catcher, a global apparel giant, and a gaming powerhouse came together to create something that still feels distinct more than a decade later. If you happen to have a pair tucked away in a closet, it might be worth pulling them out. Even with some yellowing and wear, they tell a story that goes beyond style. They are a snapshot of Minnesota Twins history, sneaker culture, and a time when Joe Mauer was everywhere. Did you know these shoes existed? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Trevor Megill’s struggles continued on Tuesday night. Tasked with protecting a one-run lead against the Toronto Blue Jays, Megill allowed the first three hitters to reach, ultimately allowing three runs in his inning of work as the Brewers eventually fell in extra innings for their sixth straight loss. In six appearances, he now has two losses and a blown save, while allowing eight runs in five innings. “I’m definitely way better than that,” Megill said. “Pitches can be a lot better. Pitch execution could be a lot better. A lot of things can be better.” Megill’s fastball is the primary culprit. So far this year, it’s averaging 97.4 mph. That’s about where it sat last April before averaging nearly triple digits over the summer, but he’s noticeably failed to reach that high-end velocity since suffering a flexor strain late in the year. “Everybody can hit velo up here,” Megill said. “Throwing 97, 98 is kind of the same velos [for him] from last season at this time. Just not executing and not getting it done right now.” That velocity matters, though. Because he throws a straight four-seamer that does not enter the zone from a deceptive angle, Megill needs that outlier heat to get whiffs or swings underneath the ball. At 97, it’s very hittable. Opponents tagged it for a .459 xwOBA at that speed last April, and they’ve managed a .418 xwOBA and 66.7% hard-hit rate against it so far this year. The only difference was that more of that loud contact was hit at defenders last year, so Megill was able to skate by for a month with an actual wOBA of .371 against his fastball. This year, the results are matching the loud contact. “The fastball didn’t have the same properties to it, for sure,” Pat Murphy said. Murphy affirmed his belief in Megill’s ability after the game, even expressing frustration with fans who booed him during his blown save. However, he also acknowledged that the Brewers must decide whether to keep him in the ninth inning. “We’ll see,” he said. “I don’t know for sure. I like to talk to other people about it. Obviously, you can’t have a guy go out there six times and three times not do the job. I mean, the way he’s throwing the ball now, he doesn’t deserve it, but he can earn it back.” Other pitchers at the back end of the bullpen have also struggled, though, and Murphy noted that the Brewers would have to feel better about a different option to make a closer change. “What are we going to do?” he said. “Who’s throwing the ball good back there that deserves it more? So we’ll figure that out. We won’t make those decisions after a heart-wrenching loss like this.” At this moment, it’s a short list. Should the Brewers make a change, matchups on a given night could determine roles. Right now, these are the leading candidates for saves. Abner Uribe As Megill’s setup man, Uribe would be the most obvious choice to slide into the ninth inning. He’s done it before. Uribe closed last September when Megill was injured and remained in that role into the postseason after he returned. However, Uribe has dealt with his own loss of velocity and movement after shouldering a heavy workload last year. As a result, his whiff and ground ball rates have plummeted in a small sample. He did look more like himself on Sunday, averaging 98.7 mph with his sinker and inducing three whiffs. “He pounded the zone today, and he had his velocity there,” Murphy said. Ángel Zerpa Murphy has shown plenty of trust in Zerpa early, pitching him eight times so far this season, particularly against pockets of left-handed hitters. He also recorded a save in Boston when Megill and Uribe were unavailable. However, as a left-hander, most of Zerpa’s ninth-inning opportunities would likely come based on matchups. A groundball pitcher, his low strikeout rate would make him an unusual fit as a full-time closer, but he could unlock more swing-and-miss by sequencing his slider and four-seamer differently off his power sinker. Grant Anderson Anderson would be a dark-horse choice to close. Unlike Megill, Uribe, and Zerpa, his velocity is below average for a late-inning reliever. He’s also been more prone to walks than one might prefer for a true high-leverage pitcher. However, Anderson’s arsenal makes him a well-rounded reliever, which could serve him well as a closer. His sinker gets ground balls against right-handed hitters, his sweeper induces weak contact, and his upshoot four-seamer produces an elite whiff rate at the top of the zone. Those three pitches have made him rather platoon-neutral since joining the Brewers, and depending on the situation, he can choose between pitching for strikeouts or ground balls, instead of being locked into one or the other. It might be an understatement to say that the best-case scenario for the Brewers involves Megill regaining his form. That possibility feels cruelly remote right now, but it also feels non-negotiable. With Jared Koenig gone from the bullpen picture and the offense diminished, it's simple, even though it's not easy: the Brewers need their erstwhile flamethrower to rediscover his best heat. View the full article

After a stellar season of speed for Kyle DeBarge and a not-so-great season from Billy Aimick, both have found their way to Double-A Wichita to begin the year. Jamie and Jeremy go over each player's expectations for 2026 and how they can both bolster their prospect status, spending most of the season in Wichita. View the full article

The Royals' starting pitching has been a strength of the team this season, despite their 7-9 record (entering Tuesday's game against Detroit). According to Fangraphs, the Kansas City rotation ranks 4th in ERA, 7th in WHIP, and 11th in fWAR. That stellar starting pitching is a big reason the Royals have been able to somewhat overcome their mediocre offense (and "mediocre" is putting it nicely). Here's how the Royals' starting pitchers have broken down this year individually, as of April 14th. Seth Lugo and Kris Bubic have gotten off to excellent starts this year, as evidenced by their 1.53 and 2.50 ERA marks, respectively. However, Michael Wacha has clearly been Kansas City's best starting pitcher through his first three starts of the 2026 season. In 21 IP, which leads all Royals starters, Wacha has a 0.43 ERA, a 7.3 K/9, and 3.05 FIP. He has also produced excellent marks in many of his Statcast categories this season, including wOBA, whiff%, CSW%, and O-Swing%. A full breakdown of his Statcast percentile rankings so far this season is below, via TJ Stats. Wacha's wOBA ranks in the 94th percentile, his BB% ranks in the 71st percentile, his whiff% ranks in the 82nd percentile, his CSW% ranks in the 96th percentile, and his O-Swing% ranks in the 86th percentile. Wacha is producing these solid metrics despite ranking in the 35th percentile in fastball velocity and 11th percentile in TJ Stuff+. That shows the stellar command the veteran has demonstrated, a good sign for the Royals' pitching staff this season. However, how has Wacha been successful so far through three starts? What have been the key pitches for him this season, and what could his outlook be for the remainder of 2026? Let's break down those important questions regarding Wacha below. Wacha Leading With His Four-Seamer (And Finishing With Change) Wacha is not known as a high-strikeout pitcher due to his mediocre stuff profile. Overall, he's sporting a 96 in TJ Stuff+, and he has only one offering over 100 in TJ Stuff+ this year (his slider). However, that hasn't stopped him from producing strong chase and whiff rates this season, as illustrated below via his TJ Stuff summary. Wacha is producing a chase rate of 34.3% and a whiff rate of 29.5%, which are both well above-average marks. Furthermore, he has allowed a .341 xwOBACON, which is slightly above average. He is doing this despite the 96 overall TJ Stuff+ and 49.3% zone rate, which is barely below average. His most impressive offering this year is not the changeup, which has the highest grade in his six-pitch arsenal (54). Rather, it's been the four-seamer, which has the second-best grade with a 49 mark. The former St. Louis Cardinal is throwing his four-seamer 32.6% of the time this year, his most utilized offering. It averages just 92.9 MPH, but it sports a decent iVB of 18.6 and a spin of 2,174 RPM. He's generating a 30.8% chase, a 31% whiff, and .355 xwOBACON with the four-seamer, and it's interesting to see how he gets to those rates, based on his four-seamer heatmap data this season via TJ Stats. Against righties, Wacha has been efficient in locating the pitch up and away from right-handed hitters. This has helped him produce not just a 36.4% whiff rate but also a 40% chase (O-Swing%) and a .219 xwOBACON. He doesn't generate a ton of called strikes with the four-seamer against righties, but his CSW is still solid at 29.2%. Against lefties, he's been more in the middle of the strike zone. As a result, his xwOBCON is higher (.404), and his whiff (29%) and O-Swing (25%) rates are lower. Still, it's been an effective weapon against hitters from both sides of the plate. Here's an example of Wacha getting a nice rise on the four-seamer and hitting that up-and-away spot against Atlanta's Austin Riley, producing a foul tip strike. M3lNR0RfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1Z3WlZWRllEWGdRQUFGQUFBZ0FIQ1ZKUUFBQUhXMUFBQkFjRFZWY0hCZ0JXQmdwZg==.mp4 While the four-seamer has been his main weapon against righties, his changeup has been a nice complementary pitch with the four-seamer against lefties. Here's a look at Wacha's changeup heatmap, and notice the much higher usage against lefties, as well as better results. Wacha throws his changeup 33.9% of the time against lefties, compared to just 6.2% against righties. His changeup is more up and away against lefties, a contrast to the low and inside location against righties. Still, the results have been better against lefties, as he is producing a 32.8% CSW, a 31% whiff, and 32.4% O-Swing% with the changeup. Here's an example of Wacha utilizing that changeup up and away to Munetaka Murakami of the White Sox, who whiffs badly, as he is expecting a four-seamer on an 0-2 count in that spot. OHliWnlfWGw0TUFRPT1fQmxBRFVBQlFVZ0lBWEZNQVV3QUhWUVlDQUZsWEJWY0FCbFpUVWdvRUFWQlVVVmRW.mp4 Wacha has always led with his four-seamer and changeup. However, in 2023 and 2024, he led with the changeup and followed it up with the four-seamer. The past two years, he's been more fastball-focused with the changeup as his secondary option to put batters away. That is clear in his pitch usage trend over his career, as shown in Baseball Savant's chart. While some may be flummoxed by Wacha being so confident with a four-seamer that averages under 93 MPH, it seems to be working for the crafty righty so far this season. Can Wacha Keep Up These Solid Results? I don't think Wacha is going to finish the season with an ERA under one. That's impossible, even for the best pitchers in the game. However, it's not out of the question to think that he can at least maintain his 3.04 FIP or 3.46 xERA over the course of the 2026 season. It will be interesting to see how his results fare over the season, especially when comparing his TJ Stuff+ data from this year to 2025. The results are very different, as shown below. However, the TJ Stuff+ marks for his pitches this season mirror closely what he produced a season ago. Last year, Wacha produced a 97 TJ Stuff+ overall, one point better than his mark this season. His changeup is three points worse this season, but his four-seamer is three points better, as well. Thus, it makes sense why his four-seamer has been more effective than his changeup in 2026. A key to his success in 2026 will be his ability to maintain that four-seamer command. Yes, he's generating slightly better iVB and spin on the four-seamer this season. That said, the biggest difference for Wacha and his four-seamer is the location, especially against righties. Below is his 2025 four-seam heatmap. The four-seamer had a good CSW against righties with a 29% mark. However, the whiff rate was much lower at 22.3%, and his O-Swing% was also paltry at 19.8%. Furthermore, his four-seamer got hit hard by righties, as illustrated by the .558 xwOBACON. That's 339 points worse than his mark this season. Then again, he threw 255 four-seamers last year compared to 24 this year, so it's not exactly a fair comparison. Wacha has the stuff to produce another 3.30 to 3.60 ERA season, which would be more than serviceable for a pitcher expected to be the No. 3 starter in the rotation. His stuff profile and contact allowed illustrate that he can produce a season similar to what he's done from 2022 to 2025, when his ERA ranged from 3.22 to 3.86. However, if the command can be maintained, and he can keep generating the whiff and chase on the four-seamer? Well, if that happens, it wouldn't be surprising to see Wacha push for a spot in the All-Star Game in Philadelphia. View the full article

