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After he was placed on the 10-Day IL on April 20th due to a left shoulder subluxation, the Royals announced today on social media that Jonathan India underwent labral repair surgery and would be out for the season as a result. This likely ends a tumultuous tenure for the former Cincinnati Red, who came over last offseason from Cincinnati with outfielder Joey Wiemer in exchange for pitcher Brady Singer. In 136 games and 567 plate appearances last season, he hit .233 with an 89 wRC+ and a -0.3 fWAR. He got off to another slow start this year, though he did walk more (13.8% BB% this year to 9.5% last year) and hit for more power (.146 ISO this year to .113 ISO last year). However, in 58 plate appearances, he hit .167 with a 79 wRC+ and -0.1 fWAR. India entered his last year of arbitration this offseason, and the Royals opted to bring him back on a one-year, $8 million deal, hoping that he would bounce back with a clearer role, especially defensively (i.e., no moving around positions). Unfortunately, India didn't get much of a chance to show he was capable of returning to his Cincinnati form, as his season ended after just 17 games this season. The 29-year-old will be a free agent this offseason, and it's unlikely that Kansas City will offer him a contract. The loss of India likely means that Michael Massey and Nick Loftin will get most of the innings at second base this year. Shelley Stonebrook talked about Massey making the most of his opportunity in a post today on Royals Keep, and after India's surgery, it's likely Massey becomes the regular second baseman in Kansas City for the remainder of the season. Massey has an 87 wRC+ in 47 plate appearances, and Loftin has a 127 wRC+ in 30 plate appearances. That said, Massey is hitting .292 with 122 wRC+ in his last 26 plate appearances, and Loftin is hitting .333 with a 136 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. The left-handed Massey and right-handed Loftin can platoon together at the keystone position, while also carrying versatility to play left field when needed. If Massey or Loftin gets hurt (both guys have a checkered injury history), the Royals could opt to replace India's spot on the roster with Josh Rojas, who's currently in Triple-A Omaha. Rojas has cooled off after a slow start, hitting .244 with an 84 wRC+ in 85 plate appearances with the Storm Chasers. While he doesn't hit the ball hard, Rojas has shown excellent plate discipline in Omaha, as illustrated by his TJ Stats Statcast summary in Triple-A. If the Royals opt not to bring up Rojas, they can utilize India's roster spot for a free-agent or trade acquisition without having to designate anyone for assignment, due to the ability to add him to the 60-Day IL. It's likely that the Royals will wait to add India to the 60-day IL in order to ensure they have the right candidate to replace him on the 40-man roster. View the full article

While we just saw Christian Scott last week, an unfortunate Injured List assignment should provide a little bit more of an open-ended opportunity for him to show his mettle and quality. If nothing else happens this season, establishing Scott and Jonah Tong alongside Nolan McLean in the Mets rotation would have to be counted as a win, potentially establishing a foundational stone to build on. They could, indeed, be MST3K — a term originated by my friend Greg Prince at the always-engaging Faith and Fear in Flushing to describe a future built on McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Tong. Brandon Sproat has been dealt to Milwaukee, but hope — along with promising pitchers whose name starts with S — has not Transactions, 4/28/2026 GOING COMING COMING Placed on 15-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Inflammation Promoted from Syracuse Transferred from St. Lucie to Syracuse on Rehab Assignment Starting Pitchers Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Kodai Senga Christian Scott Joey Gerber L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 High Level: MLB (2026) As noted above, two or three turns by Christian Scott gives him more of an open door than his previous appearance. Any anticipation, of course, is tempered by the reality that he missed all of 2025, and establishing himself as a big leaguer after a year in the ether at the top of the development chain is a tough ask. But hey, Roger McDowell pulled it off! Maybe he can pull a McDowell! Seeing as Senga's turn won't be coming around for a few days, one might have expected the Mets to add another reliever for a couple of games, being something close to a rule that if a big league team can add a reliever, they will, but a few days for Scott to get acclimated, —instead of having him step off a plane and onto a mound again — is something. Joey Gerber, whose head does not sit centered upon his neck in his thumbnail photo, is close to being ready. Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Starting Pitcher Starting Pitchers Starting Pitchers Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Christian Scott R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Craig Kimbrel Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/R DoB: 32291 R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Brett Baty Bo Bichette Ronny Mauricio MJ Melendez R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Carson Benge Luis Robert, Jr. Austin Slater Juan Soto Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 R/R DoB: 33951 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 R/R DoB: 34356 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Christian Scott Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 On 60-Day Injured List with torn right UCL. With Syracuse With Syracuse On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery. With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib. Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Austin Warren Hayden Senger Francisco Lindor L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 With Syracuse on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Strained Left Calf Infielders Outfielders 0 Eric Wagaman Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Jared Young R/R DoB: 35656 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 On 10-Day Injured List with right wrist contusion. With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus. Deslgnated for Assignment Outfielders 0 Tommy Pham R/R DoB: 32210 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

On Tuesday, the Royals signed left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose to a Minor League deal and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha. Gose was playing in the Mexican League this year with Yucatan and performed well in six appearances. In 7.2 IP, Gose allowed no runs, no walks, two hits, and struck out 15 batters. Not only was Gose's ERA 0.00, but he also posted a 0.26 WHIP with Yucatan. Thus, the Royals are hoping that Gose could be a low-risk, high-upside arm that could give them much-needed bullpen depth in Omaha. The 35-year-old was a former position-player prospect ranked as a Top-100 prospect in baseball while in the Blue Jays organization. Despite elite arm strength and speed, he struggled with hitting for contact at the Minor League level. As a result, he transitioned to pitching in 2017 and found more success. Gose made the Majors as a pitcher and posted a career 4.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 31 appearances and 32 IP, all with the Guardians. He was known for his high-velocity fastball and strikeout ability, as illustrated by his career 11.5 K/9 with Cleveland. Unfortunately, the last time he played at the MLB level was in 2024, when he made only 3 appearances with the Guardians and posted a 10.38 ERA. The former Top-100 prospect primarily pitched in Triple-A in 2025 with the Mets and Diamondbacks organizations. In 37 IP, he posted a 4.62 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 24.3% K%. He also showed some intriguing stuff and the ability to generate whiffs in his time in Triple-A in 2025, as seen below via his TJ Stats summary. Gose isn't on the 40-man roster, so the Royals will likely keep him in Omaha for the time being. However, if any of the Royals' relievers get hurt, he could make a push for a spot on the active roster, especially if he's able to continue to throw a four-seamer in the mid to upper-90s. View the full article

The door is open for Luis Garcia's second chance this season. The Minnesota Twins placed right-hander reliever Garrett Acton on the 15-day injured list with a strained right shoulder and promoted Garcia from Triple-A St. Paul. The 39-year-old Garcia, also a right-handed reliever, recently signed with the Twins after being released by the New York Mets. Right-handed reliever Zak Kent was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Garcia. The Twins acquired Acton from the Miami Marlins on April 2 after he had been designated for assignment after not making the Opening Day roster. He was called up from St. Paul on April 5 and made four appearances, compiling a 2.70 ERA in 6⅔ innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out nine. Garcia had a 7.11 ERA in six appearances for the Mets before being DFA'd. He signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on April 21 and pitched twice for St. Paul, allowing two hits, including a homer, with no walks and a strikeout in two innings. Kent made two early-season appearances out of the Twins' bullpen, allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits with five walks and two strikeouts. If he passes through waivers, he could report back to St. Paul. View the full article

Kale Fountain's season is over less than a month after it began. Fountain, the San Diego Padres' fifth-round draft choice in 2024, was scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday after a left shoulder subluxation, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The 20-year-old Fountain, Padres Mission's No. 10 prospect, was playing right field last week Tuesday for the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm when he collided with a wall. He was placed on the injured list Monday. It is the second major surgery for Fountain. He had Tommy John surgery after the 2024 season after not appearing in any games following the draft. He was drafted as a corner infielder after setting the Nebraska high school career home run record. Fountain played in 65 games in 2025, but only 37 of those in the field as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder played first base in all of those games with four appearances at third base during those 37 games. This season, he was exclusively a right fielder in the 13 games he played in. Offensively, Fountain was off to a slow start with a .182/.286/.327 slash line, hitting a pair of homers with seven RBIs and four steals in seven attempts. Last year, he had a .226/.346/.309 slash line with three homers, 34 RBIs and 21 steals in 22 attempts. View the full article

