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Transactions: SS Luis Pena sent on rehab assignment to ACL Brewers RHP Luke Roupe activated from ACL Brewers’ 7-day injured list Welcome back and all seems well for Luis Pena - more on his night in the game section for Maryvale to conclude this report. The Brewers were always going to be extra-cautious after the April 22nd incident in which Pena lost consciousness, and yes, a full month had passed since that date. One can imagine the number of tests that have been run and the amount of monitoring to have taken place since. Luke Roupe, drafted in the 17th round last summer out of a North Carolina high school, had his professional debut delayed a bit, but he joined Pena on the field Friday night. We hope you'll catch up on the entire system before sneaking down to the bottom of this report . Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 6, Durham (Rays) 5 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Sounds Shut Down Bulls' Late Rally for 6-5 Win - Knehr Improves to 3-0 and Fernández Earns First Save of Season The videos embedded in that report include the big RBI knocks from Jeferson Quero and Brock Wilken. Among the other run-scoring plays described in the linked summary are these, which can be viewed as follows: Luis Lara forceout Luis Matos single Also from the summary: "Nashville's 3.41 ERA in bounce back games is tied for the best in the International League with Omaha." ERA in bounce back games? Like, who tracks that? Baseball allows for a wonderful spectrum of analysis, doesn't it... In his two prior appearances, RHP Garrett Stallings started and worked 12.2 scoreless innings with only two walks. On the surface, it seems he would still be needed in a starting role, but he came up big in the 8th here: The Nashville rotation may be the most in-flux thing in all of the Brewers system, understandable given the vagaries of the Sounds-Brewers mound relationship (certainly paying off at the big-league level). If Stallings is temporarily back in the pen, you've got Friday's starter Coleman Crow (88 pitches to get through 4.1 innings, 3 ER), plus RHP Tyson Hardin (one start since his call-up from Biloxi), LHP Thomas Pannone, and seemingly struggling RHP Carlos Rodriguez, who has worked in long relief as of late, comprising part of the Sounds' rotation, along with any rehab efforts from Quinn Priester. Yet the club has won 10-of-11 games! LHP Rob Zastryzny's latest rehab stint began on May 14th. Not a lot of room in the MLB pen, and Rob Z. has been lights-out in four appearances since: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. How long will he be strung along before activation? Nashville drew ten walks, so the number of times players were on base was significant: Wilken 4, Matos and Greg Jones 3, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Jeferson Quero twice each. Whenever Luis Rengifo has a miserable MLB night, we glance Jett Williams way - 0-for-5 here, one K. Postponed, rain: Birmingham (White Sox) at Biloxi Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives The teams are still trying to complete the 11th inning (and possibly beyond) of their Thursday game (box score), discussed in Daniel's fine Link Report yesterday. As of right now, Friday's game is not scheduled as a make-up (yet), as Sunday is still listed as a single game. We wonder if the game will be made up in Birmingham with Biloxi as the home team during the June 9th - 14th series. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link) Final: Great Lakes (Dodgers) 13, Wisconsin 4 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: Unlucky Thirteen for Wisconsin at Great Lakes Chris Mehring squeezed videos of Andrew Fischer's early-game home run and Josh Adamczewski's late-game double into his report linked above. Also, early in the game this defensive play occurred: Adamczewski walked twice in addition to his two-bagger. We're 33 games into his season, and he's still sporting an incredible 1.024 OPS (.322/.441/.583). Young Josh also stole his 7th base in eight tries. Our swooning continues. CF Josiah Ragsdale singled three times, fanned in the other two plate appearances. The K rate is high at 28.2%, but he's also walking in 19.3% of his plate appearances for a .417 OBP. Night off for Braylon Payne. RHP Travis Smith was very solid in five of six swing-role outings to begin his season. In his most recent appearance before Friday, he did allow four runs in a five-inning start with five walks, so that was a bit of a stumble, but not a blow-up. Unfortunate that his outing here went very sideways, but kudos to Jack Seppings for saving the bullpen in what could have turned into another game in which a T-Rat position player was needed on the mound. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 7, Delmarva (Orioles) 2 Box Score and Game Log Wilson Pitching Stifles Shorebirds; Big Eighth Secures Victory - Warbirds Don't Allow an Earned Run in Win Check out 18-year-old Brady Ebel's April vs. May splits, then admire: Ebel also doubled and singled, such a promising turnaround - it's so easy to focus on early numbers because they're the only numbers we have at the time, lesson for us all. Wow, Jarrett Bonet, and the Brewers' Organizational Pitcher of the Month for April's line of 6.1 scoreless innings, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 6 K, 93 pitches included this: DH Jadyn Fielder walked three times to lift his OBP to .412. The Warbirds were handed (or better said, earned) ten free passes. Final: ACL Brewers 8, ACL White Sox 6 Box Score and Game Log Juan Pena's evening, not surprisingly in the designated hitter role for his first game back: Walked on five pitches after getting up in the count 3-0 Stole 2nd base Advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch Scored on the front-end of a double steal with OF Kenny Fenelon Walked (again) on five pitches after getting up in the count 3-0 Advanced to second base when Brailyn Antunez was HBP, then stranded Sent a 77 MPH grounder to 3rd base, reached on an error Advanced to second on a Fenelon walk Scored on a two-out CJ Hughes 96.8 MPH line single to right Leading off the 6th, Pena is hit by a pitch, remains in the game, does not advance Is pinch-hit for in the 8th, seemingly unrelated to the HBP You'll also be able to track Luke Roupe's pro debut via the top of the 1st game log. Only 16 pitches thrown, five batters faced, two outs secured, one run allowed, and a shoutout to catcher Freider Rojas for nabbing a baserunner at 2nd to end the inning after Roupe's exit. The A-Crew trailed 3-2 heading to the bottom of the 4th before rallying for three runs, some of which described in the Pena recap above. Utilityman Roderick Flores doubled in a run to tie the game. Flores has seen very limited action, but has contributed in all five games he's played, all at first base here in 2026, four of eight hits the XBH variety, 1.363 OPS (.727 OPS in his first Maryvale season last summer). Flores, a right-handed bat, then homered in the 5th, but it wasn't your garden variety. He pulled a 96.7 MPH ball to left field but circled the bases when White Sox left fielder Christian Gonzalez (not currently in Pipeline's Chisox Top 30) suffered an injury that forced him to leave the game, hopefully will be OK. A Fenelon RBI triple and Hughes RBI single capped the scoring in the 8th, set up by opposition errors to break the 6-6 tie. 20-year-old Venezuelan RHP Ismael Yanez is the designated closer and did his job here. Earlier in the game, 20-year-old Dominican RHP Cesar Espinal stranded two runners for Roupe, and added a quiet frame of his own, fanning three total. RHP's Caleb Nieman and Hayden Vucinovich surrendered runs but each managed three innings of contributions. Stud RF Alexander Frias last played on Tuesday, now missing two games since his mid-game exit on that day, no apparent reason. Standard Saturday day game for Maryvale, we'll see if Luis Pena plays on the quick turnaround time. It's all-evening action for the full-season affiliates, with the Shuckers hopefully rallying in extras to complete their suspended game. Have a great day, folks. 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

After trading for Sonny Gray on November 25, the Boston Red Sox believed they had acquired the No. 2 starter in their rotation. Through his first five starts, however, it appeared that age may have finally caught up to Gray. He posted a 5.09 K/9 and surpassed four strikeouts only once, in his season debut, giving him the fourth-lowest strikeout rate among qualified starters during that span. Then, Gray tweaked his right hamstring, and it seemed his season might go from bad to worse. That has not been the case. Since returning on May 6, Gray has pitched at least five innings in all three of his starts while allowing just two runs across 17 innings. Most importantly, he has set season highs in strikeouts in consecutive outings, recording six against the Phillies before striking out nine Royals on Monday. After opening the year with five straight starts of three strikeouts or fewer, Gray doubled his season strikeout total in just two outings, increasing it from 15 to 30. Following Monday's start, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe asked Gray what had changed to produce the swing-and-miss results he had been seeking: "Anything you're seeing in terms of those strikeouts?" he asked, "Obviously a bunch of swing and misses tonight were on the sweeper, a couple on the curveball. Is it just executing spin better, or is it how you're tunneling?" Gray's response consisted largely of noncommittal answers, seemingly intent on keeping the details of his success close to the vest. Fortunately, the wealth of publicly available data gives us an opportunity to investigate what may be different. Pitch usage provides an obvious starting point. When comparing Gray's pitch mix before and after his return from the injured list on May 6, several notable changes emerge. The char above compares his pitch usage from March 28 through May 5 (top) with his usage from May 6 through May 18 (bottom). We can see that Gray's sweeper and four-seam fastball essentially traded places in usage. His sweeper usage increased from 15.9 percent to 18.9 percent, while his four-seam usage dropped from 18.2 percent to 15.8 percent. The adjustment makes sense. Throughout his career, Gray has relied heavily on breaking pitches to generate outs, and last season his breaking balls produced a 97th-percentile run value while the rest of his arsenal graded out below average. If Gray's goal was to generate more strikeouts, leaning on the sweeper was a logical move. Before the injury, it generated the highest swinging-strike rate among any pitch he threw more than 10 percent of the time. Since returning, it has remained his best bat-missing offering, producing a 20.9 percent swinging-strike rate. He's also simply thrown more strikes overall, which naturally creates more opportunities to finish hitters with strikeouts. One area worth monitoring is how these changes affect his batted-ball profile. His ground-ball rate has declined significantly, while his line-drive rate has climbed. That shift could lead to more hits falling in, but it may also be the trade-off required to maintain the elevated strikeout numbers we've seen since his return. It's difficult to draw firm conclusions from only three starts. Still, for a pitcher whose success has long been built on a kitchen-sink approach, throwing more pitches with movement is likely to produce better results. At this stage of his career, increased fastball velocity is unlikely to be part of the equation. If Gray is going to continue missing bats, it will be because he leans on his elite breaking stuff. The early returns have been encouraging. Now, we'll see whether he can sustain them and continue serving as a stabilizing force in the Red Sox rotation. View the full article

Not many things have gone right for the 2026 New York Mets, although they do have a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. They are still dancing around last place in the NL East, and to say that injuries have treated them poorly would be an understatement. Brooks Raley, however, has been a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable first couple of months in Queens. He is the perfect example of how an MLB pitcher can dominate at the highest level with well below-average velocity. The 37-year-old veteran ranks in the third percentile in fastball (or, in his case, sinker) velocity, but that 89.7 mph on average and his excellent secondary stuff have allowed him to rank in the 83rd percentile in strikeout rate, with 27.3 percent. Those stats were before taking the mound on Thursday and tossing a scoreless frame in the Mets' win over the Nationals, adding two punchouts to his season line. Brooks Raley Is the King of Contact Management How do you explain that kind of contrast? Usually, high velocity is directly correlated with a high strikeout rate, but Raley defies the odds in that department. He does it thanks to a unique pitch mix and a brilliant contact management profile. Most of Raley’s pitches are sweepers, a pitch he throws roughly 45 percent of the time. The sinker is second in his arsenal at 23 percent, and he rounds out his repertoire with a cutter (19 percent) and a changeup (13 percent). That stuff has helped him post an incredible 1.40 ERA in 19.1 innings of work in 2026. The walks, eight, have been a tad high, but they have been offset by his 23 punchouts to this point. Not only does Raley strike out lots of hitters, but he is also a master when it comes to managing contact. His 31.3 percent hard-hit rate is good enough to put him in the 87th percentile among all MLB pitchers, and it’s far from a fluke; his career mark is 28 percent. He limits hard contact like very few hurlers in baseball. A Run-Prevention Asset The Mets have certainly benefited from Raley’s reliability and overall excellence. Heading into the weekend, New York had the tenth-best bullpen ERA at 3.48, so you can see how the left-hander alone has positively influenced that number. Entering Thursday, Raley was third among Mets’ relievers with 0.3 fWAR, behind Devin Williams and Huascar Brazoban and tied with Luke Weaver. He has the best ERA among his peers on the team, though. Unlike some of the best lefties in the game, Raley can actually get right-handed hitters out consistently, which enables the manager to use him in almost any situation. He has a 13.3 K-BB% vs. lefty hitters, and a much better 19.1 mark against righties this season. All things considered, Raley has been a surprising asset for the Mets’ bullpen and figures to be a key pitcher in the upcoming weeks as they push to get out of their early-season hole. View the full article