A crisis continues to brew in the Milwaukee bullpen. The offense continues to produce, but is stretched thin now that three of its four or five most accomplished hitters are on the injured list. It's not easy to win games for the Brewers right now. In fact, it hasn't been this hard in quite some time. Pat Murphy's previous two Brewers teams never lost more than four games in a row. Tuesday night's heartbreaking double-collapse loss to the Blue Jays made six straight 'L's. When you're in a funk like that—when the bullpen seems exhausted and there are creeping questions about the depth pieces in the rotation and the injury bug won't stop biting—a great team turns to its playmakers. That term is more often used in football and basketball, but baseball has playmakers, too. Over the last few seasons, the Brewers have seen the differences those players can make. Sometimes, it's an incredible feat of sheer athleticism, but often, too, it's a coalescence of skill and great baseball IQ—being aware of space and situation and making the play another player or team might not even think of. This is the team that twice killed the would-be tying run at the plate to end games because of perfectly executed throws and tags. This is the team that seemed to seal up holes and make impossible plays. This is the team that turned a 405-foot fly ball into a ground-ball double play. That team is broken right now, and no play made that clearer than the final one of the top of the ninth inning Tuesday night. Here it is. Already, of course, the Blue Jays had scored one run in the eighth inning and two in the ninth, against Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill. Already, they led 5-4, after the Brewers seemed to have a relatively comfortable lead for most of the contest. It was a moment of frustration and resignation for many fans in attendance, and unfortunately, that same dark cloud fell over the players, too. You saw the clip, so you already understand the problem, but let's break it down for better diagnosis. Ernie Clement hit a sharp two-out single to left field. Kazuma Okamoto had been on second base when the play began, and he took off for third base, where he got the wave. That was a fine play on Toronto's part, given that they already had the lead. There were two outs in the inning; another success at the plate was unlikely. To make sending the runner a sensible decision there, you only have to think there's about a 25% chance that he's safe. Here's the problem—or, from the Brewers' perspective, the golden opportunity: Okamoto is slow. His average sprint speed so far this year, according to Statcast, is a woeful 25.4 feet per second. Maybe he's really a bit faster than that, and will show as much as the weather warms up, but so far, Okamoto has shown markedly below-average speed in his first season in the United States. That's what he showed on this play, too. Here's a frame just after Brandon Lockridge gets to the ball in left field. He's already secured it, and Okamoto isn't even at third base yet. A late stop sign would have posed an unnecessary risk, though. Why do something that might lead to a hamstring pull, at this point in the play? Okamoto continued home, and Lockridge cut loose a strong throw—albeit one a bit toward first base, as has been his wont. Initially, William Contreras does track the ball from a position where he can try to retire Okamoto once the throw comes home, but pretty quickly, he starts moving out into the dirt in front of home plate: Contreras might have been having a flashback to Sunday, when Lockridge threw a ball with similar verve (though from farther away) and missed well up the first-base line, allowing a trailing Nationals runner to take third base and losing any chance of an out on a medium-depth sacrifice fly. NXk5VjBfWGw0TUFRPT1fQjFOVEFGWUNCd2NBQ2xNRlZnQUhBd0JmQUZnRFZWZ0FWd1lIQWxZSEFGZFZCVkJX.mp4 Unlike the play Sunday, though, this one could have resulted in an easy out at the plate. Lockridge's throw was better; Contreras had a better angle on the throw and the incoming runner; and, again, Okamoto is very slow. Alas, Contreras had been out there right along with the Brewers pitchers who had stumbled through the final two frames of this game. He was frustrated, and he hasn't been through a week quite like this one in at least three years. In that moment, he was a little bit feral; he got outside himself and lost the command of the situation that usually makes him and his team so great. He turned his back on the runner—literally and figuratively—to field the throw, and turned his eyes toward second base, where Clement was trying to advance. Look at all this real estate, though. Contreras chose the wrong way to receive the throw for the best chance of tagging Okamoto out, but even if he'd done nothing differently up through the moment captured above, he could easily have wheeled and slapped down a tag in time. If that runner is Byron Buxton or Pete Crow-Armstrong, it's a tougher and riskier task, but Okamoto wasn't moving all that fast as he got close to the plate, either. Contreras had an ocean of time, but not the awareness of it that makes all our time work for us. He snared the ball, took a step to load up, transferred the ball to his throwing hand and let it fly to second—all before Okamoto touched home plate. Megill (and/or first baseman Jake Bauers) should have been yelling to Contreras to make the tag, instead of throwing toward Clement. Maybe they were, but it doesn't sound like it. He could have had better help. A catcher is meant to make this kind of decision themselves, though, and it's not a 50/50 call that gets answered as if without a preconception on every such play. The run coming home has clear precedence. Just as the Jays sending Okamoto home only required about a 1-in-4 chance to be the right call, Contreras should have tried to tag the runner even if he felt he had only a 1-in-4 chance to get him. In truth, he should have felt at least like he had the better side of a coin flip, even before the ball got to him. It wasn't even going to be a terribly close play. Contreras's poor read or mental lapse gave the Blue Jays a run. In the bottom of the inning, the Brewers rallied for the two tallies they needed to tie the game and force extras, against Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman. It was a terrific comeback, but who knows? The visitors might have managed that frame differently, with just a one-run edge. It might be that the extra run in the top half wasn't as decisive as it now appears. It didn't need to score, though. When things are going against you, in baseball, it's often beyond your control. The game is hard; the other guys have big houses, too. For two years, the Brewers have maintained primacy in the NL Central by being the team who doesn't let bad get worse. They don't let runs score or losses pile up when, through the blessings of the game, they do gain momentary control and can prevent it. That was the most unsettling thing about Tuesday night's loss. With a chance to get some momentum going for the bottom half of the inning and keep the defiicit manageable, Contreras made a boneheaded play. It was very un-Brewerslike. We're going on a week and a half of that, now. View the full article

Wilyer Abreu has sprinted out of the gates to start his 2026 MLB season. The Boston Red Sox outfielder dazzled in the WBC, and now he's hitting over .350 with three early home runs on the season. What part of his game is sustainable, and which numbers are most susceptible to coming back down to earth? We break it all down here. Enjoy! View the full article