Just under two weeks ago, I wrote about Chad Patrick, who has found ways to succeed this season by throwing a glove-side sinker. That's an unusual formula, because most pitches are targeted mostly to the side of the plate toward which they move, anyway. Good pitchers find a feel for throwing their pitches to multiple quadrants, but it's hard to consistently land a backdoor curveball or to move that sinker off an opposite-handed batter's front hip and find the inner edge of the zone, without having it drift into the nitro zone. Which direction you're most likely to miss matters. Which miss direction produces a better chance of avoiding damage and/or getting a strike matters. Most of the time, those indicators nudge a pitcher toward throwing (for instance) their sinker to the arm side of the plate (inside on a same-handed batter), and their cutter or breaking ball to the glove side (toward an opposite-handed batter). Patrick's glove-side sinker was proof of his willingness to find those locations, even though it's hard to do. It also helped us understand how he seemed to be getting such harmlesss contact, and therefore putting up a great ERA despite a too-low strikeout rate. Entering his start Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks, nothing has changed. Patrick is still running a strikeout rate straight out of the 1980s, but he has a 2.35 ERA in his 23 innings of work. Entering the season, most of the optimism surrounding Patrick centered on the notion that his new slurve would help him miss more bats. The swings and misses haven't come, but neither have the runs for opposing teams. The glove-side sinker gives us some insight on that, but it feels insufficient to explain it. Can looking at the other side of the dish bridge the gap? Patrick's bread-and-butter is his cutter, and this season, the reason he's getting outs is the way he's learned to bounce from one lane to the next with it. He's lost a few of the cutters he pulled too much last year, like this one: VndNUE1fWGw0TUFRPT1fQmxBRVhGTUVBbE1BREZZRFZnQUhWd0lBQUZnRlVRY0FVMTBCQlZZTkFBRUdVMVJR.mp4 With any pitch one throws with glove-side movement, it's natural to yank it occasionally. When Patrick's target with the pitch was already set toward that first-base side of home plate, it tended to show up in bounced cutters, or ones that forced a lefty batter to take evasive action or wear a bruise on the front of their thigh. When he tried to target the third-base edge with it, the result was often even worse: he would throw an accidental meatball. QXdhMWdfWGw0TUFRPT1fQmdVRlV3QU5Vd2NBV2dRREJRQUhBZ0FGQUFNRVVsY0FCQVlHQUZGVEJBRlZVbGRY.mp4 He got away with the pitch above, to Victor Caratini, but too many of the home runs Patrick gave up as the season wore on were mistakes like that one. Scroll back up and consider that pair of movement plots, though. This year, Patrick has eliminated some of those hard-sweeping cutters in favor of ones with only relative cut, for such a hard and riding pitch. He's developed a version of the pitch he can allow to slightly move to the arm side, while still looking to the hitter like his cutter. It's opened up the arm side of the plate for him with the cutter, marking a neat and confounding pair with his glove-side sinker skills. TUFYMmRfWGw0TUFRPT1fQlFGU0FGVUhWbFFBV1ZjSFVBQUhBMU1DQUFBRVd3TUFDMVFCVkZZSEFWWlZBQU5U.mp4 When he can hit the target that well on either side of the plate, the cutter becomes an out pitch—even, as above, occasionally a strikeout pitch. However, it can also be a sneakily valuable way to get back into at-bats. Here's Patrick working from behind in the count, with a pitch Andrés Giménez was never going to swing at. QndSNnJfWGw0TUFRPT1fQWxNQVVsY0JCd29BRFZJS1h3QUhBd0VGQUZrTlZBTUFBQWNEQkFNR0IxWlRBVkJm.mp4 It's possible to consistently generate a low BABIP and take the sting out of even modern lineups. To do it, though, you have to be able to move the ball east and west and get hitters into a defensive mode. Mixing an unusual set of glove-side sinkers with arm-side cutters has been the secret sauce for Patrick. That doesn't mean he can keep it up, for sure. To feel more confident about that, you'd want to see more strikeouts. However, while his run prevention continues to outpace his peripherals, this dynamic helps us understand how. Few pitchers are willing to make such a significant change to their go-to pitch. Patrick has been unusually flexible with his. He's changed the whole spin profile of his cutter this year, turning it from a pitch that had more glove-side spin to one that often has closer to pure backspin. He gets cut using his low arm angle, seam orientation and the position of his hand at release. Look at the distribution of his pitches by type based on initial spin direction (on the left) and on observed movement (right), and you can see a change in the starting point and in the diversity of directions the cutter can veer this year. Patrick's four-seamer plays better off this version of his cutter, because they look similar a hair longer and the four-seamer can seem to explode on hitters more than its sheer speed or movement would suggest. Again, though, the main benefit is that this tweak to his cutter allows Patrick to work both sides of the plate with it. He hasn't lost the glove side; he's just unlocked the arm side. He still won't live there with that offering. When he needs to go there, though, he can do so with much more confidence this year than last. That does make a real difference. Unlike most pitchers of this era, who live by the power and the sheer traits of their pitches and stick to a small target area for each offering, he's embracing the old-school notion of using the whole zone with his hard stuff. He had better miss more bats, if he wants to keep his ERA under 3.00. For now, though, this new wrinkle makes him a more complete and balanced pitcher, and a fun one to watch. View the full article

RHP Brooks Caple (South Bend Cubs) How He Got Here: A ninth-round pick in the 2024 draft, Caple worked through a full season in 2025 before moving into a larger role at South Bend. Early in 2026, he's already picked up a Pitcher of the Week honor, a sign that his progress is being noticed. Hitting the Hot Button: Caple has taken a clear step forward to open the season, posting a 2.89 ERA across 18 2/3 innings, with 24 strikeouts against just three walks. The improved control has allowed him to work cleaner innings while still missing bats. Opponents are hitting .179 against him, and he has done a strong job keeping runners off base and avoiding big innings. RHP Grant Kipp (Knoxville Smokies) How He Got Here: Kipp returned to Double-A after logging over 100 innings at the level last season, entering the year with a focus on tightening his approach. That work has already paid off, earning him multiple Pitcher of the Week honors along with a non-roster invite to big-league camp. Hitting the Hot Button: Kipp has looked more settled at the Double-A level, putting together 18 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA while striking out 21 and walking five. The strikeout ability has held steady, and the reduced walks reflect an improved ability to work ahead in counts and limit extended innings. Opponents are hitting just .175 against him, reflecting how well he has managed contact. LHP Jackson Brockett (Myrtle Beach Pelicans) How He Got Here: Signed to a minor-league deal in February, Brockett jumped straight into his first professional assignment with Myrtle Beach and has worked primarily in a multi-inning relief role. Hitting the Hot Button: Brockett has made an immediate impression in his first taste of pro ball, tossing 14 2/3 scoreless innings while holding hitters to a .109 average. He has struck out 15 along the way, and just as importantly, he's kept contact to a minimum while working efficiently through his outings. While the sample is still building, it's an early return worth following. Final Thoughts It is still early, but this group offers a snapshot of how the Cubs’ pitching pipeline is beginning to take shape. Caple’s early step forward, Kipp’s continued progress at Double-A, and Brockett’s fast start in his first pro action highlight the range of development across the system. If these trends hold, the Cubs could soon have multiple arms pushing into bigger conversations as the season takes shape. View the full article

It’s starting to warm up in the Twin Cities. Slowly, but surely, it’s feeling more like spring. On Tuesday, the Saints put on an offensive showcase, decimating Iowa Cubs pitching to the tune of six home runs. Here’s some of what I noticed at CHS Field. Emmanuel Rodriguez I wrote about Rodríguez in-depth last week. If you missed that piece, here are the headlines; he’s chasing a bit more and swinging at strikes much more. That’s the kind of tradeoff you have to make if you don’t have great bat-to-ball skills, as major-league pitchers will throw too many quality strikes for a hitter to be passive. Rodríguez has also closed his stance slightly at the plate, helping with the directionality and rotation of his swing. After a quiet week last week, everything was working for Rodriguez on Tuesday. After taking a sweeper low for ball one, Rodriguez hit a 118.3 mph nuke to right field on the next pitch, a 93-mph cutter that Ethan Roberts left over the heart of the plate. That’s the hardest-hit ball in Minor League Baseball in 2026. It’s the second-hardest anywhere, behind only Oneil Cruz. Rodríguez is Cruz, with a much smaller strike zone and better defensive instincts. The process here is as good as the outcome for Rodríguez, who didn't allow Roberts back into the at-bat after getting ahead. He repeated the trick in his next trip, this time taking a Trent Thornton sinker on the outer half out of the park for his second home run of the game, raising his OPS to .945 on the season. Surely a call up is imminent. Kaelen Culpepper Kaelen Culpepper has been mired in his first Triple-A slump. He busted out of it in a big way on Tuesday. Jordan Wicks left a curveball up on the inner third, and Culpepper took into the bullpen for his fourth home run of the year. After going down 0-2 to Jace Beck in his third at-bat, Culpepper took three consecutive balls before taking a 94 mph fastball out for his second home run of the day, at 103 mph off the bat. Culpepper has cut his groundball rate significantly in 2026 (from 50% to roughly 38%), and his ability to pull the ball may lead to his power production outpacing his raw power. The one area I’d monitor with Culpepper is his chase rate, which sits around 30%. From my looks this season, he’s been more prone to chase early in counts and often does a great job of battling back in his plate appearances. That approach will be more challenging in the majors. Walker Jenkins Walker Jenkins (who turned 21 two months ago) has had a slow start for St. Paul. If you peek under the hood, though, everything looks extremely promising. He’s running an in-zone contact rate of 92% (87% overall) and chasing only 16% of the time, leading to a robust 16% walk rate. He’s hitting the ball harder, too. He’s added to both his average EV and max EV. That’s encouraging, given that the main knock on Jenkins has been a lack of in-game power. It’s likely that facet of his game won’t be fully formed for a while yet. So why the slow start? Jenkins has had much more of a ground-ball problem this year. He’s swinging about 8% less overall. My theory is that he’s a little passive, and getting into some counts that result in poor quality of contact. He’s never had a ground-ball issue, though, so this isn’t something I’d stew over. He crushed a 107-mph double off lefty starter Wicks in the first inning. I expect the production to catch up to the process pretty soon. Gabriel Gonzalez If I don’t include González, I’ll get yelled at. He had a great game, too. After a single in the first inning off Wicks, he took a slider down and in deep for a home run at a 104-mph EV in his second at-bat. González consistently crushes any breaking pitch inside that isn’t buried. Notably, González was playing first base for the Saints today. Even though he’s had a slower start offensively, he’s already up to 7 home runs on the season. González has a combination of skills I consider dangerous for a hitter. He has excellent bat-to-ball skills, both in and out of the strike zone, and he chases a ton (39%). My fear for him is, he’ll need to rein in some of his aggressiveness in the majors, or he’ll generate a ton of weak contact. In the right role, though, he can be a dangerous hitter. View the full article