Across the Royals' system, the affiliates dropped three games. Gavin Cross tripled in two runs, and Brett Squires doubled in two as Omaha fell 9-5 to St. Paul. Justin Johnson collected three doubles in Northwest Arkansas's 8-5 loss to Amarillo. Nick Conte struck out two over two hitless innings of relief for Quad Cities, though the Bandits dropped a 5-4 decision. Kendry Chourio fanned three across two scoreless frames before rain suspended Columbia's game. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Cross Triples, Squires Doubles As Storm Chasers Fall To Saints Omaha jumped on St. Paul in the top of the first inning, scoring three runs to set the tone. Josh Rojas, John Rave, and Kameron Misner each drew walks to load the bases. After Drew Waters lined out, Squires laced a two-RBI double to right field, plating Rojas and Rave. Abraham Toro followed with a groundout that scored Misner from third for the third run. The lead did not hold. St. Paul answered with two runs in the bottom half off starter Aaron Sanchez, who allowed three hits and two runs (one earned) over his one inning of work while striking out two. Ethan Bosacker followed and worked three innings, surrendering six hits and three earned runs while striking out three. Omaha grabbed the lead back briefly in the third when Gavin Cross tripled to center, scoring Waters and Toro, but the Saints again answered in the bottom half. The decisive blow came in the bottom of the seventh, when Anthony Gose served up a two-run home run that pushed St. Paul ahead 9-5. Cross finished 2-for-4 with the triple, two RBI, and was the offensive standout. Squires also drove in two with his double. Misner added a double and a walk. Mason Black took the loss in 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing two earned runs. The Storm Chasers stranded four runners and were held to four hits as a team. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 3 1 0 0 1 0 John Rave 3 1 0 0 1 0 Kameron Misner 3 1 1 0 1 1 Drew Waters 3 1 0 0 1 1 Brett Squires 4 0 1 2 0 3 Abraham Toro 3 1 0 1 1 1 Gavin Cross 4 0 2 2 0 0 Connor Kaiser 4 0 0 0 0 3 Luke Maile 4 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 1 3 2 1 0 2 0 Ethan Bosacker 3 6 3 3 0 3 0 Mason Black 1 2/3 3 2 2 0 2 0 Andrew Pérez 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Anthony Gose 1 1/3 2 2 2 0 0 1 Beck Way 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Johnson Doubles Three Times, But Naturals Drop Game To Sod Poodles Northwest Arkansas could not contain Amarillo's bats, falling 8-5 despite a three-hit night from Johnson. The Naturals opened the scoring in the top of the second when Daniel Vazquez walked, and Spencer Nivens drove a two-run home run to left center to put NW Arkansas ahead 2-1. The lead did not last. Amarillo countered with two runs in the bottom of the third, then broke the game open in the fifth with back-to-back home runs that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 6-2 hole. Hunter Patteson took the loss in five innings, allowing eight hits, six earned runs, and two home runs while striking out five and walking none. The Naturals chipped back in the sixth, when Sam Kulasingam led off with a solo home run, Vazquez later singled, and Jack Pineda singled to bring home Vazquez from third. In the seventh, Johnson doubled, advanced to third on a Carson Roccaforte groundout, Colton Becker walked, and Kulasingam delivered an RBI single to plate Johnson and cut the deficit to 8-5. That was as close as NW Arkansas would get. Johnson finished 3-for-3 with three doubles and was hit by a pitch in the ninth. Kulasingam went 2-for-5 with the home run and drove in two. Nivens added two RBI with his home run. Vazquez walked, singled, and scored twice. Roccaforte added a hit and a walk from the leadoff spot. Zachary Cawyer allowed two runs in his lone inning of relief, while Andrew Morones and Tommy Molsky combined for two scoreless frames. The Naturals stranded eight runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 4 0 1 0 1 0 Colton Becker 3 0 0 0 1 0 Sam Kulasingam 5 1 2 2 0 1 Jorge Alfaro 5 0 0 0 0 3 Daniel Vazquez 3 2 1 0 1 1 Spencer Nivens 4 1 2 2 0 0 Jack Pineda 4 0 1 1 0 0 Canyon Brown 4 0 0 0 0 1 Justin Johnson 3 1 3 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Patteson 5 8 6 6 0 5 2 Zachary Cawyer 1 2 2 2 0 2 1 Andrew Morones 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tommy Molsky 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Ramirez's late double not enough as River Bandits Lose To Sky Carp Quad Cities battled back twice but could not overcome an early deficit in a 5-4 loss to Beloit. The Sky Carp scored a single run in the top of the first off Emmanuel Reyes, and he later surrendered the decisive blow in the fifth. The Bandits answered in the bottom of the fourth. Nolan Sailors singled, Asbel Gonzalez walked, and after a pair of strikeouts, Luke Pelzer tripled to center, plating both runners to give Quad Cities a 2-1 lead. The fifth inning swung the game back. Reyes walked two batters with two outs, and Connor Caskenette pulled a three-run home run to right-center to put Beloit ahead 4-2. Reyes ultimately took the loss after 5 1/3 innings, surrendering eight hits, five earned runs, three walks, and one home run while striking out three. Quad Cities mounted one more push in the bottom of the eighth. Sailors singled and Gonzalez walked to begin the frame, and after a Blake Mitchell strikeout, Ramon Ramirez doubled to left to bring both runners home and trim the deficit to 5-4. The Bandits stranded the tying run on third when Pelzer flew out and Jose Cerice grounded out to end the inning. Sailors finished 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base. Gonzalez did not record a hit but walked twice, scored twice, and stole two bases. Pelzer and Ramirez each drove in two runs. Coleman Picard threw 1 2/3 innings of one-hit relief out of the bullpen, and Nick Conte added two hitless innings with two strikeouts. The Bandits stranded seven runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 2 2 0 1 1 Asbel Gonzalez 3 2 0 0 2 2 Blake Mitchell 4 0 0 0 0 3 Ramon Ramirez 4 0 1 2 0 3 Luke Pelzer 3 0 1 2 1 1 Jose Cerice 3 0 0 0 1 1 Derlin Figueroa 3 0 1 0 1 2 Angel Acosta 3 0 0 0 0 1 Diego Guzman 3 0 0 0 0 1 Tyriq Kemp 1 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes 5 1/3 8 5 5 3 3 1 Coleman Picard 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Nick Conte 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 Chourio Strong Before Fireflies Game Suspended By Rain The Columbia Fireflies and Augusta GreenJackets played to a scoreless tie through two innings before rain forced a delay in the top of the third, with the game ultimately suspended. Each team had a single hit through the abbreviated action. Kendry Chourio drew the starting assignment for Columbia and was sharp in his two innings of work, allowing one hit while striking out three and walking none. He worked around a one-out triple in the bottom of the first by retiring the next two hitters, then put together a clean second inning that included two more strikeouts. Offensively, Sean Gamble singled to left field with one out in the top of the first for the only Columbia hit through the abbreviated action. Josh Hammond followed with a pop-out, and Brooks Bryan struck out swinging to end the threat. In the second, Hyungchan Um and Stone Russell both struck out, JC Vanek was hit by a pitch, and Connor Rasmussen grounded out to leave the runner stranded. Columbia left two runners on base. The game was halted before any decisions were rendered or relief pitchers used. Chourio's three strikeouts and zero walks against just one hit allowed marked another effective short outing in his young season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 1 0 0 0 0 0 Sean Gamble 1 0 1 0 0 0 Josh Hammond 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brooks Bryan 1 0 0 0 0 1 Hyungchan Um 1 0 0 0 0 1 Stone Russell 1 0 0 0 0 1 JC Vanek 0 0 0 0 0 0 Connor Rasmussen 1 0 0 0 0 0 Roni Cabrera 0 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-1 Blake Mitchell: 0-for-4, 3 K Josh Hammond: 0-for-1 Ramon Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SB, 2 K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-4, BB Yandel Ricardo: DNP Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, K Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