After another surprising beatdown of one of the league’s potential Cy Young candidates, fans cannot ignore what is becoming a fact: The Minnesota Twins are hitting left-handed pitchers well. While the 2025 Twins carried a .602 OPS against lefties in April, this year's team entered Tuesday at .734, good for sixth in the league. Their victims include Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, and Garrett Crochet. It's a good thing, too, because the Twins have seen over 45% of their pitches this season from southpaws, more than half again the league-average mark of 28%. Most expected the team to flounder during this left-leaning to start the season. Instead, they've ignited a fire. For any close follower of the Minnesota Twins—or at least anyone who has listened to years of critics (rightly) screaming out for a right-handed corner outfield bat to balance a platoon-designed lineup—this sudden flip feels like a shock to the system. It's even more jarring to see it happen despite Byron Buxton struggling (until this week), when he was viewed as perhaps the only reliable lefty-masher on the team entering this season. There are a few ways to break down the sudden shift in energy that now has the Twins in first place in the American League. But there are small red lights, too, blinking out a warning that this might not be sustainable. Swing Early or Don’t Swing at All The Twins have employed a variety of game plans this year, but one fascinating juxtaposition stands out when you look at the data. The Twins are both extremely aggressive and very patient. As we’ve seen a number of times, players have no interest in waiting for the "perfect" pitch. They’ve swung at the first pitch against lefties 32% of the time (10th in the league), resulting in a .343/.378/.686 slash line. Overall, though, they rank 28th in swing rate. Their walk rate is 11.9% facing lefties, which ranks 7th in the league. When you look closely, the Twins are simply playing the odds. This bifurcated approach has become increasingly popular among smart teams over the last decade: get in the box ready to hit, but if you do get deeper in a count, become more patient there. You might just work your way on base. Here's how the Twins compare to the rest of the league in terms of swing rate by count against lefties. Count Twins Rest of League % Difference 0-0 32.2% 29.7% 2.5% 0-1 42.6% 47.8% -5.2% 0-2 51.3% 48.6% 2.7% 1-0 47.1% 41.2% 5.9% 1-1 55.3% 53.8% 1.5% 1-2 48.6% 58.3% -9.6% 2-0 45.7% 33.3% 12.4% 2-1 48.1% 57.0% -8.9% 2-2 51.2% 60.4% -9.2% 3-0 0.0% 4.3% -4.3% 3-1 31.0% 46.5% -15.5% 3-2 59.7% 65.8% -6.1% In a pregame media scrum, Derek Shelton explained that “the biggest thing is just not chasing. It’s just making sure we stay in our hitting zones.” While the Twins have been certainly low in the chase rate department—swinging at just 16% of pitches outside the zone (4th lowest in the league)—they are also swinging notably less at pitches in the zone, close to a league average of 57%. This means they’re setting up for good counts and good pitches. Finding Just Enough Grass Without generating an especially high hard-hit rate or relying too heavily on the home run (in March and April, after all, the ball doesn't fly very well), the Twins have been one of the best teams in the league at dropping singles and doubles into the outfield. They lift the ball, but despite the fact that it's cold, they're finding space in which it can land. The trick is pulling the ball, where the Twins rank 2nd in Air Pulls. Sometimes, it's not about hitting it 110 MPH. In fact, hitting softer flares can create an unsexy sweet spot, where you're likely to get it over the infielders but drop it in front of the outfield. As long as you offer enough of a threat to stop the outfielders from coming in an extra 15 feet against you, there's a lot of room out there. TDY1dmJfWGw0TUFRPT1fVlFKUUJ3ZFdWZ1VBWFFjRkFBQUhWVlJSQUZrQUJsZ0FCVkFOVmdzRlZWZFJDUVZW.mp4 On the Hunt for Speed Because they're overrepresented in the population of pitchers (relative to their prevalence in the population as a whole), left-handed pitchers don't throw as hard as righties do. They usually beat you by forcing you to play their funky angles and fall for their offspeed tricks. The Twins refuse to be fooled. So far this spring, Minnesota hitters have pointedly found ways to attack high-speed pitches coming from southpaws, rather than off-speed stuff. They have a hard-hit rate of 47.5% on fastballs, fifth in the league, and a 22.8% hard-hit rate on off-speed pitches—25th in the league. The trick here seems to be what Baseball Savant calls the Ideal Attack Angle (IAA) rate. A well-timed swing should catch the ball as the barrel works uphill at somewhere between 5° and 20°, relative to an imaginary horizontal line parallel to the ground. Ted Williams taught this: the pitch is coming down, so you have to swing up. Once again, the Twins' difference is notable: 3rd in the league in IAA% when it comes to fastballs; 25th in the league when it comes to other stuff. For example, check out this Matt Wallner single off Skubal. The reigning Cy Young Award winner leaves it down and in the center of the zone. Wallner, known for crushing the ball, does something different. His swing comes in low, looking to simply match and line up with the pitch. The Big Moose lands a single 210 feet and scores a run. NEW.mp4 Once again, the Twins are taking advantage of cold weather. Skubal's velocity is down a tick, and he's only gotten a 14% whiff rate on his fastball—down from 24% in those previous full seasons. That might be just enough to let hitters like Wallner focus on location, rather than timing. Warming Signs As I’ve outlined here, the Twins' lefty strategy seems to be partially working because of cold weather. As summer approaches, those pulled balls might end up safely in an outfielder’s glove. Pitchers' heaters might warm with the weather. Players might find themselves forced to fight off pitches, rather than confidently waiting for good ones. More likely still is that we'll find that some of these results are just a matter of several players playing slightly above their real talent level, in a way that won't last. All the wins count, though. For now, the team is thriving. In the game of the season, an inning has already been played, and surprising lefty-mashing has given the Twins a snug but real lead. What comes next matters, but so does what's already happened. View the full article

