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It feels like we've waited half a decade for a long look at Garrett Mitchell, and while 40-some games might not qualify as 'long' in baseball, it’s already the second-most games he has ever appeared in within a single season. This season, we hoped to nail down who Garrett Mitchell is, but to this point, putting him in a box has proved exceedingly difficult. So far, I would simply put Mitchell in a box labeled “Extreme!” Here’s where he ranks in some key metrics among qualified hitters, starting with the positives. For this, we'll utilize Statcast's method for percentiles, meaning you always want your hitter to be as close to the 100th percentile as possible, whether the stat itself is something good (like walk rate) or bad (like strikeout rate): BB%: 90th percentile Hard Hit%: 92nd percentile Barrel%: 84th percentile Outfield range: 78th percentile Arm Strength: 96th percentile Baserunning value: 90th percentile And the negatives: GB/FB ratio: 3rd percentile Whiff%: 2nd percentile K%: 1st percentile Squared-Up%: 5th percentile Arm Value: 2nd percentile To boil this all down, Mitchell hits the ball hard, but it’s very likely to be a ground ball. He swings and misses a lot, but barrels the ball when he hits it. He shows exceptional range and arm strength in the outfield but--this year at least--he has lost a ton of value on his throws. And finally, he’s extremely fast and valuable on the bases. There’s a lot to unpack in all of this data. The first thing that pops out for me is Mitchell’s strikeouts. The history of hitters playing a full season with a strikeout rate over 35% is a short one, and Mitchell’s currently sits at 37%. Using 500 plate appearances as the minimum to rid us of a shortened 2020, a rate of 35% or higher has happened just six times in the history of the game. The responsible parties are Joey Gallo (twice), Chris Davis (twice), Chris Carter, and Mark Reynolds. Now, one of these seasons was just about the worst in league history, in which Davis posted a .292 SLG and -2.5 fWAR in 2018. The others, however, range from slightly below-average by wRC+ to quite good. This makes sense, of course. If you have a player with a 35%+ strikeout rate who is also NOT hitting, you aren’t letting him reach 500 trips to the plate—unless you’re paying him like the Orioles were Chris Davis. So, it is possible to strike out as much as Mitchell has and still be an above-average hitter, it’s just extremely unlikely. Of these six seasons, just three resulted in wRC+ figures over 100: Carter in 2013, and Gallo in 2017 and 2018. To make this work, these hitters sold out for home runs. The highest grounder-to-fly ball ratio from any of these three seasons was 0.66. Mitchell’s is 1.95, the fourth-highest in the league this year. Of course, Mitchell is less than halfway to 500 plate appearances. It seems fairly likely that his strikeout rate will drop somewhat as the season goes on, purely because we’re dealing with small samples. It’s the same reason I had to remove 2020 from our pool of K% leaders. In a year when players didn’t even need 200 PAs to qualify, four hitters posted a strikeout rate over 35%, and two were above 40%. This small sample warning applies to every stat we'll discuss here. The second thing that pops out is Mitchell’s tremendously high BABIP, and the low batting average that comes with it. Currently, Mitchell ranks 4th in the Majors in BABIP (.395), but is hitting just .236. From a sustainability perspective, Mitchell has an excellent player profile for a high BABIP, with extremely hard-hit balls on the ground to complement blazing speed. Still, no one maintains a nearly .400 BABIP for their career. While Mitchell does have a career .380 BABIP, he currently has 610 career PAs, fewer than some players will have in 2026 alone. In the longest season of Mitchell's career so far, 2024, Mitchell posted a 124 wRC+ despite an even more extreme 2.48 GB/FB rate. It's very difficult to find another ground ball-hitting speedster who strikes out anywhere near as much as Mitchell. The only player with as few homers as Mitchell (3) and a strikeout rate north of 28% in 2026 is Trevor Story, who is struggling this year and owns a .547 OPS. But Mitchell hasn't always lacked pop; he has 16 career homers in those 610 career PAs. Thus, the closest thing to a comp for Mitchell that I can find is Pirates center fielder and physical phenom Oneil Cruz. The pair are currently the top two qualified hitters in strikeout rate; they both hit a lot of ground balls (though Mitchell still hits more); and their wRC+ marks are within a few points of each other. The key differences here are that Cruz hits the ball even harder, but chases pitches a lot more and walks a lot less. Cruz is also grading out poorly in range defensively this year, as the former shortstop continues his defensive odyssey. Here are Mitchell and Cruz offensively side by side, with Chase% and BB% (where Mitchell has a huge edge) removed to highlight their similarities: The good news is, as far as comps go, Cruz is a solid name to be associated with. He has a career 102 wRC+, and Mitchell has considerably better instincts in the outfield. Cruz has hit the ball better than Mitchell this year, leading to a large gap in xSLG, but the on-field results have been quite similar. Ultimately, Mitchell’s career wRC+ is currently 113. To me, that feels high for projecting him moving forward, but he truly does not have to be an above-average hitter to succeed in this league, as long as he’s healthy and his center field defense returns to solidly above average. One thing is certain: if Mitchell does stick as a long-term player, he'll do it with one of the most extreme offensive profiles in Brewers history. Statistics courtesy of Statcast & FanGraphs View the full article

Since securing their last series win against the Reds on May 6, the Cubs are 7-15. They're standing naked in the cold spotlight right now, and some of those laughing in the dark are their fiercest rivals. With a demoralizing combination of stranded baserunners and inconsistent pitching, the city's North Side baseball team has lived a nightmare for the last three weeks. A late recharge of this squad's bats and some masterful pitching performances from unexpected places proved that it's far from over. The renewal of a division rivalry feels more important than a tilt featuring more unfamiliar opponents. With the North Siders kicking off a four-game set in Pittsburgh on the Memorial Day holiday, this sentiment was clearly on the minds of players in both dugouts. The suddenly marvelous Ben Brown took the bump. He went six full innings, surrendering just four hits and one earned run, and punching out seven Pirates. The club's inept offense doomed them once again, however, as they were flummoxed by Pittsburgh starter Carmen Mlodzinski. Chicago mustered its only run, a solo shot off the bat of Michael Busch, against the Buccos starter, but that's where it ended, leaving seven stranded in a 2-1 victory for the Pirates. The loss of Cade Horton near the outset of this campaign set into motion the world's worst game of musical chairs. Craig Counsell and his staff have looked in every corner of this clubhouse for answers, from Javier Assad to Tuesday's starter, Jordan Wicks. Alas: nothing has panned out for the North Siders. In his first start of the season, Wicks was roughed up, surrendering eight earned runs on nine hits. Racking up eight hits and just one run, the offense went an astonishing 1-for-13 with RISP. This is a team that's had a hard time getting out of its own way, and this contest was no different, with the Pirates winning 12-1. It's no secret that Pittsburgh native Ian Happ loves to work at PNC Park. With a five-RBI day, Happ powered his squad to their first convincing victory in weeks Wednesday, in a 10-4 triumph. One element of this slide that has doomed the Cubs is inconsistent pitching, but despite Jameson Taillon giving up another pair of home runs, the staff largely kept their opponents in check. The bullpen had one of its best showings of late, with solid appearances from Ethan Roberts, Jacob Webb, Phil Maton, and Caleb Thielbar. The tilt served as a reminder that this Chicago team has much to play for. With the offense finally clicking, the Cubs salvaged a split on Thursday. Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, and Happ all recorded critical hits, with the squad's left fielder crushing another long fly. Colin Rea delivered a steady showing, coughing up just two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. In the smallest of sample sizes, the Cubs put forth their most encouraging two games of offense, restoring some of the good habits and better vibes that have been so sorely missing from this ball club. The final score was 7-2. A lack of synchronization between the team's offense and defense dragged them to the depths of the NL Central cellar for a moment in the past week. A 6-5 loss in the opener of their three-game set with the archrival Cardinals supplied a convincing demonstration of this case. Happ homered in his third-straight game, but a dismal appearance from Shota Imanaga put the North Siders behind early. Though he's not the only starter who struggles with the long ball, Imanaga allowed the Cards to swat three long flies. The 6-5 win for the home team ended Chicago's win streak at two. Ben Brown is, by default, the momentary ace of this staff, and his virtuoso performance in game two of the series evened things. Brown was as confident as he was efficient, cruising through the early innings with his balanced arsenal. He frustrated the Cardinals lineup with a wicked curveball and his two-seam fastball. Pete Crow-Armstrong put his stamp on the game with his best performance of the year: a four-hit game, placing the tarps back on to a raucous Saint Louis crowd with a 444-foot moonshot, his seventh on the year. The sparkling night at the plate helped the Cubbies to a 6-1 win. In front of a sold-out Sunday Night Baseball crowd, the North Siders squandered their shot at the second series win of the month. Wicks followed up his previous pedestrian outing with a shorter but not better one. He couldn't find much of a groove, yielding four hits and three earned runs. As he went, so went the club's worst offensive tendencies, with a solo homer from Alex Bregman providing the only offense in the rubber match. The North Siders' pitching woes have been known for some time, but if they wish to really gain ground in this division, it's a problem they must solve, and fast. Chicago fell 5-1 at Busch Stadium. The calendar now turns to June, with Craig Counsell's club still seeking a consistent formula for success. The squad gets a day off on Monday before returning to the Friendly Confines for a three-game set with the competent Athletics. The weekend festivities at Wrigley will see the San Francisco Giants pay a visit. While there are still a few positives to speak to regarding this baseball team, the negatives are dominating at the moment. There's time, but the Cubs had better be keeping better track of it. View the full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 1-5 Runs scored last week: 16 Runs allowed last week: 28 (season run differential: minus-6) Standings Scores Game 53 (Monday): Phillies 3, Padres 0 Game 54 (Tuesday): Phillies 4, Padres 3 Game 55 (Wednesday): Phillies 3, Padres 0 Off Thursday Game 56 (Friday): Padres 7, Nationals 5 Game 57 (Saturday): Nationals 9, Padres 4 Game 58 (Sunday): Nationals 4, Padres 2 Week in Review and Highlights Phillies series Game 1: There are times where you tip your cap to an opposing pitcher and others where you feel frustrated by all the missed opportunities. The Memorial Day game fell into the latter bucket for the Padres, who gave up a pair of homers, but were shut out for the fifth time after going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The result was a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Kyle Schwarber, MLB's home run leader, hit a solo shot in the first inning, his 21st of the season and 21st in 50 games (including the postseason) at Petco Park. Brandon Marsh clubbed a two-run homer in the seventh. But that wasn't really needed with the way the Padres were hitting with guys in scoring position. Manny Machado was the biggest culprit in this game. He struck out with the bases loaded in the first inning, grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on the corners in the third and left a runner on third when he struck out in the eighth. The Padres, who struggle against left-handed pitching, were limited to four hits over six innings by Phillies lefty starter Jesus Luzardo, who walked two and struck out six. The only other hit came on Ty France's single with two outs in the ninth. It was a mixed performance for Padres right-handed starter Griffin Canning, who was making his fifth appearance of the season since coming back from an Achilles injury. He went a season-high 6⅔ innings and struck out five, but two of the three hits he allowed were homers. He left after Marsh's homer, with right-hander Jeremiah Estrada getting the final out of the seventh and left-hander Yuki Matsui retiring six of the seven batters he faced. The game also marked the first for Nick Castellanos against his old team, the Phillies. He held court before the game with media from Philadelphia peppering him with questions. Game 2: While there have been brief exceptions, the one glaring inconsistency has been the lack of offensive production by the Padres, particularly by Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., their two superstar hitters. Until that changes, a repeat of what has transpired in the first two games of this series will continue. For the fifth time in eight games, the Padres had five or less hits, which resulted in a 4-3 loss to the Phillies. Of course, it doesn't help that right-handed starter Randy Vasquez gave up three solo homers, each with two outs, in each of the first three innings. It would have been four homers if not for center fielder Jackson Merrill robbing yet another would-be homer in the fourth. But Vasquez's otherwise solid performance (5⅔ innings, eight hits, four runs, one walk, two strikeouts) looks a bit worse because of the Friars' offensive rut. The fact that the Padres won two of those five games with no more than five hits also keeps things looking a little brighter. But the Padres know this can't continue. "We can't sustain it," Machado said of the offensive woes, this time at the hands of Phillies right-handed starter Aaron Nola. Machado did hit his ninth homer of the year, a two-run shot in the fourth inning to slice the Friars' deficit to 4-2, but the three-time Silver Slugger has a paltry .173/.270/.346 slash line following this loss. Tatis' woes are well-documented. He is hitting the ball as hard as anyone in the game, but has yet to launch a homer as he approaches 200 plate appearances. His slash line of .255/.336/.296 is better than Machado's, but still under his career numbers (.275/.353/.498). The Padres still managed to make his a one-run game as Ramon Laureano delivered his seventh homer of the year leading off the bottom of the eighth. A Tatis one-out single and Gavin Sheets two-out walk set up Machado, who grounded out to end the eighth. This comeback fell short. Game 3: The last thing the Padres needed to see considering their offensive funk was a pitcher on a historic run. But that is what transpired in the series finale as Phillies right-hander Cristopher Sanchez tossed seven more shutout innings to extend his scoreless streak to 44⅔ innings in the Padres' 3-0 loss. The Friars were swept in a series for the first time this season and have lost a season-worst four in a row for the second time. Sanchez struck out nine, allowed six hits and didn't issue a walk. Sanchez's run is the seventh-longest in a single season in MLB history and he is three innings shy of having the third-best streak. Two Padres had loud outs with Sheets and Machado hitting long fly balls, but they were still outs. They were shut out for the second time in this series and third time in seven games. Following this series, the Padres are tied for the fourth-fewest runs (3.89 per game) and the worst batting average (.218) and on-base percentage (.291). Their .652 OPS is next-to-last. Padres right-handed starter Walker Buehler had a nice outing. He allowed two runs over 5⅓ innings, giving up three hits with no walks and two strikeouts. This was the third time in five starts Buehler did not issue a walk. Both runs scored in the sixth after Buehler left a jam for left-hander Adrian Morejon to escape. But Morejon gave up an run-scoring single to Schwarber and an RBI grounder to Trea Turner. Buehler was very efficient, throwing just 58 pitches. The Padres went 3-6 on their longest homestand of the season. They now head out on a six-game road trip, which will include three games in Philadelphia and a rematch with Sanchez, who has five consecutive starts of not allowing a run. Nationals series Game 1: In a roller-coaster affair, the Padres' bullpen once again proved to be the difference. While not quite as dominant as last year, the relief corps turned in what would have been a quality start in reverse, covering the final 6⅓ innings and allowing one run. That combined with timely home runs by France and Merrill provided the winning margin in a 7-5 triumph over the Washington Nationals. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak. You could tell it was going to be one of those games when the first inning took 30 minutes, but only three runs were scored between the two teams. Giolito, still showing rust following his late signing, needed 35 pitches to get the first three outs and gave up a two-run homer to the third batter of the game. There was another homer in the second inning, this one of the solo variety, then the fourth is when it became clear it wasn't Giolito's day. After getting the first two batters out, he gave up a walk and a wild pitch before an RBI single put the Nats up 4-1. Another single and a walk ended Giolito's day with the bases loaded. Left-hander Yuki Matsui escaped further damage. The Padres had kept things close on Xander Bogaerts' first-inning sacrifice fly and Machado's RBI single in the third that snapped an 0-for-36 team funk with runners in scoring position. The Friars' manufactured a pair of runs in the fourth inning on Freddy Fermin's run-scoring groundout and Tatis' single that tied the game 4-4. The Nationals countered with a run in the fifth for a 5-4 lead, then France smashed his sixth homer of the season to left field to tie it 5-5. In the seventh, Bogaerts reached on a one-out error and, with two outs, Merrill lined a two-run homer to right, his first long ball since May 4, for a 7-5 edge. That was just enough for the Friars' bullpen. Matsui allowed the only run in his two innings, while Estrada and Morejon each struck out a pair in 1⅓ innings apiece. The plan went a bit askew in the eighth after Morejon got a comebacker for the first out. Right-handed setup man Jason Adam came on and gave up singles to the next two hitters to put runners on the corners thanks to a Tatis error in right. That got closer Mason Miller stirring in the bullpen, but Adam still had to face another hitter for the three-batter minimum. Fortunately, he got a fly ball that was shallow enough to keep the bases loaded and that brought Miller into the game to face Nationals superstar James Wood, the former Padres prospect. Wood drew a walk to load the bases, but Miller got out of it with a line out to deep left. Miller issued another walk leading off the ninth, then struck out two of the next three batters for his 17th save in as many chances. Game 2: The seasonlong nightmare finally came to an end. Tatis hit a homer. It was bittersweet, however, as it came in a 9-4 loss to the Nationals, who scored eight runs over the seventh and eighth innings to hand the Padres their fifth loss in six games. For Tatis, at least he can take a deep breath now that he hit his first homer of the season. He ended a streak of 238 plate appearances by going deep in his third trip Saturday, a no-doubt, 451-foot blast in the fifth inning. He raised his arms in celebration at the plate, almost as if he had just hit a series-winning blast in the postseason. Except, as Tatis said postgame, the baseball gods didn't allow a proper clubhouse celebration. That is because Friars right-handed starter Michael King, who was very good for six innings, unraveled in the seventh. After allowing one run on four hits through six, King opened the seventh by allowing a hit, a groundball, a walk and a hit batter that drove in a run to pull the Nats within 3-2. Right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez was tasked with minimizing the damage, but he couldn't. Part of that came when Rodriguez got a potential double-play ball to Tatis at second, but Bogaerts, the shortstop, was ruled not to be on the bag and he didn't make a relay due to a hard slide. A replay review allowed the call to stand, which led to mild-mannered Craig Stammen's first ejection as manager. A run scored on the play to tie the game 3-3. What followed was a bases-loaded walk, a two-run single and a run-scoring grounder that put the Nats up 7-3. Peralta surrendered two more runs in the eighth. Tatis' homer was one of three by the Padres' big three hitters. Bogaerts hit a solo shot in the second inning, his eighth this year, and Machado hit his 10th of the season, also a solo shot, in the fourth inning. Tatis, for his part, hasn't been sulking. He has a six-game hitting streak, with 13 hits in 27 plate appearances, plus a pair of walks. He has a slash line of .520/.556/.680 during this stretch with three straight multihit games and five of six. Game 3: After a fantastic April, the Padres had a mundane May. That fact was punctuated by a 4-2 loss to the Nationals, the Friars' sixth loss in seven games. That funk left the Padres with a 13-15 mark in May and 32-26 overall. As it has been most of the season, offense was at the root of this loss. The bats produced just three hits through six innings against Zack Littell, who entered the game with a 5.23 ERA. The Padres eventually got to him in the seventh, scratching out a pair of runs. That type of production puts more scrutiny on the starting rotation, which has still been solid for the Friars. On this day, Canning gave up three runs in five innings, including a pair of homers, with the bullpen surrendering an insurance run over three frames. The Padres continue to have the game's worst batting average, now at .218 after a six-hit performance Sunday. Now the Padres head to Philadelphia for another three games against the Phillies, who just took three games from the Friars at Petco Park. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 1-1, 0.72 ERA, 24 games, 17 saves, 17 chances, 25 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 11 BB, 49 K, .119 opponent average. Recorded his MLB-leading fourth four-out save Friday. Has not allowed an extra-base hit in last 44 appearances (46⅓ innings), by far a club record (26, Joe Thatcher in 2012). That is the longest streak in MLB since Brandon Morrow's 44-gamer between the 2017-18 seasons. Random Stats Of the 32 games at Petco Park, 25 have been sellouts. The Padres continue to rank second in MLB in attendance. Jackson Merrill is one of three players with at least 10 steals without being caught. Merrill is 10-for-10. Fernando Tatis' 451-foot homer was the longest by a Padre this season. Five Friars have now hit their longest home runs this week: Ramon Laureano (447 feet, Tuesday), Manny Machado (436, Saturday), Jackson Merrill (436, Friday), Xander Bogaerts (424, Saturday). The only other time Tatis, Machado and Bogaerts homered in the same game was April 29, 2023, in Mexico City. Saturday's six-run seventh inning was the fourth time the Padres have allowed that many runs in a single frame. Only the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers have allowed six or more runs more often, both doing it five times. Transactions No transactions this week. Website Highlights Padres' offensive woes have brought forth a damning question: Does San Diego actually have a plan at the plate? — Randy Holt More dominant, more fragile: Inside Vasquez's strange leap in 2026 — Yirsandy Rodriguez The mechanics behind Miller's modern relief masterclass — Taylor Leonard Giolito providing early stability for Padres with room for improvement — Randy Holt Merrill hasn't found love in the heart of the zone — N.B. Lindberg Padres' silent crisis finally exploded — Yirsandy Rodriguez Looking Ahead Monday: Off Tuesday: Padres (Randy Vasquez) at Phillies (Aaron Nola), 3:40 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Phillies (Cristopher Sanchez), 3:40 p.m. Thursday: Padres (Lucas Giolito) at Phillies (Zach Wheeler), 10:05 a.m. Friday: Mets at Padres (Michael King), 6:40 p.m. Saturday: Mets at Padres (Griffin Canning), 7:10 p.m. Sunday: Mets at Padres (Randy Vasquez), 1:10 p.m. View the full article