The Boston Red Sox fourth-ranked prospect, Anthony Eyanson, is quickly turning heads at the Double-A level. He's sporting an earned run average south of one, and less than a calendar year after going in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft, the hard-throwing righty looks to be a fast riser. In this video, we will go over his 65-grade slider, triple-digit fastball, what makes his arsenal so effective, and when to expect his major league debut. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins entered the season hoping to convince everyone that last year’s disappointment was a temporary stumble. Instead, the first half has only created more uncertainty about where this organization is actually headed. Minnesota’s ownership would say this isn’t a full rebuild. It also doesn’t look like a legitimate contending effort. That middle ground is the worst place a franchise can live in modern baseball. Teams either push their chips in or aggressively build toward the future. The Twins continue to hover somewhere in between, and with the trade deadline approaching, they may finally have to choose a direction. Minnesota still has enough talent on the roster to intrigue contenders around the league. However, they also have enough flaws and long-term concerns to justify selling pieces for the future. The biggest question is whether the front office is willing to admit this core may not have the runway everyone once expected. Here’s an early look at some of the most fascinating trade deadline decisions facing the Twins. Byron Buxton No player better represents the current state of the franchise than Buxton. On one hand, he remains the face of the organization. He has a full no-trade clause, and he has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to stay in Minnesota. When healthy, he is still one of the most electric players in baseball and one of the few stars capable of changing a game by himself. The Twins should do everything possible to keep him. Trading Buxton would signal far more than a roster adjustment. It would essentially announce the end of this competitive era. He is one of the few players casual fans still associate directly with Twins baseball, and moving him would create major backlash inside the clubhouse and throughout the fanbase. At the same time, the situation becomes more complicated if Minnesota starts moving other veteran pieces. If the front office deals away multiple core contributors, Buxton may eventually decide he no longer wants to spend the remainder of his prime stuck in another retooling phase. There would almost certainly be interest if he became available, especially from teams looking for a dynamic postseason weapon. The Atlanta Braves would immediately become a fascinating fit. Buxton is from Georgia, and a return closer to home could appeal to him if the Twins no longer appear serious about competing. Still, unless Buxton himself pushes the issue, it is difficult to envision Minnesota voluntarily moving him. Joe Ryan Ryan might be the most realistic blockbuster candidate on the roster. He is under team control only through the 2027 season, and his value may never be higher than it is right now. Ryan survived an early-season injury scare that initially looked far more concerning, and he has continued pitching like a frontline starter whenever healthy. That combination would make him one of the most attractive arms available at the deadline. The timing also matters. With Tarik Skubal injured, the market for controllable starting pitching could become even more aggressive. Teams desperate for rotation help would likely line up to make significant offers for Ryan. From Minnesota’s perspective, there is logic behind considering it. The Twins do not currently look like a team positioned to seriously contend over the next two seasons. By the time the roster is realistically ready to compete again, Ryan could already be nearing free agency. Add in his injury history and the general volatility that comes with pitchers, and there is a legitimate argument that the organization should capitalize on his value now rather than waiting for something to go wrong later. Of course, there is another side to the conversation. Quality starting pitching is incredibly difficult to acquire. Ryan is already proven, affordable, and capable of anchoring a rotation. Trading him would create an enormous hole and likely force the Twins into another lengthy search for pitching stability. Unless Minnesota receives an overwhelming package centered around elite prospects, there is still a strong case for keeping him and attempting to build around him instead. Ryan Jeffers Before his injury, Ryan Jeffers looked like one of the few clear success stories on Minnesota’s roster this season. He was off to a tremendous start offensively and had arguably been the team’s MVP through the first half. Jeffers provided stability in the middle of the lineup while continuing to handle a difficult workload behind the plate. At a time when much of the offense struggled with consistency, he was one of the few hitters regularly producing quality at-bats. That is what makes this week’s injury so frustrating for both Jeffers and the Twins. Minnesota placed Jeffers on the injured list earlier this week with a broken hamate bone, an injury that will likely sideline him for six to eight weeks. The timing could not be much worse with the trade deadline approaching quickly. Under normal circumstances, Jeffers would have made plenty of sense as a trade candidate. He is a veteran catcher on an expiring contract who could help a contender looking for offense behind the plate. Catching depth is always in demand at the deadline, especially from teams searching for postseason upgrades. Now the situation becomes far murkier. Even if Jeffers returns before the deadline, he will likely need time to prove he is fully healthy. Hamate bone injuries have a long history of sapping hitters’ power temporarily after they return. Many players eventually regain their production, but it is rarely an immediate process. That uncertainty could significantly shrink his market. Contenders may hesitate to part with meaningful prospects for a catcher who is still working his way back physically and trying to rediscover his power swing. The Twins would still likely prefer to move him rather than risk losing him for nothing after the season, but the return may not justify making the deal unless Jeffers comes back quickly and looks like himself immediately. Josh Bell Bell feels like the classic trade deadline rental candidate. He has been traded four different times during his career, so another move would hardly be surprising. Bell’s offensive profile also makes him the type of player contenders often gamble on in July. When he gets hot, he can carry a lineup for stretches, and playoff teams are always searching for extra power from the designated hitter spot. A contender could easily convince itself that Bell is one productive month away from becoming an impactful postseason bat. The problem is that his market may be limited. Bell’s defensive limitations narrow the list of interested teams considerably. His streaky offensive production also makes him difficult to trust as an everyday option. Since he is on an expiring contract, the return would likely be modest even if he finishes the first half strongly. Minnesota may ultimately decide his veteran presence is more valuable in the clubhouse than the low-level prospect package they would receive in return. Still, among the Twins’ veteran position players, Bell remains one of the more obvious names to watch. Austin Martin Martin has quietly become one of the more interesting depth pieces on the roster. Since being recalled during the second half of last season, he has consistently found ways to get on base and provide quality at-bats. He has also proven capable defensively in corner outfield spots, giving Minnesota a versatile player who can contribute in multiple roles. That type of player tends to matter more over a full season than many fans realize. However, his trade value is probably fairly limited. Contending teams could view Martin as a useful bench bat or platoon player, but there are questions about how large a role he can realistically handle. Since he bats right-handed, his ideal usage against left-handed pitching becomes somewhat restrictive compared to a traditional platoon option. The Twins also may not gain much by moving him. Martin is under team control through 2030, and his versatility fits well on a roster that constantly deals with injuries and lineup instability. Unless another organization views him as more than a complementary piece, Minnesota likely benefits more from simply keeping him around. Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner A few months ago, Lewis and Wallner might have carried substantial trade value. Now, both players are coming off demotions, and their stock has cratered. That creates an awkward dilemma for Minnesota. Selling low on talented players is almost always dangerous, especially when both still possess significant upside. Lewis was a former top prospect that the club has invested in, while Wallner’s raw power and patience still intrigue evaluators despite the swing-and-miss concerns. Some organizations would absolutely be willing to take a gamble on either player. Teams constantly believe they can unlock talent that another franchise could not fully develop. A rebuilding club, in particular, may view Lewis or Wallner as ideal buy-low opportunities. But that same upside is exactly why the Twins may hesitate. Trading either player right now would almost certainly mean accepting pennies on the dollar compared to what their value once looked like. Minnesota would essentially be betting that both players are closer to finished products than temporary struggles. That is an extremely risky gamble to make this early. The more likely scenario is the Twins allow both players time to rebuild value at Triple-A before revisiting any long-term decisions during the offseason. The most frustrating part about the Twins right now is not simply that they are losing games. It is that the organization no longer feels aligned with what this current roster is supposed to accomplish. There are still recognizable stars. There are still talented players capable of contributing to a winning team. But there are also growing signs that this core may not be built to sustain contention much longer. That reality makes this trade deadline incredibly important. If Minnesota decides to aggressively sell, it could mark the beginning of a major organizational reset. If the front office stands pat or buys marginal help, it risks prolonging the same directionless cycle the franchise already appears trapped in. Either way, the next few months may determine what Twins baseball looks like for the rest of the decade. Who will the Twins trade at the deadline? Will it be another trade deadline selling spree? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The 2006 Florida Marlins didn’t make the postseason, but with a rebuilding team full of rookies, they did exceed all expectations. Things started rough for the Marlins, but by the latter parts of the year, they stood in the thick of the National League Wild Card race. On this day 20 years ago, Florida rallied for a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs, courtesy of a Mike Jacobs two-run walk-off single. The Marlins trailed 4-3 and were down to their last three outs at Dolphins Stadium on May 23, 2006 as the Cubs turned to a right-hander familiar to baseball fans in South Florida: Ryan Dempster. Needing a jumpstart, Florida found one in pinch hitter Wes Helms, who went back up the middle for a single on Dempster’s first pitch of the evening to get the scoring started. After Hanley Ramírez worked a seven-pitch walk to put two on with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Dan Uggla’s sacrifice bunt put two runners into scoring position. Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases. Following a forceout at the plate off the bat of Josh Willingham, Dempster was one out away from a save. Standing in Chicago’s way was Jacobs. On a 1-1 pitch from Dempster, Jacobs lined one deep to centerfield, well past former Marlins World Series champion Juan Pierre. His shot one-hopped the wall, allowing Ramírez and Cabrera to score easily for a walk-off win. Prior to Jacobs’ heroics, the Marlins never led. Ronny Cedeño and Cubs starting pitcher Kerry Wood hit back-to-back RBI singles in the second inning to give Chicago an early 2-0 lead. Catcher Michael Barrett extended it to 3-0 with a solo homer off Marlins starter Scott Olsen in the third. After Florida got on the board with a Cabrera sacrifice fly in the third, Matt Murton led off the Chicago fourth with a solo blast to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. Cabrera’s two-run home run in the fifth inning cut the deficit to 4-3. Following an 11-31 start, the thrilling comeback win gave Florida consecutive wins over the Cubs and clinched the three-game series. The Marlins would go on to become the first team in baseball history to get to .500 after falling 20 games under before a 78-84 finish under manager Joe Girardi. Their first of seven walk-off wins from that campaign came courtesy of Jacobs and on this day two decades ago. View the full article