Hayden Senger launched two home runs and drove in four as Syracuse beat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8-6, with Anderson Severino striking out four over two scoreless innings for the save. Mitch Voit hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth as Brooklyn held off Greensboro 9-8. Jose Chirinos threw five shutout innings with five strikeouts as St. Lucie blanked Daytona 2-0. Nick Lorusso's three-run homer brought Binghamton within a run, but the Rumble Ponies fell 8-7 at Akron. Mets Transactions New York Mets placed RHP Joey Gerber on the 15-day injured list. Right finger blister. New York Mets released RHP Luis García. New York Mets recalled RHP Austin Warren from Syracuse Mets. Senger Smashes Two Home Runs As Syracuse Holds Off Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 8-6 Hayden Senger hit two home runs and drove in four runs as the Syracuse Mets beat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 8-6 on Tuesday. MJ Melendez led off the first inning with a triple, and Nick Morabito brought him home with a sacrifice fly for the game's first run. Ryan Clifford doubled later in the inning but was stranded. In the second, Vidal Bruján singled and Senger followed with a two-run homer to make it 3-1. MJ Melendez then hit a solo homer to push the lead to 4-1. In the fourth, Cristian Pache walked and Senger launched his second two-run blast of the night, extending the lead to 6-1. Jose Rojas added a two-run homer in the sixth after Christian Arroyo doubled, giving Syracuse an 8-6 cushion that lasted the rest of the game. Jonah Tong started and pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on five hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts. He carried a 6-1 lead into the fifth before Scranton/Wilkes-Barre erupted for five runs to tie the game. Dan Hammer got one out before Brandon Waddell entered and tossed two scoreless innings to earn the win, allowing three hits while striking out two. Anderson Severino locked down the final two innings for his second save, striking out four with one walk and allowing no hits. Syracuse Mets Batting AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB MJ Melendez LF 4 2 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 Nick Morabito CF 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Ronny Mauricio SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Ryan Clifford 1B 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Christian Arroyo 3B 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Rojas DH 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Vidal Bruján 2B 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cristian Pache RF 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Hayden Senger C 4 2 2 0 0 2 4 0 2 0 Totals 31 8 8 2 1 4 8 4 5 0 Syracuse Mets Pitching IP H R ER BB SO HR NP Decision Jonah Tong 4.2 5 6 6 3 10 2 86 Dan Hammer 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 Brandon Waddell 2.0 3 0 0 0 2 0 37 W (1-0) Anderson Severino 2.0 0 0 0 1 4 0 34 S (2) Totals 9.0 9 6 6 4 16 2 167 Lorusso's Three-Run Blast Highlights Binghamton Rally, But Rumble Ponies Fall 8-7 At Akron The Binghamton Rumble Ponies attempted to rally from a 7-1 deficit but fell one run short in an 8-7 loss to the Akron RubberDucks. Binghamton struck in the third inning when A.J. Ewing doubled and scored on a Jacob Reimer RBI double. Akron answered with three runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to take a 7-1 lead. The Rumble Ponies began their comeback in the seventh. Kevin Parada walked, Nick Lorusso was hit by a pitch, and Ewing delivered an RBI single to make it 7-2. Marco Vargas followed with an RBI single to cut it to 7-3, and Ewing scored on a groundout to bring it to 7-4. Akron added a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-4. In the eighth, Eli Serrano III reached on an error, Jose Ramos walked, and Lorusso launched a three-run homer, his first of the season, to make it 8-7. Binghamton could not push across the tying run in the ninth. Jonathan Santucci started and threw four innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Douglas Orellana allowed four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Gabriel Rodriguez struck out three in a scoreless inning. A.J. Ewing led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base. Binghamton Rumble Ponies Batting AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB A.J. Ewing 2B 5 2 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Marco Vargas SS 5 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Jacob Reimer 3B 5 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Chris Suero C 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 Eli Serrano III LF 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jose Ramos RF 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 D'Andre Smith CF 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 Kevin Parada DH 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Nick Lorusso 1B 3 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 Totals 35 7 10 3 1 1 6 5 7 3 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Pitching IP H R ER BB SO HR NP Decision Jonathan Santucci 4.0 2 3 2 2 5 0 75 L (0-1) Douglas Orellana 0.2 3 4 3 1 2 0 27 Gabriel Rodriguez 1.0 0 0 0 2 3 0 26 Brian Metoyer 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 Matt Turner 1.1 2 1 1 1 1 1 21 Totals 8.0 7 8 6 6 12 1 159 Voit's Go-Ahead Three-Run Homer In The Eighth Lifts Brooklyn Past Greensboro, 9-8 Mitch Voit hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Brooklyn Cyclones a 9-8 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Brooklyn jumped ahead early in the first when Mitch Voit walked, Daiverson Gutierrez singled, and John Bay ripped a two-run triple. Colin Houck walked, Yohairo Cuevas walked, and Trace Willhoite drove in another run with a double for a 4-1 lead. Gutierrez hit a solo homer in the third to extend the lead to 5-2. Greensboro tied the game at 5-5 in the fourth. Willhoite added another RBI double in the sixth to put Brooklyn back up 6-5. Greensboro took an 8-6 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth before Cuevas tripled, Willhoite walked, and Voit launched his first homer of the season to give Brooklyn the 9-8 lead. Garrett Stratton closed the door in the ninth for the save. Voit finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Gutierrez went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, one RBI, and two runs scored. Jonathan Jimenez started and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Bryce Jenkins threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Parker Carlson pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Brett Banks earned the win, and Stratton earned the save with a scoreless ninth, striking out two with a walk. Brooklyn Cyclones Batting AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Mitch Voit 2B 4 2 2 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 Antonio Jimenez SS 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Daiverson Gutierrez C 5 2 4 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 Corey Collins DH 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 John Bay LF 3 1 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 Colin Houck 3B 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 Yohairo Cuevas RF 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 Trace Willhoite 1B 3 1 2 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 Diego Mosquera CF 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals 33 9 11 3 2 2 8 7 5 1 Brooklyn Cyclones Pitching IP H R ER BB SO HR NP Decision Jonathan Jimenez 3.2 6 5 5 3 5 1 70 Parker Carlson 1.1 2 0 0 0 2 0 23 Bryce Jenkins 2.0 1 0 0 1 3 0 33 Brett Banks 1.0 2 3 0 1 1 0 24 W (1-0) Garrett Stratton 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 16 S (1) Totals 9.0 11 8 5 6 13 1 166 Chirinos Spins Five Shutout Innings As St. Lucie Blanks Daytona, 2-0 Jose Chirinos threw five scoreless innings, and St. Lucie's pitching staff combined for a four-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the Daytona Tortugas. Chirinos allowed three hits, walked none, and struck out five on 65 pitches to earn the win. He was efficient throughout, never letting Daytona mount a serious threat. Christian Rodriguez followed with three innings of relief, allowing one hit with two walks and three strikeouts to earn the hold. Ryan Dollar closed out the ninth for his first save, allowing no hits with one walk. AJ Salgado provided the game's first run with a solo home run in the second inning, his second of the season. St. Lucie threatened to add more in the second and third innings but left runners on base. The Mets finally added an insurance run in the seventh when Sam Robertson walked, stole second, and scored on an Elian Peña single to center field. Peña went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base to lead the offense. St. Lucie collected just five hits in the game but made them count, pairing the timely hitting with dominant pitching. The pitching staff struck out eight batters and walked three across nine shutout innings. St. Lucie Mets Batting AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB Elian Peña SS 5 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 Eddinson Paulino 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Branny De Oleo 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Randy Guzman 1B 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Julio Zayas DH 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 AJ Salgado RF 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 Simon Juan CF 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 JT Benson LF 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Chase Meggers C 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Sam Robertson 2B 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 Totals 34 2 5 0 0 1 2 5 13 3 St. Lucie Mets Pitching IP H R ER BB SO HR NP Decision Jose Chirinos 5.0 3 0 0 0 5 0 65 W (1-0) Christian Rodriguez 3.0 1 0 0 2 3 0 38 H (1) Ryan Dollar 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 S (1) Totals 9.0 4 0 0 3 8 0 112 View the full article

Isaac Collins was removed from a game after attempting to make a diving catch into the stands in left field against the Tigers. He didn't get up right away, but walked back into the dugout with a noticeable limp. Collins hasn't had a great start to the season after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. Collins has hit .214/.327/.310 for an OPS+ of 85. The injury is listed as a knee injury, and the Royals will update his status on Wednesday. View the full article

Jagger Haynes struck out five over five innings in San Antonio's 7-2 loss at Midland. Clay Dungan homered and drove in two as El Paso fell to Round Rock 6-4. Kavares Tears belted a two-run home run in the seventh for Fort Wayne, which dropped a 13-4 decision to Lake County. Winyer Chourio spun three scoreless innings with five strikeouts in Lake Elsinore's 5-4 11-inning defeat at Stockton. Padres Transactions San Diego Padres recalled RHP Alek Jacob from El Paso Chihuahuas. San Antonio Missions activated OF Albert Fabian. San Antonio Missions transferred RHP Manuel Castro to the Development List. 1B Leandro Cedeño assigned to San Antonio Missions from ACL Padres. TWP Tucker Musgrove assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from ACL Padres. Lake Elsinore Storm placed C Ty Harvey on the 7-day injured list retroactive to April 13, 2026. C Yoiber Ocopio assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres. Bowen, Dungan Homer, But El Paso Falls To Round Rock 6-4 The El Paso Chihuhuas built a 4-1 lead through three innings before Round Rock came back to win 6-4 on Tuesday. Clay Dungan was El Paso's offensive standout, going 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in the second inning to push the lead to 3-1. Jase Bowen had opened the scoring with a solo home run on the first pitch of the game for his team-leading fourth homer, and Nate Mondou added a sacrifice fly in the third to make it 4-1. Round Rock answered in the fifth, tying the game at 4-4. The Chihuahuas' bullpen was tested throughout, with no single pitcher working more than two innings. Evan Fitterer started and worked two innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Justin Yeager was charged with the loss after allowing two runs in the eighth inning on a two-run double, putting the Express ahead 6-4. El Paso left 12 runners on base and struck out 13 times. Left-hander Yuki Matsui made another rehab appearance, allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout. El Paso Chihuahuas Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Jase Bowen 5 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 Carlos Rodríguez 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Sung-Mun Song 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Marcos Castañon 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Nate Mondou 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 Nick Solak 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Rodolfo Durán 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Clay Dungan 4 1 3 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Mason McCoy 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals 33 4 7 0 0 2 4 3 13 0 El Paso Chihuahuas Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Yuki Matsui 1 1 0 0 1 1 16 Justin Yeager 1 2 2 1 0 2 25 L, 1-2 Omar Cruz 1 1 1 1 1 2 30 Ethan Routzahn 1 1/3 2 0 0 0 1 30 BS, 1 Misael Tamarez 1 2/3 1 2 2 3 2 41 H, 2 Evan Fitterer 2 3 1 1 2 2 46 Haynes Has Solid Start, But Missions' Bullepn Falters In 7-2 Loss San Antonio fell to Midland 7-2 in a game shortened to seven innings thanks to a 2½-hour rain delay, with Romeo Sanabria providing a first-inning spark that was ultimately undone by a five-run sixth. Sanabria hit a two-run home run in the first inning, scoring Ethan Salas, to give San Antonio a 2-0 lead. Jagger Haynes kept that lead intact for five innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, one walk, and striking out five. Haynes held Midland to one run in the first inning and one more in the third before exiting after five. The sixth inning proved decisive as Midland scored five runs on four hits and three walks. Salas went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Albert Fabian went 2-for-3. Sanabria also drew a walk to go along with his first home run of the season, but San Antonio managed just six hits overall and left 13 runners on base. San Antonio Missions Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Ethan Salas 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Jackson 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Romeo Sanabria 2 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 Tirso Ornelas 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Leandro Cedeño 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Kai Murphy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luis Verdugo 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Albert Fabian 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 26 2 6 0 0 1 2 2 7 0 San Antonio Missions Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Jagger Haynes 5 3 2 2 1 5 80 Michael Flynn 0 4 5 5 2 0 18 L, 0-1 Andrew Moore 1 0 0 0 1 0 12 Tears' Home Run Headlines Fort Wayne's 13-4 Loss Fort Wayne rallied for four runs in the seventh inning, but could not overcome a nine-run deficit as Lake County beat the TinCaps 13-4. Maikel Miralles allowed five earned runs on five hits in four innings, walking two and striking out three. He was charged with the loss. The TinCaps' only significant offensive action came in the seventh. Kavares Tears hit a two-run home run to trim the lead to 9-2, and Fort Wayne added two more in the inning. Lamar King Jr. scored on a Rosman Verdugo groundout, and Kasen Wells singled in Jack Costello to round out the four-run frame. Tears finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Wells went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Alex McCoy had two hits in three at-bats and scored a run. Fort Wayne's pitching staff issued 11 walks. Lake County scored four runs in the third, three in the fifth and four more in the seventh. Fort Wayne TinCaps Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Zach Evans 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dylan Grego 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Alex McCoy 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kavares Tears 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Costello 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Kasen Wells 4 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Totals 36 4 8 0 0 1 4 2 9 0 Fort Wayne TinCaps Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Vicarte Domingo 0 2/3 2 4 4 3 0 30 Will Varmette 0 2/3 1 0 0 2 2 29 Maikel Miralles 4 5 5 5 2 3 62 L, 0-1 Bernard Jose 1 2/3 4 4 4 4 2 44 Clark Candiotti 1 1 0 0 0 1 20 Storm Rally, But Come Up Short In 11 Innings 5-4 Lake Elsinore overcame a three-run deficit to tie the game in the eighth inning and took the lead in the 10th, but Stockton scored on a wild pitch in the 11th to hand the Storm a 5-4 loss in extra innings. Starter Winyer Chourio was the standout on the mound, working three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and walking four. Daichi Moriki took the loss in the 11th when a wild pitch allowed the zombie runner, now on third base, to score and give Stockton the walk-off win. The eighth-inning comeback was led by Kale Fountain, who singled to score Conner Westenburg, and Truitt Madonna, who singled to score Fountain and brought the Storm within one. Bradley Frye also scored in the inning to complete the 3-3 tie. In the 10th inning, Fountain served as the zombie runner on second base, and Madonna drove him home with a sacrifice fly to put Lake Elsinore ahead 4-3. Westenburg went 2-for-3 with a run scored, three stolen bases, and a walk. Madonna drove in two runs in one at-bat, and Fountain scored twice. Lake Elsinore Storm Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Ryan Wideman 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Kale Fountain 5 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 Bradley Frye 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Victor Duarte 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Jorge Quintana 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Justin DeCriscio 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 George Bilecki 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kerrington Cross 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Luke Cantwell 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 Totals 36 4 7 0 0 0 3 5 10 4 Lake Elsinore Storm Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Brandon Langley 2 2 2 2 0 3 33 Rordy Mejia 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 0 35 Winyer Chourio 3 1 0 0 4 5 66 Ethan Long 2 1 1 0 0 2 30 Will Koger 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 4 27 Daichi Moriki 0 1/3 0 1 0 1 0 11 L, 0-1 Padres Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 2-for-4, R Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 0-for-5, 2 K Kale Fountain: 1-for-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 K Ryan Wideman: 0-for-5, 2 K Jagger Haynes: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-4, R Romeo Sanabria: 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K Truitt Madonna: 1-for-1, 2 RBI, SB Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP View the full article