Nicky Lopez, the former Kansas City Royals utility infielder whose surprisingly excellent 2021 season made franchise history before he became a journeyman player two years later, and ex-Kansas City catcher-turned-outfielder MJ Melendez, who never reached the heights his 41-homer 2021 minor league season suggested he would, found themselves unemployed after the 2025 campaign ended. Lopez left the Cubs, his fifth organization since the Royals successfully shopped him at the 2023 trade deadline, for free agency in November, and the Royals made Melendez a free agent when they non-tendered him later that month. Today, though, both familiar former Royals are back in the big leagues, Lopez with the Cubs and Melendez with the Mets. What the future holds for either of them is, however, uncertain. New York is Former Royals Outfielder MJ Melendez’s New Home The Mets became Melendez’s second baseball home when they signed him just as spring training began. He seemed to be vindicating the club’s faith in him by going 4-for-11 with a pair of homers and five RBI in Grapefruit League play, but started the season in Triple-A, where he’d slumped to .216/.286/.431 when the Mets called him up April 15 to replace injured Jared Young. (To his credit, four of Melendez’s 11 Triple-A hits were for extra bases, including two homers). What Melendez brings to the Mets’ table is power potential. Those 41 homers he clubbed in 2021 led the minor leagues, and that he hit 18 as a Royals rookie the following season, then 16 in 2023 and 17 in 2024, proves he can swing a big bat. But it takes more than potential to stay in the majors, and Melendez didn’t deliver it — he hit only .221 and, despite making some stellar defensive plays, posted unflattering marks in the outfield (-17 OAA and -25 DRS) across the same period. He managed 20 Triple-A homers last season, but the .083/.154/.167 line he posted in 23 games with the Royals seemed to seal his fate with the franchise. He’ll have to hit much better to stick with the Mets. He struck out to end his new club’s 3-1 loss to Colorado Sunday, but is a respectable 6-for-22 (.273) with three doubles, a homer, and two RBI in 24 plate appearances since being called up. The Cubs Keep Coming Back to Former Royals Infielder Nicky Lopez The Cubs seem to find Lopez easy to let go but harder to resist — reportedly prized by skipper Craig Counsell, they’ve acquired him four times in a little more than a year, with his last stint with the organization beginning last Thursday when they picked him up from Colorado in a cash-for-player deal. Chicago brought him up the next day. Lopez startled baseball in 2021 when Adalberto Mondesi’s injuries forced him into the everyday lineup —he became the first shortstop in club history to hit .300, and finished the campaign with a career-best .300/.365/.378 line. Since then, Lopez hasn’t hit better than the .241 he posted with the White Sox in 2024; he’s hitless in two at-bats so far this year. But the Cubs don’t need him to wield a .300 bat — what he really brings to Wrigley Field is a good glove and the ability to play shortstop, second, third, and even first base if he has to. He’s also dabbled a bit in left field. How long Lopez and Melendez stay in the majors is anyone’s guess. Either could be back in the minors by the time fans read this. What’s clear, though, is their new teams value them enough to give them new big league chances. View the full article

There is a temporary solution to the New York Mets' Kodai Senga problem. The right-handed starter was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with inflammation in his lumbar spine. Right-hander Christian Scott was called up from Triple-A Syracuse and could be a possible rotation replacement. It is not known how long Senga will be out. Senga is coming off a 2⅔-inning start against the Colorado Rockies in Sunday's doubleheader in which the Mets were swept. He allowed three runs on three hits and three walks with one strikeout in a 3-0 loss. That was the latest chapter in a frustrating season for the Japanese right-hander. In five starts, Senga is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA, walking 13 and striking out 23 in 20 innings. That includes a 17.28 ERA in his last three outings. Scott was called up to make a spot start April 23. He went just 1⅓ innings, allowing one run with no hits but walking five and striking out one. Scott also made nine starts for the Mets last year with a 4.56 ERA. View the full article

The Kansas City Royals made a minor move in the bullpen Tuesday, bringing back right-hander Luinder Avila and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan to Triple-A Omaha. Avila made two appearances, including his first MLB start, in his first stint with the Royals this season. There is not currently a rotation opening, so a bullpen slot is his likely role entering a three-game series on the road vs. the Athletics that begins Tuesday. Avila, who made 13 relief appearances for the Royals as a rookie last year, made four starts at Omaha, but went just 10⅔ innings. He allowed five runs on 11 hits and seven walks with nine strikeouts. Morgan was called up April 9 and appeared in seven games with a 2.61 ERA, walking six and striking out nine, allowing eight hits in 10⅓ innings. View the full article

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. Here's the final April edition of our Fish On First Prospects Report, which as always includes several important injury updates near the bottom of the page. This report covers the games played from April 21-26. Triple-A Jacksonville Recently ranked as Fish On First's No. 8 prospect, Kemp Alderman finished the week with nine hits, capping off the week with a grand slam on Sunday, marking his fourth home run of the season. After a slow start to the season, Alderman is now slashing .253/.354/.458/.812 with four home runs and 10 RBI. The only downside for Alderman has been his 35.2% strikeout rate, which is the highest of his minor league career thus far. Jared Serna finished the week with five hits and drove in five runs. He is now slashing .243/.312/.314/.626 with one home run and seven RBI. He has also stolen five bases, which is second-most on the team. Serna was one of three players acquired in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade back in 2024, and after a strong start to his organizational tenure, he has struggled, particularly in the slugging department. An under-the-radar name on the pitching side has been Zach Brzykcy. The 26-year-old reliever was claimed off waivers from the Washington Nationals. No longer occupying a 40-man roster spot, he has a 0.84 ERA with 11 strikeouts in eight appearances. On Sunday, his fastball averaged 94.5 mph and he closed out a Jumbo Shrimp win with a strikeout on his curveball. Brzykcy has MLB experience in each of the past two seasons and he's setting himself up for a return soon. Another righty, Jack Ralston, impressed during spring training, and he continues to succeed with the Jumbo Shrimp. In nine games, he has a 1.46 ERA, 1.68 FIP, 15.32 K/9 and 5.11 BB/9. He possesses similar mid-90 fastball velocity, but his splitter is his biggest weapon—18 of his 21 total strikeouts have come on that pitch. Ralston has yet to make his big league debut. This past week, Josh Ekness, who is now Fish On First's No. 20 prospect, surrendered three runs in one outing, then he allowed two more on the day of this article's publication. His season ERA has ballooned to 4.38. Double-A Pensacola It was a busy week for the Wahoos, who played seven games in six days against the Biscuits, including one game that was made up from a previous rain out. Pensacola got the better of Montgomery during the week, taking foir of the contests despite losing the run differential battle by one. Despite being thin in the pitching department, After a bit of a slow start with the stick, Ryan Ignoffo found it during this series. In four games against Montgomery, he went 7-for-16 with a home run, two doubles, and two RBI. In the first game of the seven-inning doubleheader on Thursday, he came within a triple of the cycle. A 20th-rounder from 2023 who only converted to catcher after turning pro, Ignoffo spent most of the offseason and spring training honing in on his defense, particularly with blocking and framing. Those exports have shown up well for Ignoffo so far as he’s allowed just one passed ball in 110 innings. He also owns a strong arm, contributing to his 32% caught-stealing rate last year. He is off to a 25 CS% start this season. Drafted as a two-way player, Ignoffo came out of the draft with catcher being one of few positions he had never played. The Marlins challenged him with it and he continues to improve with age. Offensively, Ignoffo has a good feel for the barrel, keeping CSW%s in check year over year, including 24.6% so far on the young campaign. His ability to at least fight strikes off limits his strikeout rates and he’s got some good gap-to-gap pop which allotted him 20-plus doubles in both 2024 and 2025. Ignoffo has seen his walk rates shrink a bit as he’s matriculated to the upper minors, but overall, he’s been an above average hitter at the Double-A level; he has a 106 wRC+ on the young season. A good athlete with a sneaky-good bat, Ignoffo should take over as the primary catcher once Joe Mack is called up. On current track, he should be able to stick as an at least serviceable backstop with potential positional flexibility to fill in at the corner infield or corner outfield spots. Karson Milbrandt keeps rolling. His latest exports this week were six innings worth of one run ball on six two hits and six strikeouts. His only run came on a home run. In his first four starts, Milbrandt owns a minimal 1.96 ERA, which ranks third-best in the Southern League. His 23 strikeouts are fourth-most on the circuit. Maintaining control and command particularly deeper in starts will continue to be Milbrandt’s MO as he rounds out his development and attempts to realize a mid-rotation ceiling. Because of the command dipping later in his outings and due to his just-average size, there is some reliever risk, but with great raw stuff and improving fastball velocity, he should have no problem finding the middle ground of that equation. High-A Beloit It was a very rough week for the Sky Carp who dropped four of six games in their series against Great Lakes, only taking the first and last games. Run scoring wasn’t an issue for Beloit who plated over six runs a game and 40 total including at least nine in three of the contests, but their pitching continued to struggle. The team now owns a 6.57 ERA, third-highest in the Midwest League. They now lead the circuit in walks with 136. It was a solid series at the plate for Cam Clayton who went 3-for-12 with a home run, seven RBI, and six walks while striking out three times. A 14th-round pick from 2024, Clayton spent 2025 mostly at Low-A where he slashed .242/.356/.390 with a 48/36 K/BB. The solid on-base numbers have followed him to Beloit this year where he is currently slashing .188/.480/.344. Clayton was drafted as a shortstop, but he quickly made the move off of the position as a pro. He’s spent time as a third baseman, but just-average arm strength befits him best for first base where he has played 88 ⅓ innings. Clayton, 6’1”, 205, isn’t built for much power, but as long as he is seeing pitching as well as he historically has as he continues to rise through the minor league ranks, he provides intrigue. He’s also a crafty baserunner, having stolen nine bases already this season. If Clayton can improve contact rates, he will be a pesky bat off the bench at the next level. Another offensive catalyst this series was the 2025 second-round pick, who was hitting everything in sight. On the series, Brandon Compton went 8-for-14 with two homers and five RBI. Arguably most impressive of all is the rate at which Compton walked. In these six games, he took a whopping 11 free passes while striking out just six times. Like Clayton, the ability to see pitching extremely well will give him a decent floor, but his defensive inflexibility could limit his ceiling. What will drive Compton’s future will depend on how much he can tap into solid raw strength while not straying too far from his patient roots. If he can become a consistent power threat while continuing to walk, he has a starter’s ceiling. Keep a close eye on his power numbers as he continues to develop and climb through the levels. Upper minors pitching will be a good measuring stick for the lefty Compton. That promotion could happen later this season, especially if he continues to build on his 170 wRC+. Low-A Jupiter A 21-year-old left-handed pitcher, Julio Mendez was named our FOF Minor League Player of the Week after striking out 11 through five innings of work in his most recent start. His fastball topped out at 95.2 mph and averaged 93.1 mph. Mendez's performance has been phenomenal dating back to the 2025 All-Star break, allowing a total of nine earned runs over those 11 starts. Andrés Valor had been ice cold at the plate until this past series. The athletic outfielder slashed .250/.464/.400 with three steals, including three batted balls with an exit velocity of at least 105 mph. Maintaining that throughout the month of May could earn Valor a ticket to Beloit considering he already has a full year of Low-A experience under his belt. Injuries/Rehab Following Christopher Morel's return to the Marlins active roster, there are no longer any injured big leaguers currently on rehab assignments. It looked as though Jacksonville's Jacob Berry had suffered a significant injury when he exited Friday's game early. Fortunately, he returned to the lineup on the day of this report. Aiva Arquette (core muscle surgery) is scheduled to make his 2026 season debut during this upcoming week. For complete Marlins MiLB injury updates, bookmark this page. This week's MiLB schedule Triple-A Jacksonville at Durham Double-A Pensacola vs. Biloxi High-A Beloit at Lake County Low-A Jupiter at Dunedin View the full article