Even after a two-hour rain delay, there was a sense of predictability around the third game of the Blue Jays-Yankees series last Wednesday night in the Bronx. Cam Schlittler, the MLB leader in ERA and FIP among qualified pitchers, was set to take the hill against a Toronto offense that had slashed a cringeworthy .243/.306/.369 as a unit so far in the month of May. The Jays also left the tying run on third base in each of the first two games of the series. What happened against Schlittler and the Yankees was unsurprising, as they only scored two runs and managed just one extra-base hit. Thanks to Trey Yesavage, it didn't matter. The 22-year-old, in his first start at Yankee Stadium, outdueled Schlittler, going six shutout innings, striking out eight, walking none, and allowing just two hits on 95 pitches. The Blue Jays won 2-1. Yesavage's season started a month late as he recovered from an impingement in his throwing shoulder, but through five starts, his ERA is a sparkling 1.07. He was forecasted by most publicly available projection systems to have an ERA in the mid-to-high 3.00s, which would be perfectly acceptable for a rookie his age but also an indication that the pitcher who set the world on fire last October wouldn't sustain that pace. So far, he has. Rain delays can often throw a wrench into a team's pitching plans. Starters need to follow particular routines and time themselves up to be ready for the first pitch, but when that comes two hours later than expected, it can sometimes put unforeseen limits on their availability that evening. The big story on Wednesday was not only Yesavage's 95 pitches, the second-most he has ever thrown in a major league outing after Game 5 of the World Series, but that his velocity was way up. His fastball sat 95.2 mph, the second-hardest single-game average of his young career, and his slider and splitter were also more than 1.0 mph higher than their season averages. Perhaps he has three cans of Red Bull to thank for that. Until last night, Yesavage had more postseason strikeouts than regular season strikeouts to his name. While his ability to miss bats was on full display against the Yankees, his strikeout rate has slightly fallen back down to earth in 2026. Again, this isn't a cause for concern – it's still in the high 20s, and he was never going to repeat his 35.8% postseason K rate over 20-25 starts. The thing he has done extremely well this year, though, is limit quality contact. Pitchers don't exert much control over how hard opponents hit the ball, but location and launch angle are highly correlated, and Yesavage is hitting the right spots to induce sub-optimal batted ball angles. Trey Yesavage Batted Ball Metrics, 2025 vs 2026 Year GB% PU% Pull Fly Ball% Barrel% BIP% < -3° LA + BIP% > 38° LA 2025 56.4% 0.0% 2.6% 7.7% 43.6% 2026 34.9% 14.3% 1.6% 3.2% 54.0% I like looking at the percentage of batted balls outside that -3° to 38° launch angle range. Not all grounders and fly balls are created equally, and hits outside of that boundary resulted in an average wOBA of less than .300 from 2023 to 2025. It's essentially an adjusted sum of groundball rate and popup rate that only shows the least threatening batted balls possible. Over half of the balls in play that Yesavage has induced this year fall into that category. No one's barreling anything or pulling any fly balls. It's hard to do damage without checking at least one of those boxes. The drop in groundball rate is quite fascinating, but he's compensating for it by running one of the highest popup rates in the league. Splitting his groundballs up by pitch type, there isn't a considerable decrease this year with the splitter or slider: It's mostly happening on the fastball, and it appears to be a direct byproduct of a change in location. Yesavage's fastball averages over 20" of induced vertical break (IVB) thanks to his high release point, so it defies gravity and gives the illusion that it's rising more than almost every four-seamer in the game, meaning hitters are bound to swing under it. In 2026, he's throwing a lot more fastballs down in the zone. Trey Yesavage Fastball Location, 2025 vs 2026 Top left: LHB 2025; top right: RHB 2025; bottom left: LHB 2026; bottom right: RHB 2026 Normally, fastballs with high IVB are more effective when they're elevated because if pitchers aim for a low strike, they run the risk of generating carry upward into the middle of the zone, making them more prone to damage. However, it's working for Yesavage, and I think this is partially a result of hitters being wary of the splitter, which requires steep, uppercut swings to counteract its downward movement. Pitcher List's Anthony Licciardi recently profiled Kevin Gausman's longevity and found that Gausman has sustained success despite also consistently locating his fastball down in the zone. Maybe fastball-splitter pitchers can get away with this kind of approach because hitters on both sides of the plate always have to respect the possibility of seeing a splitter? Fundamentally, not much has changed about Yesavage since he first donned a Blue Jays uniform in September of last year. The sky-high release point is still there. The fastball still carries, and it hasn't lost any velocity since his shoulder injury. The splitter still has plenty of vertical separation from the fastball and induces ugly swings from lefties. The slider still moves the wrong way. His stuff is still electric, he's still missing bats, and now he's becoming a weak contact pitcher too. His development over the past calendar year has become even more remarkable than it already was. The only considerable change we've seen to his profile this year is a decrease in slider usage. He's throwing way more fastballs to righties and more splitters to lefties, with the slider taking a tertiary role to both sides of the plate. As a result, his strikeout rate against righties has nearly doubled compared to last regular season. However, none of this stopped him from reintroducing the slider on Wednesday night. He threw it 27% of the time to Yankee hitters, a single-game high on the young season, and the fact that they chased 70% of the sliders they saw out of the zone suggests they weren't ready for it at all. Trey Yesavage Pitch Usage by Handedness, 2025 vs 2026 Pitch Type 2025 vs LHB 2026 vs LHB 2025 vs RHB 2026 vs RHB FF 50% 44% 39% 51% FS 34% 46% 16% 22% SL 16% 10% 45% 27% As much as I'd rather not pour some cold water on a guy who has been nothing but dominant since he came to the big leagues, especially considering how difficult it is to put a positive spin on the Jays' season right now, there are some things about the way Yesavage's first eight regular season starts have unfolded that seem impossible to continue. He has yet to surrender a non-playoff home run in his career, having induced 27 fly balls that have all stayed in the yard. If he keeps generating this many popups and prevents opponents from getting the barrel to the ball or pulling anything in the air, I don't doubt he'll maintain a low HR/FB% in the long run, but the postseason proved that it's possible to take him deep from time to time. I also don't know how I feel about his command at the moment. On one hand, his walk rate is down from last year, sitting at 7.9% after Wednesday night. On the other, the zone rate on his splitter is down almost 10 points to 34.5%, and command grades from both pitch quality models hosted on FanGraphs suggest the precision of his fastball and his splitter have waned slightly compared to 2025. The splitter is always going to be a chase pitch for him, but pitchers walk a fine line when zone rates on a given offering sink below 35% and they become overly reliant on poor discipline (remember what happened when people stopped swinging against Brendon Little?). Against lefties, his walk rate is only 3.4%, which is probably going to go up if the pitch that he throws 46% of the time against them is out of the zone this much. It can be puzzling when a pitcher's walk rate decreases despite throwing fewer pitches in the zone. It's hard to picture Yesavage's walk rate staying this far below 10% for much longer, but even when he battled his control last year, he got enough strikeouts to make it work, and his stuff is still good enough that it seems like a sustainable combination in the long term. In the 2025 postseason, Yesavage didn't have to steal games for the Blue Jays because of how many runs they scored. This year, the current state of the offense probably means he'll have to pitch in way tighter contests, and early indications suggest he's up to the task. He almost single-handedly won Wednesday night's game for them, and since his MLB debut, his 2.05 FIP leads all starting pitchers with at least 30 innings. He might not pitch like a Cy Young candidate indefinitely, but there's no denying that he has quickly established himself as one of the better starting pitchers in the game. All stats entering May 21, 2026. View the full article

Jase Bowen homered as part of a big day at the plate as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas rolled past Round Rock 14-3. Carson Tucker delivered a go-ahead hit as the Double-A San Antonio Missions pulled out a 7-6 win over Frisco. The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps won 3-2 on walk-off homer by Jack Costello and five more shutout innings by Kash Mayfield. The Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm got walked off by Visalia 7-6. Padres Minor-League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas placed OF Pablo Reyes on the temporarily inactive list. El Paso Chihuahuas activated 2B Nate Mondou from the Development List. Jase Bowen Blasts 12th Homer As Chihuahuas Go Deep 4 Times Jase Bowen's team-leading 12th homer was one of four blasts hit by the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, who put up two five-run innings en route to a 14-3 victory over the Round Rock Express. Anthony Vilar, Nate Mondou and Nick Solak also went deep for the Chihuahuas. Bowen drove in three and scored three and Carlos Rodriguez had three RBIs, while Mondou and Marcos Castanon each drove in two and scored two. Castanon came off the bench to go 3-for-4. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Evan Fitterer pitched 5⅓ scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks, while striking out five. Right-hander Garrett Hawkins went 1⅔ scoreless innings, walking three and striking out one, with right-hander Justin Yeager giving up all three runs in the final two innings. Castanon had a two-run double in the third inning and Bowen cranked out his three-run blast one out later for a 5-0 lead. Vilar hit his second homer an inning later for a 6-0 cushion, before the Chihuahuas scored five more in the fifth. Will Wagner had an RBI single, Rodriguez a two-run triple and Mondou capped the rally with a two-run homer, his fourth this year. Solak's homer was a two-run blast in the sixth to make it 13-0. EP_0522.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Samad Taylor 4 1 0 0 1 0 Clay Dungan 1 0 0 0 0 1 Marcos Castañon 4 2 3 2 0 0 Nick Solak 4 2 1 2 0 0 Jase Bowen 4 3 2 3 1 1 Will Wagner 5 1 3 1 0 0 Mason McCoy 4 1 1 0 1 0 Carlos Rodríguez 3 1 1 3 1 0 Nate Mondou 4 2 2 2 1 1 Anthony Vilar 4 1 1 1 0 1 Totals 37 14 14 14 5 4 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 5 1/3 4 0 0 2 5 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 2/3 0 0 0 3 1 0 Justin Yeager 2 2 3 3 2 0 2 Totals 9 6 3 3 7 6 2 Missions Hang On After Carson Tucker's Decisive 2-Run Single In Eighth Carson Tucker hit a go-ahead two-run single in a three-run eighth inning and Francisco Acuna homered in the ninth as the Double-A San Antonio Missions held on despite giving up a ninth-inning homer to beat the host Frisco RoughRiders 7-6. Missions right-handed starter Victor Lizarraga went six innings, allowing just one run on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts. After a 10.91 ERA in April, Lizarraga has allowed just three earned runs over 20 innings in May for a 1.35 ERA this month. Tirso Ornelas went 4-for-5, Ryan Jackson went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, while Albert Fabian also drove in two for the Missions. Frisco had taken a 4-3 lead with a three-run bottom of the seventh. But the Missions regained the lead in the top of the eighth. Jackson had a leadoff single, Acuna walked and both advanced on Luis Verdugo's sacrifice bunt. Tucker followed by lining a single to center to bring in Jackson and Acuna for a 5-4 lead. Ethan Salas singled Tucker to third and Ornelas boosted the lead to 6-4 with an infield single. Acuna provided much-needed insurance when he lined his second homer of the season with two outs in the top of the ninth. Missions right-hander Andrew Dalquist gave up a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth before securing his first save of the season and the third of his career. SA_0522.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 4 1 1 2 1 1 Ethan Salas 5 0 1 0 0 1 Romeo Sanabria 4 2 1 0 1 3 Tirso Ornelas 5 0 4 1 0 0 Albert Fabian 5 0 2 2 0 1 Kai Roberts 0 0 0 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 5 0 0 0 0 3 Ryan Jackson 5 2 3 0 0 1 Francisco Acuna 2 2 1 1 2 0 Luis Verdugo 4 0 2 1 0 2 Totals 39 7 15 7 4 12 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Victor Lizarraga 6 7 1 1 1 5 1 Andrew Moore 1/3 0 3 3 4 1 0 Sadrac Franco 1 2/3 2 0 0 0 3 0 Andrew Dalquist 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 Totals 9 10 6 6 6 12 2 Jack Costello's 3-Run Walk-Off Bomb, Kash Mayfield's 8 K's Lift TinCaps Jack Costello hit a three-run walk-off homer and left-handed starter Kash Mayfield struck out eight over five innings as the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps shocked the Dayton Dragons 3-2. Held to two hits through eight innings, the TinCaps got a leadoff single from Alex McCoy and Carlos Rodriguez reached when the left fielder botched his fly ball. Costello stepped to the plate and yanked a 1-0 pitch deep to left-field for a no-doubt walk-off. It was Costello's fifth homer of the season and first since going deep in back-to-back games May 1-2. FW1_0522.mp4 Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, extended his scoreless streak to 15 innings as he allowed just two hits and a walk in his third straight start of five scoreless innings. He has struck out 17 in his last two outings and lowered his ERA to 1.30 to take over the Midwest League lead. Mayfield hasn't allowed a run in six of his eight starts. He also leads the league in WHIP (0.72) and opponent batting average (.103). TinCaps right-hander Isaiah Lowe pitched two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk with three strikeouts, but left-hander C.J. Widger gave up a pair of runs in the top of the eighth on three walks and a run-scoring soft grounder to no-man's land between first and second. Widger was replaced by right-hander Will Varmette, who struck out a batter but then issued a bases-loaded walk. That TinCaps trio limited the Dragons to just four hits and combined for 13 strikeouts. FW2_0522.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 4 0 0 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 1 0 0 0 3 0 Lamar King Jr. 4 0 0 0 0 2 Alex McCoy 4 1 1 0 0 1 Jake Cunningham 4 0 0 0 0 2 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Kasen Wells 0 1 0 0 0 0 Jack Costello 4 1 1 3 0 1 Kavares Tears 3 0 0 0 0 0 Jonathan Vastine 3 0 1 0 0 2 Totals 31 3 4 3 3 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kash Mayfield 5 2 0 0 1 8 0 Isaiah Lowe 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 C.J. Widger 1/3 1 2 2 3 0 0 Will Varmette 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Totals 9 4 2 2 6 13 0 Storm Tie It In Ninth, But Get Walked Off By Rawhide Jose Verdugo hit a run-scoring infield chopper in the top of the ninth, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm gave up a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth for an 8-6 loss to the Visalia Rawhide. Dylan Grego, who was hitless in his previous 11 at-bats entering the game, went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Storm. Ryan Wideman and Ty Harvey each had a couple hits, with Wideman stealing two more bases to give him 32. That is tied for the most in the minors with Tate Southisene of Augusta (Carolina League). Truitt Madonna, with his 10th, and Kerrington Cross, with his fifth, gave the Storm four more steals, giving them 123 for the season, second in the minors. Grego hit his two-run homer, his first of the season, with one out in the top of the second for a 2-0 lead. In the fourth, the Storm scored three times. Harvey had a leadoff double and Yoiber Ocopio a one-out RBI single. Grego got his second hit of the day with a single and Conner Westenburg doubled both home with two outs for a 5-0 lead. Visalia countered with a pair of three-run innings in the fourth and fifth to take a 6-5 lead. It remained that way until the top of the ninth. That is when George Bilecki reached on a leadoff error and was replaced by pinch-runner Qrey Lott. After an out, Wideman singled to right, moving Lott to second and Cross walked to load the bases. Verdugo then hit a chopper that the third baseman had to charge and his only play was to first, but Verdugo beat the throw. Storm left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, allowed three runs in 3⅓ innings on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Right-hander Nick Falter tossed three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and no walks with four strikeouts. LE_0522.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 5 0 2 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross 2 0 1 0 3 0 Jose Verdugo 5 0 1 1 0 1 Ty Harvey 5 1 2 0 0 1 Truitt Madonna 3 1 0 0 0 1 Yoiber Ocopio 4 1 1 1 0 1 Dylan Grego 4 2 2 2 0 0 George Bilecki 3 0 0 0 0 0 Qrey Lott 0 1 0 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 4 0 1 2 0 0 Totals 35 6 10 6 3 4 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 3 1/3 2 3 3 2 5 1 Rordy Mejia 1 2/3 4 3 3 1 1 2 Nick Falter 3 1 0 0 0 4 0 Vicarte Domingo 2/3 1 2 2 1 2 1 Totals 8 2/3 8 8 8 4 12 4 Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-5, K Kash Mayfield: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: 3⅓ IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR Ryan Wideman: 2-for-5 Jorge Quintana: DNP Ty Harvey: 2-for-5, 2B, K Kale Fountain: DNP Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-5, 3 K Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-4, 2 K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-4, K Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, K Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: 1⅔ IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-1, 3 BB Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View the full article