When the Twins announced that Mike Paredes would join the major league roster following Bailey Ober's placement on the injured list with elbow inflammation, many fans were left asking the same question: Who is Mike Paredes? Unlike many of Minnesota's recent pitching call-ups, Paredes never appeared near the top of national prospect rankings. He wasn't a highly touted draft pick, nor was he a pitcher who generated buzz with triple-digit velocity. Instead, he has steadily climbed through the organization by doing something the Twins value highly: throwing strikes, limiting damage, and finding ways to get outs. Now, after nearly five years in the organization, Paredes is set to make his big-league debut. The Twins selected Paredes in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of San Diego State University. His college numbers hardly suggested a future major leaguer. Across 35 appearances, including 20 starts, he posted a 5.28 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while recording fewer than one strikeout per inning. Minnesota nevertheless saw something worth developing. After signing, Paredes made just two appearances for the FCL Twins, offering little insight into his long-term projection. His first full professional season arrived in 2022 at Low-A Fort Myers, where he worked in both starting and relief roles. Over 24 appearances, including 13 starts, he posted a 3.27 ERA while pairing an 18.6% strikeout rate with an impressive 4.7% walk rate. The strikeout totals weren't eye-popping, but the command immediately stood out. That trend continued in 2023 at High-A Cedar Rapids. His strikeout rate increased by nearly four percentage points, though it came with a slight rise in walks. Even so, he finished the year with a 3.14 ERA and a respectable 3.54 FIP, continuing to establish himself as a dependable arm in the system. Paredes split the 2024 season between High-A and Double-A. His first exposure to Wichita produced some growing pains as he surrendered 12 earned runs in fewer than 19 innings. Still, there were encouraging signs beneath the surface. With an improved sweeper, his strikeout rate jumped to 23.2% while his walk rate fell below five percent. The Twins saw a pitcher beginning to miss more bats without sacrificing the command that had become his calling card. Everything came together in 2025. Spending nearly the entire season at Double-A Wichita, Paredes emerged as one of the organization's biggest pitching surprises. Across 103 2/3 innings, he posted a 2.43 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while holding opponents to a .202 batting average. The Wind Surge primarily used him as a multi-inning reliever, averaging roughly three innings per appearance, and he thrived in the role. That success elevated him from organizational depth piece to legitimate major league consideration. The 2026 season didn't begin particularly well. Assigned back to Double-A Wichita, Paredes struggled through four starts, posting a 7.07 ERA and allowing opponents to hit .298 against him. However, even during those rough outings, there was one encouraging development. He struck out 21 batters while issuing just one walk in 14 innings. The command never disappeared. Minnesota promoted him to Triple-A St. Paul on April 21, and his results quickly improved. Across nine appearances with the Saints, he posted a 3.38 ERA while limiting opponents to a .237 batting average. He also maintained strong underlying metrics with a 23.4% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. The performance suggested that his early struggles in Wichita may have been more small-sample noise than a sign of regression. One of Paredes' most impressive outings came Wednesday afternoon in Louisville. Entering the game, he had thrown his sweeper just 9.0% of the time this season. Against the Louisville Bats, however, he dramatically altered his approach, leaning heavily on the pitch. The results were overwhelming. Of his 63 pitches, 31 were sweepers, and 22 landed for strikes. Louisville hitters swung 19 times against the offering and missed on 12 of them, generating a remarkable 63% whiff rate. After allowing a run in the opening inning, Paredes settled in and retired the final seven batters he faced. He completed five innings, allowed four hits and one run, and matched a career-high with seven strikeouts. The outing showcased another important aspect of his development: adaptability. The "Travis Adams Plan" Like several Twins pitching prospects this season, Paredes has operated under a developmental plan designed to gradually build workload while maximizing effectiveness. After working primarily as a long reliever in 2025, he has shifted into a role where he's regularly throwing around four innings and approximately 65 pitches every four days. The transition has gone smoothly. Paredes isn't going to light up radar guns. His fastball averages 93.5 mph, while his cutter sits around 89.9 mph. Those velocities are solid but far from elite by today's standards. What makes him effective is the way his arsenal works together. Alongside the fastball and cutter, Paredes mixes a slider, sweeper, curveball, and changeup. His ability to command multiple pitches, change eye levels, and keep hitters guessing has allowed him to succeed despite lacking a premium fastball. The Twins have consistently shown a willingness to develop pitchers who excel through pitch-ability and command rather than pure velocity, and Paredes fits that mold perfectly. What Role Can He Fill in Minnesota? Paredes arrives in Minnesota at an interesting time. With Ober sidelined, the Twins need innings. While Paredes is technically making his debut as a starter replacement, his long-term value may come in a more versatile role. His recent development path has prepared him well for multi-inning appearances, spot starts, bulk relief outings, and emergency rotation coverage. That flexibility could make him an important piece of the pitching staff throughout the summer. The Twins don't need Paredes to become an ace. They simply need him to continue doing what he's done throughout his professional career: throw strikes, avoid free passes, and keep the team competitive every time he takes the mound. Few 18th-round picks ever reach the major leagues. Fewer still carve out meaningful careers. Paredes has already beaten the odds by making it to Minnesota. Now comes the opportunity to prove that his steady climb through the organization was only the beginning. What stands out about Paredes so far in his professional career? How will the Twins use him? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Week in a Nutshell The Royals' woes continued this week as they went winless against the Yankees at Kauffman Stadium and the Rangers in Arlington. Kansas City had only three games decided by three runs or fewer. Since beating the Detroit Tigers on May 9th, the Royals have lost 16 out of their last 19 games. That has included being swept four times (by the White Sox, Red Sox, Yankees, and Rangers). For May, the Royals went 10-18, which was one win worse than a month ago. The Royals also got some rough injury news, as Maikel Garcia suffered a hamstring injury on Saturday that forced him to miss Sunday's series finale against Texas. The Royals are hoping that it's not a long-term ailment that will require an IL stint. Record this Week: 0-6 Run Differential for the Week: -34 Record for the Year: 22-37 Run Differential for the Year: -59 Standing: 4th in the AL Central Game 54: NYY 4, KC 3 In a national game on ESPN, the Royals got a solid performance from Michael Wacha, who went seven innings and allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two. Though the Royals faced an early deficit, they came back to eventually tie the game and take the lead on a Bobby Witt Jr. solo home run in the 8th. Unfortunately, Lucas Erceg could not close out the game in the ninth, and the Yankees scored two runs and won 4-3. Game 55: NYY 15, KC 1 After the letdown of Monday's Memorial Day game, Kansas City was absolutely thrashed on Tuesday. Bailey Falter gave up seven runs on nine hits in 2.1 IP. Luinder Avila, Steven Cruz, and Eli Morgan combined to give up six runs in 5.2 IP, and Tyler Tolbert closed it out by giving up two runs in the top of the ninth. The lone run came on a Witt solo home run. Game 56: NYY 7, KC 0 Gerrit Cole made his return to Kauffman Stadium and absolutely dominated, generating 10 strikeouts and allowing no runs in 6.2 IP. Noah Cameron went 5.0 IP and allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out four. Nick Mears struggled, giving up three runs on two hits and one walk in 0.2 IP. Maikel Garcia was the lone Royals player with multiple hits (two). Game 57: TEX 9, KC 1 The Rangers jumped on Stephen Kolek early, tagging him for four runs in the first inning. Kolek eventually gave up six runs in five innings of work. He struck out five, walked one, and allowed six hits. Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino each had two hits. MacKenzie Gore shut out the Royals in 6.2 IP. Game 58: TEX 7, KC 6 The Royals seemed en route to end their losing streak, especially after Carter Jensen's two-run home run in the 8th inning off reliever Chris Martin. Unfortunately, Lucas Erceg was unable to close out the game, giving up three runs on five hits and failing to record a single out. Seth Lugo produced another quality start, giving up three runs in six innings of work, and Alex Lange, Daniel Lynch IV, and John Schreiber held the game in check until the ninth. Jensen had two hits, and Pasquantino and Isaac Collins also had two-hit performances. Game 59: TEX 6, KC 3 The series finale started very similarly to the series opener, as Wacha spotted the Rangers a four-run lead in the first inning. Wacha struggled in this one, giving up six runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out five. Rangers starter Jack Leiter dominated the Royals, striking out 10 batters in 5.2 IP. The Royals got some runs near the end, thanks to a two-run home run by Michael Massey, his fourth of the season. News and Notes After Falter's disastrous outing, the Royals designated him for assignment and called up Mason Black to replace him in the Kansas City bullpen. No word has been shared yet on whether Falter has been claimed on waivers, will be outrighted to Omaha, or will elect free agency. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== After the Royals' 7-0 loss in the series finale against the Yankees, Kansas City added Mears to the 15-Day IL due to right shoulder impingement. Eric Cerantola, who had been performing well in Omaha, replaced him on the active roster. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Lastly, before the Sunday series finale, Kansas City activated Matt Strahm from the IL. Strahm had been on the IL due to inflammation in his left knee. Strahm replaced Cerantola, who was optioned back to Omaha. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The Royals also added some depth to their Omaha bullpen by signing veteran relievers Genesis Cabrera and Dan Altavilla this week, as well as Minor League relievers Juan Cordero and Andruw Solarte. Highlights Unfortunately, there were not many highlights this week for the Royals, both on the hitting and pitching ends. On the offensive end, Witt had a .740 OPS and two home runs in 24 at-bats. However, he hit just .208 and struck out 5 times while walking only once. His home run against the Yankees on Memorial Day was a clutch moment, though it wasn't enough for Kansas City to snap its 2+ year losing streak to the Bronx Bombers. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Pasquantino didn't have a home run this week, but he had a solid week at the plate. In 21 at-bats, he hit .286 with a .781 OPS and had four walks to four strikeouts. Garcia hit .316 in 19 at-bats, and his six hits this week were tied with Vinnie's for the most by a Royals player over the past seven days. Michael Massey only had 10 at-bats, but he produced in his limited action this week. He hit .300 with a 1.033 OPS and launched his fourth home run of the season on Sunday. With Jonathan India out for the year and this offense starving for production, an effective Massey would go a long way. On the pitching side, Lugo's quality start carried the Royals starters this week, as he was the only starter with an ERA under 3.50. On the bullpen end, Lange and Schreiber each had scoreless weeks, giving up zero runs in two outings each. While neither pitcher struck out many batters (only one combined), they also walked no batters. That's encouraging to see, especially considering their control issues earlier in the year. Lowlights After going 0-6 this week, there's a lot to talk about when it comes to "lowlights," unfortunately. Kolek and Wacha had rough weeks after being pretty stellar the week before. They posted ERA marks of 7.20 and 6.00 this week, and both took losses against the Rangers. Mears, Erceg, and Falter had the worst ERA marks of the bunch, posting ERAs of 40.50, 45.00, and 27.00 this week. Mears is on the IL, Falter is no longer with the Royals, and Erceg likely will be moving out of the closer's role soon. On the offensive end, it was a rough week for Jac Caglianone. In 21 at-bats, he hit .190 with a .451 OPS and struck out nine times and only walked twice. All four of his hits this week were singles, not exactly what Royals fans want to see from their "power" hitter. Nick Loftin and Kyle Isbel also struggled this week, hitting .154 and .167, respectively. While Isbel had the higher batting average, Loftin's .445 OPS was better than Isbel's .417 mark. Both have regressed dramatically after solid starts to begin the 2026 season, and Loftin's defense, especially at second base, has left a lot to be desired. I explored in a recent post on Royals Keep whether he and Collins should switch defensive positions. Salvador Perez hit a home run this week, but he only hit .143 with a .583 OPS in 21 at-bats. While Garcia hit well, he strained his hamstring on Saturday, which sidelined him on Sunday and for an undisclosed period. Thankfully, it won't require an IL stint for now, according to manager Matt Quatraro. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The Royals have two open spots on the 40-man roster. If they decide to move Garcia to the IL, they could replace him with veteran options such as Josh Rojas, Abraham Toro, or Kevin Newman, all of whom are on the Triple-A Omaha roster. Looking Ahead The Royals will turn the page on May and continue their road trip with stops in Cincinnati and Minneapolis this week. The Reds are in last place in the NL Central, but unlike the Royals and Tigers, Cincinnati has a winning record (30-28). They have dynamic players, especially on offense, including Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart. Unfortunately for the Reds, De La Cruz was removed on Sunday with a hamstring issue, so his status is in question for the series against Kansas City. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Luinder Avila will make the start for the Royals on Monday, with Cameron and Kolek going on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Royals will likely face Chase Burns, Andrew Abbott, and Chris Paddack. Burns has been the Reds' best pitcher, as evidenced by his 1.96 ERA in 64.1 IP this season. After Cincinnati, the Royals will head up to Target Field for a four-game series against the Twins, who are currently in third place in the AL Central, ahead of the Royals and Tigers. The Twins have been up-and-down this year, as they have a 27-33 record. They have lost five in a row, including three straight to the Pirates in Pittsburgh over the weekend. Byron Buxton has been the catalyst for this Twins offense, as evidenced by his 142 wRC+. However, Minnesota has gotten solid production from Kody Clemens (113 wRC+), Trevor Larnach (119 wRC+), and Austin Martin (115 wRC+). On the pitching end, Minnesota is projected to start Marco Raya, Zebby Matthews, Joe Ryan, and Connor Prielipp. Ryan has been solid as usual with a 2.94 ERA this year, and he has a history of success against the Royals. Raya and Prielipp are less proven, and Matthews has been shaky against Kansas City in the past. Target Field has been a tough venue for the Royals over the past couple of years. Despite Kansas City having winning records in 2024 and 2025, they went 2-5 in Minneapolis in 2024 and 2-4 in 2025. View the full article