The move Toronto Blue Jays fans have been waiting for finally happened: Trey Yesavage is back. The right-hander was activated Tuesday from the 15-day injured list following a right shoulder impingement. Right-handed reliever Chase Lee was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room on the 26-man roster. Yesavage will be the starting pitcher in Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Yesavage, Jays Centre's No. 1 prospect, had only made three regular-season starts for the Jays when he made a name for himself with 11 strikeouts over 5⅓ innings in his postseason debut. He ended up being instrumental in Toronto's run to the World Series, including a seven-inning, 12-strikeout performance in Game 5 of the World Series to put the Jays on the brink of a championship. Now, the 22-year-old returns with the team needing some stabilization in the rotation after right-hander Max Scherzer went on the IL Monday. Yesavage's shoulder issue popped up in spring training. Lee was called up Monday to replace Scherzer on the roster and pitched 1⅓ innings in the series opener vs. the Red Sox, a 5-0 loss. Lee allowed a solo homer as the only hit in his outing. View the full article

There are plenty of ways a front office can respond to internal turmoil. Some teams hold press conferences. Others reshuffle leadership or leak carefully worded statements. The Minnesota Twins, however, have opted to call in a former reliever with a well-documented interest in the unknown. According to multiple extremely serious sources, the Twins have hired former pitcher Anthony Swarzak to locate Joe Pohlad, who has reportedly been living in hiding somewhere inside Target Field since being pushed out of his spot at the top of the organization earlier this year. The move came after ownership elevated Tom Pohlad into a more prominent leadership role, a decision that insiders say did not sit particularly well with Joe. “Blindsided,” was the word used by one team employee. “Also ‘vanished,’ which is less of a feeling and more of a logistical problem.” The transition in ownership power was framed publicly as a natural evolution. Privately, it has apparently led one member of the Pohlad family to disappear into the concrete wilderness of the ballpark itself. Despite the Twins’ early-season attendance struggles, Joe Pohlad has proven remarkably difficult to locate. Entire sections of the stadium have gone unused on game days, creating what one team official described as “ideal hiding conditions if you’re committed to the bit.” Enter Swarzak, who arrived at the ballpark with a level of confidence that suggested this was not his first cryptid-adjacent assignment. “People forget, I’ve been preparing for something like this my whole career,” Swarzak said, scanning the left field concourse like it might start moving. “You spend enough time in bullpens, and you start to notice things. Patterns. Sounds. The feeling that you’re not alone, even when the attendance says otherwise.” He emphasized that the situation requires a delicate approach. “This isn’t just a missing person,” Swarzak explained. “This is someone who has chosen to blend into his environment. That’s classic sasquatch behavior. Elusive. Intelligent. Probably has access to premium seating.” Swarzak noted that the low attendance at Target Field has made the search both easier and more unsettling. “In a full stadium, you can lose a guy in the crowd. Here, if you see movement, it means something. Or someone. And sometimes, it’s just the tarp. But sometimes it’s not.” Season ticket holders have taken the news in stride, though not without skepticism. “I remember Swarzak talking about sasquatch back in the day,” said one fan. “If anyone’s going to find a hiding billionaire, it’s probably the guy who already believes something is out there.” Another fan pointed toward the upper deck. “I haven’t seen anyone up there in weeks,” he said. “If Joe Pohlad is just hanging out, watching games alone, that might be the best seat in the house.” Swarzak insists there have been signs. “We’ve got traces,” he said, holding up what he described as “compelling evidence,” which looked suspiciously like a half-eaten hot dog. “You don’t leave something like this behind unless you’re comfortable. He’s settled in.” He paused, looking out over an empty section of seats. “He’s adapting,” Swarzak said. “Learning the rhythms. Becoming part of the stadium. At some point, you stop chasing and start thinking like him.” For now, the search continues. The Twins remain hopeful that Joe Pohlad will eventually emerge, either through Swarzak’s efforts or simple boredom. Too late, however, the team realized that they weren't carefully overseeing the Champions Club renovations this winter. It's possible a new, secret lair has been built, and that Joe will never need to emerge at an inopportune moment again, If you hear something echo through the concourse late in the game, don’t ignore it. “That’s usually when they move,” Swarzak said. View the full article

Nashville Sounds’ Prospects in Brewer Fanatic Top 20 Prospects: Jett Williams #3, Cooper Pratt #4, Jeferson Quero #7, Luis Lara #11, Luke Adams #13, Brock Wilken #15 Nashville’s offense had been a one‑man show early, but this week marked the first signs of the lineup starting to resemble a real AAA group. Lara leads the club in hits, runs, home runs, steals, and OPS. Lara continued to mash this week with three homers and an OPS over 1.100. Lara had a 116 wRC+ in the pitcher-friendly Southern League last season, but no one expected the power output to show up so suddenly and consistently this season. Lara has made a compelling early case as the organization’s top all-around outfield prospect in the first month of play. However, this week the Sounds started to show signs that some of the other touted prospects’ bats are waking up, scoring 43 runs in seven games. Quero paced the team with 10 hits (four doubles and two homers) and seven RBI in six games. Quero consistently impacted the ball hard all week. As a result, he raised his season average 82 points, from .185 to .267. You can check out Quero’s bomb from Saturday here. Quero wasn’t the only player getting off the I‑80 express this week. Both Pratt and Williams finished the weekend strong, pushing their season averages above the Mendoza Line. Elevated to the leadoff position for the weekend, Pratt had six hits in four games, including his first triple and first home run at AAA. Williams slipped down in the order and responded nicely with seven hits (six singles, one homer). Wilken’s season-long slash line still looks pretty gruesome (.161/.303/.276), but he started to elevate the ball a bit more (52.7% fly-ball rate) on his way to collecting hits in six of seven games last week. Wilken also had his first AAA triple. Biloxi Shuckers’ Prospects in Brewer Fanatic Top 20 Prospects: Jesus Made #1, Blake Burke #14 After a torrid start to the season, Made showed that he is, in fact, human after all, in going 5-for-25 (.550 OPS) for the week. After a three-hit day on Thursday, the Brewers’ top prospect scuffled over the weekend. He went 1-for-14, with the lone hit coming on a late double Saturday. Made did drive in four and add four stolen bases, and now sports a season-long line of .295/.398/.489. Burke had another strong week, though he has just one home run in his last 14 games. On Wednesday, the Shuckers were down to their last out when Burke came up clutch with a laser to right field to tie the game. The Shuckers then went on to win in the 10th. On Sunday, Burke came up just short of his 8th home run of the season, and settled for a stand-up triple instead. One player that was absent from all the pre-season Brewers’ prospects rankings was second baseman Dylan O’Rae. O’Rae continued his hot start to the season, reaching base 10 times (seven hits, three walks) and also stole eight bases. On Wednesday, O’Rae set a Biloxi record with five stolen bases: O’Rae has a .410 BABIP through 21 games, so it remains to be seen if he can sustain his .338/.453/.455 line. But for now, it’s been a really pleasant surprise to see O’Rae performing so well atop the Shuckers’ lineup after he missed the 2025 season. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Prospects in Brewer Fanatic Top 20 Prospects: Luis Pena #2, Andrew Fischer #8, Marco Dinges #10, Josh Adamczewski #12, Braylon Payne #16 The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ offense continues to be the squad to watch in the Brewers’ system and potentially all of minor league baseball. Through 19 games, the Rattlers lead the Midwest League in wins (13), home runs (26), and OPS (.860). They also rank second in runs scored (123). They might also lead the league in time spent admiring moon shots as Payne and Dinges in particular took their time in styling a few of their bombs this week. The back-to-back-to-back homer barrage on Thursday seemed to leave the Fort Wayne crowd and outfielders in awe. The season-long individual leaderboard in the Midwest League is littered with Rattlers. Payne (1.288), Adamczewski (1.239), and Dinges (1.135) are all in the top five in the league in OPS. Pena, who hasn’t played after losing consciousness in the dugout on Wednesday, ranks 10th at .974. Payne led the charge in what is sure to be a “Player of the Week” performance with four home runs in five games. For the week, Payne posted a ludicrous .450/.542/1.150 line (1.642 OPS). He added eight runs, seven RBI, and two steals while setting the tone atop the Rattlers’ lineup. It’s thrilling to think what a future Brewers outfield of Jackson Chourio, Lara, and Payne could look like in the not-too-distant future. Dinges wasn’t too far off Payne’s absurd ratios, going 9-for-19 with two home runs and a team-high eight RBI for the week. That was good for a .474/.583/.895 line for the week. Clearly, Midwest League pitchers want no part of Dinges, as he added five walks and now has a higher walk rate (23%) than strikeout rate (20%) on the season. Adamczewski came into the week with a team-high five home runs, but did not connect on any long balls this week. He did match Dinges with a team-high 14 times on base (eight hits and six walks), and like Dinges, he’s walked more than he’s struck out this season (22.8% versus 17.5%). After his WBC showcase, Fischer entered the season as one of the Brewers’ more buzz-worthy prospects, but so far this season, he has been overshadowed by his teammates. Fischer hit three homers of his own this week, including his first professional two-homer game. Fischer (10 K in 5 games this week) will need to cut down on the strikeouts (35.5% season-long K rate) going forward. Finally, two other Rattler players who are just outside of Brewer Fanatic’s Top 20, but on most other top 30 lists deserve some recognition as well. 2025 seventh-round pick Josiah Ragsdale had an .888 OPS for the week, with five hits, four walks and some stellar defense. 2023 third-round pick Eric Bitonti connected on his second homer of the season, to bolster his .794 OPS for the week. Wilson Warbirds’ Prospects in Brewer Fanatic Top 20 Prospects: Brady Ebel #19 With so many of the system’s top prospects graduating from the Carolina Mudcats last season, the inaugural Wilson Warbirds roster was always going to be light on star power. There are a few names worth tracking and hopefully a few more will emerge as the season draws on. Ebel, a comp pick in last year’s draft, showed some promising signs this week, collecting five hits (two doubles), four walks, and two steals in five games. First baseman Frederi Montero led the Warbirds with eight hits and a .982 OPS for the week. Montero also hit one of the two Wilson home runs for the week. a{text-decoration:none;color:#464feb}tr th,tr td{border:1px solid #e6e6e6}tr th{background-color:#f5f5f5} That’ll do it for this week’s trip around the farm. We’ll be back next week to see who’s heating up, who’s adjusting, and who’s forcing their way into the conversation. Sound off in the comments with your biggest takeaways or any prospects you want us to keep a closer eye on. View the full article