TRANSACTIONS With Tristan Gray going on the paternity list, the Twins recalled OF Gabriel Gonzalez from St. Paul. Gonzalez made his MLB debut in Boston on Friday night. Impressively, he walked in his first to plate appearances off of Payton Tolle. After a pop out, he recorded an infield single for his first big-league hit. LHP Cesar Lares tossed a rehab game with the FCL Twins. The FCL Twins also activated infielder Daiber De Los Santos. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Omaha 5 Box Score The Saints got a short start, but the bullpen came through for them and the offense really picked things up. Ryan Gallagher needed over 40 pitches to get through a three-run top of the first inning. Overall, he gave up five runs on two hits and five walks over three innings. He had four strikeouts. Marco Raya came in to start the fourth inning. He put together easily his longest and best performance of the season. He tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball. He struck out three batters. Drew Smith pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Grant Hartwig struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. The Saints stayed in it early and took command of the scoreboard in the latter innings. Kaelen Culpepper led off the bottom of the first for the Saints. He reached on an error. He quickly took off and stole second base. Unfortunately, on his headfirst slide, his helmet fell off, hit the bag, and it bounced up and hit Culpepper under the chin, cutting his lip and ending his game. Tanner Schobel came in. With one out, Hendry Mendez singled to drive in the first Saints run. He stole second and scored on a Matt Wallner single to center. Monticello High School grad Ethan Bosacker came into the game for Omaha. The 25-year-old attended Xavier University in Cincinnati. In 2023, he was the Royals 13th round draft pick. In 2024, he went 13-3 with a 2.45 ERA between Low-A and High-A. In 2015, he went 6-6 with a 4.05 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. He has started, and last year split his appearances evenly. This season, 10 of his 13 outings have come out of the bullpen. In this game, he gave up three runs on six hits over three innings. In the second inning, Noah Cardenas singled, went to third on Tanner Schobel’s seventh double, and scored on a Mendez groundout. In the bottom of the third inning, Matt Wallner led off with a double. Kyler Fedko switched places with him with his eighth double of the year. With two outs, Ricardo Olivar blooped a single to center to drive in Fedko with the game-tying fifth run. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Saints scored two runs. Both Kyler Fedko and Aaron Sabato took bases loaded walks to make it 7-5 Saints. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Schobel singled. He scored on Hendry Mendez’s third Saints home run. Mendez led the way. He went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs, and four RBI. Matt Wallner went 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch. Fedko went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double. Aaron Sabato was 2-for-4 with his 10th double. Noah Cardenas was also 2-for-4 with his second double. Tanner Schobel went 2-for-4 with his seventh double. Check out one of our sister sites, Royals Keep, for more on the Kansas City Royals organization. Here are their Top 20 Royals prospects. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Tulsa 14 Box Score This was a rough game for Wichita pitchers, and frankly, it wasn’t much better for the hitters. Jaime Ferrer had half of the Wind Surge’s four hits and half of their two RBI. Jose Salas walked twice as well. A quick look at the batting average and OPS of the Wichita lineup, and it really isn’t too surprising. Eli Jones started and gave up six runs (3 earned) on seven hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. He had five strikeouts. Jarret Whorff came in with the bases loaded, allowed all three inherited runners to score and three more runs on three hits and a walk before getting out of that fourth inning. Preston Johnson gave up a hit and struck out one batter in a scoreless inning in his Twins-organization debut. Spencer Bengard gave up two runs on three hits over two innings. Jacob Wosinski worked a scoreless inning. Murphy Stehly pitched the ninth inning. Always fun seeing position players pitch. Stehly gave up three runs on four hits in his inning. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 4, Peoria 5 Box Score Brandon Winokur hit his sixth home run of the season in the top of the first inning, but despite a ninth-inning run, they fell just shy. The Kernels had six hits and three walks. Four of the six hits went for extra bases. Jacob McCombs went 2-for 4 with his sixth double. Khadim Diaw hit his first triple of the season. Along with Winokur, Andy Lugo added his second home run of the season. Dasan Hill gave up only an unearned run on three hits and two walks over two innings. He had four strikeouts. He needed 46 pitches over the two innings. Miguelangel Boadas needed just 37 pitches to get through three innings. In three runs on two hits and a walk. He also struck out four batters. Nick Trabacchi gave up one run on three hits over two innings. He struck out four batters and walked none. Paulshawn Pasqualotto gave up two hits in a scoreless inning. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Dunedin 7 (10 innings) Box Score The Mussels were behind 4-0 through six innings before attempting a comeback. Jason Reitz made the start. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits in one inning. He gave up two runs in the first inning. He went out for the second inning but both batters that he faced reached base and one scored. Merit Jones gave up one of the inherited runners, but he gave the team five innings. He was charged with one run on three hits and a walk. He also walked seven batters. The Mussels got on the scoreboard Merphy Hernandez singled and stole second. He scored on a single by Enrique Jimenez to make it 4-1. Mike McKenna came on and gave up one run on one hit and one walk in 1 1/3 innings. Down 5-1, JP Smith led off with a single. Ryan Sprock walked. The runners advanced on a wild pitch. With one out, Luis Fragoza came up and hit his first home run since joining the Mussels earlier in the week from the FCL. The deficit was down to 5-4. Michael Hilker came on and gave up three hits and a walk but no runs in 1 2/3 innings. With two outs in the top of the ninth, still behind 5-4, JP Smith reached on a throwing error. Ryan Sprock lined a single to the opposite field to drive in the tying run. Quentin Young began the top of the 10th inning as the Manfred Man. Fragoza was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Hernandez grounded into a fielder’s choice with Young advancing to third. Dameury Pena followed with a single to right field to give the Mussels their first lead, 6-5. Mitch Mueller recorded two outs in the 10th but took the loss with two runs (1 earned) on two hits and two walks. 19-year-old Fragoza went 3-for-4 with the crucial home run and three RBI. He was also hit by a pitch. Young was 2-for-5. Ramiro Dominguez was hit by a pitch three times. The Dunedin Blue Jays are the Low-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Check out our sister site at Jays Centre. Here are their rankings of the Top 20 Blue Jays prospects. COMPLEX CHRONICLE FCL Twins 7, FCL Red Sox 2 Box Score Lefty Cesar Lares returned to the game mound for a rehab start. He went three innings and gave up one run on three hits. He had three strikeouts and no walks. Melvin Rodriguez came on and worked the final four innings. He gave up one run on one hit (a solo homer). He walked two and had three strikeouts. Interestingly enough, the home run was the first of the season for Red Sox prospect Franklin Primera. The FCL Twins jumped ahead early with a four-run bottom of the first inning. Yovanny Duran led off with a walk. He went to third on Miguel Caraballo’s fourth double. Jhomnardo Reyes drove them both in with his third home run of the season. Then Teilon Serrano followed by hitting his first home run of the year to make it 4-1. The Twins went four innings without scoring. But in the bottom of the sixth, they completed the bookends with another crooked number. With one out, Yilber Herrera walked and stole second. He went to third on a balk. He scored on a Duran ground out. Caraballo walked and stole second. He scored on a Reyes triple. Reyes scored on the back end of a double steal to give them seven runs in the game. Jhomnardo Reyes led the offense. He went 3-for-4 with a walk, his first triple, his third homer, and four RBI. Teilon Serrano hit his first home run and then walked three times. He also stole his third base. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 3-for-5, HR(3), 3 R, 4 RBI Pitcher of the Day Marco Raya (St. Paul): 3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 33 pitches, 23 strikes (69.7%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (left shoulder) #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 0-for-1, SB(10) (batted first, played SS) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (thumb) - Had surgery. #4 - LHP Connor Prielipp (Minnesota) - 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 85 pitches, 49 strikes (57.6%). #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K (batted third, DH). #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 46 pitches, 25 strikes (54.3%) #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K, (batted first, played SS) #8 - RHP Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch. #9 - LHP Kendry Rojas (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch. #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (Minnesota) - MLB Debut: 1-for-2, 2 BB, R (batted fifth, played LF). #11 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch. #13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, HR(3), 3 R, 4 RBI (batted second, played LF) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-3, R, 2 K, 2 E (batted sixth, played SS) #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, HR(6), R, RBI, K (batted second, played 3B) #16 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 89 pitches, 49 strikes (55.1%) #17 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 35 pitches, 22 strikes (62.9%) #18 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - 60 Day Injured List (right elbow sprain) #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, 3B(1), 2 R (batted fifth, played catcher) #20 - 2B/SS/CF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - Did Not Play. UPCOMING PROBABLES Saturday, May 23: Omaha @ St. Paul (6:37 pm CT) - RHP Mike Paredes (0-1, 7.80 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (4:05 pm CT) - TBD (1-3, 4.40 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 pm CT) - RHP Ivran Romero (2-1, 7.07 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 pm CT) - TBD FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (9:00 am CT) - TBD CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 24-27 St. Paul Saints: 25-23 Wichita Wind Surge: 19-23 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 23-20 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 24-19 FCL Twins: 8-7 DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