Matthew Boyd can't come back too soon. The veteran lefty is on the rehab trail, and threw 63 pitches in four innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa Sunday afternoon. He wasn't exceptionally effective, but the Cubs didn't need to see him dominate minor-league batters to know they want him back in their starting rotation. Boyd averaged 93 miles per hour on his fastball, and if his surgically repaired knee responds well over the first two days of this week, Boyd could certainly make his next start with the parent club over the weekend. Edward Cabrera might not be far behind Boyd. Sidelined since May 20 by a blister, Cabrera should be back with the team in the first half of this month, though he won't even be eligible to return until the end of the week. Even before he landed on the IL, he was less effective and less impressive than he'd been at the beginning of the season, and the team will want to make sure the blister has time to fully resolve before reinstating him. At the same time, last week made it appallingly clear: the Cubs can't afford to wait any longer than is absolutely necessary. In a 3-4 week against two division rivals, Chicago gave away two games by sending out starter Jordan Wicks to take Cabrera's turns in the rotation. They weren't expecting a miracle; they weren't expecting anything. The Cubs don't believe in Wicks, at this point, any more than you or I do—and I don't quite know about you, but I don't believe in Wicks at all. He's a pitcher whose ceiling was always low, and for whom an attempt to reengineer his mechanics and tap into more intense stuff only brought on a series of injuries that have dropped the floor out from under him. He could have a big-league future; he has no meaningful future with the Cubs. Unfortunately, with Boyd (twice), Cabrera and Cade Horton already having been shelved this year, the team had few alternatives to giving Wicks another shot. They've already pulled Colin Rea and Ben Brown back from bullpen assignments into the rotation. Javier Assad got a shot, too, but he's been so unable to make his kitchen-sink magic work this spring that even when the Cubs could have recalled him to replace Cabrera on the roster, they elected not to do so. Assad is now eligible to return to the majors for non-injury reasons, but he might not be back any time soon, anyway; he's just gone backward as a pitcher. Brown (with his lower arm angle and newfound sinker-heavy approach against righties) has taken wonderfully to the rotation. He, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Rea look locked into the starting group for now, with Boyd likely to take the next turn that would otherwise go to Wicks. When Cabrera returns, Rea might get shoved back into the pen, rather than Brown, but that (perhaps too hopefully) assumes no one else is hurt and that Taillon and Imanaga are able to keep the ball in the park a bit better in the next couple of starts. A fan in a summery mood could have sat down late in the winter and sketched a dream-like summer rotation for this team: Boyd, Horton, Cabrera, Imanaga, and Justin Steele all at their best, with Taillon, Rea, Brown and Assad as mere reinforcements. Instead, this team has no ace unless Brown proves this burst to be sustainable (which is unlikely), and very shaky depth. Suddenly but urgently, and at a rough time of year for it, they need pitching depth, badly. Over the weekend, the Twins designated right-handed starter Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment. Richardson is young and relatively controllable. He has a fastball that can touch the mid-90s and a slider and a splitter that each flash above-average. However, he also has an 0-7 record and a 7.74 ERA this season, and he can't be optioned to the minors. Fixing him is probably a bigger project than the team can handle in the time and space provided. Sunday saw the Pirates place righty Carmen Mlodzinski on the restricted list, after he (more or less) refused a reassignment to the bullpen. Mlodzinski is easy to underrate, but he's a six-pitch guy with a fastball that sits 95 and a 3.37 career ERA. If the Pirates are overflowing with starters (or, as is more accurate, just believe more in a couple of guys yet to prove as much as Mlodzinski has, in Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones), the Cubs could try to swoop in and take the disgruntled one they've displaced off their hands. That would work much better, of course, were the Cubs and Pirates not both in the NL Central. In all likelihood, even if the Pirates do trade Mlodzinski, they'll ship him far from home, to some team in the American League. Besides, disgruntled or not, Mlodzinski has three-plus years of team control remaining and can probably slot fourth into most big-league rotations. The Cubs don't have whatever Pittsburgh would demand in return for Mlodzinski—or, if they do, they can't afford to trade it. For the moment, the team is stuck. Whatever positive momentum they could have created this week was wasted by Wicks surrendering 11 runs while getting just 19 outs, leaving his team no chance to win in two of their seven games. Boyd might be able to slap a Band-Aid on this problem, but Jed Hoyer has been given his wakeup call. The Cubs need to make a move, and not in two months. They need help right now, or they can kiss their dreams of a first true division title since 2017 goodbye. View the full article

Coleman Crow is a game planner’s dream. He’s the right kind of natural supinator, meaning his wrist instinctively angles away from his body as he releases the baseball, but in a controlled, adjustable way. That allows him to create a wide array of pitch shapes. Crow has expanded his arsenal to five pitches this year. With his four-seamer and sinker both averaging just over 91 mph, mixing those shapes and speeds effectively is a necessity. Crow’s bread and butter, though, is his breaking stuff. His curveball has averaged an elite 2,926 RPM this year, with -14.3 inches of induced vertical break (IVB) and 17.5 inches of glove-side break. His sweeper similarly averages 2,946 RPM, with 21.3 inches of horizontal break. Crow’s cutter, four-seamer, and sinker draw mixed reviews from pitch modeling metrics, but every public model agrees that his breaking balls are his best offerings. The drawback is that pitches with such big break are not very versatile. They can be harder to land in the strike zone early in counts. Because Crow’s spinners both average under 80 MPH, they’re likely to generate more weak contact than swings and misses. There are limits to how often he can use his breaking pitches as a starter, which made the cutter and sinker necessary additions to his mix. Still, spinning the ball is his strength, and his curveball and sweeper should be a significant part of what he’s doing on the mound in any role. Crow sequenced his arsenal well in Triple-A this year. Against righties, he worked ahead with cutters and sinkers before expanding the zone with both his sweeper and curveball. Lefties saw cutters early, followed by curveballs and high four-seamers as put-away pitches. Overall, 65.5% of his pitches have been some version of the fastball, meaning he used his breaking stuff at a 34.5% clip—noticeably higher than the MLB average of 29.1% for starting pitchers. It was a similar approach in his first two big-league starts. Unsurprisingly, William Contreras and the fastball-favoring Brewers nudged his mix slightly further in that direction, throwing 69% heaters. However, they still utilized Crow’s breaking balls an above-average 31% of the time. That changed on Friday night in Houston, when a whopping 81% of his pitches were fastballs. It’s unclear whether this was the plan from the get-go or an in-game shift to the pitches Crow was throwing most competitively that night. He wasn’t his sharpest, throwing just 48% of his pitches in the strike zone after attacking it aggressively (58.4% and 55.9%) in his first two starts. Both his curveball and sweeper had in-zone rates of 25%. However, Contreras and Crow didn’t exactly give themselves much of an opportunity to see how competitive those breaking balls could be throughout the start, throwing just eight curveballs and four sweepers. Furthermore, while a couple of sweepers were non-competitive misses, most of Crow’s curveballs were just outside the zone, and four induced chases. Meanwhile, the Astros made loud contact against Crow’s fastballs. His cutter produced zero whiffs and yielded three hard-hit balls, for an average exit velocity of 93.1 mph. Similarly, his sinker was responsible for a pair of hard hits and an average exit velocity of 94.8 mph. His final line of four runs (two earned) in four innings was partially the product of shoddy defense, but the fastball-heavy version of Crow wasn’t putting himself in positions to succeed, either. Above all else, Crow will need better command than he had on Friday to navigate most outings. All three of his fastballs are useful pitches that give him a counter for most swing paths, counts, and hitter timing. However, spinning a breaking ball remains his specialty. His best work will come when he’s throwing his curveball and sweeper competitively. Crow must prove those pitches can be consistent, and the Brewers’ game planners must give him the opportunity to throw them. View the full article