Given his lack of a defensive position (and, somehow worse, the times when he does have one), you won't find Moisés Ballesteros near the top of any WAR leaderboard. He doesn't have the two-part value to drive up that number. If you were to flip the order over to wRC+, however, you'd find him pretty quickly. In fact, with a 216 wRC+ in 69 plate appearances, Ballesteros trails only Yordan Alvarez for the major-league lead. As obscene as that figure is, the rest of the stat sheet is no more subtle. His slash goes .387/.435/.710. He's hit five home runs, barreled 13.7% of his batted balls, and hit 56.9% of all his batted balls hard. That latter figure sits in the 97th percentile for the league. Perhaps most encouraging about the start from Ballesteros is that virtually everything he's producing is coming on the strength of exactly what we thought his skill set was. The power has outperformed what might have been expected, given his launch angle throughout his previous pro career, but he's also been aggressive, while managing consistent contact. That's long been the book on Ballesteros: he's not particularly patient, but he's able to adapt his swing to drive the ball and avoid strikeouts. Contact and swing trends each illustrate exactly that. Given how seamlessly the profile has manifested in nearly a full-time role, is it possible that his skill set could help him stave off what seems like inevitable regression? There are already some factors that lay down the groundwork for at least a modest step back in production. His batting average on balls in play sits at an astronomical .442. His 49.4% swing rate and 32.8% chase rate are higher than the league average. Extreme batted-ball fortune from a rookie hitter who's been aggressive at the plate seems like a recipe for a big comedown—especially when that rookie is one of the slowest players in baseball. While those elements may work in conjunction with one another to create regression (as they have, repeatedly, throughout baseball history), it's also entirely possible that the profile and what we've seen in the swing thus far from Ballesteros will keep him ensconced among the top hitters in the league. For one, the contact rate has remained strong. Ballesteros makes contact on nearly 80% of swings. He's also using the zone to evenly distribute his contact all over the field: It's much more difficult to get a read on a hitter when his tendencies are less apparent than most. Ballesteros has pulled the ball and gone up the middle 34% of the time each, with another 32% headed to the opposite field. That'll make the opposition's adjustments more difficult. If he was a dead-pull guy, for example, you could work the outer part of the zone to get some softer contact out of him. Given how adept Ballesteros has been at hitting the ball all over the field, however, that becomes much more difficult if you're an opposing arm. He can do that because his swing has some extraordinary characteristics. Ballesteros's average bat speed this year is 73.8 MPH, up from 72.7 last year. His contact point has moved 5 inches farther in front of his frame, and that intercept point comes with his bat working uphill in the ideal attack angle range 61.4% of the time, a near-elite rate. It's one thing to expect regression. The early combination of BABIP and aggression for a rookie have spelled doom for many of Ballesteros's predecessors. Those two factors could certainly be responsible for at least a mild step back on the stat sheet in the future. At the same time, there's a profile afoot here that could allow him to fend it off in a way that few hitters are equipped to do. A contact-oriented yet adaptable swing has allowed him to absolutely thrive to this point. That blend should continue to carry him, regardless of what adjustments may be on the horizon from the opposition. View the full article

Worcester, Ma — “That’s one I’ll definitely keep for sure,” Iggy Suarez said as he pointed to the lineup card from Worcester’s 6-2 victory over the Syracuse Mets on April 26. It was Worcester’s 15th win of the season, but more importantly, it was Suarez’s first since being named interim manager of the Worcester Red Sox. To say that the last 24 hours had been crazy for Suarez would be an understatement. Everything moved quickly not just for him, but also for Chad Tracy as he got ready to fly to Baltimore to take over the major-league club. As things were happening behind the scenes and Tracy vanishing from the dugout, Suarez was the one who took over as he so often did whenever his predecessor was called away into the clubhouse. But this time it was different, and he had a feeling something was up as Tracy vanished around the third inning but never returned for the remainder of the game. That was when he knew something big happened. “I’m coming in from coaching third and kind of a little bit of craziness is going on in the tunnel where Trace is being pulled in the direction where he had to be on a phone call. And that half inning ends, I go out and coach third and I realize Trace is not in the dugout yet. I’m like okay, maybe it’s a long conversation,” Suarez explained to the media gathered at his first meeting as interim manager. “After a couple innings, I ran in there [the clubhouse] real quick to kind and see what was going on and got the cliff-note version of what had happened. Trace let me know really quick, and quick hug and had to run back out here because there was a game I had to finish managing. “It was a whirlwind to kind of realize what was happening. And it was tough to process it at that point, the last couple innings were kind of a blur and a little bit of a haze." Suarez joined Tracy’s coaching staff in 2025 after serving as the manager of Greenville from 2018 through 2024. It was a long road for Suarez, but he was now managing at the same level he last played professional baseball in for the very same organization he now worked for. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Suarez was drafted in the 24th round in 2003 by the Boston Red Sox. He would go on to play for them through the 2009 season, making it all the way to Pawtucket. During his time in the organization, Suarez played a total of 730 games, hitting .243/.318/.321 while splitting time between shortstop, second base and third base. He would retire shortly after leaving the Red Sox system after 2009, playing from 2010 until 2013 in independent baseball. Then, in 2014, he returned to the team he started his professional career with the Lowell Spinners, but this time as a coach. After two years, he was named the manager of the Spinners. In his first season, he led the short-season squad to 47 wins and a playoff appearance. Suarez would only manage the Spinners for two years before being named the next manager of the Greenville Drive. He managed the team for six seasons, winning 365 games there until he was moved to Worcester to serve under Tracy as his defensive and third base coach. “I’m glad we had a quick game today, it’s an earlier game. To get back into the routine because I want to keep these guys moving.” And yes, Suarez still coached third today even after his promotion to interim manager. In his first game managing at the Triple-A level, the WooSox played great as starter Jack Anderson tossed four shutout innings before giving way to a relay of pitchers that included Eduardo Rivera, Jacob Webb and Tommy Kahnle to close it out. Offensively, the team was led by a three-hit performance from Nate Eaton that included a three-run home run to left field. Kristian Campbell, Vinny Capra and Matt Thaiss also drove in runs while the team as a whole walked six times. “I was hoping I was gonna get it. Right out of the gate, yeah? It was cool, still a different environment right, still gotta adjust to it,” Suarez said after the game in his office when asked by media about the win. It was all smiles, Suarez sitting in what would become his office, though he refused to have Tracy’s stuff removed. He wanted his predecessor to have a moment to breath first and have some time before they changed anything. Though, on the television in the office was none other than Tracy as he went to the mound and called on Zack Kelly to get the final out of the seventh inning in Baltimore. “I’m pretty sure he’s feeling the same way where it’s like, let’s get this game going. Let’s get the rhythm of the game and that’s where we’re comfortable." Just as Tracy had previously coached players now on the Red Sox, the situation is the same for Suarez as he previously coached players such as Kristian Campbell, Nick Sogard, Nathan Hickey and Mikey Romero when they were with the Greenville Drive earlier in their respective careers. “I’ve played under him as a manager before in High-A and we had a great year that year. I’d expect it to be very similar to the program that Trace was running and just keep this thing going,” Sogard explained when asked by the media about his relationship with Worcester's new interim manager. “I’m an intense guy. I’ll be in there with the players the same way Trace was. I’ll be going about it the way I’ve been going about it. Try to be the same, nothing is going to change. I may have a little more serious look on my face during games,” Suarez stated to media Sunday morning. Much like how the Red Sox are in good hands with Chad Tracy, the WooSox appear to be in the trusted care of Suarez. The former Boston farmhand will now continue what he does best, working with and developing the next generation of Red Sox stars. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - April 26 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats win series 4–2 Season Record: 13–13 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts win series 4–2 Season Record: 10–11 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds): Tied 3–3 Season Record: 11–7 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Woodpeckers win series 6–0 Season Record: 9–12 Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 13–13 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (16–11) Series Standing: Lose 2–4 April 26: The Iowa Cubs fell to the Louisville Bats, 12-6, in Sunday’s series finale, dropping the series, 4-2. The Bats took a 5-0 lead their first time to the plate and never looked back, taking a 12-2 lead after five. Eric Yang (1-for-4) drove in the Cubs’ first run with an RBI-single in the second and Justin Dean (3-for-4) drove in the team’s second run in the fifth on his own RBI-single. Dean’s three-hit effort was his first multi-hit performance of the season. Iowa would plate four in the eighth, getting run-scoring singles from BJ Murray (3-for-4), James Triantos (1-for-5) and Hayden Cantrelle (1-for-2). Kevin Alcántara would also draw a walk with the bases loaded in the frame. Murray’s three-hit game was his third such performance in his last five. Paul Campbell took the loss in the start, allowing seven runs on seven hits over three innings of work. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 10–11 Series Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts (16–5) Series Standing: Lose 2-4 April 26: The Knoxville Smokies earned a 7-2 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts in Sunday’s finale but the Lookouts ultimately claimed the series win, 4-2. Chattanooga took a 2-0 lead after the first but Knoxville rallied with three runs in the third to take the 3-2 lead. Alex Madera (2-for-4) had an RBI-single and Alex Ramírez (4-for-5) launched a two-run homer, his first of the season. Ramírez’ four hits in the ballgame marked a season high. Nick Dean earned the win out of the bullpen, firing four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, striking out five while issuing no walks. Frankie Scalzo Jr. and Luis Martinez-Gomez each tossed two shutout frames, combining to allow just one hit and seven punchouts. The Smokies put the game out of each in the eighth, pushing four runs across the plate, and would cruise to the 7-2 win. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 11–7 Series Opponent: Dayton Dragons (10–10) Series Standing: Tied 3–3 April 26: The South Bend Cubs were blanked by the Dayton Dragons, 3-0, in Sunday’s ballgame to split their series at Day Air Ballpark. The Dragons jumped out to a 2-0 lead after runs in the first and second and would later add some insurance in the sixth with their third run of the contest. The Cubs were held to just four hits offensively, two of which came off the bat off Matt Halbech, who went 2-for-4, his fourth multi-hit game of the series. Ethan Flanagan took the loss in the start, allowing two runs on four hits over four innings of work, picking up three strikeouts along the way. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 9–12 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (9–12) Series Standing: Lose 0–6 April 26: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers after falling in Sunday’s de facto doubleheader, falling 6-5 in the resumption of Saturday’s suspended contest and 6-2 in the regularly scheduled ballgame. Game 1: Play resumed in the seventh, where the Woodpeckers would rally for four runs to tie the game at 5-5. The ballgame would eventually head to extra innings, where the hosts would walk off the Pelicans in the 10th. Game 2: Myrtle Beach dropped their sixth-straight game with a 6-2 defeat to Fayetteville in seven innings. The Pelicans took the lead in the first with a run but the Woodpeckers scored two in the second and three in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Fayetteville extended the lead to 6-2 with a run in the sixth. Myrtle Beach would plate a run in the seventh but were unable to mount a larger rally. View the full article