On Friday, Raising Royals, the Royals' Professional Development account, announced that they had signed MLB veteran relievers Luke Jackson and Genesis Cabrera to Minor League deals. Both pitchers are expected to report to Triple-A Omaha. Jackson and Cabrera are older players, at 34 and 29, respectively. They should add some much-needed depth to the Storm Chasers bullpen, which has struggled outside of Eric Cerantola, Beck Way, Jose Cuas, and Andrew Perez. Furthermore, Jackson and Cabrera are bullpen arms that could fill in at the MLB level should injury befall someone in the Royals bullpen. The 34-year-old Jackson comes over from the Mets organization, as he pitched in 7.2 innings total between Triple-A and Low-A ball. The righty was semi-productive with the Texas Rangers a year ago, posting a 4.11 ERA in 35.1 IP. However, his FIP was much higher at 5.01, and his K% and K-BB% were paltry at 15.8% and 3.3%, respectively. In 4.2 IP with the Syracuse Mets, Jackson posted an 11.57 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and 6.74 FIP. He also had a -22.7% K-BB%. On a positive note, his TJ Stuff+ profile was pretty solid, so he could rebound a bit if he can hone his command a bit in Omaha. Jackson had a 106 TJ Stuff+ overall with three pitchers (changeup, slider, and four-seamer) with TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher. He also limited hard contact, with a .300 xwOBACON overall. However, his whiff rate (19.4%), chase rate (23.6%), and zone rate (40.2%) were all paltry, illustrating his issues with command in Syracuse. As for Cabrera, he was last in the Phillies organization, pitching for the Triple-A Leigh Valley Iron Pigs this season. In 15 appearances and 17.1 IP with the Iron Pigs, he posted a 10.38 ERA and 1.79 WHIP. However, his FIP was much better at 4.54, and he showed a strong ability to maximize strikeouts and minimize walks. He had a 26.8% K% and 15.9% K-BB%, both solid marks for a reliever. What hurt him the most in Triple-A was the long ball, as he allowed a HR/FB% of 17.6%. When it comes to TJ Stuff+, he hasn't been as impressive as Jackson. That said, he showed a much better ability to generate swing-and-miss in Triple-A this year than the right-handed reliever. Cabrera had a 99 overall TJ Stuff+ with only two pitches hitting the 100 mark (his sinker and changeup). That said, he did generate a 29.9% chase and 32.6% whiff rate, both above-average marks. His xwOBACON was a bit average overall at .373, but he did a good job of minimizing hard contact on his sinker and curveball, as illustrated by his .304 and .260 xwOBACON marks, respectively. The big key for Cabrera will be finding the strike zone, as he only had a 44.1% zone rate with the Iron Pigs this season. Both have Minor League contracts, so they will need to be added to the 40-man roster to get a call-up to the Major Leagues this season. View the full article

MIAMI, FL - Going into Friday night’s matchup against the New York Mets, the Miami Marlins had lost three straight games to the Atlanta Braves. Their series opener against New York felt like a much-needed win, as Miami prevailed 2-1. It's been no secret that Miami's phenom Eury Perez has struggled as of late. Over his last three starts going into Friday, Pérez had a 7.31 ERA and 6.60 FIP, allowing 13 runs on 12 hits (four home runs). He bounced back on Friday night, turning in his best start of the 2026 season, going 6 1/3 innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits, no walks and struck out five. It marked the first time this season that Pérez had not allowed a free pass. "It's been an uneven start to his season, and he just hung with it," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said after the game. "Why we do this is that with talented guys like Eury, you just hang in there and keep coaching. He's still got a long way to go, and we like to be able to see this terrific outing. He's needed to get on a good run here, but tonight, he should feel great about it, because it goes back to the strike-throwing, being in the zone, and he got some great defense behind him by (Jakob) Marsee in center field." Both hits that Pérez allowed were to superstar Juan Soto. In the top of the first inning, Soto unloaded on a Pérez fastball, drilling it 449 feet deep to the second deck in right center field. The final hit Pérez surrendered was in the top of the fourth inning. "I didn’t want it to be a home run, but I also didn’t want it to be a walk," Pérez said through a translator. "I wanted to compete against him, make my best pitch there, and he had a good result from his side. After that, I decided to stay focused anyway, keep my head up and know that the game didn’t end there." The biggest difference for Pérez was his four-seam fastball usage, which dropped to 38% compared to his usual 60-65%. He generated five whiffs with the four-seamer and recorded two strikeouts with the pitch. His next most-used offering was the sweeper (26%), which generated three whiffs and accounted for two more strikeouts, both swinging. Pérez succeeded, but a lot of the credit should to go to Jakob Marsee's defense. On the second pitch of the game, Carson Benge hit a ball to straightaway center that would've been extra bases. Instead, Marsee made the leaping catch for the first out of the inning. It would've been a home run in 10 ballparks, including Citi Field. Benge's fly out also had an expected batting average of .540. In the top of the sixth inning, with Benge up once again, he hit a ball 408 feet to straightaway center field, but Marsee made another incredible catch, robbing Benge for a second time.. That ball had an expected batting average of .850. "“Especially the first one he made, flying into right-center and going up against the wall, that was a terrific play,” McCullough said. “The second one, hit to center, he tracked it back toward the wall, and going back there is not easy. You’re trying to navigate how much time you have left while keeping your eye on the ball. Where’s the wall at? Then timing the jump to make that play.” Eventually, Miami was able to give Perez the lead on Friday. Esteury Ruiz may not blow you away with his bat, but it certainly came into play against New York. In the bottom of the second inning, he doubled off Tobias Myers and later stole third. Owen Caissie grounded out, which was more than enough for Ruiz to score and tie the game, 1-1. The Mets only went with Myers for an inning and a third before going to Sean Manaea for 3 2/3 innings. Ruiz hit a triple off Manaea in the bottom of the fourth inning and Owen Caissie drove him in on an RBI single to take a 2-1 lead. "He certainly can impact the game and change it when he's on the bases," McCullough said of Ruiz. "I think the opponent knows how much they have to hold and pay attention to him." Through his last three series', Owen Caissie is slashing .278/.350/.611/.961 with two home runs and three RBI. The at-bats are beginning to look more competitive and this stretch of games is certainly showing that. “I think he’s starting to realize, within a game, his ability to string together a few good at-bats and continue building off that,” McCullough said. “He’s doing some things to help us.” For the sixth time this season, Pete Fairbanks notched a save, now four away from 100 in his career. Fairbanks struck out two, throwing 20 pitches in the process. The Marlins utilized Fairbanks in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves down by multiple runs, which makes it unlikely he'll be available on Saturday. "I hope we can play more games like this where we can get him out there into a rhythm and with some regularity," McCullough said. "I think you will see all the counting numbers start to go in his favor." With the win, the Marlins improved to 23-28 on the season with a chance to take the series on Saturday with Max Meyer on the mound at 4:10 pm. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — Going into Friday night’s matchup against the New York Mets, the Miami Marlins had lost three straight games to the Atlanta Braves. Their series opener against New York felt like a much-needed win, as Miami prevailed 2-1. It's been no secret that Miami's phenom Eury Perez has struggled as of late. Over his last three starts going into Friday, Pérez had a 7.31 ERA and 6.60 FIP, allowing 13 runs on 12 hits (four home runs). He bounced back on Friday night, turning in his best start of the 2026 season, going 6 ⅓ innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits, no walks and struck out five. It marked the first time this season that Pérez had not allowed a free pass. "It's been an uneven start to his season, and he just hung with it," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said after the game. "Why we do this is that with talented guys like Eury, you just hang in there and keep coaching. He's still got a long way to go, and we like to be able to see this terrific outing. He's needed to get on a good run here, but tonight, he should feel great about it, because it goes back to the strike-throwing, being in the zone, and he got some great defense behind him by (Jakob) Marsee in center field." Both hits that Pérez allowed were to superstar Juan Soto. In the top of the first inning, Soto unloaded on a Pérez fastball, drilling it 449 feet deep to the second deck in right center field. The final hit Pérez surrendered was in the top of the fourth inning. "I didn’t want it to be a home run, but I also didn’t want it to be a walk," Pérez said through a translator. "I wanted to compete against him, make my best pitch there, and he had a good result from his side. After that, I decided to stay focused anyway, keep my head up and know that the game didn’t end there." The biggest difference for Pérez was his four-seam fastball usage, which dropped to 38% compared to his usual 60-65%. He generated five whiffs with the four-seamer and recorded two strikeouts with the pitch. His next most-used offering was the sweeper (26%), which generated three whiffs and accounted for two more strikeouts, both swinging. Pérez succeeded, but a lot of the credit should to go to Jakob Marsee's defense. On the second pitch of the game, Carson Benge hit a ball to straightaway center that would've been extra bases. Instead, Marsee made the leaping catch for the first out of the inning. It would've been a home run in 10 ballparks, including Citi Field. Benge's fly out also had an expected batting average of .540. In the top of the sixth inning, with Benge up once again, he hit a ball 408 feet to straightaway center field, but Marsee made another incredible catch, robbing Benge for a second time.. That ball had an expected batting average of .850. "“Especially the first one he made, flying into right-center and going up against the wall, that was a terrific play,” McCullough said. “The second one, hit to center, he tracked it back toward the wall, and going back there is not easy. You’re trying to navigate how much time you have left while keeping your eye on the ball. Where’s the wall at? Then timing the jump to make that play.” Eventually, Miami was able to give Perez the lead on Friday. Esteury Ruiz may not blow you away with his bat, but it certainly came into play against New York. In the bottom of the second inning, he doubled off Tobias Myers and later stole third. Owen Caissie grounded out, which was more than enough for Ruiz to score and tie the game, 1-1. The Mets only went with Myers for an inning and a third before going to Sean Manaea for 3 ⅔ innings. Ruiz hit a triple off Manaea in the bottom of the fourth inning and Owen Caissie drove him in on an RBI single to take a 2-1 lead. "He certainly can impact the game and change it when he's on the bases," McCullough said of Ruiz. "I think the opponent knows how much they have to hold and pay attention to him." Through his last three series', Owen Caissie is slashing .278/.350/.611/.961 with two home runs and three RBI. The at-bats are beginning to look more competitive and this stretch of games is certainly showing that. “I think he’s starting to realize, within a game, his ability to string together a few good at-bats and continue building off that,” McCullough said. “He’s doing some things to help us.” For the sixth time this season, Pete Fairbanks notched a save, now four away from 100 in his career. Fairbanks struck out two, throwing 20 pitches in the process. The Marlins utilized Fairbanks in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves down by multiple runs, which makes it unlikely he'll be available on Saturday. "I hope we can play more games like this where we can get him out there into a rhythm and with some regularity," McCullough said. "I think you will see all the counting numbers start to go in his favor." With the win, the Marlins improved to 23-29 on the season. They have a chance to take the series on Saturday with Max Meyer on the mound at 4:10 pm. View the full article