Twins System Recap: Hendry Mendez and Eduardo Tait both had multi-homer games on Tuesday. Mendez hit a grand slam, a three-run blast, and even added a triple. Both of them were acquired from the Phillies at the trade deadline. As was Mick Abel, who twirled a gem for the Twins tonight. On the pitching side, Reed Moring delivered yet another scoreless appearance. He's up to 13 shutout innings now. Info on those performances and much more in tonight's recap. View the full article

“It feels like we just keep getting punched in the mouth.” It wasn’t the first time Eric Lauer spoke about taking a punch to the mouth. But this time, instead of joking about a fat lip courtesy of Max Scherzer, he was talking about something far more damaging: the injury bug that has battered the Blue Jays early in the 2026 season. “It’s one of those things where we want it to just stop at some point. But we’ve just got to keep going through it, hoping the next guy steps up. Keep grinding.” Lauer has a point, and you can tell that the injury bug has gotten to the Blue Jays. Just this week, George Springer fouled a ball on his left toe, causing a fracture. After getting X-rays done, the Blue Jays decided to put him on the 10-day IL, joining several of his teammates that are currently hurt, only 15 games into the young season (as of April 14). Springer joins a list of offensive players on the sidelines that includes Addison Barger, who is on the 10-day IL with a sprained ankle, Alejandro Kirk who is out with a fractured thumb, and, dating back to the spring, the Blue Jays can factor in Anthony Santander, who had shoulder surgery in February and will likely not be back until September, if he returns at all. On paper, the Blue Jays are missing four of their projected top six hitters, and although they have depth on the roster, it's a situation no team wants. On the pitching side, things aren’t much better. Shane Bieber, Bowden Francis, José Berríos, and Trey Yesavage were all expected to be key pieces in the starting rotation. Yimi García was set to be a flamethrower out of the bullpen, but none of them left spring training healthy. Cody Ponce, who was expected to be a key part of the rotation after signing a three-year, $30 million contract this winter, lasted only 2.1 innings before he tore his ACL and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season. There’s no way to sugarcoat it; the injuries have been brutal, and they're a big reason why the Blue Jays are below .500 early in the season. But just how bad have things been? The Blue Jays actually don’t have the highest number of players on the injured list (the Diamondbacks lead the way with 13), but in terms of the expected value of their hurt players, no team in baseball has been hit harder than the Toronto Blue Jays. Graphic per the Baseball Prospectus Injured List Ledger Coming into the season, Baseball Prospectus projected the Blue Jays to win about 88 games and produce approximately 41.4 WARP (wins above replacement player). Through just 15 games, the Blue Jays have already lost a meaningful chunk of their projected production to injuries. If that pace holds (nearly 1.0 WARP lost every 15 games), it would equate to about 10 fewer wins than expected coming into the season, which would be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them entirely. Yesavage is reportedly nearing his return, while Springer isn't expected to be out for long. Still, Bieber, Ponce, Santander, García, and Berríos are set to miss significant time, and it's almost certain more players will get hurt between now and the end of the season. It hasn’t been all injuries; the Blue Jays haven't necessarily played their best on the field, either. But PECOTA now projects Toronto to end up with just 83.5 wins overall, a pretty sizeable drop this early on in the season. That's still the fifth-highest win projection in the American League. The concern is whether it keeps dropping. Every season, one team gets decimated by injuries. In 2025, it was the Houston Astros, who lost 12.44 WARP and narrowly missed the playoffs on the final day of the season. In 2024, the Atlanta Braves lost even more value (13.11 WARP), and they still made it in. The Blue Jays now find themselves in this exact situation, and there is no single blueprint for how a season like this plays out: Year Team WARP Lost Playoff Result 2025 Houston Astros 12.44 Missed Playoffs 2024 Atlanta Braves 13.11 Made Playoffs 2023 New York Yankees 13.42 Missed Playoffs 2022 Minnesota Twins 9.601 Missed Playoffs 2021 New York Mets 14.43 Missed Playoffs 2020 Houston Astros 6.305 Made Playoffs* 2019 New York Yankees 17.98 Made Playoffs 2018 Cleveland Guardians 8.752 Made Playoffs There’s no clear cutoff; teams in the past have both survived and collapsed under similar injury loads. The good news? Injury-plagued teams can still make the postseason. The 2018 Guardians, 2019 Yankees, and 2024 Braves all managed to do it. But they had something the 2026 Blue Jays don’t: they were coming off 100+ win seasons. Their baseline was so high that even a significant drop still left them in contention. The Blue Jays don’t have as much luxury. Injuries alone don't determine a team's fate, but they do expose it. Teams with strong foundations and a high floor can survive them, but teams without those assets don’t have the same margin for error. The key for this team is just to try to do whatever they can to stay afloat until reinforcements arrive. Being three games below .500 with a -25 run differential, one of the worst in baseball early on, is what it is. But no one in the American League is running away from the pack. One good week, and the Blue Jays can be right back on top again. The Blue Jays are doing everything they can to make that happen. Just this past week, the team signed Patrick Corbin to reinforce the starting rotation. They’ve also made trades with the Giants and White Sox for Tyler Fitzgerald and Lenyn Sosa, respectively They’ve recalled Brandon Valenzuela, who has shown flashes of promise so far, and called up Eloy Jiménez, who had a two-hit game in his season debut. If the Blue Jays can get some impact from elsewhere on the roster and start putting some wins together, it may be the difference between this team fighting for a spot in October and being on the outside looking in. Whether they can do it won't just depend on getting healthy; it'll depend on whether or not the Blue Jays were good enough to weather this in the first place. For Eric Lauer and the rest of the Blue Jays, it's their turn to do the punching. They will keep grinding, they will keep going until the next man steps up, and if that does happen, then they get to do the sweetest punch of all, and that's punching their ticket into the postseason. View the full article