John Rave's go-ahead homer powered Omaha to a 6-5 win, while Justin Johnson's grand slam and Spencer Nivens' four hits fueled a Northwest Arkansas comeback that ended just short at 10-9. Daniel Vazquez and Carson Roccaforte each reached multiple times. Blake Wolters struggled across 4 1/3 innings as Quad Cities fell 8-1, with Asbel Gonzalez collecting the lone run-scoring hit. Michael Lombardi struck out seven over three innings for Columbia in a 3-2 loss. Sean Gamble homered in the Fireflies' losing effort. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals sent LHP Cole Ragans on a rehab assignment to Omaha Storm Chasers. Storm Chasers Edged By Memphis On Late Home Runs The Omaha Storm Chasers fell to the Memphis Redbirds, 6-5, after surrendering the lead over the final two innings. John Rave provided the highlight, going 1-for-4 with a home run, two runs batted in, a walk, and a stolen base. Josh Rojas led the offense with two hits, a run, and an RBI, and Brett Squires added a run-scoring double. Omaha appeared in control after the seventh, when Dustin Dickerson, who reached base three times, came around to score on Rave's two-run shot to left field for a 5-3 lead. Memphis answered in the eighth, scoring twice to tie the game at five, and took the lead for good in the ninth on a solo home run that made it 6-5. The Storm Chasers could not respond in the bottom half. Mitch Spence turned in the longest outing, working 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs, both earned, on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Omaha's bullpen surrendered four runs over the final 3 1/3 innings. The Storm Chasers stranded seven runners on the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 5 1 2 1 0 1 John Rave 4 1 1 2 1 0 Brett Squires 4 0 1 1 1 0 Luca Tresh 3 0 0 1 0 2 Kameron Misner 4 0 1 0 0 2 Peyton Wilson 4 0 0 0 0 1 Gavin Cross 4 1 1 0 0 2 Drew Waters 4 0 1 0 0 2 Dustin Dickerson 1 2 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mitch Spence 5 2/3 7 2 2 1 2 0 Génesis Cabrera 2/3 3 1 1 1 0 0 Luke Jackson 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 Beck Way 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Eric Cerantola 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 Johnson Grand Slam Caps Naturals Comeback Bid In Tulsa The Northwest Arkansas Naturals fell to the Tulsa Drillers, 10-9, despite a furious late charge. Johnson drove in four runs on a 1-for-4 game highlighted by a grand slam, and Spencer Nivens went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Sam Kulasingam added three hits, Roccaforte scored twice atop the lineup, and Rudy Martin Jr. homered. Tulsa built a 9-1 lead through three innings, and the Naturals chipped away before erupting in the eighth. Trailing 10-4 entering the frame, Johnson cleared the bases with his grand slam to left field, and Nivens followed with a run-scoring single that brought Northwest Arkansas within 10-9. The rally stalled there, unfortunately, as the Naturals were unable to come through in the ninth. Frank Mozzicato struggled in his start, retiring three batters while allowing seven runs, all earned, on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts in one inning. Andrew Morones followed with two innings, surrendering two runs, and Caden Monke provided two scoreless frames. Zachary Cawyer and Dennis Colleran allowed a combined run and two hits in three innings of work, allowing Northwest Arkansas to stay in the game despite the early deficit. The Naturals left nine runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 2 2 0 0 2 Colton Becker 3 0 1 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 5 1 3 0 0 0 Spencer Nivens 4 0 3 2 1 0 Daniel Vazquez 5 0 1 1 0 3 Jack Pineda 5 1 2 0 0 1 Omar Hernandez 3 2 2 0 0 0 Rudy Martin Jr. 3 2 1 2 2 1 Justin Johnson 4 1 1 4 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Frank Mozzicato 1 6 7 7 3 3 1 Andrew Morones 2 3 2 2 2 4 1 Caden Monke 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 Zachary Cawyer 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 River Bandits Bats Quiet In Loss At Cedar Rapids The Quad Cities River Bandits managed just one run in an 8-1 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Gonzalez accounted for the lone run-scoring hit, doubling home Nolan Sailors in the third inning to briefly cut the deficit to 3-1. Sailors reached base twice and stole two bases, and Chris Brito added a hit and two walks. The offense otherwise stalled, finishing with three hits while striking out nine times. Cedar Rapids pulled away in the fifth, plating three runs, two of which crossed on bases-loaded walks. Wolters took the loss, allowing five runs, all earned, on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts across 4 1/3 innings. L.P. Langevin recorded two outs and allowed a run, while Mason Miller gave up two runs over two innings. Kamden Edge closed with a scoreless inning. Quad Cities stranded six runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 2 1 0 0 2 1 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 1 1 0 1 Blake Mitchell 4 0 0 0 0 2 Chris Brito 2 0 1 0 2 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 0 0 0 0 2 Erick Torres 4 0 1 0 0 0 Tyriq Kemp 4 0 0 0 0 0 Trevor Werner 2 0 0 0 1 0 Diego Guzman 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Blake Wolters 4 1/3 3 5 5 4 4 0 L.P. Langevin 2/3 1 1 1 3 2 0 Mason Miller 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 Kamden Edge 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Lombardi Dazzles But Fireflies Fall Late To Charleston The Columbia Fireflies dropped a 3-2 decision to the Charleston RiverDogs, undone by two ninth-inning runs. Lombardi was excellent in his start, working three innings and allowing one run, unearned, on two hits with four walks and seven strikeouts. Henson Leal followed with three scoreless innings, and Hunter Alberini added 1 1/3 hitless frames. Dutch pitcher Brandon Herbold was given the first shot to save the game, but he walked a batter, and Andy Basora came in to close it out. Unfortunately, Basora was unable to hold the Fireflies' lead, allowing the inherited runner to score and giving up an earned run on two hits in 2/3 IP. It was Basora's third blown save of the year. Gamble provided the highlight at the plate, homering in the sixth to tie the game at one. Gamble finished 1-for-3 with the home run and an RBI, and Josh Hammond reached base and swiped two bases. Columbia took a 2-1 lead in the eighth when Connor Rasmussen singled, advanced to second, and scored on Hammond's groundball force out. That lead held until the ninth, when Charleston pushed across two runs on a pair of singles, the second plating the go-ahead run. The Fireflies struck out 12 times and left five runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 4 0 1 0 0 2 Sean Gamble 3 1 1 1 0 1 Josh Hammond 4 0 1 0 0 1 Hyungchan Um 4 0 0 0 0 2 Yandel Ricardo 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ivan Sosa 3 0 1 0 0 1 Stone Russell 3 0 1 0 1 0 Jhosmmel Zue 4 0 0 0 0 3 Roni Cabrera 3 0 1 0 0 0 Connor Rasmussen 3 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Michael Lombardi 3 2 1 0 4 7 0 Henson Leal 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Hunter Alberini 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Brandon Herbold 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 Andy Basora 2/3 2 1 1 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, K Blake Mitchell: 0-for-4, 2 K Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, 2 SB, K Ramon Ramirez: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-5, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-1 Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K Michael Lombardi: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: 1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

The 2026 MLB Draft is quickly approaching, and the Minnesota Twins find themselves in unfamiliar territory. After securing the third overall selection, Minnesota holds its highest draft pick since taking Royce Lewis with the first overall pick in 2017. With the draft board beginning to take shape, much of the industry expects shortstops Grady Emerson and Roch Cholowsky to come off the board with the first two selections, though there remains debate about which player will ultimately go first overall. That uncertainty could leave the Twins with a fascinating decision at No. 3. According to the Pioneer Press, Charley Walters wrote that “there is little doubt” the Twins are set on selecting Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. Some evaluators believe Lackey is not only the top catcher in the class, but the best college player available. If the Twins are indeed zeroing in on the Yellow Jacket’s star, the decision would represent both a tremendous opportunity and a calculated gamble. The Case for Drafting Lackey Few players in this draft can match Lackey's combination of production, athleticism, and developmental trajectory. The Georgia Tech junior has dominated college baseball this season, hitting .412 with 20 home runs, 78 RBIs, and an OPS north of 1.300 while leading the Yellow Jackets to one of the best records in the country. His offensive profile checks nearly every box teams look for in a premium position player. Lackey controls the strike zone exceptionally well and consistently puts the ball in play. He has cleaned up a swing that was considered somewhat busy, and he rarely gets beaten by velocity while using the entire field effectively. Scouts believe there is enough raw power in his bat to support annual 20-plus home run production at the professional level, and his increasing ability to elevate the baseball has unlocked another level of offensive impact this season. What makes his profile especially intriguing is that he remains relatively new to his current level of physical development. Lackey was a classic late bloomer in high school. He received little recruiting attention until his senior season and was largely overlooked by scouts because he rarely attended showcase events. As a freshman, Lackey struggled against ACC competition and posted a .174 batting average in conference play. Yet, Georgia Tech remained committed to his long-term development. That patience has paid off in a major way. Each season has brought significant improvement, culminating in one of the most impressive campaigns in college baseball this spring. For organizations that prioritize player development and growth potential, Lackey's story is particularly appealing. He has already shown an ability to identify weaknesses, make adjustments, and maximize his natural tools. The Defensive Value The offensive production alone would make Lackey a top draft prospect, but his defense behind the plate elevates his overall profile. Lackey was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and has developed into one of the nation's premier defensive catchers. His athleticism stands out immediately. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he moves exceptionally well for a catcher and displays the agility needed to handle the position at a high level. His arm strength is another significant weapon. Last season, he threw out 14 of 29 attempted base stealers, a remarkable success rate that showcases both arm strength and accuracy. This season, he has thrown out 7 of 31 runners. He also posted a .985 fielding percentage while continuing to refine his receiving skills. Perhaps most importantly, his athleticism provides a potential fallback option if catching ever becomes too demanding. He played 13 errorless games at third base in 2025, giving teams confidence that his bat could remain valuable elsewhere on the diamond if necessary. For a Twins organization that values versatility and defensive flexibility, that added layer of security could be attractive. The Concerns About Taking a Catcher Third Overall As impressive as Lackey's resume may be, there are legitimate reasons for caution. The first concern is positional risk. Catchers carry some of the highest attrition rates in professional baseball. The physical demands of the position often slow offensive development, and even elite amateur catchers can struggle to handle the workload required at the major-league level. Recent draft history provides examples of highly regarded catching prospects who required significant developmental time before reaching their ceilings. Pittsburgh took Henry Davis with the first overall pick in 2021, and he’s accumulated -1.7 rWAR. Adley Rutschman looked like a slam-dunk pick at number one for the Orioles in 2019, but injuries derailed his rapid ascent toward superstardom. Though it looks like he'll stop the trend this year, he's posted fewer wins above replacement (WAR) in each of his big-league seasons than in the one before it. There are also some questions about Lackey's offensive profile. While his power is undeniable, scouts have noted that his swing can produce too many ground balls. Although he has made meaningful improvements in that area this season, professional pitchers may challenge him differently than collegiate competition. Defensively, while his tools are excellent, evaluators still point to occasional lapses in focus and consistency. Those issues are common among young catchers, but they will require continued development. Another factor is organizational fit. The Twins have invested heavily in catching talent in recent years. While drafting for need is rarely advisable at the top of the draft, Minnesota must determine whether Lackey's upside clearly exceeds that of other available options, particularly if a premium shortstop or another impact position player remains on the board. Why the Twins Might Ultimately Be Sold The strongest argument in favor of Lackey may be that his best baseball could still be ahead of him. Most top-three picks arrive with years of national attention and showcase experience. Lackey's path has been different. He entered college as an under-the-radar recruit and has improved dramatically every season since arriving at Georgia Tech. That developmental curve suggests there may still be additional upside. Organizations are constantly searching for players who have not yet reached their ceiling. Lackey's combination of athleticism, intelligence, work ethic, and year-over-year growth makes him one of the more compelling bets in the class. His profile also aligns with traits the Twins have traditionally valued. Minnesota has often targeted players with strong baseball instincts, defensive versatility, and a demonstrated ability to improve. Lackey checks all of those boxes. For the Twins, the decision may come down to a simple question: Do they believe Lackey's future is still ascending? If the answer is yes, Minnesota could be looking at a franchise cornerstone capable of impacting the game on both sides of the ball for years to come. If his development continues on its current trajectory, the Twins may not simply be drafting the best catcher in the class. They may be drafting one of the best players in baseball's next generation. Of course, it could also be a decision that's made for them, if the Chicago White Sox or Tampa Bay Rays take Lackey first. A month and a half out from the draft, it's just beginning to be time to assess choices like this one, as the options come slowly into focus. Will Lackey be Minnesota’s selection at number three? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