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (April 25-April 26) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): 3-3 Season Record: 13-14 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs. Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-3 Season Record: 10-8 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs. Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels): 3-3 Season Record: 9-12 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins): 1-5 Season Record: 9-12 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 13-14 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians) April 25: Postponed April 26, Game 1: It was another doubleheader on tap for Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. The pitchers only needed to cover seven innings because of the shortened game, and they struggled to do so. They would end up walking eight Columbus batters, but were ultimately able to pitch around most of them. Josh Fleming, who started the game for Buffalo, had the most trouble of the pitchers; he walked three across his four innings of work. Two of his walks came in the first inning and aided the Clippers in getting a run across home plate. Buffalo answered quickly, getting a monster half inning of their own in the bottom of the second. It started with Josh Kasevich knocking in two runs on a single to right field. RJ Schreck followed up the single with a big three-run home run to right field. His third blast of the season had an exit velocity of 96 mph and went high in the air with a launch angle of 39°. Oddly enough, Riley Tirotta added on a run in the bottom of the fifth that had the same 39° launch angle, but a snail's pace of an exit velocity (90.1 mph). Brendon Little was one of the arms out of the bullpen and had a little bit of trouble. He walked two but was able to escape the jam, continuing his scoreless streak by getting Nolan Jones to line into a double play. Tanner Andrews closed the game out with a scoreless inning of his own in the ninth, his first save of the season. Buffalo pulled back to .500 with the 6-2 win. April 26 Game 2: Buffalo once again looked to finally break the .500 mark with a win in game two of this doubleheader. CJ Van Eyk went deep into the shortened game, almost making it through the fifth inning. He wasn't flawless, though, as he gave up three runs in the third inning on three straight RBI singles. The big inning for Columbus took the lead back from Buffalo, who had jumped out on top with a Charles McAdoo solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. He crushed the ball 422 feet to left field at an exit velocity of 104.7 mph. McAdoo had been in a slump recently, seeing his batting average fall to below .290. Down two runs in the bottom of the sixth, Josh Rivera launched a two-run home run to square things back up and ultimately send the game into extra innings. It was the closest Buffalo had come to breaking the .500 mark on the season, but it wasn't meant to be. In the eighth, Columbus got a two-run home run from Juan Benjamin off of Devereaux Harrison. Buffalo couldn't match them in the bottom half of the inning, and they lost 6-4. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 10-8 Series vs. Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) April 25: Postponed April 26: The New Hampshire Fisher Cats had an uphill climb in this one, as they started in the hole when the Fightin Phils scored three in the third inning. Fisher Cats starter Fernando Perez gave up an RBI double to Bryan Rincon, and then Alex Binelas hit a two-run home run. Reading added another run on a groundout in the fourth, before Eddie Micheletti Jr. finally got New Hampshire on the board with a solo home run. Kehden Hettiger hit a solo homer of his own to put Reading back up four. Sean Keys brought the game to within three with an RBI single to center in the sixth, but again the Fightin Phils answered with an RBI double this time. New Hampshire would be hard-pressed for hits in this one and ultimately runs, as they fell short, losing 6-2. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 9-12 Series vs. Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels) April 25: The Vancouver Canadians once again got a solid start from Austin Cates, whose uptick in velocity has contributed very well to his effectiveness. He went five scoreless innings, leaving in line for the win, as the Canadians took the lead in the fourth on a Jacob Sharp single. The Canadians got an insurance run in the seventh inning despite Matt Scannell getting caught stealing at third base, as J.R. Freethy was still able to drive in Manuel Beltre at second. The Canadians were one out away from getting out of the eighth inning unscathed after Juanmi Vasquez got two quick outs, but he gave up a hit to Matt Coutney. Kelena Sauer came in to replace Vasquez and gave up a double to Ryan Nicholson, though Coutney was held at third. Sauer induced a grounder at third to Beltre, who couldn’t come up with it cleanly, which allowed a run to score. Unfortunately for the Canadians, they would allow two more runs to score on two more hits, relinquishing the lead. They got one more chance in the bottom of the ninth, and despite Dub Gleed striking out, Maddox Latta walked, then stole second base, Scanell walked, then Beltre got hit by a pitch to load the bases up. Freethy came up and struck out swinging, and the red-hot Carter Cunningham could not get it done, as he grounded out to first to end the game on a heartbreaker. April 26: The Canadians hoped to end the series on a win to clinch the series, but the Dust Devils had other plans. Landen Maroudis put up another scoreless outing, going 3.1 innings, finally showing the promise that people expected out of him before his injury. A solid fourth inning where a Carter Cunningham walk led to an Arjun Nimmala double to put runners on second and third. Peyton Williams hit a sac fly, then Alexis Hernandez drove in Nimmala with a single, which knocked out the starter Keythel Key. Tucker Toman walked, then Gleed reached on an error, loading the bases for Brennan Orf, who grounded into a force out but allowed a runner to score. Gilberto Batista once again followed Maroudis in relief, and the young Dominican pitched well through three innings before a disastrous seventh inning struck. After a leadoff double, Batista was able to induce two grounders, hopefully only allowing a single run to score, but his command faltered, walking the next two batters, then giving up a single to the third. Carson Pierce couldn’t stop the bleeding after he replaced Batista, walking the bases loaded, and then the Dust Devils took the lead on a Ryan Nicholson single. Pierce then gave up a three-run homer, making a comeback seem unlikely. The Canadians fought back a little in the eighth, getting two more runs, but Jonathan Todd gave them up right back in the ninth, stopping the comeback attempt there. Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 9-12 Series vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins) April 25: The D-Jays really wanted to turn it around after going 1-3 in the first four games of the series. Starter Brandon Barriera’s velocity finally ticked up a bit; he touched 96 mph on his fastball and showed off his sharp slider, striking out four batters in two innings of work, giving up only an unearned run. Lluveres Severino replaced him and also went two scoreless, and Mussels’ pitcher Ramiro Villanueva went four shutout innings, as the game was close heading into the fifth inning. The fifth inning went horribly for the Jays, as the Mussels were all over Brayden Heidel, who gave up five hits and six runs, five of them being earned. The defense didn’t help either, as they gave up two errors, leading Carson Myers to also give up two unearned runs after he replaced Heidel. Yorman Licourt and Will Cresswell hit a couple of doubles to prevent the Jays from going scoreless, but the lead was insurmountable, making it so that the Jays lost their series against the Mussels. April 26: Victor Arias returned on rehab assignment after starting the season injured, but was one of only three Dunedin players to get on base, as the Jays were no-hit by the Mighty Mussels. The Jays got some solid pitching performances from Troy Guthrie, whose strong command has led to a great start, as well as Reece Wissinger, whose stuff has been lighting up the models with his high-riding fastball. Unfortunately for them, they each gave up a run, and Franly Urena gave up a run as well, leading to a 3-0 loss on a night where the Jays did not have it going offensively. View the full article