Amid a slow start for the Boston Red Sox, veteran first baseman Wilson Contreras has emerged as an unlikely hero while the majority of the lineup struggles at the plate. In a recent series win against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, Contreras continued his strong start, going 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. In his 11th season, he is batting .304/.443/.500 with a .943 OPS. Touted as an underrated pickup after Boston acquired him in a trade from the Cardinals, Contreras has lived up to the hype, ranking second on the team with a 171 wRC+ while playing stellar defense. “There’s a reason we got him. We needed another right-handed bat, and we got more than that. We got a guy that is playing great defense at first base, he controls the strike zone, he’s becoming a leader in the clubhouse. It’s fun to have him around,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said about Contreras' contributions thus far. Soon to be 34 years old and coming off a few down years with the Cardinals, Contreras' renaissance at the plate seems to be driven by his improved plate discipline. Known throughout his career for producing high hard-hit rates, the veteran slugger has actually taken a dip in that regard this season. His hard-hit rate sits at only 42.1%, down from his career-high 48.9% from last year. However, this shouldn’t be perceived as a slight on him, but an example of his change of philosophy at the plate. Although his overall contact quality isn't at peak levels, his slugging percentage and xSLG have spiked up to .500 and .517, compared to last season's .447 and .488. A lot of that jump can be tracked to his newfound affinity for left field (and the Green Monster); Contreras is pulling the ball at a career-high 54.1% rate, while his contact to center field has dropped to a career-low 24.3% and his opposite-field rate sits at 21.6%, the second lowest of his career. This marks a major contrast to last season, where his spray chart featured a much more balanced split, 39.4%/37.1%/23.5%. Notably, the last time he had as big a gap in his spray chart was in 2022, when his split was 44.4%/31.7%/23.8%. Coincidentally, that was also the last time he made an All-Star team. Contreras’ selectivity at the plate has extended to every aspect of his game. This season, his swing percentage is at a career low, 41.1%, and he's being very patient, swinging at a near-career-low 25.5% pitches outside of the strike zone. Ultimately, what’s helping his decision-making is that he is also finding himself in very advantageous early counts. This season, his first strike percentage is at 44.8%, an almost 15% drop from his previous career low of 58.7% in 2019. These early count advantages, combined with his laying off "pitcher's pitches" outside the zone, are forcing a few more predictable options around the plate, which he has been capitalizing on. While the sample size is small, Contreras' adjustments are exactly what the Red Sox have needed from their biggest offensive acquisition. Hopefully, his patience will start to carry over to the rest of the team. View the full article

Amid a slow start for the Boston Red Sox, veteran first baseman Wilson Contreras has emerged as an unlikely hero while the majority of the lineup struggles at the plate. In a recent series win against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, Contreras continued his strong start, going 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. In his 11th season, he is batting .304/.443/.500 with a .943 OPS. Touted as an underrated pickup after Boston acquired him in a trade from the Cardinals, Contreras has lived up to the hype, ranking second on the team with a 171 wRC+ while playing stellar defense. “There’s a reason we got him. We needed another right-handed bat, and we got more than that. We got a guy that is playing great defense at first base, he controls the strike zone, he’s becoming a leader in the clubhouse. It’s fun to have him around,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said about Contreras' contributions thus far. Soon to be 34 years old and coming off a few down years with the Cardinals, Contreras' renaissance at the plate seems to be driven by his improved plate discipline. Known throughout his career for producing high hard-hit rates, the veteran slugger has actually taken a dip in that regard this season. His hard-hit rate sits at only 42.1%, down from his career-high 48.9% from last year. However, this shouldn’t be perceived as a slight on him, but an example of his change of philosophy at the plate. Although his overall contact quality isn't at peak levels, his slugging percentage and xSLG have spiked up to .500 and .517, compared to last season's .447 and .488. A lot of that jump can be tracked to his newfound affinity for left field (and the Green Monster); Contreras is pulling the ball at a career-high 54.1% rate, while his contact to center field has dropped to a career-low 24.3% and his opposite-field rate sits at 21.6%, the second lowest of his career. This marks a major contrast to last season, where his spray chart featured a much more balanced split, 39.4%/37.1%/23.5%. Notably, the last time he had as big a gap in his spray chart was in 2022, when his split was 44.4%/31.7%/23.8%. Coincidentally, that was also the last time he made an All-Star team. Contreras’ selectivity at the plate has extended to every aspect of his game. This season, his swing percentage is at a career low, 41.1%, and he's being very patient, swinging at a near-career-low 25.5% pitches outside of the strike zone. Ultimately, what’s helping his decision-making is that he is also finding himself in very advantageous early counts. This season, his first strike percentage is at 44.8%, an almost 15% drop from his previous career low of 58.7% in 2019. These early count advantages, combined with his laying off "pitcher's pitches" outside the zone, are forcing a few more predictable options around the plate, which he has been capitalizing on. While the sample size is small, Contreras' adjustments are exactly what the Red Sox have needed from their biggest offensive acquisition. Hopefully, his patience will start to carry over to the rest of the team. View the full article

Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers selected the contract of RF Greg Jones from Nashville Sounds. SS Jheremy Vargas assigned to Nashville Sounds from Biloxi Shuckers. C Tayden Hall assigned to Biloxi Shuckers from Wisconsin Timber Rattlers RHP Edwin Jimenez assigned to Biloxi Shuckers from ACL Brewers. Nashville Pre-game media notes Nashville 9, Worcester (Red Sox) 4 Box Score Worcester starter Patrick Sandoval did not look the part of a starting pitcher with 100 career MLB starts under his belt on Tuesday night. After Jett Williams singled to open the bottom of the first, Nashville would load the bases and score three runs without the aid of another hit. Jeferson Quero took a bases loaded HBP, before Brock Wilken and Eddys Leonard each plated runs on sac flies. Wilken, who made his first professional start at first base, (h/t to Ro in the MiLB forums) just missed a grand slam with his warning track flyout. Quero and Wilken each drew bases loaded walks in the bottom of the second to stake the Sounds to an early five run lead. It felt like both teams were constantly batting with the bags full all night as there was a lot of traffic on the base paths. The Sounds left a whopping sixteen men on base, as they drew 11 walks and five HBP in addition to their nine hits. The top of the order broke out in this game, leading the way for the Sounds to score a season-high nine runs. Luis Lara reached base five times with the HBP, walk, and three singles. Lara is now hitting .396 with a 1.058 OPS through his first 14 games at AAA. All three of Lara’s hits were groundballs on Tuesday. Here’s one he managed to leg out: Jett Williams was on base four times, scored twice, and drove in one on a grounder with the infield pulled in. Cooper Pratt drew three walks, scored three runs, and stole two bases. Quero drove in four runs, with just one hit, a two-run ground ball single, also with the infield pulled in during the fifth that made it 8-2 Sounds. On the mound, the story was Shane Drohan facing and shutting down his former AAA teammates. Drohan ( 5.1IP 5H 2R 1ER 2BB 8K) retired the first seven men he faced, before getting tagged for a solo homer in the third. Drohan then ran into some trouble in the fourth after second baseman Freddy Zamora rushed a tailor-made double play ball, which should have ended the inning. Instead, Worcester made Drohan work and were able to take advantage of the miscue with an unearned run. Drohan rebounded nicely with a nine- pitch fifth inning, which allowed him to be extended into the sixth inning. Here is his final strikeout on the night, courtesy of the Sounds’ X account: Righthander Coleman Crow will seek his third straight win when he toes the slab on Wednesday night for the Sounds in game two. Biloxi Pre-game media notes Biloxi 4, Columbus (Braves) 2 Box Score As always, you are encouraged to read the official round-up from the team’s site: Three-run Second Inning Propels Shuckers Over Clingstones, 4-2 Manuel Rodriguez’s second start of the Southern League season got off to a surprising start in the first inning, when Columbus leadoff man crushed a pitch off the top of the scoreboard in leftfield. It would turn out to be the only damage the Clingstones could muster against the righthander, as Rodriguez (4.2IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB 6K) would mostly cruise from there. The Shuckers responded immediately in the top of the second by taking advantage of some poor defense from Columbus. After a one out single from Dasan Brown, Dylan O’Rae reached after the Columbus second baseman let the ground ball scoot under his glove into left field on what should have been the third out. The relay throw was then bobbled, which allowed Brown to score from first on the play. Eric Brown Jr. followed with a two-run homerun, that would prove to be the difference in the game, courtesy of the Shuckers’ X account: The Shuckers lead the Southern League in homers on the young season with 16. O’Rae extended his hit streak to nine games and the Shucker’s lead to 4-1 with a ground rule double in the sixth: The Shuckers pen did their part with 4.1IP with just one run allowed, which came in on a wild pitch from Jesus Broca in the bottom of the eighth. Jesus Made and Blake Burke each drew two walks and added two steals on the basepaths for the Shuckers. The 236-pound Burke is giving some Josh Naylor vibes with his instincts on the bases in his minor league career: after stealing 15 bags last year, Burke already has five this season. The Shuckers will be back in action with the early first pitch at 10:00AM CT Wednesday for game two. Wisconsin pre-game media notes Wisconsin was postponed on Tuesday night and they’ll play two on Wednesday against Peoria. The Timber Rattlers website shows Jason Woodward (media notes had Travis Smith) taking the mound for game one at 12:10 CT. Game two will follow approximately 30 minutes after the completion of game one. The Peoria lineup will feature the Cardinals’ #3 overall prospect Rainiel Rodriguez behind the plate. We may also see Tanner Franklin (#11 Cards’ prospect according to MLB Pipeline) who has 16K in 6.2 IP, so far this season. The T-Rats will look to keep up with his 70 grade fastball. Wilson pre-game media notes Wilson 7, Hill City (Guardians) 5 Box Score Early Offensive Outburst Gives Wilson Home-Opener Win The Wilson Warbirds were victorious in their inaugural game at Wilson Park. Taylor Renz made his third start on the young season and went a season-high five scoreless innings, en route to earning the victory. Renz looked comfortable as he allowed just five baserunners (two hits and three walks), while striking out five. Yannic Walther opened the scoring for the Warbirds in the third inning with a solo shot to left field. The first ever homer at the park was just the third professional for the 22 year-old, German-born catcher. Brady Ebel would add a run on a sac fly to make it 2-0 through three innings. The Warbirds broke the game open in the following inning, giving the sellout crowd of 3,700 more reasons to cheer. Luiyin Alastre came up with a two-run double, and Jose Anderson had a two run single to pad the lead to 7-0. The Warbirds X Account didn’t post many highlights, so you can find a few of the big knocks here: Walther Homerun Anderson two-run single It looked like the Warbirds would cruise to victory, after Thomas Conrad (3IP 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 1K) held Hill City at bay in his second professional appearance. However, the Howlers made things interesting with four unearned runs in the ninth inning after a poor throw by pitcher Jose Meneses. All four runs came with two out, before Meneses was able to finally get the third out to seal the Warbirds first win in Wilson. Miqueas Mercedes will take the mound for Wilson in game two on Wednesday. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