Box Score Connor Prielipp: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K Home Runs: Byron Buxton (16), Austin Martin (2) Top 3 WPA: Austin Martin (0.270), Anthony Banda (0.220), Byron Buxton (0.200) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): Payton Tolle vs Connor Prielipp. The nation hasn’t seen two young lefties this promising since John and Robert Kennedy. Acquiring the knowledge for the previous joke cost the author thousands of dollars in tuition. With the Twins in Boston, an opportunity arises for two squads; indeed, neither team has particularly impressed—the latter was so lukewarm, Red Sox decision-makers decided to spit the coaching staff from their mouths in April. The Twins haven’t stooped to such means, but their season remains similarly meager. Someone must succeed, though, and the victor of this game, and the series, could use the momentum and good vibes as a propeller towards future wins. The “promising lefties” bit concocted hours before the game ended quickly. Both starters struggled early. Prielipp allowed a flurry of runs—four of them—in the first off a series of hard-hit balls, dinky singles, and outfield-misplayed ricochets. The latter is the only way to explain a Willson Contreras triple. Hit to left-center, nonetheless. Evidently, the Twins were in a respondent mood. Josh Bell singled to set up Gabriel Gonzalez in his first MLB plate appearance. The youngster has made his name as a free-swinger, one who looks to push action further rather than wait for it to happen. He’ll swing 0-0, 3-0, 0-2, and everything in between. There’s no pitch he hasn’t believed he can’t hit—and in his first time in a major-league batter’s box, he walked on four pitches. Strange things must be abound. With two on, Ryan Kreidler bounded a double over third baseman Caleb Durbin’s head and into the left field corner, ushering home Josh Bell. A fielding error set up Luke Keaschall with the bases loaded; he continued the assembly line with an RBI single to right. Though an Alex Jackson strikeout dampened the mood somewhat, Byron Buxton perked matters right back up with an RBI single to left, picking on the stout Durbin once more. Unfortunately, the “suddenly a game” game only remained in that state for one full frame, the third, before Boston struck back at Prielipp for a pair of runs in the fourth. With men on the corners, Durbin dropped down a picturesque sacrifice bunt, made even better when the lefty hurler dirted the throw to first, allowing a run to score as runners nestled home at second and third. A Jarren Duran groundout scored Boston’s sixth run of the game. “Unfortunately?” Well, well, well, the dramatics of the prose written in the fifth proved just that, dramatic. These Twins had more fight in them: Buxton worked a nine-pitch at-bat against reliever Justin Slaten that ended in a two-run homer for the dynamic center fielder. Yet, the dynamic one who was actually playing center on Friday turned out to be Austin Martin, as he also launched a two-run homer in the seventh, with this blast giving the Twins their first lead of the game. Minnesota added on in the ninth with an RBI walk by a pinch-hitting (walking) Trevor Larnach. Though, more could have been had; the bases were loaded with no one out before and after the walk, yet the Twins scored no more. No matter: Anthony Banda remained in the game to finish his eighth inning labor, and ended matters with a scoreless frame. Notes: Post-Game Interviews: What’s Next? The Twins and Red Sox venture to Fenway again on Saturday for a 3:10 matinee. The illustrious if not road-weary TBD faces off against the recalcitrant young TBD. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Gómez 11 0 36 0 13 60 Adams 0 19 0 0 29 48 Orze 19 0 0 0 14 33 Banda 0 16 0 0 14 30 Morris 16 0 10 0 0 26 Woods Richardson 18 0 0 0 0 18 Rogers 11 0 0 0 0 11 Garcia 0 0 0 0 0 0 View the full article

Twins prospect Gabriel Gonzalez has been called up and is making his Major League debut on Friday. Though he was off to a slow start in Triple-A, this opportunity presented itself with Tristan Gray being away from the team for a few days on paternity leave. Can Gonzalez take advantage? Here's a discussion on his game, how long he might be with the big club, and a couple of player comps. View the full article

Every day seems to bring one more exciting young Mets prospect. Returning to joint the Mets today is a starter, who — lest it be forgotten — was the best pitcher in the minors last season Transactions, 5/22/2026 GOING COMING Designated for Assignment Sent to St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment Promoted from Syracuse and Transferred from Rotation Relief Pitchers Starting Pitchers Relief Pitcher Craig Kimbrel Kodai Senga Jonah Tong R/R DoB: 1988-05-28 High Level: MLB (2026) L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 High Level: MLB (2026) It's exciting to see Jonah Tong back — and with him the full assembly of Generation MST3K (McLean-Scott-Tong, as first designated by Faith and Fear in Flushing), but as we go to print, it is unclear what Jonah's role will be. The Mets appear to have a full rotation in place. That could change, bug for now, it appears Tong will be a bulk reliever — perhaps with the Mets trying to introduce him with the protection they have been affording David Peterson, giving him an something of a starter-like innings burden, but with protection against opposing managers stacking the lineup with opposite-side hitters. Tong has not shown much of his 2025 form this season, and has struggled particularly with his control, up to and including his last start. He hasn't pitched in eight days, and maybe the Mets are planning to convert him to a traditional reliever. He has a relatively slight build, not unlike Luke Weaver. But the Dodgers looked at Pedro Martinez' build and didn't see a starter. They chose ... poorly. But you yourself should choose to tune in and see the Mets, with three rookies in their outfield and several more in and out of their starting rotation. Welcome to the future. Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Christian Scott Zach Thornton R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Brooks Raley Jonah Tong Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Hayden Senger Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Brett Baty Vidal Brujan MJ Melendez R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Carson Benge A.J. Ewing Nick Morabito Juan Soto Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 R/R DoB: 1994-01-22 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Clay Holmes Tylor Megill Kodai Senga Alex Carrillo Daniel Duarte Reed Garrett Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1996-12-04 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Francisco Alvarez Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 Infielders Outfielders Jorge Polanco Luis Robert, Jr. Jared Young S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 Designagted for Assignment Relief Pitchers Outfielders Craig Kimbrel Austin Slater R/R DoB: 1988-05-28 R/R DoB: 1992-12-13 Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coordinator Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitching Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Practice Pitcher Equipment Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Reconditioning Coordinator Reconditioning Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? DoB: 22846 View the full article

Jaime Ferrer was a talented bat at Florida State, but has yet to show any promise in the minors, until this season at High-A Cedar Rapids. Here's why he's a name to follow with the Kernels and why he could be called up to the Wind Surge soon. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (May 21) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 23-23 The WooSox fell 9-4 to the Red Wings (Washington Nationals) after a hot start. Worcester came out swinging in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of Rochester's wild starting pitcher. Braiden Ward led the inning off with a hit-by-pitch, then stole his 23rd base of the year. Nate Eaton walked, then Kristian Campbell drew a walk as well to load the bases. Anthony Seigler made the Red Wings pay with a bases-clearing double to right field, and Allan Castro followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 4-0. Jacob Webb kept it clean through two innings on the mound, but the third inning unraveled quickly. Rochester strung together a double, a single, and a walk to load the bases with no outs. Two sacrifice flies and an RBI single to cut it to 4-3. In the fourth, Rochester had taken the lead 5-4 on a pair of singles. It continued to be a frustrating fourth inning as Worcester loaded the bases with two outs and did not capitalize, scoring no runs. Alec Gamboa was a bright spot out of the bullpen. He was the only WooSox bullpen pitcher to throw at least one scoreless frame, spinning two scoreless, hitless innings in the fifth and sixth to keep it within reach. But the offense stayed cold, and Angel Bastardo's control issues let Rochester push the lead to 7-4 in the seventh. Kyle Keller gave up a two-run double in the ninth to make it 9-4, and Worcester went three up and three down to end it. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 20-21 The Sea Dogs' pitching staff steamrolled the Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies), shutting them out 1-0 and combining for an outrageous 20 strikeouts. After battling through a hamstring injury early in the year, Blake Wehunt had his best start of the year for Portland, setting the tone with a dominant five-inning shutout start, four hits allowed, and eleven strikeouts. He was virtually unhittable, punching out batters at a relentless clip. Patrick Halligan picked up right where Wehunt left off, striking out six in two innings of one-hit relief, including fanning the side in the seventh. Cooper Adams then slammed the door with a perfect eighth and ninth while striking out three batters to earn the save. Marvin Alcantara was the offensive standout for the Sea Dogs, having himself a 3-for-4 day at the plate, his sixth multi-hit game of the year. Alcantara had three of Portland's four hits in this contest. The lone run came in the bottom of the third inning; Will Turner was hit by a pitch, Alcantara laced a single to right field to put runners on the corners, and Nate Baez drove Turner home on a fielder's choice. Although they went 0-for-7 with RISP and had just four hits as a team, that one run was all Portland needed. Key Performances: Blake Wehunt: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K Patrick Halligan: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Cooper Adams: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K Marvin Alcantara: 3-for-4 High-A Greenville Drive Game postponed: Rain, makeup on May 22 Single-A Salem RidgeYaks Game postponed: Rain, makeup on May 22 View the full article

It is another chance for Tyler Tolbert. The Kansas City Royals called up Tolbert, a second baseman, from Triple-A Omaha on Friday. Catcher Elias Diaz was designated for assignment. This is the speedy Tolbert's second appearance on the Royals' roster this year after making the team out of spring training. But Tolbert appeared in just eight games and went 1-for-5 at the plate in the three weeks he was on the roster. After being optioned to Omaha on April 19, Tolbert put up a .260/.365/.288 slash line with no homers, five RBIs and eight stolen bases in 20 games. He made his MLB debut a year ago, playing in 64 games with a slash line of .280/.321/.380 with one homer, six RBIs and 21 steals. Diaz's DFA puts the Royals back at the traditional two catchers. The 2023 All-Star Game MVP with the Colorado Rockies slashed .227/.261/.591 with two homers and five RBIs while appearing in 10 games. It also opens up a spot on the 40-man roster. View the full article

The New York Mets' youth movement continues, only this time it isn't for an MLB debut. Right-handed starter Jonah Tong is being promoted from Triple-A Syracuse by the Mets on Friday. Right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel, one of the top closers of his generation, was designated for assignment. Tong had his MLB debut at the end of last year, making five starts with a 7.71 ERA, walking nine and striking out 22 in 18⅔ innings. But he was sent back to Triple-A to begin this season and has posted a 5.68 ERA in nine starts for Syracuse, with 24 walks and 55 strikeouts with nine homers allowed in 38 innings. Tong is the fourth prospect to be promoted to the majors in the last two weeks, joining outfielders A.J. Ewing and Nick Morabito and left-handed starter Zach Thornton. Ewing is Grand Central Mets' No. 1 prospect, Tong is No. 2, Morabito No. 7 and Thornton No. 11. For Kimbrel, this could mark the end of his career. The owner of 440 career saves, Kimbrel had 14 relief appearances for the Mets this year and has a 6.00 ERA in 15 innings, walking six and striking out 15. He spent 2025 with Atlanta and the Houston Astros. Expected to contend for the NL East title, the Mets entered play Friday at 22-28, 12½ games out of first place. View the full article

Needing a jolt of energy following a three-game sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers, an injury situation will bring a newcomer to the Chicago Cubs' roster. Infielder Pedro Ramirez, North Side Baseball's No. 3 prospect, was called up by the Cubs from Triple-A Iowa to make his MLB debut as right fielder Matt Shaw went on the 10-day injured list with back tightness. Shaw has been dealing with the back issue all week and the Cubs decided Friday to put him on the IL. Shaw has a .242/.291/.400 slash line with three homers and 12 RBIs in 42 games. Ramirez has made a steady climb up the minor-league ladder, spending each of the last three seasons at Low-A (2023), High-A (2024) and Double-A (2025), then beginning this year at Triple-A. At Iowa, Ramirez has a slash line of .312/.395/.547 with nine homers, 40 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Ramirez won't be thrown into the starting lineup, instead the Cubs will take this opportunity to expose him to the MLB clubhouse and get his bearings. “It’s not going to be a big playing role,” Counsell said. “If it’s not going to be a playing role, it’s probably going to be a shorter stint. But I think it’s also good for him to get exposure to the Major Leagues, get exposure to the group, get exposure to the schedule, so that if we run into a situation where it is a lot of playing time, he doesn’t have to go through it for the first time while playing.” View the full article