For the week, Nashville (5-1) and Biloxi (3-2) were series winners, Wilson fought to a 3-3 draw and Wisconsin fell just short (3-4). Transactions: LHP Rob Zastryzny activated by MLB Brewers from 60-day injured list and minor league rehab RHP Carlos Rodriguez optioned to AAA Nashville by MLB Brewers RHP Wilmer Duarte assigned to DSL Brewers Blue INF Cristian Montilla assigned to DSL Brewers Blue from DSL Brewers Gold RHP Diego Trillo assigned to DSL Brewers Gold and placed on 7-day injured list RHP Manuel Moreno placed on DSL Brewers Blue's 7-day injured list RHP Lonell Downs assigned to DSL Brewers Gold from DSL Brewers Blue and placed on 7-day injured list LHP Daniel Garcia placed on DSL Brewers Gold's 7-day injured list RHP Brailin Aguirrez placed on DSL Brewers Blue's 7-day injured list C Roniel Paulino placed on DSL Brewers Blue's 7-day injured list A trusted source also has an update on C Isais Chavez, who we’ve been expecting to make his stateside debut. And don’t forget that Monday is Opening Day for the Dominican Summer League (DSL), with our 2026 international signees, including infielders Diego Frontado, Jose Rodriguez and Ricki Moneys, all expected to make their minor league debuts. Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 4, Gwinnett (Braves) 3 Box Score Via the Sounds’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Sounds Hook Five This Week Against Stripers The packed game report from Nishant Brahme includes four highlight videos, making our job quite a bit easier. Sunday’s come-from-behind victory puts Nashville into a first place tie with Memphis atop the 20-team International League, half a game ahead of Rochester. The Sounds only sent 19 batters to the plate in the first 6 innings against Gwinnett starter Austin Gomber, but SS Cooper Pratt (1-for-4, SB) and OF Luis Lara (1-for-3, RBI) immediately jumped on the Stripers’ bullpen with back-to-back >95mph singles to start the 7th inning rally from a 3-1 deficit, with 2B Freddy Zamora delivering the clutch 2-out RBI single for the only lead Nashville’s staff would require. Handed that 4-3 advantage, RHPs Craig Yoho (3-up, 3-down, 1 K) and Blake Holub had minimal trouble closing it out, retiring 6 of 7 batters faced, although the Stripers did have the potential game-tying runner on third base (walk, 2 ground outs) when Holub induced the game-ending fly out. Sounds’ Extras: Starting RHP Garrett Stallings delivered an effective shift in spite of heavy early traffic (4 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 Ks; 80 pitches), while LHP Jared Koenig had a positive 2nd rehab outing (1 IP, 0 R, 1 infield hit, 0 BB, 0 Ks; max velocity 94.6mph). OF Luis Matos had Nashville’s top offensive line of the day: 1-2, HR, walk, RBI, SB – his 100.3mph solo homer sailed 401 feet to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 2nd inning. Out-hit 8-6, the Sounds also grounded into 3 double plays, ultimately stranding only 1 baserunner as they went 2-for-3 with runners in scoring position (vs. 3-for-14 for Gwinnett, with 8 left on base, including 5 in the first 2 innings). Next week’s outlook: Nashville (35-22) head down to Jacksonville (32-25) to play six games against the Marlins’ affiliate, commencing on Tuesday. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Rain Out: Biloxi at Columbus Via the Shuckers’ website, rain out details: Shuckers, Clingstones Postponed in Series Finale on Sunday Time will tell whether Biloxi and Columbus will really play 8 games in 6 days from June 16-21 to make up for various rain outs. After this week’s road series win, the club sit 1.5 games behind Montgomery for first place in the Southern League South division. Next week’s outlook: Biloxi (25-23) return home to face Rays’ affiliate Montgomery (27-22), with RHP Manuel Rodriguez the most likely starter after Sunday’s wash out. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 5, Peoria (Cardinals) 3 Box Score Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Sunday Win at Home for Wisconsin Wisconsin followed Nashville’s script with a nice comeback victory, as captured in the linked game report and YouTube highlights compiled by the Timber Rattlers’ media team: We’re blessed to also have the Chris Mehring and Jonathan Timm post-game podcast to add more game context and organizational nuggets, featuring comments from Chandler Welch, Luis Castillo, Daniel Dickinson and Manager Nick Stanley. The game turned in a big way in the 6th inning, as RHP Quinton Low escaped a bases loaded jam via swinging strikeout to keep the deficit at 3-2, with 3B Andrew Fischer (4-pitch walk) and OF Josh Adamczewski (8-pitch walk) then triggering the 2-run rally in the bottom half of the inning. 21-year old starting LHP Wande Torres had a respectable outing (5 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 Ks), while RHP Chandler Welch (3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) worked through a 2-on, nobody out 8th inning and leadoff walk in the 9th inning to close out the victory. Veteran C David Garcia struggled at the plate (0-for-4), but threw out an attempted basestealer to help out Welch in the final inning. With the calendar now turning to June, we’ll be checking daily for possible promotion news, especially for the team’s offensive studs: Fischer (1-for-3, HR, walk, RBI; 1.036 OPS), Adamczewski (1-for-3, walk; .988 OPS), Braylon Payne (.937 OPS), Luis Pena (0-for-4; .881 OPS), Eric Bitonti (2-for-4; .863 OPS), Marco Dinges (.843 OPS), Josiah Ragsdale (1-for-4; .833 OPS). Timber Rattlers’ Extras: Let’s once again credit the team’s grit, as they’d already dropped the series with Saturday’s defeat and were missing Payne (last played May 21) and Dinges (last played May 28), but still battled hard for the win. Massive kudos to OF Luis Castillo (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs; .766 season OPS) for closing out his best offensive month (.871 OPS in 75 May plate appearances) since July 2024. His 2-run homer tied the game in the 2nd inning. Chiefs’ DH Tre Richardson exited after a hit-by-pitch in the 6th inning, so we wish him a prompt recovery. Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin (26-22) travel to battle Twins’ affiliate Cedar Rapids (26-25) for 6 games, with LHP JD Thompson schedule to start the series opener on Tuesday. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 10, Myrtle Beach (Cubs) 1 Box Score Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Wilson Soars Past Pelicans in Series Finale While RHP Carlos Carra (5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 6 Ks) dominated in his best start of 2026, Wilson’s offense was relentless, led by big days for OF Nick Monile (2-for-3, double, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, 3 SBs, 3 runs on wild pitches) and C Kevin Garcia (2-for-6, HR, 3 RBIs). After missing out on 2-on, nobody out and 2-on, 1-out opportunities in the first two frames, Monile walked and scored on a wild pitch in the third inning, then delivered his first career extra-base hit with a 2-out, 2-run double in the fourth inning. Carra’s only difficult frame came while leading 1-0 in the third inning, as he successfully worked around a leadoff triple (ground out, K, HBP, ground out) to put yet another zero on the board. Garcia’s 3-run blast put the game out of reach at 8-0 in the 6th inning: Every Warbird reached base via hit or walk in the contest, which tends to happen when you deliver 9 hits and draw 15 walks. The middle infield of 2B Luis Lameda and SS Brady Ebel drew a combined 8 walks, with Lameda adding a single and a stolen base. Outfielders Jose Anderson (1-for-4, 2 walks) and Handelfry Encarnacion (1-for-4, double, walk, RBI) also had solid days. Warbirds’ Extras: Coming on in long relief, RHP Tyler Renz (3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 Ks) worked through traffic in his second solid outing of the week, after delivering 5 scoreless innings on Tuesday. The once-struggling Wilson offense is now 4th in the 12-team Carolina League in runs per game (5.18), helped out by a team on-base percentage of .355 that’s second in the league. Next week’s outlook: Wilson return home to host Red Sox affiliate Salem, with the first of six games commencing on Tuesday evening. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, the DSL commences play at 10:00am CST, with Brewers Blue hosting Orioles Black and Brewers Gold playing at Orioles Orange. The Milwaukee Brewers also commence their home series against the Giants at 6:40 PM CST before ACL Brewers (10-12) play at the ACL Dodgers (8-14) at 8:00 PM CST. 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

Welcome back to Blue Jays Clutch Plays, a recurring post that highlights the six most pivotal plays (three pitching, three hitting) from the past week of Blue Jays baseball, according to MLB's win probability model. Click here to read last week's edition. The Toronto Blue Jays took two of three from the Miami Marlins to finish off their final homestand of May, but after finally completing the journey back to .500 by taking the first two games of the weekend series in Baltimore, they painfully let one slip away on Saturday and lost a mostly uncompetitive series finale. It was still technically a winning week, but the opportunity was right in front of them to at least remain at .500 with some more distance between themselves and the bottom of the division, and they couldn't take advantage. They have a much-needed day off before a series in Atlanta against the MLB-leading Braves this week. Pitching 3. Yariel Rodríguez: Coby Mayo GIDP, Bot 6, 5/30 (+18.6% WPA) Yariel Rodríguez, who was responsible for the pitching staff's most clutch play of the 2025 regular season, made his first entry onto this season's list by getting a groundball in a key spot. With Toronto clinging to the slimmest of leads and the go-ahead run on base with nobody out, he completely flipped the script of the inning by inducing a 6-4-3 double play on a down-and-away slider. 2. Trey Yesavage: Jeremiah Jackson GIDP, Bot 4, 5/30 (+21.1% WPA) It felt like Trey Yesavage was tapdancing his way out of trouble all afternoon on Saturday. I'm sure he wasn't even thrilled with the location of the pitch that freed him from the fourth inning, but Jeremiah Jackson swatted an elevated slider up the third base line. Kazuma Okamoto turned the unassisted double play to end the frame, and Yesavage would wind up only allowing a single run despite a career-high seven walks. 1. Louis Varland: Connor Norby Strikeout DP, Top 8, 5/27 (+29.4% WPA) The Marlins were running wild in Wednesday's series finale, and what initially seemed like it would be a thorn in the sides of the Blue Jays ended up dooming a brilliant chance that Miami had to come back. With men on the corners and one out against Louis Varland, Connor Norby took a curveball at the top of the zone for strike three. Jakob Marsee took off for second, and if the plan was for that to distract the Jays with Otto Lopez on third, it was not played to perfection. Marsee was hung up following a good throw from Tyler Heineman, Lopez could not score, and the inning was over. The effects of close games are on full display here, as each of the clutch pitching plays from this week is inside the top eight on the season. Hitting 3. Nathan Lukes: RBI Double, Bot 5, 5/27 (+18.3% WPA) I'd be remiss not to mention the extremely long two-out walk Tyler Heineman worked off Michael Petersen to extend the inning and turn the lineup card over for Nathan Lukes, who drilled one up the alley in right-center to score Heineman and tie the game. Lukes's return was a timely shot in the arm for Toronto's lineup; he has hit for a 213 wRC+ since being activated off the IL. 2. Yohendrick Piñango: RBI Single, Bot 5, 5/25 (+18.7% WPA) Unfortunately, this hit preceded a couple of costly Yohendrick Piñango errors in left field that allowed the Marlins to blow the doors off the series opener last Monday, but at the time, he was the only one who came through with an RBI after the Jays stacked baserunners early against Janson Junk. Down in the count, Piñango got to an inside fastball from Junk and took it right back up the middle to put his team on the board. 1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: 2-RBI Double, Top 8, 5/29 (+34.2% WPA) Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s biggest hit of the season put the Blue Jays in as good a position as they'd been in since the opening weekend sweep of the A's. After Kazuma Okamoto and Charles McAdoo homered in the seventh inning to make the game close, Vlad Jr. yanked a sinker down the left field line to score both baserunners and put Toronto on top in the 8th. The Jays continue to own Yennier Cano, who has given up eight earned runs in 5.2 innings against them since the start of last year. This was Guerrero's most impactful hit by WPA since his tiebreaking solo shot in the 7th inning of a rubber match against the Cubs in August 2025. View the full article

Most of your traditional baseball statistics are descriptive. They tell you what has already happened. Earned run average (ERA) shows how many runs a pitcher allows across nine innings. ERA tends to ruffle some because it fails to consider factors outside of a pitcher’s control, like team defense. A pitcher with a low ERA could be blessed with a strong defense behind him, whereas a pitcher with a high ERA might not be getting bailed out by luck or good gloves. Fielding independent pitching (FIP) was created to isolate a pitcher’s performance. It measures events that pitchers have control over — strikeouts, walks, hit-by-pitches, and home runs — and removes outcomes outside a pitcher’s control. Expected statistics attempt to measure what “should” have happened. Anything with an “x” before it is an expected stat. xERA converts xwOBA to the ERA scale. xwOBA factors how much contact (hits, strikeouts, walks, and hit-by-pitches) and the quality of contact (launch angle, exit velocity, and hard-hit rate) to determine what a player’s wOBA should’ve been. xFIP uses the same equation as FIP, but swaps out the actual number of home runs allowed for the number of fly balls multiplied by the league average home-run-to-fly-ball rate. Expected statistics are not predictive by any means, but including them in our analysis helps us paint a clearer picture of how effective a pitcher was at preventing runs, separate from what happened around them. Among left-handed relievers, the Red Sox have posted a 2.01 ERA, the lowest in the majors. Their 3.38 FIP ranks tenth. Thanks to their strong defense, more balls in play are being converted to outs than expected. Willson Contreras has been phenomenal at first (3 DRS), and Caleb Durbin is one of the best defensive third basemen in the American League. .batable { border-collapse: collapse; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; width: 100%; } .batable th { background-color: #0d2b5e !important; color: #fff !important; text-align: left; padding: 10px 14px; font-weight: 700; border: 1px solid #000; } .batable td { padding: 9px 14px; border: 1px solid #000; color: #000; } .batable col:first-child { width: 160px; } Player IP K-BB% ERA xERA FIP xFIP Aroldis Chapman 17.2 23.5% 0.51 3.09 1.82 2.94 Jovani Morán 26.2 15.5% 2.03 2.69 3.89 4.17 Tyler Samaniego 17.1 8.3% 1.04 4.89 3.87 4.42 Danny Coulombe 10.0 2.20% 7.20 4.54 5.06 5.46 Boston’s lefty relievers' -1.35 ERA-xERA differential is the lowest in baseball, meaning their ERA is outpacing their expected ERA (3.38) by a considerable margin. Looking ahead, there’s bound to be some regression for the group. Aroldis Chapman (-2.58) and Tyler Samaniego (-3.85) hold the two highest ERA-xERA differentials. Last year, Chapman outperformed his expected stats, and unlike Samaniego, he’s posted the 7th highest strikeout-minus-walk rate in the American League this year. I’m more concerned about Chapman’s drop in velocity, which has been a glaring issue since Opening Day. Jovani Morán has looked sharp, though I feel bad that he’s being charged for runs as the sacrificial lamb opener during Brayan Bello’s starts. Danny Coulombe dealt with an injury (cervical spasms) earlier this year. His 2.20% K-BB% is concerning, and he hasn’t shown an ability to strike guys out or induce ground balls. The team’s minus -0.59 FIP-xFIP differential isn’t as substantial, and the team’s defense has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise not-so-great season. I just threw a ton of numbers at you. (I can’t help it; I’m a mathlete!) What does this all mean? So far, the Red Sox’s left-handed relievers have been outperforming, and they’re bound for some regression. How much is the real question. Expected stats are fun, but no single equation should carry all the weight in an analysis. Despite Trevor Story’s injury, the team’s infield defense is stronger without him, and I think that it will hold up better than expected. Sox fans have witnessed a revolving door of relievers toss in games, but among the qualified players, lefties only account for three of the seven pitchers, and Justin Slaten’s return bolsters the bullpen. Even if one of the lefties regresses, he should help them pick up the slack. View the full article

Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF SuperSub Nicholas Milton is currently atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Cade Cavalli (WSH) on Monday TBA (MIA) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (WSH) on Tuesday Probably RHP Ryan Gusto RHP Max Meyer (MIA) vs. LHP Andrew Alvarez (WSH) on Wednesday The Marlins rank 20th in MLB with a 96 wRC+ and 14th in MLB with a 3.97 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 8-19 record on the road this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Griffin Conine (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Janson Junk (15-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Eury Pérez (15-day IL) and Robby Snelling (60-day IL). The Nationals rank fourth in MLB with a 110 wRC+ and 28th in MLB with a 4.74 FIP. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have a 12-17 record at home this season. The following Nationals players are on the injured list: Josiah Gray (60-day IL), DJ Herz (60-day I), Jake Irvin (15-day IL), Max Kranick (60-day IL), Ken Waldichuk (60-day IL) and Trevor Williams (60-day IL). View the full article

Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Sunday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelists Kevin Barral, Nate Karzmer, Alex Carver and Alex Krutchik. The following topics were covered: An awful weekend series in New York Injuries to Janson Junk, Andrew Nardi and potentially Josh Ekness Owen Caissie's month-to-month improvement What to expect from Ryan Gusto as he enters the starting rotation Previewing and predicting the next series against the Washington Nationals You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be Wednesday at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Nationals series finale. View the full article

In a day highlighted by close losses, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were walked off by Albuquerque 8-7, the Double-A San Antonio Missions dropped a 6-5 decision to Corpus Christi, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost to South Bend 7-5 despite a quality start from Jamit Hitt and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm cruised past Inland Empire 11-6. Padres Minor-League Transactions No roster moves. After 3-Run Ninth Inning, Chihuahuas Get Walked Off By Isotopes A three-run top of the ninth inning tied the game, but the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost to the host Albuquerque Isotopes 8-7 as Charlie Condon hit a walk-off homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth. The Chihuahuas went 2-4 in the six-game series. Nick Solak, Jase Bowen, Marcos Castanon and Carlos Rodriguez each had two hits, while Will Wagner had a pinch-hit two-run homer for the Chihuahuas. Solak and Bowen each homered and scored twice. Behind Bowen's team-leading 13th homer, which is second-most in the Pacific Coast League, and Solak's sixth of the season, the Chihuahuas built a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth. But the Isotopes got one back in the bottom of the sixth, then poured across five runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to take a 7-4 advantage. In the top of the ninth, Castanon drew a one-out walk and Rodriguez smoked a two-out triple to pull the Chihuahuas within 7-5. Wagner then pinch-hit and lined his third homer of the season to right, tying the game 7-7. Condon then hit the first pitch from right-hander Justin Yeager for a no-doubter to right-center. Chihuahuas left-hander Fernando Sanchez turned in his second shutout start of the month since converting from a relief role. Sanchez went five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks without striking anyone out. He also went five scoreless in his first May start, May 6 vs. Midland. EP_0531.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 2 Samad Taylor, LF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nick Solak, DH 4 2 2 1 0 1 Jase Bowen, CF 4 2 2 1 0 0 Marcos Castañon, 1B 3 1 2 1 1 1 Mason McCoy, SS 4 0 0 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez, RF 4 1 2 2 0 1 Victor Duarte, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 Will Wagner, PH 1 1 1 2 0 0 Anthony Vilar, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Dungan, 3B 3 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Fernando Sanchez 5 2 0 0 2 0 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 Kyle Hart 1 5 5 5 0 1 2 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 Justin Yeager 1/3 1 1 1 0 0 1 Ninth-Inning Rally Comes Up Shy As Missions Lose Tirso Ornelas had three hits and two RBIs and a ninth-inning rally came up just short as the host Double-A San Antonio Missions fell to the Corpus Christi Hooks 6-5. The teams split the six-game series. Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. There were two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Missions trailed 6-4 when Salas laced his 10th double of the season and was replaced by pinch-runner Ryan Jackson. After Romeo Sanabria walked, Ornelas singled to right, scoring Jackson and moving Sanabria to third. Braedon Karpathios walked to load the bases, but Luis Verdugo grounded out after a pitching change to end the game. Missions left-handed starter Jagger Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect, allowed four runs on five hits in 4⅔ innings, walking three and striking out six. It was a back-and-forth game as the Hooks scored twice in the top of the third, then the Missions one each in the bottom of the third and fourth, before each team scored twice in the fifth. The Hooks took a 6-4 lead with two more in the top of the seventh. SA_0531.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker, 2B 5 0 1 0 0 2 Ethan Salas, C 4 0 2 1 0 1 Ryan Jackson, PR 0 1 0 0 0 0 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 3 2 1 0 1 1 Tirso Ornelas, DH 5 1 3 2 0 1 Braedon Karpathios, RF 2 0 1 1 3 0 Luis Verdugo, 3B 4 0 0 1 1 1 Kai Murphy, LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna, SS 3 1 1 0 0 1 Kai Roberts, CF 3 0 0 0 0 3 Albert Fabian, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 4 2/3 5 4 4 3 6 0 Andrew Thurman 1 1/3 2 2 2 0 1 0 Omar Cruz 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Andrew Dalquist 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Jamie Hitt's Quality Outing Can't Prevent TinCaps From Falling Despite a quality start from left-hander Jamie Hitt, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps watched as the host South Bend Cubs scored six late runs to pull out a 7-5 victory. The TinCaps, who put together a ninth-inning rally, went 1-5 in the six-game series. Hitt threw 96 pitches in going 6⅔ innings, both season highs, allowing three runs on seven hits, including a homer, with four walks and three strikeouts. Left-hander Javier Chacon gave up two runs on a hit and four walks without recording an out and right-hander Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, gave up two unearned runs in the final 1⅓ innings while fanning four. The TinCaps jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Justin DeCriscio and Kasen Wells got things started with back-to-back doubles for a 1-0 lead, then Lamar King Jr. reached on an error that put Wells on third. King stole second and, after two strikeouts, Kavares Tears tripled to right to bring both home. It remained that way until South Bend scored one in the fourth, then four in the seventh to take the lead and two more in the eight for a 7-3 advantage. The TinCaps put together a ninth-inning rally as Tears walked, Zach Evans had a one-out single and Oswaldo Linares walked to load the bases. Jake Cunningham pinch-hit with two outs and walked to bring in a run and King followed suit to make it 7-5. But a pitching change stopped the rally as Alex McCoy hit a game-ending grounder. DeCriscio had three of the TinCaps' seven hits. FW_0531.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio, SS 5 1 3 0 0 0 Kasen Wells, CF 4 1 1 1 0 1 Jake Cunningham, PH 0 0 0 1 1 0 Lamar King Jr., 1B 3 1 1 1 2 0 Alex McCoy, DH 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Costello, LF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kavares Tears, RF 3 1 1 2 1 1 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Zach Evans, 3B 3 1 1 0 1 0 Oswaldo Linares, C 3 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 6 2/3 7 3 3 4 3 1 Javier Chacon 0 1 2 2 4 0 0 Tucker Musgrove 1 1/3 2 2 0 0 4 0 Early Eruption Sends Storm To Easy Victory Ryan Wideman, Kerrington Cross and Jose Verdugo each drove in a pair of runs as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rolled to an 11-6 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers. The Storm won five times in the six-game series. Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, had a pair of doubles among his three hits and also scored three times. Dylan Grego also had three of the Storm's 14 hits and scored three runs. Wideman, Cross and Verdugo each hit in the top three spots Sunday. Cross and Qrey Lott hit home runs, both in the second inning. Storm right-handed starter Carlos Medina went five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out a season-high seven. Medina, who made his pro debut this year, struck out six on April 15 against Stockton in 3⅔ relief innings. The Storm scored once in the first, five times in the second and four more in the third for a 10-0 lead. LE_0531.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman, CF 5 3 3 2 0 0 Kerrington Cross, 1B 4 1 2 2 1 2 Jose Verdugo, SS 4 2 1 2 0 0 Yoiber Ocopio, C 4 0 2 1 1 0 Bradley Frye, 3B 5 0 1 1 0 1 Yimy Tovar, 2B 4 0 0 0 1 0 Qrey Lott, LF 5 1 1 1 0 1 Dylan Grego, DH 4 3 3 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg, LF 3 1 1 0 0 0 George Bilecki, RF 0 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 5 7 3 3 0 7 0 Brandon Langley 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Joseph Herrera 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Sean Barnett 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Cal Riehl 2/3 2 3 3 1 1 2 Carson Swilling 1/3 1 0 0 1 0 0 Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, K Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, SB Jorge Quintana: DNP Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-2, RBI, 3 BB Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R, SB Jagger Haynes: 4⅔ IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Alex McCoy: 0-for-4, 2 K Truitt Madonna: DNP Tucker Musgrove: 1⅓ IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Garrett Hawkins: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-3, BB, K Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View the full article

Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 5-1 (Overall: 35-21) Runs Scored Last Week: 22 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 15 Standing: 1st in NL Central Game 51 (5/25) | MIL 5, STL 1 Game 52 (5/26) | MIL 6, STL 0 Game 53 (5/27) | MIL 2, STL 1 Game 54 (5/29) | MIL 5, HOU 4 Game 55 (5/30) | HOU 9, MIL 2 Game 56 (5/31) | MIL 2, HOU 0 Game 51 | Brewers 5, Cardinals 1 MIL Starter: Jacob Misiorowski (7.0 IP, 2 H, BB, ER, 12 K) Top Performers: Aaron Ashby (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 1 K) Andrew Vaughn (3 H, 2 2B, RBI) Christian Yelich (2 H, HR, 2 RBI) Jacob Misiorowski continued to dazzle with his start on Monday, despite his long scoreless inning streak being snapped. He pitched seven brilliant innings against St. Louis, striking out 12, while the Brewers jumped on Matthew Liberatore early and never looked back. Yelich’s 2-run home run (+14.6 WP%) Game 52 | Brewers 6, Cardinals 0 MIL Starter: Kyle Harrison (6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 2 K) Top Performers: Christian Yelich (3 H, 2B) William Contreras (2 H, 2B, 2 RBI) Garett Mitchell (H, HR, 3 RBI) The 1-2 punch of Kyle Harrison and Misiorowski was effective in its second leg on Tuesday, as behind Harrison’s six strong innings, the Brewers captured the series. With the bats, both Garrett Mitchell and Jake Bauers went deep, and Christian Yelich’s return to the leadoff spot saw him get on base three times. Jake Bauers’s team-leading eighth home run (+12.5 WP%) Game 53 | Brewers 2, Cardinals 1 MIL Starter: Chad Patrick (4.0 IP, 5 H, BB, ER, 4 K) Top Performers: Shane Drohan (2.0 IP, H, 0 BB, 0 R, K) Aaron Ashby (2.0 IP, H, BB, 0 R, 2 K) Trevor Megill (1.0 IP, H, 0 BB, 0 ER, K, SV) It looked as if Cardinals starter Dustin May was not only going to salvage the series for St. Louis on Wednesday, but make history while doing so. He shut down the Brewers offense through seven innings, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning before a Mitchell double broke up the no-no. The Brewers then seized the opportunity, scoring two runs in quick fashion, and snagging a signature comeback win. Christian Yelich’s RBI knock (+30.0 WP%) Game 54 | Brewers 5, Astros 4 MIL Starter: Coleman Crow (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, K) Top Performers: Jackson Chourio (H, BB, HR, 2 RBI) DL Hall (2.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 3 K) Trevor Megill (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 2 K, SV) The action shifted to Houston after an off day on Thursday, with Coleman Crow taking the ball for his third start of the season. He’d end up surrendering four runs over his four innings (two of them unearned), but for the second straight game, the Brewers battled back. The bullpen would keep the Astros offense in check after Crow’s exit, and eventually, the Brewers would tie the game in the eighth, then win it in the 10th. Jackson Chourio’s 2-run home run (+17.0 WP%) Game 55 | Astros 9, Brewers 2 MIL Starter: Brandon Sproat (4.1 IP, 6 H, 0 BB, 5 ER, 4 K) Top Performers: Andrew Vaughn (2 H) Saturday’s contest was all Astros, who knocked around Brandon Sproat and Carlos Rodriguez. Peter Lambert, meanwhile, limited the Brewers' bats to just two runs, and then the struggling Astros bullpen was even better behind him, allowing nothing. Jackson Chourio drives in a run (+11.1 WP%) Game 56 | Brewers 2, Astros 0 MIL Starter: Jacob Misiorowski (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 8 K) Top Performers: David Hamilton (H, BB, 3 SB) Jake Bauers (H, HR, 2 RBI) Andrew Vaughn (2 H, 2B) Jacob Misiorowski was back on the mound for his second outing of the week, and again, he turned in seven magnificent innings. This time it was to the tune of eight strikeouts and no runs, capping off his near-historic month of May. Jake Bauers, on the other hand, provided all the offense for the Brewers, as his 9th home run of the season was all the offense the Brewers needed to capture the series in Houston. Jake Bauer sends one out (+20.8 WP%) Transactions: 05/31/26 - Transferred LHP Angel Zerpa from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. 05/31/26 - Activated LHP Rob Zastryzny from the 60-day injured list. 05/31/26 - Optioned RHP Carlos Rodriguez to AAA Nashville. 05/29/26 - Sent LHP Jared Koenig on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville. 05/28/26 - Signed free agent RHP Bryce Schaum to a minor league contract. 05/28/26 - Signed free agent RHP Yancarlos Vasquez to a minor league contract. 05/28/26 - Signed free agent RHP Deivy Gonzalez to a minor league contract. 05/27/26 - Signed free agent LHP Noel Cepeda to a minor league contract. 05/26/26 - Placed RHP Logan Henderson on the 15-day injured list with a lower back strain. (Retroactive to May 23, 2026) 05/26/26 - Signed free agent RHP Manuel Davila to a minor league contract. Looking Ahead: Monday, 6/1 - Giants @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT Tuesday, 6/2 - Giants @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT Wednesday, 6/3 - Giants @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT Thursday, 6/4 - Giants @ Brewers - 1:10 PM CDT Friday, 6/5 - Brewers @ Rockies - 7:40 PM CDT Saturday, 6/6 - Brewers @ Rockies - 8:10 PM CDT Sunday, 6/7 - Brewers @ Rockies - 2:10 CDT View the full article