TRANSACTIONS Yesterday the Wichita Wind Surge placed RHP Ruddy Gomez on the 7-day injured list with a right lat strain. Tuesday’s only move in the system was the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activating OF Yasser Mercedes from the 7-day injured list. He DH’d and batted fifth in his first game of the season. SAINTS SENTINEL Lehigh Valley 11, St. Paul 7 Box Score The IronPigs jumped out to an early lead against starter Andrew Bash with a two-run first inning, and pushed that advantage to 4-1 in the third to end his start. Bash was charged with four earned runs on five hits and three walks in his three innings, and struck out one. Walker Jenkins led off the bottom of the first with a loud 112 MPH single into center field, and his groundout in the third scored their first run of the game, but it was an odd four-run fourth inning that put the Saints in the lead briefly. They hit only one ball out of the infield in the frame, but multiple misplays, deflections, and otherwise fortunate bounces allowed them to station-to-station advance and take a 5-4 lead. Matt Bowman was the first reliever from the bullpen to start the fourth inning and he pitched two frames. He gave up one hit, one walk, and struck out one. Trent Baker got saddled with the loss and blown save as he gave up three earned runs on four hits and a walk in his one inning. John Brebbia (1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 2 K), Eduardo Salazar (1 IP, H, BB), and Zak Kent (1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, K) completed the final three innings. The Saints closed the gap to one after homers from Alex Jackson in the sixth and Alan Roden in the eighth, but Lehigh Valley picked up three insurance runs in the top of the ninth to close the door on any comeback. Kaelen Culpepper put an end to an 0-for-12 skid with his second double of the year in the sixth inning, and Jackson finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, his first double, and the homer to lead the way for the offense. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 6, Wichita 18 Box Score The Wind Surge jumped all over Cardinals pitching and turned this one into a laugher early. They put up crooked numbers in each of the first and second innings, added a single run in the third, then batted around in the fourth to blow it fully open. Kyle DeBarge led off the bottom of the first with a double, and two batters later Kala’i Rosario put the first run on the board with an RBI single. Billy Amick added an RBI single before Garrett Spain made it 3-0 with an RBI triple. In the second Hendry Mendez came up with the bases loaded and clubbed a grand slam the opposite way for his first home run of the season to make it 7-0. Jose Salas contributed a sac fly in the third before the Wind Surge put this one on ice in the fourth. Rosario struck out as the second hitter of the inning with the score 8-0, but later in the frame made it 17-0 with his first home run of the year, a three-run shot for the innings exclamation point. In between Mendez delivered an RBI triple, Billy Amick an RBI double, and Ricardo Olivar a bases-clearing double. The hot-hitting Ben Ross led off the frame with a single and added an RBI version later. Mendez added his second home run of the game in the seventh to account for all the scoring. Right-hander C.J. Culpepper made the start and went the first four innings. He allowed zero runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out six. Of his 68 pitches, 45 went for strikes (66%) including nine swinging. Sam Ryan was the first reliever from Wichita and after a scoreless fifth gave up a big sixth inning to Springfield, but it didn’t matter. In 1 2/3 innings he was charged with six earned runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out three. Spencer Bengard (1 1/3 IP, K) and Alejandro Hidalgo (2 IP, H, 4 K) finished off the final three plus frames. Ross (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K, SB - 10 game hitting streak), Rosario (2-for-3, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 K), Mendez (3-for-5, 3 R, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 K), Amick (2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 K), and Olivar (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB) all collected multiple hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 10, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score Taking the bump for the Kernels on Tuesday was right-hander Jason Doktorczyk who had picked up wins in both of his prior appearances on the season out of the bullpen. Things didn’t go quite the same as the starter in this one. A triple to start the game turned into a 1-0 lead after one, the River Bandits added three more in the second, and he exited the game in the third responsible for a runner on base that turned into a fifth earned run on the outing. In all he finished 2 1/3 innings, allowing those five runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, while striking out two. The Kernels offense did take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first as Marek Houston led off with a single, and Eduardo Tait followed with his first home run of the season. Sam Rochard was the first reliever summoned and finished off the third inning, allowing one hit. Nolan Santos did the bulk work from the bullpen, throwing 3 2/3 innings and being charged with four runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks. He struck out two. Jacob Wosinski finished off the final 2 1/3, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out two. Tait accounted for the Kernels final run, clubbing his second home run of the season and game in the seventh that made it 9-3 at the time. He obviously led the way but Houston (2-for-5, R, K, SB) and Jaime Ferrer (2-for-4) also collected multiple hits. MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland 3, Fort Myers 0 Box Score Mighty Mussels starting pitcher Reed Moring began his professional career this season with two appearances (including one start) where he finished four scoreless frames. He kept his 0.00 ERA intact in this one with five scoreless frames against the Lakeland Flying Tigers. He scattered six hits and one walk, while striking out six. He threw 70 pitches, with 48 going for strikes (nice), including 16 swinging. That gives him 18 K’s compared to four walks on the season in his 13 total innings. Unfortunately for him and the Fort Myers faithful, the lineup wasn’t able to manage a single hit while he was on the mound. Flying Tigers pitching took the no-hitter into the sixth inning, and with two outs Dameury Pena finally broke it up with an infield single. But that was literally it for the lineup on the game. Relievers Kolten Smith (2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER), Xavier Kolhosser (1 2/3 IP, H, ER, BB, 3 K), Mike McKenna (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K), and Michael Hilker (1 IP, 2 K) finished off the final four innings. Quentin Young drew two walks, while Yasser Mercedes finished 0-for-4 in his season debut. Mighty Mussels hitters struck out 12 times and finished 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, leaving only six men on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Reed Moring, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (5 IP, 6 H, BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Hendry Mendez, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-5, 3 R, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they performed on Tuesday. #1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 1-for-5, 2B (2), K #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, BB, K #4 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-2, 2 R, 2 HR (2), 3 RBI, BB #7 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, K #9 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, R, K, SB (2) #13 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, BB, K, SB (5) #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 0-for-2, 2 BB #16 – Hendry Mendez (Wichita): 3-for-5, 3 R, 3B (1), 2 HR (2), 6 RBI, 2 K #17 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 1-for-6, R, 2B (2), 2 K #18 – C.J. Culpepper (Wichita): 4 IP 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-4, 4 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP John Klein (1-0, 7.88 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (11:05 AM CDT) - RHP Ryan Gallagher (1-0, 1.93 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Eli Jones (0-0, 1.20 ERA) Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP James Ellwanger (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View the full article