Through the first month of the 2026 season, the Twins’ lineup has been a mix of early surprises, consistent contributors, and slow starts. With both traditional stats and advanced metrics in mind, these confidence rankings reflect current production and how sustainable each player’s performance looks moving forward, as well as my not-so-professional opinions. After all, we'd be kidding ourselves if we pretended that confidence isn't influenced by our subjective senses of each player. 13. James Outman There isn’t a ton to say here. Outman last had an above-average OPS+ in 2023 when he finished third in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting. His current role on the team is as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner. Let us all hope it stays that way, because more James Outman at-bats would not be good for the Twins. 12. Matt Wallner Wallner was projected to be one of the Twins’ best bats this year, and now that it's almost May, fans are calling for Wallner to be removed from the roster in favor of one of the top prospects in St. Paul. Wallner’s current strikeout rate renders even a great slugger inviable, but worse, his groundball rate has soared to 50%, well above the 44.2% MLB average. The Forest Lake native’s defense has been atrocious, too. Wallner likely doesn’t have a ton of time to turn his season around with top prospects waiting in St. Paul. The bat speed is still there—kind of—but the 28-year-old must rediscover his 2024 form to rocket back into the top half of this list. 11. Luke Keaschall One of the bright spots down the stretch in 2025, Keaschall has been abysmal so far this season. He currently has the lowest OPS of the Twins’ qualified hitters, at .551. The advanced metrics don’t back him up, either, with his xwOBA, average exit velocity, and hard-hit percentage all far below average. Keaschall doesn’t strike out, whiff, or chase often, but he doesn’t walk much, either, so his quality of contact will need to improve as the season progresses. 10. Kody Clemens Like Keaschall, Clemens is struggling to repeat his impressive 2025. Following a 19-homerun year for the Twins, Clemens is currently slashing .194/.275/.371, with 3 homers in 70 plate appearances. He’s striking out at a 30% rate. Still, Clemens’s advanced metrics signal he has gotten slightly unlucky so far, with both his xSLG and xBA being higher than his actual values. His average exit velocity and barrel percentage are still very high as well, so I’m on the side of still giving Clemens some time to figure it out. Be it at first base or second, he's a better defender than the obvious alternatives. 9. Royce Lewis The No. 1 overall pick in 2017, Lewis is slashing .196/.308/.393 with 3 homers in 65 plate appearances so far this year. He, too, is striking out at a 30% rate, but unlike Clemens, his advanced metrics don’t reveal any signs of bad luck so far. One positive to see is that his walk rate is way up, to 12.3%. Lewis did spend some time on the injured list with a knee injury, and the 26-year-old should have plenty of time to figure it out this year—although he's already feeling the pressure from the next guy up on this list. 8. Tristan Gray The Twins acquired Gray from the Red Sox in late January. After making the team out of spring training, Gray has been good off the bench, slashing .292/.340/.500 with 3 home runs in 54 plate appearances. Somewhat startlingly (unless, I guess, you've been watching the Twins over the last 20 months), Gray seems to be a material threat to Lewis's playing time; the organization might just have him climbing their own confidence rankings. 7. Victor Caratini This may be a hot take considering Caratini’s slash line is currently .222/.318/.278, but hear me out. Caratini’s line hides a few things. First, his xBA is .046 points higher, at .268, and a similar story can be told about his xwOBA, which is higher than his wOBA by .075. While his average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage are all low, he is getting unlucky so far, so we should expect some positive regression. Second, the 32-year-old’s approach is solid right now, with his chase percentage, whiff percentage, and strikeout percentage all easily better than average. Caratini is a good, veteran hitter who put up a 111 OPS+ in 2024 and a 102 OPS+ in 2025, and I think he will be around those numbers come year's end. Caratini may not be the most dynamic hitter on the Twins, but by September, I think he will be one of the most consistent and sneak into the top 5 of this list. 6. Trevor Larnach Larnach’s name was floated around everywhere this offseason, given the abundance of left-handed outfielders the Twins have and the amount of money he was due. However, he began the season with the team and has been solid so far, slashing .259/.419/.397 in 74 plate appearances. Larnach hasn’t played much, given the number of lefties the Twins faced early in the year, but there are some positives to see in Larnach’s game so far. His walk rate is currently 5th in MLB, and his expected stats are all above his actual stats. Larnach has been around a league-average hitter the past 4 seasons, so it's fair to expect this level of output going forward, though the walk rate will probably diminish at some point. 5. Brooks Lee In a somewhat insane turn of events, Brooks Lee leads qualified Twins hitters in OPS so far this season. Despite this, Lee’s advanced metrics are all still bad, and his expected statistics (xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG) are all at or below the 18th percentile in MLB, as well as being below his actual values. Lee turning around his season has bought him some time in the big leagues, although his defense at short hasn’t improved. Since these confidence rankings are based on the present, Lee is this high. However, it wouldn’t surprise me (or probably anyone else) in the slightest if Lee regressed back to what we saw for the majority of last year, which would consequently drop him on this list. 4. Josh Bell Tied for the team lead in RBI, Bell has been solid for the Twins, slashing .235/.333/.378, with 3 homers in 114 plate appearances. Bell is another Twin who has expected stats above his actual ones—especially the slugging percentage, which is .029 points ahead of his actual number. The 33-year-old slugger is above-average in strikeout rate and walk rate, and while his average most likely won’t clear .250, he should hit around 20 homers. By season's end, Bell should finish as one of the best hitters on the Twins—if he is still on the team. Should he exceed that 20-homer number by a large margin, Bell could find himself at number 1 on this list. 3. Byron Buxton After a slow start, Buxton is starting to get untracked. He's slashing .229/.292/.450 in 120 plate appearances, and he's hit 6 home runs. A .742 OPS isn’t what fans or management expect from the superstar center fielder, but this is the clear best hitter on the Twins, in my opinion. Despite the slow start, the two-time All-Star is the best bet to level off at a high plateau on this benighted roster. The 3rd spot on this list goes to Buxton, not only for his production so far this year, but out of respect for what he represents as a Twin. He is the most dangerous hitter in the lineup, day in and day out, and Buxton will look to get back to his “usual” production as we move into the summer months. 2. Austin Martin Martin has been a breath of fresh air so far this season, slashing .327/.500/.455 in 76 plate appearances. The style of baseball Martin is playing is different than what has been asked of him in the past. His chase rate and walk percentage are elite, albeit with some matchup advantages players to whom we might compare them don't enjoy. While Martin’s power statistics and advanced metrics aren’t strong, those aren’t his strengths, and the team has recognized that now. Out of all the hitters on the team right now, I’d choose Martin if I needed a base runner. While the abundance of lefties to start the season has helped the former 5th overall pick, Martin’s performance has driven fans to ask if he should be starting every day. 1. Ryan Jeffers A free agent at the end of the season, Jeffers is the best hitter on the Twins so far this season. His .282/.414/.465 slash line in 88 plate appearances accounts for an .879 OPS, which would lead the team if he were qualified. His approach has gotten better, with his chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout percentage, and walk percentage all improving this year. His xwOBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, and barrel percentage have all increased as well, ranking at or above the 76th percentile in MLB. The advanced metrics support his start at the plate, and time will tell if he can keep this up, but to me, getting Jeffers to sign an extension should be a priority as the season progresses. Whether he is a Twin in 2027 or not, the rest of the season should be fun, getting to watch Jeffers in the box and behind the plate. As the season progresses, these rankings will inevitably shift with adjustments, injuries, and regression, both positive and negative. For now, they offer a snapshot of where each hitter stands and what the Twins can realistically expect from their lineup as they push deeper into May and beyond for 2026. View the full article

The Cubs extended Nico Hoerner on a 6-year, $141 million deal earlier this season. So far, he's putting together his most impressive season yet. In this video, we'll dive into his whiff rate, strikeout rate, walk rate and discuss how his speed leads to above-average base-running and elite defensive range at the second base position. View the full article