The Weekly Nutshell: The past week represented an interesting opportunity for the Minnesota Twins to match up against a couple of franchises in similar positions. The White Sox and Pirates are also lower-budget teams that are focused on development and building toward the future while also trying to stay competitive in the present. During these two series, the Twins looked to be miles behind both opponents. They lost six of seven games, with the only win coming in a laborious 11-inning affair on Tuesday. An increasingly injury-ravaged and filler-packed pitching staff gave up nine-plus runs on three separate occasions as the team's biggest strength from the first third of the season lapsed into a liability. Now the Twins will limp back to Target Field on a five-game losing streak, hoping to capture any kind of positive energy with the season sinking back into darkness. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 5/25 through Sun, 5/31 *** Record Last Week: 1-6 (Overall: 27-33) Run Differential Last Week: -25 (Overall: -21) Standing: 3rd Place in AL Central (6.5 GB) Latest Game Results Game 54 | CWS 3, MIN 1: Twins Come Out on Losing End of Chi-Town Pitching Duel Martin, Bell, Clemens: 0-12 Game 55 | MIN 5, CWS 3 (11): Lee's Clutch Three-Run Double Secures Win in Extras Ryan: 7.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K Game 56 | CWS 15, MIN 2: Regression Hits Like Load of Bricks in Massive Blowout Orze, Adams: 2.2 IP, 8 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K Game 57 | CWS 6, MIN 2: Walks, Mistakes Cost Twins Early in Disappointing Series Finale Woods Richardson: 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K Game 58 | PIT 6, MIN 5: Reynolds Walks Off Rogers with Two-Run Homer in Ninth Inning Larnach: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI Game 59 | PIT 10, MIN 9: Fierce Comeback Effort Fall Short After Ober Digs Big Early Hole Ober: 4.2 IP, 8 R (7 ER), 12 H, 1 BB, 3 K Game 60 | PIT 9, MIN 3: Pirates Rough Up Tiwns Pitching Once Again to Seal Sweep at PNC Matthews: 4.1 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K IF YOU'D RATHER LISTEN TO THE WEEK IN REVIEW THAN READ IT, YOU CAN GET IT IN AUDIO FORM! FIND THE LATEST EPISODE ON OUR PODCAST PAGE, AS WELL AS ON APPLE AND SPOTIFY. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNELS SO YOU DON'T MISS OUT! NEWS & NOTES The Twins already have Mick Abel and Alan Roden — two key pieces acquired at last year's trade deadline — on the injured list indefinitely, and they've seen Taj Bradley sidelined for a spell. On Friday, another hopeful future fixture from that deadline class landed on the shelf, with Kendry Rojas placed on the 15-day IL due to elbow soreness. The injury is being billed as inflammation, and Joe Ryan's recent example taught us not to overreact, but this is certainly ominous news for Rojas, whose health history was part of the reason behind Toronto's willingness to give up his promising arm in the Louis Varland trade. Stepping back into the rotation on short notice for Rojas was Simeon Woods Richardson. Unfortunately, he picked up right where he left off, coughing up five earned runs on five hits and three walks in 2 ⅔ innings. At that point, the Twins had seen enough: they designated Woods Richardson for assignment on Saturday, exposing the 25-year-old to waivers and potentially losing him for nothing. A major downfall from the strong finish last year, and from my view a bit of a questionable decision. One day after designating Woods Richardson for assignment, the Twins lost another former rotation anchor, with Bailey Ober also heading to the injured list due to elbow inflammation. After impressively giving up just five homers through 52 innings in his first nine starts, Ober had given up seven in his past three, and he got flat-out crushed by the Pirates on Saturday. We'll see how long he's out, and we'll see if Woods Richardson is able to get through waivers and stick around, because the depth would be even handier now. The Twins selected the contract of right-hander Mike Paredes from St. Paul to replace Ober on the roster. Paredes is a fun story as a former 18th-round draft pick out of high school who has turned himself into, if not a prospect, at least an intriguing arm who has captured the Twins' attention. Working as a 4-5 inning starter with the Saints, the 25-year-old posted a 2.70 ERA and 25-to-5 K/BB ratio in May, and he also has plenty of experience pitching in relief. Paredes made his MLB debut on Sunday, shaking off early control issues to allow just one earned run in 3 ⅔ innings. In other pitching moves, Travis Adams was sent down and called back up, while John Klein was called up and sent back down. Kody Funderburk also returned to the fold from Triple-A. The Twins, who've already used 18 pitchers in relief this year (not counting Orlando Arcia) are in a constant churn to keep fresh arms at their disposal. HIGHLIGHTS The Joe Ryan experience continues to be a very enjoyable one. He turned in a fourth consecutive excellent outing in the wake of his early-May elbow scare, holding the White Sox to two runs over 7 ⅔ innings with zero walks and nine strikeouts. As so much goes amiss in the rotation around him, Ryan has been beyond steady, putting up quality starts in seven of his past nine turns while seemingly looking better each time out. He ranks fifth among MLB starters in fWAR and appears very much on track to make a second straight All-Star team. It's a little bittersweet that, as Ryan excels and the Twins unravel, the biggest implication of his success is what it means for his trade value rather than this team's outlook. It was an interesting week for Kody Clemens. On Wednesday he made his first professional start in center field, and then he was back there three times in the next four days. To his credit, Clemens mostly held his own in the surprising assignment, and he also delivered a power-packed week at the plate with two homers, two triples and a double. Finally, Brooks Lee deserves a shout out. He came through with the clutch three-run double in extras to lift the Twins in their lone victory of the week, and also homered three times, pushing his season total to eight. Lee's output this season has been highly sporadic, and that was the case again last week — he was 2-for-21 with one walk outside of those four extra-base hits — but the occasional power flurry is welcome and it's nice to see him at least holding his own at the plate with an OPS that's been hovering around average. If he's going to keep batting second and playing third base, he'll need to meet a higher bar for consistency. LOWLIGHTS Rojas is hurt. Ober is hurt. Abel remains sidelined. Bradley is still fresh off the injured list, but had his shortest start of the season on Friday (4 IP, 5 ER) after being pushed back a day. And now Woods Richardson is out the door. The rotation has been one of the biggest strengths and stabilizers for the Twins over the first two months, but has taken a quick and drastic turn for the worst. Even in the healthier contingent, things are not trending well aside from Ryan. Zebby Matthews got knocked around by the Pirates on Sunday, coughing up seven earned runs in 4 ⅓ innings. It was his second straight start allowing multiple homers, succumbing to what has largely been his kryptonite as an MLB pitcher. He's got to keep the ball in the yard. Connor Prielipp is bogging down in his own introduction to the big leagues. After posting a shiny 2.88 ERA through his first five starts, Prielipp has turned in back-to-back rough outings, including his latest against the White Sox: 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 5 K. The erratic performance included a pair of wild pitches. Prielipp's ability and raw stuff have never been in doubt. The big question is how he will handle throwing 85-90 pitches every fifth day with an arm that hasn't been conditioned for such rigors. Hopefully what we're seeing now is a temporary stumble rather than a sign of Prielipp struggling to endure the taxing workload of an MLB starting pitcher. As the pitching staff wears down, Minnesota's offense is not proving capable of keeping pace with the opposition. In these seven games, they were outscored by 25 and out-hit by by 23. The White Sox and Pirates went 12-for-13 on stolen bases (including 5-for-5 against Victor Caratini on Saturday) while the Twins went 1-for-3. Minnesota's hitters struck out 67 times against 13 walks. There are too many non-factors in the lineup on a day-to-day basis. The Twins are going out of their way to keep Austin Martin in right field even as his production falls off a cliff — he went 1-for-22 with a walk in the past week and his OPS dropped by 187 points in the month of May. Using Martin routinely in right field against right-handed pitchers, against whom he has a sub-.650 OPS, is a glaring sign of this offense's shortcomings and lack of optimization. So too is Josh Bell batting third, as he did on Saturday despite an OPS that had nearly dropped below .600. He did deliver three RBIs in that game but Bell has been a major liability while hitting in the middle of the order. The Twins hoped he could bring both power and discipline as a veteran presence but in May, Bell managed just two home runs with 30-to-3 K-BB ratio in 102 plate appearances. He entered play on Sunday tied with Pittsburgh's Marcell Ozuna for the worst fWAR among qualified big-leaguers at negative-0.8. Trevor Larnach, another early-season success story, is slumping with a deteriorating plate approach: he went 3-for-24 with 10 strikeouts and one walk. Luke Keaschall is slugging .322. Caratini has four extra-base hits all aseason. Aside from Byron Buxton, who remains clearly hobbled and limited to DH, there is just no one in this lineup who inspires much faith at all. With the attrition and struggles on the pitching staff, unless several of these languishing hitters can step up and show something, things are prone to get pretty ugly here in June. TRENDING STORYLINE Royce Lewis is campaigning for a recall at Triple-A. He's been on a tear ever since his demotion, batting .324 with five homers and three doubles in nine games. It bears noting that he's still striking out a fair amount (eight times in 21 plate appearances over the past week) but the production is there and he's swinging with a visibly renewed confidence. I'm not under the illusion that Royce has suddenly been "fixed" by a couple good weeks against minor-league pitching, but at some point the Twins will need to bring him back and see if he can channel that against the real deal. Might they feel an extra sense of urgency to seek a spark as their offense spins its wheels a with lineup full of punchless bats. The big question, of course, is where he will fit in, whenever the Twins deem him ready to return. Brooks Lee appears to be digging himself in at third base, which is where Lewis has played exclusively since being optioned. It seems notable that Arcia was the starter at first base on Sunday, which at least sets up the stylistic precedent for Lewis to play there. Will he start getting some reps there with the Saints? Or maybe at second base, or even the outfield? Presumably the Twins will want to at least work him in at a few positions to establish some flexibility before bringing him back. I'm more interested to see how many positions he plays in the coming week than how many more homers he pops against Triple-A pitchers. LOOKING AHEAD The Twins return home to wrap up their longest stretch of the season without an off day. They've played 10 straight and they'll play seven more at Target Field, with the White Sox arriving for a quick-turnaround rematch followed by a matchup against the struggling Royals. The Twins would love to bounce back against the Sox and may find the going a little easier with Munetaka Murakami now on the injured list. It remains to be seen how Ober's spot in the rotation will be filled. MONDAY, JUNE 1: WHITE SOX @ TWINS —RHP David Sandlin v. RHP Joe Ryan TUESDAY, JUNE 2: WHITE SOX @ TWINS — RHP Davis Martin v. LHP Connor Prielipp WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3: WHITE SOX @ TWINS — RHP Erick Fedde v. RHP Taj Bradley THURSDAY, JUNE 4: ROYALS @ TWINS — RHP Seth Lugo v. TBD FRIDAY, JUNE 5: ROYALS @ TWINS — RHP Michael Wacha v. RHP Zebby Matthews SATURDAY, JUNE 6: ROYALS @ TWINS — TBD v. RHP Joe Ryan SUNDAY, JUNE 7: ROYALS @ TWINS — LHP Noah Cameron v. LHP Connor Prielipp View the full article