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On Friday afternoon, the Chicago Cubs called up infielder Pedro Ramirez to the major league roster, rewarding the youngster's breakout season. Ramirez has enjoyed one of the best starts to the system of any Cub, regardless of level, and now he'll take his talents to the North Side. But what are the Cubs getting in their newest addition? Pedro Ramirez Strengths The first thing that stands out for Pedro Ramirez is his contact rates. His "worst" strikeout rate was 17.1% and came in his first real taste of Myrtle Beach. Since then, he's hovered in the 15-16% range regardless of where he hit; this is a massive green flag for the infielder. What's even better is that despite Ramirez clearly adding more pop to his game in 2026 (he's already set a career high for home runs through May), he's done so while maintaining a really excellent 16.3 K%. More home runs and all the same contact ability are a great start. Another positive is that Ramirez has some excellent batted ball data. He's on the small side; however, he maintains some strong exit velocity data as he sits around the 75th (or better) percentile for things such as his exit velocity and max-EV. Even his barrel rate and pull-air% are strong for a hitter who swings more than average, as many times, players who tend to make a lot of contact and swing a lot have a tendency to make more weak contact. As it pertains to pitch-level data, Ramirez has excelled at hitting many different types of pitches, none more so than his ability to mash fastballs on the season. He has just a 10.9 whiff% on the pitch to go along with a .377 wOBA. Because he's a switch-hitter, he's capable of taking away pitchers' offerings that would normally neutralize a hitter who can only hit from one side of the plate. We can see this in how much damage he's done on sinkers and sliders; both pitches he's currently got a wOBA over .400 against. He has very few pitch-level weaknesses currently, giving him a more rounded approach at the plate. While Ramirez is a switch-hitter, it's his left-handed swing that carries the day. When facing righties, Ramirez shows off much more pop in his bat. He's just more athletic from the left side and is able to hit the ball better. This isn't anything that is special about the infielder, as most hitters have a "better" side (i.e., Ian Happ is much better left-handed than right-handed most years). While the right-handed swing is fine, it's his ability to hit RHP that will likely be the carrying factor. Defensively, Ramirez won a minor league gold glove as a third baseman last season and has been showing some versatility lately as the Iowa Cubs have given him some work in the outfield. It's unlikely he's a capable shortstop, but second, third, left, and right field all seem on the table, giving him solid versatility and multiple pathways into being a successful MLB player. Pedro Ramirez Weaknesses Pedro Ramirez is a bit of a free swinger, and will likely face some "hyper-aggressive" adjustments not dissimilar to issues Matt Shaw and Moises Ballesteros have faced upon their callups. Ramirez has a tendency to chase pitches while still making a lot of contact, and MLB pitchers are far more capable of attacking this weakness than Triple-A arms. It shouldn't surprise anyone if he "gets himself out" on some weak ground balls for a while as he learns "just because I can hit it doesn't mean I should". If there's one pitch he's seemingly struggled on this year, it's the sweeper. He has his lowest batting average (.182) and wOBA (.301) on this offering. He tends to expand the most on sweepers (with an o-swing% over 30%) and his highest whiff% on the year. No one is perfect, but this seems like a pitch potential veterans may look to exploit more. As noted earlier, Ramirez tends to struggle more with his right-handed swing. He doesn't hit the ball nearly as hard, doesn't pull the ball nearly as much, and doesn't appear to have the natural feel for it. The positive is that he makes up for a lack of power with a lot of contact and a bit better zone-awareness, but continuing to refine his right-handed swing would make him go from promising to downright dangerous. Ramirez's Fit With Cubs Pedro Ramirez is being called up to take Matt Shaw's position for the time being, though his fit will be a little different. Swinging better from the left side means that he won't so easily fit Shaw's best offensive aspect, his ability to hit left-handed pitchers, but will provide much of the same versatility in defensive positions and base running that will be lost. This is an exciting call-up and one that probably wasn't on many people's radar a few months ago, but it's well deserved. Ramirez has hit at every single level he's been at and been young for his competition, and we all (myself included) have likely slept on him. With him breaking out due to his increase in home runs, he's gone from a prospect who was likely slept on to someone who looks like he could be a true MLB regular, and it will be exciting to see him get his first taste of the Show this weekend in Wrigley. View the full article

After the punch to the gut that was the Mets in April, a stronger May makes for sweeter times, with the tasty cherry on top that is the callup of Nick Morabito, joining Carson Benge and AJ Ewing in an outfield marked by youth, speed, and plate discipline. The Mets were less than disciplined in how they chose to introduce Morabito though, and in stewarding the team's legacy, it seems they have a surfeit of trouble getting out of their own way. They need your help, and you can make your voice heard in the Grand Central Mets forums. It's Morabito Time Tired of retread guys from other organizations trying to find a Metly identity, well, every day, new guys are being born into their Mets indentity, and this week, the Mets welcomed a neonate with a fresh set of magnificently fast legs, a fresh batting eye at the plate, and an old number, And yeah, they kind of screwed it up. One Hundred Ways to Honor Gary Carter Without Retiring the Number 8 Number retirements have grown old, tired, and stale. The honor has been watered down, and there is a finite amount of two-digit identifiers available to issue, so baseball's lack of creativity has set it on a crash course with history. None of that means figures like the celebrated late Mets catcher Gary Carter is unworthy of honor. Just ... you know ... let's think outside of the very small box of number retirement in doing that. Clay Holmes has a Fractured Tibia Fibula Somehow, a good reliever has been turned into a very good starter by the Mets. There Clay Holmes was, perched atop a Mets rotation that had others vying for ace status, before a liner off his leg knocked him off his perch. How do we help the Mets solve these and other problems? Help us get there at The Grand Central Mets forums. A great community of thoughtful Mets fans needs YOUR VOICE! View the full article

Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Wicks Brilliant, But Iowa Bats Go Cold In 1-0 Loss To Memphis The Iowa Cubs, playing as the Iowa Oaks for the night, dropped a 1-0 decision to the Memphis Redbirds at Principal Park, falling despite outhitting the visitors 6-4. Starter Jordan Wicks was excellent across five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while walking two and striking out two. Luis Peralta took the loss after surrendering the game's lone run over two innings of relief, allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out two. Tyler Ferguson worked a hitless eighth, and Corbin Martin tossed a clean ninth with a strikeout. The game's only run came in the top of the sixth off Peralta. Memphis opened the inning with a hit-by-pitch and a walk to put runners on, then a single loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly to center field plated the runner from third before a 5-4-3 double play ended the threat. Iowa nearly answered in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Kevin Alcántara drew a walk, James Triantos followed with a single to center, and Owen Miller laced a single to left field. Alcántara was thrown out at home plate on the throw from left field, ending the game with the tying run dying ninety feet from home. Miller led Iowa with two hits, while BJ Murray, Triantos, Chas McCormick, and Brett Bateman each added one. Bateman's double was the team's lone extra-base hit. Iowa drew three walks but struck out eight times and stranded six runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 3 0 0 0 1 3 BJ Murray 4 0 1 0 0 2 Jonathon Long 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara 2 0 0 0 2 2 James Triantos 4 0 1 0 0 0 Owen Miller 4 0 2 0 0 0 Chas McCormick 3 0 1 0 0 1 Eric Yang 3 0 0 0 0 0 Brett Bateman 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jordan Wicks 5 1 0 0 2 2 0 Luis Peralta 2 1 1 1 1 2 0 Tyler Ferguson 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Corbin Martin 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Knoxville Smokies: No Game Scheduled The Double-A Smokies did not play. Halbach Homers, Four-Run Fifth Carries South Bend Past West Michigan The South Bend Cubs rolled past the West Michigan Whitecaps 7-1 at LMCU Ballpark, breaking the game open with a four-run fifth inning. Starter Ethan Flanagan allowed one unearned run on three hits over four innings, walking none and striking out three. Kenyi Perez followed with a perfect inning of relief and two strikeouts. Kevin Valdez tossed four scoreless innings on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts to earn his second win. After West Michigan scratched out an unearned run in the bottom of the first, the Cubs answered with two in the third. Leadoff man Kane Kepley singled home Christian Olivo, and Cameron Sisneros followed with a single that scored Kepley to give South Bend a 2-1 lead. Matt Halbach launched his fourth home run of the season in the fourth to push it to 3-1. The fifth inning was the difference. Olivo and Kepley both walked to start the frame, Leonel Espinoza laced a two-run double to left, and cleanup hitter Kade Snell singled home Espinoza. South Bend pushed one more run across before the inning was through to make it 7-1. Espinoza led the offense with two hits and three RBI. Sisneros and Snell each added two hits and an RBI, and Kepley reached base three times with a hit and a walk, scoring twice and driving in one. Halbach contributed a hit and the home run. South Bend collected nine hits and drew five walks. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 4 2 1 1 1 0 Leonel Espinoza 5 1 1 2 0 1 Cameron Sisneros 4 0 2 1 1 0 Kade Snell 5 1 2 1 0 1 Matt Halbach 4 1 1 1 0 0 Alex Madera 3 0 1 0 1 0 Justin Stransky 4 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Bowser 4 0 0 0 0 3 Christian Olivo 2 2 1 0 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Flanagan 4 3 1 0 0 3 0 Kenyi Perez 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Kevin Valdez 4 4 0 0 1 2 0 Lovich Homer Lone Bright Spot As Rain Ends Pelicans' Night The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped a rain-shortened 3-1 decision to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark, with the game called in the bottom of the fifth. Starter Daniel Avitia took the loss despite a strong strikeout effort, going four innings with seven strikeouts on three hits, three runs, two earned, and three walks. He surrendered a two-run home run in the third that proved to be the decisive blow. Edwardo Melendez followed with a third of an inning, allowing one hit and striking out one before the game was called. Kannapolis took an early 1-0 lead in the first when a Pelicans throwing error allowed an unearned run to score. The home side made it 3-0 in the third on the two-run home run off Avitia. The Pelicans finally got on the board in the fifth. Eli Lovich led off the inning with a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to cut the deficit to 3-1. That was the only run Myrtle Beach pushed across, as the next two batters were retired, and play was halted with one out in the bottom of the inning due to rain. Myrtle Beach finished with four hits and one extra-base hit, Lovich's homer. Josiah Hartshorn, Derniche Valdez, Lovich, and Edward Vargas each had one hit. The Pelicans drew two walks but struck out seven times against Kannapolis pitching. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 2 0 0 0 1 1 Alexey Lumpuy 2 0 0 0 1 2 Josiah Hartshorn 2 0 1 0 0 0 Jose Escobar 2 0 0 0 0 1 Yahil Melendez 2 0 0 0 0 1 Derniche Valdez 2 0 1 0 0 0 Jairo Diaz 2 0 0 0 0 2 Eli Lovich 2 1 1 1 0 0 Edward Vargas 2 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daniel Avitia 4 3 3 2 3 7 1 Edwardo Melendez 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-2 Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, RBI, BB Jonathon Long: 0-for-4 James Triantos: 1-for-4 Cole Mathis: DNP Owen Ayers: DNP Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Angel Cepeda: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View the full article