The last time Pete Fairbanks took the mound for the Miami Marlins was on April 5. He was then placed on the paternity list, activated on April 9, and he watched all the action from the bullpen during the series finale against the Cincinnati Reds, the weekend series against the Detroit Tigers and the first game against the Atlanta Braves. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough determined in advance that Fairbanks needed to pitch on Tuesday, nine days removed from his most recent appearance. A high-leverage situation arose in the eighth inning, with the Marlins leading 5-3 and the heart of Atlanta's lineup due up. In his lone inning of work, the veteran closer was unsuccessful, surrendering three runs on three hits and taking the loss. "He was going to pitch in that game, and when it got to that point in the eighth, I thought, 'let's go ahead and ensure that he gets his inning of work in today,' and we'd be fine in the ninth," McCullough said postgame. "It just didn't work out." Dominic Smith, who was up at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, hit a bases-clearing double to give the Braves a 6-5 lead, their first of the game. Fairbanks threw a slider that landed right down the middle. "I wanted that pitch," Fairbanks said. "Things didn't work out, wasn't executed properly, double in the gap. Lose a game, part of the process. That's obviously the real tough part of it, but it is what it is. I'm not going to go out there and second guess what I wanted to throw or what we wanted to throw." This marked Fairbanks' first blown save as a member of the Marlins. For the Tampa Bay Rays last season, he converted 27 of 32 save opportunities. Fairbanks rarely pitched in the eighth inning last season, but the Marlins made it clear that they would be utilizing him earlier in games when appropriate. This was one of those times considering that Atlanta's two most productive bats of 2026, Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson, were due to come to the plate. The bigger issue here is that the Marlins threw Fairbanks into this important spot coming off such an extended stretch of inactivity. He was not in a position to perform up to his usual standards. Fairbanks' fastball topped out at 98.3 mph, averaged 96.7 mph and generated four whiffs. Of his 26 pitches, 19 of them landed for strikes. Fairbanks believed that his release points weren't exactly where they were supposed to be, resulting in pitches up in the zone, but he was pleased with the overall shapes. "Go to bed, try not to take it with you," Fairbanks said regarding his mentality following a blown save. "You get mad for a little bit, then you let it go and you show up and do your job the next day." On a positive note, the Marlins offense picked up right where they left off on Monday, combining for nine total hits. In the top of the first inning, the Fish attacked Reynaldo Lopez right away with a sacrifice fly from Agustín Ramírez. In the following inning, Connor Norby laced an RBI single, extending his hitting streak to seven games. Atlanta native Graham Pauley smacked his fifth double of the season, driving in Norby. Jakob Marsee secured a multi-hit game on an RBI single, giving Miami a commanding 4-0 lead through just two innings. Max Meyer for a second straight start gave the Marlins five innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits, one walk and struck out five. He averaged 16.4 pitches per inning, topping out at 21 in the second and 20 in the fifth. In the bottom of the third inning, he surrendered back-to-back RBI doubles to Baldwin and Olson. Surprisingly, Meyer's sweeper was his most-used pitch on Tuesday instead of his slider. Throwing the sweeper 26% of the time, he generated six whiffs, including a swinging strikeout of Mauricio Dubón in the bottom of the fifth. Meyer remains the only Marlins starting pitcher who has not surpassed five innings pitched this season. In the eighth, Otto Lopez added an RBI single to give Fairbanks some breathing room, but it wasn't enough as things turned out. The Marlins drop to 9-9 on the season, now looking for the series win on Wednesday at 7:15 pm with Chris Paddack on the mound. View the full article

If a guy makes his only appearance after midnight in a West Coast game, pitching a pair of mop-up innings as the team sleepwalked to their sixth straight loss ... was he actually a Met? These is the question the legion of Joey Gerber fans are confronting as the Dodger series continues to unfold. Transactions, 4/14/2026 GOING COMING Cleared Waivers and Released Placed on 15-Day Injured List with Right Finger Blister Promoted from Syracuse Relief Pitchers Luis Garcia Joey Gerber Austin Warren R/R DoB: 1987-01-30 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 High Level: MLB (2025) Info has been sketchy about the Luis Garcia release, but it is terribly likely that there are two bits of information missing in between Cleared Waivers and Released — namely, Assigned to Syracuse and Refused Assignment. Luis and his shrubby, shrubby beard have 14 years of big league time, and likely has no desire to go down to Syracuse at 39, and so would rather go home and wait for a call from a big-league team that hasn't lost six in a row. If you missed Joey Gerber's high-leg-kicking Juan Marichal imitation of a Mets debut last night, you missed a minor treat (at the tale end of a really flat-tasting/low-cal meal of a game). Early speculation about his unexpected Injured List assignment recalled Billy Eppler's embarrassing disciplining for abuse of the Injured List. In favor of that notion is the head-scratching notion anybody would need 15 days to recover from blisters. Going up against that notion is that the Mets, despite their losing streak, don't exactly have a burned-out pen right now. Stepping in for Blister Boy is Austin Warren, who looked very impressive in pulling in 9 1/3 innings on the 2025 reliever carousel. Hopefully, he finds more opportunities than that in 2026. 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 Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Kodai Senga R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 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 Brett Baty Bo Bichette Francisco Lindor Jorge Polanco R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 Infielders Infielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Carson Benge Tommy Pham Luis Robert, Jr. Tyrone Taylor Jared Young R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 R/R DoB: 32210 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 R/R DoB: 34356 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Christian Scott Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 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. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery. On 15-Day Injured List with blistered right finger. On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib. Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger Ronny Mauricio MJ Melendez 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: 2001-04-04 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse, on Seven-Day IL With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse Outfielders Nick Morabito Juan Soto R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 With Syracuse On 15-Day Injured List with strained right calf Deslgnated for Assignment Relief Pitchers Richard Lovelady L/L DoB: 1995-07-07 Designated for Assignment, 2026-04-11 View the full article

Box Score SP: Mick Abel 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (90 pitches, 64 strikes (71%) Home Runs: Byron Buxton 2 (2, 3), Brooks Lee (3) Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Abel (0.27), Buxton (0.19), Luke Keaschall (0.10) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) The Twins looked to continue their winning ways against an old friend, as non-lefty Sonny Gray returned again to Target Field. Gray was coming off of a dominant 6.1 scoreless inning performance against a salty Milwaukee offense. Meanwhile, his counterpart Mick Abel finally found his footing during his last start, going six scoreless against the Tigers in his last home start. Twins Offense Stays Unwelcoming Gray might have come into the game on a roll, but he encountered an even larger steamroller called the Twins lineup. Minnesota has averaged over nine runs a game in their latest three-game winning streak, and tonight it was Byron Buxton who got started the scoreboard tallying with his speed and power. In the bottom of the first inning, Buxton led off the game with a single up the middle, and then immediately advanced to second on a Gray balk. Trevor Larnach got called out on strikes after the Red Sox won an ABS challenge, but Luke Keaschall blooped a single to center to advance Buxton to third. Only, Byron didn't stop there! With the ball already reaching the infield, Buxton got the green light and he got called out at the plate. This call was also challenged, and this time the Twins were celebrating an overturned call and a 1-0 lead. Kody Clemens got on in the bottom of the second and worked his way around to third base but got stranded there. Buxton led off the bottom of the third, and he didn't get stranded anywhere. 2-0 Twins. The Twins kept the pressure on, eventually loading the bases in the third before stranding more runners in scoring position. Before Twins fans could fear reprecussions from the missed opportunities, Brooks Lee led off the bottom of the fourth, and for the sixth game in a row he drove in a run and for the third time in this recent streak that run was himself. 3-0 Twins. It's important to note how well Mick Abel was pitching, but the Twins wouldn't stop scoring runs. Tristan Gray followed up Lee with a hard single and Buxton found some space on the left side of the diamond to put runners at first and second with still nobody out in the fourth. Larnach has feasted on Gray (Sonny...not his teammate Tristan) in the recent past, and it was time for seconds. 5-0 Twins and Gray was chased from the game (Sonny...not our new third baseman). Abel is More Than Able The first two appearances of Abel's season left a lot to be desired. Piggy-backing in Baltimore didn't go well, and his first frozen Target Field start versus the Rays was rough. Abel's third start was near-dominant through six, and he managed to top that tonight. Mick struck out five consecutive Boston batters from the last out of the first through the first out of the third innings. Through six innings and only 81 pitches, Abel allowed only one runner to reach as far as second base. Before we get to how much Mick had left in his tank, a brief 438 foot message from Byron Buxton. More Abel, New Milestones Now emboldened with a 6-0 lead, Abel kept on dealing into the seventh and in many ways he accelarated his performance to the end. Abel notched two more strikeouts to reach a new career high at 10, with the last punchout of Carlos Narvaez maintaining his highest velocity of the night at 96 mph in what he himself described as a "pretty poorly executed pitch" in his dugout post-op interview. Not only that, but Abel utilized five separate types of pitches to collect his 10 strike outs, showing the kind of promise that made the Twins willing to depart with popular closer Jhoan Duran last season. Solid infield defense, no walks, and a 71% strike rate will make for a great night. Hope is abounding in Twins Territory, and Abel is starting to become a key part of that surprising story. Finishing it Off Like You've Been There Before After the first three series of the season, Twins fans were asking if their squad would get a series win at all in 2026. Now it feels like anything less is unacceptable. Taylor Rogers came in for the top of the eighth, and allowed a couple of baserunners but no ultimate damage done. Cole Sands got the call in the ninth as he looked to rebound from a rough outing in Toronto on Saturday. Sands preserved the shutout, and kept the Twins climbing up the win column. What’s Next? The Twins look to break out the brooms again at home on Wednesday afternoon during the annual Jackie Robinson Day celebration. Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson (0-2, 4.60 ERA) looks to join in on the winning side of the ledger for the first time this season, while the Red Sox will send young lefty Connelly Early (0-0, 2.63 ERA) out for eighth career start. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Morris 0 0 67 0 0 67 Rogers 30 0 0 0 22 52 Sands 0 22 0 0 15 37 Banda 36 0 0 0 0 36 Acton 0 0 0 33 0 33 Topa 12 0 12 0 0 24 Orze 0 0 0 23 0 23 Funderburk 0 17 0 0 0 17 View the full article