Bad news seems to follow the Miami Marlins of late. Less than 24 hours after learning that left-handed reliever Andrew Nardi was headed to the injured list, joining him was another hurler, this one a starter in Janson Junk. "I was still able to do my job, I feel like," Junk explained prior to Sunday's game regarding his right shin bone inflammation, "but maybe subconsciously I was compensating for it a little bit...Being able to get checked out is, I think, the right thing to do, and ultimately was the right thing." However, it posed a major challenge for Marlins manager Clayton McCullough, who had to resort to a bullpen game against the cellar-dwelling New York Mets. The end result was allowing double-digit runs to one of the sport's feeblest lineups. One week after completing a sweep of the Mets at loanDepot park, the Marlins found themselves on the other end of the equation, dropping the series finale, 10-1. Now 26-34, the Marlins fall to last place in the National League East amid a season-worst five-game losing streak and losers in five of their last six. "This was tough," said a sighing McCullough, who reflected on Miami's numerous missed opportunities this series. For the weekend, Marlin hitters went a combined 5-for-30 in at-bats with runners in scoring position. Making his first career start in 241 appearances at the major league level, John King would be gotten to from the get-go when Carson Benge sent his fourth home run of the season and career over the center field wall. The home run also marked the first leadoff blast of Benge's career. Things would not get any easier from there, as Anthony Bender, entering late in the second inning for King, would serve up a home run to his first batter faced, veteran second baseman Marcus Semien, to increase New York's lead to three. Miami's lone run would come in the top of the fourth on an Owen Caissie double. After hitting just over .200 with a .565 OPS through April, Caissie hit .281 with an .835 OPS in May, his best month as a big leaguer to date. The only positive to come from Sunday's series blowout was that the Marlins didn't have to face the ascendant Nolan McLean more than they did, as the right-hander worked around five walks in five innings of one-run ball. After tacking on a pair in the fourth, the Mets would all but end the game when Juan Soto, facing Josh White in the latter's major league debut hit a grand slam, his 19th home run in 107 games against Miami. The Marlins will conclude the month of May going 11-18, and falling to 8-19 in games away from loanDepot park. Looking Ahead The Marlins will travel to the nation's capital, where they are slated to commence the month of June with a three-game series against the surprisingly competitive Washington Nationals. Sandy Alcantara (3-4, 4.66 ERA) will be tasked with eating as many innings as possible on Monday for a fatigued Marlins pitching staff. Cade Cavalli (3-3, 3.62 ERA) will start the series opener for Washington. Cavalli's 3.00 FIP is easily the best in the Nats rotation and he's riding a streak of three consecutive quality starts. First pitch from Nationals Park is slated for 6:45 EST. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS RHP Travis Adams recalled by Twins RHP Ricky Castro promoted to AAA St. Paul RHP Mike Paredes selected by Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Louisville 0 Box Score Trent Baker: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K HR: Matt Wallner (1) Multi-hit games: Matt Wallner (2-for-5, HR, R, RBI) The Saints pitched a combined shutout on Sunday. Though Trent Baker appeared first, he was a false starter: indeed, C.J. Culpepper and Ricky Castro teamed up to provide bulk frames in this match. The day was a triumph for both pitchers; for Culpepper, as it was easily his best appearance as a Saint; and for Castro, who performed better for St. Paul than he did during his substitute teaching foray in late April. Combined, they totaled six shutout innings with eight strikeouts. The big blast in the game came from Matt Wallner, who popped his first longball since his demotion. And it was a vintage sight: a fastball coming in at 98 that left the bat with screaming, evil intentions. Héctor Rodríguez, who doubled twice and singled once on Sunday, ranks as the Reds’ fifth-best prospect, according to MLB.com. Wind Surge Wisdom Game One: Wichita 3, Springfield 4 (8 innings) Box Score Cory Lewis: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Andrew Cossetti (3), Jose Salas (5) Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (2-for-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB) This was a continuation of Saturday’s game, which was suspended after six innings. Perhaps matters should have been forgotten about entirely: Wichita returned to the field and found the grass unfriendly and the dirt cruel. The squandered an opportunity with two men in scoring position in the eighth, before losing outright when third baseman Murphy Stehl airmailed his toss to second in an effort to turn two. Fun stuff. Game Two: Wichita 5, Springfield 6 Box Score Jose Olivares: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K HR: Caleb Roberts (2) Multi-hit games: Garrett Spain (2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB), Caleb Roberts (2-for-3, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB) The Wind Surge were walked off on Sunday. You don’t see many shutout outings with more balls than strikes, yet that’s exactly what Jose Olivares delivered, shutting out the Cardinals for four frames despite having 29 of his 56 pitches fall safely outside the strike zone. “Effectively wild,” you may call it. The Wind Surge offense laid dormant for six innings, putting men on in nearly every frame without successfully advancing anyone home. Ironically, the seventh seemed like it would be more of the same, as a leadoff single was erased by a double play. Back-to-back walks returned hope, and singles from Garrett Spain and Kala’i Rosario placed two runs on the board. That broke the dam: Caleb Roberts cracked a solo homer in the eighth, and Kyle DeBarge drew two more home with a double later in the inning. The Wind Surge led 5-1. Such a lead ordinarily should have been safe, but the bottom of the ninth proved to be no ordinary inning, as a flurry of singles, and a sacrifice fly suddenly cut the deficit in half. No matter. Jarrett Whorff needed just one more out to escape the inning—and the game—with the lead. He reared back and fired a slider—one of the cement mixing variety—and Miguel Ugueto blasted the offering out to left field to catapult the Cardinals into the lead. An imminent win turned sour in seconds. Springfield catcher Rainel Rodriguez clocks in as the game’s 24th-best prospect. He went 0-4. Rehabbing big leaguer Lars Nootbaar DH’d for Springfield, walking twice in five plate appearances. That sounds like Lars Nootbaar, alright. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 8, Quad Cities 1 Box Score Garrett Horn: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Quinn McDaniel (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB) The Kernels crushed their opponent on Sunday. Marek Houston established the game’s story immediately, walking and on five pitches before reaching third on a pair of wild pitches. He finished his hero’s journey around the bases thanks to a Khadim Diaw sacrifice fly. And he wasn’t done: the shortstop stepped to the plate in the second with two one, and he brought both home with a sharp double into the left field corner. Seven of Cedar Rapids’ nine batters reached base on Sunday. Quinn McDaniel continues to be a force in the Twins organization. He’s played just 15 games but has collected 26 hits—that’s as many as Cal Raleigh across his 41 major league games this year. The indy-ball signing rapidly earned a promotion to Cedar Rapids; a ticket to Wichita may arrive in no time. On Sunday, he singled twice and walked. Garrett Horn made his second start for the Kernels since returning from injury, and he was once again extremely effective, whiffing five over three innings. He allowed one run. Including his rehab outings, the lefty allowed just one earned run and three hits across 12 frames in May. Catcher Blake Mitchell ranks as the 54th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. He went 0-4 on Sunday with a pair of strikeouts. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 5, Jupiter 4 Box Score Reed Moring: 3 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: Quentin Young (5) Multi-hit games: Graham Brown (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI) The Mighty Mussels scored five unanswered to win on Sunday. As always, disaster started with Nixon. Chirinos, in this case. The Hammerheads catcher may not be a crook, but he helped Jupiter steal three runs in the second, when a walk portended a Henry Kusiak throwing error, which portended a pair of run-scoring hits. Jupiter was playing chess while Fort Myers was stuck with checkers. The gaffe snapped the Mighty Mussels back into focus. Quentin Young got the team on the board with a skyscraping opposite-field blast in the third, and Luis Fragoza slugged in a pair on a double two innings later. Suddenly, Fort Myers was only down by one. Suddenly, Jupiter looked meek. A Yilber Herrera sacrifice fly in the seventh evened the score—and Graham Brown snuck one up the middle one frame later to complete the comeback. Michael Hilker and Mike McKenna combined to retire 15 consecutive Hammerheads to end the game. Andrew Salas—brother of Padres prospect, Ethan, and Wind Surge, Jose—ranks as the Marlins’ 11th-best prospect. He went 1-for-4 with a double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – C.J. Culpepper Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Caleb Roberts PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2 BB, K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-2, 2B #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-4, BB, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB, K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, BB, K #17 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-2, R, 2 RBI, BB #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-8, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Rays @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Rangers Red @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM) - TBD View the full article

NEW YORK — There's no shame in losing a battle to Juan Soto in your major league debut. The disturbing part for Josh White and the Miami Marlins is what brought Soto to the plate in the first place. After nearly a full calendar year of terrorizing Triple-A hitters, White was recalled by the Marlins prior to Sunday's game. The corresponding roster move was placing Janson Junk on the 15-day injured list with right shin bone inflammation. The news of White's call-up was first reported by marlins.city on Instagram. Fish On First's 21st-ranked prospect entered in the bottom of the sixth inning and looked comfortable initially. White struck out fellow rookie A.J. Ewing with a backdoor slider, then jammed Brett Baty with an inside fastball for a routine flyout. However, poor control fueled an epic two-out rally from there: Walk Hit by pitch Walk Walk Home run (grand slam) Walk A New York Mets team that had only been averaging 3.95 runs per game put up a five-spot against White in two-thirds of an inning. The Ewing slider was an anomaly, as you can see below. White had difficulty landing any of his secondary pitches in the strike zone. Just 20 of his 43 total pitches were strikes. During the month of May alone, White is the sixth different Marlin to make his MLB debut. He joins Josh Ekness (May 3), Joe Mack (May 4), William Kempner (May 5), Dax Fulton (May 6) and Robby Snelling (May 8), the first three of whom are still on the Marlins active roster...for now. View the full article

Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Zebby Matthews: 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (100 Pitches, 63 Strikes, 63%) Home Runs: Brooks Lee 2 (8) Bottom 3 WPA: Matthews (-0.25), Orlando Arcia (-0.07), Austin Martin (-0.06) Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant): After playing quite well against some traditionally strong franchises in the Astros and Red Sox, the Twins have struggled mightily against two perennial laughstocks, the White Sox and the Pirates. Granted, these teams are much better this year and feature plethoras of young, intriguing talent. Speaking of which, the Twins were tasked with facing Braxton Ashcraft, starting for Pittsburgh. Ashcraft is a former second-round pick and features a 98-MPH fastball and 93-MPH slider. Over 138 innings in his career, he carries a sub-3.00 ERA and a 25% strikeout rate—not a bad complement to Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller in their rotation. Ashcraft encountered very little resistance from the Byron Buxton-less Twins lineup. Brooks Lee struck out on three fastballs, while Trevor Larnach struck out on three straight sliders. Josh Bell began the second inning with a sharp single, but was erased on the next pitch on a double play tapper from (first baseman?) Orlando Arcia. Zebby Matthews made the start for the Twins and had a solid first inning, locating his array of pitches and striking out Bryan Reynolds on a nasty changeup to end the inning. He would start to unravel in the second, however. Ryan O'Hearn got Matthews on a cement-mixer slider that resulted in a home run to the right field corner, Oneil Cruz walked, and Jake Mangum and Jared Triolo slapped opposite-field singles to bring in a second run. The third inning featured a hit-by-pitch to Reynolds, and then, with two outs (perhaps not wanting to face Cruz with two men on), Matthews hung another slider, this one to Nick Gonzales, who launched for his first home run of the year, doubling the deficit and sullying Matthews's line. Matthews had good command of his fastball, which sat 93-96 MPH and only allowed a single hit on the pitch until the fifth, when perhaps he began to rely too much on it. Spencer Horwitz laced a double to the gap, and Brandon Lowe brought him in with a long single to the right field corner. After striking out O'Hearn on a nice breaking ball, Matthews gave way to newly added Mike Paredes, who began his Twins career with eight straight balls, walking in a run before allowing a sacrifice fly to Jake Mangum for the seventh run on Matthew's line. Nine-hole hitter Henry Davis then looped a single to drive in the eighth and ninth runs. On the second-hand embarrassment scale, Paredes's debut was between an episode of The Office and watching Chet Holmgren try to score on Victor Wembanyama. The long layoff while his team scored four runs perhaps rattled Ashcraft, as he walked Alex Jackson before leaving a fastball in Brooks Lee's nitro zone. Lee smacked a home run down the right field line, a two-run shot. Ashcraft then remembered he was dealing, and struck out Kody Clemens and Bell easily. Paredes looked a lot better in his second inning, giving up a bloop single to O'Hearn but striking out Gonzales for his first strikeout. He pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, as well. Meanwhile, the Twins could muster almost nothing against the Pirates bullpen. Stuff I'm Tracking: -Luke Keaschall had an infield hit, and will finish May with an .800 OPS, including an OBP over .400 in the month. His defense isn't great, but that stat line will play. -Simeon Woods Richardson was designated for assignment a day before Bailey Ober was placed on the IL with elbow inflammation. That's not great. If Woods Richardson clears waivers, that would be nice in terms of maintaining depth, but if his splitter continues to be terrible (.352 BA against), I can't see him having any viability in any team's rotation or bullpen. -Did James Outman make some deal with Danhausen? Combining Matt Wallner's demotion, the injuries to Buxton, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez and the front office's hatred of Kyler Fedko, Outman's runway (despite terrible play) certainly seems supernatural. -These Pirates seem legit. Their offense is top-10 in the league with the additions of O'Hearn and Brandon Lowe standing out, their starting pitching is solid and features three buzzsaws in Skenes, Ashcraft and Jared Jones. If they can fortify their bullpen at the deadline, maybe by acquiring a closer who can push Gregory Soto to an eighth-inning role, I see no reason why they can't compete in the National League. What’s Next: The Twins return home to face the White Sox, who took three of four from the Twins in Chicago this past week. Joe Ryan (3-3, 2.94 ERA) faces David Sandlin (1-0, 1.50 ERA). Ryan was brilliant against the Sox last week, up until Munetaka Murakami touched him for an eighth-inning two-run homer. Fortunately for Ryan, Murikami is on the IL, but the Sox are still feisty. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Paredes 0 0 0 0 60 60 Orze 29 0 23 0 0 52 Klein 0 0 0 39 0 39 Banda 0 14 18 0 0 32 Gómez 0 17 14 0 0 31 Morris 0 29 0 0 0 29 Funderburk 0 0 0 27 0 27 Rogers 0 7 12 0 0 19 Laweryson 0 0 16 0 0 16 View the full article

Prior to making his major league debut, Marlins right-hander Josh White speaks with the media about getting the big news, developing a splitter and the various ways he could be used out of the bullpen.View the full article

The Minnesota Twins' dwindling pitching depth took another hit Sunday. The Twins placed right-handed starter Bailey Ober on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right elbow. Right-hander Mike Paredes had his contract selected from Triple-A St. Paul and will be making his MLB debut. Also, the Twins called up Travis Adams and optioned fellow right-handed reliever John Klein to St. Paul. Ober was tagged for eight runs in 4⅔ innings of Saturday's 10-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He becomes the seventh Twins pitcher to go on the IL this season. Ober has been uneven this season, including giving up three homers Saturday and seven long balls in his last three starts. He has a 4.59 ERA with a 6.4% walk rate and 16.4% strikeout rate in his 12 starts this season, which includes a shutout. Paredes is an 18th-round draft choice in 2021 out of San Diego State and has pitched for Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul this season. Between the two stops, he has made 13 appearances, including 10 starts, and thrown 48⅔ innings, walking nine and striking out 54. Adams is making his third trip up from St. Paul this month after beginning the season on the 15-day injured list with a strained right triceps. Adams has appeared in seven games, throwing 10 innings with five walks and 12 strikeouts for a 7.20 ERA. The bullpen was in need of a fresh arm. Klein went two innings Saturday after being called up earlier in the day. He didn't allow a run, although he walked three and gave up a hit. Klein made his MLB debut this month and has now appeared in three games, allowing two runs in 4⅓ innings. 05/31/26 Minnesota Twins placed RHP Bailey Ober on the 15-day injured list. Right elbow inflammation. 05/31/26 Minnesota Twins selected the contract of RHP Mike Paredes from St. Paul Saints. 05/31/26 Minnesota Twins recalled RHP Travis Adams from St. Paul Saints. 05/31/26 Minnesota Twins optioned RHP John Klein to St. Paul Saints. View the full article

The Kansas City Royals are getting a key arm back in their bullpen. Left-handed reliever Matt Strahm was activated off the 15-day injured list by the Royals, who optioned right-hander Eric Cerantola back to Triple-A Omaha. Strahm missed the minimum 15 days with left knee inflammation. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, Strahm has a 3.86 ERA in 17 games and 16⅓ innings, with seven walks and 17 strikeouts. Cerantola, in his second call-up this year, pitched in Friday's 9-1 loss to the Texas Rangers, allowing a solo homer and striking out two. View the full article

The reward for saving the rest of the bullpen Saturday? A one-way ticket to Nashville. The Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday optioned right-hander Carlos Rodriguez to Triple-A Nashville and activated left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny from the 60-day injured list. Zastryzny has been on the IL since the end of spring training with a strained left shoulder. Left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Zastryzny on the 40-man roster. Zerpa is out for the season after having Tommy John surgery a few weeks ago. Rodriguez pitched 3⅓ innings in Saturday's 9-2 loss to the Houston Astros, coming within an out of finishing the game. He did allow three runs. Rodriguez has been much better for the Brewers this season, with two of his previous three bullpen appearances being shutout efforts. Zastryzny gives the Brewers four left-handers in the bullpen, joining Aaron Ashby, DL Hall and Shane Drohan. Zastryzny is coming off a 2025 in which he posted a 2.45 ERA in 26 appearances over 22 innings. He walked 10 and struck out 20. View the full article