These last two weeks have been revealed more about various players in San Diego Padres' system, as many have started to carve out their season-long identity. There are a handful of players who are building on expectations, more than we can fit into Padres Mission's standouts and disappoints. Still, let's check in with the recent movers and how the Padres on rehab assignments are doing. Padres Rehab Report RHP Lucas Giolito While technically not a rehab assignment (Giolito was optioned to the Low-A Lake Elsinore after signing), it is a buildup of his arm to return to the majors. Giolito's first start Saturday looked every bit of a spring training debut. He threw 63 pitches (40 strikes) and allowed just two hits, both doubles, while striking out four and walking three. Giolito's command was definitely shaky, but it was in a low-stakes environment. One thing to worry about was Giolito appeared to injure his right hand when he attempted to snag a line-drive comebacker at head level. It was a glancing blow that didn't seem to bother him that much initially. The manager was already on his way out to the mound to remove Giolito from the game and didn't appear to ask the pitcher about his hand. RHP Griffin Canning (ruptured left Achilles) Canning made his third and fourth starts since his 30-day rehab assignment began April 4, all with Triple-A El Paso. The progress feels a little slow, as he threw 67 pitches in 2⅔ innings April 16, then 45 in 1⅔ innings Wednesday. On April 16, Canning allowed one hit but walked four, allowing six runs, only two of which were earned, while striking out six. On Wednesday, the right-hander was lifted after throwing 31 pitches in the second inning, allowing a pair of runs on three hits and two walks with no strikeouts. Canning figures to have at least one if not two more outings before the Padres have to make a decision on his status, whether to recall him from his rehab assignment for further medical evaluation or to activate him to the 26-man roster. LHP Yuki Matsui (strained left groin) Matsui has made six appearances over the last two weeks after only three in the first 15 games for El Paso. Four of those six were one-inning outings, with his latest one going two scoreless innings Sunday. He allowed a total of nine hits and three runs, including two homers, with one walk and nine strikeouts. His rehab assignment also began April 4, but his return would seem to be more imminent than Canning's. His two innings Sunday could point to going back-to-back as the last thing to check off before rejoining the Padres. RHP Jeremiah Estrada (right elbow tendinitis) Estrada made his first rehab appearance Friday for Low-A Lake Elsinore, pitching a perfect seventh inning, striking out one. He also got a fly out and a popup, throwing 10 of his 14 pitches for strikes. He went on the 15-day injured list April 10, and this appearance was a good sign for a relatively quick return to the Padres, as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks. Padres Farm System Standouts IF-OF Pablo Reyes (Triple-A El Paso) The versatile Reyes has been a significant offensive contributor thus far for the Chihuahuas. Reyes has reached base in all 18 games he has played and leads the team with a .438 on-base percentage. He was given the day off on Sunday, but has a six-game hitting streak during which he is hitting .360 (9-for-25) with two doubles and four RBIs. Reyes has five multi-hit games this season to go along with six steals. C Ethan Salas (Double-A San Antonio) Salas also got a well-deserved day off Sunday, but he too has been red-hot of late. Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect not only hit his first two homers of the season in games Friday and Saturday, but he is on an 14-for-37 run with two doubles and eight RBIs with six walks and eight strikeouts. That has raised his early-season average from .125 to .296. Salas has been hitting mainly out of the leadoff spot, scoring seven runs and going 3-for-3 on steal attempts. MINORS_SALAS_0426.mp4 OF Alex McCoy (High-A Fort Wayne) The 6-foot-5, 240-pound McCoy has been the hottest hitter in the Padres' system. Before going 0-for-3 Saturday, McCoy had a 15-game hitting streak in which he put up a slash line of .356/.361/.678 with a 1.039 OPS. He had seven doubles, four homers and nine RBIs during the streak, which was the longest in TinCaps history since a 15-gamer by Fernando Tatis Jr. in 2017. All four of McCoy's homers this season came during his hitting streak, which began after a 1-for-8 start to the season. He had six multi-hit games during the run. MINORS_MCCOY_0426.mp4 Padres Farm System Disappointments LHP JP Sears (Triple-A El Paso) The other player the Padres acquired in the Mason Miller trade, Sears had a rough spring (10 runs in 10⅔ innings) as he made a bid to be part of the Friars' rotation or at least the long man out of the bullpen, thus being optioned to Triple-A. He has followed that with a poor beginning to the regular season. That includes allowing 11 runs over his last two starts, giving up 11 hits (three homers) with six walks and five strikeouts in 9⅓ innings. He gave up seven runs on eight hits and five walks in 3⅓ innings on April 17. Sears' struggles are part of the reason the Padres were concerned about their rotation depth, hence why they went out and got Lucas Giolito. In five starts, Sears has a 7.15 ERA in 22⅔ innings. LHP Omar Cruz (Double-A San Antonio) After making his MLB debut with two relief appearances in 2025, Cruz started this season at Triple-A El Paso. All six of his appearances there were in relief and he went just four innings, compiling an 18.00 ERA, giving up eight runs on nine hits (two homers) with six walks and six strikeouts. On Saturday, he was demoted to Double-A San Antonio. He made his Missions debut Sunday, striking out three in two scoreless innings. LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (Low-A Lake Elsinore) Let's be clear: This is Schoolcraft's first true professional season after getting a token start at Lake Elsinore following his selection as the 25th overall pick in last summer's draft out of an Oregon high school. So why pick on him here? Facts are facts and Schoolcraft will use his experience in these four starts to make himself better. He pitched a career-high three innings in each of his last two outings, going 57 pitches April 17 and 51 on Friday. Combined, he gave up 11 hits and six runs (four earned) with two walks and three strikes in each of those games. Those starts came after two in which he allowed 10 runs in 1⅓ innings, with six hits and six walks against one strikeout. His season ERA sits at 15.95. View the full article

The Red Sox's backup catcher, Connor Wong, has shown significant offensive improvement early in 2026 compared to his injury-hampered 2025 campaign. Carlos Narvaez, Boston's primary catcher, is struggling at the same time. Should there be a push to get Wong more playing time? View the full article

We are finally here. We've unveiled the entire Jays Centre Top 20 Prospects list, and now have reached the number one spot. Trey Yesavage is a man who needs no introduction. He debuted at the end of the 2025 season and proceeded to become a star during the Toronto Blue Jays’ magical run to the World Series. If you can believe it, he is still a prospect, so, on the day of his 2026 debut, let's dive into what makes him deserving of our top spot. If you haven't read our previous articles, you can do so now before continuing: No. 20 to 16 No. 15 to 11 No. 10: Jake Bloss No. 9: Yohendrick Pinango No. 8: Victor Arias No. 7: Juan Sanchez No. 6: Gage Stanifer No. 5: Johnny King No. 4: Arjun Nimmala No. 3: Ricky Tiedemann No. 2: JoJo Parker Yesavage made his way to the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 2024, when they drafted him in the first round (20th overall), out of East Carolina University. The Blue Jays opted to hold him out of games that season and then start him at Single-A Dunedin to begin 2025. He started his magical season with a rough game, one in which he walked six batters and showed terrible control. It didn't take long for him to right the ship, as he had three double-digit strikeout games over his next six starts. The phenomenal aspect of those performances might have actually been his control; he only walked two over 29.2 innings in that span. He was then promoted to High-A Vancouver, where the strikeouts continued to rack up, but the walks did as well. He wasn't long for High-A Vancouver, only pitching in four games there, for a total of 17.1 innings, and allowed just three runs. It was then off to Double-A New Hampshire, where he walked 11 batters in his first five starts. Ultimately, he adjusted and found his control again, walking zero over his last three starts there. Triple-A Buffalo was his next stop and proved to be a real challenge for him, as he walked 11 in six appearances and gave up seven earned runs. The Blue Jays were nonetheless ready to get Yesavage to the major league level, having him debut on September 15. It's what happened next that cemented him as a legend to Blue Jays fans. The team made him a part of the postseason roster, and he didn't disappoint, firing 5.1 no-hit innings against the hated New York Yankees and striking out 11 on his way to one of the best performances of the 2025 playoffs. In fact, only he was really able to outdo himself. It took seven innings of three-hit ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series to do it. He would end up striking out 12 batters on that magical night in Los Angeles, and while he couldn't help the Blue Jays to the ultimate win, he earned the kind of legendary status that will last all of time. What To Like When you look at Yesavage, the biggest thing to like about him is his swing-and-miss stuff, and he has a lot of it. In the minor leagues during the 2025 season, he had a strikeout rate of 41.1% (100th percentile). In his three games in the majors before the playoffs started, his strikeout rate was 25.8%, and it rose to 35.6% in the playoffs. What makes him so good is that, to pair with his elite strikeout stuff, he is able to keep hitters from making good contact. He held minor league hitters to just a .156 batting average and major league hitters to a .236 batting average. The uniqueness in Yesavage's delivery and his pitch arsenal really drives the whiffs to crazy levels. He has a pitch release of over seven feet, one of the highest in all of baseball. While his arsenal features some really good pitches, he relied mostly on three: a four-seam fastball, a splitter, and a slider. The four-seam fastball had around 19.5 inches of induced vertical break (iVB). Couple that with his release height and attack angle, and it proved to be an extremely difficult pitch for hitters to square up. His splitter was his next best pitch and dove on hitters. With 31.5 inches of actual vertical drop, it was nearly unhittable. His slider became a huge weapon in the playoffs when he lost the command of his splitter; it had the same effect with a different type of break. What To Work On Yesavage really had only one major thing holding him back at times from becoming a star: his control. He tamed it in the playoffs last year, but in the minor leagues in 2025, he had a walk rate of 10.5% (48th percentile). In the majors, it was 11.3% (10.1% in the playoffs), and this year, it has been 12.5% on his rehab assignment. You can see just from his playoff games how vital curtailing the walks is to him becoming an ace starting pitcher. He walked just one in the 11-strikeout game against the Yankees and zero in his 12-strikeout game against the Dodgers in the World Series. In the three starts he made between those games in the playoffs, he walked nine and only struck out a combined 15 hitters. His strike rate in the minor leagues last year was 64.8% (78th percentile). This shows he might be searching for the strikeouts a little too much and could improve his performances by not nibbling on the edges and instead trusting his stuff in the zone a little more. This should also improve his length in games, as he won't rack up as many pitches with deep counts and strikeouts. What's Next Yesavage is going to make his season debut for the Blue Jays tonight, Tuesday, April 28. He can give them a huge boost, as their starting rotation has been decimated by injuries and bad play so far in 2026. If he can start the season just as hot as he finished 2025, he can almost single-handedly turn the Blue Jays’ season around and give them the boost of energy and excitement that the team very much needs right now. It will be important that he doesn't try to do too much, but if he can keep the walks down, he could quickly become the ace in waiting behind Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease. View the full article

It’s been a rough start to the season for Luke Keaschall, and the Minnesota Twins may have a decision to make. Would a reset in Triple-A be the right move? View